Weather related continuity and completeness on Deep Space Ka-band links: statistics and forecasting

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shambayati, Shervin

2006-01-01

In this paper the concept of link 'stability' as means of measuring the continuity of the link is introduced and through it, along with the distributions of 'good' periods and 'bad' periods, the performance of the proposed Ka-band link design method using both forecasting and long-term statistics has been analyzed. The results indicate that the proposed link design method has relatively good continuity and completeness characteristics even when only long-term statistics are used and that the continuity performance further improves when forecasting is employed. .

Performance of finishing beef steers in response to anabolic implant dose and zilpaterol hydrochloride

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

British × Continental steers (n = 168; 7 pens/treatment; initial BW = 362 kg) were used to evaluate the dose of trenbolone acetate (TBA) and estradiol-17ß (E2) and feeding of zilpaterol hydrochloride (ZH) on performance and carcass characteristics. A randomized complete block design was used with a ...

Performance of finishing beef steers in response to anabolic implant and zilpaterol hydrochloride supplementation

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Our objectives were to evaluate the dose/payout pattern of trenbolone acetate (TBA) and estradiol-17b (E2) implants and feeding of zilpaterol hydrochloride (ZH) on performance and carcass characteristics of finishing beef steers. A randomized complete block design was used with a 3 × 2 factorial arr...

Mojave Base Station Implementation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Koscielski, C. G.

1984-01-01

A 12.2 meter diameter X-Y mount antenna was reconditioned for use by the crustal dynamic project as a fixed base station. System capabilities and characteristics and key performance parameters for subsystems are presented. The implementation is completed.

Atmospheric cloud physics thermal systems analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1977-01-01

Engineering analyses performed on the Atmospheric Cloud Physics (ACPL) Science Simulator expansion chamber and associated thermal control/conditioning system are reported. Analyses were made to develop a verified thermal model and to perform parametric thermal investigations to evaluate systems performance characteristics. Thermal network representations of solid components and the complete fluid conditioning system were solved simultaneously using the Systems Improved Numerical Differencing Analyzer (SINDA) computer program.

L1C signal design options

USGS Publications Warehouse

Betz, J.W.; Cahn, C.R.; Dafesh, P.A.; Hegarty, C.J.; Hudnut, K.W.; Jones, A.J.; Keegan, R.; Kovach, K.; Lenahan, L.S.; Ma, H.H.; Rushanan, J.J.; Stansell, T.A.; Wang, C.C.; Yi, S.K.

2006-01-01

Design activities for a new civil signal centered at 1575.42 MHz, called L1C, began in 2003, and the Phase 1 effort was completed in 2004. The L1C signal design has evolved and matured during a Phase 2 design activity that began in 2005. Phase 2 has built on the initial design activity, guided by responses to international user surveys conducted during Phase 1. A common core of signal characteristics has been developed to provide advances in robustness and performance. The Phase 2 activity produced five design options, all drawing upon the core signal characteristics, while representing different blends of characteristics and capabilities. A second round of international user surveys was completed to solicit advice concerning these design options. This paper provides an update of the L1C design process, and describes the current L1C design options. Initial performance estimates are presented for each design option, displaying trades between signal tracking robustness, the speed and robustness of clock and ephemeris data, and the rate and robustness of other data message contents. Planned remaining activities are summarized, leading to optimization of the L1C design.

Dissipation factor as a predictor of anodic coating performance

DOEpatents

Panitz, Janda K. G.

1995-01-01

A dissipation factor measurement is used to predict as-anodized fixture performance prior to actual use of the fixture in an etching environment. A dissipation factor measurement of the anodic coating determines its dielectric characteristics and correlates to the performance of the anodic coating in actual use. The ability to predict the performance of the fixture and its anodized coating permits the fixture to be repaired or replaced prior to complete failure.

Applying a social network analysis (SNA) approach to understanding radiologists' performance in reading mammograms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tavakoli Taba, Seyedamir; Hossain, Liaquat; Heard, Robert; Brennan, Patrick; Lee, Warwick; Lewis, Sarah

2017-03-01

Rationale and objectives: Observer performance has been widely studied through examining the characteristics of individuals. Applying a systems perspective, while understanding of the system's output, requires a study of the interactions between observers. This research explains a mixed methods approach to applying a social network analysis (SNA), together with a more traditional approach of examining personal/ individual characteristics in understanding observer performance in mammography. Materials and Methods: Using social networks theories and measures in order to understand observer performance, we designed a social networks survey instrument for collecting personal and network data about observers involved in mammography performance studies. We present the results of a study by our group where 31 Australian breast radiologists originally reviewed 60 mammographic cases (comprising of 20 abnormal and 40 normal cases) and then completed an online questionnaire about their social networks and personal characteristics. A jackknife free response operating characteristic (JAFROC) method was used to measure performance of radiologists. JAFROC was tested against various personal and network measures to verify the theoretical model. Results: The results from this study suggest a strong association between social networks and observer performance for Australian radiologists. Network factors accounted for 48% of variance in observer performance, in comparison to 15.5% for the personal characteristics for this study group. Conclusion: This study suggest a strong new direction for research into improving observer performance. Future studies in observer performance should consider social networks' influence as part of their research paradigm, with equal or greater vigour than traditional constructs of personal characteristics.

Advancing Postsecondary Opportunity, Completion, and Productivity: Essential Performance Indicators for Iowa and Selected Peer States. 2012-2013

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Midwestern Higher Education Compact, 2014

2014-01-01

This report portrays various performance indicators that are intended to facilitate an assessment of the postsecondary education system in Iowa. Descriptive statistics are presented for Iowa and five other comparison states as well as the nation. Comparison states were selected according to the degree of similarity of population characteristics,…

Advancing Postsecondary Opportunity, Completion, and Productivity: Essential Performance Indicators for Ohio and Selected Peer States. 2012-2013

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Midwestern Higher Education Compact, 2014

2014-01-01

This report portrays various performance indicators that are intended to facilitate an assessment of the postsecondary education system in Ohio. Descriptive statistics are presented for Ohio and five other comparison states as well as the nation. Comparison states were selected according to the degree of similarity of population characteristics,…

HPV vaccination: Pilot study assessing characteristics of high and low performing primary care offices.

PubMed

Lollier, Allison; Rodriguez, Elisa M; Saad-Harfouche, Frances G; Widman, Christy A; Mahoney, Martin C

2018-06-01

This pilot study was undertaken to identify characteristics and approaches (e.g., social, behavioral, and/or systems factors) which differentiate primary care medical offices achieving higher rates of HPV vaccination. Eligible primary care practice sites providing care to adolescent patients were recruited within an eight county region of western New York State between June 2016 and July 2016. Practice sites were categorized as higher (n = 3) or lower performing (n = 2) based on three dose series completion rates for HPV vaccinations among females aged 13-17 years. Interviewer administered surveys were completed with office staff (n = 37) and focused on understanding approaches to adolescent vaccination. Results were summarized using basic descriptive statistics. Higher performing offices reported more full-time clinical staff (median = 25 vs. 9.5 in lower performing clinics), larger panels of patients ages 11-17 years (median = 3541 vs. 925) and completion of NYSIIS data entry within two weeks of vaccination. (less than a month vs. two). Staff in higher performing offices reviewed medical charts prior to scheduled visits (100% vs. 50) and identified their office vaccine champion as a physician and/or a nurse manager (75% vs. 22%). Also, staffs from higher performing offices were more likely to report the combination of having an office vaccine champion, previewing charts and using standing orders. These preliminary findings support future research examining implementation of organizational processes including identifying a vaccine champion, using standing orders and previewing medical charts prior to office visits as strategies to increase rates of HPV vaccination in primary care offices.

Personality characteristics and trait clusters in final stage astronaut selection.

PubMed

Musson, David M; Sandal, Gro M; Helmreich, Robert L

2004-04-01

This paper presents personality testing data from final stage applicants to the NASA astronaut program. Questions addressed include whether personality predicted final selection into the astronaut corps, whether women and men demonstrated typical gender differences in personality, and whether three characteristic clusters found in other high performance populations replicated in this group. Between 1989 and 1995, 259 final stage astronauts completed the Personal Characteristic Inventory (PCI) which assesses personality characteristics related to the broad traits of Instrumentality and Expressivity. In addition, 147 of these individuals also completed an abbreviated version of the NEO Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) which assesses the "Big Five" traits of Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness, Agreeableness, And Conscientiousness. Three previously identified trait clusters (Right, Wrong, and No Stuff) were found to replicate in this population. No differences were found on the PCI or on the modified NEO-FFI between applicants who were chosen to become astronauts (n = 63) and those who were not (n = 196). Men scored higher than women on competitiveness, but lower on expressivity and achievement strivings. These analyses suggest that the "Right Stuff," "Wrong Stuff" and "No Stuff" clusters originally described in airline pilots and other high performance groups also exist within this population. Consistent with findings from other high performance populations, men and women tend to differ to a lesser extent than found in the general population, particularly on traits related to achievement motivation. Personality trait testing did not predict which applicants were most likely to be accepted into the astronaut corps.

Muscle contractile characteristics: relationship to high-intensity exercise.

PubMed

Morris, Martyn G; Dawes, Helen; Howells, Ken; Scott, Oona M; Cramp, Mary; Izadi, Hooshang

2010-09-01

We investigated the relationship between muscle contractile characteristics, collected using percutaneous electrical stimulation, and high-intensity exercise performance. Seventeen participants performed a muscle performance test for the calculation of rate of torque development (RTD), rate of relaxation (RR(1/2)), rate of fatigue and fatigue resistance. On a second visit the participants completed a Wingate cycle ergometer test with peak power, mean power, fatigue index and fatigue rate calculated. The muscle fatigue index related significantly to the WAnT fatigue index and fatigue rate (p < 0.01). The change in rate of torque development (%DeltaRTD) was also related significantly to the fatigue rate (W/s) during the WAnT. Subjects displaying the greatest reduction in RTD had the greatest fatigue rate during the WAnT and greater fatigue during the electrical stimulation protocol. There were no significant relationships between peak (r 0.36; p > 0.01) or mean power (r -0.11, p > 0.01) with any of the muscle performance measures. These findings demonstrate that muscle contractile characteristics, elicited during standardised in vivo electrical stimulation, relate to performance during a Wingate anaerobic test. They suggest that muscle contraction characteristics play an important role in high-intensity exercise performance and indicate that electrical stimulation protocols can be a useful additional tool to explore muscle contraction characteristics in relation to exercise performance and trainability.

Small passenger car transmission test; Chevrolet LUV transmission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bujold, M. P.

1980-01-01

A 1978 Chevrolet LUV manual transmission tested per the applicable portions of a passenger car automatic transmission test code (SAE J65lb) which required drive performance, coast performance, and no load test conditions. Under these test conditions, the transmission attained maximum efficiencies in the upper ninety percent range for both drive performance tests and coast performance tests. The major results of this test (torque, speed, and efficiency curves) are presented. Graphs map the complete performance characteristics for the Chevrolet LUV transmission.

Small passenger car transmission test; Ford C4 transmission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bujold, M. P.

1980-01-01

A 1979 Ford C4 automatic transmission was tested per a passenger car automatic transmission test code (SAE J651b) which required drive performance, coast performance, and no load test conditions. Under these test conditions, the transmission attained maximum efficiencies in the mid-eighty percent range for both drive performance tests and coast performance tests. The major results of this test (torque, speed, and efficiency curves) are presented. Graphs map the complete performance characteristics for the Ford C4 transmission.

Small passenger car transmission test: Mercury Lynx ATX transmission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bujold, M. P.

1981-01-01

The testing of a Mercury Lynx automatic transmission is reported. The transmission was tested in accordance with a passenger car automatic transmission test code (SAE J65lb) which required drive performance, coast performance, and no load test conditions. Under these conditions, the transmission attained maximum efficiencies in the mid-ninety percent range both for drive performance test and coast performance tests. The torque, speed, and efficiency curves are presented, which provide the complete performance characteristics for the Mercury Lynx automatic transmission.

A computer technique for detailed analysis of mission radius and maneuverability characteristics of fighter aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Foss, W. E., Jr.

1981-01-01

A computer technique to determine the mission radius and maneuverability characteristics of combat aircraft was developed. The technique was used to determine critical operational requirements and the areas in which research programs would be expected to yield the most beneficial results. In turn, the results of research efforts were evaluated in terms of aircraft performance on selected mission segments and for complete mission profiles. Extensive use of the technique in evaluation studies indicates that the calculated performance is essentially the same as that obtained by the proprietary programs in use throughout the aircraft industry.

FogEye UV Sensor System Performance Characteristics

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2004-03-01

The primary objective of the FogEye Evaluation Program is to determine whether coupled ultra-violet sources and detectors may provide enhancements to safety on the airport surface. The results of this effort will be used to complete the evaluation of...

Implementation of laparoscopic hysterectomy: maintenance of skills after a mentorship program.

PubMed

Twijnstra, A R H; Blikkendaal, M D; Kolkman, W; Smeets, M J G H; Rhemrev, J P T; Jansen, F W

2010-01-01

To evaluate the implementation and maintenance of advanced laparoscopic skills after a structured mentorship program in laparoscopic hysterectomy (LH). Cohort retrospective analysis of 104 successive LHs performed by two gynecologists during and after a mentorship program. LHs were compared for indication, patient characteristics and intraoperative characteristics. As a frame of reference, 94 LHs performed by the mentor were analyzed. With regard to indication, blood loss and adverse outcomes, both trainees performed LHs during their mentorship program comparable with the LHs performed by the mentor. The difference in mean operating time between trainees and mentor was not clinically significant. Both trainees progressed along a learning curve, while operating time remained statistically constant and comparable to that of the mentor. After completing the mentorship program, both gynecologists maintained their acquired skills as blood loss, adverse outcome rates and operating time were comparable with the results during their traineeship. A mentorship program is an effective and durable tool for implementing a new surgical procedure in a teaching hospital with respect to patient safety aspects, as indications, operating time and adverse outcome rates are comparable to those of the mentor in his own hospital during and after completing the mentorship program. Copyright © 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Prognostic models for complete recovery in ischemic stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Jampathong, Nampet; Laopaiboon, Malinee; Rattanakanokchai, Siwanon; Pattanittum, Porjai

2018-03-09

Prognostic models have been increasingly developed to predict complete recovery in ischemic stroke. However, questions arise about the performance characteristics of these models. The aim of this study was to systematically review and synthesize performance of existing prognostic models for complete recovery in ischemic stroke. We searched journal publications indexed in PUBMED, SCOPUS, CENTRAL, ISI Web of Science and OVID MEDLINE from inception until 4 December, 2017, for studies designed to develop and/or validate prognostic models for predicting complete recovery in ischemic stroke patients. Two reviewers independently examined titles and abstracts, and assessed whether each study met the pre-defined inclusion criteria and also independently extracted information about model development and performance. We evaluated validation of the models by medians of the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) or c-statistic and calibration performance. We used a random-effects meta-analysis to pool AUC values. We included 10 studies with 23 models developed from elderly patients with a moderately severe ischemic stroke, mainly in three high income countries. Sample sizes for each study ranged from 75 to 4441. Logistic regression was the only analytical strategy used to develop the models. The number of various predictors varied from one to 11. Internal validation was performed in 12 models with a median AUC of 0.80 (95% CI 0.73 to 0.84). One model reported good calibration. Nine models reported external validation with a median AUC of 0.80 (95% CI 0.76 to 0.82). Four models showed good discrimination and calibration on external validation. The pooled AUC of the two validation models of the same developed model was 0.78 (95% CI 0.71 to 0.85). The performance of the 23 models found in the systematic review varied from fair to good in terms of internal and external validation. Further models should be developed with internal and external validation in low and middle income countries.

Covariance of engineering management characteristics with engineering employee performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hesketh, Andrew Arthur

1998-12-01

As business in the 1990's grapples with the impact of continuous improvement and quality to meet market demands, there is an increased need to improve the leadership capabilities of our managers. Engineers have indicated desire for certain managerial characteristics in their leadership but there have been no studies completed that approached the problem of determining what managerial characteristics were best at improving employee performance. This study addressed the idea of identifying certain managerial characteristics that enhance employee performance. In the early 1990's, McDonnell Douglas Aerospace in St. Louis used a forced distribution system and allocated 35% of its employees into a "exceeds expectations" category and 60% into a "meets expectations" category. A twenty-question 5 point Likert scale survey on managerial capabilities was administered to a sample engineering population that also obtained their "expectations" category. A single factor ANOVA on the survey results determined a statistical difference between the "exceeds" and "meets" employees with four of the managerial capability questions. The "exceeds expectations" employee indicated that supervision did a better job of supporting subordinate development, clearly communicating performance expectations, and providing timely performance feedback when compared to the "meets expectations" employee. The "meets expectations" employee felt that their opinions, when different from their supervisor's, were more often ignored when compared to the "exceeds expectations" employee. These four questions relate to two specific managerial characteristics, "gaining (informal) authority and support" or "control" characteristic and "providing assistance and guidance" or "command" characteristic, that can be emphasized in managerial training programs.

Prediction of child performance on a parent-child behavioral approach test with animal phobic children.

PubMed

Ollendick, Thomas H; Lewis, Krystal M; Cowart, Maria J W; Davis, Thompson

2012-07-01

A host of factors including genetic influences, temperament characteristics, learning experiences, information processing biases, parental psychopathology, and specific parenting practices have been hypothesized to contribute to the development and expression of children's phobias. In the present study, the authors focused on parental psychopathology (phobic anxiety) and parenting behaviors (warmth, involvement) in the prediction of child performance on a behavioral approach test (BAT). All children (n = 44) experienced a phobia of animals and were clinic referred. The youth completed two BATs: the first alone and the second one with a parent present. Overall, performance was greater on the parent-present BAT (58% of steps completed) than on the child-alone BAT (38% of steps completed), although considerable variability was present. Performance on the parent-present BAT was associated with parental warmth and involvement but not parental phobic anxiety. Implications of these findings were discussed, and their implications for the use of behavioral analogues tests were explored.

Association of Individual Characteristics with Teleoperation Performance.

PubMed

Pan, Dan; Zhang, Yijing; Li, Zhizhong; Tian, Zhiqiang

2016-09-01

A number of space activities (e.g., extravehicular astronaut rescue, cooperation in satellite services, space station supplies, and assembly) are implemented directly or assisted by remote robotic arms. Our study aimed to reveal those individual characteristics which could positively influence or even predict teleoperation performance of such a space robotic arm. There were 64 male volunteers without robot operation experience recruited for the study. Their individual characteristics were assessed, including spatial cognitive ability, cognitive style, and personality traits. The experimental tasks were three abstracted teleoperation tasks of a simulated space robotic arm: point aiming, line alignment, and obstacle avoidance. Teleoperation performance was measured from two aspects: task performance (completion time, extra distance moved, operation slips) and safety performance (collisions, joint limitations reached). The Pearson coefficients between individual characteristics and teleoperation performance were examined along with performance prediction models. It was found that the subjects with relatively high mental rotation ability or low neuroticism had both better task and safety performance (|r| = 0.212 ∼ 0.381). Subjects with relatively high perspective taking ability or high agreeableness had better task performance (r = -0.253; r = -0.249). Imagery subjects performed better than verbal subjects regarding both task and safety performance (|r| = 0.236 ∼ 0.290). Compared with analytic subjects, wholist subjects had better safety performance (r = 0.300). Additionally, extraverted subjects had better task performance (r = -0.259), but worse safety performance (r = 0.230). Those with high spatial cognitive ability, imagery and wholist cognitive style, low neuroticism, and high agreeableness were seen to have more advantages in working with the remote robotic arm. These results could be helpful to astronaut selection and training for space station missions. Pan D, Zhang Y, Li Z, Tian Z. Association of individual characteristics with teleoperation performance. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2016; 87(9):772-780.

Test and Analysis of an Inflatable Parabolic Dish Antenna

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gaspar, james L.; Sreekantamurthy, Tham; Mann, Troy; Behun, Vaughn; Romanofsky, Robert; Lambert, Kevin; Pearson, James

2006-01-01

NASA is developing ultra-lightweight structures technology for large communication antennas for application to space missions. With these goals in mind, SRS Technologies has been funded by NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) to undertake the development of a subscale ultra-thin membrane inflatable antenna for deep-space applications. One of the research goals is to develop approaches for prediction of the radio frequency and structural characteristics of inflatable and rigidizable membrane antenna structures. GRC has teamed with NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) to evaluate inflatable and rigidizable antenna concepts for potential space missions. GRC has completed tests to evaluate RF performance, while LaRC completed structural tests and analysis to evaluate the static shape and structural dynamic responses of a laboratory model of a 0.3 meter antenna. This paper presents the details of the tests and analysis completed to evaluate the radio frequency and structural characteristics of the antenna.

Effect of a checklist on advanced trauma life support task performance during pediatric trauma resuscitation.

PubMed

Kelleher, Deirdre C; Carter, Elizabeth A; Waterhouse, Lauren J; Parsons, Samantha E; Fritzeen, Jennifer L; Burd, Randall S

2014-10-01

Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) has been shown to improve outcomes related to trauma resuscitation; however, omissions from this protocol persist. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of a trauma resuscitation checklist on performance of ATLS tasks. Video recordings of resuscitations of children sustaining blunt or penetrating injuries at a Level I pediatric trauma center were reviewed for completion and timeliness of ATLS primary and secondary survey tasks, with and without checklist use. Patient and resuscitation characteristics were obtained from the trauma registry. Data were collected during two 4-month periods before (n = 222) and after (n = 213) checklist implementation. The checklist contained 50 items and included four sections: prearrival, primary survey, secondary survey, and departure plan. Five primary survey ATLS tasks (cervical spine immobilization, oxygen administration, palpating pulses, assessing neurologic status, and exposing the patient) and nine secondary survey ATLS tasks were performed more frequently (p ≤ 0.01 for all) and vital sign measurements were obtained faster (p ≤ 0.01 for all) after the checklist was implemented. When controlling for patient and event-specific characteristics, primary and secondary survey tasks overall were more likely to be completed (odds ratio [OR] = 2.66, primary survey; OR = 2.47, secondary survey; p < 0.001 for both) and primary survey tasks were performed faster (p < 0.001) after the checklist was implemented. Implementation of a trauma checklist was associated with greater ATLS task performance and with increased frequency and speed of primary and secondary survey task completion. © 2014 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine.

Chorioretinitis sclopetaria from BB ex memoria.

PubMed

Otto, C S; Nixon, K L; Mazzoli, R A; Raymond, W R; Ainbinder, D J; Hansen, E A; Krolicki, T J

2001-01-01

Chorioretinitis sclopetaria presents a characteristic pattern of choroidal and retinal changes caused by a high velocity projectile passing into the orbit, in close proximity to the globe. While it is unlikely that a patient should completely forget the trauma causing such damage, preserved or compensated visual function may blur the patient's memory of these events over time. Characteristic physical findings help to clarify the antecedent history. Despite the lack of an acknowledged history of ocular trauma or surgery, in our case, the characteristic ocular findings discovered at presentation allowed for recognition of the underlying etiology. Because of good visual function, the patient had completely forgotten about the trauma that occurred 12 years earlier. Strabismus surgery was performed for treatment of the presenting symptomatic diplopia. The pathognomonic findings in chorioretinitis sclopetaria are invaluable in correctly diagnosing this condition, especially when a history of ocular trauma is unavailable.

Clinical Quality Performance in U.S. Health Centers

PubMed Central

Shi, Leiyu; Lebrun, Lydie A; Zhu, Jinsheng; Hayashi, Arthur S; Sharma, Ravi; Daly, Charles A; Sripipatana, Alek; Ngo-Metzger, Quyen

2012-01-01

Objective To describe current clinical quality among the nation's community health centers and to examine health center characteristics associated with performance excellence. Data Sources National data from the 2009 Uniform Data System. Data Collection/Extraction Methods Health centers reviewed patient records and reported aggregate data to the Uniform Data System. Study Design Six measures were examined: first-trimester prenatal care, childhood immunization completion, Pap tests, low birth weight, controlled hypertension, and controlled diabetes. The top 25 percent performing centers were compared with lower performing (bottom 75 percent) centers on these measures. Logistic regressions were utilized to assess the impact of patient, provider, and institutional characteristics on health center performance. Principal Findings Clinical care and outcomes among health centers were generally comparable to national averages. For instance, 67 percent of pregnant patients received timely prenatal care (national = 68 percent), 69 percent of children achieved immunization completion (national = 67 percent), and 63 percent of hypertensive patients had blood pressure under control (national = 48 percent). Depending on the measure, centers with more uninsured patients were less likely to do well, while centers with more physicians and enabling service providers were more likely to do well. Conclusions Health centers provide quality care at rates comparable to national averages. Performance may be improved by increasing insurance coverage among patients and increasing the ratios of physicians and enabling service providers to patients. PMID:22594465

Learning curve for laparoscopic Heller myotomy and Dor fundoplication for achalasia

PubMed Central

Omura, Nobuo; Tsuboi, Kazuto; Hoshino, Masato; Yamamoto, Seryung; Akimoto, Shunsuke; Masuda, Takahiro; Kashiwagi, Hideyuki; Yanaga, Katsuhiko

2017-01-01

Purpose Although laparoscopic Heller myotomy and Dor fundoplication (LHD) is widely performed to address achalasia, little is known about the learning curve for this technique. We assessed the learning curve for performing LHD. Methods Of the 514 cases with LHD performed between August 1994 and March 2016, the surgical outcomes of 463 cases were evaluated after excluding 50 cases with reduced port surgery and one case with the simultaneous performance of laparoscopic distal partial gastrectomy. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to identify the cut-off value for the number of surgical experiences necessary to become proficient with LHD, which was defined as the completion of the learning curve. Results We defined the completion of the learning curve when the following 3 conditions were satisfied. 1) The operation time was less than 165 minutes. 2) There was no blood loss. 3) There was no intraoperative complication. In order to establish the appropriate number of surgical experiences required to complete the learning curve, the cut-off value was evaluated by using a ROC curve (AUC 0.717, p < 0.001). Finally, we identified the cut-off value as 16 surgical cases (sensitivity 0.706, specificity 0.646). Conclusion Learning curve seems to complete after performing 16 cases. PMID:28686640

Learning curve for laparoscopic Heller myotomy and Dor fundoplication for achalasia.

PubMed

Yano, Fumiaki; Omura, Nobuo; Tsuboi, Kazuto; Hoshino, Masato; Yamamoto, Seryung; Akimoto, Shunsuke; Masuda, Takahiro; Kashiwagi, Hideyuki; Yanaga, Katsuhiko

2017-01-01

Although laparoscopic Heller myotomy and Dor fundoplication (LHD) is widely performed to address achalasia, little is known about the learning curve for this technique. We assessed the learning curve for performing LHD. Of the 514 cases with LHD performed between August 1994 and March 2016, the surgical outcomes of 463 cases were evaluated after excluding 50 cases with reduced port surgery and one case with the simultaneous performance of laparoscopic distal partial gastrectomy. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to identify the cut-off value for the number of surgical experiences necessary to become proficient with LHD, which was defined as the completion of the learning curve. We defined the completion of the learning curve when the following 3 conditions were satisfied. 1) The operation time was less than 165 minutes. 2) There was no blood loss. 3) There was no intraoperative complication. In order to establish the appropriate number of surgical experiences required to complete the learning curve, the cut-off value was evaluated by using a ROC curve (AUC 0.717, p < 0.001). Finally, we identified the cut-off value as 16 surgical cases (sensitivity 0.706, specificity 0.646). Learning curve seems to complete after performing 16 cases.

Is Playing in the Pit Really the Pits?: Pain, Strength, Music Performance Anxiety, and Workplace Satisfaction in Professional Musicians in Stage, Pit, and Combined Stage/Pit Orchestras.

PubMed

Kenny, Dianna T; Driscoll, Tim; Ackermann, Bronwen J

2016-03-01

Typically, Australian orchestral musicians perform on stage, in an orchestra pit, or in a combination of both workplaces. This study explored a range of physical and mental health indicators in musicians who played in these different orchestra types to ascertain whether orchestra environment was a risk factor affecting musician wellbeing. Participants comprised 380 full-time orchestral musicians from the eight major state orchestras in Australia comprised of two dedicated pit orchestras, three stage-only symphonic orchestras, and three mixed stage/pit orchestras. Participants completed a physical assessment and a range of self-report measures assessing performance-related musculoskeletal disorders (PRMD), physical characteristics including strength and perceived exertion, and psychological health, including music performance anxiety (MPA), workplace satisfaction, and bullying. Physical characteristics and performance-related musculoskeletal profiles were similar for most factors on the detailed survey completed by orchestra members. The exceptions were that pit musicians demonstrated greater shoulder and elbow strength, while mixed-workload orchestra musicians had greater flexibility Significantly more exertion was reported by pit musicians when rehearsing and performing. Stage/pit musicians reported less physical exertion when performing in the pit compared with performing on stage. Severity of MPA was significantly greater in pit musicians than mixed orchestra musicians. Pit musicians also reported more frequent bullying and lower job satisfaction compared with stage musicians. There were few differences in the objective physical measures between musicians in the different orchestra types. However, pit musicians appear more psychologically vulnerable and less satisfied with their work than musicians from the other two orchestra types. The physical and psychological characteristics of musicians who perform in different orchestra types have not been adequately theorized or studied. We offer some preliminary thoughts that may account for the observed differences.

Development of 1RM Prediction Equations for Bench Press in Moderately Trained Men.

PubMed

Macht, Jordan W; Abel, Mark G; Mullineaux, David R; Yates, James W

2016-10-01

Macht, JW, Abel, MG, Mullineaux, DR, and Yates, JW. Development of 1RM prediction equations for bench press in moderately trained men. J Strength Cond Res 30(10): 2901-2906, 2016-There are a variety of established 1 repetition maximum (1RM) prediction equations, however, very few prediction equations use anthropometric characteristics exclusively or in part, to estimate 1RM strength. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to develop an original 1RM prediction equation for bench press using anthropometric and performance characteristics in moderately trained male subjects. Sixty male subjects (21.2 ± 2.4 years) completed a 1RM bench press and were randomly assigned a load to complete as many repetitions as possible. In addition, body composition, upper-body anthropometric characteristics, and handgrip strength were assessed. Regression analysis was used to develop a performance-based 1RM prediction equation: 1RM = 1.20 repetition weight + 2.19 repetitions to fatigue - 0.56 biacromial width (cm) + 9.6 (R = 0.99, standard error of estimate [SEE] = 3.5 kg). Regression analysis to develop a nonperformance-based 1RM prediction equation yielded: 1RM (kg) = 0.997 cross-sectional area (CSA) (cm) + 0.401 chest circumference (cm) - 0.385%fat - 0.185 arm length (cm) + 36.7 (R = 0.81, SEE = 13.0 kg). The performance prediction equations developed in this study had high validity coefficients, minimal mean bias, and small limits of agreement. The anthropometric equations had moderately high validity coefficient but larger limits of agreement. The practical applications of this study indicate that the inclusion of anthropometric characteristics and performance variables produce a valid prediction equation for 1RM strength. In addition, the CSA of the arm uses a simple nonperformance method of estimating the lifter's 1RM. This information may be used to predict the starting load for a lifter performing a 1RM prediction protocol or a 1RM testing protocol.

Long-term monitoring of experimental features, subtask 2 : Alexandria-Ashland highway (KY 9) pavement performance monitoring

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2000-06-01

Construction on the AA Highway began in late 1985 and was completed in late 1990. Prior to construction, 30 different test sections had been designed into the highway for evaluation. The test sections contain 23 different characteristic qualities and...

Rock mechanics issues in completion and stimulation operations

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

Warpinski, N.R.

Rock mechanisms parameters such as the in situ stresses, elastic properties, failure characteristics, and poro-elastic response are important to most completion and stimulation operations. Perforating, hydraulic fracturing, wellbore stability, and sand production are examples of technology that are largely controlled by the rock mechanics of the process. While much research has been performed in these areas, there has been insufficient application that research by industry. In addition, there are new research needs that must be addressed for technology advancement.

Task Performance in Small Group Settings: The Role of Group Members' Self-Efficacy And Collective Efficacy and Group's Characteristics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khong, Jerrine Z. N.; Liem, Gregory Arief D.; Klassen, Robert M.

2017-01-01

The present study extends the literature by investigating the relative salience of self- and collective efficacy in predicting group performance among early adolescents in Indonesia. A total of 435 early adolescents (mean age 11.70 years, 53% female) were randomly assigned to groups of three to four and completed three group tasks (task 1:…

The value of a non-sport-specific motor test battery in predicting performance in young female gymnasts.

PubMed

Vandorpe, Barbara; Vandendriessche, Joric B; Vaeyens, Roel; Pion, Johan; Lefevre, Johan; Philippaerts, Renaat M; Lenoir, Matthieu

2012-01-01

Gymnastics talent identification focuses on the identification of young gymnasts who display characteristics for potential success in the future. The aim of this study was to identify which current performance characteristics are related to performance in competition 2 years later. Twenty-three female gymnasts aged 7-8 years completed a multidimensional test battery measuring anthropometric, physical, and coordinative characteristics and were technically evaluated by expert coaches. Two years later, the all-around competition results of those gymnasts now participating in elite (n = 12) and sub-elite (n = 11) competition were obtained. None of the initial measurements significantly correlated with the results of the sub-elite gymnasts 2 years later. For the elite gymnasts, a non-sport-specific motor test battery correlated strongly with the competition result, with more than 40% of the variation in competition performance being explained by the result on that test 2 years earlier. Neither the coaches' judgement nor the anthropometric and physical characteristics were sensitive enough to predict performance. A motor coordination test might be valuable in the early identification of gymnasts, as its discriminative and predictive qualities might be sufficiently powerful for selection within a relatively homogeneous population of gymnasts exhibiting similar anthropometric and physical profiles.

The 2001 Mars In-Situ-Propellant-Production Precursor (MIP) Flight Demonstration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kaplan, David I.; Baird, R. Scott; Ratliff, James E.; Baraona, Cosmo R.; Jenkins, Phillip P.; Landis, Geoffrey A.; Scheiman, David A.; Brinza, David E.; Johnson, Kenneth R.; Karlmann, Paul B.;

Structural Test and Analysis of a Hybrid Inflatable Antenna

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gaspar, James L.; Mann, Troy; Sreekantamurthy, Tham; Behun, Vaughn

2007-01-01

NASA is developing ultra-lightweight structures technology for communication antennas for space missions. One of the research goals is to evaluate the structural characteristics of inflatable and rigidizable antennas through test and analysis. Being able to test and analyze the structural characteristics of a full scale antenna is important to enable the simulation of various mission scenarios to determine system performance in space. Recent work completed to evaluate a Hybrid Inflatable Antenna concept will be discussed. Tests were completed on a 2-m prototype to optimize its static shape and identify its modal dynamics that are important for analytical model validation. These test results were used to evaluate a preliminary finite element model of the antenna, and this model development and correlation activity is also described in the paper.

Comparison between complete denture and implant-retained overdenture: effect of different mucosa thickness and resiliency on stress distribution.

PubMed

Assunção, Wirley Gonçalves; Barão, Valentim Adelino Ricardo; Tabata, Lucas Fernando; de Sousa, Edson Antonio Capello; Gomes, Erica Alves; Delben, Juliana Aparecida

2009-12-01

The effect of different mucosa characteristics on stress distribution of complete dentures and overdentures remains unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different mucosa thickness and resiliency on the stress distribution of complete dentures and implant-retained overdentures using a two-dimensional finite element analysis. Representative models of the edentulous mandible were constructed on AutoCAD software according to the groups' characteristics. In group CD, a model of the edentulous mandible supporting a complete denture was obtained while in group IO, a model of edentulous mandible supporting an overdenture over two unsplinted implants with an o' ring system was constructed. In each group, mucosa assumed three characteristics of thickness (1, 3 and 5 mm) corresponding to the resiliencies hard, resilient and soft respectively. Evaluation was performed on Ansys software with 100N vertical load applied on central incisor teeth. The principal stress was used as analysis criteria. Group IO showed higher stress values than group CD regardless of mucosal thickness and resiliency. Stress decreased at the supporting tissues in both groups as the thickness and resiliency of mucosa increased. In relation to the supporting tissues, cortical bone showed the highest stress values. It was concluded that the use of an attachment system increases stress values and the thickness and resiliency of mucosa influence more on these values.

Performance characteristics of a batch service queueing system with functioning server failure and multiple vacations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niranjan, S. P.; Chandrasekaran, V. M.; Indhira, K.

2018-04-01

This paper examines bulk arrival and batch service queueing system with functioning server failure and multiple vacations. Customers are arriving into the system in bulk according to Poisson process with rate λ. Arriving customers are served in batches with minimum of ‘a’ and maximum of ‘b’ number of customers according to general bulk service rule. In the service completion epoch if the queue length is less than ‘a’ then the server leaves for vacation (secondary job) of random length. After a vacation completion, if the queue length is still less than ‘a’ then the server leaves for another vacation. The server keeps on going vacation until the queue length reaches the value ‘a’. The server is not stable at all the times. Sometimes it may fails during functioning of customers. Though the server fails service process will not be interrupted.It will be continued for the current batch of customers with lower service rate than the regular service rate. The server will be repaired after the service completion with lower service rate. The probability generating function of the queue size at an arbitrary time epoch will be obtained for the modelled queueing system by using supplementary variable technique. Moreover various performance characteristics will also be derived with suitable numerical illustrations.

Measuring more than we know? An examination of the motivational and situational influences in science achievement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haydel, Angela Michelle

The purpose of this dissertation was to advance theoretical understanding about fit between the personal resources of individuals and the characteristics of science achievement tasks. Testing continues to be pervasive in schools, yet we know little about how students perceive tests and what they think and feel while they are actually working on test items. This study focused on both the personal (cognitive and motivational) and situational factors that may contribute to individual differences in achievement-related outcomes. 387 eighth grade students first completed a survey including measures of science achievement goals, capability beliefs, efficacy related to multiple-choice items and performance assessments, validity beliefs about multiple-choice items and performance assessments, and other perceptions of these item formats. Students then completed science achievement tests including multiple-choice items and two performance assessments. A sample of students was asked to verbalize both thoughts and feelings as they worked through the test items. These think-alouds were transcribed and coded for evidence of cognitive, metacognitive and motivational engagement. Following each test, all students completed measures of effort, mood, energy level and strategy use during testing. Students reported that performance assessments were more challenging, authentic, interesting and valid than multiple-choice tests. They also believed that comparisons between students were easier using multiple-choice items. Overall, students tried harder, felt better, had higher levels of energy and used more strategies while working on performance assessments. Findings suggested that performance assessments might be more congruent with a mastery achievement goal orientation, while multiple-choice tests might be more congruent with a performance achievement goal orientation. A variable-centered analytic approach including regression analyses provided information about how students, on average, who differed in terms of their teachers' ratings of their science ability, achievement goals, capability beliefs and experiences with science achievement tasks perceived, engaged in, and performed on multiple-choice items and performance assessments. Person-centered analyses provided information about the perceptions, engagement and performance of subgroups of individuals who had different motivational characteristics. Generally, students' personal goals and capability beliefs related more strongly to test perceptions, but not performance, while teacher ratings of ability and test-specific beliefs related to performance.

Laser surface texturing of polypropylene to increase adhesive bonding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mandolfino, Chiara; Pizzorni, Marco; Lertora, Enrico; Gambaro, Carla

2018-05-01

In this paper, the main parameters of laser surface texturing of polymeric substrates have been studied. The final aim of the texturing is to increase the performance of bonded joints of grey-pigmented polypropylene substrates. The experimental investigation was carried out starting from the identification of the most effective treatment parameters, in order to achieve a good texture without compromising the characteristics of the bulk material. For each of these parameters, three values were individuated and 27 sets of samples were realised. The surface treatment was analysed and related to the mechanical characteristics of the bonded joints performing lap-shear tests. A statistical analysis in order to find the most influential parameter completed the work.

Assessment of patients' preferences regarding the characteristics associated with the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

PubMed

Bulcun, Emel; Ekici, Mehmet; Ekici, Aydanur

2014-01-01

Patient preferences regarding characteristics associated with the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) must be determined to increase the compatibility between the patients and the treatments, but as yet no studies have been performed regarding these characteristics. Here, we evaluate the preferred characteristics associated with the treatment of patients with COPD. The expectations of patients receiving copd therapy were assessed in six categories: time allocated by the physician to listen to patients' complaints, treatment to be applied, estimated adverse effect frequency concerning the therapy, ability of patients to visit the same physician each time, integral approach of the physician to the treatment of the patient, and therapy cost. These groups were divided into categories of therapy indicating 25 alternative treatment methods, using conjoint analysis. Patients were sorted to the 25 types of treatment with regard to their preferences. The major expectation of conjoint analysis associated with the treatment of COPD patients is for the therapy to allow the patients to completely recover from their complaints. The order preferred by patients of other treatment expectations is from sufficient time to be allowed by the physician to listen to the patient, to no cost for the treatment, to minimum adverse effects resulting from the treatment, to each follow-up to be performed by the same physician, and to the physician performing an assessment of the patient's well-being, rather than examining only the areas of complaint. The major expectation of COPD patients regarding treatment was to completely recover with the help of the therapy. Considering the expectations of the patient may help improve the compatibility of the patient with the treatment.

The Classroom Environment Questionnaire (CEQ): Development and preliminary structural validity.

PubMed

Lyons, Carissa; Brown, Ted; Bourke-Taylor, Helen

2018-04-16

Occupational therapists offer a unique perspective regarding the contribution of the environment to occupational performance. Therefore, a scale that measures the unique characteristics of the primary school classroom environment where children complete their daily schoolwork occupations is needed. The aim of this study was to develop and psychometrically evaluate a new teacher-report questionnaire that measures a number of environmental characteristics of primary school classrooms. Participants (N = 117) completed the Classroom Environment Questionnaire (CEQ), which utilises a 4-point Likert scale where teachers rate 51 environmental characteristics of their classroom. Teachers also rate the extent to which they believe the physical, social, temporal, institutional and cultural classroom environmental domains contribute to students' schoolwork performance using a 10-point scale. The structural validity of the CEQ was examined using principal component analysis (PCA). Inter-item correlations were examined using Pearson r correlations, while the internal consistency of the CEQ was assessed using Cronbach's alpha. PCA revealed the CEQ to be multidimensional, with 31 items loading onto nine viable factors, representing the unique nature of classroom environments. Based on the PCA results, 20 items were removed from the CEQ. Cronbach's alpha and correlation analysis indicated that most CEQ subsections had acceptable internal consistency (alpha range 0.70-0.82), with four subsections demonstrating a lower level of internal consistency (alpha range 0.55-0.69). Preliminary structural validity and internal consistency analysis findings confirm that the CEQ has potential to be a useful scale for professionals wishing to examine the unique characteristics of primary school classrooms that influence the occupational performance of students. Ongoing analyses will be undertaken to further explore the CEQ's validity and reliability. © 2018 Occupational Therapy Australia.

Comparative ergonomic assessment of manual wheelchairs by paraplegic users.

PubMed

Gil-Agudo, Angel; Solís-Mozos, Marta; del-Ama, Antonio J; Crespo-Ruiz, Beatriz; de la Peña-González, Ana Isabel; Pérez-Nombela, Soraya

2013-07-01

The aim of the present study was to describe and test the reliability of a comprehensive product-centered approach to assessing functional performance and wheelchair user perceptions on device ergonomics and satisfaction of performance. A pilot study was implemented using this approach to evaluate differences among four manual wheelchairs. Six wheelchair users with complete spinal cord injury (SCI) at the thoracic level and with no previous upper limbs impairment were recruited for this study. After finishing circuit tasks, subjects were asked to complete a questionnaire about ergonomic wheelchair characteristics (manoeuvrability, stability, comfort and ease of propulsion) and satisfaction about task performance. On the other hand, objective data were recorded during user performance as the time required to complete each test, kinetic wheelchair propulsion data obtained with two SMARTWheels® and physiological parameters (heart rate and physiological index). Kuschall Champion® and Otto Bock Voyage® wheelchairs were ranked best for most ergonomic aspects specially in manoeuvrability (p < 0.05). Less time was required to execute most of the circuit tasks in both wheelchair models (p < 0.05). This approach proposed highlight the importance of looking both kinds of information, user perception and user functional performance when evaluating a wheelchair or comparing across devices.

Consensus statement on essential patient characteristics in systemic treatment trials for metastatic colorectal cancer: Supported by the ARCAD Group.

PubMed

Goey, Kaitlyn K H; Sørbye, Halfdan; Glimelius, Bengt; Adams, Richard A; André, Thierry; Arnold, Dirk; Berlin, Jordan D; Bodoky, György; de Gramont, Aimery; Díaz-Rubio, Eduardo; Eng, Cathy; Falcone, Alfredo; Grothey, Axel; Heinemann, Volker; Hochster, Howard S; Kaplan, Richard S; Kopetz, Scott; Labianca, Roberto; Lieu, Christopher H; Meropol, Neal J; Price, Timothy J; Schilsky, Richard L; Schmoll, Hans-Joachim; Shacham-Shmueli, Einat; Shi, Qian; Sobrero, Alberto F; Souglakos, John; Van Cutsem, Eric; Zalcberg, John; van Oijen, Martijn G H; Punt, Cornelis J A; Koopman, Miriam

2018-06-21

Patient characteristics and stratification factors are key features influencing trial outcomes. However, there is substantial heterogeneity in reporting of patient characteristics and use of stratification factors in phase 3 trials investigating systemic treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). We aimed to develop a minimum set of essential baseline characteristics and stratification factors to include in such trials. We performed a modified, two-round Delphi survey among international experts with wide experience in the conduct and methodology of phase 3 trials of systemic treatment of mCRC. Thirty mCRC experts from 15 different countries completed both consensus rounds. A total of 14 patient characteristics were included in the recommended set: age, performance status, primary tumour location, primary tumour resection, prior chemotherapy, number of metastatic sites, liver-only disease, liver involvement, surgical resection of metastases, synchronous versus metachronous metastases, (K)RAS and BRAF mutation status, microsatellite instability/mismatch repair status and number of prior treatment lines. A total of five patient characteristics were considered the most relevant stratification factors: RAS/BRAF mutation status, performance status, primary tumour sidedness and liver-only disease. This survey provides a minimum set of essential baseline patient characteristics and stratification factors to include in phase 3 trials of systemic treatment of mCRC. Inclusion of these patient characteristics and strata in study protocols and final study reports will improve interpretation of trial results and facilitate cross-study comparisons. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quantifying usability: an evaluation of a diabetes mHealth system on effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction metrics with associated user characteristics.

PubMed

Georgsson, Mattias; Staggers, Nancy

2016-01-01

Mobile health (mHealth) systems are becoming more common for chronic disease management, but usability studies are still needed on patients' perspectives and mHealth interaction performance. This deficiency is addressed by our quantitative usability study of a mHealth diabetes system evaluating patients' task performance, satisfaction, and the relationship of these measures to user characteristics. We used metrics in the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9241-11 standard. After standardized training, 10 patients performed representative tasks and were assessed on individual task success, errors, efficiency (time on task), satisfaction (System Usability Scale [SUS]) and user characteristics. Tasks of exporting and correcting values proved the most difficult, had the most errors, the lowest task success rates, and consumed the longest times on task. The average SUS satisfaction score was 80.5, indicating good but not excellent system usability. Data trends showed males were more successful in task completion, and younger participants had higher performance scores. Educational level did not influence performance, but a more recent diabetes diagnosis did. Patients with more experience in information technology (IT) also had higher performance rates. Difficult task performance indicated areas for redesign. Our methods can assist others in identifying areas in need of improvement. Data about user background and IT skills also showed how user characteristics influence performance and can provide future considerations for targeted mHealth designs. Using the ISO 9241-11 usability standard, the SUS instrument for satisfaction and measuring user characteristics provided objective measures of patients' experienced usability. These could serve as an exemplar for standardized, quantitative methods for usability studies on mHealth systems. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Medical Informatics Association.

Quantifying usability: an evaluation of a diabetes mHealth system on effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction metrics with associated user characteristics

PubMed Central

Staggers, Nancy

2016-01-01

Objective Mobile health (mHealth) systems are becoming more common for chronic disease management, but usability studies are still needed on patients’ perspectives and mHealth interaction performance. This deficiency is addressed by our quantitative usability study of a mHealth diabetes system evaluating patients’ task performance, satisfaction, and the relationship of these measures to user characteristics. Materials and Methods We used metrics in the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9241-11 standard. After standardized training, 10 patients performed representative tasks and were assessed on individual task success, errors, efficiency (time on task), satisfaction (System Usability Scale [SUS]) and user characteristics. Results Tasks of exporting and correcting values proved the most difficult, had the most errors, the lowest task success rates, and consumed the longest times on task. The average SUS satisfaction score was 80.5, indicating good but not excellent system usability. Data trends showed males were more successful in task completion, and younger participants had higher performance scores. Educational level did not influence performance, but a more recent diabetes diagnosis did. Patients with more experience in information technology (IT) also had higher performance rates. Discussion Difficult task performance indicated areas for redesign. Our methods can assist others in identifying areas in need of improvement. Data about user background and IT skills also showed how user characteristics influence performance and can provide future considerations for targeted mHealth designs. Conclusion Using the ISO 9241-11 usability standard, the SUS instrument for satisfaction and measuring user characteristics provided objective measures of patients’ experienced usability. These could serve as an exemplar for standardized, quantitative methods for usability studies on mHealth systems. PMID:26377990

Aeroelastic characteristics of the AH-64 bearingless tail rotor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Banerjee, D.

1988-01-01

The results of a wind tunnel test program to determine the performance loads and dynamic characteristics of the Composite Flexbeam Tail Rotor (CFTR) for the AH-64 Advanced Attack Helicopter are reported. The CFTR uses an elastomeric shear attachment of the flexbeam to the hub to provide soft-inplane S-mode and stiff-inplane C-mode configuration. The properties of the elastomer were selected for proper frequency placement and scale damping of the inplane S-mode. Kinematic pitch-lag coupling was introduced to provide the first cyclic inplane C-mode damping at high collective pitch. The CFTR was tested in a wind tunnel over the full slideslip envelop of the AH-64. It is found that the rotor was aeroelastically stable throughout the complete collective pitch range and up to rotor speeds of 1403 rpm. The dynamic characteristics of the rotor were found to be satisfactory at all pitch angles and rotor speeds of the tunnel tests. The design characteristics of the rotor which permit the high performance characteristics are discussed. Several schematic drawings and photographs of the rotor are provided.

Pharmacy student absenteeism and academic performance.

PubMed

Hidayat, Levita; Vansal, Sandeep; Kim, Esther; Sullivan, Maureen; Salbu, Rebecca

2012-02-10

To assess the association of pharmacy students' personal characteristics with absenteeism and academic performance. A survey instrument was distributed to first- (P1) and second-year (P2) pharmacy students to gather characteristics including employment status, travel time to school, and primary source of educational funding. In addition, absences from specific courses and reasons for not attending classes were assessed. Participants were divided into "high" and "low" performers based on grade point average. One hundred sixty survey instruments were completed and 135 (84.3%) were included in the study analysis. Low performers were significantly more likely than high performers to have missed more than 8 hours in therapeutics courses. Low performers were significantly more likely than high performers to miss class when the class was held before or after an examination and low performers were significantly more likely to believe that participating in class did not benefit them. There was a negative association between the number of hours students' missed and their performance in specific courses. These findings provide further insight into the reasons for students' absenteeism in a college or school of pharmacy setting.

Pharmacy Student Absenteeism and Academic Performance

PubMed Central

Hidayat, Levita; Vansal, Sandeep; Kim, Esther; Sullivan, Maureen; Salbu, Rebecca

2012-01-01

Objectives. To assess the association of pharmacy students’ personal characteristics with absenteeism and academic performance. Methods. A survey instrument was distributed to first- (P1) and second-year (P2) pharmacy students to gather characteristics including employment status, travel time to school, and primary source of educational funding. In addition, absences from specific courses and reasons for not attending classes were assessed. Participants were divided into “high” and “low” performers based on grade point average. Results. One hundred sixty survey instruments were completed and 135 (84.3%) were included in the study analysis. Low performers were significantly more likely than high performers to have missed more than 8 hours in therapeutics courses. Low performers were significantly more likely than high performers to miss class when the class was held before or after an examination and low performers were significantly more likely to believe that participating in class did not benefit them. Conclusions. There was a negative association between the number of hours students’ missed and their performance in specific courses. These findings provide further insight into the reasons for students’ absenteeism in a college or school of pharmacy setting. PMID:22412207

A Job Analysis for K-8 Principals in a Nationwide Charter School System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cumings, Laura; Coryn, Chris L. S.

2009-01-01

Background: Although no single technique on its own can predict job performance, a job analysis is a customary approach for identifying the relevant knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics (KSAO) necessary to successfully complete the job tasks of a position. Once the position requirements are identified, the hiring process is…

The Development of Temporal Discrimination in Young Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walker, John

The purpose of this study was to perform pilot research upon two normal children aged six years (an age midway between complete absence of time conceptualization and maturation of time concepts) in order to chart the characteristic responses within a conditioning paradigm. Previous literature in the field is reviewed for the purpose of providing a…

Knowledge about Hepatitis B and Predictors of Hepatitis B Vaccination among Vietnamese American College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hwang, Jessica P.; Huang, Chih-Hsun; Yi, Jenny K.

2008-01-01

Asian American college students are at high risk for hepatitis B virus (HBV). Participants and Methods: Vietnamese American students completed a questionnaire assessing HBV knowledge and attitudes. The authors performed statistical analyses to examine the relationship between HBV knowledge and participant characteristics. They also performed…

Preventive care quality of Medicare Accountable Care Organizations: Associations of organizational characteristics with performance

PubMed Central

Albright, Benjamin B.; Lewis, Valerie A.; Ross, Joseph S.; Colla, Carrie H.

2015-01-01

Background Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) are a delivery and payment model aiming to coordinate care, control costs, and improve quality. Medicare ACOs are responsible for eight measures of preventive care quality. Objectives To create composite measures of preventive care quality and examine associations of ACO characteristics with performance. Design Cross-sectional study of Medicare Shared Savings Program and Pioneer participants. We linked quality performance to descriptive data from the National Survey of ACOs. We created composite measures using exploratory factor analysis, and used regression to assess associations with organizational characteristics. Results Of 252 eligible ACOs, 246 reported on preventive care quality, 177 of which completed the survey (response rate=72%). In their first year, ACOs lagged behind PPO performance on the majority of comparable measures. We identified two underlying factors among eight measures and created composites for each: disease prevention, driven by vaccines and cancer screenings, and wellness screening, driven by annual health screenings. Participation in the Advanced Payment Model, having fewer specialists, and having more Medicare ACO beneficiaries per primary care provider were associated with significantly better performance on both composites. Better performance on disease prevention was also associated with inclusion of a hospital, greater electronic health record capabilities, a larger primary care workforce, and fewer minority beneficiaries. Conclusions ACO preventive care quality performance is related to provider composition and benefitted by upfront investment. Vaccine and cancer screening quality performance is more dependent on organizational structure and characteristics than performance on annual wellness screenings, likely due to greater complexity in eligibility determination and service administration. PMID:26759974

Preventive Care Quality of Medicare Accountable Care Organizations: Associations of Organizational Characteristics With Performance.

PubMed

Albright, Benjamin B; Lewis, Valerie A; Ross, Joseph S; Colla, Carrie H

2016-03-01

Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) are a delivery and payment model aiming to coordinate care, control costs, and improve quality. Medicare ACOs are responsible for 8 measures of preventive care quality. To create composite measures of preventive care quality and examine associations of ACO characteristics with performance. This is a cross-sectional study of Medicare Shared Savings Program and Pioneer participants. We linked quality performance to descriptive data from the National Survey of ACOs. We created composite measures using exploratory factor analysis, and used regression to assess associations with organizational characteristics. Of 252 eligible ACOs, 246 reported on preventive care quality, 177 of which completed the survey (response rate=72%). In their first year, ACOs lagged behind PPO performance on the majority of comparable measures. We identified 2 underlying factors among 8 measures and created composites for each: disease prevention, driven by vaccines and cancer screenings, and wellness screening, driven by annual health screenings. Participation in the Advanced Payment Model, having fewer specialists, and having more Medicare ACO beneficiaries per primary care provider were associated with significantly better performance on both composites. Better performance on disease prevention was also associated with inclusion of a hospital, greater electronic health record capabilities, a larger primary care workforce, and fewer minority beneficiaries. ACO preventive care quality performance is related to provider composition and benefitted by upfront investment. Vaccine and cancer screening quality performance is more dependent on organizational structure and characteristics than performance on annual wellness screenings, likely due to greater complexity in eligibility determination and service administration.

Effects of fungal (Lentinussajor-caju) treated oil palm frond on performance and carcass characteristics in finishing goats

PubMed Central

Chanjula, Pin; Petcharat, Vasun; Cherdthong, Anusorn

2017-01-01

Objective This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of fungal treated oil palm fronds (FTOPF) on performance, carcass traits, meat quality, and muscle chemical composition. Methods Eighteen growing crossbred male goats (Thai Native×Anglo Nubian) with 18.7±2.0 kg of initial body weight (BW) were stratified and blocked by BW in a randomized complete block design. Three diets containing 30% of oil palm fronds (OPF) either untreated (UOPF) or treated with Lentinussajor-caju (FTOPF) with or without urea (FTOPFU) were used as roughage sources in total mixed rations (TMRs). The diets were offered ad libitum and weight gain was determined. At the end of the experimental period, the harvest data and carcass characteristics of the goats were recorded, and muscular longissimus dorsi composition was determined. Results No significant effect of fungal treated (FT) inclusion was observed in any of the feed intake, growth performance, and carcass characteristics. Likewise, no apparent effects on carcass composition and muscle chemical composition were detected in this study, except for hind leg and chump were affected (p<0.05) by FT inclusion. Conclusion In conclusion, feeding of fungal (Lentinussajor-caju) treated oil palm frond in TMR diet did not affect performance and carcass characteristics in finishing goats. PMID:28446002

Effects of fungal (Lentinussajor-caju) treated oil palm frond on performance and carcass characteristics in finishing goats.

PubMed

Chanjula, Pin; Petcharat, Vasun; Cherdthong, Anusorn

2017-06-01

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of fungal treated oil palm fronds (FTOPF) on performance, carcass traits, meat quality, and muscle chemical composition. Eighteen growing crossbred male goats (Thai Native×Anglo Nubian) with 18.7±2.0 kg of initial body weight (BW) were stratified and blocked by BW in a randomized complete block design. Three diets containing 30% of oil palm fronds (OPF) either untreated (UOPF) or treated with Lentinussajor-caju (FTOPF) with or without urea (FTOPFU) were used as roughage sources in total mixed rations (TMRs). The diets were offered ad libitum and weight gain was determined. At the end of the experimental period, the harvest data and carcass characteristics of the goats were recorded, and muscular longissimus dorsi composition was determined. No significant effect of fungal treated (FT) inclusion was observed in any of the feed intake, growth performance, and carcass characteristics. Likewise, no apparent effects on carcass composition and muscle chemical composition were detected in this study, except for hind leg and chump were affected (p<0.05) by FT inclusion. In conclusion, feeding of fungal ( Lentinussajor-caju ) treated oil palm frond in TMR diet did not affect performance and carcass characteristics in finishing goats.

Inverse magnetostrictive characteristics of Fe-Co composite materials using gas-nitriding process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakajima, Kenya; Yang, Zhenjun; Narita, Fumio

2018-03-01

The inverse magnetostrictive response, known as the Villari effect, of magnetostrictive materials is a change in magnetization due to an applied stress. It is commonly used for sensor applications. This work deals with the inverse magnetostrictive characteristics of Fe-Co bimetal plates that were subjected gas-nitriding process. Gas-nitriding was performed on bimetal plates for 30 min at 853 K as a surface heat treatment process. The specimens were cooled to room temperature after completing the nitriding treatment. Three-point bending tests were performed on the plates under a magnetic field. The changes on the magnetic induction of the plates due to the applied load are discussed. The effect of the nitriding treatment on the inverse magnetostrictive characteristics, magnetostrictive susceptibility, and magnetic hysteresis loop was examined. Our work represents an important step forward in the development of magnetostrictive sensor materials.

The New Zealand rugby injury and performance project. III. Anthropometric and physical performance characteristics of players.

PubMed Central

Quarrie, K L; Handcock, P; Waller, A E; Chalmers, D J; Toomey, M J; Wilson, B D

1995-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the anthropometric and physical performance characteristics of New Zealand rugby players of different ages and both sexes. METHODS: 356 rugby players (264 male, 92 female) took part in the study during a single season. Playing grade ranged from schoolboys and schoolgirls to senior men and women. Assessment of height, weight, neck circumference, and somatotype was performed before the competitive rugby season. A battery of six physical performance assessments was completed after the anthropometry. Analysis of variance was used to examine differences in these variables between field positions and grades. RESULTS: Significant differences between forwards and backs on anthropometric and physical performance variables were apparent at all grades assessed. In terms of anthropometric characteristics, forwards of a given grade were generally taller, possessed greater body mass, and were more endomorphic and less ectomorphic than backs of the same grade. The backs tended to perform better on physical performance measures than forwards, being more aerobically fit, faster, more agile, and possessing a higher degree of muscular endurance. Differences in anthropometry and physical performance attributes were also apparent between players from the various grades. The players at higher levels were generally larger, and performed better on tests of physical performance than the players at lower levels. These differences were found in both sexes. CONCLUSIONS: The greater body mass of the forwards allows them to obtain greater momentum than the backs when sprinting. The ability to obtain greater momentum is important in the body contact phases of the game. Forwards may compromise their aerobic fitness and speed to some extent in order to maintain a high body mass. The anthropometric and physical performance characteristics of players appear to reflect the demands placed on them by the sport. PMID:8808542

A Short Report: Word-Level Phonological and Lexical Characteristics Interact to Influence Phoneme Awareness

PubMed Central

Hogan, Tiffany P.

2010-01-01

In this study, we examined the influence of word-level phonological and lexical characteristics on early phoneme awareness. Typically-developing children, ages 61–78 months, completed a phoneme-based, odd-one-out task that included consonant-vowel-consonant word sets (e.g., “chair-chain-ship”) that varied orthogonally by a phonological characteristic, sound-contrast similarity (similar vs. dissimilar), and a lexical characteristic, neighborhood density (dense vs. sparse). In a subsample of the participants – those with the highest vocabularies – results were in line with a predicted interactive effect of phonological and lexical characteristics on phoneme awareness performance: word sets contrasting similar sounds were less likely to yield correct responses in words from sparse neighborhoods than words from dense neighborhoods. Word sets contrasting dissimilar sounds were most likely to yield correct responses regardless of the words’ neighborhood density. Based on these findings, theories of early phoneme awareness development should consider both word-level (e.g., phonological and lexical characteristics) and child-level (e.g., vocabulary knowledge) influences on phoneme awareness performance. Attention to these word-level item influences is predicted to result in more sensitive and specific measures of reading risk. PMID:20574064

Toward an Efficient Icing CFD Process Using an Interactive Software Toolkit: Smagglce 2D

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vickerman, Mary B.; Choo, Yung K.; Schilling, Herbert W.; Baez, Marivell; Braun, Donald C.; Cotton, Barbara J.

2001-01-01

Two-dimensional CID analysis for iced airfoils can be a labor-intensive task. The software toolkit SmaggIce 2D is being developed to help streamline the CID process and provide the unique features needed for icing. When complete, it will include a combination of partially automated and fully interactive tools for all aspects of the tasks leading up to the flow analysis: geometry preparation, domain decomposition. block boundary demoralization. gridding, and linking with a flow solver. It also includes tools to perform ice shape characterization, an important aid in determining the relationship between ice characteristics and their effects on aerodynamic performance. Completed tools, work-in-progress, and planned features of the software toolkit are presented here.

Hepatitis B Vaccination Status among Japanese Travelers.

PubMed

Yaita, Kenichiro; Yahara, Koji; Sakai, Yoshiro; Iwahashi, Jun; Masunaga, Kenji; Hamada, Nobuyuki; Watanabe, Hiroshi

2017-05-08

This study clarified the characteristics of travelers who received hepatitis B vaccinations. Subjects were 233 Japanese travelers who visited our clinic prior to travel. We summarized the characteristics of the clients and performed two comparative studies: first, we compared a hepatitis B-vaccinated group with an unvaccinated group; second, we compared a group that had completed the hepatitis B vaccine series with a group that did not complete the series. The hepatitis B vaccine was administered to 152 clients. Factors positively associated with the hepatitis B vaccination (after adjusting for age and sex) included the following: travel for business or travel as an accompanying family member; travel to Asia; travel for a duration of a month or more; and, inclusion of the vaccine in a company or organization's payment plan. Meanwhile, factors negatively associated with the vaccination were travel for leisure or education, and travel to North America or Africa. Among 89 record-confirmed cases, only 53 completed 3 doses. The completion rate was negatively associated with the scheduled duration of travel if it was from a month to less than a year (after adjusting for age and sex). The present study provides a basis for promoting vaccination compliance more vigorously among Japanese adults.

A comment on the dependence of LED’s efficiency on the junction ideality factor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sethi, Anubhav; Gupta, Yashika; Arun, P.

2018-05-01

P–n junctions form the basic building blocks for any semiconductor device. Therefore, the complete understanding of the junction characteristics is very important. Although being a widely discussed topic in electronics, there are still some gaps such as finding the value and significance of the junction ideality factor, that needs to be addressed. In this article we have discussed the problems faced while extracting the ideality factor from the I–V characteristics of a p–n LED and its significance in device performance.

Compressive Sensing of Roller Bearing Faults via Harmonic Detection from Under-Sampled Vibration Signals

PubMed Central

Tang, Gang; Hou, Wei; Wang, Huaqing; Luo, Ganggang; Ma, Jianwei

2015-01-01

The Shannon sampling principle requires substantial amounts of data to ensure the accuracy of on-line monitoring of roller bearing fault signals. Challenges are often encountered as a result of the cumbersome data monitoring, thus a novel method focused on compressed vibration signals for detecting roller bearing faults is developed in this study. Considering that harmonics often represent the fault characteristic frequencies in vibration signals, a compressive sensing frame of characteristic harmonics is proposed to detect bearing faults. A compressed vibration signal is first acquired from a sensing matrix with information preserved through a well-designed sampling strategy. A reconstruction process of the under-sampled vibration signal is then pursued as attempts are conducted to detect the characteristic harmonics from sparse measurements through a compressive matching pursuit strategy. In the proposed method bearing fault features depend on the existence of characteristic harmonics, as typically detected directly from compressed data far before reconstruction completion. The process of sampling and detection may then be performed simultaneously without complete recovery of the under-sampled signals. The effectiveness of the proposed method is validated by simulations and experiments. PMID:26473858

An experimental investigation of the effects of alarm processing and display on operator performance

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

O`Hara, J.; Brown, W.; Hallbert, B.

1998-03-01

This paper describes a research program sponsored by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission to address the human factors engineering (HFE) aspects of nuclear power plant alarm systems. The overall objective of the program is to develop HFE review guidance for advanced alarm systems. As part of this program, guidance has been developed based on a broad base of technical and research literature. In the course of guidance development, aspects of alarm system design for which the technical basis was insufficient to support complete guidance development were identified. The primary purpose of the research reported in this paper was to evaluatemore » the effects of three of these alarm system design characteristics on operator performance in order to contribute to the understanding of potential safety issues and to provide data to support the development of design review guidance in these areas. Three alarm system design characteristics studied were (1) alarm processing (degree of alarm reduction), (2) alarm availability (dynamic prioritization and suppression), and (3) alarm display (a dedicated tile format, a mixed tile and message list format, and a format in which alarm information is integrated into the process displays). A secondary purpose was to provide confirmatory evidence of selected alarm system guidance developed in an earlier phase of the project. The alarm characteristics were combined into eight separate experimental conditions. Six, two-person crews of professional nuclear power plant operators participated in the study. Following training, each crew completed 16 test trials which consisted of two trials in each of the eight experimental conditions (one with a low-complexity scenario and one with a high-complexity scenario). Measures of process performance, operator task performance, situation awareness, and workload were obtained. In addition, operator opinions and evaluations of the alarm processing and display conditions were collected. No deficient performance was observed in any of the experimental conditions, providing confirmatory support for many design review guidelines. The operators identified numerous strengths and weaknesses associated with individual alarm design characteristics.« less

Cognitive Processing about Classroom-Relevant Contexts: Teachers' Attention to and Utilization of Girls' Body Size, Ethnicity, Attractiveness, and Facial Affect

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Shirley S.; Treat, Teresa A.; Brownell, Kelly D.

2008-01-01

This study examines 2 aspects of cognitive processing in person perception--attention and decision making--in classroom-relevant contexts. Teachers completed 2 implicit, performance-based tasks that characterized attention to and utilization of 4 student characteristics of interest: ethnicity, facial affect, body size, and attractiveness. Stimuli…

Phonation Interval Modification and Speech Performance Quality during Fluency-Inducing Conditions by Adults Who Stutter

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ingham, Roger J.; Bothe, Anne K.; Wang, Yuedong; Purkhiser, Krystal; New, Anneliese

2012-01-01

Purpose: To relate changes in four variables previously defined as characteristic of normally fluent speech to changes in phonatory behavior during oral reading by persons who stutter (PWS) and normally fluent controls under multiple fluency-inducing (FI) conditions. Method: Twelve PWS and 12 controls each completed 4 ABA experiments. During A…

Electrochemical performance investigations on the hydrogen depolarized CO2 concentrator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aylward, J. R.

1976-01-01

An extensive investigation of anode and cathode polarization in complete cells and half cells was conducted to determine the factors affecting HDC electrode polarization and the nature of this polarization. Matrix-electrolyte-electrode interactions and cell electrolyte composition were also investigated. The electrodes were found to have normal performance capabilities. The HDC anode polarization characteristics were correlated with a theoretical kinetic analysis; and, except for some quantitative details, a rather complete understanding of the causes for HDC electrode polarization was formulated. One of the important finding resulting from the kinetic analysis was that platinum appears to catalyze the decomposition of carbonic acid to carbon dioxide and water. It was concluded that the abnormal voltage performance of the One Man ARS HDC cells was caused by insufficient cell electrolyte volume under normal operating conditions due to deficiencies in the reservoir to cell interfacing.

Characteristics of patients with missing information on stage: a population-based study of patients diagnosed with colon, lung or breast cancer in England in 2013.

PubMed

Di Girolamo, Chiara; Walters, Sarah; Benitez Majano, Sara; Rachet, Bernard; Coleman, Michel P; Njagi, Edmund Njeru; Morris, Melanie

2018-05-02

Stage is a key predictor of cancer survival. Complete cancer staging is vital for understanding outcomes at population level and monitoring the efficacy of early diagnosis initiatives. Cancer registries usually collect details of the disease extent but staging information may be missing because a stage was never assigned to a patient or because it was not included in cancer registration records. Missing stage information introduce methodological difficulties for analysis and interpretation of results. We describe the associations between missing stage and socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of patients diagnosed with colon, lung or breast cancer in England in 2013. We assess how these associations change when completeness is high, and administrative issues are assumed to be minimal. We estimate the amount of avoidable missing stage data if high levels of completeness reached by some Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs), were achieved nationally. Individual cancer records were retrieved from the National Cancer Registration and linked to the Routes to Diagnosis and Hospital Episode Statistics datasets to obtain additional clinical information. We used multivariable beta binomial regression models to estimate the strength of the association between socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of patients and missing stage and to derive the amount of avoidable missing stage. Multivariable modelling showed that old age was associated with missing stage irrespective of the cancer site and independent of comorbidity score, short-term mortality and patient characteristics. This remained true for patients in the CCGs with high completeness. Applying the results from these CCGs to the whole cohort showed that approximately 70% of missing stage information was potentially avoidable. Missing stage was more frequent in older patients, including those residing in CCGs with high completeness. This disadvantage for older patients was not explained fully by the presence of comorbidity. A substantial gain in completeness could have been achieved if administrative practices were improved to the level of the highest performing areas. Reasons for missing stage information should be carefully assessed before any study, and potential distortions introduced by how missing stage is handled should be considered in order to draw the most correct inference from available statistics.

Hemodynamic and psychological responses to laboratory stressors in women: Assessing the roles of menstrual cycle phase, premenstrual symptomatology, and sleep characteristics

PubMed Central

Lustyk, M. Kathleen B.; Douglas, Haley A.C.; Shilling, Elizabeth A.; Woods, Nancy F.

2016-01-01

This study assessed whether premenstrual symptomatology and/or sleep characteristics explain increased luteal phase psychophysiological reactivity to laboratory stressors. We hypothesized that: (1) premenstrual symptoms and sleep characteristics would explain greater luteal versus follicular phase psychophysiological reactivity, (2) symptoms and sleep characteristics would differentially predict psychophysiological reactivity within each cycle phase, and (3) symptoms and sleep characteristics would interact to affect luteal but not follicular reactivity. Freely cycling women (N=87) completed two laboratory sessions, one follicular (cycle days 5–9) and one luteal (days 7–10 post-ovulation). We employed two stressors: one physical (cold pressor task) and the other cognitive in nature (Paced Auditory Serial Addition Task). During testing, electrocardiography monitored heart rate (HR) while a timed and auto-inflatable sphygmomanometer assessed blood pressure (BP). Participants also completed a one-time self-report measure of sleep characteristics and premenstrual symptomatology as well as a measure of state anxiety pre-post stressor. Results revealed greater luteal HR and systolic BP reactivity compared to follicular reactivity (p<0.001 for both analyses), however neither premenstrual symptoms nor sleep characteristics explained this luteal increase. Within cycle analyses revealed that symptoms and sleep characteristics interacted to affect luteal phase state anxiety reactivity (R2=.32, p=.002) with negative affect being associated with more reactivity when sleep hours were low (β=.333, p=.04). Overall, significant relationships existed during the luteal phase only. Findings are discussed in terms of clinical utility and methodological challenges related to performing laboratory stress testing in women. PMID:23092740

a New Golf-Swing Robot Model Utilizing Shaft Elasticity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suzuki, S.; Inooka, H.

1998-10-01

The performance of golf clubs and balls is generally evaluated by using golf-swing robots that conventionally have two or three joints with completely interrelated motion. This interrelation allows the user of this robot to specify only the initial posture and swing velocity of the robot and therefore the swing motion of this type of robot cannot be subtly adjusted to the specific characteristics of individual golf clubs. Consequently, golf-swing robots cannot accurately emulate advanced golfers, and this causes serious problems for the evaluation of golf club performance. In this study, a new golf-swing robot that can adjust its motion to both a specified value of swing velocity and the specific characteristics of individual golf clubs was analytically investigated. This robot utilizes the dynamic interference force produced by its swing motion and by shaft vibration and can therefore emulate advanced golfers and perform highly reliable evaluations of golf clubs.

Evaluation of malaria rapid diagnostic test (RDT) use by community health workers: a longitudinal study in western Kenya.

PubMed

Boyce, Matthew R; Menya, Diana; Turner, Elizabeth L; Laktabai, Jeremiah; Prudhomme-O'Meara, Wendy

2018-05-18

Malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) are a simple, point-of-care technology that can improve the diagnosis and subsequent treatment of malaria. They are an increasingly common diagnostic tool, but concerns remain about their use by community health workers (CHWs). These concerns regard the long-term trends relating to infection prevention measures, the interpretation of test results and adherence to treatment protocols. This study assessed whether CHWs maintained their competency at conducting RDTs over a 12-month timeframe, and if this competency varied with specific CHW characteristics. From June to September, 2015, CHWs (n = 271) were trained to conduct RDTs using a 3-day validated curriculum and a baseline assessment was completed. Between June and August, 2016, CHWs (n = 105) were randomly selected and recruited for follow-up assessments using a 20-step checklist that classified steps as relating to safety, accuracy, and treatment; 103 CHWs participated in follow-up assessments. Poisson regressions were used to test for associations between error count data at follow-up and Poisson regression models fit using generalized estimating equations were used to compare data across time-points. At both baseline and follow-up observations, at least 80% of CHWs correctly completed 17 of the 20 steps. CHWs being 50 years of age or older was associated with increased total errors and safety errors at baseline and follow-up. At follow-up, prior experience conducting RDTs was associated with fewer errors. Performance, as it related to the correct completion of all checklist steps and safety steps, did not decline over the 12 months and performance of accuracy steps improved (mean error ratio: 0.51; 95% CI 0.40-0.63). Visual interpretation of RDT results yielded a CHW sensitivity of 92.0% and a specificity of 97.3% when compared to interpretation by the research team. None of the characteristics investigated was found to be significantly associated with RDT interpretation. With training, most CHWs performing RDTs maintain diagnostic testing competency over at least 12 months. CHWs generally perform RDTs safely and accurately interpret results. Younger age and prior experiences with RDTs were associated with better testing performance. Future research should investigate the mode by which CHW characteristics impact RDT procedures.

Recovery in dc and rf performance of off-state step-stressed AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors with thermal annealing

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

Kim, Byung-Jae; Hwang, Ya-Hsi; Ahn, Shihyun

The recovery effects of thermal annealing on dc and rf performance of off-state step-stressed AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors were investigated. After stress, reverse gate leakage current and sub-threshold swing increased and drain current on-off ratio decreased. However, these degradations were completely recovered after thermal annealing at 450 °C for 10 mins for devices stressed either once or twice. The trap densities, which were estimated by temperature-dependent drain-current sub-threshold swing measurements, increased after off-state step-stress and were reduced after subsequent thermal annealing. In addition, the small signal rf characteristics of stressed devices were completely recovered after thermal annealing.

The Effect of Plan Type and Comprehensive Medication Reviews on High-Risk Medication Use.

PubMed

Almodovar, Armando Silva; Axon, David Rhys; Coleman, Ashley M; Warholak, Terri; Nahata, Milap C

2018-05-01

In 2007, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) instituted a star rating system using performance outcome measures to assess Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug (MAPD) and Prescription Drug Plan (PDP) providers. To assess the relationship between 2 performance outcome measures for Medicare insurance providers, comprehensive medication reviews (CMRs), and high-risk medication use. This cross-sectional study included Medicare Part C and Part D performance data from the 2014 and 2015 calendar years. Performance data were downloaded per Medicare contract from the CMS. We matched Medicare insurance provider performance data with the enrollment data of each contract. Mann Whitney U and Spearman rho tests and a hierarchical linear regression model assessed the relationship between provider characteristics, high-risk medication use, and CMR completion rate outcome measures. In 2014, an inverse correlation between CMR completion rate and high-risk medication use was identified among MAPD plan providers. This relationship was further strengthened in 2015. No correlation was detected between the CMR completion rate and high-risk medication use among PDP plan providers in either year. A multivariate regression found an inverse association with high-risk medication use among MAPD plan providers in comparison with PDP plan providers in 2014 (beta = -0.358, P < 0.001) and 2015 (beta = -0.350, P < 0.001), the CMR completion rate in 2015 (beta = -0.221, P < 0.001), and enrollee population size in 2015 (beta = -0.203, P = 0.001). This study found that MAPD plan providers and higher CMR completion rates were associated with lower use of high-risk medications among beneficiaries. No outside funding supported this study. Silva Almodovar reports a fellowship funded by SinfoniaRx, Tucson, Arizona, during the time of this study. The other authors have nothing to disclose.

An Evaluation Method for PV Systems by using Limited Data Item

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oozeki, Takashi; Izawa, Toshiyasu; Otani, Kenji; Tsuzuku, Ken; Koike, Hisafumi; Kurokawa, Kosuke

Beside photovoltaic (PV) systems are recently expected to introduce around Japan, almost all of them have not been taken care after established since PV systems are called maintenance free. In fact, there are few troubles about PV operations behind owners of PV systems because characteristics of them cannot be identified completely such as the ideal output energy. Therefore, it is very important to evaluate the characteristics of them. For evaluating them, equipments of measuring are required, and they, especially Pyrheliometer, are expensive as much as owners of the PV system cannot equip usually. Consequently, An evaluation method which can reveal the performance of operation such as the performance ratio with a very few kinds of data is necessary. In this paper, proposed method can evaluate performance ratio, shading losses, inverter efficiency losses by using only system output data items. The adequacies of the method are indicated by comparing with actual data and field survey results. As a result, the method is intended to be checking tool of PV system performance.

Altitude Wind Tunnel Investigation of XJ34-WE-32 Engine Performance Without Electronic Control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bloomer, Harry E; Walker, William J; Pantages, George L

1953-01-01

An investigation was conducted in the NACA Lewis altitude wind tunnel to evaluate the performance characteristics of an XJ34-WE-32 turbojet engine which was equipped with an afterburner, a variable-area exhaust nozzle, and an integrated electronic control. The data were obtained with the afterburner and electronic control inoperative. Performance data were obtained at altitudes from 5000 to 55,000 feet and flight Mach numbers from 0.28 to 1.06 for a complete range of operable engine speeds at each of four fixed positions of the variable-area exhaust nozzle.

Talent in Female Gymnastics: a Survival Analysis Based upon Performance Characteristics.

PubMed

Pion, J; Lenoir, M; Vandorpe, B; Segers, V

2015-11-01

This study investigated the link between the anthropometric, physical and motor characteristics assessed during talent identification and dropout in young female gymnasts. 3 cohorts of female gymnasts (n=243; 6-9 years) completed a test battery for talent identification. Performance-levels were monitored over 5 years of competition. Kaplan-Meier and Cox Proportional Hazards analyses were conducted to determine the survival rate and the characteristics that influence dropout respectively. Kaplan-Meier analysis indicated that only 18% of the female gymnasts that passed the baseline talent identification test survived at the highest competition level 5 years later. The Cox Proportional Hazards Model indicated that gymnasts with a score in the best quartile for a specific characteristic significantly increased chances of survival by 45-129%. These characteristics being: basic motor skills (129%), shoulder strength (96%), leg strength (53%) and 3 gross motor coordination items (45-73%). These results suggest that tests batteries commonly used for talent identification in young female gymnasts may also provide valuable insights into future dropout. Therefore, multidimensional test batteries deserve a prominent place in the selection process. The individual test results should encourage trainers to invest in an early development of basic physical and motor characteristics to prevent attrition. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Design of a solar array simulator for the NASA EOS testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Butler, Steve J.; Sable, Dan M.; Lee, Fred C.; Cho, Bo H.

1992-01-01

The present spacecraft solar array simulator addresses both dc and ac characteristics as well as changes in illumination and temperature and performance degradation over the course of array service life. The computerized control system used allows simulation of a complete orbit cycle, in addition to automated diagnostics. The simulator is currently interfaced with the NASA EOS testbed.

Patterns of Participation in Year 9 Academic Testing and Factors Predicting Absence on the Day of Test

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wong, Janice W. Y.; O'Donnell, Melissa; Bayliss, Donna; Fletcher, Janet; Glauert, Rebecca

2017-01-01

Policies aiming to improve educational outcomes are typically based on academic testing data. However, such data only reflect the performance of students who completed the tests. It is possible that students who were absent have shared characteristics. The proportion of students absent out of all eligible school students and whether they have…

Proximity-activated nanoparticles: in vitro performance of specific structural modification by enzymatic cleavage

PubMed Central

Adam Smith, R; Sewell, Sarah L; Giorgio, Todd D

2008-01-01

The development and in vitro performance of a modular nanoscale system capable of specific structural modification by enzymatic activity is described in this work. Due to its small physical size and adaptable characteristics, this system has the potential for utilization in targeted delivery systems and biosensing. Nanoparticle probes were synthesized containing two distinct fluorescent species including a quantum dot base particle and fluorescently labeled cleavable peptide substrate. Activity of these probes was monitored by gel electrophoresis with quantitative cleavage measurements made by fluorometric analysis. The model proximity-activated nanoparticles studied here exhibit significant susceptibility to cleavage by matrix metalloprotease-7 (MMP-7) at physiologically relevant concentrations, with nearly complete cleavage of available substrate molecules after 24 hours. This response is specific to MMP-7 enzyme activity, as cleavage is completely inhibited with the addition of EDTA. Utilization of enzyme-specific modification is a sensitive approach with broad applications for targeted therapeutics and biosensing. The versatility of this nanoparticle system is highlighted in its modular design, as it has the capability to integrate characteristics for detection, biosensing, targeting, and payload delivery into a single, multifunctional nanoparticle structure. PMID:18488420

Reference commercial high-level waste glass and canister definition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slate, S. C.; Ross, W. A.; Partain, W. L.

1981-09-01

Technical data and performance characteristics of a high level waste glass and canister intended for use in the design of a complete waste encapsulation package suitable for disposal in a geologic repository are presented. The borosilicate glass contained in the stainless steel canister represents the probable type of high level waste product that is produced in a commercial nuclear-fuel reprocessing plant. Development history is summarized for high level liquid waste compositions, waste glass composition and characteristics, and canister design. The decay histories of the fission products and actinides (plus daughters) calculated by the ORIGEN-II code are presented.

[Research and Design of a System for Detecting Automated External Defbrillator Performance Parameters].

PubMed

Wang, Kewu; Xiao, Shengxiang; Jiang, Lina; Hu, Jingkai

2017-09-30

In order to regularly detect the performance parameters of automated external defibrillator (AED), to make sure it is safe before using the instrument, research and design of a system for detecting automated external defibrillator performance parameters. According to the research of the characteristics of its performance parameters, combing the STM32's stability and high speed with PWM modulation control, the system produces a variety of ECG normal and abnormal signals through the digital sampling methods. Completed the design of the hardware and software, formed a prototype. This system can accurate detect automated external defibrillator discharge energy, synchronous defibrillation time, charging time and other key performance parameters.

Social support and performance anxiety of college music students.

PubMed

Schneider, Erin; Chesky, Kris

2011-09-01

This study characterized perceived social support and performance anxiety of college music students, compared characteristics to those of non-music majors, and explored the relationships between social support and performance anxiety. Subjects (n = 609) completed a questionnaire that included demographics, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), and visual analog scale measures of performance anxiety. Results showed that music majors perceived significantly lower levels of social support from significant others when compared to non-music majors. Perceived social support was significantly correlated with measures of performance anxiety. Students with greater perceived social support reported less frequent anxiety and lower levels of impact of anxiety on ability to perform. These findings may have practical implications for schools of music and conservatories.

Relationship Between Operating Room Teamwork, Contextual Factors, and Safety Checklist Performance.

PubMed

Singer, Sara J; Molina, George; Li, Zhonghe; Jiang, Wei; Nurudeen, Suliat; Kite, Julia G; Edmondson, Lizabeth; Foster, Richard; Haynes, Alex B; Berry, William R

2016-10-01

Studies show that using surgical safety checklists (SSCs) reduces complications. Many believe SSCs accomplish this by enhancing teamwork, but evidence is limited. Our study sought to relate teamwork to checklist performance, understand how they relate, and determine conditions that affect this relationship. Using 2 validated tools for observing and coaching operating room teams, we evaluated the association between checklist performance with surgeon buy-in and 4 domains of surgical teamwork: clinical leadership, communication, coordination, and respect. Hospital staff in 10 South Carolina hospitals observed 207 procedures between April 2011 and January 2013. We calculated levels of checklist performance, buy-in, and measures of teamwork, and evaluated their relationship, controlling for patient and case characteristics. Few teams completed most or all SSC items. Teams more often completed items considered procedural "checks" than conversation "prompts." Surgeon buy-in, clinical leadership, communication, a summary measure of teamwork overall, and observers' teamwork ratings positively related to overall checklist completion (multivariable model estimates from 0.04, p < 0.05 for communication to 0.17, p < 0.01 for surgeon buy-in). All measures of teamwork and surgeon buy-in related positively to completing more conversation prompts; none related significantly to procedural checks (estimates from 0.10, p < 0.01 for communication to 0.27, p < 0.001 for surgeon buy-in). Patient age was significantly associated with completing the checklist and prompts (p < 0.05); only case duration was positively associated with performing more checks (p < 0.10). Surgeon buy-in and surgical teamwork characterized by shared clinical leadership, open communication, active coordination, and mutual respect were critical in prompting case-related conversations, but not in completing procedural checks. Findings highlight the importance of surgeon engagement and high-quality, consistent teamwork for promoting checklist use and ensuring a safe surgical environment. Copyright © 2016 American College of Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

TPS In-Flight Health Monitoring Project Progress Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kostyk, Chris; Richards, Lance; Hudston, Larry; Prosser, William

2007-01-01

Progress in the development of new thermal protection systems (TPS) is reported. New approaches use embedded lightweight, sensitive, fiber optic strain and temperature sensors within the TPS. Goals of the program are to develop and demonstrate a prototype TPS health monitoring system, develop a thermal-based damage detection algorithm, characterize limits of sensor/system performance, and develop ea methodology transferable to new designs of TPS health monitoring systems. Tasks completed during the project helped establish confidence in understanding of both test setup and the model and validated system/sensor performance in a simple TPS structure. Other progress included complete initial system testing, commencement of the algorithm development effort, generation of a damaged thermal response characteristics database, initial development of a test plan for integration testing of proven FBG sensors in simple TPS structure, and development of partnerships to apply the technology.

Are general practice characteristics predictors of good glycaemic control in patients with diabetes? A cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Esterman, Adrian J; Fountaine, Tim; McDermott, Robyn

2016-01-18

To determine whether certain characteristics of general practices are associated with good glycaemic control in patients with diabetes and with completing an annual cycle of care (ACC). Our cross-sectional analysis used baseline data from the Australian Diabetes Care Project conducted between 2011 and 2014. Practice characteristics were self-reported. Characteristics of the patients that were assessed included glycaemic control (HbA1c level ≤ 53 mmol/mol), age, sex, duration of diabetes, socio-economic disadvantage (SEIFA) score, the complexity of the patient's condition, and whether the patient had completed an ACC for diabetes in the past 18 months. Clustered logistic regression was used to establish predictors of glycaemic control and a completed ACC. Data were available from 147 general practices and 5455 patients with established type 1 or type 2 diabetes in three Australian states. After adjustment for other patient characteristics, only the patient completing an ACC was statistically significant as a predictor of glycaemic control (P = 0.011). In a multivariate model, the practice having a chronic disease-focused practice nurse (P = 0.036) and running educational events for patients with diabetes (P = 0.004) were statistically significant predictors of the patient having complete an ACC. Patient characteristics are moderately good predictors of whether the patient is in glycaemic control, whereas practice characteristics appear to predict only the likelihood of patients completing an ACC. The ACC is an established indicator of good diabetes management. This is the first study to report a positive association between having completed an ACC and the patient being in glycaemic control.

Advanced Gas Turbine (AGT) powertrain system development for automotive applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1984-01-01

Rotor dynamic instability investigations were conducted. Forward ball bearing hydraulic mount configurations were tested with little effect. Trial assembly of S/N 002 ceramic engine was initiated. Impeller design activities were completed on the straight line element (SLE) blade definition to address near-net-shape powder metal die forging. Performance characteristics of the Baseline Test 2A impeller were closely preserved. The modified blading design has been released for tooling procurement. Developmental testing of the diffusion flame combustor (DFC) for initial use in the S/N 002 2100 F ceramic structures engine was completed. A natural gas slave preheater was designed and fabricated. Preliminary regenerator static seal rig testing showed a significant reduction in leakage and sensitivity to stack height. Ceramic screening tests were completed and two complete sets of ceramic static structures were qualified for engine testing. Efforts on rotor dynamics development to resolve subsynchronous motion were continued.

Design philosophy of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory infrared detector test facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burns, R.; Blessinger, M. A.

1983-01-01

To support the development of advanced infrared remote sensing instrumentation using line and area arrays, a test facility has been developed to characterize the detectors. The necessary performance characteristics of the facility were defined by considering current and projected requirements for detector testing. The completed facility provides the desired level of detector testing capability as well as providing ease of human interaction.

Examining the relationships between span of control and manager job and unit performance outcomes.

PubMed

Wong, Carol A; Elliott-Miller, Pat; Laschinger, Heather; Cuddihy, Michael; Meyer, Raquel M; Keatings, Margaret; Burnett, Camille; Szudy, Natalie

2015-03-01

Our aim was to examine the combination of frontline manager (FLM) personal characteristics and span of control (SOC) on their job and unit performance outcomes. Healthcare downsizing and reform have contributed to larger spans for FLMs in Canadian hospitals and increased concerns about manager workload. Despite a heightened awareness of SOC issues among decision makers, there is limited empirical evidence related to the effects of SOC on outcomes. A non-experimental predictive survey design was used to examine FLM SOC in 14 Canadian academic hospitals. Managers (n = 121) completed an online survey of work characteristics and The Ottawa Hospital (TOH) SOC tool. Unit turnover data were collected from organisational databases. The combination of SOC and core self-evaluation significantly predicted role overload, work control and job satisfaction, but only SOC predicted unit adverse outcomes and neither significantly predicted unit turnover. The findings contribute to an understanding of connections between the combination of SOC and core self-evaluation and manager job and unit performance outcomes. Organisational strategies to create manageable FLM SOC are essential to ensure exemplary job and unit outcomes. Core self-evaluation is a personality characteristic that may enhance manager performance in the face of high spans of control. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Global Performance Characterization of the Three Burn Trans-Earth Injection Maneuver Sequence over the Lunar Nodal Cycle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, Jacob; Davis, Elizabeth C.; Lee, David E.; Condon, Gerald L.; Dawn, Tim

2009-01-01

The Orion spacecraft will be required to perform a three-burn trans-Earth injection (TEI) maneuver sequence to return to Earth from low lunar orbit. The origin of this approach lies in the Constellation Program requirements for access to any lunar landing site location combined with anytime lunar departure. This paper documents the development of optimized databases used to rapidly model the performance requirements of the TEI three-burn sequence for an extremely large number of mission cases. It also discusses performance results for lunar departures covering a complete 18.6 year lunar nodal cycle as well as general characteristics of the optimized three-burn TEI sequence.

The effect of active control on the performance and wake characteristics of an axial-flow Marine Hydrokinetic turbine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hill, Craig; Vanness, Katherine; Stewart, Andy; Polagye, Brian; Aliseda, Alberto

2016-11-01

Turbulence-induced unsteady forcing on turbines extracting power from river, tidal, or ocean currents will affect performance, wake characteristics, and structural integrity. A laboratory-scale axial-flow turbine, 0 . 45 m in diameter, incorporating rotor speed sensing and independent blade pitch control has been designed and tested with the goal of increasing efficiency and/or decreasing structural loading. Laboratory experiments were completed in a 1 m wide, 0.75 m deep open-channel flume at moderate Reynolds number (Rec =6104 -2105) and turbulence intensity (T . I . = 2 - 10 %). A load cell connecting the hub to the shaft provided instantaneous forces and moments on the device, quantifying turbine performance under unsteady inflow and for different controls. To mitigate loads, blade pitch angles were controlled via individual stepper motors, while a six-axis load cell mounted at the root of one blade measured instantaneous blade forces and moments, providing insights into variable loading due to turbulent inflow and blade-tower interactions. Wake characteristics with active pitch control were compared to fixed blade pitch and rotor speed operation. Results are discussed in the context of optimization of design for axial-flow Marine Hydrokinetic turbines.

A descriptive-comparative study of performance characteristics in futsal players of different levels.

PubMed

Naser, Naser; Ali, Ajmol

2016-09-01

Despite the increasing popularity of futsal, there is little information on performance characteristics of players. We aimed to determine the validity and reliability of a futsal shooting test and to evaluate and compare performance characteristics of three futsal playing levels. Twenty-four males (n = 8 elite, n = 8 semi-elite, n = 8 social) completed two trials to examine the reliability of the Massey Futsal Shooting Test (MFST) and to compare various fitness characteristics between groups. MFST time taken (P = 0.010), shot speed (P < 0.001) and points scored per shot (P < 0.001) were better for elite relative to social players. Test-retest reliability was acceptable for all groups, but it was most repeatable in elite players. Loughborough Soccer Passing Test performance was better in elite relative to social players (P = 0.004). There were no differences in countermovement-jump height between groups. Elite players ran faster over 5 m than both semi-elite (P = 0.043) and social (P = 0.002) and faster than the social players through 10 m (P = 0.028) and 20 m (P = 0.026). Distance covered in the Futsal Intermittent Endurance Test was higher in elite relative to semi-elite (P = 0.005) and social (P < 0.001) groups. The MFST is a valid and reliable protocol to assess futsal shooting-skill performance; elite players have superior shooting and passing skill and have greater sprinting and intermittent-running ability.

The effects of legacy organization culture on post-merger integration.

PubMed

Frantz, Terrill L; Carley, Kathleen M

2013-01-01

We explore the relationship between the characteristics of pre-existing organization cultures and post-merger integration dynamics; this study involves examining data produced by computer simulation. Two characteristics of organization culture, its characteristic complexity and its propensity for members' to share information, are controlled in computational experiments. To characterize post-merger integration dynamics, we measure the transfer of information with respect to two types: (a) that which is necessary in performing work tasks, and (b) that which underlies the features of a group's culture. The extent to which this information is common in a group is indicative of task performance and the cultural cohesiveness of its members; leading to the level of performance for the group. We consider cultural knowledge as it pertains to both that of the entire organization and at the work-team level; often times, these can be dissimilar. We find that cultural complexity and exchange motivation vary in their influence on the diffusion of task and cultural knowledge: the more complex the culture, the longer for post-merger integration to complete, while simultaneously task performance suffers. However, the inclination for an organization to energetically share their culture with another group does not immensely impact the diffusion of cultural or task knowledge; moreover, high levels of task focus in a culture can hinder cultural diffusion, though performance is positively correlated with this characteristic. This study has relevance to post-merger integration research and practice by providing a theoretically grounded, quantitative model useful for estimating the post-merger dynamics of cultural awareness and knowledge diffusion for a specific merger situation.

The Physical and Athletic Performance Characteristics of Division I Collegiate Female Soccer Players by Position.

PubMed

Lockie, Robert G; Moreno, Matthew R; Lazar, Adrina; Orjalo, Ashley J; Giuliano, Dominic V; Risso, Fabrice G; Davis, DeShaun L; Crelling, Jeff B; Lockwood, John R; Jalilvand, Farzad

2018-02-01

Lockie, RG, Moreno, MR, Lazar, A, Orjalo, AJ, Giuliano, DV, Risso, FG, Davis, DL, Crelling, JB, Lockwood, JR, and Jalilvand, F. The physical and athletic performance characteristics of Division I collegiate female soccer players by position. J Strength Cond Res 32(2): 334-343, 2018-Playing positions in soccer can exhibit different movement demands during a match, contributing to variations in physical and performance characteristics. National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) soccer features different substitution rules when compared to FIFA-sanctioned matches, which could influence each players' characteristics. Therefore, this study determined the athletic performance characteristics of Division I female soccer players. Twenty-six players (3 goalkeepers; 8 defenders; 10 midfielders; 5 forwards) from the same squad completed assessments of: lower-body power (vertical and standing broad jump); linear (0-5, 0-10, 0-30 meter [m] sprint intervals) and change-of-direction (pro-agility shuttle; arrowhead change-of-direction speed test) speed; and soccer-specific fitness (Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test [YYIRT] levels 1 and 2). Players were split into position groups, and a Kruskal-Wallis H test with post hoc pairwise analyses (p ≤ 0.05) calculated significant between-group differences. There were no differences in age, height, or body mass between the positions. Midfielders had a faster 0-5 m time compared with the defenders (p = 0.017) and the goalkeepers (p = 0.030). The defenders (p = 0.011) and midfielders (p = 0.013) covered a greater YYIRT2 distance compared with the goalkeepers. There were no other significant between-position differences. Overall, Division I collegiate female players from the same squad demonstrated similar characteristics as measured by soccer-specific performance tests, which could allow for flexibility in position assignments. However, a relatively homogenous squad could also indicate commonality in training prescription, particularly regarding acceleration and high-intensity running. Strength and conditioning coaches may have to consider the specific movement demands of individual positions when training these capacities.

Anthropometric, body composition and somatotype characteristics of elite female volleyball players from the highest Spanish league.

PubMed

Martín-Matillas, Miguel; Valadés, David; Hernández-Hernández, Elena; Olea-Serrano, Fátima; Sjöström, Michael; Delgado-Fernández, Manuel; Ortega, Francisco B

2014-01-01

This study aimed to describe morphological characteristics of elite female volleyball players from the highest Spanish league, with special focus on differences by performance level and playing positions. Nearly all female players playing in the highest Spanish volleyball league during season 2003/2004 participated in this study (N=148 elite players, 92% of the total). Anthropometric, body composition and somatotype parameters according to performance and playing positions were analysed. The players' characteristics were as follows; body mass 72.3 ± 8.4 kg; stature 179.8 ± 7.1 cm; body fat 24.0 ± 3.1% and skeletal muscle mass 27.3 ± 2.9 kg. Mean somatotype was 3.1 ± 0.7; 3.4 ± 0.9; 3.1 ± 0.9 characterised as central with a tendency to balanced mesomorph. Top level players (whose teams were better classified in the team performance ranking) were taller, had higher skeletal muscle mass and ectomorphy, and had a lower level of adiposity markers, compared with lower level players. Players selected for their respective National teams (individual performance) were taller, heavier, had higher muscle mass and lower endomorphy than non-selected players. Differences according to playing positions were found. This study provides a complete set of reference data on anthropometry, body composition and somatotype of elite female volleyball players. Morphological differences have been identified according to performance level and playing position.

[Doctoral thesis projects for medical students? Retrospective estimation of the fraction of successfully completed medical doctoral thesis projects at Witten/Herdecke University].

PubMed

Scharfenberg, Janna; Schaper, Katharina; Krummenauer, Frank

2014-01-01

The German "Dr med" plays a specific role in doctoral thesis settings since students may start the underlying doctoral project during their studies at medical school. If a Medical Faculty principally encourages this approach, then it should support the students in performing the respective projects as efficiently as possible. Consequently, it must be ensured that students are able to implement and complete a doctoral project in parallel to their studies. As a characteristic efficiency feature of these "Dr med" initiatives, the proportion of doctoral projects successfully completed shortly after graduating from medical school is proposed and illustrated. The proposed characteristic can be estimated by the time period between the state examination (date of completion of the qualifying medical examination) and the doctoral examination. Completion of the doctoral project "during their medical studies" was then characterised by a doctoral examination no later than 12 months after the qualifying medical state examination. To illustrate the estimation and interpretation of this characteristic, it was retrospectively estimated on the basis of the full sample of all doctorates successfully completed between July 2009 and June 2012 at the Department of Human Medicine at the Faculty of Health of the University of Witten/Herdecke. During the period of investigation defined, a total number of 56 doctoral examinations were documented, 30 % of which were completed within 12 months after the qualifying medical state examination (95% confidence interval 19 to 44 %). The median duration between state and doctoral examination was 27 months. The proportion of doctoral projects completed parallel to the medical studies increased during the investigation period from 14 % in the first year (July 2009 till June 2010) to 40 % in the third year (July 2011 till June 2012). Only about a third of all "Dr med" projects at the Witten/Herdecke Faculty of Health were completed during or close to the qualifying medical studies. This proportion, however, increased after the introduction of a curriculum on research methodology and practice in 2010; prospective longitudinal studies will have to clarify whether this is causal or mere chronological coincidence. In summary, the proposed method for determining the process efficiency of a medical faculty's "Dr med" programme has proven to be both feasible and informative. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier GmbH.

Influence of feedback characteristics on perceived learning value of feedback in clerkships: does culture matter?

PubMed

Suhoyo, Yoyo; Van Hell, Elisabeth A; Kerdijk, Wouter; Emilia, Ova; Schönrock-Adema, Johanna; Kuks, Jan B M; Cohen-Schotanus, Janke

2017-04-05

Various feedback characteristics have been suggested to positively influence student learning. It is not clear how these feedback characteristics contribute to students' perceived learning value of feedback in cultures classified low on the cultural dimension of individualism and high on power distance. This study was conducted to validate the influence of five feedback characteristics on students' perceived learning value of feedback in an Indonesian clerkship context. We asked clerks in Neurology (n = 169) and Internal Medicine (n = 132) to assess on a 5-point Likert scale the learning value of the feedback they received. We asked them to record whether the feedback provider (1) informed the student what went well, (2) mentioned which aspects of performance needed improvement, (3) compared the student's performance to a standard, (4) further explained or demonstrated the correct performance, and (5) prepared an action plan with the student to improve performance. Data were analyzed using multilevel regression. A total of 250 students participated in this study, 131 from Internal Medicine (response rate 99%) and 119 from Neurology (response rate 70%). Of these participants, 225 respondents (44% males, 56% females) completed the form and reported 889 feedback moments. Students perceived feedback as more valuable when the feedback provider mentioned their weaknesses (β = 0.153, p < 0.01), compared their performance to a standard (β = 0.159, p < 0.01), explained or demonstrated the correct performance (β = 0.324, p < 0.001) and prepared an action plan with the student (β =0.496, p < 0.001). Appraisal of good performance did not influence the perceived learning value of feedback. No gender differences were found for perceived learning value. In Indonesia, we could validate four out of the five characteristics for effective feedback. We argue that our findings relate to culture, in particular to the levels of individualism and power distance. The recognized characteristics of what constitutes effective feedback should be validated across cultures.

DE-FOA-EE0005502 Advanced Percussive Drilling Technology for Geothermal Exploration and Development Phase II Report.

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

Su, Jiann-Cherng; Raymond, David W.; Prasad, Somuri V.

Percussive hammers are a promising advance in drilling technology for geothermal since they rely upon rock reduction mechanisms that are well-suited for use in the hard, brittle rock characteristic of geothermal formations. The project research approach and work plan includes a critical path to development of a high-temperature (HT) percussive hammer using a two- phase approach. The work completed in Phase I of the project demonstrated the viability of percussive hammers and that solutions to technical challenges in design, material technology, and performance are likely to be resolved. Work completed in Phase II focused on testing the findings from Phasemore » I and evaluating performance of the materials and designs at high- operating temperatures. A high-operating temperature (HOT) drilling facility was designed, built, and used to test the performance of the DTH under extreme conditions. Results from the testing indicate that a high-temperature capable hammer can be developed and is a viable alternative for user in the driller's toolbox.« less

Advanced Percussive Drilling Technology for Geothermal Exploration and Development

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

Su, Jiann; Raymond, David; Prasad, Somuri

Percussive hammers are a promising advance in drilling technology for geothermal since they rely upon rock reduction mechanisms that are well-suited for use in the hard, brittle rock characteristic of geothermal formations. The project research approach and work plan includes a critical path to development of a high-temperature (HT) percussive hammer using a two phase approach. The work completed in Phase I of the project demonstrated the viability of percussive hammers and that solutions to technical challenges in design, material technology, and performance are likely to be resolved. Work completed in Phase II focused on testing the findings from Phasemore » I and evaluating performance of the materials and designs at high operating temperatures. A high-operating temperature (HOT) drilling facility was designed, built, and used to test the performance of the DTH under extreme conditions. Results from the testing indicate that a high-temperature capable hammer can be developed and is a viable alternative for use in the driller’s toolbox.« less

Proposal For A Practical Method For Evaluating Complaints Of Eye Discomfort Arising From Clerical Work

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stone, Peter T.

1982-02-01

A brief review is made of the major factors that are likely to cause eye discomfort from clerical work in traditional office environments. A procedure is proposed whereby cases of complaint may be systematically investigated. Methods are suggested for making a fairly quick evaluation of the task characteristics and the lighting conditions and it is suggested that measurements of the thermal characteristics of the environment also be carried out. In order to complete the investigation, it is necessary to obtain a person's subjective responses to the environment, using a suitably prepared questionairre, and for an eye examination to be performed by an ophthalmic optician.

Contamination avoidance devices for poppettype shutoff valves

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Endicott, D. L.

1973-01-01

The determination of the cycle life is reported of the scal closure of a typical poppet-type shutoff valve in an uncontaminated GH2 environment and then compared this component performance with simulated operation with GN2 and LN2 containing controlled amounts of AL2O3 contaminant particles. The original valve design was tested for contamination damage tolerance characteristics under full-flow and cyclic-operating conditions, redesigned to improve the damage tolerance to contaminants, and then retested. The redesigned valve was found to have acceptable tolerance characteristics under all full-flow conditions and cyclic operation with small (25-75 microns) particulate contamination. The tolerance characteristics of the valve under cyclic conditions with large (75-250 microns) particulate contamination was improved but was not found to be completely satisfactory.

Gluten-free living in China: The characteristics, food choices and difficulties in following a gluten-free diet - An online survey.

PubMed

Lu, Zhenxing; Zhang, Haoyang; Luoto, Sanna; Ren, Xiang

2018-05-10

Individuals adhering to a gluten-free diet (GFD) have been scarcely researched within a Chinese population. This present study was conducted to assess the characteristics, food choices, shopping preferences, and emotions and attitudes of individuals following a GFD. Individuals following a GFD were invited to complete an online questionnaire about their demography and geography characteristics, gluten-free food choices, shopping preferences, GFD management and subjective difficulty towards the diet. Distribution of the characteristics was described, and univariate and multivariate logistic regressions performed to explore the relationship between the above-mentioned variables and subjective difficulty in following a GFD. 209 individuals following a GFD completed the questionnaire, most of whom were young, single and well-educated females from developed provinces or municipalities in China. Multiple regression showed that age, education level, advice on starting a GFD, duration before discovering a gluten intolerance, food choices and ways of GFD management were significantly associated with the subjective difficulty in following a GFD. Our findings offer a basic characteristics pattern of the population on a GFD in mainland China. Nearly one-third of GFD followers found the diet challenging to be followed. We suggest that sufficient celiac disease and gluten-induced disorder education be conducted among healthcare practitioners. Early diagnosis of gluten-induced disorders and defining an Asian-adapted GFD, as well as an increase in public awareness, may help adherence to a strict GFD in China. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Predicting performance on the Columbia Card Task: effects of personality characteristics, mood, and executive functions.

PubMed

Buelow, Melissa T

2015-04-01

Behavioral measures of risky decision making are frequently used by researchers and clinicians; however, most of these measures are strongly associated with personality characteristics and state mood. The present study sought to examine personality, mood, and executive function predictors of performance on a newer measure of decision making, the Columbia Card Task (CCT). Participants were 489 undergraduate students who completed either the hot or cold version of the CCT as well as measures of state mood, impulsive sensation seeking, behavioral inhibition and activation systems, and executive functions (Wisconsin Card Sort Task; Digit Span). Results indicated that performance on the CCT-cold was predicted by Wisconsin Card Sort Task errors, and Digit Span predicted the CCT-hot. In addition, significant correlations were found between the CCT information use variables and the predictor variables. Implications for the utility of the CCT as a clinical instrument and its relationship with other measures of decision making are discussed. © The Author(s) 2014.

Influence of the spectral distribution of light on the characteristics of photovoltaic panel. Comparison between simulation and experimental

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chadel, Meriem; Bouzaki, Mohammed Moustafa; Chadel, Asma; Petit, Pierre; Sawicki, Jean-Paul; Aillerie, Michel; Benyoucef, Boumediene

2017-02-01

We present and analyze experimental results obtained with a laboratory setup based on a hardware and smart instrumentation for the complete study of performance of PV panels using for illumination an artificial radiation source (Halogen lamps). Associated to an accurate analysis, this global experimental procedure allows the determination of effective performance under standard conditions thanks to a simulation process originally developed under Matlab software environment. The uniformity of the irradiated surface was checked by simulation of the light field. We studied the response of standard commercial photovoltaic panels under enlightenment measured by a spectrometer with different spectra for two sources, halogen lamps and sunlight. Then, we bring a special attention to the influence of the spectral distribution of light on the characteristics of photovoltaic panel, that we have performed as a function of temperature and for different illuminations with dedicated measurements and studies of the open circuit voltage and short-circuit current.

Computerized systems analysis and optimization of aircraft engine performance, weight, and life cycle costs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fishbach, L. H.

1979-01-01

The computational techniques utilized to determine the optimum propulsion systems for future aircraft applications and to identify system tradeoffs and technology requirements are described. The characteristics and use of the following computer codes are discussed: (1) NNEP - a very general cycle analysis code that can assemble an arbitrary matrix fans, turbines, ducts, shafts, etc., into a complete gas turbine engine and compute on- and off-design thermodynamic performance; (2) WATE - a preliminary design procedure for calculating engine weight using the component characteristics determined by NNEP; (3) POD DRG - a table look-up program to calculate wave and friction drag of nacelles; (4) LIFCYC - a computer code developed to calculate life cycle costs of engines based on the output from WATE; and (5) INSTAL - a computer code developed to calculate installation effects, inlet performance and inlet weight. Examples are given to illustrate how these computer techniques can be applied to analyze and optimize propulsion system fuel consumption, weight, and cost for representative types of aircraft and missions.

Workplace characteristics, depression, and health-related presenteeism in a general population sample.

PubMed

Wang, Jianli; Schmitz, Norbert; Smailes, Elizabeth; Sareen, Jitender; Patten, Scott

2010-08-01

To investigate the relationships between workplace psychosocial factors, work/family conflicts, depression, and health-related presenteeism in a sample of employees who were randomly selected from the communities. A cross-sectional study of 4032 employees representative of the working population aged 25 to 64 years in Alberta, Canada. Data about workplace characteristics, depression, and health-related presenteeism were collected through telephone. In the participants, 47.3% and 42.9% reported some degree of impaired job performance in completing work and avoiding distraction, respectively. Major depression is the strongest factor associated with avoiding distraction. Job strain and effort-reward imbalance seemed to affect job performance through severity of depression but not major depression. Negative work environment may directly and indirectly affect job performance. Workplace health promotion activities should target organizational factors such as job strain and effort-reward imbalance and work/family conflicts so as to reduce the risk of depression and the direct and indirect effects of these risk factors and depression on productivity.

Motivation and Degree Completion in a University-Based Teacher Education Programme

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fokkens-Bruinsma, Marjon; Canrinus, Esther Tamara

2015-01-01

This study investigated which factors determine degree completion in a Dutch university-based teacher education programme. We assumed that both student characteristics and characteristics of the learning environment affected degree completion. We included the following factors in our study: motivation for becoming a teacher, teaching…

Heat transfer and performance characteristics of axial cooling fans with downstream guide vanes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Terzis, Alexandros; Stylianou, Ioannis; Kalfas, Anestis I.; Ott, Peter

2012-04-01

This study examines experimentally the effect of stators on the performance and heat transfer characteristics of small axial cooling fans. A single fan impeller, followed by nine stator blades in the case of a complete stage, was used for all the experimental configurations. Performance measurements were carried out in a constant speed stage performance test rig while the transient liquid crystal technique was used for the heat transfer measurements. Full surface heat transfer coefficient distributions were obtained by recording the temperature history of liquid crystals on a target plate. The experimental data indicated that the results are highly affected by the flow conditions at the fan outlet. Stators can be beneficial in terms of pressure drop and efficiency, and thus more economical operation, as well as, in the local heat transfer distribution at the wake of the stator blades if the fan is installed very close to the cooling object. However, as the separation distance increases, enhanced heat transfer rate in the order of 25% is observed in the case of the fan impeller.

Lithium-Ion Battery Demonstrated for NASA Desert Research and Technology Studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bennett, William R.; Baldwin, Richard S.

2008-01-01

Lithium-ion batteries have attractive performance characteristics that are well suited to a number of NASA applications. These rechargeable batteries produce compact, lightweight energy-storage systems with excellent cycle life, high charge/discharge efficiency, and low self-discharge rate. NASA Glenn Research Center's Electrochemistry Branch designed and produced five lithium-ion battery packs configured to power the liquid-air backpack (LAB) on spacesuit simulators. The demonstration batteries incorporated advanced, NASA-developed electrolytes with enhanced low-temperature performance characteristics. The objectives of this effort were to (1) demonstrate practical battery performance under field-test conditions and (2) supply laboratory performance data under controlled laboratory conditions. Advanced electrolyte development is being conducted under the Exploration Technology Development Program by the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Three field trials were successfully completed at Cinder Lake from September 10 to 12, 2007. Extravehicular activities of up to 1 hr and 50 min were supported, with residual battery capacity sufficient for 30 min of additional run time. Additional laboratory testing of batteries and cells is underway at Glenn s Electrochemical Branch.

Local Health Departments’ Activities to Address Health Disparities and Inequities: Are We Moving in the Right Direction?

PubMed Central

Shah, Gulzar H.; Sheahan, John P.

2015-01-01

Context: Health disparities are among the critical public health challenges. Objectives: To analyze the extent to which local health departments (LHDs) perform activities for addressing health disparities, changes in proportion of LHDs’ performing those activities since 2005, and factors associated with variation in such engagement. Methods: We used the 2013 National Profile of LHDs Survey to perform Logistic Regression of activities LHDs performed to address health disparities. Results: About 20 percent of LHDs did not perform any activity to address health disparities. Significant decreases occurred since 2005 in the proportion of LHDs that performed health disparity reduction/elimination activities for four activities. LHD characteristics significantly associated (p≤0.05) with the increased likelihood of performing activities to address health disparities were: recent completion of community health assessment, community health improvement plan and agency wide strategic plan. Other significant positive impacts on such activities included per capita expenditures, local governance, having one or more local boards of health, larger population size and metropolitan status of the LHD jurisdiction. Conclusions: Reduced infrastructural capacity of LHDs has resulted in fewer LHDs addressing health disparities in their jurisdictions. LHD characteristics associated with higher performance of activities for health disparity reduction identified by this research have important policy implications. PMID:26703693

Preliminary Study of Image Reconstruction Algorithm on a Digital Signal Processor

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-03-01

5.2 Comparison of CPU-GPU, CPU-FPGA, and CPU-DSP Designs The work for implementing VHDL description of the back-projection algorithm on a physical...FPGA was not complete. Hence, the DSP implementation results are compared with the simulated results for the VHDL design. Simulating VHDL provides an...rather than at the software level. Depending on an application’s characteristics, FPGA implementations can provide a significant performance

Child Protection and Case Management Team Performance Evaluation Tool (CPCMT P.E.T.).

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-05-01

audit): ( 1 ) Structural measures - the environment, physical facilities, personnel capability, and organizational characteristics of the program (e.g...Need objective criteria for the measurement - define terms . Examples: Under organization, what is ( 1 ) "complete interdisciplinary composition" and (5...VATALOG NUMBER Health Care Studies Div Rpt #82-00 1 4. TITLE (and SubtUo) S. TYPE OF REPORT & PERIOD COVERED Child Protection and Case Management Team

New Pulsed Cold Neutron Beam Line for Fundamental Nuclear Physics at LANSCE.

PubMed

Seo, P-N; Bowman, J D; Gericke, M; Gillis, R C; Greene, G L; Leuschner, M B; Long, J; Mahurin, R; Mitchell, G S; Penttila, S I; Peralta, G; Sharapov, E I; Wilburn, W S

2005-01-01

The NPDGamma collaboration has completed the construction of a pulsed cold neutron beam line on flight path12 at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE). We describe the new beam line and characteristics of the beam. We report results of the moderator brightness and the guide performance measurements. FP12 has the highest pulsed cold neutron intensity for nuclear physics in the world.

Assessing the impact of typeface design in a text-rich automotive user interface.

PubMed

Reimer, Bryan; Mehler, Bruce; Dobres, Jonathan; Coughlin, Joseph F; Matteson, Steve; Gould, David; Chahine, Nadine; Levantovsky, Vladimir

2014-01-01

Text-rich driver-vehicle interfaces are increasingly common in new vehicles, yet the effects of different typeface characteristics on task performance in this brief off-road based glance context remains sparsely examined. Subjects completed menu selection tasks while in a driving simulator. Menu text was set either in a 'humanist' or 'square grotesque' typeface. Among men, use of the humanist typeface resulted in a 10.6% reduction in total glance time as compared to the square grotesque typeface. Total response time and number of glances showed similar reductions. The impact of typeface was either more modest or not apparent for women. Error rates for both males and females were 3.1% lower for the humanist typeface. This research suggests that optimised typefaces may mitigate some interface demands. Future work will need to assess whether other typeface characteristics can be optimised to further reduce demand, improve legibility, increase usability and help meet new governmental distraction guidelines. Practitioner Summary: Text-rich in-vehicle interfaces are increasingly common, but the effects of typeface on task performance remain sparsely studied. We show that among male drivers, menu selection tasks are completed with 10.6% less visual glance time when text is displayed in a 'humanist' typeface, as compared to a 'square grotesque'.

Assessing the impact of typeface design in a text-rich automotive user interface

PubMed Central

Reimer, Bryan; Mehler, Bruce; Dobres, Jonathan; Coughlin, Joseph F.; Matteson, Steve; Gould, David; Chahine, Nadine; Levantovsky, Vladimir

2014-01-01

Text-rich driver–vehicle interfaces are increasingly common in new vehicles, yet the effects of different typeface characteristics on task performance in this brief off-road based glance context remains sparsely examined. Subjects completed menu selection tasks while in a driving simulator. Menu text was set either in a ‘humanist’ or ‘square grotesque’ typeface. Among men, use of the humanist typeface resulted in a 10.6% reduction in total glance time as compared to the square grotesque typeface. Total response time and number of glances showed similar reductions. The impact of typeface was either more modest or not apparent for women. Error rates for both males and females were 3.1% lower for the humanist typeface. This research suggests that optimised typefaces may mitigate some interface demands. Future work will need to assess whether other typeface characteristics can be optimised to further reduce demand, improve legibility, increase usability and help meet new governmental distraction guidelines. Practitioner Summary: Text-rich in-vehicle interfaces are increasingly common, but the effects of typeface on task performance remain sparsely studied. We show that among male drivers, menu selection tasks are completed with 10.6% less visual glance time when text is displayed in a ‘humanist’ typeface, as compared to a ‘square grotesque’. PMID:25075429

A comparative evaluation of the in vitro penetration performance of the improved Crest complete toothbrush versus the Current Crest complete toothbrush, the Colgate Precision toothbrush and the Oral-B P40 toothbrush.

PubMed

Volpenhein, D W; Handel, S E; Hughes, T J; Wild, J

1996-01-01

Removal of plaque and debris from interproximal surfaces during toothbrushing has generally been difficult to achieve, in large part because traditional flat-bristled toothbrushes do not offer good interproximal penetration. As a result, a number of varying bristle designs have been developed, with the rippled-design brush shown to be particularly effective at removing interproximal plaque. Recently, an existing brush, the original Crest Complete, was modified to offer a more deeply rippled version. This study evaluated the interproximal penetration of four bristle designs: rippled pattern (original Crest Complete), deeper rippled pattern (improved Crest Complete), multi-level (Colgate Precision), and flat-tufted (Oral-B P40). The study used a previously reported in vitro model for determining interproximal penetration of manual toothbrushes (J Clin Dent 5:27-33, 1994). In order to effectively mimic the in-use characteristics of toothbrushing, this model is based on analysis of videotaped consumer brushing habits, tooth morphology, and in vivo plaque tenacity characteristics and uses the three most predominantly used brushing techniques (circular, up-and-down, and back-and-forth, with the brush held at both 45 and 90 degrees to the tooth surface). In addition, the model's brush stroke length, brush force, and brush speed are likewise based on analysis of consumer brushing patterns. The results of the study indicate that the new Crest Complete with deeper rippled bristles provided significantly superior (p < or = 0.05) interproximal penetration than the Colgate Precision and Oral-B brushes overall and for three of the four brush strokes tested. In addition, the new Crest Complete was found to provide significantly superior interproximal penetration to the original Crest Complete overall and in circular and up-and-down strokes, and the original Crest Complete provided superior overall interproximal penetration to the Colgate and Oral-B brushes.

Design Characteristics Influence Performance of Clinical Prediction Rules in Validation: A Meta-Epidemiological Study

PubMed Central

Ban, Jong-Wook; Emparanza, José Ignacio; Urreta, Iratxe; Burls, Amanda

2016-01-01

Background Many new clinical prediction rules are derived and validated. But the design and reporting quality of clinical prediction research has been less than optimal. We aimed to assess whether design characteristics of validation studies were associated with the overestimation of clinical prediction rules’ performance. We also aimed to evaluate whether validation studies clearly reported important methodological characteristics. Methods Electronic databases were searched for systematic reviews of clinical prediction rule studies published between 2006 and 2010. Data were extracted from the eligible validation studies included in the systematic reviews. A meta-analytic meta-epidemiological approach was used to assess the influence of design characteristics on predictive performance. From each validation study, it was assessed whether 7 design and 7 reporting characteristics were properly described. Results A total of 287 validation studies of clinical prediction rule were collected from 15 systematic reviews (31 meta-analyses). Validation studies using case-control design produced a summary diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) 2.2 times (95% CI: 1.2–4.3) larger than validation studies using cohort design and unclear design. When differential verification was used, the summary DOR was overestimated by twofold (95% CI: 1.2 -3.1) compared to complete, partial and unclear verification. The summary RDOR of validation studies with inadequate sample size was 1.9 (95% CI: 1.2 -3.1) compared to studies with adequate sample size. Study site, reliability, and clinical prediction rule was adequately described in 10.1%, 9.4%, and 7.0% of validation studies respectively. Conclusion Validation studies with design shortcomings may overestimate the performance of clinical prediction rules. The quality of reporting among studies validating clinical prediction rules needs to be improved. PMID:26730980

Design Characteristics Influence Performance of Clinical Prediction Rules in Validation: A Meta-Epidemiological Study.

PubMed

Ban, Jong-Wook; Emparanza, José Ignacio; Urreta, Iratxe; Burls, Amanda

2016-01-01

Many new clinical prediction rules are derived and validated. But the design and reporting quality of clinical prediction research has been less than optimal. We aimed to assess whether design characteristics of validation studies were associated with the overestimation of clinical prediction rules' performance. We also aimed to evaluate whether validation studies clearly reported important methodological characteristics. Electronic databases were searched for systematic reviews of clinical prediction rule studies published between 2006 and 2010. Data were extracted from the eligible validation studies included in the systematic reviews. A meta-analytic meta-epidemiological approach was used to assess the influence of design characteristics on predictive performance. From each validation study, it was assessed whether 7 design and 7 reporting characteristics were properly described. A total of 287 validation studies of clinical prediction rule were collected from 15 systematic reviews (31 meta-analyses). Validation studies using case-control design produced a summary diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) 2.2 times (95% CI: 1.2-4.3) larger than validation studies using cohort design and unclear design. When differential verification was used, the summary DOR was overestimated by twofold (95% CI: 1.2 -3.1) compared to complete, partial and unclear verification. The summary RDOR of validation studies with inadequate sample size was 1.9 (95% CI: 1.2 -3.1) compared to studies with adequate sample size. Study site, reliability, and clinical prediction rule was adequately described in 10.1%, 9.4%, and 7.0% of validation studies respectively. Validation studies with design shortcomings may overestimate the performance of clinical prediction rules. The quality of reporting among studies validating clinical prediction rules needs to be improved.

Intergenerational effects of parental substance-related convictions and adult drug treatment court participation on children's school performance.

PubMed

Gifford, Elizabeth J; Sloan, Frank A; Eldred, Lindsey M; Evans, Kelly E

2015-09-01

This study examined the intergenerational effects of parental conviction of a substance-related charge on children's academic performance and, conditional on a conviction, whether completion of an adult drug treatment court (DTC) program was associated with improved school performance. State administrative data from North Carolina courts, birth records, and school records were linked for 2005-2012. Math and reading end-of-grade test scores and absenteeism were examined for 5 groups of children, those with parents who: were not convicted on any criminal charge, were convicted on a substance-related charge and not referred by a court to a DTC, were referred to a DTC but did not enroll, enrolled in a DTC but did not complete, and completed a DTC program. Accounting for demographic and socioeconomic factors, the school performance of children whose parents were convicted of a substance-related offense was worse than that of children whose parents were not convicted on any charge. These differences were statistically significant but substantially reduced after controlling for socioeconomic characteristics; for example, mother's educational attainment. We found no evidence that parent participation in an adult DTC program led to improved school performance of their children. While the children of convicted parents fared worse on average, much--but not all--of this difference was attributed to socioeconomic factors, with the result that parental conviction remained a risk factor for poorer school performance. Even though adult DTCs have been shown to have other benefits, we could detect no intergenerational benefit in improved school performance of their children. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Successful completion of a cyclic ground test of a mercury ion auxiliary propulsion system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Francisco, David R.; Low, Charles A., Jr.; Power, John L.

1988-01-01

An engineering model Ion Auxiliary Propulsion System (IAPS) 8-cm thruster (S/N 905) has completed a life test at NASA Lewis Research Center. The mercury ion thruster successfully completed and exceeded the test goals of 2557 on/off cycles and 7057 hr of operation at full thrust. The final 1200 cycles and 3600 hr of the life test were conducted using an engineering model of the IAPS power electronics unit (PEU) and breadboard digital controller and interface unit (DCIU). This portion of the test is described in this paper with a charted history of thruster operating parameters and off-normal events. Performance and operating characteristics were constant throughout the test with only minor variations. The engineering model power electronics unit operated without malfunction; the flight software in the digital controller and interface unit was exercised and verified. Post-test inspection of the thruster revealed facility enhanced accelerator grid erosion but overall the thruster was in good condition. It was concluded that the thruster performance was not drastically degraded by time or cycles. Additional cyclic testing is currently under consideration.

Successful completion of a cyclic ground test of a mercury Ion Auxiliary Propulsion System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Francisco, David R.; Low, Charles A., Jr.; Power, John L.

1988-01-01

An engineering model Ion Auxiliary Propulsion System (IAPS) 8-cm thruster (S/N 905) has completed a life test at NASA Lewis Research Center. The mercury ion thruster successfully completed and exceeded the test goals of 2557 on/off cycles and 7057 hr of operation at full thrust. The final 1200 cycles and 3600 hr of the life test were conducted using an engineering model of the IAPS power electronics unit (PEU) and breadboard digital controller and interface unit (DCIU). This portion of the test is described in this paper with a charted history of thruster operating parameters and off-normal events. Performance and operating characteristics were constant throughout the test with only minor variations. The engineering model power electronics unit operated without malfunction; the flight software in the digital controller and interface unit was exercised and verified. Post-test inspection of the thruster revealed facility enhanced accelerator grid erosion but overall the thruster was in good condition. It was concluded that the thruster performance was not drastically degraded by time or cycles. Additional cyclic testing is currently under consideration.

Effects of a dietary Aspergillus oryzae extract containing alpha-amylase activity on performance and carcass characteristics of finishing beef cattle.

PubMed

Tricarico, J M; Abney, M D; Galyean, M L; Rivera, J D; Hanson, K C; McLeod, K R; Harmon, D L

2007-03-01

Three experiments were conducted to examine the effects of an Aspergillus oryzae extract containing alpha-amylase activity on performance and carcass characteristics of finishing beef cattle. In Exp. 1, 120 crossbred steers were used in a randomized complete block design to evaluate the effects of roughage source (alfalfa hay vs. cottonseed hulls) and supplemental alpha-amylase at 950 dextrinizing units (DU)/kg of DM. Significant roughage source x alpha-amylase interactions (P < 0.05) were observed for performance. In steers fed cottonseed hulls, supplemental alpha-amylase increased ADG through d 28 and 112 and tended (P < 0.15) to increase ADG in all other periods. The increases in ADG were related to increased DMI and efficiency of gain during the initial 28-d period but were primarily related to increased DMI as the feeding period progressed. Supplemental alpha-amylase increased (P = 0.02) the LM area across both roughage sources. In Exp. 2, 96 crossbred heifers were used in a randomized complete block design with a 2 x 3 factorial arrangement of treatments to evaluate the effects of corn processing (dry cracked vs. high moisture) and supplemental alpha-amylase concentration (0, 580, or 1,160 DU/kg of DM). Alpha-amylase supplementation increased DMI (P = 0.05) and ADG (P = 0.03) during the initial 28 d on feed and carcass-adjusted ADG (P = 0.04) across corn processing methods. Longissimus muscle area was greatest (quadratic effect, P = 0.04), and yield grade was least (quadratic effect, P = 0.02) in heifers fed 580 DU of alpha-amylase/kg of DM across corn processing methods. In Exp. 3, 56 crossbred steers were used in a randomized complete block design to evaluate the effects of supplemental alpha-amylase (930 DU/kg of DM) on performance when DMI was restricted to yield a programmed ADG. Alpha-amylase supplementation did not affect performance when DMI was restricted. We conclude that dietary alpha-amylase supplementation of finishing beef diets may result in increased ADG through increased DMI under certain dietary conditions and that further research is warranted to explain its mode of action and interactions with dietary ingredients.

Anthropometrics, Physical Performance, and Injury Characteristics of Youth American Football.

PubMed

Caswell, Shane V; Ausborn, Ashley; Diao, Guoqing; Johnson, David C; Johnson, Timothy S; Atkins, Rickie; Ambegaonkar, Jatin P; Cortes, Nelson

2016-08-01

Prior research has described the anthropometric and physical performance characteristics of professional, collegiate, and high school American football players. Yet, little research has described these factors in American youth football and their potential relationship with injury. To characterize anthropometric and physical performance measures, describe the epidemiology of injury, and examine the association of physical performance measures with injury among children participating within age-based divisions of a large metropolitan American youth football league. Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3. Demographic, anthropometric, and physical performance characteristics and injuries of 819 male children were collected over a 2-year period (2011-2012). Injury data were collected by the league athletic trainer (AT) and coaches. Descriptive analysis of demographic, anthropometric, and physical performance measures (40-yard sprint, pro-agility, push-ups, and vertical jump) were conducted. Incidence rates were computed for all reported injuries; rates were calculated as the number of injuries per 1000 athlete-exposures (AEs). Multinomial logistic regression was used to identify whether the categories of no injury, no-time-loss (NTL) injury, and time-loss (TL) injury were associated with physical performance measures. Of the 819 original participants, 760 (92.8%) completed preseason anthropometric measures (mean ± SD: age, 11.8 ± 1.2 years; height, 157.4 ± 10.7 cm; weight, 48.7 ± 13.3 kg; experience, 2.0 ± 1.8 years); 640 (78.1%) players completed physical performance measures. The mean (±SD) 40-yard sprint and pro-agility measures of the players were 6.5 ± 0.6 and 5.7 ± 0.5 seconds, respectively; the number of push-ups and maximal vertical jump height were 16.5 ± 9.3 repetitions and 42.3 ± 8.4 cm, respectively. Players assigned to different teams within age divisions demonstrated no differences in anthropometric measures; 40-yard dash and pro-agility times differed significantly (P < .05) between players assigned to different teams. A total of 261 NTL and TL injuries were reported during 35,957 AEs (games: 22%, n = 7982 AEs; practices: 78%, n = 27,975 AEs). The overall incidence rate was 7.26 per 1000 AEs (95% CI, 6.37-8.14). Physical performance measures did not predict NTL or TL injuries (P > .05). No practically meaningful differences existed in anthropometric or physical performance measures between teams within age-based levels of play. Findings suggest that age-only criterion for player groupings can evenly match in terms of physical performance.

Anthropometrics, Physical Performance, and Injury Characteristics of Youth American Football

PubMed Central

Caswell, Shane V.; Ausborn, Ashley; Diao, Guoqing; Johnson, David C.; Johnson, Timothy S.; Atkins, Rickie; Ambegaonkar, Jatin P.; Cortes, Nelson

2016-01-01

Background: Prior research has described the anthropometric and physical performance characteristics of professional, collegiate, and high school American football players. Yet, little research has described these factors in American youth football and their potential relationship with injury. Purpose: To characterize anthropometric and physical performance measures, describe the epidemiology of injury, and examine the association of physical performance measures with injury among children participating within age-based divisions of a large metropolitan American youth football league. Study Design: Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: Demographic, anthropometric, and physical performance characteristics and injuries of 819 male children were collected over a 2-year period (2011-2012). Injury data were collected by the league athletic trainer (AT) and coaches. Descriptive analysis of demographic, anthropometric, and physical performance measures (40-yard sprint, pro-agility, push-ups, and vertical jump) were conducted. Incidence rates were computed for all reported injuries; rates were calculated as the number of injuries per 1000 athlete-exposures (AEs). Multinomial logistic regression was used to identify whether the categories of no injury, no-time-loss (NTL) injury, and time-loss (TL) injury were associated with physical performance measures. Results: Of the 819 original participants, 760 (92.8%) completed preseason anthropometric measures (mean ± SD: age, 11.8 ± 1.2 years; height, 157.4 ± 10.7 cm; weight, 48.7 ± 13.3 kg; experience, 2.0 ± 1.8 years); 640 (78.1%) players completed physical performance measures. The mean (±SD) 40-yard sprint and pro-agility measures of the players were 6.5 ± 0.6 and 5.7 ± 0.5 seconds, respectively; the number of push-ups and maximal vertical jump height were 16.5 ± 9.3 repetitions and 42.3 ± 8.4 cm, respectively. Players assigned to different teams within age divisions demonstrated no differences in anthropometric measures; 40-yard dash and pro-agility times differed significantly (P < .05) between players assigned to different teams. A total of 261 NTL and TL injuries were reported during 35,957 AEs (games: 22%, n = 7982 AEs; practices: 78%, n = 27,975 AEs). The overall incidence rate was 7.26 per 1000 AEs (95% CI, 6.37-8.14). Physical performance measures did not predict NTL or TL injuries (P > .05). Conclusion: No practically meaningful differences existed in anthropometric or physical performance measures between teams within age-based levels of play. Findings suggest that age-only criterion for player groupings can evenly match in terms of physical performance. PMID:27583256

Weak completions, bornologies and rigid cohomology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cortiñas, Guillermo; Cuntz, Joachim; Meyer, Ralf; Tamme, Georg

2018-07-01

Let V be a complete discrete valuation ring with residue field k of positive characteristic and with fraction field K of characteristic 0. We clarify the analysis behind the Monsky-Washnitzer completion of a commutative V-algebra using completions of bornological V-algebras. This leads us to a functorial chain complex for a finitely generated commutative algebra over the residue field k that computes its rigid cohomology in the sense of Berthelot.

Sustainability in the AAP Bronchiolitis Quality Improvement Project.

PubMed

Shadman, Kristin A; Ralston, Shawn L; Garber, Matthew D; Eickhoff, Jens; Mussman, Grant M; Walley, Susan C; Rice-Conboy, Elizabeth; Coller, Ryan J

2017-11-01

Adherence to American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) bronchiolitis clinical practice guideline recommendations improved significantly through the AAP's multiinstitutional collaborative, the Bronchiolitis Quality Improvement Project (BQIP). We assessed sustainability of improvements at participating institutions for 1 year following completion of the collaborative. Twenty-one multidisciplinary hospital-based teams provided monthly data for key inpatient bronchiolitis measures during baseline and intervention bronchiolitis seasons. Nine sites provided data in the season following completion of the collaborative. Encounters included children younger than 24 months who were hospitalized for bronchiolitis without comorbid chronic illness, prematurity, or intensive care. Changes between baseline-, intervention-, and sustainability-season data were assessed using generalized linear mixed-effects models with site-specific random effects. Differences between hospital characteristics, baseline performance, and initial improvement between sites that did and did not participate in the sustainability season were compared. A total of 2275 discharges were reviewed, comprising 995 baseline, 877 intervention, and 403 sustainability- season encounters. Improvements in all key bronchiolitis quality measures achieved during the intervention season were maintained during the sustainability season, and orders for intermittent pulse oximetry increased from 40.6% (95% confidence interval [CI], 22.8-61.1) to 79.2% (95% CI, 58.0- 91.3). Sites that did and did not participate in the sustainability season had similar characteristics. BQIP participating sites maintained improvements in key bronchiolitis quality measures for 1 year following the project's completion. This approach, which provided an evidence-based best-practice toolkit while building the quality-improvement capacity of local interdisciplinary teams, may support performance gains that persist beyond the active phase of the collaborative. © 2017 Society of Hospital Medicine

Predicting performance of junior doctors: Association of workplace based assessment with demographic characteristics, emotional intelligence, selection scores, and undergraduate academic performance.

PubMed

Carr, Sandra E; Celenza, Antonio; Mercer, Annette M; Lake, Fiona; Puddey, Ian B

2018-01-21

Predicting workplace performance of junior doctors from before entry or during medical school is difficult and has limited available evidence. This study explored the association between selected predictor variables and workplace based performance in junior doctors during their first postgraduate year. Two cohorts of medical students (n = 200) from one university in Western Australia participated in the longitudinal study. Pearson correlation coefficients and multivariate analyses utilizing linear regression were used to assess the relationships between performance on the Junior Doctor Assessment Tool (JDAT) and its sub-components with demographic characteristics, selection scores for medical school entry, emotional intelligence, and undergraduate academic performance. Grade Point Average (GPA) at the completion of undergraduate studies had the most significant association with better performance on the overall JDAT and each subscale. Increased age was a negative predictor for junior doctor performance on the Clinical management subscale and understanding emotion was a predictor for the JDAT Communication subscale. Secondary school performance measured by Tertiary Entry Rank on entry to medical school score predicted GPA but not junior doctor performance. The GPA as a composite measure of ability and performance in medical school is associated with junior doctor assessment scores. Using this variable to identify students at risk of difficulty could assist planning for appropriate supervision, support, and training for medical graduates transitioning to the workplace.

The Effect of Student Attributes and Program Characteristics on Doctoral Degree Completion

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gittings, Glenn Allen

2010-01-01

More than a decade after the state of Kentucky enacted higher education reform that provided specific direction to the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville, this research study sought to examine the effect of student characteristics and program characteristics on doctoral degree completion. This study attempted to address the…

Speed-Accuracy Tradeoff Operator Characteristics of Endogenous and Exogenous Covert Orienting of Attention

PubMed Central

McCormick, Peter A.; Francis, Lori

2005-01-01

There is debate over the mechanisms that govern the orienting of attention. Some argue that the enhanced performance observed at a cued location is the result of increased perceptual sensitivity or preferential access to decision-making processes. It has also been suggested that these effects may be the result of trades in speed for accuracy on the part of the observers. In the present study, observers performed either an exogenous or an endogenous orienting of attention task under both normal instructions (respond as quickly and as accurately as possible) and speeded instructions that used a deadline procedure to limit the amount of time observers had to complete a choice reaction time (CRT) task. An examination of the speed-accuracy operating characteristics (SAOCs) yielded evidence against the notion that CRT precuing effects are due primarily to a tradeoff of accuracy for speed. PMID:15759078

Cassava dreg as replacement of corn in goat kid diets.

PubMed

Ferraz, Lucíola Vilarim; Guim, Adriana; Véras, Robson Magno Liberal; de Carvalho, Francisco Fernando Ramos; de Freitas, Marciela Thais Dino

2018-02-01

The effects of corn replacement by cassava dreg in diets of crossbred goat kids were evaluated. We tested the impacts of 0, 33, 66 and 100% replacement on intake, digestibility, feeding behaviour, performance and carcass characteristics. Thirty-six goat kids, aged between 4 and 5 months and with initial body weights of 17.61 ± 1.98 kg, were used in a completely randomised design. Analysis of regression revealed a negative linear effect on neutral detergent fibre (NDF) intake and a positive linear effect on non-fibrous carbohydrates (NFC) and hydrocyanic acids (HCN) intake. Cassava dreg use had a positive linear effect on organic matter digestibility and non-fibrous carbohydrates. Based on our results, cassava dreg use did not negatively impact animal performance, feeding behaviour and carcass characteristics, suggesting that it may replace corn up to 100% in the diets of confined goat kids.

On-orbit experience with the HEAO attitude control subsystem

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoffman, D. P.; Berkery, E. A.

1978-01-01

The first satellite (HEAO-1) in the High Energy Astronomy Observatory Program series was launched successfully on Aug. 12, 1977. To date it has completed over nine months of orbital operation in a science data gathering mode. During this period all attitude control modes have been exercised and all primary mission objectives have been achieved. This paper highlights the characteristics of the attitude control subsystem design and compares the predicted performance with the actual flight operations experience. Environmental disturbance modeling, component hardware/software characteristics, and overall attitude control performance are reviewed and are found to compare very well with the prelaunch analytical predictions. Brief comments are also included regarding the operations aspects of the attitude control subsystem. The experience in this regard demonstrates the effectiveness of the design flexibility afforded by the presence of a general purpose digital processor in the subsystem flight hardware implementation.

The association of intensivists with failure-to-rescue rates in outlier hospitals: results of a national survey of intensive care unit organizational characteristics.

PubMed

Wakeam, Elliot; Asafu-Adjei, Denise; Ashley, Stanley W; Cooper, Zara; Weissman, Joel S

2014-12-01

Critical care is often an integral part of rescue for patients with surgical complications. We sought to understand critical care characteristics predictive of failure-to-rescue (FTR) performance at the hospital level. Using 2009 to 2011 FTR data from Hospital Compare, we identified 144 outlier hospitals with significantly better/worse performance than the national average. We surveyed intensive care unit (ICU) directors and nurse managers regarding physical structures, patient composition, staffing, care protocols, and rapid response teams (RRTs). Hospitals were compared using descriptive statistics and logistic regression. Of 67 hospitals completing the survey, 56.1% were low performing, and 43.9% were high performing. Responders were more likely to be teaching hospitals (40.9% vs 25.0%; P=.05) but were similar to nonresponders in terms of size, region, ownership, and FTR performance. Poor performers were more likely to serve higher proportions of Medicaid patients (68.4% vs 20.7%; P<.0001) and be level 1 trauma centers (55.9% vs 25.9%; P=.02). After controlling for these 2 characteristics, an intensivist on the RRT (adjusted odds ratio, 4.27; confidence interval, 1.45-23.02; P=.005) and an internist on staff in the ICU (adjusted odds ratio, 2.13; P=.04) were predictors of high performance. Intensivists on the RRT and internists in the ICU may represent discrete organizational strategies for improving patient rescue. Hospitals with high Medicaid burden fare poorly on the FTR metric. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Physical, anthropometrical, and body composition characteristics of workers at Kennedy Space Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lasley, M. L.

1985-01-01

At the Kennedy Space Center, workers are often exposed to cardiovascular and muscular stress in job-related activities which may require a high level of physical fitness in order to safely complete the work task. Similar tasks will be performed at other launch and landing facilities and in space for the Space Station. One such category includes workers who handle toxic propellants and must wear Self-Contained Atmospheric Protective Ensembles (SCAPE) that can weigh 56 lbs. with the air pack. These suits provide a significant physical challenge to many of the workers in terms of carrying this load while moving about and performing work. Furthermore, under some conditions, there is a significant thermal stress. The physical characteristics of these workers are, therefore, of consequence. The purpose of this study was to analyze the anthropometry, body composition, strength, power, endurance, flexibility, aerobic fitness, and blood variables of a representative sample of male KSC SCAPE workers and to compare them with characteristics of other male workers at KSC (total population N=110). Three separate comparisons were made.

Study of Spray Disintegration in Accelerating Flow Fields

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nurick, W. H.

1972-01-01

An analytical and experimental investigation was conducted to perform "proof of principlem experiments to establish the effects of propellant combustion gas velocity on propella'nt atomization characteristics. The propellants were gaseous oxygen (GOX) and Shell Wax 270. The fuel was thus the same fluid used in earlier primary cold-flow atomization studies using the frozen wax method. Experiments were conducted over a range in L* (30 to 160 inches) at two contraction ratios (2 and 6). Characteristic exhaust velocity (c*) efficiencies varied from SO to 90 percent. The hot fire experimental performance characteristics at a contraction ratio of 6.0 in conjunction with analytical predictions from the drovlet heat-up version of the Distributed Energy Release (DER) combustion computer proDam showed that the apparent initial dropsize compared well with cold-flow predictions (if adjusted for the gas velocity effects). The results also compared very well with the trend in perfomnce as predicted with the model. significant propellant wall impingement at the contraction ratio of 2.0 precluded complete evaluation of the effect of gross changes in combustion gas velocity on spray dropsize.

Reliability of a computer-based system for measuring visual performance skills.

PubMed

Erickson, Graham B; Citek, Karl; Cove, Michelle; Wilczek, Jennifer; Linster, Carolyn; Bjarnason, Brendon; Langemo, Nathan

2011-09-01

Athletes have demonstrated better visual abilities than nonathletes. A vision assessment for an athlete should include methods to evaluate the quality of visual performance skills in the most appropriate, accurate, and repeatable manner. This study determines the reliability of the visual performance measures assessed with a computer-based system, known as the Nike Sensory Station. One hundred twenty-five subjects (56 men, 69 women), age 18 to 30, completed Phase I of the study. Subjects attended 2 sessions, separated by at least 1 week, in which identical protocols were followed. Subjects completed the following assessments: Visual Clarity, Contrast Sensitivity, Depth Perception, Near-Far Quickness, Target Capture, Perception Span, Eye-Hand Coordination, Go/No Go, and Reaction Time. An additional 36 subjects (20 men, 16 women), age 22 to 35, completed Phase II of the study involving modifications to the equipment, instructions, and protocols from Phase I. Results show no significant change in performance over time on assessments of Visual Clarity, Contrast Sensitivity, Depth Perception, Target Capture, Perception Span, and Reaction Time. Performance did improve over time for Near-Far Quickness, Eye-Hand Coordination, and Go/No Go. The results of this study show that many of the Nike Sensory Station assessments show repeatability and no learning effect over time. The measures that did improve across sessions show an expected learning effect caused by the motor response characteristics being measured. Copyright © 2011 American Optometric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Antisaccade performance of 1,273 men: effects of schizotypy, anxiety, and depression.

PubMed

Smyrnis, Nikolaos; Evdokimidis, Ioannis; Stefanis, Nicholas C; Avramopoulos, Dimitrios; Constantinidis, Theodoros S; Stavropoulos, Alexios; Stefanis, Costas N

2003-08-01

A total of 1,273 conscripts of the Greek Air Force performed antisaccades and completed self-reporting questionnaires measuring schizotypy and current state-dependent psychopathology. Only 1.0% of variability in antisaccade performance indices was related to psychometric scores in the population and could be attributed more to current state-dependent symptoms such as anxiety rather than to schizotypy. In contrast, a specific increase of error rate and response latency variability and a high correlation of these 2 variables was observed in a group with very high schizotypy scores. This effect was independent of anxiety and depression, suggesting that a specific group of psychosis-prone individuals has a characteristic deviance in antisaccade performance that is not present in the general population.

On the interpolation of light-scattering responses from irregularly shaped particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Videen, Gorden; Zubko, Evgenij; Arnold, Jessica A.; MacCall, Benjamin; Weinberger, Alycia J.; Shkuratov, Yuriy; Muñoz, Olga

2018-05-01

Common particle characteristics needed for many applications may include size, eccentricity, porosity and refractive index. Determining such characteristics from scattered light is a primary goal of remote sensing. For other applications, like differentiating a hazardous particle from the natural background, information about higher fidelity particle characteristics may be required, including specific shape or chemical composition. While a complete characterization of a particle system from its scattered light through the inversion process remains unachievable, great strides have been made in providing information in the form of constraints on particle characteristics. Recent advances have been made in quantifying the characteristics of polydispersions of irregularly shaped particles by making comparisons of the light-scattering signals from model simulant particles. We show that when the refractive index is changed, the light-scattering characteristics from polydispersions of such particles behave monotonically over relatively large parameter ranges compared with those of monodisperse distributions of particles having regular shapes, like spheres, spheroids, etc. This allows for their properties to be interpolated, which results in a significant reduction of the computational load when performing inversions.

Geometry and gravity influences on strength capability

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Poliner, Jeffrey; Wilmington, Robert P.; Klute, Glenn K.

1994-01-01

Strength, defined as the capability of an individual to produce an external force, is one of the most important determining characteristics of human performance. Knowledge of strength capabilities of a group of individuals can be applied to designing equipment and workplaces, planning procedures and tasks, and training individuals. In the manned space program, with the high risk and cost associated with spaceflight, information pertaining to human performance is important to ensuring mission success and safety. Knowledge of individual's strength capabilities in weightlessness is of interest within many areas of NASA, including workplace design, tool development, and mission planning. The weightless environment of space places the human body in a completely different context. Astronauts perform a variety of manual tasks while in orbit. Their ability to perform these tasks is partly determined by their strength capability as demanded by that particular task. Thus, an important step in task planning, development, and evaluation is to determine the ability of the humans performing it. This can be accomplished by utilizing quantitative techniques to develop a database of human strength capabilities in weightlessness. Furthermore, if strength characteristics are known, equipment and tools can be built to optimize the operators' performance. This study examined strength in performing a simple task, specifically, using a tool to apply a torque to a fixture.

Driving monotonous routes in a train simulator: the effect of task demand on driving performance and subjective experience.

PubMed

Dunn, Naomi; Williamson, Ann

2012-01-01

Although monotony is widely recognised as being detrimental to performance, its occurrence and effects are not yet well understood. This is despite the fact that task-related characteristics, such as monotony and low task demand, have been shown to contribute to performance decrements over time. Participants completed one of two simulated train-driving scenarios. Both were highly monotonous and differed only in terms of the level of cognitive demand required (i.e. low demand or high demand). These results highlight the seriously detrimental effects of the combination of monotony and low task demands and clearly show that even a relatively minor increase in cognitive demand can mitigate adverse monotony-related effects on performance for extended periods of time. Monotony is an inherent characteristic of transport industries, including rail, aviation and road transport, which can have adverse impact on safety, reliability and efficiency. This study highlights possible strategies for mitigating these adverse effects. Practitioner Summary: This study provides evidence for the importance of cognitive demand in mitigating monotony-related effects on performance. The results have clear implications for the rapid onset of performance deterioration in low demand monotonous tasks and demonstrate that these detrimental performance effects can be overcome with simple solutions, such as making the task more cognitively engaging.

The new 34-meter antenna

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pompa, M. F.

1986-01-01

The new 34-m high efficiency Azimuth - Elevation antenna configuration, including its features, dynamic characteristics and performance at 8.4-GHz frequencies is described. The current-technology features of this antenna produce a highly reliable configuration by incorporation of a main wheel and track azimuth support, central pintle pivot bearing, close tolerance surface panels and all-welded construction. Also described are basic drive controls that, as slaved to three automatic microprocessors, provide accurate and safe control of the antenna's steering tasks. At this time antenna installations are completed at Goldstone and Canberra and have operationally supported the Voyager - Uranus encounter. A third installation is being constructed currently in Madrid and is scheduled for completion in late 1986.

Identifying play characteristics of pre-school children with developmental coordination disorder via parental questionnaires.

PubMed

Rosenblum, Sara; Waissman, Pola; Diamond, Gary W

2017-06-01

Motor coordination deficits that characterize children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) affect their quality of participation. The aim of the current study was to identify play characteristics of young children with DCD, compared to those of children with typical development in three dimensions: activity and participation, environmental factors and children's impairments. Sixty-four children, aged four to six years, participated. Thirty were diagnosed as having DCD; the remaining 34 children were age, gender and socioeconomic level matched controls with typical development. The children were evaluated by the M-ABC. In addition, their parents completed a demographic questionnaire, the Children's Activity Scale for Parents (CHAS-P), the Children's Leisure Assessment Scale for preschoolers (CLASS-Pre), and My Child's Play Questionnaire (MCP). Children with DCD performed significantly poorer in each of the four play activity and participation domains: variety, frequency, sociability, and preference (CLASS-Pre). Furthermore, their environmental characteristics were significantly different (MCP). They displayed significantly inferior performance (impairments) in interpersonal interaction and executive functioning during play, in comparison to controls (MCP). Moreover, the children's motor and executive control as reflected in their daily function as well as their activities of daily living (ADL) performance level, contributed to the prediction of their global play participation. The results indicate that the use of both the CLASS-Pre and the MCP questionnaires enables the identification of unique play characteristics of pre-school children with DCD via parents' reports. A better insight into these characteristics may contribute to theoretical knowledge and clinical practice to improve the children's daily participation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A cognitive-behavioural analysis of mental toughness in national rugby league football teams.

PubMed

Golby, Jim; Sheard, Michael; Lavallee, David

2003-04-01

This study examined the relations between demographic characteristics of rugby players and selected aspects of psychological performance in rugby league football. Mental toughness was assessed using Psychological Performance Inventory and Hardiness on the Personal Views Survey III-R. Participants (N=70) were international rugby league footballers representing four teams (Wales, France, Ireland, England) in the 2000 Rugby League World Cup. Participants completed the questionnaires in training camp. Welsh-nationality players had a significantly higher mean score on two of the hardiness subscales. Hardiness measures displayed the greatest and most frequently statistically significant differences. The findings concur with previous work indicating superior hardiness is related to improved performance in sports.

Statistics of work performed on a forced quantum oscillator.

PubMed

Talkner, Peter; Burada, P Sekhar; Hänggi, Peter

2008-07-01

Various aspects of the statistics of work performed by an external classical force on a quantum mechanical system are elucidated for a driven harmonic oscillator. In this special case two parameters are introduced that are sufficient to completely characterize the force protocol. Explicit results for the characteristic function of work and the corresponding probability distribution are provided and discussed for three different types of initial states of the oscillator: microcanonical, canonical, and coherent states. Depending on the choice of the initial state the probability distributions of the performed work may greatly differ. This result in particular also holds true for identical force protocols. General fluctuation and work theorems holding for microcanonical and canonical initial states are confirmed.

Electric sail elliptic displaced orbits with advanced thrust model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niccolai, Lorenzo; Quarta, Alessandro A.; Mengali, Giovanni

2017-09-01

This paper analyzes the performance of an Electric Solar Wind Sail for generating and maintaining an elliptic, heliocentric, displaced non-Keplerian orbit. In this sense, this paper extends and completes recent studies regarding the performances of an Electric Solar Wind Sail that covers a circular, heliocentric, displaced orbit of given characteristics. The paper presents the general equations that describe the elliptic orbit maintenance in terms of both spacecraft attitude and performance requirements, when a refined thrust model (recently proposed for the preliminary mission design) is taken into account. In particular, the paper also discusses some practical applications on particular mission scenarios in which an analytic solution of the governing equations has been found.

Associations of job demands and intelligence with cognitive performance among men in late life.

PubMed

Potter, Guy G; Helms, Michael J; Plassman, Brenda L

2008-05-06

To examine the association of job characteristics and intelligence to cognitive status in members of the National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council Twins Registry of World War II veterans. Participants (n = 1,036) included individuals with an assessment of intelligence based on Armed Services testing in early adulthood. In late adulthood, these individuals completed the modified Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS-m) and occupational history as part of an epidemiologic study of aging and dementia. Occupational history was coded to produce a matrix of job characteristics. Based on factor analysis, job characteristics were interpreted as reflecting general intellectual demands (GI), human interaction and communication (HC), physical activity (PA), and visual attention (VA). Based on regression analysis of TICS-m score covarying for age, intelligence, and years of education, higher levels of GI and HC were independently associated with higher TICS-m performance, whereas higher PA was independently associated with lower performance. There was an interaction of GI and intelligence, indicating that individuals at the lower range of intellectual aptitude in early adulthood derived greater cognitive benefit from intellectually demanding work. Intellectually demanding work was associated with greater benefit to cognitive performance in later life independent of related factors like education and intelligence. The fact that individuals with lower intellectual aptitude demonstrated a stronger positive association between work and higher cognitive performance during retirement suggests that behavior may enhance intellectual reserve, perhaps even years after peak intellectual activity.

Associations of job demands and intelligence with cognitive performance among men in late life

PubMed Central

Potter, Guy G.; Helms, Michael J.; Plassman, Brenda L.

2013-01-01

Objective To examine the association of job characteristics and intelligence to cognitive status in members of the National Academy of Sciences–National Research Council Twins Registry of World War II veterans. Methods Participants (n = 1,036) included individuals with an assessment of intelligence based on Armed Services testing in early adulthood. In late adulthood, these individuals completed the modified Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS-m) and occupational history as part of an epidemiologic study of aging and dementia. Occupational history was coded to produce a matrix of job characteristics. Based on factor analysis, job characteristics were interpreted as reflecting general intellectual demands (GI), human interaction and communication (HC), physical activity (PA), and visual attention (VA). Results Based on regression analysis of TICS-m score covarying for age, intelligence, and years of education, higher levels of GI and HC were independently associated with higher TICS-m performance, whereas higher PA was independently associated with lower performance. There was an interaction of GI and intelligence, indicating that individuals at the lower range of intellectual aptitude in early adulthood derived greater cognitive benefit from intellectually demanding work. Conclusions Intellectually demanding work was associated with greater benefit to cognitive performance in later life independent of related factors like education and intelligence. The fact that individuals with lower intellectual aptitude demonstrated a stronger positive association between work and higher cognitive performance during retirement suggests that behavior may enhance intellectual reserve, perhaps even years after peak intellectual activity. PMID:18077796

High Power Magnetohydrodynamic System; Volume 2

DTIC Science & Technology

1978-07-01

INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE COMPLETING FORM REPORT NUMBER 2. GOVT ACCESSION NO. 3 . RECIPIENT’S CATALOG NUMBER AFAPL-TR-78-51 Vol 1[ 4. TITLE (mnd Subtitle) 5. TYPE... 3 . To achieve these performance requirements, the required characteristic velocity efficiency of the combustion system was greater than 99%. During...Introduction 355 2. General Description 356 3 . Design Criteria 358 4. Design Specifications 362 5. Design Analysis 365 6. Design Details 369 7. Fabrication 375 a

An instrument for assessment of videotapes of general practitioners' performance.

PubMed Central

Cox, J; Mulholland, H

1993-01-01

OBJECTIVES--To identify those important characteristics of doctors' and patients' behaviour that distinguish between "good" and "bad" consultations when viewed on videotape; to use these characteristics to develop a reliable instrument for assessing general practitioners' performance in their own consultations. DESIGN--Questionnaires completed by patients, general practitioner trainers, and general practitioner trainees. Reliability of draft instrument tested by general practitioner trainers. SETTING--All vocational training schemes for general practice in the Northern region of England. SUBJECTS--First stage: 76 patients in seven groups, 108 general practice trainers in 12 groups, and 122 general practice trainees in 10 groups. Second stage: 85 general practice trainers in 12 groups. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--Trainers' ratings of importance; alpha coefficients of draft instrument by trainee, group, and consultation. RESULTS--6890 characteristics of good and bad consultations were consolidated into a draft assessment instrument consisting of 46 pairs of definitions separated by six point bipolar scales. Nine statement pairs given low importance ratings by trainers were eliminated, reducing the instrument to 37 statement pairs. To test reliability, general practitioner trainers used the instrument to assess three consultations. With the exception of one group of trainers, all alpha coefficients exceeded the acceptable level of 0.80. CONCLUSION--The instrument produced is reliable for assessing general practitioners' performance in their own consultations. PMID:8490501

Liquid Engine Design: Effect of Chamber Dimensions on Specific Impulse

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoggard, Lindsay; Leahy, Joe

2009-01-01

Which assumption of combustion chemistry - frozen or equilibrium - should be used in the prediction of liquid rocket engine performance calculations? Can a correlation be developed for this? A literature search using the LaSSe tool, an online repository of old rocket data and reports, was completed. Test results of NTO/Aerozine-50 and Lox/LH2 subscale and full-scale injector and combustion chamber test results were found and studied for this task. NASA code, Chemical Equilibrium with Applications (CEA) was used to predict engine performance using both chemistry assumptions, defined here. Frozen- composition remains frozen during expansion through the nozzle. Equilibrium- instantaneous chemical equilibrium during nozzle expansion. Chamber parameters were varied to understand what dimensions drive chamber C* and Isp. Contraction Ratio is the ratio of the nozzle throat area to the area of the chamber. L is the length of the chamber. Characteristic chamber length, L*, is the length that the chamber would be if it were a straight tube and had no converging nozzle. Goal: Develop a qualitative and quantitative correlation for performance parameters - Specific Impulse (Isp) and Characteristic Velocity (C*) - as a function of one or more chamber dimensions - Contraction Ratio (CR), Chamber Length (L ) and/or Characteristic Chamber Length (L*). Determine if chamber dimensions can be correlated to frozen or equilibrium chemistry.

Patient and caregiver characteristics related to completion of advance directives in terminally ill patients.

PubMed

Ho, Grace W K; Skaggs, Lauren; Yenokyan, Gayane; Kellogg, Anela; Johnson, Julie A; Lee, Mei Ching; Heinze, Katherine; Hughes, Mark T; Sulmasy, Daniel P; Kub, Joan; Terry, Peter B; Astrow, Alan B; Zheng, Jing; Lehmann, Lisa Soleymani; Nolan, Marie T

2017-02-01

There is a growing body of literature describing the characteristics of patients who plan for the end of life, but little research has examined how caregivers influence patients' advance care planning (ACP). The purpose of this study was to examine how patient and caregiver characteristics are associated with advance directive (AD) completion among patients diagnosed with a terminal illness. We defined AD completion as having completed a living will and/or identified a healthcare power of attorney. A convenience sample of 206 caregiver-patient dyads was included in the study. All patients were diagnosed with an advanced life-limiting illness. Trained research nurses administered surveys to collect information on patient and caregiver demographics (i.e., age, sex, race, education, marital status, and individual annual income) and patients' diagnoses and completion of AD. Multivariate logistic regression was employed to model predictors for patients' AD completion. Over half of our patient sample (59%) completed an AD. Patients who were older, diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and with a caregiver who was Caucasian or declined to report an income level were more likely to have an AD in place. Our results suggest that both patient and caregiver characteristics may influence patients' decisions to complete an AD at the end of life. When possible, caregivers should be included in advance care planning for patients who are terminally ill.

Personality Factors Associated With Resident Performance: Results From 12 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education Accredited Orthopaedic Surgery Programs.

PubMed

Phillips, Donna; Egol, Kenneth A; Maculatis, Martine C; Roloff, Kathryn S; Friedman, Alan M; Levine, Brett; Garfin, Steven; Schwartz, Alexandra; Sterling, Robert; Kuivila, Thomas; Paragioudakis, Steve J; Zuckerman, Joseph D

To understand the personality factors associated with orthopedic surgery resident performance. A prospective, cross-sectional survey of orthopedic surgery faculty that assessed their perceptions of the personality traits most highly associated with resident performance. Residents also completed a survey to determine their specific personality characteristics. A subset of faculty members rated the performance of those residents within their respective program on 5 dimensions. Multiple regression models tested the relationship between the set of resident personality measures and each aspect of performance; relative weights analyses were then performed to quantify the contribution of the individual personality measures to the total variance explained in each performance domain. Independent samples t-tests were conducted to examine differences between the personality characteristics of residents and those faculty identified as relevant to successful resident performance. Data were collected from 12 orthopedic surgery residency programs 1 throughout the United States. The level of clinical care provided by participating institutions varied. Data from 175 faculty members and 266 residents across 12 programs were analyzed. The personality features of residents were related to faculty evaluations of resident performance (for all, p < 0.01); the full set of personality measures accounted for 4%-11% of the variance in ratings of resident performance. Particularly, the characteristics of agreeableness, neuroticism, and learning approach were found to be most important for explaining resident performance. Additionally, there were significant differences between the personality features that faculty members identified as important for resident performance and the personality features that residents possessed. Personality assessments can predict orthopedic surgery resident performance. However, results suggest the traits that faculty members value or reward among residents could be different from the traits associated with improved resident performance. Copyright © 2018 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Assessment of Lithium-based Battery Electrolytes Developed under the NASA PERS Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bennett, William R.; Baldwin, Richard S.

2006-01-01

Recently, NASA formally completed the Polymer Energy Rechargeable System (PERS) Program, which was established in 2000 in collaboration with the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to support the development of polymer-based, lithium-based cell chemistries and battery technologies to address the next generation of aerospace applications and mission needs. The goal of this program was to ultimately develop an advanced, space-qualified battery technology, which embodied a solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) and complementary components, with improved performance characteristics that would address future aerospace battery requirements. Programmatically, the PERS initiative exploited both interagency collaborations to address common technology and engineering issues and the active participation of academia and private industry. The initial program phases focused on R&D activities to address the critical technical issues and challenges at the cell level. A variety of cell and polymeric electrolyte concepts were pursued as part of the development efforts undertaken at numerous governmental, industrial and academic laboratories. Numerous candidate electrolyte materials were developed, synthesized and optimized for evaluation. Utilizing the component screening facility and the "standardized" test procedures developed at the NASA Glenn Research Center, electrochemical screening and performance evaluations of promising candidate materials were completed. This overview summarizes test results for a variety of candidate electrolyte materials that were developed under the PERS Program. Electrolyte properties are contrasted and compared to the original project goals, and the strengths and weaknesses of the electrolyte chemistries are discussed. Limited cycling data for full-cells using lithium metal and vanadium oxide electrodes are also presented. Based on measured electrolyte properties, the projected performance characteristics and temperature limitations of batteries utilizing the advanced electrolytes and components have been estimated. Limitations for the achievement of practical performance levels are also discussed, as well as needs for future research and development.

Voluntary medical male circumcision: a cross-sectional study comparing circumcision self-report and physical examination findings in Lesotho.

PubMed

Thomas, Anne Goldzier; Tran, Bonnie Robin; Cranston, Marcus; Brown, Malerato Cecilia; Kumar, Rajiv; Tlelai, Matsotetsi

2011-01-01

Overwhelming evidence, including three clinical trials, shows that male circumcision (MC) reduces the risk of HIV infection among men. However, data from recent Lesotho Demographic and Health Surveys do not demonstrate MC to be protective against HIV. These contradictory findings could partially be due to inaccurate self-reported MC status used to estimate MC prevalence. This study describes MC characteristics among men applying for Lesotho Defence Force recruitment and seeks to assess MC self-reported accuracy through comparison with physical-examination-based data. During Lesotho Defence Force applicant screening in 2009, 241 (77%) of 312 men, aged 18-25 y, consented to a self-administered demographic and MC characteristic survey and physician-performed genital examination. The extent of foreskin removal was graded on a scale of 1 (no evidence of MC) to 4 (complete MC). MC was self-reported by 27% (n = 64/239) of participants. Of the 64 men self-reporting being circumcised, physical exam showed that 23% had no evidence of circumcision, 27% had partial circumcision, and 50% had complete circumcision. Of the MCs reportedly performed by a medical provider, 3% were Grade 1 and 73% were Grade 4. Of the MCs reportedly performed by traditional circumcisers, 41% were Grade 1, while 28% were Grade 4. Among participants self-reporting being circumcised, the odds of MC status misclassification were seven times higher among those reportedly circumcised by initiation school personnel (odds ratio = 7.22; 95% CI = 2.29-22.75). Approximately 27% of participants self-reported being circumcised. However, only 50% of these men had complete MC as determined by a physical exam. Given this low MC self-report accuracy, countries scaling up voluntary medical MC (VMMC) should obtain physical-exam-based MC data to guide service delivery and cost estimates. HIV prevention messages promoting VMMC should provide comprehensive education regarding the definition of VMMC.

Intergenerational effects of parental substance-related convictions and adult drug treatment court participation on children’s school performance

PubMed Central

Gifford, Elizabeth J.; Sloan, Frank A.; Evans, Kelly E.

2015-01-01

Objective This study examined the intergenerational effects of parental conviction of a substance-related charge on children’s academic performance and, conditional on a conviction, whether completion of an adult drug treatment court (DTC) program was associated with improved school performance. Method State administrative data from North Carolina courts, birth records, and school records were linked for 2005–12. Math and reading end-of-grade test scores and absenteeism were examined for 5 groups of children, those with parents who: were not convicted on any criminal charge, were convicted on a substance-related charge and not referred by a court to a DTC, were referred to a DTC but did not enroll, enrolled in a DTC but did not complete, and completed a DTC program. Results Accounting for demographic and socioeconomic factors, the school performance of children whose parents were convicted of a substance-related offense was worse than that of children whose parents were not convicted on any charge. These differences were statistically significant but substantially reduced after controlling for socioeconomic characteristics, e.g., mother’s educational attainment. We found no evidence that parent participation in an adult DTC program led to improved school performance of their children. Conclusion While the children of convicted parents fared worse on average, much—but not all—of this difference was attributed to socioeconomic factors, with the result that parental conviction remained a risk factor for poorer school performance. Even though adult DTCs have been shown to have other benefits, we could detect no intergenerational benefit in improved school performance of their children. PMID:26460705

Determinants of Timely Completion: The Impact of Bachelor's Degree Programme Characteristics and Student Motivation on Study Progress

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Suhre, Cor J. M.; Jansen, Ellen P. W. A.; Torenbeek, M.

2013-01-01

Timely completion of university degree programmes is a topic of growing concern to higher education institutions and their students. This paper reports on a study about the impact of degree programme characteristics and student motivation on study progress. The setting for the study is a Dutch law school. Data on degree programme characteristics,…

Police custody following drink-driving: a prospective study.

PubMed

Lepresle, Aude; Mahindhoratep, Tiao Saysouda; Chiadmi, Fouad; Schlatter, Joël; Boraud, Cyril; Chariot, Patrick

2012-11-01

Drink-driving is a crime and traffic offences are a common cause of detention in police custody. Legal assessment of alcohol intoxication is based on breath or blood testing. We hypothesize that refusal of breath alcohol testing or inability to perform it can correspond to singular medical characteristics of the detainee, possibly assaulted or injured during the arrest. Our objective was to determine medical characteristics of detainees held in custody for drink-driving. Prospective monocentric study (April-October, 2010) of drink-drive arrestees. Controls were persons aged over 18 detained for other reasons than drink-driving. Data collected concerned persons' characteristics and reported assaults or observed injuries. 223 drivers were tested positive for breath alcohol level and 55 suspected drink-drivers refused or were not able to complete breath test. 2212 consecutively examined persons served as controls. Drink-drive arrestees requested medical examination more rarely (18% and 7%, vs. 43%, P<0.0001) and drivers tested positive for breath alcohol were more frequently alcohol abusers (25% vs. 14%, P<0.0001) than controls. Drivers who did not complete breath test more often reported assaults than those tested positive for breath alcohol (22% vs. 8%, P=0.007). They had more frequent traumatic injuries than those tested positive and than controls (29% vs. 11% and 17%, P=0.003 and 0.02). Only 1% of drink drivers were unfit for detention after medical examination. Physicians need to give attentive care to detained drink-drivers. Special attention should be paid to drink-drivers who refused or were not able to complete breath alcohol measurement. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Comparison of Mobile and Fixed Device Access on User Engagement Associated With Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Online Nutrition Education

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Background Online health education has expanded its reach due to cost-effective implementation and demonstrated effectiveness. However, a limitation exists with the evaluation of online health education implementations and how the impact of the system is attenuated by the extent to which a user engages with it. Moreover, the current online health education research does not consider how this engagement has been affected by the transition from fixed to mobile user access over the last decade. Objective This paper focuses on comparing the impact mobile versus fixed devices have on user engagement key performance indicators (KPI) associated with the wichealth website (.org), an Internet-based parent-child feeding intervention offered to clients associated with the US Department of Agriculture’s Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Methods Data were collected from 612,201 nutrition education lessons completed by 305,735 unique WIC participants in 21 states over a 1-year period. Data consisted of system-collected measures, profile items, and items from an exit survey administered at the conclusion of each lesson. User engagement was defined based on 3 KPIs associated with usage of the wichealth website: number of link views, link view time, and progression in stage of readiness to change. Independent samples t tests were used to compare KPIs between fixed only and mobile only device users and paired samples t tests were used to compare KPIs within users who completed at least one lesson each on both a fixed and mobile device. A logistic regression was performed to estimate the odds of KPI performance thresholds in the independent samples study group given access device type while controlling for confounding of user characteristics associated with these KPIs. Results Analysis of 8 user characteristics (lessons completed, race, ethnicity, language, state of residence, pregnancy status, beginning stage of change, and preferred nutrition education method) were significantly (P<.001) related to various KPI differences between mobile and fixed device access. Non-mobile users were significantly (P<.001) more likely to engage based on all 3 KPIs, even after logistic regression control for the potential confounding related to the strongly associated user characteristics identified. Conclusions The findings of this study support the idea that online health education developers need to seriously consider access device when creating programs. Online health education developers need to take extra effort to truly understand access patterns of populations being served, and whether or not access device will influence user engagement performance indicators. PMID:27847351

Physician Perceptions of Performance Feedback in a Quality Improvement Activity.

PubMed

Eden, Aimee R; Hansen, Elizabeth; Hagen, Michael D; Peterson, Lars E

Physician performance and peer comparison feedback can affect physician care quality and patient outcomes. This study aimed to understand family physician perspectives of the value of performance feedback in quality improvement (QI) activities. This study analyzed American Board of Family Medicine open-ended survey data collected between 2004 and 2014 from physicians who completed a QI module that provided pre- and post-QI project individual performance data and peer comparisons. Physicians made 3480 comments in response to a question about this performance feedback, which were generally positive in nature (86%). Main themes that emerged were importance of accurate feedback data, enhanced detail in the content of feedback, and ability to customize peer comparison groups to compare performance to peers with similar patient populations or practice characteristics. Meaningful and tailored performance feedback may be an important tool for physicians to improve their care quality and should be considered an integral part of QI project design.

10 K high frequency pulse tube cryocooler with precooling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Sixue; Chen, Liubiao; Wu, Xianlin; Zhou, Yuan; Wang, Junjie

2016-07-01

A high frequency pulse tube cryocooler with precooling (HPTCP) has been developed and tested to meet the requirement of weak magnetic signals measurement, and the performance characteristics are presented in this article. The HPTCP is a two-stage pulse tube cryocooler with the precooling-stage replaced by liquid nitrogen. Two regenerators completely filled with stainless steel (SS) meshes are used in the cooler. Together with cold inertance tubes and cold gas reservoir, a cold double-inlet configuration is used to control the phase relationship of the HPTCP. The experimental result shows that the cold double-inlet configuration has improved the performance of the cooler obviously. The effects of operation parameters on the performance of the cooler are also studied. With a precooling temperature of 78.5 K, the maximum refrigeration capacity is 0.26 W at 15 K and 0.92 W at 20 K when the input electric power are 174 W and 248 W respectively, and the minimum no-load temperature obtained is 10.3 K, which is a new record on refrigeration temperature for high frequency pulse tube cryocooler reported with SS completely used as regenerative matrix.

Star tracking method based on multiexposure imaging for intensified star trackers.

PubMed

Yu, Wenbo; Jiang, Jie; Zhang, Guangjun

2017-07-20

The requirements for the dynamic performance of star trackers are rapidly increasing with the development of space exploration technologies. However, insufficient knowledge of the angular acceleration has largely decreased the performance of the existing star tracking methods, and star trackers may even fail to track under highly dynamic conditions. This study proposes a star tracking method based on multiexposure imaging for intensified star trackers. The accurate estimation model of the complete motion parameters, including the angular velocity and angular acceleration, is established according to the working characteristic of multiexposure imaging. The estimation of the complete motion parameters is utilized to generate the predictive star image accurately. Therefore, the correct matching and tracking between stars in the real and predictive star images can be reliably accomplished under highly dynamic conditions. Simulations with specific dynamic conditions are conducted to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method. Experiments with real starry night sky observation are also conducted for further verification. Simulations and experiments demonstrate that the proposed method is effective and shows excellent performance under highly dynamic conditions.

Use of sweet lupin (Lupinusalbus L. var. Multitalia) in feeding for Podolian young bulls and influence on productive performances and meat quality traits.

PubMed

Vicenti, A; Toteda, F; Turi, L Di; Cocca, C; Perrucci, M; Melodia, L; Ragni, M

2009-06-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of sweet lupin (Lupinusalbus L. var. Multitalia) as a substitute for soybean (Glicinemax [L] Merr.) in feed on the productive performance and meat quality of Podolian young bulls. The steers were divided into 2 homogeneous groups and were fed durum wheat (Triticumdurum L.), straw and a complete pellet feed containing 20% sweet lupin seeds or 16.5% soybean. Productive performances were similar for both groups. The values of pH, measured on Longissimuslumborum and Semitendinosus muscles 24h after slaughter, were similar. No differences were shown between groups regarding the colour characteristics of both muscles or the tenderness of the cooked meat. No statistical differences were found between diets regarding the fatty acid profile of meats, except for a significantly higher incidence of linoleic acid in the meat obtained from animals on soybean feed. In conclusion, comparable results were obtained when soybean was replaced with sweet lupin seeds in complete pellet feed for Podolian steers.

Determinants of educational performance in India: Role of home and family

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Desai, Uday

1991-06-01

This paper addresses the impacts of family and pupil characteristics on children's academic learning in primary schools in India. The present study focuses on the children who have dropped out before completing primary schooling. The study is based on a random sample of two hundred children from twenty villages in two districts in the state of Andhra Pradesh in south India. A special test was developed and administered to measure the academic achievement of the children. Our study found that education supplies and the sanitary facilities at home have a remarkable relationship with the academic performance of children. In addition, the locale of a child's home, its distance from the source of drinking water, the child's father's work status and literacy and the level (grade) of schooling that the child has completed before dropping out, also have significant influence on child's performance. Our study also found that the child's gender, age at enrollment, reason for dropping out, and parents' income, literacy and caste do not have significant influence on performance. These findings have important public policy implications for the provision of basic sanitary facilities to all households, subsidized educational supplies, free uniforms, text-books, and mid-day meals.

Trust in automation: designing for appropriate reliance.

PubMed

Lee, John D; See, Katrina A

2004-01-01

Automation is often problematic because people fail to rely upon it appropriately. Because people respond to technology socially, trust influences reliance on automation. In particular, trust guides reliance when complexity and unanticipated situations make a complete understanding of the automation impractical. This review considers trust from the organizational, sociological, interpersonal, psychological, and neurological perspectives. It considers how the context, automation characteristics, and cognitive processes affect the appropriateness of trust. The context in which the automation is used influences automation performance and provides a goal-oriented perspective to assess automation characteristics along a dimension of attributional abstraction. These characteristics can influence trust through analytic, analogical, and affective processes. The challenges of extrapolating the concept of trust in people to trust in automation are discussed. A conceptual model integrates research regarding trust in automation and describes the dynamics of trust, the role of context, and the influence of display characteristics. Actual or potential applications of this research include improved designs of systems that require people to manage imperfect automation.

Influence of operating conditions on ceramic ultrafiltration membrane performance when treating textile effluents.

PubMed

Barredo-Damas, S; Alcaina-Miranda, M I; Gemma, M; Iborra-Clar, M I; Mendoza-Roca, J A

2011-01-01

This work studies the performance of three commercial ceramic ultrafiltration membranes (ZrO(2)-TiO(2)) treating raw effluent from a textile industry. The effect of crossflow velocity at 3, 4 and 5 m s(-1) as well as membrane characteristics, such as molecular weight cut-off (30, 50 and 150 kDa), on process performance were studied. Experiments were carried out in concentration mode in order to observe the effect of volume reduction factor simultaneously. Results showed a combined influence of both crossflow velocity and molecular weight cut-off on flux performance. TOC and COD removals up to 70% and 84% respectively were reached. On the other hand, almost complete color (>97%) and turbidity (>99%) removals were achieved for all the membranes and operating conditions.

Protective clothing for pesticide operators: part II--data analysis of fabric characteristics.

PubMed

Shaw, Anugrah; Schiffelbein, Paul

2016-01-01

Development of objective measurements is an important requirement for establishing performance-based standards for protective clothing used while handling pesticide. This study, the second in a two-part series, reports on the work completed to evaluate the performance of approximately 100 fabrics that are either used or have the potential to be used for garments worn by operators while applying pesticides. Part I, published separately, provides an overview of these issues and describes research undertaken to select a test chemical for use in subsequent studies. The goals of this study were first to develop a comprehensive approach to evaluate the performance of garments currently being used by pesticide operators, and second, to use the laboratory and field data in the development of performance specifications.

Process Hood Stand Support Steel

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

VAN KATWIJK, C.

2000-04-03

This package is written to comply with EN-6-035-00 for upgrade dedication of commercial grade items (CGI). The SNF-5953 CGI package provides the Technical evaluation to identify the critical characteristics and the acceptance criteria associated with the safety function of the Hood Stand Support Steel. Completion of the technical and quality requirements identified in the dedication package will provide enough data to be reasonably assured that CGI Hood Stand Support Steel will perform its SC function.

SGMM: Smart Grid Maturity Model. A Zero-depth Entry to Using the TSP: How TSP Was Used to Turn Around the SGMM Project that Was Drowning in Details

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-11-04

Compass Survey Questionnaire-based assessment yields maturity ratings and comparisons Navigation Process Expert-led workshops to complete... Compass and use results to develop consensus aspirations Training Overview Seminar and SGMM Navigator Course Partner Program License organizations...journey 19 SGMM Compass Survey Contains • One question for each expected characteristic in the model and • Attribute and performance questions

A Water-Immersion Technique for the Study of Mobility of a Pressure-Suited Subject Under Balanced-Gravity Conditions

DTIC Science & Technology

1966-01-01

simulating zero-gravity performance of an astronaut in a pressurized spacesuit by complete water immersion has been developed and inves- tigated. The...critical operational characteristics relating to space- craft and spacesuit design under conditions of zero gravity. In addition, the physical...the legs of the suit and are contained by insulated flight boots . The Mark IV suit used in the tests is shown in figure 1. 3 Pressure-Suit

The Design and Performance Characteristics of a Cellular Logic 3-D Image Classification Processor.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-04-01

34 AGARD Proc. No. 94 on Artificiel Intelligence , 217: 1-13 (1971) 7. Golay, Marcel J. E. "Hexagonal Parallel Pattern Transformations." IEEE Trans. on...nonrandom nature of the data and features must be understood in order to intelligently select a reasonable three-dimensional noise filter. This completes...tactical targets which are located hundreds of meters away and are controlled and disguised by equally intelligent human beings, the difficulty of the

Orbital Transfer Vehicle Engine Technology High Velocity Ratio Diffusing Crossover

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lariviere, Brian W.

1992-01-01

High speed, high efficiency head rise multistage pumps require continuous passage diffusing crossovers to effectively convey the pumped fluid from the exit of one impeller to the inlet of the next impeller. On Rocketdyne's Orbital Transfer Vehicle (OTV), the MK49-F, a three stage high pressure liquid hydrogen turbopump, utilizes a 6.23 velocity ratio diffusing crossover. This velocity ratio approaches the diffusion limits for stable and efficient flow over the operating conditions required by the OTV system. The design of the high velocity ratio diffusing crossover was based on advanced analytical techniques anchored by previous tests of stationary two-dimensional diffusers with steady flow. To secure the design and the analytical techniques, tests were required with the unsteady whirling characteristics produced by an impeller. A tester was designed and fabricated using a 2.85 times scale model of the MK49-F turbopumps first stage, including the inducer, impeller, and the diffusing crossover. Water and air tests were completed to evaluate the large scale turbulence, non-uniform velocity, and non-steady velocity on the pump and crossover head and efficiency. Suction performance tests from 80 percent to 124 percent of design flow were completed in water to assess these pump characteristics. Pump and diffuser performance from the water and air tests were compared with the actual MK49-F test data in liquid hydrogen.

The Effect of the MassHealth Hospital Pay-for-Performance Program on Quality

PubMed Central

Ryan, Andrew M; Blustein, Jan

2011-01-01

Objective To test the effect of Massachusetts Medicaid's (MassHealth) hospital-based pay-for-performance (P4P) program, implemented in 2008, on quality of care for pneumonia and surgical infection prevention (SIP). Data Hospital Compare process of care quality data from 2004 to 2009 for acute care hospitals in Massachusetts (N = 62) and other states (N = 3,676) and American Hospital Association data on hospital characteristics from 2005. Study Design Panel data models with hospital fixed effects and hospital-specific trends are estimated to test the effect of P4P on composite quality for pneumonia and SIP. This base model is extended to control for the completeness of measure reporting. Further sensitivity checks include estimation with propensity-score matched control hospitals, excluding hospitals in other P4P programs, varying the time period during which the program was assumed to have an effect, and testing the program effect across hospital characteristics. Principal Findings Estimates from our preferred specification, including hospital fixed effects, trends, and the control for measure completeness, indicate small and nonsignificant program effects for pneumonia (−0.67 percentage points, p>.10) and SIP (−0.12 percentage points, p>.10). Sensitivity checks indicate a similar pattern of findings across specifications. Conclusions Despite offering substantial financial incentives, the MassHealth P4P program did not improve quality in the first years of implementation. PMID:21210796

Effect of a gymnastics program on sleep characteristics in pregnant women.

PubMed

Kocsis, Ildikó; Szilágyi, Tibor; Turos, János; Bakó, Aliz; Frigy, Attila

2017-04-01

The quality and quantity of sleep represent important health issues in pregnant women. Sleep disturbances could be associated, beyond alteration of quality of life, with poor pregnancy outcome. Our aim was to investigate the effect of a regular, specific, medium-term physical training program on sleep characteristics in healthy pregnant women. A total of 132 healthy pregnant women, with gestational age between 18 weeks and 22 weeks, were enrolled in a prospective study. They were allocated into two groups; the first group involved 79 women (average age, 29.4 years) who performed a specific gymnastics program of 10 weeks, and the second group involved 53 pregnant women (average age, 27.9 years) who did not perform gymnastics. All participants completed a comprehensive questionnaire at baseline and after 10 weeks concerning general data, sleep characteristics, and psycho-emotional status. The changes arising within a diverse set of characteristics were followed and compared for the two groups using parametric and nonparametric statistics. In the control group, we observed significant worsening of 12 out of the 14 studied parameters during the 10-week period. In comparison with the women who did not perform gymnastics, women who performed specific gymnastics showed the following characteristics: (1) significantly less deterioration of psycho-emotional status (stress and anxiety levels); (2) the same general pattern of decrease in sleep quality, which is related to the progression of pregnancy; and (3) a significant attenuation of the worsening of several sleep characteristics, such as restless sleep, snoring, diurnal tiredness, and excessive daytime sleepiness. Nocturnal and diurnal sleep quantity increased significantly in both groups. The 10-week training program designed for pregnant women has an overall beneficial effect on sleep characteristics, not by improving them but by attenuating their general deterioration related to the progression of pregnancy. Our data strengthen the general recommendation regarding participation of pregnant women in specific exercise programs, mainly for maintaining their psycho-emotional and general well-being. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

JWST center of curvature test method and results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saif, Babak; Chaney, David; Greenfield, Perry; Van Gorkom, Kyle; Brooks, Keira; Hack, Warren; Bluth, Marcel; Bluth, Josh; Sanders, James; Smith, Koby; Carey, Larkin; Chaung, Sze; Keski-Kuha, Ritva; Feinberg, Lee; Tournois, Severine; Smith, W. Scott; Kradinov, Vladimir

2017-09-01

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) recently saw the completion of the assembly process for the Optical Telescope Element and Integrated Science Instrument Module (OTIS). This integration effort was performed at Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) in Greenbelt, Maryland. In conjunction with this assembly process a series of vibration and acoustic tests were performed. To help assure the telescope's primary mirror was not adversely impacted by this environmental testing an optical center of curvature (CoC) test was performed to measure changes in the mirror's optical performance. The primary is a 6.5 meter diameter mirror consisting of 18 individual hexagonal segments. Each segment is an off-axis asphere. There are a total of three prescriptions repeated six times each. As part of the CoC test each segment was individually measured using a high-speed interferometer (HSI) designed and built specifically for this test. This interferometer is capable of characterizing both static and dynamic characteristics of the mirrors. The latter capability was used, with the aid of a vibration stinger applying a low-level input force, to measure the dynamic characteristic changes of the PM backplane structure. This paper describes the CoC test setup, an innovative alignment method, and both static and dynamic test results.

Baseline experimental investigation of an electrohydrodynamically assisted heat pipe

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Duncan, A. B.

1995-01-01

The increases in power demand and associated thermal management requirements of future space programs such as potential Lunar/Mars missions will require enhancing the operating efficiencies of thermal management devices. Currently, the use of electrohydrodynamically (EHD) assisted thermal control devices is under consideration as a potential method of increasing thermal management system capacity. The objectives of the currently described investigation included completing build-up of the EHD-Assisted Heat Pipe Test bed, developing test procedures for an experimental evaluation of the unassisted heat pipe, developing an analytical model capable of predicting the performance limits of the unassisted heat pipe, and obtaining experimental data which would define the performance characteristics of the unassisted heat pipe. The information obtained in the currently proposed study will be used in order to provide extensive comparisons with the EHD-assisted performance observations to be obtained during the continuing investigation of EHD-Assisted heat transfer devices. Through comparisons of the baseline test bed data and the EHD assisted test bed data, accurate insight into the performance enhancing characteristics of EHD augmentation may be obtained. This may lead to optimization, development, and implementation of EHD technology for future space programs.

Validity of three clinical performance assessments of internal medicine clerks.

PubMed

Hull, A L; Hodder, S; Berger, B; Ginsberg, D; Lindheim, N; Quan, J; Kleinhenz, M E

1995-06-01

To analyze the construct validity of three methods to assess the clinical performances of internal medicine clerks. A multitrait-multimethod (MTMM) study was conducted at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine to determine the convergent and divergent validity of a clinical evaluation form (CEF) completed by faculty and residents, an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE), and the medicine subject test of the National Board of Medical Examiners. Three traits were involved in the analysis: clinical skills, knowledge, and personal characteristics. A correlation matrix was computed for 410 third-year students who completed the clerkship between August 1988 and July 1991. There was a significant (p < .01) convergence of the four correlations that assessed the same traits by using different methods. However, the four convergent correlations were of moderate magnitude (ranging from .29 to .47). Divergent validity was assessed by comparing the magnitudes of the convergence correlations with the magnitudes of correlations among unrelated assessments (i.e., different traits by different methods). Seven of nine possible coefficients were smaller than the convergent coefficients, suggesting evidence of divergent validity. A significant CEF method effect was identified. There was convergent validity and some evidence of divergent validity with a significant method effect. The findings were similar for correlations corrected for attenuation. Four conclusions were reached: (1) the reliability of the OSCE must be improved, (2) the CEF ratings must be redesigned to further discriminate among the specific traits assessed, (3) additional methods to assess personal characteristics must be instituted, and (4) several assessment methods should be used to evaluate individual student performances.

Effects of learning content in context on knowledge acquisition and recall: a pretest-posttest control group design.

PubMed

Bergman, Esther M; de Bruin, Anique B H; Vorstenbosch, Marc A T M; Kooloos, Jan G M; Puts, Ghita C W M; Leppink, Jimmie; Scherpbier, Albert J J A; van der Vleuten, Cees P M

2015-08-15

It is generally assumed that learning in context increases performance. This study investigates the relationship between the characteristics of a paper-patient context (relevance and familiarity), the mechanisms through which the cognitive dimension of context could improve learning (activation of prior knowledge, elaboration and increasing retrieval cues), and test performance. A total of 145 medical students completed a pretest of 40 questions, of which half were with a patient vignette. One week later, they studied musculoskeletal anatomy in the dissection room without a paper-patient context (control group) or with (ir)relevant-(un)familiar context (experimental groups), and completed a cognitive load scale. Following a short delay, the students completed a posttest. Surprisingly, our results show that students who studied in context did not perform better than students who studied without context. This finding may be explained by an interaction of the participants' expertise level, the nature of anatomical knowledge and students' approaches to learning. A relevant-familiar context only reduced the negative effect of learning the content in context. Our results suggest discouraging the introduction of an uncommon disease to illustrate a basic science concept. Higher self-perceived learning scores predict higher performance. Interestingly, students performed significantly better on the questions with context in both tests, possibly due to a 'framing effect'. Since studies focusing on the physical and affective dimensions of context have also failed to find a positive influence of learning in a clinically relevant context, further research seems necessary to refine our theories around the role of context in learning.

[Work activity of medical graduates at the University of Chile: Analysis per campus and graduation year].

PubMed

Vargas, Patricia; López, Nancy; Urrutia, Leonardo; Acevedo, Jhonny; Sandoval, Daniela; Cortés, Belén

2015-10-01

The University promotes practices and values that influence their students in the pursuit of their occupational interests. To determine working activity features of medical graduates from the University of Chile and their relationship with undergraduate characteristics. Medical graduates of the University of Chile were invited to complete a survey using a virtual server. The survey collected demographic, socioeconomic, work and guild characteristics. Undergraduate data, as campus and graduation years were obtained. The survey was completed by 333 physicians (167 men) aged 29 ± 2 years, graduated from 2007 to 2010. Ninety four percent had a paid work, 59% were employed in public hospitals and 28% in primary care health centers. The predominant type of work activity was performed in the public health service (55%), while 17% worked in private health services. Activity in public health services or primary care were significantly associated with the pursuit of undergraduate clinical activities in specific campuses of the University. The employment rate of medical graduates was high. Differences observed by graduation campus and type of work may be due to the modeling that students receive from teachers.

A comparison of five surveys that identify individuals at risk for airflow obstruction and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

PubMed

Sogbetun, Folarin; Eschenbacher, William L; Welge, Jeffrey A; Panos, Ralph J

2016-11-01

The predictive characteristics of different screening surveys for the recognition of individuals at risk for airflow obstruction (AFO) have not been evaluated simultaneously in the same population. To compare five AFO/COPD screening questionnaires. 383 individuals completed the Veterans Airflow Obstruction Screening Questionnaire, Personal Level Screener for COPD (VAFOSQ), the 11-Q COPD Screening Questionnaire (11-Q), the COPD Population Screener (COPD-PS) and the Lung Function Questionnaire (LFQ) and performed spirometry. AFO was defined as forced expiratory volume in one second divided by the forced vital capacity (FEV 1 /FVC) < 0.7, fixed ratio (FR) or FEV 1 /FVC < lower limit of normal (LLN). The predictive characteristics of the five questionnaires were calculated and non-parametric receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves estimated by logistic regression. 376 participants completed at least two of the questionnaires and performed technically acceptable spirometry. AFO was present in 102 (27.1%) and 150 (39.9%) based on LLN and FR, respectively. The number of individuals positively selected by the VAFOSQ was 227, PLS 128, 11-Q 236, COPD-PS 217, and LFQ 328. The area under the ROC curves for the questionnaires was between 0.60 and 0.66 (LLN) and 0.58 and 0.66 (FR). Although these screening surveys have acceptable and similar predictive ability for the identification of AFO, their published thresholds lead to substantially different classification rates. The choice of an appropriate threshold for the identification of individuals with possible AFO/COPD should consider the underlying prevalence of AFO/COPD in the target population and the relative costs of misclassifying affected and unaffected cases. None. Veterans Health Administration. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The Physical Characteristics by Sex and Age for Custody Assistants from a Law Enforcement Agency.

PubMed

Lockie, Robert G; Orr, Robin M; Stierli, Michael; Cesario, Karly A; Moreno, Matthew R; Bloodgood, Ashley M; Dulla, Joseph M; Dawes, J Jay

2018-01-17

Custody assistants (CAs) are a position within a law enforcement agency who are responsible for assisting officers with maintaining security in correctional facilities. Unlike other positions, CAs may not be required to complete physical testing prior to being hired. This lack of testing could influence the characteristics of CAs who attend academy training. Therefore, retrospective analysis of performance test data for 108 officers (69 males, 39 females) was conducted. The tests included: grip strength for both hands; number of push-ups and sit-ups in 60 seconds; 201 m (220 yard) and 2.4 km runs; and maximal aerobic capacity (V˙O2max) estimated from the 2.4 km run. Data were stratified by sex and age (≤24 years, 25-29 years, 30-34 years, ≥35 years). Independent samples t-tests (p < 0.05) calculated differences between males and females. To compare age groups, a one-way ANOVA with Bonferroni post hoc was utilized (p < 0.05). Males scored significantly higher than females in hand grip, push-ups, and sit-ups, were faster over the 201 m and 2.4 km runs, and had a higher V˙O2max (p ≤ 0.001-0.024). There were no significant differences in performance tests across the age groups for either males or females. To better tolerate the rigors of physical training, female CAs should attempt to improve their fitness prior to academy as they often need to complete the same tasks as the males. Age did not appear to influence the physical characteristics of CAs, although all CAs should attempt to develop the fitness qualities needed for their occupation.

Seasonal distribution and demographical characteristics of carpal tunnel syndrome in 1039 patients.

PubMed

Gomes, Irênio; Becker, Jefferson; Ehlers, João Arthur; Kapczinski, Flávio; Nora, Daniel Bocchese

2004-09-01

To describe the demographic characteristics of gender, age, and presence of repetitive movements, intake of alcohol and non-steroid anti-inflammatories (NSAI), medical specialties that referred patients to nerve conduction studies and electromyography (NCS-EMG), school attainment, and seasonal distribution in patients with a neurophysiological diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. A series of 1039 patients (1549 hands) with neurophysiologically defined CTS was studied. Patients were referred for NCS-EMG in 3 universities and 2 private services, from August 2001 to January 2003. All patients completed a questionnaire containing demographic information. The diagnosis of CTS was established following a pre-established protocol, with defined diagnostic criteria. Around one fourth of patients had already performed NCS-EMG; the greatest frequency of CTS was observed in women (5.6:1) and in patients above the age of 40. Most patients reported performing repetitive movements in their daily routine (69.7%); 12.9% reported use of NSAI and 14.9% regular intake of alcoholic beverages. A greater frequency of CTS was observed in the months of July and August, when compared to the other months of the year. Around 2/3 of the study population had completed at least secondary school. Most requests of nerve conduction studies did not provide a diagnostic hypothesis (59.9%) and neurophysiologic studies were requested mostly by traumatology/orthopedics (71.1%). We have concluded that, in our environment, CTS shows some demographical characteristics that are similar to what the literature describes. Also, we have found that most of our sample concluded at least secondary school, and was referred to neurophysiologic studies by orthopedists. To be pointed out is the seasonal distribution of CTS, which demonstrates a significant association with winter months.

Large liquid rocket engine transient performance simulation system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mason, J. R.; Southwick, R. D.

1989-01-01

Phase 1 of the Rocket Engine Transient Simulation (ROCETS) program consists of seven technical tasks: architecture; system requirements; component and submodel requirements; submodel implementation; component implementation; submodel testing and verification; and subsystem testing and verification. These tasks were completed. Phase 2 of ROCETS consists of two technical tasks: Technology Test Bed Engine (TTBE) model data generation; and system testing verification. During this period specific coding of the system processors was begun and the engineering representations of Phase 1 were expanded to produce a simple model of the TTBE. As the code was completed, some minor modifications to the system architecture centering on the global variable common, GLOBVAR, were necessary to increase processor efficiency. The engineering modules completed during Phase 2 are listed: INJTOO - main injector; MCHBOO - main chamber; NOZLOO - nozzle thrust calculations; PBRNOO - preburner; PIPE02 - compressible flow without inertia; PUMPOO - polytropic pump; ROTROO - rotor torque balance/speed derivative; and TURBOO - turbine. Detailed documentation of these modules is in the Appendix. In addition to the engineering modules, several submodules were also completed. These submodules include combustion properties, component performance characteristics (maps), and specific utilities. Specific coding was begun on the system configuration processor. All functions necessary for multiple module operation were completed but the SOLVER implementation is still under development. This system, the Verification Checkout Facility (VCF) allows interactive comparison of module results to store data as well as provides an intermediate checkout of the processor code. After validation using the VCF, the engineering modules and submodules were used to build a simple TTBE.

Working Performance Analysis of Rolling Bearings Used in Mining Electric Excavator Crowd Reducer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Y. H.; Hou, G.; Chen, G.; Liang, J. F.; Zheng, Y. M.

2017-12-01

Refer to the statistical load data of digging process, on the basis of simulation analysis of crowd reducer system dynamics, the working performance simulation analysis of rolling bearings used in crowd reducer of large mining electric excavator is completed. The contents of simulation analysis include analysis of internal load distribution, rolling elements contact stresses and rolling bearing fatigue life. The internal load characteristics of rolling elements in cylindrical roller bearings are obtained. The results of this study identified that all rolling bearings satisfy the requirements of contact strength and fatigue life. The rationality of bearings selection and arrangement is also verified.

Predicting completion of treatment among foreign-born adolescents treated for latent tuberculosis infection in Los Angeles.

PubMed

Coly, A; Morisky, D

2004-06-01

Two health clinics in Los Angeles County, California. To identify factors associated with completion of care among foreign-born adolescents treated for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). A total of 766 low-income adolescents (79% participation rate), including 610 foreign-born, were recruited. In prospective face-to-face interviews, data were obtained on socio-demographic and lifestyle characteristics, psychosocial factors and clinic-related variables. Medical chart data were abstracted regarding clinic appointment keeping and completion of treatment. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with completion of care. Foreign-born adolescents were more likely to complete care than US-born adolescents, with 82% completion of care rate. In logistic regression analyses after controlling for age, medication taking behavior (OR 1.26, 95%CI 1.15-1.39), living with both parents (OR 1.74, 95%CI 1.02-2.97), sexual intercourse (OR 0.66, 95%CI 0.36-1.19) and speaking mostly or only English with parents (OR 0.39, 95%CI 0.15-1.03) were independently associated with completion of care. These findings contribute to our understanding of the factors that may explain why some adolescents complete care whereas others do not. They provide supportive evidence that tailored intervention programs should be developed to support the screening and completion of treatment of foreign-born adolescents.

Separator development and testing of nickel-hydrogen cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gonzalez-Sanabria, O. D.; Manzo, M. A.

1984-01-01

The components, design, and operating characteristics of Ni-H2 cells batteries were improved. A separator development program was designed to develop a separator that is resistant to penetration by oxygen and loose active material from then nickel electrode, while retraining the required chemical and thermal stability, reservoir capability, and high ionic conductivity. The performance of the separators in terms of cell operating voltage was to at least match that of state-of-the-art separators while eliminating the separator problems. The separators were submitted to initial screening tests and those which successfully completed the tests were built into Ni-H2 cells for short term testing. The separators with the best performance are tested for long term performance and life.

The Importance of Research during Pharmacy Residency Training

PubMed Central

Stranges, Paul M.; Burke, John M.; Micek, Scott; Pitlick, Matthew K.; Wenger, Philip

2015-01-01

Practice-related projects and pharmacy practice research are requirements to complete postgraduate pharmacy residency programs. Many residents will complete residencies without fully developing the skills needed to perform research required for new clinical and academic positions. Many studies have quantified successes and identified characteristics that may be associated with successful resident publication. There are many benefits to gaining research and publication skills during residency training for the resident, preceptor/mentors, and the residency program. Published works have also suggested approaches than can be taken to improve research within a residency program. The aims of this article are to discuss the publication rates of resident research projects, suggest ways to improve residency research, review benefits of residency research, and briefly review research training alternatives. PMID:26594260

Information fusion for diabetic retinopathy CAD in digital color fundus photographs.

PubMed

Niemeijer, Meindert; Abramoff, Michael D; van Ginneken, Bram

2009-05-01

The purpose of computer-aided detection or diagnosis (CAD) technology has so far been to serve as a second reader. If, however, all relevant lesions in an image can be detected by CAD algorithms, use of CAD for automatic reading or prescreening may become feasible. This work addresses the question how to fuse information from multiple CAD algorithms, operating on multiple images that comprise an exam, to determine a likelihood that the exam is normal and would not require further inspection by human operators. We focus on retinal image screening for diabetic retinopathy, a common complication of diabetes. Current CAD systems are not designed to automatically evaluate complete exams consisting of multiple images for which several detection algorithm output sets are available. Information fusion will potentially play a crucial role in enabling the application of CAD technology to the automatic screening problem. Several different fusion methods are proposed and their effect on the performance of a complete comprehensive automatic diabetic retinopathy screening system is evaluated. Experiments show that the choice of fusion method can have a large impact on system performance. The complete system was evaluated on a set of 15,000 exams (60,000 images). The best performing fusion method obtained an area under the receiver operator characteristic curve of 0.881. This indicates that automated prescreening could be applied in diabetic retinopathy screening programs.

Varying influences of motivation factors on employees' likelihood to perform safe food handling practices because of demographic differences.

PubMed

Ellis, Jason D; Arendt, Susan W; Strohbehn, Catherine H; Meyer, Janell; Paez, Paola

2010-11-01

Food safety training has been the primary avenue for ensuring food workers are performing proper food handling practices and thus, serving safe food. Yet, knowledge of safe food handling practices does not necessarily result in actual performance of these practices. This research identified participating food service employees' level of agreement with four factors of motivation (internal motivations, communication, reward-punishment, and resources) and determined if respondents with different demographic characteristics reported different motivating factors. Data were collected from 311 food service employees who did not have any supervisory responsibilities. Intrinsic motivation agreement scores were consistently the highest of all four motivational factors evaluated and did not differ across any of the demographic characteristics considered. In contrast, motivation agreement scores for communication, reward-punishment, and resources did differ based on respondents' gender, age, place of employment, job status, food service experience, completion of food handler course, or possession of a food safety certification. In general, respondents agreed that these motivation factors influenced their likelihood to perform various safe food handling procedures. This research begins to illustrate how employees' demographic characteristics influence their responses to various motivators, helping to clarify the complex situation of ensuring safe food in retail establishments. Future research into why employee willingness to perform varies more for extrinsic motivation than for intrinsic motivation could assist food service managers in structuring employee development programs and the work environment, in a manner that aids in improving external motivation (communication, reward-punishment, and resources) and capitalizing on internal motivation.

Solar thermal plant impact analysis and requirements definition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gupta, Y. P.

1980-01-01

Progress on a continuing study comprising of ten tasks directed at defining impact and requirements for solar thermal power systems (SPS), 1 to 10 MWe each in capacity, installed during 1985 through year 2000 in a utility or a nonutility load in the United States is summarized. The point focus distributed receiver (PFDR) solar power systems are emphasized. Tasks 1 through 4, completed to date, include the development of a comprehensive data base on SPS configurations, their performance, cost, availability, and potential applications; user loads, regional characteristics, and an analytic methodology that incorporates the generally accepted utility financial planning methods and several unique modifications to treat the significant and specific characteristics of solar power systems deployed in either central or distributed power generation modes, are discussed.

Low-speed longitudinal and lateral-directional aerodynamic characteristics of the X-31 configuration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Banks, Daniel W.; Gatlin, Gregory M.; Paulson, John W., Jr.

1992-01-01

An experimental investigation of a 19 pct. scale model of the X-31 configuration was completed in the Langley 14 x 22 Foot Subsonic Tunnel. This study was performed to determine the static low speed aerodynamic characteristics of the basic configuration over a large range of angle of attack and sideslip and to study the effects of strakes, leading-edge extensions (wing-body strakes), nose booms, speed-brake deployment, and inlet configurations. The ultimate purpose was to optimize the configuration for high angle of attack and maneuvering-flight conditions. The model was tested at angles of attack from -5 to 67 deg and at sideslip angles from -16 to 16 deg for speeds up to 190 knots (dynamic pressure of 120 psf).

A Complete Tank Test of a Model of Flying-boat Hull - N.A.C.A. Model 16

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shoemaker, James H

1933-01-01

A model of a 2-step flying-boat hull, of the type generally used in England, was tested according to the complete method described in the N.A.C.A. Technical Note No. 464. The lines of this model were taken from offsets given by Mr. William Munro in Flight, May 29, 1931. The data cover the range of loads, speeds, and trim angles that may be of use in applying the hull form to the design of any seaplane. The results are reduced to nondimensional form to aid application to design problems and facilitate comparison with the performance of other hulls. The water characteristics of Model 16 are compared with those of Model 11-A, which is representative of current American practice. The results show that when the two forms are applied to a given seaplane design under optimum conditions for each, the performance of Model 16 will be somewhat inferior to that of Model 11-A.

Factors involved in making post-performance judgments in mathematics problem-solving.

PubMed

García Fernández, Trinidad; Kroesbergen, Evelyn; Rodríguez Pérez, Celestino; González-Castro, Paloma; González-Pienda, Julio A

2015-01-01

This study examines the impact of executive functions, affective-motivational variables related to mathematics, mathematics achievement and task characteristics on fifth and sixth graders’ calibration accuracy after completing two mathematical problems. A sample of 188 students took part in the study. They were divided into two groups as function of their judgment accuracy after completing the two tasks (accurate= 79, inaccurate= 109). Differences between these groups were examined. The discriminative value of these variables to predict group membership was analyzed, as well as the effect of age, gender, and grade level. The results indicated that accurate students showed better levels of executive functioning, and more positive feelings, beliefs, and motivation related to mathematics. They also spent more time on the tasks. Mathematics achievement, perceived usefulness of mathematics, and time spent on Task 1 significantly predicted group membership, classifying 71.3% of the sample correctly. These results support the relationship between academic achievement and calibration accuracy, suggesting the need to consider a wide range of factors when explaining performance judgments.

Gait Pattern Alterations during Walking, Texting and Walking and Texting during Cognitively Distractive Tasks while Negotiating Common Pedestrian Obstacles

PubMed Central

Licence, Sammy; Smith, Robynne; McGuigan, Miranda P.; Earnest, Conrad P.

2015-01-01

Objectives Mobile phone texting is a common daily occurrence with a paucity of research examining corresponding gait characteristics. To date, most studies have participants walk in a straight line vs. overcoming barriers and obstacles that occur during regular walking. The aim of our study is to examine the effect of mobile phone texting during periods of cognitive distraction while walking and negotiating barriers synonymous with pedestrian traffic. Methods Thirty participants (18-50y) completed three randomized, counter-balanced walking tasks over a course during: (1) normal walking (control), (2) texting and walking, and (3) texting and walking whilst being cognitively distraction via a standard mathematical test performed while negotiating the obstacle course. We analyzed gait characteristics during course negotiation using a 3-dimensional motion analysis system and a general linear model and Dunnet-Hsu post-hoc procedure the normal walking condition to assess gait characteristic differences. Primary outcomes included the overall time to complete the course time and barrier contact. Secondary outcomes included obstacle clearance height, step frequency, step time, double support phase and lateral deviation. Results Participants took significantly longer (mean ± SD) to complete the course while texting (24.96±4.20 sec) and during cognitive distraction COG (24.09±3.36 sec) vs. normal walking (19.32±2.28 sec; all, P<0.001). No significant differences were noted for barrier contacts (P = 0.28). Step frequency, step time, double support phase and lateral deviation all increased in duration during the texting and cognitive distraction trial. Texting and being cognitively distracted also increased obstacle clearance versus the walking condition (all, P<0.02). Conclusions Texting while walking and/or being cognitively distracted significantly affect gait characteristics concordant to mobile phone usage resulting in a more cautious gate pattern. Future research should also examine a similar study in older participants who may be at a greater risk of tripping with such walking deviations. PMID:26222430

An Evaluation of Performance Characteristics of Primary Display Devices.

PubMed

Ekpo, Ernest U; McEntee, Mark F

2016-04-01

The aim of this study was to complete a full evaluation of the new EIZO RX850 liquid crystal display and compare it to two currently used medical displays in Australia (EIZO GS510 and Barco MDCG 5121). The American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) Task Group 18 Quality Control test pattern was used to assess the performance of three high-resolution primary medical displays: EIZO RX850, EIZO GS510, and Barco MDCG 5121. A Konica Minolta spectroradiometer (CS-2000) was used to assess luminance response, non-uniformity, veiling glare, and color uniformity. Qualitative evaluation of noise was also performed. Seven breast lesions were displayed on each monitor and photographed with a calibrated 5.5-MP Olympus E-1 digital SLR camera. ImageJ software was used to sample pixel information from each lesion and surrounding background to calculate their conspicuity index on each of the displays. All monitor fulfilled all AAPM acceptance criteria. The performance characteristics for EIZO RX850, Barco MDCG 5121, and EIZO GS510 respectively were as follows: maximum luminance (490, 500.5, and 413 cd/m(2)), minimum luminance (0.724, 1.170, and 0.92 cd/m(2)), contrast ratio (675:1, 428:1, 449:1), just-noticeable difference index (635, 622, 609), non-uniformity (20, 5.92, and 8.5 %), veiling glare (GR = 2465.6, 720.4, 1249.8), and color uniformity (Δu'v' = +0.003, +0.002, +0.002). All monitors demonstrated low noise levels. The conspicuity index (χ) of the lesions was slightly higher in the EIZO RX850 display. All medical displays fulfilled AAPM performance criteria, and performance characteristics of EIZO RX850 are equal to or better than those of the Barco MDCG 5121 and EIZO GS510 displays.

Influence of face mask design on bag-valve-mask ventilation performance: a randomized simulation study.

PubMed

Na, J U; Han, S K; Choi, P C; Cho, J H; Shin, D H

2013-10-01

Different face mask designs can influence bag-valve-mask (BVM) ventilation performance during resuscitation. We compared a single-use, air-cushioned face mask (AM) with a reusable silicone face mask (SM) for quality of BVM ventilation on a manikin simulating cardiac arrest. Thirty-two physicians were recruited, and a prospective, randomized, crossover observational study was conducted after an American Heart Association-accredited basic life support provider course and standardized practice time were completed. Participants performed 12 cycles of BVM ventilation with both the AM and SM on a SmartMan lung simulator. Mean tidal volume was significantly higher in ventilations performed using the AM vs. the SM (548 ± 159 ml vs. 439 ± 163 ml, P < 0.01). In addition, the proportion of low-volume ventilation was significantly lower with the AM than the SM [6/12 (2-11) vs. 9/12 (5-12), P = 0.03]. Bag-valve-AM ventilation volume was not affected by the physical characteristics of the rescuers, except for sex. In contrast, bag-valve-SM ventilation volume was affected by most of the characteristics tested, including sex, height, weight, hand width, hand length, and grip power. The AM seems to be a more efficient face mask than the SM at delivering sufficient ventilation volumes. The performance of the AM did not seem to be associated with the physical characteristics of the rescuers, whereas that of the SM was affected by these factors. The SM may not be an appropriate face mask for performing one-person BVM ventilation during resuscitation for rescuers who are smaller in stature, have a smaller hand size, or have weaker grip power. © 2013 The Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica Foundation. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Physiological and physical characteristics of elite dragon boat paddlers.

PubMed

Ho, Sarah R; Smith, Richard M; Chapman, Philip G; Sinclair, Peter J; Funato, Kazuo

2013-01-01

The objectives of this study were to profile the physiological and physical characteristics of elite dragon boat paddlers, to identify characteristics that predict race performance and to quantify the metabolic energy contributions to simulated 200-m and 500-m dragon boat racing. Eleven, national level, male, Japanese dragon boat paddlers completed a battery of tests on a paddling ergometer including an incremental maximal aerobic capacity test, a 2-minute maximal accumulated oxygen deficit (MAOD) test, and simulated 200-m and 500-m races. A physiological and physical profile of subjects was compiled. Results showed that 200-m race performance correlated with flexed arm girth and excess postexercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) measured in the 30 minutes after the MAOD test, whereas 500-m race performance correlated with body fat percentage, relaxed and flexed arm girth, MAOD, EPOC, and peak power during the MAOD test. Stepwise multiple regression revealed that flexed arm girth was the most powerful predictor of 200-m and 500-m race performance, followed by EPOC with the combination of these 2 factors able to explain 74% and 68% of the variance in 200-m and 500-m race performance, respectively. Aerobic energy contributions for 200-m (50 seconds) and 500-m (1 minute 50 seconds) races were (mean (95% confidence intervals)) 52.1% (range, 47.4-56.8%) and 67.5% (range, 60.1-77.8%), respectively. In conclusion, coaches should develop training programs targeted at developing upper-body musculature and increasing anaerobic capacity because these factors are the strongest predictors of 200-m and 500-m race performance. Given the substantial aerobic energy contributions even for a 200-m race event, coaches should aim to increase the maximal aerobic capacity of the paddler in preparation for both 200-m and 500-m events.

Development of mining guidance and control systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1979-01-01

New fundamental interface sensor concepts were identified and investigated including tabulation of the physical and performance characteristics of two new interface detector concepts: - natural background radiation and magnetic spin resonance. Studies of guidance and control techniques for the longwall miner identified three basic systems for use in automated/remote controlled longwall mining. The following projects were initiated: system study which will more completely define the longwall guidance and control system design concepts; integration of the various control functions (vertical, yaw, and roll); and hardware technical requirements.

Numerical solution for the interaction of shock wave with laminar boundary layer in two-dimensional flow on a flat plate. Ph.D. Thesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Landau, U.

1984-01-01

The finite difference computation method was investigated for solving problems of interaction between a shock wave and a laminar boundary layer, through solution of the complete Navier-Stokes equations. This method provided excellent solutions, was simple to perform and needed a relatively short solution time. A large number of runs for various flow conditions could be carried out from which the interaction characteristics and principal factors that influence interaction could be studied.

Design and evaluation of low-cost stainless steel fiberglass foam blades for large wind driven generating systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eggert, W. S.

1982-01-01

A low cost wind turbine blade based on a stainless steel fiberglass foam Budd blade design concept, was evaluated for its principle characteristics, low cost features, and its advantages and disadvantages. A blade structure was designed and construction methods and materials were selected. A complete blade tooling concepts, various technical and economic analysis, and evaluations of the blade design were performed. A comprehensive fatigue test program is conducted to provide data to verify the design stress allowables.

MIT ASTROMAG 1.7 meter disk magnet design report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marston, P. G.; Hale, J. R.; Vieira, R.; Zhukovsky, A.; Titus, P. H.; Sullivan, J. D.; Dawson, A. M.

1990-01-01

MIT has proposed a magnet design for ASTROMAG, which has demonstrated substantial improvement in performance as compared with the present HEAO baseline design. Several advantages of the MIT disk design are listed along with design characteristics. Details of field contours and active field regions are shown along with comparisons with other designs. Three alternative design configurations for the ASTROMAG disk coils are summarized. The parameters of the conductors are listed and basic parameters for each of the complete systems are shown.

Wave Energy Prize - 1/20th Testing - AquaHarmonics

DOE Data Explorer

Scharmen, Wesley

2016-09-02

Data from the 1/20th scale testing data completed on the Wave Energy Prize for the AquaHarmonics team, including the 1/20th scale test plan, raw test data, video, photos, and data analysis results. The top level objective of the 1/20th scale device testing is to obtain the necessary measurements required for determining Average Climate Capture Width per Characteristic Capital Expenditure (ACE) and the Hydrodynamic Performance Quality (HPQ), key metrics for determining the Wave Energy Prize (WEP) winners.

Wave Energy Prize - 1/20th Testing - Waveswing America

DOE Data Explorer

Scharmen, Wesley

2016-08-19

Data from the 1/20th scale testing data completed on the Wave Energy Prize for the Waveswing America team, including the 1/20th scale test plan, raw test data, video, photos, and data analysis results. The top level objective of the 1/20th scale device testing is to obtain the necessary measurements required for determining Average Climate Capture Width per Characteristic Capital Expenditure (ACE) and the Hydrodynamic Performance Quality (HPQ), key metrics for determining the Wave Energy Prize (WEP) winners.

Wave Energy Prize - 1/20th Testing - M3 Wave

DOE Data Explorer

Wesley Scharmen

2016-08-12

Data from the 1/20th scale testing data completed on the Wave Energy Prize for the M3 Wave team, including the 1/20th scale test plan, raw test data, video, photos, and data analysis results. The top level objective of the 1/20th scale device testing is to obtain the necessary measurements required for determining Average Climate Capture Width per Characteristic Capital Expenditure (ACE) and the Hydrodynamic Performance Quality (HPQ), key metrics for determining the Wave Energy Prize (WEP) winners.

Wave Energy Prize - 1/20th Testing - Sea Potential

DOE Data Explorer

Scharmen, Wesley

2016-09-23

Data from the 1/20th scale testing data completed on the Wave Energy Prize for the Sea Potential team, including the 1/20th scale test plan, raw test data, video, photos, and data analysis results. The top level objective of the 1/20th scale device testing is to obtain the necessary measurements required for determining Average Climate Capture Width per Characteristic Capital Expenditure (ACE) and the Hydrodynamic Performance Quality (HPQ), key metrics for determining the Wave Energy Prize (WEP) winners.

Wave Energy Prize - 1/20th Testing - Oscilla Power

DOE Data Explorer

Scharmen, Wesley

2016-09-16

Data from the 1/20th scale testing data completed on the Wave Energy Prize for the Oscilla Power team, including the 1/20th Test Plan, raw test data, video, photos, and data analysis results. The top level objective of the 1/20th scale device testing is to obtain the necessary measurements required for determining Average Climate Capture Width per Characteristic Capital Expenditure (ACE) and the Hydrodynamic Performance Quality (HPQ), key metrics for determining the WEPrize winners.

Wave Energy Prize - 1/20th Testing - RTI Wave Power

DOE Data Explorer

Scharmen, Wesley

2016-09-30

Data from the 1/20th scale testing data completed on the Wave Energy Prize for the RTI Wave Power team, including the 1/20th Test Plan, raw test data, video, photos, and data analysis results. The top level objective of the 1/20th scale device testing is to obtain the necessary measurements required for determining Average Climate Capture Width per Characteristic Capital Expenditure (ACE) and the Hydrodynamic Performance Quality (HPQ), key metrics for determining the Wave Energy Prize (WEP) winners.

Wave Energy Prize - 1/20th Testing - Harvest Wave Energy

DOE Data Explorer

Wesley Scharmen

2016-08-26

Data from the 1/20th scale testing data completed on the Wave Energy Prize for the Harvest Wave Energy team, including the 1/20th scale test plan, raw test data, video, photos, and data analysis results. The top level objective of the 1/20th scale device testing is to obtain the necessary measurements required for determining Average Climate Capture Width per Characteristic Capital Expenditure (ACE) and the Hydrodynamic Performance Quality (HPQ), key metrics for determining the Wave Energy Prize (WEP) winners.

Design and evaluation of low-cost stainless steel fiberglass foam blades for large wind driven generating systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eggert, W. S.

1982-10-01

A low cost wind turbine blade based on a stainless steel fiberglass foam Budd blade design concept, was evaluated for its principle characteristics, low cost features, and its advantages and disadvantages. A blade structure was designed and construction methods and materials were selected. A complete blade tooling concepts, various technical and economic analysis, and evaluations of the blade design were performed. A comprehensive fatigue test program is conducted to provide data to verify the design stress allowables.

Aerodynamic investigations of a disc-wing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dumitrache, Alexandru; Frunzulica, Florin; Grigorescu, Sorin

2017-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the aerodynamic characteristics of a wing-disc, for a civil application in the fire-fighting system. The aerodynamic analysis is performed using a CFD code, named ANSYS Fluent, in the flow speed range up to 25 m/s, at lower and higher angle of attack. The simulation is three-dimensional, using URANS completed by a SST turbulence model. The results are used to examine the flow around the disc with increasing angle of attack and the structure of the wake.

Application of agglomerative clustering for analyzing phylogenetically on bacterium of saliva

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bustamam, A.; Fitria, I.; Umam, K.

2017-07-01

Analyzing population of Streptococcus bacteria is important since these species can cause dental caries, periodontal, halitosis (bad breath) and more problems. This paper will discuss the phylogenetically relation between the bacterium Streptococcus in saliva using a phylogenetic tree of agglomerative clustering methods. Starting with the bacterium Streptococcus DNA sequence obtained from the GenBank, then performed characteristic extraction of DNA sequences. The characteristic extraction result is matrix form, then performed normalization using min-max normalization and calculate genetic distance using Manhattan distance. Agglomerative clustering technique consisting of single linkage, complete linkage and average linkage. In this agglomerative algorithm number of group is started with the number of individual species. The most similar species is grouped until the similarity decreases and then formed a single group. Results of grouping is a phylogenetic tree and branches that join an established level of distance, that the smaller the distance the more the similarity of the larger species implementation is using R, an open source program.

General Dentists’ Use of Isolation Techniques During Root Canal Treatment: from the National Dental Practice-Based Research Network

PubMed Central

Lawson, Nathaniel C.; Gilbert, Gregg H.; Funkhouser, Ellen; Eleazer, Paul D.; Benjamin, Paul L.; Worley, Donald C.

2015-01-01

Introduction A preliminary study done by a National Dental Practice-Based Research Network precursor observed that 44% of general dentists (GDs) reported always using a rubber dam (RD) during root canal treatment (RCT). This full-scale study quantified use of all isolation techniques, including RD use. Methods Network practitioners completed a questionnaire about isolation techniques used during RCT. Network Enrollment Questionnaire data provided practitioner characteristics. Results 1,490 of 1,716 eligible GDs participated (87%); 697 (47%) reported always using a RD. This percentage varied by tooth type. These GDs were more likely to always use a RD: do not own a private practice; perform less than 10 RCT/month; have postgraduate training. Conclusions Most GDs do not use a RD all the time. Ironically, RDs are used more frequently by GDs who do not perform molar RCT. RD use varies with tooth type and certain dentist, practice, and patient characteristics. PMID:26015159

Effect of passion fruit seed meal on growth performance, carcass, and blood characteristics in starter pigs.

PubMed

Fachinello, Marcelise Regina; Pozza, Paulo Cesar; Moreira, Ivan; Carvalho, Paulo Levi Oliveira; Castilha, Leandro Dalcin; Pasquetti, Tiago Junior; Esteves, Lucas Antonio Costa; Huepa, Laura Marcela Diaz

2015-10-01

Two experiments were carried out in Paraná State, Brazil, to evaluate the nutritional value of passion fruit seed meal (PFM) and to study the effect of PFM on growth performance, carcass, and blood characteristics in starter pigs (Topigs 20 × Tybor). In experiment 1, 25 castrated males, averaging 19.1-kg body weight, were individually fed in a completely randomized block design, consisting of five treatments and five replicates and an experimental period that lasted 14 days. In experiment 2, a total of 60 pigs (30 females and 30 castrated males) were distributed in a randomized block design with five treatments, six replications, and two animals per experimental unit and 90 days of experimentation. For both experiments, the same PFM inclusion rates were used in the experimental diets, namely, 0, 4, 8, 12, and 16 %. The metabolizable energy of PFM was estimated to be 15.0 MJ/kg. Inclusion of PFM at any level did not affect average daily gain, daily feed intake, feed/gain ratio, backfat thickness, loin depth, and plasma or blood components. It is concluded that passion fruit seed meal for swine in the starting phase can be added at a rate of up to 16 % in the diet without any negative effects on growth performance, carcass, and blood characteristics in starter commercial line pigs.

Poly(methyl methacrylate) with TiO2 nanoparticles inclusion for stereolitographic complete denture manufacturing - the fututre in dental care for elderly edentulous patients?

PubMed

Totu, Eugenia Eftimie; Nechifor, Aurelia Cristina; Nechifor, Gheorghe; Aboul-Enein, Hassan Y; Cristache, Corina Marilena

2017-04-01

The aim of this study was to obtain a Poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA)-TiO 2 nanocomposite material with improved antibacterial characteristics, suitable for manufacturing 3D printed dental prosthesis. 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 1, 2.5 by weight% of TiO 2 nanoparticles have been added to the commercially available stereolithographic PMMA material and the obtained nanocomposites have been analyzed using FTIR, SEM and also tested for antimicrobial efficacy against bacterial cultures from Candida species (C. scotti). SEM images and EDX results highlighted the presence of TiO 2 in PMMA nanocomposites. The elemental composition (EDX) also showed the presence of other fillers included in stereolithographic PMMA solution. FTIR analysis clearly revealed changes in polymeric matrix structure when adding TiO 2 nanoparticles. Sample containing 0.4, 1 and 2.5wt% TiO 2 nanoparticles inhibited the growth of Candida scotti strain in standard conditions according to the toxicity control method (DHA). Increasing quantity of nano-titania has resulted in particles fooling, forming new aggregates instead of the homogenous dispersion of nanoparticles with modified viscosity characteristics and expected lower mechanical parameters. Significant improvements in polymer characteristics and nice dispersion of the TiO 2 nanoparticles have been noticed for 0.4wt%, therefore it was used for stereolitographic complete denture prototyping. Incorporation of TiO 2 nanoparticles in PMMA polymer matrix was proved to have antibacterial effects, specifically on Candida species. The newly obtained 0.4% nanocomposite was successfully used with stereolitographic technique for complete denture manufacturing. However, mechanical and biocompatibility tests need to be performed in order to extend the clinical usage. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Flight evaluation of an advanced technology light twin-engine airplane (ATLIT)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holmes, B. J.

1977-01-01

Project organization and execution, airplane description and performance predictions, and the results of the flight evaluation of an advanced technology light twin engine airplane (ATLIT) are presented. The ATLIT is a Piper PA-34-200 Seneca I modified by the installation of new wings incorporating the GA(W)-1 (Whitcomb) airfoil, reduced wing area, roll control spoilers, and full span Fowler flaps. The conclusions for the ATLIT evaluation are based on complete stall and roll flight test results and partial performance test results. The Stalling and rolling characteristics met design expectations. Climb performance was penalized by extensive flow separation in the region of the wing body juncture. Cruise performance was found to be penalized by a large value of zero lift drag. Calculations showed that, with proper attention to construction details, the improvements in span efficiency and zero lift drag would permit the realization of the predicted increases in cruising and maximum rate of climb performance.

Fronto-Parietal gray matter and white matter efficiency differentially predict intelligence in males and females.

PubMed

Ryman, Sephira G; Yeo, Ronald A; Witkiewitz, Katie; Vakhtin, Andrei A; van den Heuvel, Martijn; de Reus, Marcel; Flores, Ranee A; Wertz, Christopher R; Jung, Rex E

2016-11-01

While there are minimal sex differences in overall intelligence, males, on average, have larger total brain volume and corresponding regional brain volumes compared to females, measures that are consistently related to intelligence. Limited research has examined which other brain characteristics may differentially contribute to intelligence in females to facilitate equal performance on intelligence measures. Recent reports of sex differences in the neural characteristics of the brain further highlight the need to differentiate how the structural neural characteristics relate to intellectual ability in males and females. The current study utilized a graph network approach in conjunction with structural equation modeling to examine potential sex differences in the relationship between white matter efficiency, fronto-parietal gray matter volume, and general cognitive ability (GCA). Participants were healthy adults (n = 244) who completed a battery of cognitive testing and underwent structural neuroimaging. Results indicated that in males, a latent factor of fronto-parietal gray matter was significantly related to GCA when controlling for total gray matter volume. In females, white matter efficiency and total gray matter volume were significantly related to GCA, with no specificity of the fronto-parietal gray matter factor over and above total gray matter volume. This work highlights that different neural characteristics across males and females may contribute to performance on intelligence measures. Hum Brain Mapp 37:4006-4016, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Characterizing smoking topography of cannabis in heavy users

PubMed Central

Stitzer, Maxine L.; Vandrey, Ryan

2013-01-01

Rationale Little is known about the smoking topography characteristics of heavy cannabis users. Such measures may be able to predict cannabis use-related outcomes and could be used to validate self-reported measures of cannabis use. Objectives The current study was conducted to measure cannabis smoking topography characteristics during periods of ad libitum use and to correlate topography assessments with measures of self-reported cannabis use, withdrawal and craving during abstinence, and cognitive task performance. Methods Participants (N=20) completed an inpatient study in which they alternated between periods of ad libitum cannabis use and abstinence. Measures of self-reported cannabis use, smoking topography, craving, withdrawal, and sleep measures were collected. Results Participants smoked with greater intensity (e.g., greater volume, longer duration) on initial cigarette puffs with a steady decline on subsequent puffs. Smoking characteristics were significantly correlated with severity of withdrawal, notably sleep quality and architecture, and craving during abstinence, suggesting dose-related effects of cannabis use on these outcomes. Smoking characteristics generally were not significantly associated with cognitive performance. Smoking topography measures were significantly correlated with self-reported measures of cannabis use, indicating validity of these assessments, but topography measures were more sensitive than self-report in predicting cannabis-related outcomes. Conclusions A dose–effect relationship between cannabis consumption and outcomes believed to be clinically important was observed. With additional research, smoking topography assessments may become a useful clinical tool. PMID:21922170

Acoustic fatigue and sound transmission characteristics of a ram composite panel design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cockburn, J. A.; Chang, K. Y.; Kao, G. C.

1972-01-01

An experimental study to determine the acoustic fatigue characteristics of a flat multi-layered structural panel is described. The test panel represented a proposed design for the outer skin of a research application module to be housed within the space shuttle orbiter vehicle. The test specimen was mounted in one wall of the Wyle 100,000 cu ft reverberation room and exposed to a broadband acoustic environment having an overall level of 145 db. The test panel was exposed to nine separate applications of the acoustic environment, each application consisting of 250 seconds duration. Upon completion of the ninth test run, the specimen was exposed to a simulated micrometeoroid impact near the panel center. One additional test run of 250 seconds duration was then performed to complete the overall simulation of 50 flight missions. The experimental results show that no significant fatigue damage occurred until the test specimen was exposed to a simulated micrometeoroid impact. The intermediate foam layer forming the core of the test specimen suffered considerable damage due to this impact, causing a marked variation in the dynamic characteristics of the overall test panel. During the final application of the acoustic environment, the strain and acceleration response spectra showed considerable variation from those spectra obtained prior to impact of the panel. Fatigue damage from acoustic loading however, was limited to partial de-bonding around the edges of the composite panel.

Characteristics explaining performance in downhill mountain biking.

PubMed

Chidley, Joel B; MacGregor, Alexandra L; Martin, Caoimhe; Arthur, Calum A; Macdonald, Jamie H

2015-03-01

To identify physiological, psychological, and skill characteristics that explain performance in downhill (DH) mountain-bike racing. Four studies were used to (1) identify factors potentially contributing to DH performance (using an expert focus group), (2) develop and validate a measure of rider skill (using video analysis and expert judge evaluation), (3) evaluate whether physiological, psychological, and skill variables contribute to performance at a DH competition, and (4) test the specific contribution of aerobic capacity to DH performance. STUDY 1 identified aerobic capacity, handgrip endurance, anaerobic power, rider skill, and self-confidence as potentially important for DH. In study 2 the rider-skill measure displayed good interrater reliability. Study 3 found that rider skill and handgrip endurance were significantly related to DH ride time (β=-0.76 and -0.14, respectively; R2=.73), with exploratory analyses suggesting that DH ride time may also be influenced by self-confidence and aerobic capacity. Study 4 confirmed aerobic capacity as an important variable influencing DH performance (for a DH ride, mean oxygen uptake was 49±5 mL·kg(-1)·min(-1), and 90% of the ride was completed above the 1st ventilatory threshold). In order of importance, rider skill, handgrip endurance, self-confidence, and aerobic capacity were identified as variables influencing DH performance. Practically, this study provides a novel assessment of rider skill that could be used by coaches to monitor training and identify talent. Novel intervention targets to enhance DH performance were also identified, including self-confidence and aerobic capacity.

Determinants explaining the variability of hand-transmitted vibration emissions from two different work tasks: grinding and cutting using angle grinders.

PubMed

Liljelind, Ingrid; Pettersson, Hans; Nilsson, Leif; Wahlström, Jens; Toomingas, Allan; Lundström, Ronnie; Burström, Lage

2013-10-01

There are numerous factors including physical, biomechanical, and individual that influence exposure to hand-transmitted vibration (HTV) and cause variability in the exposure measurements. Knowledge of exposure variability and determinants of exposure could be used to improve working conditions. We performed a quasi-experimental study, where operators performed routine work tasks in order to obtain estimates of the variance components and to evaluate the effect of determinants, such as machine-wheel combinations and individual operator characteristics. Two pre-defined simulated work tasks were performed by 11 operators: removal of a weld puddle of mild steel and cutting of a square steel pipe. In both tasks, four angle grinders were used, two running on compressed air and two electrically driven. Two brands of both grinding and cutting wheels were used. Each operator performed both tasks twice in a random order with each grinder and wheel and the time to complete each task was recorded. Vibration emission values were collected and the wheel wear was measured as loss of weight. Operators' characteristics collected were as follows: age, body height and weight, length and volume of their hands, maximum hand grip force, and length of work experience with grinding machines (years). The tasks were also performed by one operator who used four machines of the same brand. Mixed and random effects models were used in the statistical evaluation. The statistical evaluation was performed for grinding and cutting separately and we used a measure referring to the sum of the 1-s r.m.s. average frequency-weighted acceleration over time for completing the work task (a(sa)). Within each work task, there was a significant effect as a result of the determinants 'the machine used', 'wheel wear', and 'time taken to complete the task'. For cutting, 'the brand of wheel' used also had a significant effect. More than 90% of the inherent variability in the data was explained by the determinants. The two electrically powered machines had a mean a(sa) that was 2.6 times higher than the two air-driven machines. For cutting, the effect of the brand of wheel on a(sa) was ~0.1 times. The a(sa) increased both with increasing wheel wear and with time taken to complete the work task. However, there were also a number of interaction effects which, to a minor extent, modified the a(sa). Only a minor part (1%) of the total variability was attributed to the operator: for cutting, the volume of the hands, maximum grip force, and body weight were significant, while for grinding, it was the maximum grip force. There was no clear difference in a(sa) between the four copies of the same brand of each machine. By including determinants that were attributed to the brand of both machine and wheel used as well as the time taken to complete the work task, we were able to explain >90% of the variability. The dominating determinant was the brand of the machine. Little variability was found between operators, indicating that the overall effect as due to the operator was small.

Decision-making deficits in normal elderly persons associated with executive personality disturbances.

PubMed

Nguyen, Christopher M; Barrash, Joseph; Koenigs, Anna L; Bechara, Antoine; Tranel, Daniel; Denburg, Natalie L

2013-11-01

The problems that some community-dwelling elderly persons develop in real-world decision-making may have disastrous consequences for their health and financial well-being. Investigations across the adult life span have identified personality as an important individual differences variable that is related to decision-making ability. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between personality characteristics, as rated by an informant, and complex decision-making performance among elderly persons. It was hypothesized that deficits in decision-making would be associated with personality characteristics reflecting weak executive functioning (Lack of Planning, Poor Judgment, Lack of Persistence, Perseveration, Lack of Initiative, Impulsivity, and Indecisiveness). Fifty-eight elderly persons participated. Their health and cognitive status were deemed intact via comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation. The Iowa Scales of Personality, completed by an informant, was used to assess personality characteristics, and the Iowa Gambling Task, completed by the participant, was used to assess complex decision-making abilities. Longstanding disturbances in executive personality characteristics were found to be associated with poor decision-making, and these disturbances remained predictive of poor decision-making even after taking into consideration demographic, neuropsychological, and mood factors. Acquired personality disturbances did not add significantly to prediction after longstanding disturbances were taken into account. Disturbances in other dimensions of personality were not significantly associated with poor decision-making. Our study suggests that attentiveness to the personality correlates of difficulties with aspects of executive functioning over the adult years could enhance the ability to identify older individuals at risk for problems with real-world decision-making.

Decision-Making Deficits in Normal Elderly Persons Associated with Executive Personality Disturbances

PubMed Central

Nguyen, Christopher M.; Barrash, Joseph; Koenigs, Anna L.; Bechara, Antoine; Tranel, Daniel; Denburg, Natalie L.

2014-01-01

Background The problems that some community-dwelling elderly develop in real-world decision-making may have disastrous consequences for their health and financial well-being. Investigations across the adult life span have identified personality as an important individual differences variable that is related to decision-making ability. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between personality characteristics, as rated by an informant, and complex decision-making performance among elders. It was hypothesized that deficits in decision-making would be associated with personality characteristics reflecting weak executive functioning (Lack of Planning, Poor Judgment, Lack of Persistence, Perseveration, Lack of Initiative, Impulsivity, and Indecisiveness). Methods Fifty-eight elderly persons participated. Their health and cognitive status were deemed intact via comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation. The Iowa Scales of Personality, completed by an informant, was used to assess personality characteristics, and the Iowa Gambling Task, completed by the participant, was used to assess complex decision-making abilities. Results Longstanding disturbances in executive personality characteristics were found to be associated with poor decision-making, and these disturbances remained predictive of poor decision-making even after taking into consideration demographic, neuropsychological, and mood factors. Acquired personality disturbances did not add significantly to prediction after longstanding disturbances were taken into account. Disturbances in other dimensions of personality were not significantly associated with poor decision-making. Conclusions Our study suggests that attentiveness to the personality correlates of difficulties with aspects of executive functioning over the adult years could enhance the ability to identify older individuals at risk for problems with real-world decision-making. PMID:23906413

The Effect of Negative Dihedral, Tip Droop, and Wing-tip Shape on the Low-speed Aerodynamic Characteristics of a Complete Model Having a 45 Degrees Sweptback Wing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spearman, M Leroy; Becht, Robert E

1948-01-01

An investigation has been conducted in the Langley 300 MPH 7- by 10-foot tunnel to determine the effect of negative dihedral, tip droop, and wing-tip shape on the low-speed aerodynamic characteristics of a complete model having a 45 degrees sweptback wing. Longitudinal and lateral stability characteristics were obtained for the model with and without tail surfaces.

User's guide to the NOZL3D and NOZLIC computer programs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thomas, P. D.

1980-01-01

Complete FORTRAN listings and running instructions are given for a set of computer programs that perform an implicit numerical solution to the unsteady Navier-Stokes equations to predict the flow characteristics and performance of nonaxisymmetric nozzles. The set includes the NOZL3D program, which performs the flow computations; the NOZLIC program, which sets up the flow field initial conditions for general nozzle configurations, and also generates the computational grid for simple two dimensional and axisymmetric configurations; and the RGRIDD program, which generates the computational grid for complicated three dimensional configurations. The programs are designed specifically for the NASA-Langley CYBER 175 computer, and employ auxiliary disk files for primary data storage. Input instructions and computed results are given for four test cases that include two dimensional, three dimensional, and axisymmetric configurations.

Firefighter's compressed air breathing system pressure vessel development program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beck, E. J.

1974-01-01

The research to design, fabricate, test, and deliver a pressure vessel for the main component in an improved high-performance firefighter's breathing system is reported. The principal physical and performance characteristics of the vessel which were required are: (1) maximum weight of 9.0 lb; (2) maximum operating pressure of 4500 psig (charge pressure of 4000 psig); (3) minimum contained volume of 280 in. 3; (4) proof pressure of 6750 psig; (5) minimum burst pressure of 9000 psig following operational and service life; and (6) a minimum service life of 15 years. The vessel developed to fulfill the requirements described was completely sucessful, i.e., every category of performence was satisfied. The average weight of the vessel was found to be about 8.3 lb, well below the 9.0 lb specification requirement.

Design integration and noise studies for jet STOL aircraft. Volume 1: Program summary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Okeefe, V. O.; Kelley, G. S.

1972-01-01

This program was undertaken to develop, through analysis, design, experimental static testing, wind tunnel testing, and design integration studies, an augmentor wing jet flap configuration for a jet STOL transport aircraft having maximum propulsion and aerodynamic performance with minimum noise generation. The program had three basic elements: (1) static testing of a scale wing section to demonstrate augmentor performance and noise characteristics; (2) two-dimensional wind tunnel testing to determine flight speed effects on performance; and (3) system design and evaluation which integrated the augmentor information obtained into a complete system and ensured that the design was compatible with the requirements for a large STOL transport having a 500-ft sideline noise of 95 PNdB or less. This objective has been achieved.

On-orbit Performance and Calibration of the HMI Instrument

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoeksema, J. Todd; Bush, Rock; HMI Calibration Team

2016-10-01

The Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) on the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) has observed the Sun almost continuously since the completion of commissioning in May 2010, returning more than 100,000,000 filtergrams from geosynchronous orbit. Diligent and exhaustive monitoring of the instrument's performance ensures that HMI functions properly and allows proper calibration of the full-disk images and processing of the HMI observables. We constantly monitor trends in temperature, pointing, mechanism behavior, and software errors. Cosmic ray contamination is detected and bad pixels are removed from each image. Routine calibration sequences and occasional special observing programs are used to measure the instrument focus, distortion, scattered light, filter profiles, throughput, and detector characteristics. That information is used to optimize instrument performance and adjust calibration of filtergrams and observables.

Comparison of five assays for detection of Clostridium difficile toxin.

PubMed

Chapin, Kimberle C; Dickenson, Roberta A; Wu, Fongman; Andrea, Sarah B

2011-07-01

Performance characteristics of five assays for detection of Clostridium difficile toxin were compared using fresh stool samples from patients with C. difficile infection (CDI). Assays were performed simultaneously and according to the manufacturers' instructions. Patients were included in the study if they exhibited clinical symptoms consistent with CDI. Nonmolecular assays included glutamate dehydrogenase antigen tests, with positive findings followed by the Premier Toxin A and B Enzyme Immunoassay (GDH/EIA), and the C. Diff Quik Chek Complete test. Molecular assays (PCR) included the BD GeneOhm Cdiff Assay, the Xpert C. difficile test, and the ProGastro Cd assay. Specimens were considered true positive if results were positive in two or more assays. For each method, the Youden index was calculated and cost-effectiveness was analyzed. Of 81 patients evaluated, 26 (32.1%) were positive for CDI. Sensitivity of the BD GeneOhm Cdiff assay, the Xpert C. difficile test, the ProGastro Cd assay, C. Diff Quik Chek Complete test, and two-step GDH/EIA was 96.2%, 96.2%, 88.5%, 61.5%, and 42.3%, respectively. Specificity of the Xpert C. difficile test was 96.4%, and for the other four assays was 100%. Compared with nonmolecular methods, molecular methods detected 34.7% more positive specimens. Assessment of performance characteristics and cost-effectiveness demonstrated that the BD GeneOhm Cdiff assay yielded the best results. While costly, the Xpert C. difficile test required limited processing and yielded rapid results. Because of discordant results, specimen processing, and extraction equipment requirements, the ProGastro Cd assay was the least favored molecular assay. The GDH/EIA method lacked sufficient sensitivity to be recommended. Copyright © 2011 American Society for Investigative Pathology and the Association for Molecular Pathology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparison of Five Assays for Detection of Clostridium difficile Toxin

PubMed Central

Chapin, Kimberle C.; Dickenson, Roberta A.; Wu, Fongman; Andrea, Sarah B.

2011-01-01

Performance characteristics of five assays for detection of Clostridium difficile toxin were compared using fresh stool samples from patients with C. difficile infection (CDI). Assays were performed simultaneously and according to the manufacturers' instructions. Patients were included in the study if they exhibited clinical symptoms consistent with CDI. Nonmolecular assays included glutamate dehydrogenase antigen tests, with positive findings followed by the Premier Toxin A and B Enzyme Immunoassay (GDH/EIA), and the C. Diff Quik Chek Complete test. Molecular assays (PCR) included the BD GeneOhm Cdiff Assay, the Xpert C. difficile test, and the ProGastro Cd assay. Specimens were considered true positive if results were positive in two or more assays. For each method, the Youden index was calculated and cost-effectiveness was analyzed. Of 81 patients evaluated, 26 (32.1%) were positive for CDI. Sensitivity of the BD GeneOhm Cdiff assay, the Xpert C. difficile test, the ProGastro Cd assay, C. Diff Quik Chek Complete test, and two-step GDH/EIA was 96.2%, 96.2%, 88.5%, 61.5%, and 42.3%, respectively. Specificity of the Xpert C. difficile test was 96.4%, and for the other four assays was 100%. Compared with nonmolecular methods, molecular methods detected 34.7% more positive specimens. Assessment of performance characteristics and cost-effectiveness demonstrated that the BD GeneOhm Cdiff assay yielded the best results. While costly, the Xpert C. difficile test required limited processing and yielded rapid results. Because of discordant results, specimen processing, and extraction equipment requirements, the ProGastro Cd assay was the least favored molecular assay. The GDH/EIA method lacked sufficient sensitivity to be recommended. PMID:21704273

Psychological skills training of an elite wheelchair water-skiing athlete: a single-case study.

PubMed

de Bressy de Guast, Virginie; Golby, Jim; Van Wersch, Anna; d'Arripe-Longueville, Fabienne

2013-10-01

This study presents a complete psychological skills training (PST) program with a wheelchair athlete and examines the program effectiveness using a mixed-method approach. After initial testing, the athlete followed a two-month program of self-confidence building, motivational, visualization/relaxation, and injury management techniques. Quantitative and qualitative methods were used to examine the impacts on performance and psychological abilities. The triangulated results suggest that the PST program was perceived as effective by the athlete in terms of his sporting performances and mental skills. The characteristics and implications of a PST program with this wheelchair athlete are discussed, as well as the study limitations and the perspectives for future research.

Light sources for high-volume manufacturing EUV lithography: technology, performance, and power scaling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fomenkov, Igor; Brandt, David; Ershov, Alex; Schafgans, Alexander; Tao, Yezheng; Vaschenko, Georgiy; Rokitski, Slava; Kats, Michael; Vargas, Michael; Purvis, Michael; Rafac, Rob; La Fontaine, Bruno; De Dea, Silvia; LaForge, Andrew; Stewart, Jayson; Chang, Steven; Graham, Matthew; Riggs, Daniel; Taylor, Ted; Abraham, Mathew; Brown, Daniel

2017-06-01

Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography is expected to succeed in 193-nm immersion multi-patterning technology for sub-10-nm critical layer patterning. In order to be successful, EUV lithography has to demonstrate that it can satisfy the industry requirements in the following critical areas: power, dose stability, etendue, spectral content, and lifetime. Currently, development of second-generation laser-produced plasma (LPP) light sources for the ASML's NXE:3300B EUV scanner is complete, and first units are installed and operational at chipmaker customers. We describe different aspects and performance characteristics of the sources, dose stability results, power scaling, and availability data for EUV sources and also report new development results.

RF optics study for DSS-43 ultracone implementation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, P.; Veruttipong, W.

1994-01-01

The Ultracone feed system will be implemented on DSS 43 to support the S-band (2.3 GHz) Galileo contingency mission. The feed system will be installed in the host country's cone, which is normally used for radio astronomy, VLBI, and holography. The design must retain existing radio-astronomy capabilities, which could be impaired by shadowing from the large S-band feed horn. Computer calculations were completed to estimate system performance and shadowing effects for various configurations of the host country's cone feed systems. Also, the DSS-43 system performance using higher gain S-band horns was analyzed. A new S-band horn design with improved return loss and cross-polarization characteristics is presented.

Graphene membranes with nanoslits for seawater desalination via forward osmosis.

PubMed

Dahanayaka, Madhavi; Liu, Bo; Hu, Zhongqiao; Pei, Qing-Xiang; Chen, Zhong; Law, Adrian Wing-Keung; Zhou, Kun

2017-11-22

Stacked graphene (GE) membranes with cascading nanoslits can be synthesized economically compared to monolayer nanoporous GE membranes, and have potential for molecular separation. This study focuses on investigating the seawater desalination performance of these stacked GE layers as forward osmosis (FO) membranes by using molecular dynamics simulations. The FO performance is evaluated in terms of water flux and salt rejection and is explained by analysing the water density distribution and radial distribution function. The water flow displays an Arrhenius type relation with temperature and the activation energy for the stacked GE membrane is estimated to be 8.02 kJ mol -1 , a value much lower than that of commercially available FO membranes. The study reveals that the membrane characteristics including the pore width, offset, interlayer separation distance and number of layers have significant effects on the desalination performance. Unlike monolayer nanoporous GE membranes, at an optimum layer separation distance, the stacked GE membranes with large pore widths and completely misaligned pore configuration can retain complete ion rejection and maintain a high water flux. Findings from the present study are helpful in developing GE-based membranes for seawater desalination via FO.

Rare angioproliferative tumors mimicking aggressive spinal hemangioma with epidural expansion.

PubMed

Kulcsár, Zsolt; Veres, Róbert; Hanzély, Zoltán; Berentei, Zsolt; Marosfoi, Miklós; Nyáry, István; Szikora, István

2012-01-30

We present two cases of angio-proliferative tumors that were misdiagnosed and treated as typical hemangiomas with epidural expansion. Two middle-aged women presented with symptoms and radiological signs characteristic for aggressive hemangioma with epidural expansion. In the first case preoperative embolization and decompressive surgery with open transpedicular vertebroplasty was performed. Within less than a year, epidural recurrence of the tumor prompted for radical excision and corpectomy. The diagnosis after the histological studies and the further clinical evolution was metastasizing leiomyomatosis. No further recurrence occured during the next 6 years. In the second case percutaneous vertebroplasty was performed and complicated by epidural polymethyl-methacrylcate (PMMA) leakage, requiring urgent decompressive surgery. Histological study of the lesion raised the possibility of myopericytoma. This was confirmed 16 months later when complete vertebrectomy was performed due to severe epidural propagation of the recurring tumor. No further recurrence occurred in next the two years. Rare angio-proliferative tumors, like benign metastasizing leiomyoma and myopericytoma radiologically may resemble aggressive vertebral hemangiomas of the spine. Unlike hemangiomas, such tumors require radical removal due to their likely recurrence. As imaging studies may not be able to completely exclude such pathologies, bone biopsy and thorough histopathological studies are warranted prior to the therapeutic decision.

Psychological Characteristics Of Academically Gifted Adolescents Attending A Residential Academy: A Longitudinal Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cross, Tracy L.; Adams, Cheryll; Dixon, Felicia; Holland, Jason

2004-01-01

Students attending a state-supported residential academy for academically gifted adolescents (N = 139) completed the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory for Adolescents (MMPI-A; Butcher et al., 1992) upon entrance to document their psychological characteristics. The same students completed a postadministration of the MMPI-A at the end of…

Combining ability for yield and fruit quality in the pepper Capsicum annuum.

PubMed

do Nascimento, N F F; do Rêgo, E R; Nascimento, M F; Bruckner, C H; Finger, F L; do Rêgo, M M

2014-04-29

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of the general and specific combining abilities (GCA and SCA, respectively) of 15 characteristics and to evaluate the most promising crosses and the reciprocal effect between the hybrids of six parents of the Capsicum annuum species. Six parents, belonging to the Horticultural Germplasm Bank of Centro de Ciências Agrárias of Universidade Federal da Paraíba, were crossed in complete diallel manner. The 30 hybrids generated and the parents were then analyzed in a completely randomized design with three replicates. The data were submitted to analysis of variance at 1% probability, and the means were grouped by the Scott-Knott test at 1% probability. The diallel analysis was performed according to the Griffing method, model I and fixed model. Both additive and non-additive effects influenced the hybrids' performance, as indicated by the GCA/SCA ratio. The non-additive effects, epistasis and/or dominance, played a more important role than the additive effects in pedicel length, pericarp thickness, fresh matter, dry matter content, seed yield per fruit, fruit yield per plant, days to fructification, and total soluble solids. The GCA effects were more important than the SCA effects in the fruit weight, fruit length and diameter, placenta length, yield, vitamin C, and titratable acidity characteristics. The results found here clearly show that ornamental pepper varieties can be developed through hybridization in breeding programs with C. annuum.

Spinal epidural angiolipomas: Clinical characteristics, management and outcomes

PubMed Central

Bouali, Sofiene; Maatar, Nidhal; Bouhoula, Asma; Abderrahmen, Khansa; Said, Imed Ben; Boubaker, Adnen; Kallel, Jalel; Jemel, Hafedh

2016-01-01

Purpose: The spinal epidural angiolipomas are rare expansive processes made of mature lipomatous and angiomatous elements. They often have a benign character. Their etiology, pathogenesis remains uncertain, and it is a cause of spinal cord compression. The magnetic resonance imaging is the most important neuroradiological examination. Histological examination is the only examination to confirm the diagnosis. Surgery is the treatment of choice. Methods: A retrospective study of all patients operated on for a spinal epidural angiolipoma at the Department of Neurosurgery at the National Institute of Neurology of Tunis between January 2000 and December 2014 (15 years) was performed. The aim of this study is to describe the clinical, radiological, histological characteristics and the treatment of this tumor. Results: A total of nine patients were operated from January 01, 2000 to November 30, 2014. The average age of our patients was 51 years with ages that ranged from 29 to 65 with a male predominance. The period between onset of symptoms and diagnosis ranged from 24 months with an average 12 months. Posterior localization of the tumor was seen in all patients. Surgical resection was performed for all cases. The postoperative course has been satisfactory, with a complete recovery of neurological functions in all patients. Conclusions: The spinal epidural angiolipomas is rare expansive process causing spinal cord compression. Treatment is exclusively surgical resection. The functional outcome of spinal epidural angiolipomas is particularly favorable with a complete neurological recovery is if the patient was quickly operated. PMID:27695535

Spinal epidural angiolipomas: Clinical characteristics, management and outcomes.

PubMed

Bouali, Sofiene; Maatar, Nidhal; Bouhoula, Asma; Abderrahmen, Khansa; Said, Imed Ben; Boubaker, Adnen; Kallel, Jalel; Jemel, Hafedh

2016-01-01

The spinal epidural angiolipomas are rare expansive processes made of mature lipomatous and angiomatous elements. They often have a benign character. Their etiology, pathogenesis remains uncertain, and it is a cause of spinal cord compression. The magnetic resonance imaging is the most important neuroradiological examination. Histological examination is the only examination to confirm the diagnosis. Surgery is the treatment of choice. A retrospective study of all patients operated on for a spinal epidural angiolipoma at the Department of Neurosurgery at the National Institute of Neurology of Tunis between January 2000 and December 2014 (15 years) was performed. The aim of this study is to describe the clinical, radiological, histological characteristics and the treatment of this tumor. A total of nine patients were operated from January 01, 2000 to November 30, 2014. The average age of our patients was 51 years with ages that ranged from 29 to 65 with a male predominance. The period between onset of symptoms and diagnosis ranged from 24 months with an average 12 months. Posterior localization of the tumor was seen in all patients. Surgical resection was performed for all cases. The postoperative course has been satisfactory, with a complete recovery of neurological functions in all patients. The spinal epidural angiolipomas is rare expansive process causing spinal cord compression. Treatment is exclusively surgical resection. The functional outcome of spinal epidural angiolipomas is particularly favorable with a complete neurological recovery is if the patient was quickly operated.

Menopausal vasomotor symptoms are associated with poor self-assessed work ability.

PubMed

Gartoulla, Pragya; Bell, Robin J; Worsley, Roisin; Davis, Susan R

2016-05-01

It has been hypothesised that vasomotor symptoms (VMS), the hallmark of menopause, may affect women's workplace performance. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between VMS and self-reported work ability, taking into account socio-demographic characteristics. Study design/Main Outcome measures: A national cross-sectional survey of women, aged 40-65 years, was conducted between October 2013 and March 2014. Participants provided socio-demographic and lifestyle factors and completed the Menopause Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire (MENQOL) and the Work Ability Index (WAI). Of 2020 women who comprised the study sample, 1274 were in paid employment and 1263 completed the WAI. The WAI score was good-excellent for 81.5% of women and poor-moderate for 18.5%. After adjustment for socio-demographic characteristics, having any VMS was associated with greater likelihood of poor-moderate work ability [odds ratio (OR)=2.45, 95% CI 1.69-3.54]. Poorer work ability was significantly and independently associated with being un-partnered, obese or overweight, smoking, being carer and having insecure housing finance, but not with age. Overall, most women functioned well at work. We observed an association suggesting a relationship not only between menopausal VMS and personal wellbeing, but also between VMS and self-assessed work ability. Although 4 in 5 women functioned well at work, recognition of the association with VMS may improve wellbeing and work performance of working women at midlife. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Job demands, job resources, and job performance in japanese workers: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Nakagawa, Yuko; Inoue, Akiomi; Kawakami, Norito; Tsuno, Kanami; Tomioka, Kimiko; Nakanishi, Mayuko; Mafune, Kosuke; Hiro, Hisanori

2014-01-01

This study investigated the cross-sectional association of job demands (i.e., psychological demands) and job resources (i.e., decision latitude, supervisor support, co-worker support, and extrinsic reward) with job performance. A total of 1,198 workers (458 males and 740 females) from a manufacturing company in Japan completed a self-administered questionnaire that included the Job Content Questionnaire, Effort-Reward Imbalance Questionnaire, World Health Organization Health and Work Performance Questionnaire, and demographic survey. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted. After adjusting for demographic characteristics, decision latitude (β=0.107, p=0.001) and extrinsic reward (β=0.158, p<0.001) were positively and significantly associated with job performance while supervisor support (β=-0.102, p=0.002) was negatively and significantly associated with job performance. On the other hand, psychological demands or co-worker support was not significantly associated with job performance. These findings suggest that higher decision latitude and extrinsic reward enhance job performance among Japanese employees.

Job Demands, Job Resources, and Job Performance in Japanese Workers: A Cross-sectional Study

PubMed Central

NAKAGAWA, Yuko; INOUE, Akiomi; KAWAKAMI, Norito; TSUNO, Kanami; TOMIOKA, Kimiko; NAKANISHI, Mayuko; MAFUNE, Kosuke; HIRO, Hisanori

2014-01-01

This study investigated the cross-sectional association of job demands (i.e., psychological demands) and job resources (i.e., decision latitude, supervisor support, co-worker support, and extrinsic reward) with job performance. A total of 1,198 workers (458 males and 740 females) from a manufacturing company in Japan completed a self-administered questionnaire that included the Job Content Questionnaire, Effort-Reward Imbalance Questionnaire, World Health Organization Health and Work Performance Questionnaire, and demographic survey. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted. After adjusting for demographic characteristics, decision latitude (β=0.107, p=0.001) and extrinsic reward (β=0.158, p<0.001) were positively and significantly associated with job performance while supervisor support (β=−0.102, p=0.002) was negatively and significantly associated with job performance. On the other hand, psychological demands or co-worker support was not significantly associated with job performance. These findings suggest that higher decision latitude and extrinsic reward enhance job performance among Japanese employees. PMID:25016948

A Comparison of Mobile and Fixed Device Access on User Engagement Associated With Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Online Nutrition Education.

PubMed

Brusk, John J; Bensley, Robert J

2016-11-15

Online health education has expanded its reach due to cost-effective implementation and demonstrated effectiveness. However, a limitation exists with the evaluation of online health education implementations and how the impact of the system is attenuated by the extent to which a user engages with it. Moreover, the current online health education research does not consider how this engagement has been affected by the transition from fixed to mobile user access over the last decade. This paper focuses on comparing the impact mobile versus fixed devices have on user engagement key performance indicators (KPI) associated with the wichealth website (.org), an Internet-based parent-child feeding intervention offered to clients associated with the US Department of Agriculture's Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Data were collected from 612,201 nutrition education lessons completed by 305,735 unique WIC participants in 21 states over a 1-year period. Data consisted of system-collected measures, profile items, and items from an exit survey administered at the conclusion of each lesson. User engagement was defined based on 3 KPIs associated with usage of the wichealth website: number of link views, link view time, and progression in stage of readiness to change. Independent samples t tests were used to compare KPIs between fixed only and mobile only device users and paired samples t tests were used to compare KPIs within users who completed at least one lesson each on both a fixed and mobile device. A logistic regression was performed to estimate the odds of KPI performance thresholds in the independent samples study group given access device type while controlling for confounding of user characteristics associated with these KPIs. Analysis of 8 user characteristics (lessons completed, race, ethnicity, language, state of residence, pregnancy status, beginning stage of change, and preferred nutrition education method) were significantly (P<.001) related to various KPI differences between mobile and fixed device access. Non-mobile users were significantly (P<.001) more likely to engage based on all 3 KPIs, even after logistic regression control for the potential confounding related to the strongly associated user characteristics identified. The findings of this study support the idea that online health education developers need to seriously consider access device when creating programs. Online health education developers need to take extra effort to truly understand access patterns of populations being served, and whether or not access device will influence user engagement performance indicators. ©John J Brusk, Robert J Bensley. Originally published in JMIR Research Protocols (http://www.researchprotocols.org), 15.11.2016.

Navier-Stokes analysis of airfoils with leading edge ice accretions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Potapczuk, Mark G.

1993-01-01

A numerical analysis of the flowfield characteristics and the performance degradation of an airfoil with leading edge ice accretions was performed. The important fluid dynamic processes were identified and calculated. Among these were the leading edge separation bubble at low angles of attack, complete separation on the low pressure surface resulting in premature shell, drag rise due to the ice shape, and the effects of angle of attack on the separated flow field. Comparisons to experimental results were conducted to confirm these calculations. A computer code which solves the Navier-Stokes equations in two dimensions, ARC2D, was used to perform the calculations. A Modified Mixing Length turbulence model was developed to produce grids for several ice shape and airfoil combinations. Results indicate that the ability to predict overall performance characteristics, such as lift and drag, at low angles of attack is excellent. Transition location is important for accurately determining separation bubble shape. Details of the flowfield in and downstream of the separated regions requires some modifications. Calculations for the stalled airfoil indicate periodic shedding of vorticity that was generated aft of the ice accretion. Time averaged pressure values produce results which compare favorably with experimental information. A turbulence model which accounts for the history effects in the flow may be justified.

Partial articular-sided rotator cuff tears: in situ repair versus tear completion prior to repair.

PubMed

Sethi, Paul M; Rajaram, Arun; Obopilwe, Elifho; Mazzocca, Augustus D

2013-06-01

Uncertainty exists over the ideal surgical treatment method for partial articular-sided rotator cuff tears, with options ranging from debridement to in situ repair to tear completion prior to repair. The purpose of this study was to determine whether in situ repair was a viable biomechanical treatment option compared with tear completion prior to repair of partial articular-sided rotator cuff tears. Fourteen fresh-frozen cadaveric shoulders were dissected. Partial articular-sided tears were created and repaired using in situ repair or tear completion prior to the repair. Strain and displacement were measured at 45°, 60°, and 90° of glenohumeral abduction. Testing was performed with a load of 100 N applied for 30 cycles. Data from the biomechanical testing displayed 4 conditions that showed improved characteristics of in situ repair over completion and repair: bursal-sided strain anteriorly at 45°, bursal-sided strain anteriorly at 90°, bursal-sided displacement anteriorly at 45°, and bursal-sided displacement anteriorly at 90°. The data indicate that in situ repair is a viable biomechanical treatment option compared with tear completion prior to repair of partial articular-sided rotator cuff tears. When clinically appropriate, the in situ repair may offer some biomechanical advantages, with lower strain and displacement observed on the bursal side compared with tear completion prior to repair. Copyright 2013, SLACK Incorporated.

Ending prematurely a weight loss programme: the impact of child and family characteristics.

PubMed

Braet, C; Jeannin, R; Mels, S; Moens, E; Van Winckel, M

2010-01-01

The present study evaluates the pre-treatment child and family characteristics as well as the parental motives and experienced barriers when ending prematurely a weight loss programme for their obese child, in accordance with the 'barriers-to-treatment model' and subsequent research on dimensions underlying treatment termination decision. Treatment seeking youngsters (n = 72) with a mean of 10.46 years (SD = 2.56) were followed over a 1-year period. Dropout, child and family characteristics were measured both during assessment and treatment. The 'barriers-to-treatment' data were collected at the 1-year follow-up via mail (response rate = 65%; n = 47). Results showed that dropout could be successfully predicted at intake by age, psychopathology in the child and motivation of the parents. Results indicated further that there are few differences in total barriers score between completers and non-completers. Item content analysis revealed two themes that were more often reported by non-completers (appointment arrangements and perceived relevance of treatment). The hypothesis that non-completers (compared to completers) experienced more barriers that burden their willingness to continue a weight loss programme could not be confirmed. Besides demographic characteristics, specifically motivation of the parents at intake seems an important area for future research. © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Performance test results of 80 K centrifugal compressor for helium refrigerator

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

Asakura, H.; Kato, D.; Saji, N.

1994-12-31

The authors have developed a completely oil-free compressor used for the highly reliable helium refrigeration system for a superconducting generator and carried out performance tests under actual condition. The compressor is designed to achieve a pressure ratio of 8 with only 4 stages by cooling the compressor inlet at 80 K with liquid nitrogen, thus acquiring high reliability of long-term maintenance-free operation together with the use of magnetic bearings for oil-free operation. The compressor at each stage is independently driven by a 25 kW built-in motor at the speed of 100,000 rpm, with the power supplied by a variable frequencymore » inverter. The performance test was carried out at each stage, by incorporating the compressor in the closed loop test equipment using helium gas. It was recognized from the test results that the specified pressure ratio of each stage was achieved at the speed below the rated one of 100,000 rpm. It was found that each stage of the compressor has a flat characteristics of adiabatic efficiency over the wide flow range. The mechanical rotation characteristics at low temperatures was also confirmed to be sufficiently stable.« less

[Predictors of fighting spirit or helplessness/hopelessness in people with cancer].

PubMed

Oh, Pok-Ja; Lee, Yeon-Joo

2008-04-01

This study was done to identify predictors of the fighting spirit or helplessness/hopelessness in the patients' mental adjustment to cancer. Cancer patients' characteristics like performance status, metastasis and duration of diagnosis with demographic factors, spiritual support and social support were used as predictors of a fighting spirit or helplessness/hopelessness. A total of 124 ambulatory cancer patients completed the Mental Adjustment to Cancer (MAC) scale and responded in a structured instrument about their characteristics, spiritual and social support. The results of multiple regression analysis revealed that confidence in the supporter (R(2)=.114, p=.000), duration of cancer diagnosis (R(2)=.041, p=.000) and faith (R(2)=.030, p=.000) were predictive of a fighting spirit (R(2)=.185, p=.000); whereas, education (R(2)=.074, p=.001), performance status (R(2)=.055, p=.000), satisfaction with social support (R(2)=.046, p=.000), and metastasis (R(2)=.037, p=.000) were predictive of helplessness/hopelessness (R(2)=.202, p=.000). Social support, spiritual support and disease related factors like metastasis, performance status, and duration of cancer diagnosis need to be considered in a psychosocial nursing intervention for a fighting spirit or helplessness/hopelessness.

Plasma Modification of Poly Lactic Acid Solutions to Generate High Quality Electrospun PLA Nanofibers.

PubMed

Rezaei, Fatemeh; Nikiforov, Anton; Morent, Rino; De Geyter, Nathalie

2018-02-02

Physical properties of pre-electrospinning polymer solutions play a key role in electrospinning as they strongly determine the morphology of the obtained electrospun nanofibers. In this work, an atmospheric-pressure argon plasma directly submerged in the liquid-phase was used to modify the physical properties of poly lactic acid (PLA) spinning solutions in an effort to improve their electrospinnability. The electrical characteristics of the plasma were investigated by two methods; V-I waveforms and Q-V Lissajous plots while the optical emission characteristics of the plasma were also determined using optical emission spectroscopy (OES). To perform a complete physical characterization of the plasma-modified polymer solutions, measurements of viscosity, surface tension, and electrical conductivity were performed for various PLA concentrations, plasma exposure times, gas flow rates, and applied voltages. Moreover, a fast intensified charge-couple device (ICCD) camera was used to image the bubble dynamics during the plasma treatments. In addition, morphological changes of PLA nanofibers generated from plasma-treated PLA solutions were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The performed plasma treatments were found to induce significant changes to the main physical properties of the PLA solutions, leading to an enhancement of electrospinnability and an improvement of PLA nanofiber formation.

Evaluation of total energy-rate feedback for glidescope tracking in wind shear

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Belcastro, C. M.; Ostroff, A. J.

1986-01-01

Low-altitude wind shear is recognized as an infrequent but significant hazard to all aircraft during take-off and landing. A total energy-rate sensor, which is potentially applicable to this problem, has been developed for measuring specific total energy-rate of an airplane with respect to the air mass. This paper presents control system designs, with and without energy-rate feedback, for the approach to landing of a transport airplane through severe wind shear and gusts to evaluate application of this sensor. A system model is developed which incorporates wind shear dynamics equations with the airplance equations of motion, thus allowing the control systems to be analyzed under various wind shears. The control systems are designed using optimal output feedback and are analyzed using frequency domain control theory techniques. Control system performance is evaluated using a complete nonlinear simulation of the airplane and a severe wind shear and gust data package. The analysis and simulation results indicate very similar stability and performance characteristics for the two designs. An implementation technique for distributing the velocity gains between airspeed and ground speed in the simulation is also presented, and this technique is shown to improve the performance characteristics of both designs.

Effect of Caesalpinia coriaria Fruits and Soybean Oil on Finishing Lamb Performance and Meat Characteristics.

PubMed

Sánchez, Nallely; Mendoza, Germán David; Martínez, José Antonio; Hernández, Pedro Abel; Camacho Diaz, Luis Miguel; Lee-Rangel, Hector Aarón; Vazquez, Anayeli; Flores Ramirez, Rogelio

2018-01-01

To evaluate phenolic compounds and whether the combination of a tanniferous fruit and soybean oil could improve the performance, meat characteristics, and fatty acid (FA) profile in lambs, an experiment was conducted over 40 days with twenty creole male lambs (23.71 ± 3.46 kg). The lambs were allotted in a completely randomised design, with factorial arrangement 2 × 2, with the following dietary treatments: (1) control diet, (2) 2% Caesalpinia coriaria ground fruit dry matter (DM), (3) 2% soybean oil DM, and (4) 2% Caesalpinia coriaria fruit plus 2% soybean oil. The concentration of condensed tannins (CT) in Caesalpinia coriacea was 21.71 g/kg DM. No interactions were detected ( P > 0.05) among soybean oil and Caesalpinia coriaria , and there were no differences in daily gain, intake, and feed conversion. Soybean oil reduced ( P < 0.05) DM digestibility (68.05 versus 59.56%). In fat from the longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL) muscle, only linoleic acid presented differences ( P < 0.05) between treatments. The combination of Caesalpinia coriacea fruit and soybean oil did not improve lamb performance at the included levels.

Effect of Caesalpinia coriaria Fruits and Soybean Oil on Finishing Lamb Performance and Meat Characteristics

PubMed Central

Sánchez, Nallely; Camacho Diaz, Luis Miguel; Vazquez, Anayeli; Flores Ramirez, Rogelio

2018-01-01

To evaluate phenolic compounds and whether the combination of a tanniferous fruit and soybean oil could improve the performance, meat characteristics, and fatty acid (FA) profile in lambs, an experiment was conducted over 40 days with twenty creole male lambs (23.71 ± 3.46 kg). The lambs were allotted in a completely randomised design, with factorial arrangement 2 × 2, with the following dietary treatments: (1) control diet, (2) 2% Caesalpinia coriaria ground fruit dry matter (DM), (3) 2% soybean oil DM, and (4) 2% Caesalpinia coriaria fruit plus 2% soybean oil. The concentration of condensed tannins (CT) in Caesalpinia coriacea was 21.71 g/kg DM. No interactions were detected (P > 0.05) among soybean oil and Caesalpinia coriaria, and there were no differences in daily gain, intake, and feed conversion. Soybean oil reduced (P < 0.05) DM digestibility (68.05 versus 59.56%). In fat from the longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL) muscle, only linoleic acid presented differences (P < 0.05) between treatments. The combination of Caesalpinia coriacea fruit and soybean oil did not improve lamb performance at the included levels. PMID:29682572

Associations of medical student personality and health/wellness characteristics with their medical school performance across the curriculum.

PubMed

Haight, Scott J; Chibnall, John T; Schindler, Debra L; Slavin, Stuart J

2012-04-01

To assess the relationships of cognitive and noncognitive performance predictors to medical student preclinical and clinical performance indicators across medical school years 1 to 3 and to evaluate the association of psychological health/wellness factors with performance. In 2010, the authors conducted a cross-sectional, correlational, retrospective study of all 175 students at the Saint Louis University School of Medicine who had just completed their third (first clinical) year. Students were asked to complete assessments of personality, stress, anxiety, depression, social support, and community cohesion. Performance measures included total Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) score, preclinical academic grades, National Board of Medical Examiners subject exam scores, United States Medical Licensing Examination Step 1 score, clinical evaluations, and Humanism in Medicine Honor Society nominations. A total of 152 students (87%) participated. MCAT scores predicted cognitive performance indicators (academic tests), whereas personality variables (conscientiousness, extraversion, empathy) predicted noncognitive indicators (clinical evaluations, humanism nominations). Conscientiousness predicted all clinical skills, extraversion predicted clinical skills reflecting interpersonal behavior, and empathy predicted motivation. Health/wellness variables had limited associations with performance. In multivariate analyses that included control for shelf exam scores, conscientiousness predicted clinical evaluations, and extraversion and empathy predicted humanism nominations. This study identified two sets of skills (cognitive, noncognitive) used during medical school, with minimal overlap across the types of performance (e.g., exam performance versus clinical interpersonal skills) they predict. Medical school admission and evaluation efforts may need to be modified to reflect the importance of personality and other noncognitive factors.

Utility of a patient-reported outcome in measuring functional impairment during autologous stem cell transplant in patients with multiple myeloma.

PubMed

Shah, Nina; Shi, Qiuling; Giralt, Sergio; Williams, Loretta; Bashir, Qaiser; Qazilbash, Muzaffar; Champlin, Richard E; Cleeland, Charles S; Wang, Xin Shelley

2018-04-01

We aimed to determine the utility of a patient-reported outcome (PRO) as it relates to patient performed testing (PPT) for measuring functional status in multiple myeloma patients after autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (auto-HCT). Symptom interference on walking (a PRO) was measured by the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory (MDASI). PPT was assessed via 6-min walk test (6MWT). Mixed effects modeling was used to examine (1) the longitudinal relationship between the MDASI score and 6MWT distance and (2) the MDASI scores between patients who did or did not complete the 6WMT. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to quantify the construct validity of the PRO by differentiating performance status. Seventy-nine patients were included. Mean 6MWT distance significantly correlated with MDASI-walking interference score (PRO) over the first month of auto-HCT (est = 6.09, p = 0.006). There was a significantly higher completion rate for MDASI versus 6MWT at each time point (p < 0.01). Patients who completed the 6MWT reported less interference on walking during the study period (est = 1.61, p < 0.0001). Finally, the PRO demonstrated significant construct validity for measuring functioning status with MDASI-walking against ECOG-PS as the anchor (AUC = 0.77, 95% CI 0.60-0.94, p = 0.003). The PRO of MDASI-walking interference is a valid physical functioning measure, correlating with an objective functional measure (6MWT) in MM patients undergoing auto-HCT. As patients with poorer functional status during therapy are less likely to complete PPT, this PRO may offer a more practical quantitative measure of functioning in patients.

Hysteroscopic sterilization success in outpatient vs office setting is not affected by patient or procedural characteristics.

PubMed

Anderson, Ted L; Yunker, Amanda C; Scheib, Stacey A; Callahan, Tamara L

2013-01-01

To determine factors associated with hysteroscopic sterilization success and whether it differs between the operating room and office settings. Retrospective cohort analysis (Canadian Task Force classification II-2). Major university medical center. Six hundred thirty-eight women who underwent hysteroscopic sterilization between July 1, 2005, and June 30, 2011. Data collected included age, body mass index, previous office procedures, previous cesarean section, and presence of myomas or retroverted uterus. Place of surgery, experience of surgeon, insurance type, bilateral device placement, compliance with hysterosalpingography, and confirmation of occlusion were also recorded. Bivariate analysis of patient characteristics between groups was performed using χ(2) and independent t tests, and identified confounders and associated variables. Multivariate analysis was performed using logistic regression to assess for association and to adjust for confounders. Procedures were performed in the operating room (57%) or in the office (43%). There was no association between success in bilateral device placement or occlusion and any patient characteristic, regardless of surgery setting. Private insurance, patient age, and performance of procedures in the office setting were positively associated with likelihood of compliance with hysterosalpingography. Successful device placement and tubal occlusion are independent of patient age, body mass index, or setting of the procedure. Association between insurance type and completing hysterosalpingography illustrates an important public health problem. Patients who fail to undergo hysterosalpingography to confirm tubal occlusion may unknowingly be at risk of pregnancy and increased risk of ectopic pregnancy. Copyright © 2013 AAGL. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Examination of Relationships among Organizational Characteristics and Organizational Commitment of Nurses in Western and Eastern Region of Nepal.

PubMed

Joshi, A S; Namba, M; Pokharela, T

2015-01-01

The objective of this study is to identify relationships between three components of organizational commitment and organizational characteristics of nurses in the western and the eastern region of Nepal. A self-administrated questionnaire was used to collect data from 310 nurses currently working at various hospitals in the eastern and the western region of the country. The questionnaire included three sections namely 1) personal characteristics 2) organizational characteristics and 3) organizational commitments scale. Descriptive analysis and multiple regression analysis were performed to identify significance in various relationships. Out of the 240 completed questionnaires, 226 were found valid for analysis. The mean age was 27.4 years. For each depended variable affective, continuance and normative commitment, multiple regression analysis was performed with personal Characteristics and organizational characteristics as independent variables. All independent variables were found significantly related to each of the two dependent variables; affective commitment and normative commitment (R2 adjusted=0.24, p<0.01 and R2 adjusted=0.05, p<0.01 respectively). However, they were not significantly related to the continuance commitment. Both support from boss (β=0.138, p<0.05) and satisfaction with training (β=0.301, p<0.05) were found to be positive and significant with affective commitment. On the other hand, satisfaction with training (β=0.191, p<0.05) was also positive and significant with normative commitment. Since both support from boss and training program were found to be positive and significant with affective commitment, hospitals must encourage supervisors to provide more assistance to the subordinate nurses. Moreover, hospitals should develop more training programs to keep nurses motivated.

Evaluation of data completeness in the electronic health record for the purpose of patient recruitment into clinical trials: a retrospective analysis of element presence

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Computerized clinical trial recruitment support is one promising field for the application of routine care data for clinical research. The primary task here is to compare the eligibility criteria defined in trial protocols with patient data contained in the electronic health record (EHR). To avoid the implementation of different patient definitions in multi-site trials, all participating research sites should use similar patient data from the EHR. Knowledge of the EHR data elements which are commonly available from most EHRs is required to be able to define a common set of criteria. The objective of this research is to determine for five tertiary care providers the extent of available data compared with the eligibility criteria of randomly selected clinical trials. Methods Each participating study site selected three clinical trials at random. All eligibility criteria sentences were broken up into independent patient characteristics, which were then assigned to one of the 27 semantic categories for eligibility criteria developed by Luo et al. We report on the fraction of patient characteristics with corresponding structured data elements in the EHR and on the fraction of patients with available data for these elements. The completeness of EHR data for the purpose of patient recruitment is calculated for each semantic group. Results 351 eligibility criteria from 15 clinical trials contained 706 patient characteristics. In average, 55% of these characteristics could be documented in the EHR. Clinical data was available for 64% of all patients, if corresponding data elements were available. The total completeness of EHR data for recruitment purposes is 35%. The best performing semantic groups were ‘age’ (89%), ‘gender’ (89%), ‘addictive behaviour’ (74%), ‘disease, symptom and sign’ (64%) and ‘organ or tissue status’ (61%). No data was available for 6 semantic groups. Conclusions There exists a significant gap in structure and content between data documented during patient care and data required for patient eligibility assessment. Nevertheless, EHR data on age and gender of the patient, as well as selected information on his disease can be complete enough to allow for an effective support of the manual screening process with an intelligent preselection of patients and patient data. PMID:23514203

Integration of Online Parameter Identification and Neural Network for In-Flight Adaptive Control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hageman, Jacob J.; Smith, Mark S.; Stachowiak, Susan

2003-01-01

An indirect adaptive system has been constructed for robust control of an aircraft with uncertain aerodynamic characteristics. This system consists of a multilayer perceptron pre-trained neural network, online stability and control derivative identification, a dynamic cell structure online learning neural network, and a model following control system based on the stochastic optimal feedforward and feedback technique. The pre-trained neural network and model following control system have been flight-tested, but the online parameter identification and online learning neural network are new additions used for in-flight adaptation of the control system model. A description of the modification and integration of these two stand-alone software packages into the complete system in preparation for initial flight tests is presented. Open-loop results using both simulation and flight data, as well as closed-loop performance of the complete system in a nonlinear, six-degree-of-freedom, flight validated simulation, are analyzed. Results show that this online learning system, in contrast to the nonlearning system, has the ability to adapt to changes in aerodynamic characteristics in a real-time, closed-loop, piloted simulation, resulting in improved flying qualities.

U.S. high school curriculum: three phases of contemporary research and reform.

PubMed

Lee, Valerie E; Ready, Douglas D

2009-01-01

Valerie Lee and Douglas Ready explore the influences of the high school curriculum on student learning and the equitable distribution of that learning by race and socioeconomic status. They begin by tracing the historical development of the U.S. comprehensive high school and then examine the curricular reforms of the past three decades. During the first half of the twentieth century, the authors say, public high schools typically organized students into rigid curricular "tracks" based largely on students' past academic performance and future occupational and educational plans. During the middle of the century, however, high schools began to provide students with a choice among courses that varied in both content and academic rigor. Although the standards movement of the 1980s limited these curricular options somewhat, comprehensive curricula remained, with minority and low-income students less often completing college-prep courses. During the 1990s, say the authors, researchers who examined the associations between course-taking and student learning reported that students completing more advanced coursework learned more, regardless of their social or academic backgrounds. Based largely on this emerging research consensus favoring college-prep curriculum, in 1997 public high schools in Chicago began offering exclusively college-prep courses. To address the needs of the city's many low-performing ninth graders, schools added extra coursework in subjects in which their performance was deficient. A recent study of this reform, however, found that these approaches made little difference in student achievement. Lee and Ready hypothesize that "selection bias" may explain the divergent conclusions reached by the Chicago study and previous research. Earlier studies rarely considered the unmeasured characteristics of students who completed college-prep courses-characteristics such as motivation, access to academic supports, and better teachers-that are also positively related to student learning. Although the Chicago evaluation is only one study of one city, its findings raise the worrisome possibility that the recent push for "college-prep for all" may not generate the improvements for which researchers and policy makers had hoped.

Mach 6.5 air induction system design for the Beta 2 two-stage-to-orbit booster vehicle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Midea, Anthony C.

1991-01-01

A preliminary, two-dimensional, mixed compression air induction system is designed for the Beta II Two Stage to Orbit booster vehicle to minimize installation losses and efficiently deliver the required airflow. Design concepts, such as an external isentropic compression ramp and a bypass system were developed and evaluated for performance benefits. The design was optimized by maximizing installed propulsion/vehicle system performance. The resulting system design operating characteristics and performance are presented. The air induction system design has significantly lower transonic drag than similar designs and only requires about 1/3 of the bleed extraction. In addition, the design efficiently provides the integrated system required airflow, while maintaining adequate levels of total pressure recovery. The excellent performance of this highly integrated air induction system is essential for the successful completion of the Beta II booster vehicle mission.

Simulating flow around scaled model of a hypersonic vehicle in wind tunnel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Markova, T. V.; Aksenov, A. A.; Zhluktov, S. V.; Savitsky, D. V.; Gavrilov, A. D.; Son, E. E.; Prokhorov, A. N.

2016-11-01

A prospective hypersonic HEXAFLY aircraft is considered in the given paper. In order to obtain the aerodynamic characteristics of a new construction design of the aircraft, experiments with a scaled model have been carried out in a wind tunnel under different conditions. The runs have been performed at different angles of attack with and without hydrogen combustion in the scaled propulsion engine. However, the measured physical quantities do not provide all the information about the flowfield. Numerical simulation can complete the experimental data as well as to reduce the number of wind tunnel experiments. Besides that, reliable CFD software can be used for calculations of the aerodynamic characteristics for any possible design of the full-scale aircraft under different operation conditions. The reliability of the numerical predictions must be confirmed in verification study of the software. The given work is aimed at numerical investigation of the flowfield around and inside the scaled model of the HEXAFLY-CIAM module under wind tunnel conditions. A cold run (without combustion) was selected for this study. The calculations are performed in the FlowVision CFD software. The flow characteristics are compared against the available experimental data. The carried out verification study confirms the capability of the FlowVision CFD software to calculate the flows discussed.

Clinical epidemiology of eosinophilic pustular folliculitis: results from a nationwide survey in Japan.

PubMed

Yamamoto, Yosuke; Nomura, Takashi; Kabashima, Kenji; Miyachi, Yoshiki

2015-01-01

No epidemiological study has examined the clinical characteristics, including medication use, of patients with eosinophilic pustular folliculitis (EPF). To describe the clinical characteristics for EPF and to examine the factors associated with the effectiveness of oral indomethacin for EPF. A cross-sectional study was performed of patients with EPF who visited the dermatology departments of the 67 main teaching facilities in Japan. We documented the patient characteristics and examined factors associated with the effectiveness of oral indomethacin. A total of 145 patients with EPF were enrolled; 62.8% were prescribed oral indomethacin. A multivariable analysis revealed that female patients were more likely to exhibit complete response to oral indomethacin after adjustment for confounders (adjusted proportion ratio = 1.93, p = 0.04). Oral indomethacin has been accepted as a first-line treatment in EPF. Our results suggest that there is a sex difference in the treatment response to oral indomethacin. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Social characteristics and care needs of older persons with medically unexplained symptoms: a case-control study.

PubMed

Hanssen, Denise J C; Oude Voshaar, Richard C; Naarding, Paul; Rabeling-Keus, Inge M; Olde Hartman, Tim C; Lucassen, Peter L B J

2016-12-01

Research in younger patients with medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) has shown impairments in social functioning, such as loneliness and a reduced quality of the patient-doctor relationship. As far as we know, no studies have been performed on social functioning in older MUS patients; self-reported care needs of older MUS patients remain unknown. To explore social characteristics and care needs of older persons with chronic MUS, when compared to older persons with chronic medically explained symptoms (MES). Patient characteristics of 107 older persons (>60 years) with chronic MUS were compared to 150 older persons with chronic MES in a case-control design. Participants were recruited via advertisements, general practices and a specialized clinic. All participants completed questionnaires on social functioning; the Camberwell Assessment of Need for the Elderly was used to draw up care needs. Linear regression analyses were performed to explore the association between social characteristics and group (MUS/MES), adjusted for demographic and physical determinants. Multiple chi-square tests were performed to detect between-group differences regarding care needs. After adjustments, older MUS patients were slightly but significantly lonelier, reported a somewhat lower quality of their patient-doctor relationship, but reported equal social support levels when compared to MES patients. MUS patients more often reported unmet care needs regarding health and information provision about their health status. Only small differences in social functioning were found between older MUS and MES patients. Possibly, training future doctors in giving acceptable explanations for the patient's complaints could improve the unmet care need of information provision in older MUS patients. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Pulmonary and Critical Care In-Service Training Examination Score as a Predictor of Board Certification Examination Performance.

PubMed

Kempainen, Robert R; Hess, Brian J; Addrizzo-Harris, Doreen J; Schaad, Douglas C; Scott, Craig S; Carlin, Brian W; Shaw, Robert C; Duhigg, Lauren; Lipner, Rebecca S

2016-04-01

Most trainees in combined pulmonary and critical care medicine fellowship programs complete in-service training examinations (ITEs) that test knowledge in both disciplines. Whether ITE scores predict performance on the American Board of Internal Medicine Pulmonary Disease Certification Examination and Critical Care Medicine Certification Examination is unknown. To determine whether pulmonary and critical care medicine ITE scores predict performance on subspecialty board certification examinations independently of trainee demographics, program director competency ratings, fellowship program characteristics, and prior medical knowledge assessments. First- and second-year fellows who were enrolled in the study between 2008 and 2012 completed a questionnaire encompassing demographics and fellowship training characteristics. These data and ITE scores were matched to fellows' subsequent scores on subspecialty certification examinations, program director ratings, and previous scores on their American Board of Internal Medicine Internal Medicine Certification Examination. Multiple linear regression and logistic regression were used to identify independent predictors of subspecialty certification examination scores and likelihood of passing the examinations, respectively. Of eligible fellows, 82.4% enrolled in the study. The ITE score for second-year fellows was matched to their certification examination scores, which yielded 1,484 physicians for pulmonary disease and 1,331 for critical care medicine. Second-year fellows' ITE scores (β = 0.24, P < 0.001) and Internal Medicine Certification Examination scores (β = 0.49, P < 0.001) were the strongest predictors of Pulmonary Disease Certification Examination scores, and were the only significant predictors of passing the examination (ITE odds ratio, 1.12 [95% confidence interval, 1.07-1.16]; Internal Medicine Certification Examination odds ratio, 1.01 [95% confidence interval, 1.01-1.02]). Similar results were obtained for predicting Critical Care Medicine Certification Examination scores and for passing the examination. The predictive value of ITE scores among first-year fellows on the subspecialty certification examinations was comparable to second-year fellows' ITE scores. The Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine ITE score is an independent, and stronger, predictor of subspecialty certification examination performance than fellow demographics, program director competency ratings, and fellowship characteristics. These findings support the use of the ITE to identify the learning needs of fellows as they work toward subspecialty board certification.

Rotorcraft flight-propulsion control integration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mihaloew, James R.; Ballin, Mark G.; Ruttledge, D. G. C.

1988-01-01

The NASA Ames and Lewis Research Centers, in conjunction with the Army Research and Technology Laboratories have initiated and completed, in part, a joint research program focused on improving the performance, maneuverability, and operating characteristics of rotorcraft by integrating the flight and propulsion controls. The background of the program, its supporting programs, its goals and objectives, and an approach to accomplish them are discussed. Results of the modern control governor design of the T700 and the Rotorcraft Integrated Flight-Propulsion Control Study, which were key elements of the program, are also presented.

MoS2-Filled PEEK Composite as a Self-Lubricating Material for Aerospace Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Theiler, Geraldine; Gradt, Thomas

2010-01-01

At BAM, several projects were conducted in the past years dealing with the tribological properties of friction couples at cryogenic temperature and in vacuum environment. Promising candidates for vacuum application are MoS2-filled PEEK/PTFE composites, which showed a friction coefficient as low as 0.03 in high vacuum. To complete the tribological profile of these composites, further tests were performed in ultra-high vacuum (UHV) at room temperature. In this paper, friction and stick slip behavior, as well as outgassing characteristics during the test are presented.

Longitudinal polarization periodicity of unpolarized light passing through a double wedge depolarizer.

PubMed

de Sande, Juan Carlos G; Santarsiero, Massimo; Piquero, Gemma; Gori, Franco

2012-12-03

The polarization characteristics of unpolarized light passing through a double wedge depolarizer are studied. It is found that the degree of polarization of the radiation propagating after the depolarizer is uniform across transverse planes after the depolarizer, but it changes from one plane to another in a periodic way giving, at different distances, unpolarized, partially polarized, or even perfectly polarized light. An experiment is performed to confirm this result. Measured values of the Stokes parameters and of the degree of polarization are in complete agreement with the theoretical predictions.

The CP-PACS Project and Lattice QCD Results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iwasaki, Y.

The aim of the CP-PACS project was to develop a massively parallel computer for performing numerical research in computational physics with primary emphasis on lattice QCD. The CP-PACS computer with a peak speed of 614 GFLOPS with 2048 processors was completed in September 1996, and has been in full operation since October 1996. We present an overview of the CP-PACS project and describe characteristics of the CP-PACS computer. The CP-PACS has been mainly used for hadron spectroscopy studies in lattice QCD. Main results in lattice QCD simulations are given.

Wave Energy Prize - 1/20th Testing - CalWave Power Technologies

DOE Data Explorer

Scharmen, Wesley

2016-09-09

Data from the 1/20th scale testing data completed on the Wave Energy Prize for the CalWave Power Technologies team, including the 1/20th scale test plan, raw test data, video, photos, and data analysis results. The top level objective of the 1/20th scale device testing is to obtain the necessary measurements required for determining Average Climate Capture Width per Characteristic Capital Expenditure (ACE) and the Hydrodynamic Performance Quality (HPQ), key metrics for determining the Wave Energy Prize (WEP) winners.

Stability and performance characteristics of a fixed arrow wing supersonic transport configuration (SCAT 15F-9898) at Mach numbers from 0.60 to 1.20

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Decker, J. P.; Jacobs, P. F.

1978-01-01

Tests on a 0.015 scale model of a supersonic transport were conducted at Mach numbers from 0.60 to 1.20. Tests of the complete model with three wing planforms, two different leading-edge radii, and various combinations of component parts, including both leading- and trailing-edge flaps, were made over an angle-of-attack range from about -6 deg to 13 deg and at sideslip angles of 0 deg and 2 deg.

Epidemiology and Reporting Characteristics of Systematic Reviews of Biomedical Research: A Cross-Sectional Study.

PubMed

Page, Matthew J; Shamseer, Larissa; Altman, Douglas G; Tetzlaff, Jennifer; Sampson, Margaret; Tricco, Andrea C; Catalá-López, Ferrán; Li, Lun; Reid, Emma K; Sarkis-Onofre, Rafael; Moher, David

2016-05-01

Systematic reviews (SRs) can help decision makers interpret the deluge of published biomedical literature. However, a SR may be of limited use if the methods used to conduct the SR are flawed, and reporting of the SR is incomplete. To our knowledge, since 2004 there has been no cross-sectional study of the prevalence, focus, and completeness of reporting of SRs across different specialties. Therefore, the aim of our study was to investigate the epidemiological and reporting characteristics of a more recent cross-section of SRs. We searched MEDLINE to identify potentially eligible SRs indexed during the month of February 2014. Citations were screened using prespecified eligibility criteria. Epidemiological and reporting characteristics of a random sample of 300 SRs were extracted by one reviewer, with a 10% sample extracted in duplicate. We compared characteristics of Cochrane versus non-Cochrane reviews, and the 2014 sample of SRs versus a 2004 sample of SRs. We identified 682 SRs, suggesting that more than 8,000 SRs are being indexed in MEDLINE annually, corresponding to a 3-fold increase over the last decade. The majority of SRs addressed a therapeutic question and were conducted by authors based in China, the UK, or the US; they included a median of 15 studies involving 2,072 participants. Meta-analysis was performed in 63% of SRs, mostly using standard pairwise methods. Study risk of bias/quality assessment was performed in 70% of SRs but was rarely incorporated into the analysis (16%). Few SRs (7%) searched sources of unpublished data, and the risk of publication bias was considered in less than half of SRs. Reporting quality was highly variable; at least a third of SRs did not report use of a SR protocol, eligibility criteria relating to publication status, years of coverage of the search, a full Boolean search logic for at least one database, methods for data extraction, methods for study risk of bias assessment, a primary outcome, an abstract conclusion that incorporated study limitations, or the funding source of the SR. Cochrane SRs, which accounted for 15% of the sample, had more complete reporting than all other types of SRs. Reporting has generally improved since 2004, but remains suboptimal for many characteristics. An increasing number of SRs are being published, and many are poorly conducted and reported. Strategies are needed to help reduce this avoidable waste in research.

Isoniazid completion rates for latent tuberculosis infection among college students managed by a community pharmacist.

PubMed

Hess, Karl; Goad, Jeffery; Wu, Joanne; Johnson, Kathleen

2009-01-01

The authors' objective was to document 9-month and previously recommended 6-month treatment completion rates for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) in a pharmacist-managed LTBI clinic in a community pharmacy on a college campus, and to describe patient characteristics. Participants were university students diagnosed with LTBI. The authors conducted a retrospective review of pharmacy records from 2000 to 2006. Main outcome measures included 6-month and 9-month LTBI treatment completion rates, total isoniazid (INH) tablets taken, characteristics of completers versus noncompleters, average time to treatment completion, and reported adverse drug events. The 9-month completion rate was 59%, and the 6-month completion rate was 67%. Among those not completing treatment, 15.2% experienced fatigue and 2.2% experienced a rash (p=.04 and p=.03, respectively). LTBI clinics are a unique niche for community pharmacies and can provide individualized patient care to ensure LTBI treatment adherence, monitoring for disease progression, and safety of INH.

A comparative evaluation of the in vitro penetration performance of the improved Crest Complete toothbrush versus the Colgate Total toothbrush and the Oral-B Advantage toothbrush.

PubMed

Volpenhein, D W; Hartman, W L

1996-01-01

Removal of plaque and debris from interproximal surfaces during toothbrushing has generally been difficult to achieve, in large part because traditional flat-bristled toothbrushes do not offer good interproximal penetration. As a result, a number of varying bristle designs have been developed, with the rippled-design brush shown to be particularly effective at removing interproximal plaque. Recently, an existing rippled brush, the original Crest Complete, was modified to offer longer rippled outer tufts to clean along the gumline more effectively. Therefore, this study evaluated the overall and gumline interproximal penetration of three bristle designs: rippled, raised pattern (Improved Crest Complete); and two multi-level patterns (Colgate Total and Oral-B Advantage). The study used a previously reported in vitro model for determining interproximal penetration of manual toothbrushes (J Clin Dent 5:27-33, 1994). In order to effectively mimic the in-use characteristics of toothbrushing, this model is based on analysis of videotaped consumer brushing habits, tooth morphology, and in vivo plaque tenacity characteristics, and uses the three most predominantly used brushing techniques (circular, up-and-down, and back-and-forth with the brush held at both 45 degrees and 90 degrees to the tooth surface). In addition, the model's brush stroke length, brush force, and brush speed are likewise based on an analysis of consumer brushing patterns. The results of this study indicate that the Improved Crest Complete with longer rippled outer bristles provided significantly superior (p < 0.05) interproximal penetration overall and at the gumline than the Colgate Total and Oral-B Advantage brushes.

Initial studies using the RatCAP conscious animal PET tomograph

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woody, C.; Vaska, P.; Schlyer, D.; Pratte, J.-F.; Junnarkar, S.; Park, S.-J.; Stoll, S.; Purschke, M.; Southekal, S.; Kriplani, A.; Krishnamoorthy, S.; Maramraju, S.; Lee, D.; Schiffer, W.; Dewey, S.; Neill, J.; Kandasamy, A.; O'Connor, P.; Radeka, V.; Fontaine, R.; Lecomte, R.

2007-02-01

The RatCAP is a small, head-mounted PET tomograph designed to image the brain of a conscious rat without the use of anesthesia. The detector is a complete, high-performance 3D tomograph consisting of a 3.8 cm inside-diameter ring containing 12 block detectors, each of which is comprised of a 4×8 array of 2.2×2.2×5 mm 3 LSO crystals readout with a matching APD array and custom ASIC, and has a 1.8 cm axial field of view. Construction of the first working prototype detector has been completed and its performance characteristics have been measured. The results show an intrinsic spatial resolution of 2.1 mm, a time resolution of ˜14 ns FWHM, and a sensitivity of 0.7% at an energy threshold of 150 keV. First preliminary images have been obtained using 18F-FDG and 11C-methamphetamine, which show comparable image quality to those obtained from a commercial MicroPET R4 scanner. Initial studies have also been carried out to study stress levels in rats wearing the RatCAP.

Some Aspects on the Mechanical Analysis of Micro-Shutters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fettig, Rainer K.; Kuhn, Jonathan L.; Moseley, S. Harvey; Kutyrev, Alexander S.; Orloff, Jon; Lu, Shude

1999-01-01

An array of individually addressable micro-shutters is being designed for spectroscopic applications. Details of the design are presented in a companion paper. The mechanical design of a single shutter element has been completed. This design consists of a shutter blade suspended on a torsion beam manufactured out of single crystal silicon membranes. During operation the shutter blade will be rotated by 90 degrees out of the array plane. Thus, the stability and durability of the beams are crucial for the reliability of the devices. Structures were fabricated using focused ion beam milling in a FEI 620 dual beam machine, and subsequent testing was completed using the same platform. This allowed for short turn around times. We performed torsion and bending experiments to determine key characteristics of the membrane material. Results of measurements on prototype shutters were compared with the predictions of the numerical models. The data from these focused studies were used in conjunction with experiments and numerical models of shutter prototypes to optimize the design. In this work, we present the results of the material studies, and assess the mechanical performance of the resulting design.

Dynamic and Transient Performance of Turbofan/Turboshaft Convertible Engine With Variable Inlet Guide Vanes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McArdle, Jack G.; Barth, Richard L.; Wenzel, Leon M.; Biesiadny, Thomas J.

1996-01-01

A convertible engine called the CEST TF34, using the variable inlet guide vane method of power change, was tested on an outdoor stand at the NASA Lewis Research Center with a waterbrake dynamometer for the shaft load. A new digital electronic system, in conjunction with a modified standard TF34 hydromechanical fuel control, kept engine operation stable and safely within limits. All planned testing was completed successfully. Steady-state performance and acoustic characteristics were reported previously and are referenced. This report presents results of transient and dynamic tests. The transient tests measured engine response to several rapid changes in thrust and torque commands at constant fan (shaft) speed. Limited results from dynamic tests using the pseudorandom binary noise technique are also presented. Performance of the waterbrake dynamometer is discussed in an appendix.

Light Water Breeder Reactor fuel rod design and performance characteristics (LWBR Development Program)

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

Campbell, W.R.; Giovengo, J.F.

1987-10-01

Light Water Breeder Reactor (LWBR) fuel rods were designed to provide a reliable fuel system utilizing thorium/uranium-233 mixed-oxide fuel while simultaneously minimizing structural material to enhance fuel breeding. The fuel system was designed to be capable of operating successfully under both load follow and base load conditions. The breeding objective required thin-walled, low hafnium content Zircaloy cladding, tightly spaced fuel rods with a minimum number of support grid levels, and movable fuel rod bundles to supplant control rods. Specific fuel rod design considerations and their effects on performance capability are described. Successful completion of power operations to over 160 percentmore » of design lifetime including over 200 daily load follow cycles has proven the performance capability of the fuel system. 68 refs., 19 figs., 44 tabs.« less

Characteristics of US Students That Pursued a STEM Major and Factors That Predicted Their Persistence in Degree Completion

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mau, Wei-Cheng J.

2016-01-01

Low participation and completion rates in the science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) careers are a world-wide concern. This study tracked American college students over a 5-year period and identifies factors that lead to choosing a STEM major and in turn successfully earning a STEM degree. Characteristics of female and minority…

Sinusoidal hemangioma of the breast: diagnostic evaluation management and literature review

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Vascular tumors of the breast are rare and may pose a diagnostic challenge. Breast hemangioma is a very rare benign vascular neoplasm accounting for 0.4% of all breast tumors. It is most commonly detected as an incidental microscopic finding in biopsy specimens obtained for unrelated reasons. We describe here a very rare case of a sinusoidal breast hemangioma in a postmenopausal patient who presented with a palpable breast mass. A complete surgical resection was performed because the tumor exhibited atypical imaging features. We conclude that although in carefully selected cases of breast hemangioma a conservative management with follow up imaging is a reasonable option, in cases with atypical imaging or pathological characteristics a complete surgical resection of the vascular tumor is mandatory in order to exclude the possibility of an underlying angiosarcoma. PMID:28210560

Sinusoidal hemangioma of the breast: diagnostic evaluation management and literature review.

PubMed

Salemis, Nikolaos S

2017-02-01

Vascular tumors of the breast are rare and may pose a diagnostic challenge. Breast hemangioma is a very rare benign vascular neoplasm accounting for 0.4% of all breast tumors. It is most commonly detected as an incidental microscopic finding in biopsy specimens obtained for unrelated reasons. We describe here a very rare case of a sinusoidal breast hemangioma in a postmenopausal patient who presented with a palpable breast mass. A complete surgical resection was performed because the tumor exhibited atypical imaging features. We conclude that although in carefully selected cases of breast hemangioma a conservative management with follow up imaging is a reasonable option, in cases with atypical imaging or pathological characteristics a complete surgical resection of the vascular tumor is mandatory in order to exclude the possibility of an underlying angiosarcoma.

Predicting academic performance in surgical training.

PubMed

Yost, Michael J; Gardner, Jeffery; Bell, Richard McMurtry; Fann, Stephen A; Lisk, John R; Cheadle, William G; Goldman, Mitchell H; Rawn, Susan; Weigelt, John A; Termuhlen, Paula M; Woods, Randy J; Endean, Erick D; Kimbrough, Joy; Hulme, Michael

2015-01-01

During surgical residency, trainees are expected to master all the 6 competencies specified by the ACGME. Surgical training programs are also evaluated, in part, by the residency review committee based on the percentage of graduates of the program who successfully complete the qualifying examination and the certification examination of the American Board of Surgery in the first attempt. Many program directors (PDs) use the American Board of Surgery In-Training Examination (ABSITE) as an indicator of future performance on the qualifying examination. Failure to meet an individual program's standard may result in remediation or a delay in promotion to the next level of training. Remediation is expensive in terms of not only dollars but also resources, faculty time, and potential program disruptions. We embarked on an exploratory study to determine if residents who might be at risk for substandard performance on the ABSITE could be identified based on the individual resident's behavior and motivational characteristics. If such were possible, then PDs would have the opportunity to be proactive in developing a curriculum tailored to an individual resident, providing a greater opportunity for success in meeting the program's standards. Overall, 7 surgical training programs agreed to participate in this initial study and residents were recruited to voluntarily participate. Each participant completed an online assessment that characterizes an individual's behavioral style, motivators, and Acumen Index. Residents completed the assessment using a code name assigned by each individual PD or their designee. Assessments and the residents' 2013 ABSITE scores were forwarded for analysis using only the code name, thus insuring anonymity. Residents were grouped into those who took the junior examination, senior examination, and pass/fail categories. A passing score of ≥70% correct was chosen a priori. Correlations were performed using logistic regression and data were also entered into a neural network (NN) to develop a model that would explain performance based on data obtained from the TriMetrix assessments. A total of 117 residents' TriMetrix and ABSITE scores were available for analysis. They were divided into 2 groups of 64 senior residents and 53 junior residents. For each group, the pass/fail criteria for the ABSITE were set at 70 and greater as passing and 69 and lower as failing. Multiple logistic regression analysis was complete for pass/fail vs the TriMetrix assessments. For the senior data group, it was found that the parameter Theoretical correlates with pass rate (p < 0.043, B = -0.513, exp(B) = 0.599), which means increasing theoretical scores yields a decreasing likelihood of passing in the examination. For the junior data, the parameter Internal Role Awareness correlated with pass/fail rate (p < 0.004, B = 0.66, exp(B) = 1.935), which means that an increasing Internal Role Awareness score increases the likelihood of a passing score. The NN was able to be trained to predict ABSITE performance with surprising accuracy for both junior and senior residents. Behavioral, motivational, and acumen characteristics can be useful to identify residents "at risk" for substandard performance on the ABSITE. Armed with this information, PDs have the opportunity to intervene proactively to offer these residents a greater chance for success. The NN was capable of developing a model that explained performance on the examination for both the junior and the senior examinations. Subsequent testing is needed to determine if the NN is a good predictive tool for performance on this examination. Copyright © 2015 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

p-n Junction Diodes Fabricated on Si-Si/Ge Heteroepitaxial Films

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Das, K.; Mazumder, M. D. A.; Hall, H.; Alterovitz, Samuel A. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

A set of photolithographic masks was designed for the fabrication of diodes in the Si-Si/Ge material system. Fabrication was performed on samples obtained from two different wafers: (1) a complete HBT structure with an n (Si emitter), p (Si/Ge base), and an n/n+ (Si collector/sub-collector) deposited epitaxially (MBE) on a high resistivity p-Si substrate, (2) an HBT structure where epitaxial growth was terminated after the p-type base (Si/Ge) layer deposition. Two different process runs were attempted for the fabrication of Si-Si/Ge (n-p) and Si/Ge-Si (p-n) junction diodes formed between the emitter-base and base-collector layers, respectively, of the Si-Si/Ge-Si HBT structure. One of the processes employed a plasma etching step to expose the p-layer in the structure (1) and to expose the e-layer in structure (2). The Contact metallization used for these diodes was a Cu-based metallization scheme that was developed during the first year of the grant. The plasma-etched base-collector diodes on structure (2) exhibited well-behaved diode-like characteristics. However, the plasma-etched emitter-base diodes demonstrated back-to-back diode characteristics. These back-to back characteristics were probably due to complete etching of the base-layer, yielding a p-n-p diode. The deep implantation process yielded rectifying diodes with asymmetric forward and reverse characteristics. The ideality factor of these diodes were between 1.6 -2.1, indicating that the quality of the MBE grown epitaxial films was not sufficiently high, and also incomplete annealing of the implantation damage. Further study will be conducted on CVD grown films, which are expected to have higher epitaxial quality.

Special Diabetes Program for Indians: Retention in Cardiovascular Risk Reduction

PubMed Central

Manson, Spero M.; Jiang, Luohua; Zhang, Lijing; Beals, Janette; Acton, Kelly J.; Roubideaux, Yvette

2011-01-01

Purpose: This study examined the associations between participant and site characteristics and retention in a multisite cardiovascular disease risk reduction project. Design and Methods: Data were derived from the Special Diabetes Program for Indians Healthy Heart Demonstration Project, an intervention to reduce cardiovascular risk among American Indians and Alaska Natives with diabetes. In 2006, a total of 1,072 participants from 30 participating sites completed baseline questionnaires measuring demographics and sociobehavioral factors. They also underwent a medical examination at baseline and were reassessed annually after baseline. A Provider Annual Questionnaire was administered to staff members of each grantee site at the end of each year to assess site characteristics. Generalized estimating equation models were used to evaluate the relationships between participant and site characteristics and retention 1 year after baseline. Results: Among enrolled participants, 792 (74%) completed their first annual assessment. Participants who completed the first annual assessment tended to be older and had, at baseline, higher body mass index and higher level of physical activity. Site characteristics associated with retention included average age of staff, proportion of female staff members, and percentage of staff members having completed graduate or professional school. Implications: Understanding successful retention must reach beyond individual characteristics of participants to include features of the settings that house the interventions. PMID:21565816

A coaches' perspective on the contribution of anthropometry, physical performance, and motor coordination in racquet sports.

PubMed

Robertson, Kamasha; Pion, Johan; Mostaert, Mireille; Norjali Wazir, Mohd Rozilee Wazir; Kramer, Tamara; Faber, Irene Renate; Vansteenkiste, Pieter; Lenoir, Matthieu

2018-02-21

Differences and similarities between table tennis and other racquet sports exist, but are not well documented in the literature, in spite of the relevance for talent identification. In this study we aimed at identifying the key characteristics of table tennis in comparison with tennis and badminton based upon a survey in coaches. A total of 177 licensed coaches from all across the world and with diverse professional backgrounds completed a survey on anthropometric measures, physical performance, and motor coordination skills. On a scale from 1 to 10, coaches indicated to what extent a talent characteristic was important for their sport. MANOVA identified key differences as well as similarities between all three racquet sports and a subsequent discriminant analysis allocated coaches correctly for table tennis, tennis, and badminton 81.01%, 55.6%, and 71.4% respectively. Our results show that table tennis and other racquet sport coaches are well aware of differences between the racquet sports and also the importance and value of testing and assortment of skill components. These findings can assist coaches in future talent orientation and transfer in racquet sports.

Long-Term Soft Denture Lining Materials

PubMed Central

Chladek, Grzegorz; Żmudzki, Jarosław; Kasperski, Jacek

2014-01-01

Long-term soft denture lining (LTSDL) materials are used to alleviate the trauma associated with wearing complete dentures. Despite their established clinical efficacy, the use of LTSDLs has been limited due to the unfavorable effects of the oral environment on some of their mechanical and performance characteristics. The unresolved issue of LTSDL colonization by Candida albicans is particularly problematic. Silicone-based LTSDL (SLTSDL) materials, which are characterized by more stable hardness, sorption and solubility than acrylic-based LTSDLs (ALTSDLs), are currently the most commonly used LTSDLs. However, SLTSDLs are more prone to debonding from the denture base. Moreover, due to their limitations, the available methods for determining bond strength do not fully reflect the actual stability of these materials under clinical conditions. SLTSDL materials exhibit favorable viscoelastic properties compared with ALTSDLs. Furthermore, all of the lining materials exhibit an aging solution-specific tendency toward discoloration, and the available cleansers are not fully effective and can alter the mechanical properties of LTSDLs. Future studies are needed to improve the microbiological resistance of LTSDLs, as well as some of their performance characteristics. PMID:28788163

Novel 473-bp deletion in XLRS1 gene in a Japanese family with X-linked juvenile retinoschisis.

PubMed

Shinoda, Kei; Ohde, Hisao; Ishida, Susumu; Inoue, Makoto; Oguchi, Yoshihisa; Mashima, Yukihiko

2004-07-01

To present the clinical features of two brothers with molecularly confirmed X-linked juvenile retinoschisis (xlRS) but with non-characteristic electrophysiological findings. Comprehensive ophthalmological examinations were performed. The electroretinograms (ERGs) were recorded under ISCEV standards, and ERGs elicited by long-duration stimuli were also evaluated. Standard genetic analysis of peripheral blood leukocytes was performed. Molecular testing revealed a novel 473-bp deletion including exon 4 in the XLRS1 gene in both siblings. This resulted in a frameshift mutation and a premature termination at codon 78. The scotopic and photopic ERGs were reduced, but the "negative-type" ERG, characteristic of xlRS, was not observed. Flicker ERGs were also highly reduced. Long-duration stimuli elicited ERGs with a complete loss of the b-wave and a preservation of the off-response, i.e., negative-type ERG. The phenotype/genotype relationship was not determined. The consistency of the ERGs elicited by long-duration stimuli in xlRS patients suggests that this type of stimuli provides responses that are a better indicator for the progression or stage of the disease.

Virtual street-crossing performance in persons with multiple sclerosis: Feasibility and task performance characteristics.

PubMed

Stratton, M E; Pilutti, L A; Crowell, J A; Kaczmarski, H; Motl, R W

2017-01-02

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurological disease that commonly results in physical and cognitive dysfunction. Accordingly, MS might impact the ability to safely cross the street. The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility of a simulated street-crossing task in persons with MS and to determine differences in street-crossing performance between persons with MS and non-MS controls. 26 participants with MS (median Expanded Disability Status Scale [EDSS] score = 3.5) and 19 controls completed 40 trials of a virtual street-crossing task. There were 2 crossing conditions (i.e., no distraction and phone conversation), and participants performed 20 trials per condition. Participants were instructed that the goal of the task was to cross the street successfully (i.e., without being hit be a vehicle). The primary outcome was task feasibility, assessed as completion and adverse events. Secondary outcomes were measures of street-crossing performance. Overall, the simulated street-crossing task was feasible (i.e., 90% completion, no adverse events) in participants with MS. Participants with MS waited longer and were less attentive to traffic before entering the street compared with controls (all P < .05). Participants with MS also took longer to cross the street and were closer to oncoming vehicles when exiting the street compared to controls (all P < .05). When distracted, all participants took longer to initiate crossing, took longer to cross the street, and made more head turns while crossing (all P < .05). There were no significant group by condition interaction effects (all P > .05). A virtual street-crossing task is feasible for studying street-crossing behavior in persons with mild MS and most individuals with moderate MS. Virtual street-crossing performance is impaired in persons with MS compared to controls; however, persons with MS do not appear to be more vulnerable to a distracting condition. The virtual reality environment presents a safe and useful setting for understanding pedestrian behavior in persons with MS.

NEXT Ion Propulsion System Development Status and Capabilities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Patterson, Michael J.; Benson, Scott W.

2008-01-01

NASA s Evolutionary Xenon Thruster (NEXT) project is developing next generation ion propulsion technologies to provide future NASA science missions with enhanced mission performance benefit at a low total development cost. The objective of the NEXT project is to advance next generation ion propulsion technology by producing engineering model system components, validating these through qualification-level and integrated system testing, and ensuring preparedness for transitioning to flight system development. As NASA s Evolutionary Xenon Thruster technology program completes advanced development activities, it is advantageous to review the existing technology capabilities of the system under development. This paper describes the NEXT ion propulsion system development status, characteristics and performance. A review of mission analyses results conducted to date using the NEXT system is also provided.

Athletes' assessment of the coach--the coach evaluation questionnaire.

PubMed

Rushall, B S; Wiznuk, K

1985-09-01

The purpose of this study was to provide an assessment tool to judge coaching performance that was appropriate for completion by athletes. The questionnaire underwent a variety of developmental stages. In its final form, it contained 36 items. The tool was shown to be a valid, reliable, and standardized questionnaire. It demonstrated discriminability and provoked honest, accurate responding in subjects. The test was capable of providing immediate feedback to coaches seeking information about athletes' perceptions of their coaching performance. Responses on the developed scale were weighted to reflect the desirability of the coaching characteristics of a good coach. The questionnaire provides a total score which can be interpreted by the coach as a measure of how much of an "ideal" coach exists in him/her.

Automated mixed traffic transit vehicle microprocessor controller

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marks, R. A.; Cassell, P.; Johnston, A. R.

1981-01-01

An improved Automated Mixed Traffic Vehicle (AMTV) speed control system employing a microprocessor and transistor chopper motor current controller is described and its performance is presented in terms of velocity versus time curves. The on board computer hardware and software systems are described as is the software development system. All of the programming used in this controller was implemented using FORTRAN. This microprocessor controller made possible a number of safety features and improved the comfort associated with starting and shopping. In addition, most of the vehicle's performance characteristics can be altered by simple program parameter changes. A failure analysis of the microprocessor controller was generated and the results are included. Flow diagrams for the speed control algorithms and complete FORTRAN code listings are also included.

Operationally Efficient Propulsion System Study (OEPSS) Data Book. Volume 8; Integrated Booster Propulsion Module (BPM) Engine Start Dynamics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kemp, Victoria R.

1992-01-01

A fluid-dynamic, digital-transient computer model of an integrated, parallel propulsion system was developed for the CDC mainframe and the SUN workstation computers. Since all STME component designs were used for the integrated system, computer subroutines were written characterizing the performance and geometry of all the components used in the system, including the manifolds. Three transient analysis reports were completed. The first report evaluated the feasibility of integrated engine systems in regards to the start and cutoff transient behavior. The second report evaluated turbopump out and combined thrust chamber/turbopump out conditions. The third report presented sensitivity study results in staggered gas generator spin start and in pump performance characteristics.

Performance characteristics and statistics of a laser initiated microdetonator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yang, L. C.

1979-01-01

The test results of 320 units of the laser initiated microdetonator are summarized. The commercially fabricated units used a lead styphnate/lead azide/HMX (1 mg/17.5 mg/13.5 mg) explosive train design contained in a miniature aluminum can and completed with a glass-metal seal window. The test parameters were the high and low laser energy, high and low temperature, laser pulse duration, laser wavelength and nuclear radiation (5 x 10 to the 6th rads of 1 MeV gamma ray). The performance parameters were the laser energy for ignition and the actuation response time. Included also is a description of the development of a flexible, continuously advanced train of explosive devices by using the units, miniature optics and fiber optics.

Home and allergic characteristics of children with asthma in seven U.S. urban communities and design of an environmental intervention: the Inner-City Asthma Study.

PubMed Central

Crain, Ellen F; Walter, Michelle; O'Connor, George T; Mitchell, Herman; Gruchalla, Rebecca S; Kattan, Meyer; Malindzak, George S; Enright, Paul; Evans, Richard; Morgan, Wayne; Stout, James W

2002-01-01

Most published environmental remediation interventions have been directed at single allergens and have employed demanding strategies; few have been performed in the homes of inner-city children disproportionately burdened by asthma. Our objective was a) to describe the allergen sensitivities, environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure, and home environmental characteristics of a national sample of inner-city children with moderate to severe asthma and b) to develop and implement a multifaceted, home-based comprehensive intervention to reduce home allergens and ETS, tailored to the specific sensitization and exposure profiles of those children. Allergen skin testing and a home evaluation were performed to determine the presence of ETS and factors known to be associated with increased indoor allergen levels. Based on published remediation techniques, a home environmental intervention, organized into modules, each addressing one of five specific allergen groups or ETS, was designed. Of 994 allergic children from seven U.S. urban communities, 937 successfully completed baseline interviews and home allergen surveys and were enrolled. More than 50% of children had positive skin tests to three or more allergen groups. Cockroaches were reported in 58% of homes, wall-to-wall carpeting in the child's bedroom in 55%, a smoker in 48%, mice or rats in 40%, and furry pets in 28%. More than 60% of enrolled families received four or more modules, and between 94% and 98% of all modules were completed. We conclude that most inner-city children with moderate to severe asthma are sensitized to multiple indoor allergens and that environmental factors known to be associated with asthma severity are commonly present in their homes. The intervention developed for the Inner-City Asthma Study employs accepted methods to address an array of allergens and ETS exposure while ensuring that the intervention is tailored to the specific sensitization profiles and home characteristics of these children. PMID:12204830

Reading and spelling skills in German third graders: Examining the role of student and context characteristics.

PubMed

von Suchodoletz, Antje; Larsen, Ross A A; Gunzenhauser, Catherine; Fäsche, Anika

2015-12-01

Educational processes and outcomes are influenced by a multitude of factors, including individual and contextual characteristics. Recently, studies have demonstrated that student and context characteristics may produce unique and cumulative effects on educational outcomes. The study aimed to investigate (1) the relative contribution of student, classroom, and school characteristics to reading fluency and orthographic spelling, (2) the relative contribution of specific predictors to reading fluency and orthographic spelling within the sets of student, classroom, and school characteristics, and (3) whether the contribution of student, classroom, and school characteristics differs for reading fluency and orthographic spelling. Participants were 789 German third-grade students from 56 classrooms in 34 schools. Students completed an intelligence test and a questionnaire assessing self-control. Reading fluency and orthographic spelling performance were assessed using standardized achievement tests. Multilevel structural equation modelling was used to control for the hierarchical structure of educational data. Variances in students' reading and spelling skills were in large part explained by student characteristics (>90%). Classroom and school characteristics yielded little variance. Student-level intelligence and self-control were significantly related to reading fluency. For orthographic spelling, student-level intelligence and self-control, class-average intelligence, and, at the school level, the socio-economic status of the school's neighbourhood were significant predictors. Future research needs to investigate relevant classroom and school factors that may directly and indirectly relate to academic outcomes. © 2015 The British Psychological Society.

The psychological benefits of recreational running: a field study.

PubMed

Szabo, Attila; Abrahám, Júlia

2013-01-01

Running yields positive changes in affect, but the external validity of controlled studies has received little attention in the literature. In this inquiry, 50 recreational runners completed the Exercise-Induced Feeling Inventory (Gauvin & Rejeskí, 1993) before and after a bout of self-planned running on an urban running path. Positive changes were seen in all four measures of affect (p < .001). Multivariate regressions were performed to examine the contribution of four exercise characteristics (i.e., duration of the current run, weekly running time, weekly running distance, and running experience) to the observed changes in affect. The results have revealed that exercise characteristics accounted for only 14-30% of the variance in the recreational runners' affect, in both directions. It is concluded that psychological benefits of recreational running may be linked to placebo (conditioning and/or expectancy) effects.

Characteristics of Bone Tissue and Composite Materials on the Basis of Natural Hydroxyapatite and Endodontic Cement for Replacement of the Tissue

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Filipenkov, V. V.; Rupeks, L. E.; Vitins, V. M.; Knets, I. V.; Kasyanov, V. A.

2017-07-01

New biocomposites and the cattle bone tissue were investigated. The composites were made from an endodontic cement (EC) and natural hydroxyapatite (NHAp.) The results of experiments performed by the method of infrared spectroscopy showed that protein was removed from the heat-treated specimens of bone tissue practically completely. The structure of bone tissue before and after deproteinization and the structure of the composite materials based on NHAp and EC (with different percentage) were investigated by the method of optical microscopy. The characteristics of mechanical properties (the initial elastic modulus, breaking tensile and compressive stresses, and breaking strain) and the density and porosity of these materials were determined. The new composite materials were implanted in the live tissue of rat. Biocompatibility between the live tissue and the new biocomposites was estimated.

Comparison Between Elite and Subelite Swimmers on Dry Land and Tumble Turn Leg Extensor Force-Time Characteristics.

PubMed

Jones, Julian V; Pyne, David B; Haff, G Greg; Newton, Robert U

2018-06-01

Jones, JV, Pyne, DB, Haff, GG, and Newton, RU. Comparison between elite and subelite swimmers on dry land and tumble turn leg extensor force-time characteristics. J Strength Cond Res 32(6): 1762-1769, 2018-Elite swimmers demonstrate faster swimming turn times that are potentially a result of having better strength-power characteristics than subelite swimmers. We quantified differences between dry-land and swimming turn force-time characteristics in elite swimmers and subelite swimmers. Subelite (11 males: 17.4 ± 0.6 years; 10 females: 17.1 ± 0.6 years) and elite swimmers (15 male: 23.2 ± 2.3 years; 7 female: 21.6 ± 2.5 years) were tested in a cross-sectional design. All swimmers performed a body weight and loaded (20 kg females, 30 kg males) squat jump (SJ) on a portable force platform. On the same day, all swimmers completed swimming turn analyses using a force platform fixed within the pool wall. The magnitude of difference between groups was estimated using a standardized mean difference (effect size statistic). Elite male and female swimmers had superior swimming turn and dry-land force-time characteristics to subelite swimmers in all tests. The standardized mean differences between groups ranged from small to very large. The largest differences were SJ peak velocity unloaded (3.07 ± 1.0 m·s males, 3.49 ± 2.29 m·s females; standardized mean difference ± 90% confidence limits) and SJ peak power unloaded (2.59 ± 0.79 w male, 2.80 ± 1.64 w female) with elite male and female swimmers having a ∼25-50% higher performance than the subelites in both characteristics. Elite swimmers exhibit superior strength and power characteristics for the swimming turn compared with younger and less experienced swimmers. A well-planned and executed strength and conditioning program is needed for emerging swimmers to develop these qualities, as they transition to senior levels.

Clinical nutrition and foodservice personnel in teaching hospitals have different perceptions of total quality management performance.

PubMed

Chong, Y; Unklesbay, N; Dowdy, R

2000-09-01

To investigate the perceived total quality management (TQM) performance of their department by clinical nutrition managers and dietitians, and foodservice managers and supervisors, in hospital food and nutrition service departments. Using a 2-part questionnaire containing items about 3 constructs of TQM performance and demographic characteristics, participants rated their perceptions of TQM performance. Employees in 7 Council of Teaching Hospitals. Of the 128 possible respondents, 73 (57%) completed the study. Correlation analysis to identify relationships between demographic characteristics and TQM performance. Analysis of variance to investigate statistical differences among hospitals and between subject groups and types of employment positions. Three TQM constructs--organization, information, and quality management--were evaluated. The clinical nutrition manager and dietitian group had mean ratings between 3.1 and 4.7 (5-point Likert scale); the foodservice manager and supervisor group had mean ratings from 2.7 to 4.0. Education level was significantly correlated (r = 0.44) to performance of employee training in the clinical nutrition group. The number of employees directly supervised was negatively correlated (r = -0.21) to the performance of employee training in the foodservice group. As the dynamic roles of dietitians change, many dietitians will occupy management positions in organizations such as restaurants, health food stores, food processing/distribution companies, and schools. This study demonstrates how a TQM survey instrument could be applied to clinical nutrition and foodservice settings. Dietitians will need to assess TQM in their workplace facilities, especially because of the direct links of TQM to productivity and client satisfaction.

Effect of MR Imaging Contrast Thresholds on Prediction of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Response in Breast Cancer Subtypes: A Subgroup Analysis of the ACRIN 6657/I-SPY 1 TRIAL

PubMed Central

Li, Wen; Arasu, Vignesh; Newitt, David C.; Jones, Ella F.; Wilmes, Lisa; Gibbs, Jessica; Kornak, John; Joe, Bonnie N.; Esserman, Laura J.; Hylton, Nola M.

2016-01-01

Functional tumor volume (FTV) measurements by dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging can predict treatment outcomes for women receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer. Here, we explore whether the contrast thresholds used to define FTV could be adjusted by breast cancer subtype to improve predictive performance. Absolute FTV and percent change in FTV (ΔFTV) at sequential time-points during treatment were calculated and investigated as predictors of pathologic complete response at surgery. Early percent enhancement threshold (PEt) and signal enhancement ratio threshold (SERt) were varied. The predictive performance of resulting FTV predictors was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. A total number of 116 patients were studied both as a full cohort and in the following groups defined by hormone receptor (HR) and HER2 receptor subtype: 45 HR+/HER2−, 39 HER2+, and 30 triple negatives. High AUCs were found at different ranges of PEt and SERt levels in different subtypes. Findings from this study suggest that the predictive performance to treatment response by MRI varies by contrast thresholds, and that pathologic complete response prediction may be improved through subtype-specific contrast enhancement thresholds. A validation study is underway with a larger patient population. PMID:28066808

Learning Gains from a Recurring "Teach and Question" Homework Assignment in a General Biology Course: Using Reciprocal Peer Tutoring Outside Class.

PubMed

Bailey, E G; Baek, D; Meiling, J; Morris, C; Nelson, N; Rice, N S; Rose, S; Stockdale, P

2018-06-01

Providing students with one-on-one interaction with instructors is a big challenge in large courses. One solution is to have students interact with their peers during class. Reciprocal peer tutoring (RPT) is a more involved interaction that requires peers to alternate the roles of "teacher" and "student." Theoretically, advantages for peer tutoring include the verbalization and questioning of information and the scaffolded exploration of material through social and cognitive interaction. Studies on RPT vary in their execution, but most require elaborate planning and take up valuable class time. We tested the effectiveness of a "teach and question" (TQ) assignment that required student pairs to engage in RPT regularly outside class. A quasi-experimental design was implemented: one section of a general biology course completed TQ assignments, while another section completed a substitute assignment requiring individuals to review course material. The TQ section outperformed the other section by ∼6% on exams. Session recordings were coded to investigate correlation between TQ quality and student performance. Asking more questions was the characteristic that best predicted exam performance, and this was more predictive than most aspects of the course. We propose the TQ as an easy assignment to implement with large performance gains.

Interaction between personality traits and cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease pathology modulates cognitive performance.

PubMed

Tautvydaitė, Domilė; Kukreja, Deepti; Antonietti, Jean-Philippe; Henry, Hugues; von Gunten, Armin; Popp, Julius

2017-02-02

During adulthood, personality characteristics may contribute to the individual capacity to compensate the impact of developing cerebral Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology on cognitive impairment in later life. In this study we aimed to investigate whether and how premorbid personality traits interact with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) markers of AD pathology to predict cognitive performance in subjects with mild cognitive impairment or mild AD dementia and in participants with normal cognition. One hundred and ten subjects, of whom 66 were patients with mild cognitive impairment or mild AD dementia and 44 were healthy controls, had a comprehensive medical and neuropsychological examination as well as lumbar puncture to measure CSF biomarkers of AD pathology (amyloid beta 1-42 , phosphorylated tau and total-tau). Participants' proxies completed the Revised NEO Personality Inventory, Form R to retrospectively assess subjects' premorbid personality. In hierarchical multivariate regression analyses, including age, gender, education, APOEε4 status and cognitive level, premorbid neuroticism, conscientiousness and agreeableness modulated the effect of CSF biomarkers on cognitive performance. Low premorbid openness independently predicted lower levels of cognitive functioning after controlling for biomarker concentrations. Our findings suggest that specific premorbid personality traits are associated with cerebral AD pathology and modulate its impact on cognitive performance. Considering personality characteristics may help to appraise a person's cognitive reserve and the risk of cognitive decline in later life.

Cancer and treatment effects on job task performance for gynecological cancer survivors.

PubMed

Nachreiner, Nancy M; Shanley, Ryan; Ghebre, Rahel G

2013-01-01

Over 91,000 new cases of gynecological cancers are expected to be diagnosed in 2013 in the US alone. As cancer detection technology and treatment options improve, the number of working-age cancer survivors continues to grow. To describe US gynecological cancer survivors' perceptions of the effects of cancer and treatment on their job tasks. 104 adult gynecological cancer survivors who were working at the time of their cancer diagnosis, treated at a University-based women's health clinic, diagnosed in the previous 24 months, and spoke English. Women completed written surveys to describe their work experiences following diagnosis. Clinical characteristics were obtained through medical record review. Descriptive statistics and cross tabulations were performed to describe characteristics and associations. Fifteen percent of women had chemotherapy and radiation treatment; 48% had only chemotherapy, 9% only radiation therapy, and 28% had neither. Survivors described the frequency of performing seven job tasks, such as 'intense concentration', 'analyzing data', and 'lifting heavy loads.' Women who had undergone radiation treatment were more likely to indicate limitations for physical tasks; women undergoing chemotherapy were more likely to report limitations in more analytic tasks. Only 29% of women noted an employer-based policy facilitated their return-to-work process. Cancer and treatment have important effects on job performance and may vary by type of treatment. Employer-based policies focusing on improved communication and work accommodations may improve the return to work process.

The Characteristics of the Effective Teacher in Cyprus Public High School: The Students' Perspective.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koutsoulis, Michalis

This study examined the teacher characteristics that students considered important in defining teacher effectiveness, focusing on human characteristics, communication skills, and teaching and production characteristics. Students from 25 high schools in Cyprus completed the Classroom Culture Description Questionnaire. Overall, students listed 94…

Performance Evaluation and Modeling Techniques for Parallel Processors. Ph.D. Thesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dimpsey, Robert Tod

1992-01-01

In practice, the performance evaluation of supercomputers is still substantially driven by singlepoint estimates of metrics (e.g., MFLOPS) obtained by running characteristic benchmarks or workloads. With the rapid increase in the use of time-shared multiprogramming in these systems, such measurements are clearly inadequate. This is because multiprogramming and system overhead, as well as other degradations in performance due to time varying characteristics of workloads, are not taken into account. In multiprogrammed environments, multiple jobs and users can dramatically increase the amount of system overhead and degrade the performance of the machine. Performance techniques, such as benchmarking, which characterize performance on a dedicated machine ignore this major component of true computer performance. Due to the complexity of analysis, there has been little work done in analyzing, modeling, and predicting the performance of applications in multiprogrammed environments. This is especially true for parallel processors, where the costs and benefits of multi-user workloads are exacerbated. While some may claim that the issue of multiprogramming is not a viable one in the supercomputer market, experience shows otherwise. Even in recent massively parallel machines, multiprogramming is a key component. It has even been claimed that a partial cause of the demise of the CM2 was the fact that it did not efficiently support time-sharing. In the same paper, Gordon Bell postulates that, multicomputers will evolve to multiprocessors in order to support efficient multiprogramming. Therefore, it is clear that parallel processors of the future will be required to offer the user a time-shared environment with reasonable response times for the applications. In this type of environment, the most important performance metric is the completion of response time of a given application. However, there are a few evaluation efforts addressing this issue.

Personal best marathon time and longest training run, not anthropometry, predict performance in recreational 24-hour ultrarunners.

PubMed

Knechtle, Beat; Knechtle, Patrizia; Rosemann, Thomas; Lepers, Romuald

2011-08-01

In recent studies, a relationship between both low body fat and low thicknesses of selected skinfolds has been demonstrated for running performance of distances from 100 m to the marathon but not in ultramarathon. We investigated the association of anthropometric and training characteristics with race performance in 63 male recreational ultrarunners in a 24-hour run using bi and multivariate analysis. The athletes achieved an average distance of 146.1 (43.1) km. In the bivariate analysis, body mass (r = -0.25), the sum of 9 skinfolds (r = -0.32), the sum of upper body skinfolds (r = -0.34), body fat percentage (r = -0.32), weekly kilometers ran (r = 0.31), longest training session before the 24-hour run (r = 0.56), and personal best marathon time (r = -0.58) were related to race performance. Stepwise multiple regression showed that both the longest training session before the 24-hour run (p = 0.0013) and the personal best marathon time (p = 0.0015) had the best correlation with race performance. Performance in these 24-hour runners may be predicted (r2 = 0.46) by the following equation: Performance in a 24-hour run, km) = 234.7 + 0.481 (longest training session before the 24-hour run, km) - 0.594 (personal best marathon time, minutes). For practical applications, training variables such as volume and intensity were associated with performance but not anthropometric variables. To achieve maximum kilometers in a 24-hour run, recreational ultrarunners should have a personal best marathon time of ∼3 hours 20 minutes and complete a long training run of ∼60 km before the race, whereas anthropometric characteristics such as low body fat or low skinfold thicknesses showed no association with performance.

Factors associated with the impact of quality improvement collaboratives in mental healthcare: An exploratory study

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Quality improvement collaboratives (QICs) bring together groups of healthcare professionals to work in a structured manner to improve the quality of healthcare delivery within particular domains. We explored which characteristics of the composition, participation, functioning, and organization of these collaboratives related to changes in the healthcare for patients with anxiety disorders, dual diagnosis, or schizophrenia. Methods We studied three QICs involving 29 quality improvement (QI) teams representing a number of mental healthcare organizations in the Netherlands. The aims of the three QICs were the implementation of multidisciplinary practice guidelines in the domains of anxiety disorders, dual diagnosis, and schizophrenia, respectively. We used eight performance indicators to assess the impact of the QI teams on self-reported patient outcomes and process of care outcomes for 1,346 patients. The QI team members completed a questionnaire on the characteristics of the composition, participation in a national program, functioning, and organizational context for their teams. It was expected that an association would be found between these team characteristics and the quality of care for patients with anxiety disorders, dual diagnosis, and schizophrenia. Results No consistent patterns of association emerged. Theory-based factors did not perform better than practice-based factors. However, QI teams that received support from their management and both active and inspirational team leadership showed better results. Rather surprisingly, a lower average level of education among the team members was associated with better results, although less consistently than the management and leadership characteristics. Team views with regard to the QI goals of the team and attitudes towards multidisciplinary practice guidelines did not correlate with team success. Conclusions No general conclusions about the impact of the characteristics of QI teams on the quality of healthcare can be drawn, but support of the management and active, inspirational team leadership appear to be important. Not only patient outcomes but also the performance indicators of monitoring and screening/assessment showed improvement in many but not all of the QI teams with such characteristics. More studies are needed to identify factors associated with the impact of multidisciplinary practice guidelines in mental healthcare. PMID:22230594

Material Surface Characteristics and Plasma Performance in the Lithium Tokamak Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lucia, Matthew James

The performance of a tokamak plasma and the characteristics of the surrounding plasma facing component (PFC) material surfaces strongly influence each other. Despite this relationship, tokamak plasma physics has historically been studied more thoroughly than PFC surface physics. The disparity is particularly evident in lithium PFC research: decades of experiments have examined the effect of lithium PFCs on plasma performance, but the understanding of the lithium surface itself is much less complete. This latter information is critical to identifying the mechanisms by which lithium PFCs affect plasma performance. This research focused on such plasma-surface interactions in the Lithium Tokamak Experiment (LTX), a spherical torus designed to accommodate solid or liquid lithium as the primary PFC. Surface analysis was accomplished via the novel Materials Analysis and Particle Probe (MAPP) diagnostic system. In a series of experiments on LTX, the MAPP x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS) capabilities were used for in vacuo interrogation of PFC samples. This represented the first application of XPS and TDS for in situ surface analysis of tokamak PFCs. Surface analysis indicated that the thin (dLi ˜ 100nm) evaporative lithium PFC coatings in LTX were converted to Li2O due to oxidizing agents in both the residual vacuum and the PFC substrate. Conversion was rapid and nearly independent of PFC temperature, forming a majority Li2O surface within minutes and an entirely Li2O surface within hours. However, Li2O PFCs were still capable of retaining hydrogen and sequestering impurities until the Li2 O was further oxidized to LiOH, a process that took weeks. For hydrogen retention, Li2O PFCs retained H+ from LTX plasma discharges, but no LiH formation was observed. Instead, results implied that H+ was only weakly-bound, such that it almost completely outgassed as H 2 within minutes. For impurity sequestration, LTX plasma performance---ascertained from plasma current and density measurements---progressively improved as plasma carbon and oxygen impurity levels fell. This was true for PFC conditioning by vacuum baking and argon glow discharge cleaning, as well as by lithium evaporation. Some evidence suggested that impurity sequestration was more important than hydrogen retention in enhancing LTX plasma performance. In contrast with expectations for lithium PFCs, heating the Li2 O PFCs in LTX caused increased plasma impurity levels that tended to reduce plasma performance.

Characteristics of complete mitogenome of the lesser short-nosed fruit bat Cynopterus brachyotis (Chiroptera: Pteropodidae) in Malaysia.

PubMed

Yoon, Kwang Bae; Kim, Ji Young; Park, Yung Chul

2016-05-01

We describe the characteristics of complete mitogenome of C. brachyotis in this article. The complete mitogenome of C. brachyotis is 16,701 bp long with a total base composition of 32.4% A, 25.7% T, 27.7% C and 14.2% G. The mitogenome consists of 13 protein-coding genes (11,408 bp), (KM659865) two rRNA (12S rRNA and 16S rRNA) genes (2,539 bp), 22 tRNA genes (1518 bp) and one control region (1239 bp).

'Theory of mind' skills during an acute episode of psychosis and following recovery.

PubMed

Drury, V M; Robinson, E J; Birchwood, M

1998-09-01

A neuropsychological formulation of schizophrenia has suggested that problems with meta-representation underpin both positive and negative symptoms. This study tested Frith's account by asking patients experiencing an acute episode of psychosis to complete a set of tasks that involved Theory of Mind (ToM) skills. Fourteen patients who fulfilled criteria for schizophrenia, 10 deluded patients who were suffering from psychotic disorders other than schizophrenia and 12 depressed patients completed second-order false belief tasks, a test which involved substitution of a co-referential term in a linguistic description of an event, and metaphor and irony tasks. The battery of tests was completed during the acute phase and following recovery. Selection of these patient groups allowed comparisons to be made between schizophrenia patients and non-schizophrenia patients and between patients with and without persecutory delusions. Schizophrenia patients, who had a multiplicity of positive and negative symptoms, performed significantly worse than non-schizophrenia patients on some of the ToM tasks during an acute episode. Patients with delusions of persecution and reference did not perform significantly worse than non-deluded patients on ToM tasks. There was no significant difference between groups in performance on any of the tasks at recovery. The results provide at best weak support for Frith's account and it remains unclear whether the ToM deficits demonstrated are genuine deficits or are a result of information-processing overload. However, it is clear that difficulties interpreting interpersonal contexts, as shown by some schizophrenia patients, are state rather than trait characteristics.

A chance to cut is not always a chance to cure- fasciotomy in the treatment of rattlesnake envenomation: A retrospective poison center study.

PubMed

Darracq, Michael A; Cantrell, F Lee; Klauk, Bryan; Thornton, Stephen L

2015-07-01

Fasciotomy has been described in the treatment of rattlesnake-envenomation. We sought to compare the characteristics of patients undergoing fasciotomy with those where fasciotomy was discussed but not performed. A retrospective case-series constructed from a single-statewide-poison-system electronic database for cases of fasciotomy discussion or completion in rattlesnake-envenomation between January 2001 and May 2012. Age, gender, bite location, antivenom administered, compartment pressure measurements, Snakebite Severity Score (SSS) and length of hospitalization (LOS) were recorded. Comparisons were made between fasciotomy completed and where fasciotomy was only discussed. One-hundred-five cases of fasciotomy discussion or completion were identified. Fasciotomy was performed in 28 cases (27%). There was no statistically significant difference (p > 0.05) between groups in age, gender, bite site, SSS, and total number of vials of antivenom administered. Only 2 of 28 (7%) had compartment pressure measurements. Patients undergoing fasciotomy spent an additional 2 days in the hospital. Fasciotomies continue to take place, without compartment pressure measurements, and without repeat dosing of antivenom. In the absence of clear objective evidence that limb-threatening compartment syndrome occurs despite adequate antivenom administration, fasciotomy does not favorably impact morbidity and may be associated with increased costs for care following rattlesnake envenomation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nomograms Predicting Response to Therapy and Outcomes After Bladder-Preserving Trimodality Therapy for Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer

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

Coen, John J., E-mail: jcoen@harthosp.org; Paly, Jonathan J.; Niemierko, Andrzej

2013-06-01

Purpose: Selective bladder preservation by use of trimodality therapy is an established management strategy for muscle-invasive bladder cancer. Individual disease features have been associated with response to therapy, likelihood of bladder preservation, and disease-free survival. We developed prognostic nomograms to predict the complete response rate, disease-specific survival, and likelihood of remaining free of recurrent bladder cancer or cystectomy. Methods and Materials: From 1986 to 2009, 325 patients were managed with selective bladder preservation at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and had complete data adequate for nomogram development. Treatment consisted of a transurethral resection of bladder tumor followed by split-course chemoradiation. Patientsmore » with a complete response at midtreatment cystoscopic assessment completed radiation, whereas those with a lesser response underwent a prompt cystectomy. Prognostic nomograms were constructed predicting complete response (CR), disease-specific survival (DSS), and bladder-intact disease-free survival (BI-DFS). BI-DFS was defined as the absence of local invasive or regional recurrence, distant metastasis, bladder cancer-related death, or radical cystectomy. Results: The final nomograms included information on clinical T stage, presence of hydronephrosis, whether a visibly complete transurethral resection of bladder tumor was performed, age, sex, and tumor grade. The predictive accuracy of these nomograms was assessed. For complete response, the area under the receiving operating characteristic curve was 0.69. The Harrell concordance index was 0.61 for both DSS and BI-DFS. Conclusions: Our nomograms allow individualized estimates of complete response, DSS, and BI-DFS. They may assist patients and clinicians making important treatment decisions.« less

Selected plantar pressure characteristics associated with the skating performance of national in-line speed skaters.

PubMed

Wu, Wen-Lan; Hsu, Hsiu-Tao; Chu, I-Hua; Tsai, Feng-Hua; Liang, Jing-Min

2017-06-01

In order to help coaches analyse the techniques of professional in-line speed skaters for making the required fine adjustments and corrections in their push-off work, this study analysed the specific plantar pressure characteristics during a 300-m time-trial test. Fourteen elite in-line speed skaters from the national team were recruited in this study. The total completion time of the 300-m time-trial test, duration of each skating phase, and plantar pressure distribution were measured. The correlation between plantar pressure distribution and skating performance was assessed using Pearson correlation analyses. The results showed that the contact time of the total foot and force-time integral (FTI) in the medial forefoot were significantly correlated with the duration of the start phase, and the FTIs in the medial forefoot of the gliding (left) leg and lateral forefoot of the pushing (right) leg were significantly correlated with the duration of the turning phase. The maximum force in the medial heel, medial forefoot, and median forefoot and the FTI in the medial heel and medial forefoot were significantly correlated with the duration of the linear acceleration phase. The results suggest that a correct plantar loading area and push-off strategy can enhance the skating performance.

Live performance, carcass characteristic and blood metabolite responses of broilers to two distinct corn types with different extent of grinding.

PubMed

Zhao, J P; Cui, D P; Zhang, Z Y; Jiao, H C; Song, Z G; Lin, H

2017-04-01

The major objective of this research was to establish the main and interactive effects of corn type and extent of grinding on broiler performance including carcass characteristics. A completely randomized experimental design with a 2 (corn type) × 2 (fine and coarse) factorial arrangement, each with six replicates of 45 male Ross chicks, was applied. Experimental diets, containing dent or hard corn, were formulated with two extents of grinding (3.00 or 6.00 mm screens) for three growing phases. In comparison with dent corn, the hard corn increased body weight (BW) gain and thigh muscle yield (p < 0.05), while decreasing feed conversion ratio (p < 0.01) and abdominal fat deposition (p < 0.05), some aspects of which were age-dependent and appeared to vary with extent of grinding. Coarser grinding increased the weight of proventriculus (p < 0.01), gizzard (p < 0.05) and small + large intestine (p < 0.10) relative to BW, particularly towards market size. These results suggest that feeding hard corn or large-particle-size corn have some favourable effects on growth performance or gastrointestinal development for finishing broilers. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition © 2016 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Inpatient Hospitalization in Addiction Treatment for Patients with a History of Suicide Attempt: A Case of Support for Treatment Performance Measures†

PubMed Central

Glass, Joseph E.; Ilgen, Mark A.; Winters, Jamie J.; Murray, Regan L.; Perron, Brian E.; Chermack, Stephen T.

2010-01-01

This study attempts to validate substance use disorder (SUD) treatment performance measures (PM) in a naturalistic treatment setting. Despite its significance in healthcare systems and in SUD populations, suicidality is one patient characteristic that remains unexplored in the context of SUD PMs. The current study focused on the extent to which the care processes encouraged by SUD PMs were associated with improved outcomes in patients with a prior suicide attempt as compared to those without. We abstracted Addiction Severity Index and health services data from the VA medical record for 381 veterans who initiated outpatient SUD treatment and completed baseline intake measures at a Midwestern VA hospital. Cox proportional hazard regressions examined how baseline characteristics, prior suicide attempts, and PM status predicted the time until hospitalization for psychiatric or substance use problems. Prior suicide attempts significantly interacted with treatment engagement, and hospitalization risk was significantly higher among individuals with a prior suicide attempt who did not meet PMs. This study provides initial observational evidence that past suicide attempts may be a factor that should be considered when defining performance standards that influence the processes of SUD treatment. Future research on PMs should take into account the differences on indicators of high risk and poor treatment outcomes. PMID:21053754

Individual variability in visual discrimination and reversal learning performance in common marmosets.

PubMed

Takemoto, Atsushi; Miwa, Miki; Koba, Reiko; Yamaguchi, Chieko; Suzuki, Hiromi; Nakamura, Katsuki

2015-04-01

Detailed information about the characteristics of learning behavior in marmosets is useful for future marmoset research. We trained 42 marmosets in visual discrimination and reversal learning. All marmosets could learn visual discrimination, and all but one could complete reversal learning, though some marmosets failed to touch the visual stimuli and were screened out. In 87% of measurements, the final percentage of correct responses was over 95%. We quantified performance with two measures: onset trial and dynamic interval. Onset trial represents the number of trials that elapsed before the marmoset started to learn. Dynamic interval represents the number of trials from the start before reaching the final percentage of correct responses. Both measures decreased drastically as a result of the formation of discrimination learning sets. In reversal learning, both measures worsened, but the effect on onset trial was far greater. The effects of age and sex were not significant as far as we used adolescent or young adult marmosets. Unexpectedly, experimental circumstance (in the colony or isolator) had only a subtle effect on performance. However, we found that marmosets from different families exhibited different learning process characteristics, suggesting some family effect on learning. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd and the Japan Neuroscience Society. All rights reserved.

Performance and carcass yield of crossbred dairy steers fed diets with different levels of concentrate.

PubMed

da Silva, Gabriel Santana; Chaves Véras, Antônia Sherlanea; de Andrade Ferreira, Marcelo; Moreira Dutra, Wilson; Menezes Wanderley Neves, Maria Luciana; Oliveira Souza, Evaristo Jorge; Ramos de Carvalho, Francisco Fernando; de Lima, Dorgival Morais

2015-10-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of diets with increasing concentrate levels (170, 340, 510 and 680 g/kg of total dry matter) on dry matter intake, digestibility, performance and carcass characteristics of 25 Holstein-Zebu crossbred dairy steers in a feedlot. A completely randomized design was used, and data were submitted to analysis of variance and regression. The dry matter intake and digestibility coefficients of all nutrients increased linearly. The total weight gain and average daily gain added 1.16 kg and 9.90 g, respectively, for each 10 g/kg increase in concentrate. The empty body weight, hot carcass weight and cold carcass weight responded linearly to increasing concentrate. The hot carcass yield and cold carcass yield, gains in empty body weight and carcass gain were also influenced, as were the efficiencies of carcass deposition and carcass deposition rate. It is concluded that increasing concentrate levels in feedlot diets increase the intake and digestibility of dry matter and other nutrients, improving the feed efficiency, performance and physical characteristics of the carcass. Furthermore and of importance concerning the climate change debate, evidence from the literature indicates that enteric methane production would be reduced with increasing concentrate levels such as those used.

Geophysical background and as-built target characteristics

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

Allen, J.W.

1994-09-01

The US Department of Energy (DOE) Grand Junction Projects Office (GJPO) has provided a facility for DOE, other Government agencies, and the private sector to evaluate and document the utility of specific geophysical measurement techniques for detecting and defining cultural and environmental targets. This facility is the Rabbit Valley Geophysics Performance Evaluation Range (GPER). Geophysical surveys prior to the fiscal year (FY) 1994 construction of new test cells showed the primary test area to be relatively homogeneous and free from natural or man-made artifacts, which would generate spurious responses in performance evaluation data. Construction of nine new cell areas inmore » Rabbit Valley was completed in June 1994 and resulted in the emplacement of approximately 150 discrete targets selected for their physical and electrical properties. These targets and their geophysical environment provide a broad range of performance evaluation parameters from ``very easy to detect`` to ``challenging to the most advanced systems.`` Use of nonintrusive investigative techniques represents a significant improvement over intrusive characterization methods, such as drilling or excavation, because there is no danger of exposing personnel to possible hazardous materials and no risk of releasing or spreading contamination through the characterization activity. Nonintrusive geophysical techniques provide the ability to infer near-surface structure and waste characteristics from measurements of physical properties associated with those targets.« less

Factors affecting the operating time for complete cyst excision and Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy in paediatric cases of congenital choledochal malformation: a retrospective case study in Southeast China

PubMed Central

Guo, Wan-liang; Zhan, Yang; Fang, Fang; Deng, Yan-bing; Zhao, Jun-gang

2018-01-01

Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate factors affecting the operating time for complete cyst excision and Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy in paediatric cases of congenital choledochal malformation (CCM). Design A 3-year retrospective study was undertaken between January 2013 and December 2015 in four centres in China. Setting This involved a retrospective chart review of paediatric patients with CCM in four large hospitals in Southeast China. Participants Sixty-five paediatric patients with CCM were included in this study. We derived all available information on patient demographics, clinical characteristics, preoperative complications and surgical methods from the charts of all these patients. Interventions Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate factors significantly affecting the operating time for complete cyst excision and Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy in paediatric cases of CCM. Results Twenty-three of the 65 case surgeries were performed using laparoscopic technique, and 42 surgeries were performed by conventional open surgery. The median operating time was 215 min (range 120–430 min). The morphological subtype of CCM and the presence of cholecystitis or cholangitis were the only factors found to affect the operating time (p<0.05). Logistic regression analysis confirmed cholangitis as an independent risk factor. Conclusions The morphological subtype of CMM and the presence of cholecystitis or cholangitis are factors affecting the operating time for complete cyst excision and Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy in paediatric cases of CCM, whereas cholangitis is an independent risk factor. PMID:29804066

Do the conventional clinicopathologic parameters predict for response and survival in head and neck cancer patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy?

PubMed

Fonseca, E; Cruz, J J; Dueñas, A; Gómez, A; Sánchez, P; Martín, G; Nieto, A; Soria, P; Muñoz, A; Gómez, J L; Pardal, J L

1996-01-01

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy for head and neck carcinoma is still an important treatment modality. The prognostic value of patient and tumor parameters has been extensively evaluated in several trials, yielding mixed results. We report the prognostic factors emerging from a group of patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy. From April 1986 to June 1992, 149 consecutive patients received cisplatin-5-fluorouracil-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy. After four courses of chemotherapy, patients underwent local-regional treatment with surgery, radiation or both. A variety of patient and tumor characteristics were evaluated as predictors for response to chemotherapy and survival. The complete response, partial response and no response rates to NAC were 52%, 33% and 15%, respectively. No parameters predicted response to chemotherapy. At a maximum follow-up of 87 months, overall survival was 39% and disease-free survival was 49%. Variables shown to be predictors of survival in univariate analyses were age, performance status, histology, site, T, N, stage, and response to chemotherapy. Using the Cox regression analysis, only complete response to induction chemotherapy (P = 0.0006), performance status (P = 0.03), stage (P = 0.01), age (P = 0.03) and primary tumor site (P = 0.04) emerged as independent prognostic factors for survival. Complete response to chemotherapy was confirmed as the strongest prognostic factor influencing survival. However, conventional clinicopathologic factors did not predict response, hence, potential prognostic biologic and molecular factors for response must be sought. At present, much effort must be made for the improvement of the complete response rate, which seems to be a requisite to prolong survival.

Near Earth Asteroid Characteristics for Asteroid Threat Assessment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dotson, Jessie

2015-01-01

Information about the physical characteristics of Near Earth Asteroids (NEAs) is needed to model behavior during atmospheric entry, to assess the risk of an impact, and to model possible mitigation techniques. The intrinsic properties of interest to entry and mitigation modelers, however, rarely are directly measureable. Instead we measure other properties and infer the intrinsic physical properties, so determining the complete set of characteristics of interest is far from straightforward. In addition, for the majority of NEAs, only the basic measurements exist so often properties must be inferred from statistics of the population of more completely characterized objects. We will provide an assessment of the current state of knowledge about the physical characteristics of importance to asteroid threat assessment. In addition, an ongoing effort to collate NEA characteristics into a readily accessible database for use by the planetary defense community will be discussed.

Integrated function nonimaging concentrating collector tubes for solar thermal energy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Winston, R.; Ogallagher, J. J.

1982-09-01

A substantial improvement in optical efficiency over contemporary external reflector evacuated tube collectors has been achieved by integrating the reflector surface into the outer glass envelope. Described are the design fabrication and test results for a prototype collector based on this concept. A comprehensive test program to measure performance and operational characteristics of a 2 sq m panel (45 tubes) has been completed. Efficiencies above 50% relative to beam at 200 C have been repeatedly demonstrated. Both the instantaneous and long term average performance of this totally stationary solar collector are comparable to those for tracking line focus parabolic troughs. The yield, reliability and stability of performance achieved have been excellent. Subcomponent assemblies and fabrication procedures have been used which are expected to be compatible with high volume production. The collector has a wide variety of applications in the 100 to 300 C range including industrial progress heat, air conditioning and Rankine engine operation.

An examination of presenteeism measures: the association of three scoring methods with health, work life, and consumer activation.

PubMed

Terry, Paul E; Xi, Min

2010-12-01

The objective of this study was to assess the validity of 3 scoring techniques for presenteeism measures by exploring their relationship with patient activation, health, job satisfaction, and socioeconomic characteristics. The sample consisted of 631 employees from 2 predominantly white-collar employee groups in the northern Midwest. Employees completed the World Health Organization's Health and Work Performance Questionnaire, a wellness profile, and the Patient Activation Measure. Absolute measures reflect self-rated performance, while relative and stratified measures compare self-rated performance to that of co-workers. Multivariate analyses were used to validate scoring measures. All measures of presenteeism were positively correlated with being nonwhite, income, and smoking. The significance of age, employment, mental health, and patient activation depends on how presenteeism is defined. Practitioners must carefully consider which scoring method best addresses their program goals and objectives. Clearer measurement guidelines are needed.

Turbopumps for cryogenic upper stage engines. [fabrication and evaluation of turbine pumps for liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zachary, A. T.; Csomor, A.; Tignac, L. L.

1973-01-01

Small, high-performance LO2 and LH2 turbopump assembly configurations were selected, detail designs were prepared and two of each unit were fabricated with each unit consisting of pump, turbine gas generator, and appropriate controls. Following fabrication, development testing was conducted on each type to demonstrate performance, durability, transient characteristics, and heat transfer under simulated altitude conditions. Following successful completion of development effort, the two LO2 turbopump units and one LH2 turbopump unit were acceptance tested as specified. Inspection of the units following development testing revealed no deleterious effects of testing. The test results of LO2 turbopump assembly testing correlated well with predicted performance while the LH2 turbopump test results, though generally consistent with predicted values, did show lower than anticipated developed head at the design point and in the high flow range of operation.

An epidemic model for biological data fusion in ad hoc sensor networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, K. C.; Kotari, Vikas

2009-05-01

Bio terrorism can be a very refined and a catastrophic approach of attacking a nation. This requires the development of a complete architecture dedicatedly designed for this purpose which includes but is not limited to Sensing/Detection, Tracking and Fusion, Communication, and others. In this paper we focus on one such architecture and evaluate its performance. Various sensors for this specific purpose have been studied. The accent has been on use of Distributed systems such as ad-hoc networks and on application of epidemic data fusion algorithms to better manage the bio threat data. The emphasis has been on understanding the performance characteristics of these algorithms under diversified real time scenarios which are implemented through extensive JAVA based simulations. Through comparative studies on communication and fusion the performance of channel filter algorithm for the purpose of biological sensor data fusion are validated.

Social representations of obstetricians and neonatologists about fetal and early neonatal death certificate in the city of São Paulo.

PubMed

Schoeps, Daniela; Lefevre, Fernando; Silva, Zilda Pereira; Novaes, Hillegonda Maria Dutilh; Raspantini, Priscila Ribeiro; de Almeida, Márcia Furquim

2014-01-01

The insatisfactory completeness of the variables in the Death Certificate (DC) makes it difficult to obtain specific perinatal mortality indicators. To assess the social representation of physicians about the perinatal DC. Twenty-five physicians were interviewed in 15 hospitals in the city of São Paulo, in 2009. Qualitative analysis was performed with the Collective Subject Discourse technique. The DC is primarily considered according to its legal aspect. Physicians feel responsible for fulfilling the cause of death. The majority of them reported receiving help from other professionals to complete information on maternal characteristics and identification variables. There is lack of information on the mother's pre-natal conditions, which can make it difficult to identify the perinatal cause of death, mainly in the Unified Health System (SUS) hospitals. Some participants received specific DC training only when attending medical schools. The organization of medical work may affect the completion of the DC, especially in hospitals from SUS. Other professionals contributed to this task and their training can improve the quality of information.

Associations between general parenting styles and specific food-related parenting practices and children's food consumption.

PubMed

Vereecken, Carine; Legiest, Erwin; De Bourdeaudhuij, Ilse; Maes, Lea

2009-01-01

Explore the impact of general parenting style and specific food-related parenting practices on children's dietary habits. Cross-sectional study of sixth graders and their parents. Data were gathered (in 2003) in 69 of 100 randomly selected elementary schools in Belgium. All sixth graders (N = 1957) were invited to participate; 82.4% of their parents gave consent and completed questionnaires, resulting in 1614 parent-child pairs. Children's consumption of breakfast, fruit, vegetables, soft drinks, and sweets was assessed by self-administered food frequency questionnaires. Parents completed questionnaires on sociodemographic characteristics, general parenting styles (authoritarian, authoritative, indulgent, or neglecting) and specific food-related parenting practices (pressure, reward, encouragement through negotiation, catering on children's demands, permissiveness, avoiding negative modeling, and praise). Logistic regression analyses were performed, with general parenting style and specific food-related parenting practices as predictors and dietary habits as dependent variables, controlling for sociodemographic characteristics and children's weight status. General parenting style did not show any significant impact on dietary habits. In contrast, the food-related parenting practice "encouragement through negotiation" showed a significant positive impact, whereas "pressure," "catering on demand," and "permissiveness" were practices with an unhealthy impact. Nutrition education programs that guide parents in firm but not coercive food parenting skills are likely to have a positive impact upon children's dietary habits.

Low-cost solar array progress and plans

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Callaghan, W. T.

It is pointed out that significant redirection has occurred in the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Photovoltaics Program, and thus in the Flat-Plate Solar Array Project (FSA), since the 3rd European Communities Conference. The Silicon Materials Task has now the objective to sponsor theoretical and experimental research on silicon material refinement technology suitable for photovoltaic flat-plate solar arrays. With respect to the hydrochlorination reaction, a process proof of concept was completed through definition of reaction kinetics, catalyst, and reaction characteristics. In connection with the dichlorosilane chemical vapor desposition process, a preliminary design was completed of an experimental process system development unit with a capacity of 100 to 200 MT/yr of Si.Attention is also given to the silicon-sheet formation research area, environmental isolation research, the cell and module formation task, the engineering sciences area, and the module performance and failure analysis area.

Test Results of the RS-44 Integrated Component Evaluator Liquid Oxygen/Hydrogen Rocket Engine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sutton, R. F.; Lariviere, B. W.

1993-01-01

An advanced LOX/LH2 expander cycle rocket engine, producing 15,000 lbf thrust for Orbital Transfer Vehicle missions, was tested to determine ignition, transition, and main stage characteristics. Detail design and fabrication of the pump fed RS44 integrated component evaluator (ICE) was accomplished using company discretionary resources and was tested under this contracted effort. Successful demonstrations were completed to about the 50 percent fuel turbopump power level (87,000 RPM), but during this last test, a high pressure fuel turbopump (HPFTP) bearing failed curtailing the test program. No other hardware were affected by the HPFTP premature shutdown. The ICE operations matched well with the predicted start transient simulations. The tests demonstrated the feasibility of a high performance advanced expander cycle engine. All engine components operated nominally, except for the HPFTP, during the engine hot-fire tests. A failure investigation was completed using company discretionary resources.

Atypical fibroxanthoma on a bald scalp.

PubMed

Nakai, Noriaki; Takenaka, Hideya; Kishimoto, Saburo

2005-10-01

We present the clinical, histopathological and immunohistochemical findings of an atypical fibroxanthoma (AFX) on the bald scalp of an 81-year-old French man who had worked at a private high school in Japan as a janitor for over 40 years. The patient had a history of basal cell carcinoma on the nape, and chronic solar radiation seemed to be a predisposing factor in the pathogenesis of this association. This case showed the typical clinical and histopathological characteristics of AFX, and the immunohistochemical results suggested differentiation of histiocytes and myofibroblasts. The AFX was completely resected, and the patient has not had tumor recurrence or metastasis for over four postoperative years. This case therefore provides further support to the theory that AFX displays a clinically benign course, even though it is essentially a malignant tumor histologically located in the dermis. Therefore, we must excise AFX completely with great care and perform regular physical examinations for several years after operation.

Madelung's Disease: Lipectomy or Liposuction?

PubMed Central

Chen, Chun-Ye; Fang, Qing-Qing; Wang, Xiao-Feng; Zhang, Min-Xia; Zhao, Wan-Yi; Shi, Bang-Hui; Wu, Li-Hong; Zhang, Li-Yun

2018-01-01

Background Madelung's disease is a rare lipid metabolic disorder characterized by diffuse, uncapsulated lipomas in the neck, shoulder, and other areas. It mainly affects middle-aged men and is related to alcohol abuse, and the cause is not clear. Surgical treatments include lipectomy and liposuction. Methods This systematic review analyzed the treatment of Madelung's disease described in 52 articles including complete patient details, published between 2000 and 2015, and retrieved from the Web of Science, PubMed, Medline, and Embase. Results Lipectomy was performed in most cases and achieved more complete removal and better control of iatrogenic lesions of nearby structures than liposuction. Liposuction achieved good cosmetic results and is simpler and less invasive than lipectomy, but clinical experience is limited. Conclusions Both lipectomy and liposuction have advantages and drawbacks. Surgeons should base the choice of optimal treatment on patient characteristics. Novel surgical techniques and etiologically targeted treatments hold promise as future therapies. PMID:29682541

Madelung's Disease: Lipectomy or Liposuction?

PubMed

Chen, Chun-Ye; Fang, Qing-Qing; Wang, Xiao-Feng; Zhang, Min-Xia; Zhao, Wan-Yi; Shi, Bang-Hui; Wu, Li-Hong; Zhang, Li-Yun; Tan, Wei-Qiang

2018-01-01

Madelung's disease is a rare lipid metabolic disorder characterized by diffuse, uncapsulated lipomas in the neck, shoulder, and other areas. It mainly affects middle-aged men and is related to alcohol abuse, and the cause is not clear. Surgical treatments include lipectomy and liposuction. This systematic review analyzed the treatment of Madelung's disease described in 52 articles including complete patient details, published between 2000 and 2015, and retrieved from the Web of Science, PubMed, Medline, and Embase. Lipectomy was performed in most cases and achieved more complete removal and better control of iatrogenic lesions of nearby structures than liposuction. Liposuction achieved good cosmetic results and is simpler and less invasive than lipectomy, but clinical experience is limited. Both lipectomy and liposuction have advantages and drawbacks. Surgeons should base the choice of optimal treatment on patient characteristics. Novel surgical techniques and etiologically targeted treatments hold promise as future therapies.

Using hybrid magnetic bearings to completely suspend the impeller of a ventricular assist device.

PubMed

Khanwilkar, P; Olsen, D; Bearnson, G; Allaire, P; Maslen, E; Flack, R; Long, J

1996-06-01

Clinically available blood pumps and those under development suffer from poor mechanical reliability and poor biocompatibility related to anatomic fit, hemolysis, and thrombosis. To alleviate these problems concurrently in a long-term device is a substantial challenge. Based on testing the performance of a prototype, and on our judgment of desired characteristics, we have configured an innovative ventricular assist device, the CFVAD4, for long-term use. The design process and its outcome, the CFVAD4 system configuration, is described. To provide unprecedented reliability and biocompatibility, magnetic bearings completely suspend the rotating pump impeller. The CFVAD4 uses a combination of passive (permanent) and active (electric) magnetic bearings, a mixed flow impeller, and a slotless 3-phase brushless DC motor. These components are shaped, oriented, and integrated to provide a compact, implantable, pancake-shaped unit for placement in the left upper abdominal quadrant of adult humans.

Hemihydranencephaly: living with half brain dysfunction.

PubMed

Pavone, Piero; Nigro, Francesco; Falsaperla, Raffaele; Greco, Filippo; Ruggieri, Martino; Rizzo, Renata; Praticò, Andrea D; Pavone, Lorenzo

2013-01-16

Hemi-hydranencephaly is a very rare condition characterized by complete or almost near-complete unilateral absence of the cortical cortex, which is filled by a sac of cerebrospinal fluid. Prenatal vascular disruption with occlusion of the carotid artery territories ipsilateral to the damaged brain is the presumed pathogenesis.We have selected nine cases that fit the clinical and pathologic characteristics of hemi-hydranencephaly, demonstrating that destruction of one hemisphere may be not always associated with severe neurologic impairment and may allow an almost normal life. This disorder is an example of a possible prenatal re-organization in which the right and left cerebral hemispheres present functional potentiality to make up the damaged brain.The cases reported in the literature are discussed, including a patient previously reported and followed-up for 10 years. A review of the cases is performed with an evaluation of the most important aspect of this rare and mysterious disorder.

Pediatric Catheter Ablation: Characteristics and Results of a Series in a Tertiary Referral Hospital.

PubMed

Alonso-García, Andrés; Atienza, Felipe; Ávila, Pablo; Ugueto, Clara; Centeno, Miriam; Álvarez, Reyes; Datino, Tomás; González-Torrecilla, Esteban; Castellanos, Evaristo; Loughlin, Gerard; Medrano, Constancio; Arenal, Ángel; Fernández-Avilés, Francisco

2018-02-23

Catheter ablation has become the treatment of choice in an increasing number of arrhythmias in children and adolescents. There is still limited evidence of its use at a national level in Spain. The aim was to describe the characteristics and results of a modern monocentric series form a referral tertiary care centre. Retrospective register of invasive procedures between 2004 and 2016 performed in patients under 17 years and recorded clinical characteristic, ablation methodology and acute and chronic results of the procedure. A total of 291 procedures in 224 patients were included. Median age was 12.2 years, 60% male. Overall, 46% patients were referred from other autonomous communities. The most frequent substrates were accessory pathways (AP) (70.2%,>50% septal AP localization) and atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT) (15.8%). Congenital and acquired heart disease was frequent (16.8%). Cryoablation was used in 35.5% of the cases. Overall acute success of the primary procedure was 93.5% (AP 93.8%; AVNRT 100%). Redo procedures after recurrence were performed in 18.9% of all substrates, with a long-term cumulative efficacy of 98.4% (AP 99.3%; AVNRT 100%). One (0.37%) serious complication occurred, a case of complete atrioventricular block. Our study replicated previous international reports of high success rates with scarce complications in a high complexity series, confirming the safety and efficacy of pediatric catheter ablation in our environment performed at highly experienced referral centers. Copyright © 2017 Sociedad Española de Cardiología. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Reaching young adult smokers through the internet: comparison of three recruitment mechanisms.

PubMed

Ramo, Danielle E; Hall, Sharon M; Prochaska, Judith J

2010-07-01

While young adults have the highest prevalence of cigarette smoking of any adult age group, studies of tobacco and other substance use have reported challenges in recruiting this age group. The Internet may be a useful tool for reaching young adult smokers. The present study compared three Internet-based recruitment methods for young adult smokers to complete a survey about tobacco and other substance use: Craigslist advertisements, other Internet advertisements, and E-mail invitations through a survey sampling service. Recruitment campaigns invited young adults aged 18-25 years who had smoked at least one cigarette in the past 30 days to complete an online survey. Recruitment methods were compared across recruitment numbers, costeffectiveness, and demographic and smoking characteristics of recruited participants. In 6 months, 920 people gave online consent to determine eligibility to complete the survey, of which 336 (36.5%) were eligible, and 201 (59.8%) completed the survey. While Internet advertisements yielded the largest proportion of recruited participants and completed surveys overall, Craigslist and sampling strategies were more successful at targeting young adult smokers who went on to complete the survey and were more costeffective. Participants differed in demographic and substance use characteristics across the three recruitment mechanisms. We identified success at reaching young adults who have smoked cigarettes recently through the Internet, though costs, participant eligibility, proportion of completed surveys, and respondent characteristics differed among the three methods. A multipronged approach to Internet recruitment is most likely to generate a broad diverse sample of young adult smokers.

Numerical analysis of wavefront measurement characteristics by using plenoptic camera

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lv, Yang; Ma, Haotong; Zhang, Xuanzhe; Ning, Yu; Xu, Xiaojun

2016-01-01

To take advantage of the large-diameter telescope for high-resolution imaging of extended targets, it is necessary to detect and compensate the wave-front aberrations induced by atmospheric turbulence. Data recorded by Plenoptic cameras can be used to extract the wave-front phases associated to the atmospheric turbulence in an astronomical observation. In order to recover the wave-front phase tomographically, a method of completing the large Field Of View (FOV), multi-perspective wave-front detection simultaneously is urgently demanded, and it is plenoptic camera that possesses this unique advantage. Our paper focuses more on the capability of plenoptic camera to extract the wave-front from different perspectives simultaneously. In this paper, we built up the corresponding theoretical model and simulation system to discuss wave-front measurement characteristics utilizing plenoptic camera as wave-front sensor. And we evaluated the performance of plenoptic camera with different types of wave-front aberration corresponding to the occasions of applications. In the last, we performed the multi-perspective wave-front sensing employing plenoptic camera as wave-front sensor in the simulation. Our research of wave-front measurement characteristics employing plenoptic camera is helpful to select and design the parameters of a plenoptic camera, when utilizing which as multi-perspective and large FOV wave-front sensor, which is expected to solve the problem of large FOV wave-front detection, and can be used for AO in giant telescopes.

Is intracytoplasmic morphologically selected sperm injection (IMSI) beneficial in the first ART cycle? a multicentric randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Leandri, R D; Gachet, A; Pfeffer, J; Celebi, C; Rives, N; Carre-Pigeon, F; Kulski, O; Mitchell, V; Parinaud, J

2013-09-01

Intracytoplasmic morphologically selected sperm injection (IMSI), by selecting spermatozoa at high magnification improves the outcome of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) mainly after several failures. However, only few monocentric randomized studies are available and they do not analyse results as a function of sperm characteristics. In 255 couples attempting their first assisted reproductive technology (ART) attempt for male infertility (motile sperm count <1×10⁶ after sperm selection, but at least 3×10⁶ spermatozoa per ejaculate to allow a detailed analysis of sperm characteristics), a prospective randomized trial was performed to compare the clinical outcomes of IMSI and ICSI and to evaluate the influence of sperm characteristics on these outcomes. IMSI did not provide any significant improvement in the clinical outcomes compared with ICSI neither for implantation (24% vs. 23%), nor clinical pregnancy (31% vs. 33%) nor live birth rates (27% vs. 30%). Moreover, the results of IMSI were similar to the ICSI ones whatever the degree of sperm DNA fragmentation, nuclear immaturity and sperm morphology. These results show that IMSI instead of ICSI has no advantage in the first ART attempts. However, this does not rule out IMSI completely and more randomized trials must be performed especially regarding patients carrying severe teratozoospermia, or high sperm DNA fragmentation levels or having previous ICSI failures. © 2013 American Society of Andrology and European Academy of Andrology.

Representative learning design in springboard diving: Is dry-land training representative of a pool dive?

PubMed

Barris, Sian; Davids, Keith; Farrow, Damian

2013-01-01

Two distinctly separate training facilities (dry-land and aquatic) are routinely used in springboard diving and pose an interesting problem for learning, given the inherent differences in landing (head first vs. feet first) imposed by the different task constraints. Although divers may practise the same preparation phase, take-off and initial aerial rotation in both environments, there is no evidence to suggest that the tasks completed in the dry-land training environment are representative of those performed in the aquatic competition environment. The aim of this study was to compare the kinematics of the preparation phase of reverse dives routinely practised in each environment. Despite their high skill level, it was predicted that individual analyses of elite springboard divers would reveal differences in the joint coordination and board-work between take-offs. The two-dimensional kinematic characteristics were recorded during normal training sessions and used for intra-individual analysis. Kinematic characteristics of the preparatory take-off phase revealed differences in board-work (step lengths, jump height, board depression angles) for all participants at key events. However, the presence of scaled global topological characteristics suggested that all participants adopted similar joint coordination patterns in both environments. These findings suggest that the task constraints of wet and dry training environments are not similar, and highlight the need for coaches to consider representative learning designs in high performance diving programmes.

Semantic extraction and processing of medical records for patient-oriented visual index

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Weilin; Dong, Wenjie; Chen, Xiangjiao; Zhang, Jianguo

2012-02-01

To have comprehensive and completed understanding healthcare status of a patient, doctors need to search patient medical records from different healthcare information systems, such as PACS, RIS, HIS, USIS, as a reference of diagnosis and treatment decisions for the patient. However, it is time-consuming and tedious to do these procedures. In order to solve this kind of problems, we developed a patient-oriented visual index system (VIS) to use the visual technology to show health status and to retrieve the patients' examination information stored in each system with a 3D human model. In this presentation, we present a new approach about how to extract the semantic and characteristic information from the medical record systems such as RIS/USIS to create the 3D Visual Index. This approach includes following steps: (1) Building a medical characteristic semantic knowledge base; (2) Developing natural language processing (NLP) engine to perform semantic analysis and logical judgment on text-based medical records; (3) Applying the knowledge base and NLP engine on medical records to extract medical characteristics (e.g., the positive focus information), and then mapping extracted information to related organ/parts of 3D human model to create the visual index. We performed the testing procedures on 559 samples of radiological reports which include 853 focuses, and achieved 828 focuses' information. The successful rate of focus extraction is about 97.1%.

Wash water recovery system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Deckman, G.; Rousseau, J. (Editor)

1973-01-01

The Wash Water Recovery System (WWRS) is intended for use in processing shower bath water onboard a spacecraft. The WWRS utilizes flash evaporation, vapor compression, and pyrolytic reaction to process the wash water to allow recovery of potable water. Wash water flashing and foaming characteristics, are evaluated physical properties, of concentrated wash water are determined, and a long term feasibility study on the system is performed. In addition, a computer analysis of the system and a detail design of a 10 lb/hr vortex-type water vapor compressor were completed. The computer analysis also sized remaining system components on the basis of the new vortex compressor design.

High Reynolds Number Effects on HSCT Stability and Control Characteristics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Elzey, Michael B.; Owens, Lewis R., Jr.; Wahls, Richard A.; Wilson, Douglas L.

1999-01-01

Two wind tunnel tests during 1995 in the National Transonic Facility (NTF 070 and 073) served to define Reynolds number effects on longitudinal and lateral-directional stability and control. Testing was completed at both high lift and transonic conditions. The effect of Reynolds number on the total airplane configuration, horizontal and vertical tail effectiveness, forebody chine performance, rudder control and model aeroelastics was investigated. This paper will present pertinent stability and control results from these two test entries. Note that while model aeroelastic effects are examined in this presentation, no corrections for these effects have been made to the data.

Coupled dynamics analysis of wind energy systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoffman, J. A.

1977-01-01

A qualitative description of all key elements of a complete wind energy system computer analysis code is presented. The analysis system addresses the coupled dynamics characteristics of wind energy systems, including the interactions of the rotor, tower, nacelle, power train, control system, and electrical network. The coupled dynamics are analyzed in both the frequency and time domain to provide the basic motions and loads data required for design, performance verification and operations analysis activities. Elements of the coupled analysis code were used to design and analyze candidate rotor articulation concepts. Fundamental results and conclusions derived from these studies are presented.

The 77 K operation of a multi-resonant power converter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ray, Biswajit; Gerber, Scott S.; Patterson, Richard L.; Myers, Ira T.

1995-01-01

The liquid-nitrogen temperature (77 K) operation of a 55 W, 200 kHz, 48/28 V zero-voltage switching multi-resonant dc/dc converter designed with commercially available components is reported. Upon dipping the complete converter (power and control circuits) into liquid-nitrogen, the converter performance improved as compared to the room-temperature operation. The switching frequency, resonant frequency, and the characteristic impedance did not change significantly. Accordingly, the zero-voltage switching was maintained from no-load to full-load for the specified line variations. Cryoelectronics can provide high density power converters, especially for high power applications.

Sinus histiocytosis with massive lymphadenopathy (Rosai-Dorfman disease): two case reports.

PubMed

El Kohen, A; Planquart, X; Al Hamany, Z; Bienvenu, L; Kzadri, M; Herman, D

2001-12-01

Sinus histiocytosis with massive lymphadenopathy or Destombes-Rosai-Dorfman's syndrome is a rare benign disease of unknown etiology, usually seen in younger patients. The cases reported concerned a 15-month old Caucasian boy and an 8 year old black boy with unilateral cervical enlargement, occasional fever and without any extranodal involvement. Diagnosis was performed by superficial lymph node biopsy. No immunodeficiency was found. The patients received no therapy and a complete spontaneous resolution was seen after a few months in the two cases. The clinical presentation, histologic characteristics, pathogenesis and treatment of the Destombes-Rosai-Dorfman's syndrome are discussed.

Baseline automotive gas turbine engine development program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wagner, C. E. (Editor); Pampreen, R. C. (Editor)

1979-01-01

Tests results on a baseline engine are presented to document the automotive gas turbine state-of-the-art at the start of the program. The performance characteristics of the engine and of a vehicle powered by this engine are defined. Component improvement concepts in the baseline engine were evaluated on engine dynamometer tests in the complete vehicle on a chassis dynamometer and on road tests. The concepts included advanced combustors, ceramic regenerators, an integrated control system, low cost turbine material, a continuously variable transmission, power-turbine-driven accessories, power augmentation, and linerless insulation in the engine housing.

Vibration characteristics of walls and a plate glass window representative of those of a wood-frame house

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carden, H. D.

1979-01-01

Mechanical excitation was used, and measurements of acceleration response, natural frequencies, and nodal patterns were performed. Results indicate that the wall sections and the complete wall did not act as a unit in responding to sinusoidal vibration inputs. Calculated frequencies of the components that account for this independent behavior of the studs and face sheets agreed resonably well with experimental frequencies. Experimental vibrations of the plate glass window agreed with the calculated behavior, and responses of the window exposed to airplane flyover noise were readily correlated with the test results.

Rotorcraft flight-propulsion control integration: An eclectic design concept

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mihaloew, James R.; Ballin, Mark G.; Ruttledge, D. C. G.

1988-01-01

The NASA Ames and Lewis Research Centers, in conjunction with the Army Research and Technology Laboratories, have initiated and partially completed a joint research program focused on improving the performance, maneuverability, and operating characteristics of rotorcraft by integrating the flight and propulsion controls. The background of the program, its supporting programs, its goals and objectives, and an approach to accomplish them are discussed. Results of the modern control governor design of the General Electric T700 engine and the Rotorcraft Integrated Flight-Propulsion Control Study, which were key elements of the program, are also presented.

Memcomputing with membrane memcapacitive systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pershin, Y. V.; Traversa, F. L.; Di Ventra, M.

2015-06-01

We show theoretically that networks of membrane memcapacitive systems—capacitors with memory made out of membrane materials—can be used to perform a complete set of logic gates in a massively parallel way by simply changing the external input amplitudes, but not the topology of the network. This polymorphism is an important characteristic of memcomputing (computing with memories) that closely reproduces one of the main features of the brain. A practical realization of these membrane memcapacitive systems, using, e.g., graphene or other 2D materials, would be a step forward towards a solid-state realization of memcomputing with passive devices.

Characterizing performance improvement in primary care systems in Mesoamerica: A realist evaluation protocol.

PubMed

Munar, Wolfgang; Wahid, Syed S; Curry, Leslie

2018-01-03

Background . Improving performance of primary care systems in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) may be a necessary condition for achievement of universal health coverage in the age of Sustainable Development Goals. The Salud Mesoamerica Initiative (SMI), a large-scale, multi-country program that uses supply-side financial incentives directed at the central-level of governments, and continuous, external evaluation of public, health sector performance to induce improvements in primary care performance in eight LMICs. This study protocol seeks to explain whether and how these interventions generate program effects in El Salvador and Honduras. Methods . This study presents the protocol for a study that uses a realist evaluation approach to develop a preliminary program theory that hypothesizes the interactions between context, interventions and the mechanisms that trigger outcomes. The program theory was completed through a scoping review of relevant empirical, peer-reviewed and grey literature; a sense-making workshop with program stakeholders; and content analysis of key SMI documents. The study will use a multiple case-study design with embedded units with contrasting cases. We define as a case the two primary care systems of Honduras and El Salvador, each with different context characteristics. Data will be collected through in-depth interviews with program actors and stakeholders, documentary review, and non-participatory observation. Data analysis will use inductive and deductive approaches to identify causal patterns organized as 'context, mechanism, outcome' configurations. The findings will be triangulated with existing secondary, qualitative and quantitative data sources, and contrasted against relevant theoretical literature. The study will end with a refined program theory. Findings will be published following the guidelines generated by the Realist and Meta-narrative Evidence Syntheses study (RAMESES II). This study will be performed contemporaneously with SMI's mid-term stage of implementation. Of the methods described, the preliminary program theory has been completed. Data collection, analysis and synthesis remain to be completed.

Characterizing performance improvement in primary care systems in Mesoamerica: A realist evaluation protocol

PubMed Central

Munar, Wolfgang; Wahid, Syed S.; Curry, Leslie

2018-01-01

Background. Improving performance of primary care systems in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) may be a necessary condition for achievement of universal health coverage in the age of Sustainable Development Goals. The Salud Mesoamerica Initiative (SMI), a large-scale, multi-country program that uses supply-side financial incentives directed at the central-level of governments, and continuous, external evaluation of public, health sector performance to induce improvements in primary care performance in eight LMICs. This study protocol seeks to explain whether and how these interventions generate program effects in El Salvador and Honduras. Methods. This study presents the protocol for a study that uses a realist evaluation approach to develop a preliminary program theory that hypothesizes the interactions between context, interventions and the mechanisms that trigger outcomes. The program theory was completed through a scoping review of relevant empirical, peer-reviewed and grey literature; a sense-making workshop with program stakeholders; and content analysis of key SMI documents. The study will use a multiple case-study design with embedded units with contrasting cases. We define as a case the two primary care systems of Honduras and El Salvador, each with different context characteristics. Data will be collected through in-depth interviews with program actors and stakeholders, documentary review, and non-participatory observation. Data analysis will use inductive and deductive approaches to identify causal patterns organized as ‘context, mechanism, outcome’ configurations. The findings will be triangulated with existing secondary, qualitative and quantitative data sources, and contrasted against relevant theoretical literature. The study will end with a refined program theory. Findings will be published following the guidelines generated by the Realist and Meta-narrative Evidence Syntheses study (RAMESES II). This study will be performed contemporaneously with SMI’s mid-term stage of implementation. Of the methods described, the preliminary program theory has been completed. Data collection, analysis and synthesis remain to be completed. PMID:29431181

The correlation between fundamental characteristics and first-time performance in laparoscopic tasks.

PubMed

Harrington, Cuan M; Bresler, Richard; Ryan, Donncha; Dicker, Patrick; Traynor, Oscar; Kavanagh, Dara O

2018-04-01

The ability of characteristics to predict first time performance in laparoscopic tasks is not well described. Videogame experience predicts positive performance in laparoscopic experiences but its mechanism and confounding-association with aptitude remains to be elucidated. This study sought to evaluate for innate predictors of laparoscopic performance in surgically naive individuals with minimal videogame exposure. Participants with no prior laparoscopic exposure and minimal videogaming experience were recruited consecutively from preclinical years at a medical university. Participants completed four visuospatial, one psychomotor aptitude test and an electronic survey, followed by four laparoscopic tasks on a validated Virtual Reality simulator (LAP Mentor™). Twenty eligible individuals participated with a mean age of 20.8 (±3.8) years. Significant intra-aptitude performance correlations were present amongst 75% of the visuospatial tests. These visuospatial aptitudes correlated significantly with multiple laparoscopic task metrics: number of movements of a dominant instrument (r s  ≥ -0.46), accuracy rate of clip placement (r s  ≥ 0.50) and time taken (r s  ≥ -0.47) (p < 0.05). Musical Instrument experience predicted higher average speed of instruments (r s  ≥ 0.47) (p < 0.05). Participant's revised competitive index level predicted lower proficiency in laparoscopic metrics including: pathlength, economy and number of movements of dominant instrument (r s  ≥ 0.46) (p < 0.05). Multiple visuospatial aptitudes and innate competitive level influenced baseline laparoscopic performances across several tasks in surgically naïve individuals. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Photobiological hydrogen production and carbon dioxide sequestration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berberoglu, Halil

Photobiological hydrogen production is an alternative to thermochemical and electrolytic technologies with the advantage of carbon dioxide sequestration. However, it suffers from low solar to hydrogen energy conversion efficiency due to limited light transfer, mass transfer, and nutrient medium composition. The present study aims at addressing these limitations and can be divided in three parts: (1) experimental measurements of the radiation characteristics of hydrogen producing and carbon dioxide consuming microorganisms, (2) solar radiation transfer modeling and simulation in photobioreactors, and (3) parametric experiments of photobiological hydrogen production and carbon dioxide sequestration. First, solar radiation transfer in photobioreactors containing microorganisms and bubbles was modeled using the radiative transport equation (RTE) and solved using the modified method of characteristics. The study concluded that Beer-Lambert's law gives inaccurate results and anisotropic scattering must be accounted for to predict the local irradiance inside a photobioreactor. The need for accurate measurement of the complete set of radiation characteristics of microorganisms was established. Then, experimental setup and analysis methods for measuring the complete set of radiation characteristics of microorganisms have been developed and successfully validated experimentally. A database of the radiation characteristics of representative microorganisms have been created including the cyanobacteria Anabaena variabilis, the purple non-sulfur bacteria Rhodobacter sphaeroides and the green algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii along with its three genetically engineered strains. This enabled, for the first time, quantitative assessment of the effect of genetic engineering on the radiation characteristics of microorganisms. In addition, a parametric experimental study has been performed to model the growth, CO2 consumption, and H 2 production of Anabaena variabilis as functions of irradiance and CO2 concentration. Kinetic models were successfully developed based on the Monod model and on a novel scaling analysis employing the CO2 consumption half-time as the time scale. Finally, the growth and hydrogen production of Anabaena variabilis have been compared in a flat panel photobioreactor using three different nutrient media under otherwise similar conditions. Light to hydrogen energy conversion efficiency for Allen-Arnon medium was superior by a factor of 5.5 to both BG-11 and BG-11o media. This was attributed to the presence of vanadium and larger heterocyst frequency observed in the Allen-Arnon medium.

Lay Health Influencers: How They Tailor Brief Tobacco Cessation Interventions

PubMed Central

Yuan, Nicole P.; Castañeda, Heide; Nichter, Mark; Nichter, Mimi; Wind, Steven; Carruth, Lauren; Muramoto, Myra

2014-01-01

Interventions tailored to individual smoker characteristics have increasingly received attention in the tobacco control literature. The majority of tailored interventions are generated by computers and administered with printed materials or Web-based programs. The purpose of this study was to examine the tailoring activities of community lay health influencers who were trained to perform face-to-face brief tobacco cessation interventions. Eighty participants of a large-scale, randomized controlled trial completed a 6-week qualitative follow-up interview. A majority of participants (86%) reported that they made adjustments in their intervention behaviors based on individual smoker characteristics, their relationship with the smoker, and/or setting. Situational contexts (i.e., location and timing) primarily played a role after targeted smokers were selected. The findings suggest that lay health influencers benefit from a training curriculum that emphasizes a motivational, person-centered approach to brief cessation interventions. Recommendations for future tobacco cessation intervention trainings are presented. PMID:21986244

Lay health influencers: how they tailor brief tobacco cessation interventions.

PubMed

Yuan, Nicole P; Castañeda, Heide; Nichter, Mark; Nichter, Mimi; Wind, Steven; Carruth, Lauren; Muramoto, Myra

2012-10-01

Interventions tailored to individual smoker characteristics have increasingly received attention in the tobacco control literature. The majority of tailored interventions are generated by computers and administered with printed materials or web-based programs. The purpose of this study was to examine the tailoring activities of community lay health influencers who were trained to perform face-to-face brief tobacco cessation interventions. Eighty participants of a large-scale, randomized controlled trial completed a 6-week qualitative follow-up interview. A majority of participants (86%) reported that they made adjustments in their intervention behaviors based on individual smoker characteristics, their relationship with the smoker, and/or setting. Situational contexts (i.e., location and timing) primarily played a role after targeted smokers were selected. The findings suggest that lay health influencers benefit from a training curriculum that emphasizes a motivational, person-centered approach to brief cessation interventions. Recommendations for future tobacco cessation intervention trainings are presented.

Dynamic fragmentation of cellular, ice-templated alumina scaffolds

DOE PAGES

Tan, Yi Ming; Cervantes, Octavio; Nam, SeanWoo; ...

2016-01-08

Here, we examine the dynamic failure of ice-templated freeze-cast alumina scaffolds that are being considered as biomimetic hierarchical structures. Three porosities of alumina freeze-cast structures were fabricated, and a systematic variation in microstructural properties such as lamellar width and thickness was observed with changing porosity. Dynamic impact tests were performed in a light-gas gun to examine the failure properties of these materials under high strain-rate loading. Nearly complete delamination was observed following impact, along with characteristic cracking across the lamellar width. Average fragment size decreases with increasing porosity, and a theoretical model was developed to explain this behavior based onmore » microstructural changes. Using an energy balance between kinetic, strain, and surface energies within a single lamella, we are able to accurately predict the characteristic fragment size using only standard material properties of bulk alumina.« less

Probing plasmons in three dimensions by combining complementary spectroscopies in a scanning transmission electron microscope

DOE PAGES

Hachtel, Jordan A.; Marvinney, Claire; Mouti, Anas; ...

2016-03-02

The nanoscale optical response of surface plasmons in three-dimensional metallic nanostructures plays an important role in many nanotechnology applications, where precise spatial and spectral characteristics of plasmonic elements control device performance. Electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) and cathodoluminescence (CL) within a scanning transmission electron microscope have proven to be valuable tools for studying plasmonics at the nanoscale. Each technique has been used separately, producing three-dimensional reconstructions through tomography, often aided by simulations for complete characterization. Here we demonstrate that the complementary nature of the two techniques, namely that EELS probes beam-induced electronic excitations while CL probes radiative decay, allows usmore » to directly obtain a spatially- and spectrally-resolved picture of the plasmonic characteristics of nanostructures in three dimensions. Furthermore, the approach enables nanoparticle-by-nanoparticle plasmonic analysis in three dimensions to aid in the design of diverse nanoplasmonic applications.« less

Coolant mixing in LMFBR rod bundles and outlet plenum mixing transients. Final report

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

Todreas, N.E.; Cheng, S.K.; Basehore, K.

1984-08-01

This project principally undertook the investigation of the thermal hydraulic performance of wire wrapped fuel bundles of LMFBR configuration. Results obtained included phenomenological models for friction factors, flow split and mixing characteristics; correlations for predicting these characteristics suitable for insertion in design codes; numerical codes for analyzing bundle behavior both of the lumped subchannel and distributed parameter categories and experimental techniques for pressure velocity, flow split, salt conductivity and temperature measurement in water cooled mockups of bundles and subchannels. Flow regimes investigated included laminar, transition and turbulent flow under forced convection and mixed convection conditions. Forced convections conditions were emphasized.more » Continuing efforts are underway at MIT to complete the investigation of the mixed convection regime initiated here. A number of investigations on outlet plenum behavior were also made. The reports of these investigations are identified.« less

Adaptive variational mode decomposition method for signal processing based on mode characteristic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lian, Jijian; Liu, Zhuo; Wang, Haijun; Dong, Xiaofeng

2018-07-01

Variational mode decomposition is a completely non-recursive decomposition model, where all the modes are extracted concurrently. However, the model requires a preset mode number, which limits the adaptability of the method since a large deviation in the number of mode set will cause the discard or mixing of the mode. Hence, a method called Adaptive Variational Mode Decomposition (AVMD) was proposed to automatically determine the mode number based on the characteristic of intrinsic mode function. The method was used to analyze the simulation signals and the measured signals in the hydropower plant. Comparisons have also been conducted to evaluate the performance by using VMD, EMD and EWT. It is indicated that the proposed method has strong adaptability and is robust to noise. It can determine the mode number appropriately without modulation even when the signal frequencies are relatively close.

Calibration and operation of the Faint Object Spectrograph

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harms, R.; Beaver, E.; Burbidge, E.; Hier, R.; Allen, R.; Angel, R.; Bartko, F.; Bohlin, R.; Ford, H.; Davidson, A.

1984-01-01

The design and basic performance characteristics of the Faint Object Spectrograph (FOS), one of five instruments built for use on the Space Telescope observatory, is summarized briefly. The results of the recently completed instrument-level calibration are presented with special emphasis on issues affecting plans for FOS astronomical observations. Examples include such fundamental characteristics as: limiting magnitudes (system sensitivity and noise figures), spectral coverage and resolution, scattered light properties, and instrumental polarization and modulation efficiencies. Also gated toward intended users, a rather detailed description of FOS operating modes is given. The discussion begins with the difficulties anticipated during target acquisition and their hoped-for resolution. Both the 'normal' spectroscopic operating modes of the FOS and its 'exotic' features (e.g. spectropolarimetric, time-tagged, and time-resolved modes) are presented. The paper concludes with an overview of the activities to assure proper alignment and operation of the FOS within the entire Space Telescope system (orbital and ground-based).

The characteristics and experiences of mature nursing students.

PubMed

Montgomery, Laura E A; Tansey, Etain A; Roe, Sean M

To explore the characteristics of mature nursing students, including how they perceive themselves, and to identify the problems they experience, which may influence whether they continue with their course. A sample of 239 students completed an anonymous questionnaire at the end of their first year of study for a diploma in nursing science. A question concerning age was included to enable identification of mature students, of which there were 90. Mature students as a group were desirable students, tending to perform better academically than their younger counterparts and bringing a wealth of caring experience to the course. However, mature students experienced additional pressures, for example financial concerns. When considering the potential benefits of educating mature students, the government and universities should be encouraging their recruitment and retention. An increase in the bursary and free or heavily subsidised childcare would help to alleviate financial concerns.

Application of an optimized winglet configuration to an advanced commercial transport

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shollenberger, C. A.

1979-01-01

The design is presented of an aircraft which employs an integrated wing and winglet lift system. Comparison was made with a conventional baseline configuration employing a high-aspect-ratio supercritical wing. An optimized wing-winglet combination was selected from four proposed configurations for which aerodynamic, structural, and weight characteristics were evaluated. Each candidate wing-winglet configuration was constrained to the same induced drag coefficient as the baseline aircraft. The selected wing-winglet configuration was resized for a specific medium-range mission requirement, and operating costs were estimated for a typical mission. Study results indicated that the wing-winglet aircraft was lighter and could complete the specified mission at less cost than the conventional wing aircraft. These indications were sensitive to the impact of flutter characteristics and, to a lesser extent, to the performance of the high-lift system. Further study in these areas is recommended to reduce uncertainty in future development.

Aerodynamic stability and drag characteristics of a parallel burn/SRM ascent configuration at Mach numbers from 0.6 to 4.96

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sims, J. F.; Hamilton, T.

1972-01-01

Experimental aerodynamic investigations were conducted in the NASA/MSFC 14-inch trisonic wind tunnel during March 1972 on a .003366 scale model of a solid rocket motor version of the space shuttle ascent configuration. The configuration consisted of a parallel burn solid rocket motor booster on an external H-O centerline tank orbiter. Six component aerodynamic force and moment date were recorded over an angle of attack range from -10 to 10 deg at zero degrees sideslip and over a sideslip range from -10 to 10 deg at 0, +6, and -6 deg angle of attack. Mach number ranged from 0.6 to 4.96. The performance and stability characteristics of the complete ascent configuration and build-up, and the effects of variations in tank diameter, orbiter incidence, fairings and positioning of the solid rocket motors and tank fins were determined.

Electrical characteristics of proton-irradiated Sc2O3 passivated AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, B.; Kim, Jihyun; Ren, F.; Gillespie, J. K.; Fitch, R. C.; Sewell, J.; Dettmer, R.; Via, G. D.; Crespo, A.; Jenkins, T. J.; Gila, B. P.; Onstine, A. H.; Allums, K. K.; Abernathy, C. R.; Pearton, S. J.; Dwivedi, R.; Fogarty, T. N.; Wilkins, R.

2003-03-01

Sc2O3-passivated AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) were irradiated with 40 MeV protons to a fluence corresponding to approximately 10 years in low-earth orbit (5×109 cm-2). Devices with an AlGaN cap layer showed less degradation in dc characteristics than comparable GaN-cap devices, consistent with differences in average band energy. The changes in device performance could be attributed completely to bulk trapping effects, demonstrating that the effectiveness of the Sc2O3 layers in passivating surface states in the drain-source region was undiminished by the proton irradiation. Sc2O3-passivated AlGaN/HEMTs appear to be attractive candidates for space and terrestrial applications where resistance to high fluxes of ionizing radiation is a criteria.

Force generation and wing deformation characteristics of a flapping-wing micro air vehicle 'DelFly II' in hovering flight.

PubMed

Percin, M; van Oudheusden, B W; de Croon, G C H E; Remes, B

2016-05-19

The study investigates the aerodynamic performance and the relation between wing deformation and unsteady force generation of a flapping-wing micro air vehicle in hovering flight configuration. Different experiments were performed where fluid forces were acquired with a force sensor, while the three-dimensional wing deformation was measured with a stereo-vision system. In these measurements, time-resolved power consumption and flapping-wing kinematics were also obtained under both in-air and in-vacuum conditions. Comparison of the results for different flapping frequencies reveals different wing kinematics and deformation characteristics. The high flapping frequency case produces higher forces throughout the complete flapping cycle. Moreover, a phase difference occurs in the variation of the forces, such that the low flapping frequency case precedes the high frequency case. A similar phase lag is observed in the temporal evolution of the wing deformation characteristics, suggesting that there is a direct link between the two phenomena. A considerable camber formation occurs during stroke reversals, which is mainly determined by the stiffener orientation. The wing with the thinner surface membrane displays very similar characteristics to the baseline wing, which implies the dominance of the stiffeners in terms of providing rigidity to the wing. Wing span has a significant effect on the aerodynamic efficiency such that increasing the span length by 4 cm results in a 6% enhancement in the cycle-averaged X-force to power consumption ratio compared to the standard DelFly II wings with a span length of 28 cm.

Exploring the disruptive effects of psychopathy and aggression on group processes and group effectiveness.

PubMed

Baysinger, Michael A; Scherer, Kelly T; LeBreton, James M

2014-01-01

The present research examines the influence of implicit and explicit personality characteristics on group process and effectiveness. Individuals from 112 groups participated in 2 problem-solving tasks and completed measures of group process and effectiveness. Results indicated that groups characterized by higher levels of psychopathy and implicit aggression tended to have more dysfunctional interactions and negative perceptions of the group. In addition, task participation and negative socioemotional behaviors fully mediated the relationship between group personality traits and group commitment and cohesion, and negative socioemotional behaviors fully mediated the relationship between group personality and performance on both tasks. Implications of antisocial traits for group interactions and performance, as well as for future theory and research, are discussed. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved

Multi-crop area estimation and mapping on a microprocessor/mainframe network

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sheffner, E.

1985-01-01

The data processing system is outlined for a 1985 test aimed at determining the performance characteristics of area estimation and mapping procedures connected with the California Cooperative Remote Sensing Project. The project is a joint effort of the USDA Statistical Reporting Service-Remote Sensing Branch, the California Department of Water Resources, NASA-Ames Research Center, and the University of California Remote Sensing Research Program. One objective of the program was to study performance when data processing is done on a microprocessor/mainframe network under operational conditions. The 1985 test covered the hardware, software, and network specifications and the integration of these three components. Plans for the year - including planned completion of PEDITOR software, testing of software on MIDAS, and accomplishment of data processing on the MIDAS-VAX-CRAY network - are discussed briefly.

Pre-Launch Radiometric Performance Characterization of the Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder on the Joint Polar Satellite System-1 Satellite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Craig K.; Kim, Edward; Leslie, R. Vincent; Lyu, Joseph; McCormick, Lisa M.; Anderson, Kent

2017-01-01

The Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS) is a space-based, cross-track radiometer for operational atmospheric temperature and humidity sounding, utilizing 22 channels over a frequency range from 23 to 183 gigahertz. The ATMS for the Joint Polar Satellite System-1 has undergone two rounds of re-work in 2014-2015 and 2016, following performance issues discovered during and following thermal vacuum chamber (TVAC) testing at the instrument and observatory level. Final shelf-level testing, including measurement of pass band characteristics and spectral response functions, was completed in December 2016. Final instrument-level TVAC testing and calibration occurred during February 2017. Here we will describe the instrument-level TVAC calibration process, and illustrate with results from the final TVAC calibration effort.

Speech and phonology in Swedish-speaking 3-year-olds with unilateral complete cleft lip and palate following different methods for primary palatal surgery.

PubMed

Klintö, Kristina; Svensson, Henry; Elander, Anna; Lohmander, Anette

2014-05-01

Objective : To describe and compare speech and phonology at age 3 years in children born with unilateral complete cleft lip and palate treated with three different methods for primary palatal surgery. Design : Prospective study. Setting : Primary care university hospitals. Participants : Twenty-eight Swedish-speaking children born with nonsyndromic unilateral complete cleft lip and palate. Interventions : Three methods for primary palatal surgery: two-stage closure with soft palate closure between 3.4 and 6.4 months and hard palate closure at mean age 12.3 months (n = 9) or 36.2 months (n = 9) or one-stage closure at mean age 13.6 months (n = 10). Main Outcome Measures : Based on independent judgments performed by two speech-language pathologists from standardized video recordings: percent correct consonants adjusted for age, percent active cleft speech characteristics, total number of phonological processes, number of different phonological processes, hypernasality, and audible nasal air leakage. The hard palate was unrepaired in nine of the children treated with two-stage closure. Results : The group treated with one-stage closure showed significantly better results than the group with an unoperated hard palate regarding percent active cleft speech characteristics and total number of phonological processes. Conclusions : Early primary palatal surgery in one or two stages did not result in any significant differences in speech production at age 3 years. However, children with an unoperated hard palate had significantly poorer speech and phonology than peers who had been treated with one-stage palatal closure at about 13 months of age.

Validation of the Long-term Difficulties Inventory (LDI) and the List of Threatening Experiences (LTE) as measures of stress in epidemiological population-based cohort studies.

PubMed

Rosmalen, J G M; Bos, E H; de Jonge, P

2012-12-01

Stress questionnaires are included in many epidemiological cohort studies but the psychometric characteristics of these questionnaires are largely unknown. The aim of this study was to describe these characteristics for two short questionnaires measuring the lifetime and past year occurrence of stress: the List of Threatening Events (LTE) as a measure of acute stress and the Long-term Difficulties Inventory (LDI) as a measure of chronic stress. This study was performed in a general population cohort consisting of 588 females (53.7%) and 506 males (46.3%), with a mean age of 53.5 years (s.d.=11.3 years). Respondents completed the LTE and the LDI for the past year, and for the age categories of 0-12, 13-18, 19-39, 40-60, and >60 years. They also completed questionnaires on perceived stress, psychological distress (the General Health Questionnaire, GHQ-12), anxiety and depression (the Symptom Checklist, SCL-8) and neuroticism (the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire - Revised Short Scale, EPQ-RSS-N). Approximately 2 years later, 976 respondents (89%) completed these questionnaires for a second time. The stability of the retrospective reporting of long-term difficulties and life events was satisfactory: 0.7 for the lifetime LDI and 0.6 for the lifetime LTE scores. The construct validity of these lists is indicated by their positive associations with psychological distress, mental health problems and neuroticism. This study in a large population-based sample shows that the LDI and LTE have sufficient validity and stability to include them in major epidemiological cohort studies.

Complete mitochondrial genome of Platevindex sp. (Gastropoda: Pulmonata: Systellommatophora: Onchidiidae).

PubMed

Liu, Chen; Shen, He Ding; Zhou, Na

2016-01-01

The complete mitochondrial genome sequence of Platevindex sp. is firstly described in the article. The mitogenome (13,908 bp) contains 22 tRNA genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes and 13 protein-coding genes, and 1 putative control region (CR). CR is not well characterized due to lack of discrete conserved sequence blocks. This characteristic is similar with CRs of other invertebrate mitochondrial genomes. The characteristic is the typical bivalvia mitochondrial gene composition.

System cost/performance analysis (study 2.3). Volume 1: Executive summary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kazangey, T.

1973-01-01

The relationships between performance, safety, cost, and schedule parameters were identified and quantified in support of an overall effort to generate program models and methodology that provide insight into a total space vehicle program. A specific space vehicle system, the attitude control system (ACS), was used, and a modeling methodology was selected that develops a consistent set of quantitative relationships among performance, safety, cost, and schedule, based on the characteristics of the components utilized in candidate mechanisms. These descriptive equations were developed for a three-axis, earth-pointing, mass expulsion ACS. A data base describing typical candidate ACS components was implemented, along with a computer program to perform sample calculations. This approach, implemented on a computer, is capable of determining the effect of a change in functional requirements to the ACS mechanization and the resulting cost and schedule. By a simple extension of this modeling methodology to the other systems in a space vehicle, a complete space vehicle model can be developed. Study results and recommendations are presented.

Reactor/Brayton power systems for nuclear electric spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Layton, J. P.

1980-01-01

Studies are currently underway to assess the technological feasibility of a nuclear-reactor-powered spacecraft propelled by electric thrusters. This vehicle would be capable of performing detailed exploration of the outer planets of the solar system during the remainder of this century. The purpose of this study was to provide comparative information on a closed cycle gas turbine power conversion system. The results have shown that the performance is very competitive and that a 400 kWe space power system is dimensionally compatible with a single Space Shuttle launch. Performance parameters of system mass and radiator area were determined for systems from 100 to 1000 kWe. A 400 kWe reference system received primary attention. The components of this system were defined and a conceptual layout was developed with encouraging results. The preliminary mass determination for the complete power system was very close to the desired goal of 20 kg/kWe. Use of more advanced technology (higher turbine inlet temperature) will substantially improve system performance characteristics.

Integrating Reconfigurable Hardware-Based Grid for High Performance Computing

PubMed Central

Dondo Gazzano, Julio; Sanchez Molina, Francisco; Rincon, Fernando; López, Juan Carlos

2015-01-01

FPGAs have shown several characteristics that make them very attractive for high performance computing (HPC). The impressive speed-up factors that they are able to achieve, the reduced power consumption, and the easiness and flexibility of the design process with fast iterations between consecutive versions are examples of benefits obtained with their use. However, there are still some difficulties when using reconfigurable platforms as accelerator that need to be addressed: the need of an in-depth application study to identify potential acceleration, the lack of tools for the deployment of computational problems in distributed hardware platforms, and the low portability of components, among others. This work proposes a complete grid infrastructure for distributed high performance computing based on dynamically reconfigurable FPGAs. Besides, a set of services designed to facilitate the application deployment is described. An example application and a comparison with other hardware and software implementations are shown. Experimental results show that the proposed architecture offers encouraging advantages for deployment of high performance distributed applications simplifying development process. PMID:25874241

Detonation Performance Analyses for Recent Energetic Molecules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stiel, Leonard; Samuels, Philip; Spangler, Kimberly; Iwaniuk, Daniel; Cornell, Rodger; Baker, Ernest

2017-06-01

Detonation performance analyses were conducted for a number of evolving and potential high explosive materials. The calculations were completed for theoretical maximum densities of the explosives using the Jaguar thermo-chemical equation of state computer programs for performance evaluations and JWL/JWLB equations of state parameterizations. A number of recently synthesized materials were investigated for performance characterizations and comparisons to existing explosives, including TNT, RDX, HMX, and Cl-20. The analytic cylinder model was utilized to establish cylinder and Gurney velocities as functions of the radial expansions of the cylinder for each explosive. The densities and heats of formulation utilized in the calculations are primarily experimental values from Picatinny Arsenal and other sources. Several of the new materials considered were predicted to have enhanced detonation characteristics compared to conventional explosives. In order to confirm the accuracy of the Jaguar and analytic cylinder model results, available experimental detonation and Gurney velocities for representative energetic molecules and their formulations were compared with the corresponding calculated values. Close agreement was obtained with most of the data. Presently at NATO.

SULTAN measurement and qualification: ITER-US-LLNL-NMARTOVETSKY- 092008

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

Martovetsky, N N

2006-09-21

Measuring the characteristics of full scale ITER CICC at SULTAN is the critical qualification test. If volt-ampere characteristic (VAC) or volt-temperature characteristic (VTC) are distorted, the criterion of 10 uV/m may not be a valid criterion to judge the conductor performance. Only measurements with a clear absence or low signals from the current distribution should be considered as quantitatively representative, although in some obvious circumstances one can judge if a conductor will meet or fail ITER requirements. SULTAN full scale ITER CICC testing should be done with all measures taken to ensure uniform current redistribution. A full removal of Crmore » plating in the joint area and complete solder filling of the joints (with provision of the central channel for helium flow) should be mandatory for DC qualification samples for ITER. Also, T and I should be increased slowly that an equilibrium could be established for accurate measurement of Tcs, Ic and N. It is also desirable to go up in down in current and/or temperature (within stable range) to make sure that the equilibrium is reached.« less

Individuals with excessive alcohol intake recruited by advertisement: demographic and clinical characteristics.

PubMed

Berglund, Kristina; Fahlke, Claudia; Berggren, Ulf; Eriksson, Matts; Balldin, Jan

2006-01-01

Studies have shown that most individuals with alcohol problems have never received any treatment for their alcoholism. The purpose of the present study was to describe demographic and clinical characteristics in male individuals with excessive alcohol intake who were recruited by advertisements. These characteristics were compared between individuals with or without prior treatment histories. Subjects (n = 367) responded to the advertisements in a regional daily newspaper and called the investigators. A structured interview was performed and a complete dataset of demographic and clinical information was collected in 342 individuals. Individuals with no prior treatment history (n = 238) were found to be more often cohabitant, employed, and they reported fewer on-going psychiatric symptoms than individuals with treatment histories (n = 104). Since individuals with no prior treatment history seldom experience psychiatric symptoms, they are less likely to seek treatment in the health care system. It is therefore of importance to find ways to reach this 'hidden' group early with excessive alcohol consumption. One way to do so might be via alcohol treatment programs at working places since the majority of them are employed.

Does childhood schooling affect old age memory or mental status? Using state schooling laws as natural experiments.

PubMed

Glymour, M M; Kawachi, I; Jencks, C S; Berkman, L F

2008-06-01

The association between schooling and old age cognitive outcomes such as memory disorders is well documented but, because of the threat of reverse causation, controversy persists over whether education affects old age cognition. Changes in state compulsory schooling laws (CSL) are treated as natural experiments (instruments) for estimating the effect of education on memory and mental status among the elderly. Changes in CSL predict changes in average years of schooling completed by children who are affected by the new laws. These educational differences are presumably independent of innate individual characteristics such as IQ. CSL-induced changes in education were used to obtain instrumental variable (IV) estimates of education's effect on memory (n = 10,694) and mental status (n = 9751) for white, non-Hispanic US-born Health and Retirement Survey participants born between 1900 and 1947 who did not attend college. After adjustment for sex, birth year, state of birth and state characteristics, IV estimates of education's effect on memory were large and statistically significant. IV estimates for mental status had very wide confidence intervals, so it was not possible to draw meaningful conclusions about the effect of education on this outcome. Increases in mandatory schooling lead to improvements in performance on memory tests many decades after school completion. These analyses condition on individual states, so differences in memory outcomes associated with CSL changes cannot be attributed to differences between states. Although unmeasured state characteristics that changed contemporaneously with CSL might account for these results, unobserved genetic variation is unlikely to do so.

Design of Aerosol Particle Coating: Thickness, Texture and Efficiency

PubMed Central

Buesser, B.; Pratsinis, S.E.

2013-01-01

Core-shell particles preserve the performance (e.g. magnetic, plasmonic or opacifying) of a core material while modifying its surface with a shell that facilitates (e.g. by blocking its reactivity) their incorporation into a host liquid or polymer matrix. Here coating of titania (core) aerosol particles with thin silica shells (films or layers) is investigated at non-isothermal conditions by a trimodal aerosol dynamics model, accounting for SiO2 generation by gas phase and surface oxidation of hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDSO) vapor, coagulation and sintering. After TiO2 particles have reached their final primary particle size (e.g. upon completion of sintering during their flame synthesis), coating starts by uniformly mixing them with HMDSO vapor that is oxidized either in the gas phase or on the particles’ surface resulting in SiO2 aerosols or deposits, respectively. Sintering of SiO2 deposited onto the core TiO2 particles takes place transforming rough into smooth coating shells depending on process conditions. The core-shell characteristics (thickness, texture and efficiency) are calculated for two limiting cases of coating shells: perfectly smooth (e.g. hermetic) and fractal-like. At constant TiO2 core particle production rate, the influence of coating weight fraction, surface oxidation and core particle size on coating shell characteristics is investigated and compared to pertinent experimental data through coating diagrams. With an optimal temperature profile for complete precursor conversion, the TiO2 aerosol and SiO2-precursor (HMDSO) vapor concentrations have the strongest influence on product coating shell characteristics. PMID:23729833

Does childhood schooling affect old age memory or mental status? Using state schooling laws as natural experiments

PubMed Central

Glymour, M M; Kawachi, I; Jencks, C S; Berkman, L F

2009-01-01

Background The association between schooling and old age cognitive outcomes such as memory disorders is well documented but, because of the threat of reverse causation, controversy persists over whether education affects old age cognition. Changes in state compulsory schooling laws (CSL) are treated as natural experiments (instruments) for estimating the effect of education on memory and mental status among the elderly. Changes in CSL predict changes in average years of schooling completed by children who are affected by the new laws. These educational differences are presumably independent of innate individual characteristics such as IQ. Methods CSL-induced changes in education were used to obtain instrumental variable (IV) estimates of education’s effect on memory (n = 10 694) and mental status (n = 9751) for white, non-Hispanic US-born Health and Retirement Survey participants born between 1900 and 1947 who did not attend college. Results After adjustment for sex, birth year, state of birth and state characteristics, IV estimates of education’s effect on memory were large and statistically significant. IV estimates for mental status had very wide confidence intervals, so it was not possible to draw meaningful conclusions about the effect of education on this outcome. Conclusions Increases in mandatory schooling lead to improvements in performance on memory tests many decades after school completion. These analyses condition on individual states, so differences in memory outcomes associated with CSL changes cannot be attributed to differences between states. Although unmeasured state characteristics that changed contemporaneously with CSL might account for these results, unobserved genetic variation is unlikely to do so. PMID:18477752

Evaluation of a Shoulder Injury Prevention Program in Wheelchair Basketball.

PubMed

Wilroy, Jereme; Hibberd, Elizabeth

2017-11-15

Previous literature has theorized that alterations in shoulder physical characteristics are present in wheelchair athletes and contribute to shoulder pain and injury. Limited empirical evidence is present that evaluates the effectiveness of a shoulder injury prevention program focusing on improving these altered characteristics. To evaluate the effectiveness of a 6-week intervention program at improving characteristics that increases the risk of developing pain or shoulder injury. Pre and post-test. Home-based and controlled laboratory. Seven collegiate wheelchair athletes. Shoulder range of motion (ROM) and scapular muscle strength were assessed, and a 5-minute injury prevention program was taught to participants. Participants completed the intervention 3 times per week for 6 weeks. Following completion of the program, a post-intervention screening was performed. Internal/external rotation ROM, retraction strength, and internal/external rotation strength. Participants experienced a significant improvement in dominant limb shoulder internal rotation ROM (t6=3.56,p=0.012) with an average increase of 11.4° of IR ROM, and a significant improvement in dominant limb shoulder external rotation (ER) ROM (t6=2.79,p=0.032) with an average increase of 8.0° of ER ROM. There were no significant increases in shoulder IR or ER strength and scapular retraction strength (p>0.05). Improvements in ROM have previously been linked to decreases in shoulder pain and injury in other upper-extremity dominant sports by improving scapular kinematics. These results provide evidence that a 6-week strengthening and stretching intervention program may decrease risk factors for shoulder injury in wheelchair athletics.

Teacher beliefs, teacher characteristics, and school contextual factors: what are the relationships?

PubMed

Rubie-Davies, Christine M; Flint, Annaline; McDonald, Lyn G

2012-06-01

There is a plethora of research around student beliefs and their contribution to student outcomes. However, there is less research in relation to teacher beliefs. Teacher factors are important to consider since beliefs mould thoughts and resultant instructional behaviours that, in turn, can contribute to student outcomes. The purpose of this research was to explore relationships between the teacher characteristics of gender and teaching experience, school contextual variables (socio-economic level of school and class level), and three teacher socio-psychological variables: class level teacher expectations, teacher efficacy, and teacher goal orientation. The participants were 68 male and female teachers with varying experience, from schools in a variety of socio-economic areas and from rural and urban locations within New Zealand. Teachers completed a questionnaire containing items related to teacher efficacy and goal orientation in reading. They also completed a teacher expectation survey. Reading achievement data were collected on students. Interrelationships were explored between teacher socio-psychological beliefs and the teacher and school factors included in the study. Mastery-oriented beliefs predicted teacher efficacy for student engagement and classroom management. The socio-economic level of the school and teacher gender predicted teacher efficacy for engagement, classroom management, instructional strategies, and a mastery goal orientation. Being male predicted a performance goal orientation. Teacher beliefs, teacher characteristics, and school contextual variables can result in differences in teacher instructional practices and differing classroom climates. Further investigation of these variables is important since differences in teachers contribute to differences in student outcomes. ©2011 The British Psychological Society.

A comparison of supplemental calcium soap of palm fatty acids versus tallow in a corn-based finishing diet for feedlot steers.

PubMed

Warner, Crystal M; Hahm, Sahng-Wook; Archibeque, Shawn L; Wagner, John J; Engle, Terry E; Roman-Muniz, Ivette N; Woerner, Dale; Sponsler, Mark; Han, Hyungchul

2015-01-01

Rumen bypass fat is commonly added to increase energy intake in dairy cattle. The objective of this study is to examine the addition of rumen bypass fat during finishing period on performance and carcass characteristics in grain fed steers. This study was conducted as a completely randomized block design with 126 cross-bred steer calves (initial BW 471.5 ± 7.5 kg) randomly assigned to pens with 9 steers/pen (n = 7 pens/treatment). Each pen was randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups; rumen bypass fat treatment (CCS, calcium soap of palm fatty acids) and control diet (CT, tallow). The diets were formulated to be isonitrogenous and isocaloric. Animals were fed twice daily at 110 % of the previous daily ad libitum intake. Blood from each sample was taken from the jugular vein. Muscle and adipose samples were collected from the longissimus dorsi regions. Feedlot performance and carcass characteristics were assessed. To examine adipogenic gene expression, quantitative real-time PCR was completed. Steers fed the CT had a greater level of performance for most of the parameters measured. The CT group had greater DMI (P < 0.05) and tended to have greater ADG (P < 0.10). Marbling score (P < 0.05) and quality grade (P < 0.05) were greater for steers fed the CT diet than those fed CCS. The longissimus muscle area tended to be greater (P < 0.10) in steers fed CT (87.60 cm(2)) than those fed CCS (84.88 cm(2)). The leptin mRNA expression was down-regulated (P < 0.05) in adipose tissue of steers fed a CCS when compared to those fed CT. These data suggest that calcium soap of palm fatty acids can be added to finishing diets without significant reduction in final body weight, although there may be modest reductions in marbling and quality scores.

What keeps family physicians busy in Portugal? A multicentre observational study of work other than direct patient contacts

PubMed Central

Granja, Mónica; Ponte, Carla; Cavadas, Luís Filipe

2014-01-01

Objectives To quantify the time spent by family physicians (FP) on tasks other than direct patient contact, to evaluate job satisfaction, to analyse the association between time spent on tasks and physician characteristics, the association between the number of tasks performed and physician characteristics and the association between time spent on tasks and job satisfaction. Design Cross-sectional, using time-and-motion techniques. Two workdays were documented by direct observation. A significance level of 0.05 was adopted. Setting Multicentric in 104 Portuguese family practices. Participants A convenience sample of FP, with lists of over 1000 patients, teaching senior medical students and first-year family medicine residents in 2012, was obtained. Of the 217 FP invited to participate, 155 completed the study. Main outcomes measured Time spent on tasks other than direct patient contact and on the performance of more than one task simultaneously, the number of direct patient contacts in the office, the number of indirect patient contacts, job satisfaction, demographic and professional characteristics associated with time spent on tasks and the number of different tasks performed, and the association between time spent on tasks and job satisfaction. Results FP (n=155) spent a mean of 143.6 min/day (95% CI 135.2 to 152.0) performing tasks such as prescription refills, teaching, meetings, management and communication with other professionals (33.4% of their workload). FP with larger patient lists spent less time on these tasks (p=0.002). Older FP (p=0.021) and those with larger lists (p=0.011) performed fewer tasks. The mean job satisfaction score was 3.5 (out of 5). No association was found between job satisfaction and time spent on tasks. Conclusions FP spent one-third of their workday in coordinating care, teaching and managing. Time devoted to these tasks decreases with increasing list size and physician age. PMID:24934208

Substance abuse and batterer programmes in California, USA: factors associated with treatment outcomes.

PubMed

Timko, Christine; Valenstein, Helen; Stuart, Gregory L; Moos, Rudolf H

2015-11-01

The association between substance abuse and intimate partner violence is quite robust. A promising area to improve treatment for the dual problems of substance abuse and violence perpetration is the identification of client characteristics and organisational and programme factors as predictors of health outcomes. Therefore, we examined associations of client, organisational and programme factors with outcomes in community health settings. Directors of 241 substance use disorder programmes (SUDPs) and 235 batterer intervention programmes (BIPs) reported outcomes of programme completion and substance use and violence perpetration rates at discharge; data collection and processing were completed in 2012. SUDPs having more female, non-white, younger, uneducated, unemployed and lower income clients reported lower completion rates. In SUDPs, private, for-profit programmes reported higher completion rates than public or private, non-profit programmes. SUDPs with lower proportions of their budgets from government sources, and higher proportions from client fees, reported better outcomes. Larger SUDPs had poorer programme completion and higher substance use rates. Completion rates in SUDPs were higher when clients could obtain substance- and violence-related help at one location, and programmes integrated violence-prevention contracting into care. In BIPs, few client, organisational and programme factors were associated with outcomes, but the significant factors associated with programme completion were consistent with those for SUDPs. Publicly owned and larger programmes, and SUDPs lacking staff to integrate violence-related treatment, may be at risk of poorer client outcomes, but could learn from programmes that perform well to yield better outcomes. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Development of Advanced Fuel Cell System (Phase 4)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meyer, A. P.; Bell, W. F.

1976-01-01

A multiple-task research and development program was performed to improve the weight, life, and performance characteristics of hydrogen-oxygen alkaline fuel cells for advanced power systems. During Phase 4, the lowest stabilized degradation rate observed in all the testing completed during four phases of the program, 1 microvolt/hour, was demonstrated. This test continues after 5,000 hours of operation. The cell incorporates a PPf anode, a 90Au/10Pt cathode, a hybrid frame, and a Fybex matrix. These elements were developed under this program to extend cell life. The result demonstrated that the 80Au/20Pt cathode is as stable as a 90Au/10Pt cathode of twice the precious metal loading, was confirmed in full-scale cells. A hybrid frame two-cell plaque with dedicated flow fields and manifolds for all fluids was demonstrated to prevent the cell-to cell electrolyte transfer that limited the endurance of multicell plaques. At the conclusion of Phase 4, more than 90,900 hours of testing had been completed and twelve different cell designs had been evaluated. A technology base has been established which is ready for evaluation at the powerplant level.

An Improved Thermal Conductivity Polyurethane Composite for a Space Borne 20KV Power Supply

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shapiro, Andrew A.; Haque, Inam

2005-01-01

This effort was designed to find a way to reduce the temperature rise of critical components of a 20KV High Voltage Power Supply (HVPS) by improving the overall thermal conductivity of the encapsulated modules. Three strategies were evaluated by developing complete procedures, preparing samples, and performing tests. The three strategies were: 1. Improve the thermal conductivity of the polyurethane encapsulant through the addition of thermally conductive powder while minimizing impact on other characteristics of the encapsulant. 2. Improve the thermal conductivity of the polyurethane encapsulated assembly by the addition of a slab of thermally conductive, electrically insulating material, which is to act as a heat spreader. 3. Employ a more thermally conductive substrate (Al203) with the existing encapsulation scheme. The materials were chosen based on the following criteria: high dielectric breakdown strength; high thermal conductivity, ease of manufacturing, high compliance, and other standard space qualified materials properties (low out-gassing, etc.). An optimized cure was determined by a statistical design of experiments for both filled and unfilled materials. The materials were characterized for the desired properties and a complete process was developed and tested. The thermal performance was substantially improved and the strategies may be used for space flight.

Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Fourth Edition performance in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.

PubMed

Ryan, Joseph J; Gontkovsky, Samuel T; Kreiner, David S; Tree, Heather A

2012-01-01

Forty patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) completed the 10 core Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV) subtests. Means for age and education were 42.05 years (SD = 9.94) and 14.33 years (SD = 2.40). For all participants, the native language was English. The mean duration of MS diagnosis was 8.17 years (SD = 7.75), and the mean Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS; Kurtzke, 1983 ) score was 3.73 (SD = 1.41) with a range from 2.0 to 6.5. A control group of healthy individuals with similar demographic characteristics also completed the WAIS-IV and were provided by the test publisher. Compared to controls, patients with MS earned significantly lower subtest and composite scores. The patients' mean scores were consistently in the low-average to average range, and the patterns of performance across groups did not differ significantly, although there was a trend towards higher scores on the Verbal Comprehension Index (VCI) and lower scores on the Processing Speed Index (PSI). Approximately 78% of patients had actual Full Scale IQs that were significantly lower than preillness, demographically based IQ estimates.

Complete modeling of rotary ultrasonic motors actuated by traveling flexural waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bao, Xiaoqi; Bar-Cohen, Yoseph

2000-06-01

Ultrasonic rotary motors have the potential to meet this NASA need and they are developed as actuators for miniature telerobotic applications. These motors are being adapted for operation at the harsh space environments that include cryogenic temperatures and vacuum and analytical tools for the design of efficient motors are being developed. A hybrid analytical model was developed to address a complete ultrasonic motor as a system. Included in this model is the influence of the rotor dynamics, which was determined experimentally to be important to the motor performance. The analysis employs a 3D finite element model to express the dynamic characteristics of the stator with piezoelectric elements and the rotor. The details of the stator including the teeth, piezoelectric ceramic, geometry, bonding layer, etc. are included to support practical USM designs. A brush model is used for the interface layer and Coulomb's law for the friction between the stator and the rotor. The theoretical predictions were corroborated experimentally for the motor. In parallel, efforts have been made to determine the thermal and vacuum performance of these motors. To explore telerobotic applications for USMs a robotic arm was constructed with such motors.

Source reduction of VOC and hazardous organic emissions from wood furniture coatings

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

Huang, E.W.; McCrillis, R.C.

1996-12-31

Under US EPA sponsorship, AeroVironment, Inc. and Adhesives Coating Co. are teaming up to develop and demonstrate a wood furniture coating system containing no volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and no hazardous air pollutants (HAPs), making it less hazardous to use, and emitting no detectable VOCs and HAPs during curing, therefore contributing significantly to emission reduction. Earlier work on a new topcoat showed excellent performance characteristics in terms of adhesion, gloss value, dry time, hardness, organic solvents content, and chemical/stain resistance. The VOC contents of both the clear topcoat and the white pigmented topcoat were less than 10 g/L, the detectionmore » list of the test method (EPA Method 24). This coating`s performance and properties compared favorably with those of other low-VOC waterborne coatings. Currently, low-/no-VOC stain and sealer wood coatings are being developed so that a complete low-/no-VOC wood coating system will be available for public use. The compatibility of coating components (a stain and sealer) to go with the topcoat is currently being evaluated. The complete system will be demonstrated at several furniture plants. A marketing plan of the developed products is part of this demonstration project.« less

Epidemiology and Reporting Characteristics of Systematic Reviews of Biomedical Research: A Cross-Sectional Study

PubMed Central

Page, Matthew J.; Shamseer, Larissa; Altman, Douglas G.; Tetzlaff, Jennifer; Tricco, Andrea C.; Catalá-López, Ferrán; Li, Lun; Reid, Emma K.; Sarkis-Onofre, Rafael; Moher, David

2016-01-01

Background Systematic reviews (SRs) can help decision makers interpret the deluge of published biomedical literature. However, a SR may be of limited use if the methods used to conduct the SR are flawed, and reporting of the SR is incomplete. To our knowledge, since 2004 there has been no cross-sectional study of the prevalence, focus, and completeness of reporting of SRs across different specialties. Therefore, the aim of our study was to investigate the epidemiological and reporting characteristics of a more recent cross-section of SRs. Methods and Findings We searched MEDLINE to identify potentially eligible SRs indexed during the month of February 2014. Citations were screened using prespecified eligibility criteria. Epidemiological and reporting characteristics of a random sample of 300 SRs were extracted by one reviewer, with a 10% sample extracted in duplicate. We compared characteristics of Cochrane versus non-Cochrane reviews, and the 2014 sample of SRs versus a 2004 sample of SRs. We identified 682 SRs, suggesting that more than 8,000 SRs are being indexed in MEDLINE annually, corresponding to a 3-fold increase over the last decade. The majority of SRs addressed a therapeutic question and were conducted by authors based in China, the UK, or the US; they included a median of 15 studies involving 2,072 participants. Meta-analysis was performed in 63% of SRs, mostly using standard pairwise methods. Study risk of bias/quality assessment was performed in 70% of SRs but was rarely incorporated into the analysis (16%). Few SRs (7%) searched sources of unpublished data, and the risk of publication bias was considered in less than half of SRs. Reporting quality was highly variable; at least a third of SRs did not report use of a SR protocol, eligibility criteria relating to publication status, years of coverage of the search, a full Boolean search logic for at least one database, methods for data extraction, methods for study risk of bias assessment, a primary outcome, an abstract conclusion that incorporated study limitations, or the funding source of the SR. Cochrane SRs, which accounted for 15% of the sample, had more complete reporting than all other types of SRs. Reporting has generally improved since 2004, but remains suboptimal for many characteristics. Conclusions An increasing number of SRs are being published, and many are poorly conducted and reported. Strategies are needed to help reduce this avoidable waste in research. PMID:27218655

Bioinformatics analysis of disordered proteins in prokaryotes.

PubMed

Pavlović-Lažetić, Gordana M; Mitić, Nenad S; Kovačević, Jovana J; Obradović, Zoran; Malkov, Saša N; Beljanski, Miloš V

2011-03-02

A significant number of proteins have been shown to be intrinsically disordered, meaning that they lack a fixed 3 D structure or contain regions that do not posses a well defined 3 D structure. It has also been proven that a protein's disorder content is related to its function. We have performed an exhaustive analysis and comparison of the disorder content of proteins from prokaryotic organisms (i.e., superkingdoms Archaea and Bacteria) with respect to functional categories they belong to, i.e., Clusters of Orthologous Groups of proteins (COGs) and groups of COGs-Cellular processes (Cp), Information storage and processing (Isp), Metabolism (Me) and Poorly characterized (Pc). We also analyzed the disorder content of proteins with respect to various genomic, metabolic and ecological characteristics of the organism they belong to. We used correlations and association rule mining in order to identify the most confident associations between specific modalities of the characteristics considered and disorder content. Bacteria are shown to have a somewhat higher level of protein disorder than archaea, except for proteins in the Me functional group. It is demonstrated that the Isp and Cp functional groups in particular (L-repair function and N-cell motility and secretion COGs of proteins in specific) possess the highest disorder content, while Me proteins, in general, posses the lowest. Disorder fractions have been confirmed to have the lowest level for the so-called order-promoting amino acids and the highest level for the so-called disorder promoters. For each pair of organism characteristics, specific modalities are identified with the maximum disorder proteins in the corresponding organisms, e.g., high genome size-high GC content organisms, facultative anaerobic-low GC content organisms, aerobic-high genome size organisms, etc. Maximum disorder in archaea is observed for high GC content-low genome size organisms, high GC content-facultative anaerobic or aquatic or mesophilic organisms, etc. Maximum disorder in bacteria is observed for high GC content-high genome size organisms, high genome size-aerobic organisms, etc. Some of the most reliable association rules mined establish relationships between high GC content and high protein disorder, medium GC content and both medium and low protein disorder, anaerobic organisms and medium protein disorder, Gammaproteobacteria and low protein disorder, etc. A web site Prokaryote Disorder Database has been designed and implemented at the address http://bioinfo.matf.bg.ac.rs/disorder, which contains complete results of the analysis of protein disorder performed for 296 prokaryotic completely sequenced genomes. Exhaustive disorder analysis has been performed by functional classes of proteins, for a larger dataset of prokaryotic organisms than previously done. Results obtained are well correlated to those previously published, with some extension in the range of disorder level and clear distinction between functional classes of proteins. Wide correlation and association analysis between protein disorder and genomic and ecological characteristics has been performed for the first time. The results obtained give insight into multi-relationships among the characteristics and protein disorder. Such analysis provides for better understanding of the evolutionary process and may be useful for taxon determination. The main drawback of the approach is the fact that the disorder considered has been predicted and not experimentally established.

A randomized comparison of ultrathin and standard colonoscope in cecal intubation rate and patient tolerance.

PubMed

Luo, Derek J Y; Hui, Aric Josun; Yan, Kenneth Kar-Lung; Ng, Siew Chien; Wong, Vincent Wai-Sun; Chan, Francis Ka-Leung; Cheong, Jessica P K; Lam, Phyllis P Y; Tse, Yee Kit; Lau, James Y W

2012-03-01

Complete colonoscopy examination cannot be performed in as many as 10% of cases. The new 9.2-mm ultrathin colonoscope (UTC) with an extra bending section may improve procedure tolerance and allow improvement in colonoscopy completion rate compared with a 12.9-mm standard colonoscope (SC). To compare the performance of the 9.2-mm UTC with that of the 12.9-mm SC. Prospective, randomized, controlled trial. Academic endoscopic unit. Subjects 18 years and older undergoing their first colonoscopy. Subjects were randomized to either the UTC or SC group. First and rescue successful cecal intubation rates, subject satisfaction scores, and sedation requirements were compared. A total of 1121 patients (56% women, mean age 53.6 years) were randomized to the UTC group (n = 551) or the SC group (n = 570). There was no statistically significant difference in the first successful cecal intubation rate between the UTC and SC groups (98.9% vs 97.4%, P = .057). The mean (standard deviation) dose of midazolam and pethidine used was significantly lower in the UTC group (2.65 [0.65] mg vs 2.82 [0.85] mg, P < .001 and 27.6 [7.4] mg vs 29.7 [9.6] mg, P < .001, respectively). The mean (standard deviation) patient satisfaction score was similar between groups (6.99 [2.89] vs 7.04 [3.06], P = .762). Of the 21 patients (1.9%) with an incomplete initial colonoscopy (6 in the UTC group and 15 in the SC group), all 6 in the UTC group had their procedure completed with an SC. Eleven of 15 patients in the SC group had their procedures completed with a UTC in the same session. Low failure rate may mask any difference between the 2 colonoscopes as a rescue instrument. The 9.2-mm UTC has performance characteristics similar to those of an SC in Chinese subjects undergoing their first colonoscopy performed by experienced and trainee endoscopists. ( NCT01142167.). Copyright © 2012 American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Training in the adolescent brain: An fMRI training study on divergent thinking.

PubMed

Kleibeuker, Sietske W; Stevenson, Claire E; van der Aar, Laura; Overgaauw, Sandy; van Duijvenvoorde, Anna C; Crone, Eveline A

2017-02-01

Prior research suggests that adolescence is a time of enhanced sensitivity for practice and learning. In this study we tested the neural correlates of divergent thinking training in 15- to 16-year-old adolescents relative to an age-matched active control group. All participants performed an alternative uses task, a valid measure to test divergent thinking, while functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) images were acquired before and after a training program. In between the 2 scanning sessions the experimental group completed 2 weeks of divergent thinking training (8 sessions) and the control group completed 2 weeks of rule switching training (8 session). A Group × Time interaction demonstrated stable divergent thinking performance for the experimental group, whereas in the control group performance declined. Generating alternative uses (experimental task condition) relative to generating ordinary characteristics of objects (control task condition) was associated with increased activation in the supramarginal gyrus (SMG), angular gyrus (AG), and middle temporal gyrus (MTG). Test-retest analyses showed that within-individuals-activation in these regions was stable over time in both groups. Changes in alternative uses fluency over time, however, were positively associated with changes in superior lateral PFC activation over time. Together, the results indicate that core brain regions for creativity (SMG, AG, and MTG) are consistently recruited in adolescence, and that changes in performance are associated with changes in activation in lateral PFC. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Sentence Completion to Assess Children's Views about Aging

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lichtenstein, Michael J.; Pruski, Linda A.; Marshall, Carolyn E.; Blalock, Cheryl L.; Lee, Shuko; Plaetke, Rosemarie

2003-01-01

Purpose: Sentence completion exercises require students to give open-ended responses to prompts. The first purpose of this article is to describe the method of sentence completion to assess middle-school children's attitudes and beliefs about aging. The second purpose is to describe the patterns of characteristics that children associate with…

Robotic versus laparoscopic surgery for mid or low rectal cancer in male patients after neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy: comparison of short-term outcomes.

PubMed

Serin, Kursat Rahmi; Gultekin, Fatma Ayca; Batman, Burçin; Ay, Serden; Kapran, Yersu; Saglam, Sezer; Asoglu, Oktar

2015-09-01

The aim of our study was to compare short-term outcomes of robotic and laparoscopic sphincter-saving total mesorectal excision (TME) in male patients with mid-low rectal cancer (RC) after neadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NCRT). The study was conducted as a retrospective review of a prospectively maintained database, and we analyzed 14 robotic and 65 laparoscopic sphincter saving TME (R-TME and L-TME, respectively) performed by one surgeon between 2005 and 2013. Patient characteristics, perioperative recovery, postoperative complications and and pathology results were compared between the two groups. The patient characteristics did not differ significantly between the two groups. Median operating time was longer in the R-TME than in the L-TME group (182 min versus 140 min). Only two conversions occurred in the L-TME group. No difference was found between groups regarding perioperative recovery and postoperative complication rates. The median number of harvested lymph nodes was higher in the RTME than in the L-TME group (32 versus 23, p = 0.008). The median circumferential margin (CRM) was 10 mm in the R-TME group, 6.5 mm in the L-TME group (p = 0.047. The median distal resection margin (DRM) was 27.5 mm in the R-TME, 15 mm in the L-TME group (p = 0.014). Macroscopic grading of the specimen in the R-TME group was complete in all patients. In the L-TME group, grading was complete in 52 (80%) and incomplete in 13 (20%) cases (p = 0.109). R-TME is a safe and feasible procedure that facilitates performing of TME in male patients with mid-low RC after NCRT.

Comparison of anthropometric and training characteristics between recreational male marathoners and 24-hour ultramarathoners.

PubMed

Rüst, Christoph Alexander; Knechtle, Beat; Knechtle, Patrizia; Rosemann, Thomas

2012-01-01

Of the anthropometry and training variables used to predict race performance in a 24-hour ultrarun, the personal best marathon time is the strongest predictor in recreational male 24-hour ultramarathoners. This finding raises the question of whether similarities exist between male recreational 24-hour ultramarathoners and male recreational marathoners. The association between age, anthropometric variables (ie, body mass, body height, body mass index, percent body fat, skeletal muscle mass, limb circumference, and skinfold thickness at the pectoral, mid axillary, triceps, subscapular, abdominal, suprailiac, front thigh, and medial calf sites), previous experience and training characteristics (ie, volume, speed, and personal best time), and race time for 79 male recreational 24-hour ultramarathoners and 126 male recreational marathoners was investigated using bivariate and multivariate analysis. The 24-hour ultramarathoners were older (P < 0.05), had a lower circumference at both the upper arm (P < 0.05) and thigh (P < 0.01), and a lower skinfold thickness at the pectoral, axillary, and suprailiac sites (P < 0.05) compared with the marathoners. During training, the 24-hour ultramarathoners were running for more hours per week (P < 0.001) and completed more kilometers (P < 0.001), but were running slower (P < 0.01) compared with the marathoners. In the 24-hour ultramarathoners, neither anthropometric nor training variables were associated with kilometers completed in the race (P > 0.05). In the marathoners, percent body fat (P < 0.001) and running speed during training (P < 0.0001) were related to marathon race times. In summary, differences in anthropometric and training predictor variables do exist between male recreational 24-hour ultramarathoners and male recreational marathoners for race performance.

Comparison of anthropometric and training characteristics between recreational male marathoners and 24-hour ultramarathoners

PubMed Central

Rüst, Christoph Alexander; Knechtle, Beat; Knechtle, Patrizia; Rosemann, Thomas

2012-01-01

Background Of the anthropometry and training variables used to predict race performance in a 24-hour ultrarun, the personal best marathon time is the strongest predictor in recreational male 24-hour ultramarathoners. This finding raises the question of whether similarities exist between male recreational 24-hour ultramarathoners and male recreational marathoners. Methods The association between age, anthropometric variables (ie, body mass, body height, body mass index, percent body fat, skeletal muscle mass, limb circumference, and skinfold thickness at the pectoral, mid axillary, triceps, subscapular, abdominal, suprailiac, front thigh, and medial calf sites), previous experience and training characteristics (ie, volume, speed, and personal best time), and race time for 79 male recreational 24-hour ultramarathoners and 126 male recreational marathoners was investigated using bivariate and multivariate analysis. Results The 24-hour ultramarathoners were older (P < 0.05), had a lower circumference at both the upper arm (P < 0.05) and thigh (P < 0.01), and a lower skinfold thickness at the pectoral, axillary, and suprailiac sites (P < 0.05) compared with the marathoners. During training, the 24-hour ultramarathoners were running for more hours per week (P < 0.001) and completed more kilometers (P < 0.001), but were running slower (P < 0.01) compared with the marathoners. In the 24-hour ultramarathoners, neither anthropometric nor training variables were associated with kilometers completed in the race (P > 0.05). In the marathoners, percent body fat (P < 0.001) and running speed during training (P < 0.0001) were related to marathon race times. Conclusion In summary, differences in anthropometric and training predictor variables do exist between male recreational 24-hour ultramarathoners and male recreational marathoners for race performance. PMID:24198595

A cross-national comparison of incident reporting systems implemented in German and Swiss hospitals.

PubMed

Manser, Tanja; Imhof, Michael; Lessing, Constanze; Briner, Matthias

2017-06-01

This study aimed to empirically compare incident reporting systems (IRS) in two European countries and to explore the relationship of IRS characteristics with context factors such as hospital characteristics and characteristics of clinical risk management (CRM). We performed exploratory, secondary analyses of data on characteristics of IRS from nationwide surveys of CRM practices. The survey was originally sent to 2136 hospitals in Germany and Switzerland. Persons responsible for CRM in 622 hospitals completed the survey (response rate 29%). None. Differences between IRS in German and Swiss hospitals were assessed using Chi2, Fisher's Exact and Freeman-Halton-Tests, as appropriate. To explore interrelations between IRS characteristics and context factors (i.e. hospital and CRM characteristics) we computed Cramer's V. Comparing participating hospitals across countries, Swiss hospitals had implemented IRS earlier, more frequently and more often provided introductory IRS training systematically. German hospitals had more frequently systematically implemented standardized procedures for event analyses. IRS characteristics were significantly associated with hospital characteristics such as hospital type as well as with CRM characteristics such as existence of strategic CRM objectives and of a dedicated position for central CRM coordination. This study contributes to an improved understanding of differences in the way IRS are set up in two European countries and explores related context factors. This opens up new possibilities for empirically informed, strategic interventions to further improve dissemination of IRS and thus support hospitals in their efforts to move patient safety forward. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press in association with the International Society for Quality in Health Care. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

Effect of long-duration spaceflight on postural control during self-generated perturbations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Layne, C. S.; Mulavara, A. P.; McDonald, P. V.; Pruett, C. J.; Kozlovskaya, I. B.; Bloomberg, J. J.

2001-01-01

This report is the first systematic evaluation of the effects of prolonged weightlessness on the bipedal postural control processes during self-generated perturbations produced by voluntary upper limb movements. Spaceflight impacts humans in a variety of ways, one of which is compromised postflight postural control. We examined the neuromuscular activation characteristics and center of pressure (COP) motion associated with arm movement of eight subjects who experienced long-duration spaceflight (3--6 mo) aboard the Mir space station. Surface electromyography, arm acceleration, and COP motion were collected while astronauts performed rapid unilateral shoulder flexions before and after spaceflight. Subjects generally displayed compromised postural control after flight, as evidenced by modified COP peak-to-peak anterior-posterior and mediolateral excursion, and pathlength relative to preflight values. These changes were associated with disrupted neuromuscular activation characteristics, particularly after the completion of arm acceleration (i.e., when subjects were attempting to maintain upright posture in response to self-generated perturbations). These findings suggest that, although the subjects were able to assemble coordination modes that enabled them to generate rapid arm movements, the subtle control necessary to maintain bipedal equilibrium evident in their preflight performance is compromised after long-duration spaceflight.

Effect of Long-Duration Spaceflight on Postural Control During Self-Generated Perturbations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Layne, Charles S.; Mulavera, Ajitkumar P.; McDonald, P. Vernon; Pruett, Casey J.; Kozlovskaya, Innessa B.; Bloomberg, Jacob J.

2001-01-01

This report is the first systematic evaluation of the effects of prolonged weightlessness on the bipedal postural control processes during self-generated perturbations produced by voluntary upper limb movements. Spaceflight impacts humans in a variety of ways, one of which is compromised postflight postural control. We examined the neuromuscular activation characteristics and center of pressure motion (COP) associated with arm movement of eight subjects who experienced long duration spaceflight (3-6 months) aboard the Mir space station. Surface electromyography (EMG), arm acceleration, and COP motion were collected while astronauts performed rapid unilateral shoulder flexions prior to and after spaceflight. Subjects displayed compromised postural control after flight as evidenced by modified peak-to-peak COP anterior-posterior and medio-lateral motion and COP pathlength relative to preflight values. These changes were associated with disrupted neuromuscular activation characteristics, particularly after the completion of arm acceleration (i.e. when subjects were attempting to maintain their upright posture). These findings suggest that although the subjects were able to assemble coordination modes that enabled them to generate rapid arm movements, the subtle control necessary to maintain bipedal equilibrium evident in their preflight performance is compromised after long duration spaceflight.

Reaching young adult smokers through the Internet: Comparison of three recruitment mechanisms

PubMed Central

Hall, Sharon M.; Prochaska, Judith J.

2010-01-01

Introduction: While young adults have the highest prevalence of cigarette smoking of any adult age group, studies of tobacco and other substance use have reported challenges in recruiting this age group. The Internet may be a useful tool for reaching young adult smokers. The present study compared three Internet-based recruitment methods for young adult smokers to complete a survey about tobacco and other substance use: Craigslist advertisements, other Internet advertisements, and E-mail invitations through a survey sampling service. Methods: Recruitment campaigns invited young adults aged 18–25 years who had smoked at least one cigarette in the past 30 days to complete an online survey. Recruitment methods were compared across recruitment numbers, costeffectiveness, and demographic and smoking characteristics of recruited participants. Results: In 6 months, 920 people gave online consent to determine eligibility to complete the survey, of which 336 (36.5%) were eligible, and 201 (59.8%) completed the survey. While Internet advertisements yielded the largest proportion of recruited participants and completed surveys overall, Craigslist and sampling strategies were more successful at targeting young adult smokers who went on to complete the survey and were more costeffective. Participants differed in demographic and substance use characteristics across the three recruitment mechanisms. Discussion: We identified success at reaching young adults who have smoked cigarettes recently through the Internet, though costs, participant eligibility, proportion of completed surveys, and respondent characteristics differed among the three methods. A multipronged approach to Internet recruitment is most likely to generate a broad diverse sample of young adult smokers. PMID:20530194

Treatment of azo dye Acid Orange 52 using ozonation and completed-mixed activated sludge process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abidin, C. Z. A.; Fahmi; Ong, S. A.; Ahmad, R.; Sabri, S. N.

2017-06-01

In this study, the characteristic of colour and COD removal of azo dye Acid Orange 52 (AO52) by ozonation, in combination with complete-mixed activated sludge process (CMAS) was evaluated. The experimentation was arranged in two phases: during the first one, only ozonation was performed, while, during the second phase, it was integrated with CMAS. The performance of colour and COD concentration of AO52 with and without CMAS treatment, is compared and evaluated. From the results, it is obvious that high decolourization from the start of CMAS was contributed from the pre-treatments. The colour removal was due to the fact that ozonation able to cleave the azo bonds that represent colour. Thus, CMAS without pre-treatment are unable to decolourize the dyes sufficiently. 59.6% COD was removed from the first-stage, while merely 9.8% COD fraction removed from the subsequence second-stage CMAS. It is suggested that the rapid COD removal without ozonation are due to activated sludge adsorption processes. The decreased of mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) affected the CMAS performances, as the biomass decreased due to lack of nutrient for activated sludge microorganisms to multiply. Results from pre-ozonation alone contributed more than 50% of total COD removal, which indicated that at higher ozone dosage, tend to mineralize azo dye. Thus, ozonation not oxidized the dye though complete mineralization that produce carbon dioxide and water. However, it is a potential process for enhancing colour removal and biodegradability of dye-containing wastewater, once the appropriate ozonation time is determined. Therefore, the role of ozonation seems to break down the dye molecules and created ozonation by-product that is easily biodegraded in the subsequent biological treatment.

Performance and completion assessment of an in-situ aerated municipal solid waste landfill - Final scientific documentation of an Austrian case study.

PubMed

Hrad, Marlies; Huber-Humer, Marion

2017-05-01

By converting anaerobic landfills into a biologically stabilized state through accelerating aerobic organic matter degradation, the effort and duration necessary for post-closure procedures can be shortened. In Austria, the first full-scale application of in-situ landfill aeration by means of low pressure air injection with simultaneous off-gas collection and treatment was implemented on an old MSW-landfill and operated between 2007 and 2013. Besides complementary laboratory investigations, which included waste sampling from the landfill site prior to aeration start, a comprehensive field monitoring program was conducted to assess the influence of the aeration measure on the emission behavior of the landfilled waste during the aeration period as well as after aeration completion. Although the initial waste material was described as rather stable, the lab-scale aeration tests indicated a significant improvement of the leachate quality and even the biological solid waste stability. However, the aeration success was less pronounced for the application at the landfill site, mainly due to technical limitations in the full-scale operation. In this paper main performance data of the field investigation are compared to four other scientifically documented case studies along with stability indicators for solid waste and leachate characteristics in order to evaluate the success of aeration as well as the progress of a landfill towards completion and end of post-closure care. A number of quantitative benchmarks and relevant context information for the performance assessment of the five hitherto conducted international aeration projects are proposed aiming to support the systematization and harmonization of available results from diverse field studies and full-scale applications in future. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Diffusion-weighted imaging: Apparent diffusion coefficient histogram analysis for detecting pathologic complete response to chemoradiotherapy in locally advanced rectal cancer.

PubMed

Choi, Moon Hyung; Oh, Soon Nam; Rha, Sung Eun; Choi, Joon-Il; Lee, Sung Hak; Jang, Hong Seok; Kim, Jun-Gi; Grimm, Robert; Son, Yohan

2016-07-01

To investigate the usefulness of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values derived from histogram analysis of the whole rectal cancer as a quantitative parameter to evaluate pathologic complete response (pCR) on preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We enrolled a total of 86 consecutive patients who had undergone surgery for rectal cancer after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT) at our institution between July 2012 and November 2014. Two radiologists who were blinded to the final pathological results reviewed post-CRT MRI to evaluate tumor stage. Quantitative image analysis was performed using T2 -weighted and diffusion-weighted images independently by two radiologists using dedicated software that performed histogram analysis to assess the distribution of ADC in the whole tumor. After surgery, 16 patients were confirmed to have achieved pCR (18.6%). All parameters from pre- and post-CRT ADC histogram showed good or excellent agreement between two readers. The minimum, 10th, 25th, 50th, and 75th percentile and mean ADC from post-CRT ADC histogram were significantly higher in the pCR group than in the non-pCR group for both readers. The 25th percentile value from ADC histogram in post-CRT MRI had the best diagnostic performance for detecting pCR, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.796. Low percentile values derived from the ADC histogram analysis of rectal cancer on MRI after CRT showed a significant difference between pCR and non-pCR groups, demonstrating the utility of the ADC value as a quantitative and objective marker to evaluate complete pathologic response to preoperative CRT in rectal cancer. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2016;44:212-220. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Performance Verification of Production-Scalable Energy-Efficient Solutions: Winchester/Camberley Homes Mixed-Humid Climate

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

Mallay, D.; Wiehagen, J.

2014-07-01

Winchester/Camberley Homes collaborated with the Building America team Partnership for Home Innovation to develop a new set of high performance home designs that could be applicable on a production scale. The new home designs are to be constructed in the mixed humid climate zone and could eventually apply to all of the builder's home designs to meet or exceed future energy codes or performance-based programs. However, the builder recognized that the combination of new wall framing designs and materials, higher levels of insulation in the wall cavity, and more detailed air sealing to achieve lower infiltration rates changes the moisturemore » characteristics of the wall system. In order to ensure long term durability and repeatable successful implementation with few call-backs, the project team demonstrated through measured data that the wall system functions as a dynamic system, responding to changing interior and outdoor environmental conditions within recognized limits of the materials that make up the wall system. A similar investigation was made with respect to the complete redesign of the HVAC systems to significantly improve efficiency while maintaining indoor comfort. Recognizing the need to demonstrate the benefits of these efficiency features, the builder offered a new house model to serve as a test case to develop framing designs, evaluate material selections and installation requirements, changes to work scopes and contractor learning curves, as well as to compare theoretical performance characteristics with measured results.« less

Martian (and Cold Region Lunar) Soil Mechanics Considerations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chua, Koon Meng; Johnson, Stewart W.

1998-01-01

The exploration of Mars has generated a lot of interest in recent years. With the completion of the Pathfinder Mission and the commencement of detailed mapping by Mars Global Surveyor, the possibility of an inhabited outpost on the planet is becoming more realistic. In spite of the upbeat mood, human exploration of Mars is still many years in the future. Additionally, the earliest return of any martian soil samples will probably not be until 2008. So why the discussion about martian soil mechanics when there are no returned soil samples on hand to examine? In view of the lack of samples, the basis of this or any discussion at this time must necessarily be one that involves conjecture, but not without the advantage of our knowledge of regolith mechanics of the Moon and soil mechanics on Earth. The objective of this presentation/discussion is fourfold: (1) Review some basic engineering-related information about Mars that may be of interest to engineers, and scientists - including characteristics of water and C02 at low temperature; (2) review and bring together principles of soil mechanics pertinent to studying and predicting how martian soil may behave, including the morphology and physical characteristics of coarse-grained and fine-grained soils (including clays), the characteristics of collapsing soils, potentials and factors that affect migration of water in unfrozen and freezing/frozen soils, and the strength and stiffness characteristics of soils at cold temperatures; (3) discuss some preliminary results of engineering experiments performed with frozen lunar soil simulants, JSC-1, in the laboratory that show the response to temperature change with and without water, effects of water on the strength and stiffness at ambient and at below freezing temperatures; and (4) discuss engineering studies that could be performed prior to human exploration and engineering research to be performed alongside future scientific missions to that planet.

An Analysis of Factors Contributing to Achievement in Physics of Secondary Students in Mississippi Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harpole, Sandra H.; And Others

Designed to examine the factors that contribute to student achievement, this study focused specifically on the relationship between physics achievement and selected teacher characteristics, student characteristics, and school and district characteristics. Questionnaires and attitude surveys were completed by 39 randomly selected Mississippi…

Characteristics of Learning Disabilities Persisting into Adolescence.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whyte, Lillian A.

1984-01-01

Describes characteristics of learning disabled teenagers. Describes results of a study of 331 secondary students who completed a self-report inventory showing that childhood learning disability characteristics persist into adolescence, most seriously in the areas of visual perception, fine motor skills, and the ability to write and make spatial…

Systematic review of acute physically active learning and classroom movement breaks on children's physical activity, cognition, academic performance and classroom behaviour: understanding critical design features.

PubMed

Daly-Smith, Andy J; Zwolinsky, Stephen; McKenna, Jim; Tomporowski, Phillip D; Defeyter, Margaret Anne; Manley, Andrew

2018-01-01

To examine the impact of acute classroom movement break (CMB) and physically active learning (PAL) interventions on physical activity (PA), cognition, academic performance and classroom behaviour. Systematic review. PubMed, EBSCO, Academic Search Complete, Education Resources Information Center, PsycINFO, SPORTDiscus, SCOPUS and Web of Science. Studies investigating school-based acute bouts of CMB or PAL on (PA), cognition, academic performance and classroom behaviour. The Downs and Black checklist assessed risk of bias. Ten PAL and eight CMB studies were identified from 2929 potentially relevant articles. Risk of bias scores ranged from 33% to 64.3%. Variation in study designs drove specific, but differing, outcomes. Three studies assessed PA using objective measures. Interventions replaced sedentary time with either light PA or moderate-to-vigorous PA dependent on design characteristics (mode, duration and intensity). Only one study factored individual PA outcomes into analyses. Classroom behaviour improved after longer moderate-to-vigorous (>10 min), or shorter more intense (5 min), CMB/PAL bouts (9 out of 11 interventions). There was no support for enhanced cognition or academic performance due to limited repeated studies. Low-to-medium quality designs predominate in investigations of the acute impacts of CMB and PAL on PA, cognition, academic performance and classroom behaviour. Variable quality in experimental designs, outcome measures and intervention characteristics impact outcomes making conclusions problematic. CMB and PAL increased PA and enhanced time on task. To improve confidence in study outcomes, future investigations should combine examples of good practice observed in current studies. CRD42017070981.

Current Methods for Modeling and Simulating Icing Effects on Aircraft Performance, Stability and Control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ralvasky, Thomas P.; Barnhart, Billy P.; Lee, Sam

2008-01-01

Icing alters the shape and surface characteristics of aircraft components, which results in altered aerodynamic forces and moments caused by air flow over those iced components. The typical effects of icing are increased drag, reduced stall angle of attack, and reduced maximum lift. In addition to the performance changes, icing can also affect control surface effectiveness, hinge moments, and damping. These effects result in altered aircraft stability and control and flying qualities. Over the past 80 years, methods have been developed to understand how icing affects performance, stability and control. Emphasis has been on wind tunnel testing of two-dimensional subscale airfoils with various ice shapes to understand their effect on the flow field and ultimately the aerodynamics. This research has led to wind tunnel testing of subscale complete aircraft models to identify the integrated effects of icing on the aircraft system in terms of performance, stability, and control. Data sets of this nature enable pilot in the loop simulations to be performed for pilot training, or engineering evaluation of system failure impacts or control system design.

Current Methods Modeling and Simulating Icing Effects on Aircraft Performance, Stability, Control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ratvasky, Thomas P.; Barnhart, Billy P.; Lee, Sam

2010-01-01

Icing alters the shape and surface characteristics of aircraft components, which results in altered aerodynamic forces and moments caused by air flow over those iced components. The typical effects of icing are increased drag, reduced stall angle of attack, and reduced maximum lift. In addition to the performance changes, icing can also affect control surface effectiveness, hinge moments, and damping. These effects result in altered aircraft stability and control and flying qualities. Over the past 80 years, methods have been developed to understand how icing affects performance, stability, and control. Emphasis has been on wind-tunnel testing of two-dimensional subscale airfoils with various ice shapes to understand their effect on the flowfield and ultimately the aerodynamics. This research has led to wind-tunnel testing of subscale complete aircraft models to identify the integrated effects of icing on the aircraft system in terms of performance, stability, and control. Data sets of this nature enable pilot-in-the-loop simulations to be performed for pilot training or engineering evaluation of system failure impacts or control system design.

Official Portrait of Astronaut Michael Collins

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1967-01-01

This is the official NASA portrait of astronaut Michael Collins. Collins chose an Air Force career following graduation from West Point. He served as an experimental flight test officer at the Air Force Flight Test Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California, and, in that capacity, tested performance and stability and control characteristics of Air Force aircraft, primarily jet fighters. Having logged approximately 5,000 hours flying time, Collins was one of the third group of astronauts named by NASA in October 1963. Collins completed two space flights, logging 266 hours in space, of which, 1 hour and 27 minutes was spent in Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA). On July 18, 1966, he served as backup pilot for the Gemini VII mission which included a successful rendezvous and docking with a separately launched Agena target vehicle and, using the power of the Agena, maneuvered the Gemini spacecraft into another orbit for a rendezvous with a second, passive Agena. His skillful performance in completing two periods of EVA included the recovery of a micrometeorite detection experiment from the passive Agena. July 16-24, 1969, Collins served as command module (CM) pilot on Apollo 11, the historic first lunar landing mission. He remained aboard the CM, Columbia, on station in lunar orbit and performed the final re-docking maneuvers following a successful lunar orbit rendezvous with the Lunar Module (LM), Eagle. Collins left NASA in January 1970.

Fingerprint Liveness Detection in the Presence of Capable Intruders.

PubMed

Sequeira, Ana F; Cardoso, Jaime S

2015-06-19

Fingerprint liveness detection methods have been developed as an attempt to overcome the vulnerability of fingerprint biometric systems to spoofing attacks. Traditional approaches have been quite optimistic about the behavior of the intruder assuming the use of a previously known material. This assumption has led to the use of supervised techniques to estimate the performance of the methods, using both live and spoof samples to train the predictive models and evaluate each type of fake samples individually. Additionally, the background was often included in the sample representation, completely distorting the decision process. Therefore, we propose that an automatic segmentation step should be performed to isolate the fingerprint from the background and truly decide on the liveness of the fingerprint and not on the characteristics of the background. Also, we argue that one cannot aim to model the fake samples completely since the material used by the intruder is unknown beforehand. We approach the design by modeling the distribution of the live samples and predicting as fake the samples very unlikely according to that model. Our experiments compare the performance of the supervised approaches with the semi-supervised ones that rely solely on the live samples. The results obtained differ from the ones obtained by the more standard approaches which reinforces our conviction that the results in the literature are misleadingly estimating the true vulnerability of the biometric system.

Multivariate Linear Regression and CART Regression Analysis of TBM Performance at Abu Hamour Phase-I Tunnel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jakubowski, J.; Stypulkowski, J. B.; Bernardeau, F. G.

2017-12-01

The first phase of the Abu Hamour drainage and storm tunnel was completed in early 2017. The 9.5 km long, 3.7 m diameter tunnel was excavated with two Earth Pressure Balance (EPB) Tunnel Boring Machines from Herrenknecht. TBM operation processes were monitored and recorded by Data Acquisition and Evaluation System. The authors coupled collected TBM drive data with available information on rock mass properties, cleansed, completed with secondary variables and aggregated by weeks and shifts. Correlations and descriptive statistics charts were examined. Multivariate Linear Regression and CART regression tree models linking TBM penetration rate (PR), penetration per revolution (PPR) and field penetration index (FPI) with TBM operational and geotechnical characteristics were performed for the conditions of the weak/soft rock of Doha. Both regression methods are interpretable and the data were screened with different computational approaches allowing enriched insight. The primary goal of the analysis was to investigate empirical relations between multiple explanatory and responding variables, to search for best subsets of explanatory variables and to evaluate the strength of linear and non-linear relations. For each of the penetration indices, a predictive model coupling both regression methods was built and validated. The resultant models appeared to be stronger than constituent ones and indicated an opportunity for more accurate and robust TBM performance predictions.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1967-01-09

This is the official NASA portrait of astronaut Michael Collins. Collins chose an Air Force career following graduation from West Point. He served as an experimental flight test officer at the Air Force Flight Test Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California, and, in that capacity, tested performance and stability and control characteristics of Air Force aircraft, primarily jet fighters. Having logged approximately 5,000 hours flying time, Collins was one of the third group of astronauts named by NASA in October 1963. Collins completed two space flights, logging 266 hours in space, of which, 1 hour and 27 minutes was spent in Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA). On July 18, 1966, he served as backup pilot for the Gemini VII mission which included a successful rendezvous and docking with a separately launched Agena target vehicle and, using the power of the Agena, maneuvered the Gemini spacecraft into another orbit for a rendezvous with a second, passive Agena. His skillful performance in completing two periods of EVA included the recovery of a micrometeorite detection experiment from the passive Agena. July 16-24, 1969, Collins served as command module (CM) pilot on Apollo 11, the historic first lunar landing mission. He remained aboard the CM, Columbia, on station in lunar orbit and performed the final re-docking maneuvers following a successful lunar orbit rendezvous with the Lunar Module (LM), Eagle. Collins left NASA in January 1970.

Fingerprint Liveness Detection in the Presence of Capable Intruders

PubMed Central

Sequeira, Ana F.; Cardoso, Jaime S.

2015-01-01

Fingerprint liveness detection methods have been developed as an attempt to overcome the vulnerability of fingerprint biometric systems to spoofing attacks. Traditional approaches have been quite optimistic about the behavior of the intruder assuming the use of a previously known material. This assumption has led to the use of supervised techniques to estimate the performance of the methods, using both live and spoof samples to train the predictive models and evaluate each type of fake samples individually. Additionally, the background was often included in the sample representation, completely distorting the decision process. Therefore, we propose that an automatic segmentation step should be performed to isolate the fingerprint from the background and truly decide on the liveness of the fingerprint and not on the characteristics of the background. Also, we argue that one cannot aim to model the fake samples completely since the material used by the intruder is unknown beforehand. We approach the design by modeling the distribution of the live samples and predicting as fake the samples very unlikely according to that model. Our experiments compare the performance of the supervised approaches with the semi-supervised ones that rely solely on the live samples. The results obtained differ from the ones obtained by the more standard approaches which reinforces our conviction that the results in the literature are misleadingly estimating the true vulnerability of the biometric system. PMID:26102491

Residents in difficulty: a mixed methods study on the prevalence, characteristics, and sociocultural challenges from the perspective of residency program directors.

PubMed

Christensen, Mette K; O'Neill, Lotte; Hansen, Dorthe H; Norberg, Karen; Mortensen, Lene S; Charles, Peder

2016-02-22

The majority of studies on prevalence and characteristics of residents in difficulty have been conducted in English-speaking countries and the existing literature may not reflect the prevalence and characteristics of residents in difficulty in other parts of the world such as the Scandinavian countries, where healthcare systems are slightly different. The aim of this study was to examine prevalence and characteristics of residents in difficulty in one out of three postgraduate medical training regions in Denmark, and to produce both a quantifiable overview and in-depth understanding of the topic. We performed a mixed methods study. All regional residency program directors (N = 157) were invited to participate in an e-survey about residents in difficulty. Survey data were combined with database data on demographical characteristics of the background population (N = 2399) of residents, and analyzed statistically (Chi-squared test (Χ (2)) or Fisher's exact test). Secondly, we performed a qualitative interview study involving three focus group interviews with residency program directors. The analysis of the interview data employed qualitative content analysis. 73.2 % of the residency program directors completed the e-survey and 22 participated in the focus group interviews. The prevalence of residents in difficulty was 6.8 %. We found no statistically significant differences in the prevalence of residents in difficulty by gender and type of specialty. The results also showed two important themes related to the workplace culture of the resident in difficulty: 1) belated and inconsistent feedback on the resident's inadequate performance, and 2) the perceived culturally rooted priority of efficient patient care before education in the workplace. These two themes were emphasized by the program directors as the primary underlying causes of the residents' difficulty. More work is needed in order to clarify the link between, on the one hand, observable markers of residents in difficulty and, on the other hand, immanent processes and logics of practice in a healthcare system. From our perspective, further sociological and pedagogical investigations in educational cultures across settings and specialties could inform our understanding of and knowledge about pitfalls in residents' and doctors' socialization into the healthcare system.

Physical fitness is predictive for a decline in the ability to perform instrumental activities of daily living in older adults with intellectual disabilities: Results of the HA-ID study.

PubMed

Oppewal, Alyt; Hilgenkamp, Thessa I M; van Wijck, Ruud; Schoufour, Josje D; Evenhuis, Heleen M

2015-01-01

The ability to perform instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) is important for one's level of independence. A high incidence of limitations in IADL is seen in older adults with intellectual disabilities (ID), which is an important determinant for the amount of support one needs. The aim of this study was to assess the predictive value of physical fitness for the ability to perform IADL, over a 3-year follow-up period, in 601 older adults with ID. At baseline, an extensive physical fitness assessment was performed. In addition, professional caregivers completed the Lawton IADL scale, both at baseline and at follow-up. The average ability to perform IADL declined significantly over the 3-year follow-up period. A decline in the ability to perform IADL was seen in 44.3% of the participants. The percentage of participants being completely independent in IADL declined from 2.7% to 1.3%. Manual dexterity, balance, comfortable and fast gait speed, muscular endurance, and cardiorespiratory fitness were significant predictors for a decline in IADL after correcting for baseline IADL and personal characteristics (age, gender, level of ID, and Down syndrome). This can be interpreted as representing the predictive validity of the physical tests for a decline in IADL. This study shows that even though older adults with ID experience dependency on others due to cognitive limitations, physical fitness also is an important aspect for IADL, which stresses the importance of using physical fitness tests and physical fitness enhancing programs in the care for older adults with ID. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Male gender identity in complete androgen insensitivity syndrome.

PubMed

T'Sjoen, Guy; De Cuypere, Griet; Monstrey, Stan; Hoebeke, Piet; Freedman, F Kenneth; Appari, Mahesh; Holterhus, Paul-Martin; Van Borsel, John; Cools, Martine

2011-06-01

Women and girls with complete androgen insensitivity syndrome (CAIS) invariably have a female typical core gender identity. In this case report, we describe the first case of male gender identity in a CAIS individual raised female leading to complete sex reassignment involving both androgen treatment and phalloplasty. CAIS was diagnosed at age 17, based on an unambiguously female phenotype, a 46,XY karyotype, and a 2660delT androgen receptor (AR) gene mutation, leading to a premature stop in codon 807. Bilateral gonadectomy was performed but a short period of estrogen treatment induced a negative emotional reaction and treatment was stopped. Since the age of 3, childhood-onset cross gender behavior had been noticed. After a period of psychotherapy, persisting male gender identity was confirmed. There was no psychiatric co-morbidity and there was an excellent real life experience. Testosterone substitution was started, however without inducing any of the desired secondary male characteristics. A subcutaneous mastectomy was performed and the patient received phalloplasty by left forearm free flap and scrotoplasty. Testosterone treatment was continued, without inducing virilization, and bone density remained normal. The patient qualifies as female-to-male transsexual and was treated according to the Standards of Care by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health with good outcome. However, we do not believe that female sex of rearing as a standard procedure should be questioned in CAIS. Our case challenges the role of a functional AR pathway in the development of male gender identity.

Ocular refractive and biometric characteristics in patients with tilted disc syndrome.

PubMed

Dehghani, Cirous; Nowroozzadeh, Mohammad Hosein; Shankar, Sunita; Razeghinejad, Mohammad Reza

2010-12-01

Tilted disc syndrome (TDS) is associated with characteristic ocular findings. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ocular, refractive, and biometric characteristics in patients with TDS. This case-control study included 41 eyes of 25 patients who had established TDS and 40 eyes of 20 healthy control subjects. All participants underwent a complete ocular examination, including refraction and analysis using Fourier transformation, slit lamp biomicroscopy, pachymetry, keratometry, and ocular biometry. Corneal topography examinations were performed in the syndrome group only. There were no significant differences in spherical equivalent (P = 0.13) and total astigmatism (P = 0.37) between groups. However, mean best spectacle-corrected visual acuity (Log Mar) was significantly worse in TDS patients (P = 0.003). The lenticular astigmatism was greater in the syndrome group, whereas the corneal component was greater in controls (P = 0.059 and P = 0.028, respectively). The measured biometric features were the same in both groups, except for the lens thickness and lens-axial length factor, which were greater in the TDS group (P = 0.007 and P = 0.055, respectively). Clinically significant lenticular astigmatism, more oblique corneal astigmatism, and thicker lenses were characteristic findings in patients with TDS. Copyright © 2010 American Optometric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Implementation of Integrated Service Networks under the Quebec Mental Health Reform: Facilitators and Barriers associated with Different Territorial Profiles.

PubMed

Fleury, Marie-Josée; Grenier, Guy; Vallée, Catherine; Aubé, Denise; Farand, Lambert

2017-03-10

This study evaluates implementation of the Quebec Mental Health Reform (2005-2015), which promoted the development of integrated service networks, in 11 local service networks organized into four territorial groups according to socio-demographic characteristics and mental health services offered. Data were collected from documents concerning networks; structured questionnaires completed by 90 managers and by 16 respondent-psychiatrists; and semi-structured interviews with 102 network stakeholders. Factors associated with implementation and integration were organized according to: 1) reform characteristics; 2) implementation context; 3) organizational characteristics; and 4) integration strategies. While local networks were in a process of development and expansion, none were fully integrated at the time of the study. Facilitators and barriers to implementation and integration were primarily associated with organizational characteristics. Integration was best achieved in larger networks including a general hospital with a psychiatric department, followed by networks with a psychiatric hospital. Formalized integration strategies such as service agreements, liaison officers, and joint training reduced some barriers to implementation in networks experiencing less favourable conditions. Strategies for the implementation of healthcare reform and integrated service networks should include sustained support and training in best-practices, adequate performance indicators and resources, formalized integration strategies to improve network coordination and suitable initiatives to promote staff retention.

Neuropsychological characteristics of child and adolescent offspring of patients with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.

PubMed

de la Serna, Elena; Sugranyes, Gisela; Sanchez-Gistau, Vanessa; Rodriguez-Toscano, Elisa; Baeza, Immaculada; Vila, Montserrat; Romero, Soledad; Sanchez-Gutierrez, Teresa; Penzol, Mª José; Moreno, Dolores; Castro-Fornieles, Josefina

2017-05-01

Schizophrenia (SZ) and bipolar disorder (BD) are considered neurobiological disorders which share some clinical, cognitive and neuroimaging characteristics. Studying child and adolescent offspring of patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder (BDoff) or schizophrenia (SZoff) is regarded as a reliable method for investigating early alterations and vulnerability factors for these disorders. This study compares the neuropsychological characteristics of SZoff, BDoff and a community control offspring group (CC) with the aim of examining shared and differential cognitive characteristics among groups. 41 SZoff, 90 BDoff and 107 CC were recruited. They were all assessed with a complete neuropsychological battery which included intelligence quotient, working memory (WM), processing speed, verbal memory and learning, visual memory, executive functions and sustained attention. SZoff and BDoff showed worse performance in some cognitive areas compared with CC. Some of these difficulties (visual memory) were common to both offspring groups, whereas others, such as verbal learning and WM in SZoff or PSI in BDoff, were group-specific. The cognitive difficulties in visual memory shown by both the SZoff and BDoff groups might point to a common endophenotype in the two disorders. Difficulties in other cognitive functions would be specific depending on the family diagnosis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Support for a Campus Tobacco-Free Policy among Non- Smokers: Findings from a Developing Country.

PubMed

Yasin, Siti Munira; Isa, Mohamad Rodi; Fadzil, Mohd Ariff; Zamhuri, Mohammad Idris; Selamat, Mohamad Ikhsan; Mat Ruzlin, Aimi Nadira; Nik Ibrahim, Nik Shamsidah; Ismail, Zaliha; Abdul Majeed, Abu Bakar

2016-01-01

A tobacco-free workplace policy is identified as an effective means to reduce tobacco use and protect people from second-hand smoke; however, the number of tobacco-free policies (TFP) remains very low in workplaces in Malaysia. This study explored the factors affecting support for a tobacco-free policy on two healthcare campuses in Malaysia, prior to the implementation of TFP. This cross- sectional study was conducted among 286 non-smokers from two healthcare training centres and two nearby colleges in Malaysia from January 2015 to April 2015. A standardized questionnaire was administered via staff and student emails. The questionnaire collected information on sociodemographic characteristics, support for a tobacco-free policy and perceived respiratory and sensory symptoms due to tobacco exposure. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to estimate the independent effects of supporting a tobacco-free campus. The percentage of individuals supporting completely tobacco-free facilities was 83.2% (N=238), as opposed to 16.7% (N=48) in support of partially tobacco-free facilities. Compared to the supporters of partially tobacco-free facilities, non-smokers who supported completely tobacco-free health facilities were more likely to be female, have higher education levels, to be very concerned about the effects of other people smoking on their health and to perceive a tobacco-free policy as very important. In addition, they perceived that tobacco smoke bothered them at work by causing headaches and coughs and, in the past 4 weeks, had experienced difficulty breathing. In the multivariate model, after adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics and other factors, only experiencing coughs and headaches increased the odds of supporting a completely tobacco-free campus, up to 2.5- and 1.9-fold, respectively. Coughs and headaches due to other people smoking at work enhances support for a completely tobacco-free campus among non-smokers.

Rural and Urban Crashes: A Comparative Analysis

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1996-08-01

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's National Center for Statistics : and Analysis (NCSA) recently completed a study comparing the characteristics of : crashes occurring in rural areas to the characteristics of crashes occurring in : urba...

An Exploration of the Relationship between Optimistic Explanatory Style and Doctoral Study Completion

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richards, Constance V. S.

2012-01-01

Few studies have explored the positive characteristics that motivate doctoral students to pursue and complete their degree; research has historically focused on doctoral student attrition. To fully understand doctoral student success, research must focus on factors that contribute to completion. Based on Seligman's theory of explanatory style,…

The relationship between mineral contents, particle matter and bottom ash distribution during pellet combustion: molar balance and chemometric analysis.

PubMed

Jeguirim, Mejdi; Kraiem, Nesrine; Lajili, Marzouk; Guizani, Chamseddine; Zorpas, Antonis; Leva, Yann; Michelin, Laure; Josien, Ludovic; Limousy, Lionel

2017-04-01

This paper aims to identify the correlation between the mineral contents in agropellets and particle matter and bottom ash characteristics during combustion in domestic boilers. Four agrifood residues with higher mineral contents, namely grape marc (GM), tomato waste (TW), exhausted olive mill solid waste (EOMSW) and olive mill wastewater (OMWW), were selected. Then, seven different pellets were produced from pure residues or their mixture and blending with sawdust. The physico-chemical properties of the produced pellets were analysed using different analytical techniques, and a particular attention was paid to their mineral contents. Combustion tests were performed in 12-kW domestic boiler. The particle matter (PM) emission was characterised through the particle number and mass quantification for different particle size. The bottom ash composition and size distribution were also characterised. Molar balance and chemometric analyses were performed to identify the correlation between the mineral contents and PM and bottom ash characteristics. The performed analyses indicate that K, Na, S and Cl are released partially or completely during combustion tests. In contrast, Ca, Mg, Si, P, Al, Fe and Mn are retained in the bottom ash. The chemometric analyses indicate that, in addition to the operating conditions and the pellet ash contents, K and Si concentrations have a significant effect on the PM emissions as well as on the agglomeration of bottom ash.

The effect of yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) on nutrient intake, digestibility and finishing performance of lambs fed a diet based on dried molasses sugar beet-pulp.

PubMed

Payandeh, S; Kafilzadeh, F

2007-12-15

This experiment was conducted to determine the effect of yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae, SC47) on finishing performance, digestibility, some blood metabolites and carcass characteristics of male lambs fed a diet based on dried Molasses Sugar Beet-Pulp (MSBP). Eighteen Sanjabi male lambs (20.95 +/- 2.7 kg initial body weight and 3 month of age) were used in a completely randomized design. Animals were assigned to one of the two dietary treatments (with or without yeast). Digestibility and nitrogen balance experiment was carried out using six mature rams on finishing diet with and without yeast. Serum metabolites were determined in samples taken from lambs at the end of finishing period. Dry matter digestibility of finishing diet was significantly increased by yeast addition. However, yeast did not have any significant effect on apparent digestibility of OM, NDF, CP and energy. Nitrogen retention was also not affected by yeast addition. Yeast resulted in a significant increase in the average daily gain, dry matter and organic matter intake. However, feed conversion ratio was not significantly affected by addition of yeast. The concentration of the serum metabolites including glucose, urea, cholesterol, sodium, potassium, calcium, phosphorous and cratinine were not affected significantly by yeast supplementation, but triglyceride concentrations increased significantly when yeast was fed. Addition of yeast to the diet did not have any significant effect on the carcass characteristics. Results of this study suggest that feeding saccharomyces cerevisiae with a diet based on MSBP can improve the performance of fattening lambs without any change in carcass characteristics or cuts.

The Growth Performance, Carcass Characteristics, and Meat Quality of Egg-Type Male Growing Chicken and White-Mini Broiler in Comparison with Commercial Broiler (Ross 308)

PubMed Central

Kim, Hyun-Wook; Kim, Cheon-Jei; Kim, Eun-Jib; Kim, Hee-Sung

2014-01-01

The present study was conducted to compare the growth performance, carcass characteristics, and meat quality of the egg-type male growing chicken (EM), white-mini broiler (WB), and commercial broiler (Ross 308, CB). A total of 360 1-d-old chicks were reared together using a completely randomized design with 4 replicates for each group under the identical feeding and rearing conditions. The ADG and gain:feed were the highest in CB, intermediate in WB, and the lowest in EM (p<0.05), and the live and carcass weights of CB and EM were significantly higher than those of WB (p<0.05). The pH of breast meat from WB and CB was significantly higher (p<0.05) than that from EM with a similar body weight. The EM had the lowest moisture (p<0.05) and the highest protein content (p<0.05), whereas the fat and ash contents were not different among groups. The mystiric acid (C14:0), palmitoleic acid (C16:1 ω7), and oleic acid (C18:1 ω9) levels were significantly higher in breast meat from CB (p<0.05). The monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) content showed the highest (p<0.05) levels in CB. In contrast, the polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) contents of breast meat, including linoleic acid (C18:2 ω6) and arachidonic acid (C20:4 ω6), were higher (p<0.05) in EM and WB than in CB. In conclusion, the EM and WB had less growth performances in comparison with CB, but they each had some unique features (taste, flavor, and physiological characteristics) when raised under the identical rearing and feeding conditions. PMID:26761496

Effects of resistance training on running economy and cross-country performance.

PubMed

Barnes, Kyle R; Hopkins, Will G; McGuigan, Michael R; Northuis, Mark E; Kilding, Andrew E

2013-12-01

Heavy-resistance training and plyometric training offer distinct physiological and neuromuscular adaptations that could enhance running economy and, consequently, distance-running performance. To date, no studies have examined the effect of combining the two modes of training on running economy or performance. Fifty collegiate male and female cross-country runners performed a 5-km time trial and a series of laboratory-based tests to determine aerobic, anthropometric, biomechanical, and neuromuscular characteristics. Thereafter, each athlete participated in a season of six to eight collegiate cross-country races for 13 wk. After the first 4 wk, athletes were randomly assigned to either heavy-resistance or plyometric plus heavy-resistance training. Five days after completing their final competition, runners repeated the same set of laboratory tests. We also estimated the effects of the intervention on competition performance throughout the season using athletes of other teams as controls. Heavy-resistance training produced small-moderate improvements in peak speed, running economy, and neuromuscular characteristics relative to plyometric resistance training, whereas changes in biomechanical measures favored plyometric resistance training. Men made less gains than women in most tests. Both treatments had possibly harmful effects on competition times in men (mean = 0.5%; 90% confidence interval = ±1.2%), but there may have been benefit for some individuals. Both treatments were likely beneficial for all women (-1.2%; ±1.3%), but heavy-resistance training was possibly better than plyometric resistance training. The changes in laboratory-based parameters related to distance-running performance were consistent with the changes in competition times for women but only partly for men. Our data indicate that women should include heavy-resistance training in their programs, but men should be cautious about using it in season until more research establishes whether certain men are positive or negative responders.

Investigation of Mechanical Damping Characteristic in Short Fiberglass Reinforced Polycarbonate Composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cho, Myoung-Rae; Kim, Hyung-Ick; Jang, Jae-Soon; Suhr, Jonghwan; Prate, Devin R.; Chun, David

2013-06-01

The focus of this study is to experimentally investigate the effect of debonding stress, the interface between the fibers and the polymer matrix, on the damping properties of the short fiberglass reinforced polymer composites. In this study, short fiberglass reinforced polycarbonate composite materials were fabricated and characterized for their tensile properties by varying the fiberglass loading fraction. The debonding stress was evaluated by coupling the acoustic emission technique with the tensile testing. After the determination of the debonding stress was completed, dynamic cyclic testing was performed in order to investigate the effect of debonding on the damping properties of the polymer composites. It was experimentally observed in this study that the debonding can facilitate the stick-slip friction under cyclic loadings, which then gives rise to better damping performance in the fiberglass composites.

HPT Clearance Control: Intelligent Engine Systems-Phase 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2005-01-01

The following work has been completed to satisfy the Phase I Deliverables for the "HPT Clearance Control" project under NASA GRC's "Intelligent Engine Systems" program: (1) Need for the development of an advanced HPT ACC system has been very clearly laid out, (2) Several existing and potential clearance control systems have been reviewed, (3) A scorecard has been developed to document the system, performance (fuel burn, range, payload, etc.), thermal, and mechanical characteristics of the existing clearance control systems, (4) Engine size and flight cycle selection for the advanced HPT ACC system has been reviewed with "large engine"/"long range mission" combination showing the most benefit, (5) A scoring criteria has been developed to tie together performance parameters for an objective, data driven comparison of competing systems, and (6) The existing HPT ACC systems have been scored based on this scoring system.

True Aneurysm of the Inferior Thyroid Artery: A Case Report and Literature Review.

PubMed

Venturini, Luigi; Sapienza, Paolo; Grande, Raffaele; Scarano Catanzaro, Valerio; Fanelli, Fabrizio; di Marzo, Luca

2017-04-01

Aneurysms of the inferior thyroid artery (ITA) are extremely rare and potentially determine severe sequelae. We report a case of true ITA aneurysm in a 45-year-old Caucasian woman treated with endovascular embolization; postoperative course was uneventful and, at 6-month follow-up, the aneurysm is completely thrombized. A systematic review of the literature has been also performed to identify the epidemiologic and clinical characteristics and diagnostic and operative options of this disease. Size alone is not able to predict the fate of the aneurysm and an aggressive treatment seems to be justified because of the high risk of complications in case of rupture. In an emergency setting, the endovascular procedures associated to hematoma evacuation or open surgery should be rapidly performed to save patient life. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Stress Corrosion Cracking of Annealed and Cold Worked Titanium Grade 7 and Alloy 22 in 110 C Concentrated Salt Environments

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

P. Andresen

2000-11-08

Stress corrosion crack growth studies have been performed on annealed and cold worked Titanium Grade 7 and Alloy 22 in 110 C, aerated, concentrated, high pH salt environments characteristic of concentrated ground water. Following a very careful transition from fatigue precracking conditions to SCC conditions, the long term behavior under very stable conditions was monitored using reversing dc potential drop. Titanium Grade 7 exhibited continuous crack growth under both near-static and complete static loading conditions. Alloy 22 exhibited similar growth rates, but was less prone to maintain stable crack growth as conditions approached fully static loading.

Research and Development of Fully Automatic Alien Smoke Stack and Packaging System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Xudong; Ge, Qingkuan; Peng, Tao; Zuo, Ping; Dong, Weifu

2017-12-01

The problem of low efficiency of manual sorting packaging for the current tobacco distribution center, which developed a set of safe efficient and automatic type of alien smoke stack and packaging system. The functions of fully automatic alien smoke stack and packaging system adopt PLC control technology, servo control technology, robot technology, image recognition technology and human-computer interaction technology. The characteristics, principles, control process and key technology of the system are discussed in detail. Through the installation and commissioning fully automatic alien smoke stack and packaging system has a good performance and has completed the requirements for shaped cigarette.

Research pressure instrumentation for NASA Space Shuttle main engine, modification no. 5

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, P. J.; Nussbaum, P.; Gustafson, G.

1984-01-01

The objective of the research project described is to define and demonstrate methods to advance the state of the art of pressure sensors for the space shuttle main engine (SSME). Silicon piezoresistive technology was utilized in completing tasks: generation and testing of three transducer design concepts for solid state applications; silicon resistor characterization at cryogenic temperatures; experimental chip mounting characterization; frequency response optimization and prototype design and fabrication. Excellent silicon sensor performance was demonstrated at liquid nitrogen temperature. A silicon resistor ion implant dose was customized for SSME temperature requirements. A basic acoustic modeling software program was developed as a design tool to evaluate frequency response characteristics.

Genetic Local Search for Optimum Multiuser Detection Problem in DS-CDMA Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Shaowei; Ji, Xiaoyong

Optimum multiuser detection (OMD) in direct-sequence code-division multiple access (DS-CDMA) systems is an NP-complete problem. In this paper, we present a genetic local search algorithm, which consists of an evolution strategy framework and a local improvement procedure. The evolution strategy searches the space of feasible, locally optimal solutions only. A fast iterated local search algorithm, which employs the proprietary characteristics of the OMD problem, produces local optima with great efficiency. Computer simulations show the bit error rate (BER) performance of the GLS outperforms other multiuser detectors in all cases discussed. The computation time is polynomial complexity in the number of users.

Transmission seal development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brien, M.

1977-01-01

An experimental evaluation was performed on a high-speed (72.9 m/s, 14,349 ft/min) transmission seal of the synergistic type. During testing of the seal, oil leakage occurred at positive bearing cavity pressures. Modifications were made in an attempt to eliminate the leakage but none were completely successful. Leakage appears to be the result of questionable positioning of the sealing elements resulting in inadequate shaft contact by the oil side sealing element. This condition may be related to the nonsymmetrical shape of the elastomeric retainer and to dimensional changes caused by swelling of the elastomeric retainer from exposure to the sealed fluid. Indications of a speed dependent leakage characteristic were also observed.

[Pay attention to the complexity of cataract surgery of no vitreous eyes].

PubMed

Bao, Y Z

2017-04-11

With wide-spread performance of pars plana vitrectomy, cataract surgeries with no vitreous are getting more and more. This kind of surgery has great difference between individuals and it lacks randomized large sample clinical trial. Surgical strategy decision was basically relied on the surgeon's personal experience. We should fully aware the individual and common characteristics of no vitreous cataract surgery. Surgical time should be carefully decided. Complete ocular examination, evaluation, design of cataract surgical procedure and appropriate intra-ocular lens selection are needed. We must pay highly attention on the cataract surgery of no vitreous eyes. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2017, 53: 241-243) .

Determination of the Flow Field in the Propellant Tank of a Rocket Engine on Completion of the Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fedorov, A. V.; Bedarev, I. A.; Lavruk, S. A.; Trushlyakov, V. I.; Kudentsov, V. Yu.

2018-03-01

In the present work, a method of mathematical simulation is employed to describe processes occurring in the specimens of new equipment and using the remaining propellant in rocket-engine tanks. Within the framework of certain turbulence models, the authors perform a calculation of the flow field in the volume of the tank of the launch-vehicle stage when a hot gas jet is injected into it. A vortex flow structure is revealed; the characteristics of heat transfer for different angles of injection of the jet are determined. The obtained correlation Nu = Nu(Re) satisfactorily describes experimental data.

Determination of the Flow Field in the Propellant Tank of a Rocket Engine on Completion of the Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fedorov, A. V.; Bedarev, I. A.; Lavruk, S. A.; Trushlyakov, V. I.; Kudentsov, V. Yu.

2018-05-01

In the present work, a method of mathematical simulation is employed to describe processes occurring in the specimens of new equipment and using the remaining propellant in rocket-engine tanks. Within the framework of certain turbulence models, the authors perform a calculation of the flow field in the volume of the tank of the launch-vehicle stage when a hot gas jet is injected into it. A vortex flow structure is revealed; the characteristics of heat transfer for different angles of injection of the jet are determined. The obtained correlation Nu = Nu(Re) satisfactorily describes experimental data.

Superior Inhibitory Control and Resistance to Mental Fatigue in Professional Road Cyclists.

PubMed

Martin, Kristy; Staiano, Walter; Menaspà, Paolo; Hennessey, Tom; Marcora, Samuele; Keegan, Richard; Thompson, Kevin G; Martin, David; Halson, Shona; Rattray, Ben

2016-01-01

Given the important role of the brain in regulating endurance performance, this comparative study sought to determine whether professional road cyclists have superior inhibitory control and resistance to mental fatigue compared to recreational road cyclists. After preliminary testing and familiarization, eleven professional and nine recreational road cyclists visited the lab on two occasions to complete a modified incongruent colour-word Stroop task (a cognitive task requiring inhibitory control) for 30 min (mental exertion condition), or an easy cognitive task for 10 min (control condition) in a randomized, counterbalanced cross-over order. After each cognitive task, participants completed a 20-min time trial on a cycle ergometer. During the time trial, heart rate, blood lactate concentration, and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) were recorded. The professional cyclists completed more correct responses during the Stroop task than the recreational cyclists (705±68 vs 576±74, p = 0.001). During the time trial, the recreational cyclists produced a lower mean power output in the mental exertion condition compared to the control condition (216±33 vs 226±25 W, p = 0.014). There was no difference between conditions for the professional cyclists (323±42 vs 326±35 W, p = 0.502). Heart rate, blood lactate concentration, and RPE were not significantly different between the mental exertion and control conditions in both groups. The professional cyclists exhibited superior performance during the Stroop task which is indicative of stronger inhibitory control than the recreational cyclists. The professional cyclists also displayed a greater resistance to the negative effects of mental fatigue as demonstrated by no significant differences in perception of effort and time trial performance between the mental exertion and control conditions. These findings suggest that inhibitory control and resistance to mental fatigue may contribute to successful road cycling performance. These psychobiological characteristics may be either genetic and/or developed through the training and lifestyle of professional road cyclists.

Theoretical study of the decomposition mechanism of environmentally friendly insulating medium C3F7CN in the presence of H2O in a discharge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xiaoxing; Li, Yi; Xiao, Song; Tian, Shuangshuang; Deng, Zaitao; Tang, Ju

2017-08-01

C3F7CN has been the focus of the alternative gas research field over the past two years because of its excellent insulation properties and environmental characteristics. Experimental studies on its insulation performance have made many achievements. However, few studies on the formation mechanism of the decomposition components exist. A discussion of the decomposition characteristics of insulating media will provide guidance for scientific experimental research and the work that must be completed before further engineering application. In this study, the decomposition mechanism of C3F7CN in the presence of trace H2O under discharge was calculated based on the density functional theory and transition state theory. The reaction heat, Gibbs free energy, and activation energy of different decomposition pathways were investigated. The ionization parameters and toxicity of C3F7CN and various decomposition products were analyzed from the molecular structure perspective. The formation mechanism of the C3F7CN discharge decomposition components and the influence of trace water were evaluated. This paper confirms that C3F7CN has excellent decomposition characteristics, which provide theoretical support for later experiments and related engineering applications. However, the existence of trace water has a negative impact on C3F7CN’s insulation performance. Thus, strict trace water content standards should be developed to ensure dielectric insulation and the safety of maintenance personnel.

[Correlation between demyelinating lesions and executive function decline in a sample of Mexican patients with multiple sclerosis].

PubMed

Aldrete Cortez, V R; Duriez-Sotelo, E; Carrillo-Mora, P; Pérez-Zuno, J A

2013-09-01

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is characterised by several neurological symptoms including cognitive impairment, which has recently been the subject of considerable study. At present, evidence pointing to a correlation between lesion characteristics and specific cognitive impairment is not conclusive. To investigate the presence of a correlation between the characteristics of demyelinating lesions and performance of basic executive functions in a sample of MS patients. We included 21 adult patients with scores of 0 to 5 on the Kurtzke scale and no exacerbations of the disease in at least 3 months prior to the evaluation date. They completed the Stroop test and the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST). The location of the lesions was determined using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) performed by a blinded expert in neuroimaging. Demyelinating lesions were more frequently located in the frontal and occipital lobes. The Stroop test showed that as cognitive demand increased on each of the sections in the test, reaction time and number of errors increased. On the WCST, 33.33% of patients registered as having moderate cognitive impairment. No correlation could be found between demyelinating lesion characteristics (location, size, and number) and patients' scores on the tests. Explanations of the causes of cognitive impairment in MS should examine a variety of biological, psychological, and social factors instead of focusing solely on demyelinating lesions. Copyright © 2012 Sociedad Española de Neurología. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Characterization of the Space Shuttle Ascent Debris using CFD Methods

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Murman, Scott M.; Aftosmis, Michael J.; Rogers, Stuart E.

2005-01-01

After video analysis of space shuttle flight STS-107's ascent showed that an object shed from the bipod-ramp region impacted the left wing, a transport analysis was initiated to determine a credible flight path and impact velocity for the piece of debris. This debris transport analysis was performed both during orbit, and after the subsequent re-entry accident. The analysis provided an accurate prediction of the velocity a large piece of foam bipod ramp would have as it impacted the wing leading edge. This prediction was corroborated by video analysis and fully-coupled CFD/six degree of freedom (DOF) simulations. While the prediction of impact velocity was accurate enough to predict critical damage in this case, one of the recommendations of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB) for return-to-flight (RTF) was to analyze the complete debris environment experienced by the shuttle stack on ascent. This includes categorizing all possible debris sources, their probable geometric and aerodynamic characteristics, and their potential for damage. This paper is chiefly concerned with predicting the aerodynamic characteristics of a variety of potential debris sources (insulating foam and cork, nose-cone ablator, ice, ...) for the shuttle ascent configuration using CFD methods. These aerodynamic characteristics are used in the debris transport analysis to predict flight path, impact velocity and angle, and provide statistical variation to perform risk analyses where appropriate. The debris aerodynamic characteristics are difficult to determine using traditional methods, such as static or dynamic test data, due to the scaling requirements of simulating a typical debris event. The use of CFD methods has been a critical element for building confidence in the accuracy of the debris transport code by bridging the gap between existing aerodynamic data and the dynamics of full-scale, in-flight events.

The Determinants of Negative Maternal Parenting Behaviours: Maternal, Child, and Paternal Characteristics and Their Interaction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kopala-Sibley, Daniel C.; Zuroff, David C.; Koestner, Richard

2012-01-01

This study tested Belsky's determinants of parenting, namely maternal characteristics, child characteristics, and contextual issues, namely the mother's perception of the husband as a father, husband, and person. Three hundred and seventy-nine mothers first investigated by Sears, Maccoby, and Levin completed a standardised interview to assess…

Characteristics and clinical assessment of unexplained sudden cardiac arrest in the real-world setting: focus on idiopathic ventricular fibrillation

PubMed Central

Waldmann, Victor; Bougouin, Wulfran; Karam, Nicole; Dumas, Florence; Sharifzadehgan, Ardalan; Gandjbakhch, Estelle; Algalarrondo, Vincent; Narayanan, Kumar; Zhao, Alexandre; Amet, Denis; Jost, Daniel; Geri, Guillaume; Lamhaut, Lionel; Beganton, Frankie; Ludes, Bertrand; Bruneval, Patrick; Plu, Isabelle; Hidden-Lucet, Françoise; Albuisson, Juliette; Lavergne, Thomas; Piot, Olivier; Alonso, Christine; Leenhardt, Antoine; Lellouche, Nicolas; Extramiana, Fabrice; Cariou, Alain; Jouven, Xavier; Marijon, Eloi

2018-01-01

Abstract Aims Recent studies have shown that in more than half of apparently unexplained sudden cardiac arrests (SCA), a specific aetiology can be unmasked by a careful evaluation. The characteristics and the extent to which such cases undergo a systematic thorough investigation in real-life practice are unknown. Methods and results Data were analysed from an ongoing study, collecting all cases of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in Paris area. Investigations performed during the index hospitalization or planned after discharge were gathered to evaluate the completeness of assessment of unexplained SCA. Between 2011 and 2016, among the 18 622 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, 717 survivors (at hospital discharge) fulfilled the definition of cardiac SCA. Of those, 88 (12.3%) remained unexplained after electrocardiogram, echocardiography, and coronary angiography. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging yielded the diagnosis in 25 (3.5%) cases, other investigations accounted for 14 (2.4%) additional diagnoses, and 49 (6.8%) patients were labelled as idiopathic ventricular fibrillation (IVF) (48.7 ± 15 years, 69.4% male). Among those labelled IVF, only 8 (16.3%) cases benefited from a complete workup (including pharmacological testing). Younger patients [odds ratio (OR) 6.00, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.80–22.26] and those admitted to university centres (OR 3.60, 95% CI 1.12–12.45) were more thoroughly investigated. Genetic testing and family screening were initiated in only 9 (18.4%) and 12 (24.5%) cases, respectively. Conclusion Our findings suggest that complete investigations are carried out in a very low proportion of unexplained SCA. Standardized, systematic approaches need to be implemented to ensure that opportunities for specific therapies and preventive strategies (including relatives) are not missed. PMID:29566157

Characteristics and clinical assessment of unexplained sudden cardiac arrest in the real-world setting: focus on idiopathic ventricular fibrillation.

PubMed

Waldmann, Victor; Bougouin, Wulfran; Karam, Nicole; Dumas, Florence; Sharifzadehgan, Ardalan; Gandjbakhch, Estelle; Algalarrondo, Vincent; Narayanan, Kumar; Zhao, Alexandre; Amet, Denis; Jost, Daniel; Geri, Guillaume; Lamhaut, Lionel; Beganton, Frankie; Ludes, Bertrand; Bruneval, Patrick; Plu, Isabelle; Hidden-Lucet, Françoise; Albuisson, Juliette; Lavergne, Thomas; Piot, Olivier; Alonso, Christine; Leenhardt, Antoine; Lellouche, Nicolas; Extramiana, Fabrice; Cariou, Alain; Jouven, Xavier; Marijon, Eloi

2018-06-01

Recent studies have shown that in more than half of apparently unexplained sudden cardiac arrests (SCA), a specific aetiology can be unmasked by a careful evaluation. The characteristics and the extent to which such cases undergo a systematic thorough investigation in real-life practice are unknown. Data were analysed from an ongoing study, collecting all cases of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in Paris area. Investigations performed during the index hospitalization or planned after discharge were gathered to evaluate the completeness of assessment of unexplained SCA. Between 2011 and 2016, among the 18 622 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, 717 survivors (at hospital discharge) fulfilled the definition of cardiac SCA. Of those, 88 (12.3%) remained unexplained after electrocardiogram, echocardiography, and coronary angiography. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging yielded the diagnosis in 25 (3.5%) cases, other investigations accounted for 14 (2.4%) additional diagnoses, and 49 (6.8%) patients were labelled as idiopathic ventricular fibrillation (IVF) (48.7 ± 15 years, 69.4% male). Among those labelled IVF, only 8 (16.3%) cases benefited from a complete workup (including pharmacological testing). Younger patients [odds ratio (OR) 6.00, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.80-22.26] and those admitted to university centres (OR 3.60, 95% CI 1.12-12.45) were more thoroughly investigated. Genetic testing and family screening were initiated in only 9 (18.4%) and 12 (24.5%) cases, respectively. Our findings suggest that complete investigations are carried out in a very low proportion of unexplained SCA. Standardized, systematic approaches need to be implemented to ensure that opportunities for specific therapies and preventive strategies (including relatives) are not missed.

Clinical characteristics of patients with central nervous system relapse in BCR-ABL1-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia: the importance of characterizing ABL1 mutations in cerebrospinal fluid.

PubMed

Sanchez, Ricardo; Ayala, Rosa; Alonso, Rafael Alberto; Martínez, María Pilar; Ribera, Jordi; García, Olga; Sanchez-Pina, José; Mercadal, Santiago; Montesinos, Pau; Martino, Rodrigo; Barba, Pere; González-Campos, José; Barrios, Manuel; Lavilla, Esperanza; Gil, Cristina; Bernal, Teresa; Escoda, Lourdes; Abella, Eugenia; Amigo, Ma Luz; Moreno, Ma José; Bravo, Pilar; Guàrdia, Ramón; Hernández-Rivas, Jesús-María; García-Guiñón, Antoni; Piernas, Sonia; Ribera, José-María; Martínez-López, Joaquín

2017-07-01

We investigated the frequency, predictors, and evolution of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in patients with CNS relapse and introduced a novel method for studying BCR-ABL1 protein variants in cDNA from bone marrow (BM) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) blast cells. A total of 128 patients were analyzed in two PETHEMA clinical trials. All achieved complete remission after imatinib treatment. Of these, 30 (23%) experienced a relapse after achieving complete remission, and 13 (10%) had an isolated CNS relapse or combined CNS and BM relapses. We compared the characteristics of patients with and without CNS relapse and further analyzed CSF and BM samples from two of the 13 patients with CNS relapse. In both patients, classical sequencing analysis of the kinase domain of BCR-ABL1 from the cDNA of CSF blasts revealed the pathogenic variant p.L387M. We also performed ultra-deep next-generation sequencing (NGS) in three samples from one of the relapsed patients. We did not find the mutation in the BM sample, but we did find it in CSF blasts with 45% of reads at the time of relapse. These data demonstrate the feasibility of detecting BCR-ABL1 mutations in CSF blasts by NGS and highlight the importance of monitoring clonal evolution over time.

Characteristics and publication patterns of obstetric studies registered in ClinicalTrials.gov.

PubMed

Stockmann, Chris; Sherwin, Catherine M T; Koren, Gideon; Campbell, Sarah C; Constance, Jonathan E; Linakis, Matthew; Balch, Alfred; Varner, Michael W; Spigarelli, Michael G

2014-04-01

Physiologic changes during pregnancy alter the pharmacokinetics, safety, and efficacy of many drugs. For clinicians, there is often uncertainty regarding the safety of these drugs due to a scarcity of published data. This study aimed to comprehensively evaluate the characteristics and publication patterns of obstetric studies registered in ClinicalTrials.gov from 2007 to 2012. Primary outcome measures, funding sources, inclusion criteria, and the reporting of study results were evaluated. A manual review of Medline/PubMed was performed to identify publications associated with studies registered in ClinicalTrials.gov. Of 93,709 total studies, there were 5,203 (6%) obstetric studies registered in ClinicalTrials.gov. Interventional studies accounted for 70% and 30% were observational. Clinical trials of drugs (49%), procedures (13%), and behavioral interventions (12%) were most common. Among interventional drug trials, 84% featured randomized allocation to study arms and 93% included measures of safety and/or efficacy as primary endpoints. Of 946 (18%) studies completed more than 2 years ago, only 11% had reported results and <7% had been published. In an area with a great need for evidence of safe and effective therapies, the low publication rate of completed studies incorporating elements of high-quality trial design is concerning. The sources of this trend should be closely investigated. © 2013, The American College of Clinical Pharmacology.

Characteristics and follow-up of postmarketing studies of conditionally authorized medicines in the EU.

PubMed

Hoekman, Jarno; Klamer, Thea T; Mantel-Teeuwisse, Aukje K; Leufkens, Hubert G M; De Bruin, Marie L

2016-07-01

The aim of the present study was to provide an insight into the characteristics and follow-up of postmarketing studies of medicines that were conditionally authorized in the European Union (EU). We compiled a list of all postmarketing studies attached as specific obligations to the licence of medicines that were granted conditional marketing authorization from January 2006 to April 2014. Studies were characterized based on their objective, design, status upon marketing authorization (MA) and due data set by authorities. They were linked to online study registrations (Clinicaltrials.gov, ENCePP) to determine completion date. We described and associated characteristics of studies and medicines, and determined whether studies were completed on time. A total of 59 postmarketing studies were requested for 21 conditionally authorized medicines. Most studies had an interventional study design (73%), were ongoing upon MA (61%) and aimed to provide additional data on efficacy (45%). Interventional studies were more often ongoing and providing efficacy data, while observational and other studies were more often new and providing safety data. Frequent grounds for requesting postmarketing studies were 'long-term follow-up' and 'increase data on subpopulations'. Of the 34 studies eligible for follow-up analysis, 26 (76%) were completed and 17 (50%) completed on time. Actual completion time took a median (interquartile range) of 274 (-121 to 556) days longer than expected. Our results indicated that most postmarketing studies attached to a conditional marketing authorization were eventually completed but that half were completed with a substantial delay. The observations suggest caution when broadening the use of postmarketing studies for resolving uncertainties about benefits and risks after MA. © 2016 The British Pharmacological Society.

Characteristics and follow‐up of postmarketing studies of conditionally authorized medicines in the EU

PubMed Central

Klamer, Thea T.; Mantel‐Teeuwisse, Aukje K.; Leufkens, Hubert G. M.; De Bruin, Marie L.

2016-01-01

Aim The aim of the present study was to provide an insight into the characteristics and follow‐up of postmarketing studies of medicines that were conditionally authorized in the European Union (EU). Methods We compiled a list of all postmarketing studies attached as specific obligations to the licence of medicines that were granted conditional marketing authorization from January 2006 to April 2014. Studies were characterized based on their objective, design, status upon marketing authorization (MA) and due data set by authorities. They were linked to online study registrations (Clinicaltrials.gov, ENCePP) to determine completion date. We described and associated characteristics of studies and medicines, and determined whether studies were completed on time. Results A total of 59 postmarketing studies were requested for 21 conditionally authorized medicines. Most studies had an interventional study design (73%), were ongoing upon MA (61%) and aimed to provide additional data on efficacy (45%). Interventional studies were more often ongoing and providing efficacy data, while observational and other studies were more often new and providing safety data. Frequent grounds for requesting postmarketing studies were ‘long‐term follow‐up’ and ‘increase data on subpopulations’. Of the 34 studies eligible for follow‐up analysis, 26 (76%) were completed and 17 (50%) completed on time. Actual completion time took a median (interquartile range) of 274 (−121 to 556) days longer than expected. Conclusions Our results indicated that most postmarketing studies attached to a conditional marketing authorization were eventually completed but that half were completed with a substantial delay. The observations suggest caution when broadening the use of postmarketing studies for resolving uncertainties about benefits and risks after MA. PMID:26992001

Baseline Characteristics of Patients Predicting Suitability for Rapid Naltrexone Induction

PubMed Central

Mogali, Shanthi; Khan, Nabil A.; Drill, Esther S.; Pavlicova, Martina; Sullivan, Maria A.; Nunes, Edward; Bisaga, Adam

2015-01-01

Background and Objectives Extended-release (XR) injection naltrexone has proved promising in the treatment of opioid dependence. Induction onto naltrexone is often accomplished with a procedure known as rapid naltrexone induction. The purpose of this study was to evaluate pre-treatment patient characteristics as predictors of successful completion of a rapid naltrexone induction procedure prior to XR naltrexone treatment. Methods A chart review of 150 consecutive research participants (N = 84 completers and N = 66 non-completers) undergoing a rapid naltrexone induction with the buprenorphone-clonidine procedure were compared on a number of baseline demographic, clinical and psychosocial factors. Logistic regression was used to identify client characteristics that may predict successful initiation of naltrexone after a rapid induction-detoxification. Results Patients who failed to successfully initiate naltrexone were younger (AOR: 1.040, CI: 1.006, 1.075), and using 10 or more bags of heroin (or equivalent) per day (AOR: 0.881, CI: 0.820, 0.946). Drug use other than opioids was also predictive of failure to initiate naltrexone in simple bivariate analyses, but was no longer significant when controlling for age and opioid use level. Conclusions Younger age, and indicators of greater substance dependence severity (more current opioid use, other substance use) predict difficulty completing a rapid naltrexone induction procedure. Such patients might require a longer period of stabilization and/or more gradual detoxification prior to initiating naltrexone. Scientific Significance Our study findings identify specific characteristics of patients who responded positively to rapid naltrexone induction. PMID:25907815

Profinite Completions of Burnside-Type Quotients of Surface Groups

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Funar, Louis; Lochak, Pierre

2018-06-01

Using quantum representations of mapping class groups, we prove that profinite completions of Burnside-type surface group quotients are not virtually prosolvable, in general. Further, we construct infinitely many finite simple characteristic quotients of surface groups.

Minimal Residual Disease in Acute Myeloid Leukemia

PubMed Central

Hourigan, Christopher S.; Karp, Judith E.

2014-01-01

Technological advances in the laboratory have lead to substantial improvements in clinical decision-making by the use of pre-treatment prognostic risk stratification factors in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Unfortunately similar progress has not been made in treatment response criteria, with the definition of “complete remission” in AML largely unchanged for over half a century. Several recent clinical trials have demonstrated that higher sensitivity measurements of residual disease burden during or after treatment can be performed, that results are predictive for clinical outcome and can be used to improve outcomes by guiding additional therapeutic intervention to patients in clinical complete remission but at increased relapse risk. We review here these recent trials, the characteristics and challenges of the modalities currently used to detect minimal residual disease (MRD), and outline opportunities to both refine detection and better clinically utilize MRD measurements. MRD measurement is already the standard of care in other myeloid malignancies such as chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) and acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). It is our belief that response criteria for non-APL AML should be updated to include assessment for molecular complete remission (mCR) and that recommendations for post-consolidation surveillance should include regular monitoring for molecular relapse as a standard of care. PMID:23799371

Factors influencing publication of scientific articles derived from masters theses in public health.

PubMed

Hollmann, Malen; Borrell, Carme; Garin, Olatz; Fernández, Esteve; Alonso, Jordi

2015-05-01

To evaluate theses of a Masters program in Public Health (MPH), in terms of the students' and theses' characteristics that influence publication of the thesis as a scientific article. Longitudinal study of students who successfully completed the MPH at Universitat Pompeu Fabra and Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (Spain) from 2006 to 2010. Participants completed an electronic survey and additional data were gathered from university files. 162 students participated in the study (83 % response rate). 60.5 % had already published an article derived from their thesis at the time of the study or were in process of publishing it. The likelihood of publishing in a peer-reviewed journal was greater among women (aRR = 1.41), among those who had a bachelor's degree in sciences other than health (aRR = 1.40), had completed the MPH on time (aRR = 2.10), had enrolled in a doctoral program after the MPH (aRR = 1.44) or had a masters thesis score of ≥7 (aRR = 1.61). The majority of MPH students published their thesis in a peer-reviewed journal. The strongest predictors of successful publication were related to academic performance.

Testing the Gossamer Albatross II

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1980-01-01

The Gossamer Albatross II is seen here during a test flight at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California. The original Gossamer Albatross is best known for completing the first completely human powered flight across the English Channel on June 12, 1979. The Albatross II was the backup craft for the Channel flight. It was fitted with a small battery-powered electric motor and flight instruments for the NASA research program in low-speed flight. NASA completed its flight testing of the Gossamer Albatross II and began analysis of the results in April, 1980. During the six week program, 17 actual data gathering flights and 10 other flights were flown here as part of the joint NASA Langley/Dryden flight research program. The lightweight craft, carrying a miniaturized instrumentation system, was flown in three configurations; using human power, with a small electric motor, and towed with the propeller removed. Results from the program contributed to data on the unusual aerodynamic, performance, stability, and control characteristics of large, lightweight aircraft that fly at slow speeds for application to future high altitude aircraft. The Albatross' design and research data contributed to numerous later high altitude projects, including the Pathfinder.

Assembling the Gossamer Albatross II in hangar

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1980-01-01

The Gossamer Albatross II is seen here being assembled in a hangar at the Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California. The original Gossamer Albatross is best known for completing the first completely human powered flight across the English Channel on June 12, 1979. The Albatross II was the backup craft for the Channel flight. The aircraft was fitted with a small battery-powered electric motor and flight instruments for the NASA research program in low-speed flight. NASA completed its flight testing of the Gossamer Albatross II and began analysis of the results in April, 1980. During the six week program, 17 actual data gathering flights and 10 other flights were flown here as part of the joint NASA Langley/Dryden flight research program. The lightweight craft, carrying a miniaturized instrumentation system, was flown in three configurations; using human power, with a small electric motor, and towed with the propeller removed. Results from the program contributed to data on the unusual aerodynamic, performance, stability, and control characteristics of large, lightweight aircraft that fly at slow speeds for application to future high altitude aircraft. The Albatross' design and research data contributed to numerous later high altitude projects, including the Pathfinder.

Subgrouping low back pain: A comparison of the STarT Back Tool with the Örebro Musculoskeletal Pain Screening Questionnaire

PubMed Central

Hill, Jonathan C.; Dunn, Kate M.; Main, Chris J.; Hay, Elaine M.

2010-01-01

Introduction Clinicians require brief, practical tools to help identify low back pain (LBP) subgroups requiring early, targeted secondary prevention. The STarT Back Tool (SBT) was recently validated to subgroup LBP patients into early treatment pathways. Aim To test the SBT’s concurrent validity against an existing, popular LBP subgrouping tool, the Örebro Musculoskeletal Pain Screening Questionnaire (ÖMPSQ), and to compare the clinical characteristics of subgroups identified by each tool. Methods Two hundred and forty-four consecutive ‘non-specific’ LBP consulters at 8 UK GP practices aged 18–59 years were invited to complete a questionnaire. Measures included the ÖMPSQ and SBT, disability, fear, catastrophising, pain intensity, episode duration and demographics. Instruments were compared using Spearman’s correlations, tests for subgroup agreement and discriminant analysis of subgroup characteristics according to reference standards. Results Completed SBT (9-items) and ÖMPSQ (24-items) data was available for 130/244 patients (53%). The correlation of SBT and ÖMPSQ scores was ‘excellent (rs = 0.80). Subgroup characteristics were similar across the low, medium and high subgroups, but, the proportions allocated to ‘low’, ‘medium’ and ‘high’ risk groups were different, with fewer patients in the SBT’s high risk group. Both instruments similarly discriminated for reference standards such as disability, catastrophising, fear, comorbid pain and time off work. The ÖMPSQ was better at discriminating pain intensity, while the SBT was better for discriminating bothersomeness of back pain and referred leg pain. Conclusions The SBT baseline psychometrics performed similarly to the ÖMPSQ, but the SBT is shorter and easier to score and is an appropriate alternative for identifying high risk LBP patients in primary care. PMID:19223271

Independence From Parenteral Nutrition and Intravenous Fluid Support During Treatment With Teduglutide Among Patients With Intestinal Failure Associated With Short Bowel Syndrome

PubMed Central

Iyer, Kishore R.; Kunecki, Marek; Boullata, Joseph I.; Fujioka, Ken; Joly, Francisca; Gabe, Simon; Pape, Ulrich-Frank; Schneider, Stéphane M.; Virgili Casas, María Nuria; Ziegler, Thomas R.; Li, Benjamin; Youssef, Nader N.; Jeppesen, Palle B.

2016-01-01

Background: In phase III clinical studies, treatment with teduglutide was associated with clinically meaningful reductions (≥20% from baseline) in parenteral support (PS; parenteral nutrition and/or intravenous fluids) requirements in adult patients with intestinal failure associated with short bowel syndrome (SBS-IF). This analysis reports clinical characteristics of patients who achieved complete independence from PS during teduglutide treatment. Materials and Methods: Post hoc analysis of adult patients who achieved complete PS independence during treatment with teduglutide 0.05 mg/kg/d. Data were pooled from 5 teduglutide clinical trials (2 phase III placebo-controlled trials [NCT00081458 and NCT00798967] and their respective extension studies [NCT00172185, NCT00930644, NCT01560403]). Descriptive statistics were used; no between-group comparisons were performed because of the small sample size and lack of comparator. Results: Of 134 patients, 16 gained oral or enteral autonomy after a median of 5 years of PS dependence and 89 weeks of teduglutide treatment. Demographic and baseline disease characteristics varied among patients (median age, 55 years; 50% men; median baseline PS volume, 5.1 L/wk; median residual small intestine length, 52.5 cm). Most patients who achieved PS independence had colon-in-continuity; however, there was no significant difference in the frequency of PS independence among patients who maintained colon-in-continuity vs those who did not. Conclusion: Findings from this post hoc analysis suggest that oral or enteral autonomy is possible for some patients with SBS-IF who are treated with teduglutide, regardless of baseline characteristics and despite long-term PS dependence. PMID:27875291

Financial and Legal Characteristics of Cross-Jurisdictional Shared Service Agreements Between Local Public Health Agencies.

PubMed

Watts, Theresa; Zahner, Susan; Mrochek, Tracy

Cross-jurisdictional sharing is a resource management strategy increasingly being used by local health departments to provide essential and mandated public health services. Cross-jurisdictional shared service agreements (CJSSAs) are the legal documents that govern cross-jurisdictional sharing arrangements. Information on the financial and legal characteristics of CJSSAs is limited. This study described the financial and legal elements of a set of formal, written CJSSAs in one state to offer guidance to practitioners on how to structure the financial and legal elements in CJSSAs. CJSSAs, which included a written statement about the financial commitment governed by the agreement (n = 63), were analyzed. Data collection occurred through 2 structured data extraction tools and structured telephone interviews conducted with local and tribal health department directors. Descriptive statistics of all variables and a single predictor linear regression were performed. The higher population partner to the CJSSA more often provided the public health service and received payment (n = 41; 65%). Financial statements were found to vary by CJSSA characteristic. CJSSAs were more likely to be legally complete when a legal counsel was involved in creating them (odds ratio = 2.74; 95% confidence interval, 2.19-3.29; P ≤ .001). Yet, only 2 (3%) of the CJSSAs described all the legal elements and were considered legally complete. Clearly identifying and including necessary fiscal and legal elements when creating and managing CJSSAs may strengthen agreements and reduce local health department legal and fiscal vulnerabilities. Local health department capacity for planning, coordination, budgeting, management, and evaluation is essential when creating CJSSA. Careful consideration of cost-sharing and consulting with legal counsel could strengthen the CJSSA.

Physiological Characteristics of Projected Starters and Non-Starters in the Field Positions from a Division I Women’s Soccer Team

PubMed Central

RISSO, FABRICE G.; JALILVAND, FARZAD; ORJALO, ASHLEY J.; MORENO, MATTHEW R.; DAVIS, DESHAUN L.; BIRMINGHAM-BABAUTA, SAMANTHA A.; STOKES, JOHN J.; STAGE, ALYSSA A.; LIU, TRICIA M.; GIULIANO, DOMINIC V.; LAZAR, ADRINA; LOCKIE, ROBERT G.

2017-01-01

NCAA soccer features different substitution rules compared to FIFA-sanctioned matches, with a greater availability of players who can enter the game. This could influence the physiological characteristics of the field position starters (ST) and non-starters (NST) within a collegiate women’s team, which has not been previously analyzed. Thus, 22 field players from the same Division I women’s soccer squad completed: vertical and standing broad jumps; 30-meter (m) sprint (0–5, 0–10, 0–30 m intervals); pro-agility and 60-yard shuttle; and the Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test Level 1. Players were defined into ST (n=10) and NST (n=12) by the coaching staff. A one-way ANOVA derived any significant (p≤0.05) between-group differences, and effect sizes were used for a magnitude-based inference analysis. Z-scores were also calculated to document worthwhile differences above or below the squad mean for the groups. The results showed no significant between-group differences for any of the performance tests. ST did have a worthwhile difference above the squad mean in the 0–10 and 0–30 m sprint intervals, while NST had a worthwhile difference below the squad mean in the 0–30 m interval. Physiological characteristics between ST and NST from the analyzed Division I squad were similar, although ST were generally faster. The similarities between ST and NST may be a function of the team’s training, in that all players may complete the same workouts. Nonetheless, if all players exhibit similar physiological capacities, with appropriate substitutions by the coach a collegiate team should be able to maintain a high work-rate throughout a match. PMID:28674601

Greater ankle strength, anaerobic and aerobic capacity, and agility predict Ground Combat Military Occupational School graduation in female Marines.

PubMed

Allison, Katelyn Fleishman; Keenan, Karen A; Wohleber, Meleesa F; Perlsweig, Katherine A; Pletcher, Erin R; Lovalekar, Mita; Beals, Kim; Coleman, Lawrence C; Nindl, Bradley C

2017-11-01

Women can serve in all military occupational specialties (MOS); however, musculoskeletal and physiological characteristics that predict successful completion of ground combat MOS schools by female Marines are unknown. To determine which demographic, musculoskeletal, and physiological characteristics predict graduation from infantry and vehicle ground combat MOS schools in female Marines. Prospective cohort study. Prior to MOS school, the following were assessed in 62 female Marines (22.0±3.0yrs, 163.9±5.8cm, 63.4±7.2kg): isokinetic shoulder, trunk, and knee and isometric ankle strength; body composition; anaerobic power (AP)/capacity (AC); maximal oxygen uptake (VO 2 max); and field-based fitness tests (broad jump, medicine ball throw, pro-agility). Both absolute and normalized (%body mass: %BM) values were utilized for strength, AP, AC, and VO 2 max. Select tests from each Marine's most recent Physical Fitness Test (PFT: abdominal crunches, 3-mile run time) and Combat Fitness Test (CFT: Maneuver Under Fire, Movement to Contact) were recorded. Participants were classified as graduated (N=46) or did not graduate (N=16). Simple logistic regression was performed to determine predictors of MOS school graduation. Statistical significance was set a priori at α=0.05. Absolute and normalized ankle inversion and eversion strength, normalized anaerobic capacity, absolute and normalized VO 2 max, right pro-agility, and PFT 3-mile run time significantly predicted MOS school graduation (p<0.05). Greater ankle strength, better agility, and greater anaerobic and aerobic capacity are important for successful completion of ground combat MOS school in female Marines. Prior to entering ground combat MOS school, it is recommended that female Marines should train to optimize these mobility-centric characteristics. Copyright © 2017 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Predictors of retention and attrition in a study of an advanced upper limb prosthesis: implications for adoption of the DEKA Arm.

PubMed

Resnik, Linda; Cancio, Jill; Klinger, Shana; Latlief, Gail; Sasson, Nicole; Smurr-Walters, Lisa

2018-02-01

The purpose was to identify factors associated with completion of the VA home study of the DEKA Arm. Design and methodological procedures used: Differences between groups were examined using chi-square and t-tests. A multivariable logistic regression model predicting completion was generated and odds ratios (OR) for significant variables calculated. Post-hoc analysis was performed to plot the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve. Participants who completed were more likely to be prosthesis users at study onset (p = .03), and less likely to have a history of musculoskeletal problems (p = .047). There were no statistically significant differences between groups who completed and those who did not in gender, race, veteran status, age, body mass index (BMI), weight, height, musculoskeletal pain at baseline, satisfaction with current prosthesis, type of prosthesis, or months of prosthesis use. Two variables, prosthesis use and history of musculoskeletal problems were significant at p < .10. The area under the curve (AUC) accuracy index was 0.78. We considered completion of the home use study a reasonable proxy for participant willingness to adopt the device; and believe that findings can be extrapolated to guide DEKA Arm prescription recommendations. Participants most likely to complete the study were already using a personal prosthesis, and without pre-existing musculoskeletal problems. Implications for rehabilitation Data from the VA Study of the DEKA Arm were analysed to determine which factors were associated with likely successful adoption of the DEKA Arm. Participants most likely to complete the study were those who already using a personal prosthesis, and those without pre-existing chronic or re-occurring musculoskeletal problems. This information may be useful when attempting to identify and target the most appropriate candidates for DEKA Arm prescription.

BRCA mutations and their influence on pathological complete response and prognosis in a clinical cohort of neoadjuvantly treated breast cancer patients.

PubMed

Wunderle, Marius; Gass, Paul; Häberle, Lothar; Flesch, Vivien M; Rauh, Claudia; Bani, Mayada R; Hack, Carolin C; Schrauder, Michael G; Jud, Sebastian M; Emons, Julius; Erber, Ramona; Ekici, Arif B; Hoyer, Juliane; Vasileiou, Georgia; Kraus, Cornelia; Reis, Andre; Hartmann, Arndt; Lux, Michael P; Beckmann, Matthias W; Fasching, Peter A; Hein, Alexander

2018-05-03

BRCA1/2 mutations influence the molecular characteristics and the effects of systemic treatment of breast cancer. This study investigates the impact of germline BRCA1/2 mutations on pathological complete response and prognosis in patients receiving neoadjuvant systemic chemotherapy. Breast cancer patients were tested for a BRCA1/2 mutation in clinical routine work and were treated with anthracycline-based or platinum-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy between 1997 and 2015. These patients were identified in the tumor registry of the Breast Center of the University of Erlangen (Germany). Logistic regression and Cox regression analyses were performed to investigate the associations between BRCA1/2 mutation status, pathological complete response, disease-free survival, and overall survival. Among 355 patients, 59 had a mutation in BRCA1 or in BRCA2 (16.6%), 43 in BRCA1 (12.1%), and 16 in BRCA2 (4.5%). Pathological complete response defined as "ypT0; ypN0" was observed in 54.3% of BRCA1/2 mutation carriers, but only in 22.6% of non-carriers. The adjusted odds ratio was 2.48 (95% CI 1.26-4.91) for BRCA1/2 carriers versus non-carriers. Patients who achieved a pathological complete response had better disease-free survival and overall survival rates compared with those who did not achieve a pathological complete response, regardless of BRCA1/2 mutation status. BRCA1/2 mutation status leads to better responses to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer. Pathological complete response is the main predictor of disease-free survival and overall survival, independently of BRCA1/2 mutation status.

78 FR 18988 - Establishing the Performance Characteristics of In Vitro Diagnostic Devices for the Detection of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-28

...] Establishing the Performance Characteristics of In Vitro Diagnostic Devices for the Detection of Antibodies to... announcing the availability of the guidance entitled ``Establishing the Performance Characteristics of In... document entitled ``Establishing the Performance Characteristics of In Vitro Diagnostic Devices for the...

The Impact of Service-Learning among Other Predictors for Persistence and Degree Completion of Undergraduate Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lockeman, Kelly Smith

2012-01-01

College completion is an issue of great concern in the United States, where only 50% of students who start college as freshmen complete a bachelor's degree at that institution within six years. Researchers have studied a variety of factors to understand their relationship to student persistence. Not surprisingly, student characteristics,…

Using Sibling Samples To Assess the Effect of Childhood Family Income on Completed Schooling. JCPR Working Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Levy, Dan; Duncan, Greg J.

This study assessed the impact of family childhood income on completed years of schooling using fixed effects techniques to eliminate biases associated with omission of unmeasured family characteristics. It also examined the importance of timing of family income, estimating models that related years of completed schooling to average levels of…

Accuracy of Screening Mammography Interpretation by Characteristics of Radiologists

PubMed Central

Barlow, William E.; Chi, Chen; Carney, Patricia A.; Taplin, Stephen H.; D’Orsi, Carl; Cutter, Gary; Hendrick, R. Edward; Elmore, Joann G.

2011-01-01

Background Radiologists differ in their ability to interpret screening mammograms accurately. We investigated the relationship of radiologist characteristics to actual performance from 1996 to 2001. Methods Screening mammograms (n = 469 512) interpreted by 124 radiologists were linked to cancer outcome data. The radiologists completed a survey that included questions on demographics, malpractice concerns, years of experience interpreting mammograms, and the number of mammograms read annually. We used receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis to analyze variables associated with sensitivity, specificity, and the combination of the two, adjusting for patient variables that affect performance. All P values are two-sided. Results Within 1 year of the mammogram, 2402 breast cancers were identified. Relative to low annual interpretive volume (≤1000 mammograms), greater interpretive volume was associated with higher sensitivity (P = .001; odds ratio [OR] for moderate volume [1001–2000] = 1.68, 95% CI = 1.18 to 2.39; OR for high volume [>2000] = 1.89, 95% CI = 1.36 to 2.63). Specificity decreased with volume (OR for 1001–2000 = 0.65, 95% CI = 0.52 to 0.83; OR for more than 2000 = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.60 to 0.96), compared with 1000 or less (P = .002). Greater number of years of experience interpreting mammograms was associated with lower sensitivity (P = .001), but higher specificity (P = .003). ROC analysis using the ordinal BI-RADS interpretation showed an association between accuracy and both previous mammographic history (P = .012) and breast density (P<.001). No association was observed between accuracy and years interpreting mammograms (P = .34) or mammography volume (P = .94), after adjusting for variables that affect the threshold for calling a mammogram positive. Conclusions We found no evidence that greater volume or experience at interpreting mammograms is associated with better performance. However, they may affect sensitivity and specificity, possibly by determining the threshold for calling a mammogram positive. Increasing volume requirements is unlikely to improve overall mammography performance. PMID:15601640

Effects of dietary urea concentration and zilpaterol hydrochloride on performance and carcass characteristics of finishing steers.

PubMed

Samuelson, K L; Hubbert, M E; Löest, C A

2016-12-01

Cattle receiving zilpaterol hydrochloride () may recycle less N and require a greater supply of RDP. This study evaluated effects of ZH on performance and carcass characteristics of steers fed diets with increasing dietary RDP concentrations supplied as urea. Steers (429 animals; BW = 423 ± 4.5 kg) were sorted into 3 blocks according to BW and assigned to 1 of 6 treatments (6 pens per treatment) in a randomized complete block design. Treatments were a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement of either no ZH or ZH (75 mg ZH per steer daily) supplemented to finishing diets containing 0, 0.5, or 1.0% urea of dietary DM. Pen weights were recorded before treatment initiation; urea was fed for 27 d, and ZH treatments were fed for 24 d with a 3-d withdrawal period. Pen weights were recorded before transporting steers to a commercial abattoir. Continuous response variables were analyzed using the MIXED procedure and categorical data were analyzed using the GLIMMIX procedure of SAS. No ZH × dietary urea interactions ( ≥ 0.14) occurred for all performance and carcass response variables. Feeding ZH for the last 27 d (included a 3-d withdrawal period) of the finishing period increased ( < 0.01) ADG, decreased ( < 0.01) DMI, and increased ( < 0.01) G:F compared with no ZH. In addition, ZH increased HCW ( < 0.01), dressing percentage ( < 0.01), LM area ( < 0.01), and decreased ( = 0.01) yield grade. Increasing dietary urea linearly decreased ( = 0.01) ADG and DMI. A tendency for a linear decrease ( = 0.10) in HCW, and a tendency for a quadratic increase ( = 0.07) in marbling score were observed as urea increased in the diet. Results indicate that cattle supplemented with ZH do not require additional RDP in the diet, and that performance and carcass characteristics were negatively affected when urea was increased in the diet.

Partial Replacement of Ground Corn with Glycerol in Beef Cattle Diets: Intake, Digestibility, Performance, and Carcass Characteristics

PubMed Central

Del Bianco Benedeti, Pedro; Paulino, Pedro Veiga Rodrigues; Marcondes, Marcos Inácio; Maciel, Ivan França Smith; da Silva, Matheus Custódio; Faciola, Antonio Pinheiro

2016-01-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of replacing dry ground corn with crude glycerol on intake, apparent digestibility, performance, and carcass characteristics of finishing beef bulls. A completely randomized block design experiment with 25 d for adaptation and 100 d for data collection was conducted, in which 3,640 Nellore bulls (367 ± 36.8 kg; 18 ± 3 mo) were blocked by body weight and assigned to 20 pens. Bulls were randomly assigned to one of four treatments: 0, 5, 10, and 15% (dry matter basis) of crude glycerol in the diet. Initially, 20 bulls were slaughtered to serve as a reference to estimate initial empty body weight, which allowed for carcass gain calculation. Bulls were weighed at the beginning, at two-thirds, and at the end of the experiment for performance calculations. Carcass measurements were obtained by ultrasound. Fecal output was estimated using indigestible neutral detergent fiber as an internal marker. Data were analyzed using the mixed procedures in SAS 9.2 (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC). Intake of dry matter, organic matter, and neutral detergent fiber decreased linearly (P < 0.05) with crude glycerol inclusion. However, crude glycerol levels did not affect (P > 0.05) intakes of crude protein, non-fiber carbohydrates, and total digestible nutrients. Digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, neutral detergent fiber, and total digestible nutrients increased quadratically (P < 0.05) with the inclusion of crude glycerol in the diet. Crude glycerol inclusion did not change the intake of digestible dry matter, average daily gain, final body weight, carcass gain, carcass dressing, gain-to-feed ratio, Longissimus thoracis muscle area, and back and rump fat thicknesses (P > 0.05). These results suggest that crude glycerol may be included in finishing beef diets at levels up to 15% without impairing performance and carcass characteristics. PMID:26820725

Development of high-performance printed organic field-effect transistors and integrated circuits.

PubMed

Xu, Yong; Liu, Chuan; Khim, Dongyoon; Noh, Yong-Young

2015-10-28

Organic electronics is regarded as an important branch of future microelectronics especially suited for large-area, flexible, transparent, and green devices, with their low cost being a key benefit. Organic field-effect transistors (OFETs), the primary building blocks of numerous expected applications, have been intensively studied, and considerable progress has recently been made. However, there are still a number of challenges to the realization of high-performance OFETs and integrated circuits (ICs) using printing technologies. Therefore, in this perspective article, we investigate the main issues concerning developing high-performance printed OFETs and ICs and seek strategies for further improvement. Unlike many other studies in the literature that deal with organic semiconductors (OSCs), printing technology, and device physics, our study commences with a detailed examination of OFET performance parameters (e.g., carrier mobility, threshold voltage, and contact resistance) by which the related challenges and potential solutions to performance development are inspected. While keeping this complete understanding of device performance in mind, we check the printed OFETs' components one by one and explore the possibility of performance improvement regarding device physics, material engineering, processing procedure, and printing technology. Finally, we analyze the performance of various organic ICs and discuss ways to optimize OFET characteristics and thus develop high-performance printed ICs for broad practical applications.

Performance of prioritized activities is not correlated with functional factors after grip reconstruction in tetraplegia.

PubMed

Wangdell, Johanna; Fridén, Jan

2011-06-01

To investigate the correlation between perceived performance in prioritized activities and physical conditions related to grip reconstruction. Retrospective clinical outcome study. Forty-seven individuals with tetraplegia were included in the study. Each participant underwent tendon transfer surgery in the hand between November 2002 and April 2009 and had a complete 1-year follow-up. Functional characteristics and performance data were collected from our database and medical records. Patients' perceived performances in prioritized activities were recorded using the Canadian Occupational Performance Measurement. Preoperative data included age at surgery, time since injury, severity of injury, sensibility and hand dominance. At 1-year follow-up, grip strength, key pinch strength, finger pulp-to-palm distance, distance between thumb and index finger and wrist flexion were measured. Correlation rank coefficient was used to test the possible relationship between physical data and activity performance. There were improvements in both functional factors and in rated performance of prioritized activities after surgery. There was no correlation between performance change and any of the physical functions, the factors known before surgery, or the functional outcome factors. No correlation exists between a single functional outcome parameter and the patients' perceived performance of their prioritized goals in reconstructive hand surgery in tetraplegia.

Vehicle performance tests of the Ford/GE first generation single-shaft (ETX-I) alternating current propulsion system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crumley, R. L.; MacDowall, R. D.; Hardin, J. E.; Burke, A. F.

1989-04-01

This report is concerned with the test and evaluation of the ETX-I electric test vehicle, which is a Mercury LN7 retrofitted with the single-shaft ac electric powertrain developed by Ford and General Electric under contract to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) during the period 1982 to 1985. The lead-acid battery used in the ETX-I was developed by Lucas Chloride Electric Vehicle (EV) Systems (LCEVS) as part of the same DOE contract. Extensive tests of the powertrain and battery were done by General Electric and Lucas Chloride before they were integrated into the ETX-I test vehicle by Ford. Ford did limited testing of the ETX-I vehicle on a chassis dynamometer to determine the energy consumption of the powertrain for several driving schedules before the vehicle was shipped to INEL for complete dynamometer testing. Ford also performed track tests with the ETX-I to determine its acceleration performance characteristics.

A miniature solar device for overall water splitting consisting of series-connected spherical silicon solar cells.

PubMed

Kageshima, Yosuke; Shinagawa, Tatsuya; Kuwata, Takaaki; Nakata, Josuke; Minegishi, Tsutomu; Takanabe, Kazuhiro; Domen, Kazunari

2016-04-18

A novel "photovoltaics (PV) + electrolyzer" concept is presented using a simple, small, and completely stand-alone non-biased device for solar-driven overall water splitting. Three or four spherical-shaped p-n junction silicon balls were successfully connected in series, named "SPHELAR." SPHELAR possessed small projected areas of 0.20 (3PVs) and 0.26 cm(2) (4PVs) and exhibited working voltages sufficient for water electrolysis. Impacts of the configuration on the PV module performance were carefully analyzed, revealing that a drastic increase in the photocurrent (≈20%) was attained by the effective utilization of a reflective sheet. Separate investigations on the electrocatalyst performance showed that non-noble metal based materials with reasonably small sizes (<0.80 cm(2)) exhibited substantial currents at the PV working voltage. By combining the observations of the PV characteristics, light management and electrocatalyst performance, solar-driven overall water splitting was readily achieved, reaching solar-to-hydrogen efficiencies of 7.4% (3PVs) and 6.4% (4PVs).

Nonaqueous capillary electrophoresis of dextromethorphan and its metabolites.

PubMed

Pelcová, Marta; Langmajerová, Monika; Cvingráfová, Eliška; Juřica, Jan; Glatz, Zdeněk

2014-10-01

This study deals with the nonaqueous capillary electrophoretic separation of dextromethorphan and its metabolites using a methanolic background electrolyte. The optimization of separation conditions was performed in terms of the resolution of dextromethorphan and dextrorphan and the effect of separation temperature, voltage, and the characteristics of the background electrolyte were studied. Complete separation of all analytes was achieved in 40 mM ammonium acetate dissolved in methanol. Hydrodynamic injection was performed at 3 kPa for 4 s. The separation voltage was 20 kV accompanied by a low electric current. The ultraviolet detection was performed at 214 nm, the temperature of the capillary was 25°C. These conditions enabled the separation of four analytes plus the internal standard within 9 min. Further, the developed method was validated in terms of linearity, sensitivity, and repeatability. Rat liver perfusate samples were subjected to the nonaqueous capillary electrophoretic method to illustrate its applicability. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Short, self-report voice symptom scales: psychometric characteristics of the voice handicap index-10 and the vocal performance questionnaire.

PubMed

Deary, Ian J; Webb, Alison; Mackenzie, Kenneth; Wilson, Janet A; Carding, Paul N

2004-09-01

Short, self-report symptom questionnaires are useful in routine clinical situations for assessing the progress of disorders and the influence of interventions. The Voice Handicap Index-10 (VHI-10) and Vocal Performance Questionnaire (VPQ) are brief self-reported assessments of voice pathology, apparently useful in the general voice clinic population. Little is known of the structure or internal consistency of either tool, nor whether they correlate. This study carried out a substantial, systematic evaluation of their performance in the Laryngology office setting. 330 adult (222 women, 108 men) voice clinic attenders completed the VHI and the VPQ. The VHI-10 and VPQ each had a large, single principal component, high internal consistency, and were highly correlated (disattenuated r=0.91). The VHI-10 and the VPQ are similar, short, convenient, internally-consistent, unidimensional tools. The total VHI-10 or VPQ score is a good overall indicator of the severity of voice disorders.

The 2006 Kennedy Space Center Range Reference Atmosphere Model Validation Study and Sensitivity Analysis to the Performance of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Space Shuttle Vehicle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burns, Lee; Decker, Ryan; Harrington, Brian; Merry, Carl

2008-01-01

The Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Range Reference Atmosphere (RRA) is a statistical model that summarizes wind and thermodynamic atmospheric variability from surface to 70 km. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Space Shuttle program, which launches from KSC, utilizes the KSC RRA data to evaluate environmental constraints on various aspects of the vehicle during ascent. An update to the KSC RRA was recently completed. As part of the update, the Natural Environments Branch at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) conducted a validation study and a comparison analysis to the existing KSC RRA database version 1983. Assessments to the Space Shuttle vehicle ascent profile characteristics were performed by JSC/Ascent Flight Design Division to determine impacts of the updated model to the vehicle performance. Details on the model updates and the vehicle sensitivity analyses with the update model are presented.

Learning the ideal observer for SKE detection tasks by use of convolutional neural networks (Cum Laude Poster Award)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Weimin; Anastasio, Mark A.

2018-03-01

It has been advocated that task-based measures of image quality (IQ) should be employed to evaluate and optimize imaging systems. Task-based measures of IQ quantify the performance of an observer on a medically relevant task. The Bayesian Ideal Observer (IO), which employs complete statistical information of the object and noise, achieves the upper limit of the performance for a binary signal classification task. However, computing the IO performance is generally analytically intractable and can be computationally burdensome when Markov-chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) techniques are employed. In this paper, supervised learning with convolutional neural networks (CNNs) is employed to approximate the IO test statistics for a signal-known-exactly and background-known-exactly (SKE/BKE) binary detection task. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and the area under the ROC curve (AUC) are compared to those produced by the analytically computed IO. The advantages of the proposed supervised learning approach for approximating the IO are demonstrated.

SYNAPTIC DEPRESSION IN DEEP NEURAL NETWORKS FOR SPEECH PROCESSING.

PubMed

Zhang, Wenhao; Li, Hanyu; Yang, Minda; Mesgarani, Nima

2016-03-01

A characteristic property of biological neurons is their ability to dynamically change the synaptic efficacy in response to variable input conditions. This mechanism, known as synaptic depression, significantly contributes to the formation of normalized representation of speech features. Synaptic depression also contributes to the robust performance of biological systems. In this paper, we describe how synaptic depression can be modeled and incorporated into deep neural network architectures to improve their generalization ability. We observed that when synaptic depression is added to the hidden layers of a neural network, it reduces the effect of changing background activity in the node activations. In addition, we show that when synaptic depression is included in a deep neural network trained for phoneme classification, the performance of the network improves under noisy conditions not included in the training phase. Our results suggest that more complete neuron models may further reduce the gap between the biological performance and artificial computing, resulting in networks that better generalize to novel signal conditions.

Jitter Reduces Response-Time Variability in ADHD: An Ex-Gaussian Analysis.

PubMed

Lee, Ryan W Y; Jacobson, Lisa A; Pritchard, Alison E; Ryan, Matthew S; Yu, Qilu; Denckla, Martha B; Mostofsky, Stewart; Mahone, E Mark

2015-09-01

"Jitter" involves randomization of intervals between stimulus events. Compared with controls, individuals with ADHD demonstrate greater intrasubject variability (ISV) performing tasks with fixed interstimulus intervals (ISIs). Because Gaussian curves mask the effect of extremely slow or fast response times (RTs), ex-Gaussian approaches have been applied to study ISV. This study applied ex-Gaussian analysis to examine the effects of jitter on RT variability in children with and without ADHD. A total of 75 children, aged 9 to 14 years (44 ADHD, 31 controls), completed a go/no-go test with two conditions: fixed ISI and jittered ISI. ADHD children showed greater variability, driven by elevations in exponential (tau), but not normal (sigma) components of the RT distribution. Jitter decreased tau in ADHD to levels not statistically different than controls, reducing lapses in performance characteristic of impaired response control. Jitter may provide a nonpharmacologic mechanism to facilitate readiness to respond and reduce lapses from sustained (controlled) performance. © 2012 SAGE Publications.

Ultralow refractive index optical films with enhanced mechanical performance obtained by hybrid glancing angle deposition.

PubMed

Trottier-Lapointe, W; Zabeida, O; Schmitt, T; Martinu, L

2016-11-01

Ultralow refractive index materials (n less than 1.38 at 550 nm) are of particular interest in the context of antireflective coatings, allowing one to enhance their overall optical performance. However, application of such materials is typically limited by their mechanical properties. In this study, we explore the characteristics of a new category of hybrid (organic/inorganic) SiOCH thin films prepared by glancing angle deposition (GLAD) using electron beam evaporation of SiO₂ in the presence of an organosilicon precursor. The resulting layers exhibited n as low as 1.2, showed high elastic rebound, and generally better mechanical properties than their inorganic counterparts. In addition, hybrid GLAD films were found to be highly hydrophobic. The performance of the films is discussed in terms of their hybridicity (organic/inorganic) ratio determined by infrared spectroscopic ellipsometry as well as the presence of anisotropy assessed by the nanostructure-based spectroscopic ellipsometry model. Finally, we demonstrate successful implementation of the ultralow-index material in a complete antireflective stack.

The screening role of an introductory course in cognitive therapy training.

PubMed

Pehlivanidis, Artemios; Papanikolaou, Katerina; Politis, Antonis; Liossi, Angeliki; Daskalopoulou, Evgenia; Gournellis, Rossetos; Soldatos, Marina; Papakosta, Vasiliki Maria; Zervas, Ioannis; Papakostas, Yiannis G

2006-01-01

This study examines the role of an introductory course in cognitive therapy and the relative importance of trainees' characteristics in the selection process for an advanced course in cognitive therapy. The authors assessed the files of all trainees who completed one academic year introductory course in cognitive therapy over the last seven consecutive years (N = 203). The authors examined variables such as previous training, overall involvement during the course, performance, and ability to relate to others, as well as the trainer's evaluations of their performance. Interaction skills in group situations and performance in written assignments were better predictors for admission into the advanced course. Trainees' abilities to learn and to successfully relate to others in group situations are critical for entering an advanced cognitive therapy training course. These findings question the policy of full-scale training in cognitive therapy based merely on the candidates' professional background, stressing instead the merits of an introductory course as an appropriate screening procedure.

Sampling solution traces for the problem of sorting permutations by signed reversals

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Traditional algorithms to solve the problem of sorting by signed reversals output just one optimal solution while the space of all optimal solutions can be huge. A so-called trace represents a group of solutions which share the same set of reversals that must be applied to sort the original permutation following a partial ordering. By using traces, we therefore can represent the set of optimal solutions in a more compact way. Algorithms for enumerating the complete set of traces of solutions were developed. However, due to their exponential complexity, their practical use is limited to small permutations. A partial enumeration of traces is a sampling of the complete set of traces and can be an alternative for the study of distinct evolutionary scenarios of big permutations. Ideally, the sampling should be done uniformly from the space of all optimal solutions. This is however conjectured to be ♯P-complete. Results We propose and evaluate three algorithms for producing a sampling of the complete set of traces that instead can be shown in practice to preserve some of the characteristics of the space of all solutions. The first algorithm (RA) performs the construction of traces through a random selection of reversals on the list of optimal 1-sequences. The second algorithm (DFALT) consists in a slight modification of an algorithm that performs the complete enumeration of traces. Finally, the third algorithm (SWA) is based on a sliding window strategy to improve the enumeration of traces. All proposed algorithms were able to enumerate traces for permutations with up to 200 elements. Conclusions We analysed the distribution of the enumerated traces with respect to their height and average reversal length. Various works indicate that the reversal length can be an important aspect in genome rearrangements. The algorithms RA and SWA show a tendency to lose traces with high average reversal length. Such traces are however rare, and qualitatively our results show that, for testable-sized permutations, the algorithms DFALT and SWA produce distributions which approximate the reversal length distributions observed with a complete enumeration of the set of traces. PMID:22704580