A Simple Graphical Method for Quantification of Disaster Management Surge Capacity Using Computer Simulation and Process-control Tools.

PubMed

Franc, Jeffrey Michael; Ingrassia, Pier Luigi; Verde, Manuela; Colombo, Davide; Della Corte, Francesco

2015-02-01

Surge capacity, or the ability to manage an extraordinary volume of patients, is fundamental for hospital management of mass-casualty incidents. However, quantification of surge capacity is difficult and no universal standard for its measurement has emerged, nor has a standardized statistical method been advocated. As mass-casualty incidents are rare, simulation may represent a viable alternative to measure surge capacity. Hypothesis/Problem The objective of the current study was to develop a statistical method for the quantification of surge capacity using a combination of computer simulation and simple process-control statistical tools. Length-of-stay (LOS) and patient volume (PV) were used as metrics. The use of this method was then demonstrated on a subsequent computer simulation of an emergency department (ED) response to a mass-casualty incident. In the derivation phase, 357 participants in five countries performed 62 computer simulations of an ED response to a mass-casualty incident. Benchmarks for ED response were derived from these simulations, including LOS and PV metrics for triage, bed assignment, physician assessment, and disposition. In the application phase, 13 students of the European Master in Disaster Medicine (EMDM) program completed the same simulation scenario, and the results were compared to the standards obtained in the derivation phase. Patient-volume metrics included number of patients to be triaged, assigned to rooms, assessed by a physician, and disposed. Length-of-stay metrics included median time to triage, room assignment, physician assessment, and disposition. Simple graphical methods were used to compare the application phase group to the derived benchmarks using process-control statistical tools. The group in the application phase failed to meet the indicated standard for LOS from admission to disposition decision. This study demonstrates how simulation software can be used to derive values for objective benchmarks of ED surge capacity using PV and LOS metrics. These objective metrics can then be applied to other simulation groups using simple graphical process-control tools to provide a numeric measure of surge capacity. Repeated use in simulations of actual EDs may represent a potential means of objectively quantifying disaster management surge capacity. It is hoped that the described statistical method, which is simple and reusable, will be useful for investigators in this field to apply to their own research.

An academic medical center's response to widespread computer failure.

PubMed

Genes, Nicholas; Chary, Michael; Chason, Kevin W

2013-01-01

As hospitals incorporate information technology (IT), their operations become increasingly vulnerable to technological breakdowns and attacks. Proper emergency management and business continuity planning require an approach to identify, mitigate, and work through IT downtime. Hospitals can prepare for these disasters by reviewing case studies. This case study details the disruption of computer operations at Mount Sinai Medical Center (MSMC), an urban academic teaching hospital. The events, and MSMC's response, are narrated and the impact on hospital operations is analyzed. MSMC's disaster management strategy prevented computer failure from compromising patient care, although walkouts and time-to-disposition in the emergency department (ED) notably increased. This incident highlights the importance of disaster preparedness and mitigation. It also demonstrates the value of using operational data to evaluate hospital responses to disasters. Quantifying normal hospital functions, just as with a patient's vital signs, may help quantitatively evaluate and improve disaster management and business continuity planning.

An analysis of computer-related patient safety incidents to inform the development of a classification.

PubMed

Magrabi, Farah; Ong, Mei-Sing; Runciman, William; Coiera, Enrico

2010-01-01

To analyze patient safety incidents associated with computer use to develop the basis for a classification of problems reported by health professionals. Incidents submitted to a voluntary incident reporting database across one Australian state were retrieved and a subset (25%) was analyzed to identify 'natural categories' for classification. Two coders independently classified the remaining incidents into one or more categories. Free text descriptions were analyzed to identify contributing factors. Where available medical specialty, time of day and consequences were examined. Descriptive statistics; inter-rater reliability. A search of 42,616 incidents from 2003 to 2005 yielded 123 computer related incidents. After removing duplicate and unrelated incidents, 99 incidents describing 117 problems remained. A classification with 32 types of computer use problems was developed. Problems were grouped into information input (31%), transfer (20%), output (20%) and general technical (24%). Overall, 55% of problems were machine related and 45% were attributed to human-computer interaction. Delays in initiating and completing clinical tasks were a major consequence of machine related problems (70%) whereas rework was a major consequence of human-computer interaction problems (78%). While 38% (n=26) of the incidents were reported to have a noticeable consequence but no harm, 34% (n=23) had no noticeable consequence. Only 0.2% of all incidents reported were computer related. Further work is required to expand our classification using incident reports and other sources of information about healthcare IT problems. Evidence based user interface design must focus on the safe entry and retrieval of clinical information and support users in detecting and correcting errors and malfunctions.

Final report for the fy 2000 ITS integration component of the ITS Deployment Program : Incident Response Computer Aided Dispatch System, Boise, Idaho

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1998-12-01

There is widespread perception among various trucking industry representatives and observers that commercial motor vehicle (CMV) operators are frequently forced to violate the Federal hours-of-service (HOS) regulations because of the tightness of the...

An analysis of computer-related patient safety incidents to inform the development of a classification

PubMed Central

Ong, Mei-Sing; Runciman, William; Coiera, Enrico

2010-01-01

Objective To analyze patient safety incidents associated with computer use to develop the basis for a classification of problems reported by health professionals. Design Incidents submitted to a voluntary incident reporting database across one Australian state were retrieved and a subset (25%) was analyzed to identify ‘natural categories’ for classification. Two coders independently classified the remaining incidents into one or more categories. Free text descriptions were analyzed to identify contributing factors. Where available medical specialty, time of day and consequences were examined. Measurements Descriptive statistics; inter-rater reliability. Results A search of 42 616 incidents from 2003 to 2005 yielded 123 computer related incidents. After removing duplicate and unrelated incidents, 99 incidents describing 117 problems remained. A classification with 32 types of computer use problems was developed. Problems were grouped into information input (31%), transfer (20%), output (20%) and general technical (24%). Overall, 55% of problems were machine related and 45% were attributed to human–computer interaction. Delays in initiating and completing clinical tasks were a major consequence of machine related problems (70%) whereas rework was a major consequence of human–computer interaction problems (78%). While 38% (n=26) of the incidents were reported to have a noticeable consequence but no harm, 34% (n=23) had no noticeable consequence. Conclusion Only 0.2% of all incidents reported were computer related. Further work is required to expand our classification using incident reports and other sources of information about healthcare IT problems. Evidence based user interface design must focus on the safe entry and retrieval of clinical information and support users in detecting and correcting errors and malfunctions. PMID:20962128

Meeting national response time targets for priority 1 incidents in an urban emergency medical services system in South Africa: More ambulances won't help.

PubMed

Stein, Christopher; Wallis, Lee; Adetunji, Olufemi

2015-09-19

Response time is viewed as a key performance indicator in most emergency medical services (EMS) systems. To determine the effect of increased emergency vehicle numbers on response time performance for priority 1 incidents in an urban EMS system in Cape Town, South Africa, using discrete-event computer simulation. A simulation model was created, based on input data from part of the EMS operations. Two different versions of the model were used, one with primary response vehicles and ambulances and one with only ambulances. In both cases the models were run in seven different scenarios. The first scenario used the actual number of emergency vehicles in the real system, and in each subsequent scenario vehicle numbers were increased by adding the baseline number to the cumulative total. The model using only ambulances had shorter response times and a greater number of responses meeting national response time targets than models using primary response vehicles and ambulances. In both cases an improvement in response times and the number of responses meeting national response time targets was observed with the first incremental addition of vehicles. After this the improvements rapidly diminished and eventually became negligible with each successive increase in vehicle numbers. The national response time target for urban areas was never met, even with a seven-fold increase in vehicle numbers. The addition of emergency vehicles to an urban EMS system improves response times in priority 1 incidents, but alone is not capable of the magnitude of response time improvement needed to meet the national response time targets.

Computational Modeling of Micrometastatic Breast Cancer Radiation Dose Response

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

Smith, Daniel L.; Debeb, Bisrat G.; Morgan Welch Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Program and Clinic, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas

Purpose: Prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI) involves giving radiation to the entire brain with the goals of reducing the incidence of brain metastasis and improving overall survival. Experimentally, we have demonstrated that PCI prevents brain metastases in a breast cancer mouse model. We developed a computational model to expand on and aid in the interpretation of our experimental results. Methods and Materials: MATLAB was used to develop a computational model of brain metastasis and PCI in mice. Model input parameters were optimized such that the model output would match the experimental number of metastases per mouse from the unirradiated group. Anmore » independent in vivo–limiting dilution experiment was performed to validate the model. The effect of whole brain irradiation at different measurement points after tumor cells were injected was evaluated in terms of the incidence, number of metastases, and tumor burden and was then compared with the corresponding experimental data. Results: In the optimized model, the correlation between the number of metastases per mouse and the experimental fits was >95. Our attempt to validate the model with a limiting dilution assay produced 99.9% correlation with respect to the incidence of metastases. The model accurately predicted the effect of whole-brain irradiation given 3 weeks after cell injection but substantially underestimated its effect when delivered 5 days after cell injection. The model further demonstrated that delaying whole-brain irradiation until the development of gross disease introduces a dose threshold that must be reached before a reduction in incidence can be realized. Conclusions: Our computational model of mouse brain metastasis and PCI correlated strongly with our experiments with unirradiated mice. The results further suggest that early treatment of subclinical disease is more effective than irradiating established disease.« less

Response function of modulated grid Faraday cup plasma instruments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barnett, A.; Olbert, S.

1986-01-01

Modulated grid Faraday cup plasma analyzers are a very useful tool for making in situ measurements of space plasmas. One of their great attributes is that their simplicity permits their angular response function to be calculated theoretically. An expression is derived for this response function by computing the trajectories of the charged particles inside the cup. The Voyager plasma science experiment is used as a specific example. Two approximations to the rigorous response function useful for data analysis are discussed. Multisensor analysis of solar wind data indicates that the formulas represent the true cup response function for all angles of incidence with a maximum error of only a few percent.

Computed secondary-particle energy spectra following nonelastic neutron interactions with C-12 for E(n) between 15 and 60 MeV: Comparisons of results from two calculational methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dickens, J. K.

1991-04-01

The organic scintillation detector response code SCINFUL has been used to compute secondary-particle energy spectra, d(sigma)/dE, following nonelastic neutron interactions with C-12 for incident neutron energies between 15 and 60 MeV. The resulting spectra are compared with published similar spectra computed by Brenner and Prael who used an intranuclear cascade code, including alpha clustering, a particle pickup mechanism, and a theoretical approach to sequential decay via intermediate particle-unstable states. The similarities of and the differences between the results of the two approaches are discussed.

Gust Response Analysis of a Turbine Cascade

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gorla, R. S. R.; Reddy, T. S. R.; Reddy, D. R.; Kurkov, A. P.

2001-01-01

A study was made of the gust response of an annular turbine cascade using a two-dimensional Navier Stokes code. The time-marching CFD code, NPARC, was used to calculate the unsteady forces due to the fluid flow. The computational results were compared with a previously published experimental data for the annular cascade reported in the literature. Reduced frequency, Mach number and angle of incidence were varied independently and the gust velocity was sinusoidal. For the high inlet velocity case, the cascade was nearly choked.

Role of the dental team in mass fatality incidents.

PubMed

Fixott, R H; Arendt, D; Chrz, B; Filippi, J; McGivney, J; Warnick, A

2001-04-01

The process of dental identification for a mass fatality incident has unique aspects in comparison with that of a routine dental identification, outside of the obvious increase in the number of victims and responders. The dental team is a small part of a large effort to resolve the incident. Incident command structure applies to the dental team as a unit as well as to the entire organization of the response. Teamwork and planning are essential on all levels. Discussing the casework is limited to the public information officer; only the public information officer is authorized to talk to anyone outside the medical examiner's office. For the team, communication is essential between the team members and between the team and other morgue sections. Daily meetings not only update progress, but also identify and solve problems as they arise. Redundancy and cross-checking occur each step in each section. A core team of trained individuals provides a framework for the use of less experienced members. Use of a dental identification computer program is extremely beneficial, especially as the amount of fragmentation or number of victims increases. Because of the magnitude of the response, the physical and mental stresses require critical incident stress debriefing for all responders, regardless of their experience. The past and future service of the dental profession to the victims of mass fatality incidents and their families is an excellent example of the ideal of service on which the profession is based.

Experimental and computational investigation of lateral gauge response in polycarbonate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eliot, Jim; Harris, Ernest Joseph; Hazell, Paul; Appleby-Thomas, Gareth James; Winter, Ron; Wood, David Christopher

2012-03-01

The shock behaviour of polycarbonate is of interest due to its extensive use in defence applications. Interestingly, embedded lateral manganin stress gauges in polycarbonate have shown gradients behind incident shocks, suggestive of increasing shear strength. However, such gauges are commonly embedded in a central epoxy interlayer. This is an inherently invasive approach. Recently, research has suggested that in such systems interlayer/target impedance may contribute to observed gradients in lateral stress. Here, experimental T-gauge (Vishay Micro-Measurements® type J2M-SS-580SF-025) traces from polycarbonate targets are compared to computational simulations. The effects of gauge environment are investigated by looking at the response of lateral gauges with both standard "glued-joint" and a "dry joint" encapsulation, where no encapsulating medium is employed.

The response function of modulated grid Faraday cup plasma instruments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barnett, A.; Olbert, S.

1986-01-01

Modulated grid Faraday cup plasma analyzers are a very useful tool for making in situ measurements of space plasmas. One of their great attributes is that their simplicity permits their angular response function to be calculated theoretically. An expression is derived for this response function by computing the trajectories of the charged particles inside the cup. The Voyager Plasma Science (PLS) experiment is used as a specific example. Two approximations to the rigorous response function useful for data analysis are discussed. The theoretical formulas were tested by multi-sensor analysis of solar wind data. The tests indicate that the formulas represent the true cup response function for all angles of incidence with a maximum error of only a few percent.

Coffee intake and the incident risk of cognitive disorders: A dose-response meta-analysis of nine prospective cohort studies.

PubMed

Wu, Lei; Sun, Dali; He, Yao

2017-06-01

Previous epidemiological studies have provided inconsistent conclusions on the impact of coffee consumption in the developing of cognitive disorders. However, no previous meta-analysis has pooled the evidence from the prospective cohort studies to assess the influence of coffee drinking and its potential dose-response patterns on the risk of developing cognitive disorders specifically. Two databases (PubMed and Embase) were searched for evidence of cohort studies from inception to February 2016. We used a generic inverse-variance method with a random-effects model to pool the fully adjusted relative risks (RRs) and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs). In the dose-response analyses, a generalized least-squares trend estimation model was applied to computing the study-specific slopes. Nine prospective cohort studies involving 34,282 participants were included in our study. The duration of follow-up years ranged from 1.3 to 28. Compared with <1 cup, daily drinking of 1-2 cups of coffee was inversely linked with the occurrence of cognitive disorders (i.e., Alzheimer's disease, dementia, cognitive decline, and cognitive impairment), and the pooled RR (95% CI) was 0.82 (0.71, 0.94) with evidence of non-significant heterogeneity (I 2  = 25%). Non-significant differences were presented for the association between coffee consumption (>3 vs. <1 cup/d) and incident cognitive disorders. The dose-response analysis showed a "J-shaped" curve relationship of the risk of developing cognitive disorders with coffee consumption. A "J-shaped" association was presented between coffee intake and incident cognitive disorders, with the lowest risk of incident cognitive disorders at a daily consumption level of 1-2 cups of coffee. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd and European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. All rights reserved.

An experimental and computational investigation of the flow field about a transonic airfoil in supercritical flow with turbulent boundary-layer separation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rubesin, M. W.; Okuno, A. F.; Levy, L. L., Jr.; Mcdevitt, J. B.; Seegmiller, H. L.

1976-01-01

A combined experimental and computational research program is described for testing and guiding turbulence modeling within regions of separation induced by shock waves incident in turbulent boundary layers. Specifically, studies are made of the separated flow the rear portion of an 18%-thick circular-arc airfoil at zero angle of attack in high Reynolds number supercritical flow. The measurements include distributions of surface static pressure and local skin friction. The instruments employed include highfrequency response pressure cells and a large array of surface hot-wire skin-friction gages. Computations at the experimental flow conditions are made using time-dependent solutions of ensemble-averaged Navier-Stokes equations, plus additional equations for the turbulence modeling.

Computed secondary-particle energy spectra following nonelastic neutron interactions with sup 12 C for E sub n between 15 and 60 MeV: Comparisons of results from two calculational methods

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

Dickens, J.K.

1991-04-01

The organic scintillation detector response code SCINFUL has been used to compute secondary-particle energy spectra, d{sigma}/dE, following nonelastic neutron interactions with {sup 12}C for incident neutron energies between 15 and 60 MeV. The resulting spectra are compared with published similar spectra computed by Brenner and Prael who used an intranuclear cascade code, including alpha clustering, a particle pickup mechanism, and a theoretical approach to sequential decay via intermediate particle-unstable states. The similarities of and the differences between the results of the two approaches are discussed. 16 refs., 44 figs., 2 tabs.

Gust Acoustics Computation with a Space-Time CE/SE Parallel 3D Solver

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, X. Y.; Himansu, A.; Chang, S. C.; Jorgenson, P. C. E.; Reddy, D. R. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

The benchmark Problem 2 in Category 3 of the Third Computational Aero-Acoustics (CAA) Workshop is solved using the space-time conservation element and solution element (CE/SE) method. This problem concerns the unsteady response of an isolated finite-span swept flat-plate airfoil bounded by two parallel walls to an incident gust. The acoustic field generated by the interaction of the gust with the flat-plate airfoil is computed by solving the 3D (three-dimensional) Euler equations in the time domain using a parallel version of a 3D CE/SE solver. The effect of the gust orientation on the far-field directivity is studied. Numerical solutions are presented and compared with analytical solutions, showing a reasonable agreement.

SSRL Emergency Response Shore Tool

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mah, Robert W.; Papasin, Richard; McIntosh, Dawn M.; Denham, Douglas; Jorgensen, Charles; Betts, Bradley J.; Del Mundo, Rommel

2006-01-01

The SSRL Emergency Response Shore Tool (wherein SSRL signifies Smart Systems Research Laboratory ) is a computer program within a system of communication and mobile-computing software and hardware being developed to increase the situational awareness of first responders at building collapses. This program is intended for use mainly in planning and constructing shores to stabilize partially collapsed structures. The program consists of client and server components, runs in the Windows operating system on commercial off-the-shelf portable computers, and can utilize such additional hardware as digital cameras and Global Positioning System devices. A first responder can enter directly, into a portable computer running this program, the dimensions of a required shore. The shore dimensions, plus an optional digital photograph of the shore site, can then be uploaded via a wireless network to a server. Once on the server, the shore report is time-stamped and made available on similarly equipped portable computers carried by other first responders, including shore wood cutters and an incident commander. The staff in a command center can use the shore reports and photographs to monitor progress and to consult with structural engineers to assess whether a building is in imminent danger of further collapse.

Experimental and computational investigation of lateral gauge response in polycarbonate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eliot, Jim; Harris, Ernst; Hazell, Paul; Appleby-Thomas, Gareth; Winter, Ronald; Wood, David; Owen, Gareth

2011-06-01

Polycarbonate's use in personal armour systems means its high strain-rate response has been extensively studied. Interestingly, embedded lateral manganin stress gauges in polycarbonate have shown gradients behind incident shocks, suggestive of increasing shear strength. However, such gauges need to be embedded in a central (typically) epoxy interlayer - an inherently invasive approach. Recently, research has suggested that in such metal systems interlayer/target impedance may contribute to observed gradients in lateral stress. Here, experimental T-gauge (Vishay Micro-Measurements® type J2M-SS-580SF-025) traces from polycarbonate targets are compared to computational simulations. This work extends previous efforts such that similar impedance exists between the interlayer and matrix (target) interface. Further, experiments and simulations are presented investigating the effects of a ``dry joint'' in polycarbonate, in which no encapsulating medium is employed.

9 CFR 121.14 - Incident response. 11

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... response plan. 12 The incident response plan must be coordinated with any entity-wide plans, kept in the... contacting APHIS. (b) The incident response plan must fully describe the entity's response procedures for the... actions to contain such agent or toxin. (c) The incident response plan must also contain the following...

Automatic temperature computation for realistic IR simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Le Goff, Alain; Kersaudy, Philippe; Latger, Jean; Cathala, Thierry; Stolte, Nilo; Barillot, Philippe

2000-07-01

Polygon temperature computation in 3D virtual scenes is fundamental for IR image simulation. This article describes in detail the temperature calculation software and its current extensions, briefly presented in [1]. This software, called MURET, is used by the simulation workshop CHORALE of the French DGA. MURET is a one-dimensional thermal software, which accurately takes into account the material thermal attributes of three-dimensional scene and the variation of the environment characteristics (atmosphere) as a function of the time. Concerning the environment, absorbed incident fluxes are computed wavelength by wavelength, for each half an hour, druing 24 hours before the time of the simulation. For each polygon, incident fluxes are compsed of: direct solar fluxes, sky illumination (including diffuse solar fluxes). Concerning the materials, classical thermal attributes are associated to several layers, such as conductivity, absorption, spectral emissivity, density, specific heat, thickness and convection coefficients are taken into account. In the future, MURET will be able to simulate permeable natural materials (water influence) and vegetation natural materials (woods). This model of thermal attributes induces a very accurate polygon temperature computation for the complex 3D databases often found in CHORALE simulations. The kernel of MUET consists of an efficient ray tracer allowing to compute the history (over 24 hours) of the shadowed parts of the 3D scene and a library, responsible for the thermal computations. The great originality concerns the way the heating fluxes are computed. Using ray tracing, the flux received in each 3D point of the scene accurately takes into account the masking (hidden surfaces) between objects. By the way, this library supplies other thermal modules such as a thermal shows computation tool.

A global model of malaria climate sensitivity: comparing malaria response to historic climate data based on simulation and officially reported malaria incidence.

PubMed

Edlund, Stefan; Davis, Matthew; Douglas, Judith V; Kershenbaum, Arik; Waraporn, Narongrit; Lessler, Justin; Kaufman, James H

2012-09-18

The role of the Anopheles vector in malaria transmission and the effect of climate on Anopheles populations are well established. Models of the impact of climate change on the global malaria burden now have access to high-resolution climate data, but malaria surveillance data tends to be less precise, making model calibration problematic. Measurement of malaria response to fluctuations in climate variables offers a way to address these difficulties. Given the demonstrated sensitivity of malaria transmission to vector capacity, this work tests response functions to fluctuations in land surface temperature and precipitation. This study of regional sensitivity of malaria incidence to year-to-year climate variations used an extended Macdonald Ross compartmental disease model (to compute malaria incidence) built on top of a global Anopheles vector capacity model (based on 10 years of satellite climate data). The predicted incidence was compared with estimates from the World Health Organization and the Malaria Atlas. The models and denominator data used are freely available through the Eclipse Foundation's Spatiotemporal Epidemiological Modeller (STEM). Although the absolute scale factor relating reported malaria to absolute incidence is uncertain, there is a positive correlation between predicted and reported year-to-year variation in malaria burden with an averaged root mean square (RMS) error of 25% comparing normalized incidence across 86 countries. Based on this, the proposed measure of sensitivity of malaria to variations in climate variables indicates locations where malaria is most likely to increase or decrease in response to specific climate factors. Bootstrapping measures the increased uncertainty in predicting malaria sensitivity when reporting is restricted to national level and an annual basis. Results indicate a potential 20x improvement in accuracy if data were available at the level ISO 3166-2 national subdivisions and with monthly time sampling. The high spatial resolution possible with state-of-the-art numerical models can identify regions most likely to require intervention due to climate changes. Higher-resolution surveillance data can provide a better understanding of how climate fluctuations affect malaria incidence and improve predictions. An open-source modelling framework, such as STEM, can be a valuable tool for the scientific community and provide a collaborative platform for developing such models.

Directional impulse response of a large cavity inside a sonic crystal.

PubMed

Spiousas, Ignacio; Eguia, Manuel C

2012-10-01

Both temporal and directional responses of a cavity inside a two-dimensional sonic crystal are investigated. The size of the cavity is large compared to the lattice parameter and the wavelength for the frequency range of interest. Hence, a hybrid method to compute the response is proposed, combining multiscattering theory for the calculation of the reflective properties of the sonic crystal with a modified ray-tracing algorithm for the sound propagation within the cavity. The response of this enclosure displays resonances for certain frequency bands that depend on the geometry of the lattice and the cavity. When a full band gap exists in the sonic crystal, rays cannot propagate through the medium and total reflection occurs for all incidence angles, leading to strong resonances with an isotropic intensity field inside the cavity. When only some propagation directions are forbidden, total reflection occurs for certain ranges of incidence angles, and resonances can also be elicited but with a highly anisotropic intensity field. The spectrum of resonances of the cavity is strongly affected by changes in the lattice geometry, suggesting that they can be tailored to some extent, a feature that can lead to potential applications in architectural acoustics.

The revised solar array synthesis computer program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1970-01-01

The Revised Solar Array Synthesis Computer Program is described. It is a general-purpose program which computes solar array output characteristics while accounting for the effects of temperature, incidence angle, charged-particle irradiation, and other degradation effects on various solar array configurations in either circular or elliptical orbits. Array configurations may consist of up to 75 solar cell panels arranged in any series-parallel combination not exceeding three series-connected panels in a parallel string and no more than 25 parallel strings in an array. Up to 100 separate solar array current-voltage characteristics, corresponding to 100 equal-time increments during the sunlight illuminated portion of an orbit or any 100 user-specified combinations of incidence angle and temperature, can be computed and printed out during one complete computer execution. Individual panel incidence angles may be computed and printed out at the user's option.

Food Safety Crisis Management-A Comparison between Germany and the Netherlands.

PubMed

van Asselt, E D; van der Fels-Klerx, H J; Breuer, O; Helsloot, I

2017-02-01

In order to prevent food safety incidents from becoming a crisis, a good crisis management structure is essential. The aim of the current study was to compare and evaluate the national food incident response plans of 2 neighboring EU Member States: Germany and the Netherlands. This revealed that the structure of these plans is comparable, starting with initial alerting, assessment of the problem, upscaling, an execution phase and finally an evaluation of the crisis management. However, the German communication structure is more complex than the Dutch one and cross-border communication between both countries is currently limited. In general, the presence of national response plans does not guarantee a good and swift response to a food safety incident as this is often hampered by difficulties in tracing the source of the problem as well as difficulties in communication between organizations involved in crisis management. A timely detection can be improved through the development of fast screening and detecting systems and through combining various data sources using computer software systems. Mutual cooperation and communication can be improved through joint exercises or projects. This will help to streamline communication toward consumers and trade partners. Such communication should be transparent relaying not only the facts but also the uncertainties in a crisis in order to gain consumer trust and safeguard international trade. © 2017 Institute of Food Technologists®.

9 CFR 121.14 - Incident response. 10

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... response plan 11 based upon a site specific risk assessment. The incident response plan must be coordinated... assistance and guidance may be obtained by contacting APHIS. (b) The incident response plan must fully... or infected with a select agent. (d) The incident response plan must also contain the following...

SFM-FDTD analysis of triangular-lattice AAA structure: Parametric study of the TEM mode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamidi, M.; Chemrouk, C.; Belkhir, A.; Kebci, Z.; Ndao, A.; Lamrous, O.; Baida, F. I.

2014-05-01

This theoretical work reports a parametric study of enhanced transmission through annular aperture array (AAA) structure arranged in a triangular lattice. The effect of the incidence angle in addition to the inner and outer radii values on the evolution of the transmission spectra is carried out. To this end, a 3D Finite-Difference Time-Domain code based on the Split Field Method (SFM) is used to calculate the spectral response of the structure for any angle of incidence. In order to work through an orthogonal unit cell which presents the advantage to reduce time and space of computation, special periodic boundary conditions are implemented. This study provides a new modeling of AAA structures useful for producing tunable ultra-compact devices.

A Windows application for computing standardized mortality ratios and standardized incidence ratios in cohort studies based on calculation of exact person-years at risk.

PubMed

Geiss, Karla; Meyer, Martin

2013-09-01

Standardized mortality ratios and standardized incidence ratios are widely used in cohort studies to compare mortality or incidence in a study population to that in the general population on a age-time-specific basis, but their computation is not included in standard statistical software packages. Here we present a user-friendly Microsoft Windows program for computing standardized mortality ratios and standardized incidence ratios based on calculation of exact person-years at risk stratified by sex, age and calendar time. The program offers flexible import of different file formats for input data and easy handling of general population reference rate tables, such as mortality or incidence tables exported from cancer registry databases. The application of the program is illustrated with two examples using empirical data from the Bavarian Cancer Registry. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

42 CFR 73.14 - Incident response.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... under this part must develop and implement a written incident response plan. 2 The incident response plan must be coordinated with any entity-wide plans, kept in the workplace, and available to employees... imposed by other statutes or regulations. (b) The incident response plan must fully describe the entity's...

[Development and application of poison databank and poisonous animal and plants sample databank].

PubMed

Yin, Yu; Jiang, Shao-Feng; Cai, Jun; Luo, Tao; Xie, Li-Jing; Zhou, Jing; Sun, Cheng-Ye

2008-03-01

To establish a comprehensive,easily approached, operated, and searched internet poison databank as to providing professional poison data and knowledge of effective treatment for those consented such as medical staff, and emergency response team in the shortest time. We established a computer poison databank, by adopting B/S structure, using SQL Server databank, and explore technology, in which all information may easily be explored and obtained by users. The database integrated the information in relating to the substances identifiers, physical and chemical properties, toxicology data, clinical manifestation while intoxication, emergency response guides, effective treatment, anything related to the special antidotes, preventive measures, poison analysis, and manufacturers of chemicals, pharmaceuticals, herbs, pesticides, animal, plant, bacteria, fungi, productions and toxins. Otherwise some information about poison control organizations and experts, literatures about poison case reports, poison incidents, were also involved in the system, which can also provide a shortcut, convenient, and exact search. The databank might be easily used on several fields, providing important information with acute poison incidents disposal and clinic treatment.

Calculation of inviscid surface streamlines and heat transfer on shuttle type configurations. Part 2: Description of computer program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dejarnette, F. R.; Jones, M. H.

1971-01-01

A description of the computer program used for heating rate calculation for blunt bodies in hypersonic flow is given. The main program and each subprogram are described by defining the pertinent symbols involved and presenting a detailed flow diagram and complete computer program listing. Input and output parameters are discussed in detail. Listings are given for the computation of heating rates on (1) a blunted 15 deg half-angle cone at 20 deg incidence and Mach 10.6, (2) a blunted 70 deg slab delta wing at 10 deg incidence and Mach 8, and (3) the HL-10 lifting body at 20 deg incidence and Mach 10. In addition, the computer program output for two streamlines on the blunted 15 deg half-angle cone is listed. For Part 1, see N71-36186.

78 FR 57839 - Request for Information on Computer Security Incident Coordination (CSIC)

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-20

... Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), United States Department of Commerce. ACTION: Notice, extension of comment period. SUMMARY: NIST is extending the deadline for submitting comments relating to Computer Security Incident Coordination. NIST experienced technical difficulties with receiving email...

Effect of atmospheric parameters on silicon cell performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Curtis, H. B.

1976-01-01

The effects of changing atmospheric parameters on the performance of a typical silicon solar cell were calculated. The precipitable water vapor content, airmass and turbidity were varied over wide ranges and the normal terrestrial distribution of spectral irradiance was studied. The cell short-circuit current was then computed for each spectral irradiance distribution using the cell spectral response. Data are presented in the form of calibration number (cell current/incident irradiance) vs. water vapor content or turbidity.

Characterizing Intimate Mixtures of Materials in Hyperspectral Imagery with Albedo-based and Kernel-based Approaches

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-01

scattering albedo (SSA) according to Hapke theory assuming bidirectional scattering at nadir look angles and uses a constrained linear model on the computed...following Hapke 9 (1993); and Mustard and Pieters 18 (1987)) assuming the reflectance spectra are bidirectional . SSA spectra were also generated...from AVIRIS data collected during a JPL/USGS campaign in response to the Deep Water Horizon (DWH) oil spill incident. 27 Out of the numerous

Leveraging Social Computing for Personalized Crisis Communication using Social Media.

PubMed

Leykin, Dmitry; Aharonson-Daniel, Limor; Lahad, Mooli

2016-03-24

The extensive use of social media in modern life redefines social interaction and communication. Communication plays an important role in mitigating, or exacerbating, the psychological and behavioral responses to critical incidents and disasters. As recent disasters demonstrated, people tend to converge to social media during and following emergencies. Authorities can then use this media and other computational methods to gain insights from the public, mainly to enhance situational awareness, but also to improve their communication with the public and public adherence to instructions. The current review presents a conceptual framework for studying psychological aspects of crisis and risk communication using the social media through social computing. Advanced analytical tools can be integrated in the processes and objectives of crisis communication. The availability of the computational techniques can improve communication with the public by a process of Hyper-Targeted Crisis Communication. The review suggests that using advanced computational tools for target-audience profiling and linguistic matching in social media, can facilitate more sensitive and personalized emergency communication.

Quantifying Missed Nursing Care Using the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) Survey.

PubMed

Orique, Sabrina B; Patty, Christopher M; Sandidge, Alisha; Camarena, Emma; Newsom, Rose

2017-12-01

The aim of this article is to describe the use of Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) data to measure missed nursing care and construct a missed nursing care metric. Missed nursing care varies widely within and between US hospitals. Missed nursing care can be measured utilizing the HCAHPS data. This cross-sectional study used HCAHPS data to measure missed care. This analysis includes HCAHPS data from 1125 acute care patients discharged between January 2014 and December 2014. A missed care index was computed by dividing the total number of missed care occurrences as reported by the patient into the total number of survey responses that did not indicate missed care. The computed missed care index for the organization was 0.6 with individual unit indices ranging from 0.2 to 1.4. Our methods utilize existing data to quantify missed nursing care. Based on the assessment, nursing leaders can develop interventions to decrease the incidence of missed care. Further data should be gathered to validate the incidence of missed care from HCAHPS reports.

Do incident and new subsequent cases of non-melanoma skin cancer registered in a Danish prospective cohort study have different 10-year mortality?

PubMed

Jensen, Annette Østergaard; Olesen, Anne Braae; Dethlefsen, Claus; Sørensen, Henrik Toft

2007-01-01

The Danish Gerda Frentz Cohort (GFC) was created for registering all incident and new subsequent cases of non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) among patients seen by Danish dermatologists in 1995. We have recently found, in this cohort, a lower 10-year mortality than in the general population in patients with basal cell carcinoma (BCC). Differences in mortality between incident and new subsequent cases, incomplete registration or selection bias may be responsible for this finding. We aimed to quantify differences in mortality between incident and new subsequent cases of NMSC in the GFC and to compare mortality among incident cases recorded in the GFC and those recorded in the Danish Cancer Registry (DCR). We followed 10,830 skin cancer patients and 106,696 age-, gender- and residence-matched population controls through 2006 and computed their cumulative mortality and mortality rate ratio (MRR). One-, 5-, and 10-year cumulative mortality of incident and new subsequent cases of BCC and SCC in the GFC were similar. Likewise, MRR for incident BCC (MRR=0.91; 95% CI 0.84-0.98) and incident SCC (MRR=1.29; 95% CI 1.05-1.56) among patients registered in the GFC were similar to their counterparts in the DCR (MRR=0.96; 95% CI 0.91-1.00 and MRR=1.36; 95% CI 1.22-1.52). Mortality of incident and new subsequent cases of NMSC was similar and thus did not explain the reduced mortality of BCC patients.

Spatial distribution of single-nucleotide polymorphisms related to fungicide resistance and implications for sampling.

PubMed

Van der Heyden, H; Dutilleul, P; Brodeur, L; Carisse, O

2014-06-01

Spatial distribution of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) related to fungicide resistance was studied for Botrytis cinerea populations in vineyards and for B. squamosa populations in onion fields. Heterogeneity in this distribution was characterized by performing geostatistical analyses based on semivariograms and through the fitting of discrete probability distributions. Two SNPs known to be responsible for boscalid resistance (H272R and H272Y), both located on the B subunit of the succinate dehydrogenase gene, and one SNP known to be responsible for dicarboximide resistance (I365S) were chosen for B. cinerea in grape. For B. squamosa in onion, one SNP responsible for dicarboximide resistance (I365S homologous) was chosen. One onion field was sampled in 2009 and another one was sampled in 2010 for B. squamosa, and two vineyards were sampled in 2011 for B. cinerea, for a total of four sampled sites. Cluster sampling was carried on a 10-by-10 grid, each of the 100 nodes being the center of a 10-by-10-m quadrat. In each quadrat, 10 samples were collected and analyzed by restriction fragment length polymorphism polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or allele specific PCR. Mean SNP incidence varied from 16 to 68%, with an overall mean incidence of 43%. In the geostatistical analyses, omnidirectional variograms showed spatial autocorrelation characterized by ranges of 21 to 1 m. Various levels of anisotropy were detected, however, with variograms computed in four directions (at 0°, 45°, 90°, and 135° from the within-row direction used as reference), indicating that spatial autocorrelation was prevalent or characterized by a longer range in one direction. For all eight data sets, the β-binomial distribution was found to fit the data better than the binomial distribution. This indicates local aggregation of fungicide resistance among sampling units, as supported by estimates of the parameter θ of the β-binomial distribution of 0.09 to 0.23 (overall median value = 0.20). On the basis of the observed spatial distribution patterns of SNP incidence, sampling curves were computed for different levels of reliability, emphasizing the importance of sample size for the detection of mutation incidence below the risk threshold for control failure.

Nonlinear multilayers as optical limiters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Turner-Valle, Jennifer Anne

1998-10-01

In this work we present a non-iterative technique for computing the steady-state optical properties of nonlinear multilayers and we examine nonlinear multilayer designs for optical limiters. Optical limiters are filters with intensity-dependent transmission designed to curtail the transmission of incident light above a threshold irradiance value in order to protect optical sensors from damage due to intense light. Thin film multilayers composed of nonlinear materials exhibiting an intensity-dependent refractive index are used as the basis for optical limiter designs in order to enhance the nonlinear filter response by magnifying the electric field in the nonlinear materials through interference effects. The nonlinear multilayer designs considered in this work are based on linear optical interference filter designs which are selected for their spectral properties and electric field distributions. Quarter wave stacks and cavity filters are examined for their suitability as sensor protectors and their manufacturability. The underlying non-iterative technique used to calculate the optical response of these filters derives from recognizing that the multi-valued calculation of output irradiance as a function of incident irradiance may be turned into a single-valued calculation of incident irradiance as a function of output irradiance. Finally, the benefits and drawbacks of using nonlinear multilayer for optical limiting are examined and future research directions are proposed.

Drug induced acute pancreatitis: incidence and severity.

PubMed Central

Lankisch, P G; Dröge, M; Gottesleben, F

1995-01-01

To determine the incidence and severity of drug induced acute pancreatitis, data from 45 German centres of gastroenterology were evaluated. Among 1613 patients treated for acute pancreatitis in 1993, drug induced acute pancreatitis was diagnosed in 22 patients (incidence 1.4%). Drugs held responsible were azathioprine, mesalazine/sulfasalazine, 2',3'-dideoxyinosine (ddI), oestrogens, frusemide, hydrochlorothiazide, and rifampicin. Pancreatic necrosis not exceeding 33% of the organ was found on ultrasonography or computed tomography, or both, in three patients (14%). Pancreatic pseudocysts did not occur. A decrease of arterial PO2 reflecting respiratory insufficiency, and an increase of serum creatinine, reflecting renal insufficiency as complications of acute pancreatitis were seen in two (9%) and four (18%) patients, respectively. Artificial ventilation was not needed, and dialysis was necessary in only one (5%) case. Two patients (9%) died of AIDS and tuberculosis, respectively; pancreatitis did not seem to have contributed materially to their death. In conclusion, drugs rarely cause acute pancreatitis, and drug induced acute pancreatitis usually runs a benign course. PMID:7489946

Computational analysis of antibody dynamics identifies recent HIV-1 infection.

PubMed

Seaton, Kelly E; Vandergrift, Nathan A; Deal, Aaron W; Rountree, Wes; Bainbridge, John; Grebe, Eduard; Anderson, David A; Sawant, Sheetal; Shen, Xiaoying; Yates, Nicole L; Denny, Thomas N; Liao, Hua-Xin; Haynes, Barton F; Robb, Merlin L; Parkin, Neil; Santos, Breno R; Garrett, Nigel; Price, Matthew A; Naniche, Denise; Duerr, Ann C; Keating, Sheila; Hampton, Dylan; Facente, Shelley; Marson, Kara; Welte, Alex; Pilcher, Christopher D; Cohen, Myron S; Tomaras, Georgia D

2017-12-21

Accurate HIV-1 incidence estimation is critical to the success of HIV-1 prevention strategies. Current assays are limited by high false recent rates (FRRs) in certain populations and a short mean duration of recent infection (MDRI). Dynamic early HIV-1 antibody response kinetics were harnessed to identify biomarkers for improved incidence assays. We conducted retrospective analyses on circulating antibodies from known recent and longstanding infections and evaluated binding and avidity measurements of Env and non-Env antigens and multiple antibody forms (i.e., IgG, IgA, IgG3, IgG4, dIgA, and IgM) in a diverse panel of 164 HIV-1-infected participants (clades A, B, C). Discriminant function analysis identified an optimal set of measurements that were subsequently evaluated in a 324-specimen blinded biomarker validation panel. These biomarkers included clade C gp140 IgG3, transmitted/founder clade C gp140 IgG4 avidity, clade B gp140 IgG4 avidity, and gp41 immunodominant region IgG avidity. MDRI was estimated at 215 day or alternatively, 267 days. FRRs in untreated and treated subjects were 5.0% and 3.6%, respectively. Thus, computational analysis of dynamic HIV-1 antibody isotype and antigen interactions during infection enabled design of a promising HIV-1 recency assay for improved cross-sectional incidence estimation.

Computational analysis of antibody dynamics identifies recent HIV-1 infection

PubMed Central

Seaton, Kelly E.; Vandergrift, Nathan A.; Deal, Aaron W.; Rountree, Wes; Anderson, David A.; Sawant, Sheetal; Shen, Xiaoying; Yates, Nicole L.; Denny, Thomas N.; Haynes, Barton F.; Robb, Merlin L.; Parkin, Neil; Santos, Breno R.; Price, Matthew A.; Naniche, Denise; Duerr, Ann C.; Hampton, Dylan; Facente, Shelley; Marson, Kara; Welte, Alex; Pilcher, Christopher D.; Cohen, Myron S.

2017-01-01

Accurate HIV-1 incidence estimation is critical to the success of HIV-1 prevention strategies. Current assays are limited by high false recent rates (FRRs) in certain populations and a short mean duration of recent infection (MDRI). Dynamic early HIV-1 antibody response kinetics were harnessed to identify biomarkers for improved incidence assays. We conducted retrospective analyses on circulating antibodies from known recent and longstanding infections and evaluated binding and avidity measurements of Env and non-Env antigens and multiple antibody forms (i.e., IgG, IgA, IgG3, IgG4, dIgA, and IgM) in a diverse panel of 164 HIV-1–infected participants (clades A, B, C). Discriminant function analysis identified an optimal set of measurements that were subsequently evaluated in a 324-specimen blinded biomarker validation panel. These biomarkers included clade C gp140 IgG3, transmitted/founder clade C gp140 IgG4 avidity, clade B gp140 IgG4 avidity, and gp41 immunodominant region IgG avidity. MDRI was estimated at 215 day or alternatively, 267 days. FRRs in untreated and treated subjects were 5.0% and 3.6%, respectively. Thus, computational analysis of dynamic HIV-1 antibody isotype and antigen interactions during infection enabled design of a promising HIV-1 recency assay for improved cross-sectional incidence estimation. PMID:29263306

Evaluating Computer-Related Incidents on Campus

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rothschild, Daniel; Rezmierski, Virginia

2004-01-01

The Computer Incident Factor Analysis and Categorization (CIFAC) Project at the University of Michigan began in September 2003 with grants from EDUCAUSE and the National Science Foundation (NSF). The project's primary goal is to create a best-practices security framework for colleges and universities based on rigorous quantitative analysis of…

Comparison of Computational and Experimental Results for a Transonic Variable-Speed Power-Turbine Blade Operating with Low Inlet Turbulence Levels

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Booth, David; Flegel, Ashlie

2015-01-01

A computational assessment of the aerodynamic performance of the midspan section of a variable-speed power-turbine blade is described. The computation comprises a periodic single blade that represents the 2-D Midspan section VSPT blade that was tested in the NASA Glenn Research Center Transonic Turbine Blade Cascade Facility. A commercial, off-the-shelf (COTS) software package, Pointwise and CFD++, was used for the grid generation and RANS and URANS computations. The CFD code, which offers flexibility in terms of turbulence and transition modeling options, was assessed in terms of blade loading, loss, and turning against test data from the transonic tunnel. Simulations were assessed at positive and negative incidence angles that represent the turbine cruise and take-off design conditions. The results indicate that the secondary flow induced at the positive incidence cruise condition results in a highly loaded case and transitional flow on the blade is observed. The negative incidence take-off condition is unloaded and the flow is very two-dimensional. The computational results demonstrate the predictive capability of the gridding technique and COTS software for a linear transonic turbine blade cascade with large incidence angle variation.

Comparison of Computational and Experimental Results for a Transonic Variable-speed Power-Turbine Blade Operating with Low Inlet Turbulence Levels

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Booth, David T.; Flegel, Ashlie B.

2015-01-01

A computational assessment of the aerodynamic performance of the midspan section of a variable-speed power-turbine blade is described. The computation comprises a periodic single blade that represents the 2-D Midspan section VSPT blade that was tested in the NASA Glenn Research Center Transonic Turbine Blade Cascade Facility. A commercial, off-the-shelf (COTS) software package, Pointwise and CFD++, was used for the grid generation and RANS and URANS computations. The CFD code, which offers flexibility in terms of turbulence and transition modeling options, was assessed in terms of blade loading, loss, and turning against test data from the transonic tunnel. Simulations were assessed at positive and negative incidence angles that represent the turbine cruise and take-off design conditions. The results indicate that the secondary flow induced at the positive incidence cruise condition results in a highly loaded case and transitional flow on the blade is observed. The negative incidence take-off condition is unloaded and the flow is very two-dimensional. The computational results demonstrate the predictive capability of the gridding technique and COTS software for a linear transonic turbine blade cascade with large incidence angle variation.

EMIR: a configurable hierarchical system for event monitoring and incident response

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deich, William T. S.

2014-07-01

The Event Monitor and Incident Response system (emir) is a flexible, general-purpose system for monitoring and responding to all aspects of instrument, telescope, and general facility operations, and has been in use at the Automated Planet Finder telescope for two years. Responses to problems can include both passive actions (e.g. generating alerts) and active actions (e.g. modifying system settings). Emir includes a monitor-and-response daemon, plus graphical user interfaces and text-based clients that automatically configure themselves from data supplied at runtime by the daemon. The daemon is driven by a configuration file that describes each condition to be monitored, the actions to take when the condition is triggered, and how the conditions are aggregated into hierarchical groups of conditions. Emir has been implemented for the Keck Task Library (KTL) keyword-based systems used at Keck and Lick Observatories, but can be readily adapted to many event-driven architectures. This paper discusses the design and implementation of Emir , and the challenges in balancing the competing demands for simplicity, flexibility, power, and extensibility. Emir 's design lends itself well to multiple purposes, and in addition to its core monitor and response functions, it provides an effective framework for computing running statistics, aggregate values, and summary state values from the primitive state data generated by other subsystems, and even for creating quick-and-dirty control loops for simple systems.

42 CFR 73.14 - Incident response.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... under this part must develop and implement a written incident response plan based upon a site specific risk assessment.2 The incident response plan must be coordinated with any entity-wide plans, kept in... response plan must fully describe the entity's response procedures for the theft, loss, or release of a...

42 CFR 73.14 - Incident response.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... under this part must develop and implement a written incident response plan based upon a site specific risk assessment.2 The incident response plan must be coordinated with any entity-wide plans, kept in... response plan must fully describe the entity's response procedures for the theft, loss, or release of a...

Tactical and operational response to major incidents: feasibility and reliability of skills assessment using novel virtual environments.

PubMed

Cohen, Daniel; Sevdalis, Nick; Patel, Vishal; Taylor, Michael; Lee, Henry; Vokes, Mick; Heys, Mick; Taylor, David; Batrick, Nicola; Darzi, Ara

2013-07-01

To determine feasibility and reliability of skills assessment in a multi-agency, triple-site major incident response exercise carried out in a virtual world environment. Skills assessment was carried out across three scenarios. The pre-hospital scenario required paramedics to triage and treat casualties at the site of an explosion. Technical skills assessment forms were developed using training syllabus competencies and national guidelines identified by pre-hospital response experts. Non-technical skills were assessed using a seven-point scale previously developed for use by pre-hospital paramedics. The two in-hospital scenarios, focusing on a trauma team leader and a silver/clinical major incident co-ordinator, utilised the validated Trauma-NOTECHS scale to assess five domains of performance. Technical competencies were assessed using an ATLS-style competency scale for the trauma scenario. For the silver scenario, the assessment document was developed using competencies described from a similar role description in a real-life hospital major incident plan. The technical and non-technical performance of all participants was assessed live by two experts in each of the three scenarios and inter-assessor reliability was computed. Participants also self-assessed their performance using identical proformas immediately after the scenarios were completed. Self and expert assessments were correlated (assessment cross-validation). Twenty-three participants underwent all scenarios and assessments. Performance assessments were feasible for both experts as well as the participants. Non-technical performance was generally scored higher than technical performance. Very good inter-rater reliability was obtained between expert raters across all scenarios and both technical and non-technical aspects of performance (reliability range 0.59-0.90, Ps<0.01). Significant positive correlations were found between self and expert assessment in technical skills across all three scenarios (correlation range 0.52-0.84, Ps<0.05), although no such correlations were observed in non-technical skills. This study establishes feasibility and reliability of virtual environment technical and non-technical skills assessment in major incident scenarios for the first time. The development for further scenarios and validated assessment scales will enable major incident planners to utilise virtual technologies for improved major incident preparation and training. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Intelligent Software Agents: Sensor Integration and Response

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

Kulesz, James J; Lee, Ronald W

2013-01-01

Abstract In a post Macondo world the buzzwords are Integrity Management and Incident Response Management. The twin processes are not new but the opportunity to link the two is novel. Intelligent software agents can be used with sensor networks in distributed and centralized computing systems to enhance real-time monitoring of system integrity as well as manage the follow-on incident response to changing, and potentially hazardous, environmental conditions. The software components are embedded at the sensor network nodes in surveillance systems used for monitoring unusual events. When an event occurs, the software agents establish a new concept of operation at themore » sensing node, post the event status to a blackboard for software agents at other nodes to see , and then react quickly and efficiently to monitor the scale of the event. The technology addresses a current challenge in sensor networks that prevents a rapid and efficient response when a sensor measurement indicates that an event has occurred. By using intelligent software agents - which can be stationary or mobile, interact socially, and adapt to changing situations - the technology offers features that are particularly important when systems need to adapt to active circumstances. For example, when a release is detected, the local software agent collaborates with other agents at the node to exercise the appropriate operation, such as: targeted detection, increased detection frequency, decreased detection frequency for other non-alarming sensors, and determination of environmental conditions so that adjacent nodes can be informed that an event is occurring and when it will arrive. The software agents at the nodes can also post the data in a targeted manner, so that agents at other nodes and the command center can exercise appropriate operations to recalibrate the overall sensor network and associated intelligence systems. The paper describes the concepts and provides examples of real-world implementations including the Threat Detection and Analysis System (TDAS) at the International Port of Memphis and the Biological Warning and Incident Characterization System (BWIC) Environmental Monitoring (EM) Component. Technologies developed for these 24/7 operational systems have applications for improved real-time system integrity awareness as well as provide incident response (as needed) for production and field applications.« less

Three-dimensional dynamics of scientific balloon systems in response to sudden gust loadings. [including a computer program user manual

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dorsey, D. R., Jr.

1975-01-01

A mathematical model was developed of the three-dimensional dynamics of a high-altitude scientific research balloon system perturbed from its equilibrium configuration by an arbitrary gust loading. The platform is modelled as a system of four coupled pendula, and the equations of motion were developed in the Lagrangian formalism assuming a small-angle approximation. Three-dimensional pendulation, torsion, and precessional motion due to Coriolis forces are considered. Aerodynamic and viscous damping effects on the pendulatory and torsional motions are included. A general model of the gust field incident upon the balloon system was developed. The digital computer simulation program is described, and a guide to its use is given.

Documentation for Program SOILSIM: A computer program for the simulation of heat and moisture flow in soils and between soils, canopy and atmosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Field, Richard T.

1990-01-01

SOILSIM, a digital model of energy and moisture fluxes in the soil and above the soil surface, is presented. It simulates the time evolution of soil temperature and moisture, temperature of the soil surface and plant canopy the above surface, and the fluxes of sensible and latent heat into the atmosphere in response to surface weather conditions. The model is driven by simple weather observations including wind speed, air temperature, air humidity, and incident radiation. The model intended to be useful in conjunction with remotely sensed information of the land surface state, such as surface brightness temperature and soil moisture, for computing wide area evapotranspiration.

A randomised controlled trial of postural interventions for prevention of musculoskeletal symptoms among computer users.

PubMed

Gerr, F; Marcus, M; Monteilh, C; Hannan, L; Ortiz, D; Kleinbaum, D

2005-07-01

To examine the effect of two workstation and postural interventions on the incidence of musculoskeletal symptoms among computer users. Randomised controlled trial of two distinct workstation and postural interventions (an alternate intervention and a conventional intervention) among 376 persons using computer keyboards for more than 15 hours per week. The incidence of neck/shoulder symptoms and hand/arm symptoms during six months of follow up among individuals in the intervention groups was compared to the incidence in computer users who did not receive an intervention (comparison group). For individuals in the intervention groups, study staff adjusted workstations, where possible, and trained individuals to assume the intervention postures. Individuals reported musculoskeletal symptoms in a weekly diary. Participants who reported discomfort intensity of 6 or greater on a 0-10 visual analogue scale or who reported musculoskeletal symptoms requiring use of analgesic medication were considered symptomatic. There were no significant differences in the incidence of musculoskeletal symptoms among the three intervention groups. Twenty two (18.5%) participants in the alternate intervention group, 25 (20.2%) in the conventional intervention group, and 25 (21.7%) in the comparison group developed incident arm or hand symptoms. Thirty eight (33.3%) participants in the alternate intervention group, 36 (31.0%) in the conventional intervention group, and 33 (30.3%) in the comparison group developed incident neck or shoulder symptoms. Compliance with all components of the intervention was attained for only 25-38% of individuals, due mainly to the inflexibility of workstation configurations. This study provides evidence that two specific workplace postural interventions are unlikely to reduce the risk of upper extremity musculoskeletal symptoms among computer users.

A randomised controlled trial of postural interventions for prevention of musculoskeletal symptoms among computer users

PubMed Central

Gerr, F; Marcus, M; Monteilh, C; Hannan, L; Ortiz, D; Kleinbaum, D

2005-01-01

Aims: To examine the effect of two workstation and postural interventions on the incidence of musculoskeletal symptoms among computer users. Methods: Randomised controlled trial of two distinct workstation and postural interventions (an alternate intervention and a conventional intervention) among 376 persons using computer keyboards for more than 15 hours per week. The incidence of neck/shoulder symptoms and hand/arm symptoms during six months of follow up among individuals in the intervention groups was compared to the incidence in computer users who did not receive an intervention (comparison group). For individuals in the intervention groups, study staff adjusted workstations, where possible, and trained individuals to assume the intervention postures. Individuals reported musculoskeletal symptoms in a weekly diary. Participants who reported discomfort intensity of 6 or greater on a 0–10 visual analogue scale or who reported musculoskeletal symptoms requiring use of analgesic medication were considered symptomatic. Results: There were no significant differences in the incidence of musculoskeletal symptoms among the three intervention groups. Twenty two (18.5%) participants in the alternate intervention group, 25 (20.2%) in the conventional intervention group, and 25 (21.7%) in the comparison group developed incident arm or hand symptoms. Thirty eight (33.3%) participants in the alternate intervention group, 36 (31.0%) in the conventional intervention group, and 33 (30.3%) in the comparison group developed incident neck or shoulder symptoms. Compliance with all components of the intervention was attained for only 25–38% of individuals, due mainly to the inflexibility of workstation configurations. Conclusions: This study provides evidence that two specific workplace postural interventions are unlikely to reduce the risk of upper extremity musculoskeletal symptoms among computer users. PMID:15961625

Using geographic information systems to evaluate cardiac arrest survival.

PubMed

Warden, Craig R; Daya, Mohamud; LeGrady, Lara A

2007-01-01

To evaluate cardiac arrest survival using geographical information systems (GIS) methodology. Patient data were obtained from a fire district Utstein-style adult cardiac arrest registry that also included address data. All incident locations were geocoded and fire station first-due areas were mapped by using the new computer-aided dispatch geographic data. Retrospective assignment of first-due versus second-due fire response unit was done by using a GIS "point-in-polygon" algorithm Survival to hospital admission was the primary outcome measure for incidents responded to by first-due versus second-due apparatus controlling for other potential predictors of survival using logistic regression. Cluster analysis was also performed to evaluate potential areas of high or low rates of survival. There were 461 eligible patients with an average age of 67+/-17 years, 63% were male, 53% had a witnessed arrest, bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation was performed in 38%, bystander automatic external defibrillator (AED) Page: 1 was used in 0.01%, ventricular fibrillation or ventricular tachycardia were the presenting rhythms in 44%, the average response time was 5.5+/-2.1 minutes, and survival to hospital admission was 17%. There was no significant difference in response time between survivors (4.97 minutes) and non-survivors (5.52 minutes), (difference 0.55 minutes, 95%CI -0.08 to 1.18 min). The number of cardiac arrest calls varied from 1 to 49 for each station and the rate of second-due response varied from 0 to 19%. There was a nonsignificant association of survival to hospital admission for the first-due area cohort: odds ratio 0.70, 95% CI 0.38-1.29. GIS is a new methodology for analyzing EMS incident data. It adds a spatial component of analysis to traditional statistical techniques. No spatial difference was found on patient survival in this analysis.

Virtual plagues and real-world pandemics: reflecting on the potential for online computer role-playing games to inform real world epidemic research.

PubMed

Oultram, Stuart

2013-12-01

In the wake of the Corrupted Blood incident, which afflicted the massively multiplayer online computer role-playing game World of Warcraft in 2005, it has been suggested that both, the incident itself and massively multiplayer online computer role-playing games in general, can be utilised to inform and assist real-world epidemic and public health research. In this paper, I engage critically with these claims.

The New Zealand Hacker Case: A Post Mortem

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

Popovsky, Barbara; Ryan, Daniel J.; Frincke, Deborah A.

2005-10-01

A typical incident response pits technicians against networks that aren't prepared forensically. [1, 2] If practitioners do consider collecting network forensic data, they face a choice between expending extraordinary effort (time and money) collecting forensically sound data, or simply restoring the network as quickly as possible. In this context, the concept of organizational network forensic readiness has emerged. The following is a discussion of selected computer crime cases, using publically available information, spanning a period of time of several years, that together demonstrate the need for a preventive and proactive response to malicious intrusion over a reactive one. It concludesmore » with recommendations for how to "operationalize" organizational network forensic readiness.« less

Linux Incident Response Volatile Data Analysis Framework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McFadden, Matthew

2013-01-01

Cyber incident response is an emphasized subject area in cybersecurity in information technology with increased need for the protection of data. Due to ongoing threats, cybersecurity imposes many challenges and requires new investigative response techniques. In this study a Linux Incident Response Framework is designed for collecting volatile data…

The Sandia transportable triggered lightning instrumentation facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schnetzer, George H.; Fisher, Richard J.

1991-01-01

Development of the Sandia Transportable Triggered Lightning Instrumentation Facility (SATTLIF) was motivated by a requirement for the in situ testing of a munitions storage bunker. Transfer functions relating the incident flash currents to voltages, currents, and electromagnetic field values throughout the structure will be obtained for use in refining and validating a lightning response computer model of this type of structure. A preliminary shakedown trial of the facility under actual operational conditions was performed during summer of 1990 at the Kennedy Space Center's (KSC) rocket-triggered lightning test site. A description is given of the SATTLIF, which is readily transportable on a single flatbed truck of by aircraft, and its instrumentation for measuring incident lightning channel currents and the responses of the systems under test. Measurements of return-stroke current peaks obtained with the SATTLIF are presented. Agreement with data acquired on the same flashes with existing KSC instrumentation is, on average, to within approximately 7 percent. Continuing currents were measured with a resolution of approximately 2.5 A. This field trial demonstrated the practicality of using a transportable triggered lightning facility for specialized test applications.

Rural hospital mass casualty response to a terrorist shooting spree.

PubMed

Waage, S; Poole, J C; Thorgersen, E B

2013-08-01

Civilian mass casualty incidents may occur infrequently and suddenly, and are caused by accidents, natural disasters or human terrorist incidents. Most reports deal with trauma centre management in large cities, and data from small local hospitals are scarce. A rural hospital response to a mass casualty incident caused by a terrorist shooting spree was evaluated. An observational study was undertaken to evaluate the triage, diagnosis and management of all casualties received from the Utøya youth camp in Norway on 22 July 2011 by a local hospital, using data from the hospital's electronic records. Descriptive data are presented for patient demographics, injuries and patient flow. The shooting on Utøya youth camp left 69 people dead and 60 wounded. A rural hospital (Ringerike Hospital) triaged 35 patients, of whom 18 were admitted. During the main surge, the hospital triaged and treated 22 patients within 1 h, of whom 13 fulfilled the criteria for activating the hospital trauma team, including five with critical injuries (defined as an Injury Severity Score above 15). Ten computed tomography scans, two focused assessment with sonography for trauma (FAST) scans and 25 conventional X-rays were performed. During the first 24 h, ten surgical procedures were performed and four chest drains inserted. No patient died. Critical deviation from the major incident plan was needed, and future need for revision is deemed necessary based on the experience. Communication systems and the organization of radiological services proved to be most vulnerable. © 2013 British Journal of Surgery Society Ltd. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Leveraging Social Computing for Personalized Crisis Communication using Social Media

PubMed Central

Leykin, Dmitry; Aharonson-Daniel, Limor; Lahad, Mooli

2016-01-01

Introduction: The extensive use of social media in modern life redefines social interaction and communication. Communication plays an important role in mitigating, or exacerbating, the psychological and behavioral responses to critical incidents and disasters. As recent disasters demonstrated, people tend to converge to social media during and following emergencies. Authorities can then use this media and other computational methods to gain insights from the public, mainly to enhance situational awareness, but also to improve their communication with the public and public adherence to instructions. Methods: The current review presents a conceptual framework for studying psychological aspects of crisis and risk communication using the social media through social computing. Results: Advanced analytical tools can be integrated in the processes and objectives of crisis communication. The availability of the computational techniques can improve communication with the public by a process of Hyper-Targeted Crisis Communication. Discussion: The review suggests that using advanced computational tools for target-audience profiling and linguistic matching in social media, can facilitate more sensitive and personalized emergency communication. PMID:27092290

Assessing and improving cross-border chemical incident preparedness and response across Europe.

PubMed

Stewart-Evans, James; Hall, Lisbeth; Czerczak, Slawomir; Manley, Kevin; Dobney, Alec; Hoffer, Sally; Pałaszewska-Tkacz, Anna; Jankowska, Agnieszka

2014-11-01

Good practices in emergency preparedness and response for chemical incidents include practices specific to the different functions of exposure assessment (e.g., within the monitoring function, the use of mobile monitoring equipment; within the modelling function, the use of rapid dispersion models with integrated mapping software) and generic practices to engage incident response stakeholders to maximise exposure assessment capabilities (e.g., sharing protocols and pre-prepared information and multi-agency training and exercising). Such practices can optimise cross-border collaboration. A wide range of practices have been implemented across MSs during chemical incident response, particularly during incidents that have cross-border and trans-boundary impacts. This paper proposes a self-assessment methodology to enable MSs, or organisations within MSs, to examine exposure assessment capabilities and communication pathways between exposure assessors and public health risk assessors. Where gaps exist, this methodology provides links to good practices that could improve response, communication and collaboration across local, regional and national borders. A fragmented approach to emergency preparedness for chemical incidents is a major obstacle to improving cross-border exposure assessment. There is no one existing body or structure responsible for all aspects of chemical incident preparedness and response in the European Union. Due to the range of different organisations and networks involved in chemical incident response, emergency preparedness needs to be drawn together. A number of recommendations are proposed, including the use of networks of experts which link public health risk assessors with experts in exposure assessment, in order to coordinate and improve chemical incident emergency preparedness. The EU's recent Decision on serious cross-border threats to health aims to facilitate MSs' compliance with the International Health Regulations, which require reporting and communication regarding significant chemical incidents. This provides a potential route to build on in order to improve chemical incident preparedness and response across Europe. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Emergency response to mass casualty incidents in Lebanon.

PubMed

El Sayed, Mazen J

2013-08-01

The emergency response to mass casualty incidents in Lebanon lacks uniformity. Three recent large-scale incidents have challenged the existing emergency response process and have raised the need to improve and develop incident management for better resilience in times of crisis. We describe some simple emergency management principles that are currently applied in the United States. These principles can be easily adopted by Lebanon and other developing countries to standardize and improve their emergency response systems using existing infrastructure.

Computed radiography utilizing laser-stimulated luminescence: detectability of simulated low-contrast radiographic objects.

PubMed

Higashida, Y; Moribe, N; Hirata, Y; Morita, K; Doudanuki, S; Sonoda, Y; Katsuda, N; Hiai, Y; Misumi, W; Matsumoto, M

1988-01-01

Threshold contrasts of low-contrast objects with computed radiography (CR) images were compared with those of blue and green emitting screen-film systems by employing the 18-alternative forced choice (18-AFC) procedure. The dependence of the threshold contrast on the incident X-ray exposure and also the object size was studied. The results indicated that the threshold contrasts of CR system were comparable to those of blue and green screen-film systems and decreased with increasing object size, and increased with decreasing incident X-ray exposure. The increase in threshold contrasts was small when the relative incident exposure decreased from 1 to 1/4, and was large when incident exposure was decreased further.

Temperature and heat flux datasets of a complex object in a fire plume for the validation of fire and thermal response codes.

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

Jernigan, Dann A.; Blanchat, Thomas K.

It is necessary to improve understanding and develop temporally- and spatially-resolved integral scale validation data of the heat flux incident to a complex object in addition to measuring the thermal response of said object located within the fire plume for the validation of the SIERRA/FUEGO/SYRINX fire and SIERRA/CALORE codes. To meet this objective, a complex calorimeter with sufficient instrumentation to allow validation of the coupling between FUEGO/SYRINX/CALORE has been designed, fabricated, and tested in the Fire Laboratory for Accreditation of Models and Experiments (FLAME) facility. Validation experiments are specifically designed for direct comparison with the computational predictions. Making meaningful comparisonmore » between the computational and experimental results requires careful characterization and control of the experimental features or parameters used as inputs into the computational model. Validation experiments must be designed to capture the essential physical phenomena, including all relevant initial and boundary conditions. This report presents the data validation steps and processes, the results of the penlight radiant heat experiments (for the purpose of validating the CALORE heat transfer modeling of the complex calorimeter), and the results of the fire tests in FLAME.« less

Central nervous system medication use and incident mobility limitation in community elders: the Health, Aging, and Body Composition study.

PubMed

Boudreau, Robert M; Hanlon, Joseph T; Roumani, Yazan F; Studenski, Stephanie A; Ruby, Christine M; Wright, Rollin M; Hilmer, Sarah N; Shorr, Ronald I; Bauer, Douglas C; Simonsick, Eleanor M; Newman, Anne B

2009-10-01

To evaluate whether CNS medication use in older adults was associated with a higher risk of future incident mobility limitation. This 5-year longitudinal cohort study included 3055 participants from the health, aging and body composition (Health ABC) study who were well-functioning at baseline. CNS medication use (benzodiazepine and opioid receptor agonists, antipsychotics, and antidepressants) was determined yearly (except year 4) during in-home or in-clinic interviews. Summated standardized daily doses (low, medium, and high) and duration of CNS drug use were computed. Incident mobility limitation was operationalized as two consecutive self-reports of having any difficulty walking 1/4 mile or climbing 10 steps without resting every 6 months after baseline. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard analyses were conducted adjusting for demographics, health behaviors, health status, and common indications for CNS medications. Each year at least 13.9% of participants used a CNS medication. By year 6, overall 49% had developed incident mobility limitation. In multivariable models, CNS medication users compared to never users showed a higher risk for incident mobility limitation (adjusted hazard ratio (Adj. HR) 1.28; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.12-1.47). Similar findings of increased risk were seen in analyses examining dose- and duration-response relationships. CNS medication use is independently associated with an increased risk of future incident mobility limitation in community dwelling elderly. Further studies are needed to determine the impact of reducing CNS medication exposure on mobility problems. 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Chronotropic Incompetence and Risk of Atrial Fibrillation: The Henry Ford ExercIse Testing (FIT) Project.

PubMed

O'Neal, Wesley T; Qureshi, Waqas T; Blaha, Michael J; Dardari, Zeina A; Ehrman, Jonathan K; Brawner, Clinton A; Soliman, Elsayed Z; Al-Mallah, Mouaz H

2016-11-01

To examine the association between chronotropic incompetence and incident atrial fibrillation (AF). Patients with inadequate heart rate response during exercise may have abnormalities in sinus node function or autonomic tone that predispose to the development of AF. We examined the association between heart rate response and incident AF in 57,402 (mean age=54±13 years, 47% female, 64% white) patients free of baseline AF who underwent exercise-treadmill stress testing from the Henry Ford ExercIse Testing (FIT) Project. Age-predicted maximum heart rate (pMHR) values <85% and chronotropic index values <80% were used to define chronotropic incompetence. Cox regression, adjusting for demographics, cardiovascular risk factors, medications, coronary heart disease, heart failure, and metabolic equivalent of task achieved, was used to compute hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association between chronotropic incompetence and incident AF. Over a median follow-up of 5.0 years (25 th -75 th percentiles=2.6, 7.8), a total of 3,395 (5.9%) participants developed AF. pMHR values <85% were associated with an increased risk for AF development (HR=1.33, 95%CI=1.22, 1.44). Chronotropic index values <80% also were associated with an increased risk of AF (HR=1.28, 95%CI=1.19, 1.38). The associations of pMHR and chronotropic index with AF remained significant with varying cut-off points to define chronotropic incompetence. Our analysis suggests that patients with inadequate heart rate response during exercise have an increased risk for developing AF.

Application of a plume model for decision makers' situation awareness during an outdoor airborne HAZMAT release.

PubMed

Meris, Ronald G; Barbera, Joseph A

2014-01-01

In a large-scale outdoor, airborne, hazardous materials (HAZMAT) incident, such as ruptured chlorine rail cars during a train derailment, the local Incident Commanders and HAZMAT emergency responders must obtain accurate information quickly to assess the situation and act promptly and appropriately. HAZMAT responders must have a clear understanding of key information and how to integrate it into timely and effective decisions for action planning. This study examined the use of HAZMAT plume modeling as a decision support tool during incident action planning in this type of extreme HAZMAT incident. The concept of situation awareness as presented by Endsley's dynamic situation awareness model contains three levels: perception, comprehension, and projection. It was used to examine the actions of incident managers related to adequate data acquisition, current situational understanding, and accurate situation projection. Scientists and engineers have created software to simulate and predict HAZMAT plume behavior, the projected hazard impact areas, and the associated health effects. Incorporating the use of HAZMAT plume projection modeling into an incident action plan may be a complex process. The present analysis used a mixed qualitative and quantitative methodological approach and examined the use and limitations of a "HAZMAT Plume Modeling Cycle" process that can be integrated into the incident action planning cycle. HAZMAT response experts were interviewed using a computer-based simulation. One of the research conclusions indicated the "HAZMAT Plume Modeling Cycle" is a critical function so that an individual/team can be tasked with continually updating the hazard plume model with evolving data, promoting more accurate situation awareness.

Macrocognition in Day-To-Day Police Incident Response

PubMed Central

Baber, Chris; McMaster, Richard

2016-01-01

Using examples of incidents that UK Police Forces deal with on a day-to-day basis, we explore the macrocognition of incident response. Central to our analysis is the idea that information relating to an incident is translated from negotiated to structured and actionable meaning, in terms of the Community of Practice of the personnel involved in incident response. Through participant observation of, and interviews with, police personnel, we explore the manner in which these different types of meaning shift over the course of incident. In this way, macrocognition relates to gathering, framing, and sharing information through the collaborative sensemaking practices of those involved. This involves two cycles of macrocognition, which we see as ‘informal’ (driven by information gathering as the Community of Practice negotiates and actions meaning) and ‘formal’ (driven by the need to assign resources to the response and the need to record incident details). The examples illustrate that these cycles are often intertwined, as are the different forms of meaning, in situation-specific ways that provide adaptive response to the demands of the incident. PMID:27014117

Macrocognition in Day-To-Day Police Incident Response.

PubMed

Baber, Chris; McMaster, Richard

2016-01-01

Using examples of incidents that UK Police Forces deal with on a day-to-day basis, we explore the macrocognition of incident response. Central to our analysis is the idea that information relating to an incident is translated from negotiated to structured and actionable meaning, in terms of the Community of Practice of the personnel involved in incident response. Through participant observation of, and interviews with, police personnel, we explore the manner in which these different types of meaning shift over the course of incident. In this way, macrocognition relates to gathering, framing, and sharing information through the collaborative sensemaking practices of those involved. This involves two cycles of macrocognition, which we see as 'informal' (driven by information gathering as the Community of Practice negotiates and actions meaning) and 'formal' (driven by the need to assign resources to the response and the need to record incident details). The examples illustrate that these cycles are often intertwined, as are the different forms of meaning, in situation-specific ways that provide adaptive response to the demands of the incident.

Integrating an incident management system within a continuity of operations programme: case study of the Bank of Canada.

PubMed

Loop, Carole

2013-01-01

Carrying out critical business functions without interruption requires a resilient and robust business continuity framework. By embedding an industry-standard incident management system within its business continuity structure, the Bank of Canada strengthened its response plan by enabling timely response to incidents while maintaining a strong focus on business continuity. A total programme approach, integrating the two disciplines, provided for enhanced recovery capabilities. While the value of an effective and efficient response organisation is clear, as demonstrated by emergency events around the world, incident response structures based on normal operating hierarchy can experience unique challenges. The internationally-recognised Incident Command System (ICS) model addresses these issues and reflects the five primary incident management functions, each contributing to the overall strength and effectiveness of the response organisation. The paper focuses on the Bank of Canada's successful implementation of the ICS model as its incident management and continuity of operations programmes evolved to reflect current best practices.

Numerical simulations of mechanical and ignition-deflagration responses for PBXs under low-to-medium-level velocity impact loading.

PubMed

Yang, Kun; Wu, Yanqing; Huang, Fenglei; Li, Ming

2017-09-05

An effective computational model is required to accurately predict the dynamic responses in accidental initiations of explosives. The present work uses a series of two-dimensional mechanical-chemical simulations performed via a hydrodynamic-code, DREXH-2D, to efficiently describe the mechanical and ignition-deflagration responses of cased cylindrical polymer-bonded explosives (PBXs) undergoing a low-to-medium-level impact (70-350m/s) in longitudinal direction. The ignition response was predicted based on an ignition criterion of effective plastic work. Slow burning and its growth to deflagration were described through a pressure-dependent reaction rate equation. The extreme value of effective plastic work was found to be useful to determine the ignition threshold velocity for PBXs. For low-level velocity impact, the incident stress wave reflection from lateral surfaces contributed to the formation of ignition regions. After the ignition, the deflagration was induced in the medium-level impact, and its violence was related to the shock strength. However, the low-strength stress wave only induced reaction at local regions, and sequent burning was no longer sensitive to the strength of incident wave. The predicted pressure and temperature results of PBXs were consistent with the medium-level impact tests performed by China Academy of Engineering Physics. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Better Incident Response with SCOT

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

Bruner, Todd

2015-04-01

SCOT is an incident response management system and knowledge base designed for incident responders by incident responders. SCOT increases the effectiveness of the team without adding undue burdens. Focused on reducing the friction between analysts and their tools, SCOT enables analysts to document and share their research and response efforts in near real time. Automatically identifying indicators and correlating those indicators, SCOT helps analysts discover and respond to advanced threats.

Challenges of information security incident learning: An industrial case study in a Chinese healthcare organization.

PubMed

He, Ying; Johnson, Chris

2017-12-01

Security incidents can have negative impacts on healthcare organizations, and the security of medical records has become a primary concern of the public. However, previous studies showed that organizations had not effectively learned lessons from security incidents. Incident learning as an essential activity in the "follow-up" phase of security incident response lifecycle has long been addressed but not given enough attention. This paper conducted a case study in a healthcare organization in China to explore their current obstacles in the practice of incident learning. We interviewed both IT professionals and healthcare professionals. The results showed that the organization did not have a structured way to gather and redistribute incident knowledge. Incident response was ineffective in cycling incident knowledge back to inform security management. Incident reporting to multiple stakeholders faced a great challenge. In response to this case study, we suggest the security assurance modeling framework to address those obstacles.

An analysis of electronic health record-related patient safety incidents.

PubMed

Palojoki, Sari; Mäkelä, Matti; Lehtonen, Lasse; Saranto, Kaija

2017-06-01

The aim of this study was to analyse electronic health record-related patient safety incidents in the patient safety incident reporting database in fully digital hospitals in Finland. We compare Finnish data to similar international data and discuss their content with regard to the literature. We analysed the types of electronic health record-related patient safety incidents that occurred at 23 hospitals during a 2-year period. A procedure of taxonomy mapping served to allow comparisons. This study represents a rare examination of patient safety risks in a fully digital environment. The proportion of electronic health record-related incidents was markedly higher in our study than in previous studies with similar data. Human-computer interaction problems were the most frequently reported. The results show the possibility of error arising from the complex interaction between clinicians and computers.

Difficult incidents and tutor interventions in problem-based learning tutorials.

PubMed

Kindler, Pawel; Grant, Christopher; Kulla, Steven; Poole, Gary; Godolphin, William

2009-09-01

Tutors report difficult incidents and distressing conflicts that adversely affect learning in their problem-based learning (PBL) groups. Faculty development (training) and peer support should help them to manage this. Yet our understanding of these problems and how to deal with them often seems inadequate to help tutors. The aim of this study was to categorise difficult incidents and the interventions that skilled tutors used in response, and to determine the effectiveness of those responses. Thirty experienced and highly rated tutors in our Year 1 and 2 medical curriculum took part in semi-structured interviews to: identify and describe difficult incidents; describe how they responded, and assess the success of each response. Recorded and transcribed data were analysed thematically to develop typologies of difficult incidents and interventions and compare reported success or failure. The 94 reported difficult incidents belonged to the broad categories 'individual student' or 'group dynamics'. Tutors described 142 interventions in response to these difficult incidents, categorised as: (i) tutor intervenes during tutorial; (ii) tutor gives feedback outside tutorial, or (iii) student or group intervenes. Incidents in the 'individual student' category were addressed relatively unsuccessfully (effective < 50% of the time) by response (i), but with moderate success by response (ii) and successfully (> 75% of the time) by response (iii). None of the interventions worked well when used in response to problems related to 'group dynamics'. Overall, 59% of the difficult incidents were dealt with successfully. Dysfunctional PBL groups can be highly challenging, even for experienced and skilled tutors. Within-tutorial feedback, the treatment that tutors are most frequently advised to apply, was often not effective. Our study suggests that the collective responsibility of the group, rather than of the tutor, to deal with these difficulties should be emphasised.

A study of the structural-acoustic response and interior noise levels of fuselage structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Koval, L. R.

1978-01-01

Models of both flat and curved fuselage panels were tested for their sound transmission characteristics. The effect of external air flow on transmission loss was simulated in a subsonic wind-tunnel. By numerically evaluating the known equations for field-incidence transmission loss of single-walled panels in a computer program, a comparison of the theory with the test results was made. As a further extension to aircraft fuselage simulation, equations for the field-incidence transmission loss of a double-walled panel were derived. Flow is shown to provide a small increase in transmission loss for a flat panel. Curvature is shown to increase transmission loss for low frequencies, while also providing a sharp decrease in transmission loss at the ring frequency of the cylindrical panel. The field-incidence transmission loss of a double-walled panel was found to be approximately twice that for a single-walled panel, with the addition of dips in the transmission loss at the air gap resonances and at the critical frequency of the internal panel.

14 CFR 91.1021 - Internal safety reporting and incident/accident response.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

.../accident response. 91.1021 Section 91.1021 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION... incident/accident response. (a) Each program manager must establish an internal anonymous safety reporting.... (b) Each program manager must establish procedures to respond to an aviation incident/accident. ...

Improving Cybersecurity Incident Response Team (CSIRT) Skills, Dynamics and Effectiveness

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-03-01

recommendations for optimal CSIRT performance. 15. SUBJECT TERMS Cyber Incident Response, Response Teams, Cognitive Task Analysis 16. SECURITY...conducted a study of the cognitive , social, personality, and motivational requirements involved in cybersecurity incident response and then validated...corporate CSIRTs, and academic institution CSIRTs. • Survey of Non-Technical KSAOs. Previous known studies of CSIRTs did not examine cognitive , social, and

Plasmonic resonances of nanoparticles from large-scale quantum mechanical simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xu; Xiang, Hongping; Zhang, Mingliang; Lu, Gang

2017-09-01

Plasmonic resonance of metallic nanoparticles results from coherent motion of its conduction electrons, driven by incident light. For the nanoparticles less than 10 nm in diameter, localized surface plasmonic resonances become sensitive to the quantum nature of the conduction electrons. Unfortunately, quantum mechanical simulations based on time-dependent Kohn-Sham density functional theory are computationally too expensive to tackle metal particles larger than 2 nm. Herein, we introduce the recently developed time-dependent orbital-free density functional theory (TD-OFDFT) approach which enables large-scale quantum mechanical simulations of plasmonic responses of metallic nanostructures. Using TD-OFDFT, we have performed quantum mechanical simulations to understand size-dependent plasmonic response of Na nanoparticles and plasmonic responses in Na nanoparticle dimers and trimers. An outlook of future development of the TD-OFDFT method is also presented.

Incident Specific Preparedness Review (ISPR) of the Response to the Oil Spill Resulting from the Grounding of the Tank Barge North Cape in Block Island Sound Off Point Judith, Rhode Island on 19 January 1996

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1996-07-02

An Incident Specific Preparedness Review (ISPR) was conducted on the : subject oil spill incident response. The ISPR team was tasked with comparing the response in this case against current federal, state, and local oil spill response contingency pla...

Physical-geometric optics method for large size faceted particles.

PubMed

Sun, Bingqiang; Yang, Ping; Kattawar, George W; Zhang, Xiaodong

2017-10-02

A new physical-geometric optics method is developed to compute the single-scattering properties of faceted particles. It incorporates a general absorption vector to accurately account for inhomogeneous wave effects, and subsequently yields the relevant analytical formulas effective and computationally efficient for absorptive scattering particles. A bundle of rays incident on a certain facet can be traced as a single beam. For a beam incident on multiple facets, a systematic beam-splitting technique based on computer graphics is used to split the original beam into several sub-beams so that each sub-beam is incident only on an individual facet. The new beam-splitting technique significantly reduces the computational burden. The present physical-geometric optics method can be generalized to arbitrary faceted particles with either convex or concave shapes and with a homogeneous or an inhomogeneous (e.g., a particle with a core) composition. The single-scattering properties of irregular convex homogeneous and inhomogeneous hexahedra are simulated and compared to their counterparts from two other methods including a numerically rigorous method.

10 CFR 1.46 - Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 10 Energy 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response. 1.46 Section 1.46 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION STATEMENT OF ORGANIZATION AND GENERAL INFORMATION Headquarters Program Offices § 1.46 Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response. The Office of Nuclear...

10 CFR 1.46 - Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response. 1.46 Section 1.46 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION STATEMENT OF ORGANIZATION AND GENERAL INFORMATION Headquarters Program Offices § 1.46 Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response. The Office of Nuclear...

10 CFR 1.46 - Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 10 Energy 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response. 1.46 Section 1.46 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION STATEMENT OF ORGANIZATION AND GENERAL INFORMATION Headquarters Program Offices § 1.46 Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response. The Office of Nuclear...

10 CFR 1.46 - Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 10 Energy 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response. 1.46 Section 1.46 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION STATEMENT OF ORGANIZATION AND GENERAL INFORMATION Headquarters Program Offices § 1.46 Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response. The Office of Nuclear...

10 CFR 1.46 - Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 10 Energy 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response. 1.46 Section 1.46 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION STATEMENT OF ORGANIZATION AND GENERAL INFORMATION Headquarters Program Offices § 1.46 Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response. The Office of Nuclear...

Major oil spill response coordination in the combat of spills in Bahrain waters

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

Brown, D.J.S.; James, J.D.

1985-01-01

On Aug. 25, 1980, without warning, a large oil slick invaded the north and west coasts of Bahrain. This serious incident was designated a national emergency, and a special high-level government committee was established immediately to handle the response procedure. This paper describes how the committee functioned with the private sector and the problems encountered and overcome. The lessons learned have stimulated interest in the proposed use of computers to aid combat operations as both a technical tool and an information service. In addition, this experience can guide those responsible for controlling response operations for future major oil spills inmore » coastal areas. With proper planning, a highly satisfactory cooperative organization can be established between goverment and the private sector to respond effectively, economically, and with minimum environmental damage to a major oil spill affecting coastal waters and shorelines. Part of this planning is to collate and record the major available response equipment and material packages, thereby increasing the necessary state of readiness.« less

40 CFR 1042.110 - Recording reductant use and other diagnostic functions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

...) The onboard computer log must record in nonvolatile computer memory all incidents of engine operation... such operation in nonvolatile computer memory. You are not required to monitor NOX concentrations...

Spatial patterns in electoral wards with high lymphoma incidence in Yorkshire health region.

PubMed Central

Barnes, N.; Cartwright, R. A.; O'Brien, C.; Roberts, B.; Richards, I. D.; Bird, C. C.

1987-01-01

The possibilities of clustering between those electoral wards which display higher than expected incidences of cases of the lymphomas occurring between 1978 and 1982 are examined. Clusters are defined as being those wards with cases in excess (at a probability of less than 10%) which are geographically adjacent to each other. A separate analysis extends the definition of cluster to include high incidence wards that are adjacent or separated by one other ward. The results indicate that many high incidence lymphoma wards do occur close together and when computer simulations are used to compute expected results, many of the observed results are shown to be highly improbable both in the overall number of clustering wards and in the largest number of wards comprising a 'cluster'. PMID:3663469

The prevalence of painful incidents among young recreational gymnasts

PubMed Central

Coates, Chrystal; McMurtry, C Meghan; Lingley-Pottie, Patricia; McGrath, Patrick J

2010-01-01

BACKGROUND: Although children experience pain during their daily life, research has generally focused on medical pain. Sport-related pain has not been widely studied in children and research has not examined the occurrence of painful incidents in gymnastics. The prevalence of painful incidents among children in recreational gymnastics classes and accompanying coach responses were recorded. METHODS: Sixty-one children between five and 10 years of age were observed at a gymnastics club. A checklist was used to record painful incidents as well as coach and child responses. RESULTS: The rate of painful incidents was 0.17 per child per hour observed. The floor apparatus was the most common site of incidents, while bumping into equipment was the most common incident. Based on observer ratings, most incidents were mild to moderate in severity and, on average, the child’s reaction to these mild to moderate incidents lasted for 8.5 s. Forty per cent of the children had a mild to moderate painful experience. Coaches reacted to more than 60% of the painful incidents, usually asking how the child was and what had happened. A significant difference was found between the mean severity ratings of painful incidents that were followed by coach response and incidents followed by no response. CONCLUSION: Most children who attend recreational gymnastics classes will likely experience at least one mild to moderate painful experience for every 6 h of class. Coaches are more inclined to react to a painful incident than not. Moreover, a difference was found that suggests coaches responded to more painful incidents. PMID:20577661

Initial Progress Toward Development of a Voice-Based Computer-Delivered Motivational Intervention for Heavy Drinking College Students: An Experimental Study

PubMed Central

Lechner, William J; MacGlashan, James; Wray, Tyler B; Littman, Michael L

2017-01-01

Background Computer-delivered interventions have been shown to be effective in reducing alcohol consumption in heavy drinking college students. However, these computer-delivered interventions rely on mouse, keyboard, or touchscreen responses for interactions between the users and the computer-delivered intervention. The principles of motivational interviewing suggest that in-person interventions may be effective, in part, because they encourage individuals to think through and speak aloud their motivations for changing a health behavior, which current computer-delivered interventions do not allow. Objective The objective of this study was to take the initial steps toward development of a voice-based computer-delivered intervention that can ask open-ended questions and respond appropriately to users’ verbal responses, more closely mirroring a human-delivered motivational intervention. Methods We developed (1) a voice-based computer-delivered intervention that was run by a human controller and that allowed participants to speak their responses to scripted prompts delivered by speech generation software and (2) a text-based computer-delivered intervention that relied on the mouse, keyboard, and computer screen for all interactions. We randomized 60 heavy drinking college students to interact with the voice-based computer-delivered intervention and 30 to interact with the text-based computer-delivered intervention and compared their ratings of the systems as well as their motivation to change drinking and their drinking behavior at 1-month follow-up. Results Participants reported that the voice-based computer-delivered intervention engaged positively with them in the session and delivered content in a manner consistent with motivational interviewing principles. At 1-month follow-up, participants in the voice-based computer-delivered intervention condition reported significant decreases in quantity, frequency, and problems associated with drinking, and increased perceived importance of changing drinking behaviors. In comparison to the text-based computer-delivered intervention condition, those assigned to voice-based computer-delivered intervention reported significantly fewer alcohol-related problems at the 1-month follow-up (incident rate ratio 0.60, 95% CI 0.44-0.83, P=.002). The conditions did not differ significantly on perceived importance of changing drinking or on measures of drinking quantity and frequency of heavy drinking. Conclusions Results indicate that it is feasible to construct a series of open-ended questions and a bank of responses and follow-up prompts that can be used in a future fully automated voice-based computer-delivered intervention that may mirror more closely human-delivered motivational interventions to reduce drinking. Such efforts will require using advanced speech recognition capabilities and machine-learning approaches to train a program to mirror the decisions made by human controllers in the voice-based computer-delivered intervention used in this study. In addition, future studies should examine enhancements that can increase the perceived warmth and empathy of voice-based computer-delivered intervention, possibly through greater personalization, improvements in the speech generation software, and embodying the computer-delivered intervention in a physical form. PMID:28659259

Creating a process for incorporating epidemiological modelling into outbreak management decisions.

PubMed

Akselrod, Hana; Mercon, Monica; Kirkeby Risoe, Petter; Schlegelmilch, Jeffrey; McGovern, Joanne; Bogucki, Sandy

2012-01-01

Modern computational models of infectious diseases greatly enhance our ability to understand new infectious threats and assess the effects of different interventions. The recently-released CDC Framework for Preventing Infectious Diseases calls for increased use of predictive modelling of epidemic emergence for public health preparedness. Currently, the utility of these technologies in preparedness and response to outbreaks is limited by gaps between modelling output and information requirements for incident management. The authors propose an operational structure that will facilitate integration of modelling capabilities into action planning for outbreak management, using the Incident Command System (ICS) and Synchronization Matrix framework. It is designed to be adaptable and scalable for use by state and local planners under the National Response Framework (NRF) and Emergency Support Function #8 (ESF-8). Specific epidemiological modelling requirements are described, and integrated with the core processes for public health emergency decision support. These methods can be used in checklist format to align prospective or real-time modelling output with anticipated decision points, and guide strategic situational assessments at the community level. It is anticipated that formalising these processes will facilitate translation of the CDC's policy guidance from theory to practice during public health emergencies involving infectious outbreaks.

Classifying health information technology patient safety related incidents - an approach used in Wales.

PubMed

Warm, D; Edwards, P

2012-01-01

Interest in the field of patient safety incident reporting and analysis with respect to Health Information Technology (HIT) has been growing over recent years as the development, implementation and reliance on HIT systems becomes ever more prevalent. One of the rationales for capturing patient safety incidents is to learn from failures in the delivery of care and must form part of a feedback loop which also includes analysis; investigation and monitoring. With the advent of new technologies and organizational programs of delivery the emphasis is increasingly upon analyzing HIT incidents. This thematic review had two objectives, to test the applicability of a framework specifically designed to categorize HIT incidents and to review the Welsh incidents as communicated via the national incident reporting system in order to understand their implications for healthcare. The incidents were those reported as IT/ telecommunications failure/ overload. Incidents were searched for within a national reporting system using a standardized search strategy for incidents occurring between 1(st) January 2009 and 31(st) May 2011. 149 incident reports were identified and classified. The majority (77%) of which were machine related (technical problems) such as access problems; computer system down/too slow; display issues; and software malfunctions. A further 10% (n = 15) of incidents were down to human-computer interaction issues and 13% (n = 19) incidents, mainly telephone related, could not be classified using the framework being tested. On the basis of this review of incidents, it is recommended that the framework be expanded to include hardware malfunctions and the wrong record retrieved/missing data associated with a machine output error (as opposed to human error). In terms of the implications for clinical practice, the incidents reviewed highlighted critical issues including the access problems particularly relating to the use of mobile technologies.

Efficacy of critical incident monitoring for evaluating disaster medical readiness and response during the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.

PubMed

Flabouris, Arthas; Nocera, Antony; Garner, Alan

2004-01-01

Multiple casualty incidents (MCI) are infrequent events for medical systems. This renders audit and quality improvement of the medical responses difficult. Quality tools and use of such tools for improvement is necessary to ensure that the design of medical systems facilitates the best possible response to MCI. To describe the utility of incident reporting as a quality monitoring and improvement tool during the deployment of medical teams for mass gatherings and multiple casualty incidents. Voluntary and confidential reporting of incidents was provided by members of the disaster medical response teams during the period of disaster medical team deployment for the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. Qualitative evaluations were conducted of reported incidents. The main outcome measures included the nature of incident and associated contributing factors, minimization factors, harm potential, and comparison with the post-deployment, cold debriefings. A total of 53 incidents were reported. Management-based decisions, poor or non-existent protocols, and equipment and communication-related issues were the principal contributing factors. Eighty nine percent of the incidents were considered preventable. A potential for harm to patients and/or team members was documented in 58% of reports, of which 76% were likely to cause at least significant harm. Of equipment incidents, personal protective equipment (33%), medical equipment (27%), provision of equipment (22%), and communication equipment (17%) predominated. Personal protective equipment (50%) was reported as the most frequent occupational health and safety incident followed by fatigue (25%). Pre-deployment planning was the most important factor for future incident impact minimization. Incident monitoring was efficacious as a quality tool in identifying incident contributing factors. Incident monitoring allowed for greater systems evaluation. Further evaluation of this quality tool within different disaster settings is required.

Using incident response trees as a tool for risk management of online financial services.

PubMed

Gorton, Dan

2014-09-01

The article introduces the use of probabilistic risk assessment for modeling the incident response process of online financial services. The main contribution is the creation of incident response trees, using event tree analysis, which provides us with a visual tool and a systematic way to estimate the probability of a successful incident response process against the currently known risk landscape, making it possible to measure the balance between front-end and back-end security measures. The model is presented using an illustrative example, and is then applied to the incident response process of a Swedish bank. Access to relevant data is verified and the applicability and usability of the proposed model is verified using one year of historical data. Potential advantages and possible shortcomings are discussed, referring to both the design phase and the operational phase, and future work is presented. © 2014 Society for Risk Analysis.

Computer Program for Calculation of Complex Chemical Equilibrium Compositions, Rocket Performance, Incident and Reflected Shocks, and Chapman-Jouguet Detonations. Interim Revision, March 1976

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gordon, S.; Mcbride, B. J.

1976-01-01

A detailed description of the equations and computer program for computations involving chemical equilibria in complex systems is given. A free-energy minimization technique is used. The program permits calculations such as (1) chemical equilibrium for assigned thermodynamic states (T,P), (H,P), (S,P), (T,V), (U,V), or (S,V), (2) theoretical rocket performance for both equilibrium and frozen compositions during expansion, (3) incident and reflected shock properties, and (4) Chapman-Jouguet detonation properties. The program considers condensed species as well as gaseous species.

Public health incident management: Logistical and operational aspects of the 2009 initial outbreak of H1N1 influenza in Mexico.

PubMed

Cruz, Miguel A; Hawk, Nicole M; Poulet, Christopher; Rovira, Jose; Rouse, Edward N

2015-01-01

Hosting an international outbreak response team can pose a challenge to jurisdictions not familiar with incident management frameworks. Basic principles of team forming, organizing, and executing mission critical activities require simple and flexible communication that can be easily understood by the host country's public health leadership and international support agencies. Familiarity with incident command system principles before a public health emergency could save time and effort during the initial phases of the response and aid in operationalizing and sustaining complex field activities throughout the response. The 2009 initial outbreak of H1N1 in Mexico highlighted the importance of adequately organizing and managing limited resources and expertise using incident management principles. This case study describes logistical and operational aspects of the response and highlights challenges faced during this response that may be relevant to the organization of public health responses and incidents requiring international assistance and cooperation.

Public health incident management: logistical and operational aspects of the 2009 initial outbreak of H1N1 influenza in Mexico.

PubMed

Cruz, Miguel A; Hawk, Nicole M; Poulet, Christopher; Rovira, Jose; Rouse, Edward N

2015-01-01

Hosting an international outbreak response team can pose a challenge to jurisdictions not familiar with incident management frameworks. Basic principles of team forming, organizing, and executing mission critical activities require simple and flexible communication that can be easily understood by the host country's public health leadership and international support agencies. Familiarity with incident command system principles before a public health emergency could save time and effort during the initial phases of the response and aid in operationalizing and sustaining complex field activities throughout the response. The 2009 initial outbreak of H1N1 in Mexico highlighted the importance of adequately organizing and managing limited resources and expertise using incident management principles. This case study describes logistical and operational aspects of the response and highlights challenges faced during this response that may be relevant to the organization of public health responses and incidents requiring international assistance and cooperation.

FRMAC Operations Manual

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

Frandsen, K.

In the event of a major radiological incident, the Federal Radiological Monitoring and Assessment Center (FRMAC) will coordinate the federal agencies that have various statutory responsibilities. The FRMAC is responsible for coordinating all environmental radiological monitoring, sampling, and assessment activities for the response. This manual describes the FRMAC’s response activities in a radiological incident. It also outlines how FRMAC fits in the National Incident Management System (NIMS) under the National Response Framework (NRF) and describes the federal assets and subsequent operational activities which provide federal radiological monitoring and assessment of the affected areas. In the event of a potential ormore » existing major radiological incident, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office (NNSA/NSO) is responsible for establishing and managing the FRMAC during the initial phases.« less

Pollutant source identification model for water pollution incidents in small straight rivers based on genetic algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Shou-ping; Xin, Xiao-kang

2017-07-01

Identification of pollutant sources for river pollution incidents is an important and difficult task in the emergency rescue, and an intelligent optimization method can effectively compensate for the weakness of traditional methods. An intelligent model for pollutant source identification has been established using the basic genetic algorithm (BGA) as an optimization search tool and applying an analytic solution formula of one-dimensional unsteady water quality equation to construct the objective function. Experimental tests show that the identification model is effective and efficient: the model can accurately figure out the pollutant amounts or positions no matter single pollution source or multiple sources. Especially when the population size of BGA is set as 10, the computing results are sound agree with analytic results for a single source amount and position identification, the relative errors are no more than 5 %. For cases of multi-point sources and multi-variable, there are some errors in computing results for the reasons that there exist many possible combinations of the pollution sources. But, with the help of previous experience to narrow the search scope, the relative errors of the identification results are less than 5 %, which proves the established source identification model can be used to direct emergency responses.

A time-domain finite element boundary integral approach for elastic wave scattering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, F.; Lowe, M. J. S.; Skelton, E. A.; Craster, R. V.

2018-04-01

The response of complex scatterers, such as rough or branched cracks, to incident elastic waves is required in many areas of industrial importance such as those in non-destructive evaluation and related fields; we develop an approach to generate accurate and rapid simulations. To achieve this we develop, in the time domain, an implementation to efficiently couple the finite element (FE) method within a small local region, and the boundary integral (BI) globally. The FE explicit scheme is run in a local box to compute the surface displacement of the scatterer, by giving forcing signals to excitation nodes, which can lie on the scatterer itself. The required input forces on the excitation nodes are obtained with a reformulated FE equation, according to the incident displacement field. The surface displacements computed by the local FE are then projected, through time-domain BI formulae, to calculate the scattering signals with different modes. This new method yields huge improvements in the efficiency of FE simulations for scattering from complex scatterers. We present results using different shapes and boundary conditions, all simulated using this approach in both 2D and 3D, and then compare with full FE models and theoretical solutions to demonstrate the efficiency and accuracy of this numerical approach.

A Computer Security Course in the Undergraduate Computer Science Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spillman, Richard

1992-01-01

Discusses the importance of computer security and considers criminal, national security, and personal privacy threats posed by security breakdown. Several examples are given, including incidents involving computer viruses. Objectives, content, instructional strategies, resources, and a sample examination for an experimental undergraduate computer…

The effect of country wealth on incidence of breast cancer.

PubMed

Coccia, Mario

2013-09-01

The aim of this study is to analyze the relationship between the incidence of breast cancer and income per capita across countries. Data on breast cancer incidence in 52 countries were obtained from GLOBOCAN, along with economic indicators of gross domestic product per capita from the World Bank. Number of computed tomography scanners and magnetic resonance imaging (from World Health Organization) were used as a surrogate for technology and access to screening for cancer diagnosis. Statistical analyses for correlation and regression were performed, along with an analysis of variance (ANOVA). A strong positive association between breast cancer incidence and gross domestic product per capita, Pearson's r = 65.4 %, controlling latitude, density of computed tomography scanners and magnetic resonance imaging was found in countries of temperate zones. The estimated relationship suggests that 1 % higher gross domestic product per capita, within the temperate zones (latitudes), increases the expected age-standardized breast cancer incidence by about 35.6 % (p < 0.001). ANOVA confirms these vital results. While some have argued that latitude and seasonality may affect breast cancer incidence, these findings suggest that wealthier nations may have a higher incidence of breast cancer independent of geographic location and screening technology.

How people react to Zika virus outbreaks on Twitter? A computational content analysis.

PubMed

Fu, King-Wa; Liang, Hai; Saroha, Nitin; Tse, Zion Tsz Ho; Ip, Patrick; Fung, Isaac Chun-Hai

2016-12-01

Zika-related Twitter incidence peaked after the World Health Organization declared an emergency. Five themes were identified from Zika-related Twitter content: (1) societal impact of the outbreak; (2) government, public and private sector, and general public responses to the outbreak; (3) pregnancy and microcephaly: negative health consequences related to pregnant women and babies; (4) transmission routes; and (5) case reports. User-generated contents sites were preferred direct information channels rather than those of the government authorities. Copyright © 2016 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Barrow-in-Furness legionnaires' outbreak: qualitative study of the hospital response and the role of the major incident plan.

PubMed

Smith, A F; Wild, C; Law, J

2005-04-01

To document the organisational response of Furness General Hospital to the large outbreak of legionnaire's disease in April 2002 and assess the contribution made by the hospital's major incident plan. Qualitative analysis of interview transcripts and written comments from some staff involved in the management of the incident. Documentary analysis of major incident plan and other written materials. The incident posed considerable managerial and clinical problems and this paper describes how they were overcome. In particular, strategies for dealing with supply (of staff, beds, and resources) and managing demand (by liaising with primary care and the public) seem to have been successful. Many functions necessary for managing the incident were poorly dealt with in the plan, especially procedures for handling the news media and liaison with agencies outside the hospital. Lack of explicit guidance appeared not to hinder the organisational response. There may have been an unspoken high level decision to allow staff to draw on their skills and experience in improvising a response to the initial challenge and learning adaptively as the incident unfolded. There was also evidence that staff disregarded existing job and role boundaries and focused instead on tasks, working flexibly to ensure that these tasks were completed. Protracted major incidents pose particular management challenges and may benefit from an approach different from that set out in typical major incident plans. Staff must be able to act flexibly and responsively. Some form of checklist or toolkit may be preferable to a detailed plan for some types of incident.

The Barrow-in-Furness legionnaires' outbreak: qualitative study of the hospital response and the role of the major incident plan

PubMed Central

Smith, A; Wild, C; Law, J

2005-01-01

Objective: To document the organisational response of Furness General Hospital to the large outbreak of legionnaire's disease in April 2002 and assess the contribution made by the hospital's major incident plan. Method: Qualitative analysis of interview transcripts and written comments from some staff involved in the management of the incident. Documentary analysis of major incident plan and other written materials. Results: The incident posed considerable managerial and clinical problems and this paper describes how they were overcome. In particular, strategies for dealing with supply (of staff, beds, and resources) and managing demand (by liaising with primary care and the public) seem to have been successful. Many functions necessary for managing the incident were poorly dealt with in the plan, especially procedures for handling the news media and liaison with agencies outside the hospital. Lack of explicit guidance appeared not to hinder the organisational response. There may have been an unspoken high level decision to allow staff to draw on their skills and experience in improvising a response to the initial challenge and learning adaptively as the incident unfolded. There was also evidence that staff disregarded existing job and role boundaries and focused instead on tasks, working flexibly to ensure that these tasks were completed. Conclusions: Protracted major incidents pose particular management challenges and may benefit from an approach different from that set out in typical major incident plans. Staff must be able to act flexibly and responsively. Some form of checklist or toolkit may be preferable to a detailed plan for some types of incident. PMID:15788822

Disasters and mass casualties: I. General principles of response and management.

PubMed

Born, Christopher T; Briggs, Susan M; Ciraulo, David L; Frykberg, Eric R; Hammond, Jeffrey S; Hirshberg, Asher; Lhowe, David W; O'Neill, Patricia A

2007-07-01

Disaster planning and response to a mass casualty incident pose unique demands on the medical community. Because they would be required to confront many casualties with bodily injury and surgical problems, surgeons in particular must become better educated in disaster management. Compared with routine practice, triage principles in disasters require an entirely different approach to evaluation and care and often run counter to training and ethical values. An effective response to disaster and mass casualty events should focus on an "all hazards" approach, defined as the ability to adapt and apply fundamental disaster management principles universally to any mass casualty incident, whether caused by people or nature. Organizational tools such as the Incident Command System and the Hospital Incident Command System help to effect a rapid and coordinated response to specific situations. The United States federal government, through the National Response Plan, has the responsibility to respond quickly and efficiently to catastrophic incidents and to ensure critical life-saving assistance. International medical surgical response teams are capable of providing medical, surgical, and intensive care services in austere environments anywhere in the world.

ASHMET: A computer code for estimating insolation incident on tilted surfaces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Elkin, R. F.; Toelle, R. G.

1980-01-01

A computer code, ASHMET, was developed by MSFC to estimate the amount of solar insolation incident on the surfaces of solar collectors. Both tracking and fixed-position collectors were included. Climatological data for 248 U. S. locations are built into the code. The basic methodology used by ASHMET is the ASHRAE clear-day insolation relationships modified by a clearness index derived from SOLMET-measured solar radiation data to a horizontal surface.

OEM Emergency Response Information

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The Office of Emergency Management retains records of all incident responses in which it participates. This data asset includes three major sources of information: (1) records maintained by the Regional Office On-Scene Coordinators, principally at the EPAOSC.org web site, (2) all records of incidents managed at the EPA National Response Center (NRC) at EPA Headquarters in Washington, DC and (3) records of responses to oil spills under the Clean Water Act, for which EPA is the oil spill response lead for inland waters. Regional response information is available through EPAOSC.org, but may also be stored elsewhere if the incident is of national significance. EPAOSC.org is a resource for On-Scene Coordinators to access, track and share information with OSCs throughout the country, but it also contains information open to the public.Incident-related environmental sampling data is maintained by the regional offices in the SCRIBE system.NRC records have been maintained in the Emergency Response Notification System (ERNS). This information is available to the public through the Right to Know Network (RTKnet.ombwatch.org). Incidents reported to NRC range from minor to serious, from an oil-sheen on water to a release of thousands of gallons. NRC reports are extensive, but also known to be incomplete, as many incidents are never reported, and those that are reported generally are not subject to verification.

Perceived coping & concern predict terrorism preparedness in Australia.

PubMed

Stevens, Garry; Agho, Kingsley; Taylor, Melanie; Jones, Alison L; Barr, Margo; Raphael, Beverley

2012-12-27

In the aftermath of major terrorist incidents research shows population shifts towards protective behaviours, including specific preparedness and avoidance responses. Less is known about individual preparedness in populations with high assumed threat but limited direct exposure, such as Australia. In this study we aimed to determine whether individuals with high perceived coping and higher concern would show greater preparedness to respond to terrorism threats. Adults in New South Wales (NSW) completed terrorism perception and response questions as part of computer assisted telephone interviews (CATI) in 2010 (N=2038). Responses were weighted against the NSW population. Multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted to evaluate the relationship between personal coping/concern factors and terrorism-related preparedness and avoidance behaviours, and to control for potential confounders such as socio-demographic and threat perception factors. Increased vigilance for suspicious behaviours was the most commonly reported behavioural response to perceived terrorism threat. Multivariate analyses showed that the factor combination of high perceived coping and higher concern was the most consistent predictor of terrorism preparedness behaviours and evacuation intentions, including increased vigilance (Adjusted Odd Ratios (AOR)=2.07, p=0.001) learning evacuation plans (AOR=1.61, p=0.05), establishing emergency contact plans (AOR=2.73, p<0.001), willingness to evacuate homes (AOR=2.20, p=0.039), and willingness to evacuate workplaces or public facilities (AOR=6.19, p=0.015) during potential future incidents. The findings of this study suggest that terrorism preparedness behaviours are strongly associated with perceived high coping but that this relationship is also mediated by personal concerns relating to this threat. Cognitive variables such as coping self-efficacy are increasingly targeted as part of natural hazard preparedness and are a viable intervention target for terrorism preparedness initiatives. Raising individual coping perceptions may promote greater general and incident-specific preparedness and could form an integral element of community resilience strategies regarding this threat.

Perceived coping & concern predict terrorism preparedness in Australia

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background In the aftermath of major terrorist incidents research shows population shifts towards protective behaviours, including specific preparedness and avoidance responses. Less is known about individual preparedness in populations with high assumed threat but limited direct exposure, such as Australia. In this study we aimed to determine whether individuals with high perceived coping and higher concern would show greater preparedness to respond to terrorism threats. Methods Adults in New South Wales (NSW) completed terrorism perception and response questions as part of computer assisted telephone interviews (CATI) in 2010 (N=2038). Responses were weighted against the NSW population. Multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted to evaluate the relationship between personal coping/concern factors and terrorism-related preparedness and avoidance behaviours, and to control for potential confounders such as socio-demographic and threat perception factors. Results Increased vigilance for suspicious behaviours was the most commonly reported behavioural response to perceived terrorism threat. Multivariate analyses showed that the factor combination of high perceived coping and higher concern was the most consistent predictor of terrorism preparedness behaviours and evacuation intentions, including increased vigilance (Adjusted Odd Ratios (AOR)=2.07, p=0.001) learning evacuation plans (AOR=1.61, p=0.05), establishing emergency contact plans (AOR=2.73, p<0.001), willingness to evacuate homes (AOR=2.20, p=0.039), and willingness to evacuate workplaces or public facilities (AOR=6.19, p=0.015) during potential future incidents. Conclusion The findings of this study suggest that terrorism preparedness behaviours are strongly associated with perceived high coping but that this relationship is also mediated by personal concerns relating to this threat. Cognitive variables such as coping self-efficacy are increasingly targeted as part of natural hazard preparedness and are a viable intervention target for terrorism preparedness initiatives. Raising individual coping perceptions may promote greater general and incident-specific preparedness and could form an integral element of community resilience strategies regarding this threat. PMID:23270424

Computers, Children & Repetitive Stress Injuries: The Effects of Computer Workstation Design on Children's Posture

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maxwell, Lorraine E.; Laeser, Kathryn L.

2007-01-01

As adult office workers' use of computers has increased, the incidence of computer-related musculoskeletal complaints and injuries has also increased. Although the use of computers in the classroom is increasing, little attention has been paid by educators, furniture manufacturers, or researchers to the ergonomic design issues of educational…

Satellite estimation of incident photosynthetically active radiation using ultraviolet reflectance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eck, Thomas F.; Dye, Dennis G.

1991-01-01

A new satellite remote sensing method for estimating the amount of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR, 400-700 nm) incident at the earth's surface is described and tested. Potential incident PAR for clear sky conditions is computed from an existing spectral model. A major advantage of the UV approach over existing visible band approaches to estimating insolation is the improved ability to discriminate clouds from high-albedo background surfaces. UV spectral reflectance data from the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) were used to test the approach for three climatically distinct, midlatitude locations. Estimates of monthly total incident PAR from the satellite technique differed from values computed from ground-based pyranometer measurements by less than 6 percent. This UV remote sensing method can be applied to estimate PAR insolation over ocean and land surfaces which are free of ice and snow.

Monitoring and Evaluating the Ebola Response Effort in Two Liberian Communities.

PubMed

Munodawafa, Davison; Moeti, Matshidiso Rebecca; Phori, Peter Malekele; Fawcett, Stephen B; Hassaballa, Ithar; Sepers, Charles; Reed, Florence DiGennaro; Schultz, Jerry A; Chiriseri, Ephraim Tafadzwa

2018-04-01

Although credited with ultimately reducing incidence of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in West Africa, little is known about the amount and kind of Ebola response activities associated with reducing the incidence of EVD. Our team monitored Ebola response activities and associated effects in two rural counties in Liberia highly affected by Ebola. We used a participatory monitoring and evaluation system, and drew upon key informant interviews and document review, to systematically capture, code, characterize, and communicate patterns in Ebola response activities. We reviewed situation reports to obtain data on incidence of EVD over time. Results showed enhanced implementation of Ebola response activities corresponded with decreased incidence of EVD. The pattern of staggered implementation of activities and associated effects-replicated in both counties-is suggestive of the role of Ebola response activities in reducing EVD. Systematic monitoring of response activities to control disease outbreaks holds lessons for implementing and evaluating multi-sector, comprehensive community health efforts.

Organisational Pattern Driven Recovery Mechanisms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giacomo, Valentina Di; Presenza, Domenico; Riccucci, Carlo

The process of reaction to system failures and security attacks is strongly influenced by its infrastructural, procedural and organisational settings. Analysis of reaction procedures and practices from different domains (Air Traffic Management, Response to Computer Security Incident, Response to emergencies, recovery in Chemical Process Industry) highlight three key requirements for this activity: smooth collaboration and coordination among responders, accurate monitoring and management of resources and ability to adapt pre-established reaction plans to the actual context. The SERENITY Reaction Mechanisms (SRM) is the subsystem of the SERENITY Run-time Framework aimed to provide SERENITY aware AmI settings (i.e. socio-technical systems with highly distributed dynamic services) with functionalities to implement applications specific reaction strategies. The SRM uses SERENITY Organisational S&D Patterns as run-time models to drive these three key functionalities.

Investigation of the thermal and optical performance of a spatial light modulator with high average power picosecond laser exposure for materials processing applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, G.; Whitehead, D.; Perrie, W.; Allegre, O. J.; Olle, V.; Li, Q.; Tang, Y.; Dawson, K.; Jin, Y.; Edwardson, S. P.; Li, L.; Dearden, G.

2018-03-01

Spatial light modulators (SLMs) addressed with computer generated holograms (CGHs) can create structured light fields on demand when an incident laser beam is diffracted by a phase CGH. The power handling limitations of these devices based on a liquid crystal layer has always been of some concern. With careful engineering of chip thermal management, we report the detailed optical phase and temperature response of a liquid cooled SLM exposed to picosecond laser powers up to 〈P〉  =  220 W at 1064 nm. This information is critical for determining device performance at high laser powers. SLM chip temperature rose linearly with incident laser exposure, increasing by only 5 °C at 〈P〉  =  220 W incident power, measured with a thermal imaging camera. Thermal response time with continuous exposure was 1-2 s. The optical phase response with incident power approaches 2π radians with average power up to 〈P〉  =  130 W, hence the operational limit, while above this power, liquid crystal thickness variations limit phase response to just over π radians. Modelling of the thermal and phase response with exposure is also presented, supporting experimental observations well. These remarkable performance characteristics show that liquid crystal based SLM technology is highly robust when efficiently cooled. High speed, multi-beam plasmonic surface micro-structuring at a rate R  =  8 cm2 s-1 is achieved on polished metal surfaces at 〈P〉  =  25 W exposure while diffractive, multi-beam surface ablation with average power 〈P〉  =100 W on stainless steel is demonstrated with ablation rate of ~4 mm3 min-1. However, above 130 W, first order diffraction efficiency drops significantly in accord with the observed operational limit. Continuous exposure for a period of 45 min at a laser power of 〈P〉  =  160 W did not result in any detectable drop in diffraction efficiency, confirmed afterwards by the efficient parallel beam processing at 〈P〉  =  100 W. Hence, no permanent changes in SLM phase response characteristics have been detected. This research work will help to accelerate the use of liquid crystal spatial light modulators for both scientific and ultra high throughput laser-materials micro-structuring applications.

Developing a Decision Support System for Flood Response: NIMS/ICS Fundamentals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gutenson, J. L.; Zhang, X.; Ernest, A. N. S.; Oubeidillah, A.; Zhu, L.

2015-12-01

Effective response to regional disasters such as floods requires a multipronged, non-linear approach to reduce loss of life, property and harm to the environment. These coordinated response actions are typically undertaken by multiple jurisdictions, levels of government, functional agencies and other responsible entities. A successful response is highly dependent on the effectiveness and efficiency of each coordinated response action undertaken across a broad spectrum of organizations and activities. In order to provide a unified framework for those responding to incidents or planned events, FEMA provides a common and flexible approach for managing incidents, regardless of cause, size, location or complexity, referred to as the National Incident Management System (NIMS). Integral to NIMS is the Incident Command System (ICS), which establishes a common, pre-defined organizational structure to ensure coordination and management of procedures, resources and communications, for efficient incident management. While being both efficient and rigorous, NIMS, and ICS to a lesser extent, is an inherently complex framework that requires significant amount of training for planners, responders and managers to master, especially considering the wide array of incident types that Local Emergency Planning Committees (LEPCs) must be prepared to respond to. The existing Water-Wizard Decision Support System (DSS), developed to support water distribution system recovery operations for Decontamination (Decon), Operational Optimization (WDS), and Economic Consequence Assessment (Econ), is being evolved to integrate incident response functions. Water-Wizard runs on both mobile and desktop devices, and is being extended to utilize smartphone and mobile device specific data streams (e.g GPS location) to augment its fact-base in real-time for situational-aware DSS recommendations. In addition, the structured NIMS and ICS frameworks for incident management and response are being incorporated into the Water-Wizard knowledgebase, with a mid-term goal of integrating flood-specific emergency response domain knowledge to provide a real-time flood responder decision support.

Challenges in Real-Time Prediction of Infectious Disease: A Case Study of Dengue in Thailand

PubMed Central

Lauer, Stephen A.; Sakrejda, Krzysztof; Iamsirithaworn, Sopon; Hinjoy, Soawapak; Suangtho, Paphanij; Suthachana, Suthanun; Clapham, Hannah E.; Salje, Henrik; Cummings, Derek A. T.; Lessler, Justin

2016-01-01

Epidemics of communicable diseases place a huge burden on public health infrastructures across the world. Producing accurate and actionable forecasts of infectious disease incidence at short and long time scales will improve public health response to outbreaks. However, scientists and public health officials face many obstacles in trying to create such real-time forecasts of infectious disease incidence. Dengue is a mosquito-borne virus that annually infects over 400 million people worldwide. We developed a real-time forecasting model for dengue hemorrhagic fever in the 77 provinces of Thailand. We created a practical computational infrastructure that generated multi-step predictions of dengue incidence in Thai provinces every two weeks throughout 2014. These predictions show mixed performance across provinces, out-performing seasonal baseline models in over half of provinces at a 1.5 month horizon. Additionally, to assess the degree to which delays in case reporting make long-range prediction a challenging task, we compared the performance of our real-time predictions with predictions made with fully reported data. This paper provides valuable lessons for the implementation of real-time predictions in the context of public health decision making. PMID:27304062

Challenges in Real-Time Prediction of Infectious Disease: A Case Study of Dengue in Thailand.

PubMed

Reich, Nicholas G; Lauer, Stephen A; Sakrejda, Krzysztof; Iamsirithaworn, Sopon; Hinjoy, Soawapak; Suangtho, Paphanij; Suthachana, Suthanun; Clapham, Hannah E; Salje, Henrik; Cummings, Derek A T; Lessler, Justin

2016-06-01

Epidemics of communicable diseases place a huge burden on public health infrastructures across the world. Producing accurate and actionable forecasts of infectious disease incidence at short and long time scales will improve public health response to outbreaks. However, scientists and public health officials face many obstacles in trying to create such real-time forecasts of infectious disease incidence. Dengue is a mosquito-borne virus that annually infects over 400 million people worldwide. We developed a real-time forecasting model for dengue hemorrhagic fever in the 77 provinces of Thailand. We created a practical computational infrastructure that generated multi-step predictions of dengue incidence in Thai provinces every two weeks throughout 2014. These predictions show mixed performance across provinces, out-performing seasonal baseline models in over half of provinces at a 1.5 month horizon. Additionally, to assess the degree to which delays in case reporting make long-range prediction a challenging task, we compared the performance of our real-time predictions with predictions made with fully reported data. This paper provides valuable lessons for the implementation of real-time predictions in the context of public health decision making.

EAP-based critical incident stress management: utilization of a practice-based assessment of incident severity level in responding to workplace trauma.

PubMed

DeFraia, Gary S

2013-01-01

Central to the field of trauma psychology is assessment of the impact of critical incidents on individuals, as measured by individual symptoms of stress. Accordingly, the trauma literature reflects a proliferation of clinical impact of event scales. Workplace incidents however, affect not only individual employees, but also work organizations, requiring a multi-level response. Critical incident stress management (CISM) is the most prevalent multi-level incident response strategy utilized by organizations, often through specialized CISM units operating within their employee assistance programs (EAPs). While EAP-based CISM units seeks to support both individuals and organizations, studies focused on individual stress dominate the literature, mirroring assessment scales that tend to emphasize clinical as opposed to organizational practice. This research contributes to less-prevalent studies exploring incident characteristics as disruptive to organizations, rather than clinical symptoms as disruptive to individuals. To measure incident disruption, an EAP-based CISM unit developed a critical incident severity scale. By analyzing this unit's extensive practice database, this exploratory study examines how critical incident severity level varies among various types of incidents. Employing the methodology of clinical data mining, this practice-based research generates evidence-informed practice recommendations in the areas of EAP-based CISM intake assessment, organizational consultation and incident response planning.

Porcine head response to blast.

PubMed

Shridharani, Jay K; Wood, Garrett W; Panzer, Matthew B; Capehart, Bruce P; Nyein, Michelle K; Radovitzky, Raul A; Bass, Cameron R 'dale'

2012-01-01

Recent studies have shown an increase in the frequency of traumatic brain injuries related to blast exposure. However, the mechanisms that cause blast neurotrauma are unknown. Blast neurotrauma research using computational models has been one method to elucidate that response of the brain in blast, and to identify possible mechanical correlates of injury. However, model validation against experimental data is required to ensure that the model output is representative of in vivo biomechanical response. This study exposes porcine subjects to primary blast overpressures generated using a compressed-gas shock tube. Shock tube blasts were directed to the unprotected head of each animal while the lungs and thorax were protected using ballistic protective vests similar to those employed in theater. The test conditions ranged from 110 to 740 kPa peak incident overpressure with scaled durations from 1.3 to 6.9 ms and correspond approximately with a 50% injury risk for brain bleeding and apnea in a ferret model scaled to porcine exposure. Instrumentation was placed on the porcine head to measure bulk acceleration, pressure at the surface of the head, and pressure inside the cranial cavity. Immediately after the blast, 5 of the 20 animals tested were apneic. Three subjects recovered without intervention within 30 s and the remaining two recovered within 8 min following respiratory assistance and administration of the respiratory stimulant doxapram. Gross examination of the brain revealed no indication of bleeding. Intracranial pressures ranged from 80 to 390 kPa as a result of the blast and were notably lower than the shock tube reflected pressures of 300-2830 kPa, indicating pressure attenuation by the skull up to a factor of 8.4. Peak head accelerations were measured from 385 to 3845 G's and were well correlated with peak incident overpressure (R(2) = 0.90). One SD corridors for the surface pressure, intracranial pressure (ICP), and head acceleration are presented to provide experimental data for computer model validation.

Porcine Head Response to Blast

PubMed Central

Shridharani, Jay K.; Wood, Garrett W.; Panzer, Matthew B.; Capehart, Bruce P.; Nyein, Michelle K.; Radovitzky, Raul A.; Bass, Cameron R. ‘Dale’

2012-01-01

Recent studies have shown an increase in the frequency of traumatic brain injuries related to blast exposure. However, the mechanisms that cause blast neurotrauma are unknown. Blast neurotrauma research using computational models has been one method to elucidate that response of the brain in blast, and to identify possible mechanical correlates of injury. However, model validation against experimental data is required to ensure that the model output is representative of in vivo biomechanical response. This study exposes porcine subjects to primary blast overpressures generated using a compressed-gas shock tube. Shock tube blasts were directed to the unprotected head of each animal while the lungs and thorax were protected using ballistic protective vests similar to those employed in theater. The test conditions ranged from 110 to 740 kPa peak incident overpressure with scaled durations from 1.3 to 6.9 ms and correspond approximately with a 50% injury risk for brain bleeding and apnea in a ferret model scaled to porcine exposure. Instrumentation was placed on the porcine head to measure bulk acceleration, pressure at the surface of the head, and pressure inside the cranial cavity. Immediately after the blast, 5 of the 20 animals tested were apneic. Three subjects recovered without intervention within 30 s and the remaining two recovered within 8 min following respiratory assistance and administration of the respiratory stimulant doxapram. Gross examination of the brain revealed no indication of bleeding. Intracranial pressures ranged from 80 to 390 kPa as a result of the blast and were notably lower than the shock tube reflected pressures of 300–2830 kPa, indicating pressure attenuation by the skull up to a factor of 8.4. Peak head accelerations were measured from 385 to 3845 G’s and were well correlated with peak incident overpressure (R2 = 0.90). One SD corridors for the surface pressure, intracranial pressure (ICP), and head acceleration are presented to provide experimental data for computer model validation. PMID:22586417

UV protection of euglenoids: computation of the electromagnetic response

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dolinko, Andrés.; Valencia, Claudio; Skigin, Diana C.; Inchaussandague, Marina E.; Tolivia, Analía.; Conforti, Visitación

2015-06-01

Euglenoids are a group of predominantly free-living unicellular microorganisms that mostly live in freshwater bodies but can also be found in marine and brackish waters. These organisms have a characteristic that distinguishes them form the other protists: they are covered by a surface pellicle formed by S-shaped overlapping bands which resemble a diffraction grating. These microorganisms have developed numerous protection mechanisms intended to avoid or reduce the damage produced by UV radiation, such as the production of pigments and the repair mechanisms in hours of darkness and during daylight. In a recent paper we have investigated the role played by the pellicle of Euglenoids in the protection of the cell against UV radiation, by means of an electromagnetic approach based on the approximation of the pellicle profile by a one-dimensional diffraction grating. This simplified model allowed us to confirm that under certain incidence conditions, the corrugation of the pellicle helps increase the UV reflection, and consequently, diminish the UV radiation that enters the cell. In order to analyze the electromagnetic response of the whole cell, we extend two different approaches to calculate the reflected response: a simulation method especially developed to deal with complex biological structures that permits the introduction of the scattering object via an electron microscopy image, and the integral method, which has been widely used to compute the electromagnetic response of finite structures. Numerical results of near and far fields are shown.

Spectral response model for a multibin photon-counting spectral computed tomography detector and its applications.

PubMed

Liu, Xuejin; Persson, Mats; Bornefalk, Hans; Karlsson, Staffan; Xu, Cheng; Danielsson, Mats; Huber, Ben

2015-07-01

Variations among detector channels in computed tomography can lead to ring artifacts in the reconstructed images and biased estimates in projection-based material decomposition. Typically, the ring artifacts are corrected by compensation methods based on flat fielding, where transmission measurements are required for a number of material-thickness combinations. Phantoms used in these methods can be rather complex and require an extensive number of transmission measurements. Moreover, material decomposition needs knowledge of the individual response of each detector channel to account for the detector inhomogeneities. For this purpose, we have developed a spectral response model that binwise predicts the response of a multibin photon-counting detector individually for each detector channel. The spectral response model is performed in two steps. The first step employs a forward model to predict the expected numbers of photon counts, taking into account parameters such as the incident x-ray spectrum, absorption efficiency, and energy response of the detector. The second step utilizes a limited number of transmission measurements with a set of flat slabs of two absorber materials to fine-tune the model predictions, resulting in a good correspondence with the physical measurements. To verify the response model, we apply the model in two cases. First, the model is used in combination with a compensation method which requires an extensive number of transmission measurements to determine the necessary parameters. Our spectral response model successfully replaces these measurements by simulations, saving a significant amount of measurement time. Second, the spectral response model is used as the basis of the maximum likelihood approach for projection-based material decomposition. The reconstructed basis images show a good separation between the calcium-like material and the contrast agents, iodine and gadolinium. The contrast agent concentrations are reconstructed with more than 94% accuracy.

Spectral response model for a multibin photon-counting spectral computed tomography detector and its applications

PubMed Central

Liu, Xuejin; Persson, Mats; Bornefalk, Hans; Karlsson, Staffan; Xu, Cheng; Danielsson, Mats; Huber, Ben

2015-01-01

Abstract. Variations among detector channels in computed tomography can lead to ring artifacts in the reconstructed images and biased estimates in projection-based material decomposition. Typically, the ring artifacts are corrected by compensation methods based on flat fielding, where transmission measurements are required for a number of material-thickness combinations. Phantoms used in these methods can be rather complex and require an extensive number of transmission measurements. Moreover, material decomposition needs knowledge of the individual response of each detector channel to account for the detector inhomogeneities. For this purpose, we have developed a spectral response model that binwise predicts the response of a multibin photon-counting detector individually for each detector channel. The spectral response model is performed in two steps. The first step employs a forward model to predict the expected numbers of photon counts, taking into account parameters such as the incident x-ray spectrum, absorption efficiency, and energy response of the detector. The second step utilizes a limited number of transmission measurements with a set of flat slabs of two absorber materials to fine-tune the model predictions, resulting in a good correspondence with the physical measurements. To verify the response model, we apply the model in two cases. First, the model is used in combination with a compensation method which requires an extensive number of transmission measurements to determine the necessary parameters. Our spectral response model successfully replaces these measurements by simulations, saving a significant amount of measurement time. Second, the spectral response model is used as the basis of the maximum likelihood approach for projection-based material decomposition. The reconstructed basis images show a good separation between the calcium-like material and the contrast agents, iodine and gadolinium. The contrast agent concentrations are reconstructed with more than 94% accuracy. PMID:26839904

Malware Memory Analysis of the IVYL Linux Rootkit: Investigating a Publicly Available Linux Rootkit Using the Volatility Memory Analysis Framework

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-04-01

report is to examine how a computer forensic investigator/incident handler, without specialised computer memory or software reverse engineering skills ...The skills amassed by incident handlers and investigators alike while using Volatility to examine Windows memory images will be of some help...bin/pulseaudio --start --log-target=syslog 1362 1000 1000 nautilus 1366 1000 1000 /usr/lib/pulseaudio/pulse/gconf- helper 1370 1000 1000 nm-applet

NAT2, meat consumption and colorectal cancer incidence: an ecological study among 27 countries.

PubMed

Ognjanovic, Simona; Yamamoto, Jennifer; Maskarinec, Gertraud; Le Marchand, Loïc

2006-11-01

The polymorphic gene NAT2 is a major determinant of N-acetyltransferase activity and, thus, may be responsible for differences in one's ability to bioactivate heterocyclic amines, a class of procarcinogens in cooked meat. An unusually marked geographic variation in enzyme activity has been described for NAT2. The present study re-examines the international direct correlation reported for meat intake and colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence, and evaluates the potential modifying effects of NAT2 phenotype and other lifestyle factors on this correlation. Country-specific CRC incidence data, per capita consumption data for meat and other dietary factors, prevalence of the rapid/intermediate NAT2 phenotype, and prevalence of smoking for 27 countries were used. Multiple linear regression models were fit and partial correlation coefficients (PCCs) were computed for men and women separately. Inclusion of the rapid/intermediate NAT2 phenotype with meat consumption improved the fit of the regression model for CRC incidence in both sexes (males-R (2) = 0.78, compared to 0.70 for meat alone; p for difference in model fit-0.009; females-R (2) = 0.76 compared to 0.69 for meat alone; p = 0.02). Vegetable consumption (inversely and in both sexes) and fish consumption (directly and in men only) were also weakly correlated with CRC, whereas smoking prevalence and alcohol consumption had no effects on the models. The PCC between NAT2 and CRC incidence was 0.46 in males and 0.48 in females when meat consumption was included in the model, compared to 0.14 and 0.15, respectively, when it was not. These data suggest that, in combination with meat intake, some proportion of the international variability in CRC incidence may be attributable to genetic susceptibility to heterocyclic amines, as determined by NAT2 genotype.

Effectiveness Analysis of a Part-Time Rapid Response System During Operation Versus Nonoperation.

PubMed

Kim, Youlim; Lee, Dong Seon; Min, Hyunju; Choi, Yun Young; Lee, Eun Young; Song, Inae; Park, Jong Sun; Cho, Young-Jae; Jo, You Hwan; Yoon, Ho Il; Lee, Jae Ho; Lee, Choon-Taek; Do, Sang Hwan; Lee, Yeon Joo

2017-06-01

To evaluate the effect of a part-time rapid response system on the occurrence rate of cardiopulmonary arrest by comparing the times of rapid response system operation versus nonoperation. Retrospective cohort study. A 1,360-bed tertiary care hospital. Adult patients admitted to the general ward were screened. Data were collected over 36 months from rapid response system implementation (October 2012 to September 2015) and more than 45 months before rapid response system implementation (January 2009 to September 2012). None. The rapid response system operates from 7 AM to 10 PM on weekdays and from 7 AM to 12 PM on Saturdays. Primary outcomes were the difference of cardiopulmonary arrest incidence between pre-rapid response system and post-rapid response system periods and whether the rapid response system operating time affects the cardiopulmonary arrest incidence. The overall cardiopulmonary arrest incidence (per 1,000 admissions) was 1.43. Although the number of admissions per month and case-mix index were increased (3,555.18 vs 4,564.72, p < 0.001; 1.09 vs 1.13, p = 0.001, respectively), the cardiopulmonary arrest incidence was significantly decreased after rapid response system (1.60 vs 1.23; p = 0.021), and mortality (%) was unchanged (1.38 vs 1.33; p = 0.322). After rapid response system implementation, the cardiopulmonary arrest incidence significantly decreased by 40% during rapid response system operating times (0.82 vs 0.49/1,000 admissions; p = 0.001) but remained similar during rapid response system nonoperating times (0.77 vs 0.73/1,000 admissions; p = 0.729). The implementation of a part-time rapid response system reduced the cardiopulmonary arrest incidence based on the reduction of cardiopulmonary arrest during rapid response system operating times. Further analysis of the cost effectiveness of part-time rapid response system is needed.

EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAMS TRAINING IN PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS - THE SERIOUSNESS OF SERIOUS GAMES.

PubMed

Stanojevic, Vojislav; Stanojevic, Cedomirka

2016-07-01

The rapid development of multimedia technologies in the last twenty years has lead to the emergence of new ways of learning academic and professional skills, which implies the application of multimedia technology in the form of a software -" serious computer games". Three-Dimensional Virtual Worlds. The basis of this game-platform is made of the platform of three-dimensional virtual worlds that can be described as communication systems in which participants share the same three-dimensional virtual space within which they can move, manipulate objects and communicate through their graphical representatives- avatars. Medical Education and Training. Arguments in favor of these computer tools in the learning process are accessibility, repeatability, low cost, the use of attractive graphics and a high degree of adaptation to the user. Specifically designed avatars allow students to get adapted to their roles in certain situations, especially to those which are considered rare, dangerous or unethical in real life. Drilling of major incidents, which includes the need to create environments for training, cannot be done in the real world due to high costs'and necessity to utilize the extensive resources. In addition, it is impossible to engage all the necessary health personnel at the same time. New technologies intended for conducting training, which are also called "virtual worlds", make the following possible: training at all times depending on user's commitments; simultaneous simulations on multiple levels, in several areas, in different circumstances, including dozens of unique victims; repeated scenarios and learning from mistakes; rapid feedback and the development of non-technical skills which are critical for reducing errors in dynamic, high-risk environments. Virtual worlds, which should be the subject of further research and improvements, in the field of hospital emergency response training for mass casualty incidents, certainly have a promising future.

High resolution, multiple-energy linear sweep detector for x-ray imaging

DOEpatents

Perez-Mendez, Victor; Goodman, Claude A.

1996-01-01

Apparatus for generating plural electrical signals in a single scan in response to incident X-rays received from an object. Each electrical signal represents an image of the object at a different range of energies of the incident X-rays. The apparatus comprises a first X-ray detector, a second X-ray detector stacked upstream of the first X-ray detector, and an X-ray absorber stacked upstream of the first X-ray detector. The X-ray absorber provides an energy-dependent absorption of the incident X-rays before they are incident at the first X-ray detector, but provides no absorption of the incident X-rays before they are incident at the second X-ray detector. The first X-ray detector includes a linear array of first pixels, each of which produces an electrical output in response to the incident X-rays in a first range of energies. The first X-ray detector also includes a circuit that generates a first electrical signal in response to the electrical output of each of the first pixels. The second X-ray detector includes a linear array of second pixels, each of which produces an electrical output in response to the incident X-rays in a second range of energies, broader than the first range of energies. The second X-ray detector also includes a circuit that generates a second electrical signal in response to the electrical output of each of the second pixels.

High resolution, multiple-energy linear sweep detector for x-ray imaging

DOEpatents

Perez-Mendez, V.; Goodman, C.A.

1996-08-20

Apparatus is disclosed for generating plural electrical signals in a single scan in response to incident X-rays received from an object. Each electrical signal represents an image of the object at a different range of energies of the incident X-rays. The apparatus comprises a first X-ray detector, a second X-ray detector stacked upstream of the first X-ray detector, and an X-ray absorber stacked upstream of the first X-ray detector. The X-ray absorber provides an energy-dependent absorption of the incident X-rays before they are incident at the first X-ray detector, but provides no absorption of the incident X-rays before they are incident at the second X-ray detector. The first X-ray detector includes a linear array of first pixels, each of which produces an electrical output in response to the incident X-rays in a first range of energies. The first X-ray detector also includes a circuit that generates a first electrical signal in response to the electrical output of each of the first pixels. The second X-ray detector includes a linear array of second pixels, each of which produces an electrical output in response to the incident X-rays in a second range of energies, broader than the first range of energies. The second X-ray detector also includes a circuit that generates a second electrical signal in response to the electrical output of each of the second pixels. 12 figs.

Initial Progress Toward Development of a Voice-Based Computer-Delivered Motivational Intervention for Heavy Drinking College Students: An Experimental Study.

PubMed

Kahler, Christopher W; Lechner, William J; MacGlashan, James; Wray, Tyler B; Littman, Michael L

2017-06-28

Computer-delivered interventions have been shown to be effective in reducing alcohol consumption in heavy drinking college students. However, these computer-delivered interventions rely on mouse, keyboard, or touchscreen responses for interactions between the users and the computer-delivered intervention. The principles of motivational interviewing suggest that in-person interventions may be effective, in part, because they encourage individuals to think through and speak aloud their motivations for changing a health behavior, which current computer-delivered interventions do not allow. The objective of this study was to take the initial steps toward development of a voice-based computer-delivered intervention that can ask open-ended questions and respond appropriately to users' verbal responses, more closely mirroring a human-delivered motivational intervention. We developed (1) a voice-based computer-delivered intervention that was run by a human controller and that allowed participants to speak their responses to scripted prompts delivered by speech generation software and (2) a text-based computer-delivered intervention that relied on the mouse, keyboard, and computer screen for all interactions. We randomized 60 heavy drinking college students to interact with the voice-based computer-delivered intervention and 30 to interact with the text-based computer-delivered intervention and compared their ratings of the systems as well as their motivation to change drinking and their drinking behavior at 1-month follow-up. Participants reported that the voice-based computer-delivered intervention engaged positively with them in the session and delivered content in a manner consistent with motivational interviewing principles. At 1-month follow-up, participants in the voice-based computer-delivered intervention condition reported significant decreases in quantity, frequency, and problems associated with drinking, and increased perceived importance of changing drinking behaviors. In comparison to the text-based computer-delivered intervention condition, those assigned to voice-based computer-delivered intervention reported significantly fewer alcohol-related problems at the 1-month follow-up (incident rate ratio 0.60, 95% CI 0.44-0.83, P=.002). The conditions did not differ significantly on perceived importance of changing drinking or on measures of drinking quantity and frequency of heavy drinking. Results indicate that it is feasible to construct a series of open-ended questions and a bank of responses and follow-up prompts that can be used in a future fully automated voice-based computer-delivered intervention that may mirror more closely human-delivered motivational interventions to reduce drinking. Such efforts will require using advanced speech recognition capabilities and machine-learning approaches to train a program to mirror the decisions made by human controllers in the voice-based computer-delivered intervention used in this study. In addition, future studies should examine enhancements that can increase the perceived warmth and empathy of voice-based computer-delivered intervention, possibly through greater personalization, improvements in the speech generation software, and embodying the computer-delivered intervention in a physical form. ©Christopher W Kahler, William J Lechner, James MacGlashan, Tyler B Wray, Michael L Littman. Originally published in JMIR Mental Health (http://mental.jmir.org), 28.06.2017.

Age-related incidence of pineal calcification detected by computed tomography

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

Zimmerman, R.A.; Bilaniuk, L.T.

The age-related incidence of detectable pineal calcification in 725 patients (age range, newborn-20 yrs) suggests that there is a relationship between calcification and the hormonal role played by the pineal gland in the regulation of sexual development. Pineal calcification (demonstrated by computed tomography (CT) on 8-mm-thick sections) in patients less than 6 years old should be looked upon with suspicion, and follow-up CT should be considered to exclude the possible development of a pineal neoplasm.

Medical Simulation as a Vital Adjunct to Identifying Clinical Life-Threatening Gaps in Austere Environments.

PubMed

Chima, Adaora M; Koka, Rahul; Lee, Benjamin; Tran, Tina; Ogbuagu, Onyebuchi U; Nelson-Williams, Howard; Rosen, Michael; Koroma, Michael; Sampson, John B

2018-04-01

Maternal mortality and morbidity are major causes of death in low-resource countries, especially those in Sub-Saharan Africa. Healthcare workforce scarcities present in these locations result in poor perioperative care access and quality. These scarcities also limit the capacity for progressive development and enhancement of workforce training, and skills through continuing medical education. Newly available low-cost, in-situ simulation systems make it possible for a small cadre of trainers to use simulation to identify areas needing improvement and to rehearse best practice approaches, relevant to the context of target environments. Nurse anesthetists were recruited throughout Sierra Leone to participate in simulation-based obstetric anesthesia scenarios at the country's national referral maternity hospital. All subjects participated in a detailed computer assisted training program to familiarize themselves with the Universal Anesthesia Machine (UAM). An expert panel rated the morbidity/mortality risk of pre-identified critical incidents within the scenario via the Delphi process. Participant responses to critical incidents were observed during these scenarios. Participants had an obstetric anesthesia pretest and post-test as well as debrief sessions focused on reviewing the significance of critical incident responses observed during the scenario. 21 nurse anesthetists, (20% of anesthesia providers nationally) participated. Median age was 41 years and median experience practicing anesthesia was 3.5 years. Most participants (57.1%) were female, two-thirds (66.7%) performed obstetrics anesthesia daily but 57.1% had no experience using the UAM. During the simulation, participants were observed and assessed on critical incident responses for case preparation with a median score of 7 out of 13 points, anesthesia management with a median score of 10 out of 20 points and rapid sequence intubation with a median score of 3 out of 10 points. This study identified substantial risks to patient care and provides evidence to support the feasibility and value of in-situ simulation-based performance assessment for identifying critical gaps in safe anesthesia care in the low-resource settings. Further investigations may validate the impact and sustainability of simulation based training on skills transfer and retention among anesthesia providers low resource environments. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Spectral variation of high power microwave pulse propagating in a self-generated plasma

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ren, A.; Kuo, S. P.; Kossey, Paul

1995-01-01

A systematic study to understand the spectral variation of a high power microwave pulse propagating in a self-generated plasma is carried out. It includes the theoretical formulation, experimental demonstration, and computer simulations and computer experiments. The experiment of pulse propagation is conducted in a vacuum chamber filled with dry air (approximately 0.2 torr); the chamber is made of a 2 ft. cube of Plexiglas. A rectangular microwave pulse (1 microsec pulse width and 3.27 GHz carrier frequency) is fed into the cube through an S band microwave horn placed at one side of the chamber. A second S-band horn placed at the opposite side of the chamber is used to receive the transmitted pulse. The spectra of the incident pulse and transmitted pulse are then compared. As the power of the incident pulse is only slightly (less than 15%) above the breakdown threshold power of the background air, the peak of the spectrum of the transmitted pulse is upshifted from the carrier frequency 3.27 GHz of the incident pulse. However, as the power of the incident pulse exceeds the breakdown threshold power of the background air by 30%, a different phenomenon appears. The spectrum of the transmitted pulse begins to have two peaks. One is upshifted and the other one downshifted from the single peak location of the incident pulse. The amount of frequency downshift is comparable to that of the upshifted frequency. A theoretical model describing the experiment of pulse propagation in a self-generated plasma is developed. There are excellent agreements between the experimental results and computer simulations based on this theoretical model, which is also used to further carry out computer experiments identifying the role of plasma introduced wave loss on the result of frequency downshift phenomenon.

[Comparing results of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) surveillance using the French DRG-based information system (PMSI)].

PubMed

Nuemi, G; Astruc, K; Aho, S; Quantin, C

2013-10-01

The surveillance of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a national priority. The rate of MRSA infections is one of six indicators tracked by the Department of Health. Since 2002, the French institute for public health surveillance (InVS) has monitored MRSA infections to estimate incidence density. Today, the use of the French administrative database (PMSI) could facilitate this surveillance. The aim of this study was to compare MRSA incidence density computed at a national level using PMSI databases with the results from the InVS taken as the reference. PMSI databases for the years 2006 to 2009 were used. The reference results were those published by the InVS from 2006 to 2009. MRSA density defined as the number of MRSA infections recorded per year over 1000 hospital stays was computed. It was then compared with the MRSA incidence density measured by InVS. The time course of MRSA incidence in the PMSI records was modeled using a Poisson regression. The incidence density measured by the InVS was higher than the MRSA density computed using the PMSI, but this difference appeared to decrease over time. The PMSI density/InVS MRSA incidence density ratio was 0.8% in 2006 and about 9.2% in 2009. We observed inverted trends with a growing trend in MRSA density identified by the PMSI. Furthermore, the year of study was significantly associated with incidence density (P=0.01). Using PMSI data as an additional source of information in the hospital MRSA surveillance process makes it possible to detect and analyze patient repeats at the regional and national levels with linkage facilities. Estimation of incidence density for hospitals not participating to this surveillance system will be the next step. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Alert but less alarmed: a pooled analysis of terrorism threat perception in Australia.

PubMed

Stevens, Garry; Agho, Kingsley; Taylor, Melanie; Jones, Alison L; Jacobs, Jennifer; Barr, Margo; Raphael, Beverley

2011-10-12

Previous Australian research has highlighted disparities in community perceptions of the threat posed by terrorism. A study with a large sample size is needed to examine reported concerns and anticipated responses of community sub-groups and to determine their consistency with existing Australian and international findings. Representative samples of New South Wales (NSW) adults completed terrorism perception questions as part of computer assisted telephone interviews (CATI) in 2007 (N = 2081) and 2010 (N = 2038). Responses were weighted against the NSW population. Data sets from the two surveys were pooled and multivariate multilevel analyses conducted to identify health and socio-demographic factors associated with higher perceived risk of terrorism and evacuation response intentions, and to examine changes over time. In comparison with 2007, Australians in 2010 were significantly more likely to believe that a terrorist attack would occur in Australia (Adjusted Odd Ratios (AOR) = 1.24, 95%CI:1.06-1.45) but felt less concerned that they would be directly affected by such an incident (AOR = 0.65, 95%CI:0.55-0.75). Higher perceived risk of terrorism and related changes in living were associated with middle age, female gender, lower education and higher reported psychological distress. Australians of migrant background reported significantly lower likelihood of terrorism (AOR = 0.52, 95%CI:0.39-0.70) but significantly higher concern that they would be personally affected by such an incident (AOR = 1.57, 95%CI:1.21-2.04) and having made changes in the way they live due to this threat (AOR = 2.47, 95%CI:1.88-3.25). Willingness to evacuate homes and public places in response to potential incidents increased significantly between 2007 and 2010 (AOR = 1.53, 95%CI:1.33-1.76). While an increased proportion of Australians believe that the national threat of terrorism remains high, concern about being personally affected has moderated and may reflect habituation to this threat. Key sub-groups remain disproportionately concerned, notably those with lower education and migrant groups. The dissonance observed in findings relating to Australians of migrant background appears to reflect wider socio-cultural concerns associated with this issue. Disparities in community concerns regarding terrorism-related threat require active policy consideration and specific initiatives to reduce the vulnerabilities of known risk groups, particularly in the aftermath of future incidents.

Alert but less alarmed: a pooled analysis of terrorism threat perception in Australia

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Previous Australian research has highlighted disparities in community perceptions of the threat posed by terrorism. A study with a large sample size is needed to examine reported concerns and anticipated responses of community sub-groups and to determine their consistency with existing Australian and international findings. Methods Representative samples of New South Wales (NSW) adults completed terrorism perception questions as part of computer assisted telephone interviews (CATI) in 2007 (N = 2081) and 2010 (N = 2038). Responses were weighted against the NSW population. Data sets from the two surveys were pooled and multivariate multilevel analyses conducted to identify health and socio-demographic factors associated with higher perceived risk of terrorism and evacuation response intentions, and to examine changes over time. Results In comparison with 2007, Australians in 2010 were significantly more likely to believe that a terrorist attack would occur in Australia (Adjusted Odd Ratios (AOR) = 1.24, 95%CI:1.06-1.45) but felt less concerned that they would be directly affected by such an incident (AOR = 0.65, 95%CI:0.55-0.75). Higher perceived risk of terrorism and related changes in living were associated with middle age, female gender, lower education and higher reported psychological distress. Australians of migrant background reported significantly lower likelihood of terrorism (AOR = 0.52, 95%CI:0.39-0.70) but significantly higher concern that they would be personally affected by such an incident (AOR = 1.57, 95%CI:1.21-2.04) and having made changes in the way they live due to this threat (AOR = 2.47, 95%CI:1.88-3.25). Willingness to evacuate homes and public places in response to potential incidents increased significantly between 2007 and 2010 (AOR = 1.53, 95%CI:1.33-1.76). Conclusion While an increased proportion of Australians believe that the national threat of terrorism remains high, concern about being personally affected has moderated and may reflect habituation to this threat. Key sub-groups remain disproportionately concerned, notably those with lower education and migrant groups. The dissonance observed in findings relating to Australians of migrant background appears to reflect wider socio-cultural concerns associated with this issue. Disparities in community concerns regarding terrorism-related threat require active policy consideration and specific initiatives to reduce the vulnerabilities of known risk groups, particularly in the aftermath of future incidents. PMID:21992446

A stochastic multicriteria model for evidence-based decision making in drug benefit-risk analysis.

PubMed

Tervonen, Tommi; van Valkenhoef, Gert; Buskens, Erik; Hillege, Hans L; Postmus, Douwe

2011-05-30

Drug benefit-risk (BR) analysis is based on firm clinical evidence regarding various safety and efficacy outcomes. In this paper, we propose a new and more formal approach for constructing a supporting multi-criteria model that fully takes into account the evidence on efficacy and adverse drug reactions. Our approach is based on the stochastic multi-criteria acceptability analysis methodology, which allows us to compute the typical value judgments that support a decision, to quantify decision uncertainty, and to compute a comprehensive BR profile. We construct a multi-criteria model for the therapeutic group of second-generation antidepressants. We assess fluoxetine and venlafaxine together with placebo according to incidence of treatment response and three common adverse drug reactions by using data from a published study. Our model shows that there are clear trade-offs among the treatment alternatives. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Evaluation of runaway-electron effects on plasma-facing components for NET

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bolt, H.; Calén, H.

1991-03-01

Runaway electrons which are generated during disruptions can cause serious damage to plasma facing components in a next generation device like NET. A study was performed to quantify the response of NET plasma facing components to runaway-electron impact. For the determination of the energy deposition in the component materials Monte Carlo computations were performed. Since the subsurface metal structures can be strongly heated under runaway-electron impact from the computed results damage threshold values for the thermal excursions were derived. These damage thresholds are strongly dependent on the materials selection and the component design. For a carbonmolybdenum divertor with 10 and 20 mm carbon armour thickness and 1 degree electron incidence the damage thresholds are 100 MJ/m 2 and 220 MJ/m 2. The thresholds for a carbon-copper divertor under the same conditions are about 50% lower. On the first wall damage is anticipated for energy depositions above 180 MJ/m 2.

Development of a Tailored Methodology and Forensic Toolkit for Industrial Control Systems Incident Response

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-06-01

for industrial control systems ,” in Proceedings of the VDE Kongress, 2004. [15] K. Stouffer et al., “Special publication 800-82: Guide to industrial...TAILORED METHODOLOGY AND FORENSIC TOOLKIT FOR INDUSTRIAL CONTROL SYSTEMS INCIDENT RESPONSE by Nicholas B. Carr June 2014 Thesis Co...CONTROL SYSTEMS INCIDENT RESPONSE 5. FUNDING NUMBERS 6. AUTHOR(S) Nicholas B. Carr 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) Naval

Evaluating the Reliability of Emergency Response Systems for Large-Scale Incident Operations

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-01-01

for describing response performance or other reliability related measures include Kolesar et al., 1975; Chelst and Jarvis , 1979; Revelle and Hogan...Chemicals,” Journal of Hazardous Materials, Vol. 159, 2008, pp. 2–12. Mason, Steve , Final Report, Incident Name: Teris LLC Explosion and Fire, El Dorado...Arkansas, EPA Region 6, Emergency Readiness Team, Response and Prevention Branch, March 2005. Mason, Steve , Final Report, Incident Name: Union Pacific

A web-based incident reporting system and multidisciplinary collaborative projects for patient safety in a Japanese hospital

PubMed Central

Nakajima, K; Kurata, Y; Takeda, H

2005-01-01



Problem: When patient safety programs were mandated for Japanese health care institutions, a safety culture, a tool for collecting incident reports, an organizational arrangement for multidisciplinary collaboration, and interventional methods for improvement had to be established. Design: Observational study of effects of new patient safety programs. Setting: Osaka University Hospital, a large government-run teaching hospital. Strategy for change: A voluntary and anonymous web-based incident reporting system was introduced. For the new organizational structure a clinical risk management committee, a department of clinical quality management, and area clinical risk managers were established with their respective roles clearly defined to advance the plan-do-study-act cycle and to integrate efforts. For preventive action, alert procedures, staff education, ward rounds by peers, a system oriented approach for reducing errors, and various feedback channels were introduced. Effects of change: Continuous incident reporting by all hospital staff has been observed since the introduction of the new system. Several error inducing situations have been improved: wrong choice of drug in computer prescribing, maladministration of drugs due to a look-alike appearance or confusion about the manipulation of a medical device, and poor after hours service of the blood transfusion unit. Staff participation in educational seminars has been dramatically improved. Ward rounds have detected problematic procedures which needed to be dealt with. Lessons learnt: Patient safety programs based on a web-based incident reporting system, responsible persons, staff education, and a variety of feedback procedures can help promote a safety culture, multidisciplinary collaboration, and strong managerial leadership resulting in system oriented improvement. PMID:15805458

A Knowledge-based System for Estimating Incident Clearance Duration for Maryland : I-95 a Case Study for the Project of MD-17-SHA/UM/4-19 : “Development of a Traffic Management Decision Support Tool for Freeway Incident Traffic Management (FITM) Plan Deployment”

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-12-01

For the incident response operations to be appreciated by the general public, it is essential that responsible highway agencies be capable of providing the estimated clearance duration of a detected incident at the level sufficiently reliable for mot...

Numerical and Physical Modeling of the Response of Resonator Liners to Intense Sound and Grazing Flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hersh, Alan S.; Tam, Christopher

2009-01-01

Two significant advances have been made in the application of computational aeroacoustics methodology to acoustic liner technology. The first is that temperature effects for discrete sound are not the same as for broadband noise. For discrete sound, the normalized resistance appears to be insensitive to temperature except at high SPL. However, reactance is lower, significantly lower in absolute value, at high temperature. The second is the numerical investigation the acoustic performance of a liner by direct numerical simulation. Liner impedance is affected by the non-uniformity of the incident sound waves. This identifies the importance of pressure gradient. Preliminary design one and two-dimensional impedance models were developed to design sound absorbing liners in the presence of intense sound and grazing flow. The two-dimensional model offers the potential to empirically determine incident sound pressure face-plate distance from resonator orifices. This represents an important initial step in improving our understanding of how to effectively use the Dean Two-Microphone impedance measurement method.

Exploring the Development of Critical Incident Response Teams

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lockhart, Charlotte Fiona; Woods, Kevin

2017-01-01

Critical incidents, such as human or natural disasters, can have profound effects upon children and young people, and upon the adults who work with and care for them. Educational psychologists have contributed to and led the development of critical incident response teams to support those affected. This study sought to develop understanding of the…

Computer Abuse: Vandalizing the Information Society.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Furnell, Steven M.; Warren, Matthew J.

1997-01-01

Computing and telecommunications, key to an information-based society, are increasingly targets for criminals and mischief makers. This article examines the effects of malicious computer abuse: hacking and viruses, highlights the apparent increase in incidents, and examines their effect on public perceptions of technology. Presents broad…

Information sharing for traffic incident management.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-01-01

Traffic incident management focuses on developing procedures, implementing policies, and deploying technologies to more quickly identify incidents, improve response times, and more effectively and efficiently manage the incident scene. Because so man...

A FORTRAN program for calculating nonlinear seismic ground response

USGS Publications Warehouse

Joyner, William B.

1977-01-01

The program described here was designed for calculating the nonlinear seismic response of a system of horizontal soil layers underlain by a semi-infinite elastic medium representing bedrock. Excitation is a vertically incident shear wave in the underlying medium. The nonlinear hysteretic behavior of the soil is represented by a model consisting of simple linear springs and Coulomb friction elements arranged as shown. A boundary condition is used which takes account of finite rigidity in the elastic substratum. The computations are performed by an explicit finite-difference scheme that proceeds step by step in space and time. A brief program description is provided here with instructions for preparing the input and a source listing. A more detailed discussion of the method is presented elsewhere as is the description of a different program employing implicit integration.

Thermal and orbital analysis of Earth monitoring Sun-synchronous space experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Killough, Brian D.

1990-01-01

The fundamentals of an Earth monitoring Sun-synchronous orbit are presented. A Sun-synchronous Orbit Analysis Program (SOAP) was developed to calculate orbital parameters for an entire year. The output from this program provides the required input data for the TRASYS thermal radiation computer code, which in turn computes the infrared, solar and Earth albedo heat fluxes incident on a space experiment. Direct incident heat fluxes can be used as input to a generalized thermal analyzer program to size radiators and predict instrument operating temperatures. The SOAP computer code and its application to the thermal analysis methodology presented, should prove useful to the thermal engineer during the design phases of Earth monitoring Sun-synchronous space experiments.

Piezoelectric T-matrix approach and multiple scattering of electroacoustic waves in thin plates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Darabi, Amir; Ruzzene, Massimo; Leamy, Michael J.

2017-12-01

Metamaterial-enhanced harvesting (MEH) of wave energy in thin plates and other structures has appeared recently for powering small sensors and devices. To support continued MEH concept development, this paper proposes a fully coupled T-matrix formulation for analyzing scattering of incident wave energy from a piezoelectric patch attached to a thin plate. More generally, the T-matrix represents an input-output relationship between incident and reflected waves from inclusions in a host layer, and is introduced herein for a piezoelectric patch connected to an external circuit. The utility of a T-matrix formalism is most apparent in scenarios employing multiple piezoelectric harvesters, where it can be re-used with other T-matrices (such as those previously formulated for rigid, void, and elastic inclusions) in a multiple scattering context to compute the total wavefield and other response quantities, such as harvested power. Following development of the requisite T-matrix, harvesting in an example funnel-shaped metamaterial waveguide structure is predicted using the multiple scattering approach. Enhanced wave energy harvesting predictions are verified through comparisons to experimental results of a funnel-shaped waveguide formed by placing rigid aluminum inclusions in, and multiple piezoelectric harvesters on, a Lexan plate. Good agreement with predicted response quantities is noted.

Noncontact Measurement Of Shaft Speed, Torque, And Power

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Madzsar, George C.

1993-01-01

Noncontact fiber-optic sensor and associated electronic equipment measure twist and speed of rotation of shaft. Measurements determine torque and power. Response of sensor remains linear even at cryogenic temperatures. Reflective strips on rotating shaft reflect two series of light pulses back into optical system. Bidirectional coupler in each of two optical fiber paths separates reflected light from incident light, sending it to photodiode for output to analog-to-digital converter and computer. Sensor requires no slip rings or telemetry to transfer signals from shaft. Well suited for providing data on performances of turbopumps for such cryogenic fluids as liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen.

Single-Event Upset (SEU) model verification and threshold determination using heavy ions in a bipolar static RAM

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zoutendyk, J. A.; Smith, L. S.; Soli, G. A.; Thieberger, P.; Wegner, H. E.

1985-01-01

Single-Event Upset (SEU) response of a bipolar low-power Schottky-diode-clamped TTL static RAM has been observed using Br ions in the 100-240 MeV energy range and O ions in the 20-100 MeV range. These data complete the experimental verification of circuit-simulation SEU modeling for this device. The threshold for onset of SEU has been observed by the variation of energy, ion species and angle of incidence. The results obtained from the computer circuit-simulation modeling and experimental model verification demonstrate a viable methodology for modeling SEU in bipolar integrated circuits.

Work-related health disorders among Saudi computer users.

PubMed

Jomoah, Ibrahim M

2014-01-01

The present study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders and eye and vision complaints among the computer users of King Abdulaziz University (KAU), Saudi Arabian Airlines (SAUDIA), and Saudi Telecom Company (STC). Stratified random samples of the work stations and operators at each of the studied institutions were selected and the ergonomics of the work stations were assessed and the operators' health complaints were investigated. The average ergonomic score of the studied work station at STC, KAU, and SAUDIA was 81.5%, 73.3%, and 70.3, respectively. Most of the examined operators use computers daily for ≤ 7 hours, yet they had some average incidences of general complaints (e.g., headache, body fatigue, and lack of concentration) and relatively high level of incidences of eye and vision complaints and musculoskeletal complaints. The incidences of the complaints have been found to increase with the (a) decrease in work station ergonomic score, (b) progress of age and duration of employment, (c) smoking, (d) use of computers, (e) lack of work satisfaction, and (f) history of operators' previous ailments. It has been recommended to improve the ergonomics of the work stations, set up training programs, and conduct preplacement and periodical examinations for operators.

Work-Related Health Disorders among Saudi Computer Users

PubMed Central

Jomoah, Ibrahim M.

2014-01-01

The present study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders and eye and vision complaints among the computer users of King Abdulaziz University (KAU), Saudi Arabian Airlines (SAUDIA), and Saudi Telecom Company (STC). Stratified random samples of the work stations and operators at each of the studied institutions were selected and the ergonomics of the work stations were assessed and the operators' health complaints were investigated. The average ergonomic score of the studied work station at STC, KAU, and SAUDIA was 81.5%, 73.3%, and 70.3, respectively. Most of the examined operators use computers daily for ≤ 7 hours, yet they had some average incidences of general complaints (e.g., headache, body fatigue, and lack of concentration) and relatively high level of incidences of eye and vision complaints and musculoskeletal complaints. The incidences of the complaints have been found to increase with the (a) decrease in work station ergonomic score, (b) progress of age and duration of employment, (c) smoking, (d) use of computers, (e) lack of work satisfaction, and (f) history of operators' previous ailments. It has been recommended to improve the ergonomics of the work stations, set up training programs, and conduct preplacement and periodical examinations for operators. PMID:25383379

75 FR 75911 - Adjustment of Monetary Threshold for Reporting Rail Equipment Accidents/Incidents for Calendar...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-07

...This rule increases the rail equipment accident/incident reporting threshold from $9,200 to $9,400 for certain railroad accidents/incidents involving property damage that occur during calendar year 2011. This action is needed to ensure that FRA's reporting requirements reflect cost increases that have occurred since the reporting threshold was last computed in December of 2009.

Pushing, pulling and electromagnetic radiation force cloaking by a pair of conducting cylindrical particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mitri, F. G.

2018-02-01

The present analysis shows that two conducting cylindrical particles illuminated by an axially-polarized electric field of plane progressive waves at arbitrary incidence will attract, repel or become totally cloaked (i.e., invisible to the transfer of linear momentum carried by the incident waves), depending on their sizes, the interparticle distance as well as the angle of incidence of the incident field. Based on the rigorous multipole expansion method and the translational addition theorem of cylindrical wave functions, the electromagnetic (EM) radiation forces arising from multiple scattering effects between a pair of perfectly conducting cylindrical particles of circular cross-sections are derived and computed. An effective incident field on a particular particle is determined first, and used subsequently with its corresponding scattered field to derive the closed-form analytical expressions for the radiation force vector components. The mathematical expressions for the EM radiation force components (i.e. longitudinal and transverse) are exact, and have been formulated in partial-wave series expansions in cylindrical coordinates involving the angle of incidence, the interparticle distance and the expansion coefficients. Numerical examples illustrate the analysis for two perfectly conducting circular cylinders in a homogeneous nonmagnetic medium of wave propagation. The computations for the dimensionless radiation force functions are performed with particular emphasis on varying the angle of incidence, the interparticle distance, and the sizes of the particles. Depending on the interparticle distance and angle of incidence, the cylinders yield total neutrality (or invisibility); they experience no force and become unresponsive to the transfer of the EM linear momentum due to multiple scattering cancellation effects. Moreover, pushing or pulling EM forces between the two cylinders arise depending on the interparticle distance, the angle of incidence and their size parameters. This study provides a complete analytical method and computations for the longitudinal and transverse radiation force components in the multiple scattering of EM plane progressive waves with potential applications in particle manipulation, optically-engineered metamaterials with reconfigurable periodicities and cloaking devices to name a few examples.

48 CFR 252.204-7012 - Safeguarding of unclassified controlled technical information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

.... Cyber incident means actions taken through the use of computer networks that result in an actual or... printed within an information system. Technical information means technical data or computer software, as..., catalog-item identifications, data sets, studies and analyses and related information, and computer...

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

NSTec Environmental Restoration

Homeland Security Presidential Directive HSPD-5 requires all federal departments and agencies to adopt a National Incident Management System (NIMS)/Incident Command System (ICS) and use it in their individual domestic incident management and emergency prevention, preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation programs and activities, as well as in support of those actions taken to assist state and local entities. This system provides a consistent nationwide template to enable federal, state, local, and tribal governments, private-sector, and nongovernmental organizations to work together effectively and efficiently to prepare for, prevent, respond to, and recover from domestic incidents, regardless of cause, size, or complexity, includingmore » acts of catastrophic terrorism. This document identifies the operational concepts of the Federal Radiological Monitoring and Assessment Center's (FRMAC) implementation of the NIMS/ICS response structure under the National Response Plan (NRP). The construct identified here defines the basic response template to be tailored to the incident-specific response requirements. FRMAC's mission to facilitate interagency environmental data management, monitoring, sampling, analysis, and assessment and link this information to the planning and decision staff clearly places the FRMAC in the Planning Section. FRMAC is not a mitigating resource for radiological contamination but is present to conduct radiological impact assessment for public dose avoidance. Field monitoring is a fact-finding mission to support this effort directly. Decisions based on the assessed data will drive public protection and operational requirements. This organizational structure under NIMS is focused by the mission responsibilities and interface requirements following the premise to provide emergency responders with a flexible yet standardized structure for incident response activities. The coordination responsibilities outlined in the NRP are based on the NIMS/ICS construct and Unified Command (UC) for management of a domestic incident. The NRP Nuclear/Radiological Incident Annex (NUC) further provides requirements and protocols for coordinating federal government capabilities to respond to nuclear/radiological Incidents of National Significance (INS) and other radiological incidents. When a FRMAC is established, it operates under the parameters of NIMS as defined in the NRP. FRMAC and its operations have been modified to reflect NIMS/ICS concepts and principles and to facilitate working in a Unified Command structure. FRMAC is established at or near the scene of the incident to coordinate radiological monitoring and assessment and is established in coordination with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS); the coordinating agency; other federal agencies; and state, local, and tribal authorities. However, regardless of the coordinating agency designation, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) coordinates radiological monitoring and assessment activities for the initial phases of the offsite federal incident response through the Radiological Assistance Program (RAP) and FRMAC assets. Monitoring and assessment data are managed by FRMAC in an accountable, secure, and retrievable format. Monitoring data interpretations, including exposure rate contours, dose projections, and any requested radiological assessments are to be provided to the DHS; to the coordinating agency; and to state, local, and tribal government agencies.« less

New York integrated incident management system evaluation project final report

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2007-03-23

The Integrated Incident Management System (IIMS) enables incident response personnel to transmit data about an incident to other responders and dispatchers on a real-time basis. When an incident is entered into IIMS, the system uses GPS to identify t...

Radiation Modeling for the Reentry of the Hayabusa Sample Return Capsule

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Winter, Michael W.; McDaniel, Ryan D.; Chen, Yih-Kang; Liu, Yen; Saunders, David; Jenniskens, Petrus

2011-01-01

Predicted shock-layer emission signatures of the Japanese Hayabusa capsule during its reentry are presented for comparison with flight measurements made during an airborne observation mission using NASA s DC-8 Airborne Laboratory. For each altitude, lines of sight were extracted from flow field solutions computed using an inhouse high-fidelity CFD code, DPLR, at 11 points along the flight trajectory of the capsule. These lines of sight were used as inputs for the line-by-line radiation code NEQAIR, and emission spectra of the air plasma were computed in the wavelength range from 300 nm to 1600 nm, a range which covers all of the different experiments onboard the DC-8. In addition, the computed flow field solutions were post-processed with the material thermal response code FIAT, and the resulting surface temperatures of the heat shield were used to generate thermal emission spectra based on Planck radiation. Both spectra were summed and integrated over the flow field. The resulting emission at each trajectory point was propagated to the DC-8 position and transformed into incident irradiance. Comparisons with experimental data are shown.

14 CFR 91.1021 - Internal safety reporting and incident/accident response.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

.../accident response. 91.1021 Section 91.1021 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (CONTINUED) AIR TRAFFIC AND GENERAL OPERATING RULES GENERAL OPERATING AND FLIGHT... incident/accident response. (a) Each program manager must establish an internal anonymous safety reporting...

I-35w incident management and impact of incidents on freeway operations. Final report, 1976-1979

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

Lari, A.; Christianson, D.; Porter, S.

1982-01-01

I-35W and I-94 Traffic Management System have been in operation since 1974. As of December 1979, the TMS operation included six principal functional subsystems. These are (1) a 24 camera closed circuit television network (2) 38 ramp meter signals, (3) eleven express bus and/or carpool meter bypass ramps, (4) a motorist information program including changeable message signs, lane control signals, highway advisory radio and a traffic grade information sign, (5) the Traffic Management Center and (6) an incident detection and response program. The purpose of this study was twofold: first, available incident records accumulated on the TMS were analyzed tomore » develop a comprehensive view of the types and quantities of incidents that have occurred. Second, the incident data base and companion volume and occupancy data was used to determine the impact of 'typical' incidents and the impact of the total incident problem. Included in the report is an analysis of incident types detected, mode of incident detection, duration of incidents, and incident response activities.« less

Real-time incident detection using social media data.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-05-09

The effectiveness of traditional incident detection is often limited by sparse sensor coverage, and reporting incidents to emergency response systems : is labor-intensive. This research project mines tweet texts to extract incident information on bot...

42 CFR 73.9 - Responsible Official.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... SELECT AGENTS AND TOXINS § 73.9 Responsible Official. (a) An individual or entity required to register... onsite incidents involving select agents and toxins in accordance with the entity's incident response... toxins are stored or used in order to determine compliance with the requirements of this part. The...

42 CFR 73.9 - Responsible Official.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... SELECT AGENTS AND TOXINS § 73.9 Responsible Official. (a) An individual or entity required to register... onsite incidents involving select agents and toxins in accordance with the entity's incident response... toxins are stored or used in order to determine compliance with the requirements of this part. The...

Broadband multiple responses of surface modes in quasicrystalline plasmonic structure

PubMed Central

Yuan, Haiming; Jiang, Xiangqian; Huang, Feng; Sun, Xiudong

2016-01-01

We numerically study the multiple excitation of surface modes in 2D photonic quasicrystal/metal/substrate structure. An improved rigorous coupled wave analysis method that can handle the quasicrystalline structure is presented. The quasicrystalline lattice, which refers to Penrose tiling in this paper, is generated by the cut-and-project method. The normal incidence spectrum presents a broadband multiple responses property. We find that the phase matching condition determines the excitation frequency for a given incident angle, while the depth of the reflection valley depends on the incident polarization. The modes will split into several sub-modes at oblique incidence, which give rise to the appearance of more responses on the spectrum. PMID:27492782

Principles of hospital disaster management: an integrated and multidisciplinary approach.

PubMed

Hendrickx, C; Hoker, S D; Michiels, G; Sabbe, M B

Principles of hospital disaster management: an integrated and multidisciplinary approach. Hospitals play an important role during a disaster response, and are also at risk for internal incidents. We propose an integrated and multidisciplinary approach towards hospital disaster management and preparedness. In addition to response strategies, much attention is given to risk assessment and preparedness in the pre-incident phase and to business continuity planning (BCP) in the post-incident phase. It is essential to train key players and all personnel to understand the Hospital Incident Management System (HIMS) and to perform specific emergency procedures. All emergency procedures should be grounded in evidence-based practice resulting from essential disaster response research.

A Polarization-Dependent Normal Incident Quantum Cascade Detector Enhanced Via Metamaterial Resonators.

PubMed

Wang, Lei; Zhai, Shen-Qiang; Wang, Feng-Jiao; Liu, Jun-Qi; Liu, Shu-Man; Zhuo, Ning; Zhang, Chuan-Jin; Wang, Li-Jun; Liu, Feng-Qi; Wang, Zhan-Guo

2016-12-01

The design, fabrication, and characterization of a polarization-dependent normal incident quantum cascade detector coupled via complementary split-ring metamaterial resonators in the infrared regime are presented. The metamaterial structure is designed through three-dimensional finite-difference time-domain method and fabricated on the top metal contact, which forms a double-metal waveguide together with the metallic ground plane. With normal incidence, significant enhancements of photocurrent response are obtained at the metamaterial resonances compared with the 45° polished edge coupling device. The photocurrent response enhancements exhibit clearly polarization dependence, and the largest response enhancement factor of 165% is gained for the incident light polarized parallel to the split-ring gap.

Background studies in gas ionizing x ray detectors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eldridge, Hudson B.

1989-01-01

The background response of a gas ionizing proportional x ray detector is estimated by solving the one dimensional photon transport equation for two regions using Monte Carlo techniques. The solution was effected using the SSL VAX 780 and the CRAY XMP computers at Marshall Space Flight Center. The isotropic photon energy spectrum encompassing the range from 1 to 1000 KeV incident onto the first region, the shield, is taken so as to represent the measured spectrum at an altitude of 3 mb over Palastine, Texas. The differential energy spectrum deposited in the gas region, xenon, over the range of 0 to 100 KeV is written to an output file. In addition, the photon flux emerging from the shield region, tin, over the range of 1 to 1000 KeV is also tabulated and written to a separate file. Published tabular cross sections for photoelectric, elastic and inelastic Compton scattering as well as the total absorption coefficient are used. Histories of each incident photon as well as secondary photons from Compton and photoelectric interactions are followed until the photon either is absorbed or exits from the regions under consideration. The effect of shielding thickness upon the energy spectrum deposited in the xenon region for this background spectrum incident upon the tin shield was studied.

Experiment and application of soft x-ray grazing incidence optical scattering phenomena

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Shuyan; Li, Cheng; Zhang, Yang; Su, Liping; Geng, Tao; Li, Kun

2017-08-01

For short wavelength imaging systems，surface scattering effects is one of important factors degrading imaging performance. Study of non-intuitive surface scatter effects resulting from practical optical fabrication tolerances is a necessary work for optical performance evaluation of high resolution short wavelength imaging systems. In this paper, Soft X-ray optical scattering distribution is measured by a soft X-ray reflectometer installed by my lab, for different sample mirrors、wavelength and grazing angle. Then aim at space solar telescope, combining these scattered light distributions, and surface scattering numerical model of grazing incidence imaging system, PSF and encircled energy of optical system of space solar telescope are computed. We can conclude that surface scattering severely degrade imaging performance of grazing incidence systems through analysis and computation.

Techniques and software tools for estimating ultrasonic signal-to-noise ratios

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiou, Chien-Ping; Margetan, Frank J.; McKillip, Matthew; Engle, Brady J.; Roberts, Ronald A.

2016-02-01

At Iowa State University's Center for Nondestructive Evaluation (ISU CNDE), the use of models to simulate ultrasonic inspections has played a key role in R&D efforts for over 30 years. To this end a series of wave propagation models, flaw response models, and microstructural backscatter models have been developed to address inspection problems of interest. One use of the combined models is the estimation of signal-to-noise ratios (S/N) in circumstances where backscatter from the microstructure (grain noise) acts to mask sonic echoes from internal defects. Such S/N models have been used in the past to address questions of inspection optimization and reliability. Under the sponsorship of the National Science Foundation's Industry/University Cooperative Research Center at ISU, an effort was recently initiated to improve existing research-grade software by adding graphical user interface (GUI) to become user friendly tools for the rapid estimation of S/N for ultrasonic inspections of metals. The software combines: (1) a Python-based GUI for specifying an inspection scenario and displaying results; and (2) a Fortran-based engine for computing defect signal and backscattered grain noise characteristics. The latter makes use of several models including: the Multi-Gaussian Beam Model for computing sonic fields radiated by commercial transducers; the Thompson-Gray Model for the response from an internal defect; the Independent Scatterer Model for backscattered grain noise; and the Stanke-Kino Unified Model for attenuation. The initial emphasis was on reformulating the research-grade code into a suitable modular form, adding the graphical user interface and performing computations rapidly and robustly. Thus the initial inspection problem being addressed is relatively simple. A normal-incidence pulse/echo immersion inspection is simulated for a curved metal component having a non-uniform microstructure, specifically an equiaxed, untextured microstructure in which the average grain size may vary with depth. The defect may be a flat-bottomed-hole reference reflector, a spherical void or a spherical inclusion. In future generations of the software, microstructures and defect types will be generalized and oblique incidence inspections will be treated as well. This paper provides an overview of the modeling approach and presents illustrative results output by the first-generation software.

Imagination, Intuition, and Computing in School Algebra.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kieren, Thomas E.; Olson, Alton T.

1989-01-01

Two incidents involving novice teachers with classes in grades 7 and 10 are presented. Then considered are the nature of intuitive mathematics and contributions computers can make to such intuitive mathematics, particularly in Algebra. (MNS)

Development of Medical Technology for Contingency Response to Marrow Toxic Agents

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-01-27

participated in the following activities supporting the Radiation Injury Treatment Network: o He was a featured speaker on the response to the Fukushima ...... Daiichi nuclear power plant incident a manuscript in preparation for Lancet on response to radiation incidents o He assisted with the 2011 update of

Public Health Response Systems In-Action: Learning from Local Health Departments’ Experiences with Acute and Emergency Incidents

PubMed Central

Hunter, Jennifer C.; Yang, Jane E.; Crawley, Adam W.; Biesiadecki, Laura; Aragón, Tomás J.

2013-01-01

As part of their core mission, public health agencies attend to a wide range of disease and health threats, including those that require routine, acute, and emergency responses. While each incident is unique, the number and type of response activities are finite; therefore, through comparative analysis, we can learn about commonalities in the response patterns that could improve predictions and expectations regarding the resources and capabilities required to respond to future acute events. In this study, we interviewed representatives from more than 120 local health departments regarding their recent experiences with real-world acute public health incidents, such as infectious disease outbreaks, severe weather events, chemical spills, and bioterrorism threats. We collected highly structured data on key aspects of the incident and the public health response, particularly focusing on the public health activities initiated and community partners engaged in the response efforts. As a result, we are able to make comparisons across event types, create response profiles, and identify functional and structural response patterns that have import for future public health preparedness and response. Our study contributes to clarifying the complexity of public health response systems and our analysis reveals the ways in which these systems are adaptive to the character of the threat, resulting in differential activation of functions and partners based on the type of incident. Continued and rigorous examination of the experiences of health departments throughout the nation will refine our very understanding of what the public health response system is, will enable the identification of organizational and event inputs to performance, and will allow for the construction of rich, relevant, and practical models of response operations that can be employed to strengthen public health systems. PMID:24236137

Psychological Trauma in the Workplace: Variation of Incident Severity among Industry Settings and between Recurring vs Isolated Incidents.

PubMed

DeFraia, G S

2015-07-01

Psychologically traumatic workplace events (known as critical incidents) occur within various work environments, with workgroups in certain industries vulnerable to multiple incidents. With the increasing prevalence of incidents in the USA, incident response is a growing practice area within occupational medicine, industrial psychology, occupational social work and other occupational health professions. To analyze a measure of incident severity based on level of disruption to the workplace and explore whether incident severity varied among different industry settings or between workgroups experiencing multiple vs single traumatic incidents. Administrative data mining was employed to examine practice data from a workplace trauma response unit in the USA. Bivariate analyses were conducted to test whether scores from an instrument measuring incident severity level varied among industry settings or between workgroups impacted by multiple vs isolated events. Incident severity level differed among various industry settings. Banks, retail stores and fast food restaurants accounted for the most severe incidents, while industrial and manufacturing sites reported less severe incidents. Workgroups experiencing multiple incidents reported more severe incidents than workgroups experiencing a single incident. Occupational health practitioners should be alert to industry differences in several areas: pre-incident resiliency training, the content of business recovery plans, assessing worker characteristics, strategies to assist continuous operations and assisting workgroups impacted by multiple or severe incidents.

Traffic incident management in hazardous materials spills in incident clearance.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-01-01

Hazardous materials spills provide unique challenges to traffic incident clearance. When hazardous materials are present, not only do response personnel have to deal with typical traffic incident issues, they also must deal with potential chemical ha...

Improving Situational Awareness for First Responders via Mobile Computing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Betts, Bradley J.; Mah, Robert W.; Papasin, Richard; Del Mundo, Rommel; McIntosh, Dawn M.; Jorgensen, Charles

2006-01-01

This project looks to improve first responder incident command, and an appropriately managed flow of situational awareness using mobile computing techniques. The prototype system combines wireless communication, real-time location determination, digital imaging, and three-dimensional graphics. Responder locations are tracked in an outdoor environment via GPS and uploaded to a central server via GPRS or an 802. II network. Responders can also wireless share digital images and text reports, both with other responders and with the incident commander. A pre-built three dimensional graphics model of the emergency scene is used to visualize responder and report locations. Responders have a choice of information end points, ranging from programmable cellular phones to tablet computers. The system also employs location-aware computing to make responders aware of particular hazards as they approach them. The prototype was developed in conjunction with the NASA Ames Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team and has undergone field testing during responder exercises at NASA Ames.

Surgical resource utilization in urban terrorist bombing: a computer simulation.

PubMed

Hirshberg, A; Stein, M; Walden, R

1999-09-01

The objective of this study was to analyze the utilization of surgical staff and facilities during an urban terrorist bombing incident. A discrete-event computer model of the emergency room and related hospital facilities was constructed and implemented, based on cumulated data from 12 urban terrorist bombing incidents in Israel. The simulation predicts that the admitting capacity of the hospital depends primarily on the number of available surgeons and defines an optimal staff profile for surgeons, residents, and trauma nurses. The major bottlenecks in the flow of critical casualties are the shock rooms and the computed tomographic scanner but not the operating rooms. The simulation also defines the number of reinforcement staff needed to treat noncritical casualties and shows that radiology is the major obstacle to the flow of these patients. Computer simulation is an important new tool for the optimization of surgical service elements for a multiple-casualty situation.

Post-event reviews: Using a quantitative approach for analysing incident response to demonstrate the value of business continuity programmes and increase planning efficiency.

PubMed

Vaidyanathan, Karthik

2017-01-01

Business continuity management is often thought of as a proactive planning process for minimising impact from large-scale incidents and disasters. While this is true, and it is critical to plan for the worst, consistently validating plan effectiveness against smaller disruptions can enable an organisation to gain key insights about its business continuity readiness, drive programme improvements, reduce costs and provide an opportunity to quantitatively demonstrate the value of the programme to management. This paper describes a post mortem framework which is used as a continuous improvement mechanism for tracking, reviewing and learning from real-world events at Microsoft Customer Service & Support. This approach was developed and adopted because conducting regular business continuity exercises proved difficult and expensive in a complex and distributed operations environment with high availability requirements. Using a quantitative approach to measure response to incidents, and categorising outcomes based on such responses, enables business continuity teams to provide data-driven insights to leadership, change perceptions of incident root cause, and instil a higher level of confidence towards disaster response readiness and incident management. The scope of the framework discussed here is specific to reviewing and driving improvements from operational incidents. However, the concept can be extended to learning and evolving readiness plans for other types of incidents.

Patterns of clinical response to PSA elevation in American Indian/Alaska Native men: a multi-center pilot study.

PubMed

Tilburt, Jon C; Koller, Kathryn; Tiesinga, James J; Wilson, Robin T; Trinh, Anne C; Hill, Kristin; Hall, Ingrid J; Smith, Judith Lee; Ekwueme, Donatus U; Petersen, Wesley O

2013-11-01

To assess clinical treatment patterns and response times among American Indian/Alaska Native men with a newly elevated PSA. We retrospectively identified men ages 50-80 receiving care in one of three tribally-operated clinics in Northern Minnesota, one medical center in Alaska, and who had an incident PSA elevation (> 4 ng/ml) in a specified time period. A clinical response was considered timely if it was documented as occurring within 90 days of the incident PSA elevation. Among 82 AI/AN men identified from medical records with an incident PSA elevation, 49 (60%) received a timely clinical response, while 18 (22%) had no documented clinical response. One in five AI/AN men in our study had no documented clinical action following an incident PSA elevation. Although a pilot study, these findings suggest the need to improve the documentation, notification, and care following an elevated PSA at clinics serving AI/AN men.

Text mining to decipher free-response consumer complaints: insights from the NHTSA vehicle owner's complaint database.

PubMed

Ghazizadeh, Mahtab; McDonald, Anthony D; Lee, John D

2014-09-01

This study applies text mining to extract clusters of vehicle problems and associated trends from free-response data in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's vehicle owner's complaint database. As the automotive industry adopts new technologies, it is important to systematically assess the effect of these changes on traffic safety. Driving simulators, naturalistic driving data, and crash databases all contribute to a better understanding of how drivers respond to changing vehicle technology, but other approaches, such as automated analysis of incident reports, are needed. Free-response data from incidents representing two severity levels (fatal incidents and incidents involving injury) were analyzed using a text mining approach: latent semantic analysis (LSA). LSA and hierarchical clustering identified clusters of complaints for each severity level, which were compared and analyzed across time. Cluster analysis identified eight clusters of fatal incidents and six clusters of incidents involving injury. Comparisons showed that although the airbag clusters across the two severity levels have the same most frequent terms, the circumstances around the incidents differ. The time trends show clear increases in complaints surrounding the Ford/Firestone tire recall and the Toyota unintended acceleration recall. Increases in complaints may be partially driven by these recall announcements and the associated media attention. Text mining can reveal useful information from free-response databases that would otherwise be prohibitively time-consuming and difficult to summarize manually. Text mining can extend human analysis capabilities for large free-response databases to support earlier detection of problems and more timely safety interventions.

Enhanced care team response to incidents involving major trauma at night: are helicopters the answer?

PubMed

McQueen, Carl; Nutbeam, Tim; Crombie, Nick; Lecky, Fiona; Lawrence, Thomas; Hathaway, Karen; Wheaton, Steve

2015-07-01

Challenges exist in how to deliver enhanced care to patients suffering severe injury in geographically remote areas within regionalised trauma networks at night. The physician led Enhanced Care Teams (ECTs) in the West Midlands region of England do not currently utilise helicopters to respond to incidents at night. This study describes this remote trauma workload at night within the regional network in terms of incident location; injury profile and patient care needs and discusses various solutions to the delivery of ECTs to such incidents, including the need for helicopter based platforms. We present a retrospective analysis of incidents involving Major Trauma occurring in the West Midlands Regional Trauma Network in England over a one year period (1st April 2012 until the 31st March 2013). Anonymised patient records from the Trauma Audit and Research Network (TARN) for patients that had been conveyed to hospital by ambulance/air ambulance were cross-referenced with the West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (WMAS) Computer Assisted Dispatch (CAD) archive for the same period. Data were abstracted from the combined dataset relating to injury severity (ISS/ICU admission/death at scene or as inpatient); ECT resource activations/scene attendances; incident location and the need for enhanced level care. A total of 603 incidents involving Major Trauma were identified during night time hours. Enhanced Care Team resources attended scene in 167 cases (27.7%). Of the incidents not attended by an ECT 179 (41.1%) were due to falls and 91 (20.9%) involved a 'Road Traffic Collision'. A total of 36 incidents (6.0% of total at night) occurred in locations identified as being greater than 45min by road from the nearest major trauma centre. In these cases 13 patients had enhanced care needs that could not be addressed at scene by the attending ambulance service personnel. There is limited evidence to support the need for night HEMS operations in the West Midlands regional trauma network. The potential role of night HEMS in other regional trauma networks in England requires further evaluation with specific reference to the incidence of Major Trauma and efficiency of existing road based systems. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Teachers' Responses to Bullying Incidents: Effects of Teacher Characteristics and Contexts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yoon, Jina; Sulkowski, Michael L.; Bauman, Sheri A.

2016-01-01

School is a critical context of bullying. This study investigated teacher responses to bullying incidents and the effects of individual and contextual variables on these responses. Participating teachers (N = 236) viewed streaming video vignettes depicting physical, verbal, and relational bullying and reported how they would respond to bullies and…

SCINFUL: A Monte Carlo based computer program to determine a scintillator full energy response to neutron detection for E/sub n/ between 0. 1 and 80 MeV: User's manual and FORTRAN program listing

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

Dickens, J.K.

1988-03-01

This document provides a complete listing of the FORTRAN progran SCINFUL, a program designed to provide a calculated full response anticipated for either an NE-213 (liquid) scintillator or an NE-110 (solid) scintillator. The incident design neutron energy range is 0.1 to 80 MeV. Preparation of input to the program is discussed as are important features of the output. Also included is a FORTRAN listing of a subsidiary program applicable to the output of SCINFUL. This user-interactive program is named SCINSPEC from which the output of SCINFUL may be reformatted into a standard spectrum form involving either equal light-unit or equalmore » protran-energy intervals. Examples of input to this program and corresponding output are given.« less

Solid Cancer Incidence in the Techa River Incidence Cohort: 1956-2007.

PubMed

Davis, F G; Yu, K L; Preston, D; Epifanova, S; Degteva, M; Akleyev, A V

2015-07-01

Previously reported studies of the Techa River Cohort have established associations between radiation dose and the occurrence of solid cancers and leukemia (non-CLL) that appear to be linear in dose response. These analyses include 17,435 cohort members alive and not known to have had cancer prior to January 1, 1956 who lived in areas near the river or Chelyabinsk City at some time between 1956 and the end of 2007, utilized individualized dose estimates computed using the Techa River Dosimetry System 2009 and included five more years of follow-up. The median and mean dose estimates based on these doses are consistently higher than those based on earlier Techa River Dosimetry System 2000 dose estimates. This article includes new site-specific cancer risk estimates and risk estimates adjusted for available information on smoking. There is a statistically significant (P = 0.02) linear trend in the smoking-adjusted all-solid cancer incidence risks with an excess relative risk (ERR) after exposure to 100 mGy of 0.077 with a 95% confidence interval of 0.013-0.15. Examination of site-specific risks revealed statistically significant radiation dose effects only for cancers of the esophagus and uterus with an ERR per 100 mGy estimates in excess of 0.10. Esophageal cancer risk estimates were modified by ethnicity and sex, but not smoking. While the solid cancer rates are attenuated when esophageal cancer is removed (ERR = 0.063 per 100 mGy), a dose-response relationship is present and it remains likely that radiation exposure has increased the risks for most solid cancers in the cohort despite the lack of power to detect statistically significant risks for specific sites.

40 CFR 1611.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 32 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Definitions. 1611.2 Section 1611.2... PROCEEDINGS § 1611.2 Definitions. CSB incident report means the report containing the CSB's determinations, including the probable cause of an incident, issued either as a narrative report or in a computer format...

40 CFR 1611.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 34 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Definitions. 1611.2 Section 1611.2... PROCEEDINGS § 1611.2 Definitions. CSB incident report means the report containing the CSB's determinations, including the probable cause of an incident, issued either as a narrative report or in a computer format...

40 CFR 1611.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 33 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Definitions. 1611.2 Section 1611.2... PROCEEDINGS § 1611.2 Definitions. CSB incident report means the report containing the CSB's determinations, including the probable cause of an incident, issued either as a narrative report or in a computer format...

40 CFR 1611.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 34 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Definitions. 1611.2 Section 1611.2... PROCEEDINGS § 1611.2 Definitions. CSB incident report means the report containing the CSB's determinations, including the probable cause of an incident, issued either as a narrative report or in a computer format...

40 CFR 1611.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 33 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Definitions. 1611.2 Section 1611.2... PROCEEDINGS § 1611.2 Definitions. CSB incident report means the report containing the CSB's determinations, including the probable cause of an incident, issued either as a narrative report or in a computer format...

The Vacuous Rhetoric of Diversity: Exploring How Institutional Responses to National Racial Incidences Effect Faculty of Color Perceptions of University Commitment to Diversity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Squire, Dian

2017-01-01

Recent news cycles have illuminated the disparate, racialized experiences of Black people in the United States but university leadership responses have been reactionary, or worse non-responsive. This study examines how university responses to national racial incidences such as the police brutality affect how faculty of color in one discipline…

Transient electromagnetic scattering by a radially uniaxial dielectric sphere: Debye series, Mie series and ray tracing methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yazdani, Mohsen

Transient electromagnetic scattering by a radially uniaxial dielectric sphere is explored using three well-known methods: Debye series, Mie series, and ray tracing theory. In the first approach, the general solutions for the impulse and step responses of a uniaxial sphere are evaluated using the inverse Laplace transformation of the generalized Mie series solution. Following high frequency scattering solution of a large uniaxial sphere, the Mie series summation is split into the high frequency (HF) and low frequency terms where the HF term is replaced by its asymptotic expression allowing a significant reduction in computation time of the numerical Bromwich integral. In the second approach, the generalized Debye series for a radially uniaxial dielectric sphere is introduced and the Mie series coefficients are replaced by their equivalent Debye series formulations. The results are then applied to examine the transient response of each individual Debye term allowing the identification of impulse returns in the transient response of the uniaxial sphere. In the third approach, the ray tracing theory in a uniaxial sphere is investigated to evaluate the propagation path as well as the arrival time of the ordinary and extraordinary returns in the transient response of the uniaxial sphere. This is achieved by extracting the reflection and transmission angles of a plane wave obliquely incident on the radially oriented air-uniaxial and uniaxial-air boundaries, and expressing the phase velocities as well as the refractive indices of the ordinary and extraordinary waves in terms of the incident angle, optic axis and propagation direction. The results indicate a satisfactory agreement between Debye series, Mie series and ray tracing methods.

The poison center role in biological and chemical terrorism.

PubMed

Krenzelok, E P; Allswede, M P; Mrvos, R

2000-10-01

Nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) terrorism countermeasures are a major priority with municipalities, healthcare providers, and the federal government. Significant resources are being invested to enhance civilian domestic preparedness by conducting education at every response level in anticipation of a NBC terroristic incident. The key to a successful response, in addition to education, is integration of efforts as well as thorough communication and understanding the role that each agency would play in an actual or impending NBC incident. In anticipation of a NBC event, a regional counter-terrorism task force was established to identify resources, establish responsibilities and coordinate the response to NBC terrorism. Members of the task force included first responders, hazmat, law enforcement (local, regional, national), government officials, the health department, and the regional poison information center. Response protocols were developed and education was conducted, culminating in all members of the response task force becoming certified NBC instructors. The poison center participated actively in 3 incidents of suspected biologic and chemical terrorism: an alleged anthrax-contaminated letter sent to a women's health clinic; a possible sarin gas release in a high school: and a potential anthrax/ebola contamination incident at an international airport. All incidents were determined hoaxes. The regional response plan establishes the poison information center as a common repository for all cases in a biological or chemical incident. The poison center is one of several critical components of a regional counterterrorism response force. It can conduct active and passive toxicosurveillance and identify sentinel events. To be responsive, the poison center staff must be knowledgeable about biological and chemical agents. The development of basic protocols and a standardized staff education program is essential. The use of the RaPiD-T (R-recognition, P-protection, D-detection, T-triage/treatment) course can provide basic staff education for responding to this important but rare consultation to the poison center.

SU-E-T-472: Improvement of IMRT QA Passing Rate by Correcting Angular Dependence of MatriXX

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

Chen, Q; Watkins, W; Kim, T

2015-06-15

Purpose: Multi-channel planar detector arrays utilized for IMRT-QA, such as the MatriXX, exhibit an incident-beam angular dependent response which can Result in false-positive gamma-based QA results, especially for helical tomotherapy plans which encompass the full range of beam angles. Although MatriXX can use with gantry angle sensor to provide automatically angular correction, this sensor does not work with tomotherapy. The purpose of the study is to reduce IMRT-QA false-positives by correcting for the MatriXX angular dependence. Methods: MatriXX angular dependence was characterized by comparing multiple fixed-angle irradiation measurements with corresponding TPS computed doses. For 81 Tomo-helical IMRT-QA measurements, two differentmore » correction schemes were tested: (1) A Monte-Carlo dose engine was used to compute MatriXX signal based on the angular-response curve. The computed signal was then compared with measurement. (2) Uncorrected computed signal was compared with measurements uniformly scaled to account for the average angular dependence. Three scaling factor (+2%, +2.5%, +3%) were tested. Results: The MatriXX response is 8% less than predicted for a PA beam even when the couch is fully accounted for. Without angular correction, only 67% of the cases pass the >90% points γ<1 (3%, 3mm). After full angular correction, 96% of the cases pass the criteria. Of three scaling factors, +2% gave the highest passing rate (89%), which is still less than the full angular correction method. With a stricter γ(2%,3mm) criteria, the full angular correction method was still able to achieve the 90% passing rate while the scaling method only gives 53% passing rate. Conclusion: Correction for the MatriXX angular dependence reduced the false-positives rate of our IMRT-QA process. It is necessary to correct for the angular dependence to achieve the IMRT passing criteria specified in TG129.« less

Volunteered Cloud Computing for Disaster Management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Evans, J. D.; Hao, W.; Chettri, S. R.

2014-12-01

Disaster management relies increasingly on interpreting earth observations and running numerical models; which require significant computing capacity - usually on short notice and at irregular intervals. Peak computing demand during event detection, hazard assessment, or incident response may exceed agency budgets; however some of it can be met through volunteered computing, which distributes subtasks to participating computers via the Internet. This approach has enabled large projects in mathematics, basic science, and climate research to harness the slack computing capacity of thousands of desktop computers. This capacity is likely to diminish as desktops give way to battery-powered mobile devices (laptops, smartphones, tablets) in the consumer market; but as cloud computing becomes commonplace, it may offer significant slack capacity -- if its users are given an easy, trustworthy mechanism for participating. Such a "volunteered cloud computing" mechanism would also offer several advantages over traditional volunteered computing: tasks distributed within a cloud have fewer bandwidth limitations; granular billing mechanisms allow small slices of "interstitial" computing at no marginal cost; and virtual storage volumes allow in-depth, reversible machine reconfiguration. Volunteered cloud computing is especially suitable for "embarrassingly parallel" tasks, including ones requiring large data volumes: examples in disaster management include near-real-time image interpretation, pattern / trend detection, or large model ensembles. In the context of a major disaster, we estimate that cloud users (if suitably informed) might volunteer hundreds to thousands of CPU cores across a large provider such as Amazon Web Services. To explore this potential, we are building a volunteered cloud computing platform and targeting it to a disaster management context. Using a lightweight, fault-tolerant network protocol, this platform helps cloud users join parallel computing projects; automates reconfiguration of their virtual machines; ensures accountability for donated computing; and optimizes the use of "interstitial" computing. Initial applications include fire detection from multispectral satellite imagery and flood risk mapping through hydrological simulations.

Information technology and emergency response

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1997-12-01

This document reports on a study of the application of information technology to emergency response for hazardous materials incidents. Focus is on the information needs of first responders, i.e., those who are first on the site of an incident. The re...

Zero-inflated spatio-temporal models for disease mapping.

PubMed

Torabi, Mahmoud

2017-05-01

In this paper, our aim is to analyze geographical and temporal variability of disease incidence when spatio-temporal count data have excess zeros. To that end, we consider random effects in zero-inflated Poisson models to investigate geographical and temporal patterns of disease incidence. Spatio-temporal models that employ conditionally autoregressive smoothing across the spatial dimension and B-spline smoothing over the temporal dimension are proposed. The analysis of these complex models is computationally difficult from the frequentist perspective. On the other hand, the advent of the Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm has made the Bayesian analysis of complex models computationally convenient. Recently developed data cloning method provides a frequentist approach to mixed models that is also computationally convenient. We propose to use data cloning, which yields to maximum likelihood estimation, to conduct frequentist analysis of zero-inflated spatio-temporal modeling of disease incidence. One of the advantages of the data cloning approach is that the prediction and corresponding standard errors (or prediction intervals) of smoothing disease incidence over space and time is easily obtained. We illustrate our approach using a real dataset of monthly children asthma visits to hospital in the province of Manitoba, Canada, during the period April 2006 to March 2010. Performance of our approach is also evaluated through a simulation study. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Computational strategies for the Riemann zeta function

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borwein, Jonathan M.; Bradley, David M.; Crandall, Richard E.

2000-09-01

We provide a compendium of evaluation methods for the Riemann zeta function, presenting formulae ranging from historical attempts to recently found convergent series to curious oddities old and new. We concentrate primarily on practical computational issues, such issues depending on the domain of the argument, the desired speed of computation, and the incidence of what we call "value recycling".

Improving Emergency Response and Human-Robotic Performance

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

David I. Gertman; David J. Bruemmer; R. Scott Hartley

2007-08-01

Preparedness for chemical, biological, and radiological/nuclear incidents at nuclear power plants (NPPs) includes the deployment of well trained emergency response teams. While teams are expected to do well, data from other domains suggests that the timeliness and accuracy associated with incident response can be improved through collaborative human-robotic interaction. Many incident response scenarios call for multiple, complex procedure-based activities performed by personnel wearing cumbersome personal protective equipment (PPE) and operating under high levels of stress and workload. While robotic assistance is postulated to reduce workload and exposure, limitations associated with communications and the robot’s ability to act independently have servedmore » to limit reliability and reduce our potential to exploit human –robotic interaction and efficacy of response. Recent work at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) on expanding robot capability has the potential to improve human-system response during disaster management and recovery. Specifically, increasing the range of higher level robot behaviors such as autonomous navigation and mapping, evolving new abstractions for sensor and control data, and developing metaphors for operator control have the potential to improve state-of-the-art in incident response. This paper discusses these issues and reports on experiments underway intelligence residing on the robot to enhance emergency response.« less

Report: Improvements Needed in CSB’s Identity and Access Management and Incident Response Security Functions

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Report #18-P-0030, October 30, 2017. Weaknesses in the Identity and Access Management and Incident Response metric domains leave the CSB vulnerable to attacks occurring and not being detected in a timely manner.

Review and enhancement of CHART operations to maximize the benefit of incident response and management.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-07-01

This project was focused on identifying potential areas for Marylands Coordinated Highway : Action Response Team (CHART) to enhance its incident management efficiency and to maximize the : resulting benefits under existing resource constraints. Us...

Ground and Helicopter Emergency Medical Services Time Tradeoffs Assessed with Geographic Information.

PubMed

Widener, Michael J; Ginsberg, Zac; Schleith, Daniel; Floccare, Douglas J; Hirshon, Jon Mark; Galvagno, Samuel

2015-07-01

We describe how geographic information systems (GIS) can be used to assess and compare estimated transport time for helicopter and ground emergency medical services. Recent research shows that while the odds of a trauma patient's survival increase with helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS), they may not increase to the extent necessary to make HEMS cost effective. This study offers an analytic tool to objectively quantify the patient travel time advantage that HEMS offers compared to ground emergency medical services (GEMS). Using helicopter dispatch data from the Maryland State Police from 2000-2011, we computed transport time estimates for HEMS and GEMS, compare these results to a reference transport time of 60 min, and use geospatial interpolation to extrapolate the total response times for each mode across the study region. Mapping the region's trauma incidents and modeling response times, our findings indicate the GIS framework for calculating transportation time tradeoffs is useful in identifying which areas can be better served by HEMS or GEMS. The use of GIS and the analytical methodology described in this study present a method to compare transportation by air and ground in the prehospital setting that accounts for how mode, distance, and road infrastructure impact total transport time. Whether used to generate regional maps in advance or applied real-time, the presented framework provides a tool to identify earlier incident locations that favor HEMS over GEMS transport modes.

Characterizing the risk of infection from Mycobacterium tuberculosis in commercial passenger aircraft using quantitative microbial risk assessment.

PubMed

Jones, Rachael M; Masago, Yoshifumi; Bartrand, Timothy; Haas, Charles N; Nicas, Mark; Rose, Joan B

2009-03-01

Quantitative microbial risk assessment was used to predict the likelihood and spatial organization of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) transmission in a commercial aircraft. Passenger exposure was predicted via a multizone Markov model in four scenarios: seated or moving infectious passengers and with or without filtration of recirculated cabin air. The traditional exponential (k = 1) and a new exponential (k = 0.0218) dose-response function were used to compute infection risk. Emission variability was included by Monte Carlo simulation. Infection risks were higher nearer and aft of the source; steady state airborne concentration levels were not attained. Expected incidence was low to moderate, with the central 95% ranging from 10(-6) to 10(-1) per 169 passengers in the four scenarios. Emission rates used were low compared to measurements from active TB patients in wards, thus a "superspreader" emitting 44 quanta/h could produce 6.2 cases or more under these scenarios. Use of respiratory protection by the infectious source and/or susceptible passengers reduced infection incidence up to one order of magnitude.

A spectral domain method for remotely probing stratified media

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schaubert, D. H.; Mittra, R.

1977-01-01

The problem of remotely probing a stratified, lossless, dielectric medium is formulated using the spectral domain method of probing. The response of the medium to a spectrum of plane waves incident at various angles is used to invert the unknown profile. For TE polarization, the electric field satisfies a Helmholtz equation. The inverse problem is solved by means of a new representation for the wave function. The principal step in this inversion is solving a second kind Fredholm equation which is very amenable to numerical computations. Several examples are presented including some which indicate that the method can be used with experimentally obtained data. When the fields exhibit a surface wave behavior, a unique inversion can be obtained only if information about the magnetic field is also available. In this case, the inversion is accomplished by a two-step procedure which employs a formula of Jost and Kohn. Some examples are presented, and an approach which greatly shortens the computations without greatly deteriorating the results is discussed.

Oblique wave trapping by vertical permeable membrane barriers located near a wall

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koley, Santanu; Sahoo, Trilochan

2017-12-01

The effectiveness of a vertical partial flexible porous membrane wave barrier located near a rigid vertical impermeable seawall for trapping obliquely incident surface gravity waves are analyzed in water of uniform depth under the assumption of linear water wave theory and small amplitude membrane barrier response. From the general formulation of the submerged membrane barrier, results for bottom-standing and surface-piercing barriers are computed and analyzed in special cases. Using the eigenfunction expansion method, the boundary-value problems are converted into series relations and then the required unknowns are obtained using the least squares approximation method. Various physical quantities of interests like reflection coefficient, wave energy dissipation, wave forces acting on the membrane barrier and the seawall are computed and analyzed for different values of the wave and structural parameters. The study will be useful in the design of the membrane wave barrier for the creation of tranquility zone in the lee side of the barrier to protect the seawall.

Practice-Based Research: Ex Post Facto Evaluation of Evidence-Based Police Practices Implemented in Residential Burglary Micro-Time Hot Spots.

PubMed

Santos, Roberto G; Santos, Rachel Boba

2015-10-01

Police agencies around the country are implementing various strategies to reduce crime in their communities that need to be evaluated. These strategies are often based on systematic crime analysis and are focused on crime occurring in hot spots, which are areas of disproportionate amounts of crime. This article takes a practice-based research approach to evaluate whether evidence-based police strategies implemented by one police agency as its normal everyday crime reduction practice are effective in reducing residential burglary incidents in micro-time hot spots. A quasi-experimental ex post facto design is employed using 5 years of data from one police agency that has institutionalized the identification and response to micro-time hot spots into its day-to-day practices. Propensity score matching is used to match 54 pairs of micro-time hot spots using logistic regression to compute the propensity scores and greedy 1 to 1 matching with a caliper width of 0.5 of the standard deviation of the logit to match the cases. Independent t-tests show that tactical police response to micro-time hot spots can lead to significant reductions in residential burglary incidents without the spatial displacement of crime. Tactical police responses that seek to achieve short-term reductions in crime appear to be well suited for micro-time hot spots since they are, by nature, short term. Importantly, the conclusions are based on the evaluation of an agency's systematic implementation of the evidence-based practices as its normal practices and not for the sake of research. © The Author(s) 2015.

How Readability and Topic Incidence Relate to Performance on Mathematics Story Problems in Computer-Based Curricula

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walkington, Candace; Clinton, Virginia; Ritter, Steven N.; Nathan, Mitchell J.

2015-01-01

Solving mathematics story problems requires text comprehension skills. However, previous studies have found few connections between traditional measures of text readability and performance on story problems. We hypothesized that recently developed measures of readability and topic incidence measured by text-mining tools may illuminate associations…

Reflection characterization of nano-sized dielectric structure in Morpho butterfly wings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Dong

2017-10-01

Morpho butterflies living in Central and South America are well-known for their structural-colored blue wings. The blue coloring originates from the interaction of light with nano-sized dielectric structures that are equipped on the external surface of scales covering over their wings. The high-accuracy nonstandard finite-difference time domain (NS-FDTD) method is used to investigate the reflection characterization from the nanostructures. In the NS-FDTD calculation, a computational model is built to mimic the actual tree-like multilayered structures wherever possible using the hyperbolic tangent functions. It is generally known that both multilayer interference and diffraction grating phenomena can occur when light enters the nano-sized multilayered structure. To answer the question that which phenomenon is mainly responsible for the blue coloring, the NS-FDTD calculation is performed under various incidence angles at wavelengths from 360 to 500 nm. The calculated results at one incident wavelength under different incidence angles are visualized in a two-dimensional mapping image, where horizontal and vertical axes are incidence and reflection angles, respectively. The images demonstrate a remarkable transition from a ring-like pattern at shorter wavelengths to a retro-reflection pattern at longer wavelengths. To clarify the origin of the pattern transition, the model is separated into several simpler parts and compared their mapping images with the theoretical diffraction calculations. It can be concluded that the blue coloring at longer wavelengths is mainly caused by the cooperation of multilayer interference and retro-reflection while the effect of diffraction grating is predominant at shorter wavelengths.

40 CFR 1042.115 - Other requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 32 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Other requirements. 1042.115 Section 1042.115 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR POLLUTION CONTROLS...). (3) The onboard computer log must record in nonvolatile computer memory all incidents of engine...

Integration of the incident command system (ICS) protocol for effective coordination of multi-agency response to traffic incidents : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-06-13

In recent years, there has been an increased focus on Traffic Incident Management (TIM) and : incorporation of the Incident Command System (ICS) to reduce traffic congestion on the nation's : Interstates. In fact, studies show that for every minute a...

76 FR 24901 - Privacy Act of 1974; Department of Homeland Security United States Coast Guard-DHS/USCG-002...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-03

.... USCG Critical Incident Stress Management-related records: Work-Life staff, Peers, Incident commander... leadership personnel regarding alleged work place violence incidents; USCG Critical Incident Stress... Work-Life Offices who are responsible for providing services for the related programs described above...

The role of mobile computed tomography in mass fatality incidents.

PubMed

Rutty, Guy N; Robinson, Claire E; BouHaidar, Ralph; Jeffery, Amanda J; Morgan, Bruno

2007-11-01

Mobile multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) scanners are potentially available to temporary mortuaries and can be operational within 20 min of arrival. We describe, to our knowledge, the first use of mobile MDCT for a mass fatality incident. A mobile MDCT scanner attended the disaster mortuary after a five vehicle road traffic incident. Five out of six bodies were successfully imaged by MDCT in c. 15 min per body. Subsequent full radiological analysis took c. 1 h per case. The results were compared to the autopsy examinations. We discuss the advantages and disadvantages of imaging with mobile MDCT in relation to mass fatality work, illustrating the body pathway process, and its role in the identification of the pathology, personal effects, and health and safety hazards. We propose that the adoption of a single modality of mobile MDCT could replace the current use of multiple radiological sources within a mass fatality mortuary.

Thin film ferroelectric electro-optic memory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thakoor, Sarita (Inventor); Thakoor, Anilkumar P. (Inventor)

1993-01-01

An electrically programmable, optically readable data or memory cell is configured from a thin film of ferroelectric material, such as PZT, sandwiched between a transparent top electrode and a bottom electrode. The output photoresponse, which may be a photocurrent or photo-emf, is a function of the product of the remanent polarization from a previously applied polarization voltage and the incident light intensity. The cell is useful for analog and digital data storage as well as opto-electric computing. The optical read operation is non-destructive of the remanent polarization. The cell provides a method for computing the product of stored data and incident optical data by applying an electrical signal to store data by polarizing the thin film ferroelectric material, and then applying an intensity modulated optical signal incident onto the thin film material to generate a photoresponse therein related to the product of the electrical and optical signals.

Varied incidence of immediate adverse reactions to low-osmolar non-ionic iodide radiocontrast media used in computed tomography.

PubMed

Kim, S R; Lee, J H; Park, K H; Park, H J; Park, J W

2017-01-01

Low-osmolar non-ionic radiocontrast media (RCMs) are commonly used throughout hospitals. However, the incidence of immediate adverse drug reactions (ADRs) to various low-osmolar non-ionic RCMs is not well studied. We compared the incidence of immediate ADRs among different low-osmolar non-ionic RCMs used in computed tomography (CT). Severance Hospital has collected data for adverse reactions occurring in-hospital using an internally developed system. Using this data, we reviewed 1969 immediate ADRs from 286 087 RCM-contrasted CT examinations of 142 099 patients and compared the immediate ADRs of iobitridol, iohexol, iopamidol, and iopromide. We analysed the incidence of immediate ADRs to different RCMs, as well as the effect of single or multiple CT examinations per day. Iopromide showed the highest incidence of immediate ADRs (1.03%) and was followed by iopamidol (0.67%), iohexol (0.64%), and iobitridol (0.34%). In cases of anaphylaxis, iopromide also showed the highest incidence (0.041%), followed by iopamidol (0.023%), iohexol (0.018%), and iobitridol (0.012%). Risk of immediate ADR due to multiple CT examinations (1.19%) was significantly higher than the risk due to a single CT examination (0.63%). Risk of anaphylaxis was also higher for multiple CT examinations (0.052%) than for a single CT examination (0.020%). The incidence of immediate ADRs varied according to the low-osmolar non-ionic RCM used. Iopromide-induced immediate ADRs were more frequent, while iobitridol was associated with fewer immediate ADRs than other RCMs. Multiple CT examinations per day resulted in a higher incidence of immediate ADRs and anaphylaxis than a single CT examination. Clinicians should consider these risk differences of immediate ADRs when prescribing contrasted CT examinations. © 2016 The Authors. Clinical & Experimental Allergy Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Strategies for Improved Hospital Response to Mass Casualty Incidents.

PubMed

TariVerdi, Mersedeh; Miller-Hooks, Elise; Kirsch, Thomas

2018-03-19

Mass casualty incidents are a concern in many urban areas. A community's ability to cope with such events depends on the capacities and capabilities of its hospitals for handling a sudden surge in demand of patients with resource-intensive and specialized medical needs. This paper uses a whole-hospital simulation model to replicate medical staff, resources, and space for the purpose of investigating hospital responsiveness to mass casualty incidents. It provides details of probable demand patterns of different mass casualty incident types in terms of patient categories and arrival patterns, and accounts for related transient system behavior over the response period. Using the layout of a typical urban hospital, it investigates a hospital's capacity and capability to handle mass casualty incidents of various sizes with various characteristics, and assesses the effectiveness of designed demand management and capacity-expansion strategies. Average performance improvements gained through capacity-expansion strategies are quantified and best response actions are identified. Capacity-expansion strategies were found to have superadditive benefits when combined. In fact, an acceptable service level could be achieved by implementing only 2 to 3 of the 9 studied enhancement strategies. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2018;page 1 of 13).

The incidence and location of prostatic calculi on noncontrast computed tomography images in patients with renal calculi.

PubMed

Balasar, Mehmet; Poyraz, Necdet; Göğer, Yunus Emre; Unal, Yunus; Pişkin, Mehmet Mesut

2015-08-01

In this study, the incidence and location of prostatic calculi on noncontrast abdominal computed tomography (NCACT) images of patients with and without renal stones were investigated. Between 2006 and 2013, NCACT images were taken of 133 patients treated for renal stones (Group I) and of 100 age-matched control patients with putative urinary stone disease (Group II) in our clinic. The incidence and location of prostatic calculi on these images were determined. The location of prostatic calculus was classified as type A if they were located in the main prostatic ducts, and type B if they were located outside the ducts. Prostatic calculi were present in 44.4% of patients in Group I and 21.0% of patients in Group II. The incidence of prostatic calculi was significantly higher in patients with urinary stones compared with those without (P<0.001). The location of prostatic calculi in Group I included 74.6% type A and 25.4% type B while in Group II the locations were 76.2% type A and 23.8% type B. The incidence of prostatic calculi is more prevalent in patients with renal stones. On NCACT images, prostatic calculi were mostly detected in the main prostatic ducts, which were defined as type A.

7 CFR 331.14 - Incident response. 6

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 5 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Incident response. 6 331.14 Section 331.14 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE...; (5) Personnel roles and lines of authority and communication; (6) Planning and coordination with...

An optimized computational method for determining the beta dose distribution using a multiple-element thermoluminescent dosimeter system.

PubMed

Shen, L; Levine, S H; Catchen, G L

1987-07-01

This paper describes an optimization method for determining the beta dose distribution in tissue, and it describes the associated testing and verification. The method uses electron transport theory and optimization techniques to analyze the responses of a three-element thermoluminescent dosimeter (TLD) system. Specifically, the method determines the effective beta energy distribution incident on the dosimeter system, and thus the system performs as a beta spectrometer. Electron transport theory provides the mathematical model for performing the optimization calculation. In this calculation, parameters are determined that produce calculated doses for each of the chip/absorber components in the three-element TLD system. The resulting optimized parameters describe an effective incident beta distribution. This method can be used to determine the beta dose specifically at 7 mg X cm-2 or at any depth of interest. The doses at 7 mg X cm-2 in tissue determined by this method are compared to those experimentally determined using an extrapolation chamber. For a great variety of pure beta sources having different incident beta energy distributions, good agreement is found. The results are also compared to those produced by a commonly used empirical algorithm. Although the optimization method produces somewhat better results, the advantage of the optimization method is that its performance is not sensitive to the specific method of calibration.

Police Response to Children Present at Domestic Violence Incidents.

PubMed

Swerin, Danielle D; Bostaph, Lisa Growette; King, Laura L; Gillespie, Lane Kirkland

2018-01-01

Police response to domestic violence (DV) has continued to change and expand over the past several decades. Although DV was originally considered a private matter, it now represents one of the most common calls for service received by police agencies. While police response to DV incidents has improved substantially, intervention when children are present remains an undeveloped area of research and practice. The present study examined 345 police reports from an agency in the Northwestern United States to explore police response to DV incidents when children are present. Regression analyses indicated that child presence was a statistically significant predictor of victim-directed intervention, victim-directed follow-up, and arrest although in differing directions. While child presence increased the odds of victim-directed intervention and victim-directed follow-up, it decreased the odds of arrest. Findings further indicated that the frequency of police interaction with children present at DV incidents was minimal. Based on these findings, recommendations for policy and practice are discussed.

Use of Transition Modeling to Enable the Computation of Losses for Variable-Speed Power Turbine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ameri, Ali A.

2012-01-01

To investigate the penalties associated with using a variable speed power turbine (VSPT) in a rotorcraft capable of vertical takeoff and landing, various analysis tools are required. Such analysis tools must be able to model the flow accurately within the operating envelope of VSPT. For power turbines low Reynolds numbers and a wide range of the incidence angles, positive and negative, due to the variation in the shaft speed at relatively fixed corrected flows, characterize this envelope. The flow in the turbine passage is expected to be transitional and separated at high incidence. The turbulence model of Walters and Leylek was implemented in the NASA Glenn-HT code to enable a more accurate analysis of such flows. Two-dimensional heat transfer predictions of flat plate flow and two-dimensional and three-dimensional heat transfer predictions on a turbine blade were performed and reported herein. Heat transfer computations were performed because it is a good marker for transition. The final goal is to be able to compute the aerodynamic losses. Armed with the new transition model, total pressure losses for three-dimensional flow of an Energy Efficient Engine (E3) tip section cascade for a range of incidence angles were computed in anticipation of the experimental data. The results obtained form a loss bucket for the chosen blade.

Receive Mode Analysis and Design of Microstrip Reflectarrays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rengarajan, Sembiam

2011-01-01

Traditionally microstrip or printed reflectarrays are designed using the transmit mode technique. In this method, the size of each printed element is chosen so as to provide the required value of the reflection phase such that a collimated beam results along a given direction. The reflection phase of each printed element is approximated using an infinite array model. The infinite array model is an excellent engineering approximation for a large microstrip array since the size or orientation of elements exhibits a slow spatial variation. In this model, the reflection phase from a given printed element is approximated by that of an infinite array of elements of the same size and orientation when illuminated by a local plane wave. Thus the reflection phase is a function of the size (or orientation) of the element, the elevation and azimuth angles of incidence of a local plane wave, and polarization. Typically, one computes the reflection phase of the infinite array as a function of several parameters such as size/orientation, elevation and azimuth angles of incidence, and in some cases for vertical and horizontal polarization. The design requires the selection of the size/orientation of the printed element to realize the required phase by interpolating or curve fitting all the computed data. This is a substantially complicated problem, especially in applications requiring a computationally intensive commercial code to determine the reflection phase. In dual polarization applications requiring rectangular patches, one needs to determine the reflection phase as a function of five parameters (dimensions of the rectangular patch, elevation and azimuth angles of incidence, and polarization). This is an extremely complex problem. The new method employs the reciprocity principle and reaction concept, two well-known concepts in electromagnetics to derive the receive mode analysis and design techniques. In the "receive mode design" technique, the reflection phase is computed for a plane wave incident on the reflectarray from the direction of the beam peak. In antenna applications with a single collimated beam, this method is extremely simple since all printed elements see the same angles of incidence. Thus the number of parameters is reduced by two when compared to the transmit mode design. The reflection phase computation as a function of five parameters in the rectangular patch array discussed previously is reduced to a computational problem with three parameters in the receive mode. Furthermore, if the beam peak is in the broadside direction, the receive mode design is polarization independent and the reflection phase computation is a function of two parameters only. For a square patch array, it is a function of the size, one parameter only, thus making it extremely simple.

Experimental analysis of bidirectional reflectance distribution function cross section conversion term in direction cosine space.

PubMed

Butler, Samuel D; Nauyoks, Stephen E; Marciniak, Michael A

2015-06-01

Of the many classes of bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) models, two popular classes of models are the microfacet model and the linear systems diffraction model. The microfacet model has the benefit of speed and simplicity, as it uses geometric optics approximations, while linear systems theory uses a diffraction approach to compute the BRDF, at the expense of greater computational complexity. In this Letter, nongrazing BRDF measurements of rough and polished surface-reflecting materials at multiple incident angles are scaled by the microfacet cross section conversion term, but in the linear systems direction cosine space, resulting in great alignment of BRDF data at various incident angles in this space. This results in a predictive BRDF model for surface-reflecting materials at nongrazing angles, while avoiding some of the computational complexities in the linear systems diffraction model.

Parallel computation of fluid-structural interactions using high resolution upwind schemes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Zongjun

An efficient and accurate solver is developed to simulate the non-linear fluid-structural interactions in turbomachinery flutter flows. A new low diffusion E-CUSP scheme, Zha CUSP scheme, is developed to improve the efficiency and accuracy of the inviscid flux computation. The 3D unsteady Navier-Stokes equations with the Baldwin-Lomax turbulence model are solved using the finite volume method with the dual-time stepping scheme. The linearized equations are solved with Gauss-Seidel line iterations. The parallel computation is implemented using MPI protocol. The solver is validated with 2D cases for its turbulence modeling, parallel computation and unsteady calculation. The Zha CUSP scheme is validated with 2D cases, including a supersonic flat plate boundary layer, a transonic converging-diverging nozzle and a transonic inlet diffuser. The Zha CUSP2 scheme is tested with 3D cases, including a circular-to-rectangular nozzle, a subsonic compressor cascade and a transonic channel. The Zha CUSP schemes are proved to be accurate, robust and efficient in these tests. The steady and unsteady separation flows in a 3D stationary cascade under high incidence and three inlet Mach numbers are calculated to study the steady state separation flow patterns and their unsteady oscillation characteristics. The leading edge vortex shedding is the mechanism behind the unsteady characteristics of the high incidence separated flows. The separation flow characteristics is affected by the inlet Mach number. The blade aeroelasticity of a linear cascade with forced oscillating blades is studied using parallel computation. A simplified two-passage cascade with periodic boundary condition is first calculated under a medium frequency and a low incidence. The full scale cascade with 9 blades and two end walls is then studied more extensively under three oscillation frequencies and two incidence angles. The end wall influence and the blade stability are studied and compared under different frequencies and incidence angles. The Zha CUSP schemes are the first time to be applied in moving grid systems and 2D and 3D calculations. The implicit Gauss-Seidel iteration with dual time stepping is the first time to be used for moving grid systems. The NASA flutter cascade is the first time to be calculated in full scale.

The unified approach of management and critical incident stress management: helping flight attendants and pilots in the aftermath of September 11.

PubMed

McIntosh, Tania

2006-01-01

Experience suggests that effective and appropriate responses of an organization's management after a traumatic incident can help mitigate the reactions of primary, secondary, and tertiary victims. This commentary addresses the managerial response of Southwest Airlines to the trauma induced by September 11. It highlights the effectiveness of the unity between the company, the unions, and the Critical Incident Response Team, as well as the types of interventions that were highly regarded by flight attendants and pilots who received such services. This commentary also defines the phenomenon known as fear of flight.

Workplace Violence in Higher Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rice, Edward D.

2003-01-01

Addresses workplace violence prevention, beginning by defining violence, why people become violent, and the cycle of violence. Then discusses steps in prevention, including pre-incident planning, an incident management team, threat management, assessment, post-incident response, and training. (EV)

9 CFR 121.14 - Incident response. 11

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 9 Animals and Animal Products 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Incident response. 11 121.14 Section 121.14 Animals and Animal Products ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF... for the building, where applicable; (5) Personnel roles and lines of authority and communication; (6...

Teachers' Critical Incidents: Ethical Dilemmas in Teaching Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shapira-Lishchinsky, Orly

2011-01-01

The aim of this study is to explore ethical dilemmas in critical incidents and the emerged responses that these incidents elicit. Most teachers try to suppress these incidences because of the unpleasant feelings they evoke. Fifty teachers participated in the study. A three-stage coding process derived from grounded theory was utilized. A taxonomy…

A Descriptive Analysis of US Prehospital Care Response to Law Enforcement Tactical Incidents.

PubMed

Aberle, Sara J; Lohse, Christine M; Sztajnkrycer, Matthew D

2015-01-01

Law enforcement tactical incidents involve high-risk operations that exceed the capabilities of regular, uniformed police. Despite the existence of tactical teams for 50 years, little is known about the frequency or nature of emergency medical services (EMS) response to tactical events in the United States. The purpose of this study was to perform a descriptive analysis of tactical events reported to a national EMS database. Descriptive analysis of the 2012 National Emergency Medical Services Information System (NEMSIS) Public Release research data set, containing EMS emergency response data from 41 states. A total of 17,479,328 EMS events were reported, of which 3,953 events were coded as "Activation-Tactical or SWAT Specialty Service/Response Team." The most common level of prehospital care present on scene was basic life support (55.2%). The majority (72.3%) of tactical incident activations involved a single patient; mass casualty incidents occurred in 0.5% of events. The most common EMS response locations were homes (48.4%), streets or highways (37.0%), and public buildings (6.3%). The mean age of treated patients was 44.1 years ± 22.0 years; 3.5% of tactical incident activation patients were aged 8 years or less. Injuries were coded as firearm assault in 14.8% and as chemical exposure in 8.9% of events. Cardiac arrest occurred in 5.1% of patients, with the majority (92.2%) occurring prior to EMS arrival. The primary symptoms reported by EMS personnel were pain (37.4%), change in responsiveness (13.1%), and bleeding (8.1%). Advanced airway procedures occurred in 30 patients. No patients were documented as receiving tourniquets or needle thoracostomy. Approximately 11 EMS responses in support of law enforcement tactical operations occur daily in the United States. The majority occur in homes and involve a single patient. Advanced airway procedures are required in a minority of patients. Cardiac arrest is rare and occurs prior to EMS response in the majority of cases. Better understanding of the nature and location of EMS responses to tactical incidents is required to develop consistent EMS policies in support of law enforcement tactical operations. 2015.

The Effect of Computer-Based Simulation Training on Fire Ground Incident Commander Decision Making

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hall, Kurt A.

2010-01-01

Since the establishment of the first volunteer fire brigades in the United States, firefighters have lost their lives in fire fighting operations at emergency incidents and live-fire training activities. While there are various reasons for these firefighter deaths and injuries, the United States Fire Administration (2002) reported that many of…

Acceptance and utilisation of the Incident Command System in first response and allied disciplines: an Ohio study.

PubMed

Decker, Russell J

2011-10-01

In response to the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001, an effort was made to establish a common and uniform command structure for use by the nation's first responder organisations, as well as those disciplines generally expected to assist first responders during a major incident or disaster. The result was the issuance of the National Incident Management System1 or NIMS by the US Department of Homeland Security in 2004. Included in the NIMS document was an embracing of the Incident Command System or ICS, long utilised in the fire service for the effective management of emergency response. The NIMS doctrine also identified certain allied disciplines that needed to adopt this new system for responding to major events. Some of these disciplines included specialised first response units, such as, bomb squads and hazardous materials teams. Other partner disciplines not usually associated with emergency response to include public health and public works were also included. This study will attempt to look at a single component of NIMS, specifically the Incident Command System, and measure its acceptance and utilisation by first responder organisations and selected allied disciplines in the state of Ohio. This is particularly important at this time since the US government is being forced to reduce budgets significantly and determine which laudable policies and programmes will be cut.

Explicit validation of a surface shortwave radiation balance model over snow-covered complex terrain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Helbig, N.; Löwe, H.; Mayer, B.; Lehning, M.

2010-09-01

A model that computes the surface radiation balance for all sky conditions in complex terrain is presented. The spatial distribution of direct and diffuse sky radiation is determined from observations of incident global radiation, air temperature, and relative humidity at a single measurement location. Incident radiation under cloudless sky is spatially derived from a parameterization of the atmospheric transmittance. Direct and diffuse sky radiation for all sky conditions are obtained by decomposing the measured global radiation value. Spatial incident radiation values under all atmospheric conditions are computed by adjusting the spatial radiation values obtained from the parametric model with the radiation components obtained from the decomposition model at the measurement site. Topographic influences such as shading are accounted for. The radiosity approach is used to compute anisotropic terrain reflected radiation. Validations of the shortwave radiation balance model are presented in detail for a day with cloudless sky. For a day with overcast sky a first validation is presented. Validation of a section of the horizon line as well as of individual radiation components is performed with high-quality measurements. A new measurement setup was designed to determine terrain reflected radiation. There is good agreement between the measurements and the modeled terrain reflected radiation values as well as with incident radiation values. A comparison of the model with a fully three-dimensional radiative transfer Monte Carlo model is presented. That validation reveals a good agreement between modeled radiation values.

Pore-level determination of spectral reflection behaviors of high-porosity metal foam sheets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yang; Xia, Xin-Lin; Ai, Qing; Sun, Chuang; Tan, He-Ping

2018-03-01

Open cell metal foams are currently attracting attention and their radiative behaviors are of primary importance in high temperature applications. The spectral reflection behaviors of high-porosity metal foam sheets, bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) and directional-hemispherical reflectivity were numerically investigated. A set of realistic nickel foams with porosity from 0.87 to 0.97 and pore density from 10 to 40 pores per inch were tomographied to obtain their 3-D digital cell network. A Monte Carlo ray-tracing method was employed in order to compute the pore-level radiative transfer inside the network within the limit of geometrical optics. The apparent reflection behaviors and their dependency on the textural parameters and strut optical properties were comprehensively computed and analysed. The results show a backward scattering of the reflected energy at the foam sheet surface. Except in the cases of large incident angles, an energy peak is located almost along the incident direction and increases with increasing incident angles. Through an analytical relation established, the directional-hemispherical reflectivity can be related directly to the porosity of the foam sheet and to the complex refractive index of the solid phase as well as the specularity parameter which characterizes the local reflection model. The computations show that a linear decrease in normal-hemispherical reflectivity occurs with increasing porosity. The rate of this decrease is directly proportional to the strut normal reflectivity. In addition, the hemispherical reflectivity increases as a power function of the incident angle cosine.

Thalidomide induces mucosal healing in Crohn's disease: case report.

PubMed

Leite, Márcio Rios; Santos, Sandra Sousa; Lyra, André Castro; Mota, Jaciane; Santana, Genoile Oliveira

2011-12-07

Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the gastrointestinal tract that is defined by relapsing and remitting episodes. Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) appears to play a central role in the pathophysiology of the disease. Standard therapies for inflammatory bowel disease fail to induce remission in about 30% of patients. Biological therapies have been associated with an increased incidence of infections, especially infection by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). Thalidomide is an oral immunomodulatory agent with anti-TNF-α properties. Recent studies have suggested that thalidomide is effective in refractory luminal and fistulizing Crohn's disease. Thalidomide costimulates T lymphocytes, with greater effect on CD8+ than on CD4+ T cells, which contributes to the protective immune response to Mtb infection. We present a case of Crohn's disease with gastric, ileal, colon and rectum involvement as well as steroid dependency, which progressed with loss of response to infliximab after three years of therapy. The thorax computed tomography scan demonstrated a pulmonary nodule suspected to be Mtb infection. The patient was started on thalidomide therapy and exhibited an excellent response.

Demonstration of Unmanned Aircraft Systems Use for Traffic Incident Management (UAS-TIM)

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-12-01

Previous investigations into technologies that can improve incident response, monitoring, and clearance resulted in the potential application of Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) for use in Traffic Incident Management (TIM). An initial investigation of UA...

Incident management successful practices : a cross-cutting study : improving mobility and saving lives

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2000-04-01

Incident management is the process of managing multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional responses to highway traffic disruptions. Efficient and coordinated management of incidents reduces their adverse impacts on public safety, traffic conditions, and the ...

Advanced patrol routing with on-call response for effective resource management.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-12-01

Traffic incidents not only greatly impact individuals, but also affect the general population. : Depending on the incident severity, incidents are likely to cause both private and public property : damage and possibly cause injury and fatalities. Due...

Giving Professional Help to Preservice Teachers through Computer-Mediated Communication.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loiselle, Jean; St-Louis, Mack; Dupuy-Walker, Louise

Two Canadian universities conducted an experiment in which preservice teachers used computer-mediated communication to describe and discuss critical incidents occurring during their practicum. Participants in the practicum shared their teaching experiences with peers, cooperating teachers, and university supervisors. Over 3 years, 6 different…

48 CFR 204.7301 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 204.7301 Definitions. As used in this subpart— Adequate security means protective measures that are... restrictions. Cyber incident means actions taken through the use of computer networks that result in an actual.... Technical information means technical data or computer software, as those terms are defined in the clause at...

Radiological Laboratory Sample Analysis Guide for Incidents of National Significance – Radionuclides in Air

EPA Science Inventory

[The document describes the likely analytical decision paths that would be made by personnel at a radioanalytical laboratory following a radiological or nuclear incident, such as that caused by a terrorist attack. EPA’s responsibilities, as outlined in the National Response Frame...

78 FR 53166 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission to OMB for Reinstatement, Without Change, of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-28

... an information security program and an incident response plan that complies with Title V of the Gramm... credit union's procedures comply with the information security and incident response requirements. There... NATIONAL CREDIT UNION ADMINISTRATION Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission to OMB...

78 FR 43230 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission to OMB for Reinstatement, Without Change, of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-19

... Insured Credit Unions to maintain an information security program and an incident response plan that... Federally Insured Credit Unions to maintain an information security program and an incident response plan... credit unions to develop a written security program to safeguard sensitive member information. This...

Computing the cross sections of nuclear reactions with nuclear clusters emission for proton energies between 30 MeV and 2.6 GeV

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

Korovin, Yu. A.; Maksimushkina, A. V., E-mail: AVMaksimushkina@mephi.ru; Frolova, T. A.

2016-12-15

The cross sections of nuclear reactions involving emission of clusters of light nuclei in proton collisions with a heavy-metal target are computed for incident-proton energies between 30 MeV and 2.6 GeV. The calculation relies on the ALICE/ASH and CASCADE/INPE computer codes. The parameters determining the pre-equilibrium cluster emission are varied in the computation.

Acoustic attraction, repulsion and radiation force cancellation on a pair of rigid particles with arbitrary cross-sections in 2D: Circular cylinders example

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mitri, F. G.

2017-11-01

The acoustic radiation forces arising on a pair of sound impenetrable cylindrical particles of arbitrary cross-sections are derived. Plane progressive, standing or quasi-standing waves with an arbitrary incidence angle are considered. Multiple scattering effects are described using the multipole expansion formalism and the addition theorem of cylindrical wave functions. An effective incident acoustic field on a particular object is determined, and used with the scattered field to derive closed-form analytical expressions for the radiation force vector components. The mathematical expressions for the radiation force components are exact, and have been formulated in partial-wave series expansions in cylindrical coordinates involving the angle of incidence, the reflection coefficient forming the progressive or the (quasi)standing wave field, the addition theorem, and the expansion coefficients. Numerical examples illustrate the analysis for two rigid circular cross-sections immersed in a non-viscous fluid. Computations for the dimensionless radiation force functions are performed with emphasis on varying the angle of incidence, the interparticle distance, the sizes of the particles as well as the characteristics of the incident field. Depending on the interparticle distance and angle of incidence, one of the particles yields neutrality; it experiences no force and becomes unresponsive (i.e., ;invisible;) to the linear momentum transfer of the effective incident field due to multiple scattering cancellation effects. Moreover, attractive or repulsive forces between the two particles may arise depending on the interparticle distance, the angle of incidence and size parameters of the particles. This study provides a complete analytical method and computations for the axial and transverse radiation force components in multiple acoustic scattering encompassing the cases of plane progressive, standing or quasi-standing waves of arbitrary incidence by a pair of scatterers. Potential applications concern the prediction of the forces used in acoustically-engineered metamaterials with reconfigurable periodicities, cloaking devices, and liquid crystals to name a few examples.

[Incidence and mortality of central nervous system tumors in France: trends over the period 1978-2000 and influence of registration practices on results].

PubMed

Ménégoz, F; Martin, E; Danzon, A; Mathieu-Daudé, H; Guizard, A-V; Macé-Lesec'h, J; Raverdy, N; Pasquier, B

2006-10-01

In France, cancer incidence figures are produced by cancer registries covering only 13.5% to 16% of the whole population of the country. Thus, to produce national figures, estimates have to be computed. Registration disparities between registries concerning tumors of the Central Nervous System (CNS) could have biased these estimates. National estimates are based on modelling of the incidence/mortality ratio. The most recent estimations for year 2000 were calculated by the French Cancer Registry Network (FRANCIM) and the department of biostatistics of Lyon University Hospital. Since benign tumors are not recorded in some cancer registries, a new estimate of the incidence of CNS tumors was produced by estimating the number of benign tumors in these registries. In 2000 in France, the number of estimated cases of CNS tumors was 2697 in men and 2602 in women, with incidence rates (World standard) of 7.4 and 6.4 per 100,000 respectively. The incidence increased between 1978 and 2000, on an average by 2.25% per year in men and 3.01% per year in women. However, these estimates do not provide a correct picture of CNS incidence. First of all, pathological diagnoses are not performed in 3.5%-27.5% of the patients with CNS tumors registered in French registries. Second, figures for benign tumors (mainly meningiomas) were provided by only two of nine cancer registries. If benign tumors had been registered by all cancer registries, computed incidence would have increased by 12% for men and 26% for women. Incidence of CNS tumors is increasing in France, as in many other countries. To improve comparability with other countries, French cancer registries should also collect data on benign tumors. The discrepancies observed between registries in the proportion of patients without information on histology show differences in diagnostic practices and should be the starting point for a survey on this topic.

Investigation of the unsteady pressure distribution on the blades of an axial flow fan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Henderson, R. E.; Franke, G. F.

1978-01-01

The unsteady response of a stator blade caused by the interaction of the stator with the wakes of an upstream rotor was investigated. Unsteady pressure distributions were measured using a blade instrumented with a series miniature pressure transducers. The influence of several geometrical and flow parameters - rotor/stator spacing, stator solidity and stator incidence angle - were studied to determine the unsteady response of the stator to these parameters. A major influence on the stator unsteady response is due to the stator solidity. At high solidities the blade-to-blade interference has a larger contribution. While the range of rotor/stator spacings investigated had a minor influence, the effect of stator incidence angle is significant. The data indicate the existence of an optimum positive incidence which minimizes the unsteady response.

Introduction of an Emergency Response Plan for flood loading of Sultan Abu Bakar Dam in Malaysia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Said, N. F. Md; Sidek, L. M.; Basri, H.; Muda, R. S.; Razad, A. Z. Abdul

2016-03-01

Sultan Abu Bakar Dam Emergency Response Plan (ERP) is designed to assist employees for identifying, monitoring, responding and mitigation dam safety emergencies. This paper is outlined to identification of an organization chart, responsibility for emergency management team and triggering level in Sultan Abu Bakar Dam ERP. ERP is a plan that guides responsibilities for proper operation of Sultan Abu Bakar Dam in respond to emergency incidents affecting the dam. Based on this study four major responsibilities are needed for Abu Bakar Dam owing to protect any probable risk for downstream which they can be Incident Commander, Deputy Incident Commander, On-Scene Commander, Civil Engineer. In conclusion, having organization charts based on ERP studies can be helpful for decreasing the probable risks in any projects such as Abu Bakar Dam and it is a way to identify and suspected and actual dam safety emergencies.

Who Benefits from Student Aid? The Economic Incidence of Tax-Based Federal Student Aid

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Turner, Nicholas

2012-01-01

Federal benefit programs, including federal student aid, are designed to aid targeted populations. Behavioral responses to these programs may alter the incidence of their benefits, a possibility that receives less attention in the literature compared to tax incidence. I demonstrate the importance of benefit incidence analysis by showing that the…

Final Documentation: Incident Management And Probabilities Courses of action Tool (IMPACT).

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

Edwards, Donna M.; Ray, Jaideep; Tucker, Mark D.

This report pulls together the documentation produced for the IMPACT tool, a software-based decision support tool that provides situational awareness, incident characterization, and guidance on public health and environmental response strategies for an unfolding bio-terrorism incident.

Development of incident data collection standards for Virginia Department of Transportation freeway operations.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2005-01-01

The effective management of incidents is necessary in order to maintain efficient freeway operations. Within the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), there are a number of units responsible for supporting incident management. These groups co...

Delphi based consensus study into planning for chemical incidents.

PubMed

Crawford, I W F; Mackway-Jones, K; Russell, D R; Carley, S D

2004-01-01

To achieve consensus in all phases of chemical incident planning and response. A three round Delphi study was conducted using a panel of 39 experts from specialties involved in the management of chemical incidents. Areas that did not reach consensus in the Delphi study were presented as synopsis statements for discussion in four syndicate groups at a conference hosted by the Department of Health Emergency Planning Co-ordination Unit. A total of 183 of 322 statements had reached consensus upon completion of the Delphi study. This represented 56.8% of the total number of statements. Of these, 148 reached consensus at >94% and 35 reached consensus at >89%. The results of the process are presented as a series of synopsis consensus statements that cover all phases of chemical incident planning and response. The use of a Delphi study and subsequent syndicate group discussions achieved consensus in aspects of all phases of chemical incident planning and response that can be translated into practical guidance for use at regional prehospital and hospital level. Additionally, areas of non-consensus have been identified where further work is required.

Delphi based consensus study into planning for chemical incidents

PubMed Central

Crawford, I; Mackway-Jones, K; Russell, D; Carley, S

2004-01-01

Objective: To achieve consensus in all phases of chemical incident planning and response. Design: A three round Delphi study was conducted using a panel of 39 experts from specialties involved in the management of chemical incidents. Areas that did not reach consensus in the Delphi study were presented as synopsis statements for discussion in four syndicate groups at a conference hosted by the Department of Health Emergency Planning Co-ordination Unit. Results: A total of 183 of 322 statements had reached consensus upon completion of the Delphi study. This represented 56.8% of the total number of statements. Of these, 148 reached consensus at >94% and 35 reached consensus at >89%. The results of the process are presented as a series of synopsis consensus statements that cover all phases of chemical incident planning and response. Conclusions: The use of a Delphi study and subsequent syndicate group discussions achieved consensus in aspects of all phases of chemical incident planning and response that can be translated into practical guidance for use at regional prehospital and hospital level. Additionally, areas of non-consensus have been identified where further work is required. PMID:14734369

Hazardous materials responses in a mid-sized metropolitan area.

PubMed

Walter, Frank G; Bates, Gerry; Criss, Elizabeth A; Bey, Tareg; Spaite, Daniel W; Valenzuela, Terence

2003-01-01

To determine the chemicals involved in fire department hazardous materials (hazmat) responses and analyze the concomitant emergency medical services' patient care needs. The setting was a mid-sized metropolitan area in the southwestern United States with a population base of 400,000 and an incorporated area of 165 square miles. The authors conducted a retrospective evaluation of all fire department hazmat reports, with associated emergency medical services patient encounter forms, and in-patient hospital records from January 1, 1992, through December 31, 1994. The fire department hazardous materials control team responded to 468 hazmat incidents, involving 62 chemicals. The majority of incidents occurred on city streets, with a mean incident duration of 46 minutes. More than 70% of the responses involved flammable gases or liquids. A total of 32 incidents generated 85 patients, 53% of whom required transport for further evaluation and care. Most patients were exposed to airborne toxicants. Only two patients required hospital admission for carbon monoxide poisoning. Most hazmat incidents result in few exposed patients who require emergency medical services care. Most patients were exposed to airborne toxicants and very few required hospitalization. Routine data analysis such as this provides emergency response personnel with the opportunity to evaluate current emergency plans and identify areas where additional training may be necessary.

Calling All Myth Busters!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Fredrick

2007-01-01

This article discusses 10 "IT myths": (1) Standardizing on a single computing platform reduces costs and enables better support; (2) Requiring students to own a computer (or laptop) will improve the quality of education at an institution; (3) Having a campus subscription to a music download service will reduce the incidence of online copyright…

Computer program determines thermal environment and temperature history of lunar orbiting space vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Head, D. E.; Mitchell, K. L.

1967-01-01

Program computes the thermal environment of a spacecraft in a lunar orbit. The quantities determined include the incident flux /solar and lunar emitted radiation/, total radiation absorbed by a surface, and the resulting surface temperature as a function of time and orbital position.

Safety performance factor.

PubMed

Venkataraman, Naray

2008-01-01

Workplace safety performance is computed using frequency rate (FR) and severity rate (SR). Only work time lost due to occupational incidents that need to be reported is counted. FR and SR are the 2 most important safety performance indicators that are applied universally; however, calculations differ from country to country. All injuries and time lost should be considered while calculating safety performance. The extent of severity does not matter as every incident is counted. So, a new factor has to be defined; it should be based on the hours or days lost due to each occupational incident, irrespective of its severity. The new safety performance factor is defined as the average human-hour unit lost due to occupational accidents/incidents, including fatalities, first-aid incidents, bruises and cuts. The formula is simple and easy to apply.

The use of DFDR information in the analysis of a turbulence incident over Greenland

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lester, Peter F.; Sen, Orhan; Bach, R. E., Jr.

1989-01-01

Digital flight data recorder (DFDR) tapes from commercial aircraft can provide useful information about the mesoscale environment of severe turbulence incidents. Air motion computations from these data and their errors are briefly described. An example of mesoscale meteorological information available from DFDR tapes is presented for a case of turbulence in mountain waves over the Greenland icecap.

Conception of a course for professional training and education in the field of computer and mobile forensics, part III: network forensics and penetration testing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kröger, Knut; Creutzburg, Reiner

2014-02-01

IT security and computer forensics are important components in the information technology. From year to year, incidents and crimes increase that target IT systems or were done with their help. More and more companies and authorities have security problems in their own IT infrastructure. To respond to these incidents professionally, it is important to have well trained staff. The fact that many agencies and companies work with very sensitive data make it necessary to further train the own employees in the field of network forensics and penetration testing. Motivated by these facts, this paper - a continuation of a paper of January 2012 [1], which showed the conception of a course for professional training and education in the field of computer and mobile forensics - addresses the practical implementation important relationships of network forensic and penetration testing.

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory`s Computer Security Short Subjects Videos: Hidden Password, The Incident, Dangerous Games and The Mess; Computer Security Awareness Guide

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

NONE

A video on computer security is described. Lonnie Moore, the Computer Security Manager, CSSM/CPPM at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and Gale Warshawsky, the Coordinator for Computer Security Education and Awareness at LLNL, wanted to share topics such as computer ethics, software piracy, privacy issues, and protecting information in a format that would capture and hold an audience`s attention. Four Computer Security Short Subject videos were produced which ranged from 1--3 minutes each. These videos are very effective education and awareness tools that can be used to generate discussions about computer security concerns and good computing practices.

Understanding public responses to chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear incidents--driving factors, emerging themes and research gaps.

PubMed

Krieger, Kristian; Amlôt, Richard; Rogers, M Brooke

2014-11-01

This paper discusses the management of public responses to incidents involving chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear materials (CBRN). Given the extraordinary technical and operational challenges of a response to a CBRN release including, but not limited to, hazard detection and identification, casualty decontamination and multi-agency co-ordination, it is not surprising that public psychological and behavioural responses to such incidents have received limited attention by scholars and practitioners alike. As a result, a lack of understanding about the role of the public in effective emergency response constitutes a major gap in research and practice. This limitation must be addressed as a CBRN release has the potential to have wide-reaching psychological and behavioural impacts which, in turn, impact upon public morbidity and mortality rates. This paper addresses a number of key issues: why public responses matter; how responses have been conceptualised by practitioners; what factors have been identified as influencing public responses to a CBRN release and similar extreme events, and what further analysis is needed in order to generate a better understanding of public responses to inform the management of public responses to a CBRN release. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Technology-related medication errors in a tertiary hospital: a 5-year analysis of reported medication incidents.

PubMed

Samaranayake, N R; Cheung, S T D; Chui, W C M; Cheung, B M Y

2012-12-01

Healthcare technology is meant to reduce medication errors. The objective of this study was to assess unintended errors related to technologies in the medication use process. Medication incidents reported from 2006 to 2010 in a main tertiary care hospital were analysed by a pharmacist and technology-related errors were identified. Technology-related errors were further classified as socio-technical errors and device errors. This analysis was conducted using data from medication incident reports which may represent only a small proportion of medication errors that actually takes place in a hospital. Hence, interpretation of results must be tentative. 1538 medication incidents were reported. 17.1% of all incidents were technology-related, of which only 1.9% were device errors, whereas most were socio-technical errors (98.1%). Of these, 61.2% were linked to computerised prescription order entry, 23.2% to bar-coded patient identification labels, 7.2% to infusion pumps, 6.8% to computer-aided dispensing label generation and 1.5% to other technologies. The immediate causes for technology-related errors included, poor interface between user and computer (68.1%), improper procedures or rule violations (22.1%), poor interface between user and infusion pump (4.9%), technical defects (1.9%) and others (3.0%). In 11.4% of the technology-related incidents, the error was detected after the drug had been administered. A considerable proportion of all incidents were technology-related. Most errors were due to socio-technical issues. Unintended and unanticipated errors may happen when using technologies. Therefore, when using technologies, system improvement, awareness, training and monitoring are needed to minimise medication errors. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Antibody responses following incident anal and penile infection with human papillomavirus in teenage men who have sex with men.

PubMed

Zou, Huachun; Tabrizi, Sepehr N; Grulich, Andrew E; Hocking, Jane S; Garland, Suzanne M; Bradshaw, Catriona S; Cornall, Alyssa M; Fairley, Christopher K; Chen, Marcus Y

2016-08-01

Men who have sex with men (MSM) are at risk for human papillomavirus (HPV)-related anal cancer. Few data exist on antibody responses following incident anogenital infection with HPV in teenage MSM. A cohort of 200 MSM aged 16-20 years from Melbourne, Australia were assessed at baseline, 3, 6 and 12 months. At each visit anal and penile swabs were collected for HPV DNA and serum for HPV antibodies for genotypes 6, 11, 16 and 18 (Merck's Multiplex Assays using Luminex). The main outcome, seroconversion, was defined as the detection of HPV antibodies following a negative antibody result for the same HPV type at baseline. The seroincidence rates for HPV types 6, 11, 16 and 18 were: 19 (95% CI 12-26), 7 (3-12), 4 (1-8) and 6 (3-11) per 100 person-years, respectively. Men who experienced incident anal HPV infections from types 6/11 were significantly more likely to develop serum antibodies to the same HPV type(s) than those who experienced incident anal infections from types 16/18 [73 vs. 18%, odds ratio (OR) = 15, 95% CI: 2-118]. The median time between incident anal HPV infection and seroconversion for HPV 6, 11, 16 and 18 was: 91, 38, 161 and 182 days, respectively. Antibody responses against HPV types 6/11 were significantly more likely to occur following incident anal compared with incident penile infection with HPV types 6/11 (OR = 6, 95% CI: 2-21). The likelihood of antibody responses following anogenital HPV infections depends on the HPV type and site of infection. © 2016 UICC.

RESPONSE PROTOCOL TOOLBOX: PLANNING FOR AND RESPONDING TO DRINKING WATER CONTAMINATION THREATS AND INCIDENTS. OVERVIEW AND APPLICATION. INTERIM FINAL - DECEMBER 2003

EPA Science Inventory

The interim final Response Protocol Toolbox: Planning for and Responding to Contamination Threats to Drinking Water Systems is designed to help the water sector effectively and appropriately respond to intentional contamination threats and incidents. It was produced by EPA, buil...

RESPONSE PROTOCOL TOOLBOX: PLANNING FOR AND RESPONDING TO DRINKING WATER CONTAMINATION THREATS AND INCIDENTS. MODULE 4: ANALYTICAL GUIDE. INTERIM FINAL - DECEMBER 2003

EPA Science Inventory

The interim final Response Protocol Toolbox: Planning for and Responding to Contamination Threats to Drinking Water Systems is designed to help the water sector effectively and appropriately respond to intentional contamination threats and incidents. It was produced by EPA, buil...

75 FR 28200 - Safety Zone; Washington State Department of Transportation Ferries Division Marine Rescue...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-20

... (M2R) Full-Scale Exercise for a Mass Rescue Incident (MRI) AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary... simulate a mass rescue incident (MRI) and will involve an abandon ship scenario with multiple response... full scale exercise which will simulate a MRI to provide training in specific emergency response...

In-plane omnidirectional magnetic field sensor based on Giant Magneto Impedance (GMI)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Díaz-Rubio, Ana; García-Miquel, Héctor; García-Chocano, Víctor Manuel

2017-12-01

In this work the design and characterization of an omnidirectional in-plane magnetic field sensor are presented. The sensor is based on the Giant Magneto Impedance (GMI) effect in glass-coated amorphous microwires of composition (Fe6Co94)72.5Si12.5B15. For the first time, a circular loop made with a microwire is used for giving omnidirectional response. In order to estimate the GMI response of the circular loop we have used a theoretical model of GMI, determining the GMI response as the sum of longitudinal sections with different angles of incidence. As a consequence of the circular loop, the GMI ratio of the sensor is reduced to 15% instead of 100% for the axial GMI response of a microwire. The sensor response has been experimentally verified and the GMI response of the circular loop has been studied as function of the magnetic field, driven current, and frequency. First, we have measured the GMI response of a longitudinal microwire for different angles of incidence, covering the full range between the tangential and perpendicular directions to the microwire axis. Then, using these results, we have experimentally verified the decomposition of a microwire with circular shape as longitudinal segments with different angles of incidence. Finally, we have designed a signal conditioning circuit for the omnidirectional magnetic field sensor. The response of the sensor has been studied as a function of the amplitude of the incident magnetic field.

Managing multiple-casualty incidents: a rural medical preparedness training assessment.

PubMed

Glow, Steven D; Colucci, Vincent J; Allington, Douglas R; Noonan, Curtis W; Hall, Earl C

2013-08-01

The objectives of this study were to develop a novel training model for using mass-casualty incident (MCI) scenarios that trained hospital and prehospital staff together using Microsoft Visio, images from Google Earth and icons representing first responders, equipment resources, local hospital emergency department bed capacity, and trauma victims. The authors also tested participants' knowledge in the areas of communications, incident command systems (ICS), and triage. Participants attended Managing Multiple-Casualty Incidents (MCIs), a one-day training which offered pre- and post-tests, two one-hour functional exercises, and four distinct, one-hour didactic instructional periods. Two MCI functional exercises were conducted. The one-hour trainings focused on communications, National Incident Management Systems/Incident Command Systems (NIMS/ICS) and professional roles and responsibilities in NIMS and triage. The trainings were offered throughout communities in western Montana. First response resource inventories and general manpower statistics for fire, police, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), and emergency department hospital bed capacity were determined prior to MCI scenario construction. A test was given prior to and after the training activities. A total of 175 firefighters, EMS, law enforcement, hospital personnel or other first-responders completed the pre- and post-test. Firefighters produced higher baseline scores than all other disciplines during pre-test analysis. At the end of the training all disciplines demonstrated significantly higher scores on the post-test when compared with their respective baseline averages. Improvements in post-test scores were noted for participants from all disciplines and in all didactic areas: communications, NIMS/ICS, and triage. Mass-casualty incidents offer significant challenges for prehospital and emergency room workers. Fire, Police and EMS personnel must secure the scene, establish communications, define individuals' roles and responsibilities, allocate resources, triage patients, and assign transport priorities. After emergency department notification and in advance of arrival, emergency department personnel must assess available physical resources and availability and type of manpower, all while managing patients already under their care. Mass-casualty incident trainings should strengthen the key, individual elements essential to well-coordinated response such as communications, incident management system and triage. The practice scenarios should be matched to the specific resources of the community. The authors also believe that these trainings should be provided with all disciplines represented to eliminate training "silos," to allow for discussion of overlapping jurisdictional or organizational responsibilities, and to facilitate team building.

Computer-assisted design/computer-assisted manufacturing zirconia implant fixed complete prostheses: clinical results and technical complications up to 4 years of function.

PubMed

Papaspyridakos, Panos; Lal, Kunal

2013-06-01

To report the clinical results and technical complications with computer-assisted design/computer-assisted manufacturing (CAD/CAM) zirconia, implant fixed complete dental prostheses (IFCDPs) after 2-4 years in function. Fourteen consecutive edentulous patients (16 edentulous arches) were included in this study. Ten of the patients were women and four were men, with an average age of 58 years (range: 35-71). Ten mandibular and six maxillary arches were restored with porcelain fused to zirconia (PFZ) IFCDPs. Of the 16 arches, 14 received one-piece and 2 received segmented two-piece IFCDPs, respectively. The mean clinical follow-up period was 3 years (range: 2-4). At the last recall appointment, biological and technical parameters of dental implant treatment were evaluated. The implant and prosthesis survival rate following prosthesis insertion was 100% up to 4-year follow-up. The prostheses in 11 of the 16 restored arches were structurally sound, exhibited favorable soft tissue response, esthetics, and patient satisfaction. Five IFCDPs (31.25%) in four patients exhibited porcelain veneer chipping. Chipping was minor in three prostheses (three patients) and was addressed intraorally with polishing (one prosthesis) or composite resin (two prostheses). One patient with maxillary and mandibular zirconia IFCDP exhibited major porcelain chipping fractures which had to be repaired in the laboratory. Function, esthetics, and patient satisfaction were not affected in three of the four fracture incidents. Median crestal bone loss was 0.1 mm (0.01-0.2 mm). The presence of parafunctional activity, the IFCDP as opposing dentition, and the absence of occlusal night guard were associated with all the incidents of ceramic chipping. CAD/CAM zirconia IFCDPs are viable prosthetic treatment after 2-4 years in function, but not without complications. The porcelain chipping/fracture was the most frequent technical complication, with a 31.25% chipping rate at the prosthesis level. Despite the technical complications, increased patient satisfaction was noted. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Methodology for computing the burden of disease of adverse events following immunization.

PubMed

McDonald, Scott A; Nijsten, Danielle; Bollaerts, Kaatje; Bauwens, Jorgen; Praet, Nicolas; van der Sande, Marianne; Bauchau, Vincent; de Smedt, Tom; Sturkenboom, Miriam; Hahné, Susan

2018-03-24

Composite disease burden measures such as disability-adjusted life-years (DALY) have been widely used to quantify the population-level health impact of disease or injury, but application has been limited for the estimation of the burden of adverse events following immunization. Our objective was to assess the feasibility of adapting the DALY approach for estimating adverse event burden. We developed a practical methodological framework, explicitly describing all steps involved: acquisition of relative or absolute risks and background event incidence rates, selection of disability weights and durations, and computation of the years lived with disability (YLD) measure, with appropriate estimation of uncertainty. We present a worked example, in which YLD is computed for 3 recognized adverse reactions following 3 childhood vaccination types, based on background incidence rates and relative/absolute risks retrieved from the literature. YLD provided extra insight into the health impact of an adverse event over presentation of incidence rates only, as severity and duration are additionally incorporated. As well as providing guidance for the deployment of DALY methodology in the context of adverse events associated with vaccination, we also identified where data limitations potentially occur. Burden of disease methodology can be applied to estimate the health burden of adverse events following vaccination in a systematic way. As with all burden of disease studies, interpretation of the estimates must consider the quality and accuracy of the data sources contributing to the DALY computation. © 2018 The Authors. Pharmacoepidemiology & Drug Safety Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

High Frequency Ground Motion from Finite Fault Rupture Simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crempien, Jorge G. F.

There are many tectonically active regions on earth with little or no recorded ground motions. The Eastern United States is a typical example of regions with active faults, but with low to medium seismicity that has prevented sufficient ground motion recordings. Because of this, it is necessary to use synthetic ground motion methods in order to estimate the earthquake hazard a region might have. Ground motion prediction equations for spectral acceleration typically have geometric attenuation proportional to the inverse of distance away from the fault. Earthquakes simulated with one-dimensional layered earth models have larger geometric attenuation than the observed ground motion recordings. We show that as incident angles of rays increase at welded boundaries between homogeneous flat layers, the transmitted rays decrease in amplitude dramatically. As the receiver distance increases away from the source, the angle of incidence of up-going rays increases, producing negligible transmitted ray amplitude, thus increasing the geometrical attenuation. To work around this problem we propose a model in which we separate wave propagation for low and high frequencies at a crossover frequency, typically 1Hz. The high-frequency portion of strong ground motion is computed with a homogeneous half-space and amplified with the available and more complex one- or three-dimensional crustal models using the quarter wavelength method. We also make use of seismic coda energy density observations as scattering impulse response functions. We incorporate scattering impulse response functions into our Green's functions by convolving the high-frequency homogeneous half-space Green's functions with normalized synthetic scatterograms to reproduce scattering physical effects in recorded seismograms. This method was validated against ground motion for earthquakes recorded in California and Japan, yielding results that capture the duration and spectral response of strong ground motion.

Informing Ex Ante Event Studies with Macro-Econometric Evidence on the Structural and Policy Impacts of Terrorism.

PubMed

Nassios, Jason; Giesecke, James A

2018-04-01

Economic consequence analysis is one of many inputs to terrorism contingency planning. Computable general equilibrium (CGE) models are being used more frequently in these analyses, in part because of their capacity to accommodate high levels of event-specific detail. In modeling the potential economic effects of a hypothetical terrorist event, two broad sets of shocks are required: (1) physical impacts on observable variables (e.g., asset damage); (2) behavioral impacts on unobservable variables (e.g., investor uncertainty). Assembling shocks describing the physical impacts of a terrorist incident is relatively straightforward, since estimates are either readily available or plausibly inferred. However, assembling shocks describing behavioral impacts is more difficult. Values for behavioral variables (e.g., required rates of return) are typically inferred or estimated by indirect means. Generally, this has been achieved via reference to extraneous literature or ex ante surveys. This article explores a new method. We elucidate the magnitude of CGE-relevant structural shifts implicit in econometric evidence on terrorist incidents, with a view to informing future ex ante event assessments. Ex post econometric studies of terrorism by Blomberg et al. yield macro econometric equations that describe the response of observable economic variables (e.g., GDP growth) to terrorist incidents. We use these equations to determine estimates for relevant (unobservable) structural and policy variables impacted by terrorist incidents, using a CGE model of the United States. This allows us to: (i) compare values for these shifts with input assumptions in earlier ex ante CGE studies; and (ii) discuss how future ex ante studies can be informed by our analysis. © 2017 Society for Risk Analysis.

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

Ogo, Etsuyo; Komaki, Ritsuko; Fujimoto, Kiminori

Purpose: We observed a rare and unique occurrence of radiation-induced pulmonary injury outside the tangential field for early breast cancer treatment. The findings appeared to be idiopathic and were called radiation-induced bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia (BOOP) syndrome. We surveyed major hospitals in Japan to review their findings of radiation-induced BOOP, in particular the clinical and pictorial characteristics of the entity. Methods and Materials: We reviewed surveys completed and returned by 20 institutions. The survey responses were based on a total of 37 cases of BOOP syndrome. We also reviewed X-ray and computed tomography scans provided by these institutions. We discussedmore » the information derived from the questionnaire and analyzed patients' characteristics, methods used in the treatment of BOOP syndrome, and prognosis. Results: The incidence of the radiation-induced BOOP syndrome was about 1.8% (37 of 2,056). We did not find a relationship between the characteristics of patients and the occurrence of radiation-induced BOOP syndrome. The pulmonary findings were classified into four patterns on chest computed tomography scans. Progression of the pulmonary lesions observed on chest X-ray was classified into three patterns. Pneumonitis appeared within 6 months after radiotherapy was completed and disappeared within 6-12 months after its onset. At 5-year follow-up, 2 patients had died, 1 of breast cancer and the other of interstitial pneumonitis, which seemed to be idiopathic and unrelated to the radiation-induced BOOP syndrome. Conclusions: Although the incidence of BOOP syndrome and its associated prognosis are not significant, the patients' clinical condition must be carefully followed.« less

Epidemiology and Trends in Incidence of Kidney Cancer in Iran.

PubMed

Mirzaei, Maryam; Pournamdar, Zahra; Salehiniya, Hamid

2015-01-01

Kidney cancer has shown an increasing trend in recent decades. This study aimed to determine change in the incidence rate between 2003 and 2009 in Iran. In this study, national cancer registry data were used. Crude incidence rates were calculated per 100,000 and age-standardized incidence rates (ASRs) were computed using the direct standardization method and the world standard population. Significant trend of incidence rates was examined by the Cochran-Armitage test for linear trend. A total of 6,944 cases of kidney cancer were reported. The incidence cases increased from 595 patients in 2003 to 1,387 patients in 2009. Sex ratio (male to female) was 1.67. ASR also increased from 1.18 in 2003 to 2.52 in 2009 per 100,000, but the increasing trend was not significant. A slow increasing trend of incidence rate was observed in the study population. This may be due to an increase of risk factors. It is suggested to perform a study on risk factors for the cancer.

[Analysis on the incidence and relevant risk factors of campus violence among college students].

PubMed

Wang, Pei-Xi; Wang, Mian-Zhen; Lan, Ya-Jia; Pang, Qing-Juan; Wang, Zhi-Ming; Shao, Li-Ye; Lu, Bo

2005-12-01

To study the incidence and risk factors of campus violence and to provide evidence for preventing campus violence among college students. 5300 college students in two universities in a province of China were selected to participate in the study and were interviewed with questionnaires. Logistic regression was used for data analysis. (1) In total, 3910 useable questionnaires were gathered to show a response rate of 73.77%. 17.98% of the college students reported they had ever experienced campus violence in the last one year. 29.60% of the male students experienced campus violence so as 7.27% of the female students. The incidence of violence among male students was significantly higher than those of female students (chi2 = 329.89, P = 0.000). (2) Among male students who were victims of campus violence, the incidence rates of threat or blackmail, emotional abuse, physical assault, verbal sexual harassment, sexual assault were 18.03%, 13.97%, 10.77%, 0.85%, 0.48% respectively. Among female students who were victims of campus violence, the incidence rates were 3.64%, 5.84%, 1.38%, 1.33%, 1.13% respectively. The main source of the violence was from their schoolmates. (3) 10.40% of the male students reported they were perpetrators of campus violence in the last year, while 1.47% of the female students reported so. Schoolmates were the main subjects of their aggressive behaviors. (4) Among the college students who were victims of campus violence, logistic regression analysis revealed that smoking, drinking alcohol, frequently getting computer online were important risk factors. The OR values were 1.48, 2.96, 1.66 respectively. Among college students who were perpetrators of campus violence, the OR values were 2.92, 1.88, 2.09 respectively. Campus violence among college students was serious, suggesting that intervention measures should be taken.

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

Salhi, Marouane; Passian, Ali; Siopsis, George

Electronic excitations in metallic nanoparticles in the optical regime that have been of great importance in surface-enhanced spectroscopy and emerging applications of molecular plasmonics, due to control and confinement of electromagnetic energy, may also be of potential to control the motion of nanoparticles and molecules. Here, we propose a concept for trapping polarizable particles and molecules using toroidal metallic nanoparticles. Specifically, gold nanorings are investigated for their scattering properties and field distribution to computationally show that the response of these optically resonant particles to incident photons permit the formation of a nanoscale trap when proper aspect ratio, photon wavelength, andmore » polarization are considered. However, interestingly the resonant plasmonic response of the nanoring is shown to be detrimental to the trap formation. The results are in good agreement with analytic calculations in the quasistatic limit within the first-order perturbation of the scalar electric potential. The possibility of extending the single nanoring trapping properties to two-dimensional arrays of nanorings is suggested by obtaining the field distribution of nanoring dimers and trimers.« less

Toroidal nanotraps for cold polar molecules

DOE PAGES

Salhi, Marouane; Passian, Ali; Siopsis, George

2015-09-14

Electronic excitations in metallic nanoparticles in the optical regime that have been of great importance in surface-enhanced spectroscopy and emerging applications of molecular plasmonics, due to control and confinement of electromagnetic energy, may also be of potential to control the motion of nanoparticles and molecules. Here, we propose a concept for trapping polarizable particles and molecules using toroidal metallic nanoparticles. Specifically, gold nanorings are investigated for their scattering properties and field distribution to computationally show that the response of these optically resonant particles to incident photons permit the formation of a nanoscale trap when proper aspect ratio, photon wavelength, andmore » polarization are considered. However, interestingly the resonant plasmonic response of the nanoring is shown to be detrimental to the trap formation. The results are in good agreement with analytic calculations in the quasistatic limit within the first-order perturbation of the scalar electric potential. The possibility of extending the single nanoring trapping properties to two-dimensional arrays of nanorings is suggested by obtaining the field distribution of nanoring dimers and trimers.« less

Scattering characteristics of relativistically moving concentrically layered spheres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garner, Timothy J.; Lakhtakia, Akhlesh; Breakall, James K.; Bohren, Craig F.

2018-02-01

The energy extinction cross section of a concentrically layered sphere varies with velocity as the Doppler shift moves the spectral content of the incident signal in the sphere's co-moving inertial reference frame toward or away from resonances of the sphere. Computations for hollow gold nanospheres show that the energy extinction cross section is high when the Doppler shift moves the incident signal's spectral content in the co-moving frame near the wavelength of the sphere's localized surface plasmon resonance. The energy extinction cross section of a three-layer sphere consisting of an olivine-silicate core surrounded by a porous and a magnetite layer, which is used to explain extinction caused by interstellar dust, also depends strongly on velocity. For this sphere, computations show that the energy extinction cross section is high when the Doppler shift moves the spectral content of the incident signal near either of olivine-silicate's two localized surface phonon resonances at 9.7 μm and 18 μm.

[Preoperative CT Scan in middle ear cholesteatoma].

PubMed

Sethom, Anissa; Akkari, Khemaies; Dridi, Inès; Tmimi, S; Mardassi, Ali; Benzarti, Sonia; Miled, Imed; Chebbi, Mohamed Kamel

2011-03-01

To compare preoperative CT scan finding and per-operative lesions in patients operated for middle ear cholesteatoma, A retrospective study including 60 patients with cholesteatoma otitis diagnosed and treated within a period of 5 years, from 2001 to 2005, at ENT department of Military Hospital of Tunis. All patients had computed tomography of the middle and inner ear. High resolution CT scan imaging was performed using millimetric incidences (3 to 5 millimetres). All patients had surgical removal of their cholesteatoma using down wall technic. We evaluated sensitivity, specificity and predictive value of CT-scan comparing otitic damages and CT finding, in order to examine the real contribution of computed tomography in cholesteatoma otitis. CT scan analysis of middle ear bone structures shows satisfaction (with 83% of sensibility). The rate of sensibility decrease (63%) for the tympanic raff. Predictive value of CT scan for the diagnosis of cholesteatoma was low. However, we have noticed an excellent sensibility in the analysis of ossicular damages (90%). Comparative frontal incidence seems to be less sensible for the detection of facial nerve lesions (42%). But when evident on CT scan findings, lesions of facial nerve were usually observed preoperatively (spécificity 78%). Predictive value of computed tomography for the diagnosis of perilymphatic fistulae (FL) was low. In fact, CT scan imaging have showed FL only for four patients among eight. Best results can be obtained if using inframillimetric incidences with performed high resolution computed tomography. Preoperative computed tomography is necessary for the diagnosis and the evaluation of chronic middle ear cholesteatoma in order to show extending lesion and to detect complications. This CT analysis and surgical correlation have showed that sensibility, specificity and predictive value of CT-scan depend on the anatomic structure implicated in cholesteatoma damages.

Incidence of bowel wall oedema on computed tomography exams and association with diarrhoea in renal cell carcinoma patients treated with sunitinib.

PubMed

Cornelissen, Liesbeth; Claus, Filip; Wolter, Pascal; Dumez, Herlinde; De Keyzer, Frederik; Lerut, Evelyne; Van Poppel, Hendrik; Beuselinck, Benoit

2015-02-01

The purpose of this study was to retrospectively assess the incidence of bowel wall oedema on computed tomography (CT) in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) treated with sunitinib, and to investigate its association with diarrhoea. We conducted a retrospective analysis of all RCC patients treated with sunitinib at our hospital between December 2005 and December 2011. The presence or absence of bowel wall oedema on these CT examinations was scored. The presence of diarrhoea preceding, during, or after sunitinib treatment was identified from the patient files and retrospectively graded. For 54 of 87 patients, bowel wall oedema was present on at least one CT examination. Of these 54 patients, the right-sided colonic segment was affected in 87%. Diarrhoea was the most common reported adverse event during treatment, with 58 patients (67%) having grade 1/2 diarrhoea and 9 patients (10%) having grade 3. There was a statistically significant correlation between the incidence of CT-scored bowel oedema and diarrhoea during sunitinib treatment (P = 0.004). This study shows a very high incidence of bowel wall oedema and a strong correlation between the incidence of bowel wall oedema and diarrhoea in patients treated with sunitinib. • Sunitinib is routinely used in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma. • Diarrhoea is the most common reported adverse event during sunitinib treatment. • Incidence of bowel oedema and diarrhoea during sunitinib treatment is correlated. • Radiologists should avoid misinterpretation of bowel oedema as infectious colitis.

Dynamic refractometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Curley, Michael J. (Inventor); Sarkisov, Sergey S. (Inventor)

2008-01-01

A refractometer computer controls the rotation of a rotary plate upon which are mounted a prism optically coupled via an optical window to a spectroscopic cell holding a resin exhibiting a dynamic refractive index during photocuring. The computer system positions the prism and spectroscopic cell relative to a visible light laser which illuminates the prism-resin interface at selected incidence angles. A photodetector mounted on the plate generates a signal to the computer proportional to intensity of an internally reflected light beam. A curing light is selectively transmitted through the prism and into the photocurable resin. The refractometer determines the intensity of the internally reflected beam a selected incidence angles and determines the effective refractive index curve of the resin at an uncured state and, optionally, at a completely cured state. Next, an amount of uncured resin and selected optical components to be joined by the resin is placed in the spectroscopic cell and irradiated with the UV light. The refractometer is fixed at a selected incidence angle and measures the intensity of an internally reflected light beam of light throughout the cure cycle. The refractometer determines the resin's refractive index of the polymeric mixture by means of extrapolation of a horizontal shift in the effective refractive index curve of the resin from an uncured state to a selected point in the cure cycle.

Radiation effects in silicon and gallium arsenide solar cells using isotropic and normally incident radiation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anspaugh, B. E.; Downing, R. G.

1984-01-01

Several types of silicon and gallium arsenide solar cells were irradiated with protons with energies between 50 keV and 10 MeV at both normal and isotropic incidence. Damage coefficients for maximum power relative to 10 MeV were derived for these cells for both cases of omni-directional and normal incidence. The damage coefficients for the silicon cells were found to be somewhat lower than those quoted in the Solar Cell Radiation Handbook. These values were used to compute omni-directional damage coefficients suitable for solar cells protected by coverglasses of practical thickness, which in turn were used to compute solar cell degradation in two proton-dominated orbits. In spite of the difference in the low energy proton damage coefficients, the difference between the handbook prediction and the prediction using the newly derived values was negligible. Damage coefficients for GaAs solar cells for short circuit current, open circuit voltage, and maximum power were also computed relative to 10 MeV protons. They were used to predict cell degradation in the same two orbits and in a 5600 nmi orbit. Results show the performance of the GaAs solar cells in these orbits to be superior to that of the Si cells.

Emphasizing Planning for Essay Writing with a Computer-Based Graphic Organizer

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Evmenova, Anya S.; Regan, Kelley; Boykin, Andrea; Good, Kevin; Hughes, Melissa; MacVittie, Nichole; Sacco, Donna; Ahn, Soo Y.; Chirinos, David

2016-01-01

The authors conducted a multiple-baseline study to investigate the effects of a computer-based graphic organizer (CBGO) with embedded self-regulated learning strategies on the quantity and quality of persuasive essay writing by students with high-incidence disabilities. Ten seventh- and eighth-grade students with learning disabilities, emotional…

Off-Design Performance of Radial-Inflow Turbines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meitner, P. L.; Glassman, A. J.

1986-01-01

Computer code determines rotor exit flow from hub to tip. RTOD (Radial Turbine Off-Design), computes off-design performance of radial turbine by modeling flow with stator viscous and trailing-edge losses, and with vaneless space loss between stator and rotor, and with rotor incidence, viscous, clearance, trailing-edge, and disk friction losses.

Artificial phototropism based on a photo-thermo-responsive hydrogel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gopalakrishna, Hamsini

Solar energy is leading in renewable energy sources and the aspects surrounding the efforts to harvest light are gaining importance. One such aspect is increasing the light absorption, where heliotropism comes into play. Heliotropism, the ability to track the sun across the sky, can be integrated with solar cells for more efficient photon collection and other optoelectronic systems. Inspired by plants, which optimize incident sunlight in nature, several researchers have made artificial heliotropic and phototropic systems. This project aims to design, synthesize and characterize a material system and evaluate its application in a phototropic system. A gold nanoparticle (Au NP) incorporated poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) hydrogel was synthesized as a photo-thermo-responsive material in our phototropic system. The Au NPs generate heat from the incident via plasmonic resonance to induce a volume phase change of the thermo-responsive hydrogel PNIPAAm. PNIPAAm shrinks or swells at temperature above or below 32°C. Upon irradiation, the Au NP-PNIPAAm micropillar actuates, specifically bending toward the incident light and precisely following the varying incident angle. Swelling ratio tests, bending angle tests with a static incident light and bending tests with varying angles were carried out on hydrogel samples with varying Au NP concentrations. Swelling ratios ranging from 1.45 to 2.9 were recorded for pure hydrogel samples and samples with very low Au NP concentrations. Swelling ratios of 2.41 and 3.37 were calculated for samples with low and high concentrations of Au NPs, respectively. A bending of up to 88° was observed in Au NP-hydrogel pillars with a low Au NP concentration with a 90° incident angle. The light tracking performance was assessed by the slope of the pillar Bending angle (response angle) vs. Incident light angle plot. A slope of 1 indicates ideal tracking with top of the pillar being normal to the incident light, maximizing the photon absorption. Slopes of 0.82 and 0.56 were observed for the low and high Au NP concentration samples. The rapid and precise incident light tracking of our system has shown the promise in phototropic applications.

Abusive User Policy | High-Performance Computing | NREL

Science.gov Websites

below. First Incident The user's ability to run new jobs or store new data will be suspended temporarily acknowledged and participated in a remedy, ability to run new jobs or store new data will be restored. Second Incident Suspend running new jobs or storing new data. Terminate jobs if necessary. The system and

An Examination of Bias Incident Response at Postsecondary Institutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gonyer, Howard A.

2017-01-01

The purpose of this general inductive study was to understand how senior student affairs officers (SSAOs) have managed the response to bias on college campuses. The literature is clear about the negative effects of bias on targeted populations; however, there is a large gap in the literature when it comes to how bias incidents are managed. The…

RESPONSE PROTOCOL TOOLBOX: PLANNING FOR AND RESPONDING TO DRINKING WATER CONTAMINATION THREATS AND INCIDENTS. MODULE 1: WATER UTILITIES PLANNING GUIDE - INTERIM FINAL - DECEMBER 2003

EPA Science Inventory

The interim final Response Protocol Toolbox: Planning for and Responding to Contamination Threats to Drinking Water Systems is designed to help the water sector effectively and appropriately respond to intentional contamination threats and incidents. It was produced by EPA, buil...

RESPONSE PROTOCOL TOOLBOX: PLANNING FOR AND RESPONDING TO DRINKING WATER CONTAMINATION THREATS AND INCIDENTS, MODULE 3: SITE CHARACTERIZATION AND SAMPLING GUIDE. INTERIM FINAL - DECEMBER 2003

EPA Science Inventory

The interim final Response Protocol Toolbox: Planning for and Responding to Contamination Threats to Drinking Water Systems is designed to help the water sector effectively and appropriately respond to intentional contamination threats and incidents. It was produced by EPA, buil...

Single-layer-coated surfaces with linearized reflectance versus angle of incidence: application to passive and active silicon rotation sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azzam, R. M. A.; Howlader, M. M. K.; Georgiou, T. Y.

1995-08-01

A transparent or absorbing substrate can be coated with a transparent thin film to produce a linear reflectance-versus-angle-of-incidence response over a certain range of angles. Linearization at and near normal incidence is a special case that leads to a maximally flat response for p -polarized, s -polarized, or unpolarized light. For midrange and high-range linearization with moderate and high slopes, respectively, the best results are obtained when the incident light is s polarized. Application to a Si substrate that is coated with a SiO2 film leads to novel passive and active reflection rotation sensors. Experimental results and an error analysis of this rotation sensor are presented.

I-WASTE: EPA's Suite of Homeland Security Decision Support ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

In the U.S., a single comprehensive approach to all-hazards domestic incident management has been established by the Department of Homeland Security through the National Response Framework. This helps prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from terrorist attacks, major disasters, and other emergencies. A significant component of responding to and recovering from wide-area or isolated events, whether natural, accidental, or intentional, is the management of waste resulting from the incident itself or from activities cleaning up after the incident. To facilitate the proper management of incident-derived waste, EPA developed the Incident Waste Assessment and Tonnage Estimator (I-WASTE). I-WASTE was developed by the U.S. EPA’s Homeland Security Research Program in partnership with EPA program and regional offices, other U.S. government agencies, industry, and state and local emergency response programs. Presenting the disaster waste tool at the ORD Tools Café held in EPA Region 7th on Dec 9th.

Investigation on wide-band scattering of a 2-D target above 1-D randomly rough surface by FDTD method.

PubMed

Li, Juan; Guo, Li-Xin; Jiao, Yong-Chang; Li, Ke

2011-01-17

Finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) algorithm with a pulse wave excitation is used to investigate the wide-band composite scattering from a two-dimensional(2-D) infinitely long target with arbitrary cross section located above a one-dimensional(1-D) randomly rough surface. The FDTD calculation is performed with a pulse wave incidence, and the 2-D representative time-domain scattered field in the far zone is obtained directly by extrapolating the currently calculated data on the output boundary. Then the 2-D wide-band scattering result is acquired by transforming the representative time-domain field to the frequency domain with a Fourier transform. Taking the composite scattering of an infinitely long cylinder above rough surface as an example, the wide-band response in the far zone by FDTD with the pulsed excitation is computed and it shows a good agreement with the numerical result by FDTD with the sinusoidal illumination. Finally, the normalized radar cross section (NRCS) from a 2-D target above 1-D rough surface versus the incident frequency, and the representative scattered fields in the far zone versus the time are analyzed in detail.

Connecting to Get Things Done: A Conceptual Model of the Process Used to Respond to Bias Incidents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

LePeau, Lucy A.; Morgan, Demetri L.; Zimmerman, Hilary B.; Snipes, Jeremy T.; Marcotte, Beth A.

2016-01-01

In this study, we interviewed victims of bias incidents and members of a bias response team to investigate the process the team used to respond to incidents. Incidents included acts of sexism, homophobia, and racism on a large, predominantly White research university in the Midwest. Data were analyzed using a 4-stage coding process. The emergent…

Emergency radiology and mass casualty incidents-report of a mass casualty incident at a level 1 trauma center.

PubMed

Bolster, Ferdia; Linnau, Ken; Mitchell, Steve; Roberge, Eric; Nguyen, Quynh; Robinson, Jeffrey; Lehnert, Bruce; Gross, Joel

2017-02-01

The aims of this article are to describe the events of a recent mass casualty incident (MCI) at our level 1 trauma center and to describe the radiology response to the event. We also describe the findings and recommendations of our radiology department after-action review. An MCI activation was triggered after an amphibious military vehicle, repurposed for tourist activities, carrying 37 passengers, collided with a charter bus carrying 45 passengers on a busy highway bridge in Seattle, WA, USA. There were 4 deaths at the scene, and 51 patients were transferred to local hospitals following prehospital scene triage. Nineteen patients were transferred to our level 1 trauma center. Eighteen casualties arrived within 72 min. Sixteen arrived within 1 h of the first patient arrival, and 1 casualty was transferred 3 h later having initially been assessed at another hospital. Eighteen casualties (94.7 %) underwent diagnostic imaging in the emergency department. Of these 18 casualties, 15 had a trauma series (portable chest x-ray and x-ray of pelvis). Whole-body trauma computed tomography scans (WBCT) were performed on 15 casualties (78.9 %), 12 were immediate and performed during the initial active phase of the MCI, and 3 WBCTs were delayed. The initial 12 WBCTs were completed in 101 min. The mean number of radiographic studies performed per patient was 3 (range 1-8), and the total number of injuries detected was 88. The surge in imaging requirements during an MCI can be significant and exceed normal operating capacity. This report of our radiology experience during a recent MCI and subsequent after-action review serves to provide an example of how radiology capacity and workflow functioned during an MCI, in order to provide emergency radiologists and response planners with practical recommendations for implementation in the event of a future MCI.

Salvage Radiation Therapy Dose Response for Biochemical Failure of Prostate Cancer After Prostatectomy—A Multi-Institutional Observational Study

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

Pisansky, Thomas M., E-mail: pisansky.thomas@mayo.edu; Agrawal, Shree; Hamstra, Daniel A.

Purpose: To determine whether a dose-response relationship exists for salvage radiation therapy (RT) of biochemical failure after prostatectomy for prostate cancer. Methods and Materials: Individual data from 1108 patients who underwent salvage RT at 10 academic centers were pooled. The cohort was enriched for selection criteria more likely associated with tumor recurrence in the prostate bed (margin positive and pre-RT prostate-specific antigen [PSA] level of ≤2.0 ng/mL) and without the confounding of planned androgen suppression. The cumulative incidence of biochemical failure and distant metastasis over time was computed, and competing risks hazard regression models were used to investigate the association betweenmore » potential predictors and these outcomes. The association of radiation dose with outcomes was the primary focus. Results: With a 65.2-month follow-up duration, the 5- and 10-year estimates of freedom from post-RT biochemical failure (PSA level >0.2 ng/mL and rising) was 63.5% and 49.8%, respectively, and the cumulative incidence of distant metastasis was 12.4% by 10 years. A Gleason score of ≥7, higher pre-RT PSA level, extraprostatic tumor extension, and seminal vesicle invasion were associated with worse biochemical failure and distant metastasis outcomes. A salvage radiation dose of ≥66.0 Gy was associated with a reduced cumulative incidence of biochemical failure, but not of distant metastasis. Conclusions: The use of salvage radiation doses of ≥66.0 Gy are supported by evidence presented in the present multicenter pooled analysis of individual patient data. The observational reporting method, limited sample size, few distant metastasis events, modest follow-up duration, and elective use of salvage therapy might have diminished the opportunity to identify an association between the radiation dose and this endpoint.« less

Frequency Domain Response at Pacific Coast Harbors to Major Tsunamis of 2005-2011

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xing, Xiuying; Kou, Zhiqing; Huang, Ziyi; Lee, Jiin-Jen

2013-06-01

Tsunamis waves caused by submarine earthquake or landslide might contain large wave energy, which could cause significant human loss and property damage locally as well as in distant region. The response of three harbors located at the Pacific coast (i.e. Crescent City Harbor, Los Angeles/Long Beach Port, and San Diego Harbor) to six well-known tsunamis events generated (both near-field and far-field) between 2005 and 2011 are examined and simulated using a hybrid finite element numerical model in frequency domain. The model incorporated the effects of wave refraction, wave diffraction, partial wave reflection from boundaries, entrance and bottom energy dissipation. It can be applied to harbor regions with arbitrary shapes and variable water depth. The computed resonant periods or modes of oscillation for three harbors are in good agreement with the energy spectral analysis of the time series of water surface elevations recorded at tide gauge stations inside three harbors during the six tsunamis events. The computed wave induced currents based on the present model are also in qualitative agreement with some of the reported eye-witness accounts absence of reliable current data. The simulated results show that each harbor responded differently and significantly amplified certain wave period(s) of incident wave trains according to the shape, topography, characteristic dimensions and water depth of the harbor basins.

Estimating Temperature Rise Due to Flashlamp Heating Using Irreversible Temperature Indicators

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Koshti, Ajay M.

1999-01-01

One of the nondestructive thermography inspection techniques uses photographic flashlamps. The flashlamps provide a short duration (about 0.005 sec) heat pulse. The short burst of energy results in a momentary rise in the surface temperature of the part. The temperature rise may be detrimental to the top layer of the part being exposed. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure the nondestructive nature of the technique. Amount of the temperature rise determines whether the flashlamp heating would be detrimental to the part. A direct method for the temperature measurement is to use of an infrared pyrometer that has much shorter response time than the flash duration. In this paper, an alternative technique is given using the irreversible temperature 'indicators. This is an indirect technique and it measures the temperature rise on the irreversible temperature indicators and computes the incident heat flux. Once the heat flux is known, the temperature rise on the part can be computed. A wedge shaped irreversible temperature indicator for measuring the heat flux is proposed. A procedure is given to use the wedge indicator.

Nonlinear Unsteady Aerodynamic Modeling Using Wind Tunnel and Computational Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Murphy, Patrick C.; Klein, Vladislav; Frink, Neal T.

2016-01-01

Extensions to conventional aircraft aerodynamic models are required to adequately predict responses when nonlinear unsteady flight regimes are encountered, especially at high incidence angles and under maneuvering conditions. For a number of reasons, such as loss of control, both military and civilian aircraft may extend beyond normal and benign aerodynamic flight conditions. In addition, military applications may require controlled flight beyond the normal envelope, and civilian flight may require adequate recovery or prevention methods from these adverse conditions. These requirements have led to the development of more general aerodynamic modeling methods and provided impetus for researchers to improve both techniques and the degree of collaboration between analytical and experimental research efforts. In addition to more general mathematical model structures, dynamic test methods have been designed to provide sufficient information to allow model identification. This paper summarizes research to develop a modeling methodology appropriate for modeling aircraft aerodynamics that include nonlinear unsteady behaviors using both experimental and computational test methods. This work was done at Langley Research Center, primarily under the NASA Aviation Safety Program, to address aircraft loss of control, prevention, and recovery aerodynamics.

Accidental spills at sea--risk, impact, mitigation and the need for co-ordinated post-incident monitoring.

PubMed

Kirby, Mark F; Law, Robin J

2010-06-01

A fully integrated and effective response to an oil or chemical spill at sea must include a well planned and executed post-incident assessment of environmental contamination and damage. While salvage, rescue and clean-up operations are generally well considered, including reviews and exercises, the expertise, resources, networks and logistical planning required to achieve prompt and effective post-spill impact assessment and monitoring are not generally well established. The arrangement and co-ordination of post-incident monitoring and impact assessment need to consider sampling design, biological effects, chemical analysis and collection/interpretation of expert local knowledge. This paper discusses the risks, impacts and mitigation options associated with accidental spills and considers the importance of pre-considered impact assessment and monitoring programmes in the wider response cycle. The PREMIAM (Pollution Response in Emergencies: Marine Impact Assessment and Monitoring; www.premiam.org) project is considered as an example of an improved approach to the planning, co-ordination and conduct of post-incident monitoring.

Dynamic thermomechanical response of bimaterial microcantilevers to periodic heating by infrared radiation.

PubMed

Kwon, Beomjin; Rosenberger, Matthew; Bhargava, Rohit; Cahill, David G; King, William P

2012-01-01

This paper investigates the dynamic thermomechanical response of bimaterial microcantilevers to periodic heating by an infrared laser operating at a wavelenegth of 10.35 μm. A model relates incident radiation, heat transfer, temperature distribution in the cantilever, and thermal expansion mismatch to find the cantilever displacement. Experiments were conducted on two custom-fabricated bimaterial cantilevers and two commercially available bimaterial microcantilevers. The cantilever response was measured as a function of the modulation frequency of the laser over the range of 0.01-30 kHz. The model and the method of cantilever displacement calibration can be applied for bimaterial cantilever with thick coating layer. The sensitivity and signal-to-noise of bimaterial cantilevers were evaluated in terms of either total incident power or incident flux. The custom-fabricated bimaterial cantilevers showed 9X or 190X sensitivity improvement compared to commercial cantilevers. The detection limit on incident flux is as small as 0.10 pW μm(-2) Hz(-1/2).

Trapping of a micro-bubble by non-paraxial Gaussian beam: computation using the FDTD method.

PubMed

Sung, Seung-Yong; Lee, Yong-Gu

2008-03-03

Optical forces on a micro-bubble were computed using the Finite Difference Time Domain method. Non-paraxial Gaussian beam equation was used to represent the incident laser with high numerical aperture, common in optical tweezers. The electromagnetic field distribution around a micro-bubble was computed using FDTD method and the electromagnetic stress tensor on the surface of a micro-bubble was used to compute the optical forces. By the analysis of the computational results, interesting relations between the radius of the circular trapping ring and the corresponding stability of the trap were found.

Is the way an oil spill response is reported in the media important for the final perception of the clean-up?

PubMed

Chilvers, B L; Finlayson, G; Ashwell, D; Low, S I; Morgan, K J; Pearson, H E

2016-03-15

This research investigates the media coverage during the C/V Rena grounding in New Zealand (NZ), in 2011, to analyze if information reported in printed media is important for the final perception of the overall oil spill response. We took all articles available from NZ's largest circulated newspaper and the regional newspaper closest to the incident and analyzed the themes within each article; the article's tone (positive, neutral or negative); the time of the report relative to incident events and any differences between the regional and national papers. This analysis indicates that oil spills are reported and perceived as inherently negative incidents. However, along with coordinating an effective spill response, fast, factual and frequent media releases and increased effect in media liaison in areas of response with high public intrinsic value such as oiled wildlife response can significantly influence tone of media coverage and likely overall public perception. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Toward the way forward: the national children's disaster mental health concept of operations.

PubMed

Schreiber, Merritt; Pfefferbaum, Betty; Sayegh, Lisa

2012-06-01

Although increasing evidence suggests that children are at particular risk from disasters and evidence-based practices have been developed to triage and treat them effectively, no strategy or concept of operations linking best practices for disaster response is currently in place. To our knowledge, this report describes the first effort to address this critical gap and outlines a triage-driven children's disaster mental health incident response strategy for seamless preparedness, response, and recovery elements that can be used now. The national children's disaster mental health concept of operations (NCDMH CONOPS) details the essential elements needed for an interoperable, coordinated response for the mental health needs of children by local communities, counties, regions, and states to better meet the needs of children affected by disasters and terrorism incidents. This CONOPS for children proposes the use of an evidence-based, rapid triage system to provide a common data metric to incident response and recovery action and to rationally align limited resources to those at greater need in a population-based approach.

Intrinsic acoustical cross sections in the multiple scattering by a pair of rigid cylindrical particles in 2D

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mitri, F. G.

2017-08-01

The multiple scattering effects occurring between two scatterers are described based upon the multipole expansion formalism as well as the addition theorem of cylindrical wave functions. An original approach is presented in which an effective incident acoustic field on a particular object, which includes both the primary and re-scattered waves from the other particle is determined first, and then used with the scattered field to derive closed-form analytical expressions for the inherent (i.e. intrinsic) cross-sections based on the far-field scattering. This method does not introduce any approximation in the calculation of the intrinsic cross-sections since the procedure is reduced to the one-body problem. The mathematical expressions for the intrinsic cross-sections are formulated in partial-wave series expansions (PWSEs) in cylindrical coordinates involving the angle of incidence, the addition theorem for the cylindrical wave functions, and the expansion coefficients of the scatterers. Numerical examples illustrate the analysis for two rigid circular cylindrical cross-sections with different radii immersed in a non-viscous fluid. Computations for the dimensionless extrinsic and intrinsic extinction cross-section factors are evaluated with particular emphasis on varying the angle of incidence, the interparticle distance, as well as the sizes of the particles. A symmetric behavior is observed for the dimensionless extrinsic extinction cross-section, while asymmetry arises for the intrinsic extinction cross-section of each particle with respect to the angle of incidence. The present analysis provides a complete analytical and computational method for the prediction of the intrinsic (local) scattering, absorption and extinction cross-sections in the multiple acoustic scatterings of plane progressive waves of arbitrary incidence by a pair of scatterers. The results and computational analyses can be used as a priori information for future applications to guide the direct or inverse characterization of multiple scattering systems in acoustically-engineered metamaterials, cloaking devices, particle dynamics, levitation, manipulation and handling, and other areas.

Remote Sensing Laboratory - RSL

ScienceCinema

None

2018-01-16

One of the primary resources supporting homeland security is the Remote Sensing Laboratory, or RSL. The Laboratory creates advanced technologies for emergency response operations, radiological incident response, and other remote sensing activities. RSL emergency response teams are on call 24-hours a day, and maintain the capability to deploy domestically and internationally in response to threats involving the loss, theft, or release of nuclear or radioactive material. Such incidents might include Nuclear Power Plant accidents, terrorist incidents involving nuclear or radiological materials, NASA launches, and transportation accidents involving nuclear materials. Working with the US Department of Homeland Security, RSL personnel equip, maintain, and conduct training on the mobile detection deployment unit, to provide nuclear radiological security at major national events such as the super bowl, the Indianapolis 500, New Year's Eve celebrations, presidential inaugurations, international meetings and conferences, just about any event where large numbers of people will gather.

Remote Sensing Laboratory - RSL

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

None

2014-11-06

One of the primary resources supporting homeland security is the Remote Sensing Laboratory, or RSL. The Laboratory creates advanced technologies for emergency response operations, radiological incident response, and other remote sensing activities. RSL emergency response teams are on call 24-hours a day, and maintain the capability to deploy domestically and internationally in response to threats involving the loss, theft, or release of nuclear or radioactive material. Such incidents might include Nuclear Power Plant accidents, terrorist incidents involving nuclear or radiological materials, NASA launches, and transportation accidents involving nuclear materials. Working with the US Department of Homeland Security, RSL personnel equip,more » maintain, and conduct training on the mobile detection deployment unit, to provide nuclear radiological security at major national events such as the super bowl, the Indianapolis 500, New Year's Eve celebrations, presidential inaugurations, international meetings and conferences, just about any event where large numbers of people will gather.« less

Directional radiation detectors

DOEpatents

Dowell, Jonathan L.

2017-09-12

Directional radiation detectors and systems, methods, and computer-readable media for using directional radiation detectors to locate a radiation source are provided herein. A directional radiation detector includes a radiation sensor. A radiation attenuator partially surrounds the radiation sensor and defines an aperture through which incident radiation is received by the radiation sensor. The aperture is positioned such that when incident radiation is received directly through the aperture and by the radiation sensor, a source of the incident radiation is located within a solid angle defined by the aperture. The radiation sensor senses at least one of alpha particles, beta particles, gamma particles, or neutrons.

Recording pressure ulcer risk assessment and incidence.

PubMed

Plaskitt, Anne; Heywood, Nicola; Arrowsmith, Michaela

2015-07-15

This article reports on the introduction of an innovative computer-based system developed to record and report pressure ulcer risk and incidence at an acute NHS trust. The system was introduced to ensure that all patients have an early pressure ulcer risk assessment, which prompts staff to initiate appropriate management if a pressure ulcer is detected, thereby preventing further patient harm. Initial findings suggest that this electronic process has helped to improve the timeliness and accuracy of data on pressure ulcer risk and incidence. In addition, it has resulted in a reduced number of reported hospital-acquired pressure ulcers.

Incident Energy Focused Design and Validation for the Floating Potential Probe

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fincannon, James

2002-01-01

Utilizing the spacecraft shadowing and incident energy analysis capabilities of the NASA Glenn Research Center Power and Propulsion Office's SPACE System Power Analysis for Capability Evaluation) computer code, this paper documents the analyses for various International Space Station (ISS) Floating Potential Probe (EPP) preliminary design options. These options include various solar panel orientations and configurations as well as deployment locations on the ISS. The incident energy for the final selected option is characterized. A good correlation between the predicted data and on-orbit operational telemetry is demonstrated. Minor deviations are postulated to be induced by degradation or sensor drift.

A Symmetric Time-Varying Cluster Rate of Descent Model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ray, Eric S.

2015-01-01

A model of the time-varying rate of descent of the Orion vehicle was developed based on the observed correlation between canopy projected area and drag coefficient. This initial version of the model assumes cluster symmetry and only varies the vertical component of velocity. The cluster fly-out angle is modeled as a series of sine waves based on flight test data. The projected area of each canopy is synchronized with the primary fly-out angle mode. The sudden loss of projected area during canopy collisions is modeled at minimum fly-out angles, leading to brief increases in rate of descent. The cluster geometry is converted to drag coefficient using empirically derived constants. A more complete model is under development, which computes the aerodynamic response of each canopy to its local incidence angle.

Multislice does it all—calculating the performance of nanofocusing X-ray optics

DOE PAGES

Li, Kenan; Wojcik, Michael; Jacobsen, Chris

2017-01-23

Here, we describe an approach to calculating the optical performance of a wide range of nanofocusing X-ray optics using multislice scalar wave propagation with a complex X-ray refractive index. This approach produces results indistinguishable from methods such as coupled wave theory, and it allows one to reproduce other X-ray optical phenomena such as grazing incidence reflectivity where the direction of energy flow is changed significantly. Just as finite element analysis methods allow engineers to compute the thermal and mechanical responses of arbitrary structures too complex to model by analytical approaches, multislice propagation can be used to understand the properties ofmore » the real-world optics of finite extent and with local imperfections, allowing one to better understand the limits to nanoscale X-ray imaging.« less

Numerical benchmarking of a Coarse-Mesh Transport (COMET) Method for medical physics applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blackburn, Megan Satterfield

2009-12-01

Radiation therapy has become a very import method for treating cancer patients. Thus, it is extremely important to accurately determine the location of energy deposition during these treatments, maximizing dose to the tumor region and minimizing it to healthy tissue. A Coarse-Mesh Transport Method (COMET) has been developed at the Georgia Institute of Technology in the Computational Reactor and Medical Physics Group for use very successfully with neutron transport to analyze whole-core criticality. COMET works by decomposing a large, heterogeneous system into a set of smaller fixed source problems. For each unique local problem that exists, a solution is obtained that we call a response function. These response functions are pre-computed and stored in a library for future use. The overall solution to the global problem can then be found by a linear superposition of these local problems. This method has now been extended to the transport of photons and electrons for use in medical physics problems to determine energy deposition from radiation therapy treatments. The main goal of this work was to develop benchmarks for testing in order to evaluate the COMET code to determine its strengths and weaknesses for these medical physics applications. For response function calculations, legendre polynomial expansions are necessary for space, angle, polar angle, and azimuthal angle. An initial sensitivity study was done to determine the best orders for future testing. After the expansion orders were found, three simple benchmarks were tested: a water phantom, a simplified lung phantom, and a non-clinical slab phantom. Each of these benchmarks was decomposed into 1cm x 1cm and 0.5cm x 0.5cm coarse meshes. Three more clinically relevant problems were developed from patient CT scans. These benchmarks modeled a lung patient, a prostate patient, and a beam re-entry situation. As before, the problems were divided into 1cm x 1cm, 0.5cm x 0.5cm, and 0.25cm x 0.25cm coarse mesh cases. Multiple beam energies were also tested for each case. The COMET solutions for each case were compared to a reference solution obtained by pure Monte Carlo results from EGSnrc. When comparing the COMET results to the reference cases, a pattern of differences appeared in each phantom case. It was found that better results were obtained for lower energy incident photon beams as well as for larger mesh sizes. Possible changes may need to be made with the expansion orders used for energy and angle to better model high energy secondary electrons. Heterogeneity also did not pose a problem for the COMET methodology. Heterogeneous results were found in a comparable amount of time to the homogeneous water phantom. The COMET results were typically found in minutes to hours of computational time, whereas the reference cases typically required hundreds or thousands of hours. A second sensitivity study was also performed on a more stringent problem and with smaller coarse meshes. Previously, the same expansion order was used for each incident photon beam energy so better comparisons could be made. From this second study, it was found that it is optimal to have different expansion orders based on the incident beam energy. Recommendations for future work with this method include more testing on higher expansion orders or possible code modification to better handle secondary electrons. The method also needs to handle more clinically relevant beam descriptions with an energy and angular distribution associated with it.

Computer model for harmonic ultrasound imaging.

PubMed

Li, Y; Zagzebski, J A

2000-01-01

Harmonic ultrasound imaging has received great attention from ultrasound scanner manufacturers and researchers. In this paper, we present a computer model that can generate realistic harmonic images. In this model, the incident ultrasound is modeled after the "KZK" equation, and the echo signal is modeled using linear propagation theory because the echo signal is much weaker than the incident pulse. Both time domain and frequency domain numerical solutions to the "KZK" equation were studied. Realistic harmonic images of spherical lesion phantoms were generated for scans by a circular transducer. This model can be a very useful tool for studying the harmonic buildup and dissipation processes in a nonlinear medium, and it can be used to investigate a wide variety of topics related to B-mode harmonic imaging.

Computer model for harmonic ultrasound imaging.

PubMed

Li, Y; Zagzebski, J A

2000-01-01

Harmonic ultrasound imaging has received great attention from ultrasound scanner manufacturers and researchers. Here, the authors present a computer model that can generate realistic harmonic images. In this model, the incident ultrasound is modeled after the "KZK" equation, and the echo signal is modeled using linear propagation theory because the echo signal is much weaker than the incident pulse. Both time domain and frequency domain numerical solutions to the "KZK" equation were studied. Realistic harmonic images of spherical lesion phantoms were generated for scans by a circular transducer. This model can be a very useful tool for studying the harmonic buildup and dissipation processes in a nonlinear medium, and it can be used to investigate a wide variety of topics related to B-mode harmonic imaging.

A Fourier-based total-field/scattered-field technique for three-dimensional broadband simulations of elastic targets near a water-sand interface.

PubMed

Shao, Yu; Wang, Shumin

2016-12-01

The numerical simulation of acoustic scattering from elastic objects near a water-sand interface is critical to underwater target identification. Frequency-domain methods are computationally expensive, especially for large-scale broadband problems. A numerical technique is proposed to enable the efficient use of finite-difference time-domain method for broadband simulations. By incorporating a total-field/scattered-field boundary, the simulation domain is restricted inside a tightly bounded region. The incident field is further synthesized by the Fourier transform for both subcritical and supercritical incidences. Finally, the scattered far field is computed using a half-space Green's function. Numerical examples are further provided to demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed technique.

Conception of a course for professional training and education in the field of computer and mobile forensics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kröger, Knut; Creutzburg, Reiner

2012-06-01

IT security and computer forensics are important components in the information technology. From year to year, incidents and crimes increase that target IT systems or was done with their help. More and more companies and authorities have security problems in their own IT infrastructure. To respond to these incidents professionally, it is important to have well trained staff. The fact that many agencies and companies work with very sensitive data makes it necessary to further train the own employees in the field of IT forensics. Motivated by these facts, a training concept, which allows the creation of practical exercises, is presented in this paper. The focus is on the practical implementation of forensic important relationships.

A Multiple Sphere T-Matrix Fortran Code for Use on Parallel Computer Clusters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mackowski, D. W.; Mishchenko, M. I.

2011-01-01

A general-purpose Fortran-90 code for calculation of the electromagnetic scattering and absorption properties of multiple sphere clusters is described. The code can calculate the efficiency factors and scattering matrix elements of the cluster for either fixed or random orientation with respect to the incident beam and for plane wave or localized- approximation Gaussian incident fields. In addition, the code can calculate maps of the electric field both interior and exterior to the spheres.The code is written with message passing interface instructions to enable the use on distributed memory compute clusters, and for such platforms the code can make feasible the calculation of absorption, scattering, and general EM characteristics of systems containing several thousand spheres.

“I’ll Never Drink Like That Again”: Characteristics of Alcohol-Related Incidents and Predictors of Motivation to Change in College Students*

PubMed Central

BARNETT, NANCY P.; GOLDSTEIN, ABBY L.; MURPHY, JAMES G.; COLBY, SUZANNE M.; MONTI, PETER M.

2011-01-01

Objective Alcohol use and its associated behaviors are among the most common reasons for medical treatment and disciplinary infractions among college students. The purpose of this study was to describe the characteristics of students who had recent serious alcohol-related incidents and to identify predictors of motivation to change alcohol use and heavy drinking in particular, with specific attention to gender. Method Students (N = 227; 52% female) who had been mandated to attend a session of alcohol education following alcohol-related medical treatment and/or a disciplinary infraction were assessed on their alcohol use, alcohol problems, characteristics of their alcohol-related incident, reactions to the incident, attributions about the incident, and motivation to change drinking and heavy drinking. Path and regression analyses were used to identify the individual and incident-related characteristics that were related to motivation to change. Results Perceived aversiveness of the incident was directly and positively related to motivation to change drinking and heavy drinking. Alcohol consumption in the month before the incident and past-year alcohol problems were negatively related to motivation to change heavy drinking, and women were more motivated to change heavy drinking than men. The more students consumed in the incident, the more likely they were to feel responsible for it, and the more responsible they felt about the incident, the greater its aversiveness. Conclusions Individual and incident-related characteristics are both directly and indirectly associated with motivation to change following an alcohol-related incident, and therefore have implications for interventions with college drinkers who have experienced an alcohol-related incident. PMID:16847545

Target Capabilities List: A Companion to the National Preparedness Guidelines

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-09-01

lowest possible geographic, organizational, and jurisdictional level using the principles in the National Incident Management System (NIMS). The...Response Plan. U.S. Department of Homeland Security. December 2004. 3. Biological Incident Annex. In the National Response Plan. U.S. Department of...elements of the continuum and improve interoperability, public safety and service agency practitioners should observe the following principles : Gain

28 CFR 115.165 - Coordinated response.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... a lockup incident of sexual abuse, among staff first responders, medical and mental health... incident and the victim's potential need for medical or social services, unless the victim requests...

28 CFR 115.165 - Coordinated response.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... a lockup incident of sexual abuse, among staff first responders, medical and mental health... incident and the victim's potential need for medical or social services, unless the victim requests...

28 CFR 115.165 - Coordinated response.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... a lockup incident of sexual abuse, among staff first responders, medical and mental health... incident and the victim's potential need for medical or social services, unless the victim requests...

Free Computer-Based Assistive Technology to Support Students with High-Incidence Disabilities in the Writing Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bouck, Emily C.; Meyer, Nancy K.; Satsangi, Rajiv; Savage, Melissa N.; Hunley, Megan

2015-01-01

Written expression is a neglected but critical component of education; yet, the writing process--from prewriting, to writing, and postwriting--is often an area of struggle for students with disabilities. One strategy to assist students with disabilities struggling with the writing process is the use of computer-based technology. This article…

Computer code for scattering from impedance bodies of revolution. Part 3: Surface impedance with s and phi variation. Analytical and numerical results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Uslenghi, Piergiorgio L. E.; Laxpati, Sharad R.; Kawalko, Stephen F.

1993-01-01

The third phase of the development of the computer codes for scattering by coated bodies that has been part of an ongoing effort in the Electromagnetics Laboratory of the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department at the University of Illinois at Chicago is described. The work reported discusses the analytical and numerical results for the scattering of an obliquely incident plane wave by impedance bodies of revolution with phi variation of the surface impedance. Integral equation formulation of the problem is considered. All three types of integral equations, electric field, magnetic field, and combined field, are considered. These equations are solved numerically via the method of moments with parametric elements. Both TE and TM polarization of the incident plane wave are considered. The surface impedance is allowed to vary along both the profile of the scatterer and in the phi direction. Computer code developed for this purpose determines the electric surface current as well as the bistatic radar cross section. The results obtained with this code were validated by comparing the results with available results for specific scatterers such as the perfectly conducting sphere. Results for the cone-sphere and cone-cylinder-sphere for the case of an axially incident plane were validated by comparing the results with the results with those obtained in the first phase of this project. Results for body of revolution scatterers with an abrupt change in the surface impedance along both the profile of the scatterer and the phi direction are presented.

Geometrical-optics code for computing the optical properties of large dielectric spheres.

PubMed

Zhou, Xiaobing; Li, Shusun; Stamnes, Knut

2003-07-20

Absorption of electromagnetic radiation by absorptive dielectric spheres such as snow grains in the near-infrared part of the solar spectrum cannot be neglected when radiative properties of snow are computed. Thus a new, to our knowledge, geometrical-optics code is developed to compute scattering and absorption cross sections of large dielectric particles of arbitrary complex refractive index. The number of internal reflections and transmissions are truncated on the basis of the ratio of the irradiance incident at the nth interface to the irradiance incident at the first interface for a specific optical ray. Thus the truncation number is a function of the angle of incidence. Phase functions for both near- and far-field absorption and scattering of electromagnetic radiation are calculated directly at any desired scattering angle by using a hybrid algorithm based on the bisection and Newton-Raphson methods. With these methods a large sphere's absorption and scattering properties of light can be calculated for any wavelength from the ultraviolet to the microwave regions. Assuming that large snow meltclusters (1-cm order), observed ubiquitously in the snow cover during summer, can be characterized as spheres, one may compute absorption and scattering efficiencies and the scattering phase function on the basis of this geometrical-optics method. A geometrical-optics method for sphere (GOMsphere) code is developed and tested against Wiscombe's Mie scattering code (MIE0) and a Monte Carlo code for a range of size parameters. GOMsphere can be combined with MIE0 to calculate the single-scattering properties of dielectric spheres of any size.

Visible scintillation photodetector device incorporating chalcopyrite semiconductor crystals

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

Stowe, Ashley C.; Burger, Arnold

2017-04-04

A photodetector device, including: a scintillator material operable for receiving incident radiation and emitting photons in response; a photodetector material coupled to the scintillator material operable for receiving the photons emitted by the scintillator material and generating a current in response, wherein the photodetector material includes a chalcopyrite semiconductor crystal; and a circuit coupled to the photodetector material operable for characterizing the incident radiation based on the current generated by the photodetector material. Optionally, the scintillator material includes a gamma scintillator material and the incident radiation received includes gamma rays. Optionally, the photodetector material is further operable for receiving thermalmore » neutrons and generating a current in response. The circuit is further operable for characterizing the thermal neutrons based on the current generated by the photodetector material.« less

Local, Regional and National Responses for Medical Management of a Radiological/Nuclear Incident

PubMed Central

Dainiak, Nicholas; Skudlarska, Beata; Albanese, Joseph

2013-01-01

Radiological and nuclear devices may be used by terrorists or may be the source of accidental exposure. A tiered approach has been recommended for response to a terrorist event wherein local, regional, state and federal assets become involved sequentially, as the magnitude in severity of the incident increases. State-wide hospital plans have been developed and published for Connecticut, New York and California. These plans address delineation of responsibilities of various categories of health professionals, protection of healthcare providers, identification and classification of individuals who might have been exposed to and/or contaminated by radiation and, in the case of Connecticut response plan, early management of victims. Regional response programs such as the New England Regional Health Compact (consisting of 6 member states) have been developed to manage consequences of radiation injury. The Department of Homeland Security is ultimately responsible for managing both health consequences and the crisis. Multiple US national response assets may be called upon for use in radiological incidents. These include agencies and programs that have been developed by the Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Defense. Coordination of national, regional and state assets with local response efforts is necessary to provide a timely and efficient response. PMID:23447742

Local, regional and national responses for medical management of a radiological/nuclear incident.

PubMed

Dainiak, Nicholas; Skudlarska, Beata; Albanese, Joseph

2013-01-01

Radiological and nuclear devices may be used by terrorists or may be the source of accidental exposure. A tiered approach has been recommended for response to a terrorist event wherein local, regional, state and federal assets become involved sequentially, as the magnitude in severity of the incident increases. State-wide hospital plans have been developed and published for Connecticut, New York and California. These plans address delineation of responsibilities of various categories of health professionals, protection of healthcare providers, identification and classification of individuals who might have been exposed to and/or contaminated by radiation and, in the case of Connecticut response plan, early management of victims. Regional response programs such as the New England Regional Health Compact (consisting of 6 member states) have been developed to manage consequences of radiation injury. The Department of Homeland Security is ultimately responsible for managing both health consequences and the crisis. Multiple US national response assets may be called upon for use in radiological incidents. These include agencies and programs that have been developed by the Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Defense. Coordination of national, regional and state assets with local response efforts is necessary to provide a timely and efficient response.

Use of a laser beam with an oblique angle of incidence to measure the reduced scattering coefficient of a turbid medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Lihong; Jacques, Steven L.

1995-05-01

A simple and quick approach is used to measure the reduced scattering coefficient ( mu s `) of a semi-infinite turbid medium having a much smaller absorption coefficient than mu s`. A laser beam with an oblique angle of incidence to the medium causes the center of the diffuse reflectance that is several transport mean-free paths away from the incident point to shift away from the point of incidence by an amount Delta x. This amount is used to compute mu s` by mu s` = sin( alpha i)/(n Delta x), where n is the refractive index of the turbid medium divided by that of the incident medium and alpha i is the angle of incidence measured from the surface normal. For a turbid medium having an absorption coefficient comparable with mu s `, a revision to the above formula is made. This method is tested theoretically by Monte Carlo simulations and experimentally by a video reflectometer.

Cancer risk in 680,000 people exposed to computed tomography scans in childhood or adolescence: data linkage study of 11 million Australians.

PubMed

Mathews, John D; Forsythe, Anna V; Brady, Zoe; Butler, Martin W; Goergen, Stacy K; Byrnes, Graham B; Giles, Graham G; Wallace, Anthony B; Anderson, Philip R; Guiver, Tenniel A; McGale, Paul; Cain, Timothy M; Dowty, James G; Bickerstaffe, Adrian C; Darby, Sarah C

2013-05-21

To assess the cancer risk in children and adolescents following exposure to low dose ionising radiation from diagnostic computed tomography (CT) scans. Population based, cohort, data linkage study in Australia. COHORT MEMBERS: 10.9 million people identified from Australian Medicare records, aged 0-19 years on 1 January 1985 or born between 1 January 1985 and 31 December 2005; all exposures to CT scans funded by Medicare during 1985-2005 were identified for this cohort. Cancers diagnosed in cohort members up to 31 December 2007 were obtained through linkage to national cancer records. Cancer incidence rates in individuals exposed to a CT scan more than one year before any cancer diagnosis, compared with cancer incidence rates in unexposed individuals. 60,674 cancers were recorded, including 3150 in 680,211 people exposed to a CT scan at least one year before any cancer diagnosis. The mean duration of follow-up after exposure was 9.5 years. Overall cancer incidence was 24% greater for exposed than for unexposed people, after accounting for age, sex, and year of birth (incidence rate ratio (IRR) 1.24 (95% confidence interval 1.20 to 1.29); P<0.001). We saw a dose-response relation, and the IRR increased by 0.16 (0.13 to 0.19) for each additional CT scan. The IRR was greater after exposure at younger ages (P<0.001 for trend). At 1-4, 5-9, 10-14, and 15 or more years since first exposure, IRRs were 1.35 (1.25 to 1.45), 1.25 (1.17 to 1.34), 1.14 (1.06 to 1.22), and 1.24 (1.14 to 1.34), respectively. The IRR increased significantly for many types of solid cancer (digestive organs, melanoma, soft tissue, female genital, urinary tract, brain, and thyroid); leukaemia, myelodysplasia, and some other lymphoid cancers. There was an excess of 608 cancers in people exposed to CT scans (147 brain, 356 other solid, 48 leukaemia or myelodysplasia, and 57 other lymphoid). The absolute excess incidence rate for all cancers combined was 9.38 per 100,000 person years at risk, as of 31 December 2007. The average effective radiation dose per scan was estimated as 4.5 mSv. The increased incidence of cancer after CT scan exposure in this cohort was mostly due to irradiation. Because the cancer excess was still continuing at the end of follow-up, the eventual lifetime risk from CT scans cannot yet be determined. Radiation doses from contemporary CT scans are likely to be lower than those in 1985-2005, but some increase in cancer risk is still likely from current scans. Future CT scans should be limited to situations where there is a definite clinical indication, with every scan optimised to provide a diagnostic CT image at the lowest possible radiation dose.

41 CFR 102-80.65 - What are Federal agencies' responsibilities concerning the investigation of incidents, such as...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

..., and environmental incidents? 102-80.65 Section 102-80.65 Public Contracts and Property Management...-SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT Safety and Environmental Management Incident Investigation § 102-80... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false What are Federal...

Proposed key elements of a critical incident intervention program for reducing the effects of potentially traumatic exposure on train crews to grade crossing and trespasser incidents.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-04-01

This independent report presents work conducted regarding project FR-RDD-0024-11-01 to advise and support the formulation of : regulations and supporting materials concerning critical incident response plans for rail carriers covered by the Rai...

Acoustic analog computing based on a reflective metasurface with decoupled modulation of phase and amplitude

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zuo, Shu-Yu; Tian, Ye; Wei, Qi; Cheng, Ying; Liu, Xiao-Jun

2018-03-01

The use of metasurfaces has allowed the provision of a variety of functionalities by ultrathin structures, paving the way toward novel highly compact analog computing devices. Here, we conceptually realize analog computing using an acoustic reflective computational metasurface (RCM) that can independently manipulate the reflection phase and amplitude of an incident acoustic signal. This RCM is composed of coating unit cells and perforated panels, where the first can tune the transmission phase within the full range of 2π and the second can adjust the reflection amplitude in the range of 0-1. We show that this RCM can achieve arbitrary reflection phase and amplitude and can be used to realize a unique linear spatially invariant transfer function. Using the spatial Fourier transform (FT), an acoustic analog computing (AAC) system is proposed based on the RCM together with a focusing lens. Based on numerical simulations, we demonstrate that this AAC system can perform mathematical operations such as spatial differentiation, integration, and convolution on an incident acoustic signal. The proposed system has low complexity and reduced size because the RCM is able to individually adjust the reflection phase and amplitude and because only one block is involved in performing the spatial FT. Our work may offer a practical, efficient, and flexible approach to the design of compact devices for acoustic computing applications, signal processing, equation solving, and acoustic wave manipulations.

Broadband thermal optical limiter for the protection of eyes and sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Justus, Brian L.; Huston, Alan L.; Campillo, Anthony J.

1994-05-01

A broadband thermal optical limiter for protecting a light sensitive object from intense laser beams at all near ultraviolet, visible and near infrared wavelengths is disclosed. The broadband thermal optical limiter comprises: a sample cell containing a solution of broadband absorber material dissolved in a thermal solvent; and a first optical device for converging an incident laser beam into the sample cell. The sample cell is responsive to a converged incident laser beam below a predetermined intensity level for passing therethrough the converged incident laser beam below the predetermined intensity level. The sample cell is also responsive to a converged incident laser beam at or above a predetermined intensity level for thermally defocusing substantially all of the converged incident laser beam in different directions and passing therethrough only a remaining small portion of the converged incident laser beam at or above the predetermined intensity level. The broadband thermal optical limiter further includes a second optical device for focusing substantially all of the laser beam passing through the sample cell into the light sensitive object to be protected.

Association between pancreatic fat and incidence of metabolic syndrome: a 5-year Japanese cohort study.

PubMed

Yamazaki, Hajime; Tauchi, Shinichi; Kimachi, Miho; Dohke, Mitsuru; Hanawa, Nagisa; Kodama, Yoshihisa; Katanuma, Akio; Yamamoto, Yosuke; Fukuma, Shingo; Fukuhara, Shunichi

2018-04-26

Previous cross-sectional studies showed that pancreatic fat was associated with metabolic syndrome. However, no longitudinal study has evaluated whether people with high pancreatic fat are likely to develop future metabolic syndrome. This study investigated the association between baseline pancreatic fat and metabolic syndrome incidence. In 2008-2009, 320 participants without metabolic syndrome underwent health checks, which included unenhanced computed tomography, and were followed up annually for 4-5 years. Baseline pancreatic fat amounts were evaluated using a histologically validated method that measured differences between pancreas and spleen attenuations on computed tomography. The participants were divided into low (reference), intermediate, and high pancreatic fat groups based on pancreas and spleen attenuation tertiles. Metabolic syndrome incidence was evaluated annually over a median follow-up period of 4.99 (interquartile range, 4.88-5.05) years, in accordance with the 2009 harmonized criteria. Risk ratios (RRs) for the association between baseline pancreatic fat amounts and metabolic syndrome incidence were estimated using Poisson regression models adjusted for age, sex, body mass index, liver fat, pre-metabolic syndrome, cigarette use, alcohol use, and physical activity. Metabolic syndrome incidence was 30.6% (98/320). Pancreatic fat was associated with an increased incidence of metabolic syndrome, based on a univariate analysis (RRs [95% confidence interval], 3.14 [1.74-5.67] and 3.96 [2.23-7.03] in the intermediate and high pancreatic fat groups, respectively). The association remained statistically significant in the multivariate analysis (RR [95% confidence interval], 2.04 [1.14-3.64] and 2.30 [1.28-4.14] for the same groups, respectively). Pancreatic fat predicts the future risk of metabolic syndrome. © 2018 Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Foundation and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Characterizing Response Versus Scan-Angle for MODIS Reflective Solar Bands Using Deep Convective Clouds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bhatt, Rajendra; Doelling, David R.; Angal, Amit; Xiong, Xiaoxiong; Scarino, Benjamin; Gopalan, Arun; Haney, Conor; Wu, Aisheng

2017-01-01

MODIS consists of a cross-track, two-sided scan mirror, whose reflectance is not uniform but is a function of angle of incidence (AOI). This feature, known as response versusscan-angle (RVS), was characterized for all reflective solar bands of both MODIS instruments prior to launch. The RVS characteristic has changed on orbit, which must be tracked precisely over time to ensure the quality of MODIS products. The MODIS characterization support team utilizes the onboard calibrators and the earth view responses from multiple pseudo invariant desert sites to track the RVS changes at different AOIs. The drawback of using deserts is the assumption that these sites are radiometrically stable during the monitoring period. In addition, the 16-day orbit repeat cycle of MODIS allows for only a limited set of AOIs over a given desert. We propose a novel and robust approach of characterizing the MODIS RVS using tropical deep convective clouds (DCC). The method tracks the monthly DCC response at specified sets of AOIs to compute the temporal RVS changes. Initial results have shown that the Aqua-MODIS collection 6 band 1 level 1B radiances show considerable residual RVS dependencies, with long-term drifts up to 2.3 at certain AOIs.

Characterizing response versus scan-angle for MODIS reflective solar bands using deep convective clouds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhatt, Rajendra; Doelling, David R.; Angal, Amit; Xiong, Xiaoxiong; Scarino, Benjamin; Gopalan, Arun; Haney, Conor; Wu, Aisheng

2017-01-01

MODIS consists of a cross-track, two-sided scan mirror, whose reflectance is not uniform but is a function of angle of incidence (AOI). This feature, known as response versus scan-angle (RVS), was characterized for all reflective solar bands of both MODIS instruments prior to launch. The RVS characteristic has changed on orbit, which must be tracked precisely over time to ensure the quality of MODIS products. The MODIS characterization support team utilizes the onboard calibrators and the earth view responses from multiple pseudoinvariant desert sites to track the RVS changes at different AOIs. The drawback of using deserts is the assumption that these sites are radiometrically stable during the monitoring period. In addition, the 16-day orbit repeat cycle of MODIS allows for only a limited set of AOIs over a given desert. We propose a novel and robust approach of characterizing the MODIS RVS using tropical deep convective clouds (DCC). The method tracks the monthly DCC response at specified sets of AOIs to compute the temporal RVS changes. Initial results have shown that the Aqua-MODIS collection 6 band 1 level 1B radiances show considerable residual RVS dependencies, with long-term drifts up to 2.3% at certain AOIs.

A Coupled Experiment-finite Element Modeling Methodology for Assessing High Strain Rate Mechanical Response of Soft Biomaterials.

PubMed

Prabhu, Rajkumar; Whittington, Wilburn R; Patnaik, Sourav S; Mao, Yuxiong; Begonia, Mark T; Williams, Lakiesha N; Liao, Jun; Horstemeyer, M F

2015-05-18

This study offers a combined experimental and finite element (FE) simulation approach for examining the mechanical behavior of soft biomaterials (e.g. brain, liver, tendon, fat, etc.) when exposed to high strain rates. This study utilized a Split-Hopkinson Pressure Bar (SHPB) to generate strain rates of 100-1,500 sec(-1). The SHPB employed a striker bar consisting of a viscoelastic material (polycarbonate). A sample of the biomaterial was obtained shortly postmortem and prepared for SHPB testing. The specimen was interposed between the incident and transmitted bars, and the pneumatic components of the SHPB were activated to drive the striker bar toward the incident bar. The resulting impact generated a compressive stress wave (i.e. incident wave) that traveled through the incident bar. When the compressive stress wave reached the end of the incident bar, a portion continued forward through the sample and transmitted bar (i.e. transmitted wave) while another portion reversed through the incident bar as a tensile wave (i.e. reflected wave). These waves were measured using strain gages mounted on the incident and transmitted bars. The true stress-strain behavior of the sample was determined from equations based on wave propagation and dynamic force equilibrium. The experimental stress-strain response was three dimensional in nature because the specimen bulged. As such, the hydrostatic stress (first invariant) was used to generate the stress-strain response. In order to extract the uniaxial (one-dimensional) mechanical response of the tissue, an iterative coupled optimization was performed using experimental results and Finite Element Analysis (FEA), which contained an Internal State Variable (ISV) material model used for the tissue. The ISV material model used in the FE simulations of the experimental setup was iteratively calibrated (i.e. optimized) to the experimental data such that the experiment and FEA strain gage values and first invariant of stresses were in good agreement.

A Coupled Experiment-finite Element Modeling Methodology for Assessing High Strain Rate Mechanical Response of Soft Biomaterials

PubMed Central

Prabhu, Rajkumar; Whittington, Wilburn R.; Patnaik, Sourav S.; Mao, Yuxiong; Begonia, Mark T.; Williams, Lakiesha N.; Liao, Jun; Horstemeyer, M. F.

2015-01-01

This study offers a combined experimental and finite element (FE) simulation approach for examining the mechanical behavior of soft biomaterials (e.g. brain, liver, tendon, fat, etc.) when exposed to high strain rates. This study utilized a Split-Hopkinson Pressure Bar (SHPB) to generate strain rates of 100-1,500 sec-1. The SHPB employed a striker bar consisting of a viscoelastic material (polycarbonate). A sample of the biomaterial was obtained shortly postmortem and prepared for SHPB testing. The specimen was interposed between the incident and transmitted bars, and the pneumatic components of the SHPB were activated to drive the striker bar toward the incident bar. The resulting impact generated a compressive stress wave (i.e. incident wave) that traveled through the incident bar. When the compressive stress wave reached the end of the incident bar, a portion continued forward through the sample and transmitted bar (i.e. transmitted wave) while another portion reversed through the incident bar as a tensile wave (i.e. reflected wave). These waves were measured using strain gages mounted on the incident and transmitted bars. The true stress-strain behavior of the sample was determined from equations based on wave propagation and dynamic force equilibrium. The experimental stress-strain response was three dimensional in nature because the specimen bulged. As such, the hydrostatic stress (first invariant) was used to generate the stress-strain response. In order to extract the uniaxial (one-dimensional) mechanical response of the tissue, an iterative coupled optimization was performed using experimental results and Finite Element Analysis (FEA), which contained an Internal State Variable (ISV) material model used for the tissue. The ISV material model used in the FE simulations of the experimental setup was iteratively calibrated (i.e. optimized) to the experimental data such that the experiment and FEA strain gage values and first invariant of stresses were in good agreement. PMID:26067742

The influence of sweep on the aerodynamic loading of an oscillating NACA 0012 airfoil. Volume 1: Technical report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

St.hilaire, A. O.; Carta, F. O.; Fink, M. R.; Jepson, W. D.

1979-01-01

Aerodynamic experiments were performed on an oscillating NACA 0012 airfoil utilizing a tunnel-spanning wing in both unswept and 30 degree swept configurations. The airfoil was tested in steady state and in oscillatory pitch about the quarter chord. The unsteady aerodynamic loading was measured using pressure transducers along the chord. Numerical integrations of the unsteady pressure transducer responses were used to compute the normal force, chord force, and moment components of the induced loading. The effects of sweep on the induced aerodynamic load response was examined. For the range of parameters tested, it was found that sweeping the airfoil tends to delay the onset of dynamic stall. Sweeping was also found to reduce the magnitude of the unsteady load variation about the mean response. It was determined that at mean incidence angles greater than 9 degrees, sweep tends to reduce the stability margin of the NACA 0012 airfoil; however, for all cases tested, the airfoil was found to be stable in pure pitch. Turbulent eddies were found to convect downstream above the upper surface and generate forward-moving acoustic waves at the trailing edge which move upstream along the lower surface.

Simulation of subwavelength metallic gratings using a new implementation of the recursive convolution finite-difference time-domain algorithm.

PubMed

Banerjee, Saswatee; Hoshino, Tetsuya; Cole, James B

2008-08-01

We introduce a new implementation of the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) algorithm with recursive convolution (RC) for first-order Drude metals. We implemented RC for both Maxwell's equations for light polarized in the plane of incidence (TM mode) and the wave equation for light polarized normal to the plane of incidence (TE mode). We computed the Drude parameters at each wavelength using the measured value of the dielectric constant as a function of the spatial and temporal discretization to ensure both the accuracy of the material model and algorithm stability. For the TE mode, where Maxwell's equations reduce to the wave equation (even in a region of nonuniform permittivity) we introduced a wave equation formulation of RC-FDTD. This greatly reduces the computational cost. We used our methods to compute the diffraction characteristics of metallic gratings in the visible wavelength band and compared our results with frequency-domain calculations.

Training volume and soft tissue injury in professional and non-professional rugby union players: a systematic review.

PubMed

Ball, Shane; Halaki, Mark; Orr, Rhonda

2017-07-01

To investigate the relationship between training volume and soft tissue injury incidence, and characterise soft tissue injury in rugby union players. A systematic search of electronic databases was performed. The search strategy combined terms covering: training volume and injury, and rugby union, and players of all levels. Medline, SPORTDiscus, Web of Science, Embase, PubMed. Studies were included if they reported: male rugby union players, a clear definition of a rugby union injury, the amount of training volume undertaken by participants, and epidemiological data for soft-tissue injuries including the number or incidence. 15 studies were eligible for inclusion. Overall match and training injury incidence ranged from 3.3 to 218.0 injuries/1000 player match hours and 0.1-6.1 injuries/1000 player training hours, respectively. Muscle and tendon as well as joint (non-bone) and ligament injuries were the most frequently occurring injuries. The lower limb was the most prevalent injury location. Injury incidence was higher in professional rugby union players than non-professional players. Contact events were responsible for the greatest injury incidence. For non-contact mechanisms, running was responsible for the highest injury incidence. Inconsistent injury definitions hindered reliable comparison of injury data. The lack of reporting training volumes in hours per player per week limited the ability to investigate associations between training volume and injury incidence. A higher level of play may result in higher match injury incidence. Muscle and tendon injuries were the most common type of soft tissue injury, while the lower limb was the most common location of injury in rugby union players, and running was responsible for the highest injury incidence during non-contact events. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Retrospective Analysis of Opioid Medication Incidents Requiring Administration of Naloxone

PubMed Central

Neil, Katherine; Marcil, Allison; Kosar, Lynette; Dumont, Zack; Ruda, Lisa; McMillan, Kaitlyn

2013-01-01

Background: Opioid analgesics are high-alert medications known to cause adverse drug events. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine the cause of opioid incidents requiring administration of naloxone, an opioid reversal agent. The specific objectives were to determine the number of opioid incidents and the proportion of incidents documented through occurrence reporting and to characterize the incidents by phase in the medication-use process, by type of incident, and by drug responsible for toxic effects. Methods: A retrospective chart analysis was conducted using records from 2 acute care centres in the Regina Qu’Appelle Health Region. The study included inpatients who received naloxone for reversal of opioid toxicity resulting from licit, in-hospital opioid use. Cases were classified as preventable or nonpreventable. Preventable cases were analyzed to determine the phase of the medication-use process during which the incident occurred. These cases were also grouped thematically by the type of incident. The drug most likely responsible for opioid toxicity was determined for each case. The proportion of cases documented by occurrence reporting was also noted. Results: Thirty-six cases involving administration of naloxone were identified, of which 29 (81%) were deemed preventable. Of these 29 preventable cases, the primary medication incident occurred most frequently in the prescribing phase (23 [79%]), but multiple phases were often involved. The cases were grouped into 6 themes according to the type of incident. Morphine was the drug that most frequently resulted in toxic effects (18 cases [50%]). Only two of the cases (5.6%) were documented by occurrence reports. Conclusion: Preventable opioid incidents occurred in the acute care centres under study. A combination of medication safety initiatives involving multiple disciplines may be required to decrease the incidence of these events and to better document their occurrence. PMID:24159230

A Qualitative Study of Individual and Peer Factors Related to Effective Nonviolent versus Aggressive Responses to Problem Situations among Adolescents with High Incidence Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sullivan, Terri N.; Helms, Sarah W.; Bettencourt, Amie F.; Sutherland, Kevin; Lotze, Geri M.; Mays, Sally; Wright, Stephen; Farrell, Albert D.

2012-01-01

To enhance the positive adjustment of youths with high incidence disabilities, a better understanding of the factors that influence their use of effective responses in challenging situations is needed. In this qualitative study, adolescents described individual and peer factors that would influence their use of effective nonviolent or aggressive…

Dose-response meta-analysis of poultry intake and colorectal cancer incidence and mortality.

PubMed

Shi, Yan; Yu, Pei-Wu; Zeng, Dong-Zhu

2015-03-01

Poultry intake has been inconsistently associated with incidence or mortality of colorectal cancer (CRC) in epidemiologic studies. The purpose of this study was to assess their relationships by performing a dose-response meta-analysis. We conducted a search of PubMed database between January 1966 and July 2013 for prospective studies that reported relative risks (RRs) with 95 % confidence interval (CIs) of CRC for at least three categories of poultry intake. Dose-response relationships were examined with the generalized least-squares trend estimation. Study-specific results were pooled with a random-effects model. Subgroup, sensitivity, and meta-regression analyses were also conducted to explore heterogeneity. Sixteen studies on poultry intake and CRC incidence, and four studies regarding poultry intake and CRC mortality were identified. These studies involved a total of 13,949 incident CRC cases and 983 CRC deaths. The RRs of CRC for higher compared with lower intake of poultry were reported in these studies, and the reported levels of poultry intake varied substantially. Results of the dose-response meta-analysis conferred a RR of 0.89 (95 % CI 0.81-0.97) for an increase in poultry intake of 50 g/day. The results were not sensitive to any individual studies and were similar for colon and rectal cancer. Poultry intake was not associated with CRC mortality (RR for 50 g/day = 0.97, 95 % CI 0.79-1.20). This meta-analysis indicates that poultry intake may be moderately associated with reduced incidence of CRC.

Nationwide incidence of motor neuron disease using the French health insurance information system database.

PubMed

Kab, Sofiane; Moisan, Frédéric; Preux, Pierre-Marie; Marin, Benoît; Elbaz, Alexis

2017-08-01

There are no estimates of the nationwide incidence of motor neuron disease (MND) in France. We used the French health insurance information system to identify incident MND cases (2012-2014), and compared incidence figures to those from three external sources. We identified incident MND cases (2012-2014) based on three data sources (riluzole claims, hospitalisation records, long-term chronic disease benefits), and computed MND incidence by age, gender, and geographic region. We used French mortality statistics, Limousin ALS registry data, and previous European studies based on administrative databases to perform external comparisons. We identified 6553 MND incident cases. After standardisation to the United States 2010 population, the age/gender-standardised incidence was 2.72/100,000 person-years (males, 3.37; females, 2.17; male:female ratio = 1.53, 95% CI1.46-1.61). There was no major spatial difference in MND distribution. Our data were in agreement with the French death database (standardised mortality ratio = 1.01, 95% CI = 0.96-1.06) and Limousin ALS registry (standardised incidence ratio = 0.92, 95% CI = 0.72-1.15). Incidence estimates were in the same range as those from previous studies. We report French nationwide incidence estimates of MND. Administrative databases including hospital discharge data and riluzole claims offer an interesting approach to identify large population-based samples of patients with MND for epidemiologic studies and surveillance.

Lessons Learned From Implementing an Incident Command System During a Local Multiagency Response to a Legionnaires' Disease Cluster in Sydney, NSW.

PubMed

Quinn, Emma; Johnstone, Travers; Najjar, Zeina; Cains, Toni; Tan, Geoff; Huhtinen, Essi; Nilsson, Sven; Burgess, Stuart; Dunn, Matthew; Gupta, Leena

2017-09-05

The incident command system (ICS) provides a common structure to control and coordinate an emergency response, regardless of scale or predicted impact. The lessons learned from the application of an ICS for large infectious disease outbreaks are documented. However, there is scant evidence on the application of an ICS to manage a local multiagency response to a disease cluster with environmental health risks. The Sydney Local Health District Public Health Unit (PHU) in New South Wales, Australia, was notified of 5 cases of Legionnaires' disease during 2 weeks in May 2016. This unusual incident triggered a multiagency investigation involving an ICS with staff from the PHU, 3 local councils, and the state health department to help prevent any further public health risk. The early and judicious use of ICS enabled a timely and effective response by supporting clear communication lines between the incident controller and field staff. The field team was key in preventing any ongoing public health risk through inspection, sampling, testing, and management of water systems identified to be at-risk for transmission of legionella. Good working relationships between partner agencies and trust in the technical proficiency of environmental health staff aided in the effective management of the response. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2017;page 1 of 4).

The efficacy of teachers' responses to incidents of bullying and victimization: The mediational role of moral disengagement for bullying.

PubMed

Campaert, Kristel; Nocentini, Annalaura; Menesini, Ersilia

2017-09-01

Teachers respond differently to bullying and victimization. Socio-cognitive and moral domain theory suggest that students process teachers' behavior cognitively and that teachers' responses to incidents of bullying and victimization could affect students' level of moral disengagement. We examined the mediating effect of students' moral disengagement between types of teachers' responses to situations of bullying and victimization and individual bullying using multilevel mediation modelling. Participants were 609 students (50% boys, age M = 11.47, SD = 1.14) of central Italy, nested in 34 classes. Students rated the frequency of self-reported bullying and of teachers' responses to incidents of bullying and victimization on a 5-point Likert scale. Teachers' responses to bullying included non-intervention, mediation, group discussion, and sanctions. Teachers' responses to victimization included non-intervention, mediation, group discussion, and victim support. Results indicated that in the teachers' responses to incidents of bullying model, a significant indirect effect of non-intervention (β = .03; 95%CI [.01, .05]) and of sanctions (β = -.02; 95%CI [-.04, -.01]) on bullying through moral disengagement was found at the individual level. Similarly, in the model on teachers' responses toward victims there was a significant indirect effect through moral disengagement of non-intervention (β = .03; 95%CI [.02, .04]) and victim support (β = -.01; 95%CI [-.02, -.001]). At the class level there were no significant indirect effects. In sum, results indicated that moral disengagement is an important mediator at the individual level and suggest including teachers in anti-bullying interventions with a specific focus on their role for moral development. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Airway responsiveness to methacholine and incidence of COPD: an international prospective cohort study.

PubMed

Marcon, Alessandro; Locatelli, Francesca; Keidel, Dirk; Beckmeyer-Borowko, Anna B; Cerveri, Isa; Dharmage, Shyamali C; Fuertes, Elaine; Garcia-Aymerich, Judith; Heinrich, Joachim; Imboden, Medea; Janson, Christer; Johannessen, Ane; Leynaert, Bénédicte; Pascual Erquicia, Silvia; Pesce, Giancarlo; Schaffner, Emmanuel; Svanes, Cecilie; Urrutia, Isabel; Jarvis, Deborah; Probst-Hensch, Nicole M; Accordini, Simone

2018-05-02

It has been debated, but not yet established, whether increased airway responsiveness can predict COPD. Recognising this link may help in identifying subjects at risk. We studied prospectively whether airway responsiveness is associated with the risk of developing COPD. We pooled data from two multicentre cohort studies that collected data from three time points using similar methods (European Community Respiratory Health Survey and Swiss Cohort Study on Air Pollution and Lung and Heart Diseases in Adults). We classified subjects (median age 37 years, 1st-3rd quartiles: 29-44) by their level of airway responsiveness using quintiles of methacholine dose-response slope at the first examination (1991-1994). Then, we excluded subjects with airflow obstruction at the second examination (1999-2003) and analysed incidence of COPD (postbronchodilator FEV 1 /FVC below the lower limit of normal) at the third examination (2010-2014) as a function of responsiveness, adjusting for sex, age, education, body mass index, history of asthma, smoking, occupational exposures and indicators of airway calibre. We observed 108 new cases of COPD among 4205 subjects during a median time of 9 years. Compared with the least responsive group (incidence rate 0.6 per 1000/year), adjusted incidence rate ratios for COPD ranged from 1.79 (95% CI 0.52 to 6.13) to 8.91 (95% CI 3.67 to 21.66) for increasing airway responsiveness. Similar dose-response associations were observed between smokers and non-smokers, and stronger associations were found among subjects without a history of asthma or asthma-like symptoms. Our study suggests that increased airway responsiveness is an independent risk factor for COPD. Further research should clarify whether early treatment in patients with high responsiveness can slow down disease progression. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

USCG National Response Center Home Page

Science.gov Websites

real-time incident notifications from the NRC or update an application previously submitted, please download and complete the below application. NOTE: Real-time incident notifications are for agencies that

National Response Framework (NRF)

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The NRF establishes a single, comprehensive approach to domestic incident management to prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from terrorist attacks, major disasters, and other emergencies. Built on the National Incident Management System template.

Postoperative myocardial infarction documented by technetium pyrophosphate scan using single-photon emission computed tomography: Significance of intraoperative myocardial ischemia and hemodynamic control

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

Cheng, D.C.; Chung, F.; Burns, R.J.

The aim of this prospective study was to document postoperative myocardial infarction (PMI) by technetium pyrophosphate scan using single-photon emission computed tomography (TcPPi-SPECT) in 28 patients undergoing elective coronary bypass grafting (CABG). The relationships of intraoperative electrocardiographic myocardial ischemia, hemodynamic responses, and pharmacological requirements to this incidence of PMI were correlated. Radionuclide cardioangiography and TcPPi-SPECT were performed 24 h preoperatively and 48 h postoperatively. A standard high-dose fentanyl anesthetic protocol was used. Twenty-five percent of elective CABG patients were complicated with PMI, as documented by TcPPi-SPECT with an infarcted mass of 38.0 +/- 5.5 g. No significant difference in demographic,more » preoperative right and left ventricular function, number of coronary vessels grafted, or aortic cross-clamp time was observed between the PMI and non-PMI groups. The distribution of patients using preoperative beta-adrenergic blocking drugs or calcium channel blocking drugs was found to have no correlation with the outcome of PMI. As well, no significant differences in hemodynamic changes or pharmacological requirements were observed in the PMI and non-PMI groups during prebypass or postbypass periods, indicating careful intraoperative control of hemodynamic indices did not prevent the outcome of PMI in these patients. However, the incidence of prebypass ischemia was 39.3% and significantly correlated with the outcome of positive TcPPi-SPECT, denoting a 3.9-fold increased risk of developing PMI. Prebypass ischemic changes in leads II and V5 were shown to correlate with increased CPK-MB release (P less than 0.05) and tends to occur more frequently with lateral myocardial infarction.« less

FluDetWeb: an interactive web-based system for the early detection of the onset of influenza epidemics.

PubMed

Conesa, David; López-Quílez, Antonio; Martínez-Beneito, Miguel Angel; Miralles, María Teresa; Verdejo, Francisco

2009-07-29

The early identification of influenza outbreaks has became a priority in public health practice. A large variety of statistical algorithms for the automated monitoring of influenza surveillance have been proposed, but most of them require not only a lot of computational effort but also operation of sometimes not-so-friendly software. In this paper, we introduce FluDetWeb, an implementation of a prospective influenza surveillance methodology based on a client-server architecture with a thin (web-based) client application design. Users can introduce and edit their own data consisting of a series of weekly influenza incidence rates. The system returns the probability of being in an epidemic phase (via e-mail if desired). When the probability is greater than 0.5, it also returns the probability of an increase in the incidence rate during the following week. The system also provides two complementary graphs. This system has been implemented using statistical free-software (R and WinBUGS), a web server environment for Java code (Tomcat) and a software module created by us (Rdp) responsible for managing internal tasks; the software package MySQL has been used to construct the database management system. The implementation is available on-line from: http://www.geeitema.org/meviepi/fludetweb/. The ease of use of FluDetWeb and its on-line availability can make it a valuable tool for public health practitioners who want to obtain information about the probability that their system is in an epidemic phase. Moreover, the architecture described can also be useful for developers of systems based on computationally intensive methods.

FluDetWeb: an interactive web-based system for the early detection of the onset of influenza epidemics

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

Background The early identification of influenza outbreaks has became a priority in public health practice. A large variety of statistical algorithms for the automated monitoring of influenza surveillance have been proposed, but most of them require not only a lot of computational effort but also operation of sometimes not-so-friendly software. Results In this paper, we introduce FluDetWeb, an implementation of a prospective influenza surveillance methodology based on a client-server architecture with a thin (web-based) client application design. Users can introduce and edit their own data consisting of a series of weekly influenza incidence rates. The system returns the probability of being in an epidemic phase (via e-mail if desired). When the probability is greater than 0.5, it also returns the probability of an increase in the incidence rate during the following week. The system also provides two complementary graphs. This system has been implemented using statistical free-software (ℝ and WinBUGS), a web server environment for Java code (Tomcat) and a software module created by us (Rdp) responsible for managing internal tasks; the software package MySQL has been used to construct the database management system. The implementation is available on-line from: http://www.geeitema.org/meviepi/fludetweb/. Conclusion The ease of use of FluDetWeb and its on-line availability can make it a valuable tool for public health practitioners who want to obtain information about the probability that their system is in an epidemic phase. Moreover, the architecture described can also be useful for developers of systems based on computationally intensive methods. PMID:19640304

HD in C₆₀: theoretical prediction of the inelastic neutron scattering spectrum and its temperature dependence.

PubMed

Xu, Minzhong; Ye, Shufeng; Lawler, Ronald; Turro, Nicholas J; Bačić, Zlatko

2013-09-13

We report rigorous quantum calculations of the inelastic neutron scattering (INS) spectra of HD@C₆₀, over a range of temperatures from 0 to 240 K and for two incident neutron wavelengths used in recent experimental investigations. The computations were performed using our newly developed methodology, which incorporates the coupled five-dimensional translation-rotation (T-R) eigenstates of the guest molecule as the initial and final states of the INS transitions, and yields highly detailed spectra. Depending on the incident neutron wavelength, the number of computed INS transitions varies from almost 500 to over 2000. The low-temperature INS spectra display the fingerprints of the coupling between the translational and rotational motions of the entrapped HD molecule, which is responsible for the characteristic splitting patterns of the T-R energy levels. INS transitions from the ground T-R state of HD to certain sublevels of excited T-R multiplets have zero intensity and are absent from the spectra. This surprising finding is explained by the new INS selection rule introduced here. The calculated spectra exhibit strong temperature dependence. As the temperature increases, numerous new peaks appear, arising from the transitions originating in excited T-R states which become populated. Our calculations show that the higher temperature features typically comprise two or more transitions close in energy and with similar intensities, interspersed with numerous other transitions whose intensities are negligible. This implies that accurately calculated energies and intensities of INS transitions which our methodology provides will be indispensable for reliable interpretation and assignment of the experimental spectra of HD@C₆₀ and related systems at higher temperatures.

The incidence of coronary anomalies on routine coronary computed tomography scans

PubMed Central

Karabay, Kanber Ocal; Yildiz, Abdulmelik; Bagirtan, Bayram; Geceer, Gurkan; Uysal, Ender

2013-01-01

Summary Objective This study aimed to assess the incidence of coronary anomalies using 64-multi-slice coronary computed tomography (MSCT). Methods The diagnostic MSCT scans of 745 consecutive patients were reviewed. Results The incidence of coronary anomalies was 4.96%. The detected coronary anomalies included the conus artery originating separately from the right coronary sinus (RCS) (n = 8, 1.07%), absence of the left main artery (n = 7, 0.93%), a superior right coronary artery (RCA) (n = 7, 0.93%), the circumflex artery (CFX) arising from the RCS (n = 4, 0.53%), the CFX originating from the RCA (n = 2, 0.26%), a posterior RCA (n = 1, 0.13%), a coronary fistula from the left anterior descending artery and RCA to the pulmonary artery (n = 1, 0.13%), and a coronary aneurysm (n = 1, 0.13%). Conclusions This study indicated that MSCT can be used to detect common coronary anomalies, and shows it has the potential to aid cardiologists and cardiac surgeons by revealing the origin and course of the coronary vessels. PMID:24042853

General formula for the incidence factor of a solar heliostat receiver system.

PubMed

Wei, L Y

1980-09-15

A general formula is derived for the effective incidence factor of an array of heliostat mirrors for solar power collection. The formula can be greatly simplified for arrays of high symmetry and offers quick computation of the performance of the array. It shows clearly how the mirror distribution and locations affect the overall performance and thus provide a useful guidance for the design of a solar heliostat receiver system.

Race and Rhetoric: An Analysis of College Presidents' Statements on Campus Racial Incidents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cole, Eddie R.; Harper, Shaun R.

2017-01-01

For decades, racial incidents have routinely occurred on college campuses. But today, news about them is more quickly and widely shared because of the public's access to technology. In response, it is common for senior-level administrators to release statements about racial incidents after an institution receives widespread negative publicity.…

Relationship Type and Sexual Precedence: Their Associations With Characteristics of Sexual Assault Perpetrators and Incidents

PubMed Central

Wegner, Rhiana; Pierce, Jennifer; Abbey, Antonia

2015-01-01

Although most sexual assaults are committed by men who know their victims, few researchers have considered how characteristics of perpetrators and incidents differ depending on the victim–perpetrator relationship. This study addresses this gap with a community sample of 204 men who reported committing a sexually aggressive act in an audio computer-assisted self-interview. 2 (Relationship Type: Committed vs. Casual) × 2 (Sexual Precedence: Yes vs. No) ANOVAs revealed significant main effects of relationship type and sexual precedence associated with individual difference and incident characteristics. These findings demonstrate the importance of developing theories and prevention programs tailored for different relationship contexts. PMID:25288595

Managing incidents on urban arterial roadways

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1997-01-01

Limiting the impact on traffic of nonrecurring events such as crashes, traffic stops, or disabled vehicles through effective incident management should be one objective for emergency response professionals. Moreover, such management is an integral pa...

76 FR 9039 - Emergency Responder Field Operations Guide

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-16

... Command System during incident operations. DATES: Comments must be received by March 18, 2011. ADDRESSES... (ER FOG) is intended for use when implementing the Incident Command System (ICS) in response to an...

2011 Japanese Nuclear Incident

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA’s RadNet system monitored the environmental radiation levels in the United States and parts of the Pacific following the Japanese Nuclear Incident. Learn about EPA’s response and view historical laboratory data and news releases.

Digitoxin medication and cancer; case control and internal dose-response studies

PubMed Central

Haux, Johan; Klepp, Olbjørn; Spigset, Olav; Tretli, Steinar

2001-01-01

Background Digitoxin induces apoptosis in different human malignant cell lines in vitro. In this paper we investigated if patients taking digitoxin for cardiac disease have a different cancer incidence compared to the general population. Methods Computer stored data on digitoxin concentrations in plasma from 9271 patients with cardiac disease were used to define a user population. Age and sex matched controls from the Norwegian Cancer Registry were used to calculate the number of expected cancer cases. Results The population on digitoxin showed a higher incidence of cancer compared to the control population. However, an additional analysis showed that the population on digitoxin had a general increased risk of cancer already, before the start on digitoxin. Leukemia/lymphoma were the cancer types which stood out with the highest risk in the digitoxin population before starting on digitoxin. This indicates that yet unknown risk factors exist for cardiovascular disease and lymphoproliferative cancer. An internal dose-response analysis revealed a relationship between high plasma concentration of digitoxin and a lower risk for leukemia/lymphoma and for cancer of the kidney/urinary tract. Conclusion Morbidity and mortality are high in the population on digitoxin, due to high age and cardiac disease.These factors disturb efforts to isolate an eventual anticancer effect of digitoxin in this setting. Still, the results may indicate an anticancer effect of digitoxin for leukemia/lymphoma and kidney/urinary tract cancers. Prospective clinical cancer trials have to be done to find out if digitoxin and other cardiac glycosides are useful as anticancer agents. PMID:11532201

Improved atmospheric 3D BSDF model in earthlike exoplanet using ray-tracing based method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ryu, Dongok; Kim, Sug-Whan; Seong, Sehyun

2012-10-01

The studies on planetary radiative transfer computation have become important elements to disk-averaged spectral characterization of potential exoplanets. In this paper, we report an improved ray-tracing based atmospheric simulation model as a part of 3-D earth-like planet model with 3 principle sub-components i.e. land, sea and atmosphere. Any changes in ray paths and their characteristics such as radiative power and direction are computed as they experience reflection, refraction, transmission, absorption and scattering. Improved atmospheric BSDF algorithms uses Q.Liu's combined Rayleigh and aerosol Henrey-Greenstein scattering phase function. The input cloud-free atmosphere model consists of 48 layers with vertical absorption profiles and a scattering layer with their input characteristics using the GIOVANNI database. Total Solar Irradiance data are obtained from Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment (SORCE) mission. Using aerosol scattering computation, we first tested the atmospheric scattering effects with imaging simulation with HRIV, EPOXI. Then we examined the computational validity of atmospheric model with the measurements of global, direct and diffuse radiation taken from NREL(National Renewable Energy Laboratory)s pyranometers and pyrheliometers on a ground station for cases of single incident angle and for simultaneous multiple incident angles of the solar beam.

High resolution flow field prediction for tail rotor aeroacoustics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Quackenbush, Todd R.; Bliss, Donald B.

1989-01-01

The prediction of tail rotor noise due to the impingement of the main rotor wake poses a significant challenge to current analysis methods in rotorcraft aeroacoustics. This paper describes the development of a new treatment of the tail rotor aerodynamic environment that permits highly accurate resolution of the incident flow field with modest computational effort relative to alternative models. The new approach incorporates an advanced full-span free wake model of the main rotor in a scheme which reconstructs high-resolution flow solutions from preliminary, computationally inexpensive simulations with coarse resolution. The heart of the approach is a novel method for using local velocity correction terms to capture the steep velocity gradients characteristic of the vortex-dominated incident flow. Sample calculations have been undertaken to examine the principal types of interactions between the tail rotor and the main rotor wake and to examine the performance of the new method. The results of these sample problems confirm the success of this approach in capturing the high-resolution flows necessary for analysis of rotor-wake/rotor interactions with dramatically reduced computational cost. Computations of radiated sound are also carried out that explore the role of various portions of the main rotor wake in generating tail rotor noise.

HAZBOT - A hazardous materials emergency response mobile robot

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stone, H. W.; Edmonds, G.

1992-01-01

The authors describe the progress that has been made towards the development of a mobile robot that can be used by hazardous materials emergency response teams to perform a variety of tasks including incident localization and characterization, hazardous material identification/classification, site surveillance and monitoring, and ultimately incident mitigation. In September of 1991, the HAZBOT II vehicle performed its first end-to-end demonstration involving a scenario in which the vehicle: navigated to the incident location from a distant (150-200 ft.) deployment site; entered a building through a door with thumb latch style handle and door closer; located and navigated to the suspected incident location (a chemical storeroom); unlocked and opened the storeroom's door; climbed over the storeroom's 12 in. high threshold to enter the storeroom; and located and identified a broken container of benzene.

HAZBOT - A hazardous materials emergency response mobile robot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stone, H. W.; Edmonds, G.

The authors describe the progress that has been made towards the development of a mobile robot that can be used by hazardous materials emergency response teams to perform a variety of tasks including incident localization and characterization, hazardous material identification/classification, site surveillance and monitoring, and ultimately incident mitigation. In September of 1991, the HAZBOT II vehicle performed its first end-to-end demonstration involving a scenario in which the vehicle: navigated to the incident location from a distant (150-200 ft.) deployment site; entered a building through a door with thumb latch style handle and door closer; located and navigated to the suspected incident location (a chemical storeroom); unlocked and opened the storeroom's door; climbed over the storeroom's 12 in. high threshold to enter the storeroom; and located and identified a broken container of benzene.

Mass Casualty Chemical Incident Operational Framework, Assessment and Best Practices

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

Greenwalt, R. J.; Hibbard, W. J.

2016-05-04

Emergency response agencies in most US communities are organized, sized, and equipped to manage those emergencies normally expected. Hospitals in particular do not typically have significant excess capacity to handle massive numbers of casualties, as hospital space is an expensive luxury if not needed. Unfortunately this means that in the event of a mass casualty chemical incident the emergency response system will be overwhelmed. This document provides a self-assessment means for emergency managers to examine their response system and identify shortfalls. It also includes lessons from a detailed analysis of five communities: Baltimore, Boise, Houston, Nassau County, and New Orleans.more » These lessons provide a list of potential critical decisions to allow for pre-planning and a library of best practices that may be helpful in reducing casualties in the event of an incident.« less

Mass Casualty Chemical Incident Operational Framework, Assessment and Best Practices

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

Greenwalt, R.; Hibbard, W.

2016-08-09

Emergency response agencies in most US communities are organized, sized, and equipped to manage those emergencies normally expected. Hospitals in particular do not typically have significant excess capacity to handle massive numbers of casualties, as hospital space is an expensive luxury if not needed. Unfortunately this means that in the event of a mass casualty chemical incident the emergency response system will be overwhelmed. This document provides a self-assessment means for emergency managers to examine their response system and identify shortfalls. It also includes lessons from a detailed analysis of five communities: Baltimore, Boise, Houston, Nassau County, and New Orleans.more » These lessons provide a list of potential critical decisions to allow for pre-planning and a library of best practices that may be helpful in reducing casualties in the event of an incident.« less

6 CFR 5.2 - Public reading rooms.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... the non-proliferation and verification research and development program; (v) The life sciences..., Washington, DC 20472 (for regional offices, consult your phone book); (20) For the Federal Computer Incident...

6 CFR 5.2 - Public reading rooms.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... the non-proliferation and verification research and development program; (v) The life sciences..., Washington, DC 20472 (for regional offices, consult your phone book); (20) For the Federal Computer Incident...

6 CFR 5.2 - Public reading rooms.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... the non-proliferation and verification research and development program; (v) The life sciences..., Washington, DC 20472 (for regional offices, consult your phone book); (20) For the Federal Computer Incident...

6 CFR 5.2 - Public reading rooms.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... the non-proliferation and verification research and development program; (v) The life sciences..., Washington, DC 20472 (for regional offices, consult your phone book); (20) For the Federal Computer Incident...

6 CFR 5.2 - Public reading rooms.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... the non-proliferation and verification research and development program; (v) The life sciences..., Washington, DC 20472 (for regional offices, consult your phone book); (20) For the Federal Computer Incident...

The measurement of boundary layers on a compressor blade in cascade at high positive incidence angle. 2: Data report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Deutsch, S.; Zierke, W. C.

1986-01-01

Boundary layer and near-wake velocity measurements have been made in the well documented flow field about a double circular arc compressor blade in cascade, at an incidence angle of 5 deg. and a chord Reynolds number of 500,000. In Part 2 of this report these measurements were analyzed and presented in standard graphical format. The flow geometry, measurement techniques, and physics of the flow field were also discussed. In this, part 2 of the report, raw and analyzed data are presented in tabulated form in an attempt to make this data more accessible to computational comparison. Also included in part 2 is a description of the data analysis employed. A computer tape containing the data is available.

Computer-Controlled Cylindrical Polishing Process for Development of Grazing Incidence Optics for Hard X-Ray Region

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Khan, Gufran Sayeed; Gubarev, Mikhail; Speegle, Chet; Ramsey, Brian

2010-01-01

The presentation includes grazing incidence X-ray optics, motivation and challenges, mid spatial frequency generation in cylindrical polishing, design considerations for polishing lap, simulation studies and experimental results, future scope, and summary. Topics include current status of replication optics technology, cylindrical polishing process using large size polishing lap, non-conformance of polishin lap to the optics, development of software and polishing machine, deterministic prediction of polishing, polishing experiment under optimum conditions, and polishing experiment based on known error profile. Future plans include determination of non-uniformity in the polishing lap compliance, development of a polishing sequence based on a known error profile of the specimen, software for generating a mandrel polishing sequence, design an development of a flexible polishing lap, and computer controlled localized polishing process.

Incident angle dependence of proton response of CR-39 (TS-16) track detector

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oda, K.; Csige, I.; Yamauchi, T.; Miyake, H.; Benton, E. V.

1993-01-01

The proton response of the TS-16 type of CR-39 plastic nuclear track detector has been studied with accelerated and fast neutron induced protons in vacuum and in air. The diameters of etched tracks were measured as a function of etching time and the etch rate ratio and the etch induction layer were determined from the growth curve of the diameter using a variable etch rate ratio model. In the case of the accelerated protons in vacuum an anomalous incident angle dependence of the response is observed.

Global stability for an HIV-1 infection model with Beddington-DeAngelis incidence rate and CTL immune response

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lv, Cuifang; Huang, Lihong; Yuan, Zhaohui

2014-01-01

In this paper, an HIV-1 infection model with Beddington-DeAngelis incidence rate and CTL immune response is investigated. One main feature of this model is that an eclipse stage for the infected cells is included and a portion of these cells is reverted to uninfected cells. We derive the basic reproduction number R1 and the immune response reproduction number R2 for the HIV-1 infection model. By constructing Lyapunov functions, the global stabilities for the equilibria have been analyzed.

Responses to professional identity threat: Identity management strategies in incident narratives of health care professionals.

PubMed

van Os, Annemiek; de Gilder, Dick; van Dyck, Cathy; Groenewegen, Peter

2015-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to explore sensemaking of incidents by health care professionals through an analysis of the role of professional identity in narratives of incidents. Using insights from social identity theory, the authors argue that incidents may create a threat of professional identity, and that professionals make use of identity management strategies in response to this identity threat. The paper draws on a qualitative analysis of incident narratives in 14 semi-structured interviews with physicians, nurses, and residents at a Dutch specialist hospital. The authors used an existing framework of identity management strategies to categorize the narratives. The analysis yielded two main results. First, nurses and residents employed multiple types of identity management strategies simultaneously, which points to the possible benefit of combining different strategies. Second, physicians used the strategy of patronization of other professional groups, a specific form of downward comparison. The authors discuss the implications of the findings in terms of the impact of identity management strategies on the perpetuation of hierarchical differences in health care. The authors argue that efforts to manage incident handling may profit from considering social identity processes in sensemaking of incidents. This is the first study that systematically explores how health care professionals use identity management strategies to maintain a positive professional identity in the face of incidents. This study contributes to research on interdisciplinary cooperation in health care.

Post-treatment levels of α-fetoprotein predict incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma after interferon therapy.

PubMed

Oze, Tsugiko; Hiramatsu, Naoki; Yakushijin, Takayuki; Miyazaki, Masanori; Yamada, Akira; Oshita, Masahide; Hagiwara, Hideki; Mita, Eiji; Ito, Toshifumi; Fukui, Hiroyuki; Inui, Yoshiaki; Hijioka, Taizo; Inada, Masami; Katayama, Kazuhiro; Tamura, Shinji; Yoshihara, Harumasa; Inoue, Atsuo; Imai, Yasuharu; Hayashi, Eijiro; Kato, Michio; Miyagi, Takuya; Yoshida, Yuichi; Tatsumi, Tomohide; Kasahara, Akinori; Hamasaki, Toshimitsu; Hayashi, Norio; Takehara, Tetsuo

2014-07-01

In patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, lack of sustained virologic response (SVR) 24 weeks after the end of interferon therapy is a significant risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Although many pretreatment factors are known to affect HCC incidence, less is known about post-treatment factors-many change during the course of interferon therapy. We performed a prospective study, collecting data from 2659 patients with chronic hepatitis C without a history of HCC who had been treated with pegylated interferon (Peg-IFN) plus ribavirin from 2002 through 2008 at hospitals in Japan. Biopsy specimens were collected before treatment; all patients received Peg-IFN plus ribavirin for 48 to 72 weeks (HCV genotype 1) or 24 weeks (HCV genotype 2). Hematologic, biochemical, and virologic data were collected every 4 weeks during treatment and every 6 months after treatment. HCC was diagnosed based on angiography, computed tomography, and/or magnetic resonance imaging findings. HCC developed in 104 patients during a mean observation period of 40 months. Older age, male sex, lower platelet counts and higher levels of α-fetoprotein at baseline, and lack of an SVR were significant risk factors for HCC. The cumulative incidence of HCC was significantly lower in patients without SVRs who relapsed than those with no response to treatment. Levels of α-fetoprotein 24 weeks after the end of treatment (AFP24) were significantly lower than levels of α-fetoprotein at baseline in patients with SVRs and those who relapsed, but not in nonresponders. Post-treatment risk factors for HCC among patients with SVRs included higher AFP24 level and older age; among those without SVRs, risk factors included higher AFP24 level, integrated level of alanine aminotransferase, older age, and male sex. AFP24 (≥10 ng/mL, 10-5 ng/mL, and then <5 ng/mL) was a better predictor of HCC incidence than pretreatment level of AFP among patients with and without SVRs. In patients with chronic HCV infection, levels of α-fetoprotein decrease during interferon therapy. High post-treatment levels of α-fetoprotein predict HCC, regardless of whether patients achieve an SVR. University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trials Registry: C000000196, C000000197. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Oslo government district bombing and Utøya island shooting July 22, 2011: The immediate prehospital emergency medical service response

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background On July 22, 2011, a single perpetrator killed 77 people in a car bomb attack and a shooting spree incident in Norway. This article describes the emergency medical service (EMS) response elicited by the two incidents. Methods A retrospective and observational study was conducted based on data from the EMS systems involved and the public domain. The study was approved by the Data Protection Official and was defined as a quality improvement project. Results We describe the timeline and logistics of the EMS response, focusing on alarm, dispatch, initial response, triage and evacuation. The scenes in the Oslo government district and at Utøya island are described separately. Conclusions Many EMS units were activated and effectively used despite the occurrence of two geographically separate incidents within a short time frame. Important lessons were learned regarding triage and evacuation, patient flow and communication, the use of and need for emergency equipment and the coordination of helicopter EMS. PMID:22280935

Mass Casualty Decontamination in a Chemical or Radiological/Nuclear Incident with External Contamination: Guiding Principles and Research Needs

PubMed Central

Cibulsky, Susan M; Sokolowski, Danny; Lafontaine, Marc; Gagnon, Christine; Blain, Peter G.; Russell, David; Kreppel, Helmut; Biederbick, Walter; Shimazu, Takeshi; Kondo, Hisayoshi; Saito, Tomoya; Jourdain, Jean- René; Paquet, Francois; Li, Chunsheng; Akashi, Makoto; Tatsuzaki, Hideo; Prosser, Lesley

2015-01-01

Hazardous chemical, radiological, and nuclear materials threaten public health in scenarios of accidental or intentional release which can lead to external contamination of people.  Without intervention, the contamination could cause severe adverse health effects, through systemic absorption by the contaminated casualties as well as spread of contamination to other people, medical equipment, and facilities.  Timely decontamination can prevent or interrupt absorption into the body and minimize opportunities for spread of the contamination, thereby mitigating the health impact of the incident.  Although the specific physicochemical characteristics of the hazardous material(s) will determine the nature of an incident and its risks, some decontamination and medical challenges and recommended response strategies are common among chemical and radioactive material incidents.  Furthermore, the identity of the hazardous material released may not be known early in an incident.  Therefore, it may be beneficial to compare the evidence and harmonize approaches between chemical and radioactive contamination incidents.  Experts from the Global Health Security Initiative’s Chemical and Radiological/Nuclear Working Groups present here a succinct summary of guiding principles for planning and response based on current best practices, as well as research needs, to address the challenges of managing contaminated casualties in a chemical or radiological/nuclear incident. PMID:26635995

A prospective study to select and evaluate anesthesiology residents: phase I, the critical incident technique.

PubMed

Altmaier, E M; From, R P; Pearson, K S; Gorbatenko-Roth, K G; Ugolini, K A

1997-12-01

To develop categories of behavior that define an applicant's aptitude for anesthesia, and to attempt to determine the relative importance of these behaviors to successful residency performance. Prospective open study. Anesthesia residencies at three midwest university teaching hospitals. Using a structured interview format known as the critical incident technique, faculty anesthesiologists were asked to describe examples of effective and ineffective behaviors observed among anesthesia residents during the twelve months prior to the interview. Interviews initially held with 34 anesthesiologists generated 172 incidents. These incidents formed the basis for a categorization analysis performed by two anesthesiologists. Six categories were developed: preparedness, interpersonal skills, response to teaching, data monitoring, technical skills, and emergency situations. Validation of these categories was confirmed with three subsequent interviews, in which 92 anesthesiologists generated 475 incidents. Most incidents were found to conform to the previously defined categories using a reallocation index with a range of 0.70 to 0.80. The category "technical skills" fell below the defined range. Over 60 percent of the incidents involved noncognitive personal attributes: preparedness, interpersonal skills, and response to teaching. Effective behavior in six categories identifies an applicant's aptitude for anesthesia. Selection of residents may be enhanced by routinely assessing noncognitive characteristics.

Recommendations for portable supplemental meteorological instrumentation for incident response

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

Brown, R.M.; Tichler, J.L.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff requested technical assistance in recommending portable supplementary meteorological instrumentation which can be deployed to nuclear power plant sites in response to incidents. A supplementary meteorological system (SMS), whose primary function is to collect, analyze and disseminate supplemental meteorological information, is recommended. Instrument specifications are discussed along with maintenance and staffing requirements. A cost evaluation of the components is made. 5 refs., 1 fig.

Computer program for calculating supersonic flow about circular, elliptic, and bielliptic cones by the method of lines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Klunker, E. B.; South, J. C., Jr.; Davis, R. M.

1972-01-01

A user's manual for a computer program which calculates the supersonic flow about circular, elliptic, and bielliptic cones at incidence and elliptic cones at yaw by the method of lines is presented. The program is automated to compute a case from known or easily calculated solution by changing the parameters through a sequence of steps. It provides information including the shock shape, flow field, isentropic surface properties, entropy layer, and force coefficients. A description of the program operation, sample computations, and a FORTRAN 4 listing are presented.

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

Pasquale, David A.; Hansen, Richard G.

This paper discusses command and control issues relating to the operation of Incident Command Posts (ICPs) and Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs) in the surrounding area jurisdictions following the detonation of an Improvised Nuclear Device (IND). Although many aspects of command and control will be similar to what is considered to be normal operations using the Incident Command System (ICS) and the National Incident Management System (NIMS), the IND response will require many new procedures and associations in order to design and implement a successful response. The scope of this white paper is to address the following questions: • Would themore » current command and control framework change in the face of an IND incident? • What would the management of operations look like as the event unfolded? • How do neighboring and/or affected jurisdictions coordinate with the state? • If the target area’s command and control infrastructure is destroyed or disabled, how could neighboring jurisdictions assist with command and control of the targeted jurisdiction? • How would public health and medical services fit into the command and control structure? • How can pre-planning and common policies improve coordination and response effectiveness? • Where can public health officials get federal guidance on radiation, contamination and other health and safety issues for IND response planning and operations?« less

Incidence, predictors and early post-operative course of diabetes insipidus in paediatric craniopharygioma: a comparison with adults.

PubMed

Pratheesh, Ravindran; Swallow, Diane Margaret A; Rajaratnam, Simon; Jacob, K S; Chacko, Geeta; Joseph, Mathew; Chacko, Ari G

2013-06-01

This study aims to determine the incidence, predictors, early post-operative course of diabetes insipidus (DI) in paediatric craniopharyngiomas(CP) and compare the findings with adults. Retrospective analysis of clinical, biochemical, radiological and operative data for 102 consecutive CP surgeries (45 paediatric and 57 adult cases) was done. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were done to determine the predictors of DI. The incidence of the triphasic response and electrolyte abnormalities in the first post-operative week was compared between children and adults. Children had larger tumours and higher incidence of cystic tumours and hydrocephalus. Preoperative DI was close to 15 % in both the age groups. Radical/subtotal excision was achieved in 58 % of children and 53 % of adults. The incidence of post-operative DI was 80 % and 63 % in children and adults, respectively. Children had significantly higher incidence of permanent DI (55.6 %). Radical excision in children (p = 0.000); previous tumour surgery (p = 0.014) and new onset hypopituitarism (p = 0.019) in adults were associated with permanent DI. The triphasic response (23 %), wide intra-day serum sodium fluctuations and hyponatraemia were more common in children. Post-operative DI is a frequent and significant cause of morbidity in children undergoing surgery for CP. Children have a higher incidence of permanent DI. Radical excision is a predictor of permanent DI in children, whereas previous tumour excision and new onset hypopituitarism were predictors of permanent DI among adults. The management of post-operative DI is more difficult in children and the treating physician needs to be alert to detect the triphasic response.

RESPONSE FUNCTIONS FOR COMPUTING ABSORBED DOSE TO SKELETAL TISSUES FROM NEUTRON IRRADIATION

PubMed Central

Bahadori, Amir A.; Johnson, Perry; Jokisch, Derek W.; Eckerman, Keith F.; Bolch, Wesley E.

2016-01-01

Spongiosa in the adult human skeleton consists of three tissues - active marrow (AM), inactive marrow (IM), and trabecularized mineral bone (TB). Active marrow is considered to be the target tissue for assessment of both long-term leukemia risk and acute marrow toxicity following radiation exposure. The total shallow marrow (TM50), defined as all tissues laying within the first 50 μm the bone surfaces, is considered to be the radiation target tissue of relevance for radiogenic bone cancer induction. For irradiation by sources external to the body, kerma to homogeneous spongiosa has been used as a surrogate for absorbed dose to both of these tissues, as direct dose calculations are not possible using computational phantoms with homogenized spongiosa. Recent microCT imaging of a 40-year-old male cadaver has allowed for the accurate modeling of the fine microscopic structure of spongiosa in many regions of the adult skeleton [Hough et al PMB (2011)]. This microstructure, along with associated masses and tissue compositions, was used to compute specific absorbed fractions (SAF) values for protons originating in axial and appendicular bone sites [Jokisch et al PMB (submitted)]. These proton SAFs, bone masses, tissue compositions, and proton production cross-sections, were subsequently used to construct neutron dose response functions (DRFs) for both AM and TM50 targets in each bone of the reference adult male. Kerma conditions were assumed for other resultant charged particles. For comparison, active marrow, total shallow marrow, and spongiosa kerma coefficients were also calculated. At low incident neutron energies, AM kerma coefficients for neutrons correlate well with values of the AM DRF, while total marrow (TM) kerma coefficients correlate well with values of the TM50 DRF. At high incident neutron energies, all kerma coefficients and DRFs tend to converge as charged particle equilibrium (CPE) is established across the bone site. In the range of 10 eV to 100 MeV, substantial differences are observed among the kerma coefficients and DRF. As a result, it is recommended that the AM kerma coefficient be used to estimate the AM DRF, and that the TM kerma coefficient be used to estimate the TM50 DRF below 10 eV. Between 10 eV and 100 MeV, the appropriate DRF should be used as presented in this study. Above 100 MeV, spongiosa kerma coefficients apply well for estimating skeletal tissue doses. DRF values for each bone site as a function of energy are provided in an electronic annex to this article. PMID:21983525

Enhancement of freeway incident traffic management and resulting benefits.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-04-01

To improve traffic conditions on major highways plagued by non-recurrent congestion, most : highway agencies have invested their resources in two principal operational programs: incident response : and clearance, and traffic impact management. Howeve...

Incident Specific Preparedness Review (ISPR) of the Response to the Houston Oil Spill

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1996-07-30

The focus areas used for this ISPR were: Area Contingency Plan; : Command, Control, Communications/Incident Command System (C3/ICS); Interagency Coordination and Public Affairs; Logistics; Finance; and Miscellaneous.

Weight-bearing computed tomography findings in varus ankle osteoarthritis: abnormal internal rotation of the talus in the axial plane.

PubMed

Kim, Ji-Beom; Yi, Young; Kim, Jae-Young; Cho, Jae-Ho; Kwon, Min-Soo; Choi, Seung-Hyuk; Lee, Woo-Chun

2017-08-01

To assess the incidence of abnormal internal rotation of the talus in the axial plane in patients with varus ankle osteoarthritis, and to determine whether this incidence differs from the severity of varus ankle osteoarthritis (moderate versus severe). We retrospectively evaluated weight-bearing computed tomography (CT) and plain radiographs of 52 ankles with no abnormalities (control group) and 96 ankles with varus osteoarthritis (varus-OA group), which were further stratified into a moderate-OA subgroup (50 ankles) and a severe-OA subgroup (46 ankles). A new radiographic parameter on weight-bearing CT, the talus rotation ratio, was used to assess the rotation of the talus in the axial plane. The normal range of the talus rotation ratio was defined as the 95% prediction interval for talus rotation ratio values in the control group. Abnormal internal rotation of the talus was defined for talus rotation ratio values above the normal range. We determined the incidence of abnormal internal rotation of the talus in the varus-OA group, moderate-OA subgroup, and severe-OA subgroup. In the varus-OA group, the incidence of abnormal internal rotation of the talus was 45% (43 ankles), which corresponded to an incidence of 32% (16 ankles) in the moderate-OA subgroup and 59% (27 ankles) in the severe-OA subgroup (p = 0.013). Our study demonstrates that abnormal internal rotation of the talus occurs in patients with varus ankle osteoarthritis, and is more frequently noted in severe than in moderate varus ankle osteoarthritis.

Incidence of three-rooted mandibular first molars among contemporary Japanese individuals determined using multidetector computed tomography.

PubMed

Ishii, Namiko; Sakuma, Ayaka; Makino, Yohsuke; Torimitsu, Suguru; Yajima, Daisuke; Inokuchi, Go; Motomura, Ayumi; Chiba, Fumiko; Hoshioka, Yumi; Iwase, Hirotaro; Saitoh, Hisako

2016-09-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of three-rooted mandibular first molars in a contemporary Japanese population using multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) and examine whether this characteristic root form may be useful for identification purposes. Prior to their forensic autopsies, we obtained MDCT scans of 365 cadavers (255 males, 110 females) with mandibular first molars on both sides. Altogether, 730 mandibular first molars were examined morphologically on reconstructed CT images, and the incidence of three-rooted molars was recorded. The results were analyzed statistically to determine sex and left-right differences using the chi-square test. In all, 189 (25.9%) of the 730 mandibular first molars had three roots: 79 (31.0%) in the 255 males and 35 (31.8%) in the 110 females. No statistically significant difference was found between the sexes. In the 39 individuals who had unilateral three-rooted mandibular first molars, 7 (17.9%) were on the left side and 32 (82.1%) were on the right side, indicating a statistically significant predominance on the right side. The incidence of three-rooted mandibular first molars in contemporary Japanese individuals was 25.9%, with no statistically significant sex difference, but in the case of unilateral three-rooted teeth, with a statistically significant predominance on the right side. Our study found that Japanese and northeastern Asians have a high incidence of the three-rooted mandibular first molars among individuals of Mongolian origin; this finding may be a useful screening tool for identification of unknown individuals. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

[Intercensal reconstruction of population and descriptive epidemiological measures in Italy: what is the impact on the cancer incidence rates?].

PubMed

Rashid, Ivan; Giacomin, Adriano; Michiara, Maria; Minerba, Sante; Sgargi, Paolo; Mincuzzi, Antonia; Silvestrini, Angela

2016-01-01

to test the effect on cancer incidence rates when using precensal computation (computed population) or intercensal reconstruction of population (reconstructed population). comparison between computed and reconstructed population by area and period in 2002-2011; evaluation of the effect on cancer rates using Italian cancer registries data. Setting e participants: population data from the Italian National Institute for Statistics, cancer data from Italian cancer registries; specific analysis involves data from Parma (Emilia-Romagna Region, Northern Italy) and Taranto (Apulia Region, Southern Italy) cancer registries. ratio between computed and reconstructed population by area, gender, age, and period; ratio between corresponding age-standardized incidence rates. Italian population estimates by precensal computation for years 2002-2011 was generally higher than that obtained by intercensal reconstruction especially in 2011, when this has been found in more than 86% of Italian Municipalities. In the same year a smaller proportion of Municipalities (11%) showed an inverse population ratio. Among the most populated Municipalities, the City of Milan showed the higher precensal to intercensal population ratio (1.076), while the City of Taranto showed the lower precensal to intercensal population ratio (0.956). The ratios between age standardized rates obtained with precensal population to those obtained with intercensal population show similar differences; in particular, for all cancer in males and females they were, respectively, 0.985 and 0.982 in the Province of Parma, 0.974 and 0.968 in the City of Parma, 1.023 and 1.013 in the Province of Taranto, and 1.08 and 1.051 in the City of Taranto. using precensal population as denominator for the year 2002- 2011 produces a remarkable distortion of both temporal trend and geographical comparisons. It is, therefore, necessary that researchers take into account this possible distortion when reporting descriptive measures in the years between the last two censuses in Italy.

Enabling science support for better decision-making when responding to chemical spills

USGS Publications Warehouse

Weidhass, Jennifer L.; Dietrich, Andrea M.; DeYonker, Nathan J.; Dupont, R. Ryan; Foreman, William T.; Gallagher, Daniel; Gallagher, Jennifer E. G.; Whelton, Andrew J.; Alexander, William

2016-01-01

Chemical spills and accidents contaminate the environment and disrupt societies and economies around the globe. In the United States there were approximately 172,000 chemical spills that affected US waterbodies from 2004 to 2014. More than 8000 of these spills involved non–petroleum-related chemicals. Traditional emergency responses or incident command structures (ICSs) that respond to chemical spills require coordinated efforts by predominantly government personnel from multiple disciplines, including disaster management, public health, and environmental protection. However, the requirements of emergency response teams for science support might not be met within the traditional ICS. We describe the US ICS as an example of emergency-response approaches to chemical spills and provide examples in which external scientific support from research personnel benefitted the ICS emergency response, focusing primarily on nonpetroleum chemical spills. We then propose immediate, near-term, and long-term activities to support the response to chemical spills, focusing on nonpetroleum chemical spills. Further, we call for science support for spill prevention and near-term spill-incident response and identify longer-term research needs. The development of a formal mechanism for external science support of ICS from governmental and nongovernmental scientists would benefit rapid responders, advance incident- and crisis-response science, and aid society in coping with and recovering from chemical spills.

Critical incidents in nursing academics: discovering a new identity.

PubMed

Aguayo-González, Mariela; Castelló-Badía, Montserrat; Monereo-Font, Carles

2015-01-01

a qualitative study that followed the principles of the grounded theory in order to analyze the professional identity of nursing academics through the analysis of the most disturbing critical incidents. semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven nurses who worked as professors and researchers in a private university in Barcelona. the resulting empirical material was organized into two categories: characterization of critical incidents and responsiveness to the incident. the professional identity of nurses regarding the academic area is still under construction and inexperience is the major obstacle in the management of critical incidents in the teaching career.

Test and Analysis of Foam Impacting a 6x6 Inch RCC Flat Panel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lessard, Wendy B.

2006-01-01

This report presents the testing and analyses of a foam projectile impacting onto thirteen 6x6 inch flat panels at a 90 degrees incidence angle. The panels tested in this investigation were fabricated of Reinforced-Carbon-Carbon material and were used to aid in the validation of an existing material model, MAT58. The computational analyses were performed using LS-DYNA, which is a physics-based, nonlinear, transient, finite element code used for analyzing material responses subjected to high impact forces and other dynamic conditions. The test results were used to validate LS-DYNA predictions and to determine the threshold of damage generated by the MAT58 cumulative damage material model. The threshold of damage parameter represents any external or internal visible RCC damage detectable by nondestructive evaluation techniques.

Acute microwave irradiation and cataract formation in rabbits and monkeys.

PubMed

Kramar, P; Harris, C; Emery, A F; Guy, A W

1978-09-01

Rabbits and monkeys were irradiated in the near field of a cavity-backed 2450 MHz resonant slot radiator, to determine the cataractogenic threshold. Rabbits developed cataracts at incident "apparent" power densities of 180 mW/cm2 (E2/120 pi, where E=rms/electric field strength). Monkeys sustained facial burns, but no lens damage, even at incident "apparent" power densities of 500 mW/cm2. These results were substantiated by computer thermal models.

Computing disease incidence, prevalence and comorbidity from electronic medical records.

PubMed

Bagley, Steven C; Altman, Russ B

2016-10-01

Electronic medical records (EMR) represent a convenient source of coded medical data, but disease patterns found in EMRs may be biased when compared to surveys based on sampling. In this communication we draw attention to complications that arise when using EMR data to calculate disease prevalence, incidence, age of onset, and disease comorbidity. We review known solutions to these problems and identify challenges for future work. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Distribution of illegal incident characteristics: cases of bank fraud and embezzlement, computer-related crime, and insider theft from drug manufacturers and distributors

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

Heineke, J M

1979-10-01

Three data sets were used to estimate joint and conditional probability distributions between various variables of interest in bank fraud and embezzlement (BF and E) cases of $10,000 dollars or more, computer-related crime cases of various types, and cases of insider theft from drug manufacturers and distributors. This report describes in tabular form the information contained in the three rather extensive data sets from industries facing insider threats which, in one or more dimensions, are analogous to insider threats potentially confronting managers in the nuclear industry. The data in Tables 1 through 29 were computed from the 313 cases ofmore » bank fraud and embezzlement (BF and E) representing losses of $10,000 or more reported to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) for the period 1977 to 1978. The data in Tables 30 through 64 were computed from the 461 cases of computer-related crime obtained from SRI International for the period 1958 to 1978. These incidents include inventory manipulations designed to hide errors, phony entries used to cover embezzlements, schemes used to penetrate a system and surreptitiously bring about a system crash, and sabotage. The data in Tables 65 through 67 were computed from data reported by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) for the period 1973 to 1978. These data, though limited, provided several interesting insights into the insider-threat problem.« less

Determinants of Paramedic Response Readiness for CBRNE Threats

PubMed Central

Jones, Alison; Smith, George; Nelson, Jenny; Agho, Kingsley; Taylor, Melanie; Raphael, Beverley

2010-01-01

Paramedics play a pivotal role in the response to major emergencies. Recent evidence indicates that their confidence and willingness to respond to chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosives-related (CBRNE) incidents differs from that relating to their “routine” emergency work. To further investigate the factors underpinning their readiness to respond to CBRNE incidents, paramedics in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, were asked to complete a validated online survey instrument. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to examine associated factors determining readiness. The sample of 663 respondents was weighted to reflect the NSW paramedic population as a whole. The univariate analysis indicated that gender, length of service, deployment concern, perceived personal resilience, CBRNE training, and incident experience were significantly associated with perceived CBRNE response readiness. In the initial multivariate analysis, significantly higher response readiness was associated with male gender, university education, and greater length of service (10-15 years). In the final multivariate model, the combined effect of training/incident experience negated the significant effects observed in the initial model and, importantly, showed that those with recent training reported higher readiness, irrespective of incident experience. Those with lower concern regarding CBRNE deployment and those with higher personal resilience were significantly more likely to report higher readiness (Adjusted Relative Risk [ARR] = 0.91, 95% CI: 0.84-0.99; ARR = 1.40, 95% CI: 1.11-1.72, respectively). These findings will assist emergency medical planners in recognizing occupational and dispositional factors associated with enhanced CBRNE readiness and highlight the important role of training in redressing potential readiness differences associated with these factors. PMID:20569060

Prophylactic fenbendazole therapy does not affect the incidence and onset of type 1 diabetes in non-obese diabetic mice.

PubMed

Franke, Deanna D H; Shirwan, Haval

2006-03-01

Fenbendazole (FBZ) is a common, highly efficacious broad-spectrum anthelmintic drug used to treat and limit rodent pinworm infections. However, the effect of its prophylactic use on the immune response of rodents is largely undefined. The non-obese diabetic (NOD) mouse is a model commonly used to study type 1 diabetes (T1D). Parasitic infections will inhibit diabetes development in NOD mice; thus, in the presence of contamination, prophylactic treatment with anthelmintics must be considered to maintain experimental research. Herein, we investigated the prophylactic use of FBZ in NOD mice to determine its effect on the incidence and onset of diabetes, lymphocyte sub-populations and T cell proliferative responses. NOD mice were separated into control and treatment groups. The treatment group received a diet containing FBZ. Animals were monitored for the incidence and onset of T1D. At matched time points, diabetic and non-diabetic mice were killed and splenic lymphocytes analyzed for various cell sub-populations and mitogen-induced proliferative responses using flow cytometry. Treated and control mice were monitored >23 weeks with no detectable effects on the incidence or onset of diabetes. Moreover, no significant differences were detected in lymphocyte sub-populations and mitogen-induced CD4(+) and CD8(+) proliferative responses between control and treatment groups. These results suggest that prophylactic FBZ treatment does not significantly alter the incidence or onset of diabetes in NOD mice. The prophylactic use of FBZ, therefore, presents a viable approach for the prevention of pinworm infection in precious experimental animals with substantial scientific and economic benefits.

Biomechanical responses of a pig head under blast loading: a computational simulation.

PubMed

Zhu, Feng; Skelton, Paul; Chou, Cliff C; Mao, Haojie; Yang, King H; King, Albert I

2013-03-01

A series of computational studies were performed to investigate the biomechanical responses of the pig head under a specific shock tube environment. A finite element model of the head of a 50-kg Yorkshire pig was developed with sufficient details, based on the Lagrangian formulation, and a shock tube model was developed using the multimaterial arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian (MMALE) approach. These two models were integrated and a fluid/solid coupling algorithm was used to simulate the interaction of the shock wave with the pig's head. The finite element model-predicted incident and intracranial pressure traces were in reasonable agreement with those obtained experimentally. Using the verified numerical model of the shock tube and pig head, further investigations were carried out to study the spatial and temporal distributions of pressure, shear stress, and principal strain within the head. Pressure enhancement was found in the skull, which is believed to be caused by shock wave reflection at the interface of the materials with distinct wave impedances. Brain tissue has a shock attenuation effect and larger pressures were observed in the frontal and occipital regions, suggesting a greater possibility of coup and contrecoup contusion. Shear stresses in the brain and deflection in the skull remained at a low level. Higher principal strains were observed in the brain near the foramen magnum, suggesting that there is a greater chance of cellular or vascular injuries in the brainstem region. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Sharing resources, coordinating response : deploying and operating incident management systems

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1999-01-05

This brochure describes how cost-effective incident management technologies can be useful in handling traffic congestion. Embedded sensors, closed circuit television cameras, and variable message signs are examples of existing technologies that can b...

78 FR 9926 - Disease, Disability, and Injury Prevention and Control Special Emphasis Panel (SEP): Initial Review

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-12

... announced below concerns Prevalence and Incidence of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, FOA DP 13-001, initial... evaluation of applications received in response to ``Prevalence and Incidence of Inflammatory Bowel Disease...

Case studies in Bayesian microbial risk assessments.

PubMed

Kennedy, Marc C; Clough, Helen E; Turner, Joanne

2009-12-21

The quantification of uncertainty and variability is a key component of quantitative risk analysis. Recent advances in Bayesian statistics make it ideal for integrating multiple sources of information, of different types and quality, and providing a realistic estimate of the combined uncertainty in the final risk estimates. We present two case studies related to foodborne microbial risks. In the first, we combine models to describe the sequence of events resulting in illness from consumption of milk contaminated with VTEC O157. We used Monte Carlo simulation to propagate uncertainty in some of the inputs to computer models describing the farm and pasteurisation process. Resulting simulated contamination levels were then assigned to consumption events from a dietary survey. Finally we accounted for uncertainty in the dose-response relationship and uncertainty due to limited incidence data to derive uncertainty about yearly incidences of illness in young children. Options for altering the risk were considered by running the model with different hypothetical policy-driven exposure scenarios. In the second case study we illustrate an efficient Bayesian sensitivity analysis for identifying the most important parameters of a complex computer code that simulated VTEC O157 prevalence within a managed dairy herd. This was carried out in 2 stages, first to screen out the unimportant inputs, then to perform a more detailed analysis on the remaining inputs. The method works by building a Bayesian statistical approximation to the computer code using a number of known code input/output pairs (training runs). We estimated that the expected total number of children aged 1.5-4.5 who become ill due to VTEC O157 in milk is 8.6 per year, with 95% uncertainty interval (0,11.5). The most extreme policy we considered was banning on-farm pasteurisation of milk, which reduced the estimate to 6.4 with 95% interval (0,11). In the second case study the effective number of inputs was reduced from 30 to 7 in the screening stage, and just 2 inputs were found to explain 82.8% of the output variance. A combined total of 500 runs of the computer code were used. These case studies illustrate the use of Bayesian statistics to perform detailed uncertainty and sensitivity analyses, integrating multiple information sources in a way that is both rigorous and efficient.

Responding to an Incident

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

When a release or spill occurs, the company responsible for the release, its response contractors, the local fire and police departments, and the local emergency response personnel provide the first line of defense.

The Use of Deer Vehicle Accidents as a Proxy for Measuring the Degree of Interaction Between Human and Deer Populations and Its Correlation With the Incidence Rate of Lyme Disease

PubMed Central

Wiznia, Daniel H.; Christos, Paul J.; LaBonte, Andrew M.

2014-01-01

The study described in this article examined the relationship between the incidence rate of deer vehicle accidents (DVAs), a proxy for measuring the interaction between populations of humans and deer, and human Lyme disease incidence rate. The authors also examined the relationship between deer population density and human Lyme incidence rate. They analyzed data from Connecticut’s Department of Environmental Protection and the Department of Public Health from 1999 through 2008 by deer management zone (DMZ) and town. For DVA incidence rate versus Lyme incidence rate for both DMZs and towns, most of the correlation coefficients computed yearly were moderate to strong and all of the p-values were significant. A weak correlation was observed between deer population density and Lyme disease incidence rate by DMZ. The authors propose DVAs as a proxy for measuring the interaction between coexisting populations of humans and deer. The authors’ study suggests that additional investigations of DVAs and their relationship to Lyme disease to further assess the utility of public health interventions are warranted. PMID:23621054

Development of a radiology faculty appraisal instrument by using critical incident interviewing.

PubMed

Collins, J; Albanese, M A; Thakor, S K; Propeck, P A; Scanlan, K A

1997-12-01

To develop a valid and reliable radiology faculty appraisal instrument based on scientific methods. Fifteen radiology residents participated in critical incident interviewing. During a 1-hour interview, a resident was asked to describe five incidents each of effective and ineffective faculty behavior. Two investigators independently listened to the tape-recorded interviews, and two different investigators sorted the incidents into broad categories. A faculty appraisal instrument was developed by listing similar incidents under broad categories. A five-point rating scale was applied to each item. Content validity was assessed by resident and faculty critique of the appraisal instrument. A total of 168 incidents of faculty behavior were generated. The frequency with which similar incidents were reported was recorded. The most common behaviors reported were related to staff expertise and teaching. Interjudge reliability was good, as determined by computing K indices of agreement (overall K = 0.59). There was good agreement regarding instrument content validity among residents but not among faculty. Residents supported the use of the new appraisal instrument, but further tests of validity and reliability and faculty acceptance of the instrument will determine its usefulness as a tool for monitoring faculty teaching performance and making decisions regarding faculty promotion.

Confined space emergency response: assessing employer and fire department practices.

PubMed

Wilson, Michael P; Madison, Heather N; Healy, Stephen B

2012-01-01

An emergency response plan for industrial permit-required confined space entry is essential for employee safety and is legally required. Maintaining a trained confined space rescue team, however, is costly and technically challenging. Some employers turn to public fire departments to meet their emergency response requirements. The confined space emergency response practices of employers and fire departments have not been previously assessed. We present (1) federal data on the U.S. occurrence between 1992 and 2005 of confined space fatal incidents involving toxic and/or oxygen-deficient atmospheres; (2) survey data from 21 large companies on permit-required confined space emergency response practices; (3) data on fire department arrival times; and (4) estimates by 10 senior fire officers of fire department rescue times for confined space incidents. Between 1992 and 2005, 431 confined space incidents that met the case definition claimed 530 lives, or about 0.63% of the 84,446 all-cause U.S. occupational fatal injuries that occurred during this period. Eighty-seven (20%) incidents resulted in multiple fatalities. Twelve (57%) of 21 surveyed companies reported that they relied on the fire department for permit-required confined space emergency response. Median fire department arrival times were about 5 min for engines and 7 min for technical rescue units. Fire department confined space rescue time estimates ranged from 48 to 123 min and increased to 70 and 173 min when hazardous materials were present. The study illustrates that (1) confined space incidents represent a small but continuing source of fatal occupational injuries in the United States; (2) a sizeable portion of employers may be relying on public fire departments for permit-required confined space emergency response; and (3) in the event of a life-threatening emergency, fire departments usually are not able to effect a confined space rescue in a timely manner. We propose that the appropriate role for the fire department is to support a properly trained and equipped on-site rescue team and to provide advanced life support intervention following extrication and during ambulance transportation.

Psychological impact and recovery after involvement in a patient safety incident: a repeated measures analysis

PubMed Central

Van Gerven, Eva; Bruyneel, Luk; Panella, Massimiliano; Euwema, Martin; Sermeus, Walter; Vanhaecht, Kris

2016-01-01

Objective To examine individual, situational and organisational aspects that influence psychological impact and recovery of a patient safety incident on physicians, nurses and midwives. Design Cross-sectional, retrospective surveys of physicians, midwives and nurses. Setting 33 Belgian hospitals. Participants 913 clinicians (186 physicians, 682 nurses, 45 midwives) involved in a patient safety incident. Main outcome measures The Impact of Event Scale was used to retrospectively measure psychological impact of the safety incident at the time of the event and compare it with psychological impact at the time of the survey. Results Individual, situational as well as organisational aspects influenced psychological impact and recovery of a patient safety incident. Psychological impact is higher when the degree of harm for the patient is more severe, when healthcare professionals feel responsible for the incident and among female healthcare professionals. Impact of degree of harm differed across clinicians. Psychological impact is lower among more optimistic professionals. Overall, impact decreased significantly over time. This effect was more pronounced for women and for those who feel responsible for the incident. The longer ago the incident took place, the stronger impact had decreased. Also, higher psychological impact is related with the use of a more active coping and planning coping strategy, and is unrelated to support seeking coping strategies. Rendered support and a support culture reduce psychological impact, whereas a blame culture increases psychological impact. No associations were found with job experience and resilience of the health professional, the presence of a second victim support team or guideline and working in a learning culture. Conclusions Healthcare organisations should anticipate on providing their staff appropriate and timely support structures that are tailored to the healthcare professional involved in the incident and to the specific situation of the incident. PMID:27580830

Global surveillance for chemical incidents of international public health concern.

PubMed Central

Olowokure, B.; Pooransingh, S.; Tempowski, J.; Palmer, S.; Meredith, T.

2005-01-01

OBJECTIVE: In December 2001, an expert consultation convened by WHO identified strengthening national and global chemical incident preparedness and response as a priority. WHO is working towards this objective by developing a surveillance and response system for chemical incidents. This report describes the frequency, nature and geographical location of acute chemical incidents of potential international concern from August 2002 to December 2003. METHODS: Acute chemical incidents were actively identified through several informal (e.g. Internet-based resources) and formal (e.g. various networks of organizations) sources and assessed against criteria for public health emergencies of international concern using the then proposed revised International Health Regulations (IHR). WHO regional and country offices were contacted to obtain additional information regarding identified incidents. FINDINGS: Altogether, 35 chemical incidents from 26 countries met one or more of the IHR criteria. The WHO European Region accounted for 43% (15/35) of reports. The WHO Regions for Africa, Eastern Mediterranean and Western Pacific each accounted for 14% (5/35); South-East Asia and the Americas accounted for 9% (3/35) and 6% (2/35), respectively. Twenty-three (66%) events were identified within 24 hours of their occurrence. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge this is the first global surveillance system for chemical incidents of potential international concern. Limitations such as geographical and language bias associated with the current system are being addressed. Nevertheless, the system has shown that it can provide early detection of important events, as well as information on the magnitude and geographical distribution of such incidents. It can therefore contribute to improving global public health preparedness. PMID:16462985

[Ethical Debates Related to the Allocation of Medical Resources During the Response to the Mass Casualty Incident at Formosa Fun Coast Water Park].

PubMed

Tang, Jing-Shia; Chen, Chia-Jung; Huang, Mei-Chih

2017-02-01

Disasters are unpredictable and often result in mass casualties. Limited medical resources often affect the response to mass casualty incidents, undermining the ability of responders to adequately protect all of the casualties. Thus, the injuries of casualties are classified in hopes of fully utilizing medical resources efficiently in order to save the maximum possible number of people. However, as opinions on casualty prioritization are subjective, disagreements and disputes often arise regarding allocating medical resources. The present article focused on the 2015 explosion at Formosa Fun Coast, a recreational water park in Bali, New Taipei City, Taiwan as a way to explore the dilemma over the triage and resource allocation for casualties with burns over 90% and 50-60% of their bodies. The principles of utilitarianism and deontology in Western medicine were used to discuss the reasons and rationale behind the allocation of medical resources during this incident. Confucianism, a philosophical mindset that significantly influences Taiwanese society today, was then discussed to describe the "miracles" that happened during the incident, including the acquisition of assistance from the public and medical professionals. External supplies and professional help (social resources) were provided voluntarily after this incident, which had a profound impact on both the immediate response and the longer-term recovery efforts.

Diffraction of a plane wave by a three-dimensional corner

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ting, L.; Kung, F.

1971-01-01

By the superposition of the conical solution for the diffraction of a plane pulse by a three dimensional corner, the solution for a general incident plane wave is constructed. A numerical program is presented for the computation of the pressure distribution on the surface due to an incident plane wave of any wave form and at any incident angle. Numerical examples are presented to show the pressure signature at several points on the surface due to incident wave with a front shock wave, two shock waves in succession, or a compression wave with same peak pressure. The examples show that when the distance of a point on the surface from the edges or the vertex is comparable to the distance for the front pressure raise to reach the maximum, the peak pressure at that point can be much less than that given by a regular reflection, because the diffracted wave front arrives at that point prior to the arrival of the peak incident wave.

Spatial imaging in the soft x-ray region (20--304 A) utilizing the astigmatism of a grazing incidence concave grating

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

Nudelfuden, A.; Solanki, R.; Moos, H.W.

1985-03-15

Soft x-ray (20--304--A) astigmatic line shapes were measured in order to evaluate the spatial imaging properties of a Rowland mounted concave grating in grazing incidence. The practicability of coarse 1-D spatial imaging in the soft x-ray region is demonstrated. Spatial resolution equivalent to approx.4 cm at a source distance of 2 m can be achieved with practical parameters (e.g., sensitivity and time resolution) for a fusion diagnostic spectrograph. The results are compared to computer-generated ray tracings and found to be in good agreement. The ray tracing program which models the grazing incidence optics is discussed.

Relationship type and sexual precedence: their associations with characteristics of sexual assault perpetrators and incidents.

PubMed

Wegner, Rhiana; Pierce, Jennifer; Abbey, Antonia

2014-11-01

Although most sexual assaults are committed by men who know their victims, few researchers have considered how characteristics of perpetrators and incidents differ depending on the victim-perpetrator relationship. This study addresses this gap with a community sample of 204 men who reported committing a sexually aggressive act in an audio computer-assisted self-interview. 2 (Relationship Type: Committed vs. Casual) × 2 (Sexual Precedence: Yes vs. No) ANOVAs revealed significant main effects of relationship type and sexual precedence associated with individual difference and incident characteristics. These findings demonstrate the importance of developing theories and prevention programs tailored for different relationship contexts. © The Author(s) 2014.

Chemical kinetic modeling of propane oxidation behind shock waves

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mclain, A. G.; Jachimowski, C. J.

1977-01-01

The stoichiometric combustion of propane behind incident shock waves was studied experimentally and analytically over a temperature range from 1700 K to 2600 K and a pressure range from 1.2 to 1.9 atm. Measurements of the concentrations of carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO2) and the product of the oxygen atom and carbon dioxide concentrations (O)(CO) were made after passage of the incident shock wave. A kinetic mechanism was developed which, when used in a computer program for a flowing, reacting gas behind an incident shock wave predicted experimentally measured results quite well. Ignition delay times from the literature were also predicted quite well. The kinetic mechanism consisted of 59 individual kinetic steps.

Note on the artefacts in SRIM simulation of sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shulga, V. I.

2018-05-01

The computer simulation program SRIM, unlike other well-known programs (MARLOWE, TRIM.SP, etc.), predicts non-zero values of the sputter yield at glancing ion bombardment of smooth amorphous targets and, for heavy ions, greatly underestimates the sputter yield at normal incidence. To understand the reasons for this, the sputtering of amorphous silicon bombarded with different ions was modeled here using the author's program OKSANA. Most simulations refer to 1 keV Xe ions, and angles of incidence cover range from 0 (normal incidence) to almost 90°. It has been shown that SRIM improperly simulates the initial stage of the sputtering process. Some other artefacts in SRIM calculations of sputtering are also revealed and discussed.

U.S. national response assets for radiological incidents.

PubMed

Remick, Alan L; Crapo, John L; Woodruff, Charles R

2005-11-01

The federal government has had the ability to respond to incidents of national significance for decades. Since 11 September 2001, there have been enhancements to existing federal assets and the creation of new federal assets. This presentation will provide an overview of the more significant federal assets. Pivotal to a response of national significance is the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Federal Radiological Monitoring and Assessment Center, which organizes and coordinates federal agency monitoring activities during an emergency. DOE manages the Federal Radiological Monitoring and Assessment Center during the emergency phase, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) manages the response during the recovery phase once the emergency is terminated. EPA monitoring teams provide support during both the emergency and recovery phases of an emergency. Other DOE teams are available to respond to major nuclear power plant events, transportation accidents, or terrorism events involving the use of radiological materials, including the Radiological Assistance Program, the Aerial Measuring System, the National Atmospheric Release Advisory Center, and the Radiation Emergency Assistance Center/Training Site. For incidents involving a nuclear weapon, an improvised nuclear device, or a radiological dispersal device, DOE assets such as the Nuclear Emergency Support Team and the Accident Response Group could provide capabilities for weapon or device search, recovery, and removal. The Radiological Triage System harnesses the weapons scientists and engineers at the DOE national laboratories to provide gamma spectroscopy interpretation for agencies responding to an incident. In recent years, National Guard Weapons of Mass Destruction-Civil Support Teams have been created to support state and local response to terrorism events. The Civil Support Teams normally come under direct control of the state and can respond without requiring authorization from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). Changes brought about by the events of September 11 also extend to changing federal response policy and planning. Therefore, the Catastrophic Incident Response Annex to the National Response Plan is discussed. DoD also provides specifically designated radiological response capabilities that can be utilized within the guidelines of the National Response Plan. While optimally designed to support military missions, these resources also help provide for a well-equipped set of national assets to temporarily support and augment the local, state, and federal civil agencies that have primary authority and responsibility for domestic disaster assistance. The military's role in domestic emergencies is well defined in military regulations, as well as the national plan.

40 CFR 1033.112 - Emission diagnostics for SCR systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

.... This section does not apply for SCR systems using the engine's fuel as the reductant. (a) The... computer memory all incidents of engine operation with inadequate reductant injection or reductant quality...

Reflection Patterns Generated by Condensed-Phase Oblique Detonation Interaction with a Rigid Wall

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Short, Mark; Chiquete, Carlos; Bdzil, John; Meyer, Chad

2017-11-01

We examine numerically the wave reflection patterns generated by a detonation in a condensed phase explosive inclined obliquely but traveling parallel to a rigid wall as a function of incident angle. The problem is motivated by the characterization of detonation-material confiner interactions. We compare the reflection patterns for two detonation models, one where the reaction zone is spatially distributed, and the other where the reaction is instantaneous (a Chapman-Jouguet detonation). For the Chapman-Jouguet model, we compare the results of the computations with an asymptotic study recently conducted by Bdzil and Short for small detonation incident angles. We show that the ability of a spatially distributed reaction energy release to turn flow streamlines has a significant impact on the nature of the observed reflection patterns. The computational approach uses a shock-fit methodology.

Dual-Polarization Ku-Band Compact Spaceborne Antenna Based on Dual-Reflectarray Optics.

PubMed

Tienda, Carolina; Encinar, Jose A; Barba, Mariano; Arrebola, Manuel

2018-04-05

This article demonstrated an accurate analysis technique for dual-reflectarray antennas that take into account the angle of incidence of the impinging electric field on the main reflectarray cells. The reflected field on the sub and the main reflectarray surfaces is computed using Method of Moments in the spectral domain and assuming local periodicity. The sub-reflectarray is divided into groups of elements and the field radiated by each group is used to compute the incident and reflected field on the main reflectarray cells. A 50-cm demonstrator in Ku-band that provides European coverage has been designed, manufactured and tested to validate the analysis technique. The measured radiation patterns match the simulations and they fulfill the coverage requirements, achieving a cross-polar discrimination better than 25 dB in the frequency range: 12.975-14.25 GHz.

Helpful Hints for School Emergency Management: The National Incident Management System (NIMS) and Schools. Frequently Asked Questions and FY 2006 NIMS Compliance Activities for Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

US Department of Education, 2006

2006-01-01

"Helpful Hints" offers a quick overview of school emergency preparedness topics that are frequently the subject of inquiries. The National Incident Management System (NIMS) is a comprehensive system that improves tribal and local emergency response operations through the use of the Incident Command System (ICS) and the application of standardized…

Emergency Support Function 15 Standard Operating Procedures

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-08-01

learned from numerous incidents to include the BP oil spill, the Fukushima nuclear incident, Hurricane Sandy and the Boston Marathon attack. Guidance is...Staffing  Operations  Activation  Incident Operations  Case Study - 2013 Boston Marathon Bombing  Case Study - 2011 Fukushima Nuclear Crisis...Quick Summary  Radiological Dispersal Device (RDD)  Improvised Nuclear Device (IND)  Federal Response  Case Studies – 2011 Fukushima Nuclear

Incorporating ITS into transportation planning : phase 1 final report

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2000-04-01

Incident management is the process of managing multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional responses to highway traffic disruptions. Traffic incidents are a major cause of congestion on the nation?s highway network. More than half of all freeway traffic conge...

Traffic control concepts for incident clearance

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-01-01

This document discusses various aspects of traffic control for incidents with the focus on the traffic control roles and responsibilities of the responders as well as the safety of the responders and the motoring public. It also recognizes that activ...

RAPID INCIDENT RESPONSE FRAMEWORK

EPA Science Inventory

Will discuss WERF Contract (RFP# 03-HHE-5PP), Protocols for the Timely Investigation of Potential Health Incidents Associated with Biosolids Land Application, as a member of the project advisory committee. The contractor, University of North Carolina, started work in early June, ...

Analysis of general aviation single-pilot IFR incident data obtained from the NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bergeron, H. P.

1983-01-01

An analysis of incident data obtained from the NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) has been made to determine the problem areas in general aviation single-pilot IFR (SPIFR) operations. The Aviation Safety Reporting System data base is a compilation of voluntary reports of incidents from any person who has observed or been involved in an occurrence which was believed to have posed a threat to flight safety. This paper examines only those reported incidents specifically related to general aviation single-pilot IFR operations. The frequency of occurrence of factors related to the incidents was the criterion used to define significant problem areas and, hence, to suggest where research is needed. The data was cataloged into one of five major problem areas: (1) controller judgment and response problems, (2) pilot judgment and response problems, (3) air traffic control (ATC) intrafacility and interfacility conflicts, (4) ATC and pilot communication problems, and (5) IFR-VFR conflicts. In addition, several points common to all or most of the problems were observed and reported. These included human error, communications, procedures and rules, and work load.

48 CFR 18.204 - Resources.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... response. This key document establishes a comprehensive, national, all-hazards approach to domestic incident response. The Framework identifies the key response principles, roles and structures that organize national response. It describes how communities, States, the Federal Government, the private-sector, and...

48 CFR 18.204 - Resources.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... response. This key document establishes a comprehensive, national, all-hazards approach to domestic incident response. The Framework identifies the key response principles, roles and structures that organize national response. It describes how communities, States, the Federal Government, the private-sector, and...

48 CFR 18.204 - Resources.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... response. This key document establishes a comprehensive, national, all-hazards approach to domestic incident response. The Framework identifies the key response principles, roles and structures that organize national response. It describes how communities, States, the Federal Government, the private-sector, and...

48 CFR 18.204 - Resources.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... response. This key document establishes a comprehensive, national, all-hazards approach to domestic incident response. The Framework identifies the key response principles, roles and structures that organize national response. It describes how communities, States, the Federal Government, the private-sector, and...

48 CFR 18.204 - Resources.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... response. This key document establishes a comprehensive, national, all-hazards approach to domestic incident response. The Framework identifies the key response principles, roles and structures that organize national response. It describes how communities, States, the Federal Government, the private-sector, and...

Instrumentation for Studies of Electron Emission and Charging From Insulators

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thomson, C. D.; Zavyalov, V.; Dennison, J. R.

2004-01-01

Making measurements of electron emission properties of insulators is difficult since insulators can charge either negatively or positively under charge particle bombardment. In addition, high incident energies or high fluences can result in modification of a material s conductivity, bulk and surface charge profile, structural makeup through bond breaking and defect creation, and emission properties. We discuss here some of the charging difficulties associated with making insulator-yield measurements and review the methods used in previous studies of electron emission from insulators. We present work undertaken by our group to make consistent and accurate measurements of the electron/ion yield properties for numerous thin-film and thick insulator materials using innovative instrumentation and techniques. We also summarize some of the necessary instrumentation developed for this purpose including fast response, low-noise, high-sensitivity ammeters; signal isolation and interface to standard computer data acquisition apparatus using opto-isolation, sample-and-hold, and boxcar integration techniques; computer control, automation and timing using Labview software; a multiple sample carousel; a pulsed, compact, low-energy, charge neutralization electron flood gun; and pulsed visible and UV light neutralization sources. This work is supported through funding from the NASA Space Environments and Effects Program and the NASA Graduate Research Fellowship Program.

The impact of technology on the enactment of inquiry in a technology enthusiast's sixth grade science classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Waight, Noemi; Abd-El-Khalick, Fouad

2007-01-01

This study investigated the impact of the use of computer technology on the enactment of inquiry in a sixth grade science classroom. Participants were 42 students (38% female) enrolled in two sections of the classroom and taught by a technology-enthusiast instructor. Data were collected over the course of 4 months during which several inquiry activities were completed, some of which were supported with the use of technology. Non-participant observation, classroom videotaping, and semi-structured and critical-incident interviews were used to collect data. The results indicated that the technology in use worked to restrict rather than promote inquiry in the participant classroom. In the presence of computers, group activities became more structured with a focus on sharing tasks and accounting for individual responsibility, and less time was dedicated to group discourse with a marked decrease in critical, meaning-making discourse. The views and beliefs of teachers and students in relation to their specific contexts moderate the potential of technology in supporting inquiry teaching and learning and should be factored both in teacher training and attempts to integrate technology in science teaching.

Network traffic anomaly prediction using Artificial Neural Network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ciptaningtyas, Hening Titi; Fatichah, Chastine; Sabila, Altea

2017-03-01

As the excessive increase of internet usage, the malicious software (malware) has also increase significantly. Malware is software developed by hacker for illegal purpose(s), such as stealing data and identity, causing computer damage, or denying service to other user[1]. Malware which attack computer or server often triggers network traffic anomaly phenomena. Based on Sophos's report[2], Indonesia is the riskiest country of malware attack and it also has high network traffic anomaly. This research uses Artificial Neural Network (ANN) to predict network traffic anomaly based on malware attack in Indonesia which is recorded by Id-SIRTII/CC (Indonesia Security Incident Response Team on Internet Infrastructure/Coordination Center). The case study is the highest malware attack (SQL injection) which has happened in three consecutive years: 2012, 2013, and 2014[4]. The data series is preprocessed first, then the network traffic anomaly is predicted using Artificial Neural Network and using two weight update algorithms: Gradient Descent and Momentum. Error of prediction is calculated using Mean Squared Error (MSE) [7]. The experimental result shows that MSE for SQL Injection is 0.03856. So, this approach can be used to predict network traffic anomaly.

Antibody responses to P. falciparum blood stage antigens and incidence of clinical malaria in children living in endemic area in Burkina Faso.

PubMed

Cherif, Mariama K; Ouédraogo, Oumarou; Sanou, Guillaume S; Diarra, Amidou; Ouédraogo, Alphonse; Tiono, Alfred; Cavanagh, David R; Michael, Theisen; Konaté, Amadou T; Watson, Nora L; Sanza, Megan; Dube, Tina J T; Sirima, Sodiomon B; Nebié, Issa

2017-09-08

High parasite-specific antibody levels are generally associated with low susceptibility to Plasmodium falciparum malaria. This has been supported by several studies in which clinical malaria cases of P. falciparum malaria were reported to be associated with low antibody avidities. This study was conducted to evaluate the role of age, malaria transmission intensity and incidence of clinical malaria in the induction of protective humoral immune response against P. falciparum malaria in children living in Burkina Faso. We combined levels of IgG and IgG subclasses responses to P. falciparum antigens: Merozoite Surface Protein 3 (MSP3), Merozoite Surface Protein 2a (MSP2a), Merozoite Surface Protein 2b (MSP2b), Glutamate Rich Protein R0 (GLURP R0) and Glutamate Rich Protein R2 (GLURP R2) in plasma samples from 325 children under five (05) years with age, malaria transmission season and malaria incidence. We notice higher prevalence of P. falciparum infection in low transmission season compared to high malaria transmission season. While, parasite density was lower in low transmission than high transmission season. IgG against all antigens investigated increased with age. High levels of IgG and IgG subclasses to all tested antigens except for GLURP R2 were associated with the intensity of malaria transmission. IgG to MSP3, MSP2b, GLURP R2 and GLURP R0 were associated with low incidence of malaria. All IgG subclasses were associated with low incidence of P. falciparum malaria, but these associations were stronger for cytophilic IgGs. On the basis of the data presented in this study, we conclude that the induction of humoral immune response to tested malaria antigens is related to age, transmission season level and incidence of clinical malaria.

Computer program for calculating supersonic flow on the windward side conical delta wings by the method of lines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Klunker, E. B.; South, J. C., Jr.; Davis, R. M.

1972-01-01

A user's manual is presented for a program that calculates the supersonic flow on the windward side of conical delta wings with shock attached at the sharp leading edge by the method of lines. The program also has a limited capability for computing the flow about circular and elliptic cones at incidence. It provides information including the shock shape, flow field, isentropic surface-flow properties, and force coefficients. A description of the program operation, a sample computation, and a FORTRAN 4 program listing are included.

Large-Amplitude, High-Rate Roll Oscillations of a 65 deg Delta Wing at High Incidence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chaderjian, Neal M.; Schiff, Lewis B.

2000-01-01

The IAR/WL 65 deg delta wing experimental results provide both detail pressure measurements and a wide range of flow conditions covering from simple attached flow, through fully developed vortex and vortex burst flow, up to fully-stalled flow at very high incidence. Thus, the Computational Unsteady Aerodynamics researchers can use it at different level of validating the corresponding code. In this section a range of CFD results are provided for the 65 deg delta wing at selected flow conditions. The time-dependent, three-dimensional, Reynolds-averaged, Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations are used to numerically simulate the unsteady vertical flow. Two sting angles and two large- amplitude, high-rate, forced-roll motions and a damped free-to-roll motion are presented. The free-to-roll motion is computed by coupling the time-dependent RANS equations to the flight dynamic equation of motion. The computed results are compared with experimental pressures, forces, moments and roll angle time history. In addition, surface and off-surface flow particle streaks are also presented.

Computing Shapes Of Cascade Diffuser Blades

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tran, Ken; Prueger, George H.

1993-01-01

Computer program generates sizes and shapes of cascade-type blades for use in axial or radial turbomachine diffusers. Generates shapes of blades rapidly, incorporating extensive cascade data to determine optimum incidence and deviation angle for blade design based on 65-series data base of National Advisory Commission for Aeronautics and Astronautics (NACA). Allows great variability in blade profile through input variables. Also provides for design of three-dimensional blades by allowing variable blade stacking. Enables designer to obtain computed blade-geometry data in various forms: as input for blade-loading analysis; as input for quasi-three-dimensional analysis of flow; or as points for transfer to computer-aided design.

Computations of the Magnus effect for slender bodies in supersonic flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sturek, W. B.; Schiff, L. B.

1980-01-01

A recently reported Parabolized Navier-Stokes code has been employed to compute the supersonic flow field about spinning cone, ogive-cylinder, and boattailed bodies of revolution at moderate incidence. The computations were performed for flow conditions where extensive measurements for wall pressure, boundary layer velocity profiles and Magnus force had been obtained. Comparisons between the computational results and experiment indicate excellent agreement for angles of attack up to six degrees. The comparisons for Magnus effects show that the code accurately predicts the effects of body shape and Mach number for the selected models for Mach numbers in the range of 2-4.

Cancer risk in 680 000 people exposed to computed tomography scans in childhood or adolescence: data linkage study of 11 million Australians

PubMed Central

Forsythe, Anna V; Brady, Zoe; Butler, Martin W; Goergen, Stacy K; Byrnes, Graham B; Giles, Graham G; Wallace, Anthony B; Anderson, Philip R; Guiver, Tenniel A; McGale, Paul; Cain, Timothy M; Dowty, James G; Bickerstaffe, Adrian C; Darby, Sarah C

2013-01-01

Objective To assess the cancer risk in children and adolescents following exposure to low dose ionising radiation from diagnostic computed tomography (CT) scans. Design Population based, cohort, data linkage study in Australia. Cohort members 10.9 million people identified from Australian Medicare records, aged 0-19 years on 1 January 1985 or born between 1 January 1985 and 31 December 2005; all exposures to CT scans funded by Medicare during 1985-2005 were identified for this cohort. Cancers diagnosed in cohort members up to 31 December 2007 were obtained through linkage to national cancer records. Main outcome Cancer incidence rates in individuals exposed to a CT scan more than one year before any cancer diagnosis, compared with cancer incidence rates in unexposed individuals. Results 60 674 cancers were recorded, including 3150 in 680 211 people exposed to a CT scan at least one year before any cancer diagnosis. The mean duration of follow-up after exposure was 9.5 years. Overall cancer incidence was 24% greater for exposed than for unexposed people, after accounting for age, sex, and year of birth (incidence rate ratio (IRR) 1.24 (95% confidence interval 1.20 to 1.29); P<0.001). We saw a dose-response relation, and the IRR increased by 0.16 (0.13 to 0.19) for each additional CT scan. The IRR was greater after exposure at younger ages (P<0.001 for trend). At 1-4, 5-9, 10-14, and 15 or more years since first exposure, IRRs were 1.35 (1.25 to 1.45), 1.25 (1.17 to 1.34), 1.14 (1.06 to 1.22), and 1.24 (1.14 to 1.34), respectively. The IRR increased significantly for many types of solid cancer (digestive organs, melanoma, soft tissue, female genital, urinary tract, brain, and thyroid); leukaemia, myelodysplasia, and some other lymphoid cancers. There was an excess of 608 cancers in people exposed to CT scans (147 brain, 356 other solid, 48 leukaemia or myelodysplasia, and 57 other lymphoid). The absolute excess incidence rate for all cancers combined was 9.38 per 100 000 person years at risk, as of 31 December 2007. The average effective radiation dose per scan was estimated as 4.5 mSv. Conclusions The increased incidence of cancer after CT scan exposure in this cohort was mostly due to irradiation. Because the cancer excess was still continuing at the end of follow-up, the eventual lifetime risk from CT scans cannot yet be determined. Radiation doses from contemporary CT scans are likely to be lower than those in 1985-2005, but some increase in cancer risk is still likely from current scans. Future CT scans should be limited to situations where there is a definite clinical indication, with every scan optimised to provide a diagnostic CT image at the lowest possible radiation dose. PMID:23694687

A parameter quantifying radiation damping of bay oscillations excited by incident tsunamis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Endoh, Takahiro; Inazu, Daisuke; Waseda, Takuji; Hibiya, Toshiyuki

2018-04-01

The transient response of a bay with a narrow mouth to incident tsunamis is interpreted as the convolution of the input signal with the impulse response obtained by an inverse Fourier transform of the response curve of the oscillatory system with one degree of freedom. The rate of radiation damping associated with energy escaping seaward through the bay mouth is expressed in terms of the quality factor Q, which determines the decaying envelope of the impulse response. The value of Q of the resonant peak is approximated by the ratio of the resonant frequency ω0 to the bandwidth between frequencies at which the power spectral density of sea level within the bay drops to half of the peak value. Since the shape of the frequency power spectrum during the tsunami event is almost similar to that in the normal state in the neighborhood of ω0, Q can be estimated from sea level datasets in the normal state. Although the amplitude and phase of the impulse response need to be adjusted using the first crest or trough of the observed leading wave, this approach proves to work well in examining the transient responses of Miyako Bay and Kushimoto Bay on the Japanese Pacific coast to incident tsunamis.

A proposal for a computer-based framework of support for public health in the management of biological incidents: the Czech Republic experience.

PubMed

Bures, Vladimír; Otcenásková, Tereza; Cech, Pavel; Antos, Karel

2012-11-01

Biological incidents jeopardising public health require decision-making that consists of one dominant feature: complexity. Therefore, public health decision-makers necessitate appropriate support. Based on the analogy with business intelligence (BI) principles, the contextual analysis of the environment and available data resources, and conceptual modelling within systems and knowledge engineering, this paper proposes a general framework for computer-based decision support in the case of a biological incident. At the outset, the analysis of potential inputs to the framework is conducted and several resources such as demographic information, strategic documents, environmental characteristics, agent descriptors and surveillance systems are considered. Consequently, three prototypes were developed, tested and evaluated by a group of experts. Their selection was based on the overall framework scheme. Subsequently, an ontology prototype linked with an inference engine, multi-agent-based model focusing on the simulation of an environment, and expert-system prototypes were created. All prototypes proved to be utilisable support tools for decision-making in the field of public health. Nevertheless, the research revealed further issues and challenges that might be investigated by both public health focused researchers and practitioners.

Transnational Threats: Blending Law Enforcement and Military Strategies

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-11-01

Providing Humanitarian Assistance Following NBC Accidents/Incidents: The Legal Considerations, Colorado Springs, CO: Institute for National Security Studies...draft of a position on cyber crime .36 The draft focused on such issues as extradition, mutual legal assistance, and trans-border computer searches. These...warfare also raises specific legal issues related to computer crime : what is a crime , who commits it, and what does the law say about it? 21. A

Computer-Generated Dot Maps as an Epidemiologic Tool: Investigating an Outbreak of Toxoplasmosis

PubMed Central

Werker, Denise H.; King, Arlene S.; Marion, Stephen A.; Bell, Alison; Issac-Renton, Judith L.; Irwin, G. Stewart; Bowie, William R.

1999-01-01

We used computer-generated dot maps to examine the spatial distribution of 94 Toxoplasma gondii infections associated with an outbreak in British Columbia, Canada. The incidence among patients served by one water distribution system was 3.52 times that of patients served by other sources. Acute T. gondii infection among 3,812 pregnant women was associated with the incriminated distribution system. PMID:10603218

How do general practice registrars learn from their clinical experience? A critical incident study.

PubMed

Holmwood, C

1997-01-01

This preliminary study of RACGP registrars in the period of subsequent general practice experience examines the types of clinical experiences from which registrars learn, what they learn from the experiences and the process of learning from such experiences. A critical incident method was used on a semi structured interview process. Registrars were asked to recall clinical incidents where they had learnt something of importance. Data were sorted and categorised manually. Nine registrars were interviewed before new categories of data ceased to develop. Registrars learnt from the opportunity to follow up patients. An emotional response to the interaction was an important part of the learning process. Learning from such experiences is haphazard and unstructured. Registrars accessed human resources in response to their clinical difficulties rather than text or electronic based information sources. Registrars should be aware of their emotional responses to interactions with patients; these emotional responses often indicate important learning opportunities. Clinical interactions and resultant learning could be made less haphazard by structuring consultations with patients with specific problems. These learning opportunities should be augmented by the promotion of follow up of patients.

Updated Chemical Kinetics and Sensitivity Analysis Code

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Radhakrishnan, Krishnan

2005-01-01

An updated version of the General Chemical Kinetics and Sensitivity Analysis (LSENS) computer code has become available. A prior version of LSENS was described in "Program Helps to Determine Chemical-Reaction Mechanisms" (LEW-15758), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 19, No. 5 (May 1995), page 66. To recapitulate: LSENS solves complex, homogeneous, gas-phase, chemical-kinetics problems (e.g., combustion of fuels) that are represented by sets of many coupled, nonlinear, first-order ordinary differential equations. LSENS has been designed for flexibility, convenience, and computational efficiency. The present version of LSENS incorporates mathematical models for (1) a static system; (2) steady, one-dimensional inviscid flow; (3) reaction behind an incident shock wave, including boundary layer correction; (4) a perfectly stirred reactor; and (5) a perfectly stirred reactor followed by a plug-flow reactor. In addition, LSENS can compute equilibrium properties for the following assigned states: enthalpy and pressure, temperature and pressure, internal energy and volume, and temperature and volume. For static and one-dimensional-flow problems, including those behind an incident shock wave and following a perfectly stirred reactor calculation, LSENS can compute sensitivity coefficients of dependent variables and their derivatives, with respect to the initial values of dependent variables and/or the rate-coefficient parameters of the chemical reactions.

The legacy of the F344 rat as a cancer bioassay model (a retrospective summary of three common F344 rat neoplasms)

PubMed Central

Maronpot, Robert R.; Nyska, Abraham; Foreman, Jennifer E.; Ramot, Yuval

2016-01-01

Abstract The Fischer 344 (F344) rat was used by the National Toxicology Program (NTP) for over 5 decades for toxicity and carcinogenicity studies. However, in 2006, the NTP decided to switch to a different rat stock due largely to high background control incidences of Leydig cell tumors (LCTs) and mononuclear cell leukemia (MNCL), also known as large granular lymphocytic (LGL) leukemia. In the current review, we aim (1) to provide a summary of NTP bioassays with treatment-associated effects involving MNCL and LCTs in addition to male F344-specific tunica vaginalis mesothelioma (TVM); (2) to describe important pathobiological differences between these F344 rat tumor responses and similar target tissue-tumor response in humans; and (3) to present the NTP reasons for switching away from the F344 rat. We show that due to the highly variable background incidence of F344 MNCL, more reliance on historical control data than is usual for most tumor responses is warranted to evaluate potential effect of any chemical treatment in this rat strain. The high spontaneous incidence of LCTs in the testes of male F344 rats has made this tumor endpoint of little practical use in identifying potential testicular carcinogenic responses. TVM responses in F344 rats have a biological plausible relationship to LCTs unlike TVM in humans. Given their high spontaneous background incidence and species-specific biology, we contend that MNCL and LCT, along with TVM responses, in F344 rat carcinogenicity studies are inappropriate tumor types for human health risk assessment and lack relevance in predicting human carcinogenicity. PMID:27278595

Phase II trial of irinotecan in patients with metastatic colorectal carcinoma.

PubMed

Pitot, H C; Wender, D B; O'Connell, M J; Schroeder, G; Goldberg, R M; Rubin, J; Mailliard, J A; Knost, J A; Ghosh, C; Kirschling, R J; Levitt, R; Windschitl, H E

1997-08-01

To evaluate the objective tumor response rate and toxicities of patients with metastatic colorectal carcinoma treated with irinotecan hydrochloride (CPT-11). A total of 121 patients with advanced colorectal carcinoma--90 with prior fluorouracil (5-FU) exposure and 31 chemotherapeutically naive patients--were enrolled between May 1993 and June 1994. Patients were treated with CPT-11 at 125 mg/m2 intravenously weekly for 4 weeks followed by a 2-week rest. Among 90 patients with prior 5-FU chemotherapy, 12 partial responses were observed (response rate, 13.3%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 7.1% to 22.1%). Among 31 chemotherapy-naive patients, eight had partial responses (response rate, 25.8%; 95% CI, 11.9% to 44.6%). The median response duration as measured from time of initial treatment for the two groups was 7.7 months and 7.6 months, respectively. The major adverse reactions were gastrointestinal and hematologic. The incidence of grade 3 or 4 diarrhea was 36.4%, while the overall incidence of grade 3 or 4 leukopenia was 21.5% of patients. Only four of 121 patients (3.3%) developed neutropenic fever (grade 4 neutropenia with > or = grade 2 fever). The incidence of grade 4 leukopenia was higher in patients with prior pelvic radiotherapy (chi2 test P = .04), while the incidence of grade 3 or 4 diarrhea demonstrated no association with previous pelvic irradiation. According to the study design, CPT-11 showed promising activity in chemotherapy-naive patients with advanced colorectal carcinoma and modest activity in patients with prior 5-FU exposure. The toxicity with this schedule appears manageable with appropriate dose modification for individual patient tolerance and an intensive loperamide regimen for the management of diarrhea. Care should be taken when treating patients with prior pelvic radiotherapy because of the increased risk of neutropenia.

Meet EPA Environmental Engineer Terra Haxton, Ph.D.

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA Environmental Engineer Terra Haxton, Ph.D., uses computer simulation models to protect drinking water. She investigates approaches to help water utilities be better prepared to respond to contamination incidents in their distribution systems.

6 CFR Appendix B to Part 5 - Public Reading Rooms of the Department of Homeland Security

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

...-proliferation and verification research and development program. The life sciences activities related to... book) 11. Former components of the General Services Administration: For the Federal Computer Incident...

6 CFR Appendix B to Part 5 - Public Reading Rooms of the Department of Homeland Security

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

...-proliferation and verification research and development program. The life sciences activities related to... book) 11. Former components of the General Services Administration: For the Federal Computer Incident...

6 CFR Appendix B to Part 5 - Public Reading Rooms of the Department of Homeland Security

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

...-proliferation and verification research and development program. The life sciences activities related to... book) 11. Former components of the General Services Administration: For the Federal Computer Incident...

6 CFR Appendix B to Part 5 - Public Reading Rooms of the Department of Homeland Security

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

...-proliferation and verification research and development program. The life sciences activities related to... book) 11. Former components of the General Services Administration: For the Federal Computer Incident...

6 CFR Appendix B to Part 5 - Public Reading Rooms of the Department of Homeland Security

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

...-proliferation and verification research and development program. The life sciences activities related to... book) 11. Former components of the General Services Administration: For the Federal Computer Incident...

Computer Simulation of Breast Cancer Screening

DTIC Science & Technology

1999-07-01

techniques for evaluating the screening efficacy of mammography. Breast cancer growth rates, incidence rates, multiracial population demographics, death ... rates , breast cancer prognosis factors, breast density considerations, detection versus diameter probabilities, and other pertinent data have been

Computer simulation-based framework for transportation evacuation in major trip generator.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-01-01

Since emergencies including both natural disasters and man-made incidents, are happening more and more : frequently, evacuation, especially transportation evacuation, is becoming a hot research focus in recent years. : Currently, transportation evacu...

The accessory parotid gland and facial process of the parotid gland on computed tomography

PubMed Central

Ahn, Dongbin; Yeo, Chang Ki; Han, Soon Yong

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of an anterior extension of the parotid gland, such as an accessory parotid gland (APG) or facial process (FP) and to evaluate its characteristics on computed tomography (CT) scans. We reviewed CT scans of 1,600 parotid glands from 800 patients. An APG on CT was defined as a soft-tissue mass of the same density as the main parotid gland, located at the anterior part of the main parotid gland, and completely separate from the main parotid gland. An FP was defined as a lobe of the parotid gland protruding anteriorly over the anterior edge of the ramus of the mandible on CT and showing continuity with the main gland. The overall incidence rates and characteristics of APGs and FPs were evaluated according to age, sex, and side. The incidence rates of APGs and FPs were 10.2% (163/1,600) and 28.3% (452/1,600), respectively. The mean size of an APG was 15.8 mm × 5.0 mm and the mean distance from the main parotid gland was 10.5 mm. The FP reached anteriorly between the anterior edge of the mandibular ramus and the anterior border of the masseter muscle in 405 (89.6%) cases, while it extended over the anterior border of the masseter muscle in 47 (10.4%) cases. The incidence rates of APGs and FPs decreased and increased, respectively, with increasing age, showing significant linear correlations. However, the incidence of an anterior extension of the parotid gland (either an APG or an FP) was similar across all age groups. The present study showed that CT might be helpful in identifying anterior extensions of the parotid gland including APGs and FPs. The anatomical information gained from this study contributes to a better understanding of APGs and FPs and how their incidence changes with age. PMID:28915265

Validation of a model to investigate the effects of modifying cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors on the burden of CVD: the rotterdam ischemic heart disease and stroke computer simulation (RISC) model.

PubMed

van Kempen, Bob J H; Ferket, Bart S; Hofman, Albert; Steyerberg, Ewout W; Colkesen, Ersen B; Boekholdt, S Matthijs; Wareham, Nicholas J; Khaw, Kay-Tee; Hunink, M G Myriam

2012-12-06

We developed a Monte Carlo Markov model designed to investigate the effects of modifying cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors on the burden of CVD. Internal, predictive, and external validity of the model have not yet been established. The Rotterdam Ischemic Heart Disease and Stroke Computer Simulation (RISC) model was developed using data covering 5 years of follow-up from the Rotterdam Study. To prove 1) internal and 2) predictive validity, the incidences of coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, CVD death, and non-CVD death simulated by the model over a 13-year period were compared with those recorded for 3,478 participants in the Rotterdam Study with at least 13 years of follow-up. 3) External validity was verified using 10 years of follow-up data from the European Prospective Investigation of Cancer (EPIC)-Norfolk study of 25,492 participants, for whom CVD and non-CVD mortality was compared. At year 5, the observed incidences (with simulated incidences in brackets) of CHD, stroke, and CVD and non-CVD mortality for the 3,478 Rotterdam Study participants were 5.30% (4.68%), 3.60% (3.23%), 4.70% (4.80%), and 7.50% (7.96%), respectively. At year 13, these percentages were 10.60% (10.91%), 9.90% (9.13%), 14.20% (15.12%), and 24.30% (23.42%). After recalibrating the model for the EPIC-Norfolk population, the 10-year observed (simulated) incidences of CVD and non-CVD mortality were 3.70% (4.95%) and 6.50% (6.29%). All observed incidences fell well within the 95% credibility intervals of the simulated incidences. We have confirmed the internal, predictive, and external validity of the RISC model. These findings provide a basis for analyzing the effects of modifying cardiovascular disease risk factors on the burden of CVD with the RISC model.

The first 7 years of the metropolitan fire brigade emergency responder program – an overview of incidents attended

PubMed Central

Boyle, Malcolm J; Williams, Brett; Bibby, Colin; Morton, Allan; Huggins, Chris

2010-01-01

Purpose The Melbourne Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services Board (MFESB) was the first fire service in Australia to implement a service-wide emergency medical response (EMR) program in 2001. No additional scientific analysis of the first responder program has been reported since the pilot program. The objective of this study was to report the first 7 years of responses by firefighters as first responders. Patients and methods The MFESB have three separate datasets with cardiac arrest information: (i) callout record; (ii) patient care record; and (iii) cardiac arrest record, including data from the automatic external defibrillator. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the demographic and specific outcome data. Ethics approval was granted. Results A total of 8227 incidents were attended over the first 7 years. The most incidents attended were cardiac arrest 54% (n = 4450) followed by other medical 19% (n = 1579), and drug overdose 11% (n = 908); the remainder were <10% each. Sixty-three percent of incidents involved males. Average age was 57.2 years, median age 63 years, range from <1 month to 101 years; average response time was 6.1 minutes, median response time 5.6 minutes, range from 9 seconds to 31.5 minutes. Firefighters provided “initial care” in 57% and assisted in 26% of the incidents. Firefighters spent on average 4.8 minutes with the patient before handing over to paramedics; median 3.9 minutes, range of a few seconds to 39.2 minutes. Conclusion This study suggests that the MFESB EMR program is providing firefighter first responders to emergency situations in a short timeframe to assist the ambulance service. PMID:27147841

Novel nursing terminologies for the rapid response system.

PubMed

Wong, Elizabeth

2009-01-01

Nursing terminology with implications for the rapid response system (RRS) is introduced and proposed: critical incident nursing diagnosis (CIND), defined as the recognition of an acute life-threatening event that occurs as a result of disease, surgery, treatment, or medication; critical incident nursing intervention, defined as any indirect or direct care registered nurse-initiated treatment, based upon clinical judgment and knowledge that a registered nurse performs in response to a CIND; and critical incident control, defined as a response that attempts to reverse a life-threatening condition. The current literature, research studies, meta-analyses from a variety of disciplines, and personal clinical experience serve as the data sources for this article. The current nursing diagnoses, nursing interventions, and nursing outcomes listed in the North American Nursing Diagnosis Association International Classification, Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC), and Nursing Outcomes Classification (NOC), respectively, are inaccurate or inadequate for describing nursing care during life-threatening situations. The lack of such standardized nursing terminology creates a barrier that may impede critical communication and patient care during life-threatening situations when activating the RRS. The North American Nursing Diagnosis Association International Classification, NIC, and NOC are urged to refine their classifications and include CIND, critical incident nursing intervention, and critical incident control. The RRS should incorporate standardized nursing terminology to describe patient care during life-threatening situations. Refining the diagnoses, interventions, and outcomes classifications will permit nursing researchers, among others, to conduct studies on the efficacy of the proposed novel nursing terminology when providing care to patients during life-threatening situations. In addition, including the proposed novel nursing terminology in the RRS offers a means of improving care in such situations.

Assessment of Responsiveness to Everyday Non-Noxious Stimuli in Pain-Free Migraineurs With Versus Without Aura.

PubMed

Granovsky, Yelena; Shor, Merav; Shifrin, Alla; Sprecher, Elliot; Yarnitsky, David; Bar-Shalita, Tami

2018-03-27

Migraineurs with aura (MWA) express higher interictal response to non-noxious and noxious experimental sensory stimuli compared with migraineurs without aura (MWoA), but whether these differences also prevail in response to everyday non-noxious stimuli is not yet explored. This is a cross-sectional study testing 53 female migraineurs (30 MWA; 23 MWoA) who underwent a wide battery of noxious psychophysical testing at a pain-free phase, and completed a Sensory Responsiveness Questionnaire and pain-related psychological questionnaires. The MWA group showed higher questionnaire-based sensory over-responsiveness (P = .030), higher magnitude of pain temporal summation (P = .031) as well as higher monthly attack frequency (P = .027) compared with the MWoA group. Overall, 45% of migraineurs described abnormal sensory (hyper- or hypo-) responsiveness; its incidence was higher among MWA (19 of 30, 63%) versus MWoA (6 of 23, 27%, P = .012), with an odds ratio of 3.58 for MWA. Sensory responsiveness scores were positively correlated with attack frequency (r = .361, P = .008) and temporal summation magnitude (r = .390, P = .004), both regardless of migraine type. MWA express higher everyday sensory responsiveness than MWoA, in line with higher response to experimental noxious stimuli. Abnormal scores of sensory responsiveness characterize people with sensory modulation dysfunction, suggesting possible underlying mechanisms overlap, and possibly high incidence of both clinical entities. This article presents findings distinguishing MWA, showing enhanced pain amplification, monthly attack frequency, and over-responsiveness to everyday sensations, compared with MWoA. Further, migraine is characterized by a high incidence of abnormal responsiveness to everyday sensation, specifically sensory over-responsiveness, that was also found related to pain. Copyright © 2018 The American Pain Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Israel’s Blockade of Gaza, the Mavi Marmara Incident, and Its Aftermath

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-06-16

navy zodiac boats intercepted them and naval commandos took over five ships, reportedly without incident. However, the Marmara resisted and...CRS Report for Congress Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Israel’s Blockade of Gaza, the Mavi Marmara Incident, and Its...Documentation Page Form ApprovedOMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for the collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response

The influence of indirect collective trauma on first responders' alcohol use.

PubMed

Homish, Gregory G; Frazer, Bonita S; Carey, Mary G

2012-01-01

Previous research has suggested increased risk for negative outcomes such as increased alcohol use among first responders who are involved with the response to a community disaster; however it is not clear how indirect exposure to a critical incident impacts first responders. This work examined the impact of secondary or indirect trauma on changes in alcohol use among urban firefighters who were not directly involved in the response to a large scale community-level disaster. Firefighters enrolled in larger trial of health outcomes whose interview period coincided with the crash of a commercial airplane were the basis for the current report. Aggregate level data on changes in alcohol consumption for these firefighters were examined pre- and post-incident. There was a significant increase in alcohol use following the critical incident. This increase did not occur immediately; it was observed within several days and peaked about 8 days post-incident. Post-hoc analyses revealed that the increased alcohol consumption persisted for several months, finally returning to pre-incident levels by 8 months post-incident. Indirect trauma effects, likely operationalized in part through the "brotherhood" of the firefighters, clearly placed firefighters at risk for negative outcomes following a disaster. Intervention/prevention efforts aimed at distress reduction among first responders should not solely focus on responders with direct involvement in a disaster.

Measurements of the sensitivity of radiochromic film using ion beams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steidle, J. A.; Shortino, J. P.; Ellison, D. M.; Freeman, C. G.; Sangster, T. C.

2013-10-01

Radiochromic film (RCF) is used in several diagnostics as a dosimeter that chromatically responds to incident particles. This response depends on the fluence, energy, and species of the incident particles. A 1.7 MV tandem Pelletron accelerator is used to create a monoenergetic ion beam which is scattered off a thin gold target onto a strip of RCF. A surface barrier detector is positioned behind a small hole in the film to measure the ion fluence on the nearby film. Once the film develops, it is scanned to examine its optical density. A response curve is acquired by fitting a three parameter formula to optical density and dose. These calibration curves can be used to help determine incident doses in a variety of situations.

Corporate crisis management managing a major crisis in a chemical facility.

PubMed

Marwitz, Steve; Maxson, Neil; Koch, Bill; Aukerman, Todd; Cassidy, Jim; Belonger, David

2008-11-15

Chemical sites should have well trained and organized emergency response plans to manage an incident within the plant or during transport. The implementation of an incident command system utilizing either internal resources or external response through mutual aid agreements is generally sufficient to address the direct impact of an event on the site. When the site resources become overwhelmed in addressing resulting issues such as press releases, medical advice/support, employees and family support, Agency notifications, etc, Corporate should be ready and able to respond. This paper, taken from an in-depth CCPS workshop led by the author, describes an outline for corporate assistance in the event of a major incident at a site or during transportation.

Introduction of a prehospital critical incident monitoring system--pilot project results.

PubMed

Stella, Julian; Davis, Anna; Jennings, Paul; Bartley, Bruce

2008-01-01

Hospital medical incident monitoring improves preventable morbidity and mortality rates. Error management systems have been adopted widely in this setting. Data relating to incident monitoring in the prehospital setting is limited. Implementation of an incident monitoring process in a prehospital setting. This is a prospective, descriptive study of the pilot phase of the implementation of an incident monitoring process in a regional prehospital setting, with a focus on trauma care. Paramedics and emergency department staff submitted anonymous incident reports, and a chart review was performed on patients who met major trauma criteria. Selected trauma cases were analyzed by a structured interview/debriefing process to elucidate undocumented incidents. A project committee coded and logged all incidents and developed recommendations. Of 4,429 ambulance responses, 41 cases were analyzed. Twenty-four (58.5%; 95% CI = 49.7-67.4%) were reported anonymously, and the rest were major trauma patients. A total of 77 incidents were identified (mean per case = 1.8; CI = 1.03-2.57). Anonymous cases revealed 26 incidents (mean = 1.1; CI = 0.98-1.22); eight trauma debriefings revealed 38 incidents (mean = 4.8; CI = 0.91-8.69) and nine trauma chart reviews revealed 13 incidents (mean = 1.6; CI = 1.04-2.16). A total of 56 of 77 (72.7%; CI = 65.5-80.0%) incidents related to system inadequacies, and 15 (57.7%; CI = 46.7-68.6%) anonymously reported incidents related to resource problems. A total of 35 of 77 (45.5%; CI = 40.4-50.5%) incidents had minimal or no impact on the patients' outcomes. Thirty-four of 77 (44.2%; CI = 39.3-49.1%) incidents were considered mitigated by circumstance. Incident monitoring led to generalized feedback in most cases (65 of 77; 84.4%; CI = 77.6-91.3%); in three cases (3.9%; CI = 3.7-4.1%), specific education occurred; two cases were reported to an external body (2.6%; CI = 2.5-2.7%); three cases resulted in remedial action (3.9%; CI = 3.7-4.1%); four for trend/further observation and analysis responses (5.2%; CI = 4.9-5.5%). The pilot project demonstrates successful implementation of an incident monitoring system within a regional, prehospital environment. The combination of incident detecting techniques has a high yield with potential to capture different error types. The large proportion of incidents in the "near miss" category allows analysis of incidents without patient harm. The majority of incidents were system related and many were mitigated by circumstance. The model used is appropriate for ongoing incident monitoring in this setting.

Shock wave interaction with L-shaped structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, Richard C.

1993-12-01

This study investigated the interaction of shock waves with L-shaped structures using the CTH hydrodynamics code developed by Sandia National Laboratories. Computer models of shock waves traveling through air were developed using techniques similar to shock tube experiments. Models of L-shaped buildings were used to determine overpressures achieved by the reflecting shock versus angle of incidence of the shock front. An L-shaped building model rotated 45 degrees to the planar shock front produced the highest reflected overpressure of 9.73 atmospheres in the corner joining the two wings, a value 9.5 times the incident overpressure of 1.02 atmospheres. The same L-shaped building was modeled with the two wings separated by 4.24 meters to simulate an open courtyard. This open area provided a relief path for the incident shock wave, creating a peak overpressure of only 4.86 atmospheres on the building's wall surfaces from the same 1.02 atmosphere overpressure incident shock wave.

Aircraft ground damage and the use of predictive models to estimate costs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kromphardt, Benjamin D.

Aircraft are frequently involved in ground damage incidents, and repair costs are often accepted as part of doing business. The Flight Safety Foundation (FSF) estimates ground damage to cost operators $5-10 billion annually. Incident reports, documents from manufacturers or regulatory agencies, and other resources were examined to better understand the problem of ground damage in aviation. Major contributing factors were explained, and two versions of a computer-based model were developed to project costs and show what is possible. One objective was to determine if the models could match the FSF's estimate. Another objective was to better understand cost savings that could be realized by efforts to further mitigate the occurrence of ground incidents. Model effectiveness was limited by access to official data, and assumptions were used if data was not available. However, the models were determined to sufficiently estimate the costs of ground incidents.

Incidence and clinical characteristics of interstitial cystitis in the community.

PubMed

Patel, Ronak; Calhoun, Elizabeth A; Meenan, Richard T; O'Keeffe Rosetti, Maureen C; Kimes, Terry; Clemens, J Quentin

2008-08-01

We utilized physician-coded diagnoses and chart reviews to estimate the incidence of interstitial cystitis (IC) in women. A computer search of the Kaiser Permanente database was performed to identify newly coded diagnoses of IC (ICD-9 code 595.1) between May 2002 and May 2005. Chart reviews were performed and patient demographics, diagnosing physicians, and symptom characteristics were recorded. The IC incidence rate was 15 per 100,000 women per year. The mean age of the patients was 51 years (range 31-81 years). The most common presenting symptoms were frequency (70%), dysuria (52%), urgency (50%), suprapubic pain (50%), nocturia (35%), and dyspareunia (13%). Cases diagnosed by primary care physicians had a shorter median symptom duration (9 months) compared with those diagnosed by urologists (1 year) and gynecologists (3 years). IC is an uncommon diagnosis in the community setting, with an incidence rate of 15 per 100,000 women per year.

A Computer Program for the Calculation of Three-Dimensional Transonic Nacelle/Inlet Flowfields

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vadyak, J.; Atta, E. H.

1983-01-01

A highly efficient computer analysis was developed for predicting transonic nacelle/inlet flowfields. This algorithm can compute the three dimensional transonic flowfield about axisymmetric (or asymmetric) nacelle/inlet configurations at zero or nonzero incidence. The flowfield is determined by solving the full-potential equation in conservative form on a body-fitted curvilinear computational mesh. The difference equations are solved using the AF2 approximate factorization scheme. This report presents a discussion of the computational methods used to both generate the body-fitted curvilinear mesh and to obtain the inviscid flow solution. Computed results and correlations with existing methods and experiment are presented. Also presented are discussions on the organization of the grid generation (NGRIDA) computer program and the flow solution (NACELLE) computer program, descriptions of the respective subroutines, definitions of the required input parameters for both algorithms, a brief discussion on interpretation of the output, and sample cases to illustrate application of the analysis.

Approaches to solar cell design for pulsed laser power receivers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jain, Raj K.; Landis, Geoffrey A.

1993-01-01

Using a laser to beam power from Earth to a photovoltaic receiver in space could be a technology with applications to many space missions. Extremely high average-power lasers would be required in a wavelength range of 700-1000 nm. However, high-power lasers inherently operate in a pulsed format. Existing solar cells are not well designed to respond to pulsed incident power. To better understand cell response to pulsed illumination at high intensity, the PC-1D finite-element computer model was used to analyze the response of solar cells to continuous and pulsed laser illumination. Over 50 percent efficiency was calculated for both InP and GaAs cells under steady-state illumination near the optimum wavelength. The time-dependent response of a high-efficiency GaAs concentrator cell to a laser pulse was modeled, and the effect of laser intensity, wavelength, and bias point was studied. Three main effects decrease the efficiency of a solar cell under pulsed laser illumination: series resistance, L-C 'ringing' with the output circuit, and current limiting due to the output inductance. The problems can be solved either by changing the pulse shape or designing a solar cell to accept the pulsed input. Cell design possibilities discussed are a high-efficiency, light-trapping silicon cell, and a monolithic, low-inductance GaAs cell.

Design Rules for Tailoring Antireflection Properties of Hierarchical Optical Structures

DOE PAGES

Leon, Juan J. Diaz; Hiszpanski, Anna M.; Bond, Tiziana C.; ...

2017-05-18

Hierarchical structures consisting of small sub-wavelength features stacked atop larger structures have been demonstrated as an effective means of reducing the reflectance of surfaces. However, optical devices require different antireflective properties depending on the application, and general unifying guidelines on hierarchical structures' design to attain a desired antireflection spectral response are still lacking. The type of reflectivity (diffuse, specular, or total/hemispherical) and its angular- and spectral-dependence are all dictated by the structural parameters. Through computational and experimental studies, guidelines have been devised to modify these various aspects of reflectivity across the solar spectrum by proper selection of the features ofmore » hierarchical structures. In this wavelength regime, micrometer-scale substructures dictate the long-wavelength spectral response and effectively reduce specular reflectance, whereas nanometer-scale substructures dictate primarily the visible wavelength spectral response and reduce diffuse reflectance. Coupling structures having these two length scales into hierarchical arrays impressively reduces surfaces' hemispherical reflectance across a broad spectrum of wavelengths and angles. Furthermore, such hierarchical structures in silicon are demonstrated having an average total reflectance across the solar spectrum of 1.1% (average weighted reflectance of 1% in the 280–2500 nm range of the AM 1.5 G spectrum) and specular reflectance <1% even at angles of incidence as high as 67°.« less

Near real-time forecasting for cholera decision making in Haiti after Hurricane Matthew

PubMed Central

Camacho, Anton; Grandesso, Francesco; Cohuet, Sandra; Lemaitre, Joseph C.; Rinaldo, Andrea

2018-01-01

Computational models of cholera transmission can provide objective insights into the course of an ongoing epidemic and aid decision making on allocation of health care resources. However, models are typically designed, calibrated and interpreted post-hoc. Here, we report the efforts of a team from academia, field research and humanitarian organizations to model in near real-time the Haitian cholera outbreak after Hurricane Matthew in October 2016, to assess risk and to quantitatively estimate the efficacy of a then ongoing vaccination campaign. A rainfall-driven, spatially-explicit meta-community model of cholera transmission was coupled to a data assimilation scheme for computing short-term projections of the epidemic in near real-time. The model was used to forecast cholera incidence for the months after the passage of the hurricane (October-December 2016) and to predict the impact of a planned oral cholera vaccination campaign. Our first projection, from October 29 to December 31, predicted the highest incidence in the departments of Grande Anse and Sud, accounting for about 45% of the total cases in Haiti. The projection included a second peak in cholera incidence in early December largely driven by heavy rainfall forecasts, confirming the urgency for rapid intervention. A second projection (from November 12 to December 31) used updated rainfall forecasts to estimate that 835 cases would be averted by vaccinations in Grande Anse (90% Prediction Interval [PI] 476-1284) and 995 in Sud (90% PI 508-2043). The experience gained by this modeling effort shows that state-of-the-art computational modeling and data-assimilation methods can produce informative near real-time projections of cholera incidence. Collaboration among modelers and field epidemiologists is indispensable to gain fast access to field data and to translate model results into operational recommendations for emergency management during an outbreak. Future efforts should thus draw together multi-disciplinary teams to ensure model outputs are appropriately based, interpreted and communicated. PMID:29768401

Near real-time forecasting for cholera decision making in Haiti after Hurricane Matthew.

PubMed

Pasetto, Damiano; Finger, Flavio; Camacho, Anton; Grandesso, Francesco; Cohuet, Sandra; Lemaitre, Joseph C; Azman, Andrew S; Luquero, Francisco J; Bertuzzo, Enrico; Rinaldo, Andrea

2018-05-01

Computational models of cholera transmission can provide objective insights into the course of an ongoing epidemic and aid decision making on allocation of health care resources. However, models are typically designed, calibrated and interpreted post-hoc. Here, we report the efforts of a team from academia, field research and humanitarian organizations to model in near real-time the Haitian cholera outbreak after Hurricane Matthew in October 2016, to assess risk and to quantitatively estimate the efficacy of a then ongoing vaccination campaign. A rainfall-driven, spatially-explicit meta-community model of cholera transmission was coupled to a data assimilation scheme for computing short-term projections of the epidemic in near real-time. The model was used to forecast cholera incidence for the months after the passage of the hurricane (October-December 2016) and to predict the impact of a planned oral cholera vaccination campaign. Our first projection, from October 29 to December 31, predicted the highest incidence in the departments of Grande Anse and Sud, accounting for about 45% of the total cases in Haiti. The projection included a second peak in cholera incidence in early December largely driven by heavy rainfall forecasts, confirming the urgency for rapid intervention. A second projection (from November 12 to December 31) used updated rainfall forecasts to estimate that 835 cases would be averted by vaccinations in Grande Anse (90% Prediction Interval [PI] 476-1284) and 995 in Sud (90% PI 508-2043). The experience gained by this modeling effort shows that state-of-the-art computational modeling and data-assimilation methods can produce informative near real-time projections of cholera incidence. Collaboration among modelers and field epidemiologists is indispensable to gain fast access to field data and to translate model results into operational recommendations for emergency management during an outbreak. Future efforts should thus draw together multi-disciplinary teams to ensure model outputs are appropriately based, interpreted and communicated.

Brief Report: Impact of Early Antiretroviral Therapy on the Performance of HIV Rapid Tests and HIV Incidence Assays.

PubMed

Fogel, Jessica M; Piwowar-Manning, Estelle; Debevec, Barbara; Walsky, Tamara; Schlusser, Katherine; Laeyendecker, Oliver; Wilson, Ethan A; McCauley, Marybeth; Gamble, Theresa; Tegha, Gerald; Soko, Dean; Kumwenda, Johnstone; Hosseinipour, Mina C; Chen, Ying Q; Cohen, Myron S; Eshleman, Susan H

2017-08-01

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) can downregulate antibody responses to HIV infection. We evaluated the impact of early vs. delayed ART on the performance of HIV diagnostic and incidence assays. Samples were obtained from 207 participants in the HPTN 052 trial, who were stably suppressed on ART for ≥4 years [Malawi sites; pre-ART CD4 cell count 350-550 cells/mm (early ART arm, N = 180) or <250 cells/mm or an AIDS-defining illness (delayed ART arm, N = 27)]. Samples were tested with 2 HIV rapid tests and 2 HIV incidence assays; selected samples were also tested with two fourth-generation immunoassays and a Western blot (WB) assay. A pre-ART sample was analyzed if the follow-up sample had a false-negative or weakly-reactive rapid test result, or had an incidence assay result indicative of recent infection (false-recent result). Ten (4.8%) samples had a nonreactive or weakly-reactive rapid test result (7/180 early ART arm, 3/27 delayed ART arm, P = 0.13); one sample had nonreactive fourth-generation assay results and 3 had indeterminate WBs. Forty (18.9%) samples had a false-recent incidence assay result; 16 (7.8%) had false-recent results with both incidence assays. Baseline samples had stronger rapid test and WB bands, higher fourth-generation assay signal-to-cutoff values, and fewer HIV incidence assay results indicative of recent infection. False-negative/weakly-reactive HIV rapid tests and false-recent HIV incidence assay results were observed in virally-suppressed individuals, regardless of pre-ART CD4 cell count. Downregulation of the antibody response to HIV infection in the setting of ART may impact population-level surveys of HIV prevalence and incidence.

[APPLICATION OF COMPUTER-ASSISTED TECHNOLOGY IN ANALYSIS OF REVISION REASON OF UNICOMPARTMENTAL KNEE ARTHROPLASTY].

PubMed

Jia, Di; Li, Yanlin; Wang, Guoliang; Gao, Huanyu; Yu, Yang

2016-01-01

To conclude the revision reason of unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) using computer-assisted technology so as to provide reference for reducing the revision incidence and improving the level of surgical technique and rehabilitation. The relevant literature on analyzing revision reason of UKA using computer-assisted technology in recent years was extensively reviewed. The revision reasons by computer-assisted technology are fracture of the medial tibial plateau, progressive osteoarthritis of reserved compartment, dislocation of mobile bearing, prosthesis loosening, polyethylene wear, and unexplained persistent pain. Computer-assisted technology can be used to analyze the revision reason of UKA and guide the best operating method and rehabilitation scheme by simulating the operative process and knee joint activities.

Computational method for determining n and k for a thin film from the measured reflectance, transmittance, and film thickness.

PubMed

Bennett, J M; Booty, M J

1966-01-01

A computational method of determining n and k for an evaporated film from the measured reflectance, transmittance, and film thickness has been programmed for an IBM 7094 computer. The method consists of modifications to the NOTS multilayer film program. The basic program computes normal incidence reflectance, transmittance, phase change on reflection, and other parameters from the optical constants and thicknesses of all materials. In the modification, n and k for the film are varied in a prescribed manner, and the computer picks from among these values one n and one k which yield reflectance and transmittance values almost equalling the measured values. Results are given for films of silicon and aluminum.

33 CFR 135.305 - Notification procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

...) MARINE POLLUTION FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND COMPENSATION OFFSHORE OIL POLLUTION COMPENSATION FUND Notification of Pollution Incidents § 135.305 Notification procedures. (a) The person in charge of a vessel or... oil pollution shall, as soon as that person has knowledge of the incident, immediately notify by...

33 CFR 135.305 - Notification procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

...) MARINE POLLUTION FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND COMPENSATION OFFSHORE OIL POLLUTION COMPENSATION FUND Notification of Pollution Incidents § 135.305 Notification procedures. (a) The person in charge of a vessel or... oil pollution shall, as soon as that person has knowledge of the incident, immediately notify by...