Kingfisher: a system for remote sensing image database management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bruzzo, Michele; Giordano, Ferdinando; Dellepiane, Silvana G.

2003-04-01

At present retrieval methods in remote sensing image database are mainly based on spatial-temporal information. The increasing amount of images to be collected by the ground station of earth observing systems emphasizes the need for database management with intelligent data retrieval capabilities. The purpose of the proposed method is to realize a new content based retrieval system for remote sensing images database with an innovative search tool based on image similarity. This methodology is quite innovative for this application, at present many systems exist for photographic images, as for example QBIC and IKONA, but they are not able to extract and describe properly remote image content. The target database is set by an archive of images originated from an X-SAR sensor (spaceborne mission, 1994). The best content descriptors, mainly texture parameters, guarantees high retrieval performances and can be extracted without losses independently of image resolution. The latter property allows DBMS (Database Management System) to process low amount of information, as in the case of quick-look images, improving time performance and memory access without reducing retrieval accuracy. The matching technique has been designed to enable image management (database population and retrieval) independently of dimensions (width and height). Local and global content descriptors are compared, during retrieval phase, with the query image and results seem to be very encouraging.

Engaging women with an embodied conversational agent to deliver mindfulness and lifestyle recommendations: A feasibility randomized control trial.

PubMed

Gardiner, Paula M; McCue, Kelly D; Negash, Lily M; Cheng, Teresa; White, Laura F; Yinusa-Nyahkoon, Leanne; Jack, Brian W; Bickmore, Timothy W

2017-09-01

This randomized controlled trial evaluates the feasibility of using an Embodied Conversational Agent (ECA) to teach lifestyle modifications to urban women. Women were randomized to either 1) an ECA (content included: mindfulness, stress management, physical activity, and healthy eating) or 2) patient education sheets mirroring same content plus a meditation CD/MP3 once a day for one month. General outcome measures included: number of stress management techniques used, physical activity levels, and eating patterns. Sixty-one women ages 18 to 50 were enrolled. On average, 51% identified as white, 26% as black, 23% as other races; and 20% as Hispanic. The major stress management techniques reported at baseline were: exercise (69%), listening to music (70%), and social support (66%). After one month, women randomized to the ECA significantly decreased alcohol consumption to reduce stress (p=0.03) and increased daily fruit consumption by an average of 2 servings compared to the control (p=0.04). It is feasible to use an ECA to promote health behaviors on stress management and healthy eating among diverse urban women. Compared to patient information sheets, ECAs provide promise as a way to teach healthy lifestyle behaviors to diverse urban women. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Division File of Extension Research Materials; Additions During 1968.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Byrn, Darcie, Comp.

In this annotated bibliography of acquisitions during 1968 appear 265 Extension studies on administrative organization and management; training and staff development; mobilizing participation in Extension work; local leadership; program content and planning procedures; general effectiveness and progress in Extension; teaching methods, techniques,…

The Business Change Initiative: A Novel Approach to Improved Cost and Schedule Management

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shinn, Stephen A.; Bryson, Jonathan; Klein, Gerald; Lunz-Ruark, Val; Majerowicz, Walt; McKeever, J.; Nair, Param

2016-01-01

Goddard Space Flight Center's Flight Projects Directorate employed a Business Change Initiative (BCI) to infuse a series of activities coordinated to drive improved cost and schedule performance across Goddard's missions. This sustaining change framework provides a platform to manage and implement cost and schedule control techniques throughout the project portfolio. The BCI concluded in December 2014, deploying over 100 cost and schedule management changes including best practices, tools, methods, training, and knowledge sharing. The new business approach has driven the portfolio to improved programmatic performance. The last eight launched GSFC missions have optimized cost, schedule, and technical performance on a sustained basis to deliver on time and within budget, returning funds in many cases. While not every future mission will boast such strong performance, improved cost and schedule tools, management practices, and ongoing comprehensive evaluations of program planning and control methods to refine and implement best practices will continue to provide a framework for sustained performance. This paper will describe the tools, techniques, and processes developed during the BCI and the utilization of collaborative content management tools to disseminate project planning and control techniques to ensure continuous collaboration and optimization of cost and schedule management in the future.

An emerging network storage management standard: Media error monitoring and reporting information (MEMRI) - to determine optical tape data integrity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Podio, Fernando; Vollrath, William; Williams, Joel; Kobler, Ben; Crouse, Don

1998-01-01

Sophisticated network storage management applications are rapidly evolving to satisfy a market demand for highly reliable data storage systems with large data storage capacities and performance requirements. To preserve a high degree of data integrity, these applications must rely on intelligent data storage devices that can provide reliable indicators of data degradation. Error correction activity generally occurs within storage devices without notification to the host. Early indicators of degradation and media error monitoring 333 and reporting (MEMR) techniques implemented in data storage devices allow network storage management applications to notify system administrators of these events and to take appropriate corrective actions before catastrophic errors occur. Although MEMR techniques have been implemented in data storage devices for many years, until 1996 no MEMR standards existed. In 1996 the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) approved the only known (world-wide) industry standard specifying MEMR techniques to verify stored data on optical disks. This industry standard was developed under the auspices of the Association for Information and Image Management (AIIM). A recently formed AIIM Optical Tape Subcommittee initiated the development of another data integrity standard specifying a set of media error monitoring tools and media error monitoring information (MEMRI) to verify stored data on optical tape media. This paper discusses the need for intelligent storage devices that can provide data integrity metadata, the content of the existing data integrity standard for optical disks, and the content of the MEMRI standard being developed by the AIIM Optical Tape Subcommittee.

Agile Data Management with the Global Change Information System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duggan, B.; Aulenbach, S.; Tilmes, C.; Goldstein, J.

2013-12-01

We describe experiences applying agile software development techniques to the realm of data management during the development of the Global Change Information System (GCIS), a web service and API for authoritative global change information under development by the US Global Change Research Program. Some of the challenges during system design and implementation have been : (1) balancing the need for a rigorous mechanism for ensuring information quality with the realities of large data sets whose contents are often in flux, (2) utilizing existing data to inform decisions about the scope and nature of new data, and (3) continuously incorporating new knowledge and concepts into a relational data model. The workflow for managing the content of the system has much in common with the development of the system itself. We examine various aspects of agile software development and discuss whether or how we have been able to use them for data curation as well as software development.

Application of Bayesian Classification to Content-Based Data Management

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lynnes, Christopher; Berrick, S.; Gopalan, A.; Hua, X.; Shen, S.; Smith, P.; Yang, K-Y.; Wheeler, K.; Curry, C.

2004-01-01

The high volume of Earth Observing System data has proven to be challenging to manage for data centers and users alike. At the Goddard Earth Sciences Distributed Active Archive Center (GES DAAC), about 1 TB of new data are archived each day. Distribution to users is also about 1 TB/day. A substantial portion of this distribution is MODIS calibrated radiance data, which has a wide variety of uses. However, much of the data is not useful for a particular user's needs: for example, ocean color users typically need oceanic pixels that are free of cloud and sun-glint. The GES DAAC is using a simple Bayesian classification scheme to rapidly classify each pixel in the scene in order to support several experimental content-based data services for near-real-time MODIS calibrated radiance products (from Direct Readout stations). Content-based subsetting would allow distribution of, say, only clear pixels to the user if desired. Content-based subscriptions would distribute data to users only when they fit the user's usability criteria in their area of interest within the scene. Content-based cache management would retain more useful data on disk for easy online access. The classification may even be exploited in an automated quality assessment of the geolocation product. Though initially to be demonstrated at the GES DAAC, these techniques have applicability in other resource-limited environments, such as spaceborne data systems.

Organizational Training across Cultures: Variations in Practices and Attitudes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hassi, Abderrahman; Storti, Giovanna

2011-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide a synthesis based on a review of the existing literature with respect to the variations in training practices and attitudes across national cultures. Design/methodology/approach: A content analysis technique was adopted with a comparative cross-cultural management perspective as a backdrop to…

Objective coding of content and techniques in workplace-based supervision of an EBT in public mental health.

PubMed

Dorsey, Shannon; Kerns, Suzanne E U; Lucid, Leah; Pullmann, Michael D; Harrison, Julie P; Berliner, Lucy; Thompson, Kelly; Deblinger, Esther

2018-01-24

Workplace-based clinical supervision as an implementation strategy to support evidence-based treatment (EBT) in public mental health has received limited research attention. A commonly provided infrastructure support, it may offer a relatively cost-neutral implementation strategy for organizations. However, research has not objectively examined workplace-based supervision of EBT and specifically how it might differ from EBT supervision provided in efficacy and effectiveness trials. Data come from a descriptive study of supervision in the context of a state-funded EBT implementation effort. Verbal interactions from audio recordings of 438 supervision sessions between 28 supervisors and 70 clinicians from 17 public mental health organizations (in 23 offices) were objectively coded for presence and intensity coverage of 29 supervision strategies (16 content and 13 technique items), duration, and temporal focus. Random effects mixed models estimated proportion of variance in content and techniques attributable to the supervisor and clinician levels. Interrater reliability among coders was excellent. EBT cases averaged 12.4 min of supervision per session. Intensity of coverage for EBT content varied, with some discussed frequently at medium or high intensity (exposure) and others infrequently discussed or discussed only at low intensity (behavior management; assigning/reviewing client homework). Other than fidelity assessment, supervision techniques common in treatment trials (e.g., reviewing actual practice, behavioral rehearsal) were used rarely or primarily at low intensity. In general, EBT content clustered more at the clinician level; different techniques clustered at either the clinician or supervisor level. Workplace-based clinical supervision may be a feasible implementation strategy for supporting EBT implementation, yet it differs from supervision in treatment trials. Time allotted per case is limited, compressing time for EBT coverage. Techniques that involve observation of clinician skills are rarely used. Workplace-based supervision content appears to be tailored to individual clinicians and driven to some degree by the individual supervisor. Our findings point to areas for intervention to enhance the potential of workplace-based supervision for implementation effectiveness. NCT01800266 , Clinical Trials, Retrospectively Registered (for this descriptive study; registration prior to any intervention [part of phase II RCT, this manuscript is only phase I descriptive results]).

Health Behavior Change for Obesity Management

PubMed Central

Teixeira, Pedro J.; Marques, Marta M.

2018-01-01

Health behavior change is central in obesity management. Due to its complexity, there has been a growing body of research on: i) the factors that predict the adoption and maintenance of health behaviors, ii) the development and testing of theories that conceptualize relationships among these factors and with health behaviors, and iii) how these factors can be implemented in effective behavior change interventions, considering characteristics of the content (techniques) and delivery. This short review provides an overview of advances in behavior change science theories and methods, focusing on obesity management, and includes a discussion of the main challenges imposed by this research field. PMID:29237167

A QoS Management Technique of Urgent Information Provision in ITS Services Using DSRC for Autonomous Base Stations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shimura, Akitoshi; Aizono, Takeiki; Hiraiwa, Masashi; Sugano, Shigeki

A QoS management technique based on an autonomous decentralized mobility system, which is an autonomous decentralized system enhanced to provide mobile stations with information about urgent roadway situations, is proposed in this paper. This technique enables urgent messages to be flexibly and quickly transmitted to mobile stations by multiple decentralized base stations using dedicated short range communication. It also supports the easy addition of additional base stations. Each station autonomously creates information-delivery communities based on the urgency of the messages it receives through the roadside network and the distances between the senders and receivers. Each station dynamically determines the urgency of messages according to the message content and the speed of the mobile stations. Evaluation of this technique applied to the Smart Gateway system, which provides driving-assistance services to mobile stations through dedicated short-range communication, demonstrated its effectiveness and that it is suitable for actual systems.

Automatic video segmentation and indexing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chahir, Youssef; Chen, Liming

1999-08-01

Indexing is an important aspect of video database management. Video indexing involves the analysis of video sequences, which is a computationally intensive process. However, effective management of digital video requires robust indexing techniques. The main purpose of our proposed video segmentation is twofold. Firstly, we develop an algorithm that identifies camera shot boundary. The approach is based on the use of combination of color histograms and block-based technique. Next, each temporal segment is represented by a color reference frame which specifies the shot similarities and which is used in the constitution of scenes. Experimental results using a variety of videos selected in the corpus of the French Audiovisual National Institute are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of performing shot detection, the content characterization of shots and the scene constitution.

wayGoo: a platform for geolocating and managing indoor and outdoor spaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thomopoulos, Stelios C. A.; Karafylli, Christina; Karafylli, Maria; Motos, Dionysis; Lampropoulos, Vassilis; Dimitros, Kostantinos; Margonis, Christos

2016-05-01

wayGoo2 is a platform for Geolocating and Managing indoor and outdoor spaces and content with multidimensional indoor and outdoor Navigation and Guidance. Its main components are a Geographic Information System, a back-end server, front-end applications and a web-based Content Management System (CMS). It constitutes a fully integrated 2D/3D space and content management system that creates a repository that consists of a database, content components and administrative data. wayGoo can connect to any third party database and event management data-source. The platform is secure as the data is only available through a Restful web service using https security protocol in conjunction with an API key used for authentication. To enhance users experience, wayGoo makes the content available by extracting components out of the repository and constructing targeted applications. The wayGoo platform supports geo-referencing of indoor and outdoor information and use of metadata. It also allows the use of existing information such as maps and databases. The platform enables planning through integration of content that is connected either spatially, temporally or contextually, and provides immediate access to all spatial data through interfaces and interactive 2D and 3D representations. wayGoo constitutes a mean to document and preserve assets through computerized techniques and provides a system that enhances the protection of your space, people and guests when combined with wayGoo notification and alert system. It constitutes a strong marketing tool providing staff and visitors with an immersive tool for navigation in indoor spaces and allowing users to organize their agenda and to discover events through wayGoo event scheduler and recommendation system. Furthermore, the wayGoo platform can be used in Security applications and event management, e.g. CBRNE incidents, man-made and natural disasters, etc., to document and geolocate information and sensor data (off line and real time) on one end, and offer navigation capabilities in indoor and outdoor spaces. Furthermore, the wayGoo platform can be used for the creation of immersive environments and experiences in conjunction with VR/AR (Virtual and Augmented Reality) technologies.

Intermediate Term Forecasting Techniques for Management.

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-06-01

of Market Efficiency", Chiras and ranaster (1978) used actual option prices to calculate implied variances of future stock returns. They found a...of F*nance, v. 2 5 , p p . 6 5 -8 1 , M a r c h 1 9 1 0 .- .... . . . 23. Chiras D. P. and Nanaster, S., "The Infcrmation Content of Otion Prices and

Wilderness educators' evaluation of the Impact Monster Program

Treesearch

William W. Hendricks; Alan E. Watson

1999-01-01

Since its development by Jim Bradley in the late 1970s, the Impact Monster, a wilderness education skit designed to teach minimum impact techniques, has been used as a wilderness education tool by federal land management agencies. This paper reports on an evaluation of the perceived effectiveness of the Impact Monster program and its content. Results indicate that the...

Patient Perspectives on a Text Messaging Program to Support Asthma Management: A Qualitative Study.

PubMed

Doyle, Reina; Albright, Karen; Hurley, Laura P; Chávez, Catia; Stowell, Melanie; Dircksen, Suzanne; Havranek, Edward P; Anderson, Mark

2018-05-01

This study investigated participants' acceptance of a short messaging service (SMS) intervention designed to support asthma management, including suggestions regarding program delivery and message content. Individual and group interviews were conducted with patients from a safety-net health care system in Denver, Colorado. Eligible participants were English or Spanish speakers between the ages of 13 and 40 years, with diagnosed persistent asthma. All individual and group interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed, translated from Spanish to English (where applicable), and analyzed for thematic content by experienced analysts using established qualitative content techniques. The qualitative software package ATLAS.ti was used for data analysis and management. This study included a total of 43 participants. In general, participants were receptive toward the SMS program and supported the use of tailored and interactive messages. Adolescents supported the idea of enhancing care by sending messages to a support person, such as a parent or guardian. However, adults were less receptive toward this idea. Participants also preferred directive educational messages and cues to action, while general messages reminding them of their asthma diagnosis were viewed less favorably. The results from this study will inform a randomized control trial evaluating the efficacy of the SMS intervention.

Enabling search over encrypted multimedia databases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Wenjun; Swaminathan, Ashwin; Varna, Avinash L.; Wu, Min

2009-02-01

Performing information retrieval tasks while preserving data confidentiality is a desirable capability when a database is stored on a server maintained by a third-party service provider. This paper addresses the problem of enabling content-based retrieval over encrypted multimedia databases. Search indexes, along with multimedia documents, are first encrypted by the content owner and then stored onto the server. Through jointly applying cryptographic techniques, such as order preserving encryption and randomized hash functions, with image processing and information retrieval techniques, secure indexing schemes are designed to provide both privacy protection and rank-ordered search capability. Retrieval results on an encrypted color image database and security analysis of the secure indexing schemes under different attack models show that data confidentiality can be preserved while retaining very good retrieval performance. This work has promising applications in secure multimedia management.

A Step Beyond Simple Keyword Searches: Services Enabled by a Full Content Digital Journal Archive

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Boccippio, Dennis J.

2003-01-01

The problems of managing and searching large archives of scientific journal articles can potentially be addressed through data mining and statistical techniques matured primarily for quantitative scientific data analysis. A journal paper could be represented by a multivariate descriptor, e.g., the occurrence counts of a number key technical terms or phrases (keywords), perhaps derived from a controlled vocabulary ( e . g . , the American Meteorological Society's Glossary of Meteorology) or bootstrapped from the journal archive itself. With this technique, conventional statistical classification tools can be leveraged to address challenges faced by both scientists and professional societies in knowledge management. For example, cluster analyses can be used to find bundles of "most-related" papers, and address the issue of journal bifurcation (when is a new journal necessary, and what topics should it encompass). Similarly, neural networks can be trained to predict the optimal journal (within a society's collection) in which a newly submitted paper should be published. Comparable techniques could enable very powerful end-user tools for journal searches, all premised on the view of a paper as a data point in a multidimensional descriptor space, e.g.: "find papers most similar to the one I am reading", "build a personalized subscription service, based on the content of the papers I am interested in, rather than preselected keywords", "find suitable reviewers, based on the content of their own published works", etc. Such services may represent the next "quantum leap" beyond the rudimentary search interfaces currently provided to end-users, as well as a compelling value-added component needed to bridge the print-to-digital-medium gap, and help stabilize professional societies' revenue stream during the print-to-digital transition.

From a Content Delivery Portal to a Knowledge Management System for Standardized Cancer Documentation.

PubMed

Schlue, Danijela; Mate, Sebastian; Haier, Jörg; Kadioglu, Dennis; Prokosch, Hans-Ulrich; Breil, Bernhard

2017-01-01

Heterogeneous tumor documentation and its challenges of interpretation of medical terms lead to problems in analyses of data from clinical and epidemiological cancer registries. The objective of this project was to design, implement and improve a national content delivery portal for oncological terms. Data elements of existing handbooks and documentation sources were analyzed, combined and summarized by medical experts of different comprehensive cancer centers. Informatics experts created a generic data model based on an existing metadata repository. In order to establish a national knowledge management system for standardized cancer documentation, a prototypical tumor wiki was designed and implemented. Requirements engineering techniques were applied to optimize this platform. It is targeted to user groups such as documentation officers, physicians and patients. The linkage to other information sources like PubMed and MeSH was realized.

Brainstorming for breakthrough thinking.

PubMed

Shirey, Maria R

2011-12-01

This department highlights change management strategies that may be used in strategically planning and executing organizational change initiatives. With the goal of presenting practical approaches helpful to nurse leaders advancing organizational change, content includes evidence-based projects, tools, and resources that mobilize and sustain organizational change initiatives. In this article, the author discusses brainstorming as a viable innovation technique and goal-based change intervention.

Making an Impression: Portfolios as Instruments of Impression Management for Teachers in Early Childhood Education and Care Centres

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Knauf, Helen

2017-01-01

The study presented here examines the contribution of portfolios to the communication between parents and early childhood education and care centres. Using content analysis techniques, 2104 portfolio entries are examined with a view to establishing what impression they are intended to create. While the actual purpose of portfolios emphasizes the…

Harvesting Intelligence in Multimedia Social Tagging Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giannakidou, Eirini; Kaklidou, Foteini; Chatzilari, Elisavet; Kompatsiaris, Ioannis; Vakali, Athena

As more people adopt tagging practices, social tagging systems tend to form rich knowledge repositories that enable the extraction of patterns reflecting the way content semantics is perceived by the web users. This is of particular importance, especially in the case of multimedia content, since the availability of such content in the web is very high and its efficient retrieval using textual annotations or content-based automatically extracted metadata still remains a challenge. It is argued that complementing multimedia analysis techniques with knowledge drawn from web social annotations may facilitate multimedia content management. This chapter focuses on analyzing tagging patterns and combining them with content feature extraction methods, generating, thus, intelligence from multimedia social tagging systems. Emphasis is placed on using all available "tracks" of knowledge, that is tag co-occurrence together with semantic relations among tags and low-level features of the content. Towards this direction, a survey on the theoretical background and the adopted practices for analysis of multimedia social content are presented. A case study from Flickr illustrates the efficiency of the proposed approach.

Leadership content important in athletic training education with implications for allied health care.

PubMed

Kutz, Matthew R; Scialli, Joan

2008-01-01

A two-phase exploratory and comparative research study using a Delphi technique and a web-based national survey was done to determine leadership content (i.e., theories, styles, or practices) important to include in athletic training education. Eighteen athletic training experts participated in the Delphi technique, followed by 161 athletic trainers completing the national survey. Consensus of experts was reached after two rounds (77% interrater agreement, alpha = 0.80 and alpha = 0.93 per respective round) and identified 31 leadership content items important to include in athletic training education. The national sample then rated importance of each leadership content area for inclusion in four types of athletic training education programs (entry-level baccalaureate, entry-level master's degree, postgraduate certifications, and doctoral degree). The respondents ranked the leadership content in order of importance according to mean (mean = 1.53 +/- 0.84 to 2.55 +/- 0.55; scale, 0-3). Twenty-two content items (63%) were rated at least "very important" (mean > or = 2.0). Exploratory factor analysis established construct validity and organized leadership content by three factors: managerial leadership and knowledge management; leadership theories; and leadership issues, trends, and policies (alpha = 0.84-0.91). Repeated-measures analysis of variance (Sidak post-hoc adjustments) established criterion-related concurrent validity, which found increasing levels of importance as education type progressed (F = 4.88, p = 0.003-32.56, p = 0.000). Adding leadership content within athletic training enhances the professionalization of students, facilitates leadership competency among students and practicing professionals enrolled in postcertification educational programs, and facilitates job placement and role.

Non-invasive absolute measurement of leaf water content using terahertz quantum cascade lasers.

PubMed

Baldacci, Lorenzo; Pagano, Mario; Masini, Luca; Toncelli, Alessandra; Carelli, Giorgio; Storchi, Paolo; Tredicucci, Alessandro

2017-01-01

Plant water resource management is one of the main future challenges to fight recent climatic changes. The knowledge of the plant water content could be indispensable for water saving strategies. Terahertz spectroscopic techniques are particularly promising as a non-invasive tool for measuring leaf water content, thanks to the high predominance of the water contribution to the total leaf absorption. Terahertz quantum cascade lasers (THz QCL) are one of the most successful sources of THz radiation. Here we present a new method which improves the precision of THz techniques by combining a transmission measurement performed using a THz QCL source, with simple pictures of leaves taken by an optical camera. As a proof of principle, we performed transmission measurements on six plants of Vitis vinifera L. (cv "Colorino"). We found a linear law which relates the leaf water mass to the product between the leaf optical depth in the THz and the projected area. Results are in optimal agreement with the proposed law, which reproduces the experimental data with 95% accuracy. This method may overcome the issues related to intra-variety heterogeneities and retrieve the leaf water mass in a fast, simple, and non-invasive way. In the future this technique could highlight different behaviours in preserving the water status during drought stress.

Introducing Risk Management Techniques Within Project Based Software Engineering Courses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Port, Daniel; Boehm, Barry

2002-03-01

In 1996, USC switched its core two-semester software engineering course from a hypothetical-project, homework-and-exam course based on the Bloom taxonomy of educational objectives (knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation). The revised course is a real-client team-project course based on the CRESST model of learning objectives (content understanding, problem solving, collaboration, communication, and self-regulation). We used the CRESST cognitive demands analysis to determine the necessary student skills required for software risk management and the other major project activities, and have been refining the approach over the last 5 years of experience, including revised versions for one-semester undergraduate and graduate project course at Columbia. This paper summarizes our experiences in evolving the risk management aspects of the project course. These have helped us mature more general techniques such as risk-driven specifications, domain-specific simplifier and complicator lists, and the schedule as an independent variable (SAIV) process model. The largely positive results in terms of review of pass / fail rates, client evaluations, product adoption rates, and hiring manager feedback are summarized as well.

NASA Software Documentation Standard

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

The NASA Software Documentation Standard (hereinafter referred to as "Standard") is designed to support the documentation of all software developed for NASA; its goal is to provide a framework and model for recording the essential information needed throughout the development life cycle and maintenance of a software system. The NASA Software Documentation Standard can be applied to the documentation of all NASA software. The Standard is limited to documentation format and content requirements. It does not mandate specific management, engineering, or assurance standards or techniques. This Standard defines the format and content of documentation for software acquisition, development, and sustaining engineering. Format requirements address where information shall be recorded and content requirements address what information shall be recorded. This Standard provides a framework to allow consistency of documentation across NASA and visibility into the completeness of project documentation. The basic framework consists of four major sections (or volumes). The Management Plan contains all planning and business aspects of a software project, including engineering and assurance planning. The Product Specification contains all technical engineering information, including software requirements and design. The Assurance and Test Procedures contains all technical assurance information, including Test, Quality Assurance (QA), and Verification and Validation (V&V). The Management, Engineering, and Assurance Reports is the library and/or listing of all project reports.

Magnetic resonance imaging of water content across the Nafion membrane in an operational PEM fuel cell.

PubMed

Zhang, Ziheng; Martin, Jonathan; Wu, Jinfeng; Wang, Haijiang; Promislow, Keith; Balcom, Bruce J

2008-08-01

Water management is critical to optimize the operation of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells. At present, numerical models are employed to guide water management in such fuel cells. Accurate measurements of water content variation in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells are required to validate these models and to optimize fuel cell behavior. We report a direct water content measurement across the Nafion membrane in an operational polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell, employing double half k-space spin echo single point imaging techniques. The MRI measurements with T2 mapping were undertaken with a parallel plate resonator to avoid the effects of RF screening. The parallel plate resonator employs the electrodes inherent to the fuel cell to create a resonant circuit at RF frequencies for MR excitation and detection, while still operating as a conventional fuel cell at DC. Three stages of fuel cell operation were investigated: activation, operation and dehydration. Each profile was acquired in 6 min, with 6 microm nominal resolution and a SNR of better than 15.

Crew interface specification development study for in-flight maintenance and stowage functions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carl, J. G.

1971-01-01

The need and potential solutions for an orderly systems engineering approach to the definition, management and documentation requirements for in-flight maintenance, assembly, servicing, and stowage process activities of the flight crews of future spacecraft were investigated. These processes were analyzed and described using a new technique (mass/function flow diagramming), developed during the study, to give visibility to crew functions and supporting requirements, including data products. This technique is usable by NASA for specification baselines and can assist the designer in identifying both upper and lower level requirements associated with these processes. These diagrams provide increased visibility into the relationships between functions and related equipments being utilized and managed and can serve as a common communicating vehicle between the designer, program management, and the operational planner. The information and data product requirements to support the above processes were identified along with optimum formats and contents of these products. The resulting data product concepts are presented to support these in-flight maintenance and stowage processes.

Research in Network Management Techniques for Tactical Data Communications Networks.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-09-01

COMPUTER COMMUNICATIONS US A.RMY (CECOM) V September 1980 to August 1982 Principal Investigatoi Robert Boorstyn Aaron Kershenbaum DTIC Basil Niaglaris Philip...COMMUNICATIONS US ARMY (CECOM) September 1980 to August 1982 Principal Investigators: Robert Boorstyn Aaron Kershenbaum Basil Maglaris Philip Sarachik...TABLE OF CONTENTS Summary of Report Personnel Activities Research Reports / , A. Packet Radio Networks A.1 Throughput Analysis of Multihop Packet

Idaho Home Economics. Nutrition and Foods, Apparel and Housing, Parenting and Child Development. Curriculum Guides, Semester Length Courses, Grades 10-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gebo, Emma M., Ed.; And Others

This curriculum contains three one-semester courses for use in home economics classes in Idaho. The nutrition and foods course is designed to address nutrition and personal life-style. Content emphasis is on food preparation techniques, meal management skills, consumer skills, the impact of nutrition on our lives, and career options in nutrition…

A Qualitative Study on Organizational Factors Affecting Occupational Accidents

PubMed Central

ESKANDARI, Davood; JAFARI, Mohammad Javad; MEHRABI, Yadollah; KIAN, Mostafa Pouya; CHARKHAND, Hossein; MIRGHOTBI, Mostafa

2017-01-01

Background: Technical, human, operational and organizational factors have been influencing the sequence of occupational accidents. Among them, organizational factors play a major role in causing occupational accidents. The aim of this research was to understand the Iranian safety experts’ experiences and perception of organizational factors. Methods: This qualitative study was conducted in 2015 by using the content analysis technique. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 17 safety experts working in Iranian universities and industries and analyzed with a conventional qualitative content analysis method using the MAXQDA software. Results: Eleven organizational factors’ sub-themes were identified: management commitment, management participation, employee involvement, communication, blame culture, education and training, job satisfaction, interpersonal relationship, supervision, continuous improvement, and reward system. The participants considered these factors as effective on occupational accidents. Conclusion: The mentioned 11 organizational factors are probably involved in occupational accidents in Iran. Naturally, improving organizational factors can increase the safety performance and reduce occupational accidents. PMID:28435824

A Qualitative Study on Organizational Factors Affecting Occupational Accidents.

PubMed

Eskandari, Davood; Jafari, Mohammad Javad; Mehrabi, Yadollah; Kian, Mostafa Pouya; Charkhand, Hossein; Mirghotbi, Mostafa

2017-03-01

Technical, human, operational and organizational factors have been influencing the sequence of occupational accidents. Among them, organizational factors play a major role in causing occupational accidents. The aim of this research was to understand the Iranian safety experts' experiences and perception of organizational factors. This qualitative study was conducted in 2015 by using the content analysis technique. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 17 safety experts working in Iranian universities and industries and analyzed with a conventional qualitative content analysis method using the MAXQDA software. Eleven organizational factors' sub-themes were identified: management commitment, management participation, employee involvement, communication, blame culture, education and training, job satisfaction, interpersonal relationship, supervision, continuous improvement, and reward system. The participants considered these factors as effective on occupational accidents. The mentioned 11 organizational factors are probably involved in occupational accidents in Iran. Naturally, improving organizational factors can increase the safety performance and reduce occupational accidents.

The Opinions about Relationship between Students and Teachers in the Class of Hands-on

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pigultong, M.

2018-02-01

This research has the purpose to study on 1) Relationship between Students and Teachers in the Class of Hands - on and 2) Class Management at Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi. The research consists of collecting information from 400 students who have valid student status in 2016 at Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi. This research uses content analysis technique, Average (-X) and Standard Deviation to interpret the information. The results of the research focus on 2 topics 1) The Human relationship between Students and Teachers. The samples group had high expectations of human relationship (x=3.87). 2) Class Management. The samples group had high expectations of Class Management (x=3.88).

Investigating Temporal and Spatial Variations in Near Surface Water Content using GPR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hubbard, S. S.; Grote, K.; Kowalsky, M. B.; Rubin, Y.

2001-12-01

Using only conventional point or well logging measurements, it is difficult to obtain information about water content with sufficient spatial resolution and coverage to be useful for near surface applications such as for input to vadose zone predictive models or for assisting with precision crop management. Prompted by successful results of a controlled ground penetrating radar (GPR) pilot study, we are investigating the applicability of GPR methods to estimate near surface water content at a study site within the Robert Mondavi vineyards in Napa County, California. Detailed information about soil variability and water content within vineyards could assist in estimation of plantable acreage, in the design of vineyard layout and in the design of an efficient irrigation/agrochemical application procedure. Our research at the winery study site involves investigation of optimal GPR acquisition and processing techniques, modeling of GPR attributes, and inversion of the attributes for water content information over space and time. A secondary goal of our project is to compare water content information obtained from the GPR data with information available from other types of measurements that are being used to assist in precision crop management. This talk will focus on point and spatial correlation estimation of water content obtained using GPR groundwave information only, and comparison of those estimates with information obtained from analysis of soils, TDR, neutron probe and remote sensing data sets. This comparison will enable us to 1) understand the potential of GPR for providing water content information in the very shallow subsurface, and to 2) investigate the interrelationships between the different types of measurements (and associated measurement scales) that are being utilized to characterize the shallow subsurface water content over space and time.

[Giant hernias with loss of domain: what is the best way to prepare patients?].

PubMed

Balaphas, Alexandre; Morel, Philippe; Breguet, Romain; Assalino, Michela

2016-06-15

Giant hernias with loss of domain induce physiological modifications that impair quality of life and make more complex their surgical management. A good preparation of patients before surgery is the key to an eventless postoperative course. The progressive pre-operative pneumoperitoneum (PPP) is one of the described abdominal augmentation protocols which can help patients to tolerate hernia content reintegration and avoid components separation technique during hernia repair. This article describes the management of these complex patients. We also report the case of a patient who follows successfully a PPP protocol.

Post-remediation use of macrophytes as composting materials for sustainable management of a sanitary landfill.

PubMed

Song, Uhram

2017-04-03

To increase the remediation ability and life expectancy of a leachate channel in a sanitary landfill, the plants used for remediation were composted as a post-remediation management technique. Phragmites australis or Typha angustifolia used for phytoremediation in a landfill leachate channel was harvested and used as a co-composting material with sewage sludge. The macrophyte compost was applied to the slope of a landfill on which plants were introduced for revegetation and to plants grown in pots to test for acute effects of the compost. The compost of the macrophytes successfully increased soil moisture and nutrient contents both on the landfill slope and in the soil of the pot experiment. Additionally, the rates of photosynthesis and the nutrient contents increased for plants grown in macrophyte compost. Thus, the revegetation or restoration management of the landfill would improve with the macrophyte compost used as a soil conditioner. The harvest of the macrophytes has the additional benefit of improving the remediation function of the leachate channel. Therefore, to sustainably manage both the leachate channel and the landfill, the composting of post-remediation macrophytes is an environmentally friendly and economically affordable method.

Content and quality of websites supporting self-management of chronic breathlessness in advanced illness: a systematic review

PubMed Central

Luckett, Tim; Disler, Rebecca; Hosie, Annmarie; Johnson, Miriam; Davidson, Patricia; Currow, David; Sumah, Anthony; Phillips, Jane

2016-01-01

Chronic breathlessness is a common, burdensome and distressing symptom in many advanced chronic illnesses. Self-management strategies are essential to optimise treatment, daily functioning and emotional coping. People with chronic illness commonly search the internet for advice on self-management. A review was undertaken in June 2015 to describe the content and quality of online advice on breathlessness self-management, to highlight under-served areas and to identify any unsafe content. Google was searched from Sydney, Australia, using the five most common search terms for breathlessness identified by Google Trends. We also hand-searched the websites of national associations. Websites were included if they were freely available in English and provided practical advice on self-management. Website quality was assessed using the American Medical Association Benchmarks. Readability was assessed using the Flesch–Kincaid grades, with grade 8 considered the maximum acceptable for enabling access. Ninety-one web pages from 44 websites met the inclusion criteria, including 14 national association websites not returned by Google searches. Most websites were generated in the USA (n=28, 64%) and focused on breathing techniques (n=38, 86%) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (n=27, 61%). No websites were found to offer unsafe advice. Adherence to quality benchmarks ranged from 9% for disclosure to 77% for currency. Fifteen (54%) of 28 written websites required grade ⩾9 reading level. Future development should focus on advice and tools to support goal setting, problem solving and monitoring of breathlessness. National associations are encouraged to improve website visibility and comply with standards for quality and readability. PMID:27225898

Design of workshops in air quality management for senior managers in Mexico (Taller de la calidad del aire para mandos superiores)

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

Auberle, W.M.; Alvarez, V.M.; Leary, J.

1999-07-01

A collaborative program among agencies and professionals in Mexico and the US is designing, developing and delivering specialized workshops for Mexican officials responsible for air quality management. The initial project is development and pilot delivery (Spring 1999) of a workshop for senior officials of SEMARNAP plus selected state and municipal officials. This paper describes the process for design of professional development programs in air quality management for Mexican officials. Key issues include optimum learning styles and delivery techniques; available time of senior managers for education; need for new materials versus adaptation of existing air quality management information; and utilization ofmore » the Internet and asynchronous methods to supplement the traditional workshop format. The paper describes the results of this analysis and design features and content of the initial workshop.« less

Calibration of soil moisture flow simulation models aided by the active heated fiber optic distributed temperature sensing AHFO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodriguez-Sinobas, Leonor; Zubelzu, Sergio; Sobrino, Fernando Fernando; Sánchez, Raúl

2017-04-01

Most of the studies dealing with the development of water flow simulation models in soils, are calibrated using experimental data measured by soil probe sensors or tensiometers which locate at specific points in the study area. However since the beginning of the XXI century, the use of Distributed Fiber Optic Temperature Measurement for estimating temperature variation along a cable of fiber optic has been assessed in multiple environmental applications. Recently, its application combined with an active heating pulses technique (AHFO) has been reported as a sensor to estimate soil moisture. This method applies a known amount of heat to the soil and monitors the temperature evolution, which mainly depends on the soil moisture content. Thus, it allows estimations of soil water content every 12.5 cm along the fiber optic cable, as long as 1500 m , with 2 % accuracy , every second. This study presents the calibration of a soil water flow model (developed in Hydrus 2D) with the AHFO technique. The model predicts the distribution of soil water content of a green area irrigated by sprinkler irrigation. Several irrigation events have been evaluated in a green area located at the ETSI Agronómica, Agroalimentaria y Biosistemas in Madrid where an installation of 147 m of fiber optic cable at 15 cm depth is deployed. The Distribute Temperature Sensing unit was a SILIXA ULTIMA SR (Silixa Ltd, UK) and has spatial and temporal resolution of 0.29 m. Data logged in the DTS unit before, during and after the irrigation event were used to calibrate the estimations in the Hydrus 2D model during the infiltration and redistribution of soil water content within the irrigation interval. References: Karandish, F., & Šimůnek, J. (2016). A field-modeling study for assessing temporal variations of soil-water-crop interactions under water-saving irrigation strategies. Agricultural Water Management, 178, 291-303. Li, Y., Šimůnek, J., Jing, L., Zhang, Z., & Ni, L. (2014). Evaluation of water movement and water losses in a direct-seeded-rice field experiment using Hydrus-1D. Agricultural Water Management, 142, 38-46. Tan, X., Shao, D., & Liu, H. (2014). Simulating soil water regime in lowland paddy fields under different water managements using HYDRUS-1D. Agricultural Water Management, 132, 69-78.

Using a behaviour change techniques taxonomy to identify active ingredients within trials of implementation interventions for diabetes care.

PubMed

Presseau, Justin; Ivers, Noah M; Newham, James J; Knittle, Keegan; Danko, Kristin J; Grimshaw, Jeremy M

2015-04-23

Methodological guidelines for intervention reporting emphasise describing intervention content in detail. Despite this, systematic reviews of quality improvement (QI) implementation interventions continue to be limited by a lack of clarity and detail regarding the intervention content being evaluated. We aimed to apply the recently developed Behaviour Change Techniques Taxonomy version 1 (BCTTv1) to trials of implementation interventions for managing diabetes to assess the capacity and utility of this taxonomy for characterising active ingredients. Three psychologists independently coded a random sample of 23 trials of healthcare system, provider- and/or patient-focused implementation interventions from a systematic review that included 142 such studies. Intervention content was coded using the BCTTv1, which describes 93 behaviour change techniques (BCTs) grouped within 16 categories. We supplemented the generic coding instructions within the BCTTv1 with decision rules and examples from this literature. Less than a quarter of possible BCTs within the BCTTv1 were identified. For implementation interventions targeting providers, the most commonly identified BCTs included the following: adding objects to the environment, prompts/cues, instruction on how to perform the behaviour, credible source, goal setting (outcome), feedback on outcome of behaviour, and social support (practical). For implementation interventions also targeting patients, the most commonly identified BCTs included the following: prompts/cues, instruction on how to perform the behaviour, information about health consequences, restructuring the social environment, adding objects to the environment, social support (practical), and goal setting (behaviour). The BCTTv1 mapped well onto implementation interventions directly targeting clinicians and patients and could also be used to examine the impact of system-level interventions on clinician and patient behaviour. The BCTTv1 can be used to characterise the active ingredients in trials of implementation interventions and provides specificity of content beyond what is given by broader intervention labels. Identification of BCTs may provide a more helpful means of accumulating knowledge on the content used in trials of implementation interventions, which may help to better inform replication efforts. In addition, prospective use of a behaviour change techniques taxonomy for developing and reporting intervention content would further aid in building a cumulative science of effective implementation interventions.

The Development of Cottonwood Plantations on Alluvial Soils: Dimensions, Volume, Phytomass, Nutrient Content and Other Characteristics

Treesearch

M. G. Shelton; G. L. Switzer; L. E. Nelson; J. B. Baker; C. W. Mueller

1982-01-01

Phytomass and nutrient accumulation are reported for eight intensively managed cottonwood plantations, ranging in age from four to 16 years on good sites. The results were developed from 24 sample trees and stand populations using the mean tree technique. The early growth of cottonwood plantations was rapid, and diameter and height growth averaged 3.6 cm and 2.6 m,...

Efficacy of physical activity interventions in post-natal populations: systematic review, meta-analysis and content coding of behaviour change techniques.

PubMed

Gilinsky, Alyssa Sara; Dale, Hannah; Robinson, Clare; Hughes, Adrienne R; McInnes, Rhona; Lavallee, David

2015-01-01

This systematic review and meta-analysis reports the efficacy of post-natal physical activity change interventions with content coding of behaviour change techniques (BCTs). Electronic databases (MEDLINE, CINAHL and PsychINFO) were searched for interventions published from January 1980 to July 2013. Inclusion criteria were: (i) interventions including ≥1 BCT designed to change physical activity behaviour, (ii) studies reporting ≥1 physical activity outcome, (iii) interventions commencing later than four weeks after childbirth and (iv) studies including participants who had given birth within the last year. Controlled trials were included in the meta-analysis. Interventions were coded using the 40-item Coventry, Aberdeen & London - Refined (CALO-RE) taxonomy of BCTs and study quality assessment was conducted using Cochrane criteria. Twenty studies were included in the review (meta-analysis: n = 14). Seven were interventions conducted with healthy inactive post-natal women. Nine were post-natal weight management studies. Two studies included women with post-natal depression. Two studies focused on improving general well-being. Studies in healthy populations but not for weight management successfully changed physical activity. Interventions increased frequency but not volume of physical activity or walking behaviour. Efficacious interventions always included the BCTs 'goal setting (behaviour)' and 'prompt self-monitoring of behaviour'.

Soil Organic Carbon assessment on two different forest management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fernández Minguillón, Alex; Sauras Yera, Teresa; Vallejo Calzada, Ramón

2017-04-01

Soil Organic Carbon assessment on two different forest management. A.F. Minguillón1, T. Sauras1, V.R: Vallejo1. 1 Departamento de Biología Evolutiva, Ecología y Ciencias Ambientales, Universidad de Barcelona, Avenida Diagonal 643, 03080 Barcelona, Spain. Soils from arid and semiarid zones are characterized by a low organic matter content from scarce plant biomass and it has been proposed that these soils have a big capacity to carbon sequestration. According to IPCC ARS WG2 (2014) report and WG3 draft, increase carbon storage in terrestrial ecosystems has been identified such a potential tool for mitigation and adaptation to climate change. In ecological restoration context improve carbon sequestration is considered a management option with multiple benefits (win-win-win). Our work aims to analyze how the recently developed restoration techniques contributed to increases in terrestial ecosystem carbon storage. Two restoration techniques carried out in the last years have been evaluated. The study was carried out in 6 localities in Valencian Community (E Spain) and organic horizons of two different restoration techniques were evaluated; slash brush and thinning Aleppo pine stands. For each technique, carbon stock and its physical and chemical stability has been analysed. Preliminary results point out restoration zones acts as carbon sink due to (1) the relevant necromass input produced by slash brush increases C stock on the topsoil ;(2) Thinning increase carbon accumulation in vegetation.

Adaptable data management for systems biology investigations.

PubMed

Boyle, John; Rovira, Hector; Cavnor, Chris; Burdick, David; Killcoyne, Sarah; Shmulevich, Ilya

2009-03-06

Within research each experiment is different, the focus changes and the data is generated from a continually evolving barrage of technologies. There is a continual introduction of new techniques whose usage ranges from in-house protocols through to high-throughput instrumentation. To support these requirements data management systems are needed that can be rapidly built and readily adapted for new usage. The adaptable data management system discussed is designed to support the seamless mining and analysis of biological experiment data that is commonly used in systems biology (e.g. ChIP-chip, gene expression, proteomics, imaging, flow cytometry). We use different content graphs to represent different views upon the data. These views are designed for different roles: equipment specific views are used to gather instrumentation information; data processing oriented views are provided to enable the rapid development of analysis applications; and research project specific views are used to organize information for individual research experiments. This management system allows for both the rapid introduction of new types of information and the evolution of the knowledge it represents. Data management is an important aspect of any research enterprise. It is the foundation on which most applications are built, and must be easily extended to serve new functionality for new scientific areas. We have found that adopting a three-tier architecture for data management, built around distributed standardized content repositories, allows us to rapidly develop new applications to support a diverse user community.

Identifying content-based and relational techniques to change behaviour in motivational interviewing.

PubMed

Hardcastle, Sarah J; Fortier, Michelle; Blake, Nicola; Hagger, Martin S

2017-03-01

Motivational interviewing (MI) is a complex intervention comprising multiple techniques aimed at changing health-related motivation and behaviour. However, MI techniques have not been systematically isolated and classified. This study aimed to identify the techniques unique to MI, classify them as content-related or relational, and evaluate the extent to which they overlap with techniques from the behaviour change technique taxonomy version 1 [BCTTv1; Michie, S., Richardson, M., Johnston, M., Abraham, C., Francis, J., Hardeman, W., … Wood, C. E. (2013). The behavior change technique taxonomy (v1) of 93 hierarchically clustered techniques: Building an international consensus for the reporting of behavior change interventions. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 46, 81-95]. Behaviour change experts (n = 3) content-analysed MI techniques based on Miller and Rollnick's [(2013). Motivational interviewing: Preparing people for change (3rd ed.). New York: Guildford Press] conceptualisation. Each technique was then coded for independence and uniqueness by independent experts (n = 10). The experts also compared each MI technique to those from the BCTTv1. Experts identified 38 distinct MI techniques with high agreement on clarity, uniqueness, preciseness, and distinctiveness ratings. Of the identified techniques, 16 were classified as relational techniques. The remaining 22 techniques were classified as content based. Sixteen of the MI techniques were identified as having substantial overlap with techniques from the BCTTv1. The isolation and classification of MI techniques will provide researchers with the necessary tools to clearly specify MI interventions and test the main and interactive effects of the techniques on health behaviour. The distinction between relational and content-based techniques within MI is also an important advance, recognising that changes in motivation and behaviour in MI is a function of both intervention content and the interpersonal style in which the content is delivered.

Identifying management competencies for health care executives: review of a series of Delphi studies.

PubMed

Hudak, R P; Brooke, P P; Finstuen, K

2000-01-01

This analysis reviews a selected body of research that identifies the essential areas of management expertise required of future health care executives. To ensure consistency, six studies are analyzed, utilizing the Delphi technique, to query a broad spectrum of experts in different fields and sites of health care management. The analysis identifies a number of management competencies, i.e., managerial capabilities, which current and aspiring health care executives, in various settings and with differing educational backgrounds, should possess to enhance the probability of their success in current and future positions of responsibility. In addition, this review identifies the skills (technical expertise), knowledge (facts and principles) and abilities (physical, mental or legal power) required to support achievement of these competencies. Leadership and resource management, including cost and finance dimensions, are the highest-rated requisite management competencies. The dominant skills, knowledge and abilities (SKAs) are related to interpersonal skills. The lowest-rated SKAs are related to job-specific, technical skills. Recommendations include the review of this research by formal and continuing education programs to determine the content of their courses and areas for future research. Similarly, current health care executives should assess this research to assist in identifying competency gaps. Lastly, this analysis recommends that the Delphi technique, as a valid and replicable methodology, be applied toward the study of non-executive health care managers, e.g., students, clinicians, mid-level managers and integrated systems administrators, to determine their requisite management competencies and SKAs.

Stress management in dental students: a systematic review

PubMed Central

Alzahem, Abdullah M; Van der Molen, Henk T; Alaujan, Arwa H; De Boer, Benjamin J

2014-01-01

This study compared the effectiveness of stress management programs in dental education by systematic review of the literature. The number of studies concerning stress management programs for dental students is limited compared with studies discussing sources of stress. Several types of programs for stress management have been reported, and differ in their duration, content, and outcomes. Two main strategies have been used to help stressed students, ie, decreasing the number of stressors and increasing the ability to cope with stress. The first strategy includes several components, such as reducing fear of failure and workload pressure due to examinations and requirements. The second strategy includes coping techniques, such as deep breathing exercises. Although positive effects have been reported for most of the programs, these have mainly been evaluated using subjective self-report measures. There is a need for more research to identify the most effective stress management program. PMID:24904226

Determination of the asphaltene and carboxylic acid content of a heavy oil using a microfluidic device.

PubMed

Bowden, Stephen A; Wilson, Rab; Parnell, John; Cooper, Jonathan M

2009-03-21

Heavy oil utilisation is set to increase over the coming decades as reserves of conventional oil decline. Heavy oil differs from conventional oil in containing relatively large quantities of asphaltene and carboxylic acids. The proportions of these compounds greatly influence how oil behaves during production and its utilisation as a fuel or feedstock. We report the development of a microfluidic technique, based on a H-cell, that can extract the carboxylic acid components of an oil and assess its asphaltene content. Ultimately this technology could yield a field-deployable device capable of performing measurements that facilitate improved resource management at the point of resource-extraction.

The management approach to the NASA space station definition studies at the Manned Spacecraft Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heberlig, J. C.

1972-01-01

The overall management approach to the NASA Phase B definition studies for space stations, which were initiated in September 1969 and completed in July 1972, is reviewed with particular emphasis placed on the management approach used by the Manned Spacecraft Center. The internal working organizations of the Manned Spacecraft Center and its prime contractor, North American Rockwell, are delineated along with the interfacing techniques used for the joint Government and industry study. Working interfaces with other NASA centers, industry, and Government agencies are briefly highlighted. The controlling documentation for the study (such as guidelines and constraints, bibliography, and key personnel) is reviewed. The historical background and content of the experiment program prepared for use in this Phase B study are outlined and management concepts that may be considered for future programs are proposed.

Content and Workflow Management for Library Websites: Case Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yu, Holly, Ed.

2005-01-01

Using database-driven web pages or web content management (WCM) systems to manage increasingly diverse web content and to streamline workflows is a commonly practiced solution recognized in libraries today. However, limited library web content management models and funding constraints prevent many libraries from purchasing commercially available…

High fidelity, low cost moulage as a valid simulation tool to improve burns education.

PubMed

Pywell, M J; Evgeniou, E; Highway, K; Pitt, E; Estela, C M

2016-06-01

Simulation allows the opportunity for repeated practice in controlled, safe conditions. Moulage uses materials such as makeup to simulate clinical presentations. Moulage fidelity can be assessed by face validity (realism) and content validity (appropriateness). The aim of this project is to compare the fidelity of professional moulage to non-professional moulage in the context of a burns management course. Four actors were randomly assigned to a professional make-up artist or a course faculty member for moulage preparation such that two actors were in each group. Participants completed the actor-based burn management scenarios and answered a ten-question Likert-scale questionnaire on face and content validity. Mean scores and a linear mixed effects model were used to compare professional and non-professional moulage. Cronbach's alpha assessed internal consistency. Twenty participants experienced three out of four scenarios and at the end of the course completed a total of 60 questionnaires. Professional moulage had higher average ratings for face (4.30 v 3.80; p=0.11) and content (4.30 v 4.00; p=0.06) validity. Internal consistency of face (α=0.91) and content (α=0.85) validity questions was very good. The fidelity of professionally prepared moulage, as assessed by content validity, was higher than non-professionally prepared moulage. We have shown that using professional techniques and low cost materials we can prepare quality high fidelity moulage simulations. Crown Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

49 CFR 633.25 - Contents of a project management plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 7 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Contents of a project management plan. 633.25... ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION PROJECT MANAGEMENT OVERSIGHT Project Management Plans § 633.25 Contents of a project management plan. At a minimum, a recipient's project management plan shall include...

49 CFR 633.25 - Contents of a project management plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 49 Transportation 7 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Contents of a project management plan. 633.25... ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION PROJECT MANAGEMENT OVERSIGHT Project Management Plans § 633.25 Contents of a project management plan. At a minimum, a recipient's project management plan shall include...

49 CFR 633.25 - Contents of a project management plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 49 Transportation 7 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Contents of a project management plan. 633.25... ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION PROJECT MANAGEMENT OVERSIGHT Project Management Plans § 633.25 Contents of a project management plan. At a minimum, a recipient's project management plan shall include...

49 CFR 633.25 - Contents of a project management plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 49 Transportation 7 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Contents of a project management plan. 633.25... ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION PROJECT MANAGEMENT OVERSIGHT Project Management Plans § 633.25 Contents of a project management plan. At a minimum, a recipient's project management plan shall include...

The development and codesign of the PATHway intervention: a theory-driven eHealth platform for the self-management of cardiovascular disease.

PubMed

Walsh, Deirdre M J; Moran, Kieran; Cornelissen, Veronique; Buys, Roselien; Claes, Jomme; Zampognaro, Paolo; Melillo, Fabio; Maglaveras, Nicos; Chouvarda, Ioanna; Triantafyllidis, Andreas; Filos, Dimitris; Woods, Catherine B

2018-03-15

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are a leading cause of premature death worldwide. International guidelines recommend routine delivery of all phases of cardiac rehabilitation (CR). Uptake of traditional CR remains suboptimal, as attendance at formal hospital-based CR programs is low, with community-based CR rates and individual long-term exercise maintenance even lower. Home-based CR programs have been shown to be equally effective in clinical and health-related quality of life outcomes and yet are not readily available. The aim of the current study was to develop the PATHway intervention (physical activity toward health) for the self-management of CVD. Increasing physical activity in individuals with CVD was the primary behavior. The PATHway intervention was theoretically informed by the behavior change wheel and social cognitive theory. All relevant intervention functions, behavior change techniques, and policy categories were identified and translated into intervention content. Furthermore, a person-centered approach was adopted involving an iterative codesign process and extensive user testing. Education, enablement, modeling, persuasion, training, and social restructuring were selected as appropriate intervention functions. Twenty-two behavior change techniques, linked to the six intervention functions and three policy categories, were identified for inclusion and translated into PATHway intervention content. This paper details the use of the behavior change wheel and social cognitive theory to develop an eHealth intervention for the self-management of CVD. The systematic and transparent development of the PATHway intervention will facilitate the evaluation of intervention effectiveness and future replication.

Authoring Tools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Treviranus, Jutta

Authoring tools that are accessible and that enable authors to produce accessible Web content play a critical role in web accessibility. Widespread use of authoring tools that comply to the W3C Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines (ATAG) would ensure that even authors who are neither knowledgeable about nor particularly motivated to produce accessible content do so by default. The principles and techniques of ATAG are discussed. Some examples of accessible authoring tools are described including authoring tool content management components such as TinyMCE. Considerations for creating an accessible collaborative environment are also covered. As part of providing accessible content, the debate between system-based personal optimization and one universally accessible site configuration is presented. The issues and potential solutions to address the accessibility crisis presented by the advent of rich internet applications are outlined. This challenge must be met to ensure that a large segment of the population is able to participate in the move toward the web as a two-way communication mechanism.

The use of concept mapping for scale development and validation in evaluation.

PubMed

Rosas, Scott R; Camphausen, Lauren C

2007-05-01

Evaluators often make key decisions about what content to include when designing new scales. However, without clear conceptual grounding, there is a risk these decisions may compromise the scale's validity. Techniques such as concept mapping are available to evaluators for the specification of conceptual frameworks, but have not been used as a fully integrated part of scale development. As part of a multi-site evaluation of family support programs, we integrated concept mapping with traditional scale-development processes to strengthen the creation of a scale for inclusion in an evaluation instrument. Using concept mapping, we engaged staff and managers in the development of a framework of intended benefits of program participation and used the information to systematically select the scale's content. The psychometric characteristics of the scale were then formally assessed using a sample of program participants. The implications of the approach for supporting construct validity, inclusion of staff and managers, and theory-driven evaluation are discussed.

Exploration of SWRL Rule Bases through Visualization, Paraphrasing, and Categorization of Rules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hassanpour, Saeed; O'Connor, Martin J.; Das, Amar K.

Rule bases are increasingly being used as repositories of knowledge content on the Semantic Web. As the size and complexity of these rule bases increases, developers and end users need methods of rule abstraction to facilitate rule management. In this paper, we describe a rule abstraction method for Semantic Web Rule Language (SWRL) rules that is based on lexical analysis and a set of heuristics. Our method results in a tree data structure that we exploit in creating techniques to visualize, paraphrase, and categorize SWRL rules. We evaluate our approach by applying it to several biomedical ontologies that contain SWRL rules, and show how the results reveal rule patterns within the rule base. We have implemented our method as a plug-in tool for Protégé-OWL, the most widely used ontology modeling software for the Semantic Web. Our tool can allow users to rapidly explore content and patterns in SWRL rule bases, enabling their acquisition and management.

Assessment of Evapotranspiration and Soil Moisture Content Across Different Scales of Observation

PubMed Central

Verstraeten, Willem W.; Veroustraete, Frank; Feyen, Jan

2008-01-01

The proper assessment of evapotranspiration and soil moisture content are fundamental in food security research, land management, pollution detection, nutrient flows, (wild-) fire detection, (desert) locust, carbon balance as well as hydrological modelling; etc. This paper takes an extensive, though not exhaustive sample of international scientific literature to discuss different approaches to estimate land surface and ecosystem related evapotranspiration and soil moisture content. This review presents: (i)a summary of the generally accepted cohesion theory of plant water uptake and transport including a shortlist of meteorological and plant factors influencing plant transpiration;(ii)a summary on evapotranspiration assessment at different scales of observation (sap-flow, porometer, lysimeter, field and catchment water balance, Bowen ratio, scintillometer, eddy correlation, Penman-Monteith and related approaches);(iii)a summary on data assimilation schemes conceived to estimate evapotranspiration using optical and thermal remote sensing; and(iv)for soil moisture content, a summary on soil moisture retrieval techniques at different spatial and temporal scales is presented. Concluding remarks on the best available approaches to assess evapotranspiration and soil moisture content with and emphasis on remote sensing data assimilation, are provided. PMID:27879697

Assessment of Evapotranspiration and Soil Moisture Content Across Different Scales of Observation.

PubMed

Verstraeten, Willem W; Veroustraete, Frank; Feyen, Jan

2008-01-09

The proper assessment of evapotranspiration and soil moisture content arefundamental in food security research, land management, pollution detection, nutrient flows,(wild-) fire detection, (desert) locust, carbon balance as well as hydrological modelling; etc.This paper takes an extensive, though not exhaustive sample of international scientificliterature to discuss different approaches to estimate land surface and ecosystem relatedevapotranspiration and soil moisture content. This review presents:(i) a summary of the generally accepted cohesion theory of plant water uptake andtransport including a shortlist of meteorological and plant factors influencing planttranspiration;(ii) a summary on evapotranspiration assessment at different scales of observation (sapflow,porometer, lysimeter, field and catchment water balance, Bowen ratio,scintillometer, eddy correlation, Penman-Monteith and related approaches);(iii) a summary on data assimilation schemes conceived to estimate evapotranspirationusing optical and thermal remote sensing; and(iv) for soil moisture content, a summary on soil moisture retrieval techniques atdifferent spatial and temporal scales is presented.Concluding remarks on the best available approaches to assess evapotranspiration and soilmoisture content with and emphasis on remote sensing data assimilation, are provided.

H2RM: A Hybrid Rough Set Reasoning Model for Prediction and Management of Diabetes Mellitus.

PubMed

Ali, Rahman; Hussain, Jamil; Siddiqi, Muhammad Hameed; Hussain, Maqbool; Lee, Sungyoung

2015-07-03

Diabetes is a chronic disease characterized by high blood glucose level that results either from a deficiency of insulin produced by the body, or the body's resistance to the effects of insulin. Accurate and precise reasoning and prediction models greatly help physicians to improve diagnosis, prognosis and treatment procedures of different diseases. Though numerous models have been proposed to solve issues of diagnosis and management of diabetes, they have the following drawbacks: (1) restricted one type of diabetes; (2) lack understandability and explanatory power of the techniques and decision; (3) limited either to prediction purpose or management over the structured contents; and (4) lack competence for dimensionality and vagueness of patient's data. To overcome these issues, this paper proposes a novel hybrid rough set reasoning model (H2RM) that resolves problems of inaccurate prediction and management of type-1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). For verification of the proposed model, experimental data from fifty patients, acquired from a local hospital in semi-structured format, is used. First, the data is transformed into structured format and then used for mining prediction rules. Rough set theory (RST) based techniques and algorithms are used to mine the prediction rules. During the online execution phase of the model, these rules are used to predict T1DM and T2DM for new patients. Furthermore, the proposed model assists physicians to manage diabetes using knowledge extracted from online diabetes guidelines. Correlation-based trend analysis techniques are used to manage diabetic observations. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed model outperforms the existing methods with 95.9% average and balanced accuracies.

H2RM: A Hybrid Rough Set Reasoning Model for Prediction and Management of Diabetes Mellitus

PubMed Central

Ali, Rahman; Hussain, Jamil; Siddiqi, Muhammad Hameed; Hussain, Maqbool; Lee, Sungyoung

2015-01-01

Diabetes is a chronic disease characterized by high blood glucose level that results either from a deficiency of insulin produced by the body, or the body’s resistance to the effects of insulin. Accurate and precise reasoning and prediction models greatly help physicians to improve diagnosis, prognosis and treatment procedures of different diseases. Though numerous models have been proposed to solve issues of diagnosis and management of diabetes, they have the following drawbacks: (1) restricted one type of diabetes; (2) lack understandability and explanatory power of the techniques and decision; (3) limited either to prediction purpose or management over the structured contents; and (4) lack competence for dimensionality and vagueness of patient’s data. To overcome these issues, this paper proposes a novel hybrid rough set reasoning model (H2RM) that resolves problems of inaccurate prediction and management of type-1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). For verification of the proposed model, experimental data from fifty patients, acquired from a local hospital in semi-structured format, is used. First, the data is transformed into structured format and then used for mining prediction rules. Rough set theory (RST) based techniques and algorithms are used to mine the prediction rules. During the online execution phase of the model, these rules are used to predict T1DM and T2DM for new patients. Furthermore, the proposed model assists physicians to manage diabetes using knowledge extracted from online diabetes guidelines. Correlation-based trend analysis techniques are used to manage diabetic observations. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed model outperforms the existing methods with 95.9% average and balanced accuracies. PMID:26151207

Adaptable data management for systems biology investigations

PubMed Central

Boyle, John; Rovira, Hector; Cavnor, Chris; Burdick, David; Killcoyne, Sarah; Shmulevich, Ilya

2009-01-01

Background Within research each experiment is different, the focus changes and the data is generated from a continually evolving barrage of technologies. There is a continual introduction of new techniques whose usage ranges from in-house protocols through to high-throughput instrumentation. To support these requirements data management systems are needed that can be rapidly built and readily adapted for new usage. Results The adaptable data management system discussed is designed to support the seamless mining and analysis of biological experiment data that is commonly used in systems biology (e.g. ChIP-chip, gene expression, proteomics, imaging, flow cytometry). We use different content graphs to represent different views upon the data. These views are designed for different roles: equipment specific views are used to gather instrumentation information; data processing oriented views are provided to enable the rapid development of analysis applications; and research project specific views are used to organize information for individual research experiments. This management system allows for both the rapid introduction of new types of information and the evolution of the knowledge it represents. Conclusion Data management is an important aspect of any research enterprise. It is the foundation on which most applications are built, and must be easily extended to serve new functionality for new scientific areas. We have found that adopting a three-tier architecture for data management, built around distributed standardized content repositories, allows us to rapidly develop new applications to support a diverse user community. PMID:19265554

Occupational therapy and physiotherapy for the patient with burns: principles and management guidelines.

PubMed

Simons, M; King, S; Edgar, D

2003-01-01

Clinical practice guidelines are a tool to assist with clinical decision making. They provide information about the care for a condition and make recommendations based on research evidence, which can be adapted locally. A focus group within the Allied Health Interest Group of the Australian and New Zealand Burn Association has compiled the "Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy for the Patient with Burns--Principles and Management Guidelines." These guidelines are designed as a practical guide to the relevant clinical knowledge and therapy intervention techniques required for effective patient management. Content areas include respiratory management, edema management, splinting and positioning, physical function (mobility, function, exercise), scar management, and psychosocial and mutual elements. The document has undergone extensive review by members of the Australian and New Zealand Burn Association to ensure clarity, internal consistency, and acceptability. The guidelines have been endorsed by the Australian and New Zealand Burn Association. An abridged version of the guidelines is included in this article, with the full document available from www.anzba.org.au.

Knowledge and power necessary to reconstruct nursing after management changes at a teaching hospital.

PubMed

Bernardino, Elizabeth; Felli, Vanda Elisa Andres

2008-01-01

This study was carried out at a teaching hospital in Southern Brazil, which adopted a management model that provoked the dismantling of the nursing service and the disbandment of nursing professionals. Its general goal was to promote changes that would be implemented in the re-organization of nursing work. It is a case study with a historical-dialectic approach, whose data were collected in March and April 2005 through the focal group technique. The study subjects were eight nurses, two technicians and two nursing auxiliaries. Data were analyzed through thematic content analysis. Results evidenced that the greatest challenges nursing faced at this hospital were: to construct a new identity, carry out teamwork while maintaining its professional identity, acquire visibility in the institution, change care and expand management.

Feasibility study: Assess the feasibility of siting a monitored retrievable storage facility. Phase 1

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

King, J.W.

1993-08-01

The purpose of phase one of this study are: To understand the waste management system and a monitored retrievable storage facility; and to determine whether the applicant has real interest in pursuing the feasibility assessment process. Contents of this report are: Generating electric power; facts about exposure to radiation; handling storage, and transportation techniques; description of a proposed monitored retrievable storage facility; and benefits to be received by host jurisdiction.

Content Management: If You Build It Right, They Will Come

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Starkman, Neal

2006-01-01

According to James Robertson, the managing director of Step Two Designs, a content management consultancy, "A content management system supports the creation, management, distribution, publishing, and discovery of corporate information. It covers the complete lifecycle of the pages of one's site, from providing simple tools to create the…

Approaching Academic Digital Content Management.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Acker, Stephen R.

2002-01-01

Discusses digital content management in higher education. Highlights include learning objects that make content more modular so it can be used in other courses or by other institutions; and a system at Ohio State University for content management that includes the creation of learner profiles. (LRW)

Facilitation techniques as predictors of crew participation in LOFT debriefings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McDonnell, L. K.

1996-01-01

Based on theories of adult learning and airline industry guidelines for Crew Resource Management (CRM), the stated objective during Line Oriented Flight Training (LOFT) debriefings is for instructor pilots (IP's) to facilitate crew self-analysis of performance. This study reviews 19 LOFT debriefings from two major U.S. airlines to examine the relationship between IP efforts at facilitation and associated characteristics of crew participation. A subjective rating scale called the Debriefing Assessment Battery was developed and utilized to evaluate the effectiveness of IP facilitation and the quality of crew participation. The results indicate that IP content, encouragement, and questioning techniques are highly and significantly correlated with, and can therefore predict, the degree and depth of crew participation.

Efficient Execution Methods of Pivoting for Bulk Extraction of Entity-Attribute-Value-Modeled Data

PubMed Central

Luo, Gang; Frey, Lewis J.

2017-01-01

Entity-attribute-value (EAV) tables are widely used to store data in electronic medical records and clinical study data management systems. Before they can be used by various analytical (e.g., data mining and machine learning) programs, EAV-modeled data usually must be transformed into conventional relational table format through pivot operations. This time-consuming and resource-intensive process is often performed repeatedly on a regular basis, e.g., to provide a daily refresh of the content in a clinical data warehouse. Thus, it would be beneficial to make pivot operations as efficient as possible. In this paper, we present three techniques for improving the efficiency of pivot operations: 1) filtering out EAV tuples related to unneeded clinical parameters early on; 2) supporting pivoting across multiple EAV tables; and 3) conducting multi-query optimization. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our techniques through implementation. We show that our optimized execution method of pivoting using these techniques significantly outperforms the current basic execution method of pivoting. Our techniques can be used to build a data extraction tool to simplify the specification of and improve the efficiency of extracting data from the EAV tables in electronic medical records and clinical study data management systems. PMID:25608318

Features of self-management interventions for people with COPD associated with improved health-related quality of life and reduced emergency department visits: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Newham, James J; Presseau, Justin; Heslop-Marshall, Karen; Russell, Sian; Ogunbayo, Oladapo J; Netts, Paul; Hanratty, Barbara; Kaner, Eileen

2017-01-01

Self-management interventions (SMIs) are recommended for individuals with COPD to help monitor symptoms and optimize health-related quality of life (HRQOL). However, SMIs vary widely in content, delivery, and intensity, making it unclear which methods and techniques are associated with improved outcomes. This systematic review aimed to summarize the current evidence base surrounding the effectiveness of SMIs for improving HRQOL in people with COPD. Systematic reviews that focused upon SMIs were eligible for inclusion. Intervention descriptions were coded for behavior change techniques (BCTs) that targeted self-management behaviors to address 1) symptoms, 2) physical activity, and 3) mental health. Meta-analyses and meta-regression were used to explore the association between health behaviors targeted by SMIs, the BCTs used, patient illness severity, and modes of delivery, with the impact on HRQOL and emergency department (ED) visits. Data related to SMI content were extracted from 26 randomized controlled trials identified from 11 systematic reviews. Patients receiving SMIs reported improved HRQOL (standardized mean difference =-0.16; 95% confidence interval [CI] =-0.25, -0.07; P =0.001) and made fewer ED visits (standardized mean difference =-0.13; 95% CI =-0.23, -0.03; P =0.02) compared to patients who received usual care. Patients receiving SMIs targeting mental health alongside symptom management had greater improvement of HRQOL (Q=4.37; P =0.04) and fewer ED visits (Q=5.95; P =0.02) than patients receiving SMIs focused on symptom management alone. Within-group analyses showed that HRQOL was significantly improved in 1) studies with COPD patients with severe symptoms, 2) single-practitioner based SMIs but not SMIs delivered by a multidisciplinary team, 3) SMIs with multiple sessions but not single session SMIs, and 4) both individual- and group-based SMIs. SMIs can be effective at improving HRQOL and reducing ED visits, with those targeting mental health being significantly more effective than those targeting symptom management alone.

Polyurethane Foam Wound Dressing Technique for Areola Skin Graft Stabilization and Nipple Protection After Nipple-Areola Reconstruction.

PubMed

Satake, Toshihiko; Muto, Mayu; Nagashima, Yu; Haga, Shoko; Homma, Yuki; Nakasone, Reiko; Kadokura, Marina; Kou, Seiko; Fujimoto, Hiroshi; Maegawa, Jiro

2018-04-01

We describe a new wound management technique using a soft dressing material to stabilize the areola skin graft and protect the nipple after nipple-areola reconstruction at the final stage of breast reconstruction. We introduced a center-fenestrated multilayered hydrocellular polyurethane foam dressing material that provides adequate pressure and retains a moist environment for a smooth skin graft "take." Moreover, the reconstructed nipple can be monitored at any time through the fenestrated window for adequate blood circulation. Altogether, this simple and inexpensive wound dressing technique improves the clinical outcome. Level of Evidence IV This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Sparse Bayesian learning machine for real-time management of reservoir releases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khalil, Abedalrazq; McKee, Mac; Kemblowski, Mariush; Asefa, Tirusew

2005-11-01

Water scarcity and uncertainties in forecasting future water availabilities present serious problems for basin-scale water management. These problems create a need for intelligent prediction models that learn and adapt to their environment in order to provide water managers with decision-relevant information related to the operation of river systems. This manuscript presents examples of state-of-the-art techniques for forecasting that combine excellent generalization properties and sparse representation within a Bayesian paradigm. The techniques are demonstrated as decision tools to enhance real-time water management. A relevance vector machine, which is a probabilistic model, has been used in an online fashion to provide confident forecasts given knowledge of some state and exogenous conditions. In practical applications, online algorithms should recognize changes in the input space and account for drift in system behavior. Support vectors machines lend themselves particularly well to the detection of drift and hence to the initiation of adaptation in response to a recognized shift in system structure. The resulting model will normally have a structure and parameterization that suits the information content of the available data. The utility and practicality of this proposed approach have been demonstrated with an application in a real case study involving real-time operation of a reservoir in a river basin in southern Utah.

Management of sinonasal complications after endoscopic orbital decompression for Graves' orbitopathy.

PubMed

Antisdel, Jastin L; Gumber, Divya; Holmes, Janalee; Sindwani, Raj

2013-09-01

Endoscopic orbital decompression (EnOD) has proven to be safe and effective for the treatment of Graves' orbitopathy; however, complications do occur. Although the literature focuses on orbital complications, sinonasal complications including postobstructive sinusitis, hemorrhage, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak can also be challenging to manage. This study examines the incidence and management of sinonasal complications in these patients. Retrospective review. Clinical data, surgical findings, and postoperative outcomes were reviewed of patients who underwent EnOD for Graves' disease between March 2004 and November 2010. The incidence and management of postoperative sinonasal complications requiring an intervention were examined. The study group consisted of 50 consecutive patients (86 decompression procedures): 11 males and 39 females with an average age of 48.6 years (SD = 12.9). Incidence of significant sinonasal complications was 3.5% (5/86): with one patient experiencing postoperative hemorrhage requiring operative management, three patients with postoperative obstructive sinusitis, and one patient with nasal obstruction secondary to nasal adhesions that required lysis. The maxillary sinus was the most commonly involved and was managed using the mega-antrostomy technique. In the case of frontal sinusitis, an endoscopic transaxillary approach was utilized to avoid injury to decompressed orbital contents. All complications were successfully managed without sequelae. Sinonasal complications following EnOD are uncommon. In the setting of a decompressed orbit, even routine types of postoperative issues can be challenging and require additional considerations. Successful management of postoperative sinusitis related to outflow obstruction may require more extensive approaches and novel techniques. Copyright © 2013 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

Mass-storage management for distributed image/video archives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Franchi, Santina; Guarda, Roberto; Prampolini, Franco

1993-04-01

The realization of image/video database requires a specific design for both database structures and mass storage management. This issue has addressed the project of the digital image/video database system that has been designed at IBM SEMEA Scientific & Technical Solution Center. Proper database structures have been defined to catalog image/video coding technique with the related parameters, and the description of image/video contents. User workstations and servers are distributed along a local area network. Image/video files are not managed directly by the DBMS server. Because of their wide size, they are stored outside the database on network devices. The database contains the pointers to the image/video files and the description of the storage devices. The system can use different kinds of storage media, organized in a hierarchical structure. Three levels of functions are available to manage the storage resources. The functions of the lower level provide media management. They allow it to catalog devices and to modify device status and device network location. The medium level manages image/video files on a physical basis. It manages file migration between high capacity media and low access time media. The functions of the upper level work on image/video file on a logical basis, as they archive, move and copy image/video data selected by user defined queries. These functions are used to support the implementation of a storage management strategy. The database information about characteristics of both storage devices and coding techniques are used by the third level functions to fit delivery/visualization requirements and to reduce archiving costs.

49 CFR 237.33 - Content of bridge management programs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Content of bridge management programs. 237.33... ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION BRIDGE SAFETY STANDARDS Railroad Bridge Safety Assurance § 237.33 Content of bridge management programs. Each bridge management program adopted in compliance with this part...

49 CFR 237.33 - Content of bridge management programs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Content of bridge management programs. 237.33... ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION BRIDGE SAFETY STANDARDS Railroad Bridge Safety Assurance § 237.33 Content of bridge management programs. Each bridge management program adopted in compliance with this part...

The comparison the effect of training by means of simulation and oral method on midwives’ skill in management of shoulder dystocia

PubMed Central

Kordi, Masoumeh; Erfanian, Fatemeh; Fakari, Farzaneh Rashidi; Dastfan, Fatemeh; Nejad, Keivan Shariati

2017-01-01

INTRODUCTION: Shoulder dystocia is one of the obstetric emergencies that are accompanied to serious risks for mother and fetus. It necessitates making the method of training of shoulder dystocia management more efficient, i.e., better management and giving services with higher quality. Thus, this study was carried out to compare the impact of training by simulation and oral technique on the skill of the employed midwives in obstetric clinics at Mashhad city (Iran) in shoulder dystocia management during 2012. METHODS: The current research is a double-group clinical trial that was conducted on 51 members of the employed midwives in the obstetric clinic at Mashhad city in 2012. The questionnaire of personal specification and awareness about shoulder dystocia and practical examination (objective-structured clinical examination) were employed as tools for data collection. The learners were divided into two groups by randomized allocation. Training was done by the presentation of lecture in the oral content group and a short movie was displayed at the end of it. The shoulder dystocia management technique was simulated in another group and through role-playing of instructor application of moulage (station) training was conducted. The period of the training course (4 h) and content of the educational workshop was identical for both groups. The practical examination was held for the learners before and immediately after training course. The given data were analyzed by means of statistical descriptive tests including Mann–Whitney U-test and Wilcoxon test via SPSS software (version 16). The significance level was considered as (P < 0.05) in all cases. RESULTS: The total mean score was significantly increased for the variable of shoulder dystocia management skill after intervention in both groups (P < 0.0001). Similarly, the results of Mann–Whitney U-test statistical tests indicated that total mean score for the variable of shoulder dystocia management skill after the intervention was significantly greater in simulation group than in an oral group (P = 0.040). CONCLUSION: Training in simulated delivery room by means of role-playing is an efficient method for training shoulder dystocia management skill, so it is recommended to use this program in the training of this skill. PMID:28616417

Palanivelu hydatid system for safe and efficacious laparoscopic management of hepatic hydatid disease.

PubMed

Palanivelu, C; Senthilkumar, R; Jani, K; Rajan, P S; Sendhilkumar, K; Parthasarthi, R; Rajapandian, S

2006-12-01

Hydatid disease, being endemic in several areas of the world, is of interest even to surgeons in non-endemic areas because they may encounter the disease due to ease and rapidity of travel as well as immigration. We describe a new device for laparoscopic management of hepatic hydatid disease. The special trocar-cannula system--the Palanivelu hydatid system (PHS)--and the technique of operation are described. A total of 75 patients were operated on using this technique. In 83.3% of patients, only evacuation of the hydatid cyst by the PHS was done. In 13.7%, this was followed by left lobectomy because the cysts were large, occupying almost the entire left lobe of the liver. The remnant cavity was dealt with by omentoplasty. The average follow-up period was 5.9 years, during which there were no recurrences. PHS is successful in preventing spillage, evacuating the contents of hydatid cysts, performing transcystic fenestration, and for dealing with cyst-biliary communications.

[Delphi study to identify the management skills of nursing executives].

PubMed

Yañez, M R; Avila, J A; Bermudez, M I; De Miguel, I; Bellver, V; Guilabert, M; Mira, J J

2016-01-01

To determine and update the skills map for the position of Nurse Administrator in hospitals and Primary Care. An observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study based on a Delphi technique was conducted in hospital and Primary Care settings. Two nominal groups with 15 nurses each were used to define the contents of the questionnaire 0 in the Delphi technique. All nurses registered in the professional associations of Alicante, Castellón and Valencia were invited to participate. The results of the Delphi study was submitted to factor analysis to identify the set of skills and, subsequently, compare them with the offer of post-graduate course in colleges and universities during the 2014-15 academic year. Forty-five competences were extracted during the Nominal groups. In total, 705 nurses replied to the first wave in the Delphi Technique, and 394 in the second (response rate of 56%). Factorial analysis grouped the skills chosen into 10 factors: managing people, conflict management, independent learning, ethics, emotional balance, commitment, self-discipline, continuous improvement, critical-thinking, and innovation. Four skills groups identified in this study (emotional balancing, commitment, self-discipline and courage) were not usually included in the post-graduate courses The nurse administrator skills should be related to relational and ethical behaviour. The training offer of the post-graduate courses must be reoriented. Copyright © 2015 SECA. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

The Role and Nature of Anti-Tamper Techniques in U.S. Defense Acquisition

DTIC Science & Technology

1999-01-01

sales to an ally, accidental loss, or capture during a conflict by an enemy. Because U.S. military hardware and software have a high technical content...that provides a qualitative edge, protection of this technological superiority is a high priority. Program managers can mitigate such risks with a...dealing with technical and military topics. He is a graduate of DSMC’s APMC 97-3 and the USAF Test Pilot School . He has an M.S. degree in aerospace

A nature-based approach for managing the invasive weed species Gutenbergia cordifolia for sustainable rangeland management.

PubMed

Ngondya, Issakwisa B; Munishi, Linus K; Treydte, Anna C; Ndakidemi, Patrick A

2016-01-01

The invasive weed species Gutenbergia cordifolia has been observed to suppress native plants and to dominate more than half of the entire crater floor (250 km 2 ) in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA). As this species has been found to be toxic to ruminants it might strongly impact animal populations in this ecologically diverse ecosystem. Hence, a nature-based approach is urgently needed to manage its spread. We tested two Desmodium spp extracts applied to G. cordifolia and assessed the latter's germination rate, height, fresh weight and leaf total chlorophyll content after 30 days in both laboratory and screen house experiments. Seedling germination rate was halved by Desmodium uncinatum leaf extract (DuL), particularly under higher concentrations (≥75 %) rather than lower concentrations (≤62.5 %). Likewise, in both laboratory and screen house experiments, germination rate under DuL treatments declined with increasing concentrations. Seedling height, fresh weight and leaf total chlorophyll content (Chl) were also most strongly affected by DuL treatments rather than D. uncinatum root extract, Desmodium intortum leaf extract or D. intortum root extract treatments. Generally, seedlings treated with higher DuL concentrations were half as tall, had one-third the weight and half the leaf Chl content compared to those treated with lower concentrations. Our study shows a novel technique that can be applied where G. cordifolia may be driving native flora and fauna to local extinction. Our data further suggest that this innovative approach is both ecologically safe and effective and that D. uncinatum can be sustainably used to manage invasive plants, and thus, to improve rangeland productivity.

Development of Learning Management in Moral Ethics and Code of Ethics of the Teaching Profession Course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boonsong, S.; Siharak, S.; Srikanok, V.

2018-02-01

The purposes of this research were to develop the learning management, which was prepared for the enhancement of students’ Moral Ethics and Code of Ethics in Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi (RMUTT). The contextual study and the ideas for learning management development was conducted by the document study, focus group method and content analysis from the document about moral ethics and code of ethics of the teaching profession concerning Graduate Diploma for Teaching Profession Program. The main tools of this research were the summarize papers and analyse papers. The results of development showed the learning management for the development of moral ethics and code of ethics of the teaching profession for Graduate Diploma for Teaching Profession students could promote desired moral ethics and code of ethics of the teaching profession character by the integrated learning techniques which consisted of Service Learning, Contract System, Value Clarification, Role Playing, and Concept Mapping. The learning management was presented in 3 steps.

Content and Knowledge Management in a Digital Library and Museum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yeh, Jian-Hua; Chang, Jia-Yang; Oyang, Yen-Jen

2000-01-01

Discusses the design of the National Taiwan University Digital Library and Museum that addresses both content and knowledge management. Describes a two-tier repository architecture that facilitates content management, includes an object-oriented model to facilitate the management of temporal information, and eliminates the need to manually…

Sustainable Multilingual Communication: Managing Multilingual Content Using Free and Open Source Content Management Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelsey, Todd

2011-01-01

It is often too complicated or expensive for most educators, non-profits and individuals to create and maintain a multilingual Web site, because of the technological hurdles, and the logistics of working with content in different languages. But multilingual content management systems, combined with streamlined processes and inexpensive…

Factors influencing fire behaviour in shrublands of different stand ages and the implications for using prescribed burning to reduce wildfire risk.

PubMed

Baeza, M J; De Luís, M; Raventós, J; Escarré, A

2002-06-01

Fire behaviour under experimental conditions is described in nine Mediterranean gorse shrublands ranging from 3-12 years of age with different fuel loads. Significant differences in the fire-line intensity, fuel load and rate of fire spread have been found to be related to the stage of development of the communities. Fire spread is correlated with fuel moisture using multiple regression techniques. Differences in fuel moisture between mature and young communities under moderate weather conditions have been found. The lower moisture content identified in the mature shrubland is due both to the decreasing moisture content of senescent shrubland in some species, mainly in live fractions of Ulex parviflorus Pour. fuel, and to a substantial increase in dead fuel fractions with low percentages of moisture content. The result is that the older the shrubland is, the greater will be the decrease in the total moisture content of the vegetation. In these moderate weather conditions, the fire intensity of the mature community was as high as the maximum intensity recommended for prescribed fires. This fact seems to indicate that, even under moderate conditions, prescribed burning as an alternative management tool in the mature shrubland must always take into account fuel control; on the other hand, this technique could be applied more easily when the shrubland is at an intermediate growth stage (4-5 years of age). Therefore, more frequent low-intensity prescribed fires are indicated to abate the risk of catastrophic fire.

Online Resources to Support Professional Development for Managing and Preserving Geospatial Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Downs, R. R.; Chen, R. S.

2013-12-01

Improved capabilities of information and communication technologies (ICT) enable the development of new systems and applications for collecting, managing, disseminating, and using scientific data. New knowledge, skills, and techniques are also being developed to leverage these new ICT capabilities and improve scientific data management practices throughout the entire data lifecycle. In light of these developments and in response to increasing recognition of the wider value of scientific data for society, government agencies are requiring plans for the management, stewardship, and public dissemination of data and research products that are created by government-funded studies. Recognizing that data management and dissemination have not been part of traditional science education programs, new educational programs and learning resources are being developed to prepare new and practicing scientists, data scientists, data managers, and other data professionals with skills in data science and data management. Professional development and training programs also are being developed to address the need for scientists and professionals to improve their expertise in using the tools and techniques for managing and preserving scientific data. The Geospatial Data Preservation Resource Center offers an online catalog of various open access publications, open source tools, and freely available information for the management and stewardship of geospatial data and related resources, such as maps, GIS, and remote sensing data. Containing over 500 resources that can be found by type, topic, or search query, the geopreservation.org website enables discovery of various types of resources to improve capabilities for managing and preserving geospatial data. Applications and software tools can be found for use online or for download. Online journal articles, presentations, reports, blogs, and forums are also available through the website. Available education and training materials include tutorials, primers, guides, and online learning modules. The site enables users to find and access standards, real-world examples, and websites of other resources about geospatial data management. Quick links to lists of resources are available for data managers, system developers, and researchers. New resources are featured regularly to highlight current developments in practice and research. A user-centered approach was taken to design and develop the site iteratively, based on a survey of the expectations and needs of community members who have an interest in the management and preservation of geospatial data. Formative and summative evaluation activities have informed design, content, and feature enhancements to enable users to use the website efficiently and effectively. Continuing management and evaluation of the website keeps the content and the infrastructure current with evolving research, practices, and technology. The design, development, evaluation, and use of the website are described along with selected resources and activities that support education and professional development for the management, preservation, and stewardship of geospatial data.

Study on fast measurement of sugar content of yogurt using Vis/NIR spectroscopy techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Yong; Feng, Shuijuan; Wu, Di; Li, Xiaoli

2006-09-01

In order to measuring the sugar content of yogurt rapidly, a fast measurement of sugar content of yogurt using Vis/NIR-spectroscopy techniques was established. 25 samples selected separately from five different brands of yogurt were measured by Vis/NIR-spectroscopy. The sugar content of yogurt on positions scanned by spectrum were measured by a sugar content meter. The mathematical model between sugar content and Vis/NIR spectral measurements was established and developed based on partial least squares (PLS). The correlation coefficient of sugar content based on PLS model is more than 0.894, and standard error of calibration (SEC) is 0.356, standard error of prediction (SEP) is 0.389. Through predicting the sugar content quantitatively of 35 samples of yogurt from 5 different brands, the correlation coefficient between predictive value and measured value of those samples is more than 0.934. The results show the good to excellent prediction performance. The Vis/NIR spectroscopy technique had significantly greater accuracy for determining the sugar content. It was concluded that the Vis/NIRS measurement technique seems reliable to assess the fast measurement of sugar content of yogurt, and a new method for the measurement of sugar content of yogurt was established.

Managing flood risks in the Mekong Delta: How to address emerging challenges under climate change and socioeconomic developments.

PubMed

Hoang, Long Phi; Biesbroek, Robbert; Tri, Van Pham Dang; Kummu, Matti; van Vliet, Michelle T H; Leemans, Rik; Kabat, Pavel; Ludwig, Fulco

2018-02-24

Climate change and accelerating socioeconomic developments increasingly challenge flood-risk management in the Vietnamese Mekong River Delta-a typical large, economically dynamic and highly vulnerable delta. This study identifies and addresses the emerging challenges for flood-risk management. Furthermore, we identify and analyse response solutions, focusing on meaningful configurations of the individual solutions and how they can be tailored to specific challenges using expert surveys, content analysis techniques and statistical inferences. Our findings show that the challenges for flood-risk management are diverse, but critical challenges predominantly arise from the current governance and institutional settings. The top-three challenges include weak collaboration, conflicting management objectives and low responsiveness to new issues. We identified 114 reported solutions and developed six flood management strategies that are tailored to specific challenges. We conclude that the current technology-centric flood management approach is insufficient given the rapid socioecological changes. This approach therefore should be adapted towards a more balanced management configuration where technical and infrastructural measures are combined with institutional and governance resolutions. Insights from this study contribute to the emerging repertoire of contemporary flood management solutions, especially through their configurations and tailoring to specific challenges.

Measuring the impact of diagnostic decision support on the quality of clinical decision making: development of a reliable and valid composite score.

PubMed

Ramnarayan, Padmanabhan; Kapoor, Ritika R; Coren, Michael; Nanduri, Vasantha; Tomlinson, Amanda L; Taylor, Paul M; Wyatt, Jeremy C; Britto, Joseph F

2003-01-01

Few previous studies evaluating the benefits of diagnostic decision support systems have simultaneously measured changes in diagnostic quality and clinical management prompted by use of the system. This report describes a reliable and valid scoring technique to measure the quality of clinical decision plans in an acute medical setting, where diagnostic decision support tools might prove most useful. Sets of differential diagnoses and clinical management plans generated by 71 clinicians for six simulated cases, before and after decision support from a Web-based pediatric differential diagnostic tool (ISABEL), were used. A composite quality score was calculated separately for each diagnostic and management plan by considering the appropriateness value of each component diagnostic or management suggestion, a weighted sum of individual suggestion ratings, relevance of the entire plan, and its comprehensiveness. The reliability and validity (face, concurrent, construct, and content) of these two final scores were examined. Two hundred fifty-two diagnostic and 350 management suggestions were included in the interrater reliability analysis. There was good agreement between raters (intraclass correlation coefficient, 0.79 for diagnoses, and 0.72 for management). No counterintuitive scores were demonstrated on visual inspection of the sets. Content validity was verified by a consultation process with pediatricians. Both scores discriminated adequately between the plans of consultants and medical students and correlated well with clinicians' subjective opinions of overall plan quality (Spearman rho 0.65, p < 0.01). The diagnostic and management scores for each episode showed moderate correlation (r = 0.51). The scores described can be used as key outcome measures in a larger study to fully assess the value of diagnostic decision aids, such as the ISABEL system.

Photoelicitation: a useful tool to investigate management of the vulnerability of homeless women.

PubMed

Oter-Quintana, Cristina; González-Gil, Teresa; Martín-García, Ángel; Alcolea-Cosín, María Teresa

The proposal of the manuscript is to provide a methodological reflection on the use of photo-elicitation as a data gathering strategy to explore vulnerability management among homeless women. A grounded theory study was carried out. Photo elicitation was one of the data gathering techniques used between February 2015 and February 2017. Five women were selected through intentional sampling. All of them were over 18 years old and residents in 4 shelters within the Madrid Care for the Homeless network. Participants used disposable cameras or mobile phones to record their experiences living in the shelters or on the street through photographs. An interview was conducted with each participant in order to explore the meaning of the photos after they were developed. Data analysis comprised, firstly, describing the obvious content of the photos and, secondly, comparing it with the latent content provided by participants during the interviews. Only 3 women finished the task. Through data analysis some theoretical proposals were discovered, which contributed to a deeper knowledge of some previously established categories and subcategories such as: "The good professionals", "The safe places in the street" and "The threats in the street". Photo-elicitation enabled an approach to participants' experiences with minimal imposition, allowing them much of the control over the data production. However, it is a demanding technique that requires deep reflection before its implementation, on the part of both participants and researchers. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Content Management and the Future of Academic Libraries.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wu, Yuhfen Diana; Liu, Mengxiong

2001-01-01

Discusses Internet-based electronic content management in digital libraries and considers the future of academic libraries. Topics include digital technologies; content management systems; standards; bandwidth; security and privacy concerns; legal matters, including copyrights and ownership; lifecycle; and multilingual access and interface. (LRW)

Community Management That Works: How to Build and Sustain a Thriving Online Health Community

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Health care professionals, patients, caregivers, family, friends, and other supporters are increasingly joining online health communities to share information and find support. But social Web (Web 2.0) technology alone does not create a successful online community. Building and sustaining a successful community requires an enabler and strategic community management. Community management is more than moderation. The developmental life cycle of a community has four stages: inception, establishment, maturity, and mitosis. Each stage presents distinct characteristics and management needs. This paper describes the community management strategies, resources, and expertise needed to build and maintain a thriving online health community; introduces some of the challenges; and provides a guide for health organizations considering this undertaking. The paper draws on insights from an ongoing study and observation of online communities as well as experience managing and consulting a variety of online health communities. Discussion includes effective community building practices relevant to each stage, such as outreach and relationship building, data collection, content creation, and other proven techniques that ensure the survival and steady growth of an online health community. PMID:23759312

Ambulance personnel's experience of pain management for patients with a suspected hip fracture: A qualitative study.

PubMed

Jakopovic, D; Falk, A-C; Lindström, V

2015-07-01

Pain management is described to be insufficient for patients suffering from a hip fracture, and the management for this vulnerable group of patients may be challenging due to their medical history (multiple comorbidities) and polypharmacy. Previous research has mainly focused on fast tracks aiming to reduce time to surgery. But the research on how pain management is handled for these patients in the prehospital context has been sparse. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to describe the ambulance personnel's experience of managing the pain of patients with a suspected hip fracture. A descriptive and qualitative design with Critical Incident Technique was used for collecting data. Moreover, a qualitative content analysis was used for analysing the collected data. Twenty-two participants communicated their experiences and 51 incidents were analysed. The main finding in the study was that the ambulance personnel, by using their clinical knowledge and by empowering the patients to participate in their own care, managed to individualize the pain relief for patients with a suspected hip fracture through a variety of interventions. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Principles and management of adrenal cancer

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

Javadpour, N.

1987-01-01

This book provides information on adrenal diseases of latest developments and guides the clinicians in the care of their patients. The book is divided into two parts. The first section gives an overview of the embryology, anatomy, physiology, markers, pathology, imaging and the current progress in the field. The second edition covers specific diseases of the adrenal cortex and medulla. The increasingly significant roles played by steroids, catecholamines, blockers, computed tomography and magnetic resonance are elucidated and discussed. The contents include: Overview of progress; current problems, and perspectives - embryology anatomy, physiology, and biologic markers; pathology; advances in diagnosis; imagingmore » techniques; adrenal disorders in childhood; primary aldosteronism; Cushing's syndrome; carcinoma; pheochromocytoma; neuroblastoma; metastatic disease; surgical management; and subject index.« less

Keep Up or Fall Behind

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ramaswami, Rama

2007-01-01

In the race to enable information access and collaboration, institutions are taking advantage of new tools to drive content management innovation. New content management systems (CMS) features and functions are driving true innovation in content management, and enabling information access, sharing, collaboration, and tracking on a scale heretofore…

Factors associated with integrating self-management support into primary care.

PubMed

Crespo, Richard; Shrewsberry, Molly

2007-06-01

The purpose of this article is to expand the understanding of self-management support by describing factors that contribute to implementing a comprehensive self-management program in primary care. Four rural health centers in medically underserved areas participated in a study to document the implementation of a self-management program. This program consisted of a social marketing plan and decision-making tools to guide patients in making self-management behavior changes. The stages of change constructs of the transtheoretical model were used to design the social marketing plan. Key informant interviews were conducted at 6-month and 9-month intervals to document the implementation process. A standardized set of questions was used in the interviews. The data from the interviews were analyzed using content analysis techniques. One of the principle findings is that self-management support requires putting a system in place, not just adding a new component to primary care. The health centers that fully implemented the self-management program made an organizational commitment to keep self-management on the agenda in management meetings, clinical staff set the example by adopting self-management behaviors, and patient self-management support was implemented in multiple patient care venues. Primary care centers with limited financial resources are able to integrate self-management support into their system of chronic illness care.

Antioxidant activity and phytochemical constituent of two plants used to manage foot and mouth disease in the Far North Region of Cameroon

PubMed Central

Vougat, Ronald Romuald Bebey Ngom; Foyet, Harquin Simplice; Ziebe, Roland; Garabed, Rebecca B.

2015-01-01

Aim: Plants used in the Far North Region of Cameroon by livestock farmers to manage foot and mouth disease (FMD) in cattle and the phytochemical composition and antioxidant potentials of two of them (Boscia senegalensis [BS] and Tapinanthus dodoneifolius [TD]) were investigated in this study. Materials and Methods: Ethno veterinary data were collected from 325 livestock farmers using semi-structured interviews from September 2011 to April 2012. The 2,2-diphenyl-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity and total phenolic content (TPC) were first performed with five different solvents to choose the best extract of each plant based on these two factors. To achieve our aim, the ferric iron reducing activity, hydroxyl radical scavenging activity (HRSA), free radical scavenging activity (FRSA), vitamin E and iron content were analyzed on extracts selected using current techniques. Results: The results showed that 12 plants of 8 different families are regularly used by farmers to manage FMD. It also demonstrated that acetone extract of TD and methanolic extract of BS are the extracts which showed the best total antioxidant activity (AA) and the best TPC. In general, TD show the best AA during the HRSA and FRSA analysis compared with BS. Similarly, TD content more phenolic compounds and tannins than BS. Both plants contain proteins, saponins, tannins, phenols, alkaloid, and polyphenols which are known to have many biological activities. Conclusion: These results support the AA of both plants and can justify their use by herders to treat FMD which is often followed by many secondary diseases. PMID:26401383

Organized Content Technique (OCT): A Method for Presenting Information in Education and Training.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, Elizabeth E; Pyatte, Jeff A.

1983-01-01

Effective display of organized content is demonstrated through the Organized Content Technique (OCT), which synthesizes, collates, and organizes information into a sound conceptual configuration, including layout, display, typography, descriptors, and style. The result is a content page that has entity and unity and is pleasing and effective with…

[Social psychological determinants of the formation of medical students' professional identity. Possibilities of development].

PubMed

Csörsz, Ilona

2011-03-20

Systematic observations regarding techniques of medical career-socialization has hardly ever appeared in Hungarian technical literature yet. Focusing on the need for practical medical training the author elaborated a career-socialization program consisting of a three-level, three-branch training technique. This consisted of a Junior Bálint-group, an imaginative visualization technique, and an expressive, drama-pedagogical working method completed with a projective technique. This career-socialization program focuses on the physician's personality, capability-expansion in relationship management, and practicing a set of professional behavior-roles. During the empirical observations connected to the work the author examined medical students' patient-representation, their relation to the patients, and the development of the physician's professional character. Within the frames of this three-level, three-branch training technique program it enables us to observe which training technique is able to reveal all those psychological qualities that can contribute to the conformation of the representations, thus to the process of career-socialization in the most effective way. The content-analyses of the cases of Junior Bálint-groups (n = 60) revealed that the most frequent problems are fear of intimacy, of bodily contact, communication with patients in a chronic or terminal state, and the fear of medical practice. The content-analyses of imaginary patient-images (n = 62) with Rorschach-signs confirmed that the psychological burdens mentioned above are the most serious problems for medical students. The process-, and content-analyses of drama-games, the integrative healing contact training groups (n = 74) showed that group work primarily intensifies the relationship responsiveness, the ability to adopt the other's (the patient's) viewpoints, and enables an involuntary and distressless identification with the patient and the physician, both agents in the healing relationship. It is the drama-game that gives significant support to experience the physician- patient relationship in a high quality level. In the next phase the author tested the short story used for the drama-game and its projective contents on a sample of medical and psychology students (n = 313). For the statistical analysis the SPSS and the LEM program-packets were applied. Statistical methods included variance analysis, chi-square test and log-linear analysis. The vast similarity of the projective contents appearing in the survey questionnaire and in the drama-group verified that the chosen short story as a projective surface is suitable for recalling the students' typical stereotypes and representations related to diseases, patients, healing experts and therapeutic situations. The drama-group focused on the realization of these stereotypical representations, and also on experiencing and forming the students' emotional relations to them.

Content Independence in Multimedia Databases.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Vries, Arjen P.

2001-01-01

Investigates the role of data management in multimedia digital libraries, and its implications for the design of database management systems. Introduces the notions of content abstraction and content independence. Proposes a blueprint of a new class of database technology, which supports the basic functionality for the management of both content…

Performance of nursing auxiliaries and technicians in managing piercing cutting material: a necessary study.

PubMed

Moura, Elaine Cristina Carvalho; Moreira, Maria de Fátima Santana; da Fonseca, Soraia Martins

2009-01-01

This study aimed to analyze the knowledge of nursing auxiliaries and technicians in handling and disposing of piercing-cutting material and describe their performance. This qualitative-descriptive research was carried out with three nursing auxiliaries and 12 technicians at a medium-size hospital, totaling 15 participants interviewed through a semi-structured script. Discourse was analyzed through the content analysis technique. Results appoint that, even though the participants have theoretical knowledge on the management of piercing-cutting material, they do not totally follow their knowledge, which exposes them to several biological risks, revealing reproductive knowledge and performance. Thus, we propose the implementation of continuing education programs based on constructivist methodological approach aiming at effective practices in the management and disposal of piercing-cutting material. In this perspective, research clarifying how adults apprehend knowledge can deepen the results described in the study.

Clinical governance and operations management methodologies.

PubMed

Davies, C; Walley, P

2000-01-01

The clinical governance mechanism, introduced since 1998 in the UK National Health Service (NHS), aims to deliver high quality care with efficient, effective and cost-effective patient services. Scally and Donaldson recognised that new approaches are needed, and operations management techniques comprise potentially powerful methodologies in understanding the process of care, which can be applied both within and across professional boundaries. This paper summarises four studies in hospital Trusts which took approaches to improving process that were different from and less structured than business process re-engineering (BPR). The problems were then amenable to change at a relatively low cost and short timescale, producing significant improvement to patient care. This less structured approach to operations management avoided incurring overhead costs of large scale and costly change such as new information technology (IT) systems. The most successful changes were brought about by formal tools to control quantity, content and timing of changes.

Risk management in technovigilance: construction and validation of a medical-hospital product evaluation instrument.

PubMed

Kuwabara, Cleuza Catsue Takeda; Evora, Yolanda Dora Martinez; de Oliveira, Márcio Mattos Borges

2010-01-01

With the continuous incorporation of health technologies, hospital risk management should be implemented to systemize the monitoring of adverse effects, performing actions to control and eliminate their damage. As part of these actions, Technovigilance is active in the procedures of acquisition, use and quality control of health products and equipment. This study aimed to construct and validate an instrument to evaluate medical-hospital products. This is a quantitative, exploratory, longitudinal and methodological development study, based on the Six Sigma quality management model, which has as its principle basis the component stages of the DMAIC Cycle. For data collection and content validation, the Delphi technique was used with professionals from the Brazilian Sentinel Hospital Network. It was concluded that the instrument developed permitted the evaluation of the product, differentiating between the results of the tested brands, in line with the initial study goal of qualifying the evaluations performed.

Managing Phenol Contents in Crop Plants by Phytochemical Farming and Breeding—Visions and Constraints

PubMed Central

Treutter, Dieter

2010-01-01

Two main fields of interest form the background of actual demand for optimized levels of phenolic compounds in crop plants. These are human health and plant resistance to pathogens and to biotic and abiotic stress factors. A survey of agricultural technologies influencing the biosynthesis and accumulation of phenolic compounds in crop plants is presented, including observations on the effects of light, temperature, mineral nutrition, water management, grafting, elevated atmospheric CO2, growth and differentiation of the plant and application of elicitors, stimulating agents and plant activators. The underlying mechanisms are discussed with respect to carbohydrate availability, trade-offs to competing demands as well as to regulatory elements. Outlines are given for genetic engineering and plant breeding. Constraints and possible physiological feedbacks are considered for successful and sustainable application of agricultural techniques with respect to management of plant phenol profiles and concentrations. PMID:20479987

An analysis of total quality management in Aeronautical Systems Division

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caudle, Mark D.

1991-09-01

This study investigated the major schools of thought on various aspects of quality management and quality improvement. Areas covered included definitions of waste and quality, views on the cost of quality, tools and techniques used for quality improvement, and management philosophies and frameworks for continuous improvement. In addition, this study analyzed the structure and training content of the current Total Quality Management program at Aeronautical Systems Division (ASD). Pre- and post-test surveys on employee attitudes toward organizational effectiveness were analyzed from the Advanced Cruise Missile System Program Office (SPO), the F-15 SPO, and the ASD Deputy Chief of Staff for Human Resources (ASD/DP). Data was supplemented with semi-structured, personal interviews with ASD personnel involved in TQM. Survey analysis showed that the ACM SPO significantly improved, ASD/DP significantly digressed, and the F-15 SPO remained basically consistent. This led to the conclusion that ASD allows too much flexibility in the implementation of TQM in the three-letter organizations.

[The German Disease Management Guideline Asthma: methods and development process].

PubMed

Kopp, Ina; Lelgemann, Monika; Ollenschläger, Günter

2006-01-01

The German National Program for Disease Management Guidelines, which is being operated under the auspices of the German Medical Association (GMA), the Association of the Scientific Medical Societies (AWMF) and the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (NASHIP), provides a conceptual basis for the disease management of prioritized healthcare aspects. The main objective of the program is to establish consensus of the medical professions on key recommendations covering all sectors of healthcare provision and facilitating the coordination of care for the individual patient through time and across interfaces. Within the scope of this program, the Scientific Medical Societies concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of asthma in children, adolescents and adults have reached consensus on the core contents for a National Disease Management Guideline for Asthma. This consensus was reached by applying formal techniques and on the basis of the adaptation of recommendations from existing guidelines with high quality standards in methodology and reporting, and information from evidence reports.

Technical Communications in OSS Content Management Systems: An Academic Institutional Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cripps, Michael J.

2011-01-01

Single sourcing through a content management system (CMS) is altering technical communication practices in many organizations, including institutions of higher education. Open source software (OSS) solutions are currently among the most popular content management platforms adopted by colleges and universities in the United States and abroad. The…

10 Budget-Savvy Content Management Strategies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hillis, David J.

2004-01-01

Facing an overall budget reduction of 10 percent, most colleges or universities would postpone investing in a Web content management system. However, for California State University Monterey Bay (CSUMB), a large budget cut made Web content management even more important. CSUMB found an innovative way to purchase and implement a new Content…

44 CFR 63.5 - Coverage for contents removal.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 44 Emergency Management and Assistance 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Coverage for contents removal. 63.5 Section 63.5 Emergency Management and Assistance FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY, DEPARTMENT... OF SECTION 1306(c) OF THE NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE ACT OF 1968 General § 63.5 Coverage for contents...

44 CFR 63.5 - Coverage for contents removal.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 44 Emergency Management and Assistance 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Coverage for contents removal. 63.5 Section 63.5 Emergency Management and Assistance FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY, DEPARTMENT... OF SECTION 1306(c) OF THE NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE ACT OF 1968 General § 63.5 Coverage for contents...

Stakeholder analysis and mapping as targeted communication strategy.

PubMed

Shirey, Maria R

2012-09-01

This department highlights change management strategies that may be successful in strategically planning and executing organizational change initiatives. With the goal of presenting practical approaches helpful to nurse leaders advancing organizational change, content includes evidence-based projects, tools, and resources that mobilize and sustain organizational change initiatives. In this article, the author highlights the importance of stakeholder theory and discusses how to apply the theory to conduct a stakeholder analysis. This article also provides an explanation of how to use related stakeholder mapping techniques with targeted communication strategies.

Training Peer Educators to Promote Self-Management Skills in People with Serious Mental Illness (SMI) and Diabetes (DM) in a Primary Health Care Setting

PubMed Central

Blixen, Carol; Perzynski, Adam; Kanuch, Stephanie; Dawson, Neal; Kaiser, Denise; Lawless, Mary Ellen; Seeholzer, Eileen; Sajatovic, Martha

2015-01-01

Aim To describe the training and participant experience of patients with both serious mental illness (SMI) and diabetes (DM) who were enrolled in a Peer Educator Training Program adapted to a primary care setting. Background The mortality of patients with both SMI and DM is high. Illness self-management for SMI includes medications, psychosocial treatments, and healthy behaviors, yet treatment engagement is often sub-optimal with adherence rates of 52% for diabetic medications and 62% for antipsychotic medications among the SMI. To address this problem, a new behavioral intervention study targeting SMI and DM self-management used trained Peer Educators with the same chronic conditions to enhance program effectiveness. A manual facilitated training on intervention topics such as SMI and DM therapies, stress management, and stigma reduction as well as training in group intervention techniques, telephone skills, and crisis management. Methods We assessed participant attitudes and input using in-depth face-to-face interviews. Interviews were audio-taped, transcribed, coded and analyzed using the classic method of content analysis emphasizing dominant themes. A member-check was conducted where participants commented on analysis results. Findings Six relevant descriptive Themes emerged. Themes were: 1) Positive group experience; 2) Success with learning manual content; 3) Increased knowledge about SMI and DM); 4) Improved self-management skills; 5) Increased self-confidence and self-efficacy in becoming a Peer Educator; and being 6) United in purpose to help others self-manage their SMI and DM. Qualitative evidence supports structured training for SMI-DM peer educators. Key components include written educational materials and the power of the group process to increase knowledge, self-management skills, confidence, and self-efficacy. Recommendations are offered to support further endeavours to mobilize peers with SMI to help other patients with complex comorbidities better self-manage their own health. PMID:24703014

Nurse manager perspective of staff participation in unit level shared governance.

PubMed

Cox Sullivan, Sheila; Norris, Mitzi R; Brown, Lana M; Scott, Karen J

2017-11-01

To examine the nurse manager perspective surrounding implementation of unit level shared governance in one Veterans Health Administration facility. Nursing shared governance is a formal model allowing nursing staff decision-making input into clinical practice, quality improvement, evidence-based practice and staff professional development. Unit level shared governance is a management process where decision authority is delegated to nursing staff at the unit level. Convenience sampling was used to recruit ten nurse managers who participated in face-to-face semi-structured interviews. Data were analysed using content analysis and constant comparison techniques. Demographic data were described using descriptive statistics. The participants included seven female and three male nurse managers with seven Caucasian and three African American. Participant quotes were clustered to identify sub-themes that were then grouped into four global themes to describe unit level shared governance. The global themes were: (1) motivation, (2) demotivation, (3) recommendations for success, and (4) outcomes. These research findings resonate with previous studies that shared governance may be associated with increased nurse empowerment, self-management, engagement, and satisfaction. These findings reflect the need for nurse managers to promote and recognize staff participation in unit level shared governance. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Medical Oversight, Educational Core Content, and Proposed Scopes of Practice of Wilderness EMS Providers: A Joint Project Developed by Wilderness EMS Educators, Medical Directors, and Regulators Using a Delphi Approach.

PubMed

Millin, Michael G; Johnson, David E; Schimelpfenig, Tod; Conover, Keith; Sholl, Matthew; Busko, Jonnathan; Alter, Rachael; Smith, Will; Symonds, Jennifer; Taillac, Peter; Hawkins, Seth C

2017-01-01

A disparity exists between the skills needed to manage patients in wilderness EMS environments and the scopes of practice that are traditionally approved by state EMS regulators. In response, the National Association of EMS Physicians Wilderness EMS Committee led a project to define the educational core content supporting scopes of practice of wilderness EMS providers and the conditions when wilderness EMS providers should be required to have medical oversight. Using a Delphi process, a group of experts in wilderness EMS, representing educators, medical directors, and regulators, developed model educational core content. This core content is a foundation for wilderness EMS provider scopes of practice and builds on both the National EMS Education Standards and the National EMS Scope of Practice Model. These experts also identified the conditions when oversight is needed for wilderness EMS providers. By consensus, this group of experts identified the educational core content for four unique levels of wilderness EMS providers: Wilderness Emergency Medical Responder (WEMR), Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician (WEMT), Wilderness Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (WAEMT), and Wilderness Paramedic (WParamedic). These levels include specialized skills and techniques pertinent to the operational environment. The skills and techniques increase in complexity with more advanced certification levels, and address the unique circumstances of providing care to patients in the wilderness environment. Furthermore, this group identified that providers having a defined duty to act should be functioning with medical oversight. This group of experts defined the educational core content supporting the specific scopes of practice that each certification level of wilderness EMS provider should have when providing patient care in the wilderness setting. Wilderness EMS providers are, indeed, providing health care and should thus function within defined scopes of practice and with physician medical director oversight.

Tokyo Guidelines 2018: management strategies for gallbladder drainage in patients with acute cholecystitis (with videos).

PubMed

Mori, Yasuhisa; Itoi, Takao; Baron, Todd H; Takada, Tadahiro; Strasberg, Steven M; Pitt, Henry A; Ukai, Tomohiko; Shikata, Satoru; Noguchi, Yoshinori; Teoh, Anthony Yuen Bun; Kim, Myung-Hwan; Asbun, Horacio J; Endo, Itaru; Yokoe, Masamichi; Miura, Fumihiko; Okamoto, Kohji; Suzuki, Kenji; Umezawa, Akiko; Iwashita, Yukio; Hibi, Taizo; Wakabayashi, Go; Han, Ho-Seong; Yoon, Yoo-Seok; Choi, In-Seok; Hwang, Tsann-Long; Chen, Miin-Fu; Garden, O James; Singh, Harjit; Liau, Kui-Hin; Huang, Wayne Shih-Wei; Gouma, Dirk J; Belli, Giulio; Dervenis, Christos; de Santibañes, Eduardo; Giménez, Mariano Eduardo; Windsor, John A; Lau, Wan Yee; Cherqui, Daniel; Jagannath, Palepu; Supe, Avinash Nivritti; Liu, Keng-Hao; Su, Cheng-Hsi; Deziel, Daniel J; Chen, Xiao-Ping; Fan, Sheung Tat; Ker, Chen-Guo; Jonas, Eduard; Padbury, Robert; Mukai, Shuntaro; Honda, Goro; Sugioka, Atsushi; Asai, Koji; Higuchi, Ryota; Wada, Keita; Yoshida, Masahiro; Mayumi, Toshihiko; Hirata, Koichi; Sumiyama, Yoshinobu; Inui, Kazuo; Yamamoto, Masakazu

2018-01-01

Since the publication of the Tokyo Guidelines in 2007 and their revision in 2013, appropriate management for acute cholecystitis has been more clearly established. Since the last revision, several manuscripts, especially for alternative endoscopic techniques, have been reported; therefore, additional evaluation and refinement of the 2013 Guidelines is required. We describe a standard drainage method for surgically high-risk patients with acute cholecystitis and the latest developed endoscopic gallbladder drainage techniques described in the updated Tokyo Guidelines 2018 (TG18). Our study confirmed that percutaneous transhepatic gallbladder drainage should be considered the first alternative to surgical intervention in surgically high-risk patients with acute cholecystitis. Also, endoscopic transpapillary gallbladder drainage or endoscopic ultrasound-guided gallbladder drainage can be considered in high-volume institutes by skilled endoscopists. In the endoscopic transpapillary approach, either endoscopic naso-gallbladder drainage or gallbladder stenting can be considered for gallbladder drainage. We also introduce special techniques and the latest outcomes of endoscopic ultrasound-guided gallbladder drainage studies. Free full articles and mobile app of TG18 are available at: http://www.jshbps.jp/modules/en/index.php?content_id=47. Related clinical questions and references are also included. © 2017 Japanese Society of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery.

Evaluating the Theoretical Content of Online Physical Activity Information for People with Multiple Sclerosis

PubMed Central

Baillie, Colin P.T.; Galaviz, Karla; Jarvis, Jocelyn W.; Latimer-Cheung, Amy E.

2015-01-01

Background: Physical activity can aid people with multiple sclerosis (MS) in managing symptoms and maintaining functional abilities. The Internet is a preferred source of physical activity information for people with MS and, therefore, a method for the dissemination of behavior change techniques. The purpose of this study was to examine the coverage and quality of physical activity behavior change techniques delivered on the Internet for adults with MS using Abraham and Michie's taxonomy of behavior change techniques. Methods: Using the taxonomy, 20 websites were coded for quality (ie, accuracy of information) and coverage (ie, completeness of information) of theoretical behavior change techniques. Results: Results indicated that most websites covered a mean of 8.05 (SD 3.86, range 3–16) techniques out of a possible 20. Only one of the techniques, provide information on behavior–health link and consequences, was delivered on all websites. The websites demonstrated low mean coverage and quality across all behavior change techniques, with means of 0.64 (SD 0.67) and 0.62 (SD 0.37) on a scale of 0 to 2, respectively. However, coverage and quality improved when websites were examined solely for the techniques that they covered, as opposed to all 20 techniques. Conclusions: This study, which examined quality and coverage of physical activity behavior change techniques described online for people with MS, illustrated that the dissemination of these techniques requires improvement. PMID:25892979

Polyphenolic Content, Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities of Vernonia mespilifolia Less. Used in Folk Medicine in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

PubMed Central

Afolayan, Anthony Jide

2018-01-01

Vernonia mespilifolia Less. is a shrub of the Asteraceae family used in the South African traditional medicine system for the management of weight loss, hypertension, and heartwater disease. There is a need for scientific evaluation to validate its ethnomedicinal usage. In vitro assays were conducted to evaluate the polyphenolic content, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of different solvent extracts (acetone, aqueous, and ethanol) of the whole plant of Vernonia mespilifolia spectrophotometric and agar dilution techniques, respectively. The result revealed varying amounts of polyphenolics in the different solvent extracts corresponding to the antioxidant activities. Also, only the acetone and ethanol extracts inhibited the growth of the selected bacteria and fungi. These findings reveal that the extracts have strong bioactive compounds and hence support its ethnomedicinal application. PMID:29756461

Feasibility study of determination of high-fructose syrup content of Acacia honey by terahertz technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Wen; Zhang, Yuying; Han, Donghai

2016-11-01

The authenticity problem of honey with difficult identification and great economic value highlights the certain limitations of the existing examination methods to distinguish the inauthentic honey. Terahertz technique is sensitive to water and has abundant information about saccharides' intermolecular interactions . This paper is tried to determine high-fructose-syrup content of Acacia honey by terahertz technique combined with chemometric methods. RMSEC and RMSEP of PLS model was 0.0967 and 0.108, respectively, confirming the reliability of the technique. This work shows that it was possible to determine high-fructose-syrup content of Acacia honey by terahertz technique.

Quantitative Fissile Assay In Used Fuel Using LSDS System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, YongDeok; Jeon, Ju Young; Park, Chang-Je

2017-09-01

A quantitative assay of isotopic fissile materials (U235, Pu239, Pu241) was done at Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI), using lead slowing down spectrometer (LSDS). The optimum design of LSDS was performed based on economics, easy maintenance and assay effectiveness. LSDS system consists of spectrometer, neutron source, detection and control. LSDS system induces fissile fission and fast neutrons are collected at fission chamber. The detected signal has a direct relation to the mass of existing fissile isotopes. Many current commercial assay technologies have a limitation in direct application on isotopic fissile assay of spent fuel, except chemical analysis. In the designed system, the fissile assay model was setup and the correction factor for self-shield was obtained. The isotopic fissile content assay was performed by changing the content of Pu239. Based on the fuel rod, the isotopic content was consistent with 2% uncertainty for Pu239. By applying the covering (neutron absorber), the effective shielding was obtained and the activation was calculated on the target. From the assay evaluation, LSDS technique is very powerful and direct to analyze the isotopic fissile content. LSDS is applicable for nuclear fuel cycle and spent fuel management for safety and economics. Additionally, an accurate fissile content will contribute to the international transparency and credibility on spent fuel.

A Structural and Content-Based Analysis for Web Filtering.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, P. Y.; Hui, S. C.; Fong, A. C. M.

2003-01-01

Presents an analysis of the distinguishing features of pornographic Web pages so that effective filtering techniques can be developed. Surveys the existing techniques for Web content filtering and describes the implementation of a Web content filtering system that uses an artificial neural network. (Author/LRW)

Pomegranate extract exhibits in vitro activity against Clostridium difficile.

PubMed

Finegold, Sydney M; Summanen, Paula H; Corbett, Karen; Downes, Julia; Henning, Susanne M; Li, Zhaoping

2014-10-01

To determine the possible utility of pomegranate extract in the management or prevention of Clostridium difficile infections or colonization. The activity of pomegranate was tested against 29 clinical C. difficile isolates using the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute-approved agar dilution technique. Total phenolics content of the pomegranate extract was determined by Folin-Ciocalteau colorimetric method and final concentrations of 6.25 to 400 μg/mL gallic acid equivalent were achieved in the agar. All strains had MICs at 12.5 to 25 mg/mL gallic acid equivalent range. Our results suggest antimicrobial in vitro activity for pomegranate extract against toxigenic C. difficile. Pomegranate extract may be a useful contributor to the management and prevention of C. difficile disease or colonization. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Moisture determination in composite materials using positron lifetime techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Singh, J. J.; Holt, W. R.; Mock, W., Jr.

1980-01-01

A technique was developed which has the potential of providing information on the moisture content as well as its depth in the specimen. This technique was based on the dependence of positron lifetime on the moisture content of the composite specimen. The positron lifetime technique of moisture determination and the results of the initial studies are described.

Assessing Morphological and Physiological Properties of Forest Species Using High Throughput Plant Phenotyping and Imaging Techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mazis, A.; Hiller, J.; Morgan, P.; Awada, T.; Stoerger, V.

2017-12-01

High throughput plant phenotyping is increasingly being used to assess morphological and biophysical traits of economically important crops in agriculture. In this study, the potential application of this technique in natural resources management, through the characterization of woody plants regeneration, establishment, growth, and responses to water and nutrient manipulations was assessed. Two woody species were selected for this study, Quercus prinoides and Quercus bicolor. Seeds were collected from trees growing at the edge of their natural distribution in Nebraska and Missouri, USA. Seeds were germinated in the greenhouse and transferred to the Nebraska Innovation Campus Lemnatec3D High Throughput facility at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Seedlings subjected to water and N manipulations, were imaged twice or three times a week using four cameras (Visible, Fluorescence, Infrared and Hyperspectral), throughout the growing season. Traditional leaf to plant levels ecophysiological measurements were concurrently acquired to assess the relationship between these two techniques. These include gas exchange (LI 6400 and LI 6800, LICOR Inc., Lincoln NE), chlorophyll content, optical characteristics (Ocean Optics USB200), water and osmotic potentials, leaf area and weight and carbon isotope ratio. In the presentation, we highlight results on the potential use of high throughput plant phenotyping techniques to assess the morphology and physiology of woody species including responses to water availability and nutrient manipulation, and its broader application under field conditions and natural resources management. Also, we explore the different capabilities imaging provides us for modeling the plant physiological and morphological growth and how it can complement the current techniques

Goal-setting in diabetes self-management: A systematic review and meta-analysis examining content and effectiveness of goal-setting interventions.

PubMed

Fredrix, Milou; McSharry, Jenny; Flannery, Caragh; Dinneen, Sean; Byrne, Molly

2018-03-02

Goal-setting is recommended and widely used within diabetes self-management programmes. However, empirical evidence around its effectiveness lacks clarity. This review aims to evaluate the effectiveness of goal-setting interventions on diabetes outcomes and to determine which behaviour change techniques (BCTs) are frequently used within these interventions. A systematic search identified 14 studies, describing 12 interventions targeting diabetic-control which incorporated goal-setting as the main intervention strategy. Study characteristics, outcome measures and effect sizes of the included studies were extracted and checked by two authors. The BCT taxonomy v1 was used to identify intervention content. Meta-analyses were conducted to assess intervention effects on the primary outcome of average blood glucose levels (HbA1c) and on body-weight. Psycho-social and behavioural outcomes were summarised in narrative syntheses. Significant post-intervention improvements in HbA1C were found (-.22, 95% CI, -.40, -.04) across studies. No other main effects were identified. The BCT 'goal-setting (behaviour)' was most frequently implemented and was identified in 84% of the interventions. Goal-setting interventions appear to be associated with reduced HbA1C levels. However, the low numbers of studies identified and the risk biases across studies suggest more research is needed to further explore goal-setting BCTs in diabetes self-management.

Impact of a Revised Curriculum Focusing on Clinical Neurology and Musculoskeletal Care on a Required Fourth-Year Medical Student Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clerkship

PubMed Central

Faulk, Clinton E.; Harrell, Kelly M.; Lawson, Luan E.; Moore, Daniel P.

2016-01-01

Background. A Required Fourth-Year Medical Student Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) Clerkship was found to increase students' knowledge of PM&R; however the students' overall rotation evaluations were consistently lower than the other 8 required clerkships at the medical school. Objective. To describe the impact of a revised curriculum based upon Entrustable Professional Activities and focusing on basic pain management, musculoskeletal care, and neurology. Setting. Academic Medical Center. Participants. 73 fourth-year medical students. Methods. The curriculum changes included a shift in the required readings from rehabilitation specific topics toward more general content in the areas of clinical neurology and musculoskeletal care. Hands-on workshops on neurological and musculoskeletal physical examination techniques, small group case-based learning, an anatomy clinical correlation lecture, and a lecture on pain management were integrated into the curriculum. Main Outcome Measurements. Student evaluations of the clerkship. Results. Statistically significant improvements were found in the students' evaluations of usefulness of lecturers, development of patient interviewing skills, and diagnostic and patient management skills (p ≤ 0.05). Conclusions. This study suggests that students have a greater satisfaction with a required PM&R clerkship when lecturers utilize a variety of pedagogic methods to teach basic pain, neurology and musculoskeletal care skills in the rehabilitation setting rather than rehabilitation specific content. PMID:28025624

Impact of a Revised Curriculum Focusing on Clinical Neurology and Musculoskeletal Care on a Required Fourth-Year Medical Student Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clerkship.

PubMed

Norbury, John W; Faulk, Clinton E; Harrell, Kelly M; Lawson, Luan E; Moore, Daniel P

2016-01-01

Background . A Required Fourth-Year Medical Student Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) Clerkship was found to increase students' knowledge of PM&R; however the students' overall rotation evaluations were consistently lower than the other 8 required clerkships at the medical school. Objective . To describe the impact of a revised curriculum based upon Entrustable Professional Activities and focusing on basic pain management, musculoskeletal care, and neurology. Setting . Academic Medical Center. Participants . 73 fourth-year medical students. Methods . The curriculum changes included a shift in the required readings from rehabilitation specific topics toward more general content in the areas of clinical neurology and musculoskeletal care. Hands-on workshops on neurological and musculoskeletal physical examination techniques, small group case-based learning, an anatomy clinical correlation lecture, and a lecture on pain management were integrated into the curriculum. Main Outcome Measurements . Student evaluations of the clerkship. Results . Statistically significant improvements were found in the students' evaluations of usefulness of lecturers, development of patient interviewing skills, and diagnostic and patient management skills ( p ≤ 0.05). Conclusions . This study suggests that students have a greater satisfaction with a required PM&R clerkship when lecturers utilize a variety of pedagogic methods to teach basic pain, neurology and musculoskeletal care skills in the rehabilitation setting rather than rehabilitation specific content.

Environmental and socioeconomic benefits and limitations of water harvesting techniques in semiarid regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Díaz-Pereira, Elvira; Asunción Romero-Díaz, María; de Vente, Joris

2016-04-01

Under climate change, sustainable management of soil and water resources is increasingly important, especially in rainfed agroecosystems of semiarid environments. Water harvesting refers to a range of techniques for the collection and management of flood or rainwater for domestic and agricultural use and for water retention in natural ecosystems. Water harvesting represents a good example of sustainable management of water resources that contribute to water and food security. However, there are often environmental and socioeconomic constraints for implementation of water harvesting techniques, so each condition asks for a specific solution. Here we aim to highlight the environmental and socioeconomic benefits, requirements and limitations of different water harvesting techniques and to characterize their implications for provisioning, regulating, supporting, and cultural ecosystem services. We reviewed 62 water harvesting techniques for semiarid regions extracted from the WOCAT (World Overview of Conservation Approaches and Technologies) database. We discuss aspects related to: i) human and environmental characteristics, ii) cost-benefit ratio during implementation and maintenance phases, iii) socioeconomic and environmental impacts at local and regional scales, and, iv) impacts on ecosystem services. Our review reveals that water harvesting represents very diverse methods of collecting and managing floodwaters and surface runoff. We grouped techniques as 'floodwater harvesting', 'macro-catchment water harvesting', 'micro-catchment water harvesting', and 'rooftop and courtyard' water harvesting. Almost half of all technologies originates from traditional knowledge. The implementation of water harvesting is generally positive on the short-term, to very positive on the long-term, while its maintenance is very positive at short and long-term. However, perception depends on the type of water harvesting and local conditions. Most relevant socioeconomic benefits from water harvesting are increased crop yield and farm income. Their implementation also leads to an improved food security and knowledge of soil erosion and conservation and to strengthening of social networks. Their main environmental benefits include an increased soil moisture content and water availability, reduced soil loss and reduced downstream flooding and siltation. These impacts have positive implications for a range of regulating (flood control), provisioning (food production), supporting (nutrient cycling) and cultural (aesthetic value) ecosystem services. Despite their many perceived potential benefits, the main constraints for local implementation of water harvesting techniques are due to labour constraints, implementation costs and the loss of productive land. This highlights the need for political solutions including incentives for implementation for most effective water harvesting techniques adapted to local environmental and socioeconomic conditions.

Specifying content and mechanisms of change in interventions to change professionals' practice: an illustration from the Good Goals study in occupational therapy.

PubMed

Kolehmainen, Niina; Francis, Jill J

2012-10-18

It is widely agreed that interventions to change professionals' practice need to be clearly specified. This involves (1) selecting and defining the intervention techniques, (2) operationalising the techniques and deciding their delivery, and (3) formulating hypotheses about the mechanisms through which the techniques are thought to result in change. Descriptions of methods to achieve these objectives are limited. This paper reports methods and illustrates outputs from a study to meet these objectives, specifically from the Good Goals study to improve occupational therapists' caseload management practice. (1) Behaviour change techniques were identified and selected from an existing matrix that maps techniques to determinants. An existing coding manual was used to define the techniques. (2) A team of occupational therapists generated context-relevant, acceptable modes of delivery for the techniques; these data were compared and contrasted with previously collected data, literature on caseload management, and the aims of the intervention. (3) Hypotheses about the mechanisms of change were formulated by drawing on the matrix and on theories of behaviour change. (1) Eight behaviour change techniques were selected: goal specified; self-monitoring; contract; graded tasks; increasing skills (problem solving, decision making, goal setting); coping skills; rehearsal of relevant skills; social processes of encouragement, support, and pressure; demonstration by others; and feedback. (2) A range of modes of delivery were generated (e.g., graded tasks' consisting of series of clinical cases and situations that become increasingly difficult). Conditions for acceptable delivery were identified (e.g., 'self-monitoring' was acceptable only if delivered at team level). The modes of delivery were specified as face-to-face training, task sheets, group tasks, DVDs, and team-based weekly meetings. (3) The eight techniques were hypothesized to target caseload management practice through eleven mediating variables. Three domains were hypothesized to be most likely to change: beliefs about capabilities, motivation and goals, and behavioural regulation. The project provides an exemplar of a systematic and reportable development of a quality-improvement intervention, with its methods likely to be applicable to other projects. A subsequent study of the intervention has provided early indication that use of systematic methods to specify interventions may help to maximize acceptability and effectiveness.

Design for learning - a case study of blended learning in a science unit.

PubMed

Gleadow, Roslyn; Macfarlan, Barbara; Honeydew, Melissa

2015-01-01

Making material available through learning management systems is standard practice in most universities, but this is generally seen as an adjunct to the 'real' teaching, that takes place in face-to-face classes. Lecture attendance is poor, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to engage students, both in the material being taught and campus life. This paper describes the redevelopment of a large course in scientific practice and communication that is compulsory for all science students studying at our Melbourne and Malaysian campuses, or by distance education. Working with an educational designer, a blended learning methodology was developed, converting the environment provided by the learning management system into a teaching space, rather than a filing system. To ensure focus, topics are clustered into themes with a 'question of the week', a pre-class stimulus and follow up activities. The content of the course did not change, but by restructuring the delivery using educationally relevant design techniques, the content was contextualised resulting in an integrated learning experience. Students are more engaged intellectually, and lecture attendance has improved. The approach we describe here is a simple and effective approach to bringing this university's teaching and learning into the 21 (st) century.

Incorrectly Interpreting the Carbon Mass Balance Technique Leads to Biased Emissions Estimates from Global Vegetation Fires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Surawski, N. C.; Sullivan, A. L.; Roxburgh, S. H.; Meyer, M.; Polglase, P. J.

2016-12-01

Vegetation fires are a complex phenomenon and have a range of global impacts including influences on climate. Even though fire is a necessary disturbance for the maintenance of some ecosystems, a range of anthropogenically deleterious consequences are associated with it, such as damage to assets and infrastructure, loss of life, as well as degradation to air quality leading to negative impacts on human health. Estimating carbon emissions from fire relies on a carbon mass balance technique which has evolved with two different interpretations in the fire emissions community. Databases reporting global fire emissions estimates use an approach based on `consumed biomass' which is an approximation to the biogeochemically correct `burnt carbon' approach. Disagreement between the two methods occurs because the `consumed biomass' accounting technique assumes that all burnt carbon is volatilized and emitted. By undertaking a global review of the fraction of burnt carbon emitted to the atmosphere, we show that the `consumed biomass' accounting approach overestimates global carbon emissions by 4.0%, or 100 Teragrams, annually. The required correction is significant and represents 9% of the net global forest carbon sink estimated annually. To correctly partition burnt carbon between that emitted to the atmosphere and that remaining as a post-fire residue requires the post-burn carbon content to be estimated, which is quite often not undertaken in atmospheric emissions studies. To broaden our understanding of ecosystem carbon fluxes, it is recommended that the change in carbon content associated with burnt residues be accounted for. Apart from correctly partitioning burnt carbon between the emitted and residue pools, it enables an accounting approach which can assess the efficacy of fire management operations targeted at sequestering carbon from fire. These findings are particularly relevant for the second commitment period for the Kyoto protocol, since improved landscape fire management can now be accounted for in the land use and forestry sector.

Influence of three different concentration techniques on evaporation rate, color and phenolics content of blueberry juice.

PubMed

Elik, Aysel; Yanık, Derya Koçak; Maskan, Medeni; Göğüş, Fahrettin

2016-05-01

The present study was undertaken to assess the effects of three different concentration processes open-pan, rotary vacuum evaporator and microwave heating on evaporation rate, the color and phenolics content of blueberry juice. Kinetics model study for changes in soluble solids content (°Brix), color parameters and phenolics content during evaporation was also performed. The final juice concentration of 65° Brix was achieved in 12, 15, 45 and 77 min, for microwave at 250 and 200 W, rotary vacuum and open-pan evaporation processes, respectively. Color changes associated with heat treatment were monitored using Hunter colorimeter (L*, a* and b*). All Hunter color parameters decreased with time and dependently studied concentration techniques caused color degradation. It was observed that the severity of color loss was higher in open-pan technique than the others. Evaporation also affected total phenolics content in blueberry juice. Total phenolics loss during concentration was highest in open-pan technique (36.54 %) and lowest in microwave heating at 200 W (34.20 %). So, the use of microwave technique could be advantageous in food industry because of production of blueberry juice concentrate with a better quality and short time of operation. A first-order kinetics model was applied to modeling changes in soluble solids content. A zero-order kinetics model was used to modeling changes in color parameters and phenolics content.

RF Microalgal lipid content characterization

PubMed Central

Ahmad, Mahmoud Al; Al-Zuhair, Sulaiman; Taher, Hanifa; Hilal-Alnaqbi, Ali

2014-01-01

Most conventional techniques for the determination of microalgae lipid content are time consuming and in most cases are indirect and require excessive sample preparations. This work presents a new technique that utilizes radio frequency (RF) for rapid lipid quantification, without the need for sample preparation. Tests showed that a shift in the resonance frequency of a RF open-ended coaxial resonator and a gradual increase in its resonance magnitude may occur as the lipids content of microalgae cells increases. These response parameters can be then calibrated against actual cellular lipid contents and used for rapid determination of the cellular lipids. The average duration of lipid quantification using the proposed technique was of about 1 minute, which is significantly less than all other conventional techniques, and was achieved without the need for any time consuming treatment steps. PMID:24870372

Using a competency-based approach to identify the management behaviours required to manage workplace stress in nursing: a critical incident study.

PubMed

Lewis, Rachel; Yarker, Joanna; Donaldson-Feilder, Emma; Flaxman, Paul; Munir, Fehmidah

2010-03-01

To identify the specific management behaviours associated with the effective management of stress in nursing; and to build a stress management competency framework that can be integrated and compared with nurse management frameworks. Workplace stress is a significant problem in healthcare, especially within nursing. While there is a reasonable consensus regarding the sources of stress and its impact on health and well-being, little is known about the specific line manager behaviours that are associated with the effective and ineffective management of stress. Semi-structured interviews using critical incident technique were conducted with 41 employees working within 5 National Health Service (NHS) trusts within the United Kingdom. Data were transcribed and analysed using content analysis. 19 competencies (or sets of behaviour) were identified in the management of stress in employees. The 3 most frequently reported competencies: managing workload and resources, individual consideration and participative approach, are discussed in detail with illustrative quotes. Managers are vital in the reduction and management of stress at work. Importantly, the 2 of the 3 dominant competencies, managing workload and resources and individual consideration, do not feature in the UK's NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework, suggesting there are important skills gaps with regard to managing workplace stress. The implications of this approach for training and development, performance appraisal and assessment are discussed. Interventions to support managers develop effective behaviours are required to help reduce and manage stress at work. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

41 CFR 101-6.213-6 - Content of orders.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 2 2011-07-01 2007-07-01 true Content of orders. 101-6.213-6 Section 101-6.213-6 Public Contracts and Property Management Federal Property Management Regulations System FEDERAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT REGULATIONS GENERAL 6-MISCELLANEOUS REGULATIONS 6.2...

Soil properties impacting denitrifier community size, structure, and activity in New Zealand dairy-grazed pasture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jha, Neha; Saggar, Surinder; Giltrap, Donna; Tillman, Russ; Deslippe, Julie

2017-09-01

Denitrification is an anaerobic respiration process that is the primary contributor of the nitrous oxide (N2O) produced from grassland soils. Our objective was to gain insight into the relationships between denitrifier community size, structure, and activity for a range of pasture soils. We collected 10 dairy pasture soils with contrasting soil textures, drainage classes, management strategies (effluent irrigation or non-irrigation), and geographic locations in New Zealand, and measured their physicochemical characteristics. We measured denitrifier abundance by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and assessed denitrifier diversity and community structure by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) of the nitrite reductase (nirS, nirK) and N2O reductase (nosZ) genes. We quantified denitrifier enzyme activity (DEA) using an acetylene inhibition technique. We investigated whether varied soil conditions lead to different denitrifier communities in soils, and if so, whether they are associated with different denitrification activities and are likely to generate different N2O emissions. Differences in the physicochemical characteristics of the soils were driven mainly by soil mineralogy and the management practices of the farms. We found that nirS and nirK communities were strongly structured along gradients of soil water and phosphorus (P) contents. By contrast, the size and structure of the nosZ community was unrelated to any of the measured soil characteristics. In soils with high water content, the richnesses and abundances of nirS, nirK, and nosZ genes were all significantly positively correlated with DEA. Our data suggest that management strategies to limit N2O emissions through denitrification are likely to be most important for dairy farms on fertile or allophanic soils during wetter periods. Finally, our data suggest that new techniques that would selectively target nirS denitrifiers may be the most effective for limiting N2O emissions through denitrification across a wide range of soil types.

Skull base trauma: diagnosis and management.

PubMed

Samii, Madjid; Tatagiba, Marcos

2002-03-01

The singular anatomical relationship of the base of the skull is responsible for the particular problems that may arise after injury. Extensive dural laceration and severe neurovascular damage may accompany skull base injuries. Trauma to the anterior skull base is frequently related to the paranasal sinuses, and trauma to the middle and the posterior skull base usually affects the petrous bone. Injury to the anterior fossa including the paranasal sinuses may produce CSF leakage, damage the olfactory nerves, optic nerves, and orbita contents. Fractures may affect the carotid canal, injure the internal carotid artery and result in carotid-cavernous fistula. Trauma to the petrous bone may cause facial palsy and deafness, and CSF leakage with otorrhoea or paradoxal rhinoliquorrhoea. Trauma to the posterior fossa may lacerate the major venous sinuses, and affect the cranio-cervical stability. Each one of these injuries will need a particular strategy. Decision making for management as a whole must consider all aspects, including the fact that these injuries frequently involve polytraumatized patients. Decisions regarding the timing of surgery and the sequence of the surgical procedures must be made with great care. Modern surgical techniques and recent technologies including functional preservation of the olfactory nerves in frontobasal trauma, visual evoked potentials, assisted optic nerve decompression, facial nerve reconstruction, interventional technique for intravascular repair of vascular injuries, and recent developments in cochlea implants and brain stem implants, all contributed significantly to improve outcome and enhance the quality of life of patients. This article reviews basic principles of management of skull base trauma stressing the role of these advanced techniques.

Hidden values in bauxite residue (red mud): Recovery of metals

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

Liu, Yanju; Naidu, Ravi, E-mail: ravi.naidu@unisa.edu.au

Highlights: • Current iron recovery techniques using red mud are depicted. • Advantages and disadvantages exist in different recovering processes. • Economic and environmental friendly integrated usage of red mud is promising. - Abstract: Bauxite residue (red mud) is a hazardous waste generated from alumina refining industries. Unless managed properly, red mud poses significant risks to the local environment due to its extreme alkalinity and its potential impacts on surface and ground water quality. The ever-increasing generation of red mud poses significant challenges to the aluminium industries from management perspectives given the low proportion that are currently being utilized beneficially.more » Red mud, in most cases, contains elevated concentrations of iron in addition to aluminium, titanium, sodium and valuable rare earth elements. Given the scarcity of iron supply globally, the iron content of red mud has attracted increasing research interest. This paper presents a critical overview of the current techniques employed for iron recovery from red mud. Information on the recovery of other valuable metals is also reviewed to provide an insight into the full potential usage of red mud as an economic resource rather than a waste. Traditional hydrometallurgy and pyrometallurgy are being investigated continuously. However, in this review several new techniques are introduced that consider the process of iron recovery from red mud. An integrated process which can achieve multiple additional values from red mud is much preferred over the single process methods. The information provided here should help to improve the future management and utilization of red mud.« less

Comparison of the Content of Web Sites of Higher Education Institutions Providing for Sports Management Education: The Case of Turkish and English Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Katirci, Hakan

2016-01-01

Considering various themes, this study aims to examine the content of web sites of universities that provide sports management education in higher education level in Turkey and in England. Within this framework, the websites of the higher education institutions that provide sports management education are analyzed by using the content analysis…

Developing Asthma-Friendly Childcare Centers with Online Training and Evaluation

PubMed Central

Nowakowski, Alexandra Catherine Hayes; Carretta, Henry Joseph; Pineda, Nicole; Dudley, Julie Kurlfink; Forrest, Jamie R.

2016-01-01

In 2011, the Florida Asthma Coalition (FAC) began offering its Asthma-Friendly Childcare Center (AFCC) training online. This course teaches childcare center employees the fundamentals of effective asthma management. It covers basic asthma physiology, ways to recognize asthma attacks, techniques to help children experiencing attacks, and strategies to create healthy environments for asthmatics. A team of health services researchers evaluated both years of the online training. Evaluators used a quasi-experimental design with pretest, posttest, and follow-up assessment. Questions measured knowledge gain and retention, user satisfaction, and implementation of management strategies. Over 650 people from nearly all 67 Florida counties took AFCC training online between 2011 and 2013. Test scores improved by a minimum of 11% points in all program years evaluated. Gains in both knowledge and confidence were substantial and highly significant across years. While individual trainees did forget some content on follow-up, they seemed to retain the specific messages most relevant for their own workplaces. Most trainees also planned to implement multiple management strategies recommended by the training. A large majority of participants rated the training as excellent on all quality metrics, including relevance of content and time efficiency of the online format. Nearly all respondents perceived the training as useful for both providing improved care and fulfilling licensure or certification requirements. Many participants also indicated that their centers would pursue formal certification as AFCCs via the program offered by FAC. The online AFCC course performed strongly in its first years, yielding both high participant satisfaction and substantial improvement in workplace asthma management activity. This training holds promise for introducing and improving multidimensional asthma management strategies at childcare facilities nationwide. PMID:27014676

Phosphorus Mobility in the Landscape: First Steps to Linking Hydrology and Microbiology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saia, S. M.; Walter, M. T.; Regan, J.

2011-12-01

Numerous resources are spent each year to control phosphorus (P) nonpoint source pollution around the world. Despite these efforts, high P levels in freshwater bodies are still a persistent issue. Eutrophication and subsequent algal bloom die-offs, brought about by excess P, can harm local economies as well as human and ecosystem health. To overcome this disconnect between nutrient management strategies and observed P concentrations, scientists must advance research beyond the physical and chemical mechanisms commonly included in P transport experiments. Microbiological techniques (e.g. PCR and flow cytometry) are making it easier to tease out the influence of specific microorganisms on nutrient transport. Polyphosphate accumulating organisms (PAOs) are often used in wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) to remove P from effluent water but have rarely been studied in natural settings. In this study, we combined field and laboratory column experiments to identifying the influence of changing water content and temperature on PAO-facilitated P mobility. In the field, we collected a gridded network of soil samples and measured the temperature, water content, and P concentrations (bioavailable and total P) for each. We also quantified PAO presence using qPCR techniques. In the lab, we added various concentrations of WWTP sludge (with PAO present) to autoclaved soils. We measured dissolved P concentrations in effluent water with respect to moisture content and temperature. Based on the results to these experiments, we hope to draw attention to the importance of microbiological controls on P mobility in freshwater ecosystems.

The Executive Woman: Rhetorical Visions in "Management Review," 1951-1981.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hanson, Gail

To examine the attitudes of management literature toward female managers, 27 articles published in "Management Review" between 1951 and 1981 were subjected to both content analysis and fantasy theme analysis with attention to dramatistic plot elements. Used to identify and categorize prominent themes, content analysis revealed three…

Trust evaluation in health information on the World Wide Web.

PubMed

Moturu, Sai T; Liu, Huan; Johnson, William G

2008-01-01

The impact of health information on the web is mounting and with the Health 2.0 revolution around the corner, online health promotion and management is becoming a reality. User-generated content is at the core of this revolution and brings to the fore the essential question of trust evaluation, a pertinent problem for health applications in particular. Evolving Web 2.0 health applications provide abundant opportunities for research. We identify these applications, discuss the challenges for trust assessment, characterize conceivable variables, list potential techniques for analysis, and provide a vision for future research.

[Evaluation of the methods for the determination of nitrites in baby foods according Mexican legislation].

PubMed

Morales Guerrero, Josefina C; García Zepeda, Rodrigo A; Flores Ruvalcaba, Edgar; Martínez Michel, Lorelei

2012-09-01

We evaluated the two methods accepted by the Mexican norm for the determination of nitritesin infant meat-based food with vegetables. We determined the content of nitrites in the infant food, raw materials as well as products from the intermediate stages of production. A reagent blank and a reference sample were included at each analytical run. In addition, we determined the sensitivity, recovery percentage and accuracy of each methodology. Infant food results indicated an important difference in the nitrite content determined under each methodology, due to the persistent presence of turbidity in the extracts. Different treatments were proposed to eliminate the turbidity, but these only managed to reduce it. The turbidity was attributed to carbohydrates which disclosed concentration exhibit a wide dispersion and were below the quantifiable limit under both methodologies; therefore it is not recommended to apply these techniques with food suspected to contain traces of nitrites.

Practical, Real-Time, and Robust Watermarking on the Spatial Domain for High-Definition Video Contents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Kyung-Su; Lee, Hae-Yeoun; Im, Dong-Hyuck; Lee, Heung-Kyu

Commercial markets employ digital right management (DRM) systems to protect valuable high-definition (HD) quality videos. DRM system uses watermarking to provide copyright protection and ownership authentication of multimedia contents. We propose a real-time video watermarking scheme for HD video in the uncompressed domain. Especially, our approach is in aspect of practical perspectives to satisfy perceptual quality, real-time processing, and robustness requirements. We simplify and optimize human visual system mask for real-time performance and also apply dithering technique for invisibility. Extensive experiments are performed to prove that the proposed scheme satisfies the invisibility, real-time processing, and robustness requirements against video processing attacks. We concentrate upon video processing attacks that commonly occur in HD quality videos to display on portable devices. These attacks include not only scaling and low bit-rate encoding, but also malicious attacks such as format conversion and frame rate change.

Structure and content components of self-management interventions that improve health-related quality of life in people with inflammatory bowel disease: a systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression.

PubMed

Tu, Wenjing; Xu, Guihua; Du, Shizheng

2015-10-01

The purpose of this review was to identify and categorise the components of the content and structure of effective self-management interventions for patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Inflammatory bowel diseases are chronic gastrointestinal disorders impacting health-related quality of life. Although the efficacy of self-management interventions has been demonstrated in previous studies, the most effective components of the content and structure of these interventions remain unknown. A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of randomised controlled trials was used. A systematic search of six electronic databases, including Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane central register of controlled trials, Web of Science, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, was conducted. Content analysis was used to categorise the components of the content and structure of effective self-management interventions for inflammatory bowel disease. Clinically important and statistically significant beneficial effects on health-related quality of life were explored, by comparing the association between effect sizes and various components of self-management interventions such as the presence or absence of specific content and different delivery methods. Fifteen randomised controlled trials were included in this review. Distance or remote self-management interventions demonstrated a larger effect size. However, there is no evidence for a positive effect associated with specific content component of self-management interventions in adult patients with inflammatory bowel disease in general. The results showed that self-management interventions have positive effects on health-related quality of life in patients with inflammatory bowel disease, and distance or remote self-management programmes had better outcomes than other types of interventions. This review provides useful information to clinician and researchers when determining components of effective self-management programmes for patients with inflammatory bowel disease. More high-quality randomised controlled trials are needed to test the results. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

[Learning strategies of autonomous medical students].

PubMed

Márquez U, Carolina; Fasce H, Eduardo; Ortega B, Javiera; Bustamante D, Carolina; Pérez V, Cristhian; Ibáñez G, Pilar; Ortiz M, Liliana; Espinoza P, Camila; Bastías V, Nancy

2015-12-01

Understanding how autonomous students are capable of regulating their own learning process is essential to develop self-directed teaching methods. To understand how self-directed medical students approach learning in medical schools at University of Concepción, Chile. A qualitative and descriptive study, performed according to Grounded Theory guidelines, following Strauss & Corbin was performed. Twenty medical students were selected by the maximum variation sampling method. The data collection technique was carried out by a semi-structured thematic interview. Students were interviewed by researchers after an informed consent procedure. Data were analyzed by the open coding method using Atlas-ti 7.5.2 software. Self-directed learners were characterized by being good planners and managing their time correctly. Students performed a diligent selection of contents to study based on reliable literature sources, theoretical relevance and type of evaluation. They also emphasized the discussion of clinical cases, where theoretical contents can be applied. This modality allows them to gain a global view of theoretical contents, to verbalize knowledge and to obtain a learning feedback. The learning process of autonomous students is intentional and planned.

The Burden of Care: Mothers’ Experiences of Children with Congenital Heart Disease

PubMed Central

Sabzevari, Sakinne; Nematollahi, Monirsadat; Mirzaei, Tayebeh; Ravari, Ali

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Background: Mothers play a key role in caring for their sick children. Their experiences of care were influenced by culture, rules, and the system of health and care services. There are few studies on maternal care of children with congenital heart disease. Also, each of them has studied a particular aspect of care. The present research aimed to understand care experiences of mothers of children with congenital heart disease. Methods: A conventional content analysis was used to obtain rich data. The goal of content analysis is “to provide knowledge and deeper understanding of the phenomenon under the study”. The study was conducted in Kerman, Iran in 2014, on mothers of children with CHD. The purposive sampling technique was used to select the participants. Participants were 14 mothers of children with CHD and one father and one nurse of open heart surgery unit, from two hospitals affiliated with Kerman University of Medical Sciences. Eighteen semi-structured interviews were constructed. Data were analyzed using conventional content analysis. MAXQDA 2007 software (VERBI GmbH, Berlin, Germany) was used to classify and manage the coding. Constant comparative method was done for data analysis. The reliability and validity of the findings, including the credibility, confirm ability, dependability, and transferability, were assessed. Results: According to the content analysis, the main theme was the catastrophic burden of child care on mothers that included three categories: 1) the tension resulting from the disease, 2) involvement with internal thoughts, and 3) difficulties of care process Conclusion: The results of this study may help health care professionals to provide supportive and educational packages to the patients, mothers and Family members until improving the management of patient’s care. PMID:27713900

The Burden of Care: Mothers' Experiences of Children with Congenital Heart Disease.

PubMed

Sabzevari, Sakinne; Nematollahi, Monirsadat; Mirzaei, Tayebeh; Ravari, Ali

2016-10-01

Mothers play a key role in caring for their sick children. Their experiences of care were influenced by culture, rules, and the system of health and care services. There are few studies on maternal care of children with congenital heart disease. Also, each of them has studied a particular aspect of care. The present research aimed to understand care experiences of mothers of children with congenital heart disease. A conventional content analysis was used to obtain rich data. The goal of content analysis is "to provide knowledge and deeper understanding of the phenomenon under the study". The study was conducted in Kerman, Iran in 2014, on mothers of children with CHD. The purposive sampling technique was used to select the participants. Participants were 14 mothers of children with CHD and one father and one nurse of open heart surgery unit, from two hospitals affiliated with Kerman University of Medical Sciences. Eighteen semi-structured interviews were constructed. Data were analyzed using conventional content analysis. MAXQDA 2007 software (VERBI GmbH, Berlin, Germany) was used to classify and manage the coding. Constant comparative method was done for data analysis. The reliability and validity of the findings, including the credibility, confirm ability, dependability, and transferability, were assessed. According to the content analysis, the main theme was the catastrophic burden of child care on mothers that included three categories: 1) the tension resulting from the disease, 2) involvement with internal thoughts, and 3) difficulties of care process. The results of this study may help health care professionals to provide supportive and educational packages to the patients, mothers and Family members until improving the management of patient's care.

Impact of food processing and detoxification treatments on mycotoxin contamination.

PubMed

Karlovsky, Petr; Suman, Michele; Berthiller, Franz; De Meester, Johan; Eisenbrand, Gerhard; Perrin, Irène; Oswald, Isabelle P; Speijers, Gerrit; Chiodini, Alessandro; Recker, Tobias; Dussort, Pierre

2016-11-01

Mycotoxins are fungal metabolites commonly occurring in food, which pose a health risk to the consumer. Maximum levels for major mycotoxins allowed in food have been established worldwide. Good agricultural practices, plant disease management, and adequate storage conditions limit mycotoxin levels in the food chain yet do not eliminate mycotoxins completely. Food processing can further reduce mycotoxin levels by physical removal and decontamination by chemical or enzymatic transformation of mycotoxins into less toxic products. Physical removal of mycotoxins is very efficient: manual sorting of grains, nuts, and fruits by farmers as well as automatic sorting by the industry significantly lowers the mean mycotoxin content. Further processing such as milling, steeping, and extrusion can also reduce mycotoxin content. Mycotoxins can be detoxified chemically by reacting with food components and technical aids; these reactions are facilitated by high temperature and alkaline or acidic conditions. Detoxification of mycotoxins can also be achieved enzymatically. Some enzymes able to transform mycotoxins naturally occur in food commodities or are produced during fermentation but more efficient detoxification can be achieved by deliberate introduction of purified enzymes. We recommend integrating evaluation of processing technologies for their impact on mycotoxins into risk management. Processing steps proven to mitigate mycotoxin contamination should be used whenever necessary. Development of detoxification technologies for high-risk commodities should be a priority for research. While physical techniques currently offer the most efficient post-harvest reduction of mycotoxin content in food, biotechnology possesses the largest potential for future developments.

Web Content Management and One EPA Web Factsheet

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

One EPA Web is a multi-year project to improve EPA’s website to better meet the needs of our Web visitors. Content is developed and managed in the WebCMS which supports One EPA Web goals by standardizing how we create and publish content.

78 FR 20087 - Privacy Act of 1974; Proposed New System of Records

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-03

... is comprised of two components--Enterprise Content Management (ECM) and the Account Management System (AMS). The heart of the system is the ECM component, which manages the workflows that were developed..., digital media, and/or CD-ROM. PAS is a customized module within USDA's Enterprise Content Management (ECM...

41 CFR 101-6.213-6 - Content of orders.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 2 2014-07-01 2012-07-01 true Content of orders. 101-6.213-6 Section 101-6.213-6 Public Contracts and Property Management Federal Property Management Regulations System FEDERAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT REGULATIONS GENERAL 6-MISCELLANEOUS REGULATIONS 6.2-Nondiscrimination in Programs Receiving Federal...

Renal and adrenal tumors: Pathology, radiology, ultrasonography, therapy, immunology

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

Lohr, E.; Leder, L.D.

1987-01-01

Aspects as diverse as radiology, pathology, urology, pediatrics and immunology have been brought together in one book. The most up-do-date methods of tumor diagnosis by CT, NMR, and ultrasound are covered, as are methods of catheter embolization and radiation techniques in case of primarily inoperable tumors. Contents: Pathology of Renal and Adrenal Neoplasms; Ultrasound Diagnosis of Renal and Pararenal Tumors; Computed-Body-Tomography of Renal Carcinoma and Perirenal Masses; Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Renal Mass Lesions; I-125 Embolotherapy of Renal Tumors; Adrenal Mass Lesions in Infants and Children; Computed Tomography of the Adrenal Glands; Scintigraphic Studies of Renal and Adrenal Function; Surgicalmore » Management of Renal Cell Carcinoma; Operative Therapy of Nephroblastoma; Nonoperative Treatment of Renal Cell Carcinoma; Prenatal Wilms' Tumor; Congenital Neuroblastoma; Nonsurgical Management of Wilms' Tumor; Immunologic Aspects of Malignant Renal Disease.« less

Gastrojejunostomy without partial gastrectomy to manage duodenal stenosis in a dog.

PubMed

Nel, Johannes J; du Plessis, Cornelius J; Coetzee, Gert L

2015-12-09

A nine-year-old female Rottweiler with a history of repeated gastrointestinal ulcerations and three previous surgical interventions related to gastrointestinal ulceration presented with symptoms of anorexia and intermittent vomiting. Benign gastric outflow obstruction was diagnosed in the proximal duodenal area. The initial surgical plan was to perform a pylorectomy with gastroduodenostomy (Billroth I procedure), but owing to substantial scar tissue and adhesions in the area a palliative gastrojejunostomy was performed. This procedure provided a bypass for the gastric contents into the proximal jejunum via the new stoma, yet still allowed bile and pancreatic secretions to flow normally via the patent duodenum. The gastrojejunostomy technique was successful in the surgical management of this case, which involved proximal duodenal stricture in the absence of neoplasia. Regular telephonic followup over the next 12 months confirmed that the patient was doing well.

Managing Loss and Change: Grief Interventions for Dementia Caregivers in a CBT-Based Trial.

PubMed

Meichsner, Franziska; Schinköthe, Denise; Wilz, Gabriele

2016-05-01

Dementia caregivers often experience loss and grief related to general caregiver burden, physical, and mental health problems. Through qualitative content analysis, this study analyzed intervention strategies applied by therapists in a randomized-controlled trial in Germany to assist caregivers in managing losses and associated emotions. Sequences from 61 therapy sessions that included interventions targeting grief, loss, and change were transcribed and analyzed. A category system was developed deductively, and the intercoder reliability was satisfactory. The identified grief intervention strategies were recognition and acceptance of loss and change,addressing future losses,normalization of grief, and redefinition of the relationship Therapists focused on identifying experienced losses, managing associated feelings, and fostering acceptance of these losses. A variety of cognitive-behavioral therapy-based techniques was applied with each strategy. The findings contribute to understanding how dementia caregivers can be supported in their experience of grief and facilitate the development of a manualized grief intervention. © The Author(s) 2015.

Aerospace management techniques: Commercial and governmental applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Milliken, J. G.; Morrison, E. J.

1971-01-01

A guidebook for managers and administrators is presented as a source of useful information on new management methods in business, industry, and government. The major topics discussed include: actual and potential applications of aerospace management techniques to commercial and governmental organizations; aerospace management techniques and their use within the aerospace sector; and the aerospace sector's application of innovative management techniques.

The structure and content of telephonic scripts found useful in a Medicaid Chronic Disease Management Program.

PubMed

Roth, Alexis M; Ackermann, Ronald T; Downs, Stephen M; Downs, Anne M; Zillich, Alan J; Holmes, Ann M; Katz, Barry P; Murray, Michael D; Inui, Thomas S

2010-06-01

In 2003, the Indiana Office of Medicaid Policy and Planning launched the Indiana Chronic Disease Management Program (ICDMP), a programme intended to improve the health and healthcare utilization of 15,000 Aged, Blind and Disabled Medicaid members living with diabetes and/or congestive heart failure in Indiana. Within ICDMP, programme components derived from the Chronic Care Model and education based on an integrated theoretical framework were utilized to create a telephonic care management intervention that was delivered by trained, non-clinical Care Managers (CMs) working under the supervision of a Registered Nurse. CMs utilized computer-assisted health education scripts to address clinically important topics, including medication adherence, diet, exercise and prevention of disease-specific complications. Employing reflective listening techniques, barriers to optimal self-management were assessed and members were encouraged to engage in health-improving actions. ICDMP evaluation results suggest that this low-intensity telephonic intervention shifted utilization and lowered costs. We discuss this patient-centred method for motivating behaviour change, the theoretical constructs underlying the scripts and the branched-logic format that makes them suitable to use as a computer-based application. Our aim is to share these public-domain materials with other programmes.

Cloudbus Toolkit for Market-Oriented Cloud Computing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buyya, Rajkumar; Pandey, Suraj; Vecchiola, Christian

This keynote paper: (1) presents the 21st century vision of computing and identifies various IT paradigms promising to deliver computing as a utility; (2) defines the architecture for creating market-oriented Clouds and computing atmosphere by leveraging technologies such as virtual machines; (3) provides thoughts on market-based resource management strategies that encompass both customer-driven service management and computational risk management to sustain SLA-oriented resource allocation; (4) presents the work carried out as part of our new Cloud Computing initiative, called Cloudbus: (i) Aneka, a Platform as a Service software system containing SDK (Software Development Kit) for construction of Cloud applications and deployment on private or public Clouds, in addition to supporting market-oriented resource management; (ii) internetworking of Clouds for dynamic creation of federated computing environments for scaling of elastic applications; (iii) creation of 3rd party Cloud brokering services for building content delivery networks and e-Science applications and their deployment on capabilities of IaaS providers such as Amazon along with Grid mashups; (iv) CloudSim supporting modelling and simulation of Clouds for performance studies; (v) Energy Efficient Resource Allocation Mechanisms and Techniques for creation and management of Green Clouds; and (vi) pathways for future research.

Can we improve the nutritional quality of meat?

PubMed

Scollan, Nigel D; Price, Eleri M; Morgan, Sarah A; Huws, Sharon A; Shingfield, Kevin J

2017-11-01

The nutritional value of meat is an increasingly important factor influencing consumer preferences for poultry, red meat and processed meat products. Intramuscular fat content and composition, in addition to high quality protein, trace minerals and vitamins are important determinants of nutritional value. Fat content of meat at retail has decreased substantially over the past 40 years through advances in animal genetics, nutrition and management and changes in processing techniques. Evidence of the association between diet and the incidence of human non-communicable diseases has driven an interest in developing production systems for lowering total SFA and trans fatty acid (TFA) content and enrichment of n-3 PUFA concentrations in meat and meat products. Typically, poultry and pork has a lower fat content, containing higher PUFA and lower TFA concentrations than lamb or beef. Animal genetics, nutrition and maturity, coupled with their rumen microbiome, are the main factors influencing tissue lipid content and relative proportions of SFA, MUFA and PUFA. Altering the fatty acid (FA) profile of lamb and beef is determined to a large extent by extensive plant and microbial lipolysis and subsequent microbial biohydrogenation of dietary lipid in the rumen, and one of the major reasons explaining the differences in lipid composition of meat from monogastrics and ruminants. Nutritional strategies can be used to align the fat content and FA composition of poultry, pork, lamb and beef with Public Health Guidelines for lowering the social and economic burden of chronic disease.

Information Technology Tools Analysis in Quantitative Courses of IT-Management (Case Study: M.Sc.-Tehran University)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eshlaghy, Abbas Toloie; Kaveh, Haydeh

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the most suitable ICT-based education and define the most suitable e-content creation tools for quantitative courses in the IT-management Masters program. ICT-based tools and technologies are divided in to three categories: the creation of e-content, the offering of e-content, and access to e-content. In…

Hidden values in bauxite residue (red mud): recovery of metals.

PubMed

Liu, Yanju; Naidu, Ravi

2014-12-01

Bauxite residue (red mud) is a hazardous waste generated from alumina refining industries. Unless managed properly, red mud poses significant risks to the local environment due to its extreme alkalinity and its potential impacts on surface and ground water quality. The ever-increasing generation of red mud poses significant challenges to the aluminium industries from management perspectives given the low proportion that are currently being utilized beneficially. Red mud, in most cases, contains elevated concentrations of iron in addition to aluminium, titanium, sodium and valuable rare earth elements. Given the scarcity of iron supply globally, the iron content of red mud has attracted increasing research interest. This paper presents a critical overview of the current techniques employed for iron recovery from red mud. Information on the recovery of other valuable metals is also reviewed to provide an insight into the full potential usage of red mud as an economic resource rather than a waste. Traditional hydrometallurgy and pyrometallurgy are being investigated continuously. However, in this review several new techniques are introduced that consider the process of iron recovery from red mud. An integrated process which can achieve multiple additional values from red mud is much preferred over the single process methods. The information provided here should help to improve the future management and utilization of red mud. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An Examination of Exposure Control and Content Balancing Restrictions on Item Selection in CATs Using the Partial Credit Model.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, Laurie Laughlin; Pastor, Dena A.; Dodd, Barbara G.; Chiang, Claire; Fitzpatrick, Steven J.

2003-01-01

Examined the effectiveness of the Sympson-Hetter technique and rotated content balancing relative to no exposure control and no content rotation conditions in a computerized adaptive testing system based on the partial credit model. Simulation results show the Sympson-Hetter technique can be used with minimal impact on measurement precision,…

Rainwater harvesting and management in rainfed agricultural systems in sub-Saharan Africa - A review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biazin, Birhanu; Sterk, Geert; Temesgen, Melesse; Abdulkedir, Abdu; Stroosnijder, Leo

Agricultural water scarcity in the predominantly rainfed agricultural system of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is more related to the variability of rainfall and excessive non-productive losses, than the total annual precipitation in the growing season. Less than 15% of the terrestrial precipitation takes the form of productive ‘green’ transpiration. Hence, rainwater harvesting and management (RWHM) technologies hold a significant potential for improving rainwater-use efficiency and sustaining rainfed agriculture in the region. This paper outlines the various RWHM techniques being practiced in SSA, and reviews recent research results on the performance of selected practices. So far, micro-catchment and in situ rainwater harvesting techniques are more common than rainwater irrigation techniques from macro-catchment systems. Depending on rainfall patterns and local soil characteristics, appropriate application of in situ and micro-catchment techniques could improve the soil water content of the rooting zone by up to 30%. Up to sixfold crop yields have been obtained through combinations of rainwater harvesting and fertiliser use, as compared to traditional practices. Supplemental irrigation of rainfed agriculture through rainwater harvesting not only reduces the risk of total crop failure due to dry spells, but also substantially improves water and crop productivity. Depending on the type of crop and the seasonal rainfall pattern, the application of RWHM techniques makes net profits more possible, compared to the meagre profit or net loss of existing systems. Implementation of rainwater harvesting may allow cereal-based smallholder farmers to shift to diversified crops, hence improving household food security, dietary status, and economic return. The much needed green revolution and adaptations to climate change in SSA should blend rainwater harvesting ideals with agronomic principles. More efforts are needed to improve the indigenous practices, and to disseminate best practices on a wider scale.

43 CFR 3862.4-2 - Contents of published notice.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 2 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Contents of published notice. 3862.4-2... MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR MINERALS MANAGEMENT (3000) MINERAL PATENT APPLICATIONS Lode Mining Claim Patent Applications § 3862.4-2 Contents of published notice. The notices published as required by...

43 CFR 3425.1-2 - Contents of application.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 2 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Contents of application. 3425.1-2 Section... MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR MINERALS MANAGEMENT (3000) COMPETITIVE LEASING Leasing on Application § 3425.1-2 Contents of application. No specific form of application is required. Three copies of the...

Content Management for a Content-Rich Website.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Honeysett, Nik

Over the last year the J. Paul Getty Trust's Web presence has evolved from a group of disparate, independently maintained Web sites into a homogeneous consistently branded one. This transformation recently culminated with the implementation of a leading Content Management System (CMS). There were and are many process-changes and challenges in…

43 CFR 3585.5-5 - Contents of notice.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 2 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Contents of notice. 3585.5-5 Section 3585... MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR MINERALS MANAGEMENT (3000) SPECIAL LEASING AREAS White Mountains National Recreation Area, Alaska § 3585.5-5 Contents of notice. The Notice of Exploration prepared by the...

The Acquisition and Development of EFL Pre-Service Teachers' Pedagogical Content Knowledge about Classroom Management

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Za'za', Mona Salem Mahmoud

2007-01-01

Classroom management is an important component of effective teaching. Despite its importance, little is known about how pre-service teachers acquire and develop pedagogical content knowledge about classroom management. This study explored the PCK about classroom management of 22 EFL student teachers enrolled in Dhahran Al-Janoub (K.S.A.) Faculty…

The Best Extraction Technique for Kaempferol and Quercetin Isolation from Guava Leaves (Psidium guajava)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Batubara, I.; Suparto, I. H.; Wulandari, N. S.

2017-03-01

Guava leaves contain various compounds that have biological activity such as kaempferol and quercetin as anticancer. Twelve extraction techniques were performed to obtain the best extraction technique to isolate kaempferol and quercetin from the guava leaves. Toxicity of extracts was tested against Artemia salina larvae. All extracts were toxic (LC50 value less than 1000 ppm) except extract of direct soxhletation on guava leaves, and extract of sonication and soxhletation using n-hexane. The extract with high content of total phenols and total flavonoids, low content of tannins, intense color of spot on thin layer chromatogram was selected for high performance liquid chromatography analysis. Direct sonication of guava leaves was chosen as the best extraction technique with kampferol and quercetin content of 0.02% and 2.15%, respectively. In addition to high content of kaempferol and quercetin, direct sonication was chosen due to the shortest extraction time, lesser impurities and high toxicity.

Contemporary behavior management techniques in clinical pediatric dentistry: out with the old and in with the new?

PubMed

Oliver, Kelly; Manton, David John

2015-01-01

Effective behavior management guides children through the complex social context of dentistry utilizing techniques based on a current understanding of the social, emotional, and cognitive development of children. Behavior management techniques facilitate effective communication and establish social and behavioral guidelines for the dental environment. Contemporary parenting styles, expectations, and attitudes of modern parents and society have influenced the use of behavior management techniques with a prevailing emphasis on communicative techniques and pharmacological management over aversive techniques.

Issues in the analyze of low content gold mining samples by fire assay technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cetean, Valentina

2016-04-01

The classic technique analyze of samples with low gold content - below 0.1 g/t (=100 ppb = parts per billion), either ore or gold sediments, involves the preparation of sample by fire assay extraction, followed by the chemical attack with aqua regia (hydrochloric and nitric acid) and measuring the gold content by atomic absorption spectrometry or inductively coupled mass spectrometry. The issues raised by this analysis are well known for the world laboratories, commercial or research ones. The author's knowledge regarding this method of determining the gold content, accumulated in such laboratory from Romania (with more than 40 years of experience, even if not longer available from 2014) confirms the obtaining of reliable results required a lot of attention, amount of work and the involving of an experienced fire assayer specialist. The analytical conclusion for a research laboratory is that most reliable and statistically valid results are till reached for samples with more than 100 ppb gold content; the degree of confidence below this value is lower than 90%. Usually, for samples below 50 ppb, it does not exceed 50-70 %, unless without very strictly control of each stage, that involve additional percentage of hours allocated for successive extracting tests and knowing more precisely the other compounds that appear in the sample (Cu, Sb, As, sulfur / sulphides, Te, organic matter, etc.) or impurities. The most important operation is the preparation, namely: - grinding and splitting of sample (which can cause uneven distribution of gold flakes in the double samples for analyzed); - pyro-metallurgical recovery of gold = fire assay stage, involving the more precise temperature control in furnace during all stages (fusion and cupellation) and adjusting of the fire assay flux components to produce a successful fusion depending of the sample matrix and content; - reducing the sample weight to decrease the amount of impurities that can be concentrated in the lead button during oxidation stage. The better metal recovery and the decreasing of the amount of errors for low gold content samples are controlled in this case by: - the management of the quantity of one or more components of the flux, depending on the chemical composition of the sample (sometimes just by observing the behavior and the visual characteristics of lead Au + Ag button/bead and the resulted slag); - addition of gold-free silver, which will be removed by chemical reduction with aqua regia after the fire assay stage. Regarding the instrumental analyze stage of the samples with less than 100 ppb gold content, there were obtained similar values by both techniques: atomic absorption and inductively coupled mass spectrometry, taking into account each of them has different detection limit. It is mandatory the quality control with a certified reference material with known content, both in the fire assay stage and the reading instrumental stage. This abstract are written in the frame of the SUSMIN project: "Tools for sustainable gold mining in EU".

Pancreatic fluid collections: What is the ideal imaging technique?

PubMed

Dhaka, Narendra; Samanta, Jayanta; Kochhar, Suman; Kalra, Navin; Appasani, Sreekanth; Manrai, Manish; Kochhar, Rakesh

2015-12-28

Pancreatic fluid collections (PFCs) are seen in up to 50% of cases of acute pancreatitis. The Revised Atlanta classification categorized these collections on the basis of duration of disease and contents, whether liquid alone or a mixture of fluid and necrotic debris. Management of these different types of collections differs because of the variable quantity of debris; while patients with pseudocysts can be drained by straight-forward stent placement, walled-off necrosis requires multi-disciplinary approach. Differentiating these collections on the basis of clinical severity alone is not reliable, so imaging is primarily performed. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography is the commonly used modality for the diagnosis and assessment of proportion of solid contents in PFCs; however with certain limitations such as use of iodinated contrast material especially in renal failure patients and radiation exposure. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) performs better than computed tomography (CT) in characterization of pancreatic/peripancreatic fluid collections especially for quantification of solid debris and fat necrosis (seen as fat density globules), and is an alternative in those situations where CT is contraindicated. Also magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography is highly sensitive for detecting pancreatic duct disruption and choledocholithiasis. Endoscopic ultrasound is an evolving technique with higher reproducibility for fluid-to-debris component estimation with the added advantage of being a single stage procedure for both diagnosis (solid debris delineation) and management (drainage of collection) in the same sitting. Recently role of diffusion weighted MRI and positron emission tomography/CT with (18)F-FDG labeled autologous leukocytes is also emerging for detection of infection noninvasively. Comparative studies between these imaging modalities are still limited. However we look forward to a time when this gap in literature will be fulfilled.

A Concept for the Development of Spatially Resolved Measurements for Soil Moisture with TEM Waveguides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lapteva, Yulia; Schmidt, Felix; Bumberger, Jan

2014-05-01

Soil water content plays a leading role in delimitating water and energy fluxes at the land surface and controlling groundwater recharging. The information about water content in the soil would be very useful in overcoming the challenge of managing water resources under conditions of increasing scarcity in Southern Europe and the Mediterranean region.For collecting data about the water content in soil, it is possible to use remote sensing and groundwater monitoring, built wireless sensor networks for water monitoring. Remote sensing provides a unique capability to get the information of soil moisture at global and regional scales. Wireless environmental sensor networks enable to connect local and regional-scale soil water content observations. There exist different ground based soil moisture measurement methods such as TDR, FDR, electromagnetic waves (EW), electrical and acoustic methods. Among these methods, the time domain reflectometry (TDR) is considered to be the most important and widely used electromagnetic approach. The special techniques for the reconstruction of the layered soil with TDR are based on differential equations in the time domain and numerical optimization algorithms. However, these techniques are time- consuming and suffering from some problems, like multiple reflections at the boundary surfaces. To overcome these limitations, frequency domain measurement (FDM) techniques could be used. With devices like vector network analyzers (VNA) the accuracy of the measurement itself and of the calibration can be improved. For field applicable methods the reflection coefficient is mathematically transformed in the time domain, which can be treated like TDR-data and the same information can be obtained. There are already existed some experiments using the frequency domain data directly as an input for inversion algorithms to find the spatial distribution of the soil parameters. The model that is used represents an exact solution of the Maxwell's equations. It describes the one-dimensional wave propagation in a multi-layered medium, assuming the wave to be transverse electromagnetic (TEM). In the particular case of transmission lines with perpendicularly arranged layer transitions this assumption is very close to reality. Such waveguides and their frequency domain measurements in layered media are promising concerning a development ways working with soil moisture detection.

49 CFR 633.25 - Contents of a project management plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

...; (e) A change order procedure which includes a documented, systematic approach to the handling of... covering the project management organization, appropriate consultants, property acquisition, utility... 49 Transportation 7 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Contents of a project management plan. 633.25...

Website creation and resource management: developing collaborative strategies for asynchronous interaction with library users.

PubMed

Hopkins, Mark E; Summers-Ables, Joy E; Clifton, Shari C; Coffman, Michael A

2011-06-01

To make electronic resources available to library users while effectively harnessing intellectual capital within the library, ultimately fostering the library's use of technology to interact asynchronously with its patrons (users). The methods used in the project included: (1) developing a new library website to facilitate the creation, management, accessibility, maintenance and dissemination of library resources; and (2) establishing ownership by those who participated in the project, while creating effective work allocation strategies through the implementation of a content management system that allowed the library to manage cost, complexity and interoperability. Preliminary results indicate that contributors to the system benefit from an increased understanding of the library's resources and add content valuable to library patrons. These strategies have helped promote the manageable creation and maintenance of electronic content in accomplishing the library's goal of interacting with its patrons. Establishment of a contributive system for adding to the library's electronic resources and electronic content has been successful. Further work will look at improving asynchronous interaction, particularly highlighting accessibility of electronic content and resources. © 2010 The authors. Health Information and Libraries Journal © 2010 Health Libraries Group.

Geographic Video 3d Data Model And Retrieval

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Z.; Cui, C.; Kong, Y.; Wu, H.

2014-04-01

Geographic video includes both spatial and temporal geographic features acquired through ground-based or non-ground-based cameras. With the popularity of video capture devices such as smartphones, the volume of user-generated geographic video clips has grown significantly and the trend of this growth is quickly accelerating. Such a massive and increasing volume poses a major challenge to efficient video management and query. Most of the today's video management and query techniques are based on signal level content extraction. They are not able to fully utilize the geographic information of the videos. This paper aimed to introduce a geographic video 3D data model based on spatial information. The main idea of the model is to utilize the location, trajectory and azimuth information acquired by sensors such as GPS receivers and 3D electronic compasses in conjunction with video contents. The raw spatial information is synthesized to point, line, polygon and solid according to the camcorder parameters such as focal length and angle of view. With the video segment and video frame, we defined the three categories geometry object using the geometry model of OGC Simple Features Specification for SQL. We can query video through computing the spatial relation between query objects and three categories geometry object such as VFLocation, VSTrajectory, VSFOView and VFFovCone etc. We designed the query methods using the structured query language (SQL) in detail. The experiment indicate that the model is a multiple objective, integration, loosely coupled, flexible and extensible data model for the management of geographic stereo video.

Educational Quality of YouTube Videos in Thumb Exercises for Carpometacarpal Osteoarthritis: A Search on Current Practice.

PubMed

Villafañe, Jorge Hugo; Cantero-Tellez, Raquel; Valdes, Kristin; Usuelli, Federico Giuseppe; Berjano, Pedro

2017-09-01

Conservative treatments are commonly performed therapeutic interventions for the management of carpometacarpal (CMC) joint osteoarthritis (OA). Physical and occupational therapies are starting to use video-based online content as both a patient teaching tool and a source for treatment techniques. YouTube is a popular video-sharing website that can be accessed easily. The purpose of this study was to analyze the quality of content and potential sources of bias in videos available on YouTube pertaining to thumb exercises for CMC OA. The YouTube video database was systematically searched using the search term thumb osteoarthritis and exercises from its inception to March 10, 2017. Authors independently selected videos, conducted quality assessment, and extracted results. A total of 832 videos were found using the keywords. Of these, 10 videos clearly demonstrated therapeutic exercise for the management of CMC OA. In addition, the top-ranked video found by performing a search of "views" was a video with more than 121 863 views uploaded in 2015 that lasted 12.33 minutes and scored only 2 points on the Global Score for Educational Value rating scale. Most of the videos viewed that described conservative interventions for CMC OA management have a low level of evidence to support their use. Although patients and novice hand therapists are using YouTube and other online resources, videos that are produced by expert hand therapists are scarce.

The Colorado Plateau: cultural, biological, and physical research

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cole, Kenneth L.; van Riper, Charles

2004-01-01

Stretching from the four corners of Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah, the Colorado Plateau is a natural laboratory for a wide range of studies. This volume presents 23 original articles drawn from more than 100 research projects presented at the Sixth Biennial Conference of Research on the Colorado Plateau. This scientific gathering revolved around research, inventory, and monitoring of lands in the region. The book's contents cover management techniques for cultural, biological, and physical resources, representing collaborative efforts among federal, university, and private sector scientists and land managers. Chapters on cultural concerns cover benchmarks of modern southwestern anthropological knowledge, models of past human activity and impact of modern visitation at newly established national monuments, challenges in implementing the 1964 Wilderness Act, and opportunities for increased federal research on Native American lands. The section on biological resources comprises sixteen chapters, with coverage that ranges from mammalian biogeography to responses of elk at the urban-wildland interface. Additional biological studies include the effects of fire and grazing on vegetation; research on bald eagles at Grand Canyon and tracking wild turkeys using radio collars; and management of palentological resources. Two final chapters on physical resources consider a proposed rerouting of the Rio de Flag River in urban Flagstaff, Arizona, and an examination of past climate patterns over the Plateau, using stream flow records and tree ring data. In light of similarities in habitat and climate across the Colorado Plateau, techniques useful to particular management units have been found to be applicable in many locations. This volume highlights an abundance of research that will prove useful for all of those working in the region, as well as for others seeking comparative studies that integrate research into land management actions.

76 FR 44604 - Draft Anacostia Park Wetland and Resident Canada Goose Management Plan/Environmental Impact...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-26

... the current wetland and goose management techniques which include: Invasive species management, trash... techniques. Proposed extensive wetland restoration opportunities could include: Managing invasive species.... Some of the wetland management techniques could include managing invasive species and [[Page 44605...

Effects of Vinification Techniques Combined with UV-C Irradiation on Phenolic Contents of Red Wines.

PubMed

Tahmaz, Hande; Söylemezoğlu, Gökhan

2017-06-01

Red wines are typically high in phenolic and antioxidant capacity and both of which can be increased by vinification techniques. This study employed 3 vinification techniques to assess the increase in phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity. Wines were obtained from Boğazkere grape cultivar by techniques of classical maceration, cold maceration combined with ultraviolet light (UV) irradiation, and thermovinification combined with UV irradiation and changes in phenolic contents were examined. Total phenolic and anthocyanin contents and trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity of wines were measured spectrophotometrically and phenolic contents (+)-catechin, (-)-epicatechin, rutin, quercetin, trans-resveratrol, and cis-resveratrol were measured by High Pressure Liquid Chromatography with Diode Array Detection (HPLC-DAD). As a result of the study, the highest phenolic content except for quercetin was measured in the wines obtained by thermovinification combined with UV irradiation. We demonstrated that the highest phenolic compounds with health effect, total phenolic compounds, total anthocyanin, and antioxidant activity were obtained from thermovinification with UV-C treatment than classical wine making. © 2017 Institute of Food Technologists®.

A Multistage Approach for Image Registration.

PubMed

Bowen, Francis; Hu, Jianghai; Du, Eliza Yingzi

2016-09-01

Successful image registration is an important step for object recognition, target detection, remote sensing, multimodal content fusion, scene blending, and disaster assessment and management. The geometric and photometric variations between images adversely affect the ability for an algorithm to estimate the transformation parameters that relate the two images. Local deformations, lighting conditions, object obstructions, and perspective differences all contribute to the challenges faced by traditional registration techniques. In this paper, a novel multistage registration approach is proposed that is resilient to view point differences, image content variations, and lighting conditions. Robust registration is realized through the utilization of a novel region descriptor which couples with the spatial and texture characteristics of invariant feature points. The proposed region descriptor is exploited in a multistage approach. A multistage process allows the utilization of the graph-based descriptor in many scenarios thus allowing the algorithm to be applied to a broader set of images. Each successive stage of the registration technique is evaluated through an effective similarity metric which determines subsequent action. The registration of aerial and street view images from pre- and post-disaster provide strong evidence that the proposed method estimates more accurate global transformation parameters than traditional feature-based methods. Experimental results show the robustness and accuracy of the proposed multistage image registration methodology.

Estimating Starch Content in Roots of Deciduous Trees--A Visual Technique

Treesearch

Philip M. Wargo; Philip M. Wargo

1975-01-01

A visual technique for determining starch content in roots of forest trees, based onz iodine-staining of starch granules, was compared with a chemical method. Although the chemical method was more precise, roots could be sorted with the visual method into groups that are probably biologically important. The visual technique is simple and can be adapted for use in the...

Exploring Patients' Views of a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy-Based Website for the Self-Management of Irritable Bowel Syndrome Symptoms

PubMed Central

Bishop, Felicity L; Ellis, Matthew; Moss-Morris, Rona; Everitt, Hazel

2013-01-01

Background Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has been shown to have positive effects on the management of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms. A factorial pilot randomized placebo-controlled trial (called MIBS) tested the potential effectiveness of a self-management CBT-based website alongside two medications: methylcellulose and mebeverine, and a placebo. The results showed no significant differences in quality of life or symptom severity measures, but enablement and participant’s global assessment of relief was higher in the website groups. Objective To conduct a qualitative study nested within this trial, in order to explore patients’ views and experiences of using the CBT-based website to facilitate self-management of IBS. Methods Semistructured interviews were carried out with patients who had used the website with one session of nurse support (n=16) or the website alone (n=15) while participating in the MIBS trial. An inductive thematic analysis was conducted. Results We identified three types of engagement with the CBT-based website. One group of participants, mostly in the website-only condition, had limited or no engagement with the website. One group engaged with the content and advice on practical lifestyle changes. The final group of participants engaged with the content and advice on psychological aspects related to IBS. Similarities and differences between these three groups are explored. Conclusions Teaching self-management techniques through a Web intervention was received positively by most of the participants. Concepts linked to cognitive aspects of CBT appeared to be harder for participants to engage with. Participants who received nurse support rated the cognitive aspects more positively, suggesting that some therapy support alongside the website should be considered. However, the Web format was preferred by some who favored anonymity as well as those who appreciated the accessibility and ease of use of this type of management. Suggestions on how to encourage engagement with Web interventions are discussed. PMID:24001787

Four-Year Turfgrass Management Programs in the United States: II. Organization and Content of Introductory Turfgrass Management Courses.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karnok, Keith J.; And Others

1993-01-01

A survey of 32 land-grant institutions was conducted to determine format, topical content, and teaching methods of introductory turfgrass management courses of 4-year turfgrass management programs in the United States. Required courses included a basic soils class and a course in biology or botany, usually transmitted by the lecture method. (MDH)

Agenda-Setting with Bi-Weekly Content Data for Three National Media.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eaton, Howard, Jr.

Using media content data produced by Issues Management of Alexandria, Virginia (also known as "The Conference on Issues and Media"), a study examined agenda-setting for network television news, newspapers with broad syndication, and national weekly news magazines. Issues Management bi-weekly publishes the combined content for all three…

15 CFR 930.156 - Content of a consistency determination or certification and State agency response.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE OCEAN AND COASTAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT FEDERAL CONSISTENCY WITH APPROVED COASTAL MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS Consistency of Federal Activities Having Interstate Coastal Effects § 930.156 Content of... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Content of a consistency determination...

Use of Ultrasonic Technology for Soil Moisture Measurement

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Choi, J.; Metzl, R.; Aggarwal, M. D.; Belisle, W.; Coleman, T.

1997-01-01

In an effort to improve existing soil moisture measurement techniques or find new techniques using physics principles, a new technique is presented in this paper using ultrasonic techniques. It has been found that ultrasonic velocity changes as the moisture content changes. Preliminary values of velocities are 676.1 m/s in dry soil and 356.8 m/s in 100% moist soils. Intermediate values can be calibrated to give exact values for the moisture content in an unknown sample.

Trial coring in LLRW trenches at Chalk River

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

Donders, R.E.; Killey, R.W.D.; Franklin, K.J.

1996-12-31

As part of a program to better characterize the low-hazard radioactive waste managed by AECL at Chalk River, coring techniques in waste trenches are being assessed. Trial coring has demonstrated that sampling in waste regions is possible, and that boreholes can be placed through the waste trenches. Such coring provides a valuable information gathering technique. Information available from trench coring includes: (1) trench cover depth, waste region depth, waste compaction level, and detailed stratigraphic data; (2) soil moisture content and facility drainage performance; (3) borehole gamma logs that indicate radiation levels in the region of the borehole; (4) biochemical conditionsmore » in the waste regions, vadose zone, and groundwater; (5) site specific information relevant to contaminant migration modelling or remedial actions; (6) information on contaminant releases and inventories. Boreholes through the trenches can also provide a means for early detection of potential contaminant releases.« less

Correlation between near infrared spectroscopy and electrical techniques in measuring skin moisture content

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohamad, M.; Sabbri, A. R. M.; Mat Jafri, M. Z.; Omar, A. F.

2014-11-01

Near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy technique serves as an important tool for the measurement of moisture content of skin owing to the advantages it has over the other techniques. The purpose of the study is to develop a correlation between NIR spectrometer with electrical conventional techniques for skin moisture measurement. A non-invasive measurement of moisture content of skin was performed on different part of human face and hand under control environment (temperature 21 ± 1 °C, relative humidity 45 ± 5 %). Ten healthy volunteers age between 21-25 (male and female) participated in this study. The moisture content of skin was measured using DermaLab® USB Moisture Module, Scalar Moisture Checker and NIR spectroscopy (NIRQuest). Higher correlation was observed between NIRQuest and Dermalab moisture probe with a coefficient of determination (R2) above 70 % for all the subjects. However, the value of R2 between NIRQuest and Moisture Checker was observed to be lower with the R2 values ranges from 51.6 to 94.4 %. The correlation of NIR spectroscopy technique successfully developed for measuring moisture content of the skin. The analysis of this correlation can help to establish novel instruments based on an optical system in clinical used especially in the dermatology field.

44 CFR 63.5 - Coverage for contents removal.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 44 Emergency Management and Assistance 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Coverage for contents removal. 63.5 Section 63.5 Emergency Management and Assistance FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY INSURANCE AND HAZARD MITIGATION National Flood Insurance Program IMPLEMENTATION OF SECTION 1306(c) OF THE NATIONAL FLOOD...

Content Management Middleware for the Support of Distributed Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tsalapatas, Hariklia; Stav, John B.; Kalantzis, Christos

2004-01-01

eCMS is a web-based federated content management system for the support of distributed teaching based on an open, distributed middleware architecture for the publication, discovery, retrieval, and integration of educational material. The infrastructure supports the management of both standalone material and structured courses, as well as the…

National protocol framework for the inventory and monitoring of bees

USGS Publications Warehouse

Droege, Sam; Engler, Joseph D.; Sellers, Elizabeth A.; Lee O'Brien,

2016-01-01

This national protocol framework is a standardized tool for the inventory and monitoring of the approximately 4,200 species of native and non-native bee species that may be found within the National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS) administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). However, this protocol framework may also be used by other organizations and individuals to monitor bees in any given habitat or location. Our goal is to provide USFWS stations within the NWRS (NWRS stations are land units managed by the USFWS such as national wildlife refuges, national fish hatcheries, wetland management districts, conservation areas, leased lands, etc.) with techniques for developing an initial baseline inventory of what bee species are present on their lands and to provide an inexpensive, simple technique for monitoring bees continuously and for monitoring and evaluating long-term population trends and management impacts. The latter long-term monitoring technique requires a minimal time burden for the individual station, yet can provide a good statistical sample of changing populations that can be investigated at the station, regional, and national levels within the USFWS’ jurisdiction, and compared to other sites within the United States and Canada. This protocol framework was developed in cooperation with the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the USFWS, and a worldwide network of bee researchers who have investigated the techniques and methods for capturing bees and tracking population changes. The protocol framework evolved from field and lab-based investigations at the USGS Bee Inventory and Monitoring Laboratory at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Beltsville, Maryland starting in 2002 and was refined by a large number of USFWS, academic, and state groups. It includes a Protocol Introduction and a set of 8 Standard Operating Procedures or SOPs and adheres to national standards of protocol content and organization. The Protocol Narrative describes the history and need for the protocol framework and summarizes the basic elements of objectives, sampling design, field methods, training, data management, analysis, and reporting. The SOPs provide more detail and specific instructions for implementing the protocol framework. A central database, for managing all the resulting data is under development. We welcome use of this protocol framework by our partners, as appropriate for their bee inventory and monitoring objectives.

Contribution to systematic education of quality management in Slovak health care.

PubMed

Rusnakova, V; Bacharova, L

2001-01-01

Of the study was to contribute to quality improvement initiatives in Slovak health services through systematic approach to the education and training in quality management (QM). Consequently, the main objectives were to analyse the content of the education in QM abroad, to conduct an audit of perceived training needs in Slovakia, and to propose the design of QM training programme to be applied within CME scheme based on the study results. Triangular method in the design of the study was implemented. Review of relevant information, data from the questionnaire and semi-structured interview in the sample of 67 Slovak trainees from Health Management School and School of Public Health--were adopted in complementary fashion. Highlighted in the survey are positive attitudes to training in quality management documented by the median score higher than 6 in all tested areas, on scale 0-10. No significant differences in profession groups as physicians, nurses, HC managers or among training institutions involved were displayed. However, potential obstacles were identified in deeper study using interviews. The absence of knowledge and skills in management in general and in quality management approaches especially are observed. Typically, the role of strategic planning is undermined. The large scale of quality management approaches is converted to problems of accreditation. Barriers to participative culture, innovation, devolution of accountability, resistance to change and to team based management are authentic findings as well. Drawn from the study were related to: fostering managers--"transformational leaders" for locally driven decision making in health care policy and practice; need of training activities for the continuing education in quality with respect to specific target groups interests and their level of knowledge in management; content of training oriented towards combination of rational utilization of information, critical analytical skills and planning for quality with human resource development-interpersonal skills, team building (soft skills), not just reduction of quality management tools to hard techniques (statistics, ISO norms); methods of education, where the usage of experiential learning methods, participative training inclusive action learning is highlighted; team training complemented with individual professional development support inclusive a coaching and mentoring scheme. AS IMPLICATIONS: Four types of CME training: Basic Module QM, Training for QM teams, Training Trainers Scheme and Guiding through Accreditation and Quality Award were proposed. (Tab. 9, Ref. 38.)

A MapReduce approach to diminish imbalance parameters for big deoxyribonucleic acid dataset.

PubMed

Kamal, Sarwar; Ripon, Shamim Hasnat; Dey, Nilanjan; Ashour, Amira S; Santhi, V

2016-07-01

In the age of information superhighway, big data play a significant role in information processing, extractions, retrieving and management. In computational biology, the continuous challenge is to manage the biological data. Data mining techniques are sometimes imperfect for new space and time requirements. Thus, it is critical to process massive amounts of data to retrieve knowledge. The existing software and automated tools to handle big data sets are not sufficient. As a result, an expandable mining technique that enfolds the large storage and processing capability of distributed or parallel processing platforms is essential. In this analysis, a contemporary distributed clustering methodology for imbalance data reduction using k-nearest neighbor (K-NN) classification approach has been introduced. The pivotal objective of this work is to illustrate real training data sets with reduced amount of elements or instances. These reduced amounts of data sets will ensure faster data classification and standard storage management with less sensitivity. However, general data reduction methods cannot manage very big data sets. To minimize these difficulties, a MapReduce-oriented framework is designed using various clusters of automated contents, comprising multiple algorithmic approaches. To test the proposed approach, a real DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) dataset that consists of 90 million pairs has been used. The proposed model reduces the imbalance data sets from large-scale data sets without loss of its accuracy. The obtained results depict that MapReduce based K-NN classifier provided accurate results for big data of DNA. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Web Content Management Systems: An Analysis of Forensic Investigatory Challenges.

PubMed

Horsman, Graeme

2018-02-26

With an increase in the creation and maintenance of personal websites, web content management systems are now frequently utilized. Such systems offer a low cost and simple solution for those seeking to develop an online presence, and subsequently, a platform from which reported defamatory content, abuse, and copyright infringement has been witnessed. This article provides an introductory forensic analysis of the three current most popular web content management systems available, WordPress, Drupal, and Joomla! Test platforms have been created, and their site structures have been examined to provide guidance for forensic practitioners facing investigations of this type. Result's document available metadata for establishing site ownership, user interactions, and stored content following analysis of artifacts including Wordpress's wp_users, and wp_comments tables, Drupal's "watchdog" records, and Joomla!'s _users, and _content tables. Finally, investigatory limitations documenting the difficulties of investigating WCMS usage are noted, and analysis recommendations are offered. © 2018 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

The Influence of Proximity to a National Forest on Emotions and Fire-Management Decisions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vining, Joanne; Merrick, Melinda S.

2008-02-01

Because American national forests are managed for all citizens, it is important that researchers explore the differences and similarities between citizens living both near and far from publicly managed land. We surveyed residents living at various distances from nationally managed land to collect resident perceptions of different forest fire-management techniques, to determine public preferences for these techniques, and to examine the motivations behind these preferences. Participants both close to and far away from national forests tended to favor a multipronged approach to fire management by preferring the use of a combination of two or more fire-management techniques. There were no significant differences by proximity in participants’ self-rated emotions, types of fire-management techniques preferred, or the reasons and rationales for their preferred fire-management technique(s), indicating that the proximity variable may not be as significant as previously thought.

The influence of proximity to a national forest on emotions and fire-management decisions.

PubMed

Vining, Joanne; Merrick, Melinda S

2008-02-01

Because American national forests are managed for all citizens, it is important that researchers explore the differences and similarities between citizens living both near and far from publicly managed land. We surveyed residents living at various distances from nationally managed land to collect resident perceptions of different forest fire-management techniques, to determine public preferences for these techniques, and to examine the motivations behind these preferences. Participants both close to and far away from national forests tended to favor a multipronged approach to fire management by preferring the use of a combination of two or more fire-management techniques. There were no significant differences by proximity in participants' self-rated emotions, types of fire-management techniques preferred, or the reasons and rationales for their preferred fire-management technique(s), indicating that the proximity variable may not be as significant as previously thought.

Patient education for phosphorus management in chronic kidney disease

PubMed Central

Kalantar-Zadeh, Kamyar

2013-01-01

Objectives: This review explores the challenges and solutions in educating patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) to lower serum phosphorus while avoiding protein insufficiency and hypercalcemia. Methods: A literature search including terms “hyperphosphatemia,” “patient education,” “food fatigue,” “hypercalcemia,” and “phosphorus–protein ratio” was undertaken using PubMed. Results: Hyperphosphatemia is a strong predictor of mortality in advanced CKD and is remediated via diet, phosphorus binders, and dialysis. Dietary counseling should encourage the consumption of foods with the least amount of inorganic or absorbable phosphorus, low phosphorus-to-protein ratios, and adequate protein content, and discourage excessive calcium intake in high-risk patients. Emerging educational initiatives include food labeling using a “traffic light” scheme, motivational interviewing techniques, and the Phosphate Education Program – whereby patients no longer have to memorize the phosphorus content of each individual food component, but only a “phosphorus unit” value for a limited number of food groups. Phosphorus binders are associated with a clear survival advantage in CKD patients, overcome the limitations associated with dietary phosphorus restriction, and permit a more flexible approach to achieving normalization of phosphorus levels. Conclusion: Patient education on phosphorus and calcium management can improve concordance and adherence and empower patients to collaborate actively for optimal control of mineral metabolism. PMID:23667310

Assimilation of remote sensing data into a process-based ecosystem model for monitoring changes of soil water content in croplands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ju, Weimin; Gao, Ping; Wang, Jun; Li, Xianfeng; Chen, Shu

2008-10-01

Soil water content (SWC) is an important factor affecting photosynthesis, growth, and final yields of crops. The information on SWC is of importance for mitigating the reduction of crop yields caused by drought through proper agricultural water management. A variety of methodologies have been developed to estimate SWC at local and regional scales, including field sampling, remote sensing monitoring and model simulations. The reliability of regional SWC simulation depends largely on the accuracy of spatial input datasets, including vegetation parameters, soil and meteorological data. Remote sensing has been proved to be an effective technique for controlling uncertainties in vegetation parameters. In this study, the vegetation parameters (leaf area index and land cover type) derived from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) were assimilated into a process-based ecosystem model BEPS for simulating the variations of SWC in croplands of Jiangsu province, China. Validation shows that the BEPS model is able to capture 81% and 83% of across-site variations of SWC at 10 and 20 cm depths during the period from September to December, 2006 when a serous autumn drought occurred. The simulated SWC responded the events of rainfall well at regional scale, demonstrating the usefulness of our methodology for SWC and practical agricultural water management at large scales.

Knowledge representation and management: benefits and challenges of the semantic web for the fields of KRM and NLP.

PubMed

Rassinoux, A-M

2011-01-01

To summarize excellent current research in the field of knowledge representation and management (KRM). A synopsis of the articles selected for the IMIA Yearbook 2011 is provided and an attempt to highlight the current trends in the field is sketched. This last decade, with the extension of the text-based web towards a semantic-structured web, NLP techniques have experienced a renewed interest in knowledge extraction. This trend is corroborated through the five papers selected for the KRM section of the Yearbook 2011. They all depict outstanding studies that exploit NLP technologies whenever possible in order to accurately extract meaningful information from various biomedical textual sources. Bringing semantic structure to the meaningful content of textual web pages affords the user with cooperative sharing and intelligent finding of electronic data. As exemplified by the best paper selection, more and more advanced biomedical applications aim at exploiting the meaningful richness of free-text documents in order to generate semantic metadata and recently to learn and populate domain ontologies. These later are becoming a key piece as they allow portraying the semantics of the Semantic Web content. Maintaining their consistency with documents and semantic annotations that refer to them is a crucial challenge of the Semantic Web for the coming years.

Design for learning – a case study of blended learning in a science unit

PubMed Central

Gleadow, Roslyn; Macfarlan, Barbara; Honeydew, Melissa

2015-01-01

Making material available through learning management systems is standard practice in most universities, but this is generally seen as an adjunct to the ‘real’ teaching, that takes place in face-to-face classes. Lecture attendance is poor, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to engage students, both in the material being taught and campus life. This paper describes the redevelopment of a large course in scientific practice and communication that is compulsory for all science students studying at our Melbourne and Malaysian campuses, or by distance education. Working with an educational designer, a blended learning methodology was developed, converting the environment provided by the learning management system into a teaching space, rather than a filing system. To ensure focus, topics are clustered into themes with a ‘question of the week’, a pre-class stimulus and follow up activities. The content of the course did not change, but by restructuring the delivery using educationally relevant design techniques, the content was contextualised resulting in an integrated learning experience. Students are more engaged intellectually, and lecture attendance has improved. The approach we describe here is a simple and effective approach to bringing this university’s teaching and learning into the 21 st century. PMID:26594348

Gamification in Stress Management Apps: A Critical App Review

PubMed Central

Christmann, Corinna A; Bleser, Gabriele

2017-01-01

Background In today’s society, stress is more and more often a cause of disease. This makes stress management an important target of behavior change programs. Gamification has been suggested as one way to support health behavior change. However, it remains unclear to which extend available gamification techniques are integrated in stress management apps, and if their occurrence is linked to the use of elements from behavior change theory. Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the use of gamification techniques in stress management apps and the cooccurrence of these techniques with evidence-based stress management methods and behavior change techniques. Methods A total of 62 stress management apps from the Google Play Store were reviewed on their inclusion of 17 gamification techniques, 15 stress management methods, and 26 behavior change techniques. For this purpose, an extended taxonomy of gamification techniques was constructed and applied by 2 trained, independent raters. Results Interrater-reliability was high, with agreement coefficient (AC)=.97. Results show an average of 0.5 gamification techniques for the tested apps and reveal no correlations between the use of gamification techniques and behavior change techniques (r=.17, P=.20), or stress management methods (r=.14, P=.26). Conclusions This leads to the conclusion that designers of stress management apps do not use gamification techniques to influence the user’s behaviors and reactions. Moreover, app designers do not exploit the potential of combining gamification techniques with behavior change theory. PMID:28592397

Multimedia content management in MPEG-21 framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, John R.

2002-07-01

MPEG-21 is an emerging standard from MPEG that specifies a framework for transactions of multimedia content. MPEG-21 defines the fundamental concept known as a digital item, which is the unit of transaction in the multimedia framework. A digital item can be used to package content for such as a digital photograph, a video clip or movie, a musical recording with graphics and liner notes, a photo album, and so on. The packaging of the media resources, corresponding identifiers, and associated metadata is provided in the declaration of the digital item. The digital item declaration allows for more effective transaction, distribution, and management of multimedia content and corresponding metadata, rights expressions, variations of media resources. In this paper, we describe various challenges for multimedia content management in the MPEG-21 framework.

Patients' Interpersonal Communication Experiences in the Context of Type 2 Diabetes Care.

PubMed

Peltola, Maija; Isotalus, Pekka; Åstedt-Kurki, Päivi

2018-03-01

The aim of our study is to determine the relational communication characteristics of professional-patient communication situations that have either facilitated or impeded patients' self-management. Conducted from the perspective of Finnish patients in the context of type 2 diabetes care, we used as our research methods an open e-survey and semistructured interviews. Data were analyzed using inductive qualitative content analysis. The critical incident technique was utilized throughout in all these methods. The results show that both positive and negative experiences described by patients were connected to four multidimensional relational communication characteristics: (a) building trust in the other party in the professional-patient relationship, (b) willingness to communicate, (c) emotional presence, and (d) appropriateness. Although the findings support the recommendations of earlier studies concerning individually tailored patient-centered care, acknowledging the characteristics in question can be used as a communication frame for constructing significant care relationships from the perspective of patients' self-management.

Utilization of satellite data for inventorying prairie ponds and lakes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Work, E.A.; Gilmer, D.S.

1976-01-01

By using data acquired by LANDSAT-1 (formerly ERTS- 1), studies were conducted in extracting information necessary for formulating management decisions relating to migratory waterfowl. Management decisions are based in part on an assessment ofhabitat characteristics, specifically numbers, distribution, and quality of ponds and lakes in the prime breeding range. This paper reports on a study concerned with mapping open surface water features in the glaciated prairies. Emphasis was placed on the recognition of these features based upon water's uniquely low radiance in a single nearinfrared waveband. The results of this recognition were thematic maps and statistics relating to open surface water. In a related effort, the added information content of multiple spectral wavebands was used for discriminating surface water at a level of detail finer than the virtual resolution of the data. The basic theory of this technique and some preliminary results are described.

Training in Innovative Technologies for Close-Range Sensing in Alpine Terrain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rutzinger, M.; Bremer, M.; Höfle, B.; Hämmerle, M.; Lindenbergh, R.; Oude Elberink, S.; Pirotti, F.; Scaioni, M.; Wujanz, D.; Zieher, T.

2018-05-01

The 2nd international summer school "Close-range sensing techniques in Alpine terrain" was held in July 2017 in Obergurgl, Austria. Participants were trained in selected close-range sensing methods, such as photogrammetry, laser scanning and thermography. The program included keynotes, lectures and hands-on assignments combining field project planning, data acquisition, processing, quality assessment and interpretation. Close-range sensing was applied for different research questions of environmental monitoring in high mountain environments, such as geomorphologic process quantification, natural hazard management and vegetation mapping. The participants completed an online questionnaire evaluating the summer school, its content and organisation, which helps to improve future summer schools.

A review of the sustainable value and disposal techniques, wastewater stabilisation ponds sludge characteristics and accumulation.

PubMed

Keffala, Chéma; Harerimana, Casimir; Vasel, Jean-luc

2013-01-01

Based on worldwide works available in international literature, this paper describes the status of sewage sludge resulting from settleable solids in waste stabilisation ponds (WSP). This review presents, in detail, sludge characteristics, production and accumulation rates in order to provide background information to those who expect to advise or get involved with sewage disposal in situations where resources are limited. Knowing that several years are usually required for a sludge removal operation and that the long-term sustainability of WSP systems is dependent on the safe and effective management of their sludge, its cost must be estimated and taken into account in the annual maintenance costs of the processes. Thus, this paper intends to summarise desludging methods and their financial estimation. Even when ponds have been functioning for several years, most of the sediments are stabilised well, the final disposal is an issue in terms of risk due, for example, to their content in nematode eggs. More generally, the pathogen content in sludge from WSP ponds has to be known to define an appropriate management and to safeguard public health. Based on existing data, the rates and distribution of helminth eggs will be presented and practical treatment methods will be suggested. A number of sludge utilisation and disposal pathways will also be summarised. Sludge activity in terms of oxygen consumption is also discussed in order to gather more information to improve pond design and keep an economic and sustainable value of WSP. The objectives of the present review are to advance knowledge and gather scientific and technical information on all aspects of sludge management including production, characterisation, management, agricultural reuse and ultimate disposal.

43 CFR 2812.1-2 - Contents.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 2 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Contents. 2812.1-2 Section 2812.1-2 Public Lands: Interior Regulations Relating to Public Lands (Continued) BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT (2000) TRAMROADS AND LOGGING ROADS Over O. and C. and Coos Bay Revested Lands § 2812.1-2 Contents. (a) A...

43 CFR 2812.1-2 - Contents.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 2 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Contents. 2812.1-2 Section 2812.1-2 Public Lands: Interior Regulations Relating to Public Lands (Continued) BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT (2000) TRAMROADS AND LOGGING ROADS Over O. and C. and Coos Bay Revested Lands § 2812.1-2 Contents. (a) A...

43 CFR 2812.1-2 - Contents.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 2 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Contents. 2812.1-2 Section 2812.1-2 Public Lands: Interior Regulations Relating to Public Lands (Continued) BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT (2000) TRAMROADS AND LOGGING ROADS Over O. and C. and Coos Bay Revested Lands § 2812.1-2 Contents. (a) A...

43 CFR 2812.1-2 - Contents.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 2 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Contents. 2812.1-2 Section 2812.1-2 Public Lands: Interior Regulations Relating to Public Lands (Continued) BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT (2000) TRAMROADS AND LOGGING ROADS Over O. and C. and Coos Bay Revested Lands § 2812.1-2 Contents. (a) A...

Creating an Internal Content Management System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sennema, Greg

2004-01-01

In this article, the author talks about an internal content management system that they have created at Calvin College. It is a hybrid of CMS and intranet that organizes Web site content and a variety of internal tools to help librarians complete their daily tasks. Hobbes is a Web-based tool that uses Common Gateway Interface (CGI) scripts written…

Learning Objects and Learning Content Management Systems in Engineering Education: Implications of New Trends

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sjoer, Ellen; Dopper, Sofia

2006-01-01

Learning objects and learning content management systems are considered to be "the next wave in engineering education". The results of experiments with these new trends in ICT in engineering education are described in this paper. The prospects were examined and the concepts of reusability of content for teachers and for personalized…

41 CFR 51-9.101-3 - Content of systems of records.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 1 2011-07-01 2009-07-01 true Content of systems of records. 51-9.101-3 Section 51-9.101-3 Public Contracts and Property Management Other Provisions Relating... ACT RULES 9.1-General Policy § 51-9.101-3 Content of systems of records. The Executive Director shall...

The Library Web Site: Collaborative Content Creation and Management

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Slater, Robert

2008-01-01

Oakland University's Kresge Library first launched its Web site in 1996. The initial design and subsequent contributions were originally managed by a single Webmaster. In 2002, the library restructured its Web content creation and management to a distributed, collaborative method with the goal of increasing the amount, accuracy, and timeliness of…

Teaching Diversity: A Study of Organizational Needs and Diversity Curriculum in Higher Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Day, Nancy E.; Glick, Betty J.

2000-01-01

Content analysis of 25 business college syllabi indicated that content skills related to diversity were being taught. Survey responses from 81 human resource managers suggested that college graduates were not adequately prepared to deal with diversity. Managers believed that process skills (team building, communication, managing and supervising…

Imagine No Restrictions: Digital Rights Management

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Houghton-Jan, Sarah

2007-01-01

The Digital Rights Management (DRM), a technology that allows copyright owners to regulate and manage their content when it is disseminated in a digital format, has sparked an escalating battle over copyright protection and fair use. The stakes are huge for content producers, consumers, and libraries. DRM is the reason why some patrons cannot…

[Study on incorporation of "management and guidance of home-visiting by a pharmacist" into a care plan -observation based on a survey of care managers-].

PubMed

Nanaumi, Yoko; Onda, Mitsuko; Sakurai, Hidehiko; Tanaka, Rie; Tsubota, Kenichi; Matoba, Shunya; Mukai, Yusuke; Arakawa, Yukio; Hayase, Yukitoshi

2010-11-01

A survey of care managers ("CMs") was conducted to identify top priority issues in promoting the management and guidance of home-visiting by a pharmacist ("management and guidance") by focusing on the experience in incorporating the management and guidance into a care plan and its relevant factors. Major survey items included (1) number of years working as a CM, (2) basic occupation, (3) experience in incorporating the management and guidance into care plans, (4) understanding the management and guidance content, and (5) an awareness of the need for pharmacists' involvement in care plans. A χ² test was conducted to determine if the experience in incorporating the management and guidance into care plans caused a difference in the distribution of the number of years as a CM, the basic occupation, understanding of the management and guidance content, and an awareness of the need for pharmacists' involvement in care plans. A regression analysis was conducted to determine the degree of association between the incorporation experience and each item. The numbers of years working as a CM, the basic occupation, understanding of the management and guidance content, and an awareness of the need for pharmacists' involvement in care plans, were found to be associated with the experience in incorporating the management and guidance into care plans. Understanding of the management and guidance content was most closely associated. To promote pharmacists' management and guidance for home-based care, CMs need to deepen their understanding of this service.

Growth Conditions To Reduce Oxalic Acid Content of Spinach

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson-Rutzke, Corinne

2003-01-01

A controlled-environment agricultural (CEA) technique to increase the nutritive value of spinach has been developed. This technique makes it possible to reduce the concentration of oxalic acid in spinach leaves. It is desirable to reduce the oxalic acid content because oxalic acid acts as an anti-nutritive calcium-binding component. More than 30 years ago, an enzyme (an oxidase) that breaks down oxalic acid into CO2 and H2O2 was discovered and found to be naturally present in spinach leaves. However, nitrate, which can also be present because of the use of common nitratebased fertilizers, inactivates the enzyme. In the CEA technique, one cuts off the supply of nitrate and keeps the spinach plants cool while providing sufficient oxygen. This technique provides the precise environment that enables the enzyme to naturally break down oxalate. The result of application of this technique is that the oxalate content is reduced by 2/3 in one week.

Perceptual Image Compression in Telemedicine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Watson, Andrew B.; Ahumada, Albert J., Jr.; Eckstein, Miguel; Null, Cynthia H. (Technical Monitor)

1996-01-01

The next era of space exploration, especially the "Mission to Planet Earth" will generate immense quantities of image data. For example, the Earth Observing System (EOS) is expected to generate in excess of one terabyte/day. NASA confronts a major technical challenge in managing this great flow of imagery: in collection, pre-processing, transmission to earth, archiving, and distribution to scientists at remote locations. Expected requirements in most of these areas clearly exceed current technology. Part of the solution to this problem lies in efficient image compression techniques. For much of this imagery, the ultimate consumer is the human eye. In this case image compression should be designed to match the visual capacities of the human observer. We have developed three techniques for optimizing image compression for the human viewer. The first consists of a formula, developed jointly with IBM and based on psychophysical measurements, that computes a DCT quantization matrix for any specified combination of viewing distance, display resolution, and display brightness. This DCT quantization matrix is used in most recent standards for digital image compression (JPEG, MPEG, CCITT H.261). The second technique optimizes the DCT quantization matrix for each individual image, based on the contents of the image. This is accomplished by means of a model of visual sensitivity to compression artifacts. The third technique extends the first two techniques to the realm of wavelet compression. Together these two techniques will allow systematic perceptual optimization of image compression in NASA imaging systems. Many of the image management challenges faced by NASA are mirrored in the field of telemedicine. Here too there are severe demands for transmission and archiving of large image databases, and the imagery is ultimately used primarily by human observers, such as radiologists. In this presentation I will describe some of our preliminary explorations of the applications of our technology to the special problems of telemedicine.

Apps to promote physical activity among adults: a review and content analysis.

PubMed

Middelweerd, Anouk; Mollee, Julia S; van der Wal, C Natalie; Brug, Johannes; Te Velde, Saskia J

2014-07-25

In May 2013, the iTunes and Google Play stores contained 23,490 and 17,756 smartphone applications (apps) categorized as Health and Fitness, respectively. The quality of these apps, in terms of applying established health behavior change techniques, remains unclear. The study sample was identified through systematic searches in iTunes and Google Play. Search terms were based on Boolean logic and included AND combinations for physical activity, healthy lifestyle, exercise, fitness, coach, assistant, motivation, and support. Sixty-four apps were downloaded, reviewed, and rated based on the taxonomy of behavior change techniques used in the interventions. Mean and ranges were calculated for the number of observed behavior change techniques. Using nonparametric tests, we compared the number of techniques observed in free and paid apps and in iTunes and Google Play. On average, the reviewed apps included 5 behavior change techniques (range 2-8). Techniques such as self-monitoring, providing feedback on performance, and goal-setting were used most frequently, whereas some techniques such as motivational interviewing, stress management, relapse prevention, self-talk, role models, and prompted barrier identification were not. No differences in the number of behavior change techniques between free and paid apps, or between the app stores were found. The present study demonstrated that apps promoting physical activity applied an average of 5 out of 23 possible behavior change techniques. This number was not different for paid and free apps or between app stores. The most frequently used behavior change techniques in apps were similar to those most frequently used in other types of physical activity promotion interventions.

Gamification in Stress Management Apps: A Critical App Review.

PubMed

Hoffmann, Alexandra; Christmann, Corinna A; Bleser, Gabriele

2017-06-07

In today's society, stress is more and more often a cause of disease. This makes stress management an important target of behavior change programs. Gamification has been suggested as one way to support health behavior change. However, it remains unclear to which extend available gamification techniques are integrated in stress management apps, and if their occurrence is linked to the use of elements from behavior change theory. The aim of this study was to investigate the use of gamification techniques in stress management apps and the cooccurrence of these techniques with evidence-based stress management methods and behavior change techniques. A total of 62 stress management apps from the Google Play Store were reviewed on their inclusion of 17 gamification techniques, 15 stress management methods, and 26 behavior change techniques. For this purpose, an extended taxonomy of gamification techniques was constructed and applied by 2 trained, independent raters. Interrater-reliability was high, with agreement coefficient (AC)=.97. Results show an average of 0.5 gamification techniques for the tested apps and reveal no correlations between the use of gamification techniques and behavior change techniques (r=.17, P=.20), or stress management methods (r=.14, P=.26). This leads to the conclusion that designers of stress management apps do not use gamification techniques to influence the user's behaviors and reactions. Moreover, app designers do not exploit the potential of combining gamification techniques with behavior change theory. ©Alexandra Hoffmann, Corinna A Christmann, Gabriele Bleser. Originally published in JMIR Serious Games (http://games.jmir.org), 07.06.2017.

Fast tracking the design of theory-based KT interventions through a consensus process.

PubMed

Bussières, André E; Al Zoubi, Fadi; Quon, Jeffrey A; Ahmed, Sara; Thomas, Aliki; Stuber, Kent; Sajko, Sandy; French, Simon

2015-02-11

Despite available evidence for optimal management of spinal pain, poor adherence to guidelines and wide variations in healthcare services persist. One of the objectives of the Canadian Chiropractic Guideline Initiative is to develop and evaluate targeted theory- and evidence-informed interventions to improve the management of non-specific neck pain by chiropractors. In order to systematically develop a knowledge translation (KT) intervention underpinned by the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF), we explored the factors perceived to influence the use of multimodal care to manage non-specific neck pain, and mapped behaviour change techniques to key theoretical domains. Individual telephone interviews exploring beliefs about managing neck pain were conducted with a purposive sample of 13 chiropractors. The interview guide was based upon the TDF. Interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed by two independent assessors using thematic content analysis. A 15-member expert panel formally met to design a KT intervention. Nine TDF domains were identified as likely relevant. Key beliefs (and relevant domains of the TDF) included the following: influence of formal training, colleagues and patients on clinicians (Social Influences); availability of educational material (Environmental Context and Resources); and better clinical outcomes reinforcing the use of multimodal care (Reinforcement). Facilitating factors considered important included better communication (Skills); audits of patients' treatment-related outcomes (Behavioural Regulation); awareness and agreement with guidelines (Knowledge); and tailoring of multimodal care (Memory, Attention and Decision Processes). Clinicians conveyed conflicting beliefs about perceived threats to professional autonomy (Social/Professional Role and Identity) and speed of recovery from either applying or ignoring the practice recommendations (Beliefs about Consequences). The expert panel mapped behaviour change techniques to key theoretical domains and identified relevant KT strategies and modes of delivery to increase the use of multimodal care among chiropractors. A multifaceted KT educational intervention targeting chiropractors' management of neck pain was developed. The KT intervention consisted of an online education webinar series, clinical vignettes and a video underpinned by the Brief Action Planning model. The intervention was designed to reflect key theoretical domains, behaviour change techniques and intervention components. The effectiveness of the proposed intervention remains to be tested.

Spatial Dependence of Physical Attributes and Mechanical Properties of Ultisol in a Sugarcane Field.

PubMed

Tavares, Uilka Elisa; Rolim, Mário Monteiro; de Oliveira, Veronildo Souza; Pedrosa, Elvira Maria Regis; Siqueira, Glécio Machado; Magalhães, Adriana Guedes

2015-01-01

This study investigates the effect of conventional tillage and application of the monoculture of sugar cane on soil health. Variables like density, moisture, texture, consistency limits, and preconsolidation stress were taken as indicators of soil quality. The measurements were made at a 120 × 120 m field cropped with sugar cane under conventional tillage. The objective of this work was to characterize the soil and to study the spatial dependence of the physical and mechanical attributes. Then, undisturbed soil samples were collected to measure bulk density, moisture content and preconsolidation stress and disturbed soil samples for classification of soil texture, and consistency limits. The soil texture indicated that soil can be characterized as sandy clay soil and a sandy clay loam soil, and the consistency limits indicated that the soil presents an inorganic low plasticity clay. The preconsolidation tests tillage in soil moisture content around 19% should be avoided or should be chosen a management of soil with lighter vehicles in this moisture content, to avoid risk of compaction. Using geostatistical techniques mapping was possible to identify areas of greatest conservation soil and greater disturbance of the ground.

Spatial Dependence of Physical Attributes and Mechanical Properties of Ultisol in a Sugarcane Field

PubMed Central

Tavares, Uilka Elisa; Monteiro Rolim, Mário; Souza de Oliveira, Veronildo; Maria Regis Pedrosa, Elvira; Siqueira, Glécio Machado; Guedes Magalhães, Adriana

2015-01-01

This study investigates the effect of conventional tillage and application of the monoculture of sugar cane on soil health. Variables like density, moisture, texture, consistency limits, and preconsolidation stress were taken as indicators of soil quality. The measurements were made at a 120 × 120 m field cropped with sugar cane under conventional tillage. The objective of this work was to characterize the soil and to study the spatial dependence of the physical and mechanical attributes. Then, undisturbed soil samples were collected to measure bulk density, moisture content and preconsolidation stress and disturbed soil samples for classification of soil texture, and consistency limits. The soil texture indicated that soil can be characterized as sandy clay soil and a sandy clay loam soil, and the consistency limits indicated that the soil presents an inorganic low plasticity clay. The preconsolidation tests tillage in soil moisture content around 19% should be avoided or should be chosen a management of soil with lighter vehicles in this moisture content, to avoid risk of compaction. Using geostatistical techniques mapping was possible to identify areas of greatest conservation soil and greater disturbance of the ground. PMID:26167528

Managing Content, Managing Change: Content Strategy is Vital for Effective Communications

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fernandez, Kim

2013-01-01

When a website has become a virtual storage closet rather than a place where useful, usable content is created, published, and organized, there is a problem. If audiences cannot quickly and easily find what they are looking for when they visit a website--and are not interested in what they find when they get there--they will get frustrated and…

Analysis of the Storage Methods for Raw Human Milk from Mothers with Infants Admitted to a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, According to Brazilian Regulations.

PubMed

Grazziotin, Maria Celestina Bonzanini; Grazziotin, Ana Laura; Vidal, Newton Medeiros; Freire, Marcia Helena de Souza; da Silva, Regina Paula Guimarães Vieira Cavalcante

2016-08-01

Milk safety is an important concern in neonatal units and human milk banks. Therefore, evidence-based recommendations regarding raw milk handling and storage are needed to safely promote supplying hospitalized infants with their mother's own milk. To evaluate raw human milk storage methods according to Brazilian milk management regulations by investigating the effects of refrigeration (5°C) for 12 hours and freezing (-20°C) for 15 days on the acidity and energy content in a large number of raw milk samples. Expressed milk samples from 100 distinct donors were collected in glass bottles. Each sample was separated into 3 equal portions that were analyzed at room temperature and after either 12 hours of refrigeration or 15 days of freezing. Milk acidity and energy content were determined by Dornic titration and creamatocrit technique, respectively. All samples showed Dornic acidity values within the established acceptable limit (≤ 8°D), as required by Brazilian regulations. In addition, energy content did not significantly differ among fresh, refrigerated and frozen milk samples (median of ~50 kcal/100 mL for each). Most samples tested (> 80%) were considered top quality milk (< 4°D) based on acidity values, and milk energy content was preserved after storage. We conclude that the storage methods required by Brazilian regulations are suitable to ensure milk safety and energy content of stored milk when supplied to neonates. © The Author(s) 2016.

Simultenious binary hash and features learning for image retrieval

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frantc, V. A.; Makov, S. V.; Voronin, V. V.; Marchuk, V. I.; Semenishchev, E. A.; Egiazarian, K. O.; Agaian, S.

2016-05-01

Content-based image retrieval systems have plenty of applications in modern world. The most important one is the image search by query image or by semantic description. Approaches to this problem are employed in personal photo-collection management systems, web-scale image search engines, medical systems, etc. Automatic analysis of large unlabeled image datasets is virtually impossible without satisfactory image-retrieval technique. It's the main reason why this kind of automatic image processing has attracted so much attention during recent years. Despite rather huge progress in the field, semantically meaningful image retrieval still remains a challenging task. The main issue here is the demand to provide reliable results in short amount of time. This paper addresses the problem by novel technique for simultaneous learning of global image features and binary hash codes. Our approach provide mapping of pixel-based image representation to hash-value space simultaneously trying to save as much of semantic image content as possible. We use deep learning methodology to generate image description with properties of similarity preservation and statistical independence. The main advantage of our approach in contrast to existing is ability to fine-tune retrieval procedure for very specific application which allow us to provide better results in comparison to general techniques. Presented in the paper framework for data- dependent image hashing is based on use two different kinds of neural networks: convolutional neural networks for image description and autoencoder for feature to hash space mapping. Experimental results confirmed that our approach has shown promising results in compare to other state-of-the-art methods.

Semantic Repositories for eGovernment Initiatives: Integrating Knowledge and Services

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palmonari, Matteo; Viscusi, Gianluigi

In recent years, public sector investments in eGovernment initiatives have depended on making more reliable existing governmental ICT systems and infrastructures. Furthermore, we assist at a change in the focus of public sector management, from the disaggregation, competition and performance measurements typical of the New Public Management (NPM), to new models of governance, aiming for the reintegration of services under a new perspective in bureaucracy, namely a holistic approach to policy making which exploits the extensive digitalization of administrative operations. In this scenario, major challenges are related to support effective access to information both at the front-end level, by means of highly modular and customizable content provision, and at the back-end level, by means of information integration initiatives. Repositories of information about data and services that exploit semantic models and technologies can support these goals by bridging the gap between the data-level representations and the human-level knowledge involved in accessing information and in searching for services. Moreover, semantic repository technologies can reach a new level of automation for different tasks involved in interoperability programs, both related to data integration techniques and service-oriented computing approaches. In this chapter, we discuss the above topics by referring to techniques and experiences where repositories based on conceptual models and ontologies are used at different levels in eGovernment initiatives: at the back-end level to produce a comprehensive view of the information managed in the public administrations' (PA) information systems, and at the front-end level to support effective service delivery.

Phytostabilization—Management Strategy for Stabilizing Trace Elements in Contaminated Soils

PubMed Central

Vaverková, Magdalena D.; Baryła, Anna

2017-01-01

Contamination of soil by copper (Cu) has become a serious problem throughout the world, causing the reduction of agricultural yield and harmful effects on human health by entering the food chain. A glasshouse pot experiment was designed to evaluate the potential use of halloysite as an immobilizing agent in the aided phytostabilization of Cu-contaminated soil, using Festuca rubra L. The content of Cu in plants, i.e., total and extracted by 0.01 M CaCl2, was determined using the method of spectrophotometry. Cu content in the tested parts of F. rubra differed significantly when halloysite was applied to the soil, as well as with increasing concentrations of Cu. The addition of halloysite significantly increased plant biomass. Cu accumulated in the roots, thereby reducing its toxicity to the aerial parts of the plant. The obtained values of bioconcentration and translocation factors observed for halloysite treatment indicate the effectiveness of using F. rubra in phytostabilization techniques. PMID:28841169

A review on sludge dewatering indices.

PubMed

To, Vu Hien Phuong; Nguyen, Tien Vinh; Vigneswaran, Saravanamuth; Ngo, Huu Hao

2016-01-01

Dewatering of sludge from sewage treatment plants is proving to be a significant challenge due to the large amounts of residual sludges generated annually. In recent years, research and development have focused on improving the dewatering process in order to reduce subsequent costs of sludge management and transport. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to establish reliable indices that reflect the efficiency of sludge dewatering. However, the evaluation of sludge dewaterability is not an easy task due to the highly complex nature of sewage sludge and variations in solid-liquid separation methods. Most traditional dewatering indices fail to predict the maximum cake solids content achievable during full-scale dewatering. This paper reviews the difficulties in assessing sludge dewatering performance, and the main techniques used to evaluate dewatering performance are compared and discussed in detail. Finally, the paper suggests a new dewatering index, namely the modified centrifugal index, which is demonstrated to be an appropriate indicator for estimating the final cake solids content as well as simulating the prototype dewatering process.

Passive 3D imaging of nuclear waste containers with Muon Scattering Tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thomay, C.; Velthuis, J.; Poffley, T.; Baesso, P.; Cussans, D.; Frazão, L.

2016-03-01

The non-invasive imaging of dense objects is of particular interest in the context of nuclear waste management, where it is important to know the contents of waste containers without opening them. Using Muon Scattering Tomography (MST), it is possible to obtain a detailed 3D image of the contents of a waste container on reasonable timescales, showing both the high and low density materials inside. We show the performance of such a method on a Monte Carlo simulation of a dummy waste drum object containing objects of different shapes and materials. The simulation has been tuned with our MST prototype detector performance. In particular, we show that both a tungsten penny of 2 cm radius and 1 cm thickness, and a uranium sheet of 0.5 cm thickness can be clearly identified. We also show the performance of a novel edge finding technique, by which the edges of embedded objects can be identified more precisely than by solely using the imaging method.

Assessing a traceability technique in fresh oranges (Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck) with an HS-SPME-GC-MS method. Towards a volatile characterisation of organic oranges.

PubMed

Cuevas, Francisco Julián; Moreno-Rojas, José Manuel; Ruiz-Moreno, María José

2017-04-15

A targeted approach using HS-SPME-GC-MS was performed to compare flavour compounds of 'Navelina' and 'Salustiana' orange cultivars from organic and conventional management systems. Both varieties of conventional oranges showed higher content of ester compounds. On the other hand, higher content of some compounds related with the geranyl-diphosphate pathway (neryl and geranyl acetates) and some terpenoids were found in the organic samples. Furthermore, the partial least square discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) achieved an effective classification for oranges based on the farming system using their volatile profiles (90 and 100% correct classification). To our knowledge, it is the first time that a comparative study dealing with farming systems and orange aroma profile has been performed. These new insights, taking into account local databases, cultivars and advanced analytical tools, highlight the potential of volatile composition for organic orange discrimination. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Introduction to the supratentorial cerebral arteriovenous malformation video supplement.

PubMed

Starke, Robert M; Albuquerque, Felipe C; Lawton, Michael T

2017-07-01

It is with great pleasure that we present this Neurosurgical Focus video supplement on supratentorial cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). We were privileged to view a remarkable number of outstanding videos demonstrating current state-of-the-art management of brain AVMs using endovascular and microsurgical modalities. Careful and critical review was required to narrow down the submitted videos to a workable volume for this supplement, which reflects the excellent work being done at multiple centers with these lesions. This issue consists of videos that represent modern microsurgical and neuroendovascular techniques for the treatment of supratentorial cerebral AVMs. The videos demonstrate cutting-edge therapies as well as standard ones, which will be valuable to both novice and expert neurointerventionists and neurosurgeons. We are honored to be involved with this project and proud of its content and expert authors. We believe you will enjoy the video content of this supplement and hope that it will raise the collective expertise of our community of AVM surgeons.

Factors that influence effective perioperative temperature management by anesthesiologists: a qualitative study using the Theoretical Domains Framework.

PubMed

Boet, Sylvain; Patey, Andrea M; Baron, Justine S; Mohamed, Karim; Pigford, Ashlee-Ann E; Bryson, Gregory L; Brehaut, Jamie C; Grimshaw, Jeremy M

2017-06-01

Inadvertent perioperative hypothermia (IPH) is associated with a range of adverse outcomes. Safe and effective warming techniques exist to prevent IPH; however, IPH remains common. This study aimed to identify factors that anesthesiologists perceive may influence temperature management during the perioperative period. After Research Ethics Board approval, semi-structured interviews were conducted with staff anesthesiologists at a Canadian academic hospital. An interview guide based on the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) was used to capture 14 theoretical domains that may influence temperature management. The interview transcripts were coded using direct content analysis to generate specific beliefs and to identify relevant TDF domains perceived to influence temperature management behaviour. Data saturation was achieved after 15 interviews. The following nine theoretical domains were identified as relevant to designing an intervention for practices in perioperative temperature management: knowledge, beliefs about capabilities, beliefs about consequences, reinforcement, memory/attention/decision-making, environmental context and resources, social/professional role/identity, social influences, and behavioural regulation. Potential target areas to improve temperature management practices include interventions that address information needs about individual temperature management behaviour as well as patient outcome (feedback), increasing awareness of possible temperature management strategies and guidelines, and a range of equipment and surgical team dynamics that influence temperature management. This study identified several potential target areas for future interventions from nine of the TDF behavioural domains that anesthesiologists perceive to drive their temperature management practices. Future interventions that aim to close the evidence-practice gap in perioperative temperature management may include these targets.

A nonintrusive nuclear monitor for measuring liquid contents in sealed vessels

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Singh, J. J.; Mall, G. H.

1984-01-01

A nonintrusive nuclear technique for monitoring fluid contents in sealed vessels, regardless of the fluid distribution inside the vessels is described. The technique is applicable to all-g environments. It is based on the differences in Cesium-137 gamma ray attenuation coefficients in air and the test liquids.

The development of an audit technique to assess the quality of safety barrier management.

PubMed

Guldenmund, Frank; Hale, Andrew; Goossens, Louis; Betten, Jeroen; Duijm, Nijs Jan

2006-03-31

This paper describes the development of a management model to control barriers devised to prevent major hazard scenarios. Additionally, an audit technique is explained that assesses the quality of such a management system. The final purpose of the audit technique is to quantify those aspects of the management system that have a direct impact on the reliability and effectiveness of the barriers and, hence, the probability of the scenarios involved. First, an outline of the management model is given and its elements are explained. Then, the development of the audit technique is described. Because the audit technique uses actual major hazard scenarios and barriers within these as its focus, the technique achieves a concreteness and clarity that many other techniques often lack. However, this strength is also its limitation, since the full safety management system is not covered with the technique. Finally, some preliminary experiences obtained from several test sites are compiled and discussed.

Pilot educational program to enhance empowering patient education of school-age children with diabetes

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Nurses have a crucial role in patient education of children with type 1 diabetes, but they often exhibit lack of knowledge of the patient education process. This study aimed to describe an educational program to enhance empowering patient education process for the blood glucose monitoring education of school-age children and nurses’ perceptions of using empowering techniques. Methods An empowering patient education process for the diabetes education of school-age children was developed. The researcher collected nurse’s perceptions of managing the educational program by semi-structured interviews. Ten nurses carried out the diabetes education, and 8 of them participated in the interview. Three nurses implemented the diabetes education twice and were interviewed twice. The data consisted of 11 descriptions of the blood glucose monitoring education. The interviewer analyzed the data deductively and inductively by content analysis. Results Nurses described successful managing of the empowering patient education process. The need assessment consisted of using multiple methods and clarifying the capabilities and challenges of children and their parents. Planning manifested itself in adequate preparation and multiple objectives stated together with the family. Implementation comprised the relevant content, and the use of suitable teaching materials and methods. Evaluation was performed with various methods and documented accurately. Nurses also faced some challenges related to management and leadership, ambivalence with traditional and empowering patient education, and families’ overall situation. Conclusion An example of developing evidence-based patient education program is presented, but besides education other factors supporting changes in work practices should be considered in further development. PMID:23641969

The surgical learning and instructional portfolio: what residents at a single institution are learning.

PubMed

Webb, Travis P; Merkley, Taylor R

2011-03-01

The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Learning Portfolio is recommended as a tool to develop and document reflective, practice-based learning and improvement. There is no consensus regarding the appropriate content of a learning portfolio in medical education. Studying lessons selected for inclusion in their learning portfolios by surgical trainees could help identify useful subject matter for this purpose. Each month, all residents in our surgery residency program submit entries into their individual Surgical Learning and Instructional Portfolio (SLIP). The SLIP entries from July 2008 to 2009 (n = 420) were deidentified and randomized using a random number generator. We conducted a thematic content analysis of 50 random portfolio entries to identify lessons learned. Two independent raters analyzed the "3 lessons learned" portion of the portfolio entries and identified themes and subthemes using the constant comparative method used in grounded theory. The collaborative coding process resulted in theme saturation after the identification of 7 themes and their subthemes. Themes in decreasing order of frequency included complications, disease epidemiology, disease presentation, surgical management of disease, medical management of disease, operative techniques, and pathophysiology. Junior residents chose to focus on a broad array of foundational topics including disease presentation, epidemiology, and overall management of diseases, whereas postgraduate year-4 (PGY-4) and PGY-5 residents most frequently chose to focus on complications as learning points. Lessons learned reflect perceived needs of the trainees based on training year. When given a template to follow, junior and senior residents choose to reflect on different subject matter to meet their learning goals.

The Surgical Learning and Instructional Portfolio: What Residents at a Single Institution Are Learning

PubMed Central

Webb, Travis P; Merkley, Taylor R

2011-01-01

Background The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Learning Portfolio is recommended as a tool to develop and document reflective, practice-based learning and improvement. There is no consensus regarding the appropriate content of a learning portfolio in medical education. Studying lessons selected for inclusion in their learning portfolios by surgical trainees could help identify useful subject matter for this purpose. Methods Each month, all residents in our surgery residency program submit entries into their individual Surgical Learning and Instructional Portfolio (SLIP). The SLIP entries from July 2008 to 2009 (n = 420) were deidentified and randomized using a random number generator. We conducted a thematic content analysis of 50 random portfolio entries to identify lessons learned. Two independent raters analyzed the “3 lessons learned” portion of the portfolio entries and identified themes and subthemes using the constant comparative method used in grounded theory. Results The collaborative coding process resulted in theme saturation after the identification of 7 themes and their subthemes. Themes in decreasing order of frequency included complications, disease epidemiology, disease presentation, surgical management of disease, medical management of disease, operative techniques, and pathophysiology. Junior residents chose to focus on a broad array of foundational topics including disease presentation, epidemiology, and overall management of diseases, whereas postgraduate year-4 (PGY-4) and PGY-5 residents most frequently chose to focus on complications as learning points. Conclusions Lessons learned reflect perceived needs of the trainees based on training year. When given a template to follow, junior and senior residents choose to reflect on different subject matter to meet their learning goals. PMID:22379531

Adaptation of Soil Physical Measurement Techniques for the Delineation of Mud and Lakebed Sediments at Neusiedler See

PubMed Central

Kogelbauer, Ilse; Heine, Erwin; D'Amboise, Christopher; Müllebner, Christoph; Sokol, Wolfgang; Loiskandl, Willibald

2013-01-01

For many water management issues of shallow lakes with non-consolidated sediments hydrographic surveys of the open water area and reed belt areas are required. In the frame of water management strategy for the steppe lake Neusiedler See, located between Austria and Hungary, a hydrographic survey was conducted. In the open water area (water depth ≥1 m) a sediment echosounder was used. To validate these measurements and to distinguish between water, mud, and sediment layers in the shallow lake and reed belt area additional measurements were needed. As no common standard methods are available yet, we developed a measurement system based on two commonly applied soil physical measurement techniques providing reproducible physical values: a capacitive sensor and a cone penetrometer combined with GNSS-positioning enable dynamic measurements of georeferenced vertical water-mud-bedsediments profiles. The system bases on site-specific calibrated sensors and allows instantaneous, in situ measurements. The measurements manifest a sharp water-mud interface by a sudden decline to smaller water content which is a function of the dielectric permittivity. A second decline indicates the transition to compacted mud. That is concurrently the density where the penetrometer starts registering significant penetration resistance. The penetrometer detects shallow lakebed-sediment layers. Within the lake survey this measurement system was successfully tested. PMID:24351626

Automated measurement of birefringence - Development and experimental evaluation of the techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Voloshin, A. S.; Redner, A. S.

1989-01-01

Traditional photoelasticity has started to lose its appeal since it requires a well-trained specialist to acquire and interpret results. A spectral-contents-analysis approach may help to revive this old, but still useful technique. Light intensity of the beam passed through the stressed specimen contains all the information necessary to automatically extract the value of retardation. This is done by using a photodiode array to investigate the spectral contents of the light beam. Three different techniques to extract the value of retardation from the spectral contents of the light are discussed and evaluated. An experimental system was built which demonstrates the ability to evaluate retardation values in real time.

Greenhouse gas emissions in a faba bean crop: incluence of management practices and cultivars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sánchez-Navarro, Virginia; Zornoza, Raúl; Faz, Ángel; Fernández, Juan

2016-04-01

In this study we evaluated the effect of two cultivars of faba bean (Muchamiel and Palenca) with two different management practices (conventional and organic) on the direct emissions of N2O and CH4 during the crop cycle and their interaction with soil properties. The study was randomly designed in blocks with four replications, in plots of 10 m2. Faba bean crop spanned from 24 November 2014 to 2 March 2015. Gas samples were taken in different times (0, 30 and 60 minutes) once a week using the static gas chamber technique for crop cycle. The results showed that accumulated N2O was higher for both cultivars under conventional management practice with comparison to organic management, with an average increase of 18.27 mg m-2 in Muchamiel cultivar and 8.95 mg m-2 in Palenca cultivar. Accumulated CH4 was higher in Palenca cultivar under conventional management practice, with an average increase of 455.28 mg m-2 over this cultivar under organic management practice. We observed significant negative correlations between N2O emission and β-glucosaminidase activity, and between CH4 and sodium content in soil. In addition, CH4 emission showed a positive correlation with the enzyme activities arylesterase and cellulase. Acknowledgements: This research was financed by the FP7 European Project Eurolegume (FP7-KBBE- 613781).

Disease Management Evaluation: A Comprehensive Review of Current State of the Art.

PubMed

Conklin, Annalijn; Nolte, Ellen

2011-01-01

Many countries across Europe and elsewhere have been experimenting with various structured approaches to manage patients with chronic illness as a way to improve quality of care, reduce costs and lead to better population health outcomes in the long run. Despite a body of studies of disease management interventions, uncertainty about the effects of these remains not least because current guidance on evaluation methods and metrics require further development to enhance scientific rigour while also being practical in routine operations. This article provides details from a report that reviews the academic and grey literature to help advance the task of improving the science of assessing disease management initiatives in Europe. Challenges identified are methodological, analytical and conceptual in nature, with a key issue being the establishment of the counterfactual. An array of sophisticated statistical techniques and analytical frameworks can assist in the construction of a sound comparison strategy when a randomised controlled trial is not possible. Issues to consider include: a clear framework of the mechanisms of action and expected effects of disease management; an understanding of the characteristics of disease management (scope, content, dose, context), and of the intervention and target populations (disease type, severity, case-mix); a period of observation over multiple years; and a logical link between performance measures and the intervention's aims and underlying theory of behaviour change.

[Leadership and management courses for clinicians].

PubMed

Wichelhaus, Daniel; Fischer, Peter

2017-08-01

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the benefit of Leadership and Management Courses for clinicians, specifically which leadership and management contents are beneficial to their daily clinical work and whether these contents support their individual career. E-mail invitations to participate in the study were sent to all 543 medical doctors of the University Hospital Hanover, Germany, who had taken part in one of the leadership and management courses offered between June 2005 and June 2015. The enquiry was carried out between June 1 and June 30, 2015. 84 e-mail addresses were no longer active; and so, N=459 clinicians actually received the invitation. Of these, 104 participated (22.7%). The study included 59 items. Six were free text items, twelve items were closed questions which could be answered by choosing from a drop down menu, and 41 were answered on a Likert scale from 0 (not fitting at all) to 10 (perfect fit). Based on the items answered on a Likert scale, the following scales and mean values were deduced: Job Satisfaction (M=7.44); Leadership (M=7.77); Trust (M=7.22); Striving for Power (M=7,45); negative Affect (M=4,91); Target Achievement Motivation (M=8.19); Communication (M=8.30) and Management (M=6.48). Regression analysis showed that Job- and Team Satisfaction can predict to what extent the participants regard themselves as good leaders. The study participants defined the following topics as very important: leadership and management style, managerial functions, team management, human resources development and project management. Further topics included rhetoric skills, presentation techniques, as well as basic economics such as understanding balance sheets, profit & loss statements and contribution margin calculation. 55% of the course contents were described as being directly applicable to their daily working environment. In the clinicians' view, the ideal leader acts as a role model (passing on values like respect, appreciation, honesty, openness, fairness, sense of justice, and empathy), someone who motivates his colleagues by giving them a vision, structure and transparency. The participants estimated that they met 60% of these qualifications. 51% of the participants found the course highly beneficial, and 45% rated it as being beneficial. 55% said that the course boosted their career. 96% were willing to attend further leadership and management courses. 98% would recommend the course to their colleagues. The return rate of 22.7%, the subjective benefit of the courses (96%), the willingness to attend such courses (96%) and to recommend them to colleagues (98%) demonstrates that clinicians are highly interested in leadership and management topics. This may be due to the fact that these topics are not part of the training program for medical students or junior doctors. Our findings are in consistent with organisational and psychological research results showing that "soft" psychological factors related to leadership topics are a significant and crucial factor behind the success of organisations and hospitals. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier GmbH.

Developing Content for an M.B.A. Communications Class.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shelby, Annette N.

1983-01-01

Outlines an M.B.A. communications course which includes source materials and content development frameworks for four different topic areas: (1) company, industry, and organization data; (2) management theory and organizational design; (3) crisis communication; and (4) issues management. (RAE)

NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING OF WATER CONTENT IN THE SUBSURFACE

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

Hendrickx, Jan M.H.

1999-12-31

This report contains the experimental, theoretical and numerical studies performed under Department of Energy (DOE) Agreement Number DE-FG07-96ER14732 entitled ''Surface Nuclear Magnetic Resonance for Imaging Subsurface Water.'' DOE and Department of Defense (DOD) complexes and test ranges are situated in widely varying climatic conditions from the desert southwest to the humid east. The mission of the Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (EM) is to clean up the inventory of inactive DOE sites and facilities, and the goal of the EM Office of Technology Development (OTD) is to deliver technologies to make environmental restoration more efficient and cost effective.more » In the western United States, where a number of DOE facilities are located, the water table can occur several hundred feet below the surface. The zone between surface and water table is called the vadose zone or unsaturated zone. A characteristic of that zone is that mobility of water and contaminants is greatly reduced compared to rate of movement in the saturated zone. A thick vadose zone lowers the risk and, at least, increases the time before contaminants enter drinking water supplies. The assessment of risk is often performed by modeling of ground water flow and contaminant migration by analytical methods or unsaturated flow models (e.g. Hendrickx et al 1991). Necessary inputs for these models are the hydraulic properties of the different geological formations (e.g. Hendrickx 1990) and the water content distribution in the vadose zone (Freeze and Cherry 1979). Accurate risk assessments for ground water contamination cannot be conducted without actual measurements of the water content distribution in the vadose zone. To date, very few techniques have been developed to provide such information at an acceptable speed and cost. Because soil water contents exhibit a large spatial and temporal variability, the costs of conventional measurement techniques, such as gravimetric sampling, gypsum blocks, and neutron probes, are high. Only non-intrusive tests with a cost factor much lower than that of an intrusive test will offer acceptable alternatives. Therefore, a definite need exists for a non-intrusive water content measurement method. The surface nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technique applied to imaging of ground water was first developed by Russian scientists from the Institute of Chemical and Combustion in Novosibirsk, Russia. Over the last two decades they have published a series of papers and reports describing the theory of the method, along with experimental measurements from the surface to a depth of about 100 m. Preliminary evaluation of the concepts and results merited further investigations, particularly because of the critical technical need for cost-effective water content measurements in environmental restoration.« less

Guidelines for overcoming hospital managerial challenges: a systematic literature review

PubMed Central

Crema, Maria; Verbano, Chiara

2013-01-01

Purpose The need to respond to accreditation institutes’ and patients’ requirements and to align health care results with increased medical knowledge is focusing greater attention on quality in health care. Different tools and techniques have been adopted to measure and manage quality, but clinical errors are still too numerous, suggesting that traditional quality improvement systems are unable to deal appropriately with hospital challenges. The purpose of this paper is to grasp the current tools, practices, and guidelines adopted in health care to improve quality and patient safety and create a base for future research on this young subject. Methods A systematic literature review was carried out. A search of academic databases, including papers that focus not only on lean management, but also on clinical errors and risk reduction, yielded 47 papers. The general characteristics of the selected papers were analyzed, and a content analysis was conducted. Results A variety of managerial techniques, tools, and practices are being adopted in health care, and traditional methodologies have to be integrated with the latest ones in order to reduce errors and ensure high quality and patient safety. As it has been demonstrated, these tools are useful not only for achieving efficiency objectives, but also for providing higher quality and patient safety. Critical indications and guidelines for successful implementation of new health managerial methodologies are provided and synthesized in an operative scheme useful for extending and deepening knowledge of these issues with further studies. Conclusion This research contributes to introducing a new theme in health care literature regarding the development of successful projects with both clinical risk management and health lean management objectives, and should address solutions for improving health care even in the current context of decreasing resources. PMID:24307833

Impact of Conventional and Integrated Management Systems on the Water-Soluble Vitamin Content in Potatoes, Field Beans, and Cereals.

PubMed

Freitag, Sabine; Verrall, Susan R; Pont, Simon D A; McRae, Diane; Sungurtas, Julia A; Palau, Raphaëlle; Hawes, Cathy; Alexander, Colin J; Allwood, J William; Foito, Alexandre; Stewart, Derek; Shepherd, Louise V T

2018-01-31

The reduction of the environmental footprint of crop production without compromising crop yield and their nutritional value is a key goal for improving the sustainability of agriculture. In 2009, the Balruddery Farm Platform was established at The James Hutton Institute as a long-term experimental platform for cross-disciplinary research of crops using two agricultural ecosystems. Crops representative of UK agriculture were grown under conventional and integrated management systems and analyzed for their water-soluble vitamin content. Integrated management, when compared with the conventional system, had only minor effects on water-soluble vitamin content, where significantly higher differences were seen for the conventional management practice on the levels of thiamine in field beans (p < 0.01), Spring barley (p < 0.05), and Winter wheat (p < 0.05), and for nicotinic acid in Spring barley (p < 0.05). However, for all crops, variety and year differences were of greater importance. These results indicate that the integrated management system described in this study does not significantly affect the water-soluble vitamin content of the crops analyzed here.

Figure Analysis: An Implementation Dialogue

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wiles, Amy M.

2016-01-01

Figure analysis is a novel active learning teaching technique that reinforces visual literacy. Small groups of students discuss diagrams in class in order to learn content. The instructor then gives a brief introduction and later summarizes the content of the figure. This teaching technique can be used in place of lecture as a mechanism to deliver…

Determining the frequency, depth and velocity of preferential flow by high frequency soil moisture monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hardie, Marcus; Lisson, Shaun; Doyle, Richard; Cotching, William

2013-01-01

Preferential flow in agricultural soils has been demonstrated to result in agrochemical mobilisation to shallow ground water. Land managers and environmental regulators need simple cost effective techniques for identifying soil - land use combinations in which preferential flow occurs. Existing techniques for identifying preferential flow have a range of limitations including; often being destructive, non in situ, small sampling volumes, or are subject to artificial boundary conditions. This study demonstrated that high frequency soil moisture monitoring using a multi-sensory capacitance probe mounted within a vertically rammed access tube, was able to determine the occurrence, depth, and wetting front velocity of preferential flow events following rainfall. Occurrence of preferential flow was not related to either rainfall intensity or rainfall amount, rather preferential flow occurred when antecedent soil moisture content was below 226 mm soil moisture storage (0-70 cm). Results indicate that high temporal frequency soil moisture monitoring may be used to identify soil type - land use combinations in which the presence of preferential flow increases the risk of shallow groundwater contamination by rapid transport of agrochemicals through the soil profile. However use of high frequency based soil moisture monitoring to determine agrochemical mobilisation risk may be limited by, inability to determine the volume of preferential flow, difficulty observing macropore flow at high antecedent soil moisture content, and creation of artificial voids during installation of access tubes in stony soils.

Two-Phase Item Selection Procedure for Flexible Content Balancing in CAT

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cheng, Ying; Chang, Hua-Hua; Yi, Qing

2007-01-01

Content balancing is an important issue in the design and implementation of computerized adaptive testing (CAT). Content-balancing techniques that have been applied in fixed content balancing, where the number of items from each content area is fixed, include constrained CAT (CCAT), the modified multinomial model (MMM), modified constrained CAT…

Surgical center: challenges and strategies for nurses in managerial activities.

PubMed

Martins, Fabiana Zerbieri; Dall'Agnoll, Clarice Maria

2017-02-23

Analyze the challenges and strategies of nurses performing managerial activities in a surgical center. Exploratory, descriptive study with a qualitative approach, involving six nurses by means of the Focus Group Technique, between April and August 2013. Data were submitted to thematic content analysis. The main challenges noted were deficiency of material resources, communication noise, adequacy of personnel downsizing, and relationships with the multidisciplinary team. Key strategies include construction of co-management spaces to promote integration among professionals, conflict resolution and exchange of knowledge. Managerial activities involve the promotion of dialogic moments to coordinate the different processes in the surgical center to provide inputs to expand safety and quality of services provided.

Management of Dynamic Biomedical Terminologies: Current Status and Future Challenges

PubMed Central

Dos Reis, J. C.; Pruski, C.

2015-01-01

Summary Objectives Controlled terminologies and their dependent artefacts provide a consensual understanding of a domain while reducing ambiguities and enabling reasoning. However, the evolution of a domain’s knowledge directly impacts these terminologies and generates inconsistencies in the underlying biomedical information systems. In this article, we review existing work addressing the dynamic aspect of terminologies as well as their effects on mappings and semantic annotations. Methods We investigate approaches related to the identification, characterization and propagation of changes in terminologies, mappings and semantic annotations including techniques to update their content. Results and conclusion Based on the explored issues and existing methods, we outline open research challenges requiring investigation in the near future. PMID:26293859

Update to permeable pavement research at the Edison ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Abstract: The EPA’s Urban Watershed Management Branch (UWMB) has been monitoring the permeable pavement demonstration site at the Edison Environmental Center, NJ since 2010. This site has three different types of permeable pavement including: interlocking concrete permeable pavers; porous concrete; and permeable asphalt. The parking lot is instrumented with water content reflectometers and thermistors for continuous monitoring and has four lined sections for each surface to capture permeable pavement infiltrate for water quality analyses.Previous technical releases concerning the demonstration site focused on monitoring techniques, observed chloride and nutrient concentrations, and infiltration and evaporation rates. Thispresentation summarizes past findings and addresses current water quality efforts. This presentation summarizes past findings and addresses current water quality efforts.

A System for the Semantic Multimodal Analysis of News Audio-Visual Content

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mezaris, Vasileios; Gidaros, Spyros; Papadopoulos, GeorgiosTh; Kasper, Walter; Steffen, Jörg; Ordelman, Roeland; Huijbregts, Marijn; de Jong, Franciska; Kompatsiaris, Ioannis; Strintzis, MichaelG

2010-12-01

News-related content is nowadays among the most popular types of content for users in everyday applications. Although the generation and distribution of news content has become commonplace, due to the availability of inexpensive media capturing devices and the development of media sharing services targeting both professional and user-generated news content, the automatic analysis and annotation that is required for supporting intelligent search and delivery of this content remains an open issue. In this paper, a complete architecture for knowledge-assisted multimodal analysis of news-related multimedia content is presented, along with its constituent components. The proposed analysis architecture employs state-of-the-art methods for the analysis of each individual modality (visual, audio, text) separately and proposes a novel fusion technique based on the particular characteristics of news-related content for the combination of the individual modality analysis results. Experimental results on news broadcast video illustrate the usefulness of the proposed techniques in the automatic generation of semantic annotations.

Content-based management service for medical videos.

PubMed

Mendi, Engin; Bayrak, Coskun; Cecen, Songul; Ermisoglu, Emre

2013-01-01

Development of health information technology has had a dramatic impact to improve the efficiency and quality of medical care. Developing interoperable health information systems for healthcare providers has the potential to improve the quality and equitability of patient-centered healthcare. In this article, we describe an automated content-based medical video analysis and management service that provides convenience and ease in accessing the relevant medical video content without sequential scanning. The system facilitates effective temporal video segmentation and content-based visual information retrieval that enable a more reliable understanding of medical video content. The system is implemented as a Web- and mobile-based service and has the potential to offer a knowledge-sharing platform for the purpose of efficient medical video content access.

An Application of Instructional System Development to Determine Financial Management Education Needs for Logistics Management Positions.

DTIC Science & Technology

1976-09-01

The purpose of this research effort was to determine the financial management educational needs of USAF graduate logistics positions. Goal analysis...was used to identify financial management techniques and task analysis was used to develop a method to identify the use of financial management techniques...positions. The survey identified financial management techniques in five areas: cost accounting, capital budgeting, working capital, financial forecasting, and programming. (Author)

Strategic Management of Resource Markets: An Exploratory Study of Department of Defense Contractors.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-04-01

prime contractors focusing on (1) the operation and functional content of strategic management systems and their approaches to identifying, prioritizing...Introduction Strategic Planning for Procurement Approaches to Strategic Planning Relationship with the Procurement Process Organizational Demands Studies...planning/management with the same skill, content and commitment, what suggested improvements can come from a study of the approaches used by the more

Curriculum Design and Management in the Digital Media U: Applying the Corporate University Concept to a Business Sub-Sector

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Selby, Les; Russell, David

2005-01-01

Purpose: To report on the progress of Digital Media U, a tailor-made portal, learning environment and management system. Design/methodology/approach: Discusses the design of the learning content domains, acquisition of the content and the systems for managing the curriculum in the future, including the application of a new model of accreditation.…

Apps to promote physical activity among adults: a review and content analysis

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background In May 2013, the iTunes and Google Play stores contained 23,490 and 17,756 smartphone applications (apps) categorized as Health and Fitness, respectively. The quality of these apps, in terms of applying established health behavior change techniques, remains unclear. Methods The study sample was identified through systematic searches in iTunes and Google Play. Search terms were based on Boolean logic and included AND combinations for physical activity, healthy lifestyle, exercise, fitness, coach, assistant, motivation, and support. Sixty-four apps were downloaded, reviewed, and rated based on the taxonomy of behavior change techniques used in the interventions. Mean and ranges were calculated for the number of observed behavior change techniques. Using nonparametric tests, we compared the number of techniques observed in free and paid apps and in iTunes and Google Play. Results On average, the reviewed apps included 5 behavior change techniques (range 2–8). Techniques such as self-monitoring, providing feedback on performance, and goal-setting were used most frequently, whereas some techniques such as motivational interviewing, stress management, relapse prevention, self-talk, role models, and prompted barrier identification were not. No differences in the number of behavior change techniques between free and paid apps, or between the app stores were found. Conclusions The present study demonstrated that apps promoting physical activity applied an average of 5 out of 23 possible behavior change techniques. This number was not different for paid and free apps or between app stores. The most frequently used behavior change techniques in apps were similar to those most frequently used in other types of physical activity promotion interventions. PMID:25059981

Checklist for Early Recognition and Treatment of Acute Illness (CERTAIN): evolution of a content management system for point-of-care clinical decision support.

PubMed

Barwise, Amelia; Garcia-Arguello, Lisbeth; Dong, Yue; Hulyalkar, Manasi; Vukoja, Marija; Schultz, Marcus J; Adhikari, Neill K J; Bonneton, Benjamin; Kilickaya, Oguz; Kashyap, Rahul; Gajic, Ognjen; Schmickl, Christopher N

2016-10-03

The Checklist for Early Recognition and Treatment of Acute Illness (CERTAIN) is an international collaborative project with the overall objective of standardizing the approach to the evaluation and treatment of critically ill patients world-wide, in accordance with best-practice principles. One of CERTAIN's key features is clinical decision support providing point-of-care information about common acute illness syndromes, procedures, and medications in an index card format. This paper describes 1) the process of developing and validating the content for point-of-care decision support, and 2) the content management system that facilitates frequent peer-review and allows rapid updates of content across different platforms (CERTAIN software, mobile apps, pdf-booklet) and different languages. Content was created based on survey results of acute care providers and validated using an open peer-review process. Over a 3 year period, CERTAIN content expanded to include 67 syndrome cards, 30 procedure cards, and 117 medication cards. 127 (59 %) cards have been peer-reviewed so far. Initially MS Word® and Dropbox® were used to create, store, and share content for peer-review. Recently Google Docs® was used to make the peer-review process more efficient. However, neither of these approaches met our security requirements nor has the capacity to instantly update the different CERTAIN platforms. Although we were able to successfully develop and validate a large inventory of clinical decision support cards in a short period of time, commercially available software solutions for content management are suboptimal. Novel custom solutions are necessary for efficient global point of care content system management.

Antineoplastic agents extravasation from peripheral intravenous line in children: a simple strategy for a safer nursing care.

PubMed

Chanes, Daniella Cristina; da Luz Gonçalves Pedreira, Mavilde; de Gutiérrez, Maria Gaby Rivero

2012-02-01

The antineoplastic agents infusion through peripheral lines may lead to several adverse events such as extravasation that is one of the most severe acute reactions of this sort of treatment. The extravasation prevention and management must be part of a safe and evidence-based nursing care. Due to this fact, two algorithms were developed with the purpose of guiding nursing care to children who undergo chemotherapy through peripheral line. The objectives of this study were to determine the content validity of both algorithms with pediatric oncology nurses in Brazil and United States of America, and to verify the agreement between the evaluations of both groups. A descriptive validation study was carried out through the Delphi Technique that has the following steps: development of the data collection instrument, application to the specialists, data analysis, algorithms' review, re-evaluation by the specialists, final data analysis and content validity determination. The data analysis was descriptive and based on the specialists agreement consensus equal or higher than 80% in every step of the algorithms. The process showed that the agreement with both instruments ranged from 92.8% to 99.0%. The algorithms are valid for application in nursing care with the main purpose of preventing and managing the antineoplastic agents' extravasation. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Project TEAMS (Techniques and Education for Achieving Management Skills): Business and Industrial Supervisors.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Platte Technical Community Coll., Columbus, NE.

These Project TEAMS (Techniques and Education for Achieving Management Skills) instructional materials consist of five units for use in training business and industrial supervisors. Unit 1 is designed to help managers in business or industry increase management skills in regard to leadership techniques, problem solving and decision making, and…

The interaction between biology and the management of aquatic macrophytes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nichols, S.A.

1991-01-01

'Management' refers to controlling nuisance aquatic species and to restoring or restructing aquatic plant communities. Producing stable, diverse, aquatic plant communities containing a high percentage of desirable species is a primary management goal. There are a variety of techniques including harvesting, herbicides, water-level fluctuation, sediment alteration, nutrient limitation, light alteration, and biological controls which can be used for managing macrophytes. These techniques are briefly reviewed along with discussions of biological considerations important to the efficacy of the technique and the environmental impacts of the technique. There is a growing interest in restoring and restructing aquatic plant communities. Techniques for community restoration are discussed as are emerging management technologies using growth regulators and bioengineering. New management technologies will probably be limited by costs and environmental impacts. In the near future, better macrophyte management will come through better planning and more effective use of present technology. The challenge is to make current planning and management techniques more effective through increased biological inputs. The potential for biological input ranges from subcellular biology to species biology, to community and ecosystem biology. Some information needs are identified. ?? 1991.

The Use of Electromagnetic Induction Techniques for Soil Mapping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brevik, Eric C.; Doolittle, Jim

2015-04-01

Soils have high natural spatial variability. This has been recognized for a long time, and many methods of mapping that spatial variability have been investigated. One technique that has received considerable attention over the last ~30 years is electromagnetic induction (EMI). Particularly when coupled with modern GPS and GIS systems, EMI techniques have allowed the rapid and relatively inexpensive collection of large spatially-related data sets that can be correlated to soil properties that either directly or indirectly influence electrical conductance in the soil. Soil electrical conductivity is directly controlled by soil water content, soluble salt content, clay content and mineralogy, and temperature. A wide range of indirect controls have been identified, such as soil organic matter content and bulk density; both influence water relationships in the soil. EMI techniques work best in areas where there are large changes in one soil property that influences soil electrical conductance, and don't work as well when soil properties that influence electrical conductance are largely homogenous. This presentation will present examples of situations where EMI techniques were successful as well as a couple of examples of situations where EMI was not so useful in mapping the spatial variability of soil properties. Reasons for both the successes and failures will be discussed.

Application of air classification and formulation to manage feedstock cost, quality and availability for bioenergy

DOE PAGES

Thompson, Vicki S.; Lacey, Jeffrey A.; Hartley, Damon; ...

2016-04-22

Biomass such as agricultural residues, energy crops and yard waste has significant potential to be used as renewable feedstocks for production of fuels, chemicals and energy. However, in a given location, biomass availability, cost and quality can vary markedly. Strategies to manage these traits must be identified and implemented so that consistent low-cost and high-quality feedstocks can be delivered to biorefineries year round. In this study, we examine air classification as a method to mitigate high ash concentrations in corn stover, switchgrass, and grass clippings. Formulation techniques were then used to produce blends that met ash quality and biomass quantitymore » specifications at the lowest possible cost for biopower and biochemical conversion applications. It was found that air classification can separate the biomass into light fractions which contain concentrated amounts of elemental ash components introduced through soil contamination such as sodium, alumina, silica, iron and titania; and heavy fractions that are depleted in these components and have relatively lower total ash content. Light fractions of corn stover and grass clippings were found to be suitable for combustion applications since they had less propensity to slag than the whole biomass material. The remaining heavy fractions of corn stover or grass clippings could then be blended with switchgrass to produce blends that met the 5% total ash specifications suggested for biochemical conversions. However, ternary blends of the three feedstocks were not possible due to the high ash content of grass clippings. Lastly, it was determined that air classification by itself was not suitable to prepare these feedstocks for pyrolysis due to high ash content.« less

Application of air classification and formulation to manage feedstock cost, quality and availability for bioenergy

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

Thompson, Vicki S.; Lacey, Jeffrey A.; Hartley, Damon

Biomass such as agricultural residues, energy crops and yard waste has significant potential to be used as renewable feedstocks for production of fuels, chemicals and energy. However, in a given location, biomass availability, cost and quality can vary markedly. Strategies to manage these traits must be identified and implemented so that consistent low-cost and high-quality feedstocks can be delivered to biorefineries year round. In this study, we examine air classification as a method to mitigate high ash concentrations in corn stover, switchgrass, and grass clippings. Formulation techniques were then used to produce blends that met ash quality and biomass quantitymore » specifications at the lowest possible cost for biopower and biochemical conversion applications. It was found that air classification can separate the biomass into light fractions which contain concentrated amounts of elemental ash components introduced through soil contamination such as sodium, alumina, silica, iron and titania; and heavy fractions that are depleted in these components and have relatively lower total ash content. Light fractions of corn stover and grass clippings were found to be suitable for combustion applications since they had less propensity to slag than the whole biomass material. The remaining heavy fractions of corn stover or grass clippings could then be blended with switchgrass to produce blends that met the 5% total ash specifications suggested for biochemical conversions. However, ternary blends of the three feedstocks were not possible due to the high ash content of grass clippings. Lastly, it was determined that air classification by itself was not suitable to prepare these feedstocks for pyrolysis due to high ash content.« less

Knowledge management strategies: Enhancing knowledge transfer to clinicians and patients.

PubMed

Roemer, Lorrie K; Rocha, Roberto A; Del Fiol, Guilherme; Bradshaw, Richard L; Hanna, Timothy P; Hulse, Nathan C

2006-01-01

At Intermountain Healthcare (Intermountain), executive clinical content experts are responsible for disseminating consistent evidence-based clinical content throughout the enterprise at the point-of-care. With a paper-based system it was difficult to ensure that current information was received and was being used in practice. With electronic information systems multiple applications were supplying similar, but different, vendor-licensed and locally-developed content. These issues influenced the consistency of clinical practice within the enterprise, jeopardized patient and clinician safety, and exposed the enterprise and its employees to potential financial penalties. In response to these issues Intermountain is developing a knowledge management infrastructure providing tools and services to support clinical content development, deployment, maintenance, and communication. The Intermountain knowledge management philosophy includes strategies guiding clinicians and consumers of health information to relevant best practice information with the intention of changing behaviors. This paper presents three case studies describing different information management problems identified within Intermountain, methods used to solve the problems, implementation challenges, and the current status of each project.

Combining Digital Archives Content with Serious Game Approach to Create a Gamified Learning Experience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shih, D.-T.; Lin, C. L.; Tseng, C.-Y.

2015-08-01

This paper presents an interdisciplinary to develop content-aware application that combines game with learning on specific categories of digital archives. The employment of content-oriented game enhances the gamification and efficacy of learning in culture education on architectures and history of Hsinchu County, Taiwan. The gamified form of the application is used as a backbone to support and provide a strong stimulation to engage users in learning art and culture, therefore this research is implementing under the goal of "The Digital ARt/ARchitecture Project". The purpose of the abovementioned project is to develop interactive serious game approaches and applications for Hsinchu County historical archives and architectures. Therefore, we present two applications, "3D AR for Hukou Old " and "Hsinchu County History Museum AR Tour" which are in form of augmented reality (AR). By using AR imaging techniques to blend real object and virtual content, the users can immerse in virtual exhibitions of Hukou Old Street and Hsinchu County History Museum, and to learn in ubiquitous computing environment. This paper proposes a content system that includes tools and materials used to create representations of digitized cultural archives including historical artifacts, documents, customs, religion, and architectures. The Digital ARt / ARchitecture Project is based on the concept of serious game and consists of three aspects: content creation, target management, and AR presentation. The project focuses on developing a proper approach to serve as an interactive game, and to offer a learning opportunity for appreciating historic architectures by playing AR cards. Furthermore, the card game aims to provide multi-faceted understanding and learning experience to help user learning through 3D objects, hyperlinked web data, and the manipulation of learning mode, and then effectively developing their learning levels on cultural and historical archives in Hsinchu County.

Electromagnetic characterization of white spruce at different moisture contents using synthetic aperture radar imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ingemi, Christopher M.; Owusu Twumasi, Jones; Yu, Tzuyang

2018-03-01

Detection and quantification of moisture content inside wood (timber) is key to ensuring safety and reliability of timber structures. Moisture inside wood attracts insects and fosters the development of fungi to attack the timber, causing significant damages and reducing the load bearing capacity during their design life. The use of non-destructive evaluation (NDE) techniques (e.g., microwave/radar, ultrasonic, stress wave, and X-ray) for condition assessment of timber structures is a good choice. NDE techniques provide information about the level of deterioration and material properties of timber structures without obstructing their functionality. In this study, microwave/radar NDE technique was selected for the characterization of wood at different moisture contents. A 12 in-by-3.5 in-by-1.5 in. white spruce specimen (picea glauca) was imaged at different moisture contents using a 10 GHz synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sensor inside an anechoic chamber. The presence of moisture was found to increase the SAR image amplitude as expected. Additionally, integrated SAR amplitude was found beneficial in modeling the moisture content inside the wood specimen.

[Composition of chicken and quail eggs].

PubMed

Closa, S J; Marchesich, C; Cabrera, M; Morales, J C

1999-06-01

Qualified food composition data on lipids composition are needed to evaluate intakes as a risk factor in the development of heart disease. Proximal composition, cholesterol and fatty acid content of chicken and quail eggs, usually consumed or traded, were analysed. Proximal composition were determined using AOAC (1984) specific techniques; lipids were extracted by a Folch's modified technique and cholesterol and fatty acids were determined by gas chromatography. Results corroborate the stability of eggs composition. Cholesterol content of quail eggs is similar to chicken eggs, but it is almost the half content of data registered in Handbook 8. Differences may be attributed to the analytical methodology used to obtain them. This study provides data obtained with up-date analytical techniques and accessory information useful for food composition tables.

A framework to assess management performance in district health systems: a qualitative and quantitative case study in Iran.

PubMed

Tabrizi, Jafar Sadegh; Gholipour, Kamal; Iezadi, Shabnam; Farahbakhsh, Mostafa; Ghiasi, Akbar

2018-01-01

The aim was to design a district health management performance framework for Iran's healthcare system. The mixed-method study was conducted between September 2015 and May 2016 in Tabriz, Iran. In this study, the indicators of district health management performance were obtained by analyzing the 45 semi-structured surveys of experts in the public health system. Content validity of performance indicators which were generated in qualitative part were reviewed and confirmed based on content validity index (CVI). Also content validity ratio (CVR) was calculated using data acquired from a survey of 21 experts in quantitative part. The result of this study indicated that, initially, 81 indicators were considered in framework of district health management performance and, at the end, 53 indicators were validated and confirmed. These indicators were classified in 11 categories which include: human resources and organizational creativity, management and leadership, rules and ethics, planning and evaluation, district managing, health resources management and economics, community participation, quality improvement, research in health system, health information management, epidemiology and situation analysis. The designed framework model can be used to assess the district health management and facilitates performance improvement at the district level.

Assessment of a career development program for executive amd mid-level managers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Swanson, James R., Sr.

1994-01-01

This project sought to validate the competencies required of mid-level and executive managers at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC), in order to enable an assessment of the Resident Management Education Program (RMEP). Forty (40) statements describing management competencies were presented to a sample of 37 KSC managers, who judged each as essential, useful but not essential, or not needed at each of two management levels. A content validity ratio (CVR) was calculated for each competency statement at the two management levels. There was general agreement on the validity of 36 or the 40 competency statements. Based on the content validity ratios and comments from respondents, recommendations for improvement of the RMEP were made.

Management Techniques for Librarians.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Evans, G. Edward

This textbook on library management techniques is concerned with basic management problems. Examples of problems in planning, organization, and coordination are drawn from situations in libraries or information centers. After an introduction to library management, the history of management is covered. Several styles of management and organization…

Japan Link Center (JaLC): link management and DOI assignment for Japanese electronic scholarly contents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kato, Takafumi; Tsuchiya, Eri; Kubota, Soichi; Miyagawa, Yoshiyuki

JST, cooperated with several national institutes, is currently developing “Japan Link Center”, which manages Japanese electronic scholarly contents (journal articles, books, dissertations etc.) in an integrated fashion using Digital Object Identifier (DOI). Japan Link Center will manage metadata and whereabouts information of the contents in the digital environment and provide domestic and international linking information, cite/cited information to activate dissemination of S&T information, furthermore, to strengthen transmission of S&T information from Japan. Japan Link Center is expected to be appointed as the 9th DOI registration agency (RA) in the world by the International DOI Foundation (IDF) this spring.

Economic Techniques of Occupational Health and Safety Management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sidorov, Aleksandr I.; Beregovaya, Irina B.; Khanzhina, Olga A.

2016-10-01

The article deals with the issues on economic techniques of occupational health and safety management. Authors’ definition of safety management is given. It is represented as a task-oriented process to identify, establish and maintain such a state of work environment in which there are no possible effects of hazardous and harmful factors, or their influence does not go beyond certain limits. It was noted that management techniques that are the part of the control mechanism, are divided into administrative, organizational and administrative, social and psychological and economic. The economic management techniques are proposed to be classified depending on the management subject, management object, in relation to an enterprise environment, depending on a control action. Technoeconomic study, feasibility study, planning, financial incentives, preferential crediting of enterprises, pricing, profit sharing and equity, preferential tax treatment for enterprises, economic regulations and standards setting have been distinguished as economic techniques.

Enhancing presentation skills for the advanced practice nurse: strategies for success.

PubMed

Vollman, Kathleen M

2005-01-01

Professional speaking is a component of the professional practice role of the advanced practice nurse (APN). The skills to communicate effectively to one person or an audience of 100 provide the APN with the essential tools for implementing change, collaborating effectively, presenting information at professional meetings, or communicating the impact of clinical outcomes in the boardroom. Public speaking skills, a professional image, and improved communication can facilitate advancement along any career ladder. The greater your fear, the more self-confidence you will gain by stepping up to a challenge and conquering it. This article describes strategies for organizing and presenting your message in a clear and concise format. Techniques to manage the anxiety produced when attempting to articulate your thoughts is essential for effective communication. Skills for enhancing the delivery of your message through effective body language, professional image, voice modulation, and use of audiovisual aids are addressed. Creative techniques for fielding questions are key in promoting a dynamic closure and provide consistent reinforcement of the key message content.

41 CFR 60-1.23 - Contents of complaint.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Contents of complaint. 60-1.23 Section 60-1.23 Public Contracts and Property Management Other Provisions Relating to Public Contracts OFFICE OF FEDERAL CONTRACT COMPLIANCE PROGRAMS, EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR...

Targeting Audiences and Content for Forest Fire Information Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carpenter, Edwin H.; And Others

1986-01-01

Discusses opinion survey results for the purpose of improving the capabilities of forest managers to effectively communicate new fire management objectives and plans. Includes recommendations based on the analysis concerning the appropriate audiences and content to target in the design of fire information programs. (ML)

Managing Documents in the Wider Area: Intelligent Document Management.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bittleston, Richard

1995-01-01

Discusses techniques for managing documents in wide area networks, reviews technique limitations, and offers recommendations to database designers. Presented techniques include: increasing bandwidth, reducing data traffic, synchronizing documentation, partial synchronization, audit trials, navigation, and distribution control and security. Two…

A Study of the Applicability of Scientific Management Techniques for the Administration of Small, Private Church-Related Colleges.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ferguson, Albert S.

Experiences with various modern management techniques and practices in selected small, private church-related colleges were studied. For comparative purposes, practices in public colleges and universities were also assessed. Management techniques used in small companies were identified through review of the literature and the management seminars…

Determining soil volumetric moisture content using time domain reflectometry

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1998-02-01

Time domain reflectometry (TDR) is a technique used to measure indirectly the in situ volumetric moisture content of soil. Current research provides a variety of prediction equations that estimate the volumetric moisture content using the dielectric ...

Prototype system of secure VOD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Minemura, Harumi; Yamaguchi, Tomohisa

1997-12-01

Secure digital contents delivery systems are to realize copyright protection and charging mechanism, and aim at secure delivery service of digital contents. Encrypted contents delivery and history (log) management are means to accomplish this purpose. Our final target is to realize a video-on-demand (VOD) system that can prevent illegal usage of video data and manage user history data to achieve a secure video delivery system on the Internet or Intranet. By now, mainly targeting client-server systems connected with enterprise LAN, we have implemented and evaluated a prototype system based on the investigation into the delivery method of encrypted video contents.

Ultrasonic Sensing of Plant Water Needs for Agriculture

PubMed Central

Gómez Álvarez-Arenas, Tomas; Gil-Pelegrin, Eustaquio; Ealo Cuello, Joao; Fariñas, Maria Dolores; Sancho-Knapik, Domingo; Collazos Burbano, David Alejandro; Peguero-Pina, Jose Javier

2016-01-01

Fresh water is a key natural resource for food production, sanitation and industrial uses and has a high environmental value. The largest water use worldwide (~70%) corresponds to irrigation in agriculture, where use of water is becoming essential to maintain productivity. Efficient irrigation control largely depends on having access to reliable information about the actual plant water needs. Therefore, fast, portable and non-invasive sensing techniques able to measure water requirements directly on the plant are essential to face the huge challenge posed by the extensive water use in agriculture, the increasing water shortage and the impact of climate change. Non-contact resonant ultrasonic spectroscopy (NC-RUS) in the frequency range 0.1–1.2 MHz has revealed as an efficient and powerful non-destructive, non-invasive and in vivo sensing technique for leaves of different plant species. In particular, NC-RUS allows determining surface mass, thickness and elastic modulus of the leaves. Hence, valuable information can be obtained about water content and turgor pressure. This work analyzes and reviews the main requirements for sensors, electronics, signal processing and data analysis in order to develop a fast, portable, robust and non-invasive NC-RUS system to monitor variations in leaves water content or turgor pressure. A sensing prototype is proposed, described and, as application example, used to study two different species: Vitis vinifera and Coffea arabica, whose leaves present thickness resonances in two different frequency bands (400–900 kHz and 200–400 kHz, respectively), These species are representative of two different climates and are related to two high-added value agricultural products where efficient irrigation management can be critical. Moreover, the technique can also be applied to other species and similar results can be obtained. PMID:27428968

Ultrasonic Sensing of Plant Water Needs for Agriculture.

PubMed

Gómez Álvarez-Arenas, Tomas; Gil-Pelegrin, Eustaquio; Ealo Cuello, Joao; Fariñas, Maria Dolores; Sancho-Knapik, Domingo; Collazos Burbano, David Alejandro; Peguero-Pina, Jose Javier

2016-07-14

Fresh water is a key natural resource for food production, sanitation and industrial uses and has a high environmental value. The largest water use worldwide (~70%) corresponds to irrigation in agriculture, where use of water is becoming essential to maintain productivity. Efficient irrigation control largely depends on having access to reliable information about the actual plant water needs. Therefore, fast, portable and non-invasive sensing techniques able to measure water requirements directly on the plant are essential to face the huge challenge posed by the extensive water use in agriculture, the increasing water shortage and the impact of climate change. Non-contact resonant ultrasonic spectroscopy (NC-RUS) in the frequency range 0.1-1.2 MHz has revealed as an efficient and powerful non-destructive, non-invasive and in vivo sensing technique for leaves of different plant species. In particular, NC-RUS allows determining surface mass, thickness and elastic modulus of the leaves. Hence, valuable information can be obtained about water content and turgor pressure. This work analyzes and reviews the main requirements for sensors, electronics, signal processing and data analysis in order to develop a fast, portable, robust and non-invasive NC-RUS system to monitor variations in leaves water content or turgor pressure. A sensing prototype is proposed, described and, as application example, used to study two different species: Vitis vinifera and Coffea arabica, whose leaves present thickness resonances in two different frequency bands (400-900 kHz and 200-400 kHz, respectively), These species are representative of two different climates and are related to two high-added value agricultural products where efficient irrigation management can be critical. Moreover, the technique can also be applied to other species and similar results can be obtained.

Retrieval of the atmospheric compounds using a spectral optical thickness information

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

Ioltukhovski, A.A.

A spectral inversion technique for retrieval of the atmospheric gases and aerosols contents is proposed. This technique based upon the preliminary measurement or retrieval of the spectral optical thickness. The existence of a priori information about the spectral cross sections for some of the atmospheric components allows to retrieve the relative contents of these components in the atmosphere. Method of smooth filtration makes possible to estimate contents of atmospheric aerosols with known cross sections and to filter out other aerosols; this is done independently from their relative contribution to the optical thickness.

VHF/UHF technique for the determination of the columnar electron contents of the plasmasphere and of the protonosphere using geostationary satellite transmission: Observations during magnetic storms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Almeida, O. G.

1972-01-01

Measurements of the total electron content of the plasmasphere up to geostationary heights were made using the beacon transmitters aboard the satellite ATS-3. The technique employed is a combination of the phase-path length difference and the Faraday rotation angle methods. Such a combination permits very accurate determination of the integration constant necessary to convert phase-path length difference data into information about the absolute value of the columnar content.

The ATLAS Public Web Pages: Online Management of HEP External Communication Content

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goldfarb, S.; Marcelloni, C.; Eli Phoboo, A.; Shaw, K.

2015-12-01

The ATLAS Education and Outreach Group is in the process of migrating its public online content to a professionally designed set of web pages built on the Drupal [1] content management system. Development of the front-end design passed through several key stages, including audience surveys, stakeholder interviews, usage analytics, and a series of fast design iterations, called sprints. Implementation of the web site involves application of the html design using Drupal templates, refined development iterations, and the overall population of the site with content. We present the design and development processes and share the lessons learned along the way, including the results of the data-driven discovery studies. We also demonstrate the advantages of selecting a back-end supported by content management, with a focus on workflow. Finally, we discuss usage of the new public web pages to implement outreach strategy through implementation of clearly presented themes, consistent audience targeting and messaging, and the enforcement of a well-defined visual identity.

Content and characteristics of goals created during a self-management intervention for people with epilepsy.

PubMed

Walker, Elizabeth Reisinger; Wexler, Bethany; Dilorio, Colleen; Escoffery, Cam; McCarty, Frances; Yeager, Katherine A

2009-12-01

Goals are presented in the chronic illness literature as effective strategies to help people adopt self-management behaviors; however, not much is known about the types and characteristics of individuals' goals. The purpose of this study was to examine goal setting among people with epilepsy who participated in the WebEase program. WebEase is an Internet-based, theory-driven, self-management program with modules on medication adherence, stress management, and sleep habits. Participants had the opportunity to create and evaluate goals over the course of 6 weeks, with 2 weeks for each module. The goals were analyzed using three dimensions: content, specificity, and proximity. Most participants in the sample wrote goals for each week of the program. Several main content areas emerged within the modules. Goal quality, measured by specificity and proximity, did not differ according to readiness for behavior change. Readiness to change did not differ between those who wrote a goal and those who did not. The diversity of goal content and quality indicates that individuals should be supported in goal development and encouraged to set their own self-management goals, regardless of their readiness for behavior change.

Educational Information Quantization for Improving Content Quality in Learning Management Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rybanov, Alexander Aleksandrovich

2014-01-01

The article offers the educational information quantization method for improving content quality in Learning Management Systems. The paper considers questions concerning analysis of quality of quantized presentation of educational information, based on quantitative text parameters: average frequencies of parts of speech, used in the text; formal…

Content Management Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wisniewski, Jeff; Stenstrom, Cheryl

2007-01-01

In this article, the authors provide a guide in acquiring content management system. They conducted a vendor survey that covers four areas: (1) general information about the product (including standards supported); (2) administration of the product; (3) functionality; and (4) contact information for readers who want to know more. A list of product…

Efficient reversible data hiding in encrypted H.264/AVC videos

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Dawen; Wang, Rangding

2014-09-01

Due to the security and privacy-preserving requirements for cloud data management, it is sometimes desired that video content is accessible in an encrypted form. Reversible data hiding in the encrypted domain is an emerging technology, as it can perform data hiding in encrypted videos without decryption, which preserves the confidentiality of the content. Furthermore, the original cover can be losslessly restored after decryption and data extraction. An efficient reversible data hiding scheme for encrypted H.264/AVC videos is proposed. During H.264/AVC encoding, the intraprediction mode, motion vector difference, and the sign bits of the residue coefficients are encrypted using a standard stream cipher. Then, the data-hider who does not know the original video content, may reversibly embed secret data into the encrypted H.264/AVC video by using a modified version of the histogram shifting technique. A scale factor is utilized for selecting the embedding zone, which is scalable for different capacity requirements. With an encrypted video containing hidden data, data extraction can be carried out either in the encrypted or decrypted domain. In addition, real reversibility is realized so that data extraction and video recovery are free of any error. Experimental results demonstrate the feasibility and efficiency of the proposed scheme.

Phaedra, a protocol-driven system for analysis and validation of high-content imaging and flow cytometry.

PubMed

Cornelissen, Frans; Cik, Miroslav; Gustin, Emmanuel

2012-04-01

High-content screening has brought new dimensions to cellular assays by generating rich data sets that characterize cell populations in great detail and detect subtle phenotypes. To derive relevant, reliable conclusions from these complex data, it is crucial to have informatics tools supporting quality control, data reduction, and data mining. These tools must reconcile the complexity of advanced analysis methods with the user-friendliness demanded by the user community. After review of existing applications, we realized the possibility of adding innovative new analysis options. Phaedra was developed to support workflows for drug screening and target discovery, interact with several laboratory information management systems, and process data generated by a range of techniques including high-content imaging, multicolor flow cytometry, and traditional high-throughput screening assays. The application is modular and flexible, with an interface that can be tuned to specific user roles. It offers user-friendly data visualization and reduction tools for HCS but also integrates Matlab for custom image analysis and the Konstanz Information Miner (KNIME) framework for data mining. Phaedra features efficient JPEG2000 compression and full drill-down functionality from dose-response curves down to individual cells, with exclusion and annotation options, cell classification, statistical quality controls, and reporting.

Influence of a deficit irrigation regime during ripening on berry composition in grapevines (Vitis vinifera L.) grown in semi-arid areas.

PubMed

López, María-Isabel; Sánchez, María-Teresa; Díaz, Antonio; Ramírez, Pilar; Morales, José

2007-11-01

A study was made of the effects of irrigation management strategies during ripening on the quality of Spanish field-grown grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) cultivars (Baladi, Airén, Montepila, Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains and Pedro Ximénez) grown under the "Montilla-Moriles" Appellation of Origin in Cordoba, Spain. From 1999 to 2002, two water-availability regimes were established: irrigation and non-irrigation. The study aimed to ascertain the effect of irrigation on berry development and ripening, and hence on grape juice quality. Changes in phenological stages, vegetative growth, vineyard yield, berry weight, total soluble solids, titrable acidity, pH, tartaric acid, malic acid, and potassium content were monitored. No significant differences were noted in phenological phases between the non-irrigation and deficit irrigation regimes. The Ravaz index, pruning weight, vineyard yield and berry weight were significantly higher in all varieties and years under deficit irrigation. Deficit irrigation induced higher titrable acidity, higher malic acid and potassium contents and a lower pH, but had no significant effects on berry sugar accumulation or tartaric acid content. Deficit irrigation thus appears to be a promising technique for the production of quality young wines in semi-arid areas.

Mitigation and enhancement techniques for the Upper Mississippi River system and other large river systems

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schnick, Rosalie A.; Morton, John M.; Mochalski, Jeffrey C.; Beall, Jonathan T.

1982-01-01

Extensive information is provided on techniques that can reduce or eliminate the negative impact of man's activities (particularly those related to navigation) on large river systems, with special reference to the Upper Mississippi River. These techniques should help resource managers who are concerned with such river systems to establish sound environmental programs. Discussion of each technique or group of techniques include (1) situation to be mitigated or enhanced; (2) description of technique; (3) impacts on the environment; (4) costs; and (5) evaluation for use on the Upper Mississippi River Systems. The techniques are divided into four primary categories: Bank Stabilization Techniques, Dredging and Disposal of Dredged Material, Fishery Management Techniques, and Wildlife Management Techniques. Because techniques have been grouped by function, rather than by structure, some structures are discussed in several contexts. For example, gabions are discussed for use in revetments, river training structures, and breakwaters. The measures covered under Bank Stabilization Techniques include the use of riprap revetments, other revetments, bulkheads, river training structures, breakwater structures, chemical soil stabilizers, erosion-control mattings, and filter fabrics; the planting of vegetation; the creation of islands; the creation of berms or enrichment of beaches; and the control of water level and boat traffic. The discussions of Dredging and the Disposal of Dredged Material consider dredges, dredging methods, and disposal of dredged material. The following subjects are considered under Fishery Management Techniques: fish attractors; spawning structures; nursery ponds, coves, and marshes; fish screens and barriers; fish passage; water control structures; management of water levels and flows; wing dam modification; side channel modification; aeration techniques; control of nuisance aquatic plants; and manipulated of fish populations. Wildlife Management Techniques include treatments of artificial nest structures, island creation or development, marsh creation or development, greentree reservoirs and mast management, vegetation control, water level control, and revegetation.

Turning challenges into design principles: Telemonitoring systems for patients with multiple chronic conditions.

PubMed

Sultan, Mehwish; Kuluski, Kerry; McIsaac, Warren J; Cafazzo, Joseph A; Seto, Emily

2018-01-01

People with multiple chronic conditions often struggle with managing their health. The purpose of this research was to identify specific challenges of patients with multiple chronic conditions and to use the findings to form design principles for a telemonitoring system tailored for these patients. Semi-structured interviews with 15 patients with multiple chronic conditions and 10 clinicians were conducted to gain an understanding of their needs and preferences for a smartphone-based telemonitoring system. The interviews were analyzed using a conventional content analysis technique, resulting in six themes. Design principles developed from the themes included that the system must be modular to accommodate various combinations of conditions, reinforce a routine, consolidate record keeping, as well as provide actionable feedback to the patients. Designing an application for multiple chronic conditions is complex due to variability in patient conditions, and therefore, design principles developed in this study can help with future innovations aimed to help manage this population.

Special Programs in Medical Library Education, 1957-1971: Part II: Analysis of the Programs *†

PubMed Central

Roper, Fred W.

1973-01-01

In this report, responses to a questionnaire to the directors of the sixteen past and present medical library education programs are presented. The questionnaires indicate a rather wide variety of training programs with emphases that vary from preparation of management personnel to preparation of subject specialists and those skilled in the techniques of information storage and retrieval. The content of the degree programs is fairly evenly divided among general retrieval and outside courses. The internship programs place more emphasis on the work experience than do the degree programs, supplementing this experience with appropriate courses in science, health sciences, management, and information storage and retrieval. Program directors indicated that new or expanded programs are needed in medical library education, although caution is reflected in comments concerning the limited job market. Most of the internship directors stated that they could not accommodate more individuals in their programs without expansion of staff and facilities. PMID:4744344

Decision Making in the Management of Extracapsular Fractures of the Proximal Femur - is the Dynamic Hip Screw the Prevailing Gold Standard?

PubMed

Jacob, Joshua; Desai, Ankit; Trompeter, Alex

2017-01-01

Currently, approximately half of all hip fractures are extracapsular, with an incidence as high as 50 in 100,000 in some countries. The common classification systems fail to explain the logistics of fracture classification and whether they all behave in the same manner. The Muller AO classification system is a useful platform to delineate stable and unstable fractures. The Dynamic hip screw (DHS) however, has remained the 'gold standard' implant of choice for application in all extracapsular fractures. The DHS relies on the integrity and strength of the lateral femoral wall as well as the postero-medial fragment. An analysis of several studies indicates significant improvements in design and techniques to ensure a better outcome with intramedullary nails. This article reviews the historical trends that helped to evolve the DHS implant as well as discussing if the surgeon should remain content with this implant. We suggest that the gold standard surgical management of extracapsular fractures can, and should, evolve.

Quantitation of dissolved gas content in emulsions and in blood using mass spectrometric detection

PubMed Central

Grimley, Everett; Turner, Nicole; Newell, Clayton; Simpkins, Cuthbert; Rodriguez, Juan

2011-01-01

Quantitation of dissolved gases in blood or in other biological media is essential for understanding the dynamics of metabolic processes. Current detection techniques, while enabling rapid and convenient assessment of dissolved gases, provide only direct information on the partial pressure of gases dissolved in the aqueous fraction of the fluid. The more relevant quantity known as gas content, which refers to the total amount of the gas in all fractions of the sample, can be inferred from those partial pressures, but only indirectly through mathematical modeling. Here we describe a simple mass spectrometric technique for rapid and direct quantitation of gas content for a wide range of gases. The technique is based on a mass spectrometer detector that continuously monitors gases that are rapidly extracted from samples injected into a purge vessel. The accuracy and sample processing speed of the system is demonstrated with experiments that reproduce within minutes literature values for the solubility of various gases in water. The capability of the technique is further demonstrated through accurate determination of O2 content in a lipid emulsion and in whole blood, using as little as 20 μL of sample. The approach to gas content quantitation described here should greatly expand the range of animals and conditions that may be used in studies of metabolic gas exchange, and facilitate the development of artificial oxygen carriers and resuscitation fluids. PMID:21497566

Speciation evolution of zinc and copper during pyrolysis and hydrothermal carbonization treatments of sewage sludges

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

Huang, Rixiang; Zhang, Bei; Saad, Emily M.

Thermal and hydrothermal treatments are promising techniques for sewage sludge management that can potentially facilitate safe waste disposal, energy recovery, and nutrient recovery/recycling. Content and speciation of heavy metals in the treatment products affect the potential environmental risks upon sludge disposal and/or application of the treatment products. Therefore, it is important to study the speciation transformation of heavy metals and the effects of treatment conditions. By combining synchrotron X-ray spectroscopy/microscopy analysis and sequential chemical extraction, this study systematically characterized the speciation of Zn and Cu in municipal sewage sludges and their chars derived from pyrolysis (a representative thermal treatment technique)more » and hydrothermal carbonization (HTC; a representative hydrothermal treatment technique). Spectroscopy analysis revealed enhanced sulfidation of Zn and Cu by anaerobic digestion and HTC treatments, as compared to desulfidation by pyrolysis. Overall, changes in the chemical speciation and matrix properties led to reduced mobility of Zn and Cu in the treatment products. These results provide insights into the reaction mechanisms during pyrolysis and HTC treatments of sludges and can help evaluate the environmental/health risks associated with the metals in the treatment products.« less

SIMULATION EXERCISES IN AREA TRAINING. PAPER PRESENTED IN A SYMPOSIUM AT THE 1965 ARMY HUMAN FACTORS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

STEWART, EDWARD C.

SPECIAL TECHNIQUES AND CONTENT ARE BEING DEVELOPED TO SUPPLEMENT CURRENT AREA TRAINING PROGRAMS. SIMULATION WAS CHOSEN AS THE TECHNIQUE, AND EXERCISES WERE DEVELOPED WHOSE CONTENT EMPHASIZED THE AMERICAN CULTURE AND THE FOREIGN, HOST CULTURE. THESE EVOLVED AS A CONFRONTATION BETWEEN AMERICAN CULTURAL ASSUMPTIONS AND VALUES AND A CONTRASTING SET,…

Definition of a COPD self-management intervention: International Expert Group consensus.

PubMed

Effing, Tanja W; Vercoulen, Jan H; Bourbeau, Jean; Trappenburg, Jaap; Lenferink, Anke; Cafarella, Paul; Coultas, David; Meek, Paula; van der Valk, Paul; Bischoff, Erik W M A; Bucknall, Christine; Dewan, Naresh A; Early, Frances; Fan, Vincent; Frith, Peter; Janssen, Daisy J A; Mitchell, Katy; Morgan, Mike; Nici, Linda; Patel, Irem; Walters, Haydn; Rice, Kathryn L; Singh, Sally; Zuwallack, Richard; Benzo, Roberto; Goldstein, Roger; Partridge, Martyn R; van der Palen, Job

2016-07-01

There is an urgent need for consensus on what defines a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) self-management intervention. We aimed to obtain consensus regarding the conceptual definition of a COPD self-management intervention by engaging an international panel of COPD self-management experts using Delphi technique features and an additional group meeting.In each consensus round the experts were asked to provide feedback on the proposed definition and to score their level of agreement (1=totally disagree; 5=totally agree). The information provided was used to modify the definition for the next consensus round. Thematic analysis was used for free text responses and descriptive statistics were used for agreement scores.In total, 28 experts participated. The consensus round response rate varied randomly over the five rounds (ranging from 48% (n=13) to 85% (n=23)), and mean definition agreement scores increased from 3.8 (round 1) to 4.8 (round 5) with an increasing percentage of experts allocating the highest score of 5 (round 1: 14% (n=3); round 5: 83% (n=19)).In this study we reached consensus regarding a conceptual definition of what should be a COPD self-management intervention, clarifying the requisites for such an intervention. Operationalisation of this conceptual definition in the near future will be an essential next step. The content of this work is not subject to copyright. Design and branding are copyright ©ERS 2016.

Optical transparency of paper as a function of moisture content with applications to moisture measurement.

PubMed

Forughi, A F; Green, S I; Stoeber, B

2016-02-01

Accurate measurement of the moisture content of paper is essential in papermaking and is also important in some paper-based microfluidic devices. Traditional measurement techniques provide very limited spatiotemporal resolution and working range. This article presents a novel method for moisture content measurement whose operating principle is the strong correlation between the optical transparency of paper and its moisture content. Spectrographic and microscopic measurement techniques were employed to characterize the relation of moisture content and relative transparency of four types of paper: hardwood chemi-thermomechanical pulp paper, Northern bleached softwood kraft paper, unbleached softwood kraft paper, and General Electric(®) Whatman™ grade 1 chromatography paper. It was found that for all paper types, the paper transparency increased monotonically with the moisture content (as the ratio of the mass-of-water to the mass-of-dry-paper increased from 0% to 120%). This significant increase in relative transparency occurred due to the refractive index matching role of water in wet paper. It is further shown that mechanical loading of the paper has little impact on the relative transparency, for loadings that would be typical on a paper machine. The results of two transient water absorption experiments are presented that show the utility and accuracy of the technique.

[Fatty acid variation in yellowfin tuna, spotted weakfish and Florida pompano when submitted to six cooking techniques].

PubMed

Castro-González, María Isabel; Maafs-Rodríguez, Ana Gabriela; Romo Pérez-Gil, Fernando

2013-03-01

The aim of the present study was to analyze the effect of six cooking techniques (steamed, foiled, foiled with banana leaf, baked, microwave-cooked and light frying) in the fatty acid content of Thunnus albacore (yellowfin tuna), Cynoscionnebulosus (spotted weakfish) and Trachinotuscarolinus (Florida pompano). After cooking the fish fillets, fatty acid analyses were performed using gas chromatography. Total lipids increased in all cooking techniques in tunaand spotted weakfish. Saturated fatty acids of tuna and spotted weakfish increased in three cooking techniques, while in Florida pompano only gas oven raised their content. Lightly frying generated the highest content of n-3 in tuna and spotted weakfish, and the lowest in Florida pompano, specie that presented less variation. In tuna fish, the most recommended cooking techniques are foiled with aluminum and microwave oven; for spotted weakfish, foiled with banana leaf; while Florida pompano can be prepared using all cooking methods except gas oven. This information is useful to enrich data from chemical composition tables, in which concentrations are usually presented in raw food.

Not Your Father's Web Site: Corporate Sites Emerge as New Content Innovators.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Leary, Mick

2002-01-01

New economy corporate Web sites have pioneered exciting techniques-rich media, interactivity, personalization, community, and integration of much third-party content. Discusses business-to-business (B2B) Web commerce, with examples of several B2B corporate sites; portal and content elements of these sites; and corporate content outlooks. (AEF)

Object migration and authentication. [in computer operating systems design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gligor, V. D.; Lindsay, B. G.

1979-01-01

The paper presents a mechanism permitting a type manager to fabricate a migrated object representation which can be entrusted to other subsystems or transmitted outside of the control of a local computer system. The migrated object representation is signed by the type manager in such a way that the type manager's signature cannot be forged and the manager is able to authenticate its own signature. Subsequently, the type manager can retrieve the migrated representation and validate its contents before reconstructing the object in its original representation. This facility allows type managers to authenticate the contents of off-line or network storage and solves problems stemming from the hierarchical structure of the system itself.

Use Management Techniques in Office Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holehan, E. Lee

1977-01-01

Notes that authenticity can be added to student work projects in an office practice class by having the teacher assume the role of the office manager or supervisor and putting office management techniques into practice. Ways in which such techniques may be infused into classes are examined. (TA)

Proficiency Testing for Determination of Water Content in Toluene of Chemical Reagents by iteration robust statistic technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Hao; Wang, Qunwei; He, Ming

2018-05-01

In order to investigate and improve the level of detection technology of water content in liquid chemical reagents of domestic laboratories, proficiency testing provider PT0031 (CNAS) has organized proficiency testing program of water content in toluene, 48 laboratories from 18 provinces/cities/municipals took part in the PT. This paper introduces the implementation process of proficiency testing for determination of water content in toluene, including sample preparation, homogeneity and stability test, the results of statistics of iteration robust statistic technique and analysis, summarized and analyzed those of the different test standards which are widely used in the laboratories, put forward the technological suggestions for the improvement of the test quality of water content. Satisfactory results were obtained by 43 laboratories, amounting to 89.6% of the total participating laboratories.

Near infrared spectral linearisation in quantifying soluble solids content of intact carambola.

PubMed

Omar, Ahmad Fairuz; MatJafri, Mohd Zubir

2013-04-12

This study presents a novel application of near infrared (NIR) spectral linearisation for measuring the soluble solids content (SSC) of carambola fruits. NIR spectra were measured using reflectance and interactance methods. In this study, only the interactance measurement technique successfully generated a reliable measurement result with a coefficient of determination of (R2) = 0.724 and a root mean square error of prediction for (RMSEP) = 0.461° Brix. The results from this technique produced a highly accurate and stable prediction model compared with multiple linear regression techniques.

Near Infrared Spectral Linearisation in Quantifying Soluble Solids Content of Intact Carambola

PubMed Central

Omar, Ahmad Fairuz; MatJafri, Mohd Zubir

2013-01-01

This study presents a novel application of near infrared (NIR) spectral linearisation for measuring the soluble solids content (SSC) of carambola fruits. NIR spectra were measured using reflectance and interactance methods. In this study, only the interactance measurement technique successfully generated a reliable measurement result with a coefficient of determination of (R2) = 0.724 and a root mean square error of prediction for (RMSEP) = 0.461° Brix. The results from this technique produced a highly accurate and stable prediction model compared with multiple linear regression techniques. PMID:23584118

Not another boring lecture: engaging learners with active learning techniques.

PubMed

Wolff, Margaret; Wagner, Mary Jo; Poznanski, Stacey; Schiller, Jocelyn; Santen, Sally

2015-01-01

Core content in Emergency Medicine Residency Programs is traditionally covered in didactic sessions, despite evidence suggesting that learners do not retain a significant portion of what is taught during lectures. We describe techniques that medical educators can use when leading teaching sessions to foster engagement and encourage self-directed learning, based on current literature and evidence about learning. When these techniques are incorporated, sessions can be effective in delivering core knowledge, contextualizing content, and explaining difficult concepts, leading to increased learning. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Group decision-making techniques for natural resource management applications

USGS Publications Warehouse

Coughlan, Beth A.K.; Armour, Carl L.

1992-01-01

This report is an introduction to decision analysis and problem-solving techniques for professionals in natural resource management. Although these managers are often called upon to make complex decisions, their training in the natural sciences seldom provides exposure to the decision-making tools developed in management science. Our purpose is to being to fill this gap. We present a general analysis of the pitfalls of group problem solving, and suggestions for improved interactions followed by the specific techniques. Selected techniques are illustrated. The material is easy to understand and apply without previous training or excessive study and is applicable to natural resource management issues.

A Survey Of Techniques for Managing and Leveraging Caches in GPUs

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

Mittal, Sparsh

2014-09-01

Initially introduced as special-purpose accelerators for graphics applications, graphics processing units (GPUs) have now emerged as general purpose computing platforms for a wide range of applications. To address the requirements of these applications, modern GPUs include sizable hardware-managed caches. However, several factors, such as unique architecture of GPU, rise of CPU–GPU heterogeneous computing, etc., demand effective management of caches to achieve high performance and energy efficiency. Recently, several techniques have been proposed for this purpose. In this paper, we survey several architectural and system-level techniques proposed for managing and leveraging GPU caches. We also discuss the importance and challenges ofmore » cache management in GPUs. The aim of this paper is to provide the readers insights into cache management techniques for GPUs and motivate them to propose even better techniques for leveraging the full potential of caches in the GPUs of tomorrow.« less

ERM Ideas and Innovations: Digital Repository Management as ERM

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pinkas, María M.; Lin, Na

2014-01-01

This article describes the application of electronic resources management (ERM) to digital repository management at the Health Sciences and Human Services Library at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. The authors discuss electronic resources management techniques, through the application of "Techniques for Electronic Management,"…

Accessorizing Building Science – A Web Platform to Support Multiple Market Transformation Programs

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

Madison, Michael C.; Antonopoulos, Chrissi A.; Dowson, Scott T.

As demand for improved energy efficiency in homes increases, builders need information on the latest findings in building science, rapidly ramping-up energy codes, and technical requirements for labeling programs. The Building America Solution Center is a Department of Energy (DOE) website containing hundreds of expert guides designed to help residential builders install efficiency measures in new and existing homes. Builders can package measures with other media for customized content. Website content provides technical support to market transformation programs such as ENERGY STAR and has been cloned and adapted to provide content for the Better Buildings Residential Program. The Solution Centermore » uses the Drupal open source content management platform to combine a variety of media in an interactive manner to make information easily accessible. Developers designed a unique taxonomy to organize and manage content. That taxonomy was translated into web-based modules that allow users to rapidly traverse structured content with related topics, and media. We will present information on the current design of the Solution Center and the underlying technology used to manage the content. The paper will explore development of features, such as “Field Kits” that allow users to bundle and save content for quick access, along with the ability to export PDF versions of content. Finally, we will discuss development of an Android based mobile application, and a visualization tool for interacting with Building Science Publications that allows the user to dynamically search the entire Building America Library.« less

Impacts of soil moisture content on visual soil evaluation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Emmet-Booth, Jeremy; Forristal, Dermot; Fenton, Owen; Bondi, Giulia; Creamer, Rachel; Holden, Nick

2017-04-01

Visual Soil Examination and Evaluation (VSE) techniques offer tools for soil quality assessment. They involve the visual and tactile assessment of soil properties such as aggregate size and shape, porosity, redox morphology, soil colour and smell. An increasing body of research has demonstrated the reliability and utility of VSE techniques. However a number of limitations have been identified, including the potential impact of soil moisture variation during sampling. As part of a national survey of grassland soil quality in Ireland, an evaluation of the impact of soil moisture on two widely used VSE techniques was conducted. The techniques were Visual Evaluation of Soil Structure (VESS) (Guimarães et al., 2011) and Visual Soil Assessment (VSA) (Shepherd, 2009). Both generate summarising numeric scores that indicate soil structural quality, though employ different scoring mechanisms. The former requires the assessment of properties concurrently and the latter separately. Both methods were deployed on 20 sites across Ireland representing a range of soils. Additional samples were taken for soil volumetric water (θ) determination at 5-10 and 10-20 cm depth. No significant correlation was observed between θ 5-10 cm and either VSE technique. However, VESS scores were significantly related to θ 10-20 cm (rs = 0.40, sig = 0.02) while VSA scores were not (rs = -0.33, sig = 0.06). VESS and VSA scores can be grouped into quality classifications (good, moderate and poor). No significant mean difference was observed between θ 5-10 cm or θ 10-20 cm according to quality classification by either method. It was concluded that VESS scores may be affected by soil moisture variation while VSA appear unaffected. The different scoring mechanisms, where the separate assessment and scoring of individual properties employed by VSA, may limit soil moisture effects. However, moisture content appears not to affect overall structural quality classification by either method. References Guimarães, R.M.C., Ball, B.C. & Tormena, C.A. 2011. Improvements in the visual evaluation of soil structure, Soil Use and Management, 27, 3: 395-403 Shepherd, G.T. 2009. Visual Soil Assessment. Field guide for pastoral grazing and cropping on flat to rolling country. 2nd edn. Horizons regional council, New Zealand.

Representation of Knowledge on Some Management Accounting Techniques in Textbooks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Golyagina, Alena; Valuckas, Danielius

2016-01-01

This paper examines the coverage of management accounting techniques in several popular management accounting texts, assessing each technique's claimed position within practice, its benefits and limitations, and the information sources substantiating these claims. Employing the notion of research genres, the study reveals that textbooks in their…

What If You Gave an Online Party and Everyone Logged In? Or, How I Stopped Worrying and Learned To Love Intranets.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Solomon, Marc

1997-01-01

Information professionals have a role to play in building Intranets. Discusses competencies required of information professionals: competitive intelligence, information searching, sound information practices, teaching search strategies, cost containment, content procurement, content management, knowledge management, and timely decision making.…

ERMes: Open Source Simplicity for Your E-Resource Management

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doering, William; Chilton, Galadriel

2009-01-01

ERMes, the latest version of electronic resource management system (ERM), is a relational database; content in different tables connects to, and works with, content in other tables. ERMes requires Access 2007 (Windows) or Access 2008 (Mac) to operate as the database utilizes functionality not available in previous versions of Microsoft Access. The…

Management practices effects on soil carbon dioxide emission and carbon storage

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Management practices can influence soil CO2 emission and C content in cropland, which can effect global warming. We examined the effects of combinations of irrigation, tillage, cropping systems, and N fertilization on soil CO2 flux, temperature, water, and C content at the 0 to 20 cm depth from May ...

43 CFR 2920.5-2 - Application content.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 2 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Application content. 2920.5-2 Section 2920.5-2 Public Lands: Interior Regulations Relating to Public Lands (Continued) BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT (2000) LEASES, PERMITS AND EASEMENTS Leases, Permits and Easements: General Provisions §...

43 CFR 2920.5-2 - Application content.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 2 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Application content. 2920.5-2 Section 2920.5-2 Public Lands: Interior Regulations Relating to Public Lands (Continued) BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT (2000) LEASES, PERMITS AND EASEMENTS Leases, Permits and Easements: General Provisions §...

43 CFR 2920.5-2 - Application content.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 2 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Application content. 2920.5-2 Section 2920.5-2 Public Lands: Interior Regulations Relating to Public Lands (Continued) BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT (2000) LEASES, PERMITS AND EASEMENTS Leases, Permits and Easements: General Provisions §...

43 CFR 2920.2-4 - Proposal content.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 2 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Proposal content. 2920.2-4 Section 2920.2-4 Public Lands: Interior Regulations Relating to Public Lands (Continued) BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT (2000) LEASES, PERMITS AND EASEMENTS Leases, Permits and Easements: General Provisions § 2920.2-...

43 CFR 2920.2-4 - Proposal content.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 2 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Proposal content. 2920.2-4 Section 2920.2-4 Public Lands: Interior Regulations Relating to Public Lands (Continued) BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT (2000) LEASES, PERMITS AND EASEMENTS Leases, Permits and Easements: General Provisions § 2920.2-...

43 CFR 2920.2-4 - Proposal content.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 2 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Proposal content. 2920.2-4 Section 2920.2-4 Public Lands: Interior Regulations Relating to Public Lands (Continued) BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT (2000) LEASES, PERMITS AND EASEMENTS Leases, Permits and Easements: General Provisions § 2920.2-...

41 CFR 51-9.101-3 - Content of systems of records.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Content of systems of records. 51-9.101-3 Section 51-9.101-3 Public Contracts and Property Management Other Provisions Relating..., religious and political beliefs, freedom of speech, the press, assembly, and freedom to petition. ...

41 CFR 51-9.101-3 - Content of systems of records.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Content of systems of records. 51-9.101-3 Section 51-9.101-3 Public Contracts and Property Management Other Provisions Relating..., religious and political beliefs, freedom of speech, the press, assembly, and freedom to petition. ...

Operations Management Teaching: Establishing Content and Relevance to Practitioners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doran, Desmond; Hill, Alex; Brown, Steve; Aktas, Emel; Kuula, Markku

2013-01-01

This paper explores the relevance to industry's needs of operations management (OM) teaching in higher education, by researching the content of OM modules delivered by UK academics and comparing the results of this research with the views of business practitioners having had first-hand experience of OM teaching on MBA programmes. To determine…

Content-Based Management of Image Databases in the Internet Age

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kleban, James Theodore

2010-01-01

The Internet Age has seen the emergence of richly annotated image data collections numbering in the billions of items. This work makes contributions in three primary areas which aid the management of this data: image representation, efficient retrieval, and annotation based on content and metadata. The contributions are as follows. First,…

Technological Innovation and Strategic Human Resource Management: Developing a Theory.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gattiker, Urs E.

Technological innovation affects the structure and content of jobs. Research indicates that there is a need for a theory of technological innovation and strategic human resource management considering several factors, such as an employee's beliefs about the effect of technological innovations on the quality of work life and work content.…

The Strategic Association between Enterprise Content Management and Decision Support

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alalwan, Jaffar Ahmad

2012-01-01

To deal with the increasing information overload and with the structured and unstructured data complexity, many organizations have implemented enterprise content management (ECM) systems. Published research on ECM so far is very limited and reports on ECM implementations have been scarce until recently (Tyrvainen et al. 2006). However, the little…

43 CFR 2920.2-4 - Proposal content.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 2 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Proposal content. 2920.2-4 Section 2920.2-4 Public Lands: Interior Regulations Relating to Public Lands (Continued) BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT (2000) LEASES, PERMITS AND EASEMENTS Leases, Permits and Easements: General Provisions § 2920.2-...

43 CFR 2920.5-2 - Application content.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 2 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Application content. 2920.5-2 Section 2920.5-2 Public Lands: Interior Regulations Relating to Public Lands (Continued) BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT (2000) LEASES, PERMITS AND EASEMENTS Leases, Permits and Easements: General Provisions §...

Exploring Barriers to the Categorization of Electronic Content in a Global Professional Services Firm

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Totterdale, Robert L.

2009-01-01

Businesses have always maintained records pertinent to the enterprise. With over 90% of new business records now estimated to be available in electronic form, organizations struggle to manage these vast amounts of electronic content while at the same time meeting collaboration, knowledge management, regulatory, and compliance needs. This case…

Korean Content Management in e-Higher Education: Here and Hereafter

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Insook

2006-01-01

Current trends in the management of e-learning content in Korean higher education are reviewed, along with important issues for future development. South Korean technological infrastructure, among the most advanced in the world, provides the necessary conditions for e-learning to proliferate, but as e-learning in higher education approaches a…

Customized Content Delivery for Graduate Management Education: Application to Business Statistics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hall, Owen P., Jr.; Ko, Ken

2008-01-01

Globalization is bringing about a radical "rethink" regarding the delivery of graduate management education. Today, many students entering a residential MBA program do not possess an undergraduate degree in business. As a result, many business schools are increasingly turning to the Internet to provide "customized" instructional content to ensure…

Weighted hybrid technique for recommender system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suriati, S.; Dwiastuti, Meisyarah; Tulus, T.

2017-12-01

Recommender system becomes very popular and has important role in an information system or webpages nowadays. A recommender system tries to make a prediction of which item a user may like based on his activity on the system. There are some familiar techniques to build a recommender system, such as content-based filtering and collaborative filtering. Content-based filtering does not involve opinions from human to make the prediction, while collaborative filtering does, so collaborative filtering can predict more accurately. However, collaborative filtering cannot give prediction to items which have never been rated by any user. In order to cover the drawbacks of each approach with the advantages of other approach, both approaches can be combined with an approach known as hybrid technique. Hybrid technique used in this work is weighted technique in which the prediction score is combination linear of scores gained by techniques that are combined.The purpose of this work is to show how an approach of weighted hybrid technique combining content-based filtering and item-based collaborative filtering can work in a movie recommender system and to show the performance comparison when both approachare combined and when each approach works alone. There are three experiments done in this work, combining both techniques with different parameters. The result shows that the weighted hybrid technique that is done in this work does not really boost the performance up, but it helps to give prediction score for unrated movies that are impossible to be recommended by only using collaborative filtering.

Hyperspectral Imagery Data for Remote Sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Garegnani, Jerry; Gualtney, Lawrence

1999-01-01

In order for remotely sensed data to be useful in a practical application for agriculture, an information product must be made available to the land management decision maker within 24 to 48 hours of data acquisition. Hyperspectral imagery data is proving useful in differentiation of plant species potentially allowing identification of non-healthy areas and pest infestations within crop fields that may require the farm managers attention. Currently however, extracting the needed site-specific feature information from the vast spectral content of large hyperspectral image files is a labor intensive and time consuming task prohibiting the necessary fast turnaround from raw data to final product. We illustrate the methods, techniques and technologies necessary to produce field-level information products from imagery and other related spatial data that are useful to the farm manager for specific decisions that must be made throughout the growing season. We also propose to demonstrate the cost effectiveness of an integrated system, from acquisition to final product distribution, to utilize imagery for decisions on a working farm in conjunction with a commercial agricultural services company and their crop scouts. The demonstration farm is Chesapeake Farms, a 3000 acre research farm in Chestertown, Maryland on the Eastern Shore and is owned by the DuPont Corporation.

Influence of Freeze Concentration Technique on Aromatic and Phenolic Compounds, Color Attributes, and Sensory Properties of Cabernet Sauvignon Wine.

PubMed

Wu, Yan-Yan; Xing, Kai; Zhang, Xiao-Xu; Wang, Hui; Wang, Yong; Wang, Fang; Li, Jing-Ming

2017-06-02

Red wines produced in the Xinjiang region of China possess poor color density, and lack fruity notes and elegance. The freeze concentration technique, as a well-established concentration method for liquid food systems, was applied to the Cabernet Sauvignon ( Vitis vinifera L.) wine-making process, aiming to investigate its effect on wine quality improvement. Results showed that the freeze concentration treatment did not significantly alter the physicochemical properties of the wine, except for an increase of glycerol and alcoholic content. This technique increased ester contents, as well as decreasing the amount of volatile acids. Higher alcohol contents were also increased, but within an acceptable content range. All taken into consideration, the freeze concentration treated wine showed better fragrance characters according to sensory evaluation. The non-anthocyanin composition was altered by this application, however, the difference disappeared after the aging process. Fortunately, sensory evaluation showed that the treated wine possessed better mouthfeel properties. Anthocyanin contents were enhanced, and effectively stabilized the fresh wine color attributes, resulting in an improvement in appearance of the treated wine. All results considered, it can be concluded that freeze concentration treatment could be a good choice to improve wine quality.

Naval War College Review. Volume 67, Number 1, Winter 2014

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-01-01

squishier” terms, phrases, and concepts yielded by qualitative techniques, such as grounded theory , ethnography , case studies , or content analysis.43...variety of established, qualitative techniques (i.e., grounded theory , content analysis, and survey research ) to “triangulate” the game’s findings...mari- time research , regional studies , distance education, war gaming, and education/ programs at the operational level of war. each of these intricate

Spatial prediction of Soil Organic Carbon contents in croplands, grasslands and forests using environmental covariates and Generalized Additive Models (Southern Belgium)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chartin, Caroline; Stevens, Antoine; van Wesemael, Bas

2015-04-01

Providing spatially continuous Soil Organic Carbon data (SOC) is needed to support decisions regarding soil management, and inform the political debate with quantified estimates of the status and change of the soil resource. Digital Soil Mapping techniques are based on relations existing between a soil parameter (measured at different locations in space at a defined period) and relevant covariates (spatially continuous data) that are factors controlling soil formation and explaining the spatial variability of the target variable. This study aimed at apply DSM techniques to recent SOC content measurements (2005-2013) in three different landuses, i.e. cropland, grassland, and forest, in the Walloon region (Southern Belgium). For this purpose, SOC databases of two regional Soil Monitoring Networks (CARBOSOL for croplands and grasslands, and IPRFW for forests) were first harmonized, totalising about 1,220 observations. Median values of SOC content for croplands, grasslands, and forests, are respectively of 12.8, 29.0, and 43.1 g C kg-1. Then, a set of spatial layers were prepared with a resolution of 40 meters and with the same grid topology, containing environmental covariates such as, landuses, Digital Elevation Model and its derivatives, soil texture, C factor, carbon inputs by manure, and climate. Here, in addition to the three classical texture classes (clays, silt, and sand), we tested the use of clays + fine silt content (particles < 20 µm and related to stable carbon fraction) as soil covariate explaining SOC variations. For each of the three land uses (cropland, grassland and forest), a Generalized Additive Model (GAM) was calibrated on two thirds of respective dataset. The remaining samples were assigned to a test set to assess model performance. A backward stepwise procedure was followed to select the relevant environmental covariates using their approximate p-values (the level of significance was set at p < 0.05). Standard errors were estimated for each of the three models. The backward stepwise procedure selected coordinates, elevation and clays + fine silt content as environment covariates to model SOC variation in cropland soils; latitude, precipitation, and clays + fine silt content (< 20 µm) for grassland soils; and latitude, elevation, topographic position index and clays + fine silt content (< 20 µm) for forest soils. The validation of the models gave a R² of 0.62 for croplands, 0.38 for grasslands, and 0.35 for forests. These results will be developed and discussed based on implications of natural against anthropogenic drivers on SOC distribution for these three landuses. To finish, a map combining detailed information of SOC content for agricultural soils and forests was for the first time computed for the Walloon region.

Real-Time Dynamic Modeling - Data Information Requirements and Flight Test Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morelli, Eugene A.; Smith, Mark S.

2008-01-01

Practical aspects of identifying dynamic models for aircraft in real time were studied. Topics include formulation of an equation-error method in the frequency domain to estimate non-dimensional stability and control derivatives in real time, data information content for accurate modeling results, and data information management techniques such as data forgetting, incorporating prior information, and optimized excitation. Real-time dynamic modeling was applied to simulation data and flight test data from a modified F-15B fighter aircraft, and to operational flight data from a subscale jet transport aircraft. Estimated parameter standard errors and comparisons with results from a batch output-error method in the time domain were used to demonstrate the accuracy of the identified real-time models.

Real-Time Dynamic Modeling - Data Information Requirements and Flight Test Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morelli, Eugene A.; Smith, Mark S.

2010-01-01

Practical aspects of identifying dynamic models for aircraft in real time were studied. Topics include formulation of an equation-error method in the frequency domain to estimate non-dimensional stability and control derivatives in real time, data information content for accurate modeling results, and data information management techniques such as data forgetting, incorporating prior information, and optimized excitation. Real-time dynamic modeling was applied to simulation data and flight test data from a modified F-15B fighter aircraft, and to operational flight data from a subscale jet transport aircraft. Estimated parameter standard errors, prediction cases, and comparisons with results from a batch output-error method in the time domain were used to demonstrate the accuracy of the identified real-time models.

Field Manual of Wildlife Diseases

USGS Publications Warehouse

Franson, J. Christian; Friend, Milton; Gibbs, Samantha E.J.; Wild, Margaret A.

2015-01-01

We begin this new manual with introductory contextual and historical background about the convergence of wildlife disease with wildlife management as a wildlife conservation concern (section A, chap. 1). The remainder of the publication is focused on pragmatic information and considerations for addressing various aspects of wildlife disease. Section B focuses on concepts associated with disease surveillance and response to outbreaks, and section C deals with specific techniques for disease surveillance and investigation. Section D, “Diseases of Wild Birds,” and others that follow will address diseases of concern in various species groups. Electronic links facilitate timely access to a wide variety of supplemental information and processes relevant to content in this new version of the “Field Manual of Wildlife Diseases.”

The Need for Psychoanalysis is Alive and Well in Community Psychiatry

PubMed Central

Bell, Carl C.

1979-01-01

While the author recognizes the positive impact community psychiatry has had on postpsychotic patients by the uses of medical management and environmental manipulation, he demonstrates that there is a deficiency in the treatment of lower socioeconomic patients with neurotic illnesses. Specifically, neurotic patients tend to be given supportive therapy and psychopharmacotherapy when a form of psychoanalytic psychotherapy would be more appropriate. The author supports these contentions by presenting three cases which have a diagnosis of hysterical neurosis and which clearly demonstrate the economic, topographical, structural, dynamic, and genetic components of the psychoanalytic theory. Finally, as psychoanalytic psychotherapy is too time-consuming, the author suggests that Freud's early psychoanalytic technique of symptom removal by memory recovery be used when appropriate. PMID:439170

Rheological characterisation of municipal sludge: a review.

PubMed

Eshtiaghi, Nicky; Markis, Flora; Yap, Shao Dong; Baudez, Jean-Christophe; Slatter, Paul

2013-10-01

Sustainable sludge management is becoming a major issue for wastewater treatment plants due to increasing urban populations and tightening environmental regulations for conventional sludge disposal methods. To address this problem, a good understanding of sludge behaviour is vital to improve and optimize the current state of wastewater treatment operations. This paper provides a review of the recent experimental works in order for researchers to be able to develop a reliable characterization technique for measuring the important properties of sludge such as viscosity, yield stress, thixotropy, and viscoelasticity and to better understand the impact of solids concentrations, temperature, and water content on these properties. In this context, choosing the appropriate rheological model and rheometer is also important. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cryopreservation of mango (Mangifera indica L.) embryogenic cultures.

PubMed

Wu, Yong-Jie; Huang, Xue-Ling; Xiao, Jie-Ning; Li, Xiao-Ju; Zhou, Ming-De; Engelmann, Florent

2003-01-01

Three techniques were compared for cryopreserving embryogenic masses (EMs) sampled from mango (Mangifera indica L.) cv. Zihua embryogenic cultures: (i) encapsulation/dehydration; (ii) pregrowth/dehydration; and (iii) vitrification. In all experiments, EMs were sampled from embryogenic cultures during their exponential growth phase and pretreated for 24 h on solid medium containing 0.5 M sucrose before freezing. No recovery was achieved after cryopreservation using the encapsulation/dehydration technique, whatever the moisture content (fresh weight basis) of EMs, which ranged from 78.3% without dehydration to 40.8% after 6 h dehydration. With the pregrowth plus dehydration technique, limited recovery (8.3%) was achieved after desiccation of EMs for 1 h, to 58.5% MC. Using the vitrification technique, recovery ranged from 94.3% after treatment of EMs with the PVS3 vitrification solution for 20 min (EM moisture content of 34.7%) to 10.9% after a 120 min treatment with the vitrification solution (EM moisture content of 26.0%).

Frontline over ivory tower: key competencies in community-based curricula.

PubMed

Millar, Adam; Malcolm, Janine; Cheng, Alice; Fine, Rebecca; Wong, Rene

2015-01-01

The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada mandates that community experiences be incorporated into medicine-based specialties. Presently there is wide variability in community endocrine experiences across Canadian training programs. This is complicated by the paucity of literature providing guidance on what constitutes a 'community' rotation. A modified Delphi technique was used to determine the CanMEDS competencies best taught in a community endocrinology curriculum. The Delphi technique is a qualitative-research method that uses a series of questionnaires sent to a group of experts with controlled feedback provided by the researchers after each survey round. The experts in this study included endocrinology program directors, community endocrinologists, endocrinology residents and recent endocrinology graduates. Thirty four out of 44 competencies rated by the panel were deemed suitable for a community curriculum. The experts considered the "Manager" role best taught in the community, while they considered the community least suitable to learn the "Medical Expert" competency. To our knowledge, this is the first time the content of a community-based subspecialty curriculum was determined using the Delphi process in Canada. These findings suggest that community settings have potential to fill in gaps in residency training in regards to the CanMEDS Manager role. The results will aid program directors in designing competency-based community endocrinology rotations and competency-based community rotations in other medical subspecialty programs.

Practical management of heterogeneous neuroimaging metadata by global neuroimaging data repositories

PubMed Central

Neu, Scott C.; Crawford, Karen L.; Toga, Arthur W.

2012-01-01

Rapidly evolving neuroimaging techniques are producing unprecedented quantities of digital data at the same time that many research studies are evolving into global, multi-disciplinary collaborations between geographically distributed scientists. While networked computers have made it almost trivial to transmit data across long distances, collecting and analyzing this data requires extensive metadata if the data is to be maximally shared. Though it is typically straightforward to encode text and numerical values into files and send content between different locations, it is often difficult to attach context and implicit assumptions to the content. As the number of and geographic separation between data contributors grows to national and global scales, the heterogeneity of the collected metadata increases and conformance to a single standardization becomes implausible. Neuroimaging data repositories must then not only accumulate data but must also consolidate disparate metadata into an integrated view. In this article, using specific examples from our experiences, we demonstrate how standardization alone cannot achieve full integration of neuroimaging data from multiple heterogeneous sources and why a fundamental change in the architecture of neuroimaging data repositories is needed instead. PMID:22470336

Practical management of heterogeneous neuroimaging metadata by global neuroimaging data repositories.

PubMed

Neu, Scott C; Crawford, Karen L; Toga, Arthur W

2012-01-01

Rapidly evolving neuroimaging techniques are producing unprecedented quantities of digital data at the same time that many research studies are evolving into global, multi-disciplinary collaborations between geographically distributed scientists. While networked computers have made it almost trivial to transmit data across long distances, collecting and analyzing this data requires extensive metadata if the data is to be maximally shared. Though it is typically straightforward to encode text and numerical values into files and send content between different locations, it is often difficult to attach context and implicit assumptions to the content. As the number of and geographic separation between data contributors grows to national and global scales, the heterogeneity of the collected metadata increases and conformance to a single standardization becomes implausible. Neuroimaging data repositories must then not only accumulate data but must also consolidate disparate metadata into an integrated view. In this article, using specific examples from our experiences, we demonstrate how standardization alone cannot achieve full integration of neuroimaging data from multiple heterogeneous sources and why a fundamental change in the architecture of neuroimaging data repositories is needed instead.

An Investigation of Science Teaching Practices in Indonesian Rural Secondary Schools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wahyudi; Treagust, David F.

2004-08-01

This study reports on teaching practices in science classrooms of Indonesian lower secondary schools in rural areas. Using six schools from three districts in the province of Kalimantan Selatan as the sample, this study found that most teaching practices in science classrooms in rural schools were teacher-centred with students copying notes. However, the study also found unique teaching practices of an exemplary science teacher whose teaching style can be described as both student-centred and teacher-centred, with students encouraged to be active learners. Four features of exemplary teaching practices were identified: The teacher managed the classroom effectively; used a variety of questioning techniques; employed various teaching approaches instead of traditional methods; and created a favourable learning environment. Data from classroom observations, interviews with teachers, and students responses to a questionnaire were used to compare the exemplary teacher and his colleagues. This study identified internal factors that may affect teaching practices such as a teachers content knowledge and beliefs about teaching. Compared to the other teachers, the exemplary teacher possessed more content knowledge and had a relatively stronger belief in his ability to teach.

First Approximations of Prescribed Fire Risks Relative to Other Management Techniques Used on Private Lands.

PubMed

Twidwell, Dirac; Wonkka, Carissa L; Sindelar, Michael T; Weir, John R

2015-01-01

Fire is widely recognized as a critical ecological and evolutionary driver that needs to be at the forefront of land management actions if conservation targets are to be met. However, the prevailing view is that prescribed fire is riskier than other land management techniques. Perceived risks associated with the application of fire limits its use and reduces agency support for prescribed burning in the private sector. As a result, considerably less cost-share support is given for prescribed fire compared to mechanical techniques. This study tests the general perception that fire is a riskier technique relative to other land management options. Due to the lack of data available to directly test this notion, we use a combination of approaches including 1) a comparison of fatalities resulting from different occupations that are proxies for techniques employed in land management, 2) a comparison of fatalities resulting from wildland fire versus prescribed fire, and 3) an exploration of causal factors responsible for wildland fire-related fatalities. This approach establishes a first approximation of the relative risk of fatality to private citizens using prescribed fire compared to other management techniques that are readily used in ecosystem management. Our data do not support using risks of landowner fatalities as justification for the use of alternative land management techniques, such as mechanical (machine-related) equipment, over prescribed fire. Vehicles and heavy machinery are consistently leading reasons for fatalities within occupations selected as proxies for management techniques employed by ranchers and agricultural producers, and also constitute a large proportion of fatalities among firefighters. Our study provides the foundation for agencies to establish data-driven decisions regarding the degree of support they provide for prescribed burning on private lands.

First Approximations of Prescribed Fire Risks Relative to Other Management Techniques Used on Private Lands

PubMed Central

Twidwell, Dirac; Wonkka, Carissa L.; Sindelar, Michael T.; Weir, John R.

2015-01-01

Fire is widely recognized as a critical ecological and evolutionary driver that needs to be at the forefront of land management actions if conservation targets are to be met. However, the prevailing view is that prescribed fire is riskier than other land management techniques. Perceived risks associated with the application of fire limits its use and reduces agency support for prescribed burning in the private sector. As a result, considerably less cost-share support is given for prescribed fire compared to mechanical techniques. This study tests the general perception that fire is a riskier technique relative to other land management options. Due to the lack of data available to directly test this notion, we use a combination of approaches including 1) a comparison of fatalities resulting from different occupations that are proxies for techniques employed in land management, 2) a comparison of fatalities resulting from wildland fire versus prescribed fire, and 3) an exploration of causal factors responsible for wildland fire-related fatalities. This approach establishes a first approximation of the relative risk of fatality to private citizens using prescribed fire compared to other management techniques that are readily used in ecosystem management. Our data do not support using risks of landowner fatalities as justification for the use of alternative land management techniques, such as mechanical (machine-related) equipment, over prescribed fire. Vehicles and heavy machinery are consistently leading reasons for fatalities within occupations selected as proxies for management techniques employed by ranchers and agricultural producers, and also constitute a large proportion of fatalities among firefighters. Our study provides the foundation for agencies to establish data-driven decisions regarding the degree of support they provide for prescribed burning on private lands. PMID:26465329

Network-Based Management Procedures.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buckner, Allen L.

Network-based management procedures serve as valuable aids in organizational management, achievement of objectives, problem solving, and decisionmaking. Network techniques especially applicable to educational management systems are the program evaluation and review technique (PERT) and the critical path method (CPM). Other network charting…

Modularization and Structured Markup for Learning Content in an Academic Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schluep, Samuel; Bettoni, Marco; Schar, Sissel Guttormsen

2006-01-01

This article aims to present a flexible component model for modular, web-based learning content, and a simple structured markup schema for the separation of content and presentation. The article will also contain an overview of the dynamic Learning Content Management System (dLCMS) project, which implements these concepts. Content authors are a…

Multimodal Self-Management for Children: An Holistic Program for Teachers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Keefe, Edward J.

This paper describes an innovative program for teaching self-management to children in elementary and secondary schools. The background of techniques for teaching self-management is briefly reviewed, the application of self-management techniques is noted, deficits in self-management programs are considered, and Lazarus's multimodal model of…

Software-Enabled Project Management Techniques and Their Relationship to the Triple Constraints

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elleh, Festus U.

2013-01-01

This study investigated the relationship between software-enabled project management techniques and the triple constraints (time, cost, and scope). There was the dearth of academic literature that focused on the relationship between software-enabled project management techniques and the triple constraints (time, cost, and scope). Based on the gap…

Examining the Perceived Value of Integration of Earned Value Management with Risk Management-Based Performance Measurement Baseline

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shah, Akhtar H.

2014-01-01

Many projects fail despite the use of evidence-based project management practices such as Performance Measurement Baseline (PMB), Earned Value Management (EVM) and Risk Management (RM). Although previous researchers have found that integrated project management techniques could be more valuable than the same techniques used by themselves, these…

Geographic Information System (GIS) capabilities in traffic accident information management: a qualitative approach.

PubMed

Ahmadi, Maryam; Valinejadi, Ali; Goodarzi, Afshin; Safari, Ameneh; Hemmat, Morteza; Majdabadi, Hesamedin Askari; Mohammadi, Ali

2017-06-01

Traffic accidents are one of the more important national and international issues, and their consequences are important for the political, economical, and social level in a country. Management of traffic accident information requires information systems with analytical and accessibility capabilities to spatial and descriptive data. The aim of this study was to determine the capabilities of a Geographic Information System (GIS) in management of traffic accident information. This qualitative cross-sectional study was performed in 2016. In the first step, GIS capabilities were identified via literature retrieved from the Internet and based on the included criteria. Review of the literature was performed until data saturation was reached; a form was used to extract the capabilities. In the second step, study population were hospital managers, police, emergency, statisticians, and IT experts in trauma, emergency and police centers. Sampling was purposive. Data was collected using a questionnaire based on the first step data; validity and reliability were determined by content validity and Cronbach's alpha of 75%. Data was analyzed using the decision Delphi technique. GIS capabilities were identified in ten categories and 64 sub-categories. Import and process of spatial and descriptive data and so, analysis of this data were the most important capabilities of GIS in traffic accident information management. Storing and retrieving of descriptive and spatial data, providing statistical analysis in table, chart and zoning format, management of bad structure issues, determining the cost effectiveness of the decisions and prioritizing their implementation were the most important capabilities of GIS which can be efficient in the management of traffic accident information.

LCS Content Document Application

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hochstadt, Jake

2011-01-01

My project at KSC during my spring 2011 internship was to develop a Ruby on Rails application to manage Content Documents..A Content Document is a collection of documents and information that describes what software is installed on a Launch Control System Computer. It's important for us to make sure the tools we use everyday are secure, up-to-date, and properly licensed. Previously, keeping track of the information was done by Excel and Word files between different personnel. The goal of the new application is to be able to manage and access the Content Documents through a single database backed web application. Our LCS team will benefit greatly with this app. Admin's will be able to login securely to keep track and update the software installed on each computer in a timely manner. We also included exportability such as attaching additional documents that can be downloaded from the web application. The finished application will ease the process of managing Content Documents while streamlining the procedure. Ruby on Rails is a very powerful programming language and I am grateful to have the opportunity to build this application.

Management of death and grief in obituary and in memoriam pages of Nigerian newspapers.

PubMed

Alali, A O

1993-12-01

This analysis of obituaries and in memoriam advertisements in Nigerian newspapers provides the identification of dimensions of content used to manage death and grief. Ten dimensions of content were abstracted: pictorial representation is a widespread practice, immediacy of announcement following death is an appropriate etiquette in the management of death, funeral arrangements are included as open invitation to a community of mourners, advertisements indicate direct contact and communication with the deceased, contents suggest the belief in personal immortality of the soul, religion is a pervasive and dominating force in advertisements, there are similarities in choice of words used in death advertisements, there is recognition of the temporal nature of life, mourning seems to be an ongoing process, and often the deceased is perceived as resting in peace. Never do obituaries and in memoriam statements include the flaws of the deceased. Clearly, the dimensions of content in the obituaries and in memoriam advertisements of Nigerian newspapers are a specific cultural behavior of people who exhibit similarity in the management of death and grief. These advertisements serve as an unbroken link between the deceased and the bereaved. This study also suggests that openness to death is the appropriate etiquette in the management of death and grief in Nigeria.

Evaluation of monitoring indicators for the post-closure care of a landfill for MSW characterized with low lignin content.

PubMed

Zheng, Wei; Lü, Fan; Bolyard, Stephanie C; Shao, Liming; Reinhart, Debra R; He, Pinjing

2015-02-01

To understand the applicability of the termination indicators for landfill municipal solid waste (MSW) with low initial lignin content, four different accelerated landfill stabilization techniques were applied to anaerobic landfilled waste, including anaerobic flushing with water, anaerobic flushing with Fenton-treated leachate, and aerobic flushing with Fenton-treated and UV/H2O2-treated leachate. Termination indicators, including total organic carbon (TOC), ammonia-N (NH4(+)-N), the ratio of UV absorbance at 254 nm to TOC concentration (SUVA254), fluorescence spectra of leachate, methane production, oxygen consumption, lignocellulose content, and humus-like content were evaluated. Results suggest that oxygen consumption related indicators used as a termination indicator for low-lignin-content MSW were more sensitive than methane consumption related indicators. Aeration increased humic acid (HA) and (HA+FA)/HyI content by 2.9 and 1.7 times compared to the anaerobically stabilized low-lignin-content MSW. On the other hand, both the fulvic acid (FA) and hydrophilic (HyI) fractions remained constant regardless of stabilization technique. The target value developed for low-lignin-content MSW was quite different than developed countries mainly due to low residual biodegradable organic carbon content in stabilized low-lignin-content MSW. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Content based image retrieval using local binary pattern operator and data mining techniques.

PubMed

Vatamanu, Oana Astrid; Frandeş, Mirela; Lungeanu, Diana; Mihalaş, Gheorghe-Ioan

2015-01-01

Content based image retrieval (CBIR) concerns the retrieval of similar images from image databases, using feature vectors extracted from images. These feature vectors globally define the visual content present in an image, defined by e.g., texture, colour, shape, and spatial relations between vectors. Herein, we propose the definition of feature vectors using the Local Binary Pattern (LBP) operator. A study was performed in order to determine the optimum LBP variant for the general definition of image feature vectors. The chosen LBP variant is then subsequently used to build an ultrasound image database, and a database with images obtained from Wireless Capsule Endoscopy. The image indexing process is optimized using data clustering techniques for images belonging to the same class. Finally, the proposed indexing method is compared to the classical indexing technique, which is nowadays widely used.

Panoramic-image-based rendering solutions for visualizing remote locations via the web

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Obeysekare, Upul R.; Egts, David; Bethmann, John

2000-05-01

With advances in panoramic image-based rendering techniques and the rapid expansion of web advertising, new techniques are emerging for visualizing remote locations on the WWW. Success of these techniques depends on how easy and inexpensive it is to develop a new type of web content that provides pseudo 3D visualization at home, 24-hours a day. Furthermore, the acceptance of this new visualization medium depends on the effectiveness of the familiarization tools by a segment of the population that was never exposed to this type of visualization. This paper addresses various hardware and software solutions available to collect, produce, and view panoramic content. While cost and effectiveness of building the content is being addressed using a few commercial hardware solutions, effectiveness of familiarization tools is evaluated using a few sample data sets.

Quantitation of dissolved gas content in emulsions and in blood using mass spectrometric detection.

PubMed

Grimley, Everett; Turner, Nicole; Newell, Clayton; Simpkins, Cuthbert; Rodriguez, Juan

2011-06-01

Quantitation of dissolved gases in blood or in other biological media is essential for understanding the dynamics of metabolic processes. Current detection techniques, while enabling rapid and convenient assessment of dissolved gases, provide only direct information on the partial pressure of gases dissolved in the aqueous fraction of the fluid. The more relevant quantity known as gas content, which refers to the total amount of the gas in all fractions of the sample, can be inferred from those partial pressures, but only indirectly through mathematical modeling. Here we describe a simple mass spectrometric technique for rapid and direct quantitation of gas content for a wide range of gases. The technique is based on a mass spectrometer detector that continuously monitors gases that are rapidly extracted from samples injected into a purge vessel. The accuracy and sample processing speed of the system is demonstrated with experiments that reproduce within minutes literature values for the solubility of various gases in water. The capability of the technique is further demonstrated through accurate determination of O(2) content in a lipid emulsion and in whole blood, using as little as 20 μL of sample. The approach to gas content quantitation described here should greatly expand the range of animals and conditions that may be used in studies of metabolic gas exchange, and facilitate the development of artificial oxygen carriers and resuscitation fluids. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The influence of inquiry learning model on additives theme with ethnoscience content to cultural awareness of students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sudarmin, S.; Selia, E.; Taufiq, M.

2018-03-01

The purpose of this research is to determine the influence of inquiry learning model on additives theme with ethnoscience content to cultural awareness of students and how the students’ responses to learning. The method applied in this research is a quasi-experimental with non-equivalent control group design. The sampling technique applied in this research is the technique of random sampling. The samples were eight grade students of one of junior high schools in Semarang. The results of this research were (1) thestudents’ cultural awareness of the experiment class is better than the control class (2) inquiry learning model with ethnoscience content strongly influencing the cultural awareness of students by 78% and (3) students gave positive responses to inquiry learning model with ethnoscience content. The conclusions of this research are inquiry-learning model with ethnoscience content has positive influence on students’ cultural awareness.

Cloud-based application for rice moisture content measurement using image processing technique and perceptron neural network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cruz, Febus Reidj G.; Padilla, Dionis A.; Hortinela, Carlos C.; Bucog, Krissel C.; Sarto, Mildred C.; Sia, Nirlu Sebastian A.; Chung, Wen-Yaw

2017-02-01

This study is about the determination of moisture content of milled rice using image processing technique and perceptron neural network algorithm. The algorithm involves several inputs that produces an output which is the moisture content of the milled rice. Several types of milled rice are used in this study, namely: Jasmine, Kokuyu, 5-Star, Ifugao, Malagkit, and NFA rice. The captured images are processed using MATLAB R2013a software. There is a USB dongle connected to the router which provided internet connection for online web access. The GizDuino IOT-644 is used for handling the temperature and humidity sensor, and for sending and receiving of data from computer to the cloud storage. The result is compared to the actual moisture content range using a moisture tester for milled rice. Based on results, this study provided accurate data in determining the moisture content of the milled rice.

Terahertz Measurement of the Water Content Distribution in Wood Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bensalem, M.; Sommier, A.; Mindeguia, J. C.; Batsale, J. C.; Pradere, C.

2018-02-01

Recently, THz waves have been shown to be an effective technique for investigating the water diffusion within porous media, such as biomaterial or insulation materials. This applicability is due to the sufficient resolution for such applications and the safe levels of radiation. This study aims to achieve contactless absolute water content measurements at a steady state case in semi-transparent solids (wood) using a transmittance THz wave range setup. First, a calibration method is developed to validate an analytical model based on the Beer-Lambert law, linking the absorption coefficient, the density of the solid, and its water content. Then, an estimation of the water content on a local scale in a transient-state case (drying) is performed. This study shows that THz waves are an effective contactless, safe, and low-cost technique for the measurement of water content in a porous medium, such as wood.

[Effects of intensive management on soil C and N pools and soil enzyme activities in Moso bamboo plantations.

PubMed

Yang, Meng; Li, Yong Fu; Li, Yong Chun; Xiao, Yong Heng; Yue, Tian; Jiang, Pei Kun; Zhou, Guo Mo; Liu, Juan

2016-11-18

In order to elucidate the effects of intensive management on soil carbon pool, nitrogen pool, enzyme activities in Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens) plantations, we collected soil samples from the soil surface (0-20 cm) and subsurface (20-40 cm) layers in the adjacent Moso bamboo plantations with extensive and intensive managements in Sankou Township, Lin'an City, Zhejiang Province. We determined different forms of C, N and soil invertase, urease, catalase and acid phosphatase activities. The results showed that long-term intensive management of Moso bamboo plantations significantly decreased the content and storage of soil organic carbon (SOC), with the SOC storage in the soil surface and subsurface layers decreased by 13.2% and 18.0%, respectively. After 15 years' intensive management of Masoo bamboo plantations, the contents of soil water soluble carbon (WSOC), hot water soluble carbon (HWSOC), microbial carbon (MBC) and readily oxidizable carbon (ROC) were significantly decreased in the soil surface and subsurface layers. The soil N storage in the soil surface and subsurface layers in intensively managed Moso bamboo plantations increased by 50.8% and 36.6%, respectively. Intensive management significantly increased the contents of nitrate-N (NO 3 - -N) and ammonium-N (NH 4 + -N), but decreased the contents of water-soluble nitrogen (WSON) and microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN). After 15 years' intensive management of Masoo bamboo plantations, the soil invertase, urease, catalase and acid phosphatase activities in the soil surface layer were significantly decreased, the soil acid phosphatase activity in the soil subsurface layer were significantly decreased, and other enzyme activities in the soil subsurface layer did not change. In conclusion, long-term intensive management led to a significant decline of soil organic carbon storage, soil labile carbon and microbial activity in Moso bamboo plantations. Therefore, we should consider the use of organic fertilizer in the intensive mana-gement process for the sustainable management of Moso bamboo plantations in the future.

43 CFR 2812.1-2 - Contents.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2008-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 2 2008-10-01 2008-10-01 false Contents. 2812.1-2 Section 2812.1-2 Public Lands: Interior Regulations Relating to Public Lands (Continued) BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR (CONTINUED) LAND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT (2000) TRAMROADS AND LOGGING ROADS Over O. and C. and Coos Bay Revested Lands § 2812.1-2...

Ethics Content in Strategic Management Textbooks: A Longitudinal Examination

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Geiger, Scott W.

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study is to examine the prevalence of ethics content in strategic management textbooks. The importance of ethical behavior within organizations has been highlighted in the past by organizations, such as Enron and WorldCom, and more recently by British Petroleum and Toyota. The data collected from two different editions of five…

The "Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management:" An Output Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dobson, Ian R.

2009-01-01

This paper analyses the contents of the first thirty years of the "Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management" and its predecessor, the "Journal of Tertiary Education Administration." The paper examines the papers published between 1979 and 2008 according to their authorship, country of origin and broad content, noting changes over time. In…

Tool-Use in a Content Management System: A Matter of Timing?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lust, Griet; Vandewaetere, Mieke; Elen, Jan; Clarebout, Geraldine

2014-01-01

Given the rising popularity of content management systems (CMSs) in higher education, we investigated how students use the available CMS tools, as well as whether the moment of using a CMS tool affects students' learning. This temporal dimension has been neglected in current research on CMS use. More insight into students' tool-use is…

Nuclear and non-nuclear techniques for area-wide assessment of water use efficiency and ecohydrology outcomes among mixed land uses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burgess, S. S. O.; Nguyen, M. L.

2009-04-01

Managing water use efficiency and ecohydrology is important for providing food, water and essential ecosystem services. Many agricultural, ecological, atmospheric and hydrological processes cannot be meaningfully managed without an area-wide or catchment-level perspective. However a vast number of factors, including mixed land uses are incorporated at such scales. There is a need for integrative, mobile and adaptable techniques to make water related measurements over large areas and mixed land uses. Nuclear techniques and analogous non-nuclear techniques may be deployed in a number of spheres within the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum (e.g. rhizosphere and above-canopy microclimate) with nuclear techniques having a distinct contribution owing to their unique ability to trace biogeochemical processes including the movement and transformation of water, nutrients and agrochemicals. 1) Soils. Isotopes can be used to trace water sources to understand groundwater dependence, rooting depth, etc. but not at all sites: early success in central USA studies has not always been repeatable in climates which produce more uniform isotopic signatures in various water sources. Soil water resources available to crops can also be studied using neutron moisture meters, but training, transport and safety issues argue for stringent management and inclusion of electrical capacitance probes for routine or automated applications. Results from capacitance probes can benefit from benchmarking against neutron probe measurements, which remain more powerful for sampling larger volumes in cases of heterogenous soils or where salinity levels are problematic. Because interpretation of soil water content in terms of plant available water also requires knowledge of soil organic matter characteristics, 13C and compound specific stable isotopes can help to identify changes in soil organic matter composition and hence water and plant nutrient availability. 2) Plants. Analysis of carbon isotope discrimination can be used to monitor water use efficiency and seasonal water stress. This includes analysis of carbon in structural leaf material and soluble sugars for different temporal scales. Some progress is also being made using 18O signatures to estimate transpiration. Furthermore xylem sap can be measured for isotopic composition can be used and absolute flow rates in the plant can be measured with thermometric tracers. Information on transpiration can help differentiate between wasteful evaporative processes versus efficient plant gas exchange. 3) Atmosphere (above & within canopy). Whilst traditional vapour related techniques such as Bowen ratio and eddy flux can measure total ET, modern cavity ring-down laser spectrometers can sample isotopes in water vapour. These devices hold much promise to identify water sources and evaporative processes using dual isotope mixing models and Keeling plots analysis: the result is improved partitioning of transpiration and evaporation. This above suite of measurements can provide knowledge to choose correct plant species, manage irrigation and microclimate, compare land uses and predict impacts on the environment, including nutrient and agrochemical movement in the landscape. We discuss current progress in IAEA and related projects which are aimed at bringing an integrated, multi-disciplinary framework for area-wide water management that can promote food security, water resources and essential ecosystem services.

A Content Standard for Computational Models; Digital Rights Management (DRM) Architectures; A Digital Object Approach to Interoperable Rights Management: Finely-Grained Policy Enforcement Enabled by a Digital Object Infrastructure; LOCKSS: A Permanent Web Publishing and Access System; Tapestry of Time and Terrain.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hill, Linda L.; Crosier, Scott J.; Smith, Terrence R.; Goodchild, Michael; Iannella, Renato; Erickson, John S.; Reich, Vicky; Rosenthal, David S. H.

2001-01-01

Includes five articles. Topics include requirements for a content standard to describe computational models; architectures for digital rights management systems; access control for digital information objects; LOCKSS (Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Safe) that allows libraries to run Web caches for specific journals; and a Web site from the U.S.…

76 FR 76622 - Federal Management Regulation; Motor Vehicle Management

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-08

...; Docket 2011-0011; Sequence 2] RIN 3090-AJ14 Federal Management Regulation; Motor Vehicle Management... Administration is amending the Federal Management Regulation (FMR) by revising current policy on the definitions... CONTACT: For clarification of content, contact Mr. James Vogelsinger, Director, Motor Vehicle Management...

Advanced Optical Diagnostics for Ice Crystal Cloud Measurements in the NASA Glenn Propulsion Systems Laboratory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bencic, Timothy J.; Fagan, Amy; Van Zante, Judith F.; Kirkegaard, Jonathan P.; Rohler, David P.; Maniyedath, Arjun; Izen, Steven H.

2013-01-01

A light extinction tomography technique has been developed to monitor ice water clouds upstream of a direct connected engine in the Propulsion Systems Laboratory (PSL) at NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC). The system consists of 60 laser diodes with sheet generating optics and 120 detectors mounted around a 36-inch diameter ring. The sources are pulsed sequentially while the detectors acquire line-of-sight extinction data for each laser pulse. Using computed tomography algorithms, the extinction data are analyzed to produce a plot of the relative water content in the measurement plane. To target the low-spatial-frequency nature of ice water clouds, unique tomography algorithms were developed using filtered back-projection methods and direct inversion methods that use Gaussian basis functions. With the availability of a priori knowledge of the mean droplet size and the total water content at some point in the measurement plane, the tomography system can provide near real-time in-situ quantitative full-field total water content data at a measurement plane approximately 5 feet upstream of the engine inlet. Results from ice crystal clouds in the PSL are presented. In addition to the optical tomography technique, laser sheet imaging has also been applied in the PSL to provide planar ice cloud uniformity and relative water content data during facility calibration before the tomography system was available and also as validation data for the tomography system. A comparison between the laser sheet system and light extinction tomography resulting data are also presented. Very good agreement of imaged intensity and water content is demonstrated for both techniques. Also, comparative studies between the two techniques show excellent agreement in calculation of bulk total water content averaged over the center of the pipe.

Further Investigations of Content Analytic Techniques for Extracting the Differentiating Information Contained in the Narrative Sections of Performance Evaluations for Navy Enlisted Personnel. Technical Report No. 75-1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ramsey-Klee, Diane M.; Richman, Vivian

The purpose of this research is to develop content analytic techniques capable of extracting the differentiating information in narrative performance evaluations for enlisted personnel in order to aid in the process of selecting personnel for advancement, duty assignment, training, or quality retention. Four tasks were performed. The first task…

Functional Gene Differences in Soil Microbial Communities from Conventional, Low-Input, and Organic Farmlands

PubMed Central

Xue, Kai; Wu, Liyou; Deng, Ye; He, Zhili; Van Nostrand, Joy; Robertson, Philip G.; Schmidt, Thomas M.

2013-01-01

Various agriculture management practices may have distinct influences on soil microbial communities and their ecological functions. In this study, we utilized GeoChip, a high-throughput microarray-based technique containing approximately 28,000 probes for genes involved in nitrogen (N)/carbon (C)/sulfur (S)/phosphorus (P) cycles and other processes, to evaluate the potential functions of soil microbial communities under conventional (CT), low-input (LI), and organic (ORG) management systems at an agricultural research site in Michigan. Compared to CT, a high diversity of functional genes was observed in LI. The functional gene diversity in ORG did not differ significantly from that of either CT or LI. Abundances of genes encoding enzymes involved in C/N/P/S cycles were generally lower in CT than in LI or ORG, with the exceptions of genes in pathways for lignin degradation, methane generation/oxidation, and assimilatory N reduction, which all remained unchanged. Canonical correlation analysis showed that selected soil (bulk density, pH, cation exchange capacity, total C, C/N ratio, NO3−, NH4+, available phosphorus content, and available potassium content) and crop (seed and whole biomass) variables could explain 69.5% of the variation of soil microbial community composition. Also, significant correlations were observed between NO3− concentration and denitrification genes, NH4+ concentration and ammonification genes, and N2O flux and denitrification genes, indicating a close linkage between soil N availability or process and associated functional genes. PMID:23241975

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy application in environmental monitoring of water quality: a review.

PubMed

Yu, Xiaodong; Li, Yang; Gu, Xiaofeng; Bao, Jiming; Yang, Huizhong; Sun, Li

2014-12-01

Water quality monitoring is a critical part of environmental management and protection, and to be able to qualitatively and quantitatively determine contamination and impurity levels in water is especially important. Compared to the currently available water quality monitoring methods and techniques, laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) has several advantages, including no need for sample pre-preparation, fast and easy operation, and chemical free during the process. Therefore, it is of great importance to understand the fundamentals of aqueous LIBS analysis and effectively apply this technique to environmental monitoring. This article reviews the research conducted on LIBS analysis for liquid samples, and the article content includes LIBS theory, history and applications, quantitative analysis of metallic species in liquids, LIBS signal enhancement methods and data processing, characteristics of plasma generated by laser in water, and the factors affecting accuracy of analysis results. Although there have been many research works focusing on aqueous LIBS analysis, detection limit and stability of this technique still need to be improved to satisfy the requirements of environmental monitoring standard. In addition, determination of nonmetallic species in liquid by LIBS is equally important and needs immediate attention from the community. This comprehensive review will assist the readers to better understand the aqueous LIBS technique and help to identify current research needs for environmental monitoring of water quality.

Pump-probe spectroscopy and imaging of heme proteins: temperature effects and data analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Erkang; Domingue, Scott R.; Bartels, Randy A.; Wilson, Jesse W.

2017-08-01

Ultrafast pump-probe microscopy enables visualization of non-fluorescent materials in biological tissue, such as melanin and hemoglobin. Whereas transient absorption has been primarily a physical chemistry technique, used to gain insight into molecular and electronic structure, pump-probe microscopy represents a paradigm shift in translating transient absorption into an analytical technique, which can clearly resolve pigments with nearly indistinguishable linear absorption spectra. Extending this technique to other important targets, such as mitochondrial respiratory chain hemes, will require new laser sources and new data processing techniques to estimate heme content from the pump-probe response. We will present recent developments on both of these fronts. The laser system we have developed to elicit a pump probe response of respiratory chain hemes is based on an amplified Yb:fiber ultrafast laser that uses modest spectral broadening followed by sum frequency generation to produce a tunable pulse pair in the visible region. Wavelength tuning is accomplished by changing quasi-phase matching conditions. We will present preliminary imaging data in addition to discussing management of sample heating problems that arise from performing transient absorption measurements at the high repetition rates needed for imaging microscopy. In the second part of the talk, we will present the use of regularized and non-negative least squares fitting, along with feature-preserving noise removal to estimate composition of a pixel from its pump-probe response.

Water intake, faecal output and intestinal motility in horses moved from pasture to a stabled management regime with controlled exercise

PubMed Central

Williams, S; Horner, J; Orton, E; Green, M; McMullen, S; Mobasheri, A; Freeman, S L

2015-01-01

Reasons for performing study A change in management from pasture to stabling is a risk factor for equine colic. Objectives To investigate the effect of a management change from pasture with no controlled exercise to stabling with light exercise on aspects of gastrointestinal function related to large colon impaction. The hypothesis was that drinking water intake, faecal output, faecal water content and large intestinal motility would be altered by a transition from a pastured to a stabled regime. Study design Within-subject management intervention trial involving changes in feeding and exercise using noninvasive techniques. Methods Seven normal horses were evaluated in a within-subjects study design. Horses were monitored while at pasture 24 h/day, and for 14 days following a transition to a stabling regime with light controlled exercise. Drinking water intake, faecal output and faecal dry matter were measured. Motility of the caecum, sternal flexure and left colon (contractions/min) were measured twice daily by transcutaneous ultrasound. Mean values were pooled for the pastured regime and used as a reference for comparison with stabled data (Days 1–14 post stabling) for multilevel statistical analysis. Results Drinking water intake was significantly increased (mean ± s.d. pasture 2.4 ± 1.8 vs. stabled 6.4 ± 0.6 l/100 kg bwt/day), total faecal output was significantly decreased (pasture 4.62 ± 1.69 vs. stabled 1.81 ± 0.5 kg/100 kg bwt/day) and faecal dry matter content was significantly increased (pasture 18.7 ± 2.28 vs. stabled 27.2 ± 1.93% DM/day) on all days post stabling compared with measurements taken at pasture (P<0.05). Motility was significantly decreased in all regions of the large colon collectively on Day 2 post stabling (-0.76 contractions/min), and in the left colon only on Day 4 (-0.62 contractions/min; P<0.05). Conclusions There were significant changes in large intestinal motility patterns and parameters relating to gastrointestinal water balance during a transition from pasture to stabled management, particularly during the first 5 days. PMID:24528106

The management of dental caries in primary teeth - involving service providers and users in the design of a trial.

PubMed

Marshman, Zoe; Innes, Nicola; Deery, Chris; Hall, Melanie; Speed, Chris; Douglas, Gail; Clarkson, Jan; Rodd, Helen

2012-08-22

There is a lack of evidence for the effective management of dental caries in children's primary teeth. The trial entitled 'Filling Children's Teeth: Indicated Or Not?' (FiCTION) was designed to examine the clinical and cost effectiveness, in primary dental care, of three different approaches to the management of caries in primary teeth. However, before the FiCTION main trial commenced, a pilot trial was designed. Service provider (dentists and other members of the team including dental nurses and practice managers) and participant (child participants and their parents) involvement was incorporated into the pilot trial. The aim of this study is to describe service providers' and users' perspectives on the pilot trial to identify improvements to the conduct and design of the FiCTION main trial. Qualitative interviews (individual and group) were held with dentists, dental team members, children and parents involved in the FiCTION pilot trial. Individual interviews were held with four dentists and a group interview was held with 17 dental team members. Face-to-face interviews were held with four parents and children (four- to eight-years old) representing the three arms of the trial and five telephone interviews were conducted with parents. All interviews were transcribed verbatim. Framework analysis was used. Overall, service providers, children and parents found the pilot trial to be well conducted and an interesting experience. Service providers highlighted the challenges of adhering to research protocols, especially managing the documentation and undertaking new clinical techniques. They indicated that the time and financial commitments were greater than they had anticipated. Particular difficulties were found recruiting suitable patients within the timeframe. For parents recruitment was apparently more related to trusting their dentist than the content of information packs. While some of the older children understood what a study was, others did not understand or were not aware they were enrolled. The findings provided valuable recommendations to improve the method of recruitment of dental practices and patients, the timing and content of the training, the type of support dentists would value and ways to further engage children and parents in the FiCTION main trial. ISRCTN77044005.

Extended memory management under RTOS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Plummer, M.

1981-01-01

A technique for extended memory management in ROLM 1666 computers using FORTRAN is presented. A general software system is described for which the technique can be ideally applied. The memory manager interface with the system is described. The protocols by which the manager is invoked are presented, as well as the methods used by the manager.

Application of Synchrotron Techniques in Environmental Science

EPA Science Inventory

The complexity of metal contaminated sites has and continues to be simplified to a measure of the total metal content. While total metal content is a critical measure in assessing risk of a contaminated site, total metal content alone does not provide predictive insights on the b...

[The evaluation of the error of the thermal pulse technique used to measure moisture content of root substrates in space greenhouse

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Podol'skii, I. G.; Norokh, A. A.; Bingham, G. E.; Brigham, G. E. (Principal Investigator); Campbell, W. F. (Principal Investigator)

2002-01-01

Point thermopulse probes were used to monitor moisture level in the root substrates during cultivation of higher plants in a space greenhouse. Investigated were performance data of the thermopulse moisture probe in integration with the space greenhouse. It was shown that within the substrate moisture range from 20 up to 100% of the full saturation the technique error does not exceed 1.5%. The thermopulse technique bears much promise for metrologic monitoring of the root substrate moisture content in space greenhouses no matter water and air supply technology.

Clinical-outcome-based demand management in health services.

PubMed

Brogan, C; Lawrence, D; Mayhew, L

2008-01-01

THE PROBLEM OF MANAGING DEMAND: Most healthcare systems have 'third-party payers' who face the problem of keeping within budgets despite pressures to increase resources due to the ageing population, new technologies and patient demands to lower thresholds for care. This paper uses the UK National Health Service as a case study to suggest techniques for system-based demand management, which aims to control demand and costs whilst maintaining the cost-effectiveness of the system. The technique for managing demand in primary, elective and urgent care consists of managing treatment thresholds for appropriate care, using a whole-systems approach and costing the care elements in the system. It is important to analyse activity in relation to capacity and demand. Examples of using these techniques in practice are given. The practical effects of using such techniques need evaluation. If these techniques are not used, managing demand and limiting healthcare expenditure will be at the expense of clinical outcomes and unmet need, which will perpetuate financial crises.

The design and implementation of hydrographical information management system (HIMS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sui, Haigang; Hua, Li; Wang, Qi; Zhang, Anming

2005-10-01

With the development of hydrographical work and information techniques, the large variety of hydrographical information including electronic charts, documents and other materials are widely used, and the traditional management mode and techniques are unsuitable for the development of the Chinese Marine Safety Administration Bureau (CMSAB). How to manage all kinds of hydrographical information has become an important and urgent problem. A lot of advanced techniques including GIS, RS, spatial database management and VR techniques are introduced for solving these problems. Some design principles and key techniques of the HIMS including the mixed mode base on B/S, C/S and stand-alone computer mode, multi-source & multi-scale data organization and management, multi-source data integration and diverse visualization of digital chart, efficient security control strategies are illustrated in detail. Based on the above ideas and strategies, an integrated system named Hydrographical Information Management System (HIMS) was developed. And the HIMS has been applied in the Shanghai Marine Safety Administration Bureau and obtained good evaluation.

Estimation of U content in coffee samples by fission-track counting

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

Sharma, P.K.; Lal, N.; Nagpaul, K.K.

1985-06-01

Because coffee is consumed in large quantities by humans, the authors undertook the study of the uranium content of coffee as a continuation of earlier work to estimate the U content of foodstuffs. Since literature on this subject is scarce, they decided to use the well-established fission-track-counting technique to determine the U content of coffee.

Intercomparison of Lab-Based Soil Water Extraction Methods for Stable Water Isotope Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pratt, D.; Orlowski, N.; McDonnell, J.

2016-12-01

The effect of pore water extraction technique on resultant isotopic signature is poorly understood. Here we present results of an intercomparison of five common lab-based soil water extraction techniques: high pressure mechanical squeezing, centrifugation, direct vapor equilibration, microwave extraction, and cryogenic extraction. We applied five extraction methods to two physicochemically different standard soil types (silty sand and clayey loam) that were oven-dried and rewetted with water of known isotopic composition at three different gravimetric water contents (8, 20, and 30%). We tested the null hypothisis that all extraction techniques would provide the same isotopic result independent from soil type and water content. Our results showed that the extraction technique had a significant effect on the soil water isotopic composition. Each method exhibited deviations from spiked reference water, with soil type and water content showing a secondary effect. Cryogenic extraction showed the largest deviations from the reference water, whereas mechanical squeezing and centrifugation provided the closest match to the reference water for both soil types. We also compared results for each extraction technique that produced liquid water on both an OA-ICOS and IRMS; differences between them were negligible.

Rapid quantitative detection of glucose content in glucose injection by reaction headspace gas chromatography.

PubMed

Xie, Wei-Qi; Gong, Yi-Xian; Yu, Kong-Xian

2017-10-20

This work investigates an automated technique for rapid detecting the glucose content in glucose injection by reaction headspace gas chromatography (HS-GC). This method is based on the oxidation reaction of glucose in glucose injection with potassium dichromate. The carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) formed from the oxidation reaction can be quantitatively detected by GC. The results show that the relative standard deviation (RSD) of the present method was within 2.91%, and the measured glucose contents in glucose injection closely match those quantified by the reference method (relative differences <6.45%). The new HS-GC technique is rapid, practical and can be used to the batch detection of the glucose content in glucose injection related applications. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Time management: a review for physicians.

PubMed Central

Brunicardi, F. C.; Hobson, F. L.

1996-01-01

This article reviews the basic concepts and techniques of time management as they relate to a medical lifestyle. Essential tools are described to help the physician reassess and sharpen skills for handling intensifying demands and constraints of juggling patient care, research, teaching, and family responsibilities. The historical background and principles of time management for three popular "best selling" techniques are critiqued. In addition, a fourth technique, or model, of time management is introduced for physician use. PMID:8855650

Development of Inspection and Investigation Techniques to Prepare Debris Flow in Urban Areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seong, Joo-Hyun; Jung, Min-Hyeong; Park, Kyung-Han; An, Jai-Wook; Kim, Jiseong

2017-04-01

Due to the urban development, various facilities are located in mountainous areas near the city, and the damage to the occurrence of the debris flow is increasing in the urban area. However, quantitative inspection and investigation techniques are not sufficient for preparing debris flow in the urban area around the world. Therefore, in this study, we developed the debris flow inspection and investigation techniques, which are suitable for urban characteristics, regarding the soil hazard prevention and restoration in urban area. First, the inspection and investigation system is divided into the daily occurrence and the occurrence of the soil hazard event, and the inspection / investigation flow chart were developed based on the kind of inspection and correspondence required for each situation. The types of inspections applied in this study were determined as daily inspection, regular inspections, special emergency inspection, damage emergency inspection and In-depth safety inspection. The management agency, term of inspection, objects to be inspected, and contents of inspection work were presented according to type of each inspection. The daily inspection routinely checks for signs of collapse and conditions of facilities in urban areas which show vulnerability for soil hazard and that are conducted from the management agency. In the case of regular inspection, an expert for soil hazards regularly conducts detailed visual surveys on mountainous areas, steep slopes, prevention facilities and adjacent facilities in vulnerable areas. On the other hand, it was decided that the emergency inspection is carried out in the event of the occurrence of vulnerable element or soil hazards. Acknowledgement This study was conducted with the research iund support by the constructiontechnology research project of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (project number 16SCIP-B069989-04)

Effect of six different cooking techniques in the nutritional composition of two fish species previously selected as optimal for renal patient's diet.

PubMed

Castro-González, Isabel; Maafs-Rodríguez, Ana Gabriela; Pérez-Gil Romo, Fernando

2015-07-01

Benefits of fish consumption are widely known, but there is little information about nutrient values of raw and cooked fish. The aim was to study the impact that six cooking techniques have on the nutritional composition of two fish species with low content of adverse nutrients in renal diet. Raw and steamed, foiled with aluminum, foiled with banana leaf, gas oven-baked, microwave oven-coked and fried lightly samples were chemically analyzed to determine their protein, phosphorus and lipid content. Crevalle jack: all methods increased lipid and protein content and fatty acids (FA) varied in all cooking methods. Phosphorus decreased in the steamed and microwave oven-cooked samples. Red drum: foiled and fried lightly increased lipid content compared to the raw sample. FA concentration changed in all cooking methods. Protein increased with every technique and phosphorus decreased in the steamed and gas oven-baked samples. Renal patients should preferably consume crevalle jack steamed or microwave oven-cooked and red drum steamed or gas oven-baked.

Novel Calibration Technique for a Coulometric Evolved Vapor Analyzer for Measuring Water Content of Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bell, S. A.; Miao, P.; Carroll, P. A.

2018-04-01

Evolved vapor coulometry is a measurement technique that selectively detects water and is used to measure water content of materials. The basis of the measurement is the quantitative electrolysis of evaporated water entrained in a carrier gas stream. Although this measurement has a fundamental principle—based on Faraday's law which directly relates electrolysis current to amount of substance electrolyzed—in practice it requires calibration. Commonly, reference materials of known water content are used, but the variety of these is limited, and they are not always available for suitable values, materials, with SI traceability, or with well-characterized uncertainty. In this paper, we report development of an alternative calibration approach using as a reference the water content of humid gas of defined dew point traceable to the SI via national humidity standards. The increased information available through this new type of calibration reveals a variation of the instrument performance across its range not visible using the conventional approach. The significance of this is discussed along with details of the calibration technique, example results, and an uncertainty evaluation.

Project Management for International Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Axelrod, Valija M.; Magisos, Joel H.

A project developed a content model for international project management training. It also compiled a bibliography of project management references, identified specific project management training needs based upon a survey of international sponsors and contractor personnel, and documented the training needs of international project managers. Data…

Grassland Management and Conversion into Grassland: Effects on Soil Carbon

DOE Data Explorer

Conant, Richard T. [Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, Colorada State University, Fort Collins, CO (USA); Paustian, Keith [Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, Colorada State University, Fort Collins, CO (USA); Elliott, Edward T. [Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, Colorada State University, Fort Collins, CO (USA)

2003-01-01

Grasslands are heavily relied upon for food and forage production. A key component for sustaining production in grassland ecosystems is the maintenance of soil organic matter (SOM), which can be strongly influenced by management. Many management techniques intended to increase forage production may potentially increase SOM, thus sequestering atmospheric carbon (C). Further, conversion from either cultivation or native vegetation into grassland could also sequester atmospheric carbon. We reviewed studies examining the influence of improved grassland management practices and conversion into grasslands on soil C worldwide to assess the potential for C sequestration. Results from 115 studies containing over 300 data points were analyzed. Management improvements included fertilization (39%), improved grazing management (24%), conversion from cultivation (15%) and native vegetation (15%), sowing of legumes (4%) and grasses (2%), earthworm introduction (1%), and irrigation (1%). Soil C content and concentration increased with improved management in 74% of the studies, and mean soil C increased with all types of improvement. Carbon sequestration rates were highest during the first 40 y after treatments began and tended to be greatest in the top 10 cm of soil. Impacts were greater in woodland and grassland biomes than in forest, desert, rain forest, or shrubland biomes. Conversion from cultivation, the introduction of earthworms, and irrigation resulted in the largest increases. Rates of C sequestration by type of improvement ranged from 0.11 to 3.04 Mg C · ha^–1 y^–1, with a mean of 0.54 Mg C · ha ^–1 · y^–1, and were highly influenced by biome type and climate. We conclude that grasslands can act as a significant carbon sink with the implementation of improved management.

DialysisNet: Application for Integrating and Management Data Sources of Hemodialysis Information by Continuity of Care Record.

PubMed

Ku, Ho Suk; Kim, Sungho; Kim, HyeHyeon; Chung, Hee-Joon; Park, Yu Rang; Kim, Ju Han

2014-04-01

Health Avatar Beans was for the management of chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease (ESRD). This article is about the DialysisNet system in Health Avatar Beans for the seamless management of ESRD based on the personal health record. For hemodialysis data modeling, we identified common data elements for hemodialysis information (CDEHI). We used ASTM continuity of care record (CCR) and ISO/IEC 11179 for the compliance method with a standard model for the CDEHI. According to the contents of the ASTM CCR, we mapped the CDHEI to the contents and created the metadata from that. It was transformed and parsed into the database and verified according to the ASTM CCR/XML schema definition (XSD). DialysisNet was created as an iPad application. The contents of the CDEHI were categorized for effective management. For the evaluation of information transfer, we used CarePlatform, which was developed for data access. The metadata of CDEHI in DialysisNet was exchanged by the CarePlatform with semantic interoperability. The CDEHI was separated into a content list for individual patient data, a contents list for hemodialysis center data, consultation and transfer form, and clinical decision support data. After matching to the CCR, the CDEHI was transformed to metadata, and it was transformed to XML and proven according to the ASTM CCR/XSD. DialysisNet has specific consideration of visualization, graphics, images, statistics, and database. We created the DialysisNet application, which can integrate and manage data sources for hemodialysis information based on CCR standards.

Influence of Data and Formulas on Trust in Information from Journal Articles in an Operating Room Management Course.

PubMed

Dexter, Franklin; Van Swol, Lyn M

2016-06-01

To make good decisions, operating room (OR) managers often act autocratically after obtaining expert advice. When such advice is provided by e-mail, attachments of research articles can be included. We performed a quasi-experimental study using an evaluation of 4 articles used in a 50-hour OR management course to assess how their content influences trust in the article's content, including its quality, usefulness, and reliability. There were (a) 2 articles containing data with specific examples of application for health systems and 2 without and (b) 2 articles containing appendices of formulas and 2 without. Some of the formulas in the readings were relatively complicated (e.g., stochastic optimization using the Lagrange method) and unlikely to be used by the subjects (i.e., they show what does not need to be done). Content complexity (±data, ±formulas) served both as sources of limitation in understanding the content and potentially as peripheral cues influencing perception of the content. The 2-page evaluation forms were generated with random sequences of articles and response items. The N = 17 subjects each completed 9 items about each of the 4 articles (i.e., answered 36 questions). The 9-item assessment of trust provided a unidimensional construct (Cronbach α, 0.94). Formulas in the articles significantly increased trust in the information (P = 0.0019). Presence of data did not significantly influence trust (P = 0.15). Therefore, when an expert sends e-mail to a manager who has completed this basic OR management science and asks a question, choosing a paper with formulas has no disadvantage.

Rapid assessment of water pollution by airborne measurement of chlorophyll content.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arvesen, J. C.; Weaver, E. C.; Millard, J. P.

1971-01-01

Present techniques of airborne chlorophyll measurement are discussed as an approach to water pollution assessment. The differential radiometer, the chlorophyll correlation radiometer, and an infrared radiometer for water temperature measurements are described as the key components of the equipment. Also covered are flight missions carried out to evaluate the capability of the chlorophyll correlation radiometer in measuring the chlorophyll content in water bodies with widely different levels of nutrients, such as fresh-water lakes of high and low eutrophic levels, marine waters of high and low productivity, and an estuary with a high sediment content. The feasibility and usefulness of these techniques are indicated.

Opus in the Classroom: Striking CoRDS with Content-Related Digital Storytelling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roby, Teshia Young

2010-01-01

Writing personal narratives provides students with additional techniques for making deeper connections to subject matter. Content-related narrative development offers a departure from the traditional methods of teaching and learning and enables students to construe meaning individually and make deeper connections with subject matter content. By…

Non-invasive measurements of soil water content using a pulsed 14 MeV neutron generator

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Most current techniques of setting crop irrigation schedules use invasive, labor-intensive soil-water content measurements. We developed a cart-mounted neutron probe capable of non-invasive measurements of volumetric soil moisture contents. The instrument emits neutrons which are captured by hydroge...

The Future of Electronic Reserves and the Presence of Librarians in Content Management Systems: A Case Study at Manhattan College

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Handfield, Amy E.

2017-01-01

This article addresses the development of electronic reserves within academic libraries. Libraries have been offering electronic reserve services on separate platforms since the 1990s (Austin, 2013). However, since the integration of campus-wide content management systems (CMSs), the need for a library reserves platform that is independent from an…

Effects of Sudden Oak Death on the crown fire ignition potential of tanoak (Lithocarpus densiflorus)

Treesearch

Howard Kuljian; J. Morgan Varner

2010-01-01

In the face of the sudden oak death (SOD) epidemic, decreasing foliar moisture content (FMC) of tanoak (Lithocarpus densiflorus) has land managers, fire managers, and property owners concerned with the increased possibility of crown fire in affected areas. A need exists to link local SOD-affected foliar moisture content (FMC) values and current FMC...

The Effectiveness of SDMs in the Development of E-Learning Systems in South Africa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Aswegen, Kobus; Huisman, Magda; Taylor, Estelle

2014-01-01

E-learning systems, or learning management systems, as it is known in the field, sit at the heart of educational systems and are used to systematically deliver on-line content and facilitate the learning experience around that content. It becomes essential to ensure that Learning Management Systems of a high standard are being developed. In the…

Library Subject Guides: A Content Management Case Study at the Open University, UK

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wales, Tim

2005-01-01

Purpose: To share the experiences and challenges faced by the Open University Library (OUL) in developing a content management (CM) system for its subject guides. Design/methodology/approach: A summary of multi-format subject guide production at the OUL is provided to justify the decision to develop a new system for their production using a…

Rhetorical Savvy as Social Skill: Modeling Entrepreneur Identity Construction within Educational Content Management Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spartz, John M.

2010-01-01

This article focuses on one aspect of rhetorical training that writing instructors have an opportunity--if not an obligation--to inculcate (or at least introduce) in students studying to be entrepreneurs and taking their writing classes. Specifically, through the use of an open source Content Management System (CMS) (e.g., Drupal or Moodle),…

An Analysis of Implementation Issues for the Searchable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM) in Navy Education and Training

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-09-01

content objects to be used and reused within civilian and military education and training Learning Management Systems (LMS) across the World Wide Web...to be used and reused within civilian and military education and training Learning Management Systems (LMS) across the World Wide Web. vi...1998, SUBJECT: ENHANCING LEARNING AND EDUCATION THROUGH TECHNOLOGY

Use of a Content Management System for Blended Learning: Perceptions of Pre-Service Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Altun, Arif; Gulbahar, Yasemin; Madran, Orcun

2008-01-01

This study presents the development, implementation and evaluation phases of a content management system to be used in higher education settings in a blended learning environment. The purpose of this study is twofold. First, it is aimed to observe how pre-service teacher trainees interacted within the system when they are given the tool to…

Soil Respiration in Semiarid Temperate Grasslands under Various Land Management

PubMed Central

Hou, Xiangyang; Schellenberg, Michael P.

2016-01-01

Soil respiration, a major component of the global carbon cycle, is significantly influenced by land management practices. Grasslands are potentially a major sink for carbon, but can also be a source. Here, we investigated the potential effect of land management (grazing, clipping, and ungrazed enclosures) on soil respiration in the semiarid grassland of northern China. Our results showed the mean soil respiration was significantly higher under enclosures (2.17μmol.m−2.s−1) and clipping (2.06μmol.m−2.s−1) than under grazing (1.65μmol.m−2.s−1) over the three growing seasons. The high rates of soil respiration under enclosure and clipping were associated with the higher belowground net primary productivity (BNPP). Our analyses indicated that soil respiration was primarily related to BNPP under grazing, to soil water content under clipping. Using structural equation models, we found that soil water content, aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) and BNPP regulated soil respiration, with soil water content as the predominant factor. Our findings highlight that management-induced changes in abiotic (soil temperature and soil water content) and biotic (ANPP and BNPP) factors regulate soil respiration in the semiarid temperate grassland of northern China. PMID:26808376

Impact of Managerial Skills Learnt through MA Educational Planning Management Programme of AIOU on the Performance of Institutional Heads

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chuadhry, Muhammad Asif; Shah, Syed Manzoor Hussain

2012-01-01

Management provides formal coordination in an organization for achieving pre-determined goals. The educational manager particulary performs his duties by using different planning and management techniques. These techniques are equally important for the manager of other sectors. The present study was focused on the impact of managerial skills…

The Relationship between Anger Management Techniques and Discipline Reports

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brooks, LaTorea; McGahey, James Todd; Jenkins, Marvin

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to target students who show aggressive and bullying behavior due to a lack of anger management and self-control skills. Two groups of boys in grades 2-4 participated in anger managements groups that either followed an anger management curriculum or followed the anger management curriculum plus breathing techniques.…

WREP: A wavelet-based technique for extracting the red edge position from reflectance spectra for estimating leaf and canopy chlorophyll contents of cereal crops

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Dong; Cheng, Tao; Zhou, Kai; Zheng, Hengbiao; Yao, Xia; Tian, Yongchao; Zhu, Yan; Cao, Weixing

2017-07-01

Red edge position (REP), defined as the wavelength of the inflexion point in the red edge region (680-760 nm) of the reflectance spectrum, has been widely used to estimate foliar chlorophyll content from reflectance spectra. A number of techniques have been developed for REP extraction in the past three decades, but most of them require data-specific parameterization and the consistence of their performance from leaf to canopy levels remains poorly understood. In this study, we propose a new technique (WREP) to extract REPs based on the application of continuous wavelet transform to reflectance spectra. The REP is determined by the zero-crossing wavelength in the red edge region of a wavelet transformed spectrum for a number of scales of wavelet decomposition. The new technique is simple to implement and requires no parameterization from the user as long as continuous wavelet transforms are applied to reflectance spectra. Its performance was evaluated for estimating leaf chlorophyll content (LCC) and canopy chlorophyll content (CCC) of cereal crops (i.e. rice and wheat) and compared with traditional techniques including linear interpolation, linear extrapolation, polynomial fitting and inverted Gaussian. Our results demonstrated that WREP obtained the best estimation accuracy for both LCC and CCC as compared to traditional techniques. High scales of wavelet decomposition were favorable for the estimation of CCC and low scales for the estimation of LCC. The difference in optimal scale reveals the underlying mechanism of signature transfer from leaf to canopy levels. In addition, crop-specific models were required for the estimation of CCC over the full range. However, a common model could be built with the REPs extracted with Scale 5 of the WREP technique for wheat and rice crops when CCC was less than 2 g/m2 (R2 = 0.73, RMSE = 0.26 g/m2). This insensitivity of WREP to crop type indicates the potential for aerial mapping of chlorophyll content between growth seasons of cereal crops. The new REP extraction technique provides us a new insight for understanding the spectral changes in the red edge region in response to chlorophyll variation from leaf to canopy levels.

Assimilation of Remotely Sensed Evaporative Fraction for Improved Agricultural Irrigation Water Management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lei, F.; Crow, W. T.; Kustas, W. P.; Yang, Y.; Anderson, M. C.

2017-12-01

Improving the water usage efficiency and maintaining water use sustainability is challenging under rapidly changed natural environments. For decades, extensive field investigations and conceptual/physical numerical modeling have been developed to quantify and track surface water and energy fluxes at different spatial and temporal scales. Meanwhile, with the development of satellite-based sensors, land surface eco-hydrological parameters can be retrieved remotely to supplement ground-based observations. However, both models and remote sensing retrievals contain various sources of errors and an accurate and spatio-temporally continuous simulation and forecasting system at the field-scale is crucial for the efficient water management in agriculture. Specifically, data assimilation technique can optimally integrate measurements acquired from various sources (including in-situ and remotely-sensed data) with numerical models through consideration of different types of uncertainties. In this presentation, we will focus on improving the estimation of water and energy fluxes over a vineyard in California, U.S. A high-resolution remotely-sensed Evaporative Fraction (EF) product from the Atmosphere-Land Exchange Inverse (ALEXI) model will be incorporated into a Soil Vegetation Atmosphere Transfer (SVAT) model via a 2-D data assimilation method. The results will show that both the accuracy and spatial variability of soil water content and evapotranspiration in SVAT model can be enhanced through the assimilation of EF data. Furthermore, we will demonstrate that by taking the optimized soil water flux as initial condition and combining it with weather forecasts, future field water status can be predicted under different irrigation scenarios. Finally, we will discuss the practical potential of these advances by leveraging our numerical experiment for the design of new irrigation strategies and water management techniques.

Technologies and practices for maintaining and publishing earth science vocabularies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cox, Simon; Yu, Jonathan; Williams, Megan; Giabardo, Fabrizio; Lowe, Dominic

2015-04-01

Shared vocabularies are a key element in geoscience data interoperability. Many organizations curate vocabularies, with most Geologic Surveys having a long history of development of lexicons and authority tables. However, their mode of publication is heterogeneous, ranging from PDFs and HTML web pages, spreadsheets and CSV, through various user-interfaces, and public and private APIs. Content maintenance ranges from tightly-governed and externally opaque, through various community processes, all the way to crowd-sourcing ('folksonomies'). Meanwhile, there is an increasing expectation of greater harmonization and vocabulary re-use, which create requirements for standardized content formalization and APIs, along with transparent content maintenance and versioning. We have been trialling a combination of processes and software dealing with vocabulary formalization, registration, search and linking. We use the Simplified Knowledge Organization System (SKOS) to provide a generic interface to content. SKOS is an RDF technology for multi-lingual, hierarchical vocabularies, oriented around 'concepts' denoted by URIs, and thus consistent with Linked Open Data. SKOS may be mixed in with classes and properties from specialized ontologies which provide a more specific interface when required. We have developed a suite of practices and techniques for conversion of content from the source technologies and styles into SKOS, largely based on spreadsheet manipulation before RDF conversion, and SPARQL afterwards. The workflow for each vocabulary must be adapted to match the specific inputs. In linked data applications, two requirements are paramount for user confidence: (i) the URI that denotes a vocabulary item is persistent, and should be dereferenceable indefinitely; (ii) the history and status of the resource denoted by a URI must be available. This is implemented by the Linked Data Registry (LDR), originally developed for the World Meteorological Organization and the UK Environment Agency, and now adapted and enhanced for deployment by CSIRO and the Australian Bureau of Meteorology. The LDR applies a standard content registration paradigm to RDF data, also including a delegation mode that enables a system to register (endorse) externally managed content. The locally managed RDF is exposed on a SPARQL endpoint. The registry implementation enables a flexible interaction pattern to support various specific content publication workflows, with the key feature of making the content externally accessible through a standard interface alongside its history, previous versions, and status. SPARQL is the standard low-level API for RDF including SKOS. On top of this we have developed SISSvoc, a SKOS-based RESTful API. This has been used it to deploy a number of vocabularies on behalf of the IUGS, ICS, NERC, OGC, the Australian Government, and CSIRO projects. Applications like SISSvoc Search provide a simple search UI on top of one or more SISSvoc sources. Together, these components provide a powerful and flexible system for providing earth science vocabularies for the community, consistent with semantic web and linked-data principles.

Predicting Student Misbehavior, Responsibility and Distraction from Schoolwork from Classroom Management Techniques: The Students' Views

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tran, Van Dat

2015-01-01

This study reports students' perceptions of the classroom management techniques utilized in fourteen classrooms at eight junior high schools in one province in Vietnam. It examines data from 498 students in fifteen high schools in one district in Vietnam in grades 10 to 12 to identify how teachers' use of various management techniques, and the…

Report to TRMM

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jameson, Arthur R.

1997-01-01

The effort involved three elements all related to the measurement of rain and clouds using microwaves: (1) Examine recently proposed techniques for measuring rainfall rate and rain water content using data from ground-based radars and the TRMM microwave link in order to develop improved ground validation and radar calibration techniques; (2) Develop dual-polarization, multiple frequency radar techniques for estimating rain water content and cloud water content to interpret the vertical profiles of radar reflectivity factors (Z) measured by the TRMM Precipitation Radar; and (3) Investigate theoretically and experimentally the potential biases in TRMM Z measurements due to spatial inhomogeneities in precipitation. The research succeeded in addressing all of these topics, resulting in several referred publications. addition, the research indicated that the effects of non-Rayleigh statistics resulting from the nature of the precipitation inhomogeneities will probably not result in serious errors for the TRMM radar Measurements, but the TRMM radiometers may be subject to significant bias due to the inhomogeneities.

Online marketing of food and beverages to children: a content analysis.

PubMed

Brady, Jennifer; Mendelson, Rena; Farrell, Amber; Wong, Sharon

2010-01-01

The goal was to assess websites sponsored by food and beverage manufacturers that have pledged to market branded food and beverage products to children responsibly, by ratifying the Children's Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative (CFBAI). A content analysis was conducted of 24 purposively sampled websites sponsored by 10 companies that promote food and beverage products to children. All are participant members of the CFBAI. Of the 24 websites analyzed, the majority targeted children below age 12 (83%). An array of innovative online marketing techniques, most notably free website membership (63%), leader boards (50%), adver-games (79%), and branded downloadable content (76%), were used to encourage children's engagement with branded food and beverage promotions. Food and beverage manufacturers are engaging children with dynamic online marketing techniques that challenge regulatory codes governing broadcast media. These techniques may contradict the spirit of the CFBAI. Innovative regulatory guidelines are needed to address modern marketing media.

Report to TRMM

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jameson, Arthur R.

1997-01-01

The effort involved three elements all related to the measurement of rain and clouds using microwaves: (1) Examine recently proposed techniques for measuring rainfall rate and rain water content using data from ground-based radars and the TRMM microwave link in order to develop improved ground validation and radar calibration techniques; (2) Develop dual-polarization, multiple frequency radar techniques for estimating rain water content and cloud water content to interpret the vertical profiles of radar reflectivity factors (Z) measured by the TRMM Precipitation Radar; and (3) Investigate theoretically and experimentally the potential biases in TRMM Z measurements due to spatial inhomogeneities in precipitation. The research succeeded in addressing all of these topics, resulting in several refereed publications. In addition, the research indicated that the effects of non-Rayleigh statistics resulting from the nature of the precipitation inhomogeneities will probably not result in serious errors for the TRMM radar measurements, but the TRMM radiometers may be subject to significant bias due to the inhomogeneities.

Speckle tracking and speckle content based composite strain imaging for solid and fluid filled lesions.

PubMed

Rabbi, Md Shifat-E; Hasan, Md Kamrul

2017-02-01

Strain imaging though for solid lesions provides an effective way for determining their pathologic condition by displaying the tissue stiffness contrast, for fluid filled lesions such an imaging is yet an open problem. In this paper, we propose a novel speckle content based strain imaging technique for visualization and classification of fluid filled lesions in elastography after automatic identification of the presence of fluid filled lesions. Speckle content based strain, defined as a function of speckle density based on the relationship between strain and speckle density, gives an indirect strain value for fluid filled lesions. To measure the speckle density of the fluid filled lesions, two new criteria based on oscillation count of the windowed radio frequency signal and local variance of the normalized B-mode image are used. An improved speckle tracking technique is also proposed for strain imaging of the solid lesions and background. A wavelet-based integration technique is then proposed for combining the strain images from these two techniques for visualizing both the solid and fluid filled lesions from a common framework. The final output of our algorithm is a high quality composite strain image which can effectively visualize both solid and fluid filled breast lesions in addition to the speckle content of the fluid filled lesions for their discrimination. The performance of our algorithm is evaluated using the in vivo patient data and compared with recently reported techniques. The results show that both the solid and fluid filled lesions can be better visualized using our technique and the fluid filled lesions can be classified with good accuracy. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Multimedia content analysis, management and retrieval: trends and challenges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hanjalic, Alan; Sebe, Nicu; Chang, Edward

2006-01-01

Recent advances in computing, communications and storage technology have made multimedia data become prevalent. Multimedia has gained enormous potential in improving the processes in a wide range of fields, such as advertising and marketing, education and training, entertainment, medicine, surveillance, wearable computing, biometrics, and remote sensing. Rich content of multimedia data, built through the synergies of the information contained in different modalities, calls for new and innovative methods for modeling, processing, mining, organizing, and indexing of this data for effective and efficient searching, retrieval, delivery, management and sharing of multimedia content, as required by the applications in the abovementioned fields. The objective of this paper is to present our views on the trends that should be followed when developing such methods, to elaborate on the related research challenges, and to introduce the new conference, Multimedia Content Analysis, Management and Retrieval, as a premium venue for presenting and discussing these methods with the scientific community. Starting from 2006, the conference will be held annually as a part of the IS&T/SPIE Electronic Imaging event.

Strategic management: a new dimension of the nurse executive's role.

PubMed

Johnson, L J

1990-09-01

The growth of corporate orientation for health care structures, with a focus on bottom-line management, has radically altered the role of nurse executives. With the organization's emphasis on performance, productivity, and results, successful nurse executives are now integrating the management of the delivery of nursing care with the management of complex corporate structures and relationships. The editor of Executive Development discusses the rapidly changing expectations and demands of the contemporary nurse executive's work. The nurse executive's role can be viewed from many perspectives: its scope, its value, its structure, its content. Content--"What does the nurse executive do that makes a real difference?"--is the focus here.

Impact of crop residue management on crop production and soil chemistry after seven years of crop rotation in temperate climate, loamy soils.

PubMed

Hiel, Marie-Pierre; Barbieux, Sophie; Pierreux, Jérôme; Olivier, Claire; Lobet, Guillaume; Roisin, Christian; Garré, Sarah; Colinet, Gilles; Bodson, Bernard; Dumont, Benjamin

2018-01-01

Society is increasingly demanding a more sustainable management of agro-ecosystems in a context of climate change and an ever growing global population. The fate of crop residues is one of the important management aspects under debate, since it represents an unneglectable quantity of organic matter which can be kept in or removed from the agro-ecosystem. The topic of residue management is not new, but the need for global conclusion on the impact of crop residue management on the agro-ecosystem linked to local pedo-climatic conditions has become apparent with an increasing amount of studies showing a diversity of conclusions. This study specifically focusses on temperate climate and loamy soil using a seven-year data set. Between 2008 and 2016, we compared four contrasting residue management strategies differing in the amount of crop residues returned to the soil (incorporation vs. exportation of residues) and in the type of tillage (reduced tillage (10 cm depth) vs. conventional tillage (ploughing at 25 cm depth)) in a field experiment. We assessed the impact of the crop residue management on crop production (three crops-winter wheat, faba bean and maize-cultivated over six cropping seasons), soil organic carbon content, nitrate ([Formula: see text]), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) soil content and uptake by the crops. The main differences came primarily from the tillage practice and less from the restitution or removal of residues. All years and crops combined, conventional tillage resulted in a yield advantage of 3.4% as compared to reduced tillage, which can be partly explained by a lower germination rate observed under reduced tillage, especially during drier years. On average, only small differences were observed for total organic carbon (TOC) content of the soil, but reduced tillage resulted in a very clear stratification of TOC and also of P and K content as compared to conventional tillage. We observed no effect of residue management on the [Formula: see text] content, since the effect of fertilization dominated the effect of residue management. To confirm the results and enhance early tendencies, we believe that the experiment should be followed up in the future to observe whether more consistent changes in the whole agro-ecosystem functioning are present on the long term when managing residues with contrasted strategies.

Application of content-based image compression to telepathology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Varga, Margaret J.; Ducksbury, Paul G.; Callagy, Grace

2002-05-01

Telepathology is a means of practicing pathology at a distance, viewing images on a computer display rather than directly through a microscope. Without compression, images take too long to transmit to a remote location and are very expensive to store for future examination. However, to date the use of compressed images in pathology remains controversial. This is because commercial image compression algorithms such as JPEG achieve data compression without knowledge of the diagnostic content. Often images are lossily compressed at the expense of corrupting informative content. None of the currently available lossy compression techniques are concerned with what information has been preserved and what data has been discarded. Their sole objective is to compress and transmit the images as fast as possible. By contrast, this paper presents a novel image compression technique, which exploits knowledge of the slide diagnostic content. This 'content based' approach combines visually lossless and lossy compression techniques, judiciously applying each in the appropriate context across an image so as to maintain 'diagnostic' information while still maximising the possible compression. Standard compression algorithms, e.g. wavelets, can still be used, but their use in a context sensitive manner can offer high compression ratios and preservation of diagnostically important information. When compared with lossless compression the novel content-based approach can potentially provide the same degree of information with a smaller amount of data. When compared with lossy compression it can provide more information for a given amount of compression. The precise gain in the compression performance depends on the application (e.g. database archive or second opinion consultation) and the diagnostic content of the images.

Training for Information Management in a Company.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karivalo, Merja

1989-01-01

Argues that information resource management is an established philosophy that needs to be linked to human resources management and strategic planning in industrial companies. A training program for information management is presented, including training objectives, participants, contents, and structure. (CLB)

Telemetry Standards, RCC Standard 106-17, Chapter 28, RF Network Management

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-07-01

Telemetry Standards, RCC Standard 106-17 Chapter 28, July 2017 i CHAPTER 28 RF Network Management Table of Contents Acronyms... Management ............................................................................... 28-1 28.1 Introduction...28-1 28.2 RF Network Management Concepts and Definitions

Pattern of parental acceptance of management techniques used in pediatric dentistry.

PubMed

Peretz, Benjamin; Kharouba, Johnny; Blumer, Sigalit

2013-01-01

To evaluate parents' acceptance of management techniques in Israeli pediatric dental clinics. Ninety parents who accompanied their children to three pediatric dental clinics provided information on selected parameters including their attitudes about management techniques. 68.9% of the parents preferred to stay in the treatment room. The most accepted technique was positive reinforcement (81.1%) followed by tell-show-do (TSD) (76.7%, with younger parents more accepting than older, p = 0.049). The least accepted techniques were restraint (1.1%) and voice control (7.8%, especially by parents with the highest dental anxiety, p = 0.002). Sedation was unacceptable by 15.6% of the parents: those with the lowest dental anxiety agreed to sedation significantly more than those with greater dental anxiety (p = 0.031). Parents preferred more positive approaches and management techniques that involve demonstrations geared for the child's level of understanding. Restraint and voice control were more strongly rejected than sedation.

Health promotion in Swedish schools: school managers' views.

PubMed

Persson, Louise; Haraldsson, Katarina

2017-04-01

Schools are recognized worldwide as settings for health promotion, and leadership has a bearing on schools' ability to be health promoting. School managers have a great influence on what is prioritized in school, which in turn affects students' school performance and health. There is lack of research into school managers' views on health promotion, and what they consider to be central to health promotion. The aim was therefore to examine school managers' views about what health promotion in schools include. An explorative design, qualitative content analysis, was performed. In-depth interviews were conducted with all 13 school managers of a middle-sized municipality in central Sweden. The analysis had both manifest and latent content and three categories: 'Organization and Collaboration', 'Optimize the arena' and 'Strengthen the individual', and 10 subcategories emerged. The theme, 'Opportunities for learning and a good life', describes the latent content of these categories. Taking into account the views of school managers are important because these views help form a more complete picture of how school managers work with health promotion and what is needed to enhance health promotion to improve students' opportunities for learning and a good life. The Ottawa Charter for Health promotion is thereby transformed into practice. © The Author (2013). Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

The feasibility of a telephone coaching program on heart failure home management for family caregivers

PubMed Central

Piamjariyakul, Ubolrat; Smith, Carol E.; Russell, Christy; Werkowitch, Marilyn; Elyachar, Andrea

2012-01-01

Objectives To test the feasibility of delivery and evaluate the helpfulness of a coaching heart failure (HF) home management program for family caregivers. Background The few available studies on providing instruction for family caregivers are limited in content for managing HF home care and guidance for program implementation. Method This pilot study employed a mixed methods design. The measures of caregiver burden, confidence, and preparedness were compared at baseline and 3 months post-intervention. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize program costs and demographic data. Content analysis research methods were used to evaluate program feasibility and helpfulness. Results Caregiver (n=10) burden scores were significantly reduced and raw scores of confidence and preparedness for HF home management improved 3 months after the intervention. Content analyses of nurse and caregiver post-intervention data found caregivers rated the program as helpful and described how they initiated HF management skills based on the program. Conclusion The program was feasible to implement. These results suggest the coaching program should be further tested with a larger sample size to evaluate its efficacy. PMID:23116654

[Content analysis of websites directed to low back pain].

PubMed

Gülcü, Nebahat; Bulut, Sefa

2010-04-01

In this study, we aimed to evaluate the websites directed at providing information about low back pain with respect to their content and quality. The websites were detected by scanning the words 'low back pain' from the Turkish pages module of the Google search portal. One hundred and fifty websites introduced on the first 20 pages were evaluated; the 65 websites determined to fulfill the desired criteria were analyzed in detail. Twenty of the 65 websites were excluded due to low quality, extraction from another website, sales promotion-related books/products, or qualified as news. In the majority of websites, no site administrator was indicated. When an administrator was indicated, the common specialities were physical therapists (13%), neurosurgeons (8%) and anesthesiologists (4%). Ten of the websites (22%) provided a pain definition close to international standards, whereas pain classification was available on most of the websites (84%). There was no mention of methods of pain scoring on any of them. Treatment modalities for which information was given included mostly behavioral, physical and pharmacological therapies, respectively. Complementary techniques, in order, included acupuncture, yoga and bioenergy. On 10 websites, text was supported with medical photographs, and videos were available on two. None of the websites had a provision for selection of other languages. Websites directed to low back pain should be enriched with respect to scientific content, thereby serving to increase the level of social education related to pain management.

Improved time-frequency analysis of ASDEX Upgrade reflectometry data using the reassigned spectrogram technique.

PubMed

Varela, P; Silva, A; da Silva, F; da Graça, S; Manso, M E; Conway, G D

2010-10-01

The spectrogram is one of the best-known time-frequency distributions suitable to analyze signals whose energy varies both in time and frequency. In reflectometry, it has been used to obtain the frequency content of FM-CW signals for density profile inversion and also to study plasma density fluctuations from swept and fixed frequency data. Being implemented via the short-time Fourier transform, the spectrogram is limited in resolution, and for that reason several methods have been developed to overcome this problem. Among those, we focus on the reassigned spectrogram technique that is both easily automated and computationally efficient requiring only the calculation of two additional spectrograms. In each time-frequency window, the technique reallocates the spectrogram coordinates to the region that most contributes to the signal energy. The application to ASDEX Upgrade reflectometry data results in better energy concentration and improved localization of the spectral content of the reflected signals. When combined with the automatic (data driven) window length spectrogram, this technique provides improved profile accuracy, in particular, in regions where frequency content varies most rapidly such as the edge pedestal shoulder.

The Hall Technique for managing carious primary molars.

PubMed

Innes, Nicola; Evans, Dafydd; Hall, Norna

2009-10-01

The Hall Technique, a method of managing carious primary molars effectively with preformed metal crowns, without the use of local anaesthesia, caries removal or tooth preparation of any kind, is described.The technique is illustrated with a case report.The evidence underpinning the technique is discussed, along with indications and contra-indications for its use, and details of where clinicians can obtain further information on the technique if they are considering using it. Research evidence has indicated that the Hall Technique is effective in managing dental caries in primary molar teeth when used by General Dental Practitioners, and is preferred by them, their child patients and the children's parents to conventional restorative methods for these teeth.

Technical management techniques for identification and control of industrial safety and pollution hazards

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Campbell, R.; Dyer, M. K.; Hoard, E. G.; Little, D. G.; Taylor, A. C.

1972-01-01

Constructive recommendations are suggested for pollution problems from offshore energy resources industries on outer continental shelf. Technical management techniques for pollution identification and control offer possible applications to space engineering and management.

Using the Behavior Change Technique Taxonomy v1 to conceptualize the clinical content of Breaking Free Online: a computer-assisted therapy program for substance use disorders.

PubMed

Dugdale, Stephanie; Ward, Jonathan; Hernen, Jan; Elison, Sarah; Davies, Glyn; Donkor, Daniel

2016-07-22

In recent years, research within the field of health psychology has made significant progress in terms of advancing and standardizing the science of developing, evaluating and reporting complex behavioral change interventions. A major part of this work has involved the development of an evidence-based Behavior Change Technique Taxonomy v1 (BCTTv1), as a means of describing the active components contained within such complex interventions. To date, however, this standardized approach derived from health psychology research has not been applied to the development of complex interventions for the treatment of substance use disorders (SUD). Therefore, this paper uses Breaking Free Online (BFO), a computer-assisted therapy program for SUD, as an example of how the clinical techniques contained within such an intervention might be mapped onto the BCTTv1. The developers of BFO were able to produce a full list of the clinical techniques contained within BFO. Exploratory mapping of the BCTTv1 onto the clinical content of the BFO program was conducted separately by the authors of the paper. This included the developers of the BFO program and psychology professionals working within the SUD field. These coded techniques were reviewed by the authors and any discrepancies in the coding were discussed between all authors until an agreement was reached. The BCTTv1 was mapped onto the clinical content of the BFO program. At least one behavioral change technique was found in 12 out of 16 grouping categories within the BCTTv1. A total of 26 out of 93 behavior change techniques were identified across the clinical content of the program. This exploratory mapping exercise has identified the specific behavior change techniques contained within BFO, and has provided a means of describing these techniques in a standardized way using the BCTTv1 terminology. It has also provided an opportunity for the BCTTv1 mapping process to be reported to the wider SUD treatment community, as it may have real utility in the development and evaluation of other psychosocial and behavioral change interventions within this field.

Developing mechanisms for estimating carbon footprint in farming systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anaya-Romero, María; Fernández Luque, José Enrique; Rodríguez Merino, Alejandro; José Moreno Delgado, Juan; Rodado, Concepción Mira; Romero Vicente, Rafael; Perez-Martin, Alfonso; Muñoz-Rojas, Miriam

2015-04-01

Sustainable land management is critical to avoid land degradation and to reclaim degraded land for its productive use and for reaping the benefits of crucial ecosystem services and protecting biodiversity. It also helps in mitigating and adapting to climate change. Land and its various uses are affected severely by climate change too (flooding, droughts, etc.). Existing tools and technologies for efficient land management need to be adapted and their application expanded. A large number of human livelihoods and ecosystems can benefit from these tools and techniques since these yield multiple benefits. Disseminating and scaling up the implementation of sustainable land management approaches will, however, need to be backed up by mobilizing strong political will and financial resources. The challenge is to provide an integral decision support tool that can establish relationships between soil carbon content, climate change and land use and management aspects that allow stakeholders to detect, cope with and intervene into land system change in a sustainable way. In order to achieve this goal an agro-ecological meta-model called CarboLAND will be calibrated in several plots located in Andalusia region, Southern Spain, under different scenarios of climate and agricultural use and management. The output will be the CLIMALAND e-platform, which will also include protocols in order to support stakeholders for an integrated ecosystem approach, taking into account biodiversity, hydrological and soil capability, socio-economic aspects, and regional and environmental policies. This tool will be made available at the European context for a regional level, providing user-friendly interfaces and a scientifically-technical platform for the assessment of sustainable land use and management.

New Tools, New Times: Strategic Planning. A Seminar Focusing on Proactive Management Techniques (Chapel Hill, North Carolina, June 17-19, 1991).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morrison, James L.; Ashley, William C.

This handbook was designed to accompany a three-day workshop for senior administrators in higher education on proactive management techniques in higher education. Proactive management allows for anticipating change and managing uncertainty in place of crisis management or reactive actions. The workshop covered: (1) strategic thinking; (2)…

Spatial Irrigation Management Using Remote Sensing Water Balance Modeling and Soil Water Content Monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barker, J. Burdette

Spatially informed irrigation management may improve the optimal use of water resources. Sub-field scale water balance modeling and measurement were studied in the context of irrigation management. A spatial remote-sensing-based evapotranspiration and soil water balance model was modified and validated for use in real-time irrigation management. The modeled ET compared well with eddy covariance data from eastern Nebraska. Placement and quantity of sub-field scale soil water content measurement locations was also studied. Variance reduction factor and temporal stability were used to analyze soil water content data from an eastern Nebraska field. No consistent predictor of soil water temporal stability patterns was identified. At least three monitoring locations were needed per irrigation management zone to adequately quantify the mean soil water content. The remote-sensing-based water balance model was used to manage irrigation in a field experiment. The research included an eastern Nebraska field in 2015 and 2016 and a western Nebraska field in 2016 for a total of 210 plot-years. The response of maize and soybean to irrigation using variations of the model were compared with responses from treatments using soil water content measurement and a rainfed treatment. The remote-sensing-based treatment prescribed more irrigation than the other treatments in all cases. Excessive modeled soil evaporation and insufficient drainage times were suspected causes of the model drift. Modifying evaporation and drainage reduced modeled soil water depletion error. None of the included response variables were significantly different between treatments in western Nebraska. In eastern Nebraska, treatment differences for maize and soybean included evapotranspiration and a combined variable including evapotranspiration and deep percolation. Both variables were greatest for the remote-sensing model when differences were found to be statistically significant. Differences in maize yield in 2015 were attributed to random error. Soybean yield was lowest for the remote-sensing-based treatment and greatest for rainfed, possibly because of overwatering and lodging. The model performed well considering that it did not include soil water content measurements during the season. Future work should improve the soil evaporation and drainage formulations, because of excessive precipitation and include aerial remote sensing imagery and soil water content measurement as model inputs.

An efficient incremental learning mechanism for tracking concept drift in spam filtering

PubMed Central

Sheu, Jyh-Jian; Chu, Ko-Tsung; Li, Nien-Feng; Lee, Cheng-Chi

2017-01-01

This research manages in-depth analysis on the knowledge about spams and expects to propose an efficient spam filtering method with the ability of adapting to the dynamic environment. We focus on the analysis of email’s header and apply decision tree data mining technique to look for the association rules about spams. Then, we propose an efficient systematic filtering method based on these association rules. Our systematic method has the following major advantages: (1) Checking only the header sections of emails, which is different from those spam filtering methods at present that have to analyze fully the email’s content. Meanwhile, the email filtering accuracy is expected to be enhanced. (2) Regarding the solution to the problem of concept drift, we propose a window-based technique to estimate for the condition of concept drift for each unknown email, which will help our filtering method in recognizing the occurrence of spam. (3) We propose an incremental learning mechanism for our filtering method to strengthen the ability of adapting to the dynamic environment. PMID:28182691

The development of expertise in pediatric rehabilitation therapists: changes in approach, self-knowledge, and use of enabling and customizing strategies.

PubMed

King, Gillian; Currie, Melissa; Bartlett, Doreen J; Gilpin, Michelle; Willoughby, Colleen; Tucker, Mary Ann; Strachan, Deborah; Baxter, Donna

2007-01-01

To examine the clinical decision making of novice, intermediate, and expert pediatric rehabilitation therapists from various disciplines. Two qualitative studies were conducted. Thirteen therapists took part in a study using the critical incident interview technique and 11 therapists took part in a study using the 'think aloud' technique. Therapists were classified as novice, intermediate, or expert in developmental level based on a cluster analysis of data collected using a multifaceted battery of assessment tools. Data were analyzed using a grounded theory approach. Expert and intermediate therapists differed from novices with respect to content, self-, and procedural knowledge. With increasing expertise, therapists use a supportive, educational, holistic, functional, and strengths-based approach; have heightened humility yet increased self-confidence; and understand how to facilitate and support client change and adaptation by using principles of engagement, coherence, and manageability. Expert therapists use enabling and customizing strategies to ensure a successful therapeutic session, optimize the child's functioning in the mid-term, and ensure child and family adaptation and accommodation over the longer-term.

Extracting the Textual and Temporal Structure of Supercomputing Logs

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

Jain, S; Singh, I; Chandra, A

2009-05-26

Supercomputers are prone to frequent faults that adversely affect their performance, reliability and functionality. System logs collected on these systems are a valuable resource of information about their operational status and health. However, their massive size, complexity, and lack of standard format makes it difficult to automatically extract information that can be used to improve system management. In this work we propose a novel method to succinctly represent the contents of supercomputing logs, by using textual clustering to automatically find the syntactic structures of log messages. This information is used to automatically classify messages into semantic groups via an onlinemore » clustering algorithm. Further, we describe a methodology for using the temporal proximity between groups of log messages to identify correlated events in the system. We apply our proposed methods to two large, publicly available supercomputing logs and show that our technique features nearly perfect accuracy for online log-classification and extracts meaningful structural and temporal message patterns that can be used to improve the accuracy of other log analysis techniques.« less

A Distributed Cache Update Deployment Strategy in CDN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

E, Xinhua; Zhu, Binjie

2018-04-01

The CDN management system distributes content objects to the edge of the internet to achieve the user's near access. Cache strategy is an important problem in network content distribution. A cache strategy was designed in which the content effective diffusion in the cache group, so more content was storage in the cache, and it improved the group hit rate.

Flow analysis of metals in a municipal solid waste management system.

PubMed

Jung, C H; Matsuto, T; Tanaka, N

2006-01-01

This study aimed to identify the metal flow in a municipal solid waste (MSW) management system. Outputs of a resource recovery facility, refuse derived fuel (RDF) production facility, carbonization facility, plastics liquefaction facility, composting facility, and bio-gasification facility were analyzed for metal content and leaching concentration. In terms of metal content, bulky and incombustible waste had the highest values. Char from a carbonization facility, which treats household waste, had a higher metal content than MSW incinerator bottom ash. A leaching test revealed that Cd and Pb in char and Pb in RDF production residue exceeded the Japanese regulatory criteria for landfilling, so special attention should be paid to final disposal of these substances. By multiplying metal content and the generation rate of outputs, the metal content of input waste to each facility was estimated. For most metals except Cr, the total contribution ratio of paper/textile/plastics, bulky waste, and incombustible waste was over 80%. Approximately 30% of Cr originated from plastic packaging. Finally, several MSW management scenarios showed that most metals are transferred to landfills and the leaching potential of metals to the environment is quite small.

Flow analysis of metals in a municipal solid waste management system

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

Jung, C.H.; Matsuto, T.; Tanaka, N.

2006-07-01

This study aimed to identify the metal flow in a municipal solid waste (MSW) management system. Outputs of a resource recovery facility, refuse derived fuel (RDF) production facility, carbonization facility, plastics liquefaction facility, composting facility, and bio-gasification facility were analyzed for metal content and leaching concentration. In terms of metal content, bulky and incombustible waste had the highest values. Char from a carbonization facility, which treats household waste, had a higher metal content than MSW incinerator bottom ash. A leaching test revealed that Cd and Pb in char and Pb in RDF production residue exceeded the Japanese regulatory criteria formore » landfilling, so special attention should be paid to final disposal of these substances. By multiplying metal content and the generation rate of outputs, the metal content of input waste to each facility was estimated. For most metals except Cr, the total contribution ratio of paper/textile/plastics, bulky waste, and incombustible waste was over 80%. Approximately 30% of Cr originated from plastic packaging. Finally, several MSW management scenarios showed that most metals are transferred to landfills and the leaching potential of metals to the environment is quite small.« less

Discrimination of plant root zone water status in greenhouse production based on phenotyping and machine learning techniques.

PubMed

Guo, Doudou; Juan, Jiaxiang; Chang, Liying; Zhang, Jingjin; Huang, Danfeng

2017-08-15

Plant-based sensing on water stress can provide sensitive and direct reference for precision irrigation system in greenhouse. However, plant information acquisition, interpretation, and systematical application remain insufficient. This study developed a discrimination method for plant root zone water status in greenhouse by integrating phenotyping and machine learning techniques. Pakchoi plants were used and treated by three root zone moisture levels, 40%, 60%, and 80% relative water content. Three classification models, Random Forest (RF), Neural Network (NN), and Support Vector Machine (SVM) were developed and validated in different scenarios with overall accuracy over 90% for all. SVM model had the highest value, but it required the longest training time. All models had accuracy over 85% in all scenarios, and more stable performance was observed in RF model. Simplified SVM model developed by the top five most contributing traits had the largest accuracy reduction as 29.5%, while simplified RF and NN model still maintained approximately 80%. For real case application, factors such as operation cost, precision requirement, and system reaction time should be synthetically considered in model selection. Our work shows it is promising to discriminate plant root zone water status by implementing phenotyping and machine learning techniques for precision irrigation management.

Coral lipids and environmental stress.

PubMed

Harriott, V J

1993-04-01

Environmental monitoring of coral reefs is presently limited by difficulties in recognising coral stress, other than by monitoring coral mortality over time. A recent report described an experiment demonstrating that a measured lipid index declined in shaded corals. The technique described might have application in monitoring coral health, with a decline in coral lipid index as an indicator of coral stress. The application of the technique as a practical monitoring tool was tested for two coral species from the Great Barrier Reef. Consistent with the previous results, lipid index for Pocillopora damicornis initially declined over a period of three weeks in corals maintained in filtered seawater in the dark, indicating possible utilization of lipid stored as energy reserves. However, lipid index subsequently rose to near normal levels. In contrast, lipid index of Acropora formosa increased after four weeks in the dark in filtered seawater. The results showed considerable variability in lipid content between samples from the same colony. Results were also found to be dependent on fixation times and sample weight, introducing potential error into the practical application of the technique. The method as described would be unsuitable for monitoring environmental stress in corals, but the search for a practical method to monitor coral health should continue, given its importance in coral reef management.

A Technology Enhanced Learning Model for Quality Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sherly, Elizabeth; Uddin, Md. Meraj

Technology Enhanced Learning and Teaching (TELT) Model provides learning through collaborations and interactions with a framework for content development and collaborative knowledge sharing system as a supplementary for learning to improve the quality of education system. TELT deals with a unique pedagogy model for Technology Enhanced Learning System which includes course management system, digital library, multimedia enriched contents and video lectures, open content management system and collaboration and knowledge sharing systems. Open sources like Moodle and Wiki for content development, video on demand solution with a low cost mid range system, an exhaustive digital library are provided in a portal system. The paper depicts a case study of e-learning initiatives with TELT model at IIITM-K and how effectively implemented.

Visual soil evaluation - future research requirements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Emmet-Booth, Jeremy; Forristal, Dermot; Fenton, Owen; Ball, Bruce; Holden, Nick

2017-04-01

A review of Visual Soil Evaluation (VSE) techniques (Emmet-Booth et al., 2016) highlighted their established utility for soil quality assessment, though some limitations were identified; (1) The examination of aggregate size, visible intra-porosity and shape forms a key assessment criterion in almost all methods, thus limiting evaluation to structural form. The addition of criteria that holistically examine structure may be desirable. For example, structural stability can be indicated using dispersion tests or examining soil surface crusting, while the assessment of soil colour may indirectly indicate soil organic matter content, a contributor to stability. Organic matter assessment may also indicate structural resilience, along with rooting, earthworm numbers or shrinkage cracking. (2) Soil texture may influence results or impeded method deployment. Modification of procedures to account for extreme texture variation is desirable. For example, evidence of compaction in sandy or single grain soils greatly differs to that in clayey soils. Some procedures incorporate separate classification systems or adjust deployment based on texture. (3) Research into impacts of soil moisture content on VSE evaluation criteria is required. Criteria such as rupture resistance and shape may be affected by moisture content. It is generally recommended that methods are deployed on moist soils and quantification of influences of moisture variation on results is necessary. (4) Robust sampling strategies for method deployment are required. Dealing with spatial variation differs between methods, but where methods can be deployed over large areas, clear instruction on sampling is required. Additionally, as emphasis has been placed on the agricultural production of soil, so the ability of VSE for exploring structural quality in terms of carbon storage, water purification and biodiversity support also requires research. References Emmet-Booth, J.P., Forristal. P.D., Fenton, O., Ball, B.C. & Holden, N.M. 2016. A review of visual soil evaluation techniques for soil structure. Soil Use and Management, 32, 623-634.

Current role of modern radiotherapy techniques in the management of breast cancer

PubMed Central

Ozyigit, Gokhan; Gultekin, Melis

2014-01-01

Breast cancer is the most common type of malignancy in females. Advances in systemic therapies and radiotherapy (RT) provided long survival rates in breast cancer patients. RT has a major role in the management of breast cancer. During the past 15 years several developments took place in the field of imaging and irradiation techniques, intensity modulated RT, hypofractionation and partial-breast irradiation. Currently, improvements in the RT technology allow us a subsequent decrease in the treatment-related complications such as fibrosis and long-term cardiac toxicity while improving the loco-regional control rates and cosmetic results. Thus, it is crucial that modern radiotherapy techniques should be carried out with maximum care and efficiency. Several randomized trials provided evidence for the feasibility of modern radiotherapy techniques in the management of breast cancer. However, the role of modern radiotherapy techniques in the management of breast cancer will continue to be defined by the mature results of randomized trials. Current review will provide an up-to-date evidence based data on the role of modern radiotherapy techniques in the management of breast cancer. PMID:25114857

Historical Group Debriefing Following Combat

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-05-01

participants shortly after its termination. Debriefing has been recommended by several authors as a stress management technique suitable for groups which...termination. Debriefing has been recommended by several authors as a stress management technique suitable for groups which have been exposed to traumatic...the event and the participants’ reactions, and (b) application of a "stress management " technique (e.g., working-through negative emotions, psycho

The research and realization of digital management platform for ultra-precision optical elements within life-cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Juan; Wang, Jian; Li, Lijuan; Zhou, Kun

2014-08-01

In order to solve the information fusion, process integration, collaborative design and manufacturing for ultra-precision optical elements within life-cycle management, this paper presents a digital management platform which is based on product data and business processes by adopting the modern manufacturing technique, information technique and modern management technique. The architecture and system integration of the digital management platform are discussed in this paper. The digital management platform can realize information sharing and interaction for information-flow, control-flow and value-stream from user's needs to offline in life-cycle, and it can also enhance process control, collaborative research and service ability of ultra-precision optical elements.

Special-effect edit detection using VideoTrails: a comparison with existing techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kobla, Vikrant; DeMenthon, Daniel; Doermann, David S.

1998-12-01

Video segmentation plays an integral role in many multimedia applications, such as digital libraries, content management systems, and various other video browsing, indexing, and retrieval systems. Many algorithms for segmentation of video have appeared within the past few years. Most of these algorithms perform well on cuts, but yield poor performance on gradual transitions or special effects edits. A complete video segmentation system must also achieve good performance on special effect edit detection. In this paper, we discuss the performance of our Video Trails-based algorithms, with other existing special effect edit-detection algorithms within the literature. Results from experiments testing for the ability to detect edits from TV programs, ranging from commercials to news magazine programs, including diverse special effect edits, which we have introduced.

[Preparation of pamphlets to teach the technique of home parenteral nutrition aiming at timely back home].

PubMed

Sato, Kouichi; Takenokishin, Miki; Anzai, Sachi; Sato, Rei; Tatewaki, Miyako; Takahashi, Mikako

2003-12-01

The home drip infusion is a stressful procedure for both patients and families under HPN at home. Effective and reliable guidance for drip infusion management should be provided while patients are still at the hospital to realize reliable home care. We revised the HPN Guidance Manual and report the process in this article. We revised the manual according to the principles that "the guidance is subdivided into 3 steps so that the contents of the guidance can be adjusted for individual patients", that "a lot of photos and illustrations for frequently used 2 models are placed" and that "a video is prepared to make the most of the impact motion pictures can give". We want to use the manual in future clinical practices.

Investigation of remote sensing techniques as inputs to operational resource management models. [South Dakota

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schmer, F. A. (Principal Investigator); Isakson, R. E.; Eidenshink, J. C.

1977-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Successful operational applications of LANDSAT data were found for level 1 land use mapping, drainage network delineation, and aspen mapping. Visual LANDSAT interpretation using 1:125,000 color composite imagery was the least expensive method of obtaining timely level 1 land use data. With an average agricultural/rangeland interpretation accuracy in excess of 80%, such a data source was considered the most cost effective of those sources available to state agencies. Costs do not compare favorably with those incurred using the present method of extracting land use data from historical tabular summaries. The cost increase in advancing from the present procedure to a satellite-based data source was justified in terms of expanded data content.

Commercially Available Smartphone Apps to Support Postoperative Pain Self-Management: Scoping Review

PubMed Central

Shah, Ushma; Birnie, Kathryn A; Davies-Chalmers, Cleo; Rivera, Jordan; Stinson, Jennifer; Campbell, Fiona

2017-01-01

Background Recently, the use of smartphones to deliver health-related content has experienced rapid growth, with more than 165,000 mobile health (mHealth) apps currently available in the digital marketplace. With 3 out of 4 Canadians currently owning a smartphone, mHealth apps offer opportunities to deliver accessible health-related knowledge and support. Many individuals experience pain after surgery, which can negatively impact their health-related quality of life, including sleep, emotional, and social functioning. Smartphone apps that provide remote real-time monitoring and symptom management have the potential to improve self-management skills in patients experiencing postoperative pain. Increased confidence and practice of self-management skills could contribute to decreased postoperative pain and reduce risk of developing persistent pain. Published reviews of general pain self-management apps demonstrate a lack of evidence-based content, theoretical grounding, and health care professional involvement. However, no review to date has focused on the app marketplace specific for individuals with postoperative pain. Objective The aim of this study was to characterize and critically appraise the content and functionality of commercially available postoperative pain self-management apps. Methods An electronic search and extraction was conducted between December 2016 and March 2017 of the official Canadian app stores for the three major smartphone operating systems (iPhone operating system [iOS], Android, and Windows). Stores were searched separately using predetermined search terms. Two authors screened apps based on information provided in the public app description. Metadata from all included apps were abstracted into a standard spreadsheet. Two authors verified the data with reference to the apps and downloaded apps themselves. The content and functionality of each app as it pertained to postoperative pain self-management was rated. Results A total of 10 apps met the inclusion criteria. All included apps were designed exclusively for the Android platform. Education was the most common self-management feature offered (8/10, 80%), with none of the apps offering features related to goal setting or social support. Overall, no single app was comprehensive in terms of pain self-management content. Five (50%) apps reported the involvement of a health care provider in their development. However, not a single app involved end users in their development, and none of the apps underwent scientific evaluation. Additionally, none of the apps were designed for use in pediatric patients. Conclusions Currently available postoperative pain apps for patients lack evidence-based content, goal setting, and social support functions. There is a need to develop and test comprehensive theory-based apps to support patients with pain self-management care following surgery. PMID:29061558

Commercially Available Smartphone Apps to Support Postoperative Pain Self-Management: Scoping Review.

PubMed

Lalloo, Chitra; Shah, Ushma; Birnie, Kathryn A; Davies-Chalmers, Cleo; Rivera, Jordan; Stinson, Jennifer; Campbell, Fiona

2017-10-23

Recently, the use of smartphones to deliver health-related content has experienced rapid growth, with more than 165,000 mobile health (mHealth) apps currently available in the digital marketplace. With 3 out of 4 Canadians currently owning a smartphone, mHealth apps offer opportunities to deliver accessible health-related knowledge and support. Many individuals experience pain after surgery, which can negatively impact their health-related quality of life, including sleep, emotional, and social functioning. Smartphone apps that provide remote real-time monitoring and symptom management have the potential to improve self-management skills in patients experiencing postoperative pain. Increased confidence and practice of self-management skills could contribute to decreased postoperative pain and reduce risk of developing persistent pain. Published reviews of general pain self-management apps demonstrate a lack of evidence-based content, theoretical grounding, and health care professional involvement. However, no review to date has focused on the app marketplace specific for individuals with postoperative pain. The aim of this study was to characterize and critically appraise the content and functionality of commercially available postoperative pain self-management apps. An electronic search and extraction was conducted between December 2016 and March 2017 of the official Canadian app stores for the three major smartphone operating systems (iPhone operating system [iOS], Android, and Windows). Stores were searched separately using predetermined search terms. Two authors screened apps based on information provided in the public app description. Metadata from all included apps were abstracted into a standard spreadsheet. Two authors verified the data with reference to the apps and downloaded apps themselves. The content and functionality of each app as it pertained to postoperative pain self-management was rated. A total of 10 apps met the inclusion criteria. All included apps were designed exclusively for the Android platform. Education was the most common self-management feature offered (8/10, 80%), with none of the apps offering features related to goal setting or social support. Overall, no single app was comprehensive in terms of pain self-management content. Five (50%) apps reported the involvement of a health care provider in their development. However, not a single app involved end users in their development, and none of the apps underwent scientific evaluation. Additionally, none of the apps were designed for use in pediatric patients. Currently available postoperative pain apps for patients lack evidence-based content, goal setting, and social support functions. There is a need to develop and test comprehensive theory-based apps to support patients with pain self-management care following surgery. ©Chitra Lalloo, Ushma Shah, Kathryn A Birnie, Cleo Davies-Chalmers, Jordan Rivera, Jennifer Stinson, Fiona Campbell. Originally published in JMIR Mhealth and Uhealth (http://mhealth.jmir.org), 23.10.2017.

Daily Planet Redesign: eZ Publish Web Content Management Implementation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dutra, Jayne E.

2006-01-01

This viewgraph presentation reviews the process of the redesign of the Daily . Planet news letter as a content management implementation project. This is a site that is an internal news site that acts as a communication vehicle for a large volume of content. The Objectives for the site redesign was: (1) Clean visual design, (2) Facilitation of publication processes, (3) More efficient maintenance mode, (4) Automated publishing to internal portal, (5) Better navigation through improved site IA, (6) Archiving and retrieval functionality, (7) Back to basics on fundamental business goals. The CM is a process not a software package

Image information content and patient exposure.

PubMed

Motz, J W; Danos, M

1978-01-01

Presently, patient exposure and x-ray tube kilovoltage are determined by image visibility requirements on x-ray film. With the employment of image-processing techniques, image visibility may be manipulated and the exposure may be determined only by the desired information content, i.e., by the required degree of tissue-density descrimination and spatial resolution. This work gives quantitative relationships between the image information content and the patient exposure, give estimates of the minimum exposures required for the detection of image signals associated with particular radiological exams. Also, for subject thickness larger than approximately 5 cm, the results show that the maximum information content may be obtained at a single kilovoltage and filtration with the simultaneous employment of image-enhancement and antiscatter techniques. This optimization may be used either to reduce the patient exposure or to increase the retrieved information.

[Quantitative determination of glass content in monazite glass-ceramics by IR technique].

PubMed

He, Yong; Zhang, Bao-min

2003-04-01

Monazite glass-ceramics consist of both monazite and metaphoshate glass phases. The absorption bands of both phases do not overlap each other, and the absorption intensities of bands 1,275 and 616 cm-1 vary with the glass contents. The correlation coefficient between logarithmic absorbance ratio of the two bands and glass contents was r = 0.9975 and its regression equation was y = 48.356 + 25.93x. The absorbance ratio of bands 952 and 616 cm-1 also varied with different ratios of Ce2O3/La2O3 in synthetic monazites, with r = 0.9917 and a regression equation y = 0.2211 exp (0.0221x). High correlation coefficients show that the IR technique could find new application in the quantitative analysis of glass content in phosphate glass-ceramics.

25 CFR 531.1 - Required provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... INDIAN GAMING COMMISSION, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR MANAGEMENT CONTRACT PROVISIONS CONTENT OF MANAGEMENT CONTRACTS § 531.1 Required provisions. Management contracts shall conform to all of the requirements... management contractor to provide the tribal governing body not less frequently than monthly with verifiable...

Developing the content of two behavioural interventions: Using theory-based interventions to promote GP management of upper respiratory tract infection without prescribing antibiotics #1

PubMed Central

Hrisos, Susan; Eccles, Martin; Johnston, Marie; Francis, Jill; Kaner, Eileen FS; Steen, Nick; Grimshaw, Jeremy

2008-01-01

Background Evidence shows that antibiotics have limited effectiveness in the management of upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) yet GPs continue to prescribe antibiotics. Implementation research does not currently provide a strong evidence base to guide the choice of interventions to promote the uptake of such evidence-based practice by health professionals. While systematic reviews demonstrate that interventions to change clinical practice can be effective, heterogeneity between studies hinders generalisation to routine practice. Psychological models of behaviour change that have been used successfully to predict variation in behaviour in the general population can also predict the clinical behaviour of healthcare professionals. The purpose of this study was to design two theoretically-based interventions to promote the management of upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) without prescribing antibiotics. Method Interventions were developed using a systematic, empirically informed approach in which we: selected theoretical frameworks; identified modifiable behavioural antecedents that predicted GPs intended and actual management of URTI; mapped these target antecedents on to evidence-based behaviour change techniques; and operationalised intervention components in a format suitable for delivery by postal questionnaire. Results We identified two psychological constructs that predicted GP management of URTI: "Self-efficacy," representing belief in one's capabilities, and "Anticipated consequences," representing beliefs about the consequences of one's actions. Behavioural techniques known to be effective in changing these beliefs were used in the design of two paper-based, interactive interventions. Intervention 1 targeted self-efficacy and required GPs to consider progressively more difficult situations in a "graded task" and to develop an "action plan" of what to do when next presented with one of these situations. Intervention 2 targeted anticipated consequences and required GPs to respond to a "persuasive communication" containing a series of pictures representing the consequences of managing URTI with and without antibiotics. Conclusion It is feasible to systematically develop theoretically-based interventions to change professional practice. Two interventions were designed that differentially target generalisable constructs predictive of GP management of URTI. Our detailed and scientific rationale for the choice and design of our interventions will provide a basis for understanding any effects identified in their evaluation. Trial registration Clinicaltrials.gov NCT00376142 PMID:18194527

Content-Based Curriculum for High-Ability Learners, Second Edition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

VanTassel-Baska, Joyce, Ed.; Little, Catherine A., Ed.

2011-01-01

The newly updated "Content-Based Curriculum for High-Ability Learners" provides a solid introduction to curriculum development in gifted and talented education. Written by experts in the field of gifted education, this text uses cutting-edge design techniques and aligns the core content with national and state standards. In addition to a revision…

41 CFR 51-9.101-3 - Content of systems of records.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Content of systems of records. 51-9.101-3 Section 51-9.101-3 Public Contracts and Property Management Other Provisions Relating to Public Contracts COMMITTEE FOR PURCHASE FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE BLIND OR SEVERELY DISABLED 9-PRIVACY ACT RULES 9.1-General Policy § 51-9.101-3...

Embedding the Form Generator in a Content Management System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Delgado, A.; Wicenec, A.; Delmotte, N.; Tejero, A.

2008-08-01

Given the tremendous amount of data generated by ESO's telescopes and the rapid evolution of the World Wide Web, the ESO archive web interface needs to offer more flexible services and advanced functionalities to a growing community of users all over the world. To achieve this endeavour, a query form generator is being developed inside a Content Management System. We present here a progress report.

Walk This Way: Detailed Steps for Transferring Born-Digital Content from Media You Can Read In-House

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barrera-Gomez, Julianna; Erway, Ricky

2013-01-01

This document is a companion to the report, "You've Got to Walk before You Can Run: First Steps for Managing Born-Digital Content Received on Physical Media." Like the "First Steps" report, the intended audience is those who are just starting to manage born-digital materials, from those wondering where to begin, to those who…

Case Studies of Ecological Integrative Information Systems: The Luquillo and Sevilleta Information Management Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

San Gil, Inigo; White, Marshall; Melendez, Eda; Vanderbilt, Kristin

The thirty-year-old United States Long Term Ecological Research Network has developed extensive metadata to document their scientific data. Standard and interoperable metadata is a core component of the data-driven analytical solutions developed by this research network Content management systems offer an affordable solution for rapid deployment of metadata centered information management systems. We developed a customized integrative metadata management system based on the Drupal content management system technology. Building on knowledge and experience with the Sevilleta and Luquillo Long Term Ecological Research sites, we successfully deployed the first two medium-scale customized prototypes. In this paper, we describe the vision behind our Drupal based information management instances, and list the features offered through these Drupal based systems. We also outline the plans to expand the information services offered through these metadata centered management systems. We will conclude with the growing list of participants deploying similar instances.

Fermentable short chain carbohydrate (FODMAP) content of common plant-based foods and processed foods suitable for vegetarian- and vegan-based eating patterns.

PubMed

Tuck, C; Ly, E; Bogatyrev, A; Costetsou, I; Gibson, P; Barrett, J; Muir, J

2018-06-01

The low FODMAP (fermentable, oligo-, di-, mono-saccharides and polyols) diet is an effective strategy to improve symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. However, combining the low FODMAP diet with another dietary restriction such as vegetarianism/veganism is challenging. Greater knowledge about the FODMAP composition of plant-based foods and food processing practices common to vegetarian/vegan eating patterns would assist in the implementation of the diet in this patient population. The present study aimed to quantify the FODMAP content of plant-based foods common in vegetarian/vegan diets and to investigate whether food processing can impact FODMAP levels. Total FODMAP content was quantified in 35 foods, including fructose-in-excess-of-glucose, lactose, sorbitol, mannitol, galacto-oligosaccharide and total fructan, using high-performance-liquid-chromatography and enzymatic assays. The effects of cooking, sprouting, pickling, fermentation, activation and canning on FODMAP content were assessed. The Monash University criteria to classify foods as low FODMAP was used. Of the 35 foods, 20 were classified as low FODMAP, including canned coconut milk (0.24 g serve -1 ), dulse (0.02 serve -1 ), nutritional yeast (0.01 serve -1 ), soy cheese (0.03 serve -1 ), tempeh (0.26 serve -1 ), wheat gluten (0.13 serve -1 ) and wheat grass (0.05 serve -1 ). No FODMAPs were detected in agar-agar, egg replacer, vegan egg yolk, kelp noodles and spirulina. Food processing techniques that produced the greatest reduction in FODMAP content included pickling and canning. The present study provides a greater FODMAP composition knowledge of plant-based foods that can now be applied to the dietetic management of vegetarians/vegans requiring a low FODMAP diet. Food processing lowered the FODMAP content of foods, thereby increasing options for patients following a low FODMAP diet. © 2018 The British Dietetic Association Ltd.

Evaluating the impacts of landscape positions and nitrogen fertilizer rates on dissolved organic carbon on switchgrass land seeded on marginally yielding cropland.

PubMed

Lai, Liming; Kumar, Sandeep; Mbonimpa, Eric G; Hong, Chang Oh; Owens, Vance N; Neupane, Ram P

2016-04-15

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) through leaching into the soils is another mechanism of net C loss. It plays an important role in impacting the environment and impacted by soil and crop management practices. However, little is known about the impacts of landscape positions and nitrogen (N) fertilizer rates on DOC leaching in switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.). This experimental design included three N fertilizer rates [0 (low); 56 (medium); 112 (high) kg N ha(-1)] and three landscape positions (shoulder, backslope and footslope). Daily average DOC contents at backslope were significantly lower than that at shoulder and footslope. The DOC contents from the plots that received medium N rate were also significantly lower than the plots that received low N rates. The interactions of landscape and N rates on DOC contents were different in every year from 2009 to 2014, however, no significant consistent trend of DOC contents was observed over time. Annual average DOC contents from the plots managed with low N rate were higher than those with high N rate. These contents at the footslope were higher than that at the shoulder position. Data show that there is a moderate positive relationship between the total average DOC contents and the total average switchgrass biomass yields. Overall, the DOC contents from leachate in the switchgrass land were significantly influenced by landscape positions and N rates. The N fertilization reduced DOC leaching contents in switchgrass field. The switchgrass could retain soil and environment sustainability to some extent. These findings will assist in understanding the mechanism of changes in DOC contents with various parameters in the natural environment and crop management systems. However, use of long-term data might help to better assess the effects of above factors on DOC leaching contents and loss in the switchgrass field in the future. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Applying Content Management to Automated Provenance Capture

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

Schuchardt, Karen L.; Gibson, Tara D.; Stephan, Eric G.

2008-04-10

Workflows and data pipelines are becoming increasingly valuable in both computational and experimen-tal sciences. These automated systems are capable of generating significantly more data within the same amount of time than their manual counterparts. Automatically capturing and recording data prove-nance and annotation as part of these workflows is critical for data management, verification, and dis-semination. Our goal in addressing the provenance challenge was to develop and end-to-end system that demonstrates real-time capture, persistent content management, and ad-hoc searches of both provenance and metadata using open source software and standard protocols. We describe our prototype, which extends the Kepler workflow toolsmore » for the execution environment, the Scientific Annotation Middleware (SAM) content management software for data services, and an existing HTTP-based query protocol. Our implementation offers several unique capabilities, and through the use of standards, is able to pro-vide access to the provenance record to a variety of commonly available client tools.« less

Project TEAMS (Techniques and Education for Achieving Management Skills): Health Care Administrators.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Platte Technical Community Coll., Columbus, NE.

These Project TEAMS (Techniques and Education for Achieving Management Skills) instructional materials consist of five units for use in training health care administrators. Unit 1 contains materials designed to help the health care administrators increase their management skills in regard to self-awareness, time management, problem solving,…

Project TEAMS (Techniques and Education for Achieving Management Skills): Independent Business Owner/Managers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Platte Technical Community Coll., Columbus, NE.

These Project TEAMS (Techniques and Education for Achieving Managerial Skills) instructional materials consist of five units for use in training independent business owner/managers. The first unit contains materials which deal with management skills relating to personal characteristics of successful business people, knowledge of self and chosen…

Management Classes as Online Learning Communities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shrivastava, Paul

1999-01-01

Conceptualizes management education in the digital economy through the development of online leaning communities. Essential elements for building community are described: technology and content infrastructure, organizational learning model, managed interactivity, and facilitator retraining. (SK)

A Management Development Course for Physicians

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Plovnick, Mark S.; And Others

1977-01-01

Developed and tested by the Health Management Project at the MIT Sloan School of Management, this course was designed to provide a more accurate understanding of the relevance and usefulness of management education to physicians and to train physicians in some basic management skills. Its content and field tests are described. (LBH)

Approaches of Improving University Assets Management Efficiency

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Jingliang

2015-01-01

University assets management, as an important content of modern university management, is generally confronted with the issue of low efficiency. Currently, to address the problems exposed in university assets management and take appropriate modification measures is an urgent issue in front of Chinese university assets management sectors. In this…

Research on the degradation of tropical arable land soil: Part II. The distribution of soil nutrients in eastern part of Hainan Island

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Dengfeng; Wei, Zhiyuan; Qi, Zhiping

Research on the temporal and spatial distribution of soil nutrients in tropical arable land is very important to promote the tropical sustainable agriculture development. Take the Eastern part of Hainan as research area, applying GIS spatial analysis technique, analyzing the temporal and spatial variation of soil N, P and K contents in arable land. The results indicate that the contents of soil N, P and K were 0.28%, 0.20% and 1.75% respectively in 2005. The concentrations of total N and P in arable land soil increased significantly from 1980s to 2005. The variances in contents of soil nutrients were closely related to the application of chemical fertilizers in recent years, and the uneven distribution of soil nutrient contents was a reflection of fertilizer application in research area. Fertilization can be planned based on the distribution of soil nutrients and the spatial analysis techniques, so as to sustain balance of soil nutrients contents.

Survey of in-situ and remote sensing methods for soil moisture determination

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schmugge, T. J.; Jackson, T. J.; Mckim, H. L.

1981-01-01

General methods for determining the moisture content in the surface layers of the soil based on in situ or point measurements, soil water models and remote sensing observations are surveyed. In situ methods described include gravimetric techniques, nuclear techniques based on neutron scattering or gamma-ray attenuation, electromagnetic techniques, tensiometric techniques and hygrometric techniques. Soil water models based on column mass balance treat soil moisture contents as a result of meteorological inputs (precipitation, runoff, subsurface flow) and demands (evaporation, transpiration, percolation). The remote sensing approaches are based on measurements of the diurnal range of surface temperature and the crop canopy temperature in the thermal infrared, measurements of the radar backscattering coefficient in the microwave region, and measurements of microwave emission or brightness temperature. Advantages and disadvantages of the various methods are pointed out, and it is concluded that a successful monitoring system must incorporate all of the approaches considered.

Transabdominal preperitoneal laparoscopic approach for incarcerated inguinal hernia repair

PubMed Central

Yang, Shuo; Zhang, Guangyong; Jin, Cuihong; Cao, Jinxin; Zhu, Yilin; Shen, Yingmo; Wang, Minggang

2016-01-01

Abstract To investigate the efficacy, key technical points, and complication management of the transabdominal preperitoneal (TAPP) approach for incarcerated inguinal hernia repair. Seventy-three patients with incarcerated inguinal hernias underwent TAPP surgery in our department between Jan 2010 and Dec 2015. A retrospective review was performed by analyzing the perioperative data from these patients. The operation was successfully completed in all 73 patients. Operation time was 54.0 ± 18.8 minutes (range, 35–100 minutes). Length of stay was 3.9 ± 1.1 days (range, 3–9 days). There was 1 case of incisional infection, 32 cases of seroma, and 3 cases of postoperative pain during follow-up. All patients recovered after the appropriate treatment. No recurrence or fistula was observed. The TAPP approach represents a safe and effective technique for incarcerated inguinal hernia repair because of its potential in assessment of hernia content and decreasing incisional infection rate. However, it requires experienced surgeons to ensure safety with special attention paid to the key technical points as well as complication management. PMID:28033260