Sample records for control problems encountered

  1. Shuttle Orbiter Active Thermal Control Subsystem design and flight experience

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bond, Timothy A.; Metcalf, Jordan L.; Asuncion, Carmelo

    1991-01-01

    The paper examines the design of the Space Shuttle Orbiter Active Thermal Control Subsystem (ATCS) constructed for providing the vehicle and payload cooling during all phases of a mission and during ground turnaround operations. The operation of the Shuttle ATCS and some of the problems encountered during the first 39 flights of the Shuttle program are described, with special attention given to the major problems encountered with the degradation of the Freon flow rate on the Orbiter Columbia, the Flash Evaporator Subsystem mission anomalies which occurred on STS-26 and STS-34, and problems encountered with the Ammonia Boiler Subsystem. The causes and the resolutions of these problems are discussed.

  2. HFL-10 lifting body flight control system characteristics and operational experience

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Painter, W. D.; Sitterle, G. J.

    1974-01-01

    A flight evaluation was made of the mechanical hydraulic flight control system and the electrohydraulic stability augmentation system installed in the HL-10 lifting body research vehicle. Flight tests performed in the speed range from landing to a Mach number of 1.86 and the altitude range from 697 meters (2300 feet) to 27,550 meters (90,300 feet) were supplemented by ground tests to identify and correct structural resonance and limit-cycle problems. Severe limit-cycle and control sensitivity problems were encountered during the first flight. Stability augmentation system structural resonance electronic filters were modified to correct the limit-cycle problem. Several changes were made to control stick gearing to solve the control sensitivity problem. Satisfactory controllability was achieved by using a nonlinear system. A limit-cycle problem due to hydraulic fluid contamination was encountered during the first powered flight, but the problem did not recur after preflight operations were improved.

  3. The Voyager spacecraft /James Watt International Gold Medal Lecture/

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Heacock, R. L.

    1980-01-01

    The Voyager Project background is reviewed with emphasis on selected features of the Voyager spacecraft. Investigations by the Thermo-electric Outer Planets Spacecraft Project are discussed, including trajectories, design requirements, and the development of a Self Test and Repair computer, and a Computer Accessed Telemetry System. The design and configuration of the spacecraft are described, including long range communications, attitude control, solar independent power, sequencing and control data handling, and spacecraft propulsion. The development program, maintained by JPL, experienced a variety of problems such as design deficiencies, and process control and manufacturing problems. Finally, the spacecraft encounter with Jupiter is discussed, and expectations for the Saturn encounter are expressed.

  4. Use of computer modeling to investigate a dynamic interaction problem in the Skylab TACS quad-valve package

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hesser, R. J.; Gershman, R.

    1975-01-01

    A valve opening-response problem encountered during development of a control valve for the Skylab thruster attitude control system (TACS) is described. The problem involved effects of dynamic interaction among valves in the quad-redundant valve package. Also described is a detailed computer simulation of the quad-valve package which was helpful in resolving the problem.

  5. Recursive multibody dynamics and discrete-time optimal control

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Deleuterio, G. M. T.; Damaren, C. J.

    1989-01-01

    A recursive algorithm is developed for the solution of the simulation dynamics problem for a chain of rigid bodies. Arbitrary joint constraints are permitted, that is, joints may allow translational and/or rotational degrees of freedom. The recursive procedure is shown to be identical to that encountered in a discrete-time optimal control problem. For each relevant quantity in the multibody dynamics problem, there exists an analog in the context of optimal control. The performance index that is minimized in the control problem is identified as Gibbs' function for the chain of bodies.

  6. Signal-Detection Analyses of Conditional Discrimination and Delayed Matching-to-Sample Performance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alsop, Brent

    2004-01-01

    Quantitative analyses of stimulus control and reinforcer control in conditional discriminations and delayed matching-to-sample procedures often encounter a problem; it is not clear how to analyze data when subjects have not made errors. The present article examines two common methods for overcoming this problem. Monte Carlo simulations of…

  7. Insurance problems among inflammatory bowel disease patients: results of a Dutch population based study.

    PubMed

    Russel, M G V M; Ryan, B M; Dagnelie, P C; de Rooij, M; Sijbrandij, J; Feleus, A; Hesselink, M; Muris, J W; Stockbrugger, R

    2003-03-01

    The majority of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have a normal life expectancy and therefore should not be weighted when applying for life assurance. There is scant literature on this topic. In this study our aim was to document and compare the incidence of difficulties in application for life and medical insurance in a population based cohort of IBD patients and matched population controls. A population based case control study of 1126 IBD patients and 1723 controls. Based on a detailed questionnaire, the frequency and type of difficulties encountered when applying for life and medical insurance in matched IBD and control populations were appraised. In comparison with controls, IBD patients had an 87-fold increased risk of encountering difficulties when applying for life assurance (odds ratio (OR) 87 (95% confidence interval (CI) 31-246)), with a heavily weighted premium being the most common problem. Patients of high educational status, with continuous disease activity, and who smoked had the highest odds of encountering such problems. Medical insurance difficulties were fivefold more common in IBD patients compared with controls (OR 5.4 (95% CI 2.3-13)) although no specific disease or patient characteristics were identified as associated with such difficulties. This is the first detailed case control study that has investigated insurance difficulties among IBD patients. Acquiring life and medical insurance constituted a major problem for IBD patients in this study. These results are likely to be more widely representative given that most insurance companies use international guidelines for risk assessment. In view of the recent advances in therapy and promising survival data on IBD patients, evidence based guidelines for risk assessment of IBD patients by insurance companies should be drawn up to prevent possible discriminatory practices.

  8. Insurance problems among inflammatory bowel disease patients: results of a Dutch population based study

    PubMed Central

    Russel, M G V M; Ryan, B M; Dagnelie, P C; de Rooij, M; Sijbrandij, J; Feleus, A; Hesselink, M; Muris, J W; Stockbrugger, R

    2003-01-01

    Background and aims: The majority of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have a normal life expectancy and therefore should not be weighted when applying for life assurance. There is scant literature on this topic. In this study our aim was to document and compare the incidence of difficulties in application for life and medical insurance in a population based cohort of IBD patients and matched population controls. Methods: A population based case control study of 1126 IBD patients and 1723 controls. Based on a detailed questionnaire, the frequency and type of difficulties encountered when applying for life and medical insurance in matched IBD and control populations were appraised. Results: In comparison with controls, IBD patients had an 87-fold increased risk of encountering difficulties when applying for life assurance (odds ratio (OR) 87 (95% confidence interval (CI) 31–246)), with a heavily weighted premium being the most common problem. Patients of high educational status, with continuous disease activity, and who smoked had the highest odds of encountering such problems. Medical insurance difficulties were fivefold more common in IBD patients compared with controls (OR 5.4 (95% CI 2.3–13)) although no specific disease or patient characteristics were identified as associated with such difficulties. Conclusions: This is the first detailed case control study that has investigated insurance difficulties among IBD patients. Acquiring life and medical insurance constituted a major problem for IBD patients in this study. These results are likely to be more widely representative given that most insurance companies use international guidelines for risk assessment. In view of the recent advances in therapy and promising survival data on IBD patients, evidence based guidelines for risk assessment of IBD patients by insurance companies should be drawn up to prevent possible discriminatory practices. PMID:12584216

  9. Moisture Control Guidance for Commercial and Public ...

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This document provides guidance to designers, construction mangers, and building operation/maintenance managers to improve IEQ and reduce risks of encountering IEQ problems due to insufficient moisture control. EPA will be producing a document entitled

  10. Moisture Control Guidance for Commercial and Public Buildings (EPA 402-F-13053)

    EPA Science Inventory

    This document provides guidance to designers, construction mangers, and building operation/maintenance managers to improve IEQ and reduce risks of encountering IEQ problems due to insufficient moisture control. EPA will be producing a document entitled "Moisture Control Guida...

  11. PRISM. Volume 3, Number 2, March 2012

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-03-01

    control. The first problem that is encountered is the use of the word control, which in many languages is pejorative, implying a dictatorial approach...lieu of control, the language used should imply partnership in the decisionmaking process. The second problem is that all too fre- quently the terms...effectiveness of the security and development strategy as peace talks use the language of development to address the unmet needs of the insurgents

  12. Common statistical and research design problems in manuscripts submitted to high-impact psychiatry journals: what editors and reviewers want authors to know.

    PubMed

    Harris, Alex H S; Reeder, Rachelle; Hyun, Jenny K

    2009-10-01

    Journal editors and statistical reviewers are often in the difficult position of catching serious problems in submitted manuscripts after the research is conducted and data have been analyzed. We sought to learn from editors and reviewers of major psychiatry journals what common statistical and design problems they most often find in submitted manuscripts and what they wished to communicate to authors regarding these issues. Our primary goal was to facilitate communication between journal editors/reviewers and researchers/authors and thereby improve the scientific and statistical quality of research and submitted manuscripts. Editors and statistical reviewers of 54 high-impact psychiatry journals were surveyed to learn what statistical or design problems they encounter most often in submitted manuscripts. Respondents completed the survey online. The authors analyzed survey text responses using content analysis procedures to identify major themes related to commonly encountered statistical or research design problems. Editors and reviewers (n=15) who handle manuscripts from 39 different high-impact psychiatry journals responded to the survey. The most commonly cited problems regarded failure to map statistical models onto research questions, improper handling of missing data, not controlling for multiple comparisons, not understanding the difference between equivalence and difference trials, and poor controls in quasi-experimental designs. The scientific quality of psychiatry research and submitted reports could be greatly improved if researchers became sensitive to, or sought consultation on frequently encountered methodological and analytic issues.

  13. Academic Value of Internships in Agronomy: A Survey.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Herring, Matthew D.; And Others

    1990-01-01

    A survey of the academic requirements of internships, benefits in taking part in an internship, and problems encountered in internship programs are described. Results indicated that one of the problems with internship programs occurred when faculty did not have direct control over the experience. (CW)

  14. Apollo experience report: Guidance and control systems. Lunar module stabilization and control system

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Shelton, D. H.

    1975-01-01

    A brief functional description of the Apollo lunar module stabilization and control subsystem is presented. Subsystem requirements definition, design, development, test results, and flight experiences are discussed. Detailed discussions are presented of problems encountered and the resulting corrective actions taken during the course of assembly-level testing, integrated vehicle checkout and test, and mission operations. Although the main experiences described are problem oriented, the subsystem has performed satisfactorily in flight.

  15. The BAPE 2 balloon-borne CO2

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Degnan, J. J.; Walker, H. E.; Peruso, C. J.; Johnson, E. H.; Klein, B. J.; Mcelroy, J. H.

    1972-01-01

    The systems and techniques which were utilized in the experiment to establish an air-to-ground CO2 laser heterodyne link are described along with the successes and problems encountered when the heterodyne receiver and laser transmitter package were removed from the controlled environment of the laboratory. Major topics discussed include: existing systems and the underlying principles involved in their operation; experimental techniques and optical alignment methods which were found to be useful; theoretical calculations of signal strengths expected under a variety of test conditions and in actual flight; and the experimental results including problems encountered and their possible solutions.

  16. Towards sub-optimal stochastic control of partially observable stochastic systems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ruzicka, G. J.

    1980-01-01

    A class of multidimensional stochastic control problems with noisy data and bounded controls encountered in aerospace design is examined. The emphasis is on suboptimal design, the optimality being taken in quadratic mean sense. To that effect the problem is viewed as a stochastic version of the Lurie problem known from nonlinear control theory. The main result is a separation theorem (involving a nonlinear Kalman-like filter) suitable for Lurie-type approximations. The theorem allows for discontinuous characteristics. As a byproduct the existence of strong solutions to a class of non-Lipschitzian stochastic differential equations in dimensions is proven.

  17. Extended Decentralized Linear-Quadratic-Gaussian Control

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Carpenter, J. Russell

    2000-01-01

    A straightforward extension of a solution to the decentralized linear-Quadratic-Gaussian problem is proposed that allows its use for commonly encountered classes of problems that are currently solved with the extended Kalman filter. This extension allows the system to be partitioned in such a way as to exclude the nonlinearities from the essential algebraic relationships that allow the estimation and control to be optimally decentralized.

  18. SOME PROBLEMS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF AN ELECTRON LINEAR ACCELERATOR (in Dutch)

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

    Verhaeghe, J.; Vanhuyse, V.; Van Leuven, P.

    1959-01-01

    Special problems encountered in the construction of the electron linear accelerator of the Natuurkundig Laboratorium der Rijksuniversiteit of Ghent are discussed. The subjects considered are magnetic focusing, magnetic screening of the electron gun cathode, abnormal attenuation-multipactor effects, and electron energy control. (J.S.R.)

  19. Continuous Measurements and Quantitative Constraints: Challenge Problems for Discrete Modeling Techniques

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Goodrich, Charles H.; Kurien, James; Clancy, Daniel (Technical Monitor)

    2001-01-01

    We present some diagnosis and control problems that are difficult to solve with discrete or purely qualitative techniques. We analyze the nature of the problems, classify them and explain why they are frequently encountered in systems with closed loop control. This paper illustrates the problem with several examples drawn from industrial and aerospace applications and presents detailed information on one important application: In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) on Mars. The model for an ISRU plant is analyzed showing where qualitative techniques are inadequate to identify certain failure modes and to maintain control of the system in degraded environments. We show why the solution to the problem will result in significantly more robust and reliable control systems. Finally, we illustrate requirements for a solution to the problem by means of examples.

  20. The use of twin-screen-based WIMPS in spacecraft control

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Klim, R. D.

    1990-10-01

    The ergonomic problems of designing a sophisticated Windows Icons Mouse Pop-up (WIMP) based twin screen workstation are outlined. These same problems will be encountered by future spacecraft controllers. The design of a modern, advanced workstation for use on a distributed multicontrol center in a multisatellite control system is outlined. The system uses access control mechanisms to ensure that only authorized personnel can undertake certain operations on the workstation. Rules governing the use of windowing features, screen attributes, icons, keyboard and mouse in spacecraft control are discussed.

  1. Problems Encountered by Religious Vocational Secondary School and Other Secondary School Students in Physical Education and Sports Activities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bar, Mustafa; Yaman, Menzure Sibel; Hergüner, Gülten

    2016-01-01

    The study aimed to determine problems encountered by Religious Vocational Secondary School and other Secondary School students in physical education and sports activities and to compare these problems according to school type and gender. A questionnaire named "Problems encountered in attending to physical education and sports activities"…

  2. X-31 high angle of attack control system performance

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Huber, Peter; Seamount, Patricia

    1994-01-01

    The design goals for the X-31 flight control system were: (1) level 1 handling qualities during post-stall maneuvering (30 to 70 degrees angle-of-attack); (2) thrust vectoring to enhance performance across the flight envelope; and (3) adequate pitch-down authority at high angle-of-attack. Additional performance goals are discussed. A description of the flight control system is presented, highlighting flight control system features in the pitch and roll axes and X-31 thrust vectoring characteristics. The high angle-of-attack envelope clearance approach will be described, including a brief explanation of analysis techniques and tools. Also, problems encountered during envelope expansion will be discussed. This presentation emphasizes control system solutions to problems encountered in envelope expansion. An essentially 'care free' envelope was cleared for the close-in-combat demonstrator phase. High angle-of-attack flying qualities maneuvers are currently being flown and evaluated. These results are compared with pilot opinions expressed during the close-in-combat program and with results obtained from the F-18 HARV for identical maneuvers. The status and preliminary results of these tests are discussed.

  3. Nonlinear model predictive control of a wave energy converter based on differential flatness parameterisation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Guang

    2017-01-01

    This paper presents a fast constrained optimization approach, which is tailored for nonlinear model predictive control of wave energy converters (WEC). The advantage of this approach relies on its exploitation of the differential flatness of the WEC model. This can reduce the dimension of the resulting nonlinear programming problem (NLP) derived from the continuous constrained optimal control of WEC using pseudospectral method. The alleviation of computational burden using this approach helps to promote an economic implementation of nonlinear model predictive control strategy for WEC control problems. The method is applicable to nonlinear WEC models, nonconvex objective functions and nonlinear constraints, which are commonly encountered in WEC control problems. Numerical simulations demonstrate the efficacy of this approach.

  4. Orbiting Geophysical Observatory Attitude Control Subsystem Design Survey. NASA/ERC Design Criteria Program, Guidance and Control

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mc Kenna, K. J.; Schmeichel, H.

    1968-01-01

    This design survey summarizes the history of the Orbiting Geophysical Observatories' (OGO) Attitude Control Subsystem (ACS) from the proposal phase through current flight experience. Problems encountered in design, fabrication, test, and on orbit are discussed. It is hoped that the experiences of the OGO program related here will aid future designers.

  5. Coping with treatment-related stress: effects on patient adherence in hemodialysis.

    PubMed

    Christensen, A J; Benotsch, E G; Wiebe, J S; Lawton, W J

    1995-06-01

    With a modified version of the Ways of Coping Checklist, the relation of coping to adherence among 57 hemodialysis patients was examined. The association of a particular type of coping to adherence was predicted to depend on the specific type of stressful encounter being considered. As predicted, coping efforts involving planful problem solving were associated with more favorable adherence when used in response to stressors involving a relatively controllable aspect of the hemodialysis context. For less controllable stressors, coping efforts involving emotional self-control were associated with more favorable adherence. The seeking of informational support in response to an uncontrollable encounter was associated with poorer fluid-intake adherence. Confrontive coping was associated with poorer adherence for both high- and low-control situations.

  6. Medical serials control systems by computer--a state of the art review.

    PubMed

    Brodman, E; Johnson, M F

    1976-01-01

    A review of the problems encountered in serials control systems is followed by a description of some of the present-day attempts to solve these problems. Specific networks are described, notably PHILSOM (developed at Washington University School of Medicine Library), the UCLA Biomedical Library's system, and OCLC in Columbus, Ohio. Finally, the role of minicomputers in present and future developments is discussed, and some cautious guesses are made on future directions in the field.

  7. The Problems Encountered in a CTEV Clinic: Can Better Casting and Bracing Be Accomplished?

    PubMed

    Agarwal, Anil; Kumar, Anubrat; Shaharyar, Abbas; Mishra, Madhusudan

    2016-09-07

    The aim of the study is to create awareness in the practicing health care workers toward the problems encountered during casting and bracing of clubfoot following Ponseti method, and in turn avoid them. Retrospective audit of 6 years' clubfoot clinic records to analyze problems associated with Ponseti method. Problems were encountered in 26 cast and in 6 braced patients. Just 4 patients out of 71 syndromic (5.6%) experienced problems during casting compared with 3% overall incidence. The common problems encountered in casted patients were moisture lesions, hematoma, dermatitis due to occlusion, pressure sores, and fractures. There was excessive bleeding in 1 patient at time of tenotomy. In braced patients, pressure sores and tenderness at tenotomy site were major problems. None of the syndromic patients experienced difficulties during bracing. Problems were encountered with Ponseti method during casting, tenotomy, or bracing. Syndromic children had lesser complication rate than idiopathic clubfeet. It is important to be aware of these problems so that appropriate intervention can be done early. Level IV: Retrospective. © 2016 The Author(s).

  8. Application of spring tabs to elevator controls

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Phillips, William H

    1944-01-01

    Equations are presented for calculating the stick-force characteristics obtained with a spring-tab type of elevator control. The main problems encountered in the design of a satisfactory elevator spring tab are to provide stick forces in the desired range, to maintain the force per g sufficiently constant throughout the speed range, to avoid undesirable "feel" of the control in ground handling or in flight at low airspeeds, and to prevent flutter. Examples are presented to show the design features of spring tabs required to solve these problems for airplanes of various sizes.

  9. Effect of TCAS Interrogations on the Chicago O'Hare ATCRBS System

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1992-11-01

    This report documents the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) data collection : and analysis effort to investigate Secondary Surveillance Radar (SSR) problems : encountered at the Chicago O'Hare Terminal Approach Control (TRACON) facility. : The FA...

  10. Research into command, control, and communications in space construction

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Davis, Randal

    1990-01-01

    Coordinating and controlling large numbers of autonomous or semi-autonomous robot elements in a space construction activity will present problems that are very different from most command and control problems encountered in the space business. As part of our research into the feasibility of robot constructors in space, the CSC Operations Group is examining a variety of command, control, and communications (C3) issues. Two major questions being asked are: can we apply C3 techniques and technologies already developed for use in space; and are there suitable terrestrial solutions for extraterrestrial C3 problems? An overview of the control architectures, command strategies, and communications technologies that we are examining is provided and plans for simulations and demonstrations of our concepts are described.

  11. [Survey on drug-related problems in Lithuania's pharmacies].

    PubMed

    Kubiliene, Loreta; Liukenskyte, Simona; Savickas, Arūnas; Jureniene, Kristina

    2006-01-01

    to survey the most common and the most important drug-related problems in Lithuania, to explore their solution and factors influencing it, to formulate recommendations for solving drug-related problems. Pharmacists from community pharmacies participated in a random survey. They filled in questionnaires about drug-related problems and their solutions. It was the first survey on drug-related problems ever carried out in Lithuania. For the first time, it was found out that in Lithuania pharmacists most commonly encountered drug-related problem--additional drug therapy (52.03% of respondents)--and most rarely encountered drug-related problem--dosage too high (3% of respondents). Pharmacists stated that all categories of drug-related problems were of equal importance. It was established that pharmacists commonly solved drug-related problems associated with noncompliance with instructions (72.5% of respondents) and rarely met the problem when improper drug was selected (39.56% of respondents). Patients taking prescription medicines commonly encounter additional drug therapy problem, and patients taking nonprescription medications commonly encounter problems related to noncompliance with instructions.

  12. DSS 13 microprocessor antenna controller

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gosline, R. M.

    1988-01-01

    A microprocessor-based antenna monitor and control system with multiple CPUs are described. The system was developed as part of the unattended station project for DSS 13 and was enhanced for use by the SETI project. The operational features, hardware, and software designs are described, and a discussion is provided of the major problems encountered.

  13. Indian Tribes as Developing Nations; A Question of Power: Indian Control of Indian Resource Development.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Americans for Indian Opportunity, Inc., Albuquerque, NM.

    The report discusses how Indian tribes can conserve and develop their own resources at their own pace and explores the options available to them as owners of valuable natural resources. Discussed are problems encountered by tribal leaders with various government agencies; the basic precepts of the Bureau of Indian Affairs; how the problems of…

  14. Medical serials control systems by computer--a state of the art review.

    PubMed Central

    Brodman, E; Johnson, M F

    1976-01-01

    A review of the problems encountered in serials control systems is followed by a description of some of the present-day attempts to solve these problems. Specific networks are described, notably PHILSOM (developed at Washington University School of Medicine Library), the UCLA Biomedical Library's system, and OCLC in Columbus, Ohio. Finally, the role of minicomputers in present and future developments is discussed, and some cautious guesses are made on future directions in the field. PMID:1247704

  15. Apollo experience report: Lunar module environmental control subsystem

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gillen, R. J.; Brady, J. C.; Collier, F.

    1972-01-01

    A functional description of the environmental control subsystem is presented. Development, tests, checkout, and flight experiences of the subsystem are discussed; and the design fabrication, and operational difficulties associated with the various components and subassemblies are recorded. Detailed information is related concerning design changes made to, and problems encountered with, the various elements of the subsystem, such as the thermal control water sublimator, the carbon dioxide sensing and control units, and the water section. The problems associated with water sterilization, water/glycol formulation, and materials compatibility are discussed. The corrective actions taken are described with the expection that this information may be of value for future subsystems. Although the main experiences described are problem oriented, the subsystem has generally performed satisfactorily in flight.

  16. Switched Systems and Motion Coordination: Combinatorial Challenges

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sadovsky, Alexander V.

    2016-01-01

    Problems of routing commercial air traffic in a terminal airspace encounter different constraints: separation assurance, aircraft performance limitations, regulations. The general setting of these problems is that of a switched control system. Such a system combines the differentiable motion of the aircraft with the combinatorial choices of choosing precedence when traffic routes merge and choosing branches when the routes diverge. This presentation gives an overview of the problem, the ATM context, related literature, and directions for future research.

  17. [Development of New Mathematical Methodology in Air Traffic Control for the Analysis of Hybrid Systems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hermann, Robert

    1997-01-01

    The aim of this research is to develop new mathematical methodology for the analysis of hybrid systems of the type involved in Air Traffic Control (ATC) problems. Two directions of investigation were initiated. The first used the methodology of nonlinear generalized functions, whose mathematical foundations were initiated by Colombeau and developed further by Oberguggenberger; it has been extended to apply to ordinary differential. Systems of the type encountered in control in joint work with the PI and M. Oberguggenberger. This involved a 'mixture' of 'continuous' and 'discrete' methodology. ATC clearly involves mixtures of two sorts of mathematical problems: (1) The 'continuous' dynamics of a standard control type described by ordinary differential equations (ODE) of the form: {dx/dt = f(x, u)} and (2) the discrete lattice dynamics involved of cellular automata. Most of the CA literature involves a discretization of a partial differential equation system of the type encountered in physics problems (e.g. fluid and gas problems). Both of these directions requires much thinking and new development of mathematical fundamentals before they may be utilized in the ATC work. Rather than consider CA as 'discretization' of PDE systems, I believe that the ATC applications will require a completely different and new mathematical methodology, a sort of discrete analogue of jet bundles and/or the sheaf-theoretic techniques to topologists. Here too, I have begun work on virtually 'virgin' mathematical ground (at least from an 'applied' point of view) which will require considerable preliminary work.

  18. Student Activity Funds: Procedures & Controls.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cuzzetto, Charles E.

    Student activity funds may create educational opportunities for students, but they frequently create problems for business administrators. The first part of this work reviews the types of organizational issues and transactions an organized student group is likely to encounter, including establishing a constitution, participant roles,…

  19. STCA, TCAS, Airproxes and Collision Risk

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brooker, Peter

    2005-09-01

    The focus here is on the performance of and interaction between the Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) and the controller's short-term conflict alert (STCA) system. The data source used is UK Airprox Board Reports of close encounters between aircraft, and the focus is on commercial air transport aircraft using UK controlled airspace with a radar service. Do the systems work well together? Are controllers surprised when they find out that a pilot has received a TCAS resolution advisory? What do TCAS and STCA events say about collision risk? Generally, the systems seem to work together well. On most occasions, controllers are not surprised by TCAS advisories: either they have detected the problem themselves or STCA has alerted them to it. The statistically expected rate of future mid-air collisions is estimated by extrapolation of Airprox closest encounter distances.

  20. Analysis of severe atmospheric disturbances from airline flight records

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wingrove, R. C.; Bach, R. E., Jr.; Schultz, T. A.

    1989-01-01

    Advanced methods were developed to determine time varying winds and turbulence from digital flight data recorders carried aboard modern airliners. Analysis of several cases involving severe clear air turbulence encounters at cruise altitudes has shown that the aircraft encountered vortex arrays generated by destabilized wind shear layers above mountains or thunderstorms. A model was developed to identify the strength, size, and spacing of vortex arrays. This model is used to study the effects of severe wind hazards on operational safety for different types of aircraft. The study demonstrates that small remotely piloted vehicles and executive aircraft exhibit more violent behavior than do large airliners during encounters with high-altitude vortices. Analysis of digital flight data from the accident at Dallas/Ft. Worth in 1985 indicates that the aircraft encountered a microburst with rapidly changing winds embedded in a strong outflow near the ground. A multiple-vortex-ring model was developed to represent the microburst wind pattern. This model can be used in flight simulators to better understand the control problems in severe microburst encounters.

  1. Skylab thruster attitude control system

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wilmer, G. E., Jr.

    1974-01-01

    Preflight activities and the Skylab mission support effort for the thruster attitude control system (TACS) are documented. The preflight activities include a description of problems and their solutions encountered in the development, qualification, and flight checkout test programs. Mission support effort is presented as it relates to system performance assessment, real-time problem solving, flight anomalies, and the daily system evaluation. Finally, the detailed flight evaluation is presented for each phase of the mission using system telemetry data. Data assert that the TACS met or exceeded design requirements and fulfilled its assigned mission objectives.

  2. In Defense of the Vendors

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Irwin, G. Brockett

    1975-01-01

    The problems that are encountered when cooperation breaks down between the industrial source operator and the pollution control equipment vendor are examined. The focal point of this examination is the study of defenses available to the equipment vendor when industrial source operators refuse to cooperate. (Author/BT)

  3. Urological considerations in space medicine.

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cockett, A. T. K.; Adey, W. R.; Roberts, A. P.

    1972-01-01

    Urological problems encountered during the preparation phases of Biosatellite III, flight of Bonny the Space Monkey, are detailed. The solution to each problem is detailed. The catheter system employed, antibiotic coverage used, and bacteria encountered in the urine of the five animals are detailed. Urinary calcium levels in three ground based animals are illustrated. Testicular alterations encountered in all animals are mentioned. It is concluded that space flights of duration beyond nine days may present serious problems of a urological nature.

  4. Identification and Management of Information Problems by Emergency Department Staff

    PubMed Central

    Murphy, Alison R.; Reddy, Madhu C.

    2014-01-01

    Patient-care teams frequently encounter information problems during their daily activities. These information problems include wrong, outdated, conflicting, incomplete, or missing information. Information problems can negatively impact the patient-care workflow, lead to misunderstandings about patient information, and potentially lead to medical errors. Existing research focuses on understanding the cause of these information problems and the impact that they can have on the hospital’s workflow. However, there is limited research on how patient-care teams currently identify and manage information problems that they encounter during their work. Through qualitative observations and interviews in an emergency department (ED), we identified the types of information problems encountered by ED staff, and examined how they identified and managed the information problems. We also discuss the impact that these information problems can have on the patient-care teams, including the cascading effects of information problems on workflow and the ambiguous accountability for fixing information problems within collaborative teams. PMID:25954457

  5. Treatment of the control mechanisms of light airplanes in the flutter clearance process

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Breitbach, E. J.

    1979-01-01

    It has become more and more evident that many difficulties encountered in the course of aircraft flutter analyses can be traced to strong localized nonlinearities in the control mechanisms. To cope with these problems, more reliable mathematical models paying special attention to control system nonlinearities were established by means of modified ground vibration test procedures in combination with suitably adapted modal synthesis approaches. Three different concepts are presented.

  6. A critical theory of medical discourse: how patients and health professionals deal with social problems.

    PubMed

    Waitzkin, H; Britt, T

    1989-01-01

    Criticism of social context does not generally appear in medical encounters. When contextual issues arise in medical discourse, messages of ideology and social control may become apparent, usually without the conscious awareness of the participants. By easing the physical or psychological impact of contextual difficulties, or by encouraging patients' conformity to mainstream expectations of desirable behavior, encounters with doctors can help win patients' consent to troubling social conditions. Seen in this light, doctor-patient encounters become micropolitical situations that do not typically encourage explicit statements or actions by health professionals to change contextual sources of their patients' difficulties. A critical theory influenced by structuralism suggests that the surface meanings of signs in medical discourse prove less important than their structural relationships. In addition, a theoretical approach adopting elements of post-structuralism and Marxist literary criticism emphasizes the marginal, absent, or excluded elements of medical discourse. Contextual features that shape a text include social class, sex, age, and race. Through the underlying structure of medical discourse, contextual problems are expressed, marginalized, and managed.

  7. National Space Transportation System telemetry distribution and processing, NASA-JFK Space Center/Cape Canaveral

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jenkins, George

    1986-01-01

    Prelaunch, launch, mission, and landing distribution of RF and hardline uplink/downlink information between Space Shuttle Orbiter/cargo elements, tracking antennas, and control centers at JSC, KSC, MSFC, GSFC, ESMC/RCC, and Sunnyvale are presented as functional block diagrams. Typical mismatch problems encountered during spacecraft-to-project control center telemetry transmissions are listed along with new items for future support enhancement.

  8. National Space Transportation System telemetry distribution and processing, NASA-JFK Space Center/Cape Canaveral

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jenkins, George

    Prelaunch, launch, mission, and landing distribution of RF and hardline uplink/downlink information between Space Shuttle Orbiter/cargo elements, tracking antennas, and control centers at JSC, KSC, MSFC, GSFC, ESMC/RCC, and Sunnyvale are presented as functional block diagrams. Typical mismatch problems encountered during spacecraft-to-project control center telemetry transmissions are listed along with new items for future support enhancement.

  9. Apollo experience report: Guidance and control systems: Command and service module entry monitor subsystem

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Reina, B., Jr.; Patterson, H. G.

    1975-01-01

    The conceptual aspects of the command and service module entry monitor subsystem, together with an interpretation of the displays and their associated relationship to entry trajectory control, are presented. The entry monitor subsystem is described, and the problems encountered during the developmental phase and the first five manned Apollo flights are discussed in conjunction with the design improvements implemented.

  10. Problems Encountered during the Scientific Research Process in Graduate Education: The Institute of Educational Sciences

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Akyürek, Erkan; Afacan, Özlem

    2018-01-01

    This study was conducted to determine the problems faced by graduate students when conducting scientific research and to make suggestions for solving these problems. The research model was a case study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants in the study with questions about the problems encountered during scientific research…

  11. Response problems in a vacation panel study

    Treesearch

    Christine A. Vogt; Susan I. Stewart

    2001-01-01

    This paper investigates response problems encountered in a panel study of travel behavior. Though the overall response rate to the three-wave panel study was acceptable (over 60%), three types of response problems were encountered: refusal, non-response, and attrition. In a follow-up phone survey, a sample of individuals from each problem response group was questioned...

  12. Simulator Studies of the Deep Stall

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    White, Maurice D.; Cooper, George E.

    1965-01-01

    Simulator studies of the deep-stall problem encountered with modern airplanes are discussed. The results indicate that the basic deep-stall tendencies produced by aerodynamic characteristics are augmented by operational considerations. Because of control difficulties to be anticipated in the deep stall, it is desirable that adequate safeguards be provided against inadvertent penetrations.

  13. Preactivation of Inhibitory Control Mechanisms Hinders Intuitive Reasoning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Babai, Reuven; Eidelman, Rachel Rosanne; Stavy, Ruth

    2012-01-01

    Many students encounter difficulties in science and mathematics. Earlier research suggested that although intuitions are often needed to gain new ideas and concepts and to solve problems in science and mathematics, some of students' difficulties could stem from the interference of intuitive reasoning. The literature suggests that overcoming…

  14. [Management of asthma in a context of ambulatory pediatrics: relevance and possibility to avoid the problems. Gruppo de lavoro pediatri dell'Abruzzo Basilicata e Puglia].

    PubMed

    Misticoni, G; Marchetti, F; D'Andrea, N

    1994-01-01

    41 pediatricians agreed to register on a very simple form, all the cases of children affected by bronchial asthma visited in their clinic during october 1993. The data included basic information related to the therapy prescribed, its duration, a judgement on the efficacy of symptoms control and the main problems encountered with the children and their families. 237 cases were reported (mean age 4.6 year, range 2 months-13 years). 80% of children were monitored by the pediatrician; 47% had allergic reactions. The main drug used for profilaxis is ketotifen, a compound without documented efficacy; the main route for drug administration (especially during acute attacks) is by mouth, instead of by aerosol, evidencing problems in the health education on practical skills. In fact the main problems encountered by doctors are related to the communication with patients and families. This survey represents also a research model for involving health care providers and easily and quickly obtaining a useful, methodologically sound and interesting picture of everyday practice.

  15. Optimization of Turkish Air Force SAR Units Forward Deployment Points for a Central Based SAR Force Structure

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-03-26

    Turkish Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW& C ) aircraft in the combat arena. He examines three combat scenarios Turkey might encounter to cover and...to limited SAR assets, constrained budgets, logistic- maintenance problems, and high risk level of military flights. In recent years, the Turkish Air...model, Set Covering Location Problem (SCLP), defines the minimum number of SAR DPs to cover all fighter aircraft training areas (TAs). The second

  16. A proposed criterion for aircraft flight in turbulence

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Porter, R. F.; Robinson, A. C.

    1971-01-01

    A proposed criterion for aircraft flight in turbulent conditions is presented. Subjects discussed are: (1) the problem of flight safety in turbulence, (2) new criterion for turbulence flight where existing ones seem adequate, and (3) computational problems associated with new criterion. Primary emphasis is placed on catastrophic occurrences in subsonic cruise with the aircraft under automatic control. A Monte Carlo simulation is used in the formulation and evaluation of probabilities of survival of an encounter with turbulence.

  17. Employing quality control and feedback to the EQ-5D-5L valuation protocol to improve the quality of data collection.

    PubMed

    Purba, Fredrick Dermawan; Hunfeld, Joke A M; Iskandarsyah, Aulia; Fitriana, Titi Sahidah; Sadarjoen, Sawitri S; Passchier, Jan; Busschbach, Jan J V

    2017-05-01

    In valuing health states using generic questionnaires such as EQ-5D, there are unrevealed issues with the quality of the data collection. The aims were to describe the problems encountered during valuation and to evaluate a quality control report and subsequent retraining of interviewers in improving this valuation. Data from the first 266 respondents in an EQ-5D-5L valuation study were used. Interviewers were trained and answered questions regarding problems during these initial interviews. Thematic analysis was used, and individual feedback was provided. After completion of 98 interviews, a first quantitative quality control (QC) report was generated, followed by a 1-day retraining program. Subsequently individual feedback was also given on the basis of follow-up QCs. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to assess improvements based on 7 indicators of quality as identified in the first QC and the QC conducted after a further 168 interviews. Interviewers encountered problems in recruiting respondents. Solutions provided were: optimization of the time of interview, the use of broader networks and the use of different scripts to explain the project's goals to respondents. For problems in interviewing process, solutions applied were: developing the technical and personal skills of the interviewers and stimulating the respondents' thought processes. There were also technical problems related to hardware, software and internet connections. There was an improvement in all 7 indicators of quality after the second QC. Training before and during a study, and individual feedback on the basis of a quantitative QC, can increase the validity of values obtained from generic questionnaires.

  18. Systems engineering and integration of control centers in support of multiple programs. [ground control for STS payloads and unmanned vehicles

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Miller, David N.

    1989-01-01

    The NASA Johnson Space Center's new Multiprogram Control Center (MPCC) addresses the control requirements of complex STS payloads as well as unmanned vehicles. An account is given of the relationship of the MPCC to the STS Mission Control Center, with a view to significant difficulties that may be encountered and solutions thus far devised for generic problems. Examples of MPCC workstation applications encompass telemetry decommutation, engineering unit conversion, data-base management, trajectory processing, and flight design.

  19. Solar heating and hot water system installed at Charlotte Memorial Hospital, Charlotte, North Carolina

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1981-01-01

    Detailed information regarding the design and installation of a heating and hot water system in a commercial application is given. This information includes descriptions of system and building, design philosophy, control logic operation modes, design and installation drawing and a brief description of problems encountered and their solutions.

  20. Effects of Students' Prior Knowledge on Scientific Reasoning in Density.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yang, Il-Ho; Kwon, Yong-Ju; Kim, Young-Shin; Jang, Myoung-Duk; Jeong, Jin-Woo; Park, Kuk-Tae

    2002-01-01

    Investigates the effects of students' prior knowledge on the scientific reasoning processes of performing the task of controlling variables with computer simulation and identifies a number of problems that students encounter in scientific discovery. Involves (n=27) 5th grade students and (n=33) 7th grade students. Indicates that students' prior…

  1. Lessons Learned from the Node 1 Atmosphere Control and Storage and Water Recovery and Management Subsystem Design

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Williams, David E.

    2010-01-01

    Node 1 flew to the International Space Station (ISS) on Flight 2A during December 1998. To date the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has learned a lot of lessons from this module based on its history of approximately two years of acceptance testing on the ground and currently its twelve years on-orbit. This paper will provide an overview of the ISS Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLS) design of the Node 1 Atmosphere Control and Storage (ACS) and Water Recovery and Management (WRM) subsystems and it will document some of the lessons that have been learned to date for these subsystems based on problems prelaunch, problems encountered on-orbit, and operational problems/concerns. It is hoped that documenting these lessons learned from ISS will help in preventing them in future Programs.

  2. Lessons Learned from the Node 1 Atmosphere Control and Storage and Water Recovery and Management Subsystem Design

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Williams, David E.

    2011-01-01

    Node 1 flew to the International Space Station (ISS) on Flight 2A during December 1998. To date the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has learned a lot of lessons from this module based on its history of approximately two years of acceptance testing on the ground and currently its twelve years on-orbit. This paper will provide an overview of the ISS Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLS) design of the Node 1 Atmosphere Control and Storage (ACS) and Water Recovery and Management (WRM) subsystems and it will document some of the lessons that have been learned to date for these subsystems based on problems prelaunch, problems encountered on-orbit, and operational problems/concerns. It is hoped that documenting these lessons learned from ISS will help in preventing them in future Programs.

  3. Implementation of the Tribally Controlled Community Colleges Assistance Act. Hearing Before the Select Committee on Indian Affairs, United States Senate, Ninety-Sixth Congress, Second Session on P.L. 95-471, The Tribally Controlled Community Colleges Assistance Act, June 10, 1980.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. Senate Select Committee on Indian Affairs.

    Meeting on June 10, 1980, the Select Committee on Indian Affairs heard testimony on the first-year implementation of Public Law 95-471, the Tribally Controlled Community Colleges Assistance Act of 1978. Testimony consisted of problems encountered during the first year, expectations for next year, and recommendations for change. The director of the…

  4. A Study on the Application of Creative Problem Solving Teaching to Statistics Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hu, Ridong; Xiaohui, Su; Shieh, Chich-Jen

    2017-01-01

    Everyone would encounter the life issue of solving complicated problems generated by economic behaviors among all activities for making a living. Various life problems encountered therefore could be generalized by economic statistics. In other words, a lot of important events in daily life are related to economic statistics. For this reason,…

  5. Problems Encountered by Novice Pair Programmers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hanks, Brian

    2008-01-01

    In a study of the types of problems encountered by students that led them to seek assistance, Robins et al. [2006] found that the most common problems were related to trivial mechanics. The students in this study worked by themselves on their programming exercises. This article discusses a replication of the Robins et al. study in which the…

  6. DTO-675: Voice Control of the Closed Circuit Television System

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Salazar, George; Gaston, Darilyn M.; Haynes, Dena S.

    1996-01-01

    This report presents the results of the Detail Test Object (DTO)-675 "Voice Control of the Closed Circuit Television (CCTV)" system. The DTO is a follow-on flight of the Voice Command System (VCS) that flew as a secondary payload on STS-41. Several design changes were made to the VCS for the STS-78 mission. This report discusses those design changes, the data collected during the mission, recognition problems encountered, and findings.

  7. Chemical water shutoff profile research status and development trends

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, L. T.

    2017-08-01

    Excess water production is now a common problem encountered in almost every water flooding mature oilfield. The exploitation of oil field is faced with great challenge because of the decrease of oil field production. For the development of high water cut rare the status quo chemical water shutoff profile control technology is an important solution to solve this problem. Oilfield chemical water shutoff has important application prospects. This paper analyzes the water shutoff profile control and water shutoff profile control agent currently oilfield applications, moreover the use and development of blocking agent profile technology is to improve reservoir recovery and propose solutions. With the constant increase in water cut, profile technology should be simple, efficient, practical and profile control agent of development should be economic, environmental, and long period

  8. Problems associated with the control of rodents in tropical Africa

    PubMed Central

    Gratz, N. G.; Arata, A. A.

    1975-01-01

    As elsewhere in the world, rodents are responsible for very considerable economic losses in tropical Africa because of their depredations on both growing crops and stored food products. Unfortunately, few accurate data are available on the extent of these losses but there is evidence that they are considerable. The public health importance of rodents, both as reservoirs and vectors of disease in tropical Africa, is also great; plague, leptospirosis, murine typhus, and Lassa fever are among the diseases associated with rodent hosts. Scientifically based rodent control programmes have been carried out in very few areas of Africa and there is urgent need for studies and demonstrations on rodent control in both urban and rural areas. The problems likely to be encountered are reviewed and methods of control proposed. PMID:1085224

  9. A Procedure for the Analysis of Time-Series Designs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Algina, James; Swaminathan, Hariharan

    1977-01-01

    One of the most frequently encountered problems in educational research and evaluation is that of evaluating the effect of a treatment in settings over which the researcher or evaluator has little control. A strong plea is made for use of quasi-experimental designs in these situations and this research provides a method of testing the hypothesis…

  10. Active vibration mitigation of distributed parameter, smart-type structures using Pseudo-Feedback Optimal Control (PFOC)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Patten, W. N.; Robertshaw, H. H.; Pierpont, D.; Wynn, R. H.

    1989-01-01

    A new, near-optimal feedback control technique is introduced that is shown to provide excellent vibration attenuation for those distributed parameter systems that are often encountered in the areas of aeroservoelasticity and large space systems. The technique relies on a novel solution methodology for the classical optimal control problem. Specifically, the quadratic regulator control problem for a flexible vibrating structure is first cast in a weak functional form that admits an approximate solution. The necessary conditions (first-order) are then solved via a time finite-element method. The procedure produces a low dimensional, algebraic parameterization of the optimal control problem that provides a rigorous basis for a discrete controller with a first-order like hold output. Simulation has shown that the algorithm can successfully control a wide variety of plant forms including multi-input/multi-output systems and systems exhibiting significant nonlinearities. In order to firmly establish the efficacy of the algorithm, a laboratory control experiment was implemented to provide planar (bending) vibration attenuation of a highly flexible beam (with a first clamped-free mode of approximately 0.5 Hz).

  11. Child temperament, parent emotions, and perceptions of the child's feeding experience.

    PubMed

    Hughes, Sheryl O; Shewchuk, Richard M

    2012-05-29

    Associations between parent and child characteristics and how they influence the approach parents take toward children in the feeding environment have not been examined extensively, especially in low-income minority families who are at a higher risk for obesity. The primary aim of the study was to examine positive and negative parent emotions as potential mediators of the relationship between child temperament and parents' perceptions of strategy effectiveness and problems encountered in feeding children fruit and vegetables. Participants were low-income families (n = 639, 73% minority, children aged 3-5 years) participating in Head Start programs in two states. Parents completed the Children's Behavior Questionnaire (CBQ), Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), and measures of strategy effectiveness (teachable moments, practical methods, restriction, and enhanced availability) and problems encountered (vegetable characteristics, child attributions for dislike, external influences, and parental demands) in feeding children fruit and vegetables. Positive parent emotions partially mediated the relationship between child Effortful Control and strategy effectiveness and fully mediated the relationship between Surgency and strategy effectiveness. Although negative parent emotions were associated with increased perception of problems in feeding children fruit and vegetables, the relationship between Negative Affectivity and problems in feeding was partially mediated by negative parent emotions. Positive parent emotions facilitated perceived effectiveness of feeding strategies, with child Effortful Control and Surgency instrumental to this process. Understanding mechanisms in parent-child feeding is important when developing interventions designed to promote healthy child eating behaviors.

  12. Lessons Learned from the Node 1 Temperature and Humidity Control Subsystem Design

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Williams, David E.

    2010-01-01

    Node 1 flew to the International Space Station (ISS) on Flight 2A during December 1998. To date the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has learned a lot of lessons from this module based on its history of approximately two years of acceptance testing on the ground and currently its twelve years on-orbit. This paper will provide an overview of the ISS Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLS) design of the Node 1 Temperature and Humidity Control (THC) subsystem and it will document some of the lessons that have been learned to date for this subsystem and it will document some of the lessons that have been learned to date for these subsystems based on problems prelaunch, problems encountered on-orbit, and operational problems/concerns. It is hoped that documenting these lessons learned from ISS will help in preventing them in future Programs. 1

  13. Improving stability margins in discrete-time LQG controllers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Oranc, B. Tarik; Phillips, Charles L.

    1987-01-01

    Some of the problems are discussed which are encountered in the design of discrete-time stochastic controllers for problems that may adequately be described by the Linear Quadratic Gaussian (LQG) assumptions; namely, the problems of obtaining acceptable relative stability, robustness, and disturbance rejection properties. A dynamic compensator is proposed to replace the optimal full state feedback regulator gains at steady state, provided that all states are measurable. The compensator increases the stability margins at the plant input, which may possibly be inadequate in practical applications. Though the optimal regulator has desirable properties the observer based controller as implemented with a Kalman filter, in a noisy environment, has inadequate stability margins. The proposed compensator is designed to match the return difference matrix at the plant input to that of the optimal regulator while maintaining the optimality of the state estimates as directed by the measurement noise characteristics.

  14. Flight-deck automation - Promises and problems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wiener, E. L.; Curry, R. E.

    1980-01-01

    The paper analyzes the role of human factors in flight-deck automation, identifies problem areas, and suggests design guidelines. Flight-deck automation using microprocessor technology and display systems improves performance and safety while leading to a decrease in size, cost, and power consumption. On the other hand negative factors such as failure of automatic equipment, automation-induced error compounded by crew error, crew error in equipment set-up, failure to heed automatic alarms, and loss of proficiency must also be taken into account. Among the problem areas discussed are automation of control tasks, monitoring of complex systems, psychosocial aspects of automation, and alerting and warning systems. Guidelines are suggested for designing, utilising, and improving control and monitoring systems. Investigation into flight-deck automation systems is important as the knowledge gained can be applied to other systems such as air traffic control and nuclear power generation, but the many problems encountered with automated systems need to be analyzed and overcome in future research.

  15. DSS 13 Microprocessor Antenna Controller

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gosline, R. M.

    1984-01-01

    A microprocessor based antenna controller system developed as part of the unattended station project for DSS 13 is described. Both the hardware and software top level designs are presented and the major problems encounted are discussed. Developments useful to related projects include a JPL standard 15 line interface using a single board computer, a general purpose parser, a fast floating point to ASCII conversion technique, and experience gained in using off board floating point processors with the 8080 CPU.

  16. Addressing Problems Encountered in Case-Based Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Turgeon, A. J.

    2007-01-01

    TURF 436 (Case Studies in Turfgrass Management) is the capstone course for turfgrass science majors at the Pennsylvania State University. Students are introduced to problems and complex problematic situations encountered in the management of golf and sports turf and in professional lawn-care operations. Following completion of the orientation case…

  17. Conquering common breast-feeding problems.

    PubMed

    Walker, Marsha

    2008-01-01

    Meeting mothers' personal breast-feeding goals depends on a number of factors, including the timely resolution of any problems she encounters. Nurses are often the first providers who interact with the mother during the perinatal period and are positioned to guide mothers through the prevention and solving of breast-feeding problems. Although many problems may be "common," failure to remedy conditions that cause pain, frustration, and anxiety can lead to premature weaning and avoidance of breast-feeding subsequent children. This article describes strategies and interventions to alleviate common problems that breast-feeding mothers frequently encounter.

  18. A study of ASRS reports involving general aviation and weather encounters

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rockwell, T. H.; Roach, D. E.; Griffin, W. C.

    1981-01-01

    Consideration is given to the nature and characteristics of problems involving dissemination of weather information, use of this information by pilots, its adequacy for the purpose intended, the ability of the air traffic control system to cope with weather related incidents, and the various aspects of pilot behavior, aircraft equipment, and NAVAIDS affecting flights in which weather figures. It is concluded from the study that skill and training deficiencies of general aviation pilots are not major factors in weather related occurrences, nor is lack of aircraft equipment. Major problem causes are identified with timely and easily interpreted weather information, judgement and attitude factors of pilots, and the functioning of the air traffic control system.

  19. A trial of direct control of pine engraver beetles on a small logging unit

    Treesearch

    W. L. Jackson

    1960-01-01

    Laboratory tests and small-scale field trials have shown the insecticide lindane to be highly toxic to pine engraver beetles. On the basis of that information, the insecticide was applied to fresh logging slash heavily infested with pine engraver beetles at Challenge Experimental Forest in 1959. Costs were reasonable and no insurmountable problems were encountered....

  20. Drilling and production aspects of horizontal wells in the Austin Chalk

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

    Sheikholeslami, B.A.; Scholhman, B.W.; Seidel, F.A.

    1991-07-01

    This paper discusses testing of horizontal technology for use in the highly fractured Giddings oil field. Three short-and seven medium-radius wells were drilled successfully in the Austin Chalk formation. The paper discusses well plans, bottomhole assemblies, trajectory control, telemetry, mud systems, hydraulics, hole cleaning, casing design, cementing, problems encountered, formation evaluation, completions, and reservoir response.

  1. A Study of the Causes of Physical and Emotional Problems Encountered by Older Women Returning to Secretarial Employment After A Prolonged Absence. Final Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lloyd, Glenna G.

    The problem of this study was to identify the cause of the physical and emotional problems encountered by older women who have returned to work after a prolonged absence. Such information, it was believed, would be valuable to business and educational institutions in retraining or updating prospective secretarial employees. Data for the study were…

  2. Approximation algorithms for planning and control

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Boddy, Mark; Dean, Thomas

    1989-01-01

    A control system operating in a complex environment will encounter a variety of different situations, with varying amounts of time available to respond to critical events. Ideally, such a control system will do the best possible with the time available. In other words, its responses should approximate those that would result from having unlimited time for computation, where the degree of the approximation depends on the amount of time it actually has. There exist approximation algorithms for a wide variety of problems. Unfortunately, the solution to any reasonably complex control problem will require solving several computationally intensive problems. Algorithms for successive approximation are a subclass of the class of anytime algorithms, algorithms that return answers for any amount of computation time, where the answers improve as more time is allotted. An architecture is described for allocating computation time to a set of anytime algorithms, based on expectations regarding the value of the answers they return. The architecture described is quite general, producing optimal schedules for a set of algorithms under widely varying conditions.

  3. Apollo experience report guidance and control systems: Primary guidance, navigation, and control system development

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Holley, M. D.; Swingle, W. L.; Bachman, S. L.; Leblanc, C. J.; Howard, H. T.; Biggs, H. M.

    1976-01-01

    The primary guidance, navigation, and control systems for both the lunar module and the command module are described. Development of the Apollo primary guidance systems is traced from adaptation of the Polaris Mark II system through evolution from Block I to Block II configurations; the discussion includes design concepts used, test and qualification programs performed, and major problems encountered. The major subsystems (inertial, computer, and optical) are covered. Separate sections on the inertial components (gyroscopes and accelerometers) are presented because these components represent a major contribution to the success of the primary guidance, navigation, and control system.

  4. Affirmative Action and Women in Higher Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hazzard, Terry

    The purposes of this paper are to: (1) discuss the historical development of women in higher education; (2) describe the implementation of federal policies for women; (3) focus on selected problems encountered by women in the work-place; and (4) offer recommendations and suggestions for eliminating some of the problems that women encounter. The…

  5. Dilemmas in the (un)veiling of the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease: walking an ethical and professional tight rope.

    PubMed

    Karnieli-Miller, Orit; Werner, Perla; Aharon-Peretz, Judith; Eidelman, Shmuel

    2007-08-01

    To enhance the understanding and effect of physician's difficulties, attitudes and communication styles on the disclosure of the diagnosis of AD in practice. Qualitative, phenomenological study, combining pre-encounter interviews with physicians, observations of actual encounters of diagnosis disclosure of AD, and post-encounter interviews. There were various ways or tactics to (un)veil the bad news that may be perceived as different ways of dulling the impact and avoiding full and therefore problematic statements. In the actual encounters this was accomplished by keeping encounters short, avoiding elaboration, confirmation of comprehension and explicit terminology and using fractured sentences. The present study's findings highlight the difficulties encountered in breaking the news about AD, in the way it is actually done, and the problems that may arise from this way of un/veiling the news. The main problem is that the reluctance to make a candid disclosure of the diagnosis as was demonstrated in this study may violate basic moral and legal rights and may also deprive patients and caregivers of some of the benefits of early disclosure of diagnosis. There is a need for assisting physicians to cope with their personal difficulties, problems and pitfalls in breaking the news.

  6. Chiropractic Observation and Analysis Study (COAST): providing an understanding of current chiropractic practice.

    PubMed

    French, Simon D; Charity, Melanie J; Forsdike, Kirsty; Gunn, Jane M; Polus, Barbara I; Walker, Bruce F; Chondros, Patty; Britt, Helena C

    2013-11-18

    COAST (Chiropractic Observation and Analysis Study) aimed to describe the clinical practices of chiropractors in Victoria, Australia. Cross-sectional study using the BEACH (Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health) methods for general practice. 180 chiropractors in active clinical practice in Victoria were randomly selected from the list of 1298 chiropractors registered on Chiropractors Registration Board of Victoria. Twenty-four chiropractors were ineligible, 72 agreed to participate, and 52 completed the study. Each participating chiropractor documented encounters with up to 100 consecutive patients. For each chiropractor-patient encounter, information collected included patient health profile, patient reasons for encounter, problems and diagnoses, and chiropractic care. Data were collected on 4464 chiropractor-patient encounters from 52 chiropractors between 11 December 2010 and 28 September 2012. In most (71%) encounters, patients were aged 25-64 years; 1% of encounters were with infants (age < 1 year; 95% CI, 0.3%-3.2%). Musculoskeletal reasons for encounter were described by patients at a rate of 60 per 100 encounters (95% CI, 54-67 encounters) and maintenance and wellness or check-up reasons were described at a rate of 39 per 100 encounters (95% CI, 33-47 encounters). Back problems were managed at a rate of 62 per 100 encounters (95% CI, 55-71 encounters). The most frequent care provided by the chiropractors was spinal manipulative therapy and massage. A range of conditions are managed by chiropractors in Victoria, Australia, but most commonly these conditions are musculoskeletal-related. These results can be used by stakeholders of the chiropractic profession in workforce development, education and health care policy.

  7. Video Modeling of SBIRT for Alcohol Use Disorders Increases Student Empathy in Standardized Patient Encounters.

    PubMed

    Crisafio, Anthony; Anderson, Victoria; Frank, Julia

    2018-04-01

    The purpose of this study was to assess the usefulness of adding video models of brief alcohol assessment and counseling to a standardized patient (SP) curriculum that covers and tests acquisition of this skill. The authors conducted a single-center, retrospective cohort study of third- and fourth-year medical students between 2013 and 2015. All students completed a standardized patient (SP) encounter illustrating the diagnosis of alcohol use disorder, followed by an SP exam on the same topic. Beginning in August 2014, the authors supplemented the existing formative SP exercise on problem drinking with one of two 5-min videos demonstrating screening, brief intervention, and referral for treatment (SBIRT). P values and Z tests were performed to evaluate differences between students who did and did not see the video in knowledge and skills related to alcohol use disorders. One hundred ninety-four students were included in this analysis. Compared to controls, subjects did not differ in their ability to uncover and accurately characterize an alcohol problem during a standardized encounter (mean exam score 41.29 vs 40.93, subject vs control, p = 0.539). However, the SPs' rating of students' expressions of empathy were significantly higher for the group who saw the video (81.63 vs 69.79%, p < 0.05). The findings did not confirm the original hypothesis that the videos would improve students' recognition and knowledge of alcohol-related conditions. However, feedback from the SPs produced the serendipitous finding that the communication skills demonstrated in the videos had a sustained effect in enhancing students' professional behavior.

  8. Barriers to Employment for Transition-age Youth with Developmental and Psychiatric Disabilities.

    PubMed

    Noel, Valerie A; Oulvey, Eugene; Drake, Robert E; Bond, Gary R

    2017-05-01

    Youth with developmental and psychiatric disabilities encounter significant vocational challenges, even when they receive supported employment services. We examined the barriers to employment for 280 transition-age youth with disabilities enrolled in supported employment in eight community rehabilitation centers. Employment team members identified each youth's top three barriers to employment using a 21-item checklist. Lack of work experience, transportation problems, and program engagement issues represented common barriers for both youth with developmental disabilities (53, 36, and 25%) and youth with psychiatric disabilities (20, 33, and 26%). Additional common barriers among youth with developmental disabilities included cognitive problems (32%) and lack of social skills (23%) and among youth with psychiatric disabilities included poor control of psychiatric symptoms (23%). Despite receiving evidence-based employment services, youth with disabilities encounter many barriers to employment. Awareness of typical barriers for transition-age youth, including those specific to different disability groups, may help employment programs anticipate challenges and develop strategies that avoid these barriers and their effects on employment opportunities.

  9. The Problem-Based Learning Process: Reflections of Pre-Service Elementary School Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Baysal, Zeliha Nurdan

    2017-01-01

    This study aims to identify the benefits acquired by third-year pre-service elementary school teachers participating in a problem-based learning process in social studies education, the issues they encountered in that process and those they are likely to encounter, and their feelings about the process. Semi-structured interviews were used as one…

  10. Cryogenic Test Technology 1984.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1985-04-01

    requirements. The material selection for the Pathfinder I was further restricted by long delivery times before Nitronic 40 was chosen. The alloys under...severe requirements of cryogenic model building. A detailed study of the characteristics of Nitronic 40 is reported in reference 36. This paper, and...remarks elsewhere about experience with Pathfinder I (made from Nitronic 40 ), suggest that quality control problems were encountered with at least one batch

  11. Tribally Controlled Community College Assistance Act of 1978, Public Law 95-471. Fiscal Year 1980 Report to the Congress of the United States of America.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    1982

    During the first year of operation under the Act, major problems encountered focused on: (1) defining the terms "full time equivalent" (FTE) student for purposes of per capita financial support to approved institutions; (2) the planning, conduct, and analyses of feasibility studies to better specify the constituent population and their…

  12. Sims Prototype System 2 test results: Engineering analysis

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1978-01-01

    The testing, problems encountered, and the results and conclusions obtained from tests performed on the IBM Prototype System, 2, solar hot water system, at the Marshall Space Flight Center Solar Test Facility was described. System 2 is a liquid, non draining solar energy system for supplying domestic hot water to single residences. The system consists of collectors, storage tank, heat exchanger, pumps and associated plumbing and controls.

  13. Word problems: a review of linguistic and numerical factors contributing to their difficulty

    PubMed Central

    Daroczy, Gabriella; Wolska, Magdalena; Meurers, Walt Detmar; Nuerk, Hans-Christoph

    2015-01-01

    Word problems (WPs) belong to the most difficult and complex problem types that pupils encounter during their elementary-level mathematical development. In the classroom setting, they are often viewed as merely arithmetic tasks; however, recent research shows that a number of linguistic verbal components not directly related to arithmetic contribute greatly to their difficulty. In this review, we will distinguish three components of WP difficulty: (i) the linguistic complexity of the problem text itself, (ii) the numerical complexity of the arithmetic problem, and (iii) the relation between the linguistic and numerical complexity of a problem. We will discuss the impact of each of these factors on WP difficulty and motivate the need for a high degree of control in stimuli design for experiments that manipulate WP difficulty for a given age group. PMID:25883575

  14. Wireless sensing and vibration control with increased redundancy and robustness design.

    PubMed

    Li, Peng; Li, Luyu; Song, Gangbing; Yu, Yan

    2014-11-01

    Control systems with long distance sensor and actuator wiring have the problem of high system cost and increased sensor noise. Wireless sensor network (WSN)-based control systems are an alternative solution involving lower setup and maintenance costs and reduced sensor noise. However, WSN-based control systems also encounter problems such as possible data loss, irregular sampling periods (due to the uncertainty of the wireless channel), and the possibility of sensor breakdown (due to the increased complexity of the overall control system). In this paper, a wireless microcontroller-based control system is designed and implemented to wirelessly perform vibration control. The wireless microcontroller-based system is quite different from regular control systems due to its limited speed and computational power. Hardware, software, and control algorithm design are described in detail to demonstrate this prototype. Model and system state compensation is used in the wireless control system to solve the problems of data loss and sensor breakdown. A positive position feedback controller is used as the control law for the task of active vibration suppression. Both wired and wireless controllers are implemented. The results show that the WSN-based control system can be successfully used to suppress the vibration and produces resilient results in the presence of sensor failure.

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

    Pin, F.G.; Bender, S.R.

    Most fuzzy logic-based reasoning schemes developed for robot control are fully reactive, i.e., the reasoning modules consist of fuzzy rule bases that represent direct mappings from the stimuli provided by the perception systems to the responses implemented by the motion controllers. Due to their totally reactive nature, such reasoning systems can encounter problems such as infinite loops and limit cycles. In this paper, we proposed an approach to remedy these problems by adding a memory and memory-related behaviors to basic reactive systems. Three major types of memory behaviors are addressed: memory creation, memory management, and memory utilization. These are firstmore » presented, and examples of their implementation for the recognition of limit cycles during the navigation of an autonomous robot in a priori unknown environments are then discussed.« less

  16. Robust intelligent flight control for hypersonic vehicles. Ph.D. Thesis - Massachusetts Inst. of Technology

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chamitoff, Gregory Errol

    1992-01-01

    Intelligent optimization methods are applied to the problem of real-time flight control for a class of airbreathing hypersonic vehicles (AHSV). The extreme flight conditions that will be encountered by single-stage-to-orbit vehicles, such as the National Aerospace Plane, present a tremendous challenge to the entire spectrum of aerospace technologies. Flight control for these vehicles is particularly difficult due to the combination of nonlinear dynamics, complex constraints, and parametric uncertainty. An approach that utilizes all available a priori and in-flight information to perform robust, real time, short-term trajectory planning is presented.

  17. Ability of Social Work Students to Determine the Appropriateness of Solutions to Problems Encountered in Social Work Practice.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sturges, Jack; Yarbrough, Roy D.

    The purpose of this study was to determine whether there was an association between the amount of formal social work education completed and ability of students to judge the degree of appropriateness of proposed solutions to problems frequently encountered in social work practice, and secondarily to determine whether students' judgments of problem…

  18. Mothers' Perceptions of Citizenship, Practices for Developing Citizenship Conscience of Their Children and Problems They Encountered

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ersoy, A. Figen

    2012-01-01

    Family plays an important role in the development of citizenship awareness of children. The purpose of the present study is to figure out the citizenship perceptions of mothers, their practices for developing citizenship conscience of their children and to explore the problems they have encountered. In this study, critical case sampling method has…

  19. Tactics Employed and Problems Encountered by University English Majors in Hong Kong in Using a Dictionary

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chan, Alice Yin Wa

    2005-01-01

    Building on the results of a small-scale survey which investigated the general use of dictionaries by university English majors in Hong Kong using a questionnaire survey and their specific use of dictionaries using an error correction task, this article discusses the tactics these students employed and the problems they encountered when using a…

  20. [Application progress on near infrared spectroscopy in quality control and process monitoring of traditional Chinese medicine].

    PubMed

    Li, Wenlong; Qu, Haibin

    2017-01-25

    The industry of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) encounters problems like quality fluctuation of raw materials and unstandardized production process. Near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy technology is widely used in quality control of TCM because of its abundant information, fast and nondestructive characters. The main applications include quantitative analysis of Chinese medicinal materials, intermediates and Chinese patent medicines; the authenticity of TCM, species, origins and manufacturers; monitoring and control of the extraction, alcohol precipitation, column chromatography and blending process. This article reviews the progress on the application of NIR spectroscopy technology in TCM field. In view of the problems existing in the application, the article proposes that the standardization of NIR analysis method should be developed according to specific characteristics of TCM, which will promote the application of NIR technology in the TCM industry.

  1. An adaptive robust controller for time delay maglev transportation systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Milani, Reza Hamidi; Zarabadipour, Hassan; Shahnazi, Reza

    2012-12-01

    For engineering systems, uncertainties and time delays are two important issues that must be considered in control design. Uncertainties are often encountered in various dynamical systems due to modeling errors, measurement noises, linearization and approximations. Time delays have always been among the most difficult problems encountered in process control. In practical applications of feedback control, time delay arises frequently and can severely degrade closed-loop system performance and in some cases, drives the system to instability. Therefore, stability analysis and controller synthesis for uncertain nonlinear time-delay systems are important both in theory and in practice and many analytical techniques have been developed using delay-dependent Lyapunov function. In the past decade the magnetic and levitation (maglev) transportation system as a new system with high functionality has been the focus of numerous studies. However, maglev transportation systems are highly nonlinear and thus designing controller for those are challenging. The main topic of this paper is to design an adaptive robust controller for maglev transportation systems with time-delay, parametric uncertainties and external disturbances. In this paper, an adaptive robust control (ARC) is designed for this purpose. It should be noted that the adaptive gain is derived from Lyapunov-Krasovskii synthesis method, therefore asymptotic stability is guaranteed.

  2. Dynamic simulation solves process control problem in Oman

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

    NONE

    1998-11-16

    A dynamic simulation study solved the process control problems for a Saih Rawl, Oman, gas compressor station operated by Petroleum Development of Oman (PDO). PDO encountered persistent compressor failure that caused frequent facility shutdowns, oil production deferment, and gas flaring. It commissioned MSE (Consultants) Ltd., U.K., to find a solution for the problem. Saih Rawl, about 40 km from Qarn Alam, produces oil and associated gas from a large number of low and high-pressure wells. Oil and gas are separated in three separators. The oil is pumped to Qarn Alam for treatment and export. Associated gas is compressed in twomore » parallel trains. Train K-1115 is a 350,000 standard cu m/day, four-stage reciprocating compressor driven by a fixed-speed electric motor. Train K-1120 is a 1 million standard cu m/day, four-stage reciprocating compressor driven by a fixed-speed electric motor. Train K-1120 is a 1 million standard cu m/day, four-stage centrifugal compressor driven by a variable-speed motor. The paper describes tripping and surging problems with the gas compressor and the control simplifications that solved the problem.« less

  3. Magsat attitude dynamics and control: Some observations and explanations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Stengle, T. H.

    1980-01-01

    Before its reentry 7 months after launch, Magsat transmitted an abundance of valuable data for mapping the Earth's magnetic field. As an added benefit, a wealth of attitude data for study by spacecraft dynamicists was also collected. Because of its unique configuration, Magsat presented new control problems. With its aerodynamic trim boom, attitude control was given an added dimension. Minimization of attitude drift, which could be mapped in relative detail, became the goal. Momentum control, which was accomplished by pitching the spacecraft in order to balance aerodynamic and gravity gradient torques, was seldom difficult to achieve. Several interesting phenomena observed as part of this activity included occasional momentum wheel instability and a rough correlation between solar flux and the pitch angle required to maintain acceptable momentum. An overview is presented of the attitude behavior of Magsat and some of the control problems encountered. Plausible explanations for some of this behavior are offered. Some of the control philosophy used during the mission is examined and aerodynamic trimming operations are summarized.

  4. Cancellation control law for lateral-directional dynamics of a supermaneuverable aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Snell, Antony

    1993-01-01

    Cancellation control laws are designed which reduce the high levels of lateral acceleration encountered during aggressive rolling maneuvers executed at high angle of attack. Two independent problem are examined. One is to reduce lateral acceleration at the mass center, while the other focuses on lateral acceleration at the pilot's station, located 7.0 m forward of the mass center. Both of these problems are challenging and somewhat different in their limitations. In each case the design is based on a linearization of the lateral-directional dynamics about a high angle of attack condition. The controllers incorporate dynamic inversion inner loops to provide control of stability-axis roll- and yaw-rates and then employ cancellation filters in both feed-forward and feed-back signal paths. The relative simplicity of the control laws should allow nonlinear generalizations to be devised. Although it is shown that lateral acceleration can be reduced substantially by such control laws, this is at the cost of slowed roll response, poor dutch-roll damping or a combination of the two.

  5. Diabetes in pregnancy.

    PubMed

    Spearing, G J

    1977-10-01

    Diabetes, while at one time a rarity in pregnancy, is now one of the more common medical problems encountered by the obstetrician. Immaculate control is essential and can only be accomplished by close co-operation between the patient and all her medical attendants. The patient can then anticipate an almost trouble free pregnancy and should deliver a baby of normal weight with none of the usual stigmata associated with babies of diabetic mothers.

  6. Development of a Prototype Human Resources Data Handbook for Systems Engineering: An Application to Fire Control Systems. Final Report for Period October 1971-June 1975.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reed, Lawrence E.; And Others

    The methods and problems encountered in the development of a prototype human resources data handbook are discussed. The goal of the research was to determine whether it was feasible to consolidate, in a single comprehensive handbook, human resources data applicable to system design and development. Selected for this purpose were data on the…

  7. Important factors in the maximum likelihood analysis of flight test maneuvers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Iliff, K. W.; Maine, R. E.; Montgomery, T. D.

    1979-01-01

    The information presented is based on the experience in the past 12 years at the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center of estimating stability and control derivatives from over 3500 maneuvers from 32 aircraft. The overall approach to the analysis of dynamic flight test data is outlined. General requirements for data and instrumentation are discussed and several examples of the types of problems that may be encountered are presented.

  8. Some design considerations for a synthetic aperture optical telescope array

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Scott, P. W.

    1984-01-01

    Several design considerations inherent in the configuration of phased array transmission of multiwavelength laser beams are discussed. Attention is focused on the U.S.A.F. phased array (PHASAR) demonstration project, where problems have been encountered in dividing the beam(s), controlling the optical path differences between subapertures, and expanding individual beams.A piston-driven path length adjustment mechanism has been selected, along with an active control system and proven components for stability maintenance. The necessity of developing broadband, high reflectivity low phase shift coatings for the system mirrors is stressed.

  9. Exploring violence exposure, stress, protective factors and behavioral problems among inner-city youth.

    PubMed

    Youngstrom, Eric; Weist, Mark D; Albus, Kathleen E

    2003-09-01

    This study examined relationships between violence exposure, other stressors, family support, and self-concept on self-reported behavioral problems among 320 urban adolescents (aged 11-18) referred for mental health treatment. Overall, participants reported high levels of violence exposure, with a median of six past encounters with violence as a witness, victim, or through the experiences of associates. All forms of violence exposure (witnessing, being a victim, knowing of victims) were correlated with internalizing and externalizing behavioral problems for males and females. Total violence exposure predicted behavioral problems among participants, even after controlling for the effects of other risk, demographic and protective factors. Family support and self-concept moderated the influence of life stress and cumulative risk on problem behavior outcomes, but these protective variables did not significantly moderate violence exposure.

  10. Mechanical problem-solving strategies in left-brain damaged patients and apraxia of tool use.

    PubMed

    Osiurak, François; Jarry, Christophe; Lesourd, Mathieu; Baumard, Josselin; Le Gall, Didier

    2013-08-01

    Left brain damage (LBD) can impair the ability to use familiar tools (apraxia of tool use) as well as novel tools to solve mechanical problems. Thus far, the emphasis has been placed on quantitative analyses of patients' performance. Nevertheless, the question still to be answered is, what are the strategies employed by those patients when confronted with tool use situations? To answer it, we asked 16 LBD patients and 43 healthy controls to solve mechanical problems by means of several potential tools. To specify the strategies, we recorded the time spent in performing four kinds of action (no manipulation, tool manipulation, box manipulation, and tool-box manipulation) as well as the number of relevant and irrelevant tools grasped. We compared LBD patients' performance with that of controls who encountered difficulties with the task (controls-) or not (controls+). Our results indicated that LBD patients grasped a higher number of irrelevant tools than controls+ and controls-. Concerning time allocation, controls+ and controls- spent significantly more time in performing tool-box manipulation than LBD patients. These results are inconsistent with the possibility that LBD patients could engage in trial-and-error strategies and, rather, suggest that they tend to be perplexed. These findings seem to indicate that the inability to reason about the objects' physical properties might prevent LBD patients from following any problem-solving strategy. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Analysis of the Problems Encountered in Education of Teachers and Solution Recommendations in Accordance with the Opinions of Faculty of Education Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sahan, Gülsün

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to put forth the problems encountered in education of teachers and solution recommendations in accordance with the opinions of faculty of education students. Within this framework, the opinions of 182 first grade students from the departments of classroom, social sciences, science and mathematics teaching at Bartin…

  12. The work of nurses in Australian general practice: A national survey.

    PubMed

    Joyce, Catherine M; Piterman, Leon

    2011-01-01

    Following recent reforms to Australia's health system, nurses now comprise a significant and growing sector of the Australian primary care workforce, but there is little data describing the services they provide. This study aimed to describe the patient consultations of nurses in Australian general practice, including patient characteristics, reasons for the consultation, treatments provided and other actions taken. The study was a national cross-sectional survey, with each participating nurse collecting information about 50 nurse-patient encounters. General practice settings in all regions of Australia. 108 nurses volunteered in response to advertisements and 104 returned completed study materials. Participants included Registered (Division 1) and Enrolled (Division 2) nurses working in a general practice setting. Data were collected between May 2007 and May 2008 using a profile questionnaire and a series of encounter forms. Information was gathered on reasons for encounter, patient characteristics, and actions taken. Data were classified using the International Classification of Primary Care. The final data set included 5,253 nurse-patient encounters. 37.2% of patients (95% CI 33.3-41.2) were aged 65 and over, and 57.1% were female (95% CI 54.9-59.5). The majority of encounters (90.7%) were with existing patients of the practice (95% CI 89.1-92.7). The most common reasons for encounter were general and unspecified problems (35.4 per 100 encounters; 95% CI 31.8-39.1), followed by skin-related problems (20.0; 95% CI 17.3-22.8), and cardiovascular problems (11.0; 95% CI 8.7-13.3). Common management actions included medical examinations (20.7 per 100 encounters), immunisations (22.5), diagnostic tests (10.6), and dressings (15.8). Approximately 30% of encounters involved advice-giving. The findings confirm the generalist nature of the General Practice Nurse role, with a wide range of patient types and clinical conditions. There is a clear influence of current funding and organisational arrangements on work patterns, with tasks that have specific funding (including immunisations and wound care) featuring prominently in nurses' work. Whilst nurses' rates for presenting conditions were similar to doctors at a general level, specific actions taken and problems managed differed. New policy reforms in Australia are supporting greater flexibility in the General Practice Nurse role, maximising efficient use of nurses' skills in the primary health care context. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Quadratic constrained mixed discrete optimization with an adiabatic quantum optimizer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chandra, Rishabh; Jacobson, N. Tobias; Moussa, Jonathan E.; Frankel, Steven H.; Kais, Sabre

    2014-07-01

    We extend the family of problems that may be implemented on an adiabatic quantum optimizer (AQO). When a quadratic optimization problem has at least one set of discrete controls and the constraints are linear, we call this a quadratic constrained mixed discrete optimization (QCMDO) problem. QCMDO problems are NP-hard, and no efficient classical algorithm for their solution is known. Included in the class of QCMDO problems are combinatorial optimization problems constrained by a linear partial differential equation (PDE) or system of linear PDEs. An essential complication commonly encountered in solving this type of problem is that the linear constraint may introduce many intermediate continuous variables into the optimization while the computational cost grows exponentially with problem size. We resolve this difficulty by developing a constructive mapping from QCMDO to quadratic unconstrained binary optimization (QUBO) such that the size of the QUBO problem depends only on the number of discrete control variables. With a suitable embedding, taking into account the physical constraints of the realizable coupling graph, the resulting QUBO problem can be implemented on an existing AQO. The mapping itself is efficient, scaling cubically with the number of continuous variables in the general case and linearly in the PDE case if an efficient preconditioner is available.

  14. Recent experience in simultaneous control-structure optimization

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Salama, M.; Ramaker, R.; Milman, M.

    1989-01-01

    To show the feasibility of simultaneous optimization as design procedure, low order problems were used in conjunction with simple control formulations. The numerical results indicate that simultaneous optimization is not only feasible, but also advantageous. Such advantages come at the expense of introducing complexities beyond those encountered in structure optimization alone, or control optimization alone. Examples include: larger design parameter space, optimization may combine continuous and combinatoric variables, and the combined objective function may be nonconvex. Future extensions to include large order problems, more complex objective functions and constraints, and more sophisticated control formulations will require further research to ensure that the additional complexities do not outweigh the advantages of simultaneous optimization. Some areas requiring more efficient tools than currently available include: multiobjective criteria and nonconvex optimization. Efficient techniques to deal with optimization over combinatoric and continuous variables, and with truncation issues for structure and control parameters of both the model space as well as the design space need to be developed.

  15. Determining problems experienced by student nurses in their work with clinical educators in Turkey.

    PubMed

    Elcigil, Ayfer; Yildirim Sari, Hatice

    2007-07-01

    Clinical education is considered an indispensable and vital part of nursing education. Educators have an important role in the successful completion of a student's clinical education. The clinical educator's approach, experience and knowledge have an influence on the students. Students encounter certain problems during their clinical practice under the supervision of educators. This study was conducted to determine the nature of the problems student nurses encounter during clinical training in Turkey. The focus-group interviews were used for this study. Three groups of 8, a total group of 24, composed of students completing their third year were included in the interviews. The students in this study had completed their practical training in the departments of internal medicine, surgery, pediatrics, psychiatry and public health. Among the problems mostly encountered by students, as established by the study, were inadequate assessment by the clinical educator, judgment, negative feedback, communication problems, inadequate guidance and overload. At the end of the research, recommendations were that educators should offer information in the direction of student expectations, increase their positive feedback and lighten the academic workload of these students.

  16. Intelligent on-line fault tolerant control for unanticipated catastrophic failures.

    PubMed

    Yen, Gary G; Ho, Liang-Wei

    2004-10-01

    As dynamic systems become increasingly complex, experience rapidly changing environments, and encounter a greater variety of unexpected component failures, solving the control problems of such systems is a grand challenge for control engineers. Traditional control design techniques are not adequate to cope with these systems, which may suffer from unanticipated dynamic failures. In this research work, we investigate the on-line fault tolerant control problem and propose an intelligent on-line control strategy to handle the desired trajectories tracking problem for systems suffering from various unanticipated catastrophic faults. Through theoretical analysis, the sufficient condition of system stability has been derived and two different on-line control laws have been developed. The approach of the proposed intelligent control strategy is to continuously monitor the system performance and identify what the system's current state is by using a fault detection method based upon our best knowledge of the nominal system and nominal controller. Once a fault is detected, the proposed intelligent controller will adjust its control signal to compensate for the unknown system failure dynamics by using an artificial neural network as an on-line estimator to approximate the unexpected and unknown failure dynamics. The first control law is derived directly from the Lyapunov stability theory, while the second control law is derived based upon the discrete-time sliding mode control technique. Both control laws have been implemented in a variety of failure scenarios to validate the proposed intelligent control scheme. The simulation results, including a three-tank benchmark problem, comply with theoretical analysis and demonstrate a significant improvement in trajectory following performance based upon the proposed intelligent control strategy.

  17. The Library and Human Memory. Final Report on Mechanized Information Services in the University Library, Phase I - Planning. Part 13.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Norman, Donald A.

    This paper discusses the differences between the storage problems encountered in a large library and those encountered in the human memory. Some of the properties of the human memory system and some of the major issues which affect the interaction between human users and the existing library systems are outlined. The problem of browsing is used as…

  18. Experimental Replication of an Aeroengine Combustion Instability

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cohen, J. M.; Hibshman, J. R.; Proscia, W.; Rosfjord, T. J.; Wake, B. E.; McVey, J. B.; Lovett, J.; Ondas, M.; DeLaat, J.; Breisacher, K.

    2000-01-01

    Combustion instabilities in gas turbine engines are most frequently encountered during the late phases of engine development, at which point they are difficult and expensive to fix. The ability to replicate an engine-traceable combustion instability in a laboratory-scale experiment offers the opportunity to economically diagnose the problem (to determine the root cause), and to investigate solutions to the problem, such as active control. The development and validation of active combustion instability control requires that the causal dynamic processes be reproduced in experimental test facilities which can be used as a test bed for control system evaluation. This paper discusses the process through which a laboratory-scale experiment was designed to replicate an instability observed in a developmental engine. The scaling process used physically-based analyses to preserve the relevant geometric, acoustic and thermo-fluid features. The process increases the probability that results achieved in the single-nozzle experiment will be scalable to the engine.

  19. Auto-tuning for NMR probe using LabVIEW

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Quen, Carmen; Pham, Stephanie; Bernal, Oscar

    2014-03-01

    Typical manual NMR-tuning method is not suitable for broadband spectra spanning several megahertz linewidths. Among the main problems encountered during manual tuning are pulse-power reproducibility, baselines, and transmission line reflections, to name a few. We present a design of an auto-tuning system using graphic programming language, LabVIEW, to minimize these problems. The program uses a simplified model of the NMR probe conditions near perfect tuning to mimic the tuning process and predict the position of the capacitor shafts needed to achieve the desirable impedance. The tuning capacitors of the probe are controlled by stepper motors through a LabVIEW/computer interface. Our program calculates the effective capacitance needed to tune the probe and provides controlling parameters to advance the motors in the right direction. The impedance reading of a network analyzer can be used to correct the model parameters in real time for feedback control.

  20. A rotating electrical transfer device

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Porter, R. S.

    1985-01-01

    The design, development, and performance characteristics of two roll ring configurations - a roll ring being a device used in transferring electrical energy across a continuously rotating or oscillating interface through one or more flexible rolling contacts, or flexures are described. Emphasis is placed on the design problems and solutions encountered during development in the areas of flexure fatigue, contact electroplating, electrical noise, and control of interface geometry. Also, the present status of each configuration is summarized.

  1. PFERD Mission: Pluto Flyby Exploration/Research Design

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lemke, Gary; Zayed, Husni; Herring, Jason; Fuehne, Doug; Sutton, Kevin; Sharkey, Mike

    1990-01-01

    The Pluto Flyby Exploration/Research Design (PFERD) mission will consist of a flyby spacecraft to Pluto and its satellite, Charon. The mission lifetime is expected to be 18 years. The Titan 4 with a Centaur upper stage will be utilized to launch the craft into the transfer orbit. The proposal was divided into six main subsystems: (1) scientific instrumentation; (2) command, communications, and control: (3) altitude and articulation control; (4) power and propulsion; (5) structures and thermal control; and (6) mission management and costing. Tradeoff studies were performed to optimize all factors of design, including survivability, performance, cost, and weight. Problems encountered in the design are also presented.

  2. Outcomes of planetary close encounters - A systematic comparison of methodologies

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Greenberg, Richard; Carusi, Andrea; Valsecchi, G. B.

    1988-01-01

    Several methods for estimating the outcomes of close planetary encounters are compared on the basis of the numerical integration of a range of encounter types. An attempt is made to lay the foundation for the development of predictive rules concerning the encounter outcomes applicable to the refinement of the statistical mechanics that apply to planet-formation and similar problems concerning planetary swarms. Attention is given to Oepik's (1976) formulation of the two-body approximation, whose predicted motion differs from the correct three-body behavior.

  3. NASA technical advances in aircraft occupant safety. [clear air turbulence detectors, fire resistant materials, and crashworthiness

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Enders, J. H.

    1978-01-01

    NASA's aviation safety technology program examines specific safety problems associated with atmospheric hazards, crash-fire survival, control of aircraft on runways, human factors, terminal area operations hazards, and accident factors simulation. While aircraft occupants are ultimately affected by any of these hazards, their well-being is immediately impacted by three specific events: unexpected turbulence encounters, fire and its effects, and crash impact. NASA research in the application of laser technology to the problem of clear air turbulence detection, the development of fire resistant materials for aircraft construction, and to the improvement of seats and restraint systems to reduce crash injuries are reviewed.

  4. Optical navigation during the Voyager Neptune encounter

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Riedel, J. E.; Owen, W. M., Jr.; Stuve, J. A.; Synnott, S. P.; Vaughan, R. M.

    1990-01-01

    Optical navigation techniques were required to successfully complete the planetary exploration phase of the NASA deep-space Voyager mission. The last of Voyager's planetary encounters, with Neptune, posed unique problems from an optical navigation standpoint. In this paper we briefly review general aspects of the optical navigation process as practiced during the Voyager mission, and discuss in detail particular features of the Neptune encounter which affected optical navigation. New approaches to the centerfinding problem were developed for both stars and extended bodies, and these are described. Results of the optical navigation data analysis are presented, as well as a description of the optical orbit determination system and results of its use during encounter. Partially as a result of the optical navigation processing, results of scientific significance were obtained. These results include the discovery and orbit determination of several new satellites of Neptune and the determination of the size of Triton, Neptune's largest moon.

  5. Educational achievement in Swiss childhood cancer survivors compared with the general population.

    PubMed

    Kuehni, Claudia E; Strippoli, Marie-Pierre F; Rueegg, Corina S; Rebholz, Cornelia E; Bergstraesser, Eva; Grotzer, Michael; von der Weid, Nicolas X; Michel, Gisela

    2012-03-01

    The objective of this study was to describe educational achievements of childhood cancer survivors in Switzerland compared with the general population. In particular, the authors investigated educational problems during childhood, final educational achievement in adulthood, and its predictors. Childhood cancer survivors who were aged <16 years at diagnosis from 1976 to 2003 who had survived for ≥5 years and were currently ages 20 to 40 years received a postal questionnaire during 2007 to 2009. Controls were respondents of the Swiss Health Survey ages 20 to 40 years. Educational achievement included compulsory schooling, vocational training, upper secondary schooling, and university degree. The analysis was weighted to optimize comparability of the populations. The authors analyzed the association between demographic and clinical predictors and educational achievement using multivariable logistic regression. Subgroup analyses focused on survivors aged ≥27 years. One-third of survivors encountered educational problems during schooling (30% repeated 1 year, and 35% received supportive tutoring). In the total sample, more survivors than controls achieved compulsory schooling only (8.7% vs 5.2%) and fewer acquired a university degree (7.3% vs 11%), but more survivors than controls achieved an upper secondary education (36.1 vs 24.1%). In those aged ≥27 years, differences in compulsory schooling and university education largely disappeared. In survivors and controls, sex, nationality, language region, and migration background were strong predictors of achievement. Survivors of central nervous system tumors or those who had a relapse had poorer outcomes (P < .05). Childhood cancer survivors encountered problems during schooling and completed professional education with some delay. However, with the exception of patients who had central nervous system tumors and those who experienced a relapse, the final educational achievement in survivors of child cancer was comparable to that of the general population. Copyright © 2011 American Cancer Society.

  6. Active Vibration Control of Hydrodynamic Journal Bearings

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tůma, J.; Šimek, J.; Škuta, J.; Los, J.; Zavadil, J.

    Rotor instability is one of the most serious problems of high-speed rotors supported by sliding bearings. With constantly increasing parameters, new machines problems with rotor instability are encountered more and more often. Even though there are many solutions based on passive improvement of the bearing geometry to enlarge the operational speed range of the journal bearing, the paper deals with a working prototype of a system for the active vibration control of journal bearings with the use of piezoactuators. The actively controlled journal bearing consists of a movable bushing, which is actuated by two piezoactuators. It is assumed that the journal vibration is measured by a pair of proximity probes. Force produced by piezoactuators and acting at the bushing is controlled according to error signals derived from the proximity probe output signals. The active vibration control was tested with the use of a test rig, which consists of a rotor supported by two controllable journal bearings and driven by an inductive motor up to 23,000 rpm. As it was proved by experiments the active vibration control extends considerably the range of the rotor operational speed.

  7. Safety management in multiemployer worksites in the manufacturing industry: opinions on co-operation and problems encountered.

    PubMed

    Nenonen, Sanna; Vasara, Juha

    2013-01-01

    Co-operation between different parties and effective safety management play an important role in ensuring safety in multiemployer worksites. This article reviews safety co-operation and factors complicating safety management in Finnish multiemployer manufacturing worksites. The paper focuses on the service providers' opinions; however, a comparison of the customers' views is also presented. The results show that safety-related co-operation between providers and customers is generally considered as successful but strongly dependent on the partner. Safety co-operation is provided through, e.g., training, orientation and risk analysis. Problems encountered include ensuring adequate communication, identifying hazards, co-ordinating work tasks and determining responsibilities. The providers and the customers encounter similar safety management problems. The results presented in this article can help companies to focus their efforts on the most problematic points of safety management and to avoid common pitfalls.

  8. The dynamics of search, impasse, and representational change provide a coherent explanation of difficulty in the nine-dot problem.

    PubMed

    Öllinger, Michael; Jones, Gary; Knoblich, Günther

    2014-03-01

    The nine-dot problem is often used to demonstrate and explain mental impasse, creativity, and out of the box thinking. The present study investigated the interplay of a restricted initial search space, the likelihood of invoking a representational change, and the subsequent constraining of an unrestricted search space. In three experimental conditions, participants worked on different versions of the nine-dot problem that hinted at removing particular sources of difficulty from the standard problem. The hints were incremental such that the first suggested a possible route for a solution attempt; the second additionally indicated the dot at which lines meet on the solution path; and the final condition also provided non-dot locations that appear in the solution path. The results showed that in the experimental conditions, representational change is encountered more quickly and problems are solved more often than for the control group. We propose a cognitive model that focuses on general problem-solving heuristics and representational change to explain problem difficulty.

  9. Tighten water-chemistry control after boiler layup

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

    Brestel, L.

    1994-01-01

    The potential for internal deposition and corrosion can affect boiler reliability by reducing thermal efficiency, tube integrity, and the time between chemical cleanings. While chemical control specifications for normal operation have been developed by consensus of manufacturers and industry, their impact on shutdowns, layups, and startups is not always appreciated. The discussion of chemical-control options applies to boiler systems operating in the medium- and high-pressure ranges. Identification and correction of root causes underlying the chemistry problems encountered and application of the principles involved should result in shorter startup times, improved control over phosphate hideout, and reduced need for chemical cleaning.more » Each of these has a significant cost impact; together, they are the true measure of a successful chemistry-control program.« less

  10. Buffet Load Alleviation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ryall, T. G.; Moses, R. W.; Hopkins, M. A.; Henderson, D.; Zimcik, D. G.; Nitzsche, F.

    2004-01-01

    High performance aircraft are, by their very nature, often required to undergo maneuvers involving high angles of attack. Under these conditions unsteady vortices emanating from the wing and the fuselage will impinge on the twin fins (required for directional stability) causing excessive buffet loads, in some circumstances, to be applied to the aircraft. These loads result in oscillatory stresses, which may cause significant amounts of fatigue damage. Active control is a possible solution to this important problem. A full-scale test was carried out on an F/A-18 fuselage and fins using piezoceramic actuators to control the vibrations. Buffet loads were simulated using very powerful electromagnetic shakers. The first phase of this test was concerned with the open loop system identification whereas the second stage involved implementing linear time invariant control laws. This paper looks at some of the problems encountered as well as the corresponding solutions and some results. It is expected that flight trials of a similar control system to alleviate buffet will occur as early as 2001.

  11. The laser interferometer skin-friction meter - A numerical and experimental study

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Murphy, J. D.; Westphal, R. V.

    1986-01-01

    Limits to the applicability of thin-film lubrication theory are established. The following two problems are considered: (1) the response of the oil film to a time-varying skin friction such as is encountered in turbulent boundary layers, and (2) a 'surface-wave instability' encountered at high skin-friction levels. Results corresponding to the first problem reveal that the laser interferometer skin-friction meter may, in principle, be applied to the measurement of instantaneous skin friction. In addressing the second problem, it is shown that the observed surface waves are not the result of a hydrodynamic instability.

  12. Physical activity problem-solving inventory for adolescents: Development and initial validation

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Youth encounter physical activity barriers, often called problems. The purpose of problem-solving is to generate solutions to overcome the barriers. Enhancing problem-solving ability may enable youth to be more physically active. Therefore, a method for reliably assessing physical activity problem-s...

  13. Hardware problems encountered in solar heating and cooling systems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cash, M.

    1978-01-01

    Numerous problems in the design, production, installation, and operation of solar energy systems are discussed. Described are hardware problems, which range from simple to obscure and complex, and their resolution.

  14. Thermo-mechanical design aspects of mercury bombardment ion thrusters.

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Schnelker, D. E.; Kami, S.

    1972-01-01

    The mechanical design criteria are presented as background considerations for solving problems associated with the thermomechanical design of mercury ion bombardment thrusters. Various analytical procedures are used to aid in the development of thruster subassemblies and components in the fields of heat transfer, vibration, and stress analysis. Examples of these techniques which provide computer solutions to predict and control stress levels encountered during launch and operation of thruster systems are discussed. Computer models of specific examples are presented.

  15. User interface issues in supporting human-computer integrated scheduling

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cooper, Lynne P.; Biefeld, Eric W.

    1991-01-01

    Explored here is the user interface problems encountered with the Operations Missions Planner (OMP) project at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). OMP uses a unique iterative approach to planning that places additional requirements on the user interface, particularly to support system development and maintenance. These requirements are necessary to support the concepts of heuristically controlled search, in-progress assessment, and iterative refinement of the schedule. The techniques used to address the OMP interface needs are given.

  16. Nurses' perceptions and problems in the usability of a medication safety app.

    PubMed

    Ankem, Kalyani; Cho, Sookyung; Simpson, Diana

    2017-10-16

    The majority of medication apps support medication adherence. Equally, if not more important, is medication safety. Few apps report on medication safety, and fewer studies have been conducted with these apps. The usability of a medication safety app was tested with nurses to reveal their perceptions of the graphical user interface and to discover problems they encountered in using the app. Usability testing of the app was conducted with RN-BSN students and informatics students (n = 18). Perceptions of the graphical components were gathered in pretest and posttest questionnaires, and video recordings of the usability testing were transcribed. The significance of the difference in mean performance time for 8 tasks was tested, and qualitative analysis was deployed to identify problems encountered and to rate the severity of each problem. While all participants perceived the graphical user interface as easy to understand, nurses took significantly more time to complete certain tasks. More nurses found the medication app to be lacking in intuitiveness of user interface design, in capability to match real-world data, and in providing optimal information architecture. To successfully integrate mobile devices in healthcare, developers must address the problems that nurses encountered in use of the app.

  17. Issues Encountered by Physicians During International Travel With Youth National Soccer Teams

    PubMed Central

    Rosenbaum, Daryl A.; Davis, Stephen W.

    2011-01-01

    Background: Little information is available to guide the selection, preparation, and support of a traveling team physician. Purpose: To determine the types of injuries and medical problems, as well as general team health and performance issues, encountered by physicians traveling internationally with youth national soccer teams. Study Design: Descriptive epidemiology. Methods: Physicians assigned to travel abroad with the under-17 men’s and women’s US national soccer teams during a 2-year period documented all encounters with team and staff members. Physicians also documented consultations related to team health and performance issues. Results: The 108 cases (5.71 per 10 days) were evenly divided between injuries (n = 54) and noninjuries (n = 54). Players sought care at a higher rate than did staff (2.28 vs 1.09 per 100 person days). Mean severity for all player cases was 5.19 days missed (injuries, 10.48; noninjuries, 0.23). Nearly 69% of injuries involved the lower extremities: strains, sprains, and contusions accounted for 74.1% of injuries. Gastrointestinal, dermatologic, and otolaryngologic complaints accounted for 77.8% of noninjuries. Medications were administered in 71% of cases, with analgesics, cough and cold remedies, antibiotics, and gastrointestinal agents accounting for the majority. The leading team health and performance concerns were nutrition/hydration, conditioning, prevention, and doping control. Conclusion: Physicians traveling internationally with youth soccer teams manage an equal proportion of musculoskeletal and medical problems using simple medications. PMID:23016012

  18. Terminal area automatic navigation, guidance, and control research using the Microwave Landing System (MLS). Part 2: RNAV/MLS transition problems for aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Pines, S.

    1982-01-01

    The problems in navigation and guidance encountered by aircraft in the initial transition period in changing from distance measuring equipment, VORTAC, and barometric instruments to the more precise microwave landing system data type navaids in the terminal area are investigated. The effects of the resulting discontinuities on the estimates of position and velocity for both optimal (Kalman type navigation schemes) and fixed gain (complementary type) navigation filters, and the effects of the errors in cross track, track angle, and altitude on the guidance equation and control commands during the critical landing phase are discussed. A method is presented to remove the discontinuities from the navigation loop and to reconstruct an RNAV path designed to land the aircraft with minimal turns and altitude changes.

  19. Near-Field Scanning Optical Microscopy of Soft, Biological, or Rough Objects in Aqueous Environment: Challenges and some Remedies to Circumvent

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Vikram, C. S.; Witherow, W. K.

    1999-01-01

    Near-field scanning optical microscopy is an established technique for sub-wavelength spatial resolution in imaging, spectroscopy, material science, surface chemistry, polarimetry, etc. A significant amount of confidence has been established for thin hard specimens in air. However when soft, biological, rough, in aqueous environment object, or a combination is involved, the progress has been slow. The tip-sample mechanical interaction, heat effects to sample, drag effects to the probe, difficulty in controlling tip-sample separation in case of rough objects, light scattering from sample thickness, etc. create problems. Although these problems are not even fully understood, there have been attempts to study them with the aim of performing reliable operations. In this review we describe these attempts. Starting with general problems encountered, various effects like polarization, thermal, and media are covered. The roles of independent tip-sample distance control tools in the relevant situations are then described. Finally progress in fluid cell aspect has been summarized.

  20. Alignment of the Stanford Linear Collider Arcs: Concepts and results

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

    Pitthan, R.; Bell, B.; Friedsam, H.

    1987-02-01

    The alignment of the Arcs for the Stanford Linear Collider at SLAC has posed problems in accelerator survey and alignment not encountered before. These problems come less from the tight tolerances of 0.1 mm, although reaching such a tight statistically defined accuracy in a controlled manner is difficult enough, but from the absence of a common reference plane for the Arcs. Traditional circular accelerators, including HERA and LEP, have been designed in one plane referenced to local gravity. For the SLC Arcs no such single plane exists. Methods and concepts developed to solve these and other problems, connected with themore » unique design of SLC, range from the first use of satellites for accelerator alignment, use of electronic laser theodolites for placement of components, computer control of the manual adjustment process, complete automation of the data flow incorporating the most advanced concepts of geodesy, strict separation of survey and alignment, to linear principal component analysis for the final statistical smoothing of the mechanical components.« less

  1. NASA flight cell and battery issues

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Schulze, N. R.

    1989-01-01

    The author presents the important battery and cell problems, encompassing both test failures and accidents, which were encountered during the past year. Practical issues facing programs, which have to be considered in the development of a battery program strategy, are addressed. The problems of one program, the GRO (Gamma Ray Observatory), during the past year are focused on to illustrate the fundamental types of battery problems that occur. Problems encountered by other programs are briefly mentioned to complete the accounting. Two major categories of issues are defined, namely, whose which are quality and design related, i.e., problems having inherent manufacturing-process-related aspects with an impact on cell reliability, and these which are accident triggered or man induced, i.e., those operational issues having an impact on battery and cell reliability.

  2. Problems identified by dual sensory impaired older adults in long-term care when using a self-management program: A qualitative study

    PubMed Central

    Zuidema, Sytse; Vernooij-Dassen, Myrra; Dees, Marianne; Hermsen, Pieter; Kempen, Gertrudis; Graff, Maud

    2017-01-01

    Objective To gain insights into the problems of dual sensory impaired older adults in long-term care. Insights into these problems are essential for developing adequate policies which address the needs of the increasing population of dual sensory impaired older adults in long-term care. Methods A qualitative study was conducted in parallel with a cluster randomized controlled trial. Dual sensory impaired older adults in the intervention group (n = 47, age range 82–98) were invited by a familiar nurse to identify the problems they wanted to address. Data were taken from the semi-structured intervention diaries in which nurses noted the older adults’ verbal responses during a five-month intervention period in 17 long-term care homes across the Netherlands. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and qualitative content analysis based on the Grounded Theory. Findings The 47 dual sensory impaired older adults identified a total of 122 problems. Qualitative content analysis showed that the older adults encountered participation problems and problems controlling what happens in their personal environment. Three categories of participation problems emerged: (1) existential concerns of not belonging or not being able to connect with other people, (2) lack of access to communication, information and mobility, and (3) the desire to be actively involved in care delivery. Two categories of control-in-personal-space problems emerged: (1) lack of control of their own physical belongings, and (2) lack of control regarding the behavior of nurses providing daily care in their personal environment. Conclusions The invasive problems identified indicate that dual sensory impaired older adults experience great existential pressures on their lives. Long-term care providers need to develop and implement policies that identify and address these problems, and be aware of adverse consequences of usual care, in order to improve dual sensory impaired residents’ autonomy and quality of life. PMID:28323846

  3. Problems identified by dual sensory impaired older adults in long-term care when using a self-management program: A qualitative study.

    PubMed

    Roets-Merken, Lieve; Zuidema, Sytse; Vernooij-Dassen, Myrra; Dees, Marianne; Hermsen, Pieter; Kempen, Gertrudis; Graff, Maud

    2017-01-01

    To gain insights into the problems of dual sensory impaired older adults in long-term care. Insights into these problems are essential for developing adequate policies which address the needs of the increasing population of dual sensory impaired older adults in long-term care. A qualitative study was conducted in parallel with a cluster randomized controlled trial. Dual sensory impaired older adults in the intervention group (n = 47, age range 82-98) were invited by a familiar nurse to identify the problems they wanted to address. Data were taken from the semi-structured intervention diaries in which nurses noted the older adults' verbal responses during a five-month intervention period in 17 long-term care homes across the Netherlands. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and qualitative content analysis based on the Grounded Theory. The 47 dual sensory impaired older adults identified a total of 122 problems. Qualitative content analysis showed that the older adults encountered participation problems and problems controlling what happens in their personal environment. Three categories of participation problems emerged: (1) existential concerns of not belonging or not being able to connect with other people, (2) lack of access to communication, information and mobility, and (3) the desire to be actively involved in care delivery. Two categories of control-in-personal-space problems emerged: (1) lack of control of their own physical belongings, and (2) lack of control regarding the behavior of nurses providing daily care in their personal environment. The invasive problems identified indicate that dual sensory impaired older adults experience great existential pressures on their lives. Long-term care providers need to develop and implement policies that identify and address these problems, and be aware of adverse consequences of usual care, in order to improve dual sensory impaired residents' autonomy and quality of life.

  4. Sex of the GP--20 years on.

    PubMed

    Harrison, Christopher M; Britt, Helena C; Charles, Janice

    2011-08-15

    Previous research with the Australian Morbidity and Treatment Survey (1990-1991) showed significant differences in general practitioner characteristics and patient mix of male and female GPs. Even after adjusting for these, it was seen that male and female GPs managed different types of medical conditions. The proportion of female GPs increased from 19.6% in 1990-1991 to 37.1% in 2009-2010. This study investigates whether differences remain two decades later. Analysis of 2009-2010 Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health (BEACH) data examining GP characteristics, patient encounter characteristics, patient reasons for encounter (RFE), problem types managed and management methods used, by GP sex. Whether GP sex was an independent predictor of problem types being managed, or management methods used, was tested using multiple logistic regressions and Poisson regression. 988 GPs recorded 98 800 GP-patient encounters. Adjusted differences in clinical activity of male and female GPs. After adjustment, compared with male GPs, females recorded more RFEs about general and unspecified issues and endocrine, female genital, pregnancy and family planning problems; and fewer concerning the musculoskeletal, respiratory, skin and male genital systems. Female GPs managed more general and unspecified, digestive, circulatory, psychological, endocrine, female genital and social problems; recorded nearly 20% more clinical treatments and referrals; recorded nearly 10% more imaging and pathology tests; and 4.3% fewer medications. After two decades, even with increased numbers of female GPs, the differences in problems managed by male and female GPs remain, and will probably continue. Female GPs use more resources per encounter, but may not use more resources in terms of annual patient care.

  5. The Use of Electronic Medical Records

    PubMed Central

    Makoul, Gregory; Curry, Raymond H.; Tang, Paul C.

    2001-01-01

    Objective: To assess physician–patient communication patterns associated with use of an electronic medical record (EMR) system in an outpatient setting and provide an empirical foundation for larger studies. Design: An exploratory, observational study involving analysis of videotaped physician–patient encounters, questionnaires, and medical-record reviews. Setting: General internal medicine practice at an academic medical center. Participants: Three physicians who used an EMR system (EMR physicians) and three who used solely a paper record (control physicians). A total of 204 patient visits were included in the analysis (mean, 34 for each physician). Main Outcome Measures: Content analysis of whether physicians accomplished communication tasks during encounters; qualitative analysis of how EMR physicians used the EMR and how control physicians used the paper chart. Results: Compared with the control physicians, EMR physicians adopted a more active role in clarifying information, encouraging questions, and ensuring completeness at the end of a visit. A trend suggested that EMR physicians might be less active than control physicians in three somewhat more patient-centered areas (outlining the patient's agenda, exploring psychosocial/ emotional issues, discussing how health problems affect a patient's life). Physicians in both groups tended to direct their attention to the patient record during the initial portion of the encounter. The relatively fixed position of the computer limited the extent to which EMR physicians could physically orient themselves toward the patient. Although there was no statistically significant difference between the EMR and control physicians in terms of mean time across all visits, a difference did emerge for initial visits: Initial visits with EMR physicians took an average of 37.5 percent longer than those with control physicians. Summary: An EMR system may enhance the ability of physicians to complete informationintensive tasks but can make it more difficult to focus attention on other aspects of patient communication. Further study involving a controlled, pre-/post-intervention design is justified. PMID:11687567

  6. Redundant drive current imbalance problem of the Automatic Radiator Inspection Device (ARID)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Latino, Carl D.

    1992-01-01

    The Automatic Radiator Inspection Device (ARID) is a 4 Degree of Freedom (DOF) robot with redundant drive motors at each joint. The device is intended to automate the labor intensive task of space shuttle radiator inspection. For safety and redundancy, each joint is driven by two independent motor systems. Motors driving the same joint, however, draw vastly different currents. The concern was that the robot joints could be subjected to undue stress. It was the objective of this summer's project to determine the cause of this current imbalance. In addition it was to determine, in a quantitative manner, what was the cause, how serious the problem was in terms of damage or undue wear to the robot and find solutions if possible. It was concluded that most problems could be resolved with a better motor control design. This document discusses problems encountered and possible solutions.

  7. Galileo Attitude Determination: Experiences with a Rotating Star Scanner

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Merken, L.; Singh, G.

    1991-01-01

    The Galileo experience with a rotating star scanner is discussed in terms of problems encountered in flight, solutions implemented, and lessons learned. An overview of the Galileo project and the attitude and articulation control subsystem is given and the star scanner hardware and relevant software algorithms are detailed. The star scanner is the sole source of inertial attitude reference for this spacecraft. Problem symptoms observed in flight are discussed in terms of effects on spacecraft performance and safety. Sources of thse problems include contributions from flight software idiosyncrasies and inadequate validation of the ground procedures used to identify target stars for use by the autonomous on-board star identification algorithm. Problem fixes (some already implemented and some only proposed) are discussed. A general conclusion is drawn regarding the inherent difficulty of performing simulation tests to validate algorithms which are highly sensitive to external inputs of statistically 'rare' events.

  8. The unannounced patient in the corridor: trust, friction and person-centered care.

    PubMed

    Carlström, Eric D; Hansson Olofsson, Elisabeth; Olsson, Lars-Eric; Nyman, Jan; Koinberg, Inga-Lill

    2017-01-01

    In this study, a Swedish cancer clinic was studied where three to four unscheduled patients sought support from the hospital on a daily basis for pain and nutrition problems. The clinic was neither staffed nor had a budget to handle such return visits. In order to offer the patients a better service and decrease the workload of the staff in addition to their everyday activities, a multidisciplinary team was established to address the unscheduled return visits. The team was supposed to involve the patient, build trust, decrease the friction, and contribute to a successful rehabilitation process. Data were collected from the patients and the staff. Patients who encountered the team (intervention) and patients who encountered the regular ad hoc type of organization (control) answered a questionnaire measuring trust and friction. Nurses in the control group spent 35% of their full-time employment, and the intervention group staffed with nurses spent 30% of their full-time employment in addressing the needs of these return patients. The patients perceived that trust between them and the staff was high. In summary, it was measured as being 4.48 [standard deviation (SD) = 0.82] in the intervention group and 4.41 (SD = 0.79) in the control group using the 5-point Likert scale. The data indicate that using a multidisciplinary team is a promising way to handle the problems of unannounced visits from patients. Having a team made it cost effective for the clinic and provided a better service than the traditional ad hoc organization. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  9. The Mariner Mars 1971 radio frequency subsystem

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hughes, R. S.

    1972-01-01

    The radio frequency subsystem (RFS) for the Mariner Mars 1971 (MM'71) spacecraft is described. The MM'69 RFS was used as the baseline design for the MM'71 RFS, and the report describes the design changes made to the 1969 RFS for use on MM'71. It also cites various problems encountered during the fabrication and testing of the RFS, as well as the types of tests to which the RFS was subjected. In areas where significant problems were encountered, a detailed description of the problem and its solution is presented. In addition, some recommendations are given for modifications to the RFS and test techniques for future programs.

  10. The design of two sonic boom wind tunnel models from conceptual aircraft which cruise at Mach numbers of 2.0 and 3.0

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mack, Robert J.; Needleman, Kathy E.

    1990-01-01

    A method for designing wind tunnel models of conceptual, low-boom, supersonic cruise aircraft is presented. Also included is a review of the procedures used to design the conceptual low-boom aircraft. In the discussion, problems unique to, and encountered during, the design of both the conceptual aircraft and the wind tunnel models are outlined. The sensitivity of low-boom characteristics in the aircraft design to control the volume and lift equivalent area distributions was emphasized. Solutions to these problems are reported; especially the two which led to the design of the wind tunnel model support stings.

  11. Transition from Legacy to Connectivity Solution for Infrastructure Control of Smart Municipal Systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zabasta, A.; Kunicina, N.; Kondratjevs, K.

    2017-06-01

    Collaboration between heterogeneous systems and architectures is not an easy problem in the automation domain. By now, utilities and suppliers encounter real problems due to underestimated costs of technical solutions, frustration in selecting technical solutions relevant for local needs, and incompatibilities between a plenty of protocols and appropriate solutions. The paper presents research on creation of architecture of smart municipal systems in a local cloud of services that apply SOA and IoT approaches. The authors of the paper have developed a broker that applies orchestration services and resides on a gateway, which provides adapter and protocol translation functions, as well as applies a tool for wiring together hardware devices, APIs and online services.

  12. Apollo experience report: Mission planning for Apollo entry

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Graves, C. A.; Harpold, J. C.

    1972-01-01

    The problems encountered and the experience gained in the entry mission plans, flight software, trajectory-monitoring procedures, and backup trajectory-control techniques of the Apollo Program should provide a foundation upon which future spacecraft programs can be developed. Descriptions of these entry activities are presented. Also, to provide additional background information needed for discussion of the Apollo entry experience, descriptions of the entry targeting for the Apollo 11 mission and the postflight analysis of the Apollo 10 mission are presented.

  13. Dispersed storage and generation case studies

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bahrami, K.; Stallkamp, J. A.; Walton, A.

    1980-01-01

    Three installations utilizing separate dispersed storage and generation (DSG) technologies were investigated. Each of the systems is described in costs and control. Selected institutional and environmental issues are discussed, including life cycle costs. No unresolved technical, environmental, or institutional problems were encountered in the installations. The wind and solar photovoltaic DSG were installed for test purposes, and appear to be presently uneconomical. However, a number of factors are decreasing the cost of DSG relative to conventional alternatives, and an increased DSG penetration level may be expected in the future.

  14. Further Studies of the Response of Single Rotor Helicopters to Vortex Encounters

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1985-09-01

    This report is a continuation of the studies described in Reference where a simplified approach to the problem of predicting the uncontrolled response of a single rotor helicopter to an encounter with the wing tip vortex of a large transport aircraft...

  15. Active vibrations control of journal bearings with the use of piezoactuators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tůma, Jiří; Šimek, Jiří; Škuta, Jaromír; Los, Jaroslav

    2013-04-01

    Rotor instability is one of the most serious problems of high-speed rotors supported by sliding bearings. With constantly increasing parameters, new machines problems with rotor instability are encountered more and more often. Even though there are many solutions based on passive improvement of the bearing geometry to enlarge the operational speed range of the journal bearing, the paper deals with a working prototype of a system for the active vibration control of journal bearings with the use of piezoactuators. The controllable journal bearing is a part of a test rig, which consists of a rotor driven by an inductive motor up to 23,000 rpm. The actively controlled journal bearing consists of a movable bushing, which is actuated by two piezoactuators. The journal vibration is measured by a pair of proximity probes. The control system enables run-up, coast-down and steady-state rotation. A real-time simulator dSpace encloses the control loop. Force produced by piezoactuators and acting at the bushing is controlled according to error signals derived from the proximity probe output signals. As it was proved by experiments the active vibration control extends considerably the range of the operational speed.

  16. Energy Problems and Environmental Concern

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Train, Russell E.

    1973-01-01

    Discusses problems encountered in energy extraction and consumption, involving nuclear power plant construction, environmental consequences of energy systems, and energy conservation ethics. Indicates that the increasing concern over environmental quality is not the true cause of present energy problems. (CC)

  17. Factors associated with opioid dose increases: a chart review of patients’ first year on long-term opioids

    PubMed Central

    Bautista, Christopher A.; Iosif, Ana-Maria; Wilsey, Barth L.; Melnikow, Joy A.; Crichlow, Althea; Henry, Stephen G.

    2016-01-01

    OBJECTIVE To examine encounter-level factors associated with opioid dose increases during patients’ first year on opioid therapy for chronic pain. DESIGN Case-control study analyzing all opioid prescriptions for patients with chronic pain during their first year after opioid initiation. Cases were patients who experienced an overall dose escalation of ≥30 mg morphine equivalents over the 1-year period; controls did not experience overall dose escalation. Main measures were encounter type; opioid dose change; documented prescribing rationale; documentation of guideline-concordant opioid prescribing practices. Two coders reviewed all encounters associated with opioid prescriptions. Analysis of factors associated with dose increases and provider documentation of prescribing rationale was conducted using multiple logistic regression. RESULTS 674 encounters were coded for 66 patients (22 cases, 44 controls). Fifty-three percent of opioid prescriptions were associated with telephone encounters; 13% were associated with email encounters. No prescribing rationale was documented for 43% of all opioid prescriptions and 25% of dose increases. Likelihood of dose increase and documentation of prescribing rationale did not significantly differ for cases versus controls. Compared to face-to-face encounters, dose increases were significantly less likely for telephone (OR 0.18, 95%CI 0.11 – 0.28) and email (OR 0.23, 95%CI 0.12 – 0.47) encounters; documentation of prescribing rationale was significantly more likely for email (OR 5.06, 95%CI 1.87–13.72) and less likely for telephone (OR 0.30, 95%CI 0.18–0.51) encounters. CONCLUSION Most opioid prescriptions were written without face-to-face encounters. One quarter of dose increases contained no documented prescribing rationale. Documented encounter-level factors were not significantly associated with overall opioid dose escalation. PMID:27477581

  18. Ambulatory EHR functionality: a comparison of functionality lists.

    PubMed

    Drury, Barbara M

    2006-01-01

    There is a proliferation of lists intended to define and clarify the functionality of an ambulatory electronic health record system. These lists come from both private and public entities and vary in terminology, granularity, usability, and comprehensiveness. For example, functionality regarding a problem list includes the following possible definitions: * "Create and maintain patient-specific problem lists," from the HL7 Electronic Health Record Draft Standard for Trial Use. * "Provide a flexible mechanism for retrieval of encounter information that can be organized by diagnosis, problem, problem type," from the Bureau of Primary Health Care. * "The system shall associate encounters, orders, medications and notes with one or more problems," from the Certification Commission on Health Information Technology. * "Displays dates of problems on problem list," from COPIC Insurance Co. * "Shall automatically close acute problems using an automated algorithm," from the Physicians Foundations HIT Subcommittee. This article will compare the attributes of these five electronic health record functionality lists and their usefulness to different audiences-clinicians, application developers and payers.

  19. Team play with a powerful and independent agent: operational experiences and automation surprises on the Airbus A-320.

    PubMed

    Sarter, N B; Woods, D D

    1997-12-01

    Research and operational experience have shown that one of the major problems with pilot-automation interaction is a lack of mode awareness (i.e., the current and future status and behavior of the automation). As a result, pilots sometimes experience so-called automation surprises when the automation takes an unexpected action or fails to behave as anticipated. A lack of mode awareness and automation surprises can he viewed as symptoms of a mismatch between human and machine properties and capabilities. Changes in automation design can therefore he expected to affect the likelihood and nature of problems encountered by pilots. Previous studies have focused exclusively on early generation "glass cockpit" aircraft that were designed based on a similar automation philosophy. To find out whether similar difficulties with maintaining mode awareness are encountered on more advanced aircraft, a corpus of automation surprises was gathered from pilots of the Airbus A-320, an aircraft characterized by high levels of autonomy, authority, and complexity. To understand the underlying reasons for reported breakdowns in human-automation coordination, we also asked pilots about their monitoring strategies and their experiences with and attitude toward the unique design of flight controls on this aircraft.

  20. Team play with a powerful and independent agent: operational experiences and automation surprises on the Airbus A-320

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sarter, N. B.; Woods, D. D.

    1997-01-01

    Research and operational experience have shown that one of the major problems with pilot-automation interaction is a lack of mode awareness (i.e., the current and future status and behavior of the automation). As a result, pilots sometimes experience so-called automation surprises when the automation takes an unexpected action or fails to behave as anticipated. A lack of mode awareness and automation surprises can he viewed as symptoms of a mismatch between human and machine properties and capabilities. Changes in automation design can therefore he expected to affect the likelihood and nature of problems encountered by pilots. Previous studies have focused exclusively on early generation "glass cockpit" aircraft that were designed based on a similar automation philosophy. To find out whether similar difficulties with maintaining mode awareness are encountered on more advanced aircraft, a corpus of automation surprises was gathered from pilots of the Airbus A-320, an aircraft characterized by high levels of autonomy, authority, and complexity. To understand the underlying reasons for reported breakdowns in human-automation coordination, we also asked pilots about their monitoring strategies and their experiences with and attitude toward the unique design of flight controls on this aircraft.

  1. Ergonomic problems encountered by the surgical team during video endoscopic surgery.

    PubMed

    Kaya, Oskay I; Moran, Munevver; Ozkardes, Alper B; Taskin, Emre Y; Seker, Gaye E; Ozmen, Mahir M

    2008-02-01

    The aim of this study is to analyze the problems related to the ergonomic conditions faced by video endoscopic surgical teams during video endoscopic surgery by means of a questionnaire. A questionnaire was distributed to 100 medical personnel, from 8 different disciplines, who performed video endoscopic surgeries. Participants were asked to answer 13 questions related to physical, perceptive, and cognitive problems. Eighty-two questionnaires were returned. Although there were differences among the disciplines, participants assessment of various problems ranged from 32% to 72% owing to poor ergonomic conditions. As the problems encountered by the staff during video endoscopic surgery and the poor ergonomic conditions of the operating room affect the productivity of the surgical team and the safety and efficiency of the surgery, redesigning of the instruments and the operating room is required.

  2. Orthopaedic Problems of the Mentally Retarded

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McSweeney, Anthony

    1972-01-01

    Problems encountered by orthopedic surgeons treating the mentally retarded are identified, and cooperation among pediatricians, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and orthopedic surgeons is recommended. (GW)

  3. Methodological Problems Encountered in the Review of Research in Science Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lawlor, E. P.; Lawlor, F. X.

    1972-01-01

    Describes the difficulties encountered in selecting material to be included in the reviews of science education research in the Curtis Series'' published by the Columbia Teachers' College Press. Presents evidence outlining the weaknesses of using a jury'' to determine so-called superior research. (AL)

  4. Developing Multiplicative Thinking from Additive Reasoning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tobias, Jennifer M.; Andreasen, Janet B.

    2013-01-01

    As students progress through elementary school, they encounter mathematics concepts that shift from additive to multiplicative situations (NCTM 2000). When they encounter fraction problems that require multiplicative thinking, they tend to incorrectly extend additive properties from whole numbers (Post et al. 1985). As a result, topics such as …

  5. A clinical guide to needle desensitization for the paediatric patient.

    PubMed

    Taylor, Greig D; Campbell, Caroline

    2015-05-01

    Needle phobia is a common problem encountered by dental practitioners and it can pose a challenge, especially in the paediatric patient. Needle desensitization can be used for patients who have needle fear or phobia and help them overcome this by repeated, non-threatening and controlled contacts. This paper will describe an accepted technique of needle desensitization and work through the steps required to achieve a successful outcome of local anaesthesia being delivered in a calm, safe and controlled manner. Clinical Relevance: Needle desensitization is an effective technique which can be used to enable a needle phobic patient to receive a dental injection.

  6. Survey on effect of surface winds on aircraft design and operation and recommendations for needed wind research

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Houbolt, J. C.

    1973-01-01

    A survey of the effect of environmental surface winds and gusts on aircraft design and operation is presented. A listing of the very large number of problems that are encountered is given. Attention is called to the many studies that have been made on surface winds and gusts, but development in the engineering application of these results to aeronautical problems is pointed out to be still in the embryonic stage. Control of the aircraft is of paramount concern. Mathematical models and their application in simulation studies of airplane operation and control are discussed, and an attempt is made to identify their main gaps or deficiencies. Key reference material is cited. The need for better exchange between the meteorologist and the aeronautical engineer is discussed. Suggestions for improvements in the wind and gust models are made.

  7. Engagement and Retention of Suicide Attempters in Clinical Research

    PubMed Central

    Gibbons, Carly J.; Stirman, Shannon Wiltsey; Brown, Gregory K.; Beck, Aaron T.

    2010-01-01

    Background High attrition rates in longitudinal research can limit study generalizability, threaten internal validity, and decrease statistical power. Research has demonstrated that there can be significant differences between participants who complete a research study and those who drop out prematurely, and that treatment outcomes may be dependent on retention in a treatment protocol. Aims The current paper describes the challenges encountered when implementing a randomized controlled trial of cognitive therapy for the prevention of suicide attempts and the solutions developed to overcome these problems. Methods Problems unique to suicide attempters are discussed, and strategies successfully implemented to boost retention rates are provided. Results The methods implemented appeared to increase retention rates in the randomized controlled trial. Conclusions Many steps can be taken to work with this difficult population, and researchers are encouraged to be as involved and flexible with participants as possible. PMID:20418211

  8. Auto-tuning system for NMR probe with LabView

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Quen, Carmen; Mateo, Olivia; Bernal, Oscar

    2013-03-01

    Typical manual NMR-tuning method is not suitable for broadband spectra spanning several megahertz linewidths. Among the main problems encountered during manual tuning are pulse-power reproducibility, baselines, and transmission line reflections, to name a few. We present a design of an auto-tuning system using graphic programming language, LabVIEW, to minimize these problems. The program is designed to analyze the detected power signal of an antenna near the NMR probe and use this analysis to automatically tune the sample coil to match the impedance of the spectrometer (50 Ω). The tuning capacitors of the probe are controlled by a stepper motor through a LabVIEW/computer interface. Our program calculates the area of the power signal as an indicator to control the motor so disconnecting the coil to tune it through a network analyzer is unnecessary. Work supported by NSF-DMR 1105380

  9. Clue Insensitivity in Remote Associates Test Problem Solving

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smith, Steven M.; Sifonis, Cynthia M.; Angello, Genna

    2012-01-01

    Does spreading activation from incidentally encountered hints cause incubation effects? We used Remote Associates Test (RAT) problems to examine effects of incidental clues on impasse resolution. When solution words were seen incidentally 3-sec before initially unsolved problems were retested, more problems were resolved (Experiment 1). When…

  10. CPR Drilling.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kittleson, Mark

    1980-01-01

    Problems encountered by cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) instructors are discussed and some possible solutions to these problems are suggested. Management techniques for effective use of class size, time, and instructional materials are described. (JN)

  11. A System-Oriented Approach for the Optimal Control of Process Chains under Stochastic Influences

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Senn, Melanie; Schäfer, Julian; Pollak, Jürgen; Link, Norbert

    2011-09-01

    Process chains in manufacturing consist of multiple connected processes in terms of dynamic systems. The properties of a product passing through such a process chain are influenced by the transformation of each single process. There exist various methods for the control of individual processes, such as classical state controllers from cybernetics or function mapping approaches realized by statistical learning. These controllers ensure that a desired state is obtained at process end despite of variations in the input and disturbances. The interactions between the single processes are thereby neglected, but play an important role in the optimization of the entire process chain. We divide the overall optimization into two phases: (1) the solution of the optimization problem by Dynamic Programming to find the optimal control variable values for each process for any encountered end state of its predecessor and (2) the application of the optimal control variables at runtime for the detected initial process state. The optimization problem is solved by selecting adequate control variables for each process in the chain backwards based on predefined quality requirements for the final product. For the demonstration of the proposed concept, we have chosen a process chain from sheet metal manufacturing with simplified transformation functions.

  12. Optimal routing of IP packets to multi-homed servers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Swartz, K. L.

    1992-08-01

    Multi-homing, or direct attachment to multiple networks, offers both performance and availability benefits for important servers on busy networks. Exploiting these benefits to their fullest requires a modicum of routing knowledge in the clients. Careful policy control must also be reflected in the routing used within the network to make best use of specialized and often scarce resources. While relatively straightforward in theory, this problem becomes much more difficult to solve in a real network containing often intractable implementations from a variety of vendors. This paper presents an analysis of the problem and proposes a useful solution for a typical campus network. Application of this solution at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center is studied and the problems and pitfalls encountered are discussed, as are the workarounds used to make the system work in the real world.

  13. Demonstration of a tool for automatic learning and re-use of knowledge in the activated sludge process.

    PubMed

    Comas, J; Rodríguez-Roda, I; Poch, M; Gernaey, K V; Rosen, C; Jeppsson, U

    2006-01-01

    Wastewater treatment plant operators encounter complex operational problems related to the activated sludge process and usually respond to these by applying their own intuition and by taking advantage of what they have learnt from past experiences of similar problems. However, previous process experiences are not easy to integrate in numerical control, and new tools must be developed to enable re-use of plant operating experience. The aim of this paper is to investigate the usefulness of a case-based reasoning (CBR) approach to apply learning and re-use of knowledge gained during past incidents to confront actual complex problems through the IWA/COST Benchmark protocol. A case study shows that the proposed CBR system achieves a significant improvement of the benchmark plant performance when facing a high-flow event disturbance.

  14. Patient perspectives of telemedicine quality

    PubMed Central

    LeRouge, Cynthia M; Garfield, Monica J; Hevner, Alan R

    2015-01-01

    Background The purpose of this study was to explore the quality attributes required for effective telemedicine encounters from the perspective of the patient. Methods We used a multi-method (direct observation, focus groups, survey) field study to collect data from patients who had experienced telemedicine encounters. Multi-perspectives (researcher and provider) were used to interpret a rich set of data from both a research and practice perspective. Results The result of this field study is a taxonomy of quality attributes for telemedicine service encounters that prioritizes the attributes from the patient perspective. We identify opportunities to control the level of quality for each attribute (ie, who is responsible for control of each attribute and when control can be exerted in relation to the encounter process). This analysis reveals that many quality attributes are in the hands of various stakeholders, and all attributes can be addressed proactively to some degree before the encounter begins. Conclusion Identification of the quality attributes important to a telemedicine encounter from a patient perspective enables one to better design telemedicine encounters. This preliminary work not only identifies such attributes, but also ascertains who is best able to address quality issues prior to an encounter. For practitioners, explicit representation of the quality attributes of technology-based systems and processes and insight on controlling key attributes are essential to implementation, utilization, management, and common understanding. PMID:25565781

  15. Time Trends in the Family Physician Management of Insomnia: The Australian Experience (2000-2015).

    PubMed

    Miller, Christopher B; Valenti, Lisa; Harrison, Christopher M; Bartlett, Delwyn J; Glozier, Nick; Cross, Nathan E; Grunstein, Ronald R; Britt, Helena C; Marshall, Nathaniel S

    2017-06-15

    To evaluate changes in rates of family physician (FP) management of insomnia in Australia from 2000-2015. The Bettering the Evaluation And Care of Health (BEACH) program is a nationally representative cross-sectional survey of 1,000 newly randomly sampled family physicians' activity in Australia per year, who each record details of 100 consecutive patient encounters. This provided records of approximately 100,000 encounters each year. We identified all encounters with patients older than 15 years where insomnia or difficulty sleeping was managed and assessed trends in these encounters from 2000-2015. There was no change in the management rate of insomnia from 2000-2007 (1.54 per 100 encounters [95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.49-1.58]). This rate was lower from 2008-2015 (1.31 per 100 encounters [95% CI: 1.27-1.35]). There was no change in FP management: pharmacotherapy was used in approximately 90% of encounters; nonpharmacological advice was given at approximately 20%; and onward referral at approximately 1% of encounters. Prescription of temazepam changed from 54.6 [95% CI: 51.4-57.9] per 100 insomnia problems in 2000-2001 to 43.6 [95% CI: 40.1-47.0] in 2014-2015, whereas zolpidem increased steadily from introduction in 2000 to 14.6 [95% CI: 12.2-17.1] per 100 insomnia problems in 2006-2007, and then decreased to 7.3 [95% CI: 5.4-9.2] by 2014-2015. Insomnia management frequency decreased after 2007 in conjunction with ecologically associated Australian media reporting of adverse effects linked to zolpidem use. Australian FPs remain reliant on pharmacotherapy for the management of insomnia. © 2017 American Academy of Sleep Medicine

  16. Challenges Encountered by 17 Autistic Young Adults in Hong Kong

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wong, Shui-wai

    2017-01-01

    The self-portrayals of 17 young persons with autism spectrum disorder reveal the challenges encountered by them, including study problems, inter-personal relationships, being bullied by classmates at school, discrimination by the public in general and teachers, social workers, and peers in particular, obstacles to post-secondary education,…

  17. Value of Family and Group Counseling Models where Grandparents Function as Parents to Their Grandchildren

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Edwards, Oliver W.; Ray, Shannon L.

    2010-01-01

    Those involved in circumstances in which children are raised by their grandparents often encounter serious problems that require assistance from counselors. Research suggests that grandparents and parents in these families typically experience heightened stress and psychosocial distress. Additionally, the children often encounter behavioral,…

  18. Israeli Adolescents and Military Service: Encounters.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Levy, Amihay; And Others

    1987-01-01

    Asserts that inadequate attention has been paid to the problems of the young soldier entering army life in Israel. Delineates some areas of friction and vulnerability between the worlds of the youth and the military. Describes the systematization of these encounters into groups, creating the "Binary Model," which helps in locating and…

  19. "What constitutes a 'problem'?" Producing 'alcohol problems' through online counselling encounters.

    PubMed

    Savic, Michael; Ferguson, Nyssa; Manning, Victoria; Bathish, Ramez; Lubman, Dan I

    2017-08-01

    Typically, health policy, practice and research views alcohol and other drug (AOD) 'problems' as objective things waiting to be detected, diagnosed and treated. However, this approach to policy development and treatment downplays the role of clinical practices, tools, discourses, and systems in shaping how AOD use is constituted as a 'problem'. For instance, people might present to AOD treatment with multiple psycho-social concerns, but usually only a singular AOD-associated 'problem' is considered serviceable. As the assumed nature of 'the serviceable problem' influences what treatment responses people receive, and how they may come to be enacted as 'addicted' or 'normal' subjects, it is important to subject clinical practices of problem formulation to critical analysis. Given that the reach of AOD treatment has expanded via the online medium, in this article we examine how 'problems' are produced in online alcohol counselling encounters involving people aged 55 and over. Drawing on poststructural approaches to problematisation, we not only trace how and what 'problems' are produced, but also what effects these give rise to. We discuss three approaches to problem formulation: (1) Addiction discourses at work; (2) Moving between concerns and alcohol 'problems'; (3) Making 'problems' complex and multiple. On the basis of this analysis, we argue that online AOD counselling does not just respond to pre-existing 'AOD problems'. Rather, through the social and clinical practices of formulation at work in clinical encounters, online counselling also produces them. Thus, given a different set of circumstances, practices and relations, 'problems' might be defined or emerge differently-perhaps not as 'problems' at all or perhaps as different kinds of concerns. We conclude by highlighting the need for a critical reflexivity in AOD treatment and policy in order to open up possibilities for different ways of engaging with, and responding to, people's needs in their complexity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Strategy Keys as Tools for Problem Solving

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Herold-Blasius, Raja

    2017-01-01

    Problem solving is one of the main competences we seek to teach students at school for use in their future lives. However, when dealing with mathematical problems, teachers encounter a wide variety of difficulties. To foster students' problem-solving skills, the authors developed "strategy keys." Strategy keys can serve as material to…

  1. Macrofouling control in nuclear power plants

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

    Ekis, E.W. Jr.; Keoplin-Gall, S.M.; McCarthy, R.E.

    1991-11-01

    Macrofouling of cooling-water systems is one of the more significant and costly problems encountered in the nuclear power industry. Both marine and freshwater macroinvertebrates can be responsible for losses in plant availability because of plugged intakes and heat transfer equipment. There is a greater diversity of macrofouling organisms in marine waters than in fresh waters. Marine macrofouling organisms include barnacles, mollusks, bryozoans, and hydroids. Barnacles are crustaceans with feathery appendages, which allow them to attach to a variety of surfaces. They are a major cause of severe macrofouling because they can remain attached even after death. The major freshwater macrofoulingmore » organisms include the Asiatic Clam (Corbicula fluminea) and the newest freshwater macrofouler, the Zebra Mussel (Dreissena polymorpha). The introduction of the Zebra Mussel into the Great Lakes has created economic and ecological problems that will not easily be solved. The threat of intercontinental dispersal of the Zebra Mussel in America is serious. Research programs have been initiated around the country to develop control methods for this macrofouling problem. The various control methodologies can be classified in the following categories: biological, chemical, physical, and mechanical. Laboratory experiments were performed to evaluate the efficacy of Actibrom against mature Zebra Mussels.« less

  2. Development of a Work Control System for Propulsion Testing at NASA Stennis

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Messer, Elizabeth A.

    2005-01-01

    This paper will explain the requirements and steps taken to develop the current Propulsion Test Directorate electronic work control system for Test Operations. The PTD Work Control System includes work authorization and technical instruction documents, such as test preparation sheets, discrepancy reports, test requests, pre-test briefing reports, and other test operations supporting tools. The environment that existed in the E-Complex test areas in the late 1990's was one of enormous growth which brought people of diverse backgrounds together for the sole purpose of testing propulsion hardware. The problem that faced us was that these newly formed teams did not have a consistent and clearly understood method for writing, performing or verifying work. A paper system was developed that would allow the teams to use the same forms, but this still presented problems in the large amount of errors occurring, such as lost paperwork and inconsistent implementation. In a sampling of errors in August 1999, the paper work control system encountered 250 errors out of 230 documents released and completed, for an error rate of 111%.

  3. Apollo experience report: Guidance and control systems. Engineering simulation program

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gilbert, D. W.

    1973-01-01

    The Apollo Program experience from early 1962 to July 1969 with respect to the engineering-simulation support and the problems encountered is summarized in this report. Engineering simulation in support of the Apollo guidance and control system is discussed in terms of design analysis and verification, certification of hardware in closed-loop operation, verification of hardware/software compatibility, and verification of both software and procedures for each mission. The magnitude, time, and cost of the engineering simulations are described with respect to hardware availability, NASA and contractor facilities (for verification of the command module, the lunar module, and the primary guidance, navigation, and control system), and scheduling and planning considerations. Recommendations are made regarding implementation of similar, large-scale simulations for future programs.

  4. Automated control of hierarchical systems using value-driven methods

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Pugh, George E.; Burke, Thomas E.

    1990-01-01

    An introduction is given to the Value-driven methodology, which has been successfully applied to solve a variety of difficult decision, control, and optimization problems. Many real-world decision processes (e.g., those encountered in scheduling, allocation, and command and control) involve a hierarchy of complex planning considerations. For such problems it is virtually impossible to define a fixed set of rules that will operate satisfactorily over the full range of probable contingencies. Decision Science Applications' value-driven methodology offers a systematic way of automating the intuitive, common-sense approach used by human planners. The inherent responsiveness of value-driven systems to user-controlled priorities makes them particularly suitable for semi-automated applications in which the user must remain in command of the systems operation. Three examples of the practical application of the approach in the automation of hierarchical decision processes are discussed: the TAC Brawler air-to-air combat simulation is a four-level computerized hierarchy; the autonomous underwater vehicle mission planning system is a three-level control system; and the Space Station Freedom electrical power control and scheduling system is designed as a two-level hierarchy. The methodology is compared with rule-based systems and with other more widely-known optimization techniques.

  5. Democracy in NGOs: Making the Cooperative Option Work.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wardle, Chris

    1988-01-01

    Discusses several problems encountered by nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that structure themselves as cooperatives, with all members being equal. Presents four problem areas--(1) decision making, (2) meetings, (3) job rotation, and (4) growth--as well as strategies to solve potential problems. (CH)

  6. The Effect of New Vocabulary on Problem Solving in Novice Physics Students.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sobolewski, Stanley J.

    One of the difficulties encountered by novice problem solvers in introductory physics is in the area of problem solving. It has been shown in other studies that poor problem solvers are affected by the surface aspects of the problem in contrast with more efficient problem solvers who are capable of constructing a mental model of the physical…

  7. A multi-period distribution network design model under demand uncertainty

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tabrizi, Babak H.; Razmi, Jafar

    2013-05-01

    Supply chain management is taken into account as an inseparable component in satisfying customers' requirements. This paper deals with the distribution network design (DND) problem which is a critical issue in achieving supply chain accomplishments. A capable DND can guarantee the success of the entire network performance. However, there are many factors that can cause fluctuations in input data determining market treatment, with respect to short-term planning, on the one hand. On the other hand, network performance may be threatened by the changes that take place within practicing periods, with respect to long-term planning. Thus, in order to bring both kinds of changes under control, we considered a new multi-period, multi-commodity, multi-source DND problem in circumstances where the network encounters uncertain demands. The fuzzy logic is applied here as an efficient tool for controlling the potential customers' demand risk. The defuzzifying framework leads the practitioners and decision-makers to interact with the solution procedure continuously. The fuzzy model is then validated by a sensitivity analysis test, and a typical problem is solved in order to illustrate the implementation steps. Finally, the formulation is tested by some different-sized problems to show its total performance.

  8. Problems Implementing Problem-Based Learning by a Private Malaysian University

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tik, Chan Chang

    2014-01-01

    In this case study the focus is on lecturers' readiness in the design of PBL problems and to facilitate students' learning. This paper also looks into students' readiness in terms of acquiring metacognitive skills and collaborating in group to solve PBL problems. Problems encountered by both lecturers and students are discussed in the context of…

  9. Determining the Performances of Pre-Service Primary School Teachers in Problem Posing Situations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kilic, Cigdem

    2013-01-01

    This study examined the problem posing strategies of pre-service primary school teachers in different problem posing situations (PPSs) and analysed the issues they encounter while posing problems. A problem posing task consisting of six PPSs (two free, two structured, and two semi-structured situations) was delivered to 40 participants.…

  10. Imagining intergroup contact can combat mental health stigma by reducing anxiety, avoidance and negative stereotyping.

    PubMed

    Stathi, Sofia; Tsantila, Katerina; Crisp, Richard J

    2012-01-01

    Research has demonstrated widespread negative attitudes held toward people with mental health problems. Our study investigated whether a new prejudice reduction technique, imagined intergroup contact (Crisp & Turner, 2009), could combat stigma against people with mental illness, and the mediating processes through which it may exert this beneficial effect. We found that compared to a control condition, participants who imagined a positive encounter with a schizophrenic person reported weakened stereotypes and formed stronger intentions to engage in future social interactions with schizophrenic people in general. Importantly, these intentions were formed due to reduced feelings of anxiety about future interactions. We discuss the implications of these findings for improving the social inclusion of people with mental health problems.

  11. The Use of Megestrol Acetate in Some Feline Dermatological Problems

    PubMed Central

    Gosselin, Y.; Chalifoux, A.; Papageorges, M.

    1981-01-01

    Twenty-one cats were treated with megestrol acetate because they were showing clinical signs associated with one of the following problems: eosinophilic ulcer, eosinophilic plaque, neurodermatitis, endocrine alopecia and miliary dermatitis. The dosage schedule was 5 mg orally per day per cat for seven days, then 5 mg every three days for 21 days. In all cats, we noted a good improvement of the lesions as soon as treatment was started. In 25% of the patients, one treatment schedule was sufficient to control the skin disease for at least 18 months. In the remaining 75%, two treatment schedules and/or a maintenance dosage had to be established. Side effects encountered were increased appetite, personality changes and depression. PMID:7337916

  12. Brain systems underlying encounter expectancy bias in spider phobia.

    PubMed

    Aue, Tatjana; Hoeppli, Marie-Eve; Piguet, Camille; Hofstetter, Christoph; Rieger, Sebastian W; Vuilleumier, Patrik

    2015-06-01

    Spider-phobic individuals are characterized by exaggerated expectancies to be faced with spiders (so-called encounter expectancy bias). Whereas phobic responses have been linked to brain systems mediating fear, little is known about how the recruitment of these systems relates to exaggerated expectancies of threat. We used fMRI to examine spider-phobic and control participants while they imagined visiting different locations in a forest after having received background information about the likelihood of encountering different animals (spiders, snakes, and birds) at these locations. Critically, imagined encounter expectancies modulated brain responses differently in phobics as compared with controls. Phobics displayed stronger negative modulation of activity in the lateral prefrontal cortex, precuneus, and visual cortex by encounter expectancies for spiders, relative to snakes or birds (within-participants analysis); these effects were not seen in controls. Between-participants correlation analyses within the phobic group further corroborated the hypothesis that these phobia-specific modulations may underlie irrationality in encounter expectancies (deviations of encounter expectancies from objective background information) in spider phobia; the greater the negative modulation a phobic participant displayed in the lateral prefrontal cortex, precuneus, and visual cortex, the stronger was her bias in encounter expectancies for spiders. Interestingly, irrationality in expectancies reflected in frontal areas relied on right rather than left hemispheric deactivations. Our data accord with the idea that expectancy biases in spider phobia may reflect deficiencies in cognitive control and contextual integration that are mediated by right frontal and parietal areas.

  13. Separation in Logistic Regression: Causes, Consequences, and Control.

    PubMed

    Mansournia, Mohammad Ali; Geroldinger, Angelika; Greenland, Sander; Heinze, Georg

    2018-04-01

    Separation is encountered in regression models with a discrete outcome (such as logistic regression) where the covariates perfectly predict the outcome. It is most frequent under the same conditions that lead to small-sample and sparse-data bias, such as presence of a rare outcome, rare exposures, highly correlated covariates, or covariates with strong effects. In theory, separation will produce infinite estimates for some coefficients. In practice, however, separation may be unnoticed or mishandled because of software limits in recognizing and handling the problem and in notifying the user. We discuss causes of separation in logistic regression and describe how common software packages deal with it. We then describe methods that remove separation, focusing on the same penalized-likelihood techniques used to address more general sparse-data problems. These methods improve accuracy, avoid software problems, and allow interpretation as Bayesian analyses with weakly informative priors. We discuss likelihood penalties, including some that can be implemented easily with any software package, and their relative advantages and disadvantages. We provide an illustration of ideas and methods using data from a case-control study of contraceptive practices and urinary tract infection.

  14. Helping Students Navigate Faith Challenges in the Biblical Studies Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sharp, Carolyn J.; Clark-Soles, Jaime

    2012-01-01

    What happens when students encounter the academic study of the Bible in the seminary or undergraduate classroom? Does a teacher have a responsibility to help students navigate challenges to Christian faith that might arise? What pedagogical problems and opportunities does this encounter present? How does this issue manifest differently in…

  15. Tips for Novice Researchers: Operational Difficulties Encountered in Underdeveloped Countries.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Belcher El-Nahhas, Susan M.

    This paper provides a general overview of the type of problems encountered in the field of research so that individuals who are contemplating conducting research in an underdeveloped country for the first time are better prepared, and hence, better able to complete their research. The paper recounts a female researcher's personal experiences in…

  16. Doctor-patient communication on the telephone.

    PubMed

    Curtis, P; Evens, S

    1989-01-01

    Since its invention, the telephone has been an important tool in medical practice, particularly for primary care physicians. Approximately half the calls made to a physician's office during regular consulting hours are for clinical problems and most are handled effectively over the phone without an immediate office visit. Telephone encounters are generally very brief, and managing such calls requires a pragmatic approach that is often quite different from the approach taken in the office visit. The telephone encounter should be recognized and recorded as a specific medical interaction in the medical chart for both clinical and legal reasons. Effective telephone encounters depend on good communication skills; decision making regarding disposition is a major goal. The physician's perception of a medical problem may be different from the patient's; patients are frequently seeking advice and reassurance rather than diagnosis and treatment, and may call because of anxiety and psychological stress. For physicians and their families who are not prepared for after-hours telephone encounters, calls that interrupt more "legitimate" activities may result in anger or frustration for the physician and dissatisfaction for the patient.

  17. Problem-Solving Examples as Interactive Learning Objects for Educational Digital Libraries

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brusilovsky, Peter; Yudelson, Michael; Hsiao, I-Han

    2009-01-01

    The paper analyzes three major problems encountered by our team as we endeavored to turn problem solving examples in the domain of programming into highly reusable educational activities, which could be included as first class objects in various educational digital libraries. It also suggests three specific approaches to resolving these problems,…

  18. ADOPTING THE PROBLEM BASED LEARNING APPROACH IN A GIS PROJECT MANAGEMENT CLASS

    EPA Science Inventory

    Problem Based Learning (PBL) is a process that emphasizes the need for developing problem solving skills through hands-on project formulation and management. A class adopting the PBL method provides students with an environment to acquire necessary knowledge to encounter, unders...

  19. Problems in Evaluating Adult Literacy Programmes.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rajyalakshmi, C.

    1980-01-01

    The study of the Functional Literacy Program in India encountered problems of opposition to evaluation, inappropriate respondents, and difficulties in contacting participants, which point to changes that should be made in the evaluation methods. (SK)

  20. 76 FR 6054 - Use of Less-Than-Lethal Force: Delegation

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-02-03

    ... report any medical problems encountered by subjects being subdued and arrested, and no medical problems.... Therefore, for accuracy in terminology, we replace the term ``non-lethal'' with the more accurate term...

  1. Health profiles of foreigners attending primary care clinics in Malaysia.

    PubMed

    Ab Rahman, Norazida; Sivasampu, Sheamini; Mohamad Noh, Kamaliah; Khoo, Ee Ming

    2016-06-14

    The world population has become more globalised with increasing number of people residing in another country for work or other reasons. Little is known about the health profiles of foreign population in Malaysia. The aim of this study was to provide a detailed description of the health problems presented by foreigners attending primary care clinics in Malaysia. Data were derived from the 2012 National Medical Care Survey (NMCS), a cross sectional survey of primary care encounters from public and private primary care clinics sampled from five regions in Malaysia. Patients with foreign nationality were identified and analysed for demographic profiles, reasons for encounter (RFEs), diagnosis, and provision of care. Foreigners accounted for 7.7 % (10,830) of all patient encounters from NMCS. Most encounters were from private clinics (90.2 %). Median age was 28 years (IQR: 24.0, 34.8) and 69.9 % were male. Most visits to the primary care clinics were for symptom-based complaints (69.5 %), followed by procedures (23.0 %) and follow-up visit (7.4 %). The commonest diagnosis in public clinics was antenatal care (21.8 %), followed by high risk pregnancies (7.5 %) and upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) (6.8 %). Private clinics had more cases for general medical examination (13.5 %), URTI (13.1 %) and fever (3.9 %). Medications were prescribed to 76.5 % of these encounters. More foreigners were seeking primary medical care from private clinics and the encounters were for general medical examinations and acute minor ailments. Those who sought care from public clinics were for obstetric problems and chronic diseases. Medications were prescribed to two-thirds of the encounters while other interventions: laboratory investigations, medical procedures and follow-up appointment had lower rates in private clinics. Foreigners are generally of young working group and are expected to have mandatory medical checks. The preponderance of obstetrics seen in public clinics suggests a need for improved access to maternal care and pregnancy related care. This has implication on policy and health care provision and access for foreigners and future studies are needed to look into strategies to solve these problems.

  2. Atomic layer epitaxy of YBaCuO for optoelectronic applications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Skogman, R. A.; Khan, M. A.; Van Hove, J. M.; Bhattarai, A.; Boord, W. T.

    1992-01-01

    An MOCVD-based atomic-layer epitaxy process is being developed as a potential solution to the problems of film-thickness and interface-abruptness control which are encountered when fabricating superconductor-insulator-superconductor devices using YBa2Cu3O(7-x). In initial studies, the atomic-layer MOCVD process yields superconducting YBa2Cu3O(7-x) films with substrate temperatures of 605 C during film growth, and no postdeposition anneal. The low temperature process yields a smooth film surface and can reduce interface degradation due to diffusion.

  3. Implementation of heaters on thermally actuated spacecraft mechanisms

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Busch, John D.; Bokaie, Michael D.

    1994-01-01

    This paper presents general insight into the design and implementation of heaters as used in actuating mechanisms for spacecraft. Problems and considerations that were encountered during development of the Deep Space Probe and Science Experiment (DSPSE) solar array release mechanism are discussed. Obstacles included large expected fluctuations in ambient temperature, variations in voltage supply levels outgassing concerns, heater circuit design, materials selection, and power control options. Successful resolution of these issues helped to establish a methodology which can be applied to many of the heater design challenges found in thermally actuated mechanisms.

  4. The design, development, fabrication and testing of two (2) Non-Spin Platforms, (NSP)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1975-01-01

    The non spin platform is a means for achieving the very low acceleration requirements for cost effective space processing experiments on research rocket flights. These platforms have a low initial cost, are re-usable and have extremely low refurbishment cost. In order to attain this goal, commercially available components were used and only the necessary quality control standards were imposed. A detailed system description, the very few design problems encountered, the operational procedures (both pre-flight and post-flight), and the maintenance requirements are described.

  5. Inversion of very large matrices encountered in large scale problems of photogrammetry and photographic astrometry

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Brown, D. C.

    1971-01-01

    The simultaneous adjustment of very large nets of overlapping plates covering the celestial sphere becomes computationally feasible by virtue of a twofold process that generates a system of normal equations having a bordered-banded coefficient matrix, and solves such a system in a highly efficient manner. Numerical results suggest that when a well constructed spherical net is subjected to a rigorous, simultaneous adjustment, the exercise of independently established control points is neither required for determinancy nor for production of accurate results.

  6. Applications of remote sensing to water resources

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1977-01-01

    Analyses were made of selected long-term (1985 and beyond) objectives, with the intent of determining if significant data-related problems would be encountered and to develop alternative solutions to any potential problems. One long-term objective selected for analysis was Water Availability Forecasting. A brief overview was scheduled in FY-77 of the objective -- primarily a fact-finding study to allow Data Management personnel to gain adequate background information to perform subsequent data system analyses. This report, includes discussions on some of the larger problems currently encountered in water measurement, the potential users of water availability forecasts, projected demands of users, current sensing accuracies, required parameter monitoring, status of forecasting modeling, and some measurement accuracies likely to be achievable by 1980 and 1990.

  7. Shared control on lunar spacecraft teleoperation rendezvous operations with large time delay

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ya-kun, Zhang; Hai-yang, Li; Rui-xue, Huang; Jiang-hui, Liu

    2017-08-01

    Teleoperation could be used in space on-orbit serving missions, such as object deorbits, spacecraft approaches, and automatic rendezvous and docking back-up systems. Teleoperation rendezvous and docking in lunar orbit may encounter bottlenecks for the inherent time delay in the communication link and the limited measurement accuracy of sensors. Moreover, human intervention is unsuitable in view of the partial communication coverage problem. To solve these problems, a shared control strategy for teleoperation rendezvous and docking is detailed. The control authority in lunar orbital maneuvers that involves two spacecraft as rendezvous and docking in the final phase was discussed in this paper. The predictive display model based on the relative dynamic equations is established to overcome the influence of the large time delay in communication link. We discuss and attempt to prove via consistent, ground-based simulations the relative merits of fully autonomous control mode (i.e., onboard computer-based), fully manual control (i.e., human-driven at the ground station) and shared control mode. The simulation experiments were conducted on the nine-degrees-of-freedom teleoperation rendezvous and docking simulation platform. Simulation results indicated that the shared control methods can overcome the influence of time delay effects. In addition, the docking success probability of shared control method was enhanced compared with automatic and manual modes.

  8. Epidemiology of infections caused by multiresistant gram-negatives: ESBLs, MBLs, panresistant strains.

    PubMed

    Rossolini, Gian Maria; Mantengoli, Elisabetta; Docquier, Jean-Denis; Musmanno, Rosa Anna; Coratza, Grazietta

    2007-07-01

    Microbial drug resistance is a growing problem of global magnitude. In gram-negative pathogens, the most important resistance problems are encountered in Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter, with increasing trends observed for all major anti-gram-negative agents (beta-lactams, fluoroquinolones and aminoglycosides). A matter of major concern is the emergence of new beta-lactamases capable of degrading the expanded-spectrum cephalosporins and/or carbapenems, such as the extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) and the carbapenemases. These beta-lactamase genes are often associated with resistance determinants to non-beta-lactam agents (e.g. aminoglycosides and fluoroquinolones), and strains producing ESBLs or carbapenemases often exhibit complex multidrug resistant phenotypes and sometimes are panresistant. The problem is worsened by the dearth of new agents active on multidrug-resistant Gram-negatives in the pipeline. The importance to develop better strategies to control resistance is underscored.

  9. Multiple regression for physiological data analysis: the problem of multicollinearity.

    PubMed

    Slinker, B K; Glantz, S A

    1985-07-01

    Multiple linear regression, in which several predictor variables are related to a response variable, is a powerful statistical tool for gaining quantitative insight into complex in vivo physiological systems. For these insights to be correct, all predictor variables must be uncorrelated. However, in many physiological experiments the predictor variables cannot be precisely controlled and thus change in parallel (i.e., they are highly correlated). There is a redundancy of information about the response, a situation called multicollinearity, that leads to numerical problems in estimating the parameters in regression equations; the parameters are often of incorrect magnitude or sign or have large standard errors. Although multicollinearity can be avoided with good experimental design, not all interesting physiological questions can be studied without encountering multicollinearity. In these cases various ad hoc procedures have been proposed to mitigate multicollinearity. Although many of these procedures are controversial, they can be helpful in applying multiple linear regression to some physiological problems.

  10. Lateral stability and control derivatives of a jet fighter airplane extracted from flight test data by utilizing maximum likelihood estimation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Parrish, R. V.; Steinmetz, G. G.

    1972-01-01

    A method of parameter extraction for stability and control derivatives of aircraft from flight test data, implementing maximum likelihood estimation, has been developed and successfully applied to actual lateral flight test data from a modern sophisticated jet fighter. This application demonstrates the important role played by the analyst in combining engineering judgment and estimator statistics to yield meaningful results. During the analysis, the problems of uniqueness of the extracted set of parameters and of longitudinal coupling effects were encountered and resolved. The results for all flight runs are presented in tabular form and as time history comparisons between the estimated states and the actual flight test data.

  11. A Riccati solution for the ideal MHD plasma response with applications to real-time stability control

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Glasser, Alexander; Kolemen, Egemen; Glasser, A. H.

    2018-03-01

    Active feedback control of ideal MHD stability in a tokamak requires rapid plasma stability analysis. Toward this end, we reformulate the δW stability method with a Hamilton-Jacobi theory, elucidating analytical and numerical features of the generic tokamak ideal MHD stability problem. The plasma response matrix is demonstrated to be the solution of an ideal MHD matrix Riccati differential equation. Since Riccati equations are prevalent in the control theory literature, such a shift in perspective brings to bear a range of numerical methods that are well-suited to the robust, fast solution of control problems. We discuss the usefulness of Riccati techniques in solving the stiff ordinary differential equations often encountered in ideal MHD stability analyses—for example, in tokamak edge and stellarator physics. We demonstrate the applicability of such methods to an existing 2D ideal MHD stability code—DCON [A. H. Glasser, Phys. Plasmas 23, 072505 (2016)]—enabling its parallel operation in near real-time, with wall-clock time ≪1 s . Such speed may help enable active feedback ideal MHD stability control, especially in tokamak plasmas whose ideal MHD equilibria evolve with inductive timescale τ≳ 1s—as in ITER.

  12. Learning Impasses in Problem Solving

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hodgson, J. P. E.

    1992-01-01

    Problem Solving systems customarily use backtracking to deal with obstacles that they encounter in the course of trying to solve a problem. This paper outlines an approach in which the possible obstacles are investigated prior to the search for a solution. This provides a solution strategy that avoids backtracking.

  13. Using CAS to Solve Classical Mathematics Problems

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Burke, Maurice J.; Burroughs, Elizabeth A.

    2009-01-01

    Historically, calculus has displaced many algebraic methods for solving classical problems. This article illustrates an algebraic method for finding the zeros of polynomial functions that is closely related to Newton's method (devised in 1669, published in 1711), which is encountered in calculus. By exploring this problem, precalculus students…

  14. Improving Audio Quality in Distance Learning Applications.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Richardson, Craig H.

    This paper discusses common causes of problems encountered with audio systems in distance learning networks and offers practical suggestions for correcting the problems. Problems and discussions are divided into nine categories: (1) acoustics, including reverberant classrooms leading to distorted or garbled voices, as well as one-dimensional audio…

  15. Beyond Utility Targeting: Toward Axiological Air Operations

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2000-01-01

    encounter the leader- sociopath , bereft of values, quite willing to live underground in hiding and in- sensitive to the absence of human comforts...that is a mere one thousand value-analysis problems to begin solving. A more difficult problem to solve is the problem of the leader- sociopath

  16. Fix and forget or fix and report: a qualitative study of tensions at the front line of incident reporting.

    PubMed

    Hewitt, Tanya Anne; Chreim, Samia

    2015-05-01

    Practitioners frequently encounter safety problems that they themselves can resolve on the spot. We ask: when faced with such a problem, do practitioners fix it in the moment and forget about it, or do they fix it in the moment and report it? We consider factors underlying these two approaches. We used a qualitative case study design employing in-depth interviews with 40 healthcare practitioners in a tertiary care hospital in Ontario, Canada. We conducted a thematic analysis, and compared the findings with the literature. 'Fixing and forgetting' was the main choice that most practitioners made in situations where they faced problems that they themselves could resolve. These situations included (A) handling near misses, which were seen as unworthy of reporting since they did not result in actual harm to the patient, (B) prioritising solving individual patients' safety problems, which were viewed as unique or one-time events and (C) encountering re-occurring safety problems, which were framed as inevitable, routine events. In only a few instances was 'fixing and reporting' mentioned as a way that the providers dealt with problems that they could resolve. We found that generally healthcare providers do not prioritise reporting if a safety problem is fixed. We argue that fixing and forgetting patient safety problems encountered may not serve patient safety as well as fixing and reporting. The latter approach aligns with recent calls for patient safety to be more preventive. We consider implications for practice. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

  17. Interim report : a non-overlay cathodic protection system.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1983-01-01

    This interim report describes Virginia's experience in installing its first cathodic protection system for a bridge deck. The installation was completed with practically no problems. Very minor problems have been encountered with the rectifier/contro...

  18. Investigation of fatigue by Australian general practice registrars: a cross-sectional study.

    PubMed

    Morgan, Simon; Henderson, Kim M; Tapley, Amanda; Thomson, Allison; Wilson, Jessica; Scott, John; Spike, Neil A; McArthur, Lawrie; van Driel, Mieke L; Magin, Parker J

    2015-06-01

    Fatigue is the most common undifferentiated problem presenting in general practice. Previous studies have shown that this presentation leads to multiple investigations. There is no published literature describing the management of patients with fatigue by general practice (GP) registrars. To document the investigation-ordering behaviour of GP registrars in managing patients with a new diagnosis of unexplained fatigue. This was a cross-sectional analysis of data from Registrar Clinical Encounters in Training (ReCEnT), an ongoing cohort study of GP registrars' consultations. We established the prevalence of new diagnoses of unexplained fatigue and associations with that diagnosis, the rate of test ordering and the number and types of investigations ordered. 644 registrars contributed data from 68 986 encounters. In 0.78% of patient encounters, a new diagnosis of unexplained fatigue was made. Pathology was ordered in 78.4% of these problems (versus 18.1% in non-fatigue problems), at a rate of 488 tests per 100 new fatigue problems. Our study suggests that unexplained fatigue elicits a non-rational approach to test ordering by registrars. These findings contribute to the understanding of GP registrar management of fatigue, and undifferentiated presentations more broadly, and suggest educational approaches to improve practice, including dealing with uncertainty.

  19. The Lived Experience of Iranian Women Confronting Breast Cancer Diagnosis.

    PubMed

    Mehrabi, Esmat; Hajian, Sepideh; Simbar, Masoomeh; Hoshyari, Mohammad; Zayeri, Farid

    2016-03-01

    The populations who survive from breast cancer are growing; nevertheless, they mostly encounter with many cancer related problems in their life, especially after early diagnosis and have to deal with these problems. Except for the disease entity, several socio-cultural factors may affect confronting this challenge among patients and the way they deal with. Present study was carried out to prepare clear understanding of Iranian women's lived experiences confronting breast cancer diagnosis and coping ways they applied to deal with it. This study was carried out by using qualitative phenomenological design. Data gathering was done through purposive sampling using semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 18 women who survived from breast cancer. The transcribed interviews were analyzed using Van Manen's thematic analysis approach. Two main themes were emerged from the interviews including "emotional turbulence" and "threat control". The first, comprised three sub themes including uncertainty, perceived worries, and living with fears. The second included risk control, recurrence control, immediate seeking help, seeking support and resource to spirituality. Emotional response was the immediate reflection to cancer diagnosis. However, during post-treatment period a variety of emotions were not uncommon findings, patients' perceptions have been changing along the time and problem-focused coping strategies have replaced. Although women may experience a degree of improvement and adjustment with illness, the emotional problems are not necessarily resolved, they may continue and gradually engender positive outcomes.

  20. The effects of coping on adjustment: Re-examining the goodness of fit model of coping effectiveness.

    PubMed

    Masel, C N; Terry, D J; Gribble, M

    1996-01-01

    Abstract The primary aim of the present study was to examine the extent to which the effects of coping on adjustment are moderated by levels of event controllability. Specifically, the research tested two revisions to the goodness of fit model of coping effectiveness. First, it was hypothesized that the effects of problem management coping (but not problem appraisal coping) would be moderated by levels of event controllability. Second, it was hypothesized that the effects of emotion-focused coping would be moderated by event controllability, but only in the acute phase of a stressful encounter. To test these predictions, a longitudinal study was undertaken (185 undergraduate students participated in all three stages of the research). Measures of initial adjustment (low depression and coping efficacy) were obtained at Time 1. Four weeks later (Time 2), coping responses to a current or a recent stressor were assessed. Based on subjects' descriptions of the event, objective and subjective measures of event controllability were also obtained. Measures of concurrent and subsequent adjustment were obtained at Times 2 and 3 (two weeks later), respectively. There was only weak support for the goodness of fit model of coping effectiveness. The beneficial effects of a high proportion of problem management coping (relative to total coping efforts) on Time 3 perceptions of coping efficacy were more evident in high control than in low control situations. Other results of the research revealed that, irrespective of the controllability of the event, problem appraisal coping strategies and emotion-focused strategies (escapism and self-denigration) were associated with high and low levels of concurrent adjustment, respectively. The effects of these coping responses on subsequent adjustment were mediated through concurrent levels of adjustment.

  1. Role of Enhancing Visual Effects Education Delivery to Encounter Career Challenges in Malaysia

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ng, Lynn-Sze

    2017-01-01

    Problem-based Learning (PBL) is one of the most effective methods of instruction that helps Visual Effects (VFX) students to be more adaptable at encountering career challenges in Malaysia. These challenges are; lack of several important requirements such as, the basic and fundamental knowledge of VFX concepts, the ability to understand real-world…

  2. Problem Solving Skills for Children.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Youngs, Bettie B.

    This guide was written for children, to help them handle problems they might encounter, learn about other children and how they have handled similar problems, and learn what to do when things go wrong or when they feel misunderstood. In the introduction, children are assured that, even when they have problems, they can be happy again. The body of…

  3. Problem Solving Instruction for Overcoming Students' Difficulties in Stoichiometric Problems

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shadreck, Mandina; Enunuwe, Ochonogor Chukunoye

    2017-01-01

    The study sought to find out difficulties encountered by high school chemistry students when solving stoichiometric problems and how these could be overcome by using a problem-solving approach. The study adopted a quasi-experimental design. 485 participants drawn from 8 highs schools in a local education district in Zimbabwe participated in the…

  4. Alcohol and Other Drugs on Campus: The Scope of the Problem. Infofacts/Resources

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kapner, Daniel Ari

    2008-01-01

    The most widespread health problem on college and university campuses in the United States is high-risk alcohol and other drug (AOD) use. Recent reports confirm that the nation's campuses continue to encounter significant consequences as a result of this problem. This "Infofacts/Resources" offers an overview of the problem and highlights effective…

  5. Mariner 10 Venus encounter. [scientific objectives and instruments for flyby observations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dunne, J. A.

    1974-01-01

    Review of the scientific objectives of the Mariner 10 mission with regard to observations of Venus during a flyby, and description of the equipment installed on the spacecraft to fulfill these objectives. A detailed description is given of the hardware modifications made to the payload specifically for the Venus sequence. In discussing the encounter operations, two spacecraft problems which significantly affected the Venus encounter sequence are cited - namely, a failure of the television optic heaters to come on shortly after launch, and the occurrence of a roll gyro oscillation.

  6. Automation--planning to implementation; the problems en route.

    PubMed Central

    Pizer, I H

    1976-01-01

    Once the major decision to automate library processes is made, there are a variety of problems which may be encountered before the planned system becomes operational. These include problems of personnel, budget, procurement of adjunct services, institutional priorities, and manufacturing uncertainties. Actual and potential difficulties are discussed. PMID:1247703

  7. Conceptualizing Perseverance in Problem Solving as Collective Enterprise

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sengupta-Irving, Tesha; Agarwal, Priyanka

    2017-01-01

    Students are expected to learn mathematics such that when they encounter challenging problems they will persist. Creating opportunities for students to persist in problem solving is therefore argued as essential to effective teaching and to children developing positive dispositions in mathematical learning. This analysis takes a novel approach to…

  8. Financial Stress, Parental Depressive Symptoms, Parenting Practices, and Children's Externalizing Problem Behaviors: Underlying Processes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lee, Chih-Yuan Steven; Lee, Jaerim; August, Gerald J.

    2011-01-01

    This study examined the relationships among financial stress encountered by families, parents' social support, parental depressive symptoms, parenting practices, and children's externalizing problem behaviors to advance our understanding of the processes by which family financial stress is associated with children's problem behaviors. We also…

  9. Problem Solving.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pollak, Ave

    This guide is intended for use in presenting a three-session course designed to develop the problem-solving skills required of persons employed in the manufacturing and service industries. The course is structured so that, upon its completion, students will be able to accomplish the following: describe and analyze problems encountered at work;…

  10. Twenty Recent Novels (and More) about Adolescents for Bibliotherapy.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hipple, Ted; Comer, Melissa; Boren, Dodie

    1997-01-01

    Lists 20 problems adolescents may encounter, with a description of one young adult novel in which that problem is a central feature. Some of the problems addressed include abuse, AIDS, alcohol, alienation, crime, death, disabilities, divorce, drugs, ethics, homosexuality, peer pressure, pregnancy, prejudice, rape, religious pressure, school, sex,…

  11. Support Services for Remote Users of Online Public Access Catalogs.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kalin, Sally W.

    1991-01-01

    Discusses the needs of remote users of online public access catalogs (OPACs). User expectations are discussed; problems encountered by remote-access users are examined, including technical problems and searching problems; support services are described, including instruction, print guides, and online help; and differences from the needs of…

  12. Exploring Principals' Nonroutine Problems in Bilingual Immersion Schools: Lessons Learned for Multicultural Leadership

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schwabsky, Nitza

    2013-01-01

    The present study examines the nonroutine problems that eight Anglo-American principals encountered in managing three elementary bilingual immersion schools in the Northwest United States. Using qualitative inquiry to collect data, I employed the multisited ethnographic research model. The principals reported nonroutine problems in the following…

  13. Another Look at the Language Difficulties of International Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zhang, Yanyin; Mi, Yinan

    2010-01-01

    International students encounter language-related problems in their academic studies. Specific problem areas have been identified and possible underlying causes have been explored. The present study investigates the impact of two variables--length of study and academic disciplines--in relation to the problems. The findings from a survey and…

  14. Laboratory errors and patient safety.

    PubMed

    Miligy, Dawlat A

    2015-01-01

    Laboratory data are extensively used in medical practice; consequently, laboratory errors have a tremendous impact on patient safety. Therefore, programs designed to identify and reduce laboratory errors, as well as, setting specific strategies are required to minimize these errors and improve patient safety. The purpose of this paper is to identify part of the commonly encountered laboratory errors throughout our practice in laboratory work, their hazards on patient health care and some measures and recommendations to minimize or to eliminate these errors. Recording the encountered laboratory errors during May 2008 and their statistical evaluation (using simple percent distribution) have been done in the department of laboratory of one of the private hospitals in Egypt. Errors have been classified according to the laboratory phases and according to their implication on patient health. Data obtained out of 1,600 testing procedure revealed that the total number of encountered errors is 14 tests (0.87 percent of total testing procedures). Most of the encountered errors lay in the pre- and post-analytic phases of testing cycle (representing 35.7 and 50 percent, respectively, of total errors). While the number of test errors encountered in the analytic phase represented only 14.3 percent of total errors. About 85.7 percent of total errors were of non-significant implication on patients health being detected before test reports have been submitted to the patients. On the other hand, the number of test errors that have been already submitted to patients and reach the physician represented 14.3 percent of total errors. Only 7.1 percent of the errors could have an impact on patient diagnosis. The findings of this study were concomitant with those published from the USA and other countries. This proves that laboratory problems are universal and need general standardization and bench marking measures. Original being the first data published from Arabic countries that evaluated the encountered laboratory errors and launch the great need for universal standardization and bench marking measures to control the laboratory work.

  15. Burnout control at the Albright coal-waste-bank fire. Rept. of investigations/1991

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

    Chaiken, R.F.; Bayles, L.G.

    1991-01-01

    Burnout Control is a process developed by the U.S. Bureau of Mines for accelerating the burning of wasted coal fires in situ, while at the same time controlling the heat and fumes produced. The Albright fire project is a first field trial of Burnout Control as applied to a coal waste bank. An exhaust ventilation system was designed and constructed and then operated over a 1-year period at the site of an existing abandoned mine land fire near the town of Albright, W.V. While predicted exhaust gas temperatures of 900 C and thermal power levels of 5 MW were achievedmore » at 20- to 30-in H2O vacuum levels, problems were encountered with engineering designs, equipment breakdown, and fuel-rich combustion that curtailed the time period of satisfactory operation. Effective afterburning of the exhaust gases (as they were drawn from the bank) corrected the problems associated with combustion stoichiometry and led to high thermal outputs. It is believed that with (1) improvements in engineering design and construction, (2) better control of the afterburning process, and (3) the use of conventional stack gas air-pollution controls, Burnout Control can be applied successfully to a coal waste bank fire.« less

  16. Transit security : a description of problems and countermeasures

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1984-10-01

    This report provides a broad perspective on transit security. It examines a wide range of transit security problems encountered by transit systems, namely: crime against passengers and employees; crimes involving revenues, including fare evasion by p...

  17. Adaptation of Social Problem Solving for Children Questionnaire in 6 Age Groups and its Relationships with Preschool Behavior Problems

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dereli-Iman, Esra

    2013-01-01

    Social Problem Solving for Child Scale is frequently used to determine behavioral problems of children with their own word and to identify ways of conflict encountered in daily life, and interpersonal relationships in abroad. The primary purpose of this study was to adapt the Wally Child Social Problem-Solving Detective Game Test. In order to…

  18. The implementation and operation of a variable-response electronic throttle control system for a TF-104G aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Neal, Bradford; Sengupta, Upal

    1989-01-01

    During some flight programs, researchers have encountered problems in the throttle response characteristics of high-performance aircraft. To study and to help solve these problems, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Ames Research Center's Dryden Flight Research Facility (Ames-Dryden) conducted a study using a TF-104G airplane modified with a variable-response electronic throttle control system. Ames-Dryden investigated the effects of different variables on engine response and handling qualities. The system provided transport delay, lead and lag filters, second-order lags, command rate and position limits, and variable gain between the pilot's throttle command and the engine fuel controller. These variables could be tested individually or in combination. Ten research flights were flown to gather data on engine response and to obtain pilot ratings of the various system configurations. The results should provide design criteria for engine-response characteristics. The variable-response throttle components and how they were installed in the TF-104G aircraft are described. How the variable-response throttle was used in flight and some of the results of using this system are discussed.

  19. Lattice Boltzmann computation of creeping fluid flow in roll-coating applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rajan, Isac; Kesana, Balashanker; Perumal, D. Arumuga

    2018-04-01

    Lattice Boltzmann Method (LBM) has advanced as a class of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) methods used to solve complex fluid systems and heat transfer problems. It has ever-increasingly attracted the interest of researchers in computational physics to solve challenging problems of industrial and academic importance. In this current study, LBM is applied to simulate the creeping fluid flow phenomena commonly encountered in manufacturing technologies. In particular, we apply this novel method to simulate the fluid flow phenomena associated with the "meniscus roll coating" application. This prevalent industrial problem encountered in polymer processing and thin film coating applications is modelled as standard lid-driven cavity problem to which creeping flow analysis is applied. This incompressible viscous flow problem is studied in various speed ratios, the ratio of upper to lower lid speed in two different configurations of lid movement - parallel and anti-parallel wall motion. The flow exhibits interesting patterns which will help in design of roll coaters.

  20. Ethical problems and moral sensitivity in physiotherapy: a descriptive study.

    PubMed

    Kulju, Kati; Suhonen, Riitta; Leino-Kilpi, Helena

    2013-08-01

    This study identified and described ethical problems encountered by physiotherapists in their practice and physiotherapists' moral sensitivity in ethical situations. A questionnaire-based survey was constructed to identify ethical problems, and the Moral Sensitivity Questionnaire Revised version was used to measure moral sensitivity. Physiotherapists (n = 116) working in public health services responded to the questionnaire. Based on the results, most of the physiotherapists encounter ethical problems weekly. They concern mainly financial considerations, equality and justice, professionalism, unethical conduct of physiotherapists or other professions and patients' self-determination. The dimension of moral strength was emphasised in physiotherapists' self-evaluations of their moral sensitivity. As a conclusion, ethical problems do occur not only at individual level but also at organisational and society level. Physiotherapists seem to have moral strength for speaking on behalf of the patient. Scarce resources make them feel insufficient but much could still be done to provide quality care in co-operation with other health-care professionals.

  1. Assessing the role of memory in preschoolers' performance on episodic foresight tasks.

    PubMed

    Atance, Cristina M; Sommerville, Jessica A

    2014-01-01

    A total of 48 preschoolers (ages 3, 4, and 5) received four tasks modelled after prior work designed to assess the development of "episodic foresight". For each task, children encountered a problem in one room and, after a brief delay, were given the opportunity in a second room to select an item to solve the problem. Importantly, after selecting an item, children were queried about their memory for the problem. Age-related changes were found both in children's ability to select the correct item and their ability to remember the problem. However, when we controlled for children's memory for the problem, there were no longer significant age-related changes on the item choice measure. These findings suggest that age-related changes in children's performance on these tasks are driven by improvements in children's memory versus improvements in children's future-oriented thinking or "foresight" per se. Our results have important implications for how best to structure tasks to measure children's episodic foresight, and also for the relative role of memory in this task and in episodic foresight more broadly.

  2. The Challenges of Measuring Glycemic Variability

    PubMed Central

    Rodbard, David

    2012-01-01

    This commentary reviews several of the challenges encountered when attempting to quantify glycemic variability and correlate it with risk of diabetes complications. These challenges include (1) immaturity of the field, including problems of data accuracy, precision, reliability, cost, and availability; (2) larger relative error in the estimates of glycemic variability than in the estimates of the mean glucose; (3) high correlation between glycemic variability and mean glucose level; (4) multiplicity of measures; (5) correlation of the multiple measures; (6) duplication or reinvention of methods; (7) confusion of measures of glycemic variability with measures of quality of glycemic control; (8) the problem of multiple comparisons when assessing relationships among multiple measures of variability and multiple clinical end points; and (9) differing needs for routine clinical practice and clinical research applications. PMID:22768904

  3. Adjustment method for embedded metrology engine in an EM773 series microcontroller.

    PubMed

    Blazinšek, Iztok; Kotnik, Bojan; Chowdhury, Amor; Kačič, Zdravko

    2015-09-01

    This paper presents the problems of implementation and adjustment (calibration) of a metrology engine embedded in NXP's EM773 series microcontroller. The metrology engine is used in a smart metering application to collect data about energy utilization and is controlled with the use of metrology engine adjustment (calibration) parameters. The aim of this research is to develop a method which would enable the operators to find and verify the optimum parameters which would ensure the best possible accuracy. Properly adjusted (calibrated) metrology engines can then be used as a base for variety of products used in smart and intelligent environments. This paper focuses on the problems encountered in the development, partial automatisation, implementation and verification of this method. Copyright © 2015 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Neural net controller for inlet pressure control of rocket engine testing

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Trevino, Luis C.

    1994-01-01

    Many dynamic systems operate in select operating regions, each exhibiting characteristic modes of behavior. It is traditional to employ standard adjustable gain proportional-integral-derivative (PID) loops in such systems where no apriori model information is available. However, for controlling inlet pressure for rocket engine testing, problems in fine tuning, disturbance accommodation, and control gains for new profile operating regions (for research and development) are typically encountered. Because of the capability of capturing I/O peculiarities, using NETS, a back propagation trained neural network is specified. For select operating regions, the neural network controller is simulated to be as robust as the PID controller. For a comparative analysis, the higher order moment neural array (HOMNA) method is used to specify a second neural controller by extracting critical exemplars from the I/O data set. Furthermore, using the critical exemplars from the HOMNA method, a third neural controller is developed using NETS back propagation algorithm. All controllers are benchmarked against each other.

  5. Reasons for encounter and disease patterns in Danish primary care: changes over 16 years.

    PubMed

    Moth, Grete; Olesen, Frede; Vedsted, Peter

    2012-06-01

    Approximately 98% of Danish citizens are listed with a general practice which they consult for medical advice. Although 85% of the population contact their general practitioner (GP) every year, little is known about these contacts. The aim of the present paper is to gain updated knowledge about patients' reasons for encounter and the GP activities and to make comparisons with a similar study from 1993. All GPs in the Central Denmark Region were invited to register all contacts during one randomly chosen day within a year. The registration included questions about patients' reasons for encounter, the types and contents of the contacts, referrals, and distribution between new episodes and follow-up contacts. Aggregated data were compared with the results from 1993. A total of 404 (46%) GPs participated. The number of contacts per 1000 inhabitants had risen by 19.7%. The reasons for encounter and final diagnoses resembled those in 1993. Musculoskeletal, psychological, and respiratory problems were the most common reasons for encounter, psychological problems being the only type to increase over the period. Interestingly, the proportion of diagnoses within the ICPC 'A' chapter rose from 13.5 to 19.7%. The referral rate rose by 2% (relative: 18.7%) from 10.7% to 12.7% and the share of follow-up contacts rose from 45.9% to 50.4% (relative: 8.7%). Quite small changes were seen in the patterns of reasons for encounter and diagnoses from 1993 to 2009. However, an increase was found in contacts with general practice and referrals and in the proportion of follow-ups.

  6. An analysis of the cultural problems encountered during caregiving by the nurses working in two different regions of Turkey.

    PubMed

    Kilic, Serap Parlar; Besen, Dilek Buyukkaya; Tokem, Yasemin; Fadiloglu, Cicek; Karadag, Gulendam

    2014-06-01

    The aim of this study was to identify the cultural problems encountered during caregiving by the nurses working in two university hospitals located in western and eastern Turkey. This descriptive, comparative study was conducted between July 2008 and October 2009 with 338 nurses who volunteered to take part in the study. The study data were collected using an individual description questionnaire consisting of 10 questions and another questionnaire consisting of 14 questions to identify the cultural problems encountered by nurses when giving care. The study showed with respect to training received on transcultural nursing that only 59 nurses had this training, but the percentage was higher in the nurses working at the hospital in the west (54.2%) (P > 0.05). It was found that a large number of nurses in the sample group (n = 286) gave care to at least one individual from another culture, but the percentage was significantly higher in the nurses working in the west (56.7%) than in the nurses working in the east (43.3%) (P < 0.05). When the problems experienced by the nurses during caregiving because of cultural characteristics of patients were explored, it was found that they experienced problems mostly in 'communication', and the percentage of those having problems was higher in the nurses working in the west (60.8%) (P > 0.05). The problem experienced in this area was mostly because of the fact that patients 'did not speak Turkish' (63.8%). In conclusion, the nurses gave care to patients from different cultures, and most of them had trouble when giving care to patients from different cultures. © 2013 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

  7. Radio science ground data system for the Voyager-Neptune encounter, part 1

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kursinski, E. R.; Asmar, S. W.

    1991-01-01

    The Voyager radio science experiments at Neptune required the creation of a ground data system array that includes a Deep Space Network complex, the Parkes Radio Observatory, and the Usuda deep space tracking station. The performance requirements were based on experience with the previous Voyager encounters, as well as the scientific goals at Neptune. The requirements were stricter than those of the Uranus encounter because of the need to avoid the phase-stability problems experienced during that encounter and because the spacecraft flyby was faster and closer to the planet than previous encounters. The primary requirement on the instrument was to recover the phase and amplitude of the S- and X-band (2.3 and 8.4 GHz) signals under the dynamic conditions encountered during the occultations. The primary receiver type for the measurements was open loop with high phase-noise and frequency stability performance. The receiver filter bandwidth was predetermined based on the spacecraft's trajectory and frequency uncertainties.

  8. Some problems of the design of highly directional spacecraft antennas

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Prigoda, B. A.

    1974-01-01

    Problems of optimization and selection of the most expedient forms of design of directional antenna systems encountered in spacecraft design are discussed. Selection of a given type of antenna depends on its characteristic size, weight, and potential.

  9. Community Work and Local Authority Decision Making: Potential and Problems

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Corina, Lewis

    1976-01-01

    British local authority and decision making procedures are described for community developers. Included are potential ways of influencing the authority system, and problems and areas of weakness that may be encountered in dealing with the system. (ABM)

  10. The Influence of Problems Faced during Internships on Interns' Views of Their Profession and Their Intention to Work in the Tourism Industry

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kasli, Mehmet; Ilban, Mehmet Oguzhan

    2013-01-01

    Problem Statement: The problem of this research is identifying the difficulties that undergraduate students experience during their internships and assessing their future intention to work in the tourism industry. Purpose of Study: This research aims to identify the problems undergraduate students encounter as interns in tourism programs and to…

  11. NOTES: a review of the technical problems encountered and their solutions.

    PubMed

    Mintz, Yoav; Horgan, Santiago; Cullen, John; Stuart, David; Falor, Eric; Talamini, Mark A

    2008-08-01

    Natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) is currently investigated and developed worldwide. In the past few years, multiple groups have confronted this challenge. Many technical problems are encountered in this technique due to the currently available tools for this approach. Some of the unique technical problems in NOTES include: blindly performed primary incisions; uncontrolled pneumoperitoneal pressure; no support for the endoscope in the abdominal cavity; inadequate vision; insufficient illumination; limited retraction and exposure; and the complexity of suturing and performing a safe anastomosis. In this paper, we review the problems encountered in NOTES and provide possible temporary solutions. Acute and survival studies were performed on 15 farm pigs. The hybrid technique approach (i.e., endoscopic surgery with the aid of laparoscopic vision) was performed in all cases. Procedures performed included liver biopsies, bilateral tubal ligation, oophprectomy, cholecystectomy, splenectomy and small bowel resection, and anastomosis. All attempted procedures were successfully performed. New methods and techniques were developed to overcome the technical problems. Closure of the gastrotomy was achieved by T-bar sutures and by stapler closure of the stomach incision. Small bowel anastomosis was achieved by the dual-lumen NOTES technique. The hybrid technique serves as a temporary approach to aid in developing the NOTES technique. A rectal or vaginal port of entry enables and facilitates gastrointestinal NOTES by using available laparoscopic instruments. The common operations performed today in the laparoscopic fashion could be probably performed in the NOTES approach. The safety of these procedures, however, is yet to be determined.

  12. Acts of Attention: An Exploration of Teacher Candidates' Attention to Educational Encounters, and How It Relates to Task Formulation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Harvey, Victoria A.

    2015-01-01

    This study begins with the belief that the ways in which teachers see and attend to educational encounters matter for their actions in classrooms. Using microethnography as a framework, this dissertation explores the relationship between teacher candidate attention, problem formulation, and action. Through analysis of the M.Ed. inquiry reports of…

  13. Unethical Behaviours Preservice Teachers Encounter on Social Networks

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Deveci Topal, Arzu; Kolburan Gecer, Aynur

    2015-01-01

    The development of web 2.0 technology has resulted in an increase in internet sharing. The scope of this study is social networking, which is one of the web 2.0 tools most heavily used by internet users. In this paper, the unethical behaviours that preservice teachers encounter on social networks and the ways to deal with these problems are…

  14. The prospective effects of workplace violence on physicians' job satisfaction and turnover intentions: the buffering effect of job control.

    PubMed

    Heponiemi, Tarja; Kouvonen, Anne; Virtanen, Marianna; Vänskä, Jukka; Elovainio, Marko

    2014-01-17

    Health care professionals, including physicians, are at high risk of encountering workplace violence. At the same time physician turnover is an increasing problem that threatens the functioning of the health care sector worldwide. The present study examined the prospective associations of work-related physical violence and bullying with physicians' turnover intentions and job satisfaction. In addition, we tested whether job control would modify these associations. The present study was a 4-year longitudinal survey study, with data gathered in 2006 and 2010.The present sample included 1515 (61% women) Finnish physicians aged 25-63 years at baseline. Analyses of covariance (ANCOVA) were conducted while adjusting for gender, age, baseline levels, specialisation status, and employment sector. The results of covariance analyses showed that physical violence led to increased physician turnover intentions and that both bullying and physical violence led to reduced physician job satisfaction even after adjustments. We also found that opportunities for job control were able to alleviate the increase in turnover intentions resulting from bullying. Our results suggest that workplace violence is an extensive problem in the health care sector and may lead to increased turnover and job dissatisfaction. Thus, health care organisations should approach this problem through different means, for example, by giving health care employees more opportunities to control their own work.

  15. The prospective effects of workplace violence on physicians’ job satisfaction and turnover intentions: the buffering effect of job control

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background Health care professionals, including physicians, are at high risk of encountering workplace violence. At the same time physician turnover is an increasing problem that threatens the functioning of the health care sector worldwide. The present study examined the prospective associations of work-related physical violence and bullying with physicians’ turnover intentions and job satisfaction. In addition, we tested whether job control would modify these associations. Methods The present study was a 4-year longitudinal survey study, with data gathered in 2006 and 2010.The present sample included 1515 (61% women) Finnish physicians aged 25–63 years at baseline. Analyses of covariance (ANCOVA) were conducted while adjusting for gender, age, baseline levels, specialisation status, and employment sector. Results The results of covariance analyses showed that physical violence led to increased physician turnover intentions and that both bullying and physical violence led to reduced physician job satisfaction even after adjustments. We also found that opportunities for job control were able to alleviate the increase in turnover intentions resulting from bullying. Conclusions Our results suggest that workplace violence is an extensive problem in the health care sector and may lead to increased turnover and job dissatisfaction. Thus, health care organisations should approach this problem through different means, for example, by giving health care employees more opportunities to control their own work. PMID:24438449

  16. Applications of Genetic Methods to NASA Design and Operations Problems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Laird, Philip D.

    1996-01-01

    We review four recent NASA-funded applications in which evolutionary/genetic methods are important. In the process we survey: the kinds of problems being solved today with these methods; techniques and tools used; problems encountered; and areas where research is needed. The presentation slides are annotated briefly at the top of each page.

  17. Having the Memory of an Elephant: Long-Term Retrieval and the Use of Analogues in Problem Solving

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chen, Zhe; Mo, Lei; Honomichl, Ryan

    2004-01-01

    The authors report 4 experiments exploring long-term analogical transfer from problem solutions in folk tales participants heard during childhood, many years before encountering the target problems. Substantial culture-specific analogical transfer was found when American and Chinese participants' performance was compared on isomorphs of problems…

  18. Applying an Information Problem-Solving Model to Academic Reference Work: Findings and Implications.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cottrell, Janet R.; Eisenberg, Michael B.

    2001-01-01

    Examines the usefulness of the Eisenberg-Berkowitz Information Problem-Solving model as a categorization for academic reference encounters. Major trends in the data include a high proportion of questions about location and access of sources, lack of synthesis or production activities, and consistent presence of system problems that impede the…

  19. Data System Implementation: A Leader Navigates People Problems around Technology and Data Use

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cho, Vincent; Jimerson, Jo Beth; Wayman, Jeffrey C.

    2015-01-01

    Computer data systems have become a lynchpin to supporting school data use. However, successfully implementing such systems is no easy task. In this case, readers explore the ways in which "technology problems" and "people problems" can be intertwined. The case follows Dr. Molly Winters as she encounters social and…

  20. Why Do Disadvantaged Filipino Children Find Word Problems in English Difficult?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bautista, Debbie; Mulligan, Joanne

    2010-01-01

    Young Filipino students are expected to solve mathematical word problems in English, a language that many encounter only in schools. Using individual interviews of 17 Filipino children, we investigated why word problems in English are difficult and the extent to which the language interferes with performance. Results indicate that children could…

  1. School Nurses' Perceived Prevalence and Competence to Address Student Mental Health Problems

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stephan, Sharon H.; Connors, Elizabeth H.

    2013-01-01

    Due to under-identification of student mental health problems and limited specialty mental health providers in schools, school nurses are often faced with identifying and addressing student mental health needs. This exploratory study assessed prevalence and types of student mental health problems encountered by school nurses, as well as their…

  2. Maximum likelihood identification and optimal input design for identifying aircraft stability and control derivatives

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Stepner, D. E.; Mehra, R. K.

    1973-01-01

    A new method of extracting aircraft stability and control derivatives from flight test data is developed based on the maximum likelihood cirterion. It is shown that this new method is capable of processing data from both linear and nonlinear models, both with and without process noise and includes output error and equation error methods as special cases. The first application of this method to flight test data is reported for lateral maneuvers of the HL-10 and M2/F3 lifting bodies, including the extraction of stability and control derivatives in the presence of wind gusts. All the problems encountered in this identification study are discussed. Several different methods (including a priori weighting, parameter fixing and constrained parameter values) for dealing with identifiability and uniqueness problems are introduced and the results given. The method for the design of optimal inputs for identifying the parameters of linear dynamic systems is also given. The criterion used for the optimization is the sensitivity of the system output to the unknown parameters. Several simple examples are first given and then the results of an extensive stability and control dervative identification simulation for a C-8 aircraft are detailed.

  3. Blood, sweat, tears and success of technology transfer long-term controlled-release of herbicides

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

    Van Voris, P.; Cataldo, D.A.; Burton, F.G.

    The problems encountered, the technical difficulties that had to be overcome, and the successful transfer of technology related to controlled-release of pesticides is reviewed. Research on control-release of pesticides to date has resulted in products designed to extend bioactivity for periods of several days, months, or at most, several years. However, research supported by the U.S. Department of Energy directed toward solving problems associated with plant-root penetration through caps and liners engineered to minimize leaching or movement of buried nuclear and chemical wastes has resulted in development of a long-term controlled-release herbicide delivery system designed to stop root growth formore » periods of up to 100 years. Through the unique combination of polymers with a herbicidally active dinitroaniline, a cylindrical pellet was developed that continuously releases a herbicide for a period of up to 100 years. Equilibrium concentration of the herbicide in soil adjacent to the pellet and the bioactive lifetime of the device can be adjusted by changing the size of the pellet; the type of polymer; the type, quality, and quantity of carrier; and/or the concentration and type of dinitroaniline was used.« less

  4. Molten salt corrosion of SiC and Si3N4

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jacobson, N. S.; Smialek, J. L.; Fox, D. S.

    1986-01-01

    The most severe type of corrosion encountered in heat engines is corrosion by molten sodium sulfate, formed by the reaction of ingested sodium chloride and sulfur impurities in the fuel. This problem was studied extensively for superalloys, but only recently examined for ceramics. This problem is addressed with laboratory studies to understand the fundamental reaction mechanisms and with burner studies to provide a more realistic simulation of the conditions encountered in a heat engine. In addition the effect of corrosion on the strengths of these materials was assessed. Each of these aspects will be reviewed and some ideas toward possible solutions will be discussed.

  5. Comparison of Low-Energy Lunar Transfer Trajectories to Invariant Manifolds

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Anderson, Rodney L.; Parker, Jeffrey S.

    2011-01-01

    In this study, transfer trajectories from the Earth to the Moon that encounter the Moon at various flight path angles are examined, and lunar approach trajectories are compared to the invariant manifolds of selected unstable orbits in the circular restricted three-body problem. Previous work focused on lunar impact and landing trajectories encountering the Moon normal to the surface, and this research extends the problem with different flight path angles in three dimensions. The lunar landing geometry for a range of Jacobi constants are computed, and approaches to the Moon via invariant manifolds from unstable orbits are analyzed for different energy levels.

  6. A subcutaneous channeling probe for implanting long leads

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lund, G. F.; Simmonds, R. C.; Williams, B. A.

    1977-01-01

    The channeling probe described in the present paper was designed to overcome surgical problems of the type that were encountered when a multichannel radio transmitter had to be implanted in a cow. The probe was made of a flexible but sufficiently stiff 9.5-mm-diam nylon rod, consisting of 46-cm sections for convenience in sterilization and surgical handling. Stainless steel sleaves reinforced the threaded connecting joints. At one end, arrowhead-shaped channeling heads could be attached to produce wide channels for large sensors. The other end was tapered for narrow channels. Postoperative problems were not encountered in the use of this probe in cows, sheep, and dogs.

  7. Understanding Social and Legal Justice Issues for Aboriginal Women within the Context of an Indigenous Australian Studies Classroom: A Problem-Based Learning Approach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mackinlay, Elizabeth; Thatcher, Kristy; Seldon, Camille

    2004-01-01

    Problem-based learning (PBL) is a pedagogical approach in which students encounter a problem and systematically set about finding ways to understand the problem through dialogue and research. PBL is an active process where students take responsibility for their learning by asking their own questions about the problem and in this paper we explore…

  8. Administrative encounters in general practice: low value or hidden value care?

    PubMed

    Trevena, Lyndal J; Harrison, Christopher; Britt, Helena C

    2018-02-19

    To determine the frequency of general practice administrative encounters, and to determine whether they represent low value care. Secondary analysis of data from the Bettering Evaluation and Care of Health (BEACH) dataset. 1 568 100 GP-patient encounters in Australia, 2000-01 to 2015-16. An annual nationally representative random sample of about 1000 GPs, who each recorded the details of 100 consecutive encounters with patients. Proportions of general practice encounters that were potentially low value care encounters (among the patient's reasons for the encounter was at least one administrative, medication, or referral request) and potentially low value care only encounters (such reasons were the sole reason for the encounter). For 2015-16, we also examined other health care provided by GPs at these encounters. During 2015-16, 18.5% (95% CI, 17.7-19.3%) of 97 398 GP-patient encounters were potentially low value care request encounters; 7.4% (95% CI, 7.0-7.9%) were potentially low value care only encounters. Administrative work was requested at 3.8% (95% CI, 3.5-4.0%) of GP visits, 35.4% of which were for care planning and coordination, 33.5% for certification, and 31.2% for other reasons. Medication requests were made at 13.1% (95% CI, 12.4-13.7%) of encounters; other health care was provided at 57.9% of medication request encounters, counselling, advice or education at 23.4%, and pathology testing was ordered at 16.7%. Referrals were requested at 2.8% (95% CI, 1.7-3.0%) of visits, at 69.4% of which additional health care was provided. The problems managed most frequently at potentially low value care only encounters were chronic diseases. Most patients requested certificates, medications and referrals in the context of seeking help for other health needs. Additional health care, particularly for chronic diseases, was provided at most GP administrative encounters. The MBS Review should consider the hidden value of these encounters.

  9. A flight-test and simulation evaluation of the longitudinal final approach and landing performance of an automatic system for a light wing loading STOL aircraft equipped with wing spoilers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Brown, S. C.; Hardy, G. H.; Hindson, W. S.

    1984-01-01

    As part of a comprehensive flight-test investigation of short takeoff and landing (STOL) operating systems for the terminal systems for the terminal area, an automatic landing system has been developed and evaluated for a light wing-loading turboprop-powered aircraft. An advanced digital avionics system performed display, navigation, guidance, and control functions for the test aircraft. Control signals were generated in order to command powered actuators for all conventional controls and for a set of symmetrically driven wing spoilers. This report describes effects of the spoiler control on longitudinal autoland (automatic landing) performance. Flight-test results, with and without spoiler control, are presented and compared with available (basically, conventional takeoff and landing) performance criteria. These comparisons are augmented by results from a comprehensive simulation of the controlled aircraft that included representations of the microwave landing system navigation errors that were encountered in flight as well as expected variations in atmospheric turbulence and wind shear. Flight-test results show that the addition of spoiler control improves the touchdown performance of the automatic landing system. Spoilers improve longitudinal touchdown and landing pitch-attitude performance, particularly in tailwind conditions. Furthermore, simulation results indicate that performance would probably be satisfactory for a wider range of atmospheric disturbances than those encountered in flight. Flight results also indicate that the addition of spoiler control during the final approach does not result in any measurable change in glidepath track performance, and results in a very small deterioration in airspeed tracking. This difference contrasts with simulations results, which indicate some improvement in glidepath tracking and no appreciable change in airspeed tracking. The modeling problem in the simulation that contributed to this discrepancy with flight was not resolved.

  10. First UMTA and AoA National Conference on Transportation for the Elderly and Handicapped

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1985-05-01

    The Conference was highly successful in detailing problems now encountered in : providing transportation services to the elderly and handicapped and in : recommending specific solutions to those problems. There was a strong focus on : realistic, prac...

  11. Motor carrier concerns about transportation problems in Oregon : final report.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2004-03-01

    This report summarizes an analysis of data from a statewide survey of freight motor carrier firms, conducted by the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) in the summer of 2001, to identify freight industry concerns about problems they encounter ...

  12. Minding Your Business: How to Avoid the Seven Deadly Financial Pitfalls.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stephens, Keith

    1990-01-01

    Describes financial management problems typically encountered by child care center directors and owners. Offers suggestions for planning and management techniques to overcome problems of cash flow, budgeting, rising costs, underpricing, declining revenues, fee collection, and liquidity. (NH)

  13. Parkes radio science system design and testing for Voyager Neptune encounter

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rebold, T. A.; Weese, J. F.

    1989-01-01

    The Radio Science System installed at Parkes, Australia for the Voyager Neptune encounter was specified to meet the same stringent requirements that were imposed upon the Deep Space Network Radio Science System. The system design and test methodology employed to meet these requirements at Parkes are described, and data showing the measured performance of the system are presented. The results indicate that the system operates with a comfortable margin on the requirements. There was a minor problem with frequency-dependent spurious signals which could not be fixed before the encounter. Test results characterizing these spurious signals are included.

  14. Embodiment design for a multipropellant resistojet

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bao, Johnny; Chilosi, Thierry; Goodwin, Jason; Mocio, Jim; Yeh, Bruce

    1993-01-01

    This document presents the design of a multipropellant resistojet to use as an auxiliary propulsion system on the Space Station. Such a system is necessary to counteract atmospheric drag effects encountered by the Station in its orbit. NASA specifications are strictly followed with emphasis on reliability, operating life, multipropellant capability, and exhaust emission control. Several design variants are considered, and the final solution is a resistojet with an electronic pressure regulator, variable control, an internal flow heater, and a conical nozzle. To construct the resistojet, the important components are resolved independently and then integrated with secondary units. The document also includes engineering drawings of the final design with assembly instructions. Before final utilization, a prototype testing is recommended to uncover possible problems.

  15. Hardening Doppler Global Velocimetry Systems for Large Wind Tunnel Applications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Meyers, James F.; Lee, Joseph W.; Fletcher, Mark T.; South, Bruce W.

    2004-01-01

    The development of Doppler Global Velocimetry from a laboratory curiosity to a wind tunnel instrumentation system is discussed. This development includes system advancements from a single velocity component to simultaneous three components, and from a steady state to instantaneous measurement. Improvements to system control and stability are discussed along with solutions to real world problems encountered in the wind tunnel. This on-going development program follows the cyclic evolution of understanding the physics of the technology, development of solutions, laboratory and wind tunnel testing, and reevaluation of the physics based on the test results.

  16. Thermal control requirements for large space structures

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Manoff, M.

    1978-01-01

    Performance capabilities and weight requirements of large space structure systems will be significantly influenced by thermal response characteristics. Analyses have been performed to determine temperature levels and gradients for structural configurations and elemental concepts proposed for advanced system applications ranging from relatively small, low-power communication antennas to extremely large, high-power Satellite Power Systems (SPS). Results are presented for selected platform configurations, candidate strut elements, and potential mission environments. The analyses also incorporate material and surface optical property variation. The results illustrate many of the thermal problems which may be encountered in the development of three systems.

  17. The Angelchik prosthesis for gastro-oesophageal reflux: symptomatic and objective assessment.

    PubMed Central

    Weaver, R. M.; Temple, J. G.

    1985-01-01

    Twenty-three patients with intractable gastro-oesophageal reflux were treated by insertion of the Angelchik antireflux prosthesis. Good symptomatic relief was achieved in over 80% of patients reviewed up to 28 months after operation and there was marked resolution of oesophagitis as seen on endoscopy. Oesophageal manometry and pH studies performed preoperatively and at 3 and 12 months after operation, showed a significant increase in lower oesophageal sphincter pressure with decreased acid reflux. Some technical problems were encountered, but the prosthesis is potentially a simple and effective means of controlling gastro-oesophageal reflux. Images Fig. 1 PMID:4051424

  18. Malaria control and eradication in Taiwan

    PubMed Central

    1958-01-01

    An intensive programme of residual spraying with DDT carried out over a period of 5 years in Taiwan has reduced malaria morbidity to a very low level. Since 1955, the goal has been complete eradication. Some foci of transmission and/or infection remain, however, and although no resistance problems have been encountered, the principal vector, A. minimus minimus, is still widely distributed. An elaborate surveillance organization is now in the process of creation, with the object of detecting and eliminating all residual foci of transmission and preventing the importation of fresh cases. It is hoped to complete eradication in another 3-5 years. PMID:13596886

  19. Anthropometric accommodation in USAF cockpits

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Zehner, Gregory F.

    1994-01-01

    Over the past three years, a new set of methodologies has been developed to specify and evaluate anthropometric accommodation in USAF crewstation designs. These techniques are used to improve the ability of the pilot to reach controls, to safely escape the aircraft, to achieve adequate mobility and comfort, and to assure full access to the visual field both inside and outside the aircraft. This paper summarized commonly encountered aircraft accommodation problems, explains the failure of the traditional 'percentile man' design concept to resolve these difficulties, and suggests an alternative approach for improving cockpit design to better accommodate today's more heterogeneous flying population.

  20. Neural learning of constrained nonlinear transformations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Barhen, Jacob; Gulati, Sandeep; Zak, Michail

    1989-01-01

    Two issues that are fundamental to developing autonomous intelligent robots, namely, rudimentary learning capability and dexterous manipulation, are examined. A powerful neural learning formalism is introduced for addressing a large class of nonlinear mapping problems, including redundant manipulator inverse kinematics, commonly encountered during the design of real-time adaptive control mechanisms. Artificial neural networks with terminal attractor dynamics are used. The rapid network convergence resulting from the infinite local stability of these attractors allows the development of fast neural learning algorithms. Approaches to manipulator inverse kinematics are reviewed, the neurodynamics model is discussed, and the neural learning algorithm is presented.

  1. Adapting Experiential Learning to Develop Problem-Solving Skills in Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Engineering Students.

    PubMed

    Marshall, Matthew M; Carrano, Andres L; Dannels, Wendy A

    2016-10-01

    Individuals who are deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professions, and this may be due in part to their level of preparation in the development and retention of mathematical and problem-solving skills. An approach was developed that incorporates experiential learning and best practices of STEM instruction to give first-year DHH students enrolled in a postsecondary STEM program the opportunity to develop problem-solving skills in real-world scenarios. Using an industrial engineering laboratory that provides manufacturing and warehousing environments, students were immersed in real-world scenarios in which they worked on teams to address prescribed problems encountered during the activities. The highly structured, Plan-Do-Check-Act approach commonly used in industry was adapted for the DHH student participants to document and communicate the problem-solving steps. Students who experienced the intervention realized a 14.6% improvement in problem-solving proficiency compared with a control group, and this gain was retained at 6 and 12 months, post-intervention. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  2. Decision-problem state analysis methodology

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dieterly, D. L.

    1980-01-01

    A methodology for analyzing a decision-problem state is presented. The methodology is based on the analysis of an incident in terms of the set of decision-problem conditions encountered. By decomposing the events that preceded an unwanted outcome, such as an accident, into the set of decision-problem conditions that were resolved, a more comprehensive understanding is possible. All human-error accidents are not caused by faulty decision-problem resolutions, but it appears to be one of the major areas of accidents cited in the literature. A three-phase methodology is presented which accommodates a wide spectrum of events. It allows for a systems content analysis of the available data to establish: (1) the resolutions made, (2) alternatives not considered, (3) resolutions missed, and (4) possible conditions not considered. The product is a map of the decision-problem conditions that were encountered as well as a projected, assumed set of conditions that should have been considered. The application of this methodology introduces a systematic approach to decomposing the events that transpired prior to the accident. The initial emphasis is on decision and problem resolution. The technique allows for a standardized method of accident into a scenario which may used for review or the development of a training simulation.

  3. Using mHealth technologies to improve the identification of behavioral health problems in urban primary care settings.

    PubMed

    Staeheli, Martha; Aseltine, Robert H; Schilling, Elizabeth; Anderson, Daren; Gould, Bruce

    2017-01-01

    Behavioral health disorders remain under recognized and under diagnosed among urban primary care patients. Screening patients for such problems is widely recommended, yet is challenging to do in a brief primary care encounter, particularly for this socially and medically complex patient population. In 2013, intervention patients at an urban Connecticut primary clinic were screened for post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and risky drinking (n = 146) using an electronic tablet-based screening tool. Screening data were compared to electronic health record data from control patients (n = 129) to assess differences in the prevalence of behavioral health problems, rates of follow-up care, and the rate of newly identified cases in the intervention group. Results from logistic regressions indicated that both groups had similar rates of disorder at baseline. Patients in the intervention group were five times more likely to be identified with depression (p < 0.05). Post-traumatic stress disorder was virtually unrecognized among controls but was observed in 23% of the intervention group (p < 0.001). The vast majority of behavioral health problems identified in the intervention group were new cases. Follow-up rates were significantly higher in the intervention group relative to controls, but were low overall. This tablet-based electronic screening tool identified significantly higher rates of behavioral health disorders than have been previously reported for this patient population. Electronic risk screening using patient-reported outcome measures offers an efficient approach to improving the identification of behavioral health problems and improving rates of follow-up care.

  4. Epidemic spreading in networks with nonrandom long-range interactions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Estrada, Ernesto; Kalala-Mutombo, Franck; Valverde-Colmeiro, Alba

    2011-09-01

    An “infection,” understood here in a very broad sense, can be propagated through the network of social contacts among individuals. These social contacts include both “close” contacts and “casual” encounters among individuals in transport, leisure, shopping, etc. Knowing the first through the study of the social networks is not a difficult task, but having a clear picture of the network of casual contacts is a very hard problem in a society of increasing mobility. Here we assume, on the basis of several pieces of empirical evidence, that the casual contacts between two individuals are a function of their social distance in the network of close contacts. Then, we assume that we know the network of close contacts and infer the casual encounters by means of nonrandom long-range (LR) interactions determined by the social proximity of the two individuals. This approach is then implemented in a susceptible-infected-susceptible (SIS) model accounting for the spread of infections in complex networks. A parameter called “conductance” controls the feasibility of those casual encounters. In a zero conductance network only contagion through close contacts is allowed. As the conductance increases the probability of having casual encounters also increases. We show here that as the conductance parameter increases, the rate of propagation increases dramatically and the infection is less likely to die out. This increment is particularly marked in networks with scale-free degree distributions, where infections easily become epidemics. Our model provides a general framework for studying epidemic spreading in networks with arbitrary topology with and without casual contacts accounted for by means of LR interactions.

  5. Epidemic spreading in networks with nonrandom long-range interactions.

    PubMed

    Estrada, Ernesto; Kalala-Mutombo, Franck; Valverde-Colmeiro, Alba

    2011-09-01

    An "infection," understood here in a very broad sense, can be propagated through the network of social contacts among individuals. These social contacts include both "close" contacts and "casual" encounters among individuals in transport, leisure, shopping, etc. Knowing the first through the study of the social networks is not a difficult task, but having a clear picture of the network of casual contacts is a very hard problem in a society of increasing mobility. Here we assume, on the basis of several pieces of empirical evidence, that the casual contacts between two individuals are a function of their social distance in the network of close contacts. Then, we assume that we know the network of close contacts and infer the casual encounters by means of nonrandom long-range (LR) interactions determined by the social proximity of the two individuals. This approach is then implemented in a susceptible-infected-susceptible (SIS) model accounting for the spread of infections in complex networks. A parameter called "conductance" controls the feasibility of those casual encounters. In a zero conductance network only contagion through close contacts is allowed. As the conductance increases the probability of having casual encounters also increases. We show here that as the conductance parameter increases, the rate of propagation increases dramatically and the infection is less likely to die out. This increment is particularly marked in networks with scale-free degree distributions, where infections easily become epidemics. Our model provides a general framework for studying epidemic spreading in networks with arbitrary topology with and without casual contacts accounted for by means of LR interactions.

  6. In Print or Out of Print? The Continuing Problem.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kayden, Mimi

    1982-01-01

    Briefly describes the problems encountered by libraries in attempting to purchase out-of-stock books and discusses some of the reasons for changes in the way publishers handle backlist materials, including sales volume and its relation to increased printing costs. (JL)

  7. The Impaired Social Worker.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reamer, Frederic G.

    1992-01-01

    Discusses concept of the impaired professional; reviews research on various types of impairment (personality disorders, depression and other emotional problems, marital problems, and physical illness), prevalence and causes of impairment, and responses to it; and outlines model assessment and action plan for social workers who encounter an…

  8. The Brown University Child and Adolescent Behavior Letter, 1999.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lipsitt, Lewis P., Ed.

    1999-01-01

    These 12 monthly issues from 1999 explore problems encountered by children and adolescents. Regular features include "Keep Your Eye On...," brief accounts of research into childhood and adolescent problems; "What's New in Research," summarizing research from recent publications and professional conferences;…

  9. Practical Parenting: Successful Strategies for Solving Your Child's Behaviour Problems.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stenhouse, Glen

    Recognizing that all parents encounter challenges in raising their children, this book presents practical strategies for solving common behavior problems. Chapter 1, "Bonding," concerns the development of parent-child attachment. Chapter 2, "Encouraging Development," discusses "hot-housing," language development, and…

  10. Segregation of asphalt mixes caused by surge silos : final report.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1982-01-01

    Segregation of asphalt mixes continues to be a problem in Virginia, particularly with base mixes and coarse surface mixes. Although the problem is encountered primarily on jobs using surge silos, it has been related to other factors such as mix desig...

  11. The Brown University Child and Adolescent Behavior Letter, 1998.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lipsitt, Lewis P., Ed.

    1998-01-01

    These 12 monthly issues from 1998 explore problems encountered by children and adolescents. Regular features include "Keep Your Eye On...," brief accounts of research into childhood and adolescent problems, "What's New in Research," summarizing research from recent publications and professional conferences;…

  12. Malaria control in Tanzania

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

    Yhdego, M.; Majura, P.

    A review of the malaria control programs and the problem encountered in the United Republic of Tanzania since 1945 to the year 1986 is discussed. Buguruni, one of the squatter areas in the city of Dar es Salaam, is chosen as a case study in order to evaluate the economic advantage of engineering methods for the control of malaria infection. Although the initial capital cost of engineering methods may be high, the cost effectiveness requires a much lower financial burden of only about Tshs. 3 million compared with the conventional methods of larviciding and insecticiding which requires more than Tshs.more » 10 million. Finally, recommendations for the adoption of engineering methods are made concerning the upgrading of existing roads and footpaths in general with particular emphasis on drainage of large pools of water which serve as breeding sites for mosquitoes.« less

  13. Obstacles Related to Structuring for Mathematization Encountered by Students When Solving Physics Problems

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Niss, Martin

    2017-01-01

    This paper studies the cognitive obstacles related to one aspect of mathematization in physics problem-solving, namely, what might be called "structuring for mathematization," where the problem situation is structured in such a way that a translation to a mathematical universe can be done. We report the results of an analysis of four…

  14. Tree planting - strip-mined area in Maryland

    Treesearch

    Fred L. Bagley

    1980-01-01

    This report is written to elucidate some of the problems encountered in the planting of trees on strip-mined areas in Maryland. When problems are recognized, normally a solution (or at least, an improvement) can be instituted to alleviate the problem. The methods cited herein are those of experienced foresters engaged in strip-mine planting during the past seventeen...

  15. Reflective Teaching via a Problem Exploration--Teaching Adaptations--Resolution Cycle: A Mixed Methods Study of Preservice Teachers' Reflective Notes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hayden, H. Emily; Chiu, Ming Ming

    2015-01-01

    We explore development of elementary preservice teachers' reflective practices as they solved problems encountered while teaching in a reading clinic. Written reflections (N = 175) were collected across 8 weeks from 23 preservice teachers and analyzed to investigate relationships among problem exploration, teaching adaptations, and problem…

  16. Problem Solving in Technology Rich Contexts: Mathematics Sense Making in Out-of-School Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lowrie, Tom

    2005-01-01

    This investigation describes the way in which a case study participant (aged 7) represented, posed and solved problems in a technology game-based environment. The out-of-school problem-solving context placed numeracy demands on the participant that were more complex and sophisticated than the type of mathematics experiences he encountered in…

  17. Modelling Difficulties and Their Overcoming Strategies in the Solution of a Modelling Problem

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dede, Ayse Tekin

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of the study is to reveal the elementary mathematics student teachers' difficulties encountered in the solution of a modelling problem, the strategies to overcome those difficulties and whether the strategies worked or not. Nineteen student teachers solved the modelling problem in their four or five-person groups, and the video records…

  18. Complex Problem Solving in Radiologic Technology: Understanding the Roles of Experience, Reflective Judgment, and Workplace Culture

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yates, Jennifer L.

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this research study was to explore the process of learning and development of problem solving skills in radiologic technologists. The researcher sought to understand the nature of difficult problems encountered in clinical practice, to identify specific learning practices leading to the development of professional expertise, and to…

  19. Functional Behavioral Assessment for a Boy with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and Problem Behavior: A Case Study from Greece

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Theodoridou, Zoe; Koutsoklenis, Athanasios

    2013-01-01

    This article focuses on the application of functional behavioral assessment (FBA) to design a positive behavior intervention (PBI) for a boy with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) who encounters serious difficulties at the mainstream school because of behavioral problems and physical limitations. After the definition of problem behavior and its…

  20. Science Curriculum from the Perspectives of Turkish Teachers: Problems Encountered and Suggestions for Solutions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bekmezci, Sinan Muhammet; Ates, Özlem

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this research is to identify the problems that teachers have experienced during the implementation of the science curriculum and their suggestions for solution to these problems. In the research, survey model has been used among the descriptive research methods in which quantitative and qualitative data have been used together. The…

  1. An Analysis of Problems in College Students' Participation in the Western China Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yumei, Yi

    2008-01-01

    Since its initiation in 2003, the College Student Western China Program has had several satisfying achievements. At the same time, however, problems exist in the project. This article gives a brief analysis of problems encountered in the project from the aspects of publicity and campaign work, plans and schedules, student participation, voluntary…

  2. Young Filipino Students Making Sense of Arithmetic Word Problems in English

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bautista, Debbie; Mulligan, Joanne; Mitchelmore, Michael

    2009-01-01

    Young Filipino children are expected to solve mathematical word problems in English, a task which they typically encounter only in schools. In this exploratory study, task-based interviews were conducted with seven Filipino children from a public school. The children were asked to read and solve addition and subtraction word problems in English or…

  3. Reminder Cards Improve Physician Documentation of Obesity But Not Obesity Counseling.

    PubMed

    Shungu, Nicholas; Miller, Marshal N; Mills, Geoffrey; Patel, Neesha; de la Paz, Amanda; Rose, Victoria; Kropa, Jill; Edi, Rina; Levy, Emily; Crenshaw, Margaret; Hwang, Chris

    2015-01-01

    Physicians frequently fail to document obesity and obesity-related counseling. We sought to determine whether attaching a physical reminder card to patient encounter forms would increase electronic medical record (EMR) assessment of and documentation of obesity and dietary counseling. Reminder cards for obesity documentation were attached to encounter forms for patient encounters over a 2-week intervention period. For visits in the intervention period, the EMR was retrospectively reviewed for BMI, assessment of "obesity" or "morbid obesity" as an active problem, free-text dietary counseling within physician notes, and assessment of "dietary counseling" as an active problem. These data were compared to those collected through a retrospective chart review during a 2-week pre-intervention period. We also compared physician self-report of documentation via reminder cards with EMR documentation. We found significant improvement in the primary endpoint of assessment of "obesity" or "morbid obesity" as an active problem (42.5% versus 28%) compared to the pre-intervention period. There was no significant difference in the primary endpoints of free-text dietary counseling or assessment of "dietary counseling" as an active problem between the groups. Physician self-reporting of assessment of "obesity" or "morbid obesity" as an active problem (77.7% versus 42.5%), free-text dietary counseling on obesity (69.1% versus 35.4%) and assessment of "dietary counseling" as an active problem (54.3% versus 25.2%) were all significantly higher than those reflected in EMR documentation. This study demonstrates that physical reminder cards are a successful means of increasing obesity documentation rates among providers but do not necessarily increase rates of obesity-related counseling or documentation of counseling. Our study suggests that even with such interventions, physicians are likely under-documenting obesity and counseling compared to self-reported rates.

  4. Medical support for law enforcement-extended operations incidents.

    PubMed

    Levy, Matthew J; Tang, Nelson

    2014-01-01

    As the complexity and frequency of law enforcement-extended operations incidents continue to increase, so do the opportunities for adverse health and well-being impacts on the responding officers. These types of clinical encounters have not been well characterized nor have the medical response strategies which have been developed to effectively manage these encounters been well described. The purpose of this article is to provide a descriptive epidemiology of the clinical encounters reported during extended law enforcement operations, as well as to describe a best practices approach for their effective management. This study retrospectively examined the clinical encounters of the Maryland State Police (MSP) Tactical Medical Unit (TMU) during law enforcement extended operations incidents lasting 8 or more hours. In addition, a qualitative analysis was performed on clinical data collected by federal law enforcement agencies during their extended operations. Forty-four percent of missions (455/1,047) supported by the MSP TMU lasted 8 or more hours. Twenty-six percent of these missions (117/455) resulted in at least one patient encounter. Nineteen percent of patient chief complaints (45/238) were related to heat illness/ dehydration. Fifteen percent of encounters (36/238) were for musculoskeletal injury/pain. Eight percent of patients (19/238) had nonspecific sick call (minor illness) complaints. The next most common occurring complaints were cold-related injuries, headache, sinus congestion, and wound/laceration, each of which accounted for 7 percent of patients (16/238), respectively. Analysis of federal law enforcement agencies' response to such events yielded similar clinical encounters. A wide range of health problems are reported by extended law enforcement operations personnel. Timely and effective treatment of these problems can help ensure that the broader operations mission is not compromised. An appropriate operational strategy for managing health complaints reported during extended operations involves the deployment of a well-trained medical support team using the core concepts of tactical emergency medical support.

  5. Using video to introduce clinical materials.

    PubMed

    Kommalage, Mahinda; Senadheera, Chandanie

    2012-08-01

    The early introduction of clinical material is a recognised strategy in medical education. The University of Ruhana Medical School, where a traditional curriculum is followed, offers students pre-clinical subjects without clinical exposure during their first and second years. Clinical materials in the form of videos were introduced to first-year students. In the videos, patients and their relatives described the diseases and related problems. Students were instructed to identify the problems encountered by patients and relatives. Each video was followed by a discussion of the problems identified by the students. The medical, social and economic problems encountered by patients and relatives were emphasised during post-video discussions. A lecture was conducted linking the contents of the videos to subsequent lectures. The aim of this study is to investigate whether combining teaching preclinical material with a video presentation of relevant clinical cases facilitates the interest and understanding of students. Quantitative data were collected using a questionnaire, whereas qualitative data were collected using focus group discussions. Quantitative data showed that students appreciated the video, had 'better' knowledge acquisition and a 'better' understanding of problems encountered by patients. Qualitative analysis highlighted the following themes: increased interest; enhanced understanding; relevance of basic knowledge to clinical practice; orientation to profession; and personalising theories. The introduction of patients in the form of videos helped students to understand the relevance of subject material for clinical practice, increased their interest and facilitated a better understanding of the subject material. Therefore, it seems video is a feasible medium to introduce clinical materials to first-year students who follow a traditional curriculum in a resource-limited environment. © Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2012.

  6. An echelle spectrograph for middle ultraviolet solar spectroscopy from rockets.

    PubMed

    Tousey, R; Purcell, J D; Garrett, D L

    1967-03-01

    An echelle grating spectrograph is ideal for use in a rocket when high resolution is required becaus itoccupies a minimum of space. The instrument described covers the range 4000-2000 A with a resolution of 0.03 A. It was designed to fit into the solar biaxial pointing-control section of an Aerobee-150 rocket. The characteristics of the spectrograph are illustrated with laboratory spectra of iron and carbon are sources and with solar spectra obtained during rocket flights in 1961 and 1964. Problems encountered in analyzing the spectra are discussed. The most difficult design problem was the elimination of stray light when used with the sun. Of the several methods investigated, the most effective was a predispersing system in the form of a zero-dispersion double monochromator. This was made compact by folding the beam four times.

  7. Some Problems in Studying the English Elements in the Main European Languages

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Filipovic, Rudolf

    1972-01-01

    A study is being done, to be reported on subsequently, on the infiltrations of English into the languages of Europe. Objectives of the project, some problems encountered, and planned results and products are discussed. See FL 508 197 for availability. (RM)

  8. The Powers That Be: AAVE as the Composition Curriculum.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Richardson, Elaine

    This Powerpoint presentation argues that the problems encountered in implementing African-centered curriculum into the university composition classroom attest to the need for African centered education in kindergarten through university level educational institutions. The solution of the problem of African American students' disproportionate…

  9. Pet ownership increases human risk of encountering ticks.

    PubMed

    Jones, E H; Hinckley, A F; Hook, S A; Meek, J I; Backenson, B; Kugeler, K J; Feldman, K A

    2018-02-01

    We examined whether pet ownership increased the risk for tick encounters and tickborne disease among residents of three Lyme disease-endemic states as a nested cohort within a randomized controlled trial. Information about pet ownership, use of tick control for pets, property characteristics, tick encounters and human tickborne disease were captured through surveys, and associations were assessed using univariate and multivariable analyses. Pet-owning households had 1.83 times the risk (95% CI = 1.53, 2.20) of finding ticks crawling on and 1.49 times the risk (95% CI = 1.20, 1.84) of finding ticks attached to household members compared to households without pets. This large evaluation of pet ownership, human tick encounters and tickborne diseases shows that pet owners, whether of cats or dogs, are at increased risk of encountering ticks and suggests that pet owners are at an increased risk of developing tickborne disease. Pet owners should be made aware of this risk and be reminded to conduct daily tick checks of all household members, including the pets, and to consult their veterinarian regarding effective tick control products. © 2017 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

  10. Virtual decoupling flight control via real-time trajectory synthesis and tracking

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Xuefu

    The production of the General Aviation industry has declined in the past 25 years. Ironically, however, the increasing demand for air travel as a fast, safe, and high-quality mode of transportation has been far from satisfied. Addressing this demand shortfall with personal air transportation necessitates advanced systems for navigation, guidance, control, flight management, and flight traffic control. Among them, an effective decoupling flight control system will not only improve flight quality, safety, and simplicity, and increase air space usage, but also reduce expenses on pilot initial and current training, and thus expand the current market and explore new markets. Because of the formidable difficulties encountered in the actual decoupling of non-linear, time-variant, and highly coupled flight control systems through traditional approaches, a new approach, which essentially converts the decoupling problem into a real-time trajectory synthesis and tracking problem, is employed. Then, the converted problem is solved and a virtual decoupling effect is achieved. In this approach, a trajectory in inertial space can be predefined and dynamically modified based on the flight mission and the pilot's commands. A feedforward-feedback control architecture is constructed to guide the airplane along the trajectory as precisely as possible. Through this approach, the pilot has much simpler, virtually decoupled control of the airplane in terms of speed, flight path angle and horizontal radius of curvature. To verify and evaluate this approach, extensive computer simulation is performed. A great deal of test cases are designed for the flight control under different flight conditions. The simulation results show that our decoupling strategy is satisfactory and promising, and therefore the research can serve as a consolidated foundation for future practical applications.

  11. What Makes a Social Encounter Meaningful: The Impact of Social Encounters of Homeschooled Children on Emotional and Behavioral Problems

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Guterman, Oz; Neuman, Ari

    2017-01-01

    In modern society, a large part of the socialization process occurs in schools. Therefore, one of the most significant questions raised with regard to homeschooling concerns the impact of this type of education on the emotional world of the child. However, there is almost no mention in the research of how the nature of the social activity of…

  12. Motivational interviewing: a systematic review and meta-analysis

    PubMed Central

    Rubak, Sune; Sandbæk, Annelli; Lauritzen, Torsten; Christensen, Bo

    2005-01-01

    Background Motivational Interviewing is a well-known, scientifically tested method of counselling clients developed by Miller and Rollnick and viewed as a useful intervention strategy in the treatment of lifestyle problems and disease. Aim To evaluate the effectiveness of motivational interviewing in different areas of disease and to identify factors shaping outcomes. Design of study A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials using motivational interviewing as the intervention. Method After selection criteria a systematic literature search in 16 databases produced 72 randomised controlled trials the first of which was published in 1991. A quality assessment was made with a validated scale. A meta-analysis was performed as a generic inverse variance meta-analysis. Results Meta-analysis showed a significant effect (95% confidence interval) for motivational interviewing for combined effect estimates for body mass index, total blood cholesterol, systolic blood pressure, blood alcohol concentration and standard ethanol content, while combined effect estimates for cigarettes per day and for HbA1c were not significant. Motivational interviewing had a significant and clinically relevant effect in approximately three out of four studies, with an equal effect on physiological (72%) and psychological (75%) diseases. Psychologists and physicians obtained an effect in approximately 80% of the studies, while other healthcare providers obtained an effect in 46% of the studies. When using motivational interviewing in brief encounters of 15 minutes, 64% of the studies showed an effect. More than one encounter with the patient ensures the effectiveness of motivational interviewing. Conclusion Motivational interviewing in a scientific setting outperforms traditional advice giving in the treatment of a broad range of behavioural problems and diseases. Large-scale studies are now needed to prove that motivational interviewing can be implemented into daily clinical work in primary and secondary health care. PMID:15826439

  13. Improving the quality of physician communication with rapid-throughput analysis and report cards.

    PubMed

    Farrell, Michael H; Christopher, Stephanie A; La Pean Kirschner, Alison; Roedl, Sara J; O'Tool, Faith O; Ahmad, Nadia Y; Farrell, Philip M

    2014-11-01

    Problems with clinician-patient communication negatively impact newborn screening, genetics, and all of healthcare. Training programs teach communication, but educational methods are not feasible for entire populations of clinicians. To address this healthcare quality gap, we developed a Communication Quality Assurance intervention. Child health providers volunteered for a randomized controlled trial of assessment and a report card. Participants provided telephone counseling to a standardized parent regarding a newborn screening result showing heterozygous status for cystic fibrosis or sickle cell disease. Our rapid-throughput timeline allows individualized feedback within a week. Two encounters were recorded (baseline and after a random sample received the report card) and abstracted for four groups of communication quality indicators. 92 participants finished both counseling encounters within our rapid-throughput time limits. Participants randomized to receive the report card improved communication behaviors more than controls, including request for teach-back (p<0.01), opening behaviors (p=0.01), anticipate/validate emotion (p<0.001) and the ratio of explained to unexplained jargon words (p<0.03). The rapid-throughput report card is effective at improving specific communication behaviors. Communication can be taught, but this project shows how healthcare organizations can assure communication quality everywhere. Further implementation could improve newborn screening, genetics, and healthcare in general. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Lifetime of binary asteroids versus gravitational encounters and collisions

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chauvineau, Bertrand; Farinella, Paolo; Mignard, F.

    1992-01-01

    We investigate the effect on the dynamics of a binary asteroid in the case of a near encounter with a third body. The dynamics of the binary is modeled as a two-body problem perturbed by an approaching body in the following ways: near encounters and collisions with a component of the system. In each case, the typical value of the two-body energy variation is estimated, and a random walk for the cumulative effect is assumed. Results are applied to some binary asteroid candidates. The main conclusion is that the collisional disruption is the dominant effect, giving lifetimes comparable to or larger than the age of the solar system.

  15. Voyager 2 Saturn encounter attitude and articulation control experience

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hill, M.

    1982-01-01

    A description is given of the Voyager Attitude and Articulation Control System (AACS). The complex series of maneuvers required for Voyager 2 during the near encounter period to obtain fields and particle data, track the limb of Saturn during the earth occultation period, and reflect the RF beam off the Saturnian ring system are discussed. It is noted that some of these maneuvers involved rotating the spacecraft simultaneously about multiple axes while maintaining accurate pointing of the scan platform, a first for interplanetary missions. Also described are two anomalies experienced by the AACS during the near encounter period. The first was the significant roll attitude error that occurred shortly after all axis inertial control and that continued to grow until celestial reacquisition. The second was that the scan platform slewing in the azimuth axis stopped midway through the near encounter. These anomalies are analyzed, and their effect on future missions is assessed.

  16. Adaptation problems with nursing home application for elderly persons: an application of the Roy adaptation nursing model.

    PubMed

    Farkas, L

    1981-09-01

    This study sought to identify adaptation problems on the part of elderly persons and significant others that were associated with nursing home applications for elderly persons. Within the framework of the Roy Adaptation Nursing Model, an ex post facto research design was utilized to identify these adaptation problems. The four adaptive modes in this model are: physiological, self-concept, role function, and interdependence. The study group (n = 22) and a control group of elderly persons living in Calgary, as well as their significant others, were administered a structured questionnaire. Five hypotheses relating to overall adaptation problems, powerlessness, role reversal, guilt, and knowledge and utilization of services were formulated and tested. Only the hypothesis indicating role reversal on the part of the significant others was accepted. Adaptation problems encountered by the elderly which were associated with nursing home applications occurred in the self-concept and interdependence adaptive modes. The adaptation problems perceived by the significant others, which were associated with nursing home applications for their elderly, occurred in the self-concept, role function, and interdependence modes. Adaptation problems from the significant others' perception rather than from the elderly persons' perception appear to be more significantly associated with nursing home applications.

  17. Social Problems in Turkish Social Studies Coursebooks and Workbooks

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yesiltas, Erkan; Eryilmaz, Önder; Pehlivan, Aysegül

    2016-01-01

    In Turkey, the social studies course, which is taught in elementary 5th to 7th grades, prepares students to solve problems they may encounter in their future life. Therefore, the teaching of social problems to help students get to know them is one of the most important issues for the social studies course. The primary aim of this study is to…

  18. "Students Get Bogged Down": How Religious Israeli Elementary Teachers View Problems and Solutions in Bible Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Walfish, Ruth A.; Brody, David L.

    2018-01-01

    Bible teachers in contemporary society confront serious problems related to the nature of the biblical text and the socio-cultural context of their teaching. This study, based on semi-structured interviews, examines the problems that five expert religious Israeli elementary school teachers encounter in their teaching and the solutions they employ.…

  19. Scheduling and control strategies for the departure problem in air traffic control

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bolender, Michael Alan

    Two problems relating to the departure problem in air traffic control automation are examined. The first problem that is addressed is the scheduling of aircraft for departure. The departure operations at a major US hub airport are analyzed, and a discrete event simulation of the departure operations is constructed. Specifically, the case where there is a single departure runway is considered. The runway is fed by two queues of aircraft. Each queue, in turn, is fed by a single taxiway. Two salient areas regarding scheduling are addressed. The first is the construction of optimal departure sequences for the aircraft that are queued. Several greedy search algorithms are designed to minimize the total time to depart a set of queued aircraft. Each algorithm has a different set of heuristic rules to resolve situations within the search space whenever two branches of the search tree with equal edge costs are encountered. These algorithms are then compared and contrasted with a genetic search algorithm in order to assess the performance of the heuristics. This is done in the context of a static departure problem where the length of the departure queue is fixed. A greedy algorithm which deepens the search whenever two branches of the search tree with non-unique costs are encountered is shown to outperform the other heuristic algorithms. This search strategy is then implemented in the discrete event simulation. A baseline performance level is established, and a sensitivity analysis is performed by implementing changes in traffic mix, routing, and miles-in-trail restrictions for comparison. It is concluded that to minimize the average time spent in the queue for different traffic conditions, a queue assignment algorithm is needed to maintain an even balance of aircraft in the queues. A necessary consideration is to base queue assignment upon traffic management restrictions such as miles-in-trail constraints. The second problem addresses the technical challenges associated with merging departure aircraft onto their filed routes in a congested airspace environment. Conflicts between departures and en route aircraft within the Center airspace are analyzed. Speed control, holding the aircraft; at an intermediate altitude, re-routing, and vectoring are posed as possible deconfliction maneuvers. A cost assessment of these merge strategies, which are based upon 4D fight management and conflict detection and resolution principles, is given. Several merge conflicts are studied and a cost for each resolution is computed. It is shown that vectoring tends to be the most expensive resolution technique. Altitude hold is simple, costs less than vectoring, but may require a long time for the aircraft to achieve separation. Re-routing is the simplest, and provides the most cost benefit since the aircraft flies a shorter distance than if it had followed its filed route. Speed control is shown to be ineffective as a means of increasing separation, but is effective for maintaining separation between aircraft. In addition, the affects of uncertainties on the cost are assessed. The analysis shows that cost is invariant with the decision time.

  20. The Real World of the Beginning Teacher.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National Education Association, Washington, DC. National Commission on Teacher Education and Professional Standards.

    Problems and goals of beginning teachers are the subject of these speeches presented by both experienced and beginning teachers at the 1965 national conference of the National Commission on Teacher Education and Professional Standards. The problems include the differences between teacher expectations and encounters, unrealistic teaching and…

  1. Virtual Bridge Design

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bisogno, Janet; JeanPierre, Bobby

    2008-01-01

    The West Point Bridge Design (WPBD) building project engages students in project-based learning by giving them a real-life problem to solve. By using technology, students are able to become involved in solving problems that they normally would not encounter. Involvement with interactive websites, such as WPBD, assists students in using…

  2. Objective Sleep in Pediatric Anxiety Disorders and Major Depressive Disorder

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Forbes, Erika E.; Bertocci, Michele A.; Gregory, Alice M.; Ryan, Neal D.; Axelson, David A.; Birmaher, Boris; Dahl, Ronald E.

    2008-01-01

    A study to examine sleep problems encountered in anxiety and depressive disorders among children and adolescents is conducted. Results indicated subjective and objective sleep problems in children and adolescents with anxiety disorders and need to be kept in mind when treating young anxious people.

  3. Bereavement Support for Children

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Auman, Mary Jo

    2007-01-01

    The death of a parent is one of the most significant and stressful events children can encounter. Surviving children may experience psychiatric problems and social dysfunction during their childhood and possibly throughout their adult lives. Children surviving a sibling's death may develop behavioral problems, because no one can fill the emptiness…

  4. The Brown University Child and Adolescent Behavior Letter, 1997.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lipsitt, Lewis P., Ed.

    1997-01-01

    These 12 monthly issues, one special report, and index from 1997 explore problems encountered by children and adolescents. Regular features include "Keep Your Eye On...," brief accounts of research into childhood and adolescent problems; "What's New in Research," summarizing research from recent publications and professional…

  5. Problemes linguistiques des enfants de travailleurs migrants (Linguistic Problems of the Children of Migrant Workers).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    de Greve, Marcel, Ed.; Rosseel, Eddy, Ed.

    Papers on language difficulties encountered by migrant workers' children include: "Anomie in Bicultural Education" (Hugo Baetens Beardsmore); "An Investigation into Bilingual Education for Children from Favoured Socio-Economic Backgrounds" (Hugo Baetens Beardsmore); "Orientations of Foreign Children Relating to Placement…

  6. Bronchobiliary fistula: principles of management.

    PubMed

    Chua, H K; Allen, M S; Deschamps, C; Miller, D L; Pairolero, P C

    2000-10-01

    Bronchobiliary fistula is an uncommon entity. Recently, we encountered 2 patients with this problem. Both were treated successfully with resection of the involved pulmonary tissue and interposition of viable tissue between the lung and the fistulous tract. This approach, although invasive, provided a rapid resolution of the patients' problem.

  7. Vibration characteristics of the HPOTP (High-Pressure Oxygen Turbopump) of the SSME (Space Shuttle Main Engine)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Childs, D. W.; Moyer, D. S.

    1984-01-01

    Attention is given to rotor dynamic problems that have been encountered and eliminated in the course of Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) development, as well as continuing, subsynchronous problems which are being encountered in the development of a 109-percent power level engine. The basic model for the SSME's High Pressure Oxygen Turbopump (HPOTP) encompasses a structural dynamic model for the rotor and housing, and component models for the liquid and gas seals, turbine clearance excitation forces, and impeller diffuser forces. Linear model results are used to examine the synchronous response and stability characteristics of the HPOTP, with attention to bearing load and stability problems associated with the second critical speed. Differences between linear and nonlinear model results are discussed and explained in terms of simple models. Simulation results indicate that while synchronous bearing loads can be reduced, subsynchronous motion is not eliminated by seal modifications.

  8. Trapped particle absorption by the Ring of Jupiter

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Fillius, W.

    1983-01-01

    The interaction of trapped radiation with the ring of Jupiter is investigated. Because it is an identical problem, the rings of Saturn and Uranus are also examined. Data from the Pioneer II encounter, deductions for some of the properties of the rings of Jupiter and Saturn. Over a dozen Jupiter magnetic field models are available in a program that integrates the adiabatic invariants to compute B and L. This program is to label our UCSD Pioneer II encounter data with the most satisfactory of these models. The expected effects of absorbing material on the trapped radiation are studied to obtain the loss rate as a function of ring properties. Analysis of the particle diffusion problem rounds out the theoretical end of the ring absorption problem. Other projects include identification of decay products for energetic particle albedo off the rings and moons of Saturn and a search for flux transfer events at the Jovian magnetopause.

  9. Scalable control of mounting and attack by Esr1+ neurons in the ventromedial hypothalamus.

    PubMed

    Lee, Hyosang; Kim, Dong-Wook; Remedios, Ryan; Anthony, Todd E; Chang, Angela; Madisen, Linda; Zeng, Hongkui; Anderson, David J

    2014-05-29

    Social behaviours, such as aggression or mating, proceed through a series of appetitive and consummatory phases that are associated with increasing levels of arousal. How such escalation is encoded in the brain, and linked to behavioural action selection, remains an unsolved problem in neuroscience. The ventrolateral subdivision of the murine ventromedial hypothalamus (VMHvl) contains neurons whose activity increases during male-male and male-female social encounters. Non-cell-type-specific optogenetic activation of this region elicited attack behaviour, but not mounting. We have identified a subset of VMHvl neurons marked by the oestrogen receptor 1 (Esr1), and investigated their role in male social behaviour. Optogenetic manipulations indicated that Esr1(+) (but not Esr1(-)) neurons are sufficient to initiate attack, and that their activity is continuously required during ongoing agonistic behaviour. Surprisingly, weaker optogenetic activation of these neurons promoted mounting behaviour, rather than attack, towards both males and females, as well as sniffing and close investigation. Increasing photostimulation intensity could promote a transition from close investigation and mounting to attack, within a single social encounter. Importantly, time-resolved optogenetic inhibition experiments revealed requirements for Esr1(+) neurons in both the appetitive (investigative) and the consummatory phases of social interactions. Combined optogenetic activation and calcium imaging experiments in vitro, as well as c-Fos analysis in vivo, indicated that increasing photostimulation intensity increases both the number of active neurons and the average level of activity per neuron. These data suggest that Esr1(+) neurons in VMHvl control the progression of a social encounter from its appetitive through its consummatory phases, in a scalable manner that reflects the number or type of active neurons in the population.

  10. Scalable Control of Mounting and Attack by ESR1+ Neurons in the Ventromedial Hypothalamus

    PubMed Central

    Lee, Hyosang; Kim, Dong-Wook; Remedios, Ryan; Anthony, Todd E.; Chang, Angela; Madisen, Linda; Zeng, Hongkui; Anderson, David J.

    2014-01-01

    Social behaviors, such as aggression or mating, proceed through a series of appetitive and consummatory phases1 that are associated with increasing levels of arousal2. How such escalation is encoded in the brain, and linked to behavioral action selection, remains an important unsolved problem in neuroscience. The ventrolateral subdivision of the murine ventromedial hypothalamus (VMHvl) contains neurons whose activity increases during male-male and male-female social encounters. Non-cell type-specific optogenetic activation of this region elicited attack behavior, but not mounting3. We have identified a subset of VMHvl neurons marked by the estrogen receptor 1 (Esr1), and investigated their role in male social behavior. Optogenetic manipulations indicated that Esr1+ (but not Esr1-) neurons are sufficient to initiate attack, and that their activity is continuously required during ongoing agonistic behavior. Surprisingly, weaker optogenetic activation of these neurons promoted mounting behavior, rather than attack, towards both males and females, as well as sniffing and close investigation (CI). Increasing photostimulation intensity could promote a transition from CI and mounting to attack, within a single social encounter. Importantly, time-resolved optogenetic inhibition experiments revealed requirements for Esr1+ neurons in both the appetitive (investigative) and the consummatory phases of social interactions. Combined optogenetic activation and calcium imaging experiments in vitro, as well as c-Fos analysis in vivo, indicated that increasing photostimulation intensity increases both the number of active neurons and the average level of activity per neuron. These data suggest that Esr1+ neurons in VMHvl control the progression of a social encounter from its appetitive through its consummatory phases, in a scalable manner that reflects the number or type of active neurons in the population. PMID:24739975

  11. Between normality and deviance: the breakdown of batterers' identity following police intervention.

    PubMed

    Buchbinder, Eli; Eisikovits, Zvi

    2004-04-01

    With the transformation of intimate violence from private trouble to social problem, police intervention in domestic violence cases became more prevalent. Research has focused mainly on battered women's perception of police intervention, their evaluations, and their level of satisfaction with the intervention. However, there is little research examining the perpetrators' subjective perceptions of such interventions. The purpose of this study is to describe and analyze battering men's perceptions of police intervention. The study is based on semistructured, in-depth interviews with 20 batterers who had repeated encounters with police. Findings show a continuum of self-management, ranging from attempts to preserve a normative identity in the first encounter to struggling against criminalization in the second encounter and adopting a victim identity in the third encounter. The findings are discussed in the context of gender identity and power relations.

  12. Thick section aluminum weldments for SRB structures

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bayless, E.; Sexton, J.

    1978-01-01

    The Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) forward and aft skirts were designed with fracture control considerations used in the design data. Fracture control is based on reliance upon nondestructive evaluation (NDE) techniques to detect potentially critical flaws. In the aerospace industry, welds on aluminum in the thicknesses (0.500 to 1.375 in.) such as those encountered on the SRB skirts are normally welded from both sides to minimize distortion. This presents a problem with the potential presence of undefined areas of incomplete fusion and the inability to detect these potential flaws by NDE techniques. To eliminate the possibility of an undetectable defect, weld joint design was revised to eliminate blind root penetrations. Weld parameters and mechanical property data were developed to verify the adequacy of the new joint design.

  13. Fortuitous phenomena: on complexity, pragmatic randomised controlled trials, and knowledge for evidence-based practice.

    PubMed

    Thompson, Carl

    2004-01-01

    Many of the interventions that nurses develop and implement are in themselves complex and have to operate in situations of irreducible complexity and uncertainty. This article argues that the primary means of generating knowledge for the evidence-based deployment of complex interventions should be the pragmatic randomised controlled trial. Randomised controlled trials represent the only research design to adequately deal with that which we know and (far more importantly) that which we do not. Using the example of practice development as an exemplar for complexity, and drawing on the objections often voiced as a response to calls to make use of randomised controlled trials in nursing and nursing research, the article presents a developmental framework and some methodological solutions to problems often encountered. Randomised controlled trials, whilst undoubtedly methodologically and strategically challenging, offer the most robust basis for developing primary research knowledge on the effects of complex interventions in nursing and their active components.

  14. Exploring Education. Students from Overseas.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yates, Alfred, Ed.

    Students entering college for the first time are often confronted with adjustment problems that seem to them unsurmountable and impossible. There is the transition from living dependently with parents to semi-independent living on the college campus, in addition to the many problems encountered in academic areas. If a student, accustomed to the…

  15. New Territory: Problems of Adjusting to the First Year of a Social Science PhD.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hockey, John

    1994-01-01

    Problems encountered by first-year social science doctoral students in adjusting to their new status as novice researchers are examined, including intellectual solitariness, professional and social isolation, new work organization requirements, anxiety concerning time and productivity, intellectual life, and supervision. Factors contributing to…

  16. Theory Oriented Research: Problems and Challenges.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Greer, John T.

    This paper discusses problems the author encountered in attempting to conduct a study of teacher motivation as influenced by a combination of participative decision-making and financial rewards. Over a 3-year period, teacher motivation was to be viewed as influenced by two independent variables--participative decision-making and financial rewards;…

  17. Examples of Cross-Cultural Problems Encountered by Americans Working Overseas; An Instructor's Handbook.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Foster, Robert J.

    Intended mainly as a source book for instructors in area training programs, this handbook contains summary accounts of events illustrating problems frequently met by Americans working overseas, especially those providing technical assistance in developing nations. Examples are drawn from case studies, interviews, anthropology texts, and other…

  18. Identifying Fallacies of Reference in Argumentation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gough, Jim

    2009-01-01

    The experience of teaching informal logic (sometimes called practical logic) at the introductory level over the last fifteen years has allowed the author the opportunity to identify some interesting problems. These problems have been encountered by students attempting to understand some of the ideas presented in the informal logic course and by…

  19. Efficacy of a Latino Mother-Child Communication Intervention in Elementary Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McNaughton, Diane B.; Cowell, Julia Muennich; Fogg, Louis

    2015-01-01

    Children of Latino immigrants in the United States encounter ecological stressors that heighten their risk for depressive symptoms, externalizing behavior, and problems in school. Studies have shown that affirming parent-child communication is protective of child depressive symptoms and accompanying problems. The purpose of this study was to…

  20. Understanding Critical Thinking to Create Better Doctors

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zayapragassarazan, Zayabalaradjane; Menon, Vikas; Kar, Sitanshu Sekhar; Batmanabane, Gitanjali

    2016-01-01

    Medical students master an enormous body of knowledge, but lack systematic problem solving ability and effective clinical decision making. High profile reports have called for reforms in medical education to create a better generation of doctors who can cope with the system based problems they would encounter in an interdisciplinary and…

  1. Anatomy of a bearing torque problem

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Phinney, Damon D.

    1987-01-01

    In the early 1970s, an antenna despin drive was developed for MBB solar science satellite HELIOS. A problem with high bearing drag torque that was encountered on the two flight models of this drive, after successful tests were completed on twelve bearings, an engineering model, and the qualification unit is discussed.

  2. Difficulties for University Students with Mental Health Problems: A Critical Interpretive Synthesis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Markoulakis, Roula; Kirsh, Bonnie

    2013-01-01

    Postsecondary institutions are witnessing an increase in the number and severity of student mental health problems, necessitating an understanding of the difficulties these students encounter in striving for higher education. The authors conducted a critical interpretive synthesis of 10 articles pertaining to difficulties experienced by students…

  3. English Preservice Teaching: Problems and Suggested Solutions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Naeem, Marwa Ahmed Refat

    2014-01-01

    The present study investigated the problems faced by Egyptian EFL prospective teachers during their first encounter with preservice teaching. The sample for the study included 135 prospective EFL teachers trained in five preparatory (middle) schools in Kafr El-Sheikh city, Egypt. At the end of their first year training course, the prospective…

  4. Education's Role in National Development Plans: Ten Country Cases.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Thomas, R. Murray, Ed.

    The place education has been assigned in the national development programs of 10 nations is discussed, the problems that these countries have encountered in managing education are examined, and the measures adopted to solve educational problems are assessed. Included are the following papers: (1) "The Nature of National Development…

  5. Human Gene Discovery Laboratory: A Problem-Based Learning Experience

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bonds, Wesley D., Sr.; Paolella, Mary Jane

    2006-01-01

    A single-semester elective combines Mendelian and molecular genetics in a problem-solving format. Students encounter a genetic disease scenario, construct a family pedigree, and try to confirm their medical diagnoses through laboratory experiences. Encouraged to generate ideas as they test their hypotheses, students realize the importance of data…

  6. Turkish EFL Pre-Service Teachers' Pronunciation Problems

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bardakçi, Mehmet

    2015-01-01

    This classroom research deals with pronunciation problems that Turkish EFL teacher candidates would encounter. The participants were 22 EFL pre-service teachers with B2 level of proficiency in English. The presentations which were carried out by these participants were analyzed both by the participants themselves and the researcher. The results…

  7. Knowledge Inertia and Organizational Learning as the Explanation of Organizational Performance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Aküzüm, Cemal

    2014-01-01

    Knowledge is an important concept for individuals and organizations both as a power and source. Thus, knowledge management has become important subject for researchers. However, when people encounter problems, they usually try to produce solutions by utilizing their previous knowledge and experience. Such problem solving strategies are called…

  8. Establishing a Child Care Substitute Caregiver System.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Love, Lynne

    Substitute caregivers are needed by day care centers in every state. Indeed, some areas are experiencing severe shortages of applicants for child care positions and short-term substitute work. This article describes problems encountered in current substitute caregiver systems and suggests ways of dealing with such problems. Specifically discussed…

  9. Introspection in Problem Solving

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jäkel, Frank; Schreiber, Cornell

    2013-01-01

    Problem solving research has encountered an impasse. Since the seminal work of Newell und Simon (1972) researchers do not seem to have made much theoretical progress (Batchelder and Alexander, 2012; Ohlsson, 2012). In this paper we argue that one factor that is holding back the field is the widespread rejection of introspection among cognitive…

  10. Maintaining "Professional Distance": A Dilemma for the ABE Teacher.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Willing, Delight C.; Haney, Hutch

    1994-01-01

    Too often, many adult educators are unaware of the problems resulting from failing to maintain an appropriate "professional distance" from their adult basic education (ABE) or English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) students when those students encounter personal problems or crises that appear to be interfering with their learning. ABE…

  11. Student Problems. Adult Literacy Independent Learning Packet.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Koefer, Ann M.

    This independent learning packet, which is designed for administrators, teachers, counselors, and tutors in Pennsylvania's Region 7 Tri-Valley Literacy Staff Development area as well as for their adult students, examines the following seven problems encountered by students: the job market, child care, single parenting/parenting skills, divorce,…

  12. Impact Assessment of Problem-Based Learning in an Engineering Science Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nasr, Karim J.; Ramadan, Bassem H.

    2008-01-01

    This paper presents the development and implementation of Problem-Based Learning (PBL) in an engineering thermodynamics course at Kettering University. In this project, the thermodynamics course was restructured as modules presenting practical applications first, whereas principles were introduced just-in-time and as encountered. Theoretical…

  13. Problems Relating to Examinations in Three-Year Technical/Natural Science Courses of Study at the Federal Armed Forces University, Munich.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ulbricht, Kurt; Zimmermann, Peter

    1981-01-01

    Problems encountered in testing in aerospace engineering courses in an accelerated technical program of a German military university are outlined. Four common grading procedures are compared, and the optimum length of written tests is discussed. (MSE)

  14. Alleviating Comprehension Problems in Movies. Working Paper.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tatsuki, Donna

    This paper describes the various barriers to comprehension that learners may encounter when viewing feature films in a second language. Two clusters of interfacing factors that may contribute to comprehension hot spots emerged from a quantitative analysis of problems noted in student logbooks. One cluster had a strong acoustic basis, whereas the…

  15. The Brown University Child and Adolescent Behavior Letter, 1996.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lipsitt, Lewis P., Ed.

    1996-01-01

    These 12 monthly newsletters from 1996 explore the many problems encountered by children and adolescents as they grow up. Regular departments in the newsletter issues include "Keep Your Eye On...," which briefly presents results of research into childhood and adolescent problems; "What's New in Research," summarizing research…

  16. The Brown University Child and Adolescent Behavior Letter, 1995.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lipsitt, Lewis P., Ed.

    1995-01-01

    These 12 monthly newsletters from 1995 explore the myriad problems encountered by children and adolescents as they grow up. Regular departments in the newsletter issues include "Keep Your Eye On...," which briefly presents results of research into childhood and adolescent problems; "New Research," summarizing research from recent publications and…

  17. A Transition in the Cumulative Reaction Rate of Two Species Diffusion with Bimolecular Reaction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rajaram, Harihar; Arshadi, Masoud

    2015-04-01

    Diffusion and bimolecular reaction between two initially separated reacting species is a prototypical small-scale description of reaction induced by transverse mixing. It is also relevant to diffusion controlled transport regimes as encountered in low-permeability matrix blocks in fractured media. In previous work, the reaction-diffusion problem has been analyzed as a Stefan problem involving a distinct moving boundary (reaction front), which predicts that front motion scales as √t, and the cumulative reaction rate scales as 1/√t-. We present a general non-dimensionalization of the problem and a perturbation analysis to show that there is an early time regime where the cumulative reaction rate scales as √t- rather than 1/√t. The duration of this early time regime (where the cumulative rate is kinetically rather than diffusion controlled) depends on the rate parameter, in a manner that is consistently predicted by our non-dimensionalization. We also present results on the scaling of the reaction front width. We present numerical simulations in homogeneous and heterogeneous porous media to demonstrate the limited influence of heterogeneity on the behavior of the reaction-diffusion system. We illustrate applications to the practical problem of in-situ chemical oxidation of TCE and PCE by permanganate, which is employed to remediate contaminated sites where the DNAPLs are largely dissolved in the rock matrix.

  18. Atmospheric Propagation and Combining of High-Power Lasers

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-09-08

    Brightness-scaling potential of actively phase- locked solid state laser arrays,” IEEE J. Sel. Topics Quantum Electron., vol. 13, no. 3, pp. 460–472, May...attempting to phase- lock high-power lasers, which is not encountered when phase- locking low-power lasers, for example mW power levels. Regardless, we...technology does not currently exist. This presents a challenging problem when attempting to phase- lock high-power lasers, which is not encountered when

  19. Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Operational Test and Evaluation Lessons Learned

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2003-12-01

    prevented during the test design phase. Test designers should ensure that the appropriate data can be collected in sample sizes large enough to support...encountered during previous tests in an attempt to prevent them from occurring in future tests. The focus of this paper is on UAVs acquired to perform...CHAPTER III TEST DESIGN III. TEST DESIGN Many of the problems encountered during UAV OT could have been prevented during the test

  20. Simulator study of vortex encounters by a twin-engine, commercial, jet transport airplane

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hastings, E. C., Jr.; Keyser, G. L., Jr.

    1982-01-01

    A simulator study of vortex encounters was conducted for a twin-engine, commercial, jet transport airplane encountering the vortex flow field of a heavy, four-engine, commercial, jet transport airplane in the final-approach configuration. The encounters were conducted with fixed controls and with a pilot using a state-of-the-art, manual-control system. Piloted encounters with the base-line vortex flow field out of ground effect (unattenuated) resulted in initial bank-angle excursions greater than 40 deg, coupled with initial sideslip-angle excursions greater than 10 deg. The severity of these initial upsets was significantly reduced when the vortex center was moved laterally or vertically away from the flight path of the encountering airplane. Smaller reductions occurred when the flow field was attenuated by the flight spoilers on the generating airplane. The largest reduction in the severity of the initial upsets, however, was from aging in ground effect. The severity of the initial upsets of the following airplane was relatively unaffected by the approach speed. Increasing the lift coefficient of the generating airplane resulted in an increase in the severity of the initial upsets.

  1. Parental and family factors for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in Taiwanese children.

    PubMed

    Gau, Susan Shur-Fen

    2007-08-01

    The present study aimed to examine the association between attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and maternal psychological distress, parenting style and perceived family support, and the child's interaction with parents and behavioural problems at home in Taiwan. The sample included 375 medicated pediatric patients with DSM-IV ADHD, and 750 school controls selected based on the age and gender structures of the ADHD group. Mothers reported on the Chinese Health Questionnaire, the Chinese versions of the Parental Bonding Instrument, the Family Adaptation, Partnership, Growth, Affection, and Resolve, and the Home Behaviours of the Social Adjustment Inventory for Children and Adolescents. Mothers of children with ADHD reported greater psychological distress and perceived less support from their families than did mothers of controls. Moreover, mothers of children with ADHD were less affectionate and more overprotective and controlling toward their children than were mothers of controls. This difference was more apparent in boys than in girls. Children with ADHD were less likely to interact with their parents, yet demonstrated more severe behavioural problems at home. Although the Taiwanese children with ADHD were under treatment with methylphenidate, they and their families still encountered a variety of difficulties in interaction, support, and communication with each other. Therefore, the parental approach should be integrated into the medication treatment for ADHD in Taiwan.

  2. Touchless attitude correction for satellite with constant magnetic moment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ao, Hou-jun; Yang, Le-ping; Zhu, Yan-wei; Zhang, Yuan-wen; Huang, Huan

    2017-09-01

    Rescue of satellite with attitude fault is of great value. Satellite with improper injection attitude may lose contact with ground as the antenna points to the wrong direction, or encounter energy problems as solar arrays are not facing the sun. Improper uploaded command may set the attitude out of control, exemplified by Japanese Hitomi spacecraft. In engineering practice, traditional physical contact approaches have been applied, yet with a potential risk of collision and a lack of versatility since the mechanical systems are mission-specific. This paper puts forward a touchless attitude correction approach, in which three satellites are considered, one having constant dipole and two having magnetic coils to control attitude of the first. Particular correction configurations are designed and analyzed to maintain the target's orbit during the attitude correction process. A reference coordinate system is introduced to simplify the control process and avoid the singular value problem of Euler angles. Based on the spherical triangle basic relations, the accurate varying geomagnetic field is considered in the attitude dynamic mode. Sliding mode control method is utilized to design the correction law. Finally, numerical simulation is conducted to verify the theoretical derivation. It can be safely concluded that the no-contact attitude correction approach for the satellite with uniaxial constant magnetic moment is feasible and potentially applicable to on-orbit operations.

  3. Improved techniques for thermomechanical testing in support of deformation modeling

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Castelli, Michael G.; Ellis, John R.

    1992-01-01

    The feasibility of generating precise thermomechanical deformation data to support constitutive model development was investigated. Here, the requirement is for experimental data that is free from anomalies caused by less than ideal equipment and procedures. A series of exploratory tests conducted on Hastelloy X showed that generally accepted techniques for strain controlled tests were lacking in at least three areas. Specifically, problems were encountered with specimen stability, thermal strain compensation, and temperature/mechanical strain phasing. The source of these difficulties was identified and improved thermomechanical testing techniques to correct them were developed. These goals were achieved by developing improved procedures for measuring and controlling thermal gradients and by designing a specimen specifically for thermomechanical testing. In addition, innovative control strategies were developed to correctly proportion and phase the thermal and mechanical components of strain. Subsequently, the improved techniques were used to generate deformation data for Hastelloy X over the temperature range, 200 to 1000 C.

  4. Progress in the development of subunit vaccines for gastrointestinal nematodes of ruminants.

    PubMed

    Matthews, J B; Geldhof, P; Tzelos, T; Claerebout, E

    2016-12-01

    The global increase in anthelmintic resistant nematodes of ruminants, together with consumer concerns about chemicals in food, necessitates the development of alternative methods of control for these pathogens. Subunit recombinant vaccines are ideally placed to fill this gap. Indeed, they are probably the only valid option for the long-term control of ruminant parasitic nematodes given the increasing ubiquity of multidrug resistance in a range of worm species across the world. The development of a subunit multicellular parasite vaccine to the point of practical application would be a groundbreaking step in the control of these important endemic infections of livestock. This review summarizes the current status of subunit vaccine development for a number of important gastrointestinal nematodes of cattle and sheep, with a focus on the limitations and problems encountered thus far, and suggestions as to how these hurdles might be overcome. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  5. Numerical System Solver Developed for the National Cycle Program

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Binder, Michael P.

    1999-01-01

    As part of the National Cycle Program (NCP), a powerful new numerical solver has been developed to support the simulation of aeropropulsion systems. This software uses a hierarchical object-oriented design. It can provide steady-state and time-dependent solutions to nonlinear and even discontinuous problems typically encountered when aircraft and spacecraft propulsion systems are simulated. It also can handle constrained solutions, in which one or more factors may limit the behavior of the engine system. Timedependent simulation capabilities include adaptive time-stepping and synchronization with digital control elements. The NCP solver is playing an important role in making the NCP a flexible, powerful, and reliable simulation package.

  6. Development and testing of the infrared radiometer for the Mariner Venus/Mercury 1973 spacecraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Clarke, T. C.

    1975-01-01

    The science objectives, development history, functional description, and testing of the Mariner Venus/Mercury 1973 infrared radiometer are discussed. Included in the functional description section is a thorough discussion of the IRR optical system, electronic operation, and thermal control. Signal development and its conversion to engineering units is traced, starting with the radiant space object, passing through the IRR optics and electronics, and culminating with data number development and interpretation. The test program section includes discussion of IRR calibration and alignment verification. Finally, the problems and failures encountered by the IRR during the period of its development and testing are reviewed.

  7. OARSI Clinical Trials Recommendations for Hip Imaging in Osteoarthritis

    PubMed Central

    Gold, Garry E.; Cicuttini, Flavia; Crema, Michel D.; Eckstein, Felix; Guermazi, Ali; Kijowski, Richard; Link, Thomas M.; Maheu, Emmanuel; Martel-Pelletier, Johanne; Miller, Colin G.; Pelletier, Jean-Pierre; Peterfy, Charles G.; Potter, Hollis G.; Roemer, Frank W.; Hunter, David. J

    2015-01-01

    Imaging of hip in osteoarthritis (OA) has seen considerable progress in the past decade, with the introduction of new techniques that may be more sensitive to structural disease changes. The purpose of this expert opinion, consensus driven recommendation is to provide detail on how to apply hip imaging in disease modifying clinical trials. It includes information on acquisition methods/ techniques (including guidance on positioning for radiography, sequence/protocol recommendations/ hardware for MRI); commonly encountered problems (including positioning, hardware and coil failures, artifacts associated with various MRI sequences); quality assurance/ control procedures; measurement methods; measurement performance (reliability, responsiveness, and validity); recommendations for trials; and research recommendations. PMID:25952344

  8. [Concepts of a multidisciplinar team on runaway patients].

    PubMed

    Vieira, Sílvio Antônio; Dall'agnol, Clarice Maria

    2009-01-01

    A qualitative study that aimed at learning the way an emergency care multidisciplinary team at a public university hospital conceives and deals with the problem of patients who run away from hospital was carried out. Data were collected using the focus groups technique, whose sample was constituted by ten individuals, approached by non-directive group dynamics. Three thematic classes resulted from content analysis: a certain ambivalence; emergency, a place of (lack of) control; fears and insecurities. The study indicates the chaotic situation encountered by emergency services and, in this context, when patients run away, the health care team is imminently subject to a triple judgment: social, legal and institutional.

  9. Iatrogenic Blood-borne Viral Infections in Refugee Children from War and Transition Zones

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Pediatric infectious disease clinicians in industrialized countries may encounter iatrogenically transmitted HIV, hepatitis B virus, and hepatitis C virus infections in refugee children from Central Asia, Southeast Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa. The consequences of political collapse and/or civil war—work migration, prostitution, intravenous drug use, defective public health resources, and poor access to good medical care—all contribute to the spread of blood-borne viruses. Inadequate infection control practices by medical establishments can lead to iatrogenic infection of children. Summaries of 4 cases in refugee children in Australia are a salient reminder of this problem. PMID:23739597

  10. Group structure and group process for effective space station astronaut teams

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Nicholas, J. M.; Kagan, R. S.

    1985-01-01

    Space Station crews will encounter new problems, many derived from the social interaction of groups working in space for extended durations. Solutions to these problems must focus on the structure of groups and the interaction of individuals. A model of intervention is proposed to address problems of interpersonal relationships and emotional stress, and improve the morale, cohesiveness, and productivity of astronaut teams.

  11. A review of the Los Alamos effort in the development of nuclear rocket propulsion

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

    Durham, F.P.; Kirk, W.L.; Bohl, R.J.

    1991-01-01

    This paper reviews the achievements of the Los Alamos nuclear rocket propulsion program and describes some specific reactor design and testing problems encountered during the development program along with the progress made in solving these problems. The relevance of these problems to a renewed nuclear thermal rocket development program for the Space Exploration Initiative (SEI) is discussed. 11 figs.

  12. Shuttle payload S-band communications system

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Batson, B. H.; Teasdale, W. E.; Pawlowski, J. F.; Schmidt, O. L.

    1985-01-01

    The Shuttle payload S-band communications system design, operational capabilities, and performance are described in detail. System design requirements, overall system and configuration and operation, and laboratory/flight test results are presented. Payload communications requirements development is discussed in terms of evolvement of requirements as well as the resulting technical challenges encountered in meeting the initial requirements. Initial design approaches are described along with cost-saving initiatives that subsequently had to be made. The resulting system implementation that was finally adopted is presented along with a functional description of the system operation. A description of system test results, problems encountered, how the problems were solved, and the system flight experience to date is presented. Finally, a summary of the advancements made and the lessons learned is discussed.

  13. Mental hospital depopulation in Canada: patient perspectives.

    PubMed

    Herman, N J; Smith, C M

    1989-06-01

    This paper reviews briefly the history of mental health depopulation in Canada over the past 30 years. The term "deinstitutionalization" is often used but is unsatisfactory. Using an exploratory, qualitative, methodological approach, data were collected on the problems encountered by a disproportionate, stratified random sample of 139 formerly institutionalized patients living in various geographical locales in Eastern Canada. Adopting a symbolic interactionist theoretical approach, this study, in an effort to fill a neglect in the literature, attempted to discover what the everyday world(s) of Canadian ex-mental patients was really like. Problems encountered related to stigma, poor housing, lack of back living skills, poverty, unemployment and aftercare. Quotations from patients are provided to illustrate such themes. The findings are discussed.

  14. [Problems encountered during the installation of an automated anesthesia documentation system (AIMS)].

    PubMed

    Müller, H; Naujoks, F; Dietz, S

    2002-08-01

    Problems encountered during the installation and introduction of an automated anaesthesia documentation system are discussed. Difficulties have to be expected in the area of staff training because of heterogeneous experience in computer usage and in the field of online documentation of vital signs. Moreover the areas of net administration and hardware configuration as well as general administrative issues also represent possible sources of drawbacks. System administration and reliable support provided by personnel of the department of anaesthesiology assuring staff motivation and reducing time of system failures require adequately staffed departments. Based on our own experiences, we recommend that anaesthesiology departments considering the future installation and use of an automated anaesthesia documentation system should verify sufficient personnel capacities prior to their decision.

  15. Do general practice patients with and without appointment differ? Cross-sectional study.

    PubMed

    Riedl, Bernhard; Kehrer, Simon; Werner, Christoph U; Schneider, Antonius; Linde, Klaus

    2018-06-23

    Even in practices with a comprehensive appointment system a minority of patients walks in without prior notice, sometimes causing problems for practice service quality. We aimed to explore differences between patients consulting primary care practices with and without appointment. Consecutive patients visiting five primary care practices without an appointment and following patients with an appointment were asked to fill in a four-page questionnaire addressing socio-demographic characteristics, the reason for encounter, urgency of seeing a physician, depressive, somatic and anxiety symptoms, personality traits, and satisfaction with the practice. Physicians also documented the reason for encounter and assessed the urgency. Data were analyzed using univariate and multivariate methods. Two hundred fifty-one patients without and 250 patients with appointment participated. Patients without appointment were significantly younger (mean age 44 vs. 50 years) and reported less often chronic diseases (29% vs. 45%). Also, reasons for encounter differed (e.g., 27% vs. 16% with a respiratory problem). Patients' ratings of urgency did not differ between groups (p = 0.46), but physicians rated urgency higher among patients without appointment (p < 0.001). In logistic regression analyses younger age, male gender, absence of chronic disease, positive screening for at least one mental disorder, low values on the personality trait openness for experience, a high urgency rating by the physician, and a respiratory or musculoskeletal problem as reason for encounter were significantly associated with a higher likelihood of being a patient without appointment. In this study, younger age and a high urgency rating by physicians were the variables most consistently associated with the likelihood of being a patient without appointment. Overall, differences between patients seeking general practices with a comprehensive appointment system without prior notice and patients with appointments were relatively minor.

  16. [Evaluation of the standard application of Delphi in the diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease caused by occupational irritant chemicals].

    PubMed

    Zhao, L; Yan, Y J

    2017-11-20

    Objective: To investigate the problems encountered in the application of the standard (hereinafter referred to as standard) for the diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease caused by occu-pational irritant chemicals, to provide reference for the revision of the new standard, to reduce the number of missed patients in occupational COPD, and to get rid of the working environment of those who suffer from chronic respiratory diseases due to long-term exposure to poisons., slowing the progression of the disease. Methods: Using Delphi (Delphi) Expert research method, after the senior experts to demonstrate, to under-stand the GBZ 237-2011 "occupational irritant chemicals to the diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary dis-ease" standard evaluation of the system encountered problems, to seek expert advice, The problems encoun-tered during the clinical implementation of the standards promulgated in 2011 are presented. Results: Through the Delphi Expert investigation method, it is found that experts agree on the content evaluation and implemen-tation evaluation in the standard, but the operational evaluation of the standard is disputed. According to the clinical experience, the experts believe that the range of occupational irritant gases should be expanded, and the operation of the problem of smoking, seniority determination and occupational contact history should be challenged during the diagnosis. Conclusions: Since the promulgation in 2011 of the criteria for the diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease caused by occupational stimulant chemicals, there have been some problems in the implementation process, which have caused many occupationally exposed to irritating gases to suffer from "occupational chronic respiratory Diseases" without a definitive diagnosis.

  17. Distributed synchronization control of complex networks with communication constraints.

    PubMed

    Xu, Zhenhua; Zhang, Dan; Song, Hongbo

    2016-11-01

    This paper is concerned with the distributed synchronization control of complex networks with communication constraints. In this work, the controllers communicate with each other through the wireless network, acting as a controller network. Due to the constrained transmission power, techniques such as the packet size reduction and transmission rate reduction schemes are proposed which could help reduce communication load of the controller network. The packet dropout problem is also considered in the controller design since it is often encountered in networked control systems. We show that the closed-loop system can be modeled as a switched system with uncertainties and random variables. By resorting to the switched system approach and some stochastic system analysis method, a new sufficient condition is firstly proposed such that the exponential synchronization is guaranteed in the mean-square sense. The controller gains are determined by using the well-known cone complementarity linearization (CCL) algorithm. Finally, a simulation study is performed, which demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed design algorithm. Copyright © 2016 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Nisin as a Food Preservative: Part 2: Antimicrobial Polymer Materials Containing Nisin.

    PubMed

    Gharsallaoui, Adem; Joly, Catherine; Oulahal, Nadia; Degraeve, Pascal

    2016-06-10

    Nisin is the only bacteriocin approved as a food preservative because of its antibacterial effectiveness and its negligible toxicity for humans. Typical problems encountered when nisin is directly added to foods are mainly fat adsorption leading to activity loss, heterogeneous distribution in the food matrix, inactivation by proteolytic enzymes, and emergence of resistance in normally sensitive bacteria strains. To overcome these problems, nisin can be immobilized in solid matrices that must act as diffusional barriers and allow controlling its release rate. This strategy allows maintaining a just sufficient nisin concentration at the food surface. The design of such antimicrobial materials must consider both bacterial growth kinetics but also nisin release kinetics. In this review, nisin incorporation in polymer-based materials will be discussed and special emphasis will be on the applications and properties of antimicrobial food packaging containing this bacteriocin.

  19. Flight investigation of insect contamination and its alleviation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Peterson, J. B., Jr.; Fisher, D. F.

    1978-01-01

    An investigation of leading edge contamination by insects was conducted with a JetStar airplane instrumented to detect transition on the outboard leading edge flap and equipped with a system to spray the leading edge in flight. The results of airline type flights with the JetStar indicated that insects can contaminate the leading edge during takeoff and climbout. The results also showed that the insects collected on the leading edges at 180 knots did not erode at cruise conditions for a laminar flow control airplane and caused premature transition of the laminar boundary layer. None of the superslick and hydrophobic surfaces tested showed any significant advantages in alleviating the insect contamination problem. While there may be other solutions to the insect contamination problem, the results of these tests with a spray system showed that a continouous water spray while encountering the insects is effective in preventing insect contamination of the leading edges.

  20. Bayesian models based on test statistics for multiple hypothesis testing problems.

    PubMed

    Ji, Yuan; Lu, Yiling; Mills, Gordon B

    2008-04-01

    We propose a Bayesian method for the problem of multiple hypothesis testing that is routinely encountered in bioinformatics research, such as the differential gene expression analysis. Our algorithm is based on modeling the distributions of test statistics under both null and alternative hypotheses. We substantially reduce the complexity of the process of defining posterior model probabilities by modeling the test statistics directly instead of modeling the full data. Computationally, we apply a Bayesian FDR approach to control the number of rejections of null hypotheses. To check if our model assumptions for the test statistics are valid for various bioinformatics experiments, we also propose a simple graphical model-assessment tool. Using extensive simulations, we demonstrate the performance of our models and the utility of the model-assessment tool. In the end, we apply the proposed methodology to an siRNA screening and a gene expression experiment.

  1. Closed-form solution of temperature and heat flux in embedded cooling channels

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Griggs, Steven Craig

    1997-11-01

    An analytical method is discussed for predicting temperature in a layered composite material with embedded cooling channels. The cooling channels are embedded in the material to maintain its temperature at acceptable levels. Problems of this type are encountered in the aerospace industry and include high-temperature or high-heat-flux protection for advanced composite-material skins of high-speed air vehicles; thermal boundary-layer flow control on supersonic transports; or infrared signature suppression on military vehicles. A Green's function solution of the diffusion equation is used to simultaneously predict the global and localized effects of temperature in the material and in the embedded cooling channels. The integral method is used to solve the energy equation with fluid flow to find the solution of temperature and heat flux in the cooling fluid and material simultaneously. This method of calculation preserves the three-dimensional nature of this problem.

  2. Medical tongue piercing – development and evaluation of a surgical protocol and the perception of procedural discomfort of the participants

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background A system providing disabled persons with control of various assistive devices with the tongue has been developed at Aalborg University in Denmark. The system requires an activation unit attached to the tongue with a small piercing. The aim of this study was to establish and evaluate a safe and tolerable procedure for medical tongue piercing and to evaluate the expected and perceived procedural discomfort. Methods Four tetraplegic subjects volunteered for the study. A surgical protocol for a safe insertion of a tongue barbell piercing was presented using sterilized instruments and piercing parts. Moreover, post-procedural observations of participant complications such as bleeding, edema, and infection were recorded. Finally, procedural discomforts were monitored by VAS scores of pain, changes in taste and speech as well as problems related to hitting the teeth. Results The piercings were all successfully inserted in less than 5 min and the pain level was moderate compared with oral injections. No bleeding, infection, embedding of the piercing, or tooth/gingival injuries were encountered; a moderate edema was found in one case without affecting the speech. In two cases the piercing rod later had to be replaced by a shorter rod, because participants complained that the rod hit their teeth. The replacements prevented further problems. Moreover, loosening of balls was encountered, which could be prevented with the addition of dental glue. No cases of swallowing or aspiration of the piercing parts were recorded. Conclusions The procedure proved simple, fast, and safe for insertion of tongue piercings for tetraplegic subjects in a clinical setting. The procedure represented several precautions in order to avoid risks in these susceptible participants with possible co-morbidity. No serious complications were encountered, and the procedure was found tolerable to the participants. The procedure may be used in future studies with tongue piercings being a prerequisite for similar systems, and this may include insertion in an out-patient setting. PMID:24684776

  3. Voyager Saturn encounter attitude and articulation control experience

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Carlisle, G.; Hill, M.

    1981-01-01

    The Voyager attitude and articulation control system is designed for a three-axis stabilized spacecraft; it uses a biasable sun sensor and a Canopus Star Tracker (CST) for celestial control, as well as a dry inertial reference unit, comprised of three dual-axis dry gryos, for inertial control. A series of complex maneuvers was required during the first of two Voyager spacecraft encounters with Saturn (November 13, 1980); these maneuvers involved rotating the spacecraft simultaneously about two or three axes while maintaining accurate pointing of the scan platform. Titan and Saturn earth occulation experiments and a ring scattering experiment are described. Target motion compensation and the effects of celestial sensor interference are also considered. Failure of the CST, which required an extensive reevaluation of the star reference and attitude control mode strategy, is discussed. Results analyzed thus far show that the system performed with high accuracy, gathering data deeper into Saturn's atmosphere than on any previous planetary encounter.

  4. Lessons learned from the aeromedical disaster relief activities following the great East Japan earthquake.

    PubMed

    Matsumoto, Hisashi; Motomura, Tomokazu; Hara, Yoshiaki; Masuda, Yukiko; Mashiko, Kunihiro; Yokota, Hiroyuki; Koido, Yuichi

    2013-04-01

    Since 2001, a Japanese national project has developed a helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS) system ("doctor-helicopter") and a central Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT) composed of mobile and trained medical teams for rapid deployment during the response phase of a disaster. In Japan, the DMAT Research Group has focused on command and control of doctor-helicopters in future disasters. The objective of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of such planning, as well as the problems encountered in deploying the doctor-helicopter fleet with DMAT members following the March 11, 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. This study was undertaken to examine the effectiveness of aeromedical disaster relief activities following the Great East Japan Earthquake and to evaluate the assembly and operations of 15 doctor-helicopter teams dispatched for patient evacuation with medical support. Fifteen DMATs from across Japan were deployed from March 11th through March 13th to work out of two doctor-helicopter base hospitals. The dispatch center at each base hospital directed its own doctor-helicopter fleet under the command of DMAT headquarters to transport seriously injured or ill patients out of hospitals located in the disaster area. Disaster Medical Assistance Teams transported 149 patients using the doctor-helicopters during the first five days after the earthquake. The experiences and problems encountered point to the need for DMATs to maintain direct control over 1) communication between DMAT headquarters and dispatch centers; 2) information management concerning patient transportation; and 3) operation of the doctor-helicopter fleet during relief activities. As there is no rule of prioritization for doctor-helicopters to refuel ahead of other rotorcraft, many doctor-helicopters had to wait in line to refuel. The "doctor-helicopter fleet" concept was vital to Japan's disaster medical assistance and rescue activities. The smooth and immediate dispatch of the doctor-helicopter fleet must occur under the direct control of the DMAT, independent from local government authority. Such a command and control system for dispatching the doctor-helicopter fleet is strongly recommended, and collaboration with local government authorities concerning refueling priority should be addressed.

  5. [A prospective, randomized, double-blinded control study on comparison of tramadol, clonidine and dexmedetomidine for post spinal anesthesia shivering].

    PubMed

    Venkatraman, Rajagopalan; Karthik, Krishnamoorthy; Pushparani, Anand; Mahalakshmi, Annadurai

    Shivering, a common intraoperative problem under spinal anesthesia increases the oxygen consumption considerably and is uncomfortable and distressing to the patient, anesthesiologist as well as surgeon. The present study was designed to explore the effectiveness of tramadol, clonidine and dexmedetomidine in the treatment of post spinal anesthesia shivering and to look for their adverse effects. This prospective, randomized, double blinded control study was done on 90 patients who developed shivering under spinal anesthesia. They were randomly allocated into three groups with Group T receiving tramadol 1mg.kg -1 , Group C getting clonidine 1mcg.kg -1 and Group D patients receiving dexmedetomidine 0.5mcg.kg -1 . The time taken to control shivering, recurrence rate, hemodynamic variables, sedation score and adverse effects were observed. Dexmedetomidine was faster in the control of shivering in 5.7±0.79minutes (min) whereas tramadol took 6.76±0.93min and clonidine was slower with 9.43±0.93min. The recurrence rate was much lower in the dexmedetomidine group with 3.3% than for clonidine (10%) and tramadol (23.3%) group. The sedation achieved with dexmedetomidine was better than clonidine and tramadol. The tramadol group had more cases of vomiting (four) and dexmedetomidine group had six cases of hypotension and two cases of bradycardia. Two of the clonidine patients encountered bradycardia and hypotension. Dexmedetomidine is better than tramadol and clonidine in the control of shivering because of its faster onset and less recurrence rate. Though complications are encountered in the dexmedetomidine group, they are treatable. Copyright © 2016 Sociedade Brasileira de Anestesiologia. Publicado por Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

  6. Air traffic surveillance and control using hybrid estimation and protocol-based conflict resolution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hwang, Inseok

    The continued growth of air travel and recent advances in new technologies for navigation, surveillance, and communication have led to proposals by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to provide reliable and efficient tools to aid Air Traffic Control (ATC) in performing their tasks. In this dissertation, we address four problems frequently encountered in air traffic surveillance and control; multiple target tracking and identity management, conflict detection, conflict resolution, and safety verification. We develop a set of algorithms and tools to aid ATC; These algorithms have the provable properties of safety, computational efficiency, and convergence. Firstly, we develop a multiple-maneuvering-target tracking and identity management algorithm which can keep track of maneuvering aircraft in noisy environments and of their identities. Secondly, we propose a hybrid probabilistic conflict detection algorithm between multiple aircraft which uses flight mode estimates as well as aircraft current state estimates. Our algorithm is based on hybrid models of aircraft, which incorporate both continuous dynamics and discrete mode switching. Thirdly, we develop an algorithm for multiple (greater than two) aircraft conflict avoidance that is based on a closed-form analytic solution and thus provides guarantees of safety. Finally, we consider the problem of safety verification of control laws for safety critical systems, with application to air traffic control systems. We approach safety verification through reachability analysis, which is a computationally expensive problem. We develop an over-approximate method for reachable set computation using polytopic approximation methods and dynamic optimization. These algorithms may be used either in a fully autonomous way, or as supporting tools to increase controllers' situational awareness and to reduce their work load.

  7. Households encountering with catastrophic health expenditures in Ferdows, Iran.

    PubMed

    Ghoddoosinejad, Javad; Jannati, Ali; Gholipour, Kamal; Baghban Baghestan, Elham

    2014-08-01

    Out-of-pocket payments are the main sources of healthcare financing in most developing countries. Healthcare services can impose a massive cost burden on households, especially in developing countries. The purpose of this study was to calculate households encountered with catastrophic healthcare expenditures in Ferdows, Iran. The sample included 100 households representing 20% of all households in Ferdows, Iran. The data were collected using self-administered questionnaire. The ability to pay of households was calculated, and then if costs of household health were at least 40% of their ability to pay, it was considered as catastrophic expenditures. Rate of households encountered to catastrophic health expenditures was estimated to be 24%, of which dentistry services had the highest part in catastrophic health expenditures. Low ability to pay of households should be supported against these expenditures. More equitable health system would solve the problem, although more financial aid should be provided for households encountered to catastrophic costs.

  8. Pediatrics

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Spackman, T. J.

    1978-01-01

    The utilization of the Lixiscope in pediatrics was investigated. The types of images that can presently be obtained are discussed along with the problems encountered. Speculative applications for the Lixiscope are also presented.

  9. Client Contacts Improve Quality of Copywriting.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McCann, Guy

    1988-01-01

    Discusses the advantages of using real-life clients for class assignments in copywriting courses. Presents suggestions for client sources and identifies possible problems which may be encountered. (MM)

  10. A Brief Comparison of the Current Approaches in Teaching Pronunciation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Aydin, Selami; Akyüz, Serhat

    2017-01-01

    Though pronunciation has an important place in English as a foreign language (EFL) teaching and learning, it is evident that EFL teachers experience some problems in pronunciation classes. Thus, this study aims to review some studies on teaching pronunciation to present essential information and solutions to the problems encountered in…

  11. The Academy in the Age of Digital Labor

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Glaros, Michelle

    2004-01-01

    In this article, the author addresses a problem encountered in her own professional life as a teacher of writing in the context of computing, a teaching field often referred to as "computers and writing," "electronic writing," or "computer-assisted writing instruction." The problem she has observed has to do with teaching technology in a…

  12. Learners' Perceptions of Listening Comprehension Problems.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hasan, Ali S.

    2000-01-01

    Reports a study of listening problems encountered in the English-as-a-foreign-language classroom in the English for Specific Purposes Centre at Damascus University in Syria. Looks particularly at learner strategies, features of the listening text, characteristics of the speaker, attitudes of the listener, the task to be completed as a result of…

  13. Overcoming Barriers for Displaced Homemakers in Nontraditional Occupations. A Manual of Strategies.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Far West Lab. for Educational Research and Development, San Francisco, CA.

    This manual examines problems the displaced homemaker encounters on the job and offers strategies which vocational educators, counselors, and other service providers can suggest to nontraditional students for overcoming these problems. A brief overview of the displaced homemaker is provided and the term "nontraditional occupation" is defined. An…

  14. The English Translation and Testing of the Problems after Discharge Questionnaire

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Holland, Diane E.; Mistiaen, Patriek; Knafl, George J.; Bowles, Kathryn H.

    2011-01-01

    The quality of hospital discharge planning assessments determines whether patients receive the health and social services they need or are sent home with unmet needs and without services. There is a valid and reliable Dutch instrument that measures problems and unmet needs patients encounter after discharge. This article describes the translation…

  15. Listening: The Ignored Skill in EFL Context

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ulum, Ömer Gökhan

    2015-01-01

    Listening is clearly the weakest skill of EFL students who encounter different kinds of listening problems. It is the most underestimated skill in EFL context, though. This study seeks to examine the listening problems faced by a group of first year university students whose English proficiency level is elementary. 50 EFL students from three…

  16. Foundation Officers, Evaluation, and Ethical Problems: A Pilot Investigation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Morris, Michael

    2007-01-01

    Ethical problems encountered by foundation officers in their evaluation-related work were identified via an email survey of a sample of Council on Foundations member organizations. Of the respondents who had worked with evaluators, one-third indicated that they had faced ethical challenges. Most challenges fell into one of four categories:…

  17. Obstacles in Qualitative Research: Possible Solutions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Poggenpoel, M.; Myburgh, C. P. H.

    2005-01-01

    In conducting research, the identified problem in the field will determine the research strategies chosen to address the problem. When a qualitative research strategy is deemed as the most appropriate strategy to get answers to research questions, the researcher should be aware of obstacles that can be encountered in the research process. If the…

  18. The Chronically Ill Child in the School.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sexson, Sandra; Madan-Swain, Avi

    1995-01-01

    Examines the effects of chronic illness on the school-age population. Facilitating successful functioning of chronically ill youths is a growing problem. Focuses on problems encountered by the chronically ill student who has either been diagnosed with a chronic illness or who has survived such an illness. Discusses the role of the school…

  19. Operant Strategies in the Training of Community Action Organizers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vargas, Ernest A.; Breslaw, Jerome

    Planning, funding and operating anti-poverty programs require skilled community organizers. Training organizers deals with problems of how to motivate others and what tactics should be used when difficulty is encountered. Two approaches to these problems determined by images of 20th Century Man have been employed: (1) rational economic man who…

  20. Teaching Consumer Skills and How to Survive in America.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Webb, Farren

    These consumer education activities will help secondary students become aware of the social and economic problems they will be encountering after they graduate. Interdisciplinary in nature, the activities can be used in a number of ways. They can be integrated into the curriculum through U.S. history, modern problems, sociology, psychology, home…

  1. A Genetic Algorithm Approach to Nonlinear Least Squares Estimation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Olinsky, Alan D.; Quinn, John T.; Mangiameli, Paul M.; Chen, Shaw K.

    2004-01-01

    A common type of problem encountered in mathematics is optimizing nonlinear functions. Many popular algorithms that are currently available for finding nonlinear least squares estimators, a special class of nonlinear problems, are sometimes inadequate. They might not converge to an optimal value, or if they do, it could be to a local rather than…

  2. Persistent Problems and Promising Solutions in Inservice Education. Report of Selected REGI Project Directors.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Grigsby, Greg

    This report summarizes and presents information from interviews with 22 National Inservice Network project directors. The purpose was to identify problems and solutions encountered in directing regular education inservice (REGI) projects. The projects were sponsored by institutions of higher education, state and local education agencies, and an…

  3. Geometric Reasoning in an Active-Engagement Upper-Division E&M Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cerny, Leonard Thomas

    2012-01-01

    A combination of theoretical perspectives is used to create a rich description of student reasoning when facing a highly-geometric electricity and magnetism problem in an upper-division active-engagement physics classroom at Oregon State University. Geometric reasoning as students encounter problem situations ranging from familiar to novel is…

  4. Elites, Bureaucrats, Ostriches, and Pussycats: Managing Research in Policy Settings.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Marshall, Catherine

    Female researchers conducting field research in educational politics encounter special problems of access, entry, reciprocity, and ethics. Accordingly, this study focuses first on field research methods in policy settings as a general topic, then on problems specific to women in this area. A researcher must be aware of informal coalitions or…

  5. Meanings Given to Algebraic Symbolism in Problem-Posing

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cañadas, María C.; Molina, Marta; del Río, Aurora

    2018-01-01

    Some errors in the learning of algebra suggest that students might have difficulties giving meaning to algebraic symbolism. In this paper, we use problem posing to analyze the students' capacity to assign meaning to algebraic symbolism and the difficulties that students encounter in this process, depending on the characteristics of the algebraic…

  6. A study of effects of hyperthermia on large, short-haired male dogs : a simulated air transport environmental stress.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1977-03-01

    When dogs are shipped by air transport, they can encounter environmental temperatures as high as 130.0 F during the summer months. Heat- induced hyperthermia can be a major problem in dogs. : To assess some aspects of the heat stress problem, 20 dogs...

  7. Social Relationships and Interpersonal Skills: A Guide for People with Sensory and Physical Limitations.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Institute for Information Studies, Falls Church, VA.

    Intended for individuals with physical or sensory handicaps, the guide explores the social and interpersonal implication of disability and suggests alternative ways of dealing with related problems. Chapter 1 looks at the social environment that people with disabilities encounter. Potential social problems and types of situations the disabled may…

  8. Seeing Deep Structure from the Interactions of Surface Features

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chi, Michelene T. H.; VanLehn, Kurt A.

    2012-01-01

    Transfer is typically thought of as requiring individuals to "see" what is the same in the deep structure between a new target problem and a previously encountered source problem, even though the surface features may be dissimilar. We propose that experts can "see" the deep structure by considering the first-order interactions…

  9. Engineering Encounters: The Tightrope Challenge

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Burton, Bill

    2014-01-01

    In order to prepare students to become the next innovators, teachers need to provide real-world challenges that allow children to exercise their innovation muscles. Innovation starts with a problem and innovators work to solve a problem by planning, creating, and testing. The real-world innovation process does not happen on a worksheet, and it…

  10. A Pilot Study of Problems and Practices in the Induction of Beginning Teachers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bouchard, John B.; Hull, Ronald E.

    A pilot study was designed to test the practicality of gathering data through interviews and to provide tentative information on induction problems and practices encountered by beginning teachers in the Cattaraugus-Chautauqua County area of New York. Fifty-three elementary self-contained classroom teachers and secondary academic subject-matter…

  11. Using Real World Experience to Teach Science and Environmental Writing.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Friedman, Sharon M.

    The use of interpretive reporting techniques and programs offering real world training to writers may provide solutions to the problems encountered in writing about science for the mass media. Both science and environmental writers have suggested that the problems they face would be decreased by the use of more interpretive and investigative…

  12. Mental Health Needs and Treatment of New Hampshire Unemployed

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jarzombek, Michael

    2010-01-01

    The intent of this research is to understand the types of mental health problems individuals encounter during periods of unemployment, and the severity of those problems from an individual, family and community-based perspective. Of primary importance is determining whether or not treatment services are utilized, and if so, the sensitivity…

  13. Organizational factors in fire prevention: roles, obstacles, and recommendations

    Treesearch

    John R. Christiansen; William S. Folkman; Keith W. Warner; Michael L. Woolcott

    1976-01-01

    Problems being encountered in implementing fire prevention programs were explored by studying the organization for fire prevention at the Fish Lake, Uinta, and Wasatch National Forests in Utah. The study focused on role congruency in fire prevention activities and on the social and organizational obstacles to effective programs. The problems identified included lack of...

  14. An Interdisciplinary Program in Technical Communications: Problems Encountered.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Eckman, Martha

    The need for experts in technical communication is growing significantly while the number of college graduates in the field accounts for less than one percent of the need. Three major types of problems should be considered in trying to establish a technical communication program: those involving society's need for better technical communicators,…

  15. 34 CFR 356.11 - What types of problems may be researched under the fellowship program?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... REHABILITATION RESEARCH: RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS What Kinds of Activities Does the Department Support Under This... encountered by individuals with disabilities in their daily lives that are due to the presence of a disabling... disabilities, and problems connected with the conduct of disability research may be addressed under this...

  16. 34 CFR 356.11 - What types of problems may be researched under the fellowship program?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... REHABILITATION RESEARCH: RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS What Kinds of Activities Does the Department Support Under This... encountered by individuals with disabilities in their daily lives that are due to the presence of a disabling... disabilities, and problems connected with the conduct of disability research may be addressed under this...

  17. Problematic Situations in the Lives of Urban African American Middle School Students: A Qualitative Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Farrell, Albert D.; Erwin, Elizabeth H.; Allison, Kevin W.; Meyer, Aleta; Sullivan, Terri; Camou, Suzanne; Kliewer, Wendy; Esposito, Layla

    2007-01-01

    Qualitative methods were used to identify problem situations encountered by adolescents in urban middle schools serving a predominantly African American student population. Interviews focusing on identifying problem situations and the context in which they occur were conducted with 60 adolescents including students and peer mediators at middle…

  18. Improving Problem-Solving Skills with the Help of Plane-Space Analogies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Budai, László

    2013-01-01

    We live our lives in three-dimensional space and encounter geometrical problems (equipment instructions, maps, etc.) every day. Yet there are not sufficient opportunities for high school students to learn geometry. New teaching methods can help remedy this. Specifically our experience indicates that there is great promise for use of geometry…

  19. Evaluation of Distant Education Programs with Regards to Various Shareholder Opinions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tonbuloglu, Betül; Gürol, Aysun

    2016-01-01

    The strong demand and rapid increase in the number of programs concerning distant education programs has put the quality problem of distant education services into the agenda. It is crucial to determine the strengths and weaknesses of distant education programs, the problems encountered by these programs and making the required improvements. The…

  20. Travel-related health risks in moderately and severely immunocompromised patients: a case-control study.

    PubMed

    Dekkiche, Souad; de Vallière, Serge; D'Acremont, Valérie; Genton, Blaise

    2016-03-01

    The number of immunocompromised persons travelling to tropical countries is increasing. The hypothesis is that this population is at increased risk of travel-related health problems but there are few data to support it. The objective was to assess the risk of travel-related health problems in immunocompromised persons when compared with the general population of travellers. A retrospective matched case-control study was performed. Cases were moderately or severely immunocompromised persons travelling to tropical countries and controls were non-immunocompromised persons, matched for demographic and travel characteristics. All participants responded to a phone questionnaire, asking them about any health problem they may have encountered while travelling or during the month following their return. The primary outcome was the incidence of a significant clinical event defined as repatriation, hospitalization during the travel or during the month following the return if due to a travel-related health problem and medical consultations during the trip. One hundred and sixteen moderately or severely immunocompromised cases [HIV infection (15), active cancer (25), splenectomized (20), solid organ transplant recipients (4) and use of systemic immunosuppressive medication (52)] and 116 controls were included. Incidence rates of significant clinical events were higher in immunocompromised travellers (9/116, 7.8%) than in controls (2/116, 1.7%) [OR = 4.8 , 95% CI 1.01-22.70; P = 0.048]. Most cases were related to infectious diseases (5/9, 55.5%), others were pulmonary embolism (2/9, 22%), inflammatory disease and trauma (1/9, 11.1% each). There was no significant difference between the two groups regarding common health problems. Moderately and severely immunocompromised travellers are at increased risk of developing a serious health problem during or after a trip in a tropical country. They should be well informed about the specific risks they are particularly prone to. Travel medicine health professionals should favour effective preventive measures for immunocompromised travellers and envisage stand-by antibiotic treatment. © International Society of Travel Medicine, 2016. All rights reserved. Published by Oxford University Press. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  1. Science and Technology Teachers' Opinions about Problems Faced While Teaching 8th Grade Science Unit "Force and Motion" and Suggestions for Solutions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bozdogan, Aykut Emre; Uzoglu, Mustafa

    2015-01-01

    The aim of this study is to explore the problems encountered while teaching force and motion unit in 8th grade science and technology course from teachers' perspectives and offer solutions to eliminate these problems. The study was conducted with 248 science and technology teachers working in 7 regions in Turkey in 2012-2013 academic year.…

  2. A Study of Moroccan Pupils' Difficulties at Second Baccalaureate Year in Solving Chemistry Problems Relating to the Reactivity of Ethanoate Ions and to Copper-Aluminium Cells

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ouasri, Ali

    2017-01-01

    This paper investigates the difficulties that Moroccan pupils (18-19) of the second Baccalaureate year encountered in solving chemical equilibrium problems relating to ethanoate ions' reactivity with water and methanoic acid, and to copper-aluminum cells. The pupils were asked to provide answers to questions derived from two problems. The…

  3. L'Education des Adultes et les Problemes de Main-D'Oeuvre (Adult Education and Manpower Problems). Les Cahiers de L'I.C.E., 6-7.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Canadian Inst. for Adult Education, Montreal (Quebec).

    The impact of continuing education on the complex problems encountered in developing and implementing overall manpower policies is discussed and documented in this anthology. An introductory chapter on adult education and the labor force is followed by surveys and critiques of manpower policy and the organization of the labor market in Sweden, the…

  4. The extraction of accurate coordinates of images on photographic plates by means of a scanning type measuring machine

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ross, B. E.

    1971-01-01

    The Moire method experimental stress analysis is similar to a problem encountered in astrometry. It is necessary to extract accurate coordinates from images on photographic plates. The solution to the mutual problem found applicable to the field of experimental stress analysis is presented to outline the measurement problem. A discussion of the photo-reading device developed to make the measurements follows.

  5. Micromechanisms with floating pivot

    DOEpatents

    Garcia, Ernest J.

    2001-03-06

    A new class of tilting micromechanical mechanisms have been developed. These new mechanisms use floating pivot structures to relieve some of the problems encountered in the use of solid flexible pivots.

  6. Videotape educational program for people with asthma.

    PubMed Central

    Moldofsky, H.; Broder, I.; Davies, G.; Leznoff, A.

    1979-01-01

    A videotape educational program was produced for use in adults with asthma. The program provided an overview of lung function, the physiologic abnormalities and treatment of asthma, and the approach to common problems encountered by the patients. Its benefits were examined in a randomized controlled study. The efficacy of the program in 62 patients whose mean duration of illness was 17 years was assessed by comparing the level of knowledge of the experimental group immediately after viewing the tape with that of the controls, who had not seen it; the experimental group scored significantly higher than the control group. Retention of knowledge attributed to the program was assessed after a mean interval of 16 months. The knowledge test score of the experimental group was found to have decreased to the level of the control group. The main areas in which the experimental group lost knowledge were self-care and drug therapy for asthma. The medical status of the two groups did not change appreciably over the period of the study. PMID:436049

  7. Integrator Windup Protection-Techniques and a STOVL Aircraft Engine Controller Application

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    KrishnaKumar, K.; Narayanaswamy, S.

    1997-01-01

    Integrators are included in the feedback loop of a control system to eliminate the steady state errors in the commanded variables. The integrator windup problem arises if the control actuators encounter operational limits before the steady state errors are driven to zero by the integrator. The typical effects of windup are large system oscillations, high steady state error, and a delayed system response following the windup. In this study, methods to prevent the integrator windup are examined to provide Integrator Windup Protection (IW) for an engine controller of a Short Take-Off and Vertical Landing (STOVL) aircraft. An unified performance index is defined to optimize the performance of the Conventional Anti-Windup (CAW) and the Modified Anti-Windup (MAW) methods. A modified Genetic Algorithm search procedure with stochastic parameter encoding is implemented to obtain the optimal parameters of the CAW scheme. The advantages and drawbacks of the CAW and MAW techniques are discussed and recommendations are made for the choice of the IWP scheme, given some characteristics of the system.

  8. Respiratory Health in Migrant Populations: A Crisis Overlooked

    PubMed Central

    Holguin, Fernando; Moughrabieh, M. Anas; Ojeda, Victoria; Patel, Sanjay R.; Peyrani, Paula; Pinedo, Miguel; Celedón, Juan C.; Douglas, Ivor S.; Upson, Dona J.

    2017-01-01

    The crisis in the Middle East has raised awareness about the challenges encountered by migrant populations, in particular, health-care access and delivery. Similar challenges are encountered by migrant populations around the world, including those entering the United States as refugees and/or survivors of torture as well as Mexicans and other Latin Americans crossing the border. During the 2016 International American Thoracic Society Meeting held in San Francisco, California, a group of researchers and health-care providers discussed these challenges at a minisymposium devoted to the respiratory health of migrants. The discussion focused on the increased incidence of airway diseases among individuals migrating to more developed countries, the problems created by sleep disorders and their implications for cardiovascular and mental health, the challenges inherent in the control of infections in refugee populations, and the problems resulting from deportation. The group also discussed the potential impact of novel strategies made available by Internet-based technologies and how these strategies could be deployed to support worldwide efforts in assisting migrants and refugees, even in countries that find themselves in the direst circumstances. These presentations are summarized in this document, which is not meant to be exhaustive, but to improve awareness about the challenges confronted by migrants and their host nations regarding respiratory health-care access and delivery, and about the need for adequate investment of resources to better define these challenges through research and for the development of efficient strategies for intervention. PMID:28146384

  9. Towards a Cognitively Realistic Computational Model of Team Problem Solving Using ACT-R Agents and the ELICIT Experimentation Framework

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-06-01

    intelligence analysis processes. However, as has been noted in previous work (e.g., [42]), there are a number of important differences between the nature of the...problem encountered in the context of the ELICIT task and the problems dealt with by intelligence analysts. Perhaps most importantly, the fact that a...see Section 7). 6 departure from the reality of most intelligence analysis situations: in most real-world intelligence analysis problems agents have

  10. A study of dynamical behavior of space environment

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wu, S. T.

    1974-01-01

    Studies have covered a wide range of problems in the space environment, such as the problems of the dynamical behavior of the thermosphere, hydromagnetic wave propagation in the ionosphere, and interplanetary space environment. The theories used to analyze these problems range from a continuum theory of magnetohydrodynamics to the kinetic theory of free molecular flow. This is because the problems encountered covered the entire range of the Knudsen number (i.e., the ratio of mean free path to the characteristic length). Significant results are summarized.

  11. Sunlight Diffusing Tent for Lunar Worksite

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Burleson, Blair; Clark, Todd; Deese, Todd; Gentry, Ernest; Samad, Abdul

    1990-01-01

    The purpose is to provide a solution to problems astronauts encounter with sunlight on the lunar surface. Due to the absence of an atmosphere the Moon is subjected to intense sunlight creating problems with color and contrast. This problem can be overcome by providing a way to reduce intensity and diffuse the light in a working environment. The solution to the problem utilizes an umbrella, tent-like structure covered with a diffusing material. The design takes into account structural materials, stresses, fabrics, and deployment.

  12. Nested Event-Level Case-Control Study of Drug Use and Sexual Outcomes in Multipartner Encounters Reported by Men Who Have Sex with Men.

    PubMed

    Melendez-Torres, G J; Hickson, Ford; Reid, David; Weatherburn, Peter; Bonell, Chris

    2016-03-01

    Previous event-level analyses have often, but not always, found significant associations between drug use and sexual risk behaviour in men who have sex with men (MSM), but these analyses have rarely considered either multipartner encounters specifically, or other sexual outcomes such as pleasure and control. Using data from an internet-based longitudinal survey of MSM, we tested the association between drug use by respondent and by partners and unprotected anal intercourse (UAI), pleasure and control over sexual activity. Overall respondent substance use was significantly associated with increased odds of UAI, though not with pleasure or control. Respondent use of crystal methamphetamine was significantly associated with both increased odds of UAI and decreased odds of control over sexual activity. This analysis agrees with previous studies of dyadic encounters, and specifically suggests that the association between crystal methamphetamine and sexual risk behaviour may be mediated by loss of control.

  13. Twenty-seven Strategies for Teaching Contraception to Adolescents.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chesler, Joan

    1980-01-01

    Research on the effects of education on adolescents' contraceptive behaviors is summarized and 27 teaching strategies, each related to a particular contraceptive problem adolescents encounter, are outlined. (JMF)

  14. 48 CFR 2919.812 - Contract administration.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... conduct periodic evaluations of the performance of an 8(a) contract at various stages of the contract period of performance. Any problems encountered during the performance evaluation, which cannot be...

  15. The application of the statistical theory of extreme values to gust-load problems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Press, Harry

    1950-01-01

    An analysis is presented which indicates that the statistical theory of extreme values is applicable to the problems of predicting the frequency of encountering the larger gust loads and gust velocities for both specific test conditions as well as commercial transport operations. The extreme-value theory provides an analytic form for the distributions of maximum values of gust load and velocity. Methods of fitting the distribution are given along with a method of estimating the reliability of the predictions. The theory of extreme values is applied to available load data from commercial transport operations. The results indicate that the estimates of the frequency of encountering the larger loads are more consistent with the data and more reliable than those obtained in previous analyses. (author)

  16. The ESA mission to Comet Halley

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Reinhard, R.

    1981-01-01

    The Europeon Space Agency's approximately Giotto mission plans for a launch in July 1985 with a Halley encounter in mid-March 1986 4 weeks after the comet's perihelion passage. Giotto carries 10 scientific experiments, a camera, neutral, ion and dust mass spectrometers, a dust impact detector system, various plasma analyzers, a magnetometer and an optical probe. The instruments are described, the principles on which they are based are described, and the experiment key performance data are summarized. The launch constraints the helicentric transfer trajectory, and the encounter scenario are analyzed. The Giotto spacecraft major design criteria, spacecraft subsystem and the ground system are described. The problem of hypervelocity dust particle impacts in the innermost part of the coma, the problem of spacecraft survival, and the adverse effects of impact-generated plasma aroung the spacecraft are considered.

  17. Vapor compression distillation module

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Nuccio, P. P.

    1975-01-01

    A Vapor Compression Distillation (VCD) module was developed and evaluated as part of a Space Station Prototype (SSP) environmental control and life support system. The VCD module includes the waste tankage, pumps, post-treatment cells, automatic controls and fault detection instrumentation. Development problems were encountered with two components: the liquid pumps, and the waste tank and quantity gauge. Peristaltic pumps were selected instead of gear pumps, and a sub-program of materials and design optimization was undertaken leading to a projected life greater than 10,000 hours of continuous operation. A bladder tank was designed and built to contain the waste liquids and deliver it to the processor. A detrimental pressure pattern imposed upon the bladder by a force-operated quantity gauge was corrected by rearranging the force application, and design goals were achieved. System testing has demonstrated that all performance goals have been fulfilled.

  18. Science aspects of a 1980 flyby of Comet Encke with a Pioneer spacecraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jaffe, L. D.; Elachi, C.; Giffin, C. E.; Huntress, W.; Newburn, R. L.; Parker, R. H.; Taylor, F. W.; Thorpe, T. E.

    1974-01-01

    Results are presented of an investigation of the feasibility of a 1980 flyby of Comet Encke using a Pioneer class spacecraft. Specific areas studied include: science objectives and rationale; science observables; effects of encounter velocity; science encounter and targeting requirements; selection and description of science instruments; definition of a candidate science payload; engineering characteristics of suggested payload; value of a separable probe; science instruments for a separable probe; science payload integration problems; and science operations profile.

  19. The ethical junior: a typology of ethical problems faced by house officers

    PubMed Central

    McDougall, Rosalind; Sokol, Daniel K

    2008-01-01

    Although many studies have explored the experiences of doctors in their first postgraduate year, few have focused on the ethical issues encountered by this group. Based on an extensive literature review of research involving house officers, we argue that these doctors encounter a broad range of ‘everyday’ ethical challenges, from truth-telling to working in non-ideal conditions. We propose a typology of house officers' ethical issues and advocate prioritizing these issues in undergraduate medical ethics and law curricula. PMID:18299625

  20. Challenges of implementing intervention research in persons with dementia: example of a glider swing intervention.

    PubMed

    Snyder, M; Tseng, Y H; Brandt, C; Croghan, C; Hanson, S; Constantine, R; Kirby, L

    2001-01-01

    Intervention studies for persons with dementia present many challenges. This article describes challenges encountered in conducting a glider swing intervention study for persons with dementia and the strategies used to manage the problems encountered. The overall purpose of a quasi-experimental study was to explore the effects of a glider swing intervention on emotions, relaxation, and aggressive behaviors in nursing home residents with dementia. Suggestions for investigators conducting intervention studies for persons with dementia are provided.

  1. Abdomino-perineal approach for management of traumatic strictured posterior urethra.

    PubMed

    Ezzat, M I

    1990-01-01

    Twelve patients with traumatic posterior urethral stricture have been treated using a combined transpubic-transperineal approach. The strictured segments were long and associated with complicated problems in 4 patients. Three of them have had bulbo-vesical anastomosis operation, and iatrogenic urethro-rectal fistula was encountered in the fourth patient. Combined approach provided the best chance for success. Our results of urethral lumen patency and continence of urine were excellent. However, we encountered 7 patients dissatisfied with their erection.

  2. The vexing problem of thrombosis in long-term mechanical circulatory support.

    PubMed

    Mehra, Mandeep R; Stewart, Garrick C; Uber, Patricia A

    2014-01-01

    Durable left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) have not only enhanced longevity but also conferred sustained improvements in quality of life, symptom control, and functional capacity in patients with medically refractory advanced heart failure. Problems with device-related infection, bleeding, neurologic events, right-sided heart failure, and device malfunction have dominated the clinical care of patients living on mechanical support. Even as adoption of durable LVADs accelerated globally, we began to encounter a growing dilemma of pump malfunction caused by thrombosis. In early 2011, clinicians began to notice a spike in the incidence of pump thrombosis with the HeartMate II (Thoratec Corp, Pleasanton, CA) LVAD. By 2012, the problem of thrombosis in LVADs began to consume most of the scientific direction as centers and collaborative groups began to dissect this nascent phenomenon. In this perspective, we describe the magnitude and implications of pump thrombosis, discuss secular and management trends in this unique population, attempt to dissect the problem at its root, offer guidance on surveillance and therapeutic principles, and outline issues that deserve our immediate and collaborative attention. © 2014 International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation Published by International Society for the Heart and Lung Transplantation All rights reserved.

  3. Atmospheric propagation and combining of high-power lasers.

    PubMed

    Nelson, W; Sprangle, P; Davis, C C

    2016-03-01

    In this paper, we analyze beam combining and atmospheric propagation of high-power lasers for directed-energy (DE) applications. The large linewidths inherent in high-power fiber and slab lasers cause random phase and intensity fluctuations that occur on subnanosecond time scales. Coherently combining these high-power lasers would involve instruments capable of precise phase control and operation at rates greater than ∼10  GHz. To the best of our knowledge, this technology does not currently exist. This presents a challenging problem when attempting to phase lock high-power lasers that is not encountered when phase locking low-power lasers, for example, at milliwatt power levels. Regardless, we demonstrate that even if instruments are developed that can precisely control the phase of high-power lasers, coherent combining is problematic for DE applications. The dephasing effects of atmospheric turbulence typically encountered in DE applications will degrade the coherent properties of the beam before it reaches the target. Through simulations, we find that coherent beam combining in moderate turbulence and over multikilometer propagation distances has little advantage over incoherent combining. Additionally, in cases of strong turbulence and multikilometer propagation ranges, we find nearly indistinguishable intensity profiles and virtually no difference in the energy on the target between coherently and incoherently combined laser beams. Consequently, we find that coherent beam combining at the transmitter plane is ineffective under typical atmospheric conditions.

  4. Operation of controls on consumer products by physically impaired users.

    PubMed

    Kanis, H

    1993-06-01

    The self-reliance of the physically impaired can be seriously jeopardized by their inability to operate everyday products, especially if both upper extremities are impaired. To determine the difficulties impaired users encounter in operating consumer product controls, on-site video recordings were made of subjects suffering from arthritis or a muscular disease. Subjects' force exertion was compared with that of a group of nonimpaired users. The resulting inventory allowed the analysis of the manipulation problems faced by impaired subjects and the development of design recommendations. In this study the force exerted by the subjects and that required to operate the controls were measured. A comparison of the results of these force measurements led to a number of conclusions. This study led to the following design recommendations: the amount of force required to operate controls should be kept as low as possible; the user should not be required to make two manipulations at the same time, such as simultaneously pushing and rotating a control device; pushing is preferable to rotating; and there should be a great degree of freedom to manipulate controls.

  5. An integrated guidance and control approach in three-dimensional space for hypersonic missile constrained by impact angles.

    PubMed

    Liu, Xiaodong; Huang, Wanwei; Du, Lifu

    2017-01-01

    A new robust three-dimensional integrated guidance and control (3D-IGC) approach is investigated for sliding-to-turn (STT) hypersonic missile, which encounters high uncertainties and strict impact angle constraints. First, a nonlinear state-space model with more generality is established facing to the design of 3D-IGC law. With regard to the as-built nonlinear system, a robust dynamic inversion control (RDIC) approach is proposed to overcome the robustness deficiency of traditional DIC, and then it is applied to construct the basic 3D-IGC law combining with backstepping method. In order to avoid the problems of "explosion of terms" and high-frequency chattering, an improved 3D-IGC law is further proposed by introducing dynamic surface control and continuous approximation approaches. From the computer simulation on a hypersonic missile, the proposed 3D-IGC law not only guarantees the stable flight, but also presents the precise control on terminal locations and impact angles. Moreover, it possesses smooth control output and strong robustness. Copyright © 2016 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Cardiac emergencies and problems of the critical care patient.

    PubMed

    Marr, Celia M

    2004-04-01

    Cardiac disease and dysfunction can occur as a primary disorder(ie, with pathology situated in one or more of the cardiac structures) or can be classified as a secondary problem when it occurs in patients with another primary problem that has affected the heart either directly or indirectly. Primary cardiac problems are encountered in horses presented to emergency clinics; however,this occurs much less frequently in equine critical patients than cardiac problems arising secondary to other conditions. Nevertheless,if primary or secondary cardiac problems are not identified and addressed, they certainly contribute to the morbidity and mortality of critical care patients.

  7. Procedures for estimating the frequency of commercial airline flights encountering high cabin ozone levels

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Holdeman, J. D.

    1979-01-01

    Three analytical problems in estimating the frequency at which commercial airline flights will encounter high cabin ozone levels are formulated and solved: namely, estimating flight-segment mean levels, estimating maximum-per-flight levels, and estimating the maximum average level over a specified flight interval. For each problem, solution procedures are given for different levels of input information - from complete cabin ozone data, which provides a direct solution, to limited ozone information, such as ambient ozone means and standard deviations, with which several assumptions are necessary to obtain the required estimates. Each procedure is illustrated by an example case calculation that uses simultaneous cabin and ambient ozone data obtained by the NASA Global Atmospheric Sampling Program. Critical assumptions are discussed and evaluated, and the several solutions for each problem are compared. Example calculations are also performed to illustrate how variations in lattitude, altitude, season, retention ratio, flight duration, and cabin ozone limits affect the estimated probabilities.

  8. Psychiatric research: what ethical concerns do LRECs encounter? A postal survey. Local research ethics committees.

    PubMed

    Osborn, D P J; Fulford, K W M

    2003-02-01

    Psychiatric research can occasionally present particular ethical dilemmas, but it is not clear what kind of problems local research ethics committees (LRECs) actually experience in this field. We aimed to assess the type of problems that committees encounter with psychiatric research, using a postal survey of 211 LRECs. One hundred and seven (51%) of those written to replied within the time limit. Twenty eight (26%) experienced few problems with psychiatric applications. Twenty six (24%) emphasised the value of a psychiatric expert on the committee. The most common issues raised were informed consent (n=64, 60%) and confidentiality (n=17, 16%). The use of placebos (and washout periods) (n=18, 17%), the validity of psychiatric questionnaires (n=16, 15%) and overuse of psychiatric "jargon" (n=14, 13%) in psychiatric applications also raised concern. Our results suggest that LRECs have specific concerns regarding methodology, consent, and confidentiality in psychiatric research, and that they find psychiatric input invaluable.

  9. A Multivariate Examination of the Child-Abuse Potential of Parents with Children Aged 0-6

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cetin, Zeynep; Ozozen Danaci, Miray

    2016-01-01

    Problem Statement: Child abuse, defined by the World Health Organization as "intentional or unintentional behavior by adults, society, or a country with negative consequences for the health and physical development of the child," is a social problem frequently encountered in all cultures and societies. It is need to this study because of…

  10. Encountering Problems at Home and at School: Language and Cognition in Two Settings.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Martini, Mary

    This paper discusses cognitive communicative training in preschool and reports on a study of 11 Hawaiian preschoolers that examined how these children interacted with others, used language, manipulated objects, and solved problems at home and at school. The study observed the children at school and at home over a 5-month period, collecting…

  11. Reaching Rural Handicapped Children: The Transportation Situation in Rural Service Delivery. Making It Work in Rural Communities. A Rural Network Monograph.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tucker, Jamie; And Others

    Almost everyone who responded to three transportation surveys of rural Handicapped Children's Early Education Program (HCEEP) projects identified transportation as a critical problem in the delivery of services to handicapped children in rural areas. Transportation problems encountered were attributed to environmental/geographic factors,…

  12. "Seeing It on the Screen Isn't Really Seeing It": Reading Problems of Writers Using Word Processing.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Haas, Christina

    An observational study examined computer writers' use of hard copy for reading. The study begins with a description, based on interviews, of four kinds of reading problems encountered by writers using word processing; formatting, proofreading, reorganizing, and critical reading ("getting a sense of the text"). Subjects, six freshmen…

  13. Vocabulary Instruction: Software Flashcards vs. Word Clouds

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mansouri, Vahid

    2015-01-01

    When it comes to language learning, vocabulary learning is the main activity focused on. Vocabulary learning is the main problem and also the goal of new language learners. It is one of the major problems that language learners encounter during learning a new language. Krashen (1989) (cited in Tokac, 2005) points out the role of vocabulary in a…

  14. The Representation of Anatomical Structures through Computer Animation for Scientific, Educational and Artistic Applications.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stredney, Donald Larry

    An overview of computer animation and the techniques involved in its creation is provided in the introduction to this masters thesis, which focuses on the problems encountered by students in learning the forms and functions of complex anatomical structures and ways in which computer animation can address these problems. The objectives for,…

  15. Extending Basic Learning Opportunities: Challenge and Response. UNESCO-UNICEF Co-operative Programme Digest No. 16.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Prakasha, Veda; And Others

    This digest focuses on problems encountered in the expansion of facilities for universal primary education and responses being developed to overcome these problems. The central message of the document is that nonformal structures of learning and community involvement play a key role in the expansion of basic learning opportunities in the…

  16. Transforming "Ecosystem" from a Scientific Concept into a Teachable Topic: Philosophy and History of Ecology Informs Science Textbook Analysis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schizas, Dimitrios; Papatheodorou, Efimia; Stamou, George

    2018-01-01

    This study conducts a textbook analysis in the frame of the following working hypothesis: The transformation of scientific knowledge into school knowledge is expected to reproduce the problems encountered with the scientific knowledge itself or generate additional problems, which may both induce misconceptions in textbook users. Specifically, we…

  17. The problem of site variation within red pine provenance experiments

    Treesearch

    Mark J. Holst

    1966-01-01

    In spite of care taken in the selection of site and experimental design of provenance experiments, site heterogenity within the experimental area may be more complex than was anticipated when the experiment was established. The present paper describes a problem of this nature encountered in a red pine (Pinus resinosa Ait.) provenance experiment at...

  18. 75 FR 20326 - Technology Innovation Program (TIP) Notice of Availability of Funds and Announcement of Public...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-04-19

    ... efficiency gas turbines; composites make larger, more efficient wind turbine blades and provide improved... the virus to prepare a vaccine in record time, but encountered problems supplying the large volumes of... monitoring and analysis could address these problems and would help to not only respond rapidly to new virus...

  19. 78 FR 16876 - Biweekly Notice; Applications and Amendments to Facility Operating Licenses and Combined Licenses...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-03-19

    ....'' For problems with ADAMS, please contact the NRC's Public Document Room (PDR) reference staff at 1-800...://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html . Persons who do not have access to ADAMS or who encounter problems... basis perspective they do affect the probability that missiles generated by the winds of the tornado...

  20. Legal Challenges to Teacher Evaluation: Pitfalls and Possibilities in the States

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hazi, Helen M.

    2014-01-01

    This article forecasts potential legal problems emerging from the use of new teacher evaluation systems in the states. This research was a policy analysis that combined three types of data to forecast the states and the legal challenges they might encounter: state policy data, selected case law, and problems from the literature of teacher…

  1. Problems of Prediction of Delinquency and Related Conditions Over a Seven Year Period.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Thurston, John R.; And Others

    The writers of this paper draw on their own research efforts and an extensive review of the literature related to prediction of delinquency (and the related factors of personal and social adjustment, health problems, welfare status, and academic underachievement) to point out a number of deficiencies and difficulties encountered in research…

  2. Ulysses log 1992

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Perez, Raul Garcia

    1993-01-01

    The Ulysses Log tells the story of some intriguing problems that we (=The Spacecraft Team) have encountered. Ulysses was launched on 6 Oct. 1990, and it made the fastest trip to Jupiter (8 Feb. 1992). It is presently going out of the ecliptic. This paper presents log entries from the following areas: (1) ingenious maneuvers; (2) telecommunication problems; and (3) surprises.

  3. Perceptions of Turkish Parents with Children Identified as Dyslexic about the Problems that They and Their Children Experience

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yildiz, Mustafa; Yildirim, Kasim; Ates, Seyit; Rasinski, Timothy

    2012-01-01

    This study identified problems encountered by both dyslexic children and their parents. Seven parents were interviewed. Parents mentioned the negative attitudes of teachers towards them and their children, the use of incorrect practices in the classroom, and educational insufficiency in relation to dyslexia. Similarly, family members were found to…

  4. The Development of Questioning as a Means of Framing Problems and Posing Challenges.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Feigenbaum, Peter

    When a person encounters a problem, the character, form, and content of his or her response provides psychologists with useful and interesting information about processes of challenge and their relationship to intellectual development. In essence, challenge is a developing relationship that is defined on the one hand by objective factors (a person…

  5. The Struggle To Be Strong: True Stories by Teens about Overcoming Tough Times.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Desetta, Al, Ed.; Wolin, Sybil, Ed.

    This book presents 30 first-person accounts by teenagers that tell how they overcame major life obstacles. Many aren't the everyday problems most kids encounter, which makes their stories especially compelling-and their successes especially inspiring. The young writers wrote their stories to help teenagers with similar problems and stresses. The…

  6. Do Focused Self-Explanation Prompts Overcome Seductive Details? A Multimedia Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wang, Zhe; Adesope, Olusola

    2017-01-01

    Research on the seductive details effect on reading expository texts in multimedia learning environments has grown over the past few decades. However, less is known when seductive details are encountered in learning through worked-examples to solve problems. Thus, it is necessary to examine the seductive details effect when solving problems in a…

  7. Crystals for stellar spectrometers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Alexandropoulos, N. G.; Cohen, G. G.

    1974-01-01

    Crystal evaluation as it applies to instrumentation employed in X-ray astronomy is reviewed, and some solutions are offered to problems that are commonly encountered. A general approach for selecting the most appropriate crystals for a given problem is also suggested. The energy dependence of the diffraction properties of (002) PET, (111) Ge, (101) ADP, (101) KAP, and (001) RAP are reported.

  8. Guidelines for a Training Course in Noise Survey Techniques.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shadley, John; And Others

    The course is designed to train noise survey technicians during a 3-5 day period to make reliable measurements of 75 percent of the noise problems encountered in the community. The more complex noise problems remaining will continue to be handled by experienced specialists. These technicians will be trained to assist State and local governments in…

  9. Problems and Practical Solutions of Web-Based Courses: Lessons Learned from Three Educational Institutions.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Miltiadou, Marios; McIsaac, Marina S.

    The purpose of this paper is to review problems encountered in World Wide Web-based courses delivered at three different educational institutions (i.e., two community colleges and a university) in the metropolitan Phoenix (Arizona) area. Implications are discussed based on distance education theories of interaction. Interaction is a vital issue to…

  10. Medical and Psychosocial Problems in the Classroom: The Teacher's Role in Diagnosis and Management. Fifth Edition

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Haslam, Robert H. A., Ed.; Valletutti, Peter J., Ed.

    2016-01-01

    Now in its fifth edition, this outstanding resource for teachers and school professionals has been retitled "Medical and Psychosocial Problems in the Classroom" to more accurately reflect what teachers encounter during the course of their careers. Each chapter highlights the important role teachers play when interacting with health-care…

  11. Little Reason for Being: A Case of School District Dissolution.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ellis, Pam

    In 1980, Tonnelly Central School District became the first school district in New York State to be dissolved pursuant to Section 1505 of Education Law, marking the first use of dissolution and annexation as a means by which to address the programmatic and management problems encountered in the operation of a central school district. Problems faced…

  12. First-Year Special Educators: The Influence of School and Classroom Context Factors on Their Accomplishments and Problems

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Griffin, Cynthia C.; Kilgore, Karen L.; Winn, Judith A.; Otis-Wilborn, Amy; Hou, Wei; Garvan, Cynthia W.

    2009-01-01

    Despite a history of research in general education on novice teachers, researchers have only recently begun to investigate the experiences of beginning special educators. Many of these studies describe problems encountered, noting the high attrition rate among beginning special education teachers and emphasizing the importance of keeping qualified…

  13. Elementary Science and Technology Teachers' Views on Problems Encountered in the Instructional Process

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gecer, Aynur; Ozel, Ruhan

    2012-01-01

    This research aims to explore the problems that teacher have experienced their opinion towards effectives and and functionality of teaching-learning process of Primary Science and Technology curriculum started to be implemented in 2004-2005 academic year in Turkey. The qualitative research design is used in this study. Research data are collected…

  14. Learning to Solve Addition and Subtraction Word Problems in English as an Imported Language

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Verzosa, Debbie Bautista; Mulligan, Joanne

    2013-01-01

    This paper reports an intervention phase of a design study aimed to assist second-grade Filipino children in solving addition word problems in English, a language they primarily encounter only in school. With Filipino as the medium of instruction, an out-of-school pedagogical intervention providing linguistic and representational scaffolds was…

  15. Planning pitfalls

    Treesearch

    James H. Freeman

    1977-01-01

    The subject this morning is planning and the problems peculiar to planning for management on public lands. As I am sure you know, we could devote entire seminars to problems encountered in planning. However, within the scope of the program today, we have the opportunity to touch briefly on some of the more important highlights of planning with the focus on major...

  16. The Monte Carlo Method. Popular Lectures in Mathematics.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sobol', I. M.

    The Monte Carlo Method is a method of approximately solving mathematical and physical problems by the simulation of random quantities. The principal goal of this booklet is to suggest to specialists in all areas that they will encounter problems which can be solved by the Monte Carlo Method. Part I of the booklet discusses the simulation of random…

  17. New Technologies Upset the Political Communication Balance in the Third World.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Oduko, Segun

    This paper argues that new technologies, which play significant roles in the process of communication, may solve some problems, but they also tend to create new ones. A discussion of the various problems encountered in Nigeria, where an appreciable penetration of portable video cameras and recorders has given the public more access to, and choice…

  18. Investigation of the Perceived Causes of Pre-Service Physics Teachers' Problems Encountered in School Experience

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Körhasan, Nilüfer Didis; Didis, M. Gözde

    2015-01-01

    This study investigates a group of pre-service physics teachers' perceptions about the causes of problems in school experience through the attribution theory. The participants were thirteen pre-service physics teachers from a public university in Turkey. Data were collected through the interviews by requesting the participants to reflect their own…

  19. The Atomic Mass Unit, the Avogadro Constant, and the Mole: A Way to Understanding

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Baranski, Andrzej

    2012-01-01

    Numerous articles have been published that address problems encountered in teaching basic concepts of chemistry such as the atomic mass unit, Avogadro's number, and the mole. The origin of these problems is found in the concept definitions. If these definitions are adjusted for teaching purposes, understanding could be improved. In the present…

  20. Separating the Problem and the Person: Insights from Narrative Therapy with People Who Stutter

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ryan, Fiona; O'Dwyer, Mary; Leahy, Margaret M.

    2015-01-01

    Stuttering is a complex disorder of speech that encompasses motor speech and emotional and cognitive factors. The use of narrative therapy is described here, focusing on the stories that clients tell about the problems associated with stuttering that they have encountered in their lives. Narrative therapy uses these stories to understand, analyze,…

  1. Metal with a memory provides useful tool for Skylab astronauts

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Smith, G. A.

    1975-01-01

    Extendible booms used to convey film cassettes weighing 56.7 kg (125 lb) between the Airlock Module and the Apollo Telescope Mount are described along with the dispensing mechanism. Problems encountered with the mechanism during the test program are discussed. These problems were mainly associated with operation in cold temperature, lubrication, and the motor/gearhead assembly. Another set of problems which arose during crew training in the MSFC water tank is also discussed.

  2. Look down from the Sky: Is It a Bird? Is It Superman? No, It's a Plane

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chick, Helen

    2016-01-01

    The plane problem is a real-world problem, presented without any suggestion as to how it might be solved. It arose unexpectedly as the author was messing around on the internet, not thinking about maths at all. She did not encounter the problem in a maths lesson, nor as homework in the middle of a unit on a particular topic, and so she had no…

  3. A Pilot Study Evaluating "Dojo," a Videogame Intervention for Youths with Externalizing and Anxiety Problems.

    PubMed

    Schuurmans, Angela A T; Nijhof, Karin S; Vermaes, Ignace P R; Engels, Rutger C M E; Granic, Isabela

    2015-10-01

    Externalizing problems, which are the main reason for youth referrals to mental health agencies, are highly persistent and predict a range of negative outcomes. Youths with externalizing problems are also frequently comorbid with anxiety. Among the most widely recognized evidence-based treatments is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Although CBT principles seem to be sound, effect sizes remain moderate, suggesting improvements could be made to this conventional treatment approach. The main premise of the current pilot study is to investigate the feasibility of implementing a videogame intervention ("Dojo" [Gamedesk, Los Angeles, CA]) that incorporates CBT principles and aims to address the limitations of conventional CBT delivery models, with the ultimate goal of improving outcomes for this difficult-to-treat population. "Dojo" is an emotion management game that helps youths to recognize and control their physiological and emotional arousal. We explored the implementation and user experience of "Dojo" in a sample of eight adolescents in residential treatment for both externalizing and anxiety problems. Participants attended all sessions without complaints. They evaluated "Dojo" very positively and exhibited high compliance during the training sessions. We encountered some problems with session scheduling and obtaining mentor reports. Quantitative data show the predicted decrease in three out of four measurements. The smooth implementation, high user satisfaction, high self-reported compliance during training sessions, and initial outcome results all indicate the high potential "Dojo" holds as an innovative intervention. If additional rigorously designed randomized controlled trials prove to be successful, "Dojo" can be a cost-effective way to engage high-risk youths in effective intervention.

  4. Catalog of Apollo experiment operations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sullivan, Thomas A.

    1994-01-01

    This catalog reviews Apollo mission reports, preliminary science reports, technical crew debriefings, lunar surface operations plans, and various relevant lunar experiment documents, collecting engineering- and operation-specific information by experiment. It is organized by discrete experimental and equipment items emplaced or operated on the lunar surface or at zero gravity during the Apollo missions. It also attempts to summarize some of the general problems encountered on the surface and provides guidelines for the design of future lunar surface experiments with an eye toward operations. Many of the problems dealt with on the lunar surface originated from just a few novel conditions that manifested themselves in various nasty ways. Low gravity caused cables to stick up and get caught on feet, and also made it easy for instruments to tip over. Dust was a problem and caused abrasion, visibility, and thermal control difficulties. Operating in a pressure suit limited a person's activity, especially in the hands. I hope to capture with this document some of the lessons learned from the Apollo era to make the jobs of future astronauts, principle investigators, engineers, and operators of lunar experiments more productive.

  5. Deployment, Foam Rigidization, and Structural Characterization of Inflatable Thin-Film Booms

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Schnell, Andrew R.; Leigh, Larry M., Jr.; Tinker, Michael L.; McConnaughey, Paul R. (Technical Monitor)

    2002-01-01

    Detailed investigation of the construction, packaging/deployment, foam rigidization, and structural characterization of polyimide film inflatable booms is described. These structures have considerable potential for use in space with solar concentrators, solar sails, space power systems including solar arrays, and other future missions. Numerous thin-film booms or struts were successfully constructed, inflated, injected with foam, and rigidized. Both solid-section and annular test articles were fabricated, using Kapton polyimide film, various adhesives, Styrofoam end plugs, and polyurethane pressurized foam. Numerous inflation/deployment experiments were conducted and compared to computer simulations using the MSC/DYTRAN code. Finite element models were developed for several foam-rigidized struts and compared to model test results. Several problems encountered in the construction, deployment, and foam injection/rigidization process are described. Areas of difficulty included inadequate adhesive strength, cracking of the film arid leakage, excessive bending of the structure during deployment, problems with foam distribution and curing properties, and control of foam leakage following injection into the structure. Many of these problems were overcome in the course of the research.

  6. The Parkes front-end controller and noise-adding radiometer

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Brunzie, T. J.

    1990-01-01

    A new front-end controller (FEC) was installed on the 64-m antenna in Parkes, Australia, to support the 1989 Voyager 2 Neptune encounter. The FEC was added to automate operation of the front-end microwave hardware as part of the Deep Space Network's Parkes-Canberra Telemetry Array. Much of the front-end hardware was refurbished and reimplemented from a front-end system installed in 1985 by the European Space Agency for the Uranus encounter; however, the FEC and its associated noise-adding radiometer (NAR) were new Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) designs. Project requirements and other factors led to the development of capabilities not found in standard Deep Space Network (DSN) controllers and radiometers. The Parkes FEC/NAR performed satisfactorily throughout the Neptune encounter and was removed in October 1989.

  7. What inhibits working women with mental disorders from returning to their workplace?-A study of systematic re-employment support in a medical institution.

    PubMed

    Hayashi, Karin; Taira, Yoichi; Maeda, Takamitsu; Matsuda, Yumie; Kato, Yuki; Hashi, Kozue; Kuroki, Nobuo; Katsuragawa, Shuichi

    2016-01-01

    It has been customary for working women in Japan to retire when they marry and to devote themselves to household work as well as having children. However, according to a report published by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications in 2013, the number of working women has increased consistently. As more women are advancing into society, they have more options with respect to lifestyle but may encounter new psychological burdens. Therefore, we reviewed trends among participants in a re-work day care program (hereinafter referred to as "re-work program") to clarify various problems encountered by working women and the prevalence of mental disorders. A total of 454 participants (352 males, mean age 46.5 ± 9.4 years; 102 females, mean age 39.8 ± 9.4 years) who participated in our re-work program were included in this study. We reviewed their basic characteristics: life background, clinical diagnoses, outcomes after use of the re-work program, and reasons for failing to return to the workplace or start working where applicable. The number of female participants was small and accounted for less than one fourth of all participants. As many as 67.3 % of the males succeeded in returning to the workplace, but only 48.0 % of the females were successful. The most common reason for failing to return to the workplace in both sexes was the exacerbation of symptoms; among females, other reasons, such as pregnancy, marriage, and family circumstances, were observed occasionally, but these reasons were not reported by the males. We found that female-specific problems were not the only issue, but rather work-life balance, relationships in the workplace, and gender differences in work roles could also trigger psychiatric disorders. A deeper understanding of the problems encountered by women in the workforce is important for the treatment of their psychiatric disorders. Therefore, it is considered essential for family members, co-workers, medical staff, and others to understand the various problems encountered by working women. Coping with these problems appropriately will aid in treating mental disorders and creating an environment suitable to prevent their development among women.

  8. On stellar encounters and their effect on cometary orbits in the Oort cloud

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Serafin, R. A.; Grothues, H.-G.

    2002-03-01

    We systematically investigate the encounters between the Sun and neighbouring stars and their effects on cometary orbits in the Oort cloud, including the intrinsic one with the star Gl 710 (HIP 89 825), with some implications to stellar and cometary dynamics. Our approach is principally based on the combination of a Keplerian-rectilinear model of stellar passages and the Hipparcos Catalogue (ESA 1997). Beyond the parameters of encounter, we pay particular attention to the observational errors in parallaxes and stellar velocities, and their propagation in time. Moreover, as a special case of this problem, we consider the collision probability of a star passing very closely to the Sun, taking also into account the mutual gravitational attraction between the stars. In the part dealing with the influence of stellar encounters on the orbital elements of Oort cloud comets, we derive new simple formulae calculating the changes in the cometary orbital elements, expressed as functions of the Jeans impulse formula. These expressions are then applied to calculate numerical values of the element changes caused by close encounters of neighbouring stars with some model comets in the Oort cloud. Moreover, the general condition for an ejection of comets from the cloud effected by a single encounter is derived and discussed.

  9. Advanced Technology Blade testing on the XV-15 Tilt Rotor Research Aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wellman, Brent

    1992-01-01

    The XV-15 Tilt Rotor Research Aircraft has just completed the first series of flight tests with the Advanced Technology Blade (ATB) rotor system. The ATB are designed specifically for flight research and provide the ability to alter blade sweep and tip shape. A number of problems were encountered from first installation through envelope expansion to airplane mode flight that required innovative solutions to establish a suitable flight envelope. Prior to operation, the blade retention hardware had to be requalified to a higher rated centrifugal load, because the blade weight was higher than expected. Early flights in the helicopter mode revealed unacceptably high vibratory control system loads which required a temporary modification of the rotor controls to achieve higher speed flight and conversion to airplane mode. The airspeed in airplane mode was limited, however, because of large static control loads. Furthermore, analyses based on refined ATB blade mass and inertia properties indicated a previously unknown high-speed blade mode instability, also requiring airplane-mode maximum airspeed to be restricted. Most recently, a structural failure of an ATB cuff (root fairing) assembly retention structure required a redesign of the assembly. All problems have been addressed and satisfactory solutions have been found to allow continued productive flight research of the emerging tilt rotor concept.

  10. Understanding and enhancing user acceptance of computer technology

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rouse, William B.; Morris, Nancy M.

    1986-01-01

    Technology-driven efforts to implement computer technology often encounter problems due to lack of acceptance or begrudging acceptance of the personnel involved. It is argued that individuals' acceptance of automation, in terms of either computerization or computer aiding, is heavily influenced by their perceptions of the impact of the automation on their discretion in performing their jobs. It is suggested that desired levels of discretion reflect needs to feel in control and achieve self-satisfaction in task performance, as well as perceptions of inadequacies of computer technology. Discussion of these factors leads to a structured set of considerations for performing front-end analysis, deciding what to automate, and implementing the resulting changes.

  11. Apollo experience report: Launch escape propulsion subsystem

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Townsend, N. A.

    1973-01-01

    The Apollo launch escape propulsion subsystem contained three solid rocket motors. The general design, development, and qualification of the solid-propellant pitch-control, tower-jettison, and launch-escape motors of the Apollo launch escape propulsion subsystem were completed during years 1961 to 1966. The launch escape system components are described in general terms, and the sequence of events through the ground-based test programs and flight-test programs is discussed. The initial ground rules established for this system were that it should use existing technology and designs as much as possible. The practicality of this decision is proved by the minimum number of problems that were encountered during the development and qualification program.

  12. The Tempe volcanic province of Mars and comparisons with the Snake River Plains of Idaho

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Plescia, J. B.

    1981-01-01

    The Tempe volcanic region of Mars, a relatively low plain of probable basaltic flood lava affinity, is shown to be comparable in many respects to features of the Snake River Plains of Idaho, including both scale and type of features observed. Superimposed upon the Tempe plain are a variety of features that appear structurally controlled, along an orientation of N60 deg E; comprising low shields, irregular hills that may be silicic domes, and possible composite cones. The Tempe/Snake River match is held to be the first in which direct comparison can be made between Martian and terrestrial geologic-geomorphic features without encountering problems of scale.

  13. A wind-tunnel investigation of parameters affecting helicopter directional control at low speeds in ground effect

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Yeager, W. T., Jr.; Young, W. H., Jr.; Mantay, W. R.

    1974-01-01

    An investigation was conducted in the Langley full-scale tunnel to measure the performance of several helicopter tail-rotor/fin configurations with regard to directional control problems encountered at low speeds in ground effect. Tests were conducted at wind azimuths of 0 deg to 360 deg in increments of 30 deg and 60 deg and at wind speeds from 0 to 35 knots. The results indicate that at certain combinations of wind speed and wind azimuth, large increases in adverse fin force require correspondingly large increases in the tail-rotor thrust, collective pitch, and power required to maintain yaw trim. Changing the tail-rotor direction of rotation to top blade aft for either a pusher tail rotor (tail-rotor wake blowing away from fin) or a tractor tail rotor (tail-rotor wake blowing against fin) will alleviate this problem. For a pusher tail rotor at 180 deg wind azimuth, increases in the fin/tail-rotor gap were not found to have any significant influence on the overall vehicle directional control capability. Changing the tail rotor to a higher position was found to improve tail-rotor performance for a fin-off configuration at a wind azimuth of 180 deg. A V-tail configuration with a pusher tail rotor with top blade aft direction of rotation was found to be the best configuration with regard to overall directional control capability.

  14. Problems and Processes in Medical Encounters: The CASES method of dialogue analysis

    PubMed Central

    Laws, M. Barton; Taubin, Tatiana; Bezreh, Tanya; Lee, Yoojin; Beach, Mary Catherine; Wilson, Ira B.

    2013-01-01

    Objective To develop methods to reliably capture structural and dynamic temporal features of clinical interactions. Methods Observational study of 50 audio-recorded routine outpatient visits to HIV specialty clinics, using innovative analytic methods. The Comprehensive Analysis of the Structure of Encounters System (CASES) uses transcripts coded for speech acts, then imposes larger-scale structural elements: threads – the problems or issues addressed; and processes within threads –basic tasks of clinical care labeled Presentation, Information, Resolution (decision making) and Engagement (interpersonal exchange). Threads are also coded for the nature of resolution. Results 61% of utterances are in presentation processes. Provider verbal dominance is greatest in information and resolution processes, which also contain a high proportion of provider directives. About half of threads result in no action or decision. Information flows predominantly from patient to provider in presentation processes, and from provider to patient in information processes. Engagement is rare. Conclusions In this data, resolution is provider centered; more time for patient participation in resolution, or interpersonal engagement, would have to come from presentation. Practice Implications Awareness of the use of time in clinical encounters, and the interaction processes associated with various tasks, may help make clinical communication more efficient and effective. PMID:23391684

  15. Problems and processes in medical encounters: the cases method of dialogue analysis.

    PubMed

    Laws, M Barton; Taubin, Tatiana; Bezreh, Tanya; Lee, Yoojin; Beach, Mary Catherine; Wilson, Ira B

    2013-05-01

    To develop methods to reliably capture structural and dynamic temporal features of clinical interactions. Observational study of 50 audio-recorded routine outpatient visits to HIV specialty clinics, using innovative analytic methods. The comprehensive analysis of the structure of encounters system (CASES) uses transcripts coded for speech acts, then imposes larger-scale structural elements: threads--the problems or issues addressed; and processes within threads--basic tasks of clinical care labeled presentation, information, resolution (decision making) and Engagement (interpersonal exchange). Threads are also coded for the nature of resolution. 61% of utterances are in presentation processes. Provider verbal dominance is greatest in information and resolution processes, which also contain a high proportion of provider directives. About half of threads result in no action or decision. Information flows predominantly from patient to provider in presentation processes, and from provider to patient in information processes. Engagement is rare. In this data, resolution is provider centered; more time for patient participation in resolution, or interpersonal engagement, would have to come from presentation. Awareness of the use of time in clinical encounters, and the interaction processes associated with various tasks, may help make clinical communication more efficient and effective. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. The first year: Development of a LANDSAT capability at Sam Houston State University

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bounds, J. H.

    1981-01-01

    Problems encountered in initiating a LANDSAT data processing capability at Sam Houston State University are discussed. Computer requirements, financing, and academic and administrative support are addressed.

  17. RAID/C90 Technology Integration

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ciotti, Bob; Cooper, D. M. (Technical Monitor)

    1994-01-01

    In March 1993, NAS was the first to connect a Maximum Strategy RAID disk to the C90 using standard Cray provided software. This paper discusses the problems encountered, lessons learned, and performance achieved.

  18. Close Encounters of a Sparse Kind.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Westerberg, Arthur W.

    1980-01-01

    By providing an example problem in solving sets of nonlinear algebraic equations, the advantages and disadvantages of two methods for its solution, the tearing approach v the Newton-Raphson approach, are elucidated. (CS)

  19. The efficacy of a standardized questionnaire in facilitating personalized communication about problems encountered in cancer genetic counseling: design of a randomized controlled trial

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background Individuals with a personal or family history of cancer, can opt for genetic counseling and DNA-testing. Approximately 25% of these individuals experience clinically relevant levels of psychosocial distress, depression and/or anxiety after counseling. These problems are frequently left undetected by genetic counselors. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of a cancer genetics-specific screening questionnaire for psychosocial problems, the ‘Psychosocial Aspects of Hereditary Cancer (PAHC) questionnaire’ together with the Distress Thermometer, in: (1) facilitating personalized counselor-counselee communication; (2) increasing counselors’ awareness of their counselees’ psychosocial problems; and (3) facilitating the management of psychosocial problems during and after genetic counseling. Methods This multicenter, randomized controlled trial will include 264 individuals undergoing cancer genetic counseling in two family cancer clinics in the Netherlands. Participants will be randomized to either: (1) an intervention group that completes the PAHC questionnaire, the results of which are made available to the genetic counselor prior to the counseling session; or (2) a control group that completes the PAHC questionnaire, but without feedback being given to the genetic counselor. The genetic counseling sessions will be audiotaped for content analysis. Additionally, study participants will be asked to complete questionnaires at baseline, three weeks after the initial counseling session, and four months after a telephone follow-up counseling session. The genetic counselors will be asked to complete questionnaires at the start of and at completion of the study, as well as a checklist directly after each counseling session. The questionnaires/checklists of the study include items on communication during genetic counseling, counselor awareness of their clients’ psychosocial problems, the (perceived) need for professional psychosocial support, cancer worries, general distress, specific psychosocial problems, satisfaction with care received, and experience using the PAHC questionnaire. Discussion This study will provide empirical evidence regarding the efficacy of a relatively brief psychosocial screening questionnaire in terms of facilitating personalized communication, increasing counselors’ awareness, and optimizing management of psychosocial problems in the cancer genetic counseling setting. Trial registration This study is registered at the Netherlands Trial Register (NTR3205) and ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01562431). PMID:24428912

  20. The efficacy of a standardized questionnaire in facilitating personalized communication about problems encountered in cancer genetic counseling: design of a randomized controlled trial.

    PubMed

    Eijzenga, Willem; Aaronson, Neil K; Kluijt, Irma; Sidharta, Grace N; Hahn, Daniela Ee; Ausems, Margreet Gem; Bleiker, Eveline Ma

    2014-01-15

    Individuals with a personal or family history of cancer, can opt for genetic counseling and DNA-testing. Approximately 25% of these individuals experience clinically relevant levels of psychosocial distress, depression and/or anxiety after counseling. These problems are frequently left undetected by genetic counselors. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of a cancer genetics-specific screening questionnaire for psychosocial problems, the 'Psychosocial Aspects of Hereditary Cancer (PAHC) questionnaire' together with the Distress Thermometer, in: (1) facilitating personalized counselor-counselee communication; (2) increasing counselors' awareness of their counselees' psychosocial problems; and (3) facilitating the management of psychosocial problems during and after genetic counseling. This multicenter, randomized controlled trial will include 264 individuals undergoing cancer genetic counseling in two family cancer clinics in the Netherlands. Participants will be randomized to either: (1) an intervention group that completes the PAHC questionnaire, the results of which are made available to the genetic counselor prior to the counseling session; or (2) a control group that completes the PAHC questionnaire, but without feedback being given to the genetic counselor. The genetic counseling sessions will be audiotaped for content analysis. Additionally, study participants will be asked to complete questionnaires at baseline, three weeks after the initial counseling session, and four months after a telephone follow-up counseling session. The genetic counselors will be asked to complete questionnaires at the start of and at completion of the study, as well as a checklist directly after each counseling session. The questionnaires/checklists of the study include items on communication during genetic counseling, counselor awareness of their clients' psychosocial problems, the (perceived) need for professional psychosocial support, cancer worries, general distress, specific psychosocial problems, satisfaction with care received, and experience using the PAHC questionnaire. This study will provide empirical evidence regarding the efficacy of a relatively brief psychosocial screening questionnaire in terms of facilitating personalized communication, increasing counselors' awareness, and optimizing management of psychosocial problems in the cancer genetic counseling setting. This study is registered at the Netherlands Trial Register (NTR3205) and ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01562431).

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