Current automated 3D cell detection methods are not a suitable replacement for manual stereologic cell counting

PubMed Central

Schmitz, Christoph; Eastwood, Brian S.; Tappan, Susan J.; Glaser, Jack R.; Peterson, Daniel A.; Hof, Patrick R.

2014-01-01

Stereologic cell counting has had a major impact on the field of neuroscience. A major bottleneck in stereologic cell counting is that the user must manually decide whether or not each cell is counted according to three-dimensional (3D) stereologic counting rules by visual inspection within hundreds of microscopic fields-of-view per investigated brain or brain region. Reliance on visual inspection forces stereologic cell counting to be very labor-intensive and time-consuming, and is the main reason why biased, non-stereologic two-dimensional (2D) “cell counting” approaches have remained in widespread use. We present an evaluation of the performance of modern automated cell detection and segmentation algorithms as a potential alternative to the manual approach in stereologic cell counting. The image data used in this study were 3D microscopic images of thick brain tissue sections prepared with a variety of commonly used nuclear and cytoplasmic stains. The evaluation compared the numbers and locations of cells identified unambiguously and counted exhaustively by an expert observer with those found by three automated 3D cell detection algorithms: nuclei segmentation from the FARSIGHT toolkit, nuclei segmentation by 3D multiple level set methods, and the 3D object counter plug-in for ImageJ. Of these methods, FARSIGHT performed best, with true-positive detection rates between 38 and 99% and false-positive rates from 3.6 to 82%. The results demonstrate that the current automated methods suffer from lower detection rates and higher false-positive rates than are acceptable for obtaining valid estimates of cell numbers. Thus, at present, stereologic cell counting with manual decision for object inclusion according to unbiased stereologic counting rules remains the only adequate method for unbiased cell quantification in histologic tissue sections. PMID:24847213

Application of Digital Image Analysis to Determine Pancreatic Islet Mass and Purity in Clinical Islet Isolation and Transplantation

PubMed Central

Wang, Ling-jia; Kissler, Hermann J; Wang, Xiaojun; Cochet, Olivia; Krzystyniak, Adam; Misawa, Ryosuke; Golab, Karolina; Tibudan, Martin; Grzanka, Jakub; Savari, Omid; Grose, Randall; Kaufman, Dixon B; Millis, Michael; Witkowski, Piotr

2015-01-01

Pancreatic islet mass, represented by islet equivalent (IEQ), is the most important parameter in decision making for clinical islet transplantation. To obtain IEQ, the sample of islets is routinely counted manually under a microscope and discarded thereafter. Islet purity, another parameter in islet processing, is routinely acquired by estimation only. In this study, we validated our digital image analysis (DIA) system developed using the software of Image Pro Plus for islet mass and purity assessment. Application of the DIA allows to better comply with current good manufacturing practice (cGMP) standards. Human islet samples were captured as calibrated digital images for the permanent record. Five trained technicians participated in determination of IEQ and purity by manual counting method and DIA. IEQ count showed statistically significant correlations between the manual method and DIA in all sample comparisons (r >0.819 and p < 0.0001). Statistically significant difference in IEQ between both methods was found only in High purity 100μL sample group (p = 0.029). As far as purity determination, statistically significant differences between manual assessment and DIA measurement was found in High and Low purity 100μL samples (p<0.005), In addition, islet particle number (IPN) and the IEQ/IPN ratio did not differ statistically between manual counting method and DIA. In conclusion, the DIA used in this study is a reliable technique in determination of IEQ and purity. Islet sample preserved as a digital image and results produced by DIA can be permanently stored for verification, technical training and islet information exchange between different islet centers. Therefore, DIA complies better with cGMP requirements than the manual counting method. We propose DIA as a quality control tool to supplement the established standard manual method for islets counting and purity estimation. PMID:24806436

Cryo-balloon catheter localization in fluoroscopic images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurzendorfer, Tanja; Brost, Alexander; Jakob, Carolin; Mewes, Philip W.; Bourier, Felix; Koch, Martin; Kurzidim, Klaus; Hornegger, Joachim; Strobel, Norbert

2013-03-01

Minimally invasive catheter ablation has become the preferred treatment option for atrial fibrillation. Although the standard ablation procedure involves ablation points set by radio-frequency catheters, cryo-balloon catheters have even been reported to be more advantageous in certain cases. As electro-anatomical mapping systems do not support cryo-balloon ablation procedures, X-ray guidance is needed. However, current methods to provide support for cryo-balloon catheters in fluoroscopically guided ablation procedures rely heavily on manual user interaction. To improve this, we propose a first method for automatic cryo-balloon catheter localization in fluoroscopic images based on a blob detection algorithm. Our method is evaluated on 24 clinical images from 17 patients. The method successfully detected the cryoballoon in 22 out of 24 images, yielding a success rate of 91.6 %. The successful localization achieved an accuracy of 1.00 mm +/- 0.44 mm. Even though our methods currently fails in 8.4 % of the images available, it still offers a significant improvement over manual methods. Furthermore, detecting a landmark point along the cryo-balloon catheter can be a very important step for additional post-processing operations.

Evaluation of a pulsed-xenon ultraviolet room disinfection device for impact on contamination levels of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Healthcare-acquired infections with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are a significant cause of increased mortality, morbidity and additional health care costs in United States. Surface decontamination technologies that utilize pulsed xenon ultraviolet light (PPX-UV) may be effective at reducing microbial burden. The purpose of this study was to compare standard manual room-cleaning to PPX-UV disinfection technology for MRSA and bacterial heterotrophic plate counts (HPC) on high-touch surfaces in patient rooms. Methods Rooms vacated by patients that had a MRSA-positive polymerase chain reaction or culture during the current hospitalization and at least a 2-day stay were studied. 20 rooms were then treated according to one of two protocols: standard manual cleaning or PPX-UV. This study evaluated the reduction of MRSA and HPC taken from five high-touch surfaces in rooms vacated by MRSA-positive patients, as a function of cleaning by standard manual methods vs a PPX-UV area disinfection device. Results Colony counts in 20 rooms (10 per arm) prior to cleaning varied by cleaning protocol: for HPC, manual (mean = 255, median = 278, q1-q3 132–304) vs PPX-UV (mean = 449, median = 365, q1-q3 332–530), and for MRSA, manual (mean = 127; median = 28.5; q1-q3 8–143) vs PPX-UV (mean = 108; median = 123; q1-q3 14–183). PPX-UV was superior to manual cleaning for MRSA (adjusted incident rate ratio [IRR] = 7; 95% CI <1-41) and for HPC (IRR = 13; 95% CI 4–48). Conclusion PPX-UV technology appears to be superior to manual cleaning alone for MRSA and HPC. Incorporating 15 minutes of PPX-UV exposure time to current hospital room cleaning practice can improve the overall cleanliness of patient rooms with respect to selected micro-organisms. PMID:24708734

Automated detection of insect-damaged sunflower seeds by X-ray imaging

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The development of insect-resistant sunflowers is hindered by the lack of a quick and effective method for scoring samples in terms of insect damage. The current method for scoring insect damage, which involves manual inspection of seeds for holes bored into the shell, is tedious, requiring approxi...

Evaluation of an automatic MR-based gold fiducial marker localisation method for MR-only prostate radiotherapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maspero, Matteo; van den Berg, Cornelis A. T.; Zijlstra, Frank; Sikkes, Gonda G.; de Boer, Hans C. J.; Meijer, Gert J.; Kerkmeijer, Linda G. W.; Viergever, Max A.; Lagendijk, Jan J. W.; Seevinck, Peter R.

2017-10-01

An MR-only radiotherapy planning (RTP) workflow would reduce the cost, radiation exposure and uncertainties introduced by CT-MRI registrations. In the case of prostate treatment, one of the remaining challenges currently holding back the implementation of an RTP workflow is the MR-based localisation of intraprostatic gold fiducial markers (FMs), which is crucial for accurate patient positioning. Currently, MR-based FM localisation is clinically performed manually. This is sub-optimal, as manual interaction increases the workload. Attempts to perform automatic FM detection often rely on being able to detect signal voids induced by the FMs in magnitude images. However, signal voids may not always be sufficiently specific, hampering accurate and robust automatic FM localisation. Here, we present an approach that aims at automatic MR-based FM localisation. This method is based on template matching using a library of simulated complex-valued templates, and exploiting the behaviour of the complex MR signal in the vicinity of the FM. Clinical evaluation was performed on seventeen prostate cancer patients undergoing external beam radiotherapy treatment. Automatic MR-based FM localisation was compared to manual MR-based and semi-automatic CT-based localisation (the current gold standard) in terms of detection rate and the spatial accuracy and precision of localisation. The proposed method correctly detected all three FMs in 15/17 patients. The spatial accuracy (mean) and precision (STD) were 0.9 mm and 0.5 mm respectively, which is below the voxel size of 1.1 × 1.1 × 1.2 mm3 and comparable to MR-based manual localisation. FM localisation failed (3/51 FMs) in the presence of bleeding or calcifications in the direct vicinity of the FM. The method was found to be spatially accurate and precise, which is essential for clinical use. To overcome any missed detection, we envision the use of the proposed method along with verification by an observer. This will result in a semi-automatic workflow facilitating the introduction of an MR-only workflow.

Comparison of manual and automatic techniques for substriatal segmentation in 11C-raclopride high-resolution PET studies.

PubMed

Johansson, Jarkko; Alakurtti, Kati; Joutsa, Juho; Tohka, Jussi; Ruotsalainen, Ulla; Rinne, Juha O

2016-10-01

The striatum is the primary target in regional C-raclopride-PET studies, and despite its small volume, it contains several functional and anatomical subregions. The outcome of the quantitative dopamine receptor study using C-raclopride-PET depends heavily on the quality of the region-of-interest (ROI) definition of these subregions. The aim of this study was to evaluate subregional analysis techniques because new approaches have emerged, but have not yet been compared directly. In this paper, we compared manual ROI delineation with several automatic methods. The automatic methods used either direct clustering of the PET image or individualization of chosen brain atlases on the basis of MRI or PET image normalization. State-of-the-art normalization methods and atlases were applied, including those provided in the FreeSurfer, Statistical Parametric Mapping8, and FSL software packages. Evaluation of the automatic methods was based on voxel-wise congruity with the manual delineations and the test-retest variability and reliability of the outcome measures using data from seven healthy male participants who were scanned twice with C-raclopride-PET on the same day. The results show that both manual and automatic methods can be used to define striatal subregions. Although most of the methods performed well with respect to the test-retest variability and reliability of binding potential, the smallest average test-retest variability and SEM were obtained using a connectivity-based atlas and PET normalization (test-retest variability=4.5%, SEM=0.17). The current state-of-the-art automatic ROI methods can be considered good alternatives for subjective and laborious manual segmentation in C-raclopride-PET studies.

Evaluation of MDOT's Distress Thresholds for Maintained Pavement Projects

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-07-30

As an alternative to traditional contracting, pavement warranty has been adopted in Mississippi since 2000, aimed to : enhance pavement performance and protect the investment in pavement construction. Currently, a manual distress survey : method and ...

Assessing the Impact of CAAD Design Tool on Architectural Design Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-Matarneh, Rana; Fethi, Ihsan

2017-01-01

The current concept of architectural design education in most schools of architecture in Jordan is a blend between manual and digital approaches. However, the disconnection between these two methods has resulted in the students' failure to transfer skills learnt through traditional methods to the digital method of CAAD. The objective of this study…

Manual methods are suboptimal compared with automated methods for cleaning of single-use biopsy forceps.

PubMed

Alfa, M J; Nemes, R; Olson, N; Mulaire, A

2006-08-01

Most reusable biopsy forceps and all of the currently available single-use biopsy forceps do not have a port that allows fluid flow down the inner tubular shaft of the device. Reusable biopsy forceps are widely used and reprocessed in healthcare facilities, and single-use biopsy forceps are reprocessed either in-house (eg, in Canada and Japan) or by third-party reprocessors (eg, in the United States). The objective of this study was to determine the cleaning efficacy of automated narrow-lumen sonic irrigation cleaning, sonication-only cleaning, and manual cleaning for biopsy forceps. A simulated-use study was performed by inoculating the inner channel of single-use biopsy forceps with artificial test soil containing both Enterococcus faecalis and Geobacillus stearothermophilus at concentrations of 10(6) colony-forming units per milliliter. The cleaning methods evaluated were manual cleaning, sonication-only cleaning, and "retroflush" cleaning by an automated narrow-lumen irrigator. Bioburden and organic soil reduction after washing was evaluated. Forceps used in biopsies of patients were also tested to determine the worst-case soiling levels. Only retroflush irrigation cleaning could effectively remove material from within the shaft portion of the biopsy forceps: it achieved an average reduction of more than 95% in levels of protein, hemoglobin, carbohydrate, and endotoxin. However, even this method of cleaning was not totally effective, as only a 2 log10 reduction in bioburden could be achieved, and there were low residual levels of hemoglobin and carbohydrate. The data from this evaluation indicate that manual and sonication-only cleaning methods for biopsy forceps were totally ineffective in removing material from within the biopsy forceps. Even the use of retroflush cleaning was not totally effective. These findings suggest that in-hospital reprocessing of biopsy forceps with currently available equipment and cleaning methods is suboptimal.

Measurement of thermally ablated lesions in sonoelastographic images using level set methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castaneda, Benjamin; Tamez-Pena, Jose Gerardo; Zhang, Man; Hoyt, Kenneth; Bylund, Kevin; Christensen, Jared; Saad, Wael; Strang, John; Rubens, Deborah J.; Parker, Kevin J.

2008-03-01

The capability of sonoelastography to detect lesions based on elasticity contrast can be applied to monitor the creation of thermally ablated lesion. Currently, segmentation of lesions depicted in sonoelastographic images is performed manually which can be a time consuming process and prone to significant intra- and inter-observer variability. This work presents a semi-automated segmentation algorithm for sonoelastographic data. The user starts by planting a seed in the perceived center of the lesion. Fast marching methods use this information to create an initial estimate of the lesion. Subsequently, level set methods refine its final shape by attaching the segmented contour to edges in the image while maintaining smoothness. The algorithm is applied to in vivo sonoelastographic images from twenty five thermal ablated lesions created in porcine livers. The estimated area is compared to results from manual segmentation and gross pathology images. Results show that the algorithm outperforms manual segmentation in accuracy, inter- and intra-observer variability. The processing time per image is significantly reduced.

WIPP waste characterization program sampling and analysis guidance manual

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

Not Available

1991-01-01

The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) Waste Characterization Program Sampling and Analysis Guidance Manual (Guidance Manual) provides a unified source of information on the sampling and analytical techniques that enable Department of Energy (DOE) facilities to comply with the requirements established in the current revision of the Quality Assurance Program Plan (QAPP) for the WIPP Experimental-Waste Characterization Program (the Program). This Guidance Manual includes all of the sampling and testing methodologies accepted by the WIPP Project Office (DOE/WPO) for use in implementing the Program requirements specified in the QAPP. This includes methods for characterizing representative samples of transuranic (TRU) wastesmore » at DOE generator sites with respect to the gas generation controlling variables defined in the WIPP bin-scale and alcove test plans, as well as waste container headspace gas sampling and analytical procedures to support waste characterization requirements under the WIPP test program and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). The procedures in this Guidance Manual are comprehensive and detailed and are designed to provide the necessary guidance for the preparation of site specific procedures. The use of these procedures is intended to provide the necessary sensitivity, specificity, precision, and comparability of analyses and test results. The solutions to achieving specific program objectives will depend upon facility constraints, compliance with DOE Orders and DOE facilities' operating contractor requirements, and the knowledge and experience of the TRU waste handlers and analysts. With some analytical methods, such as gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, the Guidance Manual procedures may be used directly. With other methods, such as nondestructive/destructive characterization, the Guidance Manual provides guidance rather than a step-by-step procedure.« less

Automated Chromium Plating Line for Gun Barrels

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-09-01

consistent pretreatments and bath dwell times. Some of the advantages of automated processing include increased productivity (average of 20^) due to...when automated processing procedures’ are used. The current method of applying chromium electrodeposits to gun tubes is a manual, batch operation...currently practiced with rotary swaged gun tubes would substantially reduce the difficulties in automated processing . RECOMMENDATIONS

User-guided segmentation for volumetric retinal optical coherence tomography images

PubMed Central

Yin, Xin; Chao, Jennifer R.; Wang, Ruikang K.

2014-01-01

Abstract. Despite the existence of automatic segmentation techniques, trained graders still rely on manual segmentation to provide retinal layers and features from clinical optical coherence tomography (OCT) images for accurate measurements. To bridge the gap between this time-consuming need of manual segmentation and currently available automatic segmentation techniques, this paper proposes a user-guided segmentation method to perform the segmentation of retinal layers and features in OCT images. With this method, by interactively navigating three-dimensional (3-D) OCT images, the user first manually defines user-defined (or sketched) lines at regions where the retinal layers appear very irregular for which the automatic segmentation method often fails to provide satisfactory results. The algorithm is then guided by these sketched lines to trace the entire 3-D retinal layer and anatomical features by the use of novel layer and edge detectors that are based on robust likelihood estimation. The layer and edge boundaries are finally obtained to achieve segmentation. Segmentation of retinal layers in mouse and human OCT images demonstrates the reliability and efficiency of the proposed user-guided segmentation method. PMID:25147962

User-guided segmentation for volumetric retinal optical coherence tomography images.

PubMed

Yin, Xin; Chao, Jennifer R; Wang, Ruikang K

2014-08-01

Despite the existence of automatic segmentation techniques, trained graders still rely on manual segmentation to provide retinal layers and features from clinical optical coherence tomography (OCT) images for accurate measurements. To bridge the gap between this time-consuming need of manual segmentation and currently available automatic segmentation techniques, this paper proposes a user-guided segmentation method to perform the segmentation of retinal layers and features in OCT images. With this method, by interactively navigating three-dimensional (3-D) OCT images, the user first manually defines user-defined (or sketched) lines at regions where the retinal layers appear very irregular for which the automatic segmentation method often fails to provide satisfactory results. The algorithm is then guided by these sketched lines to trace the entire 3-D retinal layer and anatomical features by the use of novel layer and edge detectors that are based on robust likelihood estimation. The layer and edge boundaries are finally obtained to achieve segmentation. Segmentation of retinal layers in mouse and human OCT images demonstrates the reliability and efficiency of the proposed user-guided segmentation method.

Semi-Automated Trajectory Analysis of Deep Ballistic Penetrating Brain Injury

PubMed Central

Folio, Les; Solomon, Jeffrey; Biassou, Nadia; Fischer, Tatjana; Dworzak, Jenny; Raymont, Vanessa; Sinaii, Ninet; Wassermann, Eric M.; Grafman, Jordan

2016-01-01

Background Penetrating head injuries (PHIs) are common in combat operations and most have visible wound paths on computed tomography (CT). Objective We assess agreement between an automated trajectory analysis-based assessment of brain injury and manual tracings of encephalomalacia on CT. Methods We analyzed 80 head CTs with ballistic PHI from the Institutional Review Board approved Vietnam head injury registry. Anatomic reports were generated from spatial coordinates of projectile entrance and terminal fragment location. These were compared to manual tracings of the regions of encephalomalacia. Dice’s similarity coefficients, kappa, sensitivities, and specificities were calculated to assess agreement. Times required for case analysis were also compared. Results Results show high specificity of anatomic regions identified on CT with semiautomated anatomical estimates and manual tracings of tissue damage. Radiologist’s and medical students’ anatomic region reports were similar (Kappa 0.8, t-test p < 0.001). Region of probable injury modeling of involved brain structures was sensitive (0.7) and specific (0.9) compared with manually traced structures. Semiautomated analysis was 9-fold faster than manual tracings. Conclusion Our region of probable injury spatial model approximates anatomical regions of encephalomalacia from ballistic PHI with time-saving over manual methods. Results show potential for automated anatomical reporting as an adjunct to current practice of radiologist/neurosurgical review of brain injury by penetrating projectiles. PMID:23707123

Pollution Prevention Benefits Manual: Phase II. Volume 1: The Manual and Volume 2: Appendices (1989)

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Manual is intended to help polluters evaluate the economic feasibility of pollution prevention or waste minimization alternatives to current practices, helping polluters evaluate how much a pollution prevention alternative will cost vs. current practices.

Computer aided manual validation of mass spectrometry-based proteomic data.

PubMed

Curran, Timothy G; Bryson, Bryan D; Reigelhaupt, Michael; Johnson, Hannah; White, Forest M

2013-06-15

Advances in mass spectrometry-based proteomic technologies have increased the speed of analysis and the depth provided by a single analysis. Computational tools to evaluate the accuracy of peptide identifications from these high-throughput analyses have not kept pace with technological advances; currently the most common quality evaluation methods are based on statistical analysis of the likelihood of false positive identifications in large-scale data sets. While helpful, these calculations do not consider the accuracy of each identification, thus creating a precarious situation for biologists relying on the data to inform experimental design. Manual validation is the gold standard approach to confirm accuracy of database identifications, but is extremely time-intensive. To palliate the increasing time required to manually validate large proteomic datasets, we provide computer aided manual validation software (CAMV) to expedite the process. Relevant spectra are collected, catalogued, and pre-labeled, allowing users to efficiently judge the quality of each identification and summarize applicable quantitative information. CAMV significantly reduces the burden associated with manual validation and will hopefully encourage broader adoption of manual validation in mass spectrometry-based proteomics. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Performance of the BG1Luc ER TA method in a qHTS format.

PubMed

Ceger, Patricia; Allen, David; Huang, Ruili; Xia, Menghang; Casey, Warren

2015-01-01

In 2012, the BG1Luc4E2 estrogen receptor (ER) transactivation (TA) method (BG1Luc ER TA) was accepted by U.S. regulatory agencies and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development to detect substances with ER agonist activity. The method is now part of the Tier 1 testing battery in the Environmental Protection Agency's Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program. The BG1Luc ER TA method uses the BG1 ovarian cell line that endogenously expresses full-length ER (α and β) and is stably transfected with a plasmid containing four estrogen responsive elements upstream of a luciferase reporter gene. To allow increased throughput and testing efficiency, the BG1Luc ER TA ("BG1 manual") method was adapted for quantitative high-throughput screening (BG1 qHTS) in the U.S. Tox21 testing program. The BG1 qHTS test method was used to test approximately 10,000 chemicals three times each, and concentration-response data (n=15) were analyzed to evaluate test method performance. The balanced accuracy of the BG1 qHTS test method (97% [32/33]) was determined by comparing results to ER TA performance standards for the BG1 manual method. Concordance between the BG1 manual and qHTS methods was 92% (57/62) when calculated for a larger set of non-reference chemicals tested in both methods. These data demonstrate that the performance of the BG1 qHTS is similar to the currently accepted BG1 manual method, thereby establishing the utility of the BG1 qHTS method for identifying ER active environmental chemicals.

Evaluation of MDOT's Distress Thresholds for Maintained June 30, 2012 Pavement Projects

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-05-30

As an alternative to traditional contracting, pavement warranty has been adopted in Mississippi since 2000, aimed to : enhance pavement performance and protect the investment in pavement construction. Currently, a manual distress survey : method and ...

Updating RoadHAT : collision diagram builder and HSM elements.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-01-01

In order to minimize the losses resulting from traffic crashes, Indiana developed its road safety management methods before the Highway Safety Manual : and the SafetyAnalyst became available. The considerable cost of replacing the Indiana current pra...

Efficacy of single-layer continuous suture of the posterior wall in anastomosis involving a difficult location of the digestive tract

PubMed Central

LI, GUO-CAI; XU, YONG; ZHANG, YU-CHUN; ZHANG, FANG-CHENG; WANG, QI; MA, QING-JIU

2014-01-01

Surgery for digestive tract disease predominantly consists of reconstruction and anastomosis. Due to the difficult location, anastomosis is extremely challenging and the risk of complication increases accordingly. Traditional manual anastomosis and the application of a stapling device are insufficient. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility and safety of a novel manual method in a difficult anastomotic location, consisting of a single-layer continuous suture in the posterior wall. In total, 15 beagle dogs were included in the study; eight underwent surgery with the novel manual method for reconstruction and anastomosis of the digestive tract, while seven underwent surgery with the stapler device as a control. The subsequent postoperative complications were observed and, three months later, the anastomotic ports were excised, and the pathological formation and morphological changes were evaluated. No statistically significant differences were identified between the total (50.0 vs. 57.1%; P=0.782) and anastomotic (0.0 vs. 28.6%; P=0.200) complication rates in the manual suture and staple suture groups, respectively. Compared with the control group, the operative expenditure was lower in the manual group (1726.7±33.5 vs. 2135.7±43.1 renminbi; P=0.001), the diameter of the anastomotic port was larger in the manual group (3.04±0.07 vs. 2.24±0.25 cm; P=0.004) and the thickness of the anastomotic port (in cm) was thinner in the manual group (2.94±0.06 vs. 5.07±0.85; P=0.002). Furthermore, the pathological formation of the anastomositic port in the manual group was improved. The results of the current study suggest single-layer continuous suture of the posterior wall in anastomosis of the digestive tract to be a novel method with feasibility and safety, particularly in difficult anastomotic locations. PMID:25202369

Efficacy of single-layer continuous suture of the posterior wall in anastomosis involving a difficult location of the digestive tract.

PubMed

Li, Guo-Cai; Xu, Yong; Zhang, Yu-Chun; Zhang, Fang-Cheng; Wang, Qi; Ma, Qing-Jiu

2014-10-01

Surgery for digestive tract disease predominantly consists of reconstruction and anastomosis. Due to the difficult location, anastomosis is extremely challenging and the risk of complication increases accordingly. Traditional manual anastomosis and the application of a stapling device are insufficient. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility and safety of a novel manual method in a difficult anastomotic location, consisting of a single-layer continuous suture in the posterior wall. In total, 15 beagle dogs were included in the study; eight underwent surgery with the novel manual method for reconstruction and anastomosis of the digestive tract, while seven underwent surgery with the stapler device as a control. The subsequent postoperative complications were observed and, three months later, the anastomotic ports were excised, and the pathological formation and morphological changes were evaluated. No statistically significant differences were identified between the total (50.0 vs. 57.1%; P=0.782) and anastomotic (0.0 vs. 28.6%; P=0.200) complication rates in the manual suture and staple suture groups, respectively. Compared with the control group, the operative expenditure was lower in the manual group (1726.7±33.5 vs. 2135.7±43.1 renminbi; P=0.001), the diameter of the anastomotic port was larger in the manual group (3.04±0.07 vs. 2.24±0.25 cm; P=0.004) and the thickness of the anastomotic port (in cm) was thinner in the manual group (2.94±0.06 vs. 5.07±0.85; P=0.002). Furthermore, the pathological formation of the anastomositic port in the manual group was improved. The results of the current study suggest single-layer continuous suture of the posterior wall in anastomosis of the digestive tract to be a novel method with feasibility and safety, particularly in difficult anastomotic locations.

Measuring the volume of brain tumour and determining its location in T2-weighted MRI images using hidden Markov random field: expectation maximization algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mat Jafri, Mohd. Zubir; Abdulbaqi, Hayder Saad; Mutter, Kussay N.; Mustapha, Iskandar Shahrim; Omar, Ahmad Fairuz

2017-06-01

A brain tumour is an abnormal growth of tissue in the brain. Most tumour volume measurement processes are carried out manually by the radiographer and radiologist without relying on any auto program. This manual method is a timeconsuming task and may give inaccurate results. Treatment, diagnosis, signs and symptoms of the brain tumours mainly depend on the tumour volume and its location. In this paper, an approach is proposed to improve volume measurement of brain tumors as well as using a new method to determine the brain tumour location. The current study presents a hybrid method that includes two methods. One method is hidden Markov random field - expectation maximization (HMRFEM), which employs a positive initial classification of the image. The other method employs the threshold, which enables the final segmentation. In this method, the tumour volume is calculated using voxel dimension measurements. The brain tumour location was determined accurately in T2- weighted MRI image using a new algorithm. According to the results, this process was proven to be more useful compared to the manual method. Thus, it provides the possibility of calculating the volume and determining location of a brain tumour.

Evaluation of an artificial intelligence guided inverse planning system: clinical case study.

PubMed

Yan, Hui; Yin, Fang-Fang; Willett, Christopher

2007-04-01

An artificial intelligence (AI) guided method for parameter adjustment of inverse planning was implemented on a commercial inverse treatment planning system. For evaluation purpose, four typical clinical cases were tested and the results from both plans achieved by automated and manual methods were compared. The procedure of parameter adjustment mainly consists of three major loops. Each loop is in charge of modifying parameters of one category, which is carried out by a specially customized fuzzy inference system. A physician prescribed multiple constraints for a selected volume were adopted to account for the tradeoff between prescription dose to the PTV and dose-volume constraints for critical organs. The searching process for an optimal parameter combination began with the first constraint, and proceeds to the next until a plan with acceptable dose was achieved. The initial setup of the plan parameters was the same for each case and was adjusted independently by both manual and automated methods. After the parameters of one category were updated, the intensity maps of all fields were re-optimized and the plan dose was subsequently re-calculated. When final plan arrived, the dose statistics were calculated from both plans and compared. For planned target volume (PTV), the dose for 95% volume is up to 10% higher in plans using the automated method than those using the manual method. For critical organs, an average decrease of the plan dose was achieved. However, the automated method cannot improve the plan dose for some critical organs due to limitations of the inference rules currently employed. For normal tissue, there was no significant difference between plan doses achieved by either automated or manual method. With the application of AI-guided method, the basic parameter adjustment task can be accomplished automatically and a comparable plan dose was achieved in comparison with that achieved by the manual method. Future improvements to incorporate case-specific inference rules are essential to fully automate the inverse planning process.

A detailed dosimetric comparison between manual and inverse plans in HDR intracavitary/interstitial cervical cancer brachytherapy

PubMed Central

Baltas, Dimos; Karabis, Andreas; Stock, Markus; Dimopoulos, Johannes; Georg, Dietmar; Pötter, Richard; Kirisits, Christian

2011-01-01

Purpose The purpose of this study was to compare two inverse planning algorithms for cervical cancer brachytherapy and a conventional manual treatment planning according to the MUW (Medical University of Vienna) protocol. Material and methods For 20 patients, manually optimized, and, inversely optimized treatment plans with Hybrid Inverse treatment Planning and Optimization (HIPO) and with Inverse Planning Simulated Annealing (IPSA) were created. Dosimetric parameters, absolute volumes of normal tissue receiving reference doses, absolute loading times of tandem, ring and interstitial needles, Paddick and COIN conformity indices were evaluated. Results HIPO was able to achieve a similar dose distribution to manual planning with the restriction of high dose regions. It reduced the loading time of needles and the overall treatment time. The values of both conformity indices were the lowest. IPSA was able to achieve acceptable dosimetric results. However, it overloaded the needles. This resulted in high dose regions located in the normal tissue. The Paddick index for the volume of two times prescribed dose was outstandingly low. Conclusions HIPO can produce clinically acceptable treatment plans with the elimination of high dose regions in normal tissue. Compared to IPSA, it is an inverse optimization method which takes into account current clinical experience gained from manual treatment planning. PMID:27853479

A detailed comparison of analysis processes for MCC-IMS data in disease classification—Automated methods can replace manual peak annotations

PubMed Central

Horsch, Salome; Kopczynski, Dominik; Kuthe, Elias; Baumbach, Jörg Ingo; Rahmann, Sven

2017-01-01

Motivation Disease classification from molecular measurements typically requires an analysis pipeline from raw noisy measurements to final classification results. Multi capillary column—ion mobility spectrometry (MCC-IMS) is a promising technology for the detection of volatile organic compounds in the air of exhaled breath. From raw measurements, the peak regions representing the compounds have to be identified, quantified, and clustered across different experiments. Currently, several steps of this analysis process require manual intervention of human experts. Our goal is to identify a fully automatic pipeline that yields competitive disease classification results compared to an established but subjective and tedious semi-manual process. Method We combine a large number of modern methods for peak detection, peak clustering, and multivariate classification into analysis pipelines for raw MCC-IMS data. We evaluate all combinations on three different real datasets in an unbiased cross-validation setting. We determine which specific algorithmic combinations lead to high AUC values in disease classifications across the different medical application scenarios. Results The best fully automated analysis process achieves even better classification results than the established manual process. The best algorithms for the three analysis steps are (i) SGLTR (Savitzky-Golay Laplace-operator filter thresholding regions) and LM (Local Maxima) for automated peak identification, (ii) EM clustering (Expectation Maximization) and DBSCAN (Density-Based Spatial Clustering of Applications with Noise) for the clustering step and (iii) RF (Random Forest) for multivariate classification. Thus, automated methods can replace the manual steps in the analysis process to enable an unbiased high throughput use of the technology. PMID:28910313

Atrophic Rhinitis of Swine

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This book chapter for the 8th edition of the OIE Manual of Diagnostic Tests and Vaccines for Terrestrial Animals describes the current state of knowledge regarding progressive atrophic rhinitis of swine. Topics covered include clinical signs and lesions, characteristics and methods of detection for...

Graph theoretical stable allocation as a tool for reproduction of control by human operators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Nooijen, Ronald; Ertsen, Maurits; Kolechkina, Alla

2016-04-01

During the design of central control algorithms for existing water resource systems under manual control it is important to consider the interaction with parts of the system that remain under manual control and to compare the proposed new system with the existing manual methods. In graph theory the "stable allocation" problem has good solution algorithms and allows for formulation of flow distribution problems in terms of priorities. As a test case for the use of this approach we used the algorithm to derive water allocation rules for the Gezira Scheme, an irrigation system located between the Blue and White Niles south of Khartoum. In 1925, Gezira started with 300,000 acres; currently it covers close to two million acres.

Automated segmentation of chronic stroke lesions using LINDA: Lesion Identification with Neighborhood Data Analysis

PubMed Central

Pustina, Dorian; Coslett, H. Branch; Turkeltaub, Peter E.; Tustison, Nicholas; Schwartz, Myrna F.; Avants, Brian

2015-01-01

The gold standard for identifying stroke lesions is manual tracing, a method that is known to be observer dependent and time consuming, thus impractical for big data studies. We propose LINDA (Lesion Identification with Neighborhood Data Analysis), an automated segmentation algorithm capable of learning the relationship between existing manual segmentations and a single T1-weighted MRI. A dataset of 60 left hemispheric chronic stroke patients is used to build the method and test it with k-fold and leave-one-out procedures. With respect to manual tracings, predicted lesion maps showed a mean dice overlap of 0.696±0.16, Hausdorff distance of 17.9±9.8mm, and average displacement of 2.54±1.38mm. The manual and predicted lesion volumes correlated at r=0.961. An additional dataset of 45 patients was utilized to test LINDA with independent data, achieving high accuracy rates and confirming its cross-institutional applicability. To investigate the cost of moving from manual tracings to automated segmentation, we performed comparative lesion-to-symptom mapping (LSM) on five behavioral scores. Predicted and manual lesions produced similar neuro-cognitive maps, albeit with some discussed discrepancies. Of note, region-wise LSM was more robust to the prediction error than voxel-wise LSM. Our results show that, while several limitations exist, our current results compete with or exceed the state-of-the-art, producing consistent predictions, very low failure rates, and transferable knowledge between labs. This work also establishes a new viewpoint on evaluating automated methods not only with segmentation accuracy but also with brain-behavior relationships. LINDA is made available online with trained models from over 100 patients. PMID:26756101

Review and evaluation of methods for analyzing capacity at signalized intersections.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1996-01-01

VDOT's current policy is to use and accept from others the 1994 Highway Capacity Manual (HCM) as the basis for capacity analysis on Virginia's streets and highways. VDOT uses the latest version of the Highway Capacity Software (HCS). Software program...

A Manual to Identify Sources of Fluvial Sediment

EPA Science Inventory

Sedimentation is one of the main causes of stream/river aquatic life use impairments in R3. Currently states lack standard guidance on appropriate tools available to quantify sediment sources and develop sediment budgets in TMDL Development. Methods for distinguishing sediment t...

Calculating the Mean Amplitude of Glycemic Excursions from Continuous Glucose Data Using an Open-Code Programmable Algorithm Based on the Integer Nonlinear Method.

PubMed

Yu, Xuefei; Lin, Liangzhuo; Shen, Jie; Chen, Zhi; Jian, Jun; Li, Bin; Xin, Sherman Xuegang

2018-01-01

The mean amplitude of glycemic excursions (MAGE) is an essential index for glycemic variability assessment, which is treated as a key reference for blood glucose controlling at clinic. However, the traditional "ruler and pencil" manual method for the calculation of MAGE is time-consuming and prone to error due to the huge data size, making the development of robust computer-aided program an urgent requirement. Although several software products are available instead of manual calculation, poor agreement among them is reported. Therefore, more studies are required in this field. In this paper, we developed a mathematical algorithm based on integer nonlinear programming. Following the proposed mathematical method, an open-code computer program named MAGECAA v1.0 was developed and validated. The results of the statistical analysis indicated that the developed program was robust compared to the manual method. The agreement among the developed program and currently available popular software is satisfied, indicating that the worry about the disagreement among different software products is not necessary. The open-code programmable algorithm is an extra resource for those peers who are interested in the related study on methodology in the future.

A guide to best practices for Gene Ontology (GO) manual annotation

PubMed Central

Balakrishnan, Rama; Harris, Midori A.; Huntley, Rachael; Van Auken, Kimberly; Cherry, J. Michael

2013-01-01

The Gene Ontology Consortium (GOC) is a community-based bioinformatics project that classifies gene product function through the use of structured controlled vocabularies. A fundamental application of the Gene Ontology (GO) is in the creation of gene product annotations, evidence-based associations between GO definitions and experimental or sequence-based analysis. Currently, the GOC disseminates 126 million annotations covering >374 000 species including all the kingdoms of life. This number includes two classes of GO annotations: those created manually by experienced biocurators reviewing the literature or by examination of biological data (1.1 million annotations covering 2226 species) and those generated computationally via automated methods. As manual annotations are often used to propagate functional predictions between related proteins within and between genomes, it is critical to provide accurate consistent manual annotations. Toward this goal, we present here the conventions defined by the GOC for the creation of manual annotation. This guide represents the best practices for manual annotation as established by the GOC project over the past 12 years. We hope this guide will encourage research communities to annotate gene products of their interest to enhance the corpus of GO annotations available to all. Database URL: http://www.geneontology.org PMID:23842463

Automatic Processing of Current Affairs Queries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Salton, G.

1973-01-01

The SMART system is used for the analysis, search and retrieval of news stories appearing in Time'' magazine. A comparison is made between the automatic text processing methods incorporated into the SMART system and a manual search using the classified index to Time.'' (14 references) (Author)

14 CFR 125.75 - Airplane flight manual.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 3 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Airplane flight manual. 125.75 Section 125... Airplane flight manual. (a) Each certificate holder shall keep a current approved Airplane Flight Manual or... approved Airplane Flight Manual or the approved equivalent aboard each airplane it operates. A certificate...

14 CFR 121.141 - Airplane flight manual.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 3 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Airplane flight manual. 121.141 Section 121... REQUIREMENTS: DOMESTIC, FLAG, AND SUPPLEMENTAL OPERATIONS Manual Requirements § 121.141 Airplane flight manual. (a) Each certificate holder shall keep a current approved airplane flight manual for each type of...

14 CFR 125.75 - Airplane flight manual.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 3 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Airplane flight manual. 125.75 Section 125... Airplane flight manual. (a) Each certificate holder shall keep a current approved Airplane Flight Manual or... approved Airplane Flight Manual or the approved equivalent aboard each airplane it operates. A certificate...

14 CFR 121.141 - Airplane flight manual.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 3 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Airplane flight manual. 121.141 Section 121... REQUIREMENTS: DOMESTIC, FLAG, AND SUPPLEMENTAL OPERATIONS Manual Requirements § 121.141 Airplane flight manual. (a) Each certificate holder shall keep a current approved airplane flight manual for each type of...

14 CFR 125.75 - Airplane flight manual.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 3 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Airplane flight manual. 125.75 Section 125... Airplane flight manual. (a) Each certificate holder shall keep a current approved Airplane Flight Manual or... approved Airplane Flight Manual or the approved equivalent aboard each airplane it operates. A certificate...

14 CFR 121.141 - Airplane flight manual.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 3 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Airplane flight manual. 121.141 Section 121... REQUIREMENTS: DOMESTIC, FLAG, AND SUPPLEMENTAL OPERATIONS Manual Requirements § 121.141 Airplane flight manual. (a) Each certificate holder shall keep a current approved airplane flight manual for each type of...

14 CFR 121.141 - Airplane flight manual.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 3 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Airplane flight manual. 121.141 Section 121... REQUIREMENTS: DOMESTIC, FLAG, AND SUPPLEMENTAL OPERATIONS Manual Requirements § 121.141 Airplane flight manual. (a) Each certificate holder shall keep a current approved airplane flight manual for each type of...

14 CFR 121.141 - Airplane flight manual.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Airplane flight manual. 121.141 Section 121... REQUIREMENTS: DOMESTIC, FLAG, AND SUPPLEMENTAL OPERATIONS Manual Requirements § 121.141 Airplane flight manual. (a) Each certificate holder shall keep a current approved airplane flight manual for each type of...

User's manual for three dimensional FDTD version B code for scattering from frequency-dependent dielectric materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beggs, John H.; Luebbers, Raymond J.; Kunz, Karl S.

1992-01-01

The Penn State Finite Difference Time Domain Electromagnetic Code Version B is a three dimensional numerical electromagnetic scattering code based upon the Finite Difference Time Domain Technique (FDTD). The supplied version of the code is one version of our current three dimensional FDTD code set. This manual provides a description of the code and corresponding results for several scattering problems. The manual is organized into 14 sections: introduction, description of the FDTD method, operation, resource requirements, Version B code capabilities, a brief description of the default scattering geometry, a brief description of each subroutine, a description of the include file, a discussion of radar cross section computations, a discussion of some scattering results, a sample problem setup section, a new problem checklist, references and figure titles.

An Ultrasonographic Periodontal Probe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bertoncini, C. A.; Hinders, M. K.

2010-02-01

Periodontal disease, commonly known as gum disease, affects millions of people. The current method of detecting periodontal pocket depth is painful, invasive, and inaccurate. As an alternative to manual probing, an ultrasonographic periodontal probe is being developed to use ultrasound echo waveforms to measure periodontal pocket depth, which is the main measure of periodontal disease. Wavelet transforms and pattern classification techniques are implemented in artificial intelligence routines that can automatically detect pocket depth. The main pattern classification technique used here, called a binary classification algorithm, compares test objects with only two possible pocket depth measurements at a time and relies on dimensionality reduction for the final determination. This method correctly identifies up to 90% of the ultrasonographic probe measurements within the manual probe's tolerance.

Toward the automated generation of genome-scale metabolic networks in the SEED.

PubMed

DeJongh, Matthew; Formsma, Kevin; Boillot, Paul; Gould, John; Rycenga, Matthew; Best, Aaron

2007-04-26

Current methods for the automated generation of genome-scale metabolic networks focus on genome annotation and preliminary biochemical reaction network assembly, but do not adequately address the process of identifying and filling gaps in the reaction network, and verifying that the network is suitable for systems level analysis. Thus, current methods are only sufficient for generating draft-quality networks, and refinement of the reaction network is still largely a manual, labor-intensive process. We have developed a method for generating genome-scale metabolic networks that produces substantially complete reaction networks, suitable for systems level analysis. Our method partitions the reaction space of central and intermediary metabolism into discrete, interconnected components that can be assembled and verified in isolation from each other, and then integrated and verified at the level of their interconnectivity. We have developed a database of components that are common across organisms, and have created tools for automatically assembling appropriate components for a particular organism based on the metabolic pathways encoded in the organism's genome. This focuses manual efforts on that portion of an organism's metabolism that is not yet represented in the database. We have demonstrated the efficacy of our method by reverse-engineering and automatically regenerating the reaction network from a published genome-scale metabolic model for Staphylococcus aureus. Additionally, we have verified that our method capitalizes on the database of common reaction network components created for S. aureus, by using these components to generate substantially complete reconstructions of the reaction networks from three other published metabolic models (Escherichia coli, Helicobacter pylori, and Lactococcus lactis). We have implemented our tools and database within the SEED, an open-source software environment for comparative genome annotation and analysis. Our method sets the stage for the automated generation of substantially complete metabolic networks for over 400 complete genome sequences currently in the SEED. With each genome that is processed using our tools, the database of common components grows to cover more of the diversity of metabolic pathways. This increases the likelihood that components of reaction networks for subsequently processed genomes can be retrieved from the database, rather than assembled and verified manually.

Three-dimensional morphological analysis of intracranial aneurysms: a fully automated method for aneurysm sac isolation and quantification.

PubMed

Larrabide, Ignacio; Cruz Villa-Uriol, Maria; Cárdenes, Rubén; Pozo, Jose Maria; Macho, Juan; San Roman, Luis; Blasco, Jordi; Vivas, Elio; Marzo, Alberto; Hose, D Rod; Frangi, Alejandro F

2011-05-01

Morphological descriptors are practical and essential biomarkers for diagnosis and treatment selection for intracranial aneurysm management according to the current guidelines in use. Nevertheless, relatively little work has been dedicated to improve the three-dimensional quantification of aneurysmal morphology, to automate the analysis, and hence to reduce the inherent intra and interobserver variability of manual analysis. In this paper we propose a methodology for the automated isolation and morphological quantification of saccular intracranial aneurysms based on a 3D representation of the vascular anatomy. This methodology is based on the analysis of the vasculature skeleton's topology and the subsequent application of concepts from deformable cylinders. These are expanded inside the parent vessel to identify different regions and discriminate the aneurysm sac from the parent vessel wall. The method renders as output the surface representation of the isolated aneurysm sac, which can then be quantified automatically. The proposed method provides the means for identifying the aneurysm neck in a deterministic way. The results obtained by the method were assessed in two ways: they were compared to manual measurements obtained by three independent clinicians as normally done during diagnosis and to automated measurements from manually isolated aneurysms by three independent operators, nonclinicians, experts in vascular image analysis. All the measurements were obtained using in-house tools. The results were qualitatively and quantitatively compared for a set of the saccular intracranial aneurysms (n = 26). Measurements performed on a synthetic phantom showed that the automated measurements obtained from manually isolated aneurysms where the most accurate. The differences between the measurements obtained by the clinicians and the manually isolated sacs were statistically significant (neck width: p <0.001, sac height: p = 0.002). When comparing clinicians' measurements to automatically isolated sacs, only the differences for the neck width were significant (neck width: p <0.001, sac height: p = 0.95). However, the correlation and agreement between the measurements obtained from manually and automatically isolated aneurysms for the neck width: p = 0.43 and sac height: p = 0.95 where found. The proposed method allows the automated isolation of intracranial aneurysms, eliminating the interobserver variability. In average, the computational cost of the automated method (2 min 36 s) was similar to the time required by a manual operator (measurement by clinicians: 2 min 51 s, manual isolation: 2 min 21 s) but eliminating human interaction. The automated measurements are irrespective of the viewing angle, eliminating any bias or difference between the observer criteria. Finally, the qualitative assessment of the results showed acceptable agreement between manually and automatically isolated aneurysms.

[How timely are the methods taught in psychotherapy training and practice?].

PubMed

Beutel, Manfred E; Michal, Matthias; Wiltink, Jörg; Subic-Wrana, Claudia

2015-01-01

Even though many psychotherapists consider themselves to be eclectic or integrative, training and reimbursement in the modern healthcare system are clearly oriented toward the model of distinct psychotherapy approaches. Prompted by the proposition to favor general, disorder-oriented psychotherapy, we investigate how timely distinctive methods are that are taught in training and practice. We reviewed the pertinent literature regarding general and specific factors, the effectiveness of integrative and eclectic treatments, orientation toward specific disorders, manualization and psychotherapeutic training. There is a lack of systematic studies on the efficacy of combining therapy methods from different approaches. The first empirical findings reveal that a superiority of combined versus single treatmentmethods has yet to be demonstrated. The development of transnosological manuals shows the limits of disorder-specific treatment.General factors such as therapeutic alliance or education about the model of disease and treatment rationale require specific definitions. Taking reference to a specific treatment approach provides important consistency of theory, training therapy and supervision, though this does not preclude an openness toward other therapy concepts. Current manualized examples show that methods and techniques can indeed be integrated from other approaches. Integrating different methods can also be seen as a developmental task for practitioners and researchers which may be mastered increasingly better with more experience.

Automatic cloud coverage assessment of Formosat-2 image

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hsu, Kuo-Hsien

2011-11-01

Formosat-2 satellite equips with the high-spatial-resolution (2m ground sampling distance) remote sensing instrument. It has been being operated on the daily-revisiting mission orbit by National Space organization (NSPO) of Taiwan since May 21 2004. NSPO has also serving as one of the ground receiving stations for daily processing the received Formosat- 2 images. The current cloud coverage assessment of Formosat-2 image for NSPO Image Processing System generally consists of two major steps. Firstly, an un-supervised K-means method is used for automatically estimating the cloud statistic of Formosat-2 image. Secondly, manual estimation of cloud coverage from Formosat-2 image is processed by manual examination. Apparently, a more accurate Automatic Cloud Coverage Assessment (ACCA) method certainly increases the efficiency of processing step 2 with a good prediction of cloud statistic. In this paper, mainly based on the research results from Chang et al, Irish, and Gotoh, we propose a modified Formosat-2 ACCA method which considered pre-processing and post-processing analysis. For pre-processing analysis, cloud statistic is determined by using un-supervised K-means classification, Sobel's method, Otsu's method, non-cloudy pixels reexamination, and cross-band filter method. Box-Counting fractal method is considered as a post-processing tool to double check the results of pre-processing analysis for increasing the efficiency of manual examination.

Detecting decay in wood components

Treesearch

R.J. Ross; X. Wang; B.K. Brashaw

2005-01-01

This chapter presents a summary of the Wood and Timber Condition Assessment Manual. It focuses on current inspection techniques for decay detection and provides guidelines on the use of various non-destructive evaluation (NDE) methods in locating and defining areas of deterioration in timber bridge components and other civil structures.

The 'Arm Force Field' method to predict manual arm strength based on only hand location and force direction.

PubMed

La Delfa, Nicholas J; Potvin, Jim R

2017-03-01

This paper describes the development of a novel method (termed the 'Arm Force Field' or 'AFF') to predict manual arm strength (MAS) for a wide range of body orientations, hand locations and any force direction. This method used an artificial neural network (ANN) to predict the effects of hand location and force direction on MAS, and included a method to estimate the contribution of the arm's weight to the predicted strength. The AFF method predicted the MAS values very well (r 2  = 0.97, RMSD = 5.2 N, n = 456) and maintained good generalizability with external test data (r 2  = 0.842, RMSD = 13.1 N, n = 80). The AFF can be readily integrated within any DHM ergonomics software, and appears to be a more robust, reliable and valid method of estimating the strength capabilities of the arm, when compared to current approaches. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Manual tracing versus smartphone application (app) tracing: a comparative study.

PubMed

Sayar, Gülşilay; Kilinc, Delal Dara

2017-11-01

This study aimed to compare the results of conventional manual cephalometric tracing with those acquired with smartphone application cephalometric tracing. The cephalometric radiographs of 55 patients (25 females and 30 males) were traced via the manual and app methods and were subsequently examined with Steiner's analysis. Five skeletal measurements, five dental measurements and two soft tissue measurements were managed based on 21 landmarks. The durations of the performances of the two methods were also compared. SNA (Sella, Nasion, A point angle) and SNB (Sella, Nasion, B point angle) values for the manual method were statistically lower (p < .001) than those for the app method. The ANB value for the manual method was statistically lower than that of app method. L1-NB (°) and upper lip protrusion values for the manual method were statistically higher than those for the app method. Go-GN/SN, U1-NA (°) and U1-NA (mm) values for manual method were statistically lower than those for the app method. No differences between the two methods were found in the L1-NB (mm), occlusal plane to SN, interincisal angle or lower lip protrusion values. Although statistically significant differences were found between the two methods, the cephalometric tracing proceeded faster with the app method than with the manual method.

Improved automated lumen contour detection by novel multifrequency processing algorithm with current intravascular ultrasound system.

PubMed

Kume, Teruyoshi; Kim, Byeong-Keuk; Waseda, Katsuhisa; Sathyanarayana, Shashidhar; Li, Wenguang; Teo, Tat-Jin; Yock, Paul G; Fitzgerald, Peter J; Honda, Yasuhiro

2013-02-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate a new fully automated lumen border tracing system based on a novel multifrequency processing algorithm. We developed the multifrequency processing method to enhance arterial lumen detection by exploiting the differential scattering characteristics of blood and arterial tissue. The implementation of the method can be integrated into current intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) hardware. This study was performed in vivo with conventional 40-MHz IVUS catheters (Atlantis SR Pro™, Boston Scientific Corp, Natick, MA) in 43 clinical patients with coronary artery disease. A total of 522 frames were randomly selected, and lumen areas were measured after automatically tracing lumen borders with the new tracing system and a commercially available tracing system (TraceAssist™) referred to as the "conventional tracing system." The data assessed by the two automated systems were compared with the results of manual tracings by experienced IVUS analysts. New automated lumen measurements showed better agreement with manual lumen area tracings compared with those of the conventional tracing system (correlation coefficient: 0.819 vs. 0.509). When compared against manual tracings, the new algorithm also demonstrated improved systematic error (mean difference: 0.13 vs. -1.02 mm(2) ) and random variability (standard deviation of difference: 2.21 vs. 4.02 mm(2) ) compared with the conventional tracing system. This preliminary study showed that the novel fully automated tracing system based on the multifrequency processing algorithm can provide more accurate lumen border detection than current automated tracing systems and thus, offer a more reliable quantitative evaluation of lumen geometry. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Saliency-aware food image segmentation for personal dietary assessment using a wearable computer

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Image-based dietary assessment has recently received much attention in the community of obesity research. In this assessment, foods in digital pictures are specified, and their portion sizes (volumes) are estimated. Although manual processing is currently the most utilized method, image processing h...

Additional Effect of Static Ultrasound and Diadynamic Currents on Myofascial Trigger Points in a Manual Therapy Program for Patients With Chronic Neck Pain: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

PubMed

Dibai-Filho, Almir Vieira; de Oliveira, Alessandra Kelly; Girasol, Carlos Eduardo; Dias, Fabiana Rodrigues Cancio; Guirro, Rinaldo Roberto de Jesus

2017-04-01

To assess the additional effect of static ultrasound and diadynamic currents on myofascial trigger points in a manual therapy program to treat individuals with chronic neck pain. A single-blind randomized trial was conducted. Both men and women, between ages 18 and 45, with chronic neck pain and active myofascial trigger points in the upper trapezius were included in the study. Subjects were assigned to 3 different groups: group 1 (n = 20) was treated with manual therapy; group 2 (n = 20) was treated with manual therapy and static ultrasound; group 3 (n = 20) was treated with manual therapy and diadynamic currents. Individuals were assessed before the first treatment session, 48 hours after the first treatment session, 48 hours after the tenth treatment session, and 4 weeks after the last session. There was no group-versus-time interaction for Numeric Rating Scale, Neck Disability Index, Pain-Related Self-Statement Scale, pressure pain threshold, cervical range of motion, and skin temperature (F-value range, 0.089-1.961; P-value range, 0.106-0.977). Moreover, we found no differences between groups regarding electromyographic activity (P > 0.05). The use of static ultrasound or diadynamic currents on myofascial trigger points in upper trapezius associated with a manual therapy program did not generate greater benefits than manual therapy alone.

Moments of speaking and silencing: Nurses share their experiences of manual handling in healthcare.

PubMed

Kay, Kate; Evans, Alicia; Glass, Nel

2015-01-01

Nursing care involves complex patient handling tasks, resulting in high musculoskeletal injury rates. Epidemiological studies from the 1980s estimated a lifetime prevalence of lower back injuries for nurses between 35 and 80%. National and international studies continue to mirror these findings. Despite the development of programs intended to reduce manual handling injuries, sustainable solutions remain elusive. This paper reports on a study of nurses speaking about their perspectives on current manual handling practices. Qualitative research conducted in 2012 investigated nurses' perceptions and experiences relating to manual handling in the healthcare context and their participation in injury prevention programs. There were two research methods: semi-structured interviews and researcher reflective journaling. The research was framed in critical emancipatory methodology. Thirteen nurses from two Australian states participated in the study. Thematic analysis revealed an overarching theme of 'power relations' with a subcategory of '(mis)power' that comprised two subthemes, these being 'how to practice' and 'voicing practice issues'. Specifically, this paper explores nurses verbalising their views in the workplace and responses which left them feeling silenced, punished and disillusioned. The findings suggest that the sociopolitical context within which nurses practice impacts upon their ability to voice concerns or ideas related to manual handling. Inclusion of nurses in the manual handling dialogue may generate an expanded understanding of, and the potential to transform, manual handling practices in healthcare environments.

Long Term Resource Monitoring Program procedures: fish monitoring

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ratcliff, Eric N.; Glittinger, Eric J.; O'Hara, T. Matt; Ickes, Brian S.

2014-01-01

This manual constitutes the second revision of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Upper Mississippi River Restoration-Environmental Management Program (UMRR-EMP) Long Term Resource Monitoring Program (LTRMP) element Fish Procedures Manual. The original (1988) manual merged and expanded on ideas and recommendations related to Upper Mississippi River fish sampling presented in several early documents. The first revision to the manual was made in 1995 reflecting important protocol changes, such as the adoption of a stratified random sampling design. The 1995 procedures manual has been an important document through the years and has been cited in many reports and scientific manuscripts. The resulting data collected by the LTRMP fish component represent the largest dataset on fish within the Upper Mississippi River System (UMRS) with more than 44,000 collections of approximately 5.7 million fish. The goal of this revision of the procedures manual is to document changes in LTRMP fish sampling procedures since 1995. Refinements to sampling methods become necessary as monitoring programs mature. Possible refinements are identified through field experiences (e.g., sampling techniques and safety protocols), data analysis (e.g., planned and studied gear efficiencies and reallocations of effort), and technological advances (e.g., electronic data entry). Other changes may be required because of financial necessity (i.e., unplanned effort reductions). This version of the LTRMP fish monitoring manual describes the most current (2014) procedures of the LTRMP fish component.

Development of a manualized protocol of massage therapy for clinical trials in osteoarthritis.

PubMed

Ali, Ather; Kahn, Janet; Rosenberger, Lisa; Perlman, Adam I

2012-10-04

Clinical trial design of manual therapies may be especially challenging as techniques are often individualized and practitioner-dependent. This paper describes our methods in creating a standardized Swedish massage protocol tailored to subjects with osteoarthritis of the knee while respectful of the individualized nature of massage therapy, as well as implementation of this protocol in two randomized clinical trials. The manualization process involved a collaborative process between methodologic and clinical experts, with the explicit goals of creating a reproducible semi-structured protocol for massage therapy, while allowing some latitude for therapists' clinical judgment and maintaining consistency with a prior pilot study. The manualized protocol addressed identical specified body regions with distinct 30- and 60-min protocols, using standard Swedish strokes. Each protocol specifies the time allocated to each body region. The manualized 30- and 60-min protocols were implemented in a dual-site 24-week randomized dose-finding trial in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee, and is currently being implemented in a three-site 52-week efficacy trial of manualized Swedish massage therapy. In the dose-finding study, therapists adhered to the protocols and significant treatment effects were demonstrated. The massage protocol was manualized, using standard techniques, and made flexible for individual practitioner and subject needs. The protocol has been applied in two randomized clinical trials. This manualized Swedish massage protocol has real-world utility and can be readily utilized both in the research and clinical settings. Clinicaltrials.gov NCT00970008 (18 August 2009).

Evaluation of a pulsed-xenon ultraviolet room disinfection device for impact on contamination levels of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

PubMed

Jinadatha, Chetan; Quezada, Ricardo; Huber, Thomas W; Williams, Jason B; Zeber, John E; Copeland, Laurel A

2014-04-07

Healthcare-acquired infections with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are a significant cause of increased mortality, morbidity and additional health care costs in United States. Surface decontamination technologies that utilize pulsed xenon ultraviolet light (PPX-UV) may be effective at reducing microbial burden. The purpose of this study was to compare standard manual room-cleaning to PPX-UV disinfection technology for MRSA and bacterial heterotrophic plate counts (HPC) on high-touch surfaces in patient rooms. Rooms vacated by patients that had a MRSA-positive polymerase chain reaction or culture during the current hospitalization and at least a 2-day stay were studied. 20 rooms were then treated according to one of two protocols: standard manual cleaning or PPX-UV. This study evaluated the reduction of MRSA and HPC taken from five high-touch surfaces in rooms vacated by MRSA-positive patients, as a function of cleaning by standard manual methods vs a PPX-UV area disinfection device. Colony counts in 20 rooms (10 per arm) prior to cleaning varied by cleaning protocol: for HPC, manual (mean = 255, median = 278, q1-q3 132-304) vs PPX-UV (mean = 449, median = 365, q1-q3 332-530), and for MRSA, manual (mean = 127; median = 28.5; q1-q3 8-143) vs PPX-UV (mean = 108; median = 123; q1-q3 14-183). PPX-UV was superior to manual cleaning for MRSA (adjusted incident rate ratio [IRR] = 7; 95% CI <1-41) and for HPC (IRR = 13; 95% CI 4-48). PPX-UV technology appears to be superior to manual cleaning alone for MRSA and HPC. Incorporating 15 minutes of PPX-UV exposure time to current hospital room cleaning practice can improve the overall cleanliness of patient rooms with respect to selected micro-organisms.

Multimodal corridor and capacity analysis manual. Final report

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

NONE

1998-12-31

This report presents the results of research carried out under NCHRP Project 8-31, Long-Term Availability of Multimodal Corridor Capacity. The report is presented as a manual on multimodal corridor and capacity analysis. Because transportation-system and corridor capacity for freight and passengers is critical for meeting current and future transportation demand, this manual will provide much needed assistance to a wide range of practitioners, particularly those engaged in performance analysis, capacity management, needs studies, systems planning, and corridor development planning--including major investment studies. It provides information regarding capacity analysis approaches for highways, rail, pipelines, and waterways and presents available options formore » enhancing corridor capacity and performance through various strategies such as new capacity development, freeing up unused capacity, or control of travel demand. Evaluation methods for these options are included.« less

User's manual for three dimensional FDTD version C code for scattering from frequency-independent dielectric and magnetic materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beggs, John H.; Luebbers, Raymond J.; Kunz, Karl S.

1991-01-01

The Penn State Finite Difference Time Domain Electromagnetic Scattering Code Version C is a three dimensional numerical electromagnetic scattering code based upon the Finite Difference Time Domain Technique (FDTD). The supplied version of the code is one version of our current three dimensional FDTD code set. This manual provides a description of the code and corresponding results for several scattering problems. The manual is organized into fourteen sections: introduction, description of the FDTD method, operation, resource requirements, Version C code capabilities, a brief description of the default scattering geometry, a brief description of each subroutine, a description of the include file (COMMONC.FOR), a section briefly discussing Radar Cross Section (RCS) computations, a section discussing some scattering results, a sample problem setup section, a new problem checklist, references and figure titles.

User's manual for three dimensional FDTD version D code for scattering from frequency-dependent dielectric and magnetic materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beggs, John H.; Luebbers, Raymond J.; Kunz, Karl S.

1991-01-01

The Penn State Finite Difference Time Domain Electromagnetic Scattering Code Version D is a three dimensional numerical electromagnetic scattering code based upon the Finite Difference Time Domain Technique (FDTD). The supplied version of the code is one version of our current three dimensional FDTD code set. This manual provides a description of the code and corresponding results for several scattering problems. The manual is organized into fourteen sections: introduction, description of the FDTD method, operation, resource requirements, Version D code capabilities, a brief description of the default scattering geometry, a brief description of each subroutine, a description of the include file (COMMOND.FOR), a section briefly discussing Radar Cross Section (RCS) computations, a section discussing some scattering results, a sample problem setup section, a new problem checklist, references and figure titles.

User's manual for three dimensional FDTD version A code for scattering from frequency-independent dielectric materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beggs, John H.; Luebbers, Raymond J.; Kunz, Karl S.

1992-01-01

The Penn State Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) Electromagnetic Scattering Code Version A is a three dimensional numerical electromagnetic scattering code based on the Finite Difference Time Domain technique. The supplied version of the code is one version of our current three dimensional FDTD code set. The manual provides a description of the code and the corresponding results for the default scattering problem. The manual is organized into 14 sections: introduction, description of the FDTD method, operation, resource requirements, Version A code capabilities, a brief description of the default scattering geometry, a brief description of each subroutine, a description of the include file (COMMONA.FOR), a section briefly discussing radar cross section (RCS) computations, a section discussing the scattering results, a sample problem setup section, a new problem checklist, references, and figure titles.

User's manual for three dimensional FDTD version C code for scattering from frequency-independent dielectric and magnetic materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beggs, John H.; Luebbers, Raymond J.; Kunz, Karl S.

1992-01-01

The Penn State Finite Difference Time Domain Electromagnetic Scattering Code Version C is a three-dimensional numerical electromagnetic scattering code based on the Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) technique. The supplied version of the code is one version of our current three-dimensional FDTD code set. The manual given here provides a description of the code and corresponding results for several scattering problems. The manual is organized into 14 sections: introduction, description of the FDTD method, operation, resource requirements, Version C code capabilities, a brief description of the default scattering geometry, a brief description of each subroutine, a description of the include file (COMMONC.FOR), a section briefly discussing radar cross section computations, a section discussing some scattering results, a new problem checklist, references, and figure titles.

User's manual for three dimensional FDTD version B code for scattering from frequency-dependent dielectric materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beggs, John H.; Luebbers, Raymond J.; Kunz, Karl S.

1991-01-01

The Penn State Finite Difference Time Domain Electromagnetic Scattering Code Version B is a three dimensional numerical electromagnetic scattering code based upon the Finite Difference Time Domain Technique (FDTD). The supplied version of the code is one version of our current three dimensional FDTD code set. This manual provides a description of the code and corresponding results for several scattering problems. The manual is organized into fourteen sections: introduction, description of the FDTD method, operation, resource requirements, Version B code capabilities, a brief description of the default scattering geometry, a brief description of each subroutine, a description of the include file (COMMONB.FOR), a section briefly discussing Radar Cross Section (RCS) computations, a section discussing some scattering results, a sample problem setup section, a new problem checklist, references and figure titles.

A neurite quality index and machine vision software for improved quantification of neurodegeneration.

PubMed

Romero, Peggy; Miller, Ted; Garakani, Arman

2009-12-01

Current methods to assess neurodegradation in dorsal root ganglion cultures as a model for neurodegenerative diseases are imprecise and time-consuming. Here we describe two new methods to quantify neuroprotection in these cultures. The neurite quality index (NQI) builds upon earlier manual methods, incorporating additional morphological events to increase detection sensitivity for the detection of early degeneration events. Neurosight is a machine vision-based method that recapitulates many of the strengths of NQI while enabling high-throughput screening applications with decreased costs.

Alabama 4-H Marine Pilot Manual.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rawson, Mac; Trussell, Gale

Brief descriptions and eight activities related to zooplankton, sharks, dune ecology, ocean currents, and sea products comprise this manual. Among the activities are harvesting seafood, making Japanese fish prints, and tracing marine currents with drift bottles. (WB)

The design and implementation of an automated system for logging clinical experiences using an anesthesia information management system.

PubMed

Simpao, Allan; Heitz, James W; McNulty, Stephen E; Chekemian, Beth; Brenn, B Randall; Epstein, Richard H

2011-02-01

Residents in anesthesia training programs throughout the world are required to document their clinical cases to help ensure that they receive adequate training. Current systems involve self-reporting, are subject to delayed updates and misreported data, and do not provide a practicable method of validation. Anesthesia information management systems (AIMS) are being used increasingly in training programs and are a logical source for verifiable documentation. We hypothesized that case logs generated automatically from an AIMS would be sufficiently accurate to replace the current manual process. We based our analysis on the data reporting requirements of the American College of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). We conducted a systematic review of ACGME requirements and our AIMS record, and made modifications after identifying data element and attribution issues. We studied 2 methods (parsing of free text procedure descriptions and CPT4 procedure code mapping) to automatically determine ACGME case categories and generated AIMS-based case logs and compared these to assignments made by manual inspection of the anesthesia records. We also assessed under- and overreporting of cases entered manually by our residents into the ACGME website. The parsing and mapping methods assigned cases to a majority of the ACGME categories with accuracies of 95% and 97%, respectively, as compared with determinations made by 2 residents and 1 attending who manually reviewed all procedure descriptions. Comparison of AIMS-based case logs with reports from the ACGME Resident Case Log System website showed that >50% of residents either underreported or overreported their total case counts by at least 5%. The AIMS database is a source of contemporaneous documentation of resident experience that can be queried to generate valid, verifiable case logs. The extent of AIMS adoption by academic anesthesia departments should encourage accreditation organizations to support uploading of AIMS-based case log files to improve accuracy and to decrease the clerical burden on anesthesia residents.

Associations between Family Adversity and Brain Volume in Adolescence: Manual vs. Automated Brain Segmentation Yields Different Results.

PubMed

Lyden, Hannah; Gimbel, Sarah I; Del Piero, Larissa; Tsai, A Bryna; Sachs, Matthew E; Kaplan, Jonas T; Margolin, Gayla; Saxbe, Darby

2016-01-01

Associations between brain structure and early adversity have been inconsistent in the literature. These inconsistencies may be partially due to methodological differences. Different methods of brain segmentation may produce different results, obscuring the relationship between early adversity and brain volume. Moreover, adolescence is a time of significant brain growth and certain brain areas have distinct rates of development, which may compromise the accuracy of automated segmentation approaches. In the current study, 23 adolescents participated in two waves of a longitudinal study. Family aggression was measured when the youths were 12 years old, and structural scans were acquired an average of 4 years later. Bilateral amygdalae and hippocampi were segmented using three different methods (manual tracing, FSL, and NeuroQuant). The segmentation estimates were compared, and linear regressions were run to assess the relationship between early family aggression exposure and all three volume segmentation estimates. Manual tracing results showed a positive relationship between family aggression and right amygdala volume, whereas FSL segmentation showed negative relationships between family aggression and both the left and right hippocampi. However, results indicate poor overlap between methods, and different associations were found between early family aggression exposure and brain volume depending on the segmentation method used.

Associations between Family Adversity and Brain Volume in Adolescence: Manual vs. Automated Brain Segmentation Yields Different Results

PubMed Central

Lyden, Hannah; Gimbel, Sarah I.; Del Piero, Larissa; Tsai, A. Bryna; Sachs, Matthew E.; Kaplan, Jonas T.; Margolin, Gayla; Saxbe, Darby

2016-01-01

Associations between brain structure and early adversity have been inconsistent in the literature. These inconsistencies may be partially due to methodological differences. Different methods of brain segmentation may produce different results, obscuring the relationship between early adversity and brain volume. Moreover, adolescence is a time of significant brain growth and certain brain areas have distinct rates of development, which may compromise the accuracy of automated segmentation approaches. In the current study, 23 adolescents participated in two waves of a longitudinal study. Family aggression was measured when the youths were 12 years old, and structural scans were acquired an average of 4 years later. Bilateral amygdalae and hippocampi were segmented using three different methods (manual tracing, FSL, and NeuroQuant). The segmentation estimates were compared, and linear regressions were run to assess the relationship between early family aggression exposure and all three volume segmentation estimates. Manual tracing results showed a positive relationship between family aggression and right amygdala volume, whereas FSL segmentation showed negative relationships between family aggression and both the left and right hippocampi. However, results indicate poor overlap between methods, and different associations were found between early family aggression exposure and brain volume depending on the segmentation method used. PMID:27656121

Bridging the gap between the science and service of HIV prevention: transferring effective research-based HIV prevention interventions to community AIDS service providers.

PubMed Central

Kelly, J A; Somlai, A M; DiFranceisco, W J; Otto-Salaj, L L; McAuliffe, T L; Hackl, K L; Heckman, T G; Holtgrave, D R; Rompa, D

2000-01-01

OBJECTIVES: AIDS service organizations (ASOs) rarely have access to the information needed to implement research-based HIV prevention interventions for their clients. We compared the effectiveness of 3 dissemination strategies for transferring HIV prevention models from the research arena to community providers of HIV prevention services. METHODS: Interviews were conducted with the directors of 74 ASOs to assess current HIV prevention services. ASOs were randomized to programs that provided (1) technical assistance manuals describing how to implement research-based HIV prevention interventions, (2) manuals plus a staff training workshop on how to conduct the implementation, or (3) manuals, the training workshop, and follow-up telephone consultation calls. Follow-up interviews determined whether the intervention model had been adopted. RESULTS: The dissemination package that provided ASOs with implementation manuals, staff training workshops, and follow-up consultation resulted in more frequent adoption and use of the research-based HIV prevention intervention for gay men, women, and other client populations. CONCLUSIONS: Strategies are needed to quickly transfer research-based HIV prevention methods to community providers of HIV prevention services. Active collaboration between researchers and service agencies results in more successful program adoption than distribution of implementation packages alone. PMID:10897186

Evaluation and comparison of rapid methods for the detection of Salmonella in naturally contaminated pine nuts using different pre enrichment media.

PubMed

Wang, Hua; Gill, Vikas S; Cheng, Chorng-Ming; Gonzalez-Escalona, Narjol; Irvin, Kari A; Zheng, Jie; Bell, Rebecca L; Jacobson, Andrew P; Hammack, Thomas S

2015-04-01

Foodborne outbreaks, involving pine nuts and peanut butter, illustrate the need to rapidly detect Salmonella in low moisture foods. However, the current Bacteriological Analytical Manual (BAM) culture method for Salmonella, using lactose broth (LB) as a pre enrichment medium, has not reliably supported real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) assays for certain foods. We evaluated two qPCR assays in LB and four other pre enrichment media: buffered peptone water (BPW), modified BPW (mBPW), Universal Pre enrichment broth (UPB), and BAX(®) MP media to detect Salmonella in naturally-contaminated pine nuts (2011 outbreak). A four-way comparison among culture method, Pathatrix(®) Auto, VIDAS(®) Easy SLM, and qPCR was conducted. Automated DNA extraction techniques were compared with manual extraction methods (boiling or InstaGene™). There were no significant differences (P > 0.05) among the five pre enrichment media for pine nuts using the culture method. While both qPCR assays produced significantly (P ≤ 0.05) higher false negatives in 24 h pre enriched LB than in the other four media, they were as sensitive as the culture method in BPW, mBPW, UPB, and BAX media. The VIDAS Easy and qPCR were equivalent; Pathatrix was the least effective method. The Automatic PrepSEQ™ DNA extraction, using 1000 μL of pre enrichment, was as effective as manual extraction methods. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Evaluation of Visual Acuity Measurements after Autorefraction versus Manual Refraction in Eyes with and without Diabetic Macular Edema

PubMed Central

Sun, Jennifer K.; Qin, Haijing; Aiello, Lloyd Paul; Melia, Michele; Beck, Roy W.; Andreoli, Christopher M.; Edwards, Paul A.; Glassman, Adam R.; Pavlica, Michael R.

2012-01-01

Objective To compare visual acuity (VA) scores after autorefraction versus research protocol manual refraction in eyes of patients with diabetes and a wide range of VA. Methods Electronic Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (E-ETDRS) VA Test© letter score (EVA) was measured after autorefraction (AR-EVA) and after Diabetic Retinopathy Clinical Research Network (DRCR.net) protocol manual refraction (MR-EVA). Testing order was randomized, study participants and VA examiners were masked to refraction source, and a second EVA utilizing an identical manual refraction (MR-EVAsupl) was performed to determine test-retest variability. Results In 878 eyes of 456 study participants, median MR-EVA was 74 (Snellen equivalent approximately 20/32). Spherical equivalent was often similar for manual and autorefraction (median difference: 0.00, 5th and 95th percentiles −1.75 to +1.13 Diopters). However, on average, MR-EVA results were slightly better than AR-EVA results across the entire VA range. Furthermore, variability between AR-EVA and MR-EVA was substantially greater than the test-retest variability of MR-EVA (P<0.001). Variability of differences was highly dependent on autorefractor model. Conclusions Across a wide range of VA at multiple sites using a variety of autorefractors, VA measurements tend to be worse with autorefraction than manual refraction. Differences between individual autorefractor models were identified. However, even among autorefractor models comparing most favorably to manual refraction, VA variability between autorefraction and manual refraction is higher than the test-retest variability of manual refraction. The results suggest that with current instruments, autorefraction is not an acceptable substitute for manual refraction for most clinical trials with primary outcomes dependent on best-corrected VA. PMID:22159173

A Manually Operated, Advance Off-Stylet Insertion Tool for Minimally Invasive Cochlear Implantation Surgery

PubMed Central

Kratchman, Louis B.; Schurzig, Daniel; McRackan, Theodore R.; Balachandran, Ramya; Noble, Jack H.; Webster, Robert J.; Labadie, Robert F.

2014-01-01

The current technique for cochlear implantation (CI) surgery requires a mastoidectomy to gain access to the cochlea for electrode array insertion. It has been shown that microstereotactic frames can enable an image-guided, minimally invasive approach to CI surgery called percutaneous cochlear implantation (PCI) that uses a single drill hole for electrode array insertion, avoiding a more invasive mastoidectomy. Current clinical methods for electrode array insertion are not compatible with PCI surgery because they require a mastoidectomy to access the cochlea; thus, we have developed a manually operated electrode array insertion tool that can be deployed through a PCI drill hole. The tool can be adjusted using a preoperative CT scan for accurate execution of the advance off-stylet (AOS) insertion technique and requires less skill to operate than is currently required to implant electrode arrays. We performed three cadaver insertion experiments using the AOS technique and determined that all insertions were successful using CT and microdissection. PMID:22851233

Cathodic Protection Measurement Through Inline Inspection Technology Uses and Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferguson, Briana Ley

This research supports the evaluation of an impressed current cathodic protection (CP) system of a buried coated steel pipeline through alternative technology and methods, via an inline inspection device (ILI, CP ILI tool, or tool), in order to prevent and mitigate external corrosion. This thesis investigates the ability to measure the current density of a pipeline's CP system from inside of a pipeline rather than manually from outside, and then convert that CP ILI tool reading into a pipe-to-soil potential as required by regulations and standards. This was demonstrated through a mathematical model that utilizes applications of Ohm's Law, circuit concepts, and attenuation principles in order to match the results of the ILI sample data by varying parameters of the model (i.e., values for over potential and coating resistivity). This research has not been conducted previously in order to determine if the protected potential range can be achieved with respect to the predicted current density from the CP ILI device. Kirchhoff's method was explored, but certain principals could not be used in the model as manual measurements were required. This research was based on circuit concepts which indirectly affected electrochemical processes. Through Ohm's law, the results show that a constant current density is possible in the protected potential range; therefore, indicates polarization of the pipeline, which leads to calcareous deposit development with respect to electrochemistry. Calcareous deposit is desirable in industry since it increases the resistance of the pipeline coating and lowers current, thus slowing the oxygen diffusion process. This research conveys that an alternative method for CP evaluation from inside of the pipeline is possible where the pipe-to-soil potential can be estimated (as required by regulations) from the ILI tool's current density measurement.

Highly automatic quantification of myocardial oedema in patients with acute myocardial infarction using bright blood T2-weighted CMR

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background T2-weighted cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) is clinically-useful for imaging the ischemic area-at-risk and amount of salvageable myocardium in patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI). However, to date, quantification of oedema is user-defined and potentially subjective. Methods We describe a highly automatic framework for quantifying myocardial oedema from bright blood T2-weighted CMR in patients with acute MI. Our approach retains user input (i.e. clinical judgment) to confirm the presence of oedema on an image which is then subjected to an automatic analysis. The new method was tested on 25 consecutive acute MI patients who had a CMR within 48 hours of hospital admission. Left ventricular wall boundaries were delineated automatically by variational level set methods followed by automatic detection of myocardial oedema by fitting a Rayleigh-Gaussian mixture statistical model. These data were compared with results from manual segmentation of the left ventricular wall and oedema, the current standard approach. Results The mean perpendicular distances between automatically detected left ventricular boundaries and corresponding manual delineated boundaries were in the range of 1-2 mm. Dice similarity coefficients for agreement (0=no agreement, 1=perfect agreement) between manual delineation and automatic segmentation of the left ventricular wall boundaries and oedema regions were 0.86 and 0.74, respectively. Conclusion Compared to standard manual approaches, the new highly automatic method for estimating myocardial oedema is accurate and straightforward. It has potential as a generic software tool for physicians to use in clinical practice. PMID:23548176

Asphalt pavement inspector's manual

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2002-07-01

The information currently available on asphalt paving would fill a small library. Furthermore, DOT&PF's Alaska Construction Manual describes procedures for the Department's staff to use on all aspects of construction projects. This manual draws on th...

77 FR 18283 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; The National Securities Clearing Corporation; Notice of Filing and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-27

.... NSCC believes it can offer a number of control improvements to the current manual, decentralized, and...: Electronic Comments Use the Commission's Internet comment form ( http://www.sec.gov/rules/sro.shtml ); or... one method. The Commission will post all comments on the Commission's Internet Web site ( http://www...

Ethics Education in Australian Preservice Teacher Programs: A Hidden Imperative?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boon, Helen J.; Maxwell, Bruce

2016-01-01

This paper provides a snapshot of the current approach to ethics education in accredited Australian pre-service teacher programs. Methods included a manual calendar search of ethics related subjects required in teacher programs using a sample of 24 Australian universities and a survey of 26 university representatives. Findings show a paucity of…

Unitizing goods on pallets and slipsheets

Treesearch

J. F. Laundrie

1986-01-01

Packaging, handling, and shipping methods and facilities have changed drastically since World War II. Today, most products are individually packaged and then combined into unitized loads for more efficient handling, storage, and shipping. The purpose of this manual is to promote the most effective use of wood and wood fiber in current packaging and shipping practices...

Massage, reflexology and other manual methods for pain management in labour.

PubMed

Smith, Caroline A; Levett, Kate M; Collins, Carmel T; Jones, Leanne

2012-02-15

Many women would like to avoid pharmacological or invasive methods of pain management in labour, and this may contribute towards the popularity of complementary methods of pain management. This review examined currently available evidence supporting the use of manual healing methods including massage and reflexology for pain management in labour. To examine the effects of manual healing methods including massage and reflexology for pain management in labour on maternal and perinatal morbidity. We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group's Trials Register (30 June 2011), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (The Cochrane Library 2011, Issue 2 of 4), MEDLINE (1966 to 30 June 2011), CINAHL (1980 to 30 June 2011), the Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry (30 June 2011), Chinese Clinical Trial Register (30 June 2011), Current Controlled Trials (30 June 2011), ClinicalTrials.gov, (30 June 2011) ISRCTN Register (30 June 2011), National Centre for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) (30 June 2011) and the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (30 June 2011). Randomised controlled trials comparing manual healing methods with standard care, no treatment, other non-pharmacological forms of pain management in labour or placebo. Two authors independently assessed trial quality and extracted data. We attempted to contact study authors for additional information. We included six trials, with data reporting on five trials and 326 women in the meta-analysis. We found trials for massage only. Less pain during labour was reported from massage compared with usual care during the first stage of labour (standardised mean difference (SMD) -0.82, 95% confidence interval (CI) -1.17 to -0.47), four trials, 225 women), and labour pain was reduced in one trial of massage compared with music (risk ratio (RR) 0.40, 95% CI 0.18 to 0.89, 101 women). One trial of massage compared with usual care found reduced anxiety during the first stage of labour (MD -16.27, 95% CI -27.03 to -5.51, 60 women). No trial was assessed as being at a low risk of bias for all quality domains. Massage may have a role in reducing pain, and improving women's emotional experience of labour. However, there is a need for further research.

Sensor fault-tolerant control for gear-shifting engaging process of automated manual transmission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Liang; He, Kai; Wang, Xiangyu; Liu, Yahui

2018-01-01

Angular displacement sensor on the actuator of automated manual transmission (AMT) is sensitive to fault, and the sensor fault will disturb its normal control, which affects the entire gear-shifting process of AMT and results in awful riding comfort. In order to solve this problem, this paper proposes a method of fault-tolerant control for AMT gear-shifting engaging process. By using the measured current of actuator motor and angular displacement of actuator, the gear-shifting engaging load torque table is built and updated before the occurrence of the sensor fault. Meanwhile, residual between estimated and measured angular displacements is used to detect the sensor fault. Once the residual exceeds a determined fault threshold, the sensor fault is detected. Then, switch control is triggered, and the current observer and load torque table estimates an actual gear-shifting position to replace the measured one to continue controlling the gear-shifting process. Numerical and experiment tests are carried out to evaluate the reliability and feasibility of proposed methods, and the results show that the performance of estimation and control is satisfactory.

Validity of a Manual Soft Tissue Profile Prediction Method Following Mandibular Setback Osteotomy

PubMed Central

Kolokitha, Olga-Elpis

2007-01-01

Objectives The aim of this study was to determine the validity of a manual cephalometric method used for predicting the post-operative soft tissue profiles of patients who underwent mandibular setback surgery and compare it to a computerized cephalometric prediction method (Dentofacial Planner). Lateral cephalograms of 18 adults with mandibular prognathism taken at the end of pre-surgical orthodontics and approximately one year after surgery were used. Methods To test the validity of the manual method the prediction tracings were compared to the actual post-operative tracings. The Dentofacial Planner software was used to develop the computerized post-surgical prediction tracings. Both manual and computerized prediction printouts were analyzed by using the cephalometric system PORDIOS. Statistical analysis was performed by means of t-test. Results Comparison between manual prediction tracings and the actual post-operative profile showed that the manual method results in more convex soft tissue profiles; the upper lip was found in a more prominent position, upper lip thickness was increased and, the mandible and lower lip were found in a less posterior position than that of the actual profiles. Comparison between computerized and manual prediction methods showed that in the manual method upper lip thickness was increased, the upper lip was found in a more anterior position and the lower anterior facial height was increased as compared to the computerized prediction method. Conclusions Cephalometric simulation of post-operative soft tissue profile following orthodontic-surgical management of mandibular prognathism imposes certain limitations related to the methods implied. However, both manual and computerized prediction methods remain a useful tool for patient communication. PMID:19212468

14 CFR 125.75 - Airplane flight manual.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 3 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Airplane flight manual. 125.75 Section 125... OPERATIONS: AIRPLANES HAVING A SEATING CAPACITY OF 20 OR MORE PASSENGERS OR A MAXIMUM PAYLOAD CAPACITY OF 6... Airplane flight manual. (a) Each certificate holder shall keep a current approved Airplane Flight Manual or...

14 CFR 125.75 - Airplane flight manual.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Airplane flight manual. 125.75 Section 125... OPERATIONS: AIRPLANES HAVING A SEATING CAPACITY OF 20 OR MORE PASSENGERS OR A MAXIMUM PAYLOAD CAPACITY OF 6... Airplane flight manual. (a) Each certificate holder shall keep a current approved Airplane Flight Manual or...

Therapist tips for the brief behavioural activation therapy for depression - revised (BATD-R) treatment manual practical wisdom and clinical nuance

PubMed Central

CASSAR, Joanne; ROSS, Joanne; DAHNE, Jennifer; EWER, Philippa; TEESSON, Maree; HOPKO, Derek; LEJUEZ, Carl W.

2018-01-01

Objective This article aims to provide supportive guidance for clinicians using the brief behavioral activation treatment for depression - revised (BATD-R) manual. Expanding upon key points less explicitly addressed in the treatment manual, the goal is to convey practical wisdom and clinical nuance beyond that available in the manual, thereby enhancing therapist comfort with the approach and improving treatment delivery. Methods In preparation for a randomised control trial of behavioural activation treatment for depression among substance users (the Activate Study), Professor Carl Lejuez, an author on the manual, provided training to our research team. This occurred over four days in May 2013 at the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre in Sydney, Australia and involved in-depth discussion about treatment delivery, often addressing important issues implied but not addressed in-depth in the manual. Reflections were discussed throughout training and subsequently collated into key themes. Results Intricacies associated with treatment delivery were identified. Seven key themes emerged, covering: provision of the treatment rationale; therapeutic alliance and self-disclosure; behaviour monitoring; values; angles and steps; contracts; and drawing from other therapeutic approaches. A detailed discussion of how to approach these themes in treatment forms the basis of this article. Conclusions The current article seeks to guide therapists and provide a supplement to the BATD-R manual that will enhance the flexibility and accessibility for therapists utilising this treatment. The suggestions made are useful for straightforward cases of depression and more complicated comorbid presentations, serving as a useful complement for therapists using the manual. PMID:29720886

Validity of a manual soft tissue profile prediction method following mandibular setback osteotomy.

PubMed

Kolokitha, Olga-Elpis

2007-10-01

The aim of this study was to determine the validity of a manual cephalometric method used for predicting the post-operative soft tissue profiles of patients who underwent mandibular setback surgery and compare it to a computerized cephalometric prediction method (Dentofacial Planner). Lateral cephalograms of 18 adults with mandibular prognathism taken at the end of pre-surgical orthodontics and approximately one year after surgery were used. To test the validity of the manual method the prediction tracings were compared to the actual post-operative tracings. The Dentofacial Planner software was used to develop the computerized post-surgical prediction tracings. Both manual and computerized prediction printouts were analyzed by using the cephalometric system PORDIOS. Statistical analysis was performed by means of t-test. Comparison between manual prediction tracings and the actual post-operative profile showed that the manual method results in more convex soft tissue profiles; the upper lip was found in a more prominent position, upper lip thickness was increased and, the mandible and lower lip were found in a less posterior position than that of the actual profiles. Comparison between computerized and manual prediction methods showed that in the manual method upper lip thickness was increased, the upper lip was found in a more anterior position and the lower anterior facial height was increased as compared to the computerized prediction method. Cephalometric simulation of post-operative soft tissue profile following orthodontic-surgical management of mandibular prognathism imposes certain limitations related to the methods implied. However, both manual and computerized prediction methods remain a useful tool for patient communication.

DBCG hypo trial validation of radiotherapy parameters from a national data bank versus manual reporting.

PubMed

Brink, Carsten; Lorenzen, Ebbe L; Krogh, Simon Long; Westberg, Jonas; Berg, Martin; Jensen, Ingelise; Thomsen, Mette Skovhus; Yates, Esben Svitzer; Offersen, Birgitte Vrou

2018-01-01

The current study evaluates the data quality achievable using a national data bank for reporting radiotherapy parameters relative to the classical manual reporting method of selected parameters. The data comparison is based on 1522 Danish patients of the DBCG hypo trial with data stored in the Danish national radiotherapy data bank. In line with standard DBCG trial practice selected parameters were also reported manually to the DBCG database. Categorical variables are compared using contingency tables, and comparison of continuous parameters is presented in scatter plots. For categorical variables 25 differences between the data bank and manual values were located. Of these 23 were related to mistakes in the manual reported value whilst the remaining two were a wrong classification in the data bank. The wrong classification in the data bank was related to lack of dose information, since the two patients had been treated with an electron boost based on a manual calculation, thus data was not exported to the data bank, and this was not detected prior to comparison with the manual data. For a few database fields in the manual data an ambiguity of the parameter definition of the specific field is seen in the data. This was not the case for the data bank, which extract all data consistently. In terms of data quality the data bank is superior to manually reported values. However, there is a need to allocate resources for checking the validity of the available data as well as ensuring that all relevant data is present. The data bank contains more detailed information, and thus facilitates research related to the actual dose distribution in the patients.

Validity of radiographic assessment of the knee joint space using automatic image analysis.

PubMed

Komatsu, Daigo; Hasegawa, Yukiharu; Kojima, Toshihisa; Seki, Taisuke; Ikeuchi, Kazuma; Takegami, Yasuhiko; Amano, Takafumi; Higuchi, Yoshitoshi; Kasai, Takehiro; Ishiguro, Naoki

2016-09-01

The present study investigated whether there were differences between automatic and manual measurements of the minimum joint space width (mJSW) on knee radiographs. Knee radiographs of 324 participants in a systematic health screening were analyzed using the following three methods: manual measurement of film-based radiographs (Manual), manual measurement of digitized radiographs (Digital), and automatic measurement of digitized radiographs (Auto). The mean mJSWs on the medial and lateral sides of the knees were determined using each method, and measurement reliability was evaluated using intra-class correlation coefficients. Measurement errors were compared between normal knees and knees with radiographic osteoarthritis. All three methods demonstrated good reliability, although the reliability was slightly lower with the Manual method than with the other methods. On the medial and lateral sides of the knees, the mJSWs were the largest in the Manual method and the smallest in the Auto method. The measurement errors of each method were significantly larger for normal knees than for radiographic osteoarthritis knees. The mJSW measurements are more accurate and reliable with the Auto method than with the Manual or Digital method, especially for normal knees. Therefore, the Auto method is ideal for the assessment of the knee joint space.

A work study of the CAD/CAM method and conventional manual method in the fabrication of spinal orthoses for patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

PubMed

Wong, M S; Cheng, J C Y; Wong, M W; So, S F

2005-04-01

A study was conducted to compare the CAD/CAM method with the conventional manual method in fabrication of spinal orthoses for patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. Ten subjects were recruited for this study. Efficiency analyses of the two methods were performed from cast filling/ digitization process to completion of cast/image rectification. The dimensional changes of the casts/ models rectified by the two cast rectification methods were also investigated. The results demonstrated that the CAD/CAM method was faster than the conventional manual method in the studied processes. The mean rectification time of the CAD/CAM method was shorter than that of the conventional manual method by 108.3 min (63.5%). This indicated that the CAD/CAM method took about 1/3 of the time of the conventional manual to finish cast rectification. In the comparison of cast/image dimensional differences between the conventional manual method and the CAD/CAM method, five major dimensions in each of the five rectified regions namely the axilla, thoracic, lumbar, abdominal and pelvic regions were involved. There were no significant dimensional differences (p < 0.05) in 19 out of the 25 studied dimensions. This study demonstrated that the CAD/CAM system could save the time in the rectification process and offer a relatively high resemblance in cast rectification as compared with the conventional manual method.

BUCKY instruction manual, version 3.3

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, James P.

1994-01-01

The computer program BUCKY is a p-version finite element package for the solution of structural problems. The current version of BUCKY solves the 2-D plane stress, 3-D plane stress plasticity, 3-D axisymmetric, Mindlin and Kirchoff plate bending, and buckling problems. The p-version of the finite element method is a highly accurate version of the traditional finite element method. Example cases are presented to show the accuracy and application of BUCKY.

Alternative Methods to Standby Gain Scheduling Following Air Data System Failure

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-09-01

in the event of air data system failures. There are two problems with this current method. First, the pilot must take time away from other ...pertinent tasks to manually position the standby-gains via the landing gear handle, air-to-air refueling door switch or some other means. Second, the...the way, the original airspeed estimator was improved and two other alternatives to standby-gain-scheduling were investigated. Knowing what

Head Start Social Services Training Manual for Coordinators and Staff.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Administration for Children, Youth, and Families (DHHS), Washington, DC. Head Start Bureau.

This training manual is designed for use by local Head Start programs in training current and new entry-level staff to deliver comprehensive social services to Head Start families. The introductory section of the manual provides an overview of Head Start, describes its social service component, and explains the organization of the manual. The…

Natural Language Processing As an Alternative to Manual Reporting of Colonoscopy Quality Metrics

PubMed Central

RAJU, GOTTUMUKKALA S.; LUM, PHILLIP J.; SLACK, REBECCA; THIRUMURTHI, SELVI; LYNCH, PATRICK M.; MILLER, ETHAN; WESTON, BRIAN R.; DAVILA, MARTA L.; BHUTANI, MANOOP S.; SHAFI, MEHNAZ A.; BRESALIER, ROBERT S.; DEKOVICH, ALEXANDER A.; LEE, JEFFREY H.; GUHA, SUSHOVAN; PANDE, MALA; BLECHACZ, BORIS; RASHID, ASIF; ROUTBORT, MARK; SHUTTLESWORTH, GLADIS; MISHRA, LOPA; STROEHLEIN, JOHN R.; ROSS, WILLIAM A.

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND & AIMS The adenoma detection rate (ADR) is a quality metric tied to interval colon cancer occurrence. However, manual extraction of data to calculate and track the ADR in clinical practice is labor-intensive. To overcome this difficulty, we developed a natural language processing (NLP) method to identify patients, who underwent their first screening colonoscopy, identify adenomas and sessile serrated adenomas (SSA). We compared the NLP generated results with that of manual data extraction to test the accuracy of NLP, and report on colonoscopy quality metrics using NLP. METHODS Identification of screening colonoscopies using NLP was compared with that using the manual method for 12,748 patients who underwent colonoscopies from July 2010 to February 2013. Also, identification of adenomas and SSAs using NLP was compared with that using the manual method with 2259 matched patient records. Colonoscopy ADRs using these methods were generated for each physician. RESULTS NLP correctly identified 91.3% of the screening examinations, whereas the manual method identified 87.8% of them. Both the manual method and NLP correctly identified examinations of patients with adenomas and SSAs in the matched records almost perfectly. Both NLP and manual method produce comparable values for ADR for each endoscopist as well as the group as a whole. CONCLUSIONS NLP can correctly identify screening colonoscopies, accurately identify adenomas and SSAs in a pathology database, and provide real-time quality metrics for colonoscopy. PMID:25910665

PRELIMINARY NUCLEAR CRITICALITY NUCLEAR SAFETY EVLAUATION FOR THE CONTAINER SURVEILLANCE AND STORAGE CAPABILITY PROJECT

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

Low, M; Matthew02 Miller, M; Thomas Reilly, T

2007-04-30

Washington Safety Management Solutions (WSMS) provides criticality safety services to Washington Savannah River Company (WSRC) at the Savannah River Site. One activity at SRS is the Container Surveillance and Storage Capability (CSSC) Project, which will perform surveillances on 3013 containers (hereafter referred to as 3013s) to verify that they meet the Department of Energy (DOE) Standard (STD) 3013 for plutonium storage. The project will handle quantities of material that are greater than ANS/ANSI-8.1 single parameter mass limits, and thus required a Nuclear Criticality Safety Evaluation (NCSE). The WSMS methodology for conducting an NCSE is outlined in the WSMS methods manual.more » The WSMS methods manual currently follows the requirements of DOE-O-420.1B, DOE-STD-3007-2007, and the Washington Savannah River Company (WSRC) SCD-3 manual. DOE-STD-3007-2007 describes how a NCSE should be performed, while DOE-O-420.1B outlines the requirements for a Criticality Safety Program (CSP). The WSRC SCD-3 manual implements DOE requirements and ANS standards. NCSEs do not address the Nuclear Criticality Safety (NCS) of non-reactor nuclear facilities that may be affected by overt or covert activities of sabotage, espionage, terrorism or other security malevolence. Events which are beyond the Design Basis Accidents (DBAs) are outside the scope of a double contingency analysis.« less

Empirically Derived Subtypes of Lifetime Anxiety Disorders: Developmental and Clinical Correlates in U.S. Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burstein, Marcy; Georgiades, Katholiki; Lamers, Femke; Swanson, Sonja A.; Cui, Lihong; He, Jian-Ping; Avenevoli, Shelli; Merikangas, Kathleen R.

2012-01-01

Objective: The current study examined the sex- and age-specific structure and comorbidity of lifetime anxiety disorders among U.S. adolescents. Method: The sample consisted of 2,539 adolescents (1,505 females and 1,034 males) from the National Comorbidity Survey-Adolescent Supplement who met criteria for "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of…

Evaluation of the neotropical stingless bee Melipona quadrifasciata (Hymenoptera: Apidae) as pollinator of greenhouse tomatoes.

PubMed

Del Sarto, M C L; Peruquetti, R C; Campos, L A O

2005-04-01

The Neotropical stingless bee Melipona quadrifasciata Lepeletier was evaluated for pollinating tomatoes (variety Rodas; long-life hybrid) in greenhouses under plastic and with a hydroponic system and "organic concepts" in Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Flowers not pollinated did not set any fruit. Pollination by bees plus manual pollination did not differ from either bee or manual pollination. Maximum fruit diameter, fruit height, and roundness (quotient between maximum fruit diameter and fruit height) were not significantly different between treatments, but fruit visited by M. quadrifasciata had 10.8% less seeds (dry mass) than manual pollination. This apparently low efficiency of M. quadrifasciata pollination was attributed to the overlap of only 30 min between highest bee foraging activity and highest flower stigma receptivity. Thus, it was concluded that M. quadrifasciata is a feasible pollinator of greenhouse tomatoes because of 1) the observed increase in fruit quality with lower mechanical injury than traditional manual pollination, 2) no significant decrease in fruit size, and 3) high price of such product in the market. Some considerations for sustainable use of M. quadrifasciata as greenhouse pollinator are presented. Although techniques for keeping captive colonies of M. quadrifasciata are currently available, the sole current method for acquiring new colonies is removing them from the forest, and if demand was created for large numbers of colonies for commercial use, techniques for captive rearing must be developed to prevent serious declines in wild populations.

Computer analysis of digital sky surveys using citizen science and manual classification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuminski, Evan; Shamir, Lior

2015-01-01

As current and future digital sky surveys such as SDSS, LSST, DES, Pan-STARRS and Gaia create increasingly massive databases containing millions of galaxies, there is a growing need to be able to efficiently analyze these data. An effective way to do this is through manual analysis, however, this may be insufficient considering the extremely vast pipelines of astronomical images generated by the present and future surveys. Some efforts have been made to use citizen science to classify galaxies by their morphology on a larger scale than individual or small groups of scientists can. While these citizen science efforts such as Zooniverse have helped obtain reasonably accurate morphological information about large numbers of galaxies, they cannot scale to provide complete analysis of billions of galaxy images that will be collected by future ventures such as LSST. Since current forms of manual classification cannot scale to the masses of data collected by digital sky surveys, it is clear that in order to keep up with the growing databases some form of automation of the data analysis will be required, and will work either independently or in combination with human analysis such as citizen science. Here we describe a computer vision method that can automatically analyze galaxy images and deduce galaxy morphology. Experiments using Galaxy Zoo 2 data show that the performance of the method increases as the degree of agreement between the citizen scientists gets higher, providing a cleaner dataset. For several morphological features, such as the spirality of the galaxy, the algorithm agreed with the citizen scientists on around 95% of the samples. However, the method failed to analyze some of the morphological features such as the number of spiral arms, and provided accuracy of just ~36%.

Antifungal Susceptibility Testing in HIV/AIDS Patients: a Comparison Between Automated Machine and Manual Method.

PubMed

Nelwan, Erni J; Indrasanti, Evi; Sinto, Robert; Nurchaida, Farida; Sosrosumihardjo, Rustadi

2016-01-01

to evaluate the performance of Vitek2 compact machine (Biomerieux Inc. ver 04.02, France) in reference to manual methods for susceptibility test for Candida resistance among HIV/AIDS patients. a comparison study to evaluate Vitek2 compact machine (Biomerieux Inc. ver 04.02, France) in reference to manual methods for susceptibility test for Candida resistance among HIV/AIDS patient was done. Categorical agreement between manual disc diffusion and Vitek2 machine was calculated using predefined criteria. Time to susceptibility result for automated and manual methods were measured. there were 137 Candida isolates comprising eight Candida species with C.albicans and C. glabrata as the first (56.2%) and second (15.3%) most common species, respectively. For fluconazole drug, among the C. albicans, 2.6% was found resistant on manual disc diffusion methods and no resistant was determined by Vitek2 machine; whereas 100% C. krusei was identified as resistant on both methods. Resistant patterns for C. glabrata to fluconazole, voriconazole and amphotericin B were 52.4%, 23.8%, 23.8% vs. 9.5%, 9.5%, 4.8% respectively between manual diffusion disc methods and Vitek2 machine. Time to susceptibility result for automated methods compared to Vitex2 machine was shorter for all Candida species. there is a good categorical agreement between manual disc diffusion and Vitek2 machine, except for C. glabrata for measuring the antifungal resistant. Time to susceptibility result for automated methods is shorter for all Candida species.

Pollutant Assessments Group procedures manual: Volume 2, Technical procedures

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

Not Available

1992-03-01

This is volume 2 of the manuals that describes the technical procedures currently in use by the Pollution Assessments Group. This manual incorporates new developments in hazardous waste assessment technology and administrative policy. Descriptions of the equipment, procedures and operations of such things as radiation detection, soil sampling, radionuclide monitoring, and equipment decontamination are included in this manual. (MB)

Validity and Reliability of Assessing Body Composition Using a Mobile Application.

PubMed

Macdonald, Elizabeth Z; Vehrs, Pat R; Fellingham, Gilbert W; Eggett, Dennis; George, James D; Hager, Ronald

2017-12-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the validity and reliability of the LeanScreen (LS) mobile application that estimates percent body fat (%BF) using estimates of circumferences from photographs. The %BF of 148 weight-stable adults was estimated once using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Each of two administrators assessed the %BF of each subject twice using the LS app and manually measured circumferences. A mixed-model ANOVA and Bland-Altman analyses were used to compare the estimates of %BF obtained from each method. Interrater and intrarater reliabilities values were determined using multiple measurements taken by each of the two administrators. The LS app and manually measured circumferences significantly underestimated (P < 0.05) the %BF determined using DXA by an average of -3.26 and -4.82 %BF, respectively. The LS app (6.99 %BF) and manually measured circumferences (6.76 %BF) had large limits of agreement. All interrater and intrarater reliability coefficients of estimates of %BF using the LS app and manually measured circumferences exceeded 0.99. The estimates of %BF from manually measured circumferences and the LS app were highly reliable. However, these field measures are not currently recommended for the assessment of body composition because of significant bias and large limits of agreements.

A detailed dosimetric comparison between manual and inverse plans in HDR intracavitary/interstitial cervical cancer brachytherapy.

PubMed

Trnková, Petra; Baltas, Dimos; Karabis, Andreas; Stock, Markus; Dimopoulos, Johannes; Georg, Dietmar; Pötter, Richard; Kirisits, Christian

2010-12-01

The purpose of this study was to compare two inverse planning algorithms for cervical cancer brachytherapy and a conventional manual treatment planning according to the MUW (Medical University of Vienna) protocol. For 20 patients, manually optimized, and, inversely optimized treatment plans with Hybrid Inverse treatment Planning and Optimization (HIPO) and with Inverse Planning Simulated Annealing (IPSA) were created. Dosimetric parameters, absolute volumes of normal tissue receiving reference doses, absolute loading times of tandem, ring and interstitial needles, Paddick and COIN conformity indices were evaluated. HIPO was able to achieve a similar dose distribution to manual planning with the restriction of high dose regions. It reduced the loading time of needles and the overall treatment time. The values of both conformity indices were the lowest. IPSA was able to achieve acceptable dosimetric results. However, it overloaded the needles. This resulted in high dose regions located in the normal tissue. The Paddick index for the volume of two times prescribed dose was outstandingly low. HIPO can produce clinically acceptable treatment plans with the elimination of high dose regions in normal tissue. Compared to IPSA, it is an inverse optimization method which takes into account current clinical experience gained from manual treatment planning.

A Procedure for Structural Weight Estimation of Single Stage to Orbit Launch Vehicles (Interim User's Manual)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Martinovic, Zoran N.; Cerro, Jeffrey A.

2002-01-01

This is an interim user's manual for current procedures used in the Vehicle Analysis Branch at NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia, for launch vehicle structural subsystem weight estimation based on finite element modeling and structural analysis. The process is intended to complement traditional methods of conceptual and early preliminary structural design such as the application of empirical weight estimation or application of classical engineering design equations and criteria on one dimensional "line" models. Functions of two commercially available software codes are coupled together. Vehicle modeling and analysis are done using SDRC/I-DEAS, and structural sizing is performed with the Collier Research Corp. HyperSizer program.

Testing an automated method to estimate ground-water recharge from streamflow records

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rutledge, A.T.; Daniel, C.C.

1994-01-01

The computer program, RORA, allows automated analysis of streamflow hydrographs to estimate ground-water recharge. Output from the program, which is based on the recession-curve-displacement method (often referred to as the Rorabaugh method, for whom the program is named), was compared to estimates of recharge obtained from a manual analysis of 156 years of streamflow record from 15 streamflow-gaging stations in the eastern United States. Statistical tests showed that there was no significant difference between paired estimates of annual recharge by the two methods. Tests of results produced by the four workers who performed the manual method showed that results can differ significantly between workers. Twenty-two percent of the variation between manual and automated estimates could be attributed to having different workers perform the manual method. The program RORA will produce estimates of recharge equivalent to estimates produced manually, greatly increase the speed od analysis, and reduce the subjectivity inherent in manual analysis.

An Investigation of Automatic Change Detection for Topographic Map Updating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duncan, P.; Smit, J.

2012-08-01

Changes to the landscape are constantly occurring and it is essential for geospatial and mapping organisations that these changes are regularly detected and captured, so that map databases can be updated to reflect the current status of the landscape. The Chief Directorate of National Geospatial Information (CD: NGI), South Africa's national mapping agency, currently relies on manual methods of detecting changes and capturing these changes. These manual methods are time consuming and labour intensive, and rely on the skills and interpretation of the operator. It is therefore necessary to move towards more automated methods in the production process at CD: NGI. The aim of this research is to do an investigation into a methodology for automatic or semi-automatic change detection for the purpose of updating topographic databases. The method investigated for detecting changes is through image classification as well as spatial analysis and is focussed on urban landscapes. The major data input into this study is high resolution aerial imagery and existing topographic vector data. Initial results indicate the traditional pixel-based image classification approaches are unsatisfactory for large scale land-use mapping and that object-orientated approaches hold more promise. Even in the instance of object-oriented image classification generalization of techniques on a broad-scale has provided inconsistent results. A solution may lie with a hybrid approach of pixel and object-oriented techniques.

A combination of HPLC and automated data analysis for monitoring the efficiency of high-pressure homogenization.

PubMed

Eggenreich, Britta; Rajamanickam, Vignesh; Wurm, David Johannes; Fricke, Jens; Herwig, Christoph; Spadiut, Oliver

2017-08-01

Cell disruption is a key unit operation to make valuable, intracellular target products accessible for further downstream unit operations. Independent of the applied cell disruption method, each cell disruption process must be evaluated with respect to disruption efficiency and potential product loss. Current state-of-the-art methods, like measuring the total amount of released protein and plating-out assays, are usually time-delayed and involve manual intervention making them error-prone. An automated method to monitor cell disruption efficiency at-line is not available to date. In the current study we implemented a methodology, which we had originally developed to monitor E. coli cell integrity during bioreactor cultivations, to automatically monitor and evaluate cell disruption of a recombinant E. coli strain by high-pressure homogenization. We compared our tool with a library of state-of-the-art methods, analyzed the effect of freezing the biomass before high-pressure homogenization and finally investigated this unit operation in more detail by a multivariate approach. A combination of HPLC and automated data analysis describes a valuable, novel tool to monitor and evaluate cell disruption processes. Our methodology, which can be used both in upstream (USP) and downstream processing (DSP), describes a valuable tool to evaluate cell disruption processes as it can be implemented at-line, gives results within minutes after sampling and does not need manual intervention.

Miami University Information Manual.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miami Univ., Oxford, OH.

The 1975 information manual is designed to provide current data on policies, procedures, services, facilities, organization and governance of Miami University and, through the extensive index, quick access to this information. The manual is complementary to the university catalog and directory. Information relating to students is in the Student…

THERM 5 / WINDOW 5 NFRC simulation manual

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

Mitchell, Robin; Kohler, Christian; Arasteh, Dariush

This document, the ''THERM 5/WINDOW 5 NFRC Simulation Manual', discusses how to use the THERM and WINDOW programs to model products for NFRC certified simulations and assumes that the user is already familiar with those programs. In order to learn how to use these programs, it is necessary to become familiar with the material in both the ''THERM User's Manual'' and the ''WINDOW User's Manual''. In general, this manual references the User's Manuals rather than repeating the information. If there is a conflict between either of the User Manual and this ''THERM 5/''WINDOW 5 NFRC Simulation Manual'', the ''THERM 5/WINDOWmore » 5 NFRC Simulation Manual'' takes precedence. In addition, if this manual is in conflict with any NFRC standards, the standards take precedence. For example, if samples in this manual do not follow the current taping and testing NFRC standards, the standards not the samples in this manual, take precedence.« less

Effect of cold conditions on manual performance while wearing petroleum industry protective clothing.

PubMed

Wiggen, Øystein Nordrum; Heen, Sigri; Færevik, Hilde; Reinertsen, Randi Eidsmo

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate manual performance and thermal responses during low work intensity in persons wearing standard protective clothing in the petroleum industry when they were exposed to a range of temperatures (5, -5, -15 and -25℃) that are relevant to environmental conditions for petroleum industry personnel in northern regions. Twelve men participated in the study. Protective clothing was adjusted for the given cold exposure according to current practices. The subjects performed manual tests five times under each environmental condition. The manual performance test battery consisted of four different tests: tactile sensation (Semmes-Weinstein monofilaments), finger dexterity (Purdue Pegboard), hand dexterity (Complete Minnesota dexterity test) and grip strength (grip dynamometer). We found that exposure to -5℃ or colder lowered skin and body temperatures and reduced manual performance during low work intensity. In conclusion the current protective clothing at a given cold exposure is not adequate to maintain manual performance and thermal balance for petroleum workers in the high north.

Plexiform neurofibroma tissue classification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weizman, L.; Hoch, L.; Ben Sira, L.; Joskowicz, L.; Pratt, L.; Constantini, S.; Ben Bashat, D.

2011-03-01

Plexiform Neurofibroma (PN) is a major complication of NeuroFibromatosis-1 (NF1), a common genetic disease that involving the nervous system. PNs are peripheral nerve sheath tumors extending along the length of the nerve in various parts of the body. Treatment decision is based on tumor volume assessment using MRI, which is currently time consuming and error prone, with limited semi-automatic segmentation support. We present in this paper a new method for the segmentation and tumor mass quantification of PN from STIR MRI scans. The method starts with a user-based delineation of the tumor area in a single slice and automatically detects the PN lesions in the entire image based on the tumor connectivity. Experimental results on seven datasets yield a mean volume overlap difference of 25% as compared to manual segmentation by expert radiologist with a mean computation and interaction time of 12 minutes vs. over an hour for manual annotation. Since the user interaction in the segmentation process is minimal, our method has the potential to successfully become part of the clinical workflow.

DESIGN MANUAL: PHOSPHORUS REMOVAL

EPA Science Inventory

This manual summarizes process design information for the best developed methods for removing phosphorus from wastewater. his manual discusses several proven phosphorus removal methods, including phosphorus removal obtainable through biological activity as well as chemical precip...

Autonomous characterization of plastic-bonded explosives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Linder, Kim Dalton; DeRego, Paul; Gomez, Antonio; Baumgart, Chris

2006-08-01

Plastic-Bonded Explosives (PBXs) are a newer generation of explosive compositions developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). Understanding the micromechanical behavior of these materials is critical. The size of the crystal particles and porosity within the PBX influences their shock sensitivity. Current methods to characterize the prominent structural characteristics include manual examination by scientists and attempts to use commercially available image processing packages. Both methods are time consuming and tedious. LANL personnel, recognizing this as a manually intensive process, have worked with the Kansas City Plant / Kirtland Operations to develop a system which utilizes image processing and pattern recognition techniques to characterize PBX material. System hardware consists of a CCD camera, zoom lens, two-dimensional, motorized stage, and coaxial, cross-polarized light. System integration of this hardware with the custom software is at the core of the machine vision system. Fundamental processing steps involve capturing images from the PBX specimen, and extraction of void, crystal, and binder regions. For crystal extraction, a Quadtree decomposition segmentation technique is employed. Benefits of this system include: (1) reduction of the overall characterization time; (2) a process which is quantifiable and repeatable; (3) utilization of personnel for intelligent review rather than manual processing; and (4) significantly enhanced characterization accuracy.

Instruct coders' manual

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Friend, J.

1971-01-01

A manual designed both as an instructional manual for beginning coders and as a reference manual for the coding language INSTRUCT, is presented. The manual includes the major programs necessary to implement the teaching system and lists the limitation of current implementation. A detailed description is given of how to code a lesson, what buttons to push, and what utility programs to use. Suggestions for debugging coded lessons and the error messages that may be received during assembly or while running the lesson are given.

14 CFR 91.1023 - Program operating manual requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... manager must prepare and keep current a program operating manual setting forth procedures and policies acceptable to the Administrator. The program manager's management, flight, ground, and maintenance personnel... personnel. (b) Each program manager must maintain at least one copy of the manual at its principal base of...

Scan posture definition and hip girth measurement: the impact on clothing design and body scanning.

PubMed

Gill, Simeon; Parker, Christopher J

2017-08-01

Ergonomic measurement is central to product design and development; especially for body worn products and clothing. However, there is a large variation in measurement definitions, complicated by new body scanning technology that captures measurements in a posture different to traditional manual methods. Investigations of hip measurement definitions in current clothing measurement practices supports analysis of the effect of scan posture and hip measurement definition on the circumferences of the hip. Here, the hip girth is a key clothing measurement that is not defined in current body scanning measurement standards. Sixty-four participants were scanned in the standard scan posture of a [TC] 2 body scanner, and also in a natural posture similar to that of traditional manual measurement collection. Results indicate that scan posture affects hip girth circumferences, and that some current clothing measurement practices may not define the largest lower body circumference. Recommendations are made concerning how the hip is defined in measurement practice and within body scanning for clothing product development. Practitioner Summary: The hip girth is an important measurement in garment design, yet its measurement protocol is not currently defined. We demonstrate that body posture during body scanning affects hip circumferences, and that current clothing measurement practices may not define the largest lower body circumference. This paper also provides future measurement practice recommendations.

Methods of Transposition of Nurses between Wards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miyazaki, Shigeji; Masuda, Masakazu

In this paper, a computer-implemented method for automating the transposition of a hospital’s nursing staff is proposed. The model is applied to the real case example ‘O’ hospital, which performs a transposition of its nursing staff once a year. Results are compared with real data obtained from this hospital’s current manual transposition system. The proposed method not only significantly reduces the time taken to construct the transposition, thereby significantly reducing management labor costs, but also is demonstrated to increase nurses’ levels of satisfaction with the process.

Hazardous Waste Minimization Assessment: Fort Meade, MD

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-01-01

Manual TSCA Toxic Substances Control Act TSDF T.xatment. Storage, and Disposal Facility USACERL U.S. Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratory...generation; and current methods of treatment, storage, and disposal, researchers conducted feasibility and economicanalyses of milnimizaion options...Bernard A. Donahue 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) ANO ADO ESS(ES) S. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NUMBER U.S. Army Construction Engineering Research

Manual for the prediction of blast and fragment loadings on structures

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

Not Available

1980-11-01

The purpose of this manual is to provide Architect-Engineer (AE) firms guidance for the prediction of air blast, ground shock and fragment loadings on structures as a result of accidental explosions in or near these structures. Information in this manual is the result of an extensive literature survey and data gathering effort, supplemented by some original analytical studies on various aspects of blast phenomena. Many prediction equations and graphs are presented, accompanied by numerous example problems illustrating their use. The manual is complementary to existing structural design manuals and is intended to reflect the current state-of-the-art in prediction of blastmore » and fragment loads for accidental explosions of high explosives at the Pantex Plant. In some instances, particularly for explosions within blast-resistant structures of complex geometry, rational estimation of these loads is beyond the current state-of-the-art.« less

Writing by the Book, Writing beyond the Book

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Kristine

2017-01-01

Writing has become more visible in academia through writing advice manuals and the faculty development activities they inspire. In this article, I examine writing advice manuals and argue they are epistemologically current traditional, which limits how well and how far they can support scholarly writers. Writing advice manuals and composition…

Agricultural Electricity. Electric Controls. Student Manual. Report No. 820/20.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Benson, Robert T.

Addressed to the student, this manual presents terms, abbreviations, and symbols used in discussing manual or automatic control of the flow of electric current. Diagrams accompany discussion of the following types of control devices and principles of operation: Heat sensitive controls (thermostats, thermal relays), light sensitive controls…

Healthy Young Children: A Manual for Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kendrick, Abby Shapiro, Ed.; And Others

This manual, which was developed as a reference and resource guide for program directors and teachers of young children, describes high standards for health policies. Also provided are information based on current research and recommendations from experts in health and early childhood education. The manual contains 7 sections and 19 chapters.…

Apparel Marketing. [Student Manual] and Answer Book/Teacher's Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gaskill, Melissa Lynn

This document on apparel marketing contains both a student's manual and an answer book/teacher's guide. The student's manual contains the following 16 assignments: (1) introduction to fashion and fashion merchandising; (2) current fashion; (3) careers in fashion; (4) buying; (5) retailing; (6) merchandise basics; (7) merchandise--promotion and…

How do family physicians measure blood pressure in routine clinical practice? National survey of Canadian family physicians.

PubMed

Kaczorowski, Janusz; Myers, Martin G; Gelfer, Mark; Dawes, Martin; Mang, Eric J; Berg, Angelique; Grande, Claudio Del; Kljujic, Dragan

2017-03-01

To describe the techniques currently used by family physicians in Canada to measure blood pressure (BP) for screening for, diagnosing, and treating hypertension. A Web-based cross-sectional survey distributed by e-mail. Stratified random sample of family physicians in Canada. Family physician members of the College of Family Physicians of Canada with valid e-mail addresses. Physicians' self-reported routine methods for recording BP in their practices to screen for, diagnose, and manage hypertension. A total of 774 valid responses were received, for a response rate of 16.2%. Respondents were similar to nonrespondents except for underrepresentation of male physicians. Of 769 respondents, 417 (54.2%) indicated that they used manual office BP measurement with a mercury or aneroid device and stethoscope as the routine method to screen patients for high BP, while 42.9% (330 of 769) reported using automated office BP (AOBP) measurement. The method most frequently used to make a diagnosis of hypertension was AOBP measurement (31.1%, 240 of 771), followed by home BP measurement (22.4%, 173 of 771) and manual office BP measurement (21.4%, 165 of 771). Ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM) was used for diagnosis by 14.4% (111 of 771) of respondents. The most frequently reported method for ongoing management was home BP monitoring (68.7%, 528 of 769), followed by manual office BP measurement (63.6%, 489 of 769) and AOBP measurement (59.2%, 455 of 769). More than three-quarters (77.8%, 598 of 769) of respondents indicated that ABPM was readily available for their patients. Canadian family physicians exhibit overall high use of electronic devices for BP measurement, However, more efforts are needed to encourage practitioners to follow current Canadian guidelines, which advocate the use of AOBP measurement for hypertension screening, ABPM and home BP measurement for making a diagnosis, and both AOBP and home BP monitoring for ongoing management. Copyright© the College of Family Physicians of Canada.

How do family physicians measure blood pressure in routine clinical practice?

PubMed Central

Kaczorowski, Janusz; Myers, Martin G.; Gelfer, Mark; Dawes, Martin; Mang, Eric J.; Berg, Angelique; Grande, Claudio Del; Kljujic, Dragan

2017-01-01

Abstract Objective To describe the techniques currently used by family physicians in Canada to measure blood pressure (BP) for screening for, diagnosing, and treating hypertension. Design A Web-based cross-sectional survey distributed by e-mail. Setting Stratified random sample of family physicians in Canada. Participants Family physician members of the College of Family Physicians of Canada with valid e-mail addresses. Main outcome measures Physicians’ self-reported routine methods for recording BP in their practices to screen for, diagnose, and manage hypertension. Results A total of 774 valid responses were received, for a response rate of 16.2%. Respondents were similar to nonrespondents except for underrepresentation of male physicians. Of 769 respondents, 417 (54.2%) indicated that they used manual office BP measurement with a mercury or aneroid device and stethoscope as the routine method to screen patients for high BP, while 42.9% (330 of 769) reported using automated office BP (AOBP) measurement. The method most frequently used to make a diagnosis of hypertension was AOBP measurement (31.1%, 240 of 771), followed by home BP measurement (22.4%, 173 of 771) and manual office BP measurement (21.4%, 165 of 771). Ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM) was used for diagnosis by 14.4% (111 of 771) of respondents. The most frequently reported method for ongoing management was home BP monitoring (68.7%, 528 of 769), followed by manual office BP measurement (63.6%, 489 of 769) and AOBP measurement (59.2%, 455 of 769). More than three-quarters (77.8%, 598 of 769) of respondents indicated that ABPM was readily available for their patients. Conclusion Canadian family physicians exhibit overall high use of electronic devices for BP measurement, However, more efforts are needed to encourage practitioners to follow current Canadian guidelines, which advocate the use of AOBP measurement for hypertension screening, ABPM and home BP measurement for making a diagnosis, and both AOBP and home BP monitoring for ongoing management. PMID:28292817

Automated classification of Acid Rock Drainage potential from Corescan drill core imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cracknell, M. J.; Jackson, L.; Parbhakar-Fox, A.; Savinova, K.

2017-12-01

Classification of the acid forming potential of waste rock is important for managing environmental hazards associated with mining operations. Current methods for the classification of acid rock drainage (ARD) potential usually involve labour intensive and subjective assessment of drill core and/or hand specimens. Manual methods are subject to operator bias, human error and the amount of material that can be assessed within a given time frame is limited. The automated classification of ARD potential documented here is based on the ARD Index developed by Parbhakar-Fox et al. (2011). This ARD Index involves the combination of five indicators: A - sulphide content; B - sulphide alteration; C - sulphide morphology; D - primary neutraliser content; and E - sulphide mineral association. Several components of the ARD Index require accurate identification of sulphide minerals. This is achieved by classifying Corescan Red-Green-Blue true colour images into the presence or absence of sulphide minerals using supervised classification. Subsequently, sulphide classification images are processed and combined with Corescan SWIR-based mineral classifications to obtain information on sulphide content, indices representing sulphide textures (disseminated versus massive and degree of veining), and spatially associated minerals. This information is combined to calculate ARD Index indicator values that feed into the classification of ARD potential. Automated ARD potential classifications of drill core samples associated with a porphyry Cu-Au deposit are compared to manually derived classifications and those obtained by standard static geochemical testing and X-ray diffractometry analyses. Results indicate a high degree of similarity between automated and manual ARD potential classifications. Major differences between approaches are observed in sulphide and neutraliser mineral percentages, likely due to the subjective nature of manual estimates of mineral content. The automated approach presented here for the classification of ARD potential offers rapid, repeatable and accurate outcomes comparable to manually derived classifications. Methods for automated ARD classifications from digital drill core data represent a step-change for geoenvironmental management practices in the mining industry.

[Automated procedure for volumetric measurement of metastases: estimation of tumor burden].

PubMed

Fabel, M; Bolte, H

2008-09-01

Cancer is a common and increasing disease worldwide. Therapy monitoring in oncologic patient care requires accurate and reliable measurement methods for evaluation of the tumor burden. RECIST (response evaluation criteria in solid tumors) and WHO criteria are still the current standards for therapy response evaluation with inherent disadvantages due to considerable interobserver variation of the manual diameter estimations. Volumetric analysis of e.g. lung, liver and lymph node metastases, promises to be a more accurate, precise and objective method for tumor burden estimation.

A novel concentration and viability detection method for Brettanomyces using the Cellometer image cytometry.

PubMed

Martyniak, Brian; Bolton, Jason; Kuksin, Dmitry; Shahin, Suzanne M; Chan, Leo Li-Ying

2017-01-01

Brettanomyces spp. can present unique cell morphologies comprised of excessive pseudohyphae and budding, leading to difficulties in enumerating cells. The current cell counting methods include manual counting of methylene blue-stained yeasts or measuring optical densities using a spectrophotometer. However, manual counting can be time-consuming and has high operator-dependent variations due to subjectivity. Optical density measurement can also introduce uncertainties where instead of individual cells counted, an average of a cell population is measured. In contrast, by utilizing the fluorescence capability of an image cytometer to detect acridine orange and propidium iodide viability dyes, individual cell nuclei can be counted directly in the pseudohyphae chains, which can improve the accuracy and efficiency of cell counting, as well as eliminating the subjectivity from manual counting. In this work, two experiments were performed to demonstrate the capability of Cellometer image cytometer to monitor Brettanomyces concentrations, viabilities, and budding/pseudohyphae percentages. First, a yeast propagation experiment was conducted to optimize software counting parameters for monitoring the growth of Brettanomyces clausenii, Brettanomyces bruxellensis, and Brettanomyces lambicus, which showed increasing cell concentrations, and varying pseudohyphae percentages. The pseudohyphae formed during propagation were counted either as multiple nuclei or a single multi-nuclei organism, where the results of counting the yeast as a single multi-nuclei organism were directly compared to manual counting. Second, a yeast fermentation experiment was conducted to demonstrate that the proposed image cytometric analysis method can monitor the growth pattern of B. lambicus and B. clausenii during beer fermentation. The results from both experiments displayed different growth patterns, viability, and budding/pseudohyphae percentages for each Brettanomyces species. The proposed Cellometer image cytometry method can improve efficiency and eliminate operator-dependent variations of cell counting compared with the traditional methods, which can potentially improve the quality of beverage products employing Brettanomyces yeasts.

Semi-automating the manual literature search for systematic reviews increases efficiency.

PubMed

Chapman, Andrea L; Morgan, Laura C; Gartlehner, Gerald

2010-03-01

To minimise retrieval bias, manual literature searches are a key part of the search process of any systematic review. Considering the need to have accurate information, valid results of the manual literature search are essential to ensure scientific standards; likewise efficient approaches that minimise the amount of personnel time required to conduct a manual literature search are of great interest. The objective of this project was to determine the validity and efficiency of a new manual search method that utilises the scopus database. We used the traditional manual search approach as the gold standard to determine the validity and efficiency of the proposed scopus method. Outcome measures included completeness of article detection and personnel time involved. Using both methods independently, we compared the results based on accuracy of the results, validity and time spent conducting the search, efficiency. Regarding accuracy, the scopus method identified the same studies as the traditional approach indicating its validity. In terms of efficiency, using scopus led to a time saving of 62.5% compared with the traditional approach (3 h versus 8 h). The scopus method can significantly improve the efficiency of manual searches and thus of systematic reviews.

Threshold Determination for Local Instantaneous Sea Surface Height Derivation with Icebridge Data in Beaufort Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, C.; Zhang, S.; Xiao, F.; Li, J.; Yuan, L.; Zhang, Y.; Zhu, T.

2018-05-01

The NASA Operation IceBridge (OIB) mission is the largest program in the Earth's polar remote sensing science observation project currently, initiated in 2009, which collects airborne remote sensing measurements to bridge the gap between NASA's ICESat and the upcoming ICESat-2 mission. This paper develop an improved method that optimizing the selection method of Digital Mapping System (DMS) image and using the optimal threshold obtained by experiments in Beaufort Sea to calculate the local instantaneous sea surface height in this area. The optimal threshold determined by comparing manual selection with the lowest (Airborne Topographic Mapper) ATM L1B elevation threshold of 2 %, 1 %, 0.5 %, 0.2 %, 0.1 % and 0.05 % in A, B, C sections, the mean of mean difference are 0.166 m, 0.124 m, 0.083 m, 0.018 m, 0.002 m and -0.034 m. Our study shows the lowest L1B data of 0.1 % is the optimal threshold. The optimal threshold and manual selections are also used to calculate the instantaneous sea surface height over images with leads, we find that improved methods has closer agreement with those from L1B manual selections. For these images without leads, the local instantaneous sea surface height estimated by using the linear equations between distance and sea surface height calculated over images with leads.

Genetic algorithm optimization of transcutaneous energy transmission systems for implantable ventricular assist devices.

PubMed

Byron, Kelly; Bluvshtein, Vlad; Lucke, Lori

2013-01-01

Transcutaneous energy transmission systems (TETS) wirelessly transmit power through the skin. TETS is particularly desirable for ventricular assist devices (VAD), which currently require cables through the skin to power the implanted pump. Optimizing the inductive link of the TET system is a multi-parameter problem. Most current techniques to optimize the design simplify the problem by combining parameters leading to sub-optimal solutions. In this paper we present an optimization method using a genetic algorithm to handle a larger set of parameters, which leads to a more optimal design. Using this approach, we were able to increase efficiency while also reducing power variability in a prototype, compared to a traditional manual design method.

FBI fingerprint identification automation study: AIDS 3 evaluation report. Volume 5: Current system evaluation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mulhall, B. D. L.

1980-01-01

The performance, costs, organization and other characteristics of both the manual system and AIDS 2 were used to establish a baseline case. The results of the evaluation are to be used to determine the feasibility of the AIDS 3 System, as well as provide a basis for ranking alternative systems during the second phase of the JPL study. The results of the study were tabulated by subject, scope and methods, providing a descriptive, quantitative and qualitative analysis of the current operating systems employed by the FBI Identification Division.

Analysis of FY79 Army Aircraft Accidents.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-04-01

maintenance and field manuals . *.7 "reel world" Army operations. It Includes detailed lemons Additional requirmnent indifId by the results of the le-a...and 2. Emphb and direction to upgrade training at unit trufe of akrraft control, and school levels. R% eview the current aulons nd manuals to 3. Unit...Evaluation and revision of Army regulations, e Evluate effectiveness of programs desgned to technical manuals , field manuals , and other written Insure

Automated registration of multispectral MR vessel wall images of the carotid artery

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

Klooster, R. van 't; Staring, M.; Reiber, J. H. C.

2013-12-15

Purpose: Atherosclerosis is the primary cause of heart disease and stroke. The detailed assessment of atherosclerosis of the carotid artery requires high resolution imaging of the vessel wall using multiple MR sequences with different contrast weightings. These images allow manual or automated classification of plaque components inside the vessel wall. Automated classification requires all sequences to be in alignment, which is hampered by patient motion. In clinical practice, correction of this motion is performed manually. Previous studies applied automated image registration to correct for motion using only nondeformable transformation models and did not perform a detailed quantitative validation. The purposemore » of this study is to develop an automated accurate 3D registration method, and to extensively validate this method on a large set of patient data. In addition, the authors quantified patient motion during scanning to investigate the need for correction. Methods: MR imaging studies (1.5T, dedicated carotid surface coil, Philips) from 55 TIA/stroke patients with ipsilateral <70% carotid artery stenosis were randomly selected from a larger cohort. Five MR pulse sequences were acquired around the carotid bifurcation, each containing nine transverse slices: T1-weighted turbo field echo, time of flight, T2-weighted turbo spin-echo, and pre- and postcontrast T1-weighted turbo spin-echo images (T1W TSE). The images were manually segmented by delineating the lumen contour in each vessel wall sequence and were manually aligned by applying throughplane and inplane translations to the images. To find the optimal automatic image registration method, different masks, choice of the fixed image, different types of the mutual information image similarity metric, and transformation models including 3D deformable transformation models, were evaluated. Evaluation of the automatic registration results was performed by comparing the lumen segmentations of the fixed image and moving image after registration. Results: The average required manual translation per image slice was 1.33 mm. Translations were larger as the patient was longer inside the scanner. Manual alignment took 187.5 s per patient resulting in a mean surface distance of 0.271 ± 0.127 mm. After minimal user interaction to generate the mask in the fixed image, the remaining sequences are automatically registered with a computation time of 52.0 s per patient. The optimal registration strategy used a circular mask with a diameter of 10 mm, a 3D B-spline transformation model with a control point spacing of 15 mm, mutual information as image similarity metric, and the precontrast T1W TSE as fixed image. A mean surface distance of 0.288 ± 0.128 mm was obtained with these settings, which is very close to the accuracy of the manual alignment procedure. The exact registration parameters and software were made publicly available. Conclusions: An automated registration method was developed and optimized, only needing two mouse clicks to mark the start and end point of the artery. Validation on a large group of patients showed that automated image registration has similar accuracy as the manual alignment procedure, substantially reducing the amount of user interactions needed, and is multiple times faster. In conclusion, the authors believe that the proposed automated method can replace the current manual procedure, thereby reducing the time to analyze the images.« less

Understanding the Defiant Child. [Videotape and Program Manual].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barkley, Russell A.

This videotape recording and accompanying program manual are intended to provide a review of current knowledge about defiance in children, a behavior pattern that research suggests may be increasing in prevalence and that is a known precursor to serious disorders such as oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) and conduct disorder. The manual provides…

Management Matters. Virtual School Library Media Center Management Manual

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pappas, Marjorie L.

2005-01-01

In this article, the author describes a management manual she maintained while working as a school library media specialist. She started the manual when she was a student in the organization and administration course in the library science program and kept it current with information gleaned from conferences, workshops, and networking with other…

The Virginia method of determining the cement content of freshly mixed cement-soil mixtures : a manual prepared for the use of the Virginia Dept. of Highways.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1971-01-01

This manual describes a new method developed by the author, based on ASTM Method D2901, for determining the cement content of freshly mixed soil cement. The manual contains information on apparatus, reagents, procedures, source of equipment and reage...

A Manual of Simplified Laboratory Methods for Operators of Wastewater Treatment Facilities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Westerhold, Arnold F., Ed.; Bennett, Ernest C., Ed.

This manual is designed to provide the small wastewater treatment plant operator, as well as the new or inexperienced operator, with simplified methods for laboratory analysis of water and wastewater. It is emphasized that this manual is not a replacement for standard methods but a guide for plants with insufficient equipment to perform analyses…

Evaluation and comparison of current fetal ultrasound image segmentation methods for biometric measurements: a grand challenge.

PubMed

Rueda, Sylvia; Fathima, Sana; Knight, Caroline L; Yaqub, Mohammad; Papageorghiou, Aris T; Rahmatullah, Bahbibi; Foi, Alessandro; Maggioni, Matteo; Pepe, Antonietta; Tohka, Jussi; Stebbing, Richard V; McManigle, John E; Ciurte, Anca; Bresson, Xavier; Cuadra, Meritxell Bach; Sun, Changming; Ponomarev, Gennady V; Gelfand, Mikhail S; Kazanov, Marat D; Wang, Ching-Wei; Chen, Hsiang-Chou; Peng, Chun-Wei; Hung, Chu-Mei; Noble, J Alison

2014-04-01

This paper presents the evaluation results of the methods submitted to Challenge US: Biometric Measurements from Fetal Ultrasound Images, a segmentation challenge held at the IEEE International Symposium on Biomedical Imaging 2012. The challenge was set to compare and evaluate current fetal ultrasound image segmentation methods. It consisted of automatically segmenting fetal anatomical structures to measure standard obstetric biometric parameters, from 2D fetal ultrasound images taken on fetuses at different gestational ages (21 weeks, 28 weeks, and 33 weeks) and with varying image quality to reflect data encountered in real clinical environments. Four independent sub-challenges were proposed, according to the objects of interest measured in clinical practice: abdomen, head, femur, and whole fetus. Five teams participated in the head sub-challenge and two teams in the femur sub-challenge, including one team who tackled both. Nobody attempted the abdomen and whole fetus sub-challenges. The challenge goals were two-fold and the participants were asked to submit the segmentation results as well as the measurements derived from the segmented objects. Extensive quantitative (region-based, distance-based, and Bland-Altman measurements) and qualitative evaluation was performed to compare the results from a representative selection of current methods submitted to the challenge. Several experts (three for the head sub-challenge and two for the femur sub-challenge), with different degrees of expertise, manually delineated the objects of interest to define the ground truth used within the evaluation framework. For the head sub-challenge, several groups produced results that could be potentially used in clinical settings, with comparable performance to manual delineations. The femur sub-challenge had inferior performance to the head sub-challenge due to the fact that it is a harder segmentation problem and that the techniques presented relied more on the femur's appearance.

Low-cost manufacturing of the point focus concentrating module and its key component, the Fresnel lens. Final subcontract report, 31 January 1991--6 May 1991

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

Saifee, T.; Konnerth, A. III

1991-11-01

Solar Kinetics, Inc. (SKI) has been developing point-focus concentrating PV modules since 1986. SKI is currently in position to manufacture between 200 to 600 kilowatts annually of the current design by a combination of manual and semi-automated methods. This report reviews the current status of module manufacture and specifies the required approach to achieve a high-volume manufacturing capability and low cost. The approach taken will include process development concurrent with module design for automated manufacturing. The current effort reviews the major manufacturing costs and identifies components and processes whose improvements would produce the greatest effect on manufacturability and cost reduction.more » The Fresnel lens is one such key component. Investigating specific alternative manufacturing methods and sources has substantially reduced the lens costs and has exceeded the DOE cost-reduction goals. 15 refs.« less

Toward Data-Driven Design of Educational Courses: A Feasibility Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Agrawal, Rakesh; Golshan, Behzad; Papalexakis, Evangelos

2016-01-01

A study plan is the choice of concepts and the organization and sequencing of the concepts to be covered in an educational course. While a good study plan is essential for the success of any course offering, the design of study plans currently remains largely a manual task. We present a novel data-driven method, which given a list of concepts can…

National survey on dose data analysis in computed tomography.

PubMed

Heilmaier, Christina; Treier, Reto; Merkle, Elmar Max; Alkhadi, Hatem; Weishaupt, Dominik; Schindera, Sebastian

2018-05-28

A nationwide survey was performed assessing current practice of dose data analysis in computed tomography (CT). All radiological departments in Switzerland were asked to participate in the on-line survey composed of 19 questions (16 multiple choice, 3 free text). It consisted of four sections: (1) general information on the department, (2) dose data analysis, (3) use of a dose management software (DMS) and (4) radiation protection activities. In total, 152 out of 241 Swiss radiological departments filled in the whole questionnaire (return rate, 63%). Seventy-nine per cent of the departments (n = 120/152) analyse dose data on a regular basis with considerable heterogeneity in the frequency (1-2 times per year, 45%, n = 54/120; every month, 35%, n = 42/120) and method of analysis. Manual analysis is carried out by 58% (n = 70/120) compared with 42% (n = 50/120) of departments using a DMS. Purchase of a DMS is planned by 43% (n = 30/70) of the departments with manual analysis. Real-time analysis of dose data is performed by 42% (n = 21/50) of the departments with a DMS; however, residents can access the DMS in clinical routine only in 20% (n = 10/50) of the departments. An interdisciplinary dose team, which among other things communicates dose data internally (63%, n = 76/120) and externally, is already implemented in 57% (n = 68/120) departments. Swiss radiological departments are committed to radiation safety. However, there is high heterogeneity among them regarding the frequency and method of dose data analysis as well as the use of DMS and radiation protection activities. • Swiss radiological departments are committed to and interest in radiation safety as proven by a 63% return rate of the survey. • Seventy-nine per cent of departments analyse dose data on a regular basis with differences in the frequency and method of analysis: 42% use a dose management software, while 58% currently perform manual dose data analysis. Of the latter, 43% plan to buy a dose management software. • Currently, only 25% of the departments add radiation exposure data to the final CT report.

A rapid, automated approach to optimisation of multiple reaction monitoring conditions for quantitative bioanalytical mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Higton, D M

2001-01-01

An improvement to the procedure for the rapid optimisation of mass spectrometry (PROMS), for the development of multiple reaction methods (MRM) for quantitative bioanalytical liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS), is presented. PROMS is an automated protocol that uses flow-injection analysis (FIA) and AppleScripts to create methods and acquire the data for optimisation. The protocol determines the optimum orifice potential, the MRM conditions for each compound, and finally creates the MRM methods needed for sample analysis. The sensitivities of the MRM methods created by PROMS approach those created manually. MRM method development using PROMS currently takes less than three minutes per compound compared to at least fifteen minutes manually. To further enhance throughput, approaches to MRM optimisation using one injection per compound, two injections per pool of five compounds and one injection per pool of five compounds have been investigated. No significant difference in the optimised instrumental parameters for MRM methods were found between the original PROMS approach and these new methods, which are up to ten times faster. The time taken for an AppleScript to determine the optimum conditions and build the MRM methods is the same with all approaches. Copyright 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The current role of on-line extraction approaches in clinical and forensic toxicology.

PubMed

Mueller, Daniel M

2014-08-01

In today's clinical and forensic toxicological laboratories, automation is of interest because of its ability to optimize processes, to reduce manual workload and handling errors and to minimize exposition to potentially infectious samples. Extraction is usually the most time-consuming step; therefore, automation of this step is reasonable. Currently, from the field of clinical and forensic toxicology, methods using the following on-line extraction techniques have been published: on-line solid-phase extraction, turbulent flow chromatography, solid-phase microextraction, microextraction by packed sorbent, single-drop microextraction and on-line desorption of dried blood spots. Most of these published methods are either single-analyte or multicomponent procedures; methods intended for systematic toxicological analysis are relatively scarce. However, the use of on-line extraction will certainly increase in the near future.

iTemplate: A template-based eye movement data analysis approach.

PubMed

Xiao, Naiqi G; Lee, Kang

2018-02-08

Current eye movement data analysis methods rely on defining areas of interest (AOIs). Due to the fact that AOIs are created and modified manually, variances in their size, shape, and location are unavoidable. These variances affect not only the consistency of the AOI definitions, but also the validity of the eye movement analyses based on the AOIs. To reduce the variances in AOI creation and modification and achieve a procedure to process eye movement data with high precision and efficiency, we propose a template-based eye movement data analysis method. Using a linear transformation algorithm, this method registers the eye movement data from each individual stimulus to a template. Thus, users only need to create one set of AOIs for the template in order to analyze eye movement data, rather than creating a unique set of AOIs for all individual stimuli. This change greatly reduces the error caused by the variance from manually created AOIs and boosts the efficiency of the data analysis. Furthermore, this method can help researchers prepare eye movement data for some advanced analysis approaches, such as iMap. We have developed software (iTemplate) with a graphic user interface to make this analysis method available to researchers.

Clinically Relevant Subregions of Articular Cartilage of the Hip for Analysis and Reporting Quantitative Magnetic Resonance Imaging: A Technical Note.

PubMed

Surowiec, Rachel K; Lucas, Erin P; Wilson, Katharine J; Saroki, Adriana J; Ho, Charles P

2014-01-01

Before quantitative imaging techniques can become clinically valuable, the method, and more specifically, the regions of locating and reporting these values should be standardized toward reproducibility comparisons across centers and longitudinal follow-up of individual patients. The purpose of this technical note is to describe a rigorous and reproducible method of locating, analyzing, and reporting quantitative MRI values in hip articular cartilage with an approach that is consistent with current orthopedic literature. To demonstrate this localization and documentation, 3 patients (age, 23 ± 5.1 years; 2 males, 1 female) who presented with symptomatic mixed-type femoroacetabular impingement (α angle, 63.3° ± 2.1°; center edge angle, 39° ± 4.2°) were evaluated with T2-mapping at 3 T MRI prior to hip arthroscopy. Manual segmentation was performed and cartilage of the acetabulum and femur was divided into 12 subregions adapted from the geographic zone method. Bone landmarks in the acetabulum and femur, identifiable both in arthroscopy and MR images, were manually selected and the coordinates exported for division of cartilage. Mean T2 values in each zone are presented. The current work outlines a standardized system to locate and describe quantitative mapping values that could aid in surgical decision making, planning, and the noninvasive longitudinal follow-up of implemented cartilage preservation and restoration techniques.

Measurement of edge residual stresses in glass by the phase-shifting method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ajovalasit, A.; Petrucci, G.; Scafidi, M.

2011-05-01

Control and measurement of residual stress in glass is of great importance in the industrial field. Since glass is a birefringent material, the residual stress analysis is based mainly on the photoelastic method. This paper considers two methods of automated analysis of membrane residual stress in glass sheets, based on the phase-shifting concept in monochromatic light. In particular these methods are the automated versions of goniometric compensation methods of Tardy and Sénarmont. The proposed methods can effectively replace manual methods of compensation (goniometric compensation of Tardy and Sénarmont, Babinet and Babinet-Soleil compensators) provided by current standards on the analysis of residual stresses in glasses.

Automated and Semiautomated Segmentation of Rectal Tumor Volumes on Diffusion-Weighted MRI: Can It Replace Manual Volumetry?

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

Heeswijk, Miriam M. van; Department of Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht; Lambregts, Doenja M.J., E-mail: d.lambregts@nki.nl

Purpose: Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) tumor volumetry is promising for rectal cancer response assessment, but an important drawback is that manual per-slice tumor delineation can be highly time consuming. This study investigated whether manual DWI-volumetry can be reproduced using a (semi)automated segmentation approach. Methods and Materials: Seventy-nine patients underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) that included DWI (highest b value [b1000 or b1100]) before and after chemoradiation therapy (CRT). Tumor volumes were assessed on b1000 (or b1100) DWI before and after CRT by means of (1) automated segmentation (by 2 inexperienced readers), (2) semiautomated segmentation (manual adjustment of the volumes obtained bymore » method 1 by 2 radiologists), and (3) manual segmentation (by 2 radiologists); this last assessment served as the reference standard. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and Dice similarity indices (DSI) were calculated to evaluate agreement between different methods and observers. Measurement times (from a radiologist's perspective) were recorded for each method. Results: Tumor volumes were not significantly different among the 3 methods, either before or after CRT (P=.08 to .92). ICCs compared to manual segmentation were 0.80 to 0.91 and 0.53 to 0.66 before and after CRT, respectively, for the automated segmentation and 0.91 to 0.97 and 0.61 to 0.75, respectively, for the semiautomated method. Interobserver agreement (ICC) pre and post CRT was 0.82 and 0.59 for automated segmentation, 0.91 and 0.73 for semiautomated segmentation, and 0.91 and 0.75 for manual segmentation, respectively. Mean DSI between the automated and semiautomated method were 0.83 and 0.58 pre-CRT and post-CRT, respectively; DSI between the automated and manual segmentation were 0.68 and 0.42 and 0.70 and 0.41 between the semiautomated and manual segmentation, respectively. Median measurement time for the radiologists was 0 seconds (pre- and post-CRT) for the automated method, 41 to 69 seconds (pre-CRT) and 60 to 67 seconds (post-CRT) for the semiautomated method, and 180 to 296 seconds (pre-CRT) and 84 to 91 seconds (post-CRT) for the manual method. Conclusions: DWI volumetry using a semiautomated segmentation approach is promising and a potentially time-saving alternative to manual tumor delineation, particularly for primary tumor volumetry. Once further optimized, it could be a helpful tool for tumor response assessment in rectal cancer.« less

Treatment for Abused and Neglected Children. The User Manual Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, Harold P.

This manual brings current knowledge about the needs of abused and neglected children together with practical ideas about what can be done to meet those needs. Designed primarily for use by child protective service (CPS) workers, the manual may also be used by other professionals dealing with child abuse and neglect. Chapter 1 briefly discusses…

A Course on Operational Considerations in Wastewater Treatment Plant Design. Student Manual.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stottler, Stag and Associates, San Antonio, TX.

This manual was designed to furnish information for upgrading the design of wastewater treatment plant facilities and to serve as a resource for establishing criteria for upgrading these plants. The manual also furnishes information for modifying plant design to compensate for current organic and hydraulic overloads and/or to meet more stringent…

76 FR 8620 - Airworthiness Directives; Pratt & Whitney JT8D-209, -217, -217A, -217C, and -219 Turbofan Engines

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-15

... inspection AD 97-17-04R1, and to allow automatic eddy current inspection per engine manual Section 72-33-31.... That AD currently requires revisions to the engine manufacturer's time limits section (TLS) to include... modifies the TLS of the manufacturer's engine manual and an air carrier's approved continuous airworthiness...

Asphalt Raking. Instructor Manual. Trainee Manual.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Laborers-AGC Education and Training Fund, Pomfret Center, CT.

This packet consists of the instructor and trainee manuals for an asphalt raking course. The instructor manual contains a course schedule for 4 days of instruction, content outline, and instructor outline. The trainee manual is divided into five sections: safety, asphalt basics, placing methods, repair and patching, and clean-up and maintenance.…

48 CFR 304.602 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... accordance with the most current version of the “User Manual for the Enhanced Departmental Contracts Information System,” (DCIS Users' Manual) available at http://dcis.hhs.gov. For the purposes of this policy...

WisDOT geotechnical manual development.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-02-01

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation currently has a Soils Manual and a Geotechnical Bulletin that provides some guidance : to Regional staff and consulting engineering firms on departmental policy and procedures. However, these two publication...

A student manual for promoting mental health among high school students.

PubMed

Gigantesco, Antonella; Del Re, Debora; Cascavilla, Isabella

2013-01-01

We describe a school program based on a student manual for promoting mental health and preventing mental illness. A preliminary version of the manual was assessed for face validity by two focus groups. The final version was evaluated for acceptability among 253 students in 10 high schools and 1 middle school in Italy. The manual included 18 chapters (or "units") which address skills for enabling students to cope with their daily lives: communication skills, problem-solving, assertive skills, negotiation, stress management, anger management and conflict resolution. The manual was found to have been acceptable by high school students. The effectiveness of the manual in actually promoting mental health and preventing mental illness is currently being evaluated.

Three combinations of manual therapy techniques within naprapathy in the treatment of neck and/or back pain: a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Paanalahti, Kari; Holm, Lena W; Nordin, Margareta; Höijer, Jonas; Lyander, Jessica; Asker, Martin; Skillgate, Eva

2016-04-23

Manual therapy as spinal manipulation, spinal mobilization, stretching and massage are common treatment methods for neck and back pain. The objective was to compare the treatment effect on pain intensity, pain related disability and perceived recovery from a) naprapathic manual therapy (spinal manipulation, spinal mobilization, stretching and massage) to b) naprapathic manual therapy without spinal manipulation and to c) naprapathic manual therapy without stretching for male and female patients seeking care for back and/or neck pain. Participants were recruited among patients, ages 18-65, seeking care at the educational clinic of Naprapathögskolan - the Scandinavian College of Naprapathic Manual Medicine in Stockholm. The patients (n = 1057) were randomized to one of three treatment arms a) manual therapy (i.e. spinal manipulation, spinal mobilization, stretching and massage), b) manual therapy excluding spinal manipulation and c) manual therapy excluding stretching. The primary outcomes were minimal clinically important improvement in pain intensity and pain related disability. Treatments were provided by naprapath students in the seventh semester of eight total semesters. Generalized estimating equations and logistic regression were used to examine the association between the treatments and the outcomes. At 12 weeks follow-up, 64% had a minimal clinically important improvement in pain intensity and 42% in pain related disability. The corresponding chances to be improved at the 52 weeks follow-up were 58% and 40% respectively. No systematic differences in effect when excluding spinal manipulation and stretching respectively from the treatment were found over 1 year follow-up, concerning minimal clinically important improvement in pain intensity (p = 0.41) and pain related disability (p = 0.85) and perceived recovery (p = 0.98). Neither were there disparities in effect when male and female patients were analyzed separately. The effect of manual therapy for male and female patients seeking care for neck and/or back pain at an educational clinic is similar regardless if spinal manipulation or if stretching is excluded from the treatment option. Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN92249294.

40 CFR Table A-1 to Subpart A of... - Summary of Applicable Requirements for Reference and Equivalent Methods for Air Monitoring of...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Methods for Air Monitoring of Criteria Pollutants Pollutant Ref. or equivalent Manual or automated Applicable part 50 appendix Applicable subparts of part 53 A B C D E F SO2 Reference Manual A Equivalent Manual ✓ ✓ Automated ✓ ✓ ✓ CO Reference Automated C ✓ ✓ Equivalent Manual ✓ ✓ Automated ✓ ✓ ✓ O3...

A Manual on Nonviolence and Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Judson, Stephanie, Comp.

This manual on teaching children non-violent attitudes and the skills for non-violent conflict resolution suggests teaching activities and methods, describes classrooms in which these methods have been employed, and explains the underlying theory of conflict resolution. The first part of the manual, an outgrowth of the Friends' Nonviolence and…

Automated and Semiautomated Segmentation of Rectal Tumor Volumes on Diffusion-Weighted MRI: Can It Replace Manual Volumetry?

PubMed

van Heeswijk, Miriam M; Lambregts, Doenja M J; van Griethuysen, Joost J M; Oei, Stanley; Rao, Sheng-Xiang; de Graaff, Carla A M; Vliegen, Roy F A; Beets, Geerard L; Papanikolaou, Nikos; Beets-Tan, Regina G H

2016-03-15

Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) tumor volumetry is promising for rectal cancer response assessment, but an important drawback is that manual per-slice tumor delineation can be highly time consuming. This study investigated whether manual DWI-volumetry can be reproduced using a (semi)automated segmentation approach. Seventy-nine patients underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) that included DWI (highest b value [b1000 or b1100]) before and after chemoradiation therapy (CRT). Tumor volumes were assessed on b1000 (or b1100) DWI before and after CRT by means of (1) automated segmentation (by 2 inexperienced readers), (2) semiautomated segmentation (manual adjustment of the volumes obtained by method 1 by 2 radiologists), and (3) manual segmentation (by 2 radiologists); this last assessment served as the reference standard. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and Dice similarity indices (DSI) were calculated to evaluate agreement between different methods and observers. Measurement times (from a radiologist's perspective) were recorded for each method. Tumor volumes were not significantly different among the 3 methods, either before or after CRT (P=.08 to .92). ICCs compared to manual segmentation were 0.80 to 0.91 and 0.53 to 0.66 before and after CRT, respectively, for the automated segmentation and 0.91 to 0.97 and 0.61 to 0.75, respectively, for the semiautomated method. Interobserver agreement (ICC) pre and post CRT was 0.82 and 0.59 for automated segmentation, 0.91 and 0.73 for semiautomated segmentation, and 0.91 and 0.75 for manual segmentation, respectively. Mean DSI between the automated and semiautomated method were 0.83 and 0.58 pre-CRT and post-CRT, respectively; DSI between the automated and manual segmentation were 0.68 and 0.42 and 0.70 and 0.41 between the semiautomated and manual segmentation, respectively. Median measurement time for the radiologists was 0 seconds (pre- and post-CRT) for the automated method, 41 to 69 seconds (pre-CRT) and 60 to 67 seconds (post-CRT) for the semiautomated method, and 180 to 296 seconds (pre-CRT) and 84 to 91 seconds (post-CRT) for the manual method. DWI volumetry using a semiautomated segmentation approach is promising and a potentially time-saving alternative to manual tumor delineation, particularly for primary tumor volumetry. Once further optimized, it could be a helpful tool for tumor response assessment in rectal cancer. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Rotor Tip Vortex Tracing Algorithm for Image Post-Processing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Overmeyer, Austin D.

2015-01-01

A neurite tracing algorithm, originally developed for medical image processing, was used to trace the location of the rotor tip vortex in density gradient flow visualization images. The tracing algorithm was applied to several representative test images to form case studies. The accuracy of the tracing algorithm was compared to two current methods including a manual point and click method and a cross-correlation template method. It is shown that the neurite tracing algorithm can reduce the post-processing time to trace the vortex by a factor of 10 to 15 without compromising the accuracy of the tip vortex location compared to other methods presented in literature.

Image segmentation evaluation for very-large datasets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reeves, Anthony P.; Liu, Shuang; Xie, Yiting

2016-03-01

With the advent of modern machine learning methods and fully automated image analysis there is a need for very large image datasets having documented segmentations for both computer algorithm training and evaluation. Current approaches of visual inspection and manual markings do not scale well to big data. We present a new approach that depends on fully automated algorithm outcomes for segmentation documentation, requires no manual marking, and provides quantitative evaluation for computer algorithms. The documentation of new image segmentations and new algorithm outcomes are achieved by visual inspection. The burden of visual inspection on large datasets is minimized by (a) customized visualizations for rapid review and (b) reducing the number of cases to be reviewed through analysis of quantitative segmentation evaluation. This method has been applied to a dataset of 7,440 whole-lung CT images for 6 different segmentation algorithms designed to fully automatically facilitate the measurement of a number of very important quantitative image biomarkers. The results indicate that we could achieve 93% to 99% successful segmentation for these algorithms on this relatively large image database. The presented evaluation method may be scaled to much larger image databases.

Content and bibliometric analyses of the Journal of Manual & Manipulative Therapy

PubMed Central

Simon, Corey B; Coronado, Rogelio A; Wurtzel, Wendy A; Riddle, Daniel L; George, Steven Z

2014-01-01

Background: Article characteristics and trends have been elucidated for other physical therapy-focused journals using content and bibliometric analysis. These findings are important for assessing the current state of a journal and for guiding future publication of research. To date, these analyses have not been performed for the Journal of Manual & Manipulative Therapy (JMMT). Objective: To describe content and trends for articles published in JMMT over a 20-year period (1993–2012). Methods: Journal articles were coded using previously-established domains (article type, participant type, research design, study purpose, and clinical condition). Total publications and proportion of publications based on domain were described. Articles specific to manual therapy intervention were examined and compared to data from other physical therapy-focused journals. Impact by citation and author was examined using bibliometric software. Results: Journal of Manual & Manipulative Therapy was found to have a recent acceleration in the number of articles published annually. Over time, topical reviews have decreased in favor of research reports. However, rigorous study designs have represented only a small portion of total journal content, and case reports have maintained a consistent publication presence. Manual therapy intervention articles in JMMT are predominantly case designs, however are similar in characteristics to manual therapy intervention articles published in other physical therapy-focused journals. For JMMT articles overall and manual therapy intervention articles across journals, young to middle-aged symptomatic adults with low back and/or neck pain were the most common study participants. Discussion: Increases in the number of papers and a move toward research reports were observed in JMMT over the 20-year period. Considerations for the future were outlined, including the publication of articles with more rigorous research designs. Manual therapy research for adolescents and older adults and for upper and lower extremity conditions should also be considered as priorities for the future. PMID:25395826

The Container Tree Nursery Manual: Volume 7, Seedling processing, storage, and outplanting

Treesearch

Thomas D. Landis; R. Kasten Dumroese; Diane L. Haase

2010-01-01

This manual is based on the best current knowledge of container nursery management and should be used as a general reference. Recommendations were made using the best information available at the time and are, therefore, subject to revision as more knowledge becomes available. Much of the information in this manual was primarily developed from information on growing...

Comparison of Manual Refraction Versus Autorefraction in 60 Diabetic Retinopathy Patients

PubMed Central

Shirzadi, Keyvan; Shahraki, Kourosh; Yahaghi, Emad; Makateb, Ali; Khosravifard, Keivan

2016-01-01

Aim: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the comparison of manual refraction versus autorefraction in diabetic retinopathy patients. Material and Methods: The study was conducted at the Be’sat Army Hospital from 2013-2015. In the present study differences between two common refractometry methods (manual refractometry and Auto refractometry) in diagnosis and follow up of retinopathy in patients affected with diabetes is investigated. Results: Our results showed that there is a significant difference in visual acuity score of patients between manual and auto refractometry. Despite this fact, spherical equivalent scores of two methods of refractometry did not show a significant statistical difference in the patients. Conclusion: Although use of manual refraction is comparable with autorefraction in evaluating spherical equivalent scores in diabetic patients affected with retinopathy, but in the case of visual acuity results from these two methods are not comparable. PMID:27703289

Cognitive Rehabilitation: ACTION Training for Soldiers with Executive Dysfunction

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-10-01

failing to comply with a collection of information if it does not display a currently valid OMB control number. PLEASE DO NOT RETURN YOUR FORM TO... controlled trial. Aim 1: Finalize ACTION curriculum/ manuals; field test Aim 2: Evaluate ACTION instructional methods (the extent to which SM with...metacognitive strategy instruction (MSI), together called Target Acquisition Practices ( Group 1) by evaluating the extent to which training 1) improves

Comparison of pre-processing techniques for fluorescence microscopy images of cells labeled for actin.

PubMed

Muralidhar, Gautam S; Channappayya, Sumohana S; Slater, John H; Blinka, Ellen M; Bovik, Alan C; Frey, Wolfgang; Markey, Mia K

2008-11-06

Automated analysis of fluorescence microscopy images of endothelial cells labeled for actin is important for quantifying changes in the actin cytoskeleton. The current manual approach is laborious and inefficient. The goal of our work is to develop automated image analysis methods, thereby increasing cell analysis throughput. In this study, we present preliminary results on comparing different algorithms for cell segmentation and image denoising.

Assessment of cluster yield components by image analysis.

PubMed

Diago, Maria P; Tardaguila, Javier; Aleixos, Nuria; Millan, Borja; Prats-Montalban, Jose M; Cubero, Sergio; Blasco, Jose

2015-04-01

Berry weight, berry number and cluster weight are key parameters for yield estimation for wine and tablegrape industry. Current yield prediction methods are destructive, labour-demanding and time-consuming. In this work, a new methodology, based on image analysis was developed to determine cluster yield components in a fast and inexpensive way. Clusters of seven different red varieties of grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) were photographed under laboratory conditions and their cluster yield components manually determined after image acquisition. Two algorithms based on the Canny and the logarithmic image processing approaches were tested to find the contours of the berries in the images prior to berry detection performed by means of the Hough Transform. Results were obtained in two ways: by analysing either a single image of the cluster or using four images per cluster from different orientations. The best results (R(2) between 69% and 95% in berry detection and between 65% and 97% in cluster weight estimation) were achieved using four images and the Canny algorithm. The model's capability based on image analysis to predict berry weight was 84%. The new and low-cost methodology presented here enabled the assessment of cluster yield components, saving time and providing inexpensive information in comparison with current manual methods. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.

A practical guideline for intracranial volume estimation in patients with Alzheimer's disease

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Background Intracranial volume (ICV) is an important normalization measure used in morphometric analyses to correct for head size in studies of Alzheimer Disease (AD). Inaccurate ICV estimation could introduce bias in the outcome. The current study provides a decision aid in defining protocols for ICV estimation in patients with Alzheimer disease in terms of sampling frequencies that can be optimally used on the volumetric MRI data, and the type of software most suitable for use in estimating the ICV measure. Methods Two groups of 22 subjects are considered, including adult controls (AC) and patients with Alzheimer Disease (AD). Reference measurements were calculated for each subject by manually tracing intracranial cavity by the means of visual inspection. The reliability of reference measurements were assured through intra- and inter- variation analyses. Three publicly well-known software packages (Freesurfer, FSL, and SPM) were examined in their ability to automatically estimate ICV across the groups. Results Analysis of the results supported the significant effect of estimation method, gender, cognitive condition of the subject and the interaction among method and cognitive condition factors in the measured ICV. Results on sub-sampling studies with a 95% confidence showed that in order to keep the accuracy of the interleaved slice sampling protocol above 99%, the sampling period cannot exceed 20 millimeters for AC and 15 millimeters for AD. Freesurfer showed promising estimates for both adult groups. However SPM showed more consistency in its ICV estimation over the different phases of the study. Conclusions This study emphasized the importance in selecting the appropriate protocol, the choice of the sampling period in the manual estimation of ICV and selection of suitable software for the automated estimation of ICV. The current study serves as an initial framework for establishing an appropriate protocol in both manual and automatic ICV estimations with different subject populations. PMID:25953026

Western pond turtle: Biology, sampling techniques, inventory and monitoring, conservation, and management: Northwest Fauna No. 7

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bury, R.B.; Welsh, Hartwell H.; Germano, David J.; Ashton, Donald T.

2012-01-01

One of only two native, freshwater turtle species in the western United States, western pond turtles are declining in portions of their original range. Declines are mostly due to habitat loss, introduction of non-native species, pollution, and lack of connectivity among populations. USGS zoologist R. Bruce Bury and colleagues from the U.S. Forest Service, California State University, and other agencies compiled and edited a new review and field manual of this charismatic species. Objectives were to determine its current distribution and abundance, summarize and evaluate population features, review techniques to detect population and habitat changes, and improve monitoring for long-term trends. Methods described in the manual should improve consistency, efficiency, and accuracy of survey data, resulting in improved management and conservation efforts.

A user's manual for the Electromagnetic Surface Patch code: ESP version 3

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Newman, E. H.; Dilsavor, R. L.

1987-01-01

This report serves as a user's manual for Version III of the Electromagnetic Surface Patch Code or ESP code. ESP is user-oriented, based on the method of moments (MM) for treating geometries consisting of an interconnection of thin wires and perfectly conducting polygonal plates. Wire/plate junctions must be about 0.1 lambda or more from any plate edge. Several plates may intersect along a common edge. Excitation may be by either a delta-gap voltage generator or by a plane wave. The thin wires may have finite conductivity and also may contain lumped loads. The code computes most of the usual quantities of interest such as current distribution, input impedance, radiation efficiency, mutual coupling, far zone gain patterns (both polarizations) and radar-cross-section (both/cross polarizations).

Manipulation method for the treatment of ankle equinus.

PubMed

Dananberg, H J; Shearstone, J; Guillano, M

2000-09-01

Ankle equinus is a well-known clinical entity that has previously been shown to compound a variety of foot and ankle conditions. Treatments for this disorder have included surgery to lengthen the Achilles tendon and daily stretching. This article describes a method of manual manipulation that can immediately and substantially increase ankle joint dorsiflexion. Patients treated with manipulation in the current study demonstrated nearly twice as much dorsiflexion motion as that demonstrated by patients in a prior study who were treated with a 5-minute daily stretching program for 6 months.

Analysis of the sea otter (Enhydra lutris) reproductive tract: A methods manual

USGS Publications Warehouse

von Biela, Vanessa R.; Gill, Verena A.

2007-01-01

Sea otter reproductive tracts have most commonly come from either intentional sampling through harvests (Sinah et al. 1966, Schneider 1975) or unintentional large scale mortalities (e.g. the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill) (Bodkin et al. 1993). Carcasses and reproductive tracts can also be obtained through the collection of fresh beach cast carcasses. Analysis of reproductive tracts should consider the source of carcasses as samples representing either the “living” or “dead” sea otter population, as they may differ in reproductive parameters. In most cases the reproductive tracts are fixed in formalin or frozen (minimum of –20˚C) immediately after collection; both methods are acceptable for later analysis of the tissue. Immediate fixation is preferred as it is a necessary step in analysis. Uteri and ovaries are then examined to determine the current and past reproductive history of each individual. This manual also includes an example datasheet (Appendix A) and glossary (Appendix B). 

Predicting Physical Interactions between Protein Complexes*

PubMed Central

Clancy, Trevor; Rødland, Einar Andreas; Nygard, Ståle; Hovig, Eivind

2013-01-01

Protein complexes enact most biochemical functions in the cell. Dynamic interactions between protein complexes are frequent in many cellular processes. As they are often of a transient nature, they may be difficult to detect using current genome-wide screens. Here, we describe a method to computationally predict physical interactions between protein complexes, applied to both humans and yeast. We integrated manually curated protein complexes and physical protein interaction networks, and we designed a statistical method to identify pairs of protein complexes where the number of protein interactions between a complex pair is due to an actual physical interaction between the complexes. An evaluation against manually curated physical complex-complex interactions in yeast revealed that 50% of these interactions could be predicted in this manner. A community network analysis of the highest scoring pairs revealed a biologically sensible organization of physical complex-complex interactions in the cell. Such analyses of proteomes may serve as a guide to the discovery of novel functional cellular relationships. PMID:23438732

Management of occiput posterior position in the second stage of labor: a survey of midwifery practice in Australia.

PubMed

Phipps, Hala; de Vries, Brad; Jagadish, Ujvala; Hyett, Jon

2014-03-01

The management of the occiput posterior (OP) position has been controversial for many years. Manual rotation can be performed by midwives and could reduce cesarean sections and instrumental births. We aimed to determine current midwifery views, knowledge, and practice of manual rotation. A de-identified, self-reported questionnaire was e-mailed to all Australian College of Midwives full members (n = 3,997). Of 3,182 surveyed, 57 percent (1,817) responded, of whom 51 percent (920) were currently practicing midwifery. Seventy-seven percent of midwives thought that manual rotation at full dilatation was a valid intervention. Sixty-four percent stated the procedure was acceptable before instrumental delivery, but 30 percent were unsure. Most practicing midwives (93%) had heard of manual rotation, but only 18 percent had performed one in the last year. Midwives would support the routine performance of manual rotation for OP position if it reduced operative births from 68 to 50 percent and would support manual rotation for occiput transverse (OT) position if it reduced operative births from 39 to 25 percent. This study indicates that manual rotation is considered acceptable by most midwives in Australia, yet is only performed by a minority. Midwives would be willing to perform prophylactic manual rotation if it was known to facilitate normal vaginal births suggesting a scope to introduce this procedure into widespread clinical practice. © 2014, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2014, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Using pattern enumeration to accelerate process development and ramp yield

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhuang, Linda; Pang, Jenny; Xu, Jessy; Tsai, Mengfeng; Wang, Amy; Zhang, Yifan; Sweis, Jason; Lai, Ya-Chieh; Ding, Hua

2016-03-01

During a new technology node process setup phase, foundries do not initially have enough product chip designs to conduct exhaustive process development. Different operational teams use manually designed simple test keys to set up their process flows and recipes. When the very first version of the design rule manual (DRM) is ready, foundries enter the process development phase where new experiment design data is manually created based on these design rules. However, these IP/test keys contain very uniform or simple design structures. This kind of design normally does not contain critical design structures or process unfriendly design patterns that pass design rule checks but are found to be less manufacturable. It is desired to have a method to generate exhaustive test patterns allowed by design rules at development stage to verify the gap of design rule and process. This paper presents a novel method of how to generate test key patterns which contain known problematic patterns as well as any constructs which designers could possibly draw based on current design rules. The enumerated test key patterns will contain the most critical design structures which are allowed by any particular design rule. A layout profiling method is used to do design chip analysis in order to find potential weak points on new incoming products so fab can take preemptive action to avoid yield loss. It can be achieved by comparing different products and leveraging the knowledge learned from previous manufactured chips to find possible yield detractors.

Automatic tracking of labeled red blood cells in microchannels.

PubMed

Pinho, Diana; Lima, Rui; Pereira, Ana I; Gayubo, Fernando

2013-09-01

The current study proposes an automatic method for the segmentation and tracking of red blood cells flowing through a 100- μm glass capillary. The original images were obtained by means of a confocal system and then processed in MATLAB using the Image Processing Toolbox. The measurements obtained with the proposed automatic method were compared with the results determined by a manual tracking method. The comparison was performed by using both linear regressions and Bland-Altman analysis. The results have shown a good agreement between the two methods. Therefore, the proposed automatic method is a powerful way to provide rapid and accurate measurements for in vitro blood experiments in microchannels. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

7 CFR 91.23 - Analytical methods.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 3 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Analytical methods. 91.23 Section 91.23 Agriculture... SERVICES AND GENERAL INFORMATION Method Manuals § 91.23 Analytical methods. Most analyses are performed according to approved procedures described in manuals of standardized methodology. These standard methods...

7 CFR 91.23 - Analytical methods.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 3 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Analytical methods. 91.23 Section 91.23 Agriculture... SERVICES AND GENERAL INFORMATION Method Manuals § 91.23 Analytical methods. Most analyses are performed according to approved procedures described in manuals of standardized methodology. These standard methods...

7 CFR 91.23 - Analytical methods.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 3 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Analytical methods. 91.23 Section 91.23 Agriculture... SERVICES AND GENERAL INFORMATION Method Manuals § 91.23 Analytical methods. Most analyses are performed according to approved procedures described in manuals of standardized methodology. These standard methods...

Field application of a multi-frequency acoustic instrument to monitor sediment for silt erosion study in Pelton turbine in Himalayan region, India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rai, A. K.; Kumar, A.; Hies, T.; Nguyen, H. H.

2016-11-01

High sediment load passing through hydropower components erodes the hydraulic components resulting in loss of efficiency, interruptions in power production and downtime for repair/maintenance, especially in Himalayan regions. The size and concentration of sediment play a major role in silt erosion. The traditional process of collecting samples manually to analyse in laboratory cannot suffice the need of monitoring temporal variation in sediment properties. In this study, a multi-frequency acoustic instrument was applied at desilting chamber to monitor sediment size and concentration entering the turbine. The sediment size and concentration entering the turbine were also measured with manual samples collected twice daily. The samples collected manually were analysed in laboratory with a laser diffraction instrument for size and concentration apart from analysis by drying and filtering methods for concentration. A conductivity probe was used to calculate total dissolved solids, which was further used in results from drying method to calculate suspended solid content of the samples. The acoustic instrument was found to provide sediment concentration values similar to drying and filtering methods. However, no good match was found between mean grain size from the acoustic method with the current status of development and laser diffraction method in the first field application presented here. The future versions of the software and significant sensitivity improvements of the ultrasonic transducers are expected to increase the accuracy in the obtained results. As the instrument is able to capture the concentration and in the future most likely more accurate mean grain size of the suspended sediments, its application for monitoring silt erosion in hydropower plant shall be highly useful.

Manual Planimetry of the Medial Temporal Lobe Versus Automated Volumetry of the Hippocampus in the Diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease.

PubMed

Menéndez González, Manuel; Suárez-Sanmartin, Esther; García, Ciara; Martínez-Camblor, Pablo; Westman, Eric; Simmons, Andy

2016-03-26

Though a disproportionate rate of atrophy in the medial temporal lobe (MTA) represents a reliable marker of Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology, measurement of the MTA is not currently widely used in daily clinical practice. This is mainly because the methods available to date are sophisticated and difficult to implement in clinical practice (volumetric methods), are poorly explored (linear and planimetric methods), or lack objectivity (visual rating). Here, we aimed to compare the results of a manual planimetric measure (the yearly rate of absolute atrophy of the medial temporal lobe, 2D-yrA-MTL) with the results of an automated volumetric measure (the yearly rate of atrophy of the hippocampus, 3D-yrA-H). A series of 1.5T MRI studies on 290 subjects in the age range of 65-85 years, including patients with AD (n = 100), mild cognitive impairment (MCI) (n = 100), and matched controls (n = 90) from the AddNeuroMed study, were examined by two independent subgroups of researchers: one in charge of volumetric measures and the other in charge of planimetric measures. The means of both methods were significantly different between AD and the other two diagnostic groups. In the differential diagnosis of AD against controls, 3D-yrA-H performed significantly better than 2D-yrA-MTL while differences were not statistically significant in the differential diagnosis of AD against MCI. Automated volumetry of the hippocampus is superior to manual planimetry of the MTL in the diagnosis of AD. Nevertheless, the 2D-yrAMTL is a simpler method that could be easily implemented in clinical practice when volumetry is not available.

Field manual for the collection of Navajo Nation streamflow-gage data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hart, Robert J.; Fisk, Gregory G.

2014-01-01

The Field Manual for the Collection of Navajo Nation Streamflow-Gage Data (Navajo Field Manual) is based on established (standard) U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging methods and provides guidelines specifically designed for the Navajo Department of Water Resources personnel who establish and maintain streamflow gages. The Navajo Field Manual addresses field visits, including essential field equipment and the selection of and routine visits to streamflow-gaging stations, examines surveying methods for determining peak flows (indirect measurements), discusses safety considerations, and defines basic terms.

Radiological control manual. Revision 1

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

Kloepping, R.

1996-05-01

This Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Radiological Control Manual (LBNL RCM) has been prepared to provide guidance for site-specific additions, supplements and interpretation of the DOE Radiological Control Manual. The guidance provided in this manual is one methodology to implement the requirements given in Title 10 Code of Federal Regulations Part 835 (10 CFR 835) and the DOE Radiological Control Manual. Information given in this manual is also intended to provide demonstration of compliance to specific requirements in 10 CFR 835. The LBNL RCM (Publication 3113) and LBNL Health and Safety Manual Publication-3000 form the technical basis for the LBNL RPPmore » and will be revised as necessary to ensure that current requirements from Rules and Orders are represented. The LBNL RCM will form the standard for excellence in the implementation of the LBNL RPP.« less

Operating guidelines for TxDOT ramp control signals.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-01-01

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) currently maintains a Traffic Signals Manual. : Originally published in 1999, this manual provides a guide and reference for handling requests : for traffic signals on the designated State Highway System...

The origins of non-human primates' manual gestures

PubMed Central

Liebal, Katja; Call, Josep

2012-01-01

The increasing body of research into human and non-human primates' gestural communication reflects the interest in a comparative approach to human communication, particularly possible scenarios of language evolution. One of the central challenges of this field of research is to identify appropriate criteria to differentiate a gesture from other non-communicative actions. After an introduction to the criteria currently used to define non-human primates' gestures and an overview of ongoing research, we discuss different pathways of how manual actions are transformed into manual gestures in both phylogeny and ontogeny. Currently, the relationship between actions and gestures is not only investigated on a behavioural, but also on a neural level. Here, we focus on recent evidence concerning the differential laterality of manual actions and gestures in apes in the framework of a functional asymmetry of the brain for both hand use and language. PMID:22106431

Effect of Adding Interferential Current in an Exercise and Manual Therapy Program for Patients With Unilateral Shoulder Impingement Syndrome: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

PubMed

Gomes, Cid André Fidelis de Paula; Dibai-Filho, Almir Vieira; Moreira, William Arruda; Rivas, Shirley Quispe; Silva, Emanuela Dos Santos; Garrido, Ana Claudia Bogik

The purpose of this study was to measure the additional effect of adding interferential current (IFC) to an exercise and manual therapy program for patients with unilateral shoulder impingement syndrome. Forty-five participants were randomly assigned to group 1 (exercise and manual therapy), group 2 (exercise and manual therapy + IFC), or group 3 (exercise and manual therapy + placebo ultrasound). Individuals participated in 16 treatment sessions, twice a week for 8 weeks. The primary outcome of the study was total score of the Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI). The secondary outcomes were the pain and disability subscales of SPADI, Numeric Rating Scale, and Pain-Related Self-Statement Scale. Adjusted between-group mean differences (MDs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using linear mixed models. After 16 treatment sessions, statistically significant but not clinically important differences were identified in favor of the exercise and manual therapy program alone in the SPADI-total (group 1 vs group 2, MD 11.12 points, 95% CI 5.90-16.35; group 1 vs group 3, MD 13.43 points, 95% CI 8.21-18.65). Similar results were identified for secondary outcomes. The addition of IFC does not generate greater clinical effects in an exercise and manual therapy program for individuals with unilateral shoulder impingement syndrome. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Hydrometeorological application of an extratropical cyclone classification scheme in the southern United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Senkbeil, J. C.; Brommer, D. M.; Comstock, I. J.; Loyd, T.

2012-07-01

Extratropical cyclones (ETCs) in the southern United States are often overlooked when compared with tropical cyclones in the region and ETCs in the northern United States. Although southern ETCs are significant weather events, there is currently not an operational scheme used for identifying and discussing these nameless storms. In this research, we classified 84 ETCs (1970-2009). We manually identified five distinct formation regions and seven unique ETC types using statistical classification. Statistical classification employed the use of principal components analysis and two methods of cluster analysis. Both manual and statistical storm types generally showed positive (negative) relationships with El Niño (La Niña). Manual storm types displayed precipitation swaths consistent with discrete storm tracks which further legitimizes the existence of multiple modes of southern ETCs. Statistical storm types also displayed unique precipitation intensity swaths, but these swaths were less indicative of track location. It is hoped that by classifying southern ETCs into types, that forecasters, hydrologists, and broadcast meteorologists might be able to better anticipate projected amounts of precipitation at their locations.

Automated MRI segmentation for individualized modeling of current flow in the human head.

PubMed

Huang, Yu; Dmochowski, Jacek P; Su, Yuzhuo; Datta, Abhishek; Rorden, Christopher; Parra, Lucas C

2013-12-01

High-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) and high-density electroencephalography require accurate models of current flow for precise targeting and current source reconstruction. At a minimum, such modeling must capture the idiosyncratic anatomy of the brain, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and skull for each individual subject. Currently, the process to build such high-resolution individualized models from structural magnetic resonance images requires labor-intensive manual segmentation, even when utilizing available automated segmentation tools. Also, accurate placement of many high-density electrodes on an individual scalp is a tedious procedure. The goal was to develop fully automated techniques to reduce the manual effort in such a modeling process. A fully automated segmentation technique based on Statical Parametric Mapping 8, including an improved tissue probability map and an automated correction routine for segmentation errors, was developed, along with an automated electrode placement tool for high-density arrays. The performance of these automated routines was evaluated against results from manual segmentation on four healthy subjects and seven stroke patients. The criteria include segmentation accuracy, the difference of current flow distributions in resulting HD-tDCS models and the optimized current flow intensities on cortical targets. The segmentation tool can segment out not just the brain but also provide accurate results for CSF, skull and other soft tissues with a field of view extending to the neck. Compared to manual results, automated segmentation deviates by only 7% and 18% for normal and stroke subjects, respectively. The predicted electric fields in the brain deviate by 12% and 29% respectively, which is well within the variability observed for various modeling choices. Finally, optimized current flow intensities on cortical targets do not differ significantly. Fully automated individualized modeling may now be feasible for large-sample EEG research studies and tDCS clinical trials.

Resource Manual: Handicapped Children Birth to Five. Part 2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leslie, Lin; And Others

The resource manual, in two parts, provides a compilation of methods for enhancing the development of handicapped children from birth to 5 years in the areas of motor, communication, cognition, self help, and social skills. The manual is intended to aid in (1) assessing and identifying target behaviors to be achieved, (2) identifying methods for…

CSTEM User Manual

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hartle, M.; McKnight, R. L.

2000-01-01

This manual is a combination of a user manual, theory manual, and programmer manual. The reader is assumed to have some previous exposure to the finite element method. This manual is written with the idea that the CSTEM (Coupled Structural Thermal Electromagnetic-Computer Code) user needs to have a basic understanding of what the code is actually doing in order to properly use the code. For that reason, the underlying theory and methods used in the code are described to a basic level of detail. The manual gives an overview of the CSTEM code: how the code came into existence, a basic description of what the code does, and the order in which it happens (a flowchart). Appendices provide a listing and very brief description of every file used by the CSTEM code, including the type of file it is, what routine regularly accesses the file, and what routine opens the file, as well as special features included in CSTEM.

Disability pension by occupational class - the impact of work-related factors: The Hordaland Health Study Cohort

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background The social gradient in disability pension is well recognized, however mechanisms accounting for the gradient are largely unknown. The aim of this study was to examine the association between occupational class and subsequent disability pension among middle-aged men and women, and to what extent work-related factors accounted for the association. Methods A subsample (N = 7031) of the population-based Hordaland Health Study (HUSK) conducted in 1997-99, provided self-reported information on health and work-related factors, and were grouped in four strata by Erikson, Goldthorpe and Portocareros occupational class scheme. The authors obtained follow-up data on disability pension by linking the health survey to national registries of benefit (FD-trygd). They employed Cox regression analysis and adjusted for gender, health (medical conditions, mental health, self-perceived health, somatic symptoms) and work-related factors (working hours, years in current occupation, physical demands, job demands, job control). Results A strong gradient in disability pension by occupational class was found. In the fully adjusted model the risk (hazard ratio) ranged from 1.41 (95% CI 0.84 to 2.33) in the routine non-manual class, 1.87 (95% CI 1.07 to 3.27) in the skilled manual class and 2.12 (95% CI 1.14 to 3.95) in the unskilled manual class, employing the administrator and professional class as reference. In the gender and health-adjusted model work-related factors mediated the impact of occupational class on subsequent disability pension with 5% in the routine non-manual class, 26% in the skilled manual class and 24% in the unskilled manual class. The impact of job control and physical demands was modest, and mainly seen among skilled and unskilled manual workers. Conclusions Workers in the skilled and unskilled manual classes had a substantial unexplained risk of disability pension. Work-related factors only had a moderate impact on the disability risk. Literature indicates an accumulation of hazards in the manual classes. This should be taken into account when interpreting the gradient in disability pension. PMID:21619716

Template for updating regulations in QA manuals

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

White, M.G.; Banerjee, B.

1992-01-01

Recently, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) issued new quality assurance (QA) orders to reflect current policies for conduct and operation of DOE-authorized programs and facilities. Establishing traceability to new QA criteria and requirements from former multidraft orders, QA manuals, and guidance documentation for DOE-funded work can be confusing. Identified critical considerations still must be addressed. Most of the newly stated QA criteria can be cross referenced, where applicable, to former QA plans and manuals. Where additional criteria occur, new procedures may be required, together with revisions in QA plans and manuals.

The Importance of Considering Clinical Utility in the Construction of a Diagnostic Manual.

PubMed

Mullins-Sweatt, Stephanie N; Lengel, Gregory J; DeShong, Hilary L

2016-01-01

The development of major diagnostic manuals primarily has been guided by construct validity rather than clinical utility. The purpose of this article is to summarize recent research and theory examining the importance of clinical utility when constructing and evaluating a diagnostic manual. We suggest that construct validity is a necessary but not sufficient criterion for diagnostic constructs. This article discusses components of clinical utility and how these have applied to the current and forthcoming diagnostic manuals. Implications and suggestions for future research are provided.

Comparison of Manual Refraction Versus Autorefraction in 60 Diabetic Retinopathy Patients.

PubMed

Shirzadi, Keyvan; Shahraki, Kourosh; Yahaghi, Emad; Makateb, Ali; Khosravifard, Keivan

2016-07-27

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the comparison of manual refraction versus autorefraction in diabetic retinopathy patients. The study was conducted at the Be'sat Army Hospital from 2013-2015. In the present study differences between two common refractometry methods (manual refractometry and Auto refractometry) in diagnosis and follow up of retinopathy in patients affected with diabetes is investigated. Our results showed that there is a significant difference in visual acuity score of patients between manual and auto refractometry. Despite this fact, spherical equivalent scores of two methods of refractometry did not show a significant statistical difference in the patients. Although use of manual refraction is comparable with autorefraction in evaluating spherical equivalent scores in diabetic patients affected with retinopathy, but in the case of visual acuity results from these two methods are not comparable.

An expert system for wind shear avoidance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stengel, Robert F.; Stratton, D. Alexander

1990-01-01

A study of intelligent guidance and control concepts for protecting against the adverse effects of wind shear during aircraft takeoffs and landings is being conducted, with current emphasis on developing an expert system for wind shear avoidance. Principal objectives are to develop methods for assessing the likelihood of wind shear encounter (based on real-time information in the cockpit), for deciding what flight path to pursue (e.g., takeoff abort, landing go-around, or normal climbout or glide slope), and for using the aircraft's full potential for combating wind shear. This study requires the definition of both deterministic and statistical techniques for fusing internal and external information , for making go/no-go decisions, and for generating commands to the manually controlled flight. The program has begun with the development of the WindShear Safety Advisor, an expert system for pilot aiding that is based on the FAA Windshear Training Aid; a two-volume manual that presents an overview , pilot guide, training program, and substantiating data provides guidelines for this initial development. The WindShear Safety Advisor expert system currently contains over 200 rules and is coded in the LISP programming language.

Automated T2 relaxometry of the hippocampus for temporal lobe epilepsy.

PubMed

Winston, Gavin P; Vos, Sjoerd B; Burdett, Jane L; Cardoso, M Jorge; Ourselin, Sebastien; Duncan, John S

2017-09-01

Hippocampal sclerosis (HS), the most common cause of refractory temporal lobe epilepsy, is associated with hippocampal volume loss and increased T2 signal. These can be identified on quantitative imaging with hippocampal volumetry and T2 relaxometry. Although hippocampal segmentation for volumetry has been automated, T2 relaxometry currently involves subjective and time-consuming manual delineation of regions of interest. In this work, we develop and validate an automated technique for hippocampal T2 relaxometry. Fifty patients with unilateral or bilateral HS and 50 healthy controls underwent T 1 -weighted and dual-echo fast recovery fast spin echo scans. Hippocampi were automatically segmented using a multi-atlas-based segmentation algorithm (STEPS) and a template database. Voxelwise T2 maps were determined using a monoexponential fit. The hippocampal segmentations were registered to the T2 maps and eroded to reduce partial volume effect. Voxels with T2 >170 msec excluded to minimize cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) contamination. Manual determination of T2 values was performed twice in each subject. Twenty controls underwent repeat scans to assess interscan reproducibility. Hippocampal T2 values were reliably determined using the automated method. There was a significant ipsilateral increase in T2 values in HS (p < 0.001), and a smaller but significant contralateral increase. The combination of hippocampal volumes and T2 values separated the groups well. There was a strong correlation between automated and manual methods for hippocampal T2 measurement (0.917 left, 0.896 right, both p < 0.001). Interscan reproducibility was superior for automated compared to manual measurements. Automated hippocampal segmentation can be reliably extended to the determination of hippocampal T2 values, and a combination of hippocampal volumes and T2 values can separate subjects with HS from healthy controls. There is good agreement with manual measurements, and the technique is more reproducible on repeat scans than manual measurement. This protocol can be readily introduced into a clinical workflow for the assessment of patients with focal epilepsy. © 2017 The Authors. Epilepsia published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International League Against Epilepsy.

Improving transcriptome construction in non-model organisms: integrating manual and automated gene definition in Emiliania huxleyi.

PubMed

Feldmesser, Ester; Rosenwasser, Shilo; Vardi, Assaf; Ben-Dor, Shifra

2014-02-22

The advent of Next Generation Sequencing technologies and corresponding bioinformatics tools allows the definition of transcriptomes in non-model organisms. Non-model organisms are of great ecological and biotechnological significance, and consequently the understanding of their unique metabolic pathways is essential. Several methods that integrate de novo assembly with genome-based assembly have been proposed. Yet, there are many open challenges in defining genes, particularly where genomes are not available or incomplete. Despite the large numbers of transcriptome assemblies that have been performed, quality control of the transcript building process, particularly on the protein level, is rarely performed if ever. To test and improve the quality of the automated transcriptome reconstruction, we used manually defined and curated genes, several of them experimentally validated. Several approaches to transcript construction were utilized, based on the available data: a draft genome, high quality RNAseq reads, and ESTs. In order to maximize the contribution of the various data, we integrated methods including de novo and genome based assembly, as well as EST clustering. After each step a set of manually curated genes was used for quality assessment of the transcripts. The interplay between the automated pipeline and the quality control indicated which additional processes were required to improve the transcriptome reconstruction. We discovered that E. huxleyi has a very high percentage of non-canonical splice junctions, and relatively high rates of intron retention, which caused unique issues with the currently available tools. While individual tools missed genes and artificially joined overlapping transcripts, combining the results of several tools improved the completeness and quality considerably. The final collection, created from the integration of several quality control and improvement rounds, was compared to the manually defined set both on the DNA and protein levels, and resulted in an improvement of 20% versus any of the read-based approaches alone. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that an automated transcript definition is subjected to quality control using manually defined and curated genes and thereafter the process is improved. We recommend using a set of manually curated genes to troubleshoot transcriptome reconstruction.

A Bookmarking Service for Organizing and Sharing URLs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Keller, Richard M.; Wolfe, Shawn R.; Chen, James R.; Mathe, Nathalie; Rabinowitz, Joshua L.

1997-01-01

Web browser bookmarking facilities predominate as the method of choice for managing URLs. In this paper, we describe some deficiencies of current bookmarking schemes, and examine an alternative to current approaches. We present WebTagger(TM), an implemented prototype of a personal bookmarking service that provides both individuals and groups with a customizable means of organizing and accessing Web-based information resources. In addition, the service enables users to supply feedback on the utility of these resources relative to their information needs, and provides dynamically-updated ranking of resources based on incremental user feedback. Individuals may access the service from anywhere on the Internet, and require no special software. This service greatly simplifies the process of sharing URLs within groups, in comparison with manual methods involving email. The underlying bookmark organization scheme is more natural and flexible than current hierarchical schemes supported by the major Web browsers, and enables rapid access to stored bookmarks.

A Fully Automated Method for Quantifying and Localizing White Matter Hyperintensities on MR Images

PubMed Central

Wu, Minjie; Rosano, Caterina; Butters, Meryl; Whyte, Ellen; Nable, Megan; Crooks, Ryan; Meltzer, Carolyn C.; Reynolds, Charles F.; Aizenstein3, Howard J.

2006-01-01

White matter hyperintensities (WMH), commonly found on T2-weighted FLAIR brain MR images in the elderly, are associated with a number of neuropsychiatric disorders, including vascular dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and late-life depression. Previous MRI studies of WMHs have primarily relied on the subjective and global (i.e., full-brain) ratings of WMH grade. In the current study we implement and validate an automated method for quantifying and localizing WMHs. We adapt a fuzzy connected algorithm to automate the segmentation of WMHs and use a demons-based image registration to automate the anatomic localization of the WMHs using the Johns Hopkins University White Matter Atlas. The method is validated using the brain MR images acquired from eleven elderly subjects with late-onset late-life depression (LLD) and eight elderly controls. This dataset was chosen because LLD subjects are known to have significant WMH burden. The volumes of WMH identified in our automated method are compared with the accepted gold standard (manual ratings). A significant correlation of the automated method and the manual ratings is found (P<0.0001), thus demonstrating similar WMH quantifications of both methods. As has been shown in other studies e.g. (Taylor, et al. 2003)), we found there was a significantly greater WMH burden in the LLD subjects versus the controls for both the manual and automated method. The effect size was greater for the automated method, suggesting that it is a more specific measure. Additionally, we describe the anatomic localization of the WMHs in LLD subjects as well as in the control subjects, and detect the regions of interest (ROIs) specific for the WMH burden of LLD patients. Given the emergence of large neuroimage databases, techniques, such as that described here, will allow for a better understanding of the relationship between WMHs and neuropsychiatric disorders. PMID:17097277

77 FR 40683 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; New York Stock Exchange LLC; Notice of Filing and Immediate...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-10

... evolution of the equities markets away from manual executions and manual enforcement of rules toward an... Exchange's current market structure and to reflect rapidly changing market technology and the development...

Manual of phosphoric acid fuel cell stack three-dimensional model and computer program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lu, C. Y.; Alkasab, K. A.

1984-01-01

A detailed distributed mathematical model of phosphoric acid fuel cell stack have been developed, with the FORTRAN computer program, for analyzing the temperature distribution in the stack and the associated current density distribution on the cell plates. Energy, mass, and electrochemical analyses in the stack were combined to develop the model. Several reasonable assumptions were made to solve this mathematical model by means of the finite differences numerical method.

Automated tracking, segmentation and trajectory classification of pelvic organs on dynamic MRI.

PubMed

Nekooeimehr, Iman; Lai-Yuen, Susana; Bao, Paul; Weitzenfeld, Alfredo; Hart, Stuart

2016-08-01

Pelvic organ prolapse is a major health problem in women where pelvic floor organs (bladder, uterus, small bowel, and rectum) fall from their normal position and bulge into the vagina. Dynamic Magnetic Resonance Imaging (DMRI) is presently used to analyze the organs' movements from rest to maximum strain providing complementary support for diagnosis. However, there is currently no automated or quantitative approach to measure the movement of the pelvic organs and their correlation with the severity of prolapse. In this paper, a two-stage method is presented to automatically track and segment pelvic organs on DMRI followed by a multiple-object trajectory classification method to improve the diagnosis of pelvic organ prolapse. Organs are first tracked using particle filters and K-means clustering with prior information. Then, they are segmented using the convex hull of the cluster of particles. Finally, the trajectories of the pelvic organs are modeled using a new Coupled Switched Hidden Markov Model (CSHMM) to classify the severity of pelvic organ prolapse. The tracking and segmentation results are validated using Dice Similarity Index (DSI) whereas the classification results are compared with two manual clinical measurements. Results demonstrate that the presented method is able to automatically track and segment pelvic organs with a DSI above 82% for 26 out of 46 cases and DSI above 75% for all 46 tested cases. The accuracy of the trajectory classification model is also better than current manual measurements.

Automatic and manual segmentation of healthy retinas using high-definition optical coherence tomography.

PubMed

Golbaz, Isabelle; Ahlers, Christian; Goesseringer, Nina; Stock, Geraldine; Geitzenauer, Wolfgang; Prünte, Christian; Schmidt-Erfurth, Ursula Margarethe

2011-03-01

This study compared automatic- and manual segmentation modalities in the retina of healthy eyes using high-definition optical coherence tomography (HD-OCT). Twenty retinas in 20 healthy individuals were examined using an HD-OCT system (Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc.). Three-dimensional imaging was performed with an axial resolution of 6 μm at a maximum scanning speed of 25,000 A-scans/second. Volumes of 6 × 6 × 2 mm were scanned. Scans were analysed using a matlab-based algorithm and a manual segmentation software system (3D-Doctor). The volume values calculated by the two methods were compared. Statistical analysis revealed a high correlation between automatic and manual modes of segmentation. The automatic mode of measuring retinal volume and the corresponding three-dimensional images provided similar results to the manual segmentation procedure. Both methods were able to visualize retinal and subretinal features accurately. This study compared two methods of assessing retinal volume using HD-OCT scans in healthy retinas. Both methods were able to provide realistic volumetric data when applied to raster scan sets. Manual segmentation methods represent an adequate tool with which to control automated processes and to identify clinically relevant structures, whereas automatic procedures will be needed to obtain data in larger patient populations. © 2009 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2009 Acta Ophthalmol.

FLAPS (Fatigue Life Analysis Programs): Computer Programs to Predict Cyclic Life Using the Total Strain Version of Strainrange Partitioning and Other Life Prediction Methods. Users' Manual and Example Problems, Version 1.0

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arya, Vinod K.; Halford, Gary R. (Technical Monitor)

2003-01-01

This manual presents computer programs FLAPS for characterizing and predicting fatigue and creep-fatigue resistance of metallic materials in the high-temperature, long-life regime for isothermal and nonisothermal fatigue. The programs use the Total Strain version of Strainrange Partitioning (TS-SRP), and several other life prediction methods described in this manual. The user should be thoroughly familiar with the TS-SRP and these life prediction methods before attempting to use any of these programs. Improper understanding can lead to incorrect use of the method and erroneous life predictions. An extensive database has also been developed in a parallel effort. The database is probably the largest source of high-temperature, creep-fatigue test data available in the public domain and can be used with other life-prediction methods as well. This users' manual, software, and database are all in the public domain and can be obtained by contacting the author. The Compact Disk (CD) accompanying this manual contains an executable file for the FLAPS program, two datasets required for the example problems in the manual, and the creep-fatigue data in a format compatible with these programs.

A novel image processing technique for 3D volumetric analysis of severely resorbed alveolar sockets with CBCT.

PubMed

Manavella, Valeria; Romano, Federica; Garrone, Federica; Terzini, Mara; Bignardi, Cristina; Aimetti, Mario

2017-06-01

The aim of this study was to present and validate a novel procedure for the quantitative volumetric assessment of extraction sockets that combines cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) and image processing techniques. The CBCT dataset of 9 severely resorbed extraction sockets was analyzed by means of two image processing software, Image J and Mimics, using manual and automated segmentation techniques. They were also applied on 5-mm spherical aluminum markers of known volume and on a polyvinyl chloride model of one alveolar socket scanned with Micro-CT to test the accuracy. Statistical differences in alveolar socket volume were found between the different methods of volumetric analysis (P<0.0001). The automated segmentation using Mimics was the most reliable and accurate method with a relative error of 1.5%, considerably smaller than the error of 7% and of 10% introduced by the manual method using Mimics and by the automated method using ImageJ. The currently proposed automated segmentation protocol for the three-dimensional rendering of alveolar sockets showed more accurate results, excellent inter-observer similarity and increased user friendliness. The clinical application of this method enables a three-dimensional evaluation of extraction socket healing after the reconstructive procedures and during the follow-up visits.

The Interactive Electronic Technical Manual: Requirements, Current Status, and Implementation. Strategy Considerations.

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-07-01

authoring systems. Concurrently, great strides in computer-aided design and computer-aided maintenance have contributed to this capability. 12 Junod ...J.; William A. Nugent; and L. John Junod . Plan for the Navy/Air Force Test of the Interactive Electronic Technical Manual (IETM) at Cecil Field...AFHRL Logistics and Human Factors Division, WPAFB. Aug 1990. 12. Junod , John L. PY90 Interactive Electronic Technical Manual (IETM) Portable Delivery

NPS (Naval Postgraduate School) Supply Requisition Database - Interactive Software as an Alternative to Written Instructions.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-03-01

SRdb ... .......... .35 APPENDIX A: ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS ......... 37 " APPENDIX B: USER’S MANUAL ..... ............... 38 APPENDIX C: DATABASE...percentage of situations. The purpose of this paper is to examine and propose a software-oriented alternative to the current manual , instruction-driven...Department Customer Service Manual (Ref. 1] and the applicable NPS Comptroller instruction [Ref. 2]. Several modifications to these written quidelines

Fully Automatic Segmentation of Fluorescein Leakage in Subjects With Diabetic Macular Edema

PubMed Central

Rabbani, Hossein; Allingham, Michael J.; Mettu, Priyatham S.; Cousins, Scott W.; Farsiu, Sina

2015-01-01

Purpose. To create and validate software to automatically segment leakage area in real-world clinical fluorescein angiography (FA) images of subjects with diabetic macular edema (DME). Methods. Fluorescein angiography images obtained from 24 eyes of 24 subjects with DME were retrospectively analyzed. Both video and still-frame images were obtained using a Heidelberg Spectralis 6-mode HRA/OCT unit. We aligned early and late FA frames in the video by a two-step nonrigid registration method. To remove background artifacts, we subtracted early and late FA frames. Finally, after postprocessing steps, including detection and inpainting of the vessels, a robust active contour method was utilized to obtain leakage area in a 1500-μm-radius circular region centered at the fovea. Images were captured at different fields of view (FOVs) and were often contaminated with outliers, as is the case in real-world clinical imaging. Our algorithm was applied to these images with no manual input. Separately, all images were manually segmented by two retina specialists. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of manual interobserver, manual intraobserver, and automatic methods were calculated. Results. The mean accuracy was 0.86 ± 0.08 for automatic versus manual, 0.83 ± 0.16 for manual interobserver, and 0.90 ± 0.08 for manual intraobserver segmentation methods. Conclusions. Our fully automated algorithm can reproducibly and accurately quantify the area of leakage of clinical-grade FA video and is congruent with expert manual segmentation. The performance was reliable for different DME subtypes. This approach has the potential to reduce time and labor costs and may yield objective and reproducible quantitative measurements of DME imaging biomarkers. PMID:25634978

Manual versus Automated Carotid Artery Plaque Component Segmentation in High and Lower Quality 3.0 Tesla MRI Scans

PubMed Central

Smits, Loek P.; van Wijk, Diederik F.; Duivenvoorden, Raphael; Xu, Dongxiang; Yuan, Chun; Stroes, Erik S.; Nederveen, Aart J.

2016-01-01

Purpose To study the interscan reproducibility of manual versus automated segmentation of carotid artery plaque components, and the agreement between both methods, in high and lower quality MRI scans. Methods 24 patients with 30–70% carotid artery stenosis were planned for 3T carotid MRI, followed by a rescan within 1 month. A multicontrast protocol (T1w,T2w, PDw and TOF sequences) was used. After co-registration and delineation of the lumen and outer wall, segmentation of plaque components (lipid-rich necrotic cores (LRNC) and calcifications) was performed both manually and automated. Scan quality was assessed using a visual quality scale. Results Agreement for the detection of LRNC (Cohen’s kappa (k) is 0.04) and calcification (k = 0.41) between both manual and automated segmentation methods was poor. In the high-quality scans (visual quality score ≥ 3), the agreement between manual and automated segmentation increased to k = 0.55 and k = 0.58 for, respectively, the detection of LRNC and calcification larger than 1 mm2. Both manual and automated analysis showed good interscan reproducibility for the quantification of LRNC (intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of 0.94 and 0.80 respectively) and calcified plaque area (ICC of 0.95 and 0.77, respectively). Conclusion Agreement between manual and automated segmentation of LRNC and calcifications was poor, despite a good interscan reproducibility of both methods. The agreement between both methods increased to moderate in high quality scans. These findings indicate that image quality is a critical determinant of the performance of both manual and automated segmentation of carotid artery plaque components. PMID:27930665

40 CFR 53.2 - General requirements for a reference method determination.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

...) Manual methods—(1) Sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) and lead. For measuring SO2 and lead, appendices A and G of part 50 of this chapter specify unique manual FRM for measuring these pollutants. Except as provided in § 53.16, other manual methods for SO2 and lead will not be considered for FRM determinations under this...

Association between heart rate variability and manual pulse rate.

PubMed

Hart, John

2013-09-01

One model for neurological assessment in chiropractic pertains to autonomic variability, tested commonly with heart rate variability (HRV). Since HRV may not be convenient to use on all patient visits, more user-friendly methods may help fill-in the gaps. Accordingly, this study tests the association between manual pulse rate and heart rate variability. The manual rates were also compared to the heart rate derived from HRV. Forty-eight chiropractic students were examined with heart rate variability (SDNN and mean heart rate) and two manual radial pulse rate measurements. Inclusion criteria consisted of participants being chiropractic students. Exclusion criteria for 46 of the participants consisted of a body mass index being greater than 30, age greater than 35, and history of: a) dizziness upon standing, b) treatment of psychiatric disorders, and c) diabetes. No exclusion criteria were applied to the remaining two participants who were also convenience sample volunteers. Linear associations between the manual pulse rate methods and the two heart rate variability measures (SDNN and mean heart) were tested with Pearson's correlation and simple linear regression. Moderate strength inverse (expected) correlations were observed between both manual pulse rate methods and SDNN (r = -0.640, 95% CI -0.781, -0.435; r = -0.632, 95% CI -0.776, -0.425). Strong direct (expected) relationships were observed between the manual pulse rate methods and heart rate derived from HRV technology (r = 0.934, 95% CI 0.885, 0.962; r = 0.941, 95% CI 0.897, 0.966). Manual pulse rates may be a useful option for assessing autonomic variability. Furthermore, this study showed a strong relationship between manual pulse rates and heart rate derived from HRV technology.

Comparison of automated erythrocytapheresis versus manual exchange transfusion to treat cerebral macrovasculopathy in sickle cell anemia.

PubMed

Koehl, Bérengère; Sommet, Julie; Holvoet, Laurent; Abdoul, Hendy; Boizeau, Priscilla; Ithier, Ghislaine; Missud, Florence; Couque, Nathalie; Verlhac, Suzanne; Voultoury, Pauline; Sellami, Fatiha; Baruchel, André; Benkerrou, Malika

2016-05-01

Chronic exchange transfusion is effective for primary and secondary prevention of stroke in children with sickle cell anemia (SCA). Erythrocytapheresis is recognized to be the most efficient approach; however, it is not widely implemented and is not suitable for all patients. The aim of our study was to compare automated exchange transfusion (AET) with our manual method of exchange transfusion and, in particular, to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and cost of our manual method. Thirty-nine SCA children with stroke and/or abnormal findings on transcranial Doppler were included in the study. We retrospectively analyzed 1353 exchange sessions, including 333 sessions of AET and 1020 sessions of manual exchange transfusion (MET). Both methods were well tolerated. The median decrease in hemoglobin (Hb)S per session was 21.5% with AET and 18.8% with our manual method (p < 0.0001) with no major increase in red blood cell consumption. Iron overload was well controlled, even with the manual method, with a median (interquartile range) ferritin level of 312 (152-994) µg/L after 24 months of transfusions. The main differences in annual cost relate to equipment costs, which were 74 times higher with the automated method. Our study shows that continuous MET has comparable efficacy to the automated method in terms of stroke prevention, decrease in HbS, and iron overload prevention. It is feasible in all hospital settings and is often combined with AET successively over time. © 2016 AABB.

Installation and service manual for the U.S. Geological Survey manometers

USGS Publications Warehouse

Craig, James D.

1983-01-01

The purpose of this manual is to describe the installation, operation, and maintenance of the bubble-gage manometers currently (1982) used by the U.S. Geological Survey. Other applications of these devices, such as the long manometer and differential manometer, are discussed, and accessories available for them are described. The bubble gage (water-stage manometer with gas-purge system) described in the Installation and Service Manual, October 1962, has been extensively modified and developed into the STACOM (stabilized and temperature compensated) device. This chapter is the manual for the STACOM unit and an update of the manual for the screw-type bubble gage. A parts list is included for both units.

Computational Methods for Analyzing Health News Coverage

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McFarlane, Delano J.

2011-01-01

Researchers that investigate the media's coverage of health have historically relied on keyword searches to retrieve relevant health news coverage, and manual content analysis methods to categorize and score health news text. These methods are problematic. Manual content analysis methods are labor intensive, time consuming, and inherently…

StimDuino: an Arduino-based electrophysiological stimulus isolator.

PubMed

Sheinin, Anton; Lavi, Ayal; Michaelevski, Izhak

2015-03-30

Electrical stimulus isolator is a widely used device in electrophysiology. The timing of the stimulus application is usually automated and controlled by the external device or acquisition software; however, the intensity of the stimulus is adjusted manually. Inaccuracy, lack of reproducibility and no automation of the experimental protocol are disadvantages of the manual adjustment. To overcome these shortcomings, we developed StimDuino, an inexpensive Arduino-controlled stimulus isolator allowing highly accurate, reproducible automated setting of the stimulation current. The intensity of the stimulation current delivered by StimDuino is controlled by Arduino, an open-source microcontroller development platform. The automatic stimulation patterns are software-controlled and the parameters are set from Matlab-coded simple, intuitive and user-friendly graphical user interface. The software also allows remote control of the device over the network. Electrical current measurements showed that StimDuino produces the requested current output with high accuracy. In both hippocampal slice and in vivo recordings, the fEPSP measurements obtained with StimDuino and the commercial stimulus isolators showed high correlation. Commercial stimulus isolators are manually managed, while StimDuino generates automatic stimulation patterns with increasing current intensity. The pattern is utilized for the input-output relationship analysis, necessary for assessment of excitability. In contrast to StimuDuino, not all commercial devices are capable for remote control of the parameters and stimulation process. StimDuino-generated automation of the input-output relationship assessment eliminates need for the current intensity manually adjusting, improves stimulation reproducibility, accuracy and allows on-site and remote control of the stimulation parameters. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Manuals Used in the National Aquatic Resource Surveys

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Various manuals are used to communicate the methods and guidelines for the National Aquatic Resource Surveys. The Field Operations Manual: outlines the field protocols that crews will utilize to sample sites.

[Comparison of manual and automated (MagNA Pure) nucleic acid isolation methods in molecular diagnosis of HIV infections].

PubMed

Alp, Alpaslan; Us, Dürdal; Hasçelik, Gülşen

2004-01-01

Rapid quantitative molecular methods are very important for the diagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections, assessment of prognosis and follow up. The purpose of this study was to compare and evaluate the performances of conventional manual extraction method and automated MagNA Pure system, for the nucleic acid isolation step which is the first and most important step in molecular diagnosis of HIV infections. Plasma samples of 35 patients in which anti-HIV antibodies were found as positive by microparticule enzyme immunoassay and confirmed by immunoblotting method, were included in the study. The nucleic acids obtained simultaneously by manual isolation kit (Cobas Amplicor, HIV-1 Monitor Test, version 1.5, Roche Diagnostics) and automated system (MagNA Pure LC Total Nucleic Acid Isolation Kit, Roche Diagnostics), were amplified and detected in Cobas Amplicor (Roche Diagnostics) instrument. Twenty three of 35 samples (65.7%) were found to be positive, and 9 (25.7%) were negative by both of the methods. The agreement between the methods were detected as 91.4%, for qualitative results. Viral RNA copies detected by manual and MagNA Pure isolation methods were found between 76.0-7.590.000 (mean: 487.143) and 113.0-20.300.0000 (mean: 2.174.097) copies/ml, respectively. When both of the overall and individual results were evaluated, the number of RNA copies obtained with automatized system, were found higher than the manual method (p<0.05). Three samples which had low numbers of nucleic acids (113, 773, 857, respectively) with MagNA Pure, yielded negative results with manual method. In conclusion, the automatized MagNA Pure system was found to be a reliable, rapid and practical method for the isolation of HIV-RNA.

Computer-Assisted Diagnosis of the Sleep Apnea-Hypopnea Syndrome: A Review

PubMed Central

Alvarez-Estevez, Diego; Moret-Bonillo, Vicente

2015-01-01

Automatic diagnosis of the Sleep Apnea-Hypopnea Syndrome (SAHS) has become an important area of research due to the growing interest in the field of sleep medicine and the costs associated with its manual diagnosis. The increment and heterogeneity of the different techniques, however, make it somewhat difficult to adequately follow the recent developments. A literature review within the area of computer-assisted diagnosis of SAHS has been performed comprising the last 15 years of research in the field. Screening approaches, methods for the detection and classification of respiratory events, comprehensive diagnostic systems, and an outline of current commercial approaches are reviewed. An overview of the different methods is presented together with validation analysis and critical discussion of the current state of the art. PMID:26266052

State of laboratory manual instruction in California community college introductory (non-majors) biology laboratory instruction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Priest, Michelle

College students must complete a life science course prior to graduation for a bachelor's degree. Generally, the course has lecture and laboratory components. It is in the laboratory where there are exceptional opportunities for exploration, challenge and application of the material learned. Optimally, this would utilize the best of inquiry based approaches. Most community colleges are using a home-grown or self written laboratory manual for the direction of work in the laboratory period. Little was known about the motivation, development and adaptation of use. It was also not known about the future of the laboratory manuals in light of the recent learning reform in California Community Colleges, Student Learning Outcomes. Extensive interviews were conducted with laboratory manual authors to determine the motivation, process of development, who was involved and learning framework used in the creation of the manuals. It was further asked of manual authors their ideas about the future of the manual, the development of staff and faculty and finally, the role Student Learning Outcomes would play in the manual. Science faculty currently teaching the non-majors biology laboratories for at least two semesters were surveyed on-line about actual practice of the manual, assessment, manual flexibility, faculty training and incorporation of Student Learning Outcomes. Finally, an evaluation of the laboratory manual was done using an established Laboratory Task Analysis Instrument. Laboratory manuals were evaluated on a variety of categories to determine the level of inquiry instruction done by students in the laboratory section. The results were that the development of homegrown laboratory manuals was done by community colleges in the Los Angeles and Orange Counties in an effort to minimize the cost of the manual to the students, to utilize all the exercises in a particular lab and to effectively utilize the materials already owned by the department. Further, schools wanted to utilize the current faculty research expertise and knowledge. Unfortunately, laboratory manual authors had no real learning framework in the development of the manual. Based on the LAI, most manuals focused on the lowest levels of inquiry based instruction. Most manuals focused exercises on cell and molecular topics. The manuals had little student exploration, creation or design in the laboratory exercise and no option for repeating the exercise. There was a clear desire of faculty and authors to improve the laboratory experience and manual. Authors and faculty wished to include more inquiry and utilize the best of Student Learning Outcome (SLO) methodologies. Authors and the laboratory manuals have a major disconnect in that authors have clear desires inquiry based learning for the manual but do not effectively implement the inquiry based learning for various reasons. The manuals themselves, laboratory manuals themselves are not robust inquiry based learning models to maximize student learning. Authors and faculty are disconnected in that authors know what they want their manuals to do...but do not effectively communicate that to faculty. Finally, schools are in a "wait and see" approach as to when to integrate the latest learning theory mandated by the Chancellors Office -- Student Learning Outcomes.

Comparison of cell counting methods in rodent pulmonary toxicity studies: automated and manual protocols and considerations for experimental design

PubMed Central

Zeidler-Erdely, Patti C.; Antonini, James M.; Meighan, Terence G.; Young, Shih-Houng; Eye, Tracy J.; Hammer, Mary Ann; Erdely, Aaron

2016-01-01

Pulmonary toxicity studies often use bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) to investigate potential adverse lung responses to a particulate exposure. The BAL cellular fraction is counted, using automated (i.e. Coulter Counter®), flow cytometry or manual (i.e. hemocytometer) methods, to determine inflammatory cell influx. The goal of the study was to compare the different counting methods to determine which is optimal for examining BAL cell influx after exposure by inhalation or intratracheal instillation (ITI) to different particles with varying inherent pulmonary toxicities in both rat and mouse models. General findings indicate that total BAL cell counts using the automated and manual methods tended to agree after inhalation or ITI exposure to particle samples that are relatively nontoxic or at later time points after exposure to a pneumotoxic particle when the response resolves. However, when the initial lung inflammation and cytotoxicity was high after exposure to a pneumotoxic particle, significant differences were observed when comparing cell counts from the automated, flow cytometry and manual methods. When using total BAL cell count for differential calculations from the automated method, depending on the cell diameter size range cutoff, the data suggest that the number of lung polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) varies. Importantly, the automated counts, regardless of the size cutoff, still indicated a greater number of total lung PMN when compared with the manual method, which agreed more closely with flow cytometry. The results suggest that either the manual method or flow cytometry would be better suited for BAL studies where cytotoxicity is an unknown variable. PMID:27251196

Development of representative magnetic resonance imaging-based atlases of the canine brain and evaluation of three methods for atlas-based segmentation.

PubMed

Milne, Marjorie E; Steward, Christopher; Firestone, Simon M; Long, Sam N; O'Brien, Terrence J; Moffat, Bradford A

2016-04-01

To develop representative MRI atlases of the canine brain and to evaluate 3 methods of atlas-based segmentation (ABS). 62 dogs without clinical signs of epilepsy and without MRI evidence of structural brain disease. The MRI scans from 44 dogs were used to develop 4 templates on the basis of brain shape (brachycephalic, mesaticephalic, dolichocephalic, and combined mesaticephalic and dolichocephalic). Atlas labels were generated by segmenting the brain, ventricular system, hippocampal formation, and caudate nuclei. The MRI scans from the remaining 18 dogs were used to evaluate 3 methods of ABS (manual brain extraction and application of a brain shape-specific template [A], automatic brain extraction and application of a brain shape-specific template [B], and manual brain extraction and application of a combined template [C]). The performance of each ABS method was compared by calculation of the Dice and Jaccard coefficients, with manual segmentation used as the gold standard. Method A had the highest mean Jaccard coefficient and was the most accurate ABS method assessed. Measures of overlap for ABS methods that used manual brain extraction (A and C) ranged from 0.75 to 0.95 and compared favorably with repeated measures of overlap for manual extraction, which ranged from 0.88 to 0.97. Atlas-based segmentation was an accurate and repeatable method for segmentation of canine brain structures. It could be performed more rapidly than manual segmentation, which should allow the application of computer-assisted volumetry to large data sets and clinical cases and facilitate neuroimaging research and disease diagnosis.

Comparison of cell counting methods in rodent pulmonary toxicity studies: automated and manual protocols and considerations for experimental design.

PubMed

Zeidler-Erdely, Patti C; Antonini, James M; Meighan, Terence G; Young, Shih-Houng; Eye, Tracy J; Hammer, Mary Ann; Erdely, Aaron

2016-08-01

Pulmonary toxicity studies often use bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) to investigate potential adverse lung responses to a particulate exposure. The BAL cellular fraction is counted, using automated (i.e. Coulter Counter®), flow cytometry or manual (i.e. hemocytometer) methods, to determine inflammatory cell influx. The goal of the study was to compare the different counting methods to determine which is optimal for examining BAL cell influx after exposure by inhalation or intratracheal instillation (ITI) to different particles with varying inherent pulmonary toxicities in both rat and mouse models. General findings indicate that total BAL cell counts using the automated and manual methods tended to agree after inhalation or ITI exposure to particle samples that are relatively nontoxic or at later time points after exposure to a pneumotoxic particle when the response resolves. However, when the initial lung inflammation and cytotoxicity was high after exposure to a pneumotoxic particle, significant differences were observed when comparing cell counts from the automated, flow cytometry and manual methods. When using total BAL cell count for differential calculations from the automated method, depending on the cell diameter size range cutoff, the data suggest that the number of lung polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) varies. Importantly, the automated counts, regardless of the size cutoff, still indicated a greater number of total lung PMN when compared with the manual method, which agreed more closely with flow cytometry. The results suggest that either the manual method or flow cytometry would be better suited for BAL studies where cytotoxicity is an unknown variable.

SU-G-TeP1-05: Development and Clinical Introduction of Automated Radiotherapy Treatment Planning for Prostate Cancer

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

Winkel, D; Bol, GH; Asselen, B van

Purpose: To develop an automated radiotherapy treatment planning and optimization workflow for prostate cancer in order to generate clinical treatment plans. Methods: A fully automated radiotherapy treatment planning and optimization workflow was developed based on the treatment planning system Monaco (Elekta AB, Stockholm, Sweden). To evaluate our method, a retrospective planning study (n=100) was performed on patients treated for prostate cancer with 5 field intensity modulated radiotherapy, receiving a dose of 35×2Gy to the prostate and vesicles and a simultaneous integrated boost of 35×0.2Gy to the prostate only. A comparison was made between the dosimetric values of the automatically andmore » manually generated plans. Operator time to generate a plan and plan efficiency was measured. Results: A comparison of the dosimetric values show that automatically generated plans yield more beneficial dosimetric values. In automatic plans reductions of 43% in the V72Gy of the rectum and 13% in the V72Gy of the bladder are observed when compared to the manually generated plans. Smaller variance in dosimetric values is seen, i.e. the intra- and interplanner variability is decreased. For 97% of the automatically generated plans and 86% of the clinical plans all criteria for target coverage and organs at risk constraints are met. The amount of plan segments and monitor units is reduced by 13% and 9% respectively. Automated planning requires less than one minute of operator time compared to over an hour for manual planning. Conclusion: The automatically generated plans are highly suitable for clinical use. The plans have less variance and a large gain in time efficiency has been achieved. Currently, a pilot study is performed, comparing the preference of the clinician and clinical physicist for the automatic versus manual plan. Future work will include expanding our automated treatment planning method to other tumor sites and develop other automated radiotherapy workflows.« less

Myocardial infarct sizing by late gadolinium-enhanced MRI: Comparison of manual, full-width at half-maximum, and n-standard deviation methods.

PubMed

Zhang, Lin; Huttin, Olivier; Marie, Pierre-Yves; Felblinger, Jacques; Beaumont, Marine; Chillou, Christian DE; Girerd, Nicolas; Mandry, Damien

2016-11-01

To compare three widely used methods for myocardial infarct (MI) sizing on late gadolinium-enhanced (LGE) magnetic resonance (MR) images: manual delineation and two semiautomated techniques (full-width at half-maximum [FWHM] and n-standard deviation [SD]). 3T phase-sensitive inversion-recovery (PSIR) LGE images of 114 patients after an acute MI (2-4 days and 6 months) were analyzed by two independent observers to determine both total and core infarct sizes (TIS/CIS). Manual delineation served as the reference for determination of optimal thresholds for semiautomated methods after thresholding at multiple values. Reproducibility and accuracy were expressed as overall bias ± 95% limits of agreement. Mean infarct sizes by manual methods were 39.0%/24.4% for the acute MI group (TIS/CIS) and 29.7%/17.3% for the chronic MI group. The optimal thresholds (ie, providing the closest mean value to the manual method) were FWHM30% and 3SD for the TIS measurement and FWHM45% and 6SD for the CIS measurement (paired t-test; all P > 0.05). The best reproducibility was obtained using FWHM. For TIS measurement in the acute MI group, intra-/interobserver agreements, from Bland-Altman analysis, with FWHM30%, 3SD, and manual were -0.02 ± 7.74%/-0.74 ± 5.52%, 0.31 ± 9.78%/2.96 ± 16.62% and -2.12 ± 8.86%/0.18 ± 16.12, respectively; in the chronic MI group, the corresponding values were 0.23 ± 3.5%/-2.28 ± 15.06, -0.29 ± 10.46%/3.12 ± 13.06% and 1.68 ± 6.52%/-2.88 ± 9.62%, respectively. A similar trend for reproducibility was obtained for CIS measurement. However, semiautomated methods produced inconsistent results (variabilities of 24-46%) compared to manual delineation. The FWHM technique was the most reproducible method for infarct sizing both in acute and chronic MI. However, both FWHM and n-SD methods showed limited accuracy compared to manual delineation. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2016;44:1206-1217. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

Screening for Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Hepatitis B Virus, Hepatitis C Virus, and Treponema pallidum by Blood Testing Using a Bio-Flash Technology-Based Algorithm before Gastrointestinal Endoscopy

PubMed Central

Zhen, Chen; QuiuLi, Zhang; YuanQi, An; Casado, Verónica Vocero; Fan, Yuan

2016-01-01

Currently, conventional enzyme immunoassays which use manual gold immunoassays and colloidal tests (GICTs) are used as screening tools to detect Treponema pallidum (syphilis), hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), and HIV-2 in patients undergoing surgery. The present observational, cross-sectional study compared the sensitivity, specificity, and work flow characteristics of the conventional algorithm with manual GICTs with those of a newly proposed algorithm that uses the automated Bio-Flash technology as a screening tool in patients undergoing gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy. A total of 956 patients were examined for the presence of serological markers of infection with HIV-1/2, HCV, HBV, and T. pallidum. The proposed algorithm with the Bio-Flash technology was superior for the detection of all markers (100.0% sensitivity and specificity for detection of anti-HIV and anti-HCV antibodies, HBV surface antigen [HBsAg], and T. pallidum) compared with the conventional algorithm based on the manual method (80.0% sensitivity and 98.6% specificity for the detection of anti-HIV, 75.0% sensitivity for the detection of anti-HCV, 94.7% sensitivity for the detection of HBsAg, and 100% specificity for the detection of anti-HCV and HBsAg) in these patients. The automated Bio-Flash technology-based screening algorithm also reduced the operation time by 85.0% (205 min) per day, saving up to 24 h/week. In conclusion, the use of the newly proposed screening algorithm based on the automated Bio-Flash technology can provide an advantage over the use of conventional algorithms based on manual methods for screening for HIV, HBV, HCV, and syphilis before GI endoscopy. PMID:27707942

Optimizing process and equipment efficiency using integrated methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

D'Elia, Michael J.; Alfonso, Ted F.

1996-09-01

The semiconductor manufacturing industry is continually riding the edge of technology as it tries to push toward higher design limits. Mature fabs must cut operating costs while increasing productivity to remain profitable and cannot justify large capital expenditures to improve productivity. Thus, they must push current tool production capabilities to cut manufacturing costs and remain viable. Working to continuously improve mature production methods requires innovation. Furthermore, testing and successful implementation of these ideas into modern production environments require both supporting technical data and commitment from those working with the process daily. At AMD, natural work groups (NWGs) composed of operators, technicians, engineers, and supervisors collaborate to foster innovative thinking and secure commitment. Recently, an AMD NWG improved equipment cycle time on the Genus tungsten silicide (WSi) deposition system. The team used total productive manufacturing (TPM) to identify areas for process improvement. Improved in-line equipment monitoring was achieved by constructing a real time overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) calculator which tracked equipment down, idle, qualification, and production times. In-line monitoring results indicated that qualification time associated with slow Inspex turn-around time and machine downtime associated with manual cleans contributed greatly to reduced availability. Qualification time was reduced by 75% by implementing a new Inspex monitor pre-staging technique. Downtime associated with manual cleans was reduced by implementing an in-situ plasma etch back to extend the time between manual cleans. A designed experiment was used to optimize the process. Time between 18 hour manual cleans has been improved from every 250 to every 1500 cycles. Moreover defect density realized a 3X improvement. Overall, the team achieved a 35% increase in tool availability. This paper details the above strategies and accomplishments.

Screening for Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Hepatitis B Virus, Hepatitis C Virus, and Treponema pallidum by Blood Testing Using a Bio-Flash Technology-Based Algorithm before Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.

PubMed

Jun, Zhou; Zhen, Chen; QuiuLi, Zhang; YuanQi, An; Casado, Verónica Vocero; Fan, Yuan

2016-12-01

Currently, conventional enzyme immunoassays which use manual gold immunoassays and colloidal tests (GICTs) are used as screening tools to detect Treponema pallidum (syphilis), hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), and HIV-2 in patients undergoing surgery. The present observational, cross-sectional study compared the sensitivity, specificity, and work flow characteristics of the conventional algorithm with manual GICTs with those of a newly proposed algorithm that uses the automated Bio-Flash technology as a screening tool in patients undergoing gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy. A total of 956 patients were examined for the presence of serological markers of infection with HIV-1/2, HCV, HBV, and T. pallidum The proposed algorithm with the Bio-Flash technology was superior for the detection of all markers (100.0% sensitivity and specificity for detection of anti-HIV and anti-HCV antibodies, HBV surface antigen [HBsAg], and T. pallidum) compared with the conventional algorithm based on the manual method (80.0% sensitivity and 98.6% specificity for the detection of anti-HIV, 75.0% sensitivity for the detection of anti-HCV, 94.7% sensitivity for the detection of HBsAg, and 100% specificity for the detection of anti-HCV and HBsAg) in these patients. The automated Bio-Flash technology-based screening algorithm also reduced the operation time by 85.0% (205 min) per day, saving up to 24 h/week. In conclusion, the use of the newly proposed screening algorithm based on the automated Bio-Flash technology can provide an advantage over the use of conventional algorithms based on manual methods for screening for HIV, HBV, HCV, and syphilis before GI endoscopy. Copyright © 2016 Jun et al.

Diagnostic accuracy of manual office blood pressure measurement in ambulatory hypertensive patients in Korea.

PubMed

Kim, Sehun; Park, Jin Joo; Lee, Seung-Ah; Cho, Youngjin; Yoon, Yeonyee E; Oh, Il-Young; Yoon, Chang-Hwan; Suh, Jung-Won; Cho, Young-Seok; Youn, Tae-Jin; Cho, Goo-Yeong; Chae, In-Ho; Lee, Hae-Young; Shin, Jinho; Park, Sungha; Choi, Dong-Ju

2018-01-01

Currently, office blood pressure (OBP) is the most widely used method of measuring blood pressure (BP) in daily clinical practice. However, data on the diagnostic accuracy of OBP in reference to ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) are scarce in Korea. In retrospective and prospective cohorts, manual OBP and ABP measurements were compared among ambulatory hypertensive patients. Hypertension was defined as systolic OBP ≥ 140 mmHg and/or diastolic OBP ≥ 90 mmHg, and systolic ABP ≥ 130 mmHg and/or diastolic ABP ≥ 80 mmHg. In the retrospective cohort (n = 903), the mean OBP1 (before ABP measurement) was higher than ABP in both systolic (138 ± 17 mmHg vs. 123 ± 13 mmHg, p < 0.001) and diastolic (84 ± 12 mmHg vs. 78 ± 11 mmHg, p < 0.001) measurements. Interestingly, there was only a weak correlation between OBP and ABP ( r 2 = 0.038, p < 0.001). The overall discordance rate of OBP compared to ABP, which is the reference method for measuring BP, was 43.9%. The prospective cohort (n = 57) showed similar results. In a subgroup analysis, male patients had higher false negative results (masked or under-treated hypertension) than did female patients (26.1% vs. 17.8%, p = 0.003), whereas female patients had a higher false positive rate (white-coat or over-treated hypertension) than did male patients (28.7% vs. 15.2%, p < 0.001). The diagnostic accuracy of manual OBP is low in reference to ABP. Men and women have different patterns of discordance. These findings indicate that management of hypertensive patients with manual OBP measurements may be suboptimal and encourages the use of ABP in ambulatory hypertensive patients.

Phantom Study Investigating the Accuracy of Manual and Automatic Image Fusion with the GE Logiq E9: Implications for use in Percutaneous Liver Interventions

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

Burgmans, Mark Christiaan, E-mail: m.c.burgmans@lumc.nl; Harder, J. Michiel den, E-mail: chiel.den.harder@gmail.com; Meershoek, Philippa, E-mail: P.Meershoek@lumc.nl

PurposeTo determine the accuracy of automatic and manual co-registration methods for image fusion of three-dimensional computed tomography (CT) with real-time ultrasonography (US) for image-guided liver interventions.Materials and MethodsCT images of a skills phantom with liver lesions were acquired and co-registered to US using GE Logiq E9 navigation software. Manual co-registration was compared to automatic and semiautomatic co-registration using an active tracker. Also, manual point registration was compared to plane registration with and without an additional translation point. Finally, comparison was made between manual and automatic selection of reference points. In each experiment, accuracy of the co-registration method was determined bymore » measurement of the residual displacement in phantom lesions by two independent observers.ResultsMean displacements for a superficial and deep liver lesion were comparable after manual and semiautomatic co-registration: 2.4 and 2.0 mm versus 2.0 and 2.5 mm, respectively. Both methods were significantly better than automatic co-registration: 5.9 and 5.2 mm residual displacement (p < 0.001; p < 0.01). The accuracy of manual point registration was higher than that of plane registration, the latter being heavily dependent on accurate matching of axial CT and US images by the operator. Automatic reference point selection resulted in significantly lower registration accuracy compared to manual point selection despite lower root-mean-square deviation (RMSD) values.ConclusionThe accuracy of manual and semiautomatic co-registration is better than that of automatic co-registration. For manual co-registration using a plane, choosing the correct plane orientation is an essential first step in the registration process. Automatic reference point selection based on RMSD values is error-prone.« less

Nozzle Initiative Industry Advisory Committee on Standardization of Carbon-Phenolic Test Methods and Specifications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bull, William B. (Compiler); Pinoli, Pat C. (Compiler); Upton, Cindy G. (Compiler); Day, Tony (Compiler); Hill, Keith (Compiler); Stone, Frank (Compiler); Hall, William B.

1994-01-01

This report is a compendium of the presentations of the 12th biannual meeting of the Industry Advisory Committee under the Solid Propulsion Integrity Program. A complete transcript of the welcoming talks is provided. Presentation outlines and overheads are included for the other sessions: SPIP Overview, Past, Current and Future Activity; Test Methods Manual and Video Tape Library; Air Force Developed Computer Aided Cure Program and SPC/TQM Experience; Magneto-Optical mapper (MOM), Joint Army/NASA program to assess composite integrity; Permeability Testing; Moisture Effusion Testing by Karl Fischer Analysis; Statistical Analysis of Acceptance Test Data; NMR Phenolic Resin Advancement; Constituent Testing Highlights on the LDC Optimization Program; Carbon Sulfur Study, Performance Related Testing; Current Rayon Specifications and Future Availability; RSRM/SPC Implementation; SRM Test Methods, Delta/Titan/FBM/RSRM; and Open Forum on Performance Based Acceptance Testing -- Industry Experience.

Combined motor point associative stimulation (MPAS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) improves plateaued manual dexterity performance.

PubMed

Hoseini, Najmeh; Munoz-Rubke, Felipe; Wan, Hsuan-Yu; Block, Hannah J

2016-10-28

Motor point associative stimulation (MPAS) in hand muscles is known to modify motor cortex excitability and improve learning rate, but not plateau of performance, in manual dexterity tasks. Central stimulation of motor cortex, such as transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), can have similar effects if accompanied by motor practice, which can be difficult and tiring for patients. Here we asked whether adding tDCS to MPAS could improve manual dexterity in healthy individuals who are already performing at their plateau, with no motor practice during stimulation. We hypothesized that MPAS could provide enough coordinated muscle activity to make motor practice unnecessary, and that this combination of stimulation techniques could yield improvements even in subjects at or near their peak. If so, this approach could have a substantial effect on patients with impaired dexterity, who are far from their peak. MPAS was applied for 30min to two right hand muscles important for manual dexterity. tDCS was simultaneously applied over left sensorimotor cortex. The motor cortex input/output (I/O) curve was assessed with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), and manual dexterity was assessed with the Purdue Pegboard Test. Compared to sham or cathodal tDCS combined with MPAS, anodal tDCS combined with MPAS significantly increased the plateau of manual dexterity. This result suggests that MPAS has the potential to substitute for motor practice in mediating a beneficial effect of tDCS on manual dexterity. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

SRM Manual, Selected Resource Materials: Description and Evaluation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alberta Dept. of Education, Edmonton. Special Educational Services Branch.

Provided in the manual is descriptive and evaluative information on 67 instructional materials or programs frequently used with exceptional children in Alberta schools. A flow chart describes the three methods of using the manual: l) to obtain descriptive and evaluative information of an instruction program in the manual 2) to classify and record…

“I may not say we really have a method, it is gambling work”: Knowledge and acceptability of safer conception methods among providers and HIV clients in Uganda

PubMed Central

Finocchario-Kessler, Sarah; Wanyenze, Rhoda; Mindry, Deborah; Beyeza-Kashesya, Jolly; Goggin, Kathy; Nabiryo, Christine; Wagner, Glenn

2014-01-01

In this qualitative study, researchers assessed knowledge, acceptability and feasibility of safer conception methods [SCM; timed unprotected intercourse (TUI), manual self-insemination, and sperm washing] among various healthcare providers (n=33) and 48 HIV clients with recent or current childbearing intentions in Uganda. While several clients and providers had heard of SCM, (especially TUI); few fully understood how to use the methods. All provider types expressed a desire to incorporate SCM into their practice; however, this will require training and counseling protocols, sensitization to overcome cultural norms that pose obstacles to these methods, and partner engagement (particularly men) in safer conception counseling. PMID:24902120

Immunodiagnosis of childhood malignancies.

PubMed

Parham, D M; Holt, H

1999-09-01

Immunodiagnosis utilizing immunohistochemical techniques is currently the most commonly utilized and readily available method of ancillary diagnosis in pediatric oncopathology. The methodology comprises relatively simple steps, based on straightforward biologic concepts, and the reagents used are generally well characterized and widely used. The principle of cancer immunodiagnosis is based on the determination of neoplastic lineage using detection of proteins typical of cell differentiation pathways. Methodology sensitivity varies and has become greater with each new generation of tests, but technical draw-backs should be considered to avoid excessive background or nonspecific results. Automated instrumentation offers a degree of accuracy and reproducibility not easily attainable by manual methods.

[Manual therapy in general practice].

PubMed

Березуцкий, Владимир И

2016-01-01

The article is devoted to manual therapy practice for diagnostics and treatment of vertebrogenic pain syndrome in general practice. Analytical roundup of sources proves medical advantage of implementation of manual therapy basic methods by general practice specialists.

Application of the 3D slicer chest imaging platform segmentation algorithm for large lung nodule delineation

PubMed Central

Parmar, Chintan; Blezek, Daniel; Estepar, Raul San Jose; Pieper, Steve; Kim, John; Aerts, Hugo J. W. L.

2017-01-01

Purpose Accurate segmentation of lung nodules is crucial in the development of imaging biomarkers for predicting malignancy of the nodules. Manual segmentation is time consuming and affected by inter-observer variability. We evaluated the robustness and accuracy of a publically available semiautomatic segmentation algorithm that is implemented in the 3D Slicer Chest Imaging Platform (CIP) and compared it with the performance of manual segmentation. Methods CT images of 354 manually segmented nodules were downloaded from the LIDC database. Four radiologists performed the manual segmentation and assessed various nodule characteristics. The semiautomatic CIP segmentation was initialized using the centroid of the manual segmentations, thereby generating four contours for each nodule. The robustness of both segmentation methods was assessed using the region of uncertainty (δ) and Dice similarity index (DSI). The robustness of the segmentation methods was compared using the Wilcoxon-signed rank test (pWilcoxon<0.05). The Dice similarity index (DSIAgree) between the manual and CIP segmentations was computed to estimate the accuracy of the semiautomatic contours. Results The median computational time of the CIP segmentation was 10 s. The median CIP and manually segmented volumes were 477 ml and 309 ml, respectively. CIP segmentations were significantly more robust than manual segmentations (median δCIP = 14ml, median dsiCIP = 99% vs. median δmanual = 222ml, median dsimanual = 82%) with pWilcoxon~10−16. The agreement between CIP and manual segmentations had a median DSIAgree of 60%. While 13% (47/354) of the nodules did not require any manual adjustment, minor to substantial manual adjustments were needed for 87% (305/354) of the nodules. CIP segmentations were observed to perform poorly (median DSIAgree≈50%) for non-/sub-solid nodules with subtle appearances and poorly defined boundaries. Conclusion Semi-automatic CIP segmentation can potentially reduce the physician workload for 13% of nodules owing to its computational efficiency and superior stability compared to manual segmentation. Although manual adjustment is needed for many cases, CIP segmentation provides a preliminary contour for physicians as a starting point. PMID:28594880

Strategic Joint Staff Force Posture and Readiness Process Analysis

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-03-31

Identifiers that reflect Limitations and/or Restraints. Below is a screenshot of the View 3 worksheet for the RCN : Strategic Joint Staff Force...Commanders’ Notes M Manual N = RCN , L = CA, A = RCAF, etc. same as with current FP&R. L1 Commanders Note Commanders’ Note that describes a...Commanders’ Notes O Manual N = RCN , L = CA, A = RCAF, etc. same as with current FP&R. Mandatory if there is a Limitation and/or Restraint. Endurance

Practices and risks associated with operation of tie-down lashings in the vehicle transport industry.

PubMed

Fraysse, François; Milanese, Steven; Thewlis, Dominic

2016-12-01

Load restraint systems in automobile transport utilise tie-down lashings placed over the car's tyres, which are tensioned manually by the operator using a ratchet assembly. This process has been identified as a significant manual handling injury risk. The aim of this study was to gain insight on the current practices associated with tie-down lashings operation, and identify the gaps between current and optimal practice. We approached this with qualitative and quantitative assessments and one numerical simulation to establish: (i) insight into the factors involved in ratcheting; (ii) the required tension to hold the car on the trailer; and (iii) the tension achieved by drivers in practice and associated joint loads. We identified that the method recommended to the drivers was not used in practice. Drivers instead tensioned the straps to the maximum of their capability, leading to over-tensioning and mechanical overload at the shoulder and elbow. We identified the postures and strategies that resulted in the lowest loads on the upper body during ratcheting (using both hands and performing the task with their full body). This research marks the first step towards the development of a training programme aiming at changing practice to reduce injury risks associated with the operation of tie-down lashings in the automobile transport industry. Practitioner Summary: The study investigated current practice associated with the operation of tie-down lashings through qualitative (interviews) and quantitative (biomechanical analysis) methods. Operators tended to systematically over-tension the lashings and consequently overexert, increasing injury risks.

Systematic review of efficacy for manual lymphatic drainage techniques in sports medicine and rehabilitation: an evidence-based practice approach.

PubMed

Vairo, Giampietro L; Miller, Sayers John; McBrier, Nicole M; Buckley, William E

2009-01-01

Manual therapists question integrating manual lymphatic drainage techniques (MLDTs) into conventional treatments for athletic injuries due to the scarcity of literature concerning musculoskeletal applications and established orthopaedic clinical practice guidelines. The purpose of this systematic review is to provide manual therapy clinicians with pertinent information regarding progression of MLDTs as well as to critique the evidence for efficacy of this method in sports medicine. We surveyed English-language publications from 1998 to 2008 by searching PubMed, PEDro, CINAHL, the Cochrane Library, and SPORTDiscus databases using the terms lymphatic system, lymph drainage, lymphatic therapy, manual lymph drainage, and lymphatic pump techniques. We selected articles investigating the effects of MLDTs on orthopaedic and athletic injury outcomes. Nine articles met inclusion criteria, of which 3 were randomized controlled trials (RCTs). We evaluated the 3 RCTs using a validity score (PEDro scale). Due to differences in experimental design, data could not be collapsed for meta-analysis. Animal model experiments reinforce theoretical principles for application of MLDTs. When combined with concomitant musculoskeletal therapy, pilot and case studies demonstrate MLDT effectiveness. The best evidence suggests that efficacy of MLDT in sports medicine and rehabilitation is specific to resolution of enzyme serum levels associated with acute skeletal muscle cell damage as well as reduction of edema following acute ankle joint sprain and radial wrist fracture. Currently, there is limited high-ranking evidence available. Well-designed RCTs assessing outcome variables following implementation of MLDTs in treating athletic injuries may provide conclusive evidence for establishing applicable clinical practice guidelines in sports medicine and rehabilitation.

Camellia v1.0 Manual: Part I

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

Roberts, Nathan V.

2016-09-28

Camellia began as an effort to simplify implementation of efficient solvers for the discontinuous Petrov-Galerkin (DPG) finite element methodology of Demkowicz and Gopalakrishnan. Since then, the feature set has expanded, to allow implementation of traditional continuous Galerkin methods, as well as discontinuous Galerkin (DG) methods, hybridizable DG (HDG) methods, first-order-system least squares (FOSLS), and the primal DPG method. This manual serves as an introduction to using Camellia. We begin, in Section 1.1, by describing some of the core features of Camellia. In Section 1.2 we provide an outline of the manual as a whole.

[A new formula for the measurement of rigor mortis: the determination of the FRR-index (author's transl)].

PubMed

Forster, B; Ropohl, D; Raule, P

1977-07-05

The manual examination of rigor mortis as currently used and its often subjective evaluation frequently produced highly incorrect deductions. It is therefore desirable that such inaccuracies should be replaced by the objective measuring of rigor mortis at the extremities. To that purpose a method is described which can also be applied in on-the-spot investigations and a new formula for the determination of rigor mortis--indices (FRR) is introduced.

Deficits in Visuo-Motor Temporal Integration Impacts Manual Dexterity in Probable Developmental Coordination Disorder.

PubMed

Nobusako, Satoshi; Sakai, Ayami; Tsujimoto, Taeko; Shuto, Takashi; Nishi, Yuki; Asano, Daiki; Furukawa, Emi; Zama, Takuro; Osumi, Michihiro; Shimada, Sotaro; Morioka, Shu; Nakai, Akio

2018-01-01

The neurological basis of developmental coordination disorder (DCD) is thought to be deficits in the internal model and mirror-neuron system (MNS) in the parietal lobe and cerebellum. However, it is not clear if the visuo-motor temporal integration in the internal model and automatic-imitation function in the MNS differs between children with DCD and those with typical development (TD). The current study aimed to investigate these differences. Using the manual dexterity test of the Movement Assessment Battery for Children (second edition), the participants were either assigned to the probable DCD (pDCD) group or TD group. The former was comprised of 29 children with clumsy manual dexterity, while the latter consisted of 42 children with normal manual dexterity. Visuo-motor temporal integration ability and automatic-imitation function were measured using the delayed visual feedback detection task and motor interference task, respectively. Further, the current study investigated whether autism-spectrum disorder (ASD) traits, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) traits, and depressive symptoms differed among the two groups, since these symptoms are frequent comorbidities of DCD. In addition, correlation and multiple regression analyses were performed to extract factors affecting clumsy manual dexterity. In the results, the delay-detection threshold (DDT) and steepness of the delay-detection probability curve, which indicated visuo-motor temporal integration ability, were significantly prolonged and decreased, respectively, in children with pDCD. The interference effect, which indicated automatic-imitation function, was also significantly reduced in this group. These results highlighted that children with clumsy manual dexterity have deficits in visuo-motor temporal integration and automatic-imitation function. There was a significant correlation between manual dexterity, and measures of visuo-motor temporal integration, and ASD traits and ADHD traits and ASD. Multiple regression analysis revealed that the DDT, which indicated visuo-motor temporal integration, was the greatest predictor of poor manual dexterity. The current results supported and provided further evidence for the internal model deficit hypothesis. Further, they suggested a neurorehabilitation technique that improved visuo-motor temporal integration could be therapeutically effective for children with DCD.

Deficits in Visuo-Motor Temporal Integration Impacts Manual Dexterity in Probable Developmental Coordination Disorder

PubMed Central

Nobusako, Satoshi; Sakai, Ayami; Tsujimoto, Taeko; Shuto, Takashi; Nishi, Yuki; Asano, Daiki; Furukawa, Emi; Zama, Takuro; Osumi, Michihiro; Shimada, Sotaro; Morioka, Shu; Nakai, Akio

2018-01-01

The neurological basis of developmental coordination disorder (DCD) is thought to be deficits in the internal model and mirror-neuron system (MNS) in the parietal lobe and cerebellum. However, it is not clear if the visuo-motor temporal integration in the internal model and automatic-imitation function in the MNS differs between children with DCD and those with typical development (TD). The current study aimed to investigate these differences. Using the manual dexterity test of the Movement Assessment Battery for Children (second edition), the participants were either assigned to the probable DCD (pDCD) group or TD group. The former was comprised of 29 children with clumsy manual dexterity, while the latter consisted of 42 children with normal manual dexterity. Visuo-motor temporal integration ability and automatic-imitation function were measured using the delayed visual feedback detection task and motor interference task, respectively. Further, the current study investigated whether autism-spectrum disorder (ASD) traits, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) traits, and depressive symptoms differed among the two groups, since these symptoms are frequent comorbidities of DCD. In addition, correlation and multiple regression analyses were performed to extract factors affecting clumsy manual dexterity. In the results, the delay-detection threshold (DDT) and steepness of the delay-detection probability curve, which indicated visuo-motor temporal integration ability, were significantly prolonged and decreased, respectively, in children with pDCD. The interference effect, which indicated automatic-imitation function, was also significantly reduced in this group. These results highlighted that children with clumsy manual dexterity have deficits in visuo-motor temporal integration and automatic-imitation function. There was a significant correlation between manual dexterity, and measures of visuo-motor temporal integration, and ASD traits and ADHD traits and ASD. Multiple regression analysis revealed that the DDT, which indicated visuo-motor temporal integration, was the greatest predictor of poor manual dexterity. The current results supported and provided further evidence for the internal model deficit hypothesis. Further, they suggested a neurorehabilitation technique that improved visuo-motor temporal integration could be therapeutically effective for children with DCD. PMID:29556211

Determination of the effect of lift characteristics on dynamic performance profiles during manual materials handling tasks.

PubMed

Khalaf, K A; Parnianpour, M; Sparto, P J; Barin, K

1999-01-01

In any quantitative gait or occupational biomechanics investigation, the quantification of the different kinematic, kinetic, and electromyographic parameters is essential towards assessment of functional capacity and development of a biomechanical profile of the task demands. In the current study, the authors presented a methodology for using inferential statistics to evaluate the effect of lift characteristics on phase-dependent and phase-independent variability in performance. Using a database of kinematic and kinetic profiles obtained from a manual lifting study, the phase-dependent effects of lift characteristics: box mass (load), mode (technique of lift), and speed (frequency of lift) were investigated through the use of analysis of variance (ANOVA) techniques, which recognize the vectorial constitution of the profiles. In addition, the Karhunen-Loeve Expansion (KLE) feature extraction method was used for representing the lifting patterns of measured joint angular position, velocity, acceleration, and net muscular torque profiles obtained from a 2-D biomechanical lifting model in order to study the phase-independent effects. In comparison to traditional descriptive statistical analyses currently used in various occupational biomechanics experimental investigations, this method allows the significant information content of the time varying signal to be captured, enhancing the sensitivity of subsequent hypothesis testing procedures. The application of this technique to MMH investigations allows identification of the lift characteristics that dominate the variability of task demands, hence aiding in the design and assessment of ergonomic solutions.

Mapping snow depth distribution in forested terrain using unmanned aerial vehicles and structure-from-motion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Webster, C.; Bühler, Y.; Schirmer, M.; Stoffel, A.; Giulia, M.; Jonas, T.

2017-12-01

Snow depth distribution in forests exhibits strong spatial heterogeneity compared to adjacent open sites. Measurement of snow depths in forests is currently limited to a) manual point measurements, which are sparse and time-intensive, b) ground-penetrating radar surveys, which have limited spatial coverage, or c) airborne LiDAR acquisition, which are expensive and may deteriorate in denser forests. We present the application of unmanned aerial vehicles in combination with structure-from-motion (SfM) methods to photogrammetrically map snow depth distribution in forested terrain. Two separate flights were carried out 10 days apart across a heterogeneous forested area of 900 x 500 m. Corresponding snow depth maps were derived using both, LiDAR-based and SfM-based DTM data, obtained during snow-off conditions. Manual measurements collected following each flight were used to validate the snow depth maps. Snow depths were resolved at 5cm resolution and forest snow depth distribution structures such as tree wells and other areas of preferential melt were represented well. Differential snow depth maps showed maximum ablation in the exposed south sides of trees and smaller differences in the centre of gaps and on the north side of trees. This new application of SfM to map snow depth distribution in forests demonstrates a straightforward method for obtaining information that was previously only available through manual spatially limited ground-based measurements. These methods could therefore be extended to more frequent observation of snow depths in forests as well as estimating snow accumulation and depletion rates.

Automated and Adaptable Quantification of Cellular Alignment from Microscopic Images for Tissue Engineering Applications

PubMed Central

Xu, Feng; Beyazoglu, Turker; Hefner, Evan; Gurkan, Umut Atakan

2011-01-01

Cellular alignment plays a critical role in functional, physical, and biological characteristics of many tissue types, such as muscle, tendon, nerve, and cornea. Current efforts toward regeneration of these tissues include replicating the cellular microenvironment by developing biomaterials that facilitate cellular alignment. To assess the functional effectiveness of the engineered microenvironments, one essential criterion is quantification of cellular alignment. Therefore, there is a need for rapid, accurate, and adaptable methodologies to quantify cellular alignment for tissue engineering applications. To address this need, we developed an automated method, binarization-based extraction of alignment score (BEAS), to determine cell orientation distribution in a wide variety of microscopic images. This method combines a sequenced application of median and band-pass filters, locally adaptive thresholding approaches and image processing techniques. Cellular alignment score is obtained by applying a robust scoring algorithm to the orientation distribution. We validated the BEAS method by comparing the results with the existing approaches reported in literature (i.e., manual, radial fast Fourier transform-radial sum, and gradient based approaches). Validation results indicated that the BEAS method resulted in statistically comparable alignment scores with the manual method (coefficient of determination R2=0.92). Therefore, the BEAS method introduced in this study could enable accurate, convenient, and adaptable evaluation of engineered tissue constructs and biomaterials in terms of cellular alignment and organization. PMID:21370940

Analytical methods manual for the Mineral Resource Surveys Program, U.S. Geological Survey

USGS Publications Warehouse

Arbogast, Belinda F.

1996-01-01

The analytical methods validated by the Mineral Resource Surveys Program, Geologic Division, is the subject of this manual. This edition replaces the methods portion of Open-File Report 90-668 published in 1990. Newer methods may be used which have been approved by the quality assurance (QA) project and are on file with the QA coordinator.This manual is intended primarily for use by laboratory scientists; this manual can also assist laboratory users to evaluate the data they receive. The analytical methods are written in a step by step approach so that they may be used as a training tool and provide detailed documentation of the procedures for quality assurance. A "Catalog of Services" is available for customer (submitter) use with brief listings of:the element(s)/species determined,method of determination,reference to cite,contact person,summary of the technique,and analyte concentration range.For a copy please contact the Branch office at (303) 236-1800 or fax (303) 236-3200.

Mixed methods research - the best of both worlds?

PubMed

van Griensven, Hubert; Moore, Ann P; Hall, Valerie

2014-10-01

There has been a bias towards quantitative research approaches within manual therapy, which may have resulted in a narrow understanding of manual therapy practice. The aim of this Masterclass is to make a contribution to the expansion of methodologies used in manual therapy enquiry by discussing mixed methods research (MMR), a methodology which utilises both qualitative and quantitative methods within a single study in order to provide more comprehensive insights. To review rationales for MMR, as well as some of the common design options and potential difficulties. The paper also discusses theoretical frameworks that have been used to underpin qualitative and quantitative research, and ongoing debates about the possibility of combining them. Complexities associated with health and manual therapy cannot always be investigated satisfactorily by using a single research method. Some issues require a more comprehensive understanding, which may be provided by combining the strengths of quantitative and qualitative methods in a mixed methods study. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Phantom Study Investigating the Accuracy of Manual and Automatic Image Fusion with the GE Logiq E9: Implications for use in Percutaneous Liver Interventions.

PubMed

Burgmans, Mark Christiaan; den Harder, J Michiel; Meershoek, Philippa; van den Berg, Nynke S; Chan, Shaun Xavier Ju Min; van Leeuwen, Fijs W B; van Erkel, Arian R

2017-06-01

To determine the accuracy of automatic and manual co-registration methods for image fusion of three-dimensional computed tomography (CT) with real-time ultrasonography (US) for image-guided liver interventions. CT images of a skills phantom with liver lesions were acquired and co-registered to US using GE Logiq E9 navigation software. Manual co-registration was compared to automatic and semiautomatic co-registration using an active tracker. Also, manual point registration was compared to plane registration with and without an additional translation point. Finally, comparison was made between manual and automatic selection of reference points. In each experiment, accuracy of the co-registration method was determined by measurement of the residual displacement in phantom lesions by two independent observers. Mean displacements for a superficial and deep liver lesion were comparable after manual and semiautomatic co-registration: 2.4 and 2.0 mm versus 2.0 and 2.5 mm, respectively. Both methods were significantly better than automatic co-registration: 5.9 and 5.2 mm residual displacement (p < 0.001; p < 0.01). The accuracy of manual point registration was higher than that of plane registration, the latter being heavily dependent on accurate matching of axial CT and US images by the operator. Automatic reference point selection resulted in significantly lower registration accuracy compared to manual point selection despite lower root-mean-square deviation (RMSD) values. The accuracy of manual and semiautomatic co-registration is better than that of automatic co-registration. For manual co-registration using a plane, choosing the correct plane orientation is an essential first step in the registration process. Automatic reference point selection based on RMSD values is error-prone.

Longitudinal development of manual motor ability in autism spectrum disorder from childhood to mid-adulthood relates to adaptive daily living skills.

PubMed

Travers, Brittany G; Bigler, Erin D; Duffield, Tyler C; Prigge, Molly D B; Froehlich, Alyson L; Lange, Nicholas; Alexander, Andrew L; Lainhart, Janet E

2017-07-01

Many individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit motor difficulties, but it is unknown whether manual motor skills improve, plateau, or decline in ASD in the transition from childhood into adulthood. Atypical development of manual motor skills could impact the ability to learn and perform daily activities across the life span. This study examined longitudinal grip strength and finger tapping development in individuals with ASD (n = 90) compared to individuals with typical development (n = 56), ages 5 to 40 years old. We further examined manual motor performance as a possible correlate of current and future daily living skills. The group with ASD demonstrated atypical motor development, characterized by similar performance during childhood but increasingly poorer performance from adolescence into adulthood. Grip strength was correlated with current adaptive daily living skills, and Time 1 grip strength predicted daily living skills eight years into the future. These results suggest that individuals with ASD may experience increasingly more pronounced motor difficulties from adolescence into adulthood and that manual motor performance in ASD is related to adaptive daily living skills. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Susceptibility to Cracking of Different Lots of CDR35 Capacitors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Teverovsky, Alexander

2017-01-01

On-orbit flight anomalies that occurred after several months of operation were attributed to excessive leakage currents in CDR35 style 0.47 microF 50 V capacitors operating at 10 V. In this work, a lot of capacitors similar to the lot that caused the anomaly have been evaluated in parallel with another lot of similar parts to assess their susceptibility to cracking under manual soldering conditions and get insight into a possible mechanism of failure. Leakage currents in capacitors were monitored at different voltages and environmental conditions before and after terminal solder dip testing that was used to simulate thermal shock during manual soldering. Results of cross-sectioning, acoustic microscopy, and measurements of electrical and mechanical characteristics of the parts have been analyzed, and possible mechanisms of failures considered. It is shown that the susceptibility to cracking and failures caused by manual soldering is lot-related. Recommendations for testing that would help to select lots that are more robust against manual soldering stresses and mitigate the risk of failures suggested.

On the Automatic Decellularisation of Porcine Aortae: A Repeatability Study Using a Non-Enzymatic Approach.

PubMed

O'Connor Mooney, Rory; Davis, Niall Francis; Hoey, David; Hogan, Lisa; McGloughlin, Timothy M; Walsh, Michael T

2016-01-01

To investigate the repeatability of automatic decellularisation of porcine aortae using a non-enzymatic approach, addressing current limitations associated with other automatic decellularisation processes. Individual porcine aortae (n = 3) were resected and every third segment (n = 4) was allocated to one of three different groups: a control or a manually or automatically decellularised group. Manual and automatic decellularisation was performed using Triton X-100 (2% v/v) and sodium deoxycholate. Protein preservation and the elimination of a galactosyl-α(1,3)galactose (GAL) epitope were measured using immunohistochemistry and protein binding assays. The presence of residual DNA was determined with gel electrophoresis and spectrophotometry. Scaffold integrity was characterised with scanning electron microscopy and uni-axial tensile testing. Manual and automatic results were compared to one another, to control groups and to current gold standards. The results were comparable to those of current gold standard decellularisation techniques. Successful repeatability was achieved, both manually and automatically, with little effect on mechanical characteristics. Complete acellularity was not confirmed in either decellularisation group. Protein preservation was consistent in both the manually and automatically decellularised groups and between each individual aorta. Elimination of GAL was not achieved. Repeatable automatic decellularisation of porcine aortae is feasible using a Triton X-100-sodium deoxycholate protocol. Protein preservation was satisfactory; however, gold standard thresholds for permissible residual DNA levels were not achieved. Future research will focus on addressing this issue by optimisation of the existing protocol for thick tissues. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Comparison of a novel strategy for the detection and isolation of Salmonella in shell eggs with the Food and Drug Administration Bacteriological Analytical Manual method.

PubMed

Zhang, Guodong; Thau, Eve; Brown, Eric W; Hammack, Thomas S

2013-12-01

The current FDA Bacteriological Analytical Manual (BAM) method for the detection of Salmonella in eggs requires 2 wk to complete. The objective of this project was to improve the BAM method for the detection and isolation of Salmonella in whole shell eggs. A novel protocol, using 1,000 g of liquid eggs for direct preenrichment with 2 L of tryptic soy broth (TSB) followed by enrichment using Rappaport-Vassiliadis and Tetrathionate broths, was compared with the standard BAM method, which requires 96 h room temperature incubation of whole shell egg samples followed by preenrichment in TSB supplemented with FeSO4. Four Salmonella ser. Enteritidis (4 phage types) and one Salmonella ser. Heidelberg isolates were used in the study. Bulk inoculated pooled liquid eggs, weighing 52 or 56 kg (approximately 1,100 eggs) were used in each trial. Twenty 1,000-g test portions were withdrawn from the pooled eggs for both the alternative and the reference methods. Test portions were inoculated with Salmonella at 1 to 5 cfu/1,000 g eggs. Two replicates were performed for each isolate. In the 8 trials conducted with Salmonella ser. Enteritidis, the alternative method was significantly (P < 0.05) more productive than the reference method in 3 trials, and significantly (P < 0.05) less productive than the reference method in 1 trial. There were no significant (P < 0.05) differences between the 2 methods for the other 4 trials. For Salmonella ser. Heidelberg, combined data from 2 trials showed the alternative method was significantly (P < 0.05) more efficient than the BAM method. We have concluded that the alternative method, described herein, has the potential to replace the current BAM culture method for detection and isolation of Salmonella from shell eggs based on the following factors: 1) the alternative method is 4 d shorter than the reference method; 2) it uses regular TSB instead of the more complicated TSB supplemented with FeSO4; and 3) it was equivalent or superior to the reference method in 9 out of 10 trials for the detection of Salmonella in shell eggs.

Registration of T2-weighted and diffusion-weighted MR images of the prostate: comparison between manual and landmark-based methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, Yahui; Jiang, Yulei; Soylu, Fatma N.; Tomek, Mark; Sensakovic, William; Oto, Aytekin

2012-02-01

Quantitative analysis of multi-parametric magnetic resonance (MR) images of the prostate, including T2-weighted (T2w) and diffusion-weighted (DW) images, requires accurate image registration. We compared two registration methods between T2w and DW images. We collected pre-operative MR images of 124 prostate cancer patients (68 patients scanned with a GE scanner and 56 with Philips scanners). A landmark-based rigid registration was done based on six prostate landmarks in both T2w and DW images identified by a radiologist. Independently, a researcher manually registered the same images. A radiologist visually evaluated the registration results by using a 5-point ordinal scale of 1 (worst) to 5 (best). The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to determine whether the radiologist's ratings of the results of the two registration methods were significantly different. Results demonstrated that both methods were accurate: the average ratings were 4.2, 3.3, and 3.8 for GE, Philips, and all images, respectively, for the landmark-based method; and 4.6, 3.7, and 4.2, respectively, for the manual method. The manual registration results were more accurate than the landmark-based registration results (p < 0.0001 for GE, Philips, and all images). Therefore, the manual method produces more accurate registration between T2w and DW images than the landmark-based method.

Parenting Manuals on Underage Drinking: Differences between Alcohol Industry and Non-Industry Publications

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lindsay, Gordon B.; Merrill, Ray M.; Owens, Adam; Barleen, Nathan A.

2008-01-01

Background: There is some debate over the efficacy of alcohol industry parenting manuals. Purpose: This study compares the content and focus of alcohol industry and non-industry "talk to your child about drinking" parenting manuals. Methods: Parenting manuals from Anheuser-Busch and Miller Brewing Company were compared to federal government and…

Cerebella segmentation on MR images of pediatric patients with medulloblastoma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shan, Zu Y.; Ji, Qing; Glass, John; Gajjar, Amar; Reddick, Wilburn E.

2005-04-01

In this study, an automated method has been developed to identify the cerebellum from T1-weighted MR brain images of patients with medulloblastoma. A new objective function that is similar to Gibbs free energy in classic physics was defined; and the brain structure delineation was viewed as a process of minimizing Gibbs free energy. We used a rigid-body registration and an active contour (snake) method to minimize the Gibbs free energy in this study. The method was applied to 20 patient data sets to generate cerebellum images and volumetric results. The generated cerebellum images were compared with two manually drawn results. Strong correlations were found between the automatically and manually generated volumetric results, the correlation coefficients with each of manual results were 0.971 and 0.974, respectively. The average Jaccard similarities with each of two manual results were 0.89 and 0.88, respectively. The average Kappa indexes with each of two manual results were 0.94 and 0.93, respectively. These results showed this method was both robust and accurate for cerebellum segmentation. The method may be applied to various research and clinical investigation in which cerebellum segmentation and quantitative MR measurement of cerebellum are needed.

Simultaneous Nonrigid Registration, Segmentation, and Tumor Detection in MRI Guided Cervical Cancer Radiation Therapy

PubMed Central

Lu, Chao; Chelikani, Sudhakar; Jaffray, David A.; Milosevic, Michael F.; Staib, Lawrence H.; Duncan, James S.

2013-01-01

External beam radiation therapy (EBRT) for the treatment of cancer enables accurate placement of radiation dose on the cancerous region. However, the deformation of soft tissue during the course of treatment, such as in cervical cancer, presents significant challenges for the delineation of the target volume and other structures of interest. Furthermore, the presence and regression of pathologies such as tumors may violate registration constraints and cause registration errors. In this paper, automatic segmentation, nonrigid registration and tumor detection in cervical magnetic resonance (MR) data are addressed simultaneously using a unified Bayesian framework. The proposed novel method can generate a tumor probability map while progressively identifying the boundary of an organ of interest based on the achieved nonrigid transformation. The method is able to handle the challenges of significant tumor regression and its effect on surrounding tissues. The new method was compared to various currently existing algorithms on a set of 36 MR data from six patients, each patient has six T2-weighted MR cervical images. The results show that the proposed approach achieves an accuracy comparable to manual segmentation and it significantly outperforms the existing registration algorithms. In addition, the tumor detection result generated by the proposed method has a high agreement with manual delineation by a qualified clinician. PMID:22328178

extrap: Software to assist the selection of extrapolation methods for moving-boat ADCP streamflow measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mueller, David S.

2013-04-01

Selection of the appropriate extrapolation methods for computing the discharge in the unmeasured top and bottom parts of a moving-boat acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) streamflow measurement is critical to the total discharge computation. The software tool, extrap, combines normalized velocity profiles from the entire cross section and multiple transects to determine a mean profile for the measurement. The use of an exponent derived from normalized data from the entire cross section is shown to be valid for application of the power velocity distribution law in the computation of the unmeasured discharge in a cross section. Selected statistics are combined with empirically derived criteria to automatically select the appropriate extrapolation methods. A graphical user interface (GUI) provides the user tools to visually evaluate the automatically selected extrapolation methods and manually change them, as necessary. The sensitivity of the total discharge to available extrapolation methods is presented in the GUI. Use of extrap by field hydrographers has demonstrated that extrap is a more accurate and efficient method of determining the appropriate extrapolation methods compared with tools currently (2012) provided in the ADCP manufacturers' software.

Comparison of manual & automated analysis methods for corneal endothelial cell density measurements by specular microscopy.

PubMed

Huang, Jianyan; Maram, Jyotsna; Tepelus, Tudor C; Modak, Cristina; Marion, Ken; Sadda, SriniVas R; Chopra, Vikas; Lee, Olivia L

2017-08-07

To determine the reliability of corneal endothelial cell density (ECD) obtained by automated specular microscopy versus that of validated manual methods and factors that predict such reliability. Sharp central images from 94 control and 106 glaucomatous eyes were captured with Konan specular microscope NSP-9900. All images were analyzed by trained graders using Konan CellChek Software, employing the fully- and semi-automated methods as well as Center Method. Images with low cell count (input cells number <100) and/or guttata were compared with the Center and Flex-Center Methods. ECDs were compared and absolute error was used to assess variation. The effect on ECD of age, cell count, cell size, and cell size variation was evaluated. No significant difference was observed between the Center and Flex-Center Methods in corneas with guttata (p=0.48) or low ECD (p=0.11). No difference (p=0.32) was observed in ECD of normal controls <40 yrs old between the fully-automated method and manual Center Method. However, in older controls and glaucomatous eyes, ECD was overestimated by the fully-automated method (p=0.034) and semi-automated method (p=0.025) as compared to manual method. Our findings show that automated analysis significantly overestimates ECD in the eyes with high polymegathism and/or large cell size, compared to the manual method. Therefore, we discourage reliance upon the fully-automated method alone to perform specular microscopy analysis, particularly if an accurate ECD value is imperative. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U.

Semiautomated segmentation of head and neck cancers in 18F-FDG PET scans: A just-enough-interaction approach

PubMed Central

Beichel, Reinhard R.; Van Tol, Markus; Ulrich, Ethan J.; Bauer, Christian; Chang, Tangel; Plichta, Kristin A.; Smith, Brian J.; Sunderland, John J.; Graham, Michael M.; Sonka, Milan; Buatti, John M.

2016-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this work was to develop, validate, and compare a highly computer-aided method for the segmentation of hot lesions in head and neck 18F-FDG PET scans. Methods: A semiautomated segmentation method was developed, which transforms the segmentation problem into a graph-based optimization problem. For this purpose, a graph structure around a user-provided approximate lesion centerpoint is constructed and a suitable cost function is derived based on local image statistics. To handle frequently occurring situations that are ambiguous (e.g., lesions adjacent to each other versus lesion with inhomogeneous uptake), several segmentation modes are introduced that adapt the behavior of the base algorithm accordingly. In addition, the authors present approaches for the efficient interactive local and global refinement of initial segmentations that are based on the “just-enough-interaction” principle. For method validation, 60 PET/CT scans from 59 different subjects with 230 head and neck lesions were utilized. All patients had squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. A detailed comparison with the current clinically relevant standard manual segmentation approach was performed based on 2760 segmentations produced by three experts. Results: Segmentation accuracy measured by the Dice coefficient of the proposed semiautomated and standard manual segmentation approach was 0.766 and 0.764, respectively. This difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.2145). However, the intra- and interoperator standard deviations were significantly lower for the semiautomated method. In addition, the proposed method was found to be significantly faster and resulted in significantly higher intra- and interoperator segmentation agreement when compared to the manual segmentation approach. Conclusions: Lack of consistency in tumor definition is a critical barrier for radiation treatment targeting as well as for response assessment in clinical trials and in clinical oncology decision-making. The properties of the authors approach make it well suited for applications in image-guided radiation oncology, response assessment, or treatment outcome prediction. PMID:27277044

Semiautomated segmentation of head and neck cancers in 18F-FDG PET scans: A just-enough-interaction approach

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

Beichel, Reinhard R., E-mail: reinhard-beichel@uiowa.edu; Iowa Institute for Biomedical Imaging, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242; Department of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242

Purpose: The purpose of this work was to develop, validate, and compare a highly computer-aided method for the segmentation of hot lesions in head and neck 18F-FDG PET scans. Methods: A semiautomated segmentation method was developed, which transforms the segmentation problem into a graph-based optimization problem. For this purpose, a graph structure around a user-provided approximate lesion centerpoint is constructed and a suitable cost function is derived based on local image statistics. To handle frequently occurring situations that are ambiguous (e.g., lesions adjacent to each other versus lesion with inhomogeneous uptake), several segmentation modes are introduced that adapt the behaviormore » of the base algorithm accordingly. In addition, the authors present approaches for the efficient interactive local and global refinement of initial segmentations that are based on the “just-enough-interaction” principle. For method validation, 60 PET/CT scans from 59 different subjects with 230 head and neck lesions were utilized. All patients had squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. A detailed comparison with the current clinically relevant standard manual segmentation approach was performed based on 2760 segmentations produced by three experts. Results: Segmentation accuracy measured by the Dice coefficient of the proposed semiautomated and standard manual segmentation approach was 0.766 and 0.764, respectively. This difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.2145). However, the intra- and interoperator standard deviations were significantly lower for the semiautomated method. In addition, the proposed method was found to be significantly faster and resulted in significantly higher intra- and interoperator segmentation agreement when compared to the manual segmentation approach. Conclusions: Lack of consistency in tumor definition is a critical barrier for radiation treatment targeting as well as for response assessment in clinical trials and in clinical oncology decision-making. The properties of the authors approach make it well suited for applications in image-guided radiation oncology, response assessment, or treatment outcome prediction.« less

Exponential error reduction in pretransfusion testing with automation.

PubMed

South, Susan F; Casina, Tony S; Li, Lily

2012-08-01

Protecting the safety of blood transfusion is the top priority of transfusion service laboratories. Pretransfusion testing is a critical element of the entire transfusion process to enhance vein-to-vein safety. Human error associated with manual pretransfusion testing is a cause of transfusion-related mortality and morbidity and most human errors can be eliminated by automated systems. However, the uptake of automation in transfusion services has been slow and many transfusion service laboratories around the world still use manual blood group and antibody screen (G&S) methods. The goal of this study was to compare error potentials of commonly used manual (e.g., tiles and tubes) versus automated (e.g., ID-GelStation and AutoVue Innova) G&S methods. Routine G&S processes in seven transfusion service laboratories (four with manual and three with automated G&S methods) were analyzed using failure modes and effects analysis to evaluate the corresponding error potentials of each method. Manual methods contained a higher number of process steps ranging from 22 to 39, while automated G&S methods only contained six to eight steps. Corresponding to the number of the process steps that required human interactions, the risk priority number (RPN) of the manual methods ranged from 5304 to 10,976. In contrast, the RPN of the automated methods was between 129 and 436 and also demonstrated a 90% to 98% reduction of the defect opportunities in routine G&S testing. This study provided quantitative evidence on how automation could transform pretransfusion testing processes by dramatically reducing error potentials and thus would improve the safety of blood transfusion. © 2012 American Association of Blood Banks.

TECHNICAL MANUAL: A SURVEY OF EQUIPMENT AND METHODS FOR PARTICULATE SAMPLING IN INDUSTRIAL PROCESS STREAMS

EPA Science Inventory

The manual lists and describes the instruments and techniques that are available for measuring the concentration or size distribution of particles suspended in process streams. The standard, official, well established methods are described as well as some experimental methods and...

Petrographic methods of examining hardened concrete : a petrographic manual.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1997-11-01

This manual was undertaken to record for all persons wishing to do concrete : petrography the petrographic procedures that have been found useful at the : Virginia Transportation Research Council. The manual is made up of an : introduction and chapte...

Calibration of highway safety manual work zone crash modification factors.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-06-01

The Highway Safety Manual is the national safety manual that provides quantitative methods for analyzing highway safety. The : HSM presents crash modification factors related to work zone characteristics such as work zone duration and length. These c...

Novel non-contact control system of electric bed for medical healthcare.

PubMed

Lo, Chi-Chun; Tsai, Shang-Ho; Lin, Bor-Shyh

2017-03-01

A novel non-contact controller of the electric bed for medical healthcare was proposed in this study. Nowadays, the electric beds are widely used for hospitals and home-care, and the conventional control method of the electric beds usually involves in the manual operation. However, it is more difficult for the disabled and bedridden patients, who might totally depend on others, to operate the conventional electric beds by themselves. Different from the current controlling method, the proposed system provides a new concept of controlling the electric bed via visual stimuli, without manual operation. The disabled patients could operate the electric bed by focusing on the control icons of a visual stimulus tablet in the proposed system. Besides, a wearable and wireless EEG acquisition module was also implemented to monitor the EEG signals of patients. The experimental results showed that the proposed system successfully measured and extracted the EEG features related to visual stimuli, and the disabled patients could operate the adjustable function of the electric bed by themselves to effectively reduce the long-term care burden.

Measurement of pelvic osteolytic lesions in follow-up studies after total hip arthroplasty

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castaneda, Benjamin; Tamez-Pena, Jose G.; Totterman, Saara; O'Keefe, Regis; Looney, R. John

2006-03-01

Previous studies have demonstrated the plausibility of using volumetric computerized tomography to provide an accurate representation and measurement of volume for pelvic osteolytic lesions following total hip joint replacement. These studies have been performed manually (or computed-assisted) by expert radiologists with the disadvantage of poor reproducibility of the experiment. The purpose of this work is to minimize the effect of user interaction in these experiments by introducing Laplacian level set methods in the volume segmentation process and using temporal articulated registration in order to follow the evolution of a lesion over time. Laplacian level set methods reduce the inter and intra-observer variability by attaching the segmented contour to edges defined in the image while keeping smoothness. The registration process allows the information of the lesion from the first visit to be used in the segmentation process of the current visit. This work compares the automated results on 7 volunteers versus the volume measured manually. Results have shown that the proposed technique is able to track osteolytic lesions and detect changes in volume over time. Intra-reader and inter-observer variabilities were reduced.

Fully automatic segmentation of fluorescein leakage in subjects with diabetic macular edema.

PubMed

Rabbani, Hossein; Allingham, Michael J; Mettu, Priyatham S; Cousins, Scott W; Farsiu, Sina

2015-01-29

To create and validate software to automatically segment leakage area in real-world clinical fluorescein angiography (FA) images of subjects with diabetic macular edema (DME). Fluorescein angiography images obtained from 24 eyes of 24 subjects with DME were retrospectively analyzed. Both video and still-frame images were obtained using a Heidelberg Spectralis 6-mode HRA/OCT unit. We aligned early and late FA frames in the video by a two-step nonrigid registration method. To remove background artifacts, we subtracted early and late FA frames. Finally, after postprocessing steps, including detection and inpainting of the vessels, a robust active contour method was utilized to obtain leakage area in a 1500-μm-radius circular region centered at the fovea. Images were captured at different fields of view (FOVs) and were often contaminated with outliers, as is the case in real-world clinical imaging. Our algorithm was applied to these images with no manual input. Separately, all images were manually segmented by two retina specialists. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of manual interobserver, manual intraobserver, and automatic methods were calculated. The mean accuracy was 0.86 ± 0.08 for automatic versus manual, 0.83 ± 0.16 for manual interobserver, and 0.90 ± 0.08 for manual intraobserver segmentation methods. Our fully automated algorithm can reproducibly and accurately quantify the area of leakage of clinical-grade FA video and is congruent with expert manual segmentation. The performance was reliable for different DME subtypes. This approach has the potential to reduce time and labor costs and may yield objective and reproducible quantitative measurements of DME imaging biomarkers. Copyright 2015 The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, Inc.

Advantages of combined touch screen technology and text hyperlink for the pathology grossing manual: a simple approach to access instructive information in biohazardous environments.

PubMed

Qu, Zhenhong; Ghorbani, Rhonda P; Li, Hongyan; Hunter, Robert L; Hannah, Christina D

2007-03-01

Gross examination, encompassing description, dissection, and sampling, is a complex task and an essential component of surgical pathology. Because of the complexity of the task, standardized protocols to guide the gross examination often become a bulky manual that is difficult to use. This problem is further compounded by the high specimen volume and biohazardous nature of the task. As a result, such a manual is often underused, leading to errors that are potentially harmful and time consuming to correct-a common chronic problem affecting many pathology laboratories. To combat this problem, we have developed a simple method that incorporates complex text and graphic information of a typical procedure manual and yet allows easy access to any intended instructive information in the manual. The method uses the Object-Linking-and-Embedding function of Microsoft Word (Microsoft, Redmond, WA) to establish hyperlinks among different contents, and then it uses the touch screen technology to facilitate navigation through the manual on a computer screen installed at the cutting bench with no need for a physical keyboard or a mouse. It takes less than 4 seconds to reach any intended information in the manual by 3 to 4 touches on the screen. A 3-year follow-up study shows that this method has increased use of the manual and has improved the quality of gross examination. The method is simple and can be easily tailored to different formats of instructive information, allowing flexible organization, easy access, and quick navigation. Increased compliance to instructive information reduces errors at the grossing bench and improves work efficiency.

Application of surface geophysics to ground-water investigations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zohdy, Adel A.R.; Eaton, Gordon P.; Mabey, Don R.

1974-01-01

This manual reviews the standard methods of surface geophysics applicable to ground-water investigations. It covers electrical methods, seismic and gravity methods, and magnetic methods. The general physical principles underlying each method and its capabilities and limitations are described. Possibilities for non-uniqueness of interpretation of geophysical results are noted. Examples of actual use of the methods are given to illustrate applications and interpretation in selected geohydrologic environments. The objective of the manual is to provide the hydrogeologist with a sufficient understanding of the capabilities, imitations, and relative cost of geophysical methods to make sound decisions as to when to use of these methods is desirable. The manual also provides enough information for the hydrogeologist to work with a geophysicist in designing geophysical surveys that differentiate significant hydrogeologic changes.

Rescue Manual. Module 5.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ohio State Univ., Columbus. Instructional Materials Lab.

This learner manual for rescuers covers the current techniques or practices required in the rescue service. The fifth of 10 modules contains information on hazardous materials. Key points, an introduction, and conclusion accompany substantive material in this module. In addition, the module contains a Department of Transportation guide chart on…

Rescue Manual. Module 2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ohio State Univ., Columbus. Instructional Materials Lab.

This learner manual for rescuers covers the current techniques or practices required in the rescue service. The second of 10 modules contains 5 chapters: (1) patient care and handling techniques; (2) rescue carries and drags; (3) emergency vehicle operations; (4) self-contained breathing apparatus; and (5) protective clothing. Key points, an…

Rescue Manual. Module 6.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ohio State Univ., Columbus. Instructional Materials Lab.

This learner manual for rescuers covers the current techniques or practices required in the rescue service. The sixth of 10 modules contains 4 chapters: (1) industrial rescue; (2) rescue from a confined space; (3) extrication from heavy equipment; and (4) rescue operations involving elevators. Key points, an introduction, and conclusion accompany…

ERIC User Services Manual. Revised Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wagner, Judith O., Comp.

This manual explains how the user services functions, usually performed by a User Services Coordinator, can be conducted in the 16 ERIC (Educational Resources Information Center) Clearinghouses and the various adjunct ERIC Clearinghouses. It provides guidelines, suggestions, and examples of how ERIC components currently perform the user services…

Rescue Manual. Module 8.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ohio State Univ., Columbus. Instructional Materials Lab.

This learner manual for rescuers covers the current techniques or practices required in the rescue service. The eighth of 10 modules contains 6 chapters: (1) trench rescue; (2) shoring and tunneling techniques; (3) farm accident rescue; (4) wilderness search and rescue; (5) aircraft rescue; and (6) helicopter information. Key points, an…

33 CFR 164.11 - Navigation under way: General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... maintain an exact position because strong or varying currents, heavy seas, ice, and collisions with vessels... the navigating bridge is operated to determine if the steering equipment is operating properly under manual control, unless the vessel has been steered under manual control from the navigating bridge within...

33 CFR 164.11 - Navigation under way: General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... maintain an exact position because strong or varying currents, heavy seas, ice, and collisions with vessels... the navigating bridge is operated to determine if the steering equipment is operating properly under manual control, unless the vessel has been steered under manual control from the navigating bridge within...

Braille Instruction and Writing Equipment: Reference Circular 86-3.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Library of Congress, Washington, DC. National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped.

This reference circular lists selected braille instructional materials and braille writing equipment and supplies currently available for purchase. A total of eight braille code books, seven instruction manuals for braille transcribing, and 17 instructional manuals for braille reading are listed. Suggestions are presented about braille instruction…

Hippocampal volume change measurement: quantitative assessment of the reproducibility of expert manual outlining and the automated methods FreeSurfer and FIRST.

PubMed

Mulder, Emma R; de Jong, Remko A; Knol, Dirk L; van Schijndel, Ronald A; Cover, Keith S; Visser, Pieter J; Barkhof, Frederik; Vrenken, Hugo

2014-05-15

To measure hippocampal volume change in Alzheimer's disease (AD) or mild cognitive impairment (MCI), expert manual delineation is often used because of its supposed accuracy. It has been suggested that expert outlining yields poorer reproducibility as compared to automated methods, but this has not been investigated. To determine the reproducibilities of expert manual outlining and two common automated methods for measuring hippocampal atrophy rates in healthy aging, MCI and AD. From the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI), 80 subjects were selected: 20 patients with AD, 40 patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and 20 healthy controls (HCs). Left and right hippocampal volume change between baseline and month-12 visit was assessed by using expert manual delineation, and by the automated software packages FreeSurfer (longitudinal processing stream) and FIRST. To assess reproducibility of the measured hippocampal volume change, both back-to-back (BTB) MPRAGE scans available for each visit were analyzed. Hippocampal volume change was expressed in μL, and as a percentage of baseline volume. Reproducibility of the 1-year hippocampal volume change was estimated from the BTB measurements by using linear mixed model to calculate the limits of agreement (LoA) of each method, reflecting its measurement uncertainty. Using the delta method, approximate p-values were calculated for the pairwise comparisons between methods. Statistical analyses were performed both with inclusion and exclusion of visibly incorrect segmentations. Visibly incorrect automated segmentation in either one or both scans of a longitudinal scan pair occurred in 7.5% of the hippocampi for FreeSurfer and in 6.9% of the hippocampi for FIRST. After excluding these failed cases, reproducibility analysis for 1-year percentage volume change yielded LoA of ±7.2% for FreeSurfer, ±9.7% for expert manual delineation, and ±10.0% for FIRST. Methods ranked the same for reproducibility of 1-year μL volume change, with LoA of ±218 μL for FreeSurfer, ±319 μL for expert manual delineation, and ±333 μL for FIRST. Approximate p-values indicated that reproducibility was better for FreeSurfer than for manual or FIRST, and that manual and FIRST did not differ. Inclusion of failed automated segmentations led to worsening of reproducibility of both automated methods for 1-year raw and percentage volume change. Quantitative reproducibility values of 1-year microliter and percentage hippocampal volume change were roughly similar between expert manual outlining, FIRST and FreeSurfer, but FreeSurfer reproducibility was statistically significantly superior to both manual outlining and FIRST after exclusion of failed segmentations. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A supervised learning approach for Crohn's disease detection using higher-order image statistics and a novel shape asymmetry measure.

PubMed

Mahapatra, Dwarikanath; Schueffler, Peter; Tielbeek, Jeroen A W; Buhmann, Joachim M; Vos, Franciscus M

2013-10-01

Increasing incidence of Crohn's disease (CD) in the Western world has made its accurate diagnosis an important medical challenge. The current reference standard for diagnosis, colonoscopy, is time-consuming and invasive while magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has emerged as the preferred noninvasive procedure over colonoscopy. Current MRI approaches assess rate of contrast enhancement and bowel wall thickness, and rely on extensive manual segmentation for accurate analysis. We propose a supervised learning method for the identification and localization of regions in abdominal magnetic resonance images that have been affected by CD. Low-level features like intensity and texture are used with shape asymmetry information to distinguish between diseased and normal regions. Particular emphasis is laid on a novel entropy-based shape asymmetry method and higher-order statistics like skewness and kurtosis. Multi-scale feature extraction renders the method robust. Experiments on real patient data show that our features achieve a high level of accuracy and perform better than two competing methods.

Automated mango fruit assessment using fuzzy logic approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hasan, Suzanawati Abu; Kin, Teoh Yeong; Sauddin@Sa'duddin, Suraiya; Aziz, Azlan Abdul; Othman, Mahmod; Mansor, Ab Razak; Parnabas, Vincent

2014-06-01

In term of value and volume of production, mango is the third most important fruit product next to pineapple and banana. Accurate size assessment of mango fruits during harvesting is vital to ensure that they are classified to the grade accordingly. However, the current practice in mango industry is grading the mango fruit manually using human graders. This method is inconsistent, inefficient and labor intensive. In this project, a new method of automated mango size and grade assessment is developed using RGB fiber optic sensor and fuzzy logic approach. The calculation of maximum, minimum and mean values based on RGB fiber optic sensor and the decision making development using minimum entropy formulation to analyse the data and make the classification for the mango fruit. This proposed method is capable to differentiate three different grades of mango fruit automatically with 77.78% of overall accuracy compared to human graders sorting. This method was found to be helpful for the application in the current agricultural industry.

Applicator Training Manual for: Public Health Pest Control.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, E. E.

This manual gives the life cycle and habitats, public health importance, methods of non-chemical control, and pesticides and methods of application for mosquitoes, flies, bedbugs, fleas, lice, cockroaches, venomous anthropods, ticks and chiggers, and rodents. (BB)

Applying the highway safety manual to Georgia.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-08-01

This report examines the Highway Safety Manual (HSM) from the perspective of applying its : methods and approaches within the state of Georgia. The work presented here focuses : specifically on data requirements and methods that may be of particular ...

Computer-Aided Diagnosis of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Leukaemia is a form of blood cancer which affects the white blood cells and damages the bone marrow. Usually complete blood count (CBC) and bone marrow aspiration are used to diagnose the acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. It can be a fatal disease if not diagnosed at the earlier stage. In practice, manual microscopic evaluation of stained sample slide is used for diagnosis of leukaemia. But manual diagnostic methods are time-consuming, less accurate, and prone to errors due to various human factors like stress, fatigue, and so forth. Therefore, different automated systems have been proposed to wrestle the glitches in the manual diagnostic methods. In recent past, some computer-aided leukaemia diagnosis methods are presented. These automated systems are fast, reliable, and accurate as compared to manual diagnosis methods. This paper presents review of computer-aided diagnosis systems regarding their methodologies that include enhancement, segmentation, feature extraction, classification, and accuracy. PMID:29681996

Comparison of Manual and Automated Measurements of Tracheobronchial Airway Geometry in Three Balb/c Mice.

PubMed

Islam, Asef; Oldham, Michael J; Wexler, Anthony S

2017-11-01

Mammalian lungs are comprised of large numbers of tracheobronchial airways that transition from the trachea to alveoli. Studies as wide ranging as pollutant deposition and lung development rely on accurate characterization of these airways. Advancements in CT imaging and the value of computational approaches in eliminating the burden of manual measurement are providing increased efficiency in obtaining this geometric data. In this study, we compare an automated method to a manual one for the first six generations of three Balb/c mouse lungs. We find good agreement between manual and automated methods and that much of the disagreement can be attributed to method precision. Using the automated method, we then provide anatomical data for the entire tracheobronchial airway tree from three Balb/C mice. Anat Rec, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Anat Rec, 300:2046-2057, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Automated MRI Segmentation for Individualized Modeling of Current Flow in the Human Head

PubMed Central

Huang, Yu; Dmochowski, Jacek P.; Su, Yuzhuo; Datta, Abhishek; Rorden, Christopher; Parra, Lucas C.

2013-01-01

Objective High-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) and high-density electroencephalography (HD-EEG) require accurate models of current flow for precise targeting and current source reconstruction. At a minimum, such modeling must capture the idiosyncratic anatomy of brain, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and skull for each individual subject. Currently, the process to build such high-resolution individualized models from structural magnetic resonance images (MRI) requires labor-intensive manual segmentation, even when leveraging available automated segmentation tools. Also, accurate placement of many high-density electrodes on individual scalp is a tedious procedure. The goal was to develop fully automated techniques to reduce the manual effort in such a modeling process. Approach A fully automated segmentation technique based on Statical Parametric Mapping 8 (SPM8), including an improved tissue probability map (TPM) and an automated correction routine for segmentation errors, was developed, along with an automated electrode placement tool for high-density arrays. The performance of these automated routines was evaluated against results from manual segmentation on 4 healthy subjects and 7 stroke patients. The criteria include segmentation accuracy, the difference of current flow distributions in resulting HD-tDCS models and the optimized current flow intensities on cortical targets. Main results The segmentation tool can segment out not just the brain but also provide accurate results for CSF, skull and other soft tissues with a field of view (FOV) extending to the neck. Compared to manual results, automated segmentation deviates by only 7% and 18% for normal and stroke subjects, respectively. The predicted electric fields in the brain deviate by 12% and 29% respectively, which is well within the variability observed for various modeling choices. Finally, optimized current flow intensities on cortical targets do not differ significantly. Significance Fully automated individualized modeling may now be feasible for large-sample EEG research studies and tDCS clinical trials. PMID:24099977

Automated MRI segmentation for individualized modeling of current flow in the human head

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Yu; Dmochowski, Jacek P.; Su, Yuzhuo; Datta, Abhishek; Rorden, Christopher; Parra, Lucas C.

2013-12-01

Objective. High-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) and high-density electroencephalography require accurate models of current flow for precise targeting and current source reconstruction. At a minimum, such modeling must capture the idiosyncratic anatomy of the brain, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and skull for each individual subject. Currently, the process to build such high-resolution individualized models from structural magnetic resonance images requires labor-intensive manual segmentation, even when utilizing available automated segmentation tools. Also, accurate placement of many high-density electrodes on an individual scalp is a tedious procedure. The goal was to develop fully automated techniques to reduce the manual effort in such a modeling process. Approach. A fully automated segmentation technique based on Statical Parametric Mapping 8, including an improved tissue probability map and an automated correction routine for segmentation errors, was developed, along with an automated electrode placement tool for high-density arrays. The performance of these automated routines was evaluated against results from manual segmentation on four healthy subjects and seven stroke patients. The criteria include segmentation accuracy, the difference of current flow distributions in resulting HD-tDCS models and the optimized current flow intensities on cortical targets.Main results. The segmentation tool can segment out not just the brain but also provide accurate results for CSF, skull and other soft tissues with a field of view extending to the neck. Compared to manual results, automated segmentation deviates by only 7% and 18% for normal and stroke subjects, respectively. The predicted electric fields in the brain deviate by 12% and 29% respectively, which is well within the variability observed for various modeling choices. Finally, optimized current flow intensities on cortical targets do not differ significantly.Significance. Fully automated individualized modeling may now be feasible for large-sample EEG research studies and tDCS clinical trials.

How current Clinical Practice Guidelines for low back pain reflect Traditional Medicine in East Asian Countries: a systematic review of Clinical Practice Guidelines and systematic reviews.

PubMed

Cho, Hyun-Woo; Hwang, Eui-Hyoung; Lim, Byungmook; Heo, Kwang-Ho; Liu, Jian-Ping; Tsutani, Kiichiro; Lee, Myeong Soo; Shin, Byung-Cheul

2014-01-01

The aims of this study were to investigate whether there is a gap between evidence of traditional medicine (TM) interventions in East-Asian countries from the current Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) and evidence from current systematic reviews and meta-analyses (SR-MAs) and to analyze the impact of this gap on present CPGs. We examined 5 representative TM interventions in the health care systems of East-Asian countries. We searched seven relevant databases for CPGs to identify whether core CPGs included evidence of TM interventions, and we searched 11 databases for SR-MAs to re-evaluate current evidence on TM interventions. We then compared the gap between the evidence from CPGs and SR-MAs. Thirteen CPGs and 22 SR-MAs met our inclusion criteria. Of the 13 CPGs, 7 CPGs (54%) mentioned TM interventions, and all were for acupuncture (only one was for both acupuncture and acupressure). However, the CPGs did not recommend acupuncture (or acupressure). Of 22 SR-MAs, 16 were for acupuncture, 5 for manual therapy, 1 for cupping, and none for moxibustion and herbal medicine. Comparing the evidence from CPGs and SR-MAs, an underestimation or omission of evidence for acupuncture, cupping, and manual therapy in current CPGs was detected. Thus, applying the results from the SR-MAs, we moderately recommend acupuncture for chronic LBP, but we inconclusively recommend acupuncture for (sub)acute LBP due to the limited current evidence. Furthermore, we weakly recommend cupping and manual therapy for both (sub)acute and chronic LBP. We cannot provide recommendations for moxibustion and herbal medicine due to a lack of evidence. The current CPGs did not fully reflect the evidence for TM interventions. As relevant studies such as SR-MAs are conducted and evidence increases, the current evidence on acupuncture, cupping, and manual therapy should be rigorously considered in the process of developing or updating the CPG system.

A Pilot Study of Community-Friendly Manual Guided Drug Counseling

PubMed Central

Crits-Christoph, Paul; Gibbons, Mary Beth Connolly; Ring-Kurtz, Sarah; Gallop, Robert; Present, Julie

2009-01-01

To facilitate effectiveness testing and dissemination of treatments to community based setting, therapist training manuals that are more “community friendly” are needed. The aim of the current project was to create revised versions of individual drug counseling (IDC) and group drug counseling (GDC) treatment manuals for cocaine dependence and to conduct a preliminary study of their effectiveness. After changing the format and context of existing drug counseling manuals to have greater ease of use in the community, draft manuals were given to 23 community-based counselors for their feedback. Final versions were then used in a pilot randomized clinical trial involving 41 cocaine dependent patients who received 3 months of either IDC + GDC or GDC alone treatment. Counselors implemented the new treatment manuals with acceptable levels of adherence and competence. Outcome results indicated that substantial change in drug use was evident, but the amount of abstinence obtained was limited. PMID:19038525

A corrosion control manual for rail rapid transit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gilbert, L. O.; Fitzgerald, J. F., II; Menke, J. T.

1982-01-01

In 1979, during the planning stage of the Metropolitan Dade County Transit System, the need was expressed for a corrosion control manual oriented to urban rapid transit system use. This manual responds to that need. The objective of the manual is to aid rail rapid transit agencies by providing practical solutions to selected corrosion problems. The scope of the manual encompasses corrosion problems of the facilities of rapid transit systems: structures and tracks, platforms and stations, power and signals, and cars. It also discusses stray electric current corrosion. Both design and maintenance solutions are provided for each problem. Also included are descriptions of the types of corrosion and their causes, descriptions of rapid transit properties, a list of corrosion control committees and NASA, DOD, and ASTM specifications and design criteria to which reference is made in the manual. A bibliography of papers and excerpts of reports and a glossary of frequency used terms are provided.

A pilot study of community-friendly manual-guided drug counseling.

PubMed

Crits-Christoph, Paul; Gibbons, Mary Beth Connolly; Ring-Kurtz, Sarah; Gallop, Robert; Present, Julie

2009-07-01

Therapist training manuals that are more "community friendly" are needed to facilitate effectiveness testing and dissemination of treatments to community based setting. The aim of the current project was to create revised versions of individual drug counseling (IDC) and group drug counseling (GDC) treatment manuals for cocaine dependence and to conduct a preliminary study of their effectiveness. After changing the format and context of existing drug counseling manuals to have greater ease of use in the community, draft manuals were given to 23 community-based counselors for their feedback. Final versions were then used in a pilot randomized clinical trial involving 41 cocaine-dependent patients who received 3 months of either IDC + GDC or GDC-alone treatment. Counselors implemented the new treatment manuals with acceptable levels of adherence and competence. Outcome results indicated that substantial change in drug use was evident, but the amount of abstinence obtained was limited.

Methods for the Determination of Chemical Contaminants in Drinking Water. Training Manual.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Office of Water Program Operations (EPA), Cincinnati, OH. National Training and Operational Technology Center.

This training manual, intended for chemists and technicians with little or no experience in chemical procedures required to monitor drinking water, covers analytical methods for inorganic and organic chemical contaminants listed in the interim primary drinking water regulations. Topics include methods for heavy metals, nitrate, and organic…

Illustrated surface mining methods

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

Not Available

1979-01-01

This manual provides a visual synopsis of surface coal mining methods in the United States. The manual presents various surface mining methods and techniques through artist renderings and appropriate descriptions. The productive coal fields of the United States were divided into four regions according to geology and physiography. A glossay of terminology is included. (DP)

Analytical Methods for Trace Metals. Training Manual.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Office of Water Program Operations (EPA), Cincinnati, OH. National Training and Operational Technology Center.

This training manual presents material on the theoretical concepts involved in the methods listed in the Federal Register as approved for determination of trace metals. Emphasis is on laboratory operations. This course is intended for chemists and technicians with little or no experience in analytical methods for trace metals. Students should have…

Multi-spectral brain tissue segmentation using automatically trained k-Nearest-Neighbor classification.

PubMed

Vrooman, Henri A; Cocosco, Chris A; van der Lijn, Fedde; Stokking, Rik; Ikram, M Arfan; Vernooij, Meike W; Breteler, Monique M B; Niessen, Wiro J

2007-08-01

Conventional k-Nearest-Neighbor (kNN) classification, which has been successfully applied to classify brain tissue in MR data, requires training on manually labeled subjects. This manual labeling is a laborious and time-consuming procedure. In this work, a new fully automated brain tissue classification procedure is presented, in which kNN training is automated. This is achieved by non-rigidly registering the MR data with a tissue probability atlas to automatically select training samples, followed by a post-processing step to keep the most reliable samples. The accuracy of the new method was compared to rigid registration-based training and to conventional kNN-based segmentation using training on manually labeled subjects for segmenting gray matter (GM), white matter (WM) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in 12 data sets. Furthermore, for all classification methods, the performance was assessed when varying the free parameters. Finally, the robustness of the fully automated procedure was evaluated on 59 subjects. The automated training method using non-rigid registration with a tissue probability atlas was significantly more accurate than rigid registration. For both automated training using non-rigid registration and for the manually trained kNN classifier, the difference with the manual labeling by observers was not significantly larger than inter-observer variability for all tissue types. From the robustness study, it was clear that, given an appropriate brain atlas and optimal parameters, our new fully automated, non-rigid registration-based method gives accurate and robust segmentation results. A similarity index was used for comparison with manually trained kNN. The similarity indices were 0.93, 0.92 and 0.92, for CSF, GM and WM, respectively. It can be concluded that our fully automated method using non-rigid registration may replace manual segmentation, and thus that automated brain tissue segmentation without laborious manual training is feasible.

Intelligent guidance and control for wind shear encounter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stengel, Robert F.

1988-01-01

The principal objective is to develop methods for assessing the likelihood of wind shear encounter, for deciding what flight path to pursue, and for using the aircraft's full potential for combating wind shear. This study requires the definition of both deterministic and statistical techniques for fusing internal and external information, for making go/no-go decisions, and for generating commands to the aircraft's cockpit displays and autopilot for both manually controlled and automatic flight. The program has begun with the development of a real-time expert system for pilot aiding that is based on the results of the FAA Windshear Training Aids Program. A two-volume manual that presents an overview, pilot guide, training program, and substantiating data provides guidelines for this initial development. The Expert System to Avoid Wind Shear (ESAWS) currently contains over 140 rules and is coded in the LISP programming language for implementation on a Symbolics 3670 LISP machine.

Laser Ablation Cleaning of Self-Reacting Friction Stir Weld Seam Surfaces: A Preliminary Evaluation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nunes, A. C., Jr.; Russell, C. K.; Brooke, S. A.; Parry, Q.; Lowrey, N. M.

2014-01-01

Anodized aluminum panels were cleaned by three lasers at three separate sites with a view to determining whether more economical laser cleaning might supplant current manual cleaning methods for preparation of surfaces to be welded by the self-reacting friction stir process. Uncleaned panels yielded welds exhibiting residual oxide defect (ROD) and failing at very low stresses along the trace of the weld seam. Manually cleaned panels yielded welds without ROD; these welds failed at nominal stress levels along an angled fracture surface not following the weld seam trace. Laser cleaned panels yielded welds failing at intermediate stress levels. The inadequacy of the laser cleaning processes leaves questions: Was the anodized aluminum test too stringent to represent actual cleaning requirements? Were the wrong laser cleaning techniques/parameters used for the study? Is the laser cleaning mechanism inadequate for effective preweld surface cleaning?

Dialects for the Stage: A Manual and Two Casette Tapes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Machlin, Evangeline

This document contains a manual and two cassette tapes designed to help actors and actresses learn to speak various dialects. The tapes and the manual are arranged for the play-it-and-say-it method of dialect acquisition. The first three parts discuss the tapes and the manual in general, the dialect texts and dialect data, and the steps involved…

Improvement of registration accuracy in accelerated partial breast irradiation using the point-based rigid-body registration algorithm for patients with implanted fiducial markers

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

Inoue, Minoru; Yoshimura, Michio, E-mail: myossy@kuhp.kyoto-u.ac.jp; Sato, Sayaka

2015-04-15

Purpose: To investigate image-registration errors when using fiducial markers with a manual method and the point-based rigid-body registration (PRBR) algorithm in accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) patients, with accompanying fiducial deviations. Methods: Twenty-two consecutive patients were enrolled in a prospective trial examining 10-fraction APBI. Titanium clips were implanted intraoperatively around the seroma in all patients. For image-registration, the positions of the clips in daily kV x-ray images were matched to those in the planning digitally reconstructed radiographs. Fiducial and gravity registration errors (FREs and GREs, respectively), representing resulting misalignments of the edge and center of the target, respectively, were comparedmore » between the manual and algorithm-based methods. Results: In total, 218 fractions were evaluated. Although the mean FRE/GRE values for the manual and algorithm-based methods were within 3 mm (2.3/1.7 and 1.3/0.4 mm, respectively), the percentages of fractions where FRE/GRE exceeded 3 mm using the manual and algorithm-based methods were 18.8%/7.3% and 0%/0%, respectively. Manual registration resulted in 18.6% of patients with fractions of FRE/GRE exceeding 5 mm. The patients with larger clip deviation had significantly more fractions showing large FRE/GRE using manual registration. Conclusions: For image-registration using fiducial markers in APBI, the manual registration results in more fractions with considerable registration error due to loss of fiducial objectivity resulting from their deviation. The authors recommend the PRBR algorithm as a safe and effective strategy for accurate, image-guided registration and PTV margin reduction.« less

Development of a novel automated cell isolation, expansion, and characterization platform.

PubMed

Franscini, Nicola; Wuertz, Karin; Patocchi-Tenzer, Isabel; Durner, Roland; Boos, Norbert; Graf-Hausner, Ursula

2011-06-01

Implementation of regenerative medicine in the clinical setting requires not only biological inventions, but also the development of reproducible and safe method for cell isolation and expansion. As the currently used manual techniques do not fulfill these requirements, there is a clear need to develop an adequate robotic platform for automated, large-scale production of cells or cell-based products. Here, we demonstrate an automated liquid-handling cell-culture platform that can be used to isolate, expand, and characterize human primary cells (e.g., from intervertebral disc tissue) with results that are comparable to the manual procedure. Specifically, no differences could be observed for cell yield, viability, aggregation rate, growth rate, and phenotype. Importantly, all steps-from the enzymatic isolation of cells through the biopsy to the final quality control-can be performed completely by the automated system because of novel tools that were incorporated into the platform. This automated cell-culture platform can therefore replace entirely manual processes in areas that require high throughput while maintaining stability and safety, such as clinical or industrial settings. Copyright © 2011 Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A cost analysis comparing xeroradiography to film technics for intraoral radiography.

PubMed

Gratt, B M; Sickles, E A

1986-01-01

In the United States during 1978 $730 million was spent on dental radiographic services. Currently there are three alternatives for the processing of intraoral radiographs: manual wet-tanks, automatic film units, or xeroradiography. It was the intent of this study to determine which processing system is the most economical. Cost estimates were based on a usage rate of 750 patient images per month and included a calculation of the average cost per radiograph over a five-year period. Capital costs included initial processing equipment and site preparation. Operational costs included labor, supplies, utilities, darkroom rental, and breakdown costs. Clinical time trials were employed to measure examination times. Maintenance logs were employed to assess labor costs. Indirect costs of training were estimated. Results indicated that xeroradiography was the most cost effective ($0.81 per image) compared to either automatic film processing ($1.14 per image) or manual processing ($1.35 per image). Variations in projected costs indicated that if a dental practice performs primarily complete-mouth surveys, exposes less than 120 radiographs per month, and pays less than +6.50 per hour in wages, then manual (wet-tank) processing is the most economical method for producing intraoral radiographs.

An automated workflow for patient-specific quality control of contour propagation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beasley, William J.; McWilliam, Alan; Slevin, Nicholas J.; Mackay, Ranald I.; van Herk, Marcel

2016-12-01

Contour propagation is an essential component of adaptive radiotherapy, but current contour propagation algorithms are not yet sufficiently accurate to be used without manual supervision. Manual review of propagated contours is time-consuming, making routine implementation of real-time adaptive radiotherapy unrealistic. Automated methods of monitoring the performance of contour propagation algorithms are therefore required. We have developed an automated workflow for patient-specific quality control of contour propagation and validated it on a cohort of head and neck patients, on which parotids were outlined by two observers. Two types of error were simulated—mislabelling of contours and introducing noise in the scans before propagation. The ability of the workflow to correctly predict the occurrence of errors was tested, taking both sets of observer contours as ground truth, using receiver operator characteristic analysis. The area under the curve was 0.90 and 0.85 for the observers, indicating good ability to predict the occurrence of errors. This tool could potentially be used to identify propagated contours that are likely to be incorrect, acting as a flag for manual review of these contours. This would make contour propagation more efficient, facilitating the routine implementation of adaptive radiotherapy.

Unraveling the Mechanisms of Manual Therapy: Modeling an Approach.

PubMed

Bialosky, Joel E; Beneciuk, Jason M; Bishop, Mark D; Coronado, Rogelio A; Penza, Charles W; Simon, Corey B; George, Steven Z

2018-01-01

Synopsis Manual therapy interventions are popular among individual health care providers and their patients; however, systematic reviews do not strongly support their effectiveness. Small treatment effect sizes of manual therapy interventions may result from a "one-size-fits-all" approach to treatment. Mechanistic-based treatment approaches to manual therapy offer an intriguing alternative for identifying patients likely to respond to manual therapy. However, the current lack of knowledge of the mechanisms through which manual therapy interventions inhibit pain limits such an approach. The nature of manual therapy interventions further confounds such an approach, as the related mechanisms are likely a complex interaction of factors related to the patient, the provider, and the environment in which the intervention occurs. Therefore, a model to guide both study design and the interpretation of findings is necessary. We have previously proposed a model suggesting that the mechanical force from a manual therapy intervention results in systemic neurophysiological responses leading to pain inhibition. In this clinical commentary, we provide a narrative appraisal of the model and recommendations to advance the study of manual therapy mechanisms. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2018;48(1):8-18. doi:10.2519/jospt.2018.7476.

Carotid stenosis assessment with multi-detector CT angiography: comparison between manual and automatic segmentation methods.

PubMed

Zhu, Chengcheng; Patterson, Andrew J; Thomas, Owen M; Sadat, Umar; Graves, Martin J; Gillard, Jonathan H

2013-04-01

Luminal stenosis is used for selecting the optimal management strategy for patients with carotid artery disease. The aim of this study is to evaluate the reproducibility of carotid stenosis quantification using manual and automated segmentation methods using submillimeter through-plane resolution Multi-Detector CT angiography (MDCTA). 35 patients having carotid artery disease with >30 % luminal stenosis as identified by carotid duplex imaging underwent contrast enhanced MDCTA. Two experienced CT readers quantified carotid stenosis from axial source images, reconstructed maximum intensity projection (MIP) and 3D-carotid geometry which was automatically segmented by an open-source toolkit (Vascular Modelling Toolkit, VMTK) using NASCET criteria. Good agreement among the measurement using axial images, MIP and automatic segmentation was observed. Automatic segmentation methods show better inter-observer agreement between the readers (intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC): 0.99 for diameter stenosis measurement) than manual measurement of axial (ICC = 0.82) and MIP (ICC = 0.86) images. Carotid stenosis quantification using an automatic segmentation method has higher reproducibility compared with manual methods.

48 CFR 304.7001 - Numbering acquisitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... contracting office identification codes currently in use is contained in the DCIS Users' Manual, available at... than one code may apply in a specific situation, or for additional codes, refer to the DCIS Users' Manual or consult with the cognizant DCIS coordinator/focal point for guidance on which code governs...

Bicycle Law Enforcement Manual.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hunter, William W.; Stutts, Jane C.

This manual is an attempt to draw together relevant resources and information for localities interested in developing a bicycle law enforcement operation. It is divided into five major sections. Section I explains the need for and importance of bicycle law enforcement. In section II are presented examples of past and current bicycle law…

Pave-IR operator's manual version 1.3 : a thermal imaging system for evaluating hot-mix asphalt paving operations.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-06-01

This product updates the prior users manual for Pave-IR to reflect changes in hardware and software made : to accommodate collection of GPS data simultaneously during the collection of thermal profiles. The current : Pave-IR system described in th...

School Building Construction and Inspection Resource Manual. Revision 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Utah State Office of Education, Salt Lake City.

This manual contains current legal requirements and information on school building construction and inspection in the state of Utah. Major topics include facilities long-range planning; the role and responsibilities of the School District Building Official; school site issues such as size and location, impact, and acquisition and development; as…

Health Services Manual. Hicksville Public Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

1987

This procedure manual describes the uniform procedures used by the Hicksville, New York School District's Health Services Program. Its objectives are to establish a uniform set of health services guidelines and procedures, to update all health forms, to maintain an awareness of the current changes in health laws that govern school districts, and…

Rescue Manual. Module 4.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ohio State Univ., Columbus. Instructional Materials Lab.

This learner manual for rescuers covers the current techniques or practices required in the rescue service. The fourth of 10 modules contains 8 chapters: (1) construction and characteristics of rescue rope; (2) knots, bends, and hitches; (3) critical angles; (4) raising systems; (5) rigging; (6) using the brake-bar rack for rope rescue; (7) rope…

COMPENDEX/TEXT-PAC: RETROSPECTIVE SEARCH.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Standera, Oldrich

The Text-Pac System is capable of generating indexes and bulletins to provide a current information service without the selectivity feature. Indexes of the accumulated data base may also be used as a basis for manual retrospective searching. The manual search involves searching computer-prepared indexes from a machine readable data base produced…

Improvement of mathematical models for simulation of vehicle handling : volume 7 : technical manual for the general simulation

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1980-03-01

This volume is the technical manual for the general simulation. Mathematical modelling of the vehicle and of the human driver is presented in detail, as are differences between the APL simulation and the current one. Information on model validation a...

75 FR 51335 - Revised Medical Criteria for Evaluating Mental Disorders

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-19

... Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM).\\3\\ We have also gained considerable adjudicative experience in... ``mild'' range in the current edition of the DSM, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental... sometimes four, parts.\\10\\ The first part of every mental disorder listing is a brief introductory paragraph...

Contour Connection Method for automated identification and classification of landslide deposits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leshchinsky, Ben A.; Olsen, Michael J.; Tanyu, Burak F.

2015-01-01

Landslides are a common hazard worldwide that result in major economic, environmental and social impacts. Despite their devastating effects, inventorying existing landslides, often the regions at highest risk of reoccurrence, is challenging, time-consuming, and expensive. Current landslide mapping techniques include field inventorying, photogrammetric approaches, and use of bare-earth (BE) lidar digital terrain models (DTMs) to highlight regions of instability. However, many techniques do not have sufficient resolution, detail, and accuracy for mapping across landscape scale with the exception of using BE DTMs, which can reveal the landscape beneath vegetation and other obstructions, highlighting landslide features, including scarps, deposits, fans and more. Current approaches to landslide inventorying with lidar to create BE DTMs include manual digitizing, statistical or machine learning approaches, and use of alternate sensors (e.g., hyperspectral imaging) with lidar. This paper outlines a novel algorithm to automatically and consistently detect landslide deposits on a landscape scale. The proposed method is named as the Contour Connection Method (CCM) and is primarily based on bare earth lidar data requiring minimal user input such as the landslide scarp and deposit gradients. The CCM algorithm functions by applying contours and nodes to a map, and using vectors connecting the nodes to evaluate gradient and associated landslide features based on the user defined input criteria. Furthermore, in addition to the detection capabilities, CCM also provides an opportunity to be potentially used to classify different landscape features. This is possible because each landslide feature has a distinct set of metadata - specifically, density of connection vectors on each contour - that provides a unique signature for each landslide. In this paper, demonstrations of using CCM are presented by applying the algorithm to the region surrounding the Oso landslide in Washington (March 2014), as well as two 14,000 ha DTMs in Oregon, which were used as a comparison of CCM and manually delineated landslide deposits. The results show the capability of the CCM with limited data requirements and the agreement with manual delineation but achieving the results at a much faster time.

ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1-2010 Performance Rating Method Reference Manual

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

Goel, Supriya; Rosenberg, Michael I.

This document is intended to be a reference manual for the Appendix G Performance Rating Method (PRM) of ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1- 2010 (Standard 90.1-2010).The PRM is used for rating the energy efficiency of commercial and high-rise residential buildings with designs that exceed the requirements of Standard 90.1. The procedures and processes described in this manual are designed to provide consistency and accuracy by filling in gaps and providing additional details needed by users of the PRM. It should be noted that this document is created independently from ASHRAE and SSPC 90.1 and is not sanctioned nor approved by either ofmore » those entities . Potential users of this manual include energy modelers, software developers and implementers of “beyond code” energy programs. Energy modelers using ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2010 for beyond code programs can use this document as a reference manual for interpreting requirements of the Performance Rating method. Software developers, developing tools for automated creation of the baseline model can use this reference manual as a guideline for developing the rules for the baseline model.« less

FY15 Status Report on NEAMS Neutronics Activities

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

Lee, C. H.; Shemon, E. R.; Smith, M. A.

2015-09-30

This report summarizes the current status of NEAMS activities in FY2015. The tasks this year are (1) to improve solution methods for steady-state and transient conditions, (2) to develop features and user friendliness to increase the usability and applicability of the code, (3) to improve and verify the multigroup cross section generation scheme, (4) to perform verification and validation tests of the code using SFRs and thermal reactor cores, and (5) to support early users of PROTEUS and update the user manuals.

An interactive wire-wrap board layout program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schlutsmeyer, A.

1987-01-01

An interactive computer-graphics-based tool for specifying the placement of electronic parts on a wire-wrap circuit board is presented. Input is a data file (currently produced by a commercial logic design system) which describes the parts used and their interconnections. Output includes printed reports describing the parts and wire paths, parts counts, placement lists, board drawing, and a tape to send to the wire-wrap vendor. The program should reduce the engineer's layout time by a factor of 3 to 5 as compared to manual methods.

LOCALIZING THE RANGELAND HEALTH METHOD FOR SOUTHEASTERN ARIZONA

EPA Science Inventory

The interagency manual Interpreting Indicators of Rangeland Health, Version 4 (Technical Reference 1734-6) provides a method for making rangeland health assessments. The manual recommends that the rangeland health assessment approach be adapted to local conditions. This technica...

Remote manual operator for space station intermodule ventilation valve

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Guyaux, James R.

1996-01-01

The Remote Manual Operator (RMO) is a mechanism used for manual operation of the Space Station Intermodule Ventilation (IMV) valve and for visual indication of valve position. The IMV is a butterfly-type valve, located in the ventilation or air circulation ducts of the Space Station, and is used to interconnect or isolate the various compartments. The IMV valve is normally operated by an electric motor-driven actuator under computer or astronaut control, but it can also be operated manually with the RMO. The IMV valve RMO consists of a handle with a deployment linkage, a gear-driven flexible shaft, and a linkage to disengage the electric motor actuator during manual operation. It also provides visual indication of valve position. The IMV valve RMO is currently being prepared for qualification testing.

A Source Manual for Information on NITINOL and NiTi

DTIC Science & Technology

1978-02-13

NSWC/WOL TR 78-26/ A SOURCE MANUAL FOR INFORMATION ON <z NITINOL AND NiTi BY DAVID GOLDSTEIN RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT 13 FEBRUARY 1978 C...Conthinua owevess, side it necessary and identity by bWeck ammmber) NITINOL Nickel-Titanium Alloys NiTi Shape Memory Effect Heat Engines W0. A WRACT...Conshnue an reverse Wde Ifftoeseat and Identify by Weoek nmmer) This manual is a current listing of most of the published literature on NITINOL and NiTi

Validity and reliability of computerized measurement of lumbar intervertebral disc height and volume from magnetic resonance images.

PubMed

Neubert, Ales; Fripp, Jurgen; Engstrom, Craig; Gal, Yaniv; Crozier, Stuart; Kingsley, Michael I C

2014-11-01

Magnetic resonance (MR) examinations of morphologic characteristics of intervertebral discs (IVDs) have been used extensively for biomechanical studies and clinical investigations of the lumbar spine. Traditionally, the morphologic measurements have been performed using time- and expertise-intensive manual segmentation techniques not well suited for analyses of large-scale studies.. The purpose of this study is to introduce and validate a semiautomated method for measuring IVD height and mean sagittal area (and volume) from MR images to determine if it can replace the manual assessment and enable analyses of large MR cohorts. This study compares semiautomated and manual measurements and assesses their reliability and agreement using data from repeated MR examinations. Seven healthy asymptomatic males underwent 1.5-T MR examinations of the lumbar spine involving sagittal T2-weighted fast spin-echo images obtained at baseline, pre-exercise, and postexercise conditions. Measures of the mean height and the mean sagittal area of lumbar IVDs (L1-L2 to L4-L5) were compared for two segmentation approaches: a conventional manual method (10-15 minutes to process one IVD) and a specifically developed semiautomated method (requiring only a few mouse clicks to process each subject). Both methods showed strong test-retest reproducibility evaluated on baseline and pre-exercise examinations with strong intraclass correlations for the semiautomated and manual methods for mean IVD height (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC]=0.99, 0.98) and mean IVD area (ICC=0.98, 0.99), respectively. A bias (average deviation) of 0.38 mm (4.1%, 95% confidence interval 0.18-0.59 mm) was observed between the manual and semiautomated methods for the IVD height, whereas there was no statistically significant difference for the mean IVD area (0.1%±3.5%). The semiautomated and manual methods both detected significant exercise-induced changes in IVD height (0.20 and 0.28 mm) and mean IVD area (5.7 and 8.3 mm(2)), respectively. The presented semiautomated method provides an alternative to time- and expertise-intensive manual procedures for analysis of larger, cross-sectional, interventional, and longitudinal MR studies for morphometric analyses of lumbar IVDs. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Automated skin segmentation in ultrasonic evaluation of skin toxicity in breast cancer radiotherapy.

PubMed

Gao, Yi; Tannenbaum, Allen; Chen, Hao; Torres, Mylin; Yoshida, Emi; Yang, Xiaofeng; Wang, Yuefeng; Curran, Walter; Liu, Tian

2013-11-01

Skin toxicity is the most common side effect of breast cancer radiotherapy and impairs the quality of life of many breast cancer survivors. We, along with other researchers, have recently found quantitative ultrasound to be effective as a skin toxicity assessment tool. Although more reliable than standard clinical evaluations (visual observation and palpation), the current procedure for ultrasound-based skin toxicity measurements requires manual delineation of the skin layers (i.e., epidermis-dermis and dermis-hypodermis interfaces) on each ultrasound B-mode image. Manual skin segmentation is time consuming and subjective. Moreover, radiation-induced skin injury may decrease image contrast between the dermis and hypodermis, which increases the difficulty of delineation. Therefore, we have developed an automatic skin segmentation tool (ASST) based on the active contour model with two significant modifications: (i) The proposed algorithm introduces a novel dual-curve scheme for the double skin layer extraction, as opposed to the original single active contour method. (ii) The proposed algorithm is based on a geometric contour framework as opposed to the previous parametric algorithm. This ASST algorithm was tested on a breast cancer image database of 730 ultrasound breast images (73 ultrasound studies of 23 patients). We compared skin segmentation results obtained with the ASST with manual contours performed by two physicians. The average percentage differences in skin thickness between the ASST measurement and that of each physician were less than 5% (4.8 ± 17.8% and -3.8 ± 21.1%, respectively). In summary, we have developed an automatic skin segmentation method that ensures objective assessment of radiation-induced changes in skin thickness. Our ultrasound technology offers a unique opportunity to quantify tissue injury in a more meaningful and reproducible manner than the subjective assessments currently employed in the clinic. Copyright © 2013 World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Automatic adjustment control system for DC glow discharge plasma source].

PubMed

Wan, Zhen-zhen; Wang, Yong-qing; Li, Xiao-jia; Wang, Hai-zhou; Shi, Ning

2011-03-01

There are three important parameters in the DC glow discharge process, the discharge current, discharge voltage and argon pressure in discharge source. These parameters influence each other during glow discharge process. This paper presents an automatic control system for DC glow discharge plasma source. This system collects and controls discharge voltage automatically by adjusting discharge source pressure while the discharge current is constant in the glow discharge process. The design concept, circuit principle and control program of this automatic control system are described. The accuracy is improved by this automatic control system with the method of reducing the complex operations and manual control errors. This system enhances the control accuracy of glow discharge voltage, and reduces the time to reach discharge voltage stability. The glow discharge voltage stability test results with automatic control system are provided as well, the accuracy with automatic control system is better than 1% FS which is improved from 4% FS by manual control. Time to reach discharge voltage stability has been shortened to within 30 s by automatic control from more than 90 s by manual control. Standard samples like middle-low alloy steel and tin bronze have been tested by this automatic control system. The concentration analysis precision has been significantly improved. The RSDs of all the test result are better than 3.5%. In middle-low alloy steel standard sample, the RSD range of concentration test result of Ti, Co and Mn elements is reduced from 3.0%-4.3% by manual control to 1.7%-2.4% by automatic control, and that for S and Mo is also reduced from 5.2%-5.9% to 3.3%-3.5%. In tin bronze standard sample, the RSD range of Sn, Zn and Al elements is reduced from 2.6%-4.4% to 1.0%-2.4%, and that for Si, Ni and Fe is reduced from 6.6%-13.9% to 2.6%-3.5%. The test data is also shown in this paper.

ZAG-Otolith: Modification of Otolith-Ocular Reflexes, Motion Perception and Manual Control during Variable Radius Centrifugation Following Space Flight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wood, S. J.; Clarke, A. H.; Rupert, A. H.; Harm, D. L.; Clement, G. R.

2009-01-01

Two joint ESA-NASA studies are examining changes in otolith-ocular reflexes and motion perception following short duration space flights, and the operational implications of post-flight tilt-translation ambiguity for manual control performance. Vibrotactile feedback of tilt orientation is also being evaluated as a countermeasure to improve performance during a closed-loop nulling task. METHODS. Data is currently being collected on astronaut subjects during 3 preflight sessions and during the first 8 days after Shuttle landings. Variable radius centrifugation is utilized to elicit otolith reflexes in the lateral plane without concordant roll canal cues. Unilateral centrifugation (400 deg/s, 3.5 cm radius) stimulates one otolith positioned off-axis while the opposite side is centered over the axis of rotation. During this paradigm, roll-tilt perception is measured using a subjective visual vertical task and ocular counter-rolling is obtained using binocular video-oculography. During a second paradigm (216 deg/s, <20 cm radius), the effects of stimulus frequency (0.15 - 0.6 Hz) are examined on eye movements and motion perception. A closed-loop nulling task is also performed with and without vibrotactile display feedback of chair radial position. PRELIMINARY RESULTS. Data collection is currently ongoing. Results to date suggest there is a trend for perceived tilt and translation amplitudes to be increased at the low and medium frequencies on landing day compared to pre-flight. Manual control performance is improved with vibrotactile feedback. DISCUSSION. One result of this study will be to characterize the variability (gain, asymmetry) in both otolithocular responses and motion perception during variable radius centrifugation, and measure the time course of postflight recovery. This study will also address how adaptive changes in otolith-mediated reflexes correspond to one's ability to perform closed-loop nulling tasks following G-transitions, and whether manual control performance can be improved with vibrotactile feedback of orientation.

Use of the smartphone for end vertebra selection in scoliosis.

PubMed

Pepe, Murad; Kocadal, Onur; Iyigun, Abdullah; Gunes, Zafer; Aksahin, Ertugrul; Aktekin, Cem Nuri

2017-03-01

The aim of our study was to develop a smartphone-aided end vertebra selection method and to investigate its effectiveness in Cobb angle measurement. Twenty-nine adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients' pre-operative posteroanterior scoliosis radiographs were used for end vertebra selection and Cobb angle measurement by standard method and smartphone-aided method. Measurements were performed by 7 examiners. The intraclass correlation coefficient was used to analyze selection and measurement reliability. Summary statistics of variance calculations were used to provide 95% prediction limits for the error in Cobb angle measurements. A paired 2-tailed t test was used to analyze end vertebra selection differences. Mean absolute Cobb angle difference was 3.6° for the manual method and 1.9° for the smartphone-aided method. Both intraobserver and interobserver reliability were found excellent in manual and smartphone set for Cobb angle measurement. Both intraobserver and interobserver reliability were found excellent in manual and smartphone set for end vertebra selection. But reliability values of manual set were lower than smartphone. Two observers selected significantly different end vertebra in their repeated selections for manual method. Smartphone-aided method for end vertebra selection and Cobb angle measurement showed excellent reliability. We can expect a reduction in measurement error rates with the widespread use of this method in clinical practice. Level III, Diagnostic study. Copyright © 2016 Turkish Association of Orthopaedics and Traumatology. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Linking GPS and travel diary data using sequence alignment in a study of children's independent mobility

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Global positioning systems (GPS) are increasingly being used in health research to determine the location of study participants. Combining GPS data with data collected via travel/activity diaries allows researchers to assess where people travel in conjunction with data about trip purpose and accompaniment. However, linking GPS and diary data is problematic and to date the only method has been to match the two datasets manually, which is time consuming and unlikely to be practical for larger data sets. This paper assesses the feasibility of a new sequence alignment method of linking GPS and travel diary data in comparison with the manual matching method. Methods GPS and travel diary data obtained from a study of children's independent mobility were linked using sequence alignment algorithms to test the proof of concept. Travel diaries were assessed for quality by counting the number of errors and inconsistencies in each participant's set of diaries. The success of the sequence alignment method was compared for higher versus lower quality travel diaries, and for accompanied versus unaccompanied trips. Time taken and percentage of trips matched were compared for the sequence alignment method and the manual method. Results The sequence alignment method matched 61.9% of all trips. Higher quality travel diaries were associated with higher match rates in both the sequence alignment and manual matching methods. The sequence alignment method performed almost as well as the manual method and was an order of magnitude faster. However, the sequence alignment method was less successful at fully matching trips and at matching unaccompanied trips. Conclusions Sequence alignment is a promising method of linking GPS and travel diary data in large population datasets, especially if limitations in the trip detection algorithm are addressed. PMID:22142322

The diagnostic performance of leak-plugging automated segmentation versus manual tracing of breast lesions on ultrasound images.

PubMed

Xiong, Hui; Sultan, Laith R; Cary, Theodore W; Schultz, Susan M; Bouzghar, Ghizlane; Sehgal, Chandra M

2017-05-01

To assess the diagnostic performance of a leak-plugging segmentation method that we have developed for delineating breast masses on ultrasound images. Fifty-two biopsy-proven breast lesion images were analyzed by three observers using the leak-plugging and manual segmentation methods. From each segmentation method, grayscale and morphological features were extracted and classified as malignant or benign by logistic regression analysis. The performance of leak-plugging and manual segmentations was compared by: size of the lesion, overlap area ( O a ) between the margins, and area under the ROC curves ( A z ). The lesion size from leak-plugging segmentation correlated closely with that from manual tracing ( R 2 of 0.91). O a was higher for leak plugging, 0.92 ± 0.01 and 0.86 ± 0.06 for benign and malignant masses, respectively, compared to 0.80 ± 0.04 and 0.73 ± 0.02 for manual tracings. Overall O a between leak-plugging and manual segmentations was 0.79 ± 0.14 for benign and 0.73 ± 0.14 for malignant lesions. A z for leak plugging was consistently higher (0.910 ± 0.003) compared to 0.888 ± 0.012 for manual tracings. The coefficient of variation of A z between three observers was 0.29% for leak plugging compared to 1.3% for manual tracings. The diagnostic performance, size measurements, and observer variability for automated leak-plugging segmentations were either comparable to or better than those of manual tracings.

Automated cerebral infarct volume measurement in follow-up noncontrast CT scans of patients with acute ischemic stroke.

PubMed

Boers, A M; Marquering, H A; Jochem, J J; Besselink, N J; Berkhemer, O A; van der Lugt, A; Beenen, L F; Majoie, C B

2013-08-01

Cerebral infarct volume as observed in follow-up CT is an important radiologic outcome measure of the effectiveness of treatment of patients with acute ischemic stroke. However, manual measurement of CIV is time-consuming and operator-dependent. The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate a robust automated measurement of the CIV. The CIV in early follow-up CT images of 34 consecutive patients with acute ischemic stroke was segmented with an automated intensity-based region-growing algorithm, which includes partial volume effect correction near the skull, midline determination, and ventricle and hemorrhage exclusion. Two observers manually delineated the CIV. Interobserver variability of the manual assessments and the accuracy of the automated method were evaluated by using the Pearson correlation, Bland-Altman analysis, and Dice coefficients. The accuracy was defined as the correlation with the manual assessment as a reference standard. The Pearson correlation for the automated method compared with the reference standard was similar to the manual correlation (R = 0.98). The accuracy of the automated method was excellent with a mean difference of 0.5 mL with limits of agreement of -38.0-39.1 mL, which were more consistent than the interobserver variability of the 2 observers (-40.9-44.1 mL). However, the Dice coefficients were higher for the manual delineation. The automated method showed a strong correlation and accuracy with the manual reference measurement. This approach has the potential to become the standard in assessing the infarct volume as a secondary outcome measure for evaluating the effectiveness of treatment.

Data reduction for cough studies using distribution of audio frequency content

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Recent studies suggest that objectively quantifying coughing in audio recordings offers a novel means to understand coughing and assess treatments. Currently, manual cough counting is the most accurate method for quantifying coughing. However, the demand of manually counting cough records is substantial, demonstrating a need to reduce record lengths prior to counting whilst preserving the coughs within them. This study tested the performance of an algorithm developed for this purpose. Methods 20 subjects were recruited (5 healthy smokers and non-smokers, 5 chronic cough, 5 chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and 5 asthma), fitted with an ambulatory recording system and recorded for 24 hours. The recordings produced were divided into 15 min segments and counted. Periods of inactive audio in each segment were removed using the median frequency and power of the audio signal and the resulting files re-counted. Results The median resultant segment length was 13.9 s (IQR 56.4 s) and median 24 hr recording length 62.4 min (IQR 100.4). A median of 0.0 coughs/h (IQR 0.0-0.2) were erroneously removed and the variability in the resultant cough counts was comparable to that between manual cough counts. The largest error was seen in asthmatic patients, but still only 1.0% coughs/h were missed. Conclusions These data show that a system which measures signal activity using the median audio frequency can substantially reduce record lengths without significantly compromising the coughs contained within them. PMID:23231789

Operating manual-based usability evaluation of medical devices: an effective patient safety screening method.

PubMed

Turley, James P; Johnson, Todd R; Smith, Danielle Paige; Zhang, Jaijie; Brixey, Juliana J

2006-04-01

Use of medical devices often directly contributes to medical errors. Because it is difficult or impossible to change the design of existing devices, the best opportunity for improving medical device safety is during the purchasing process. However, most hospital personnel are not familiar with the usability evaluation methods designed to identify aspects of a user interface that do not support intuitive and safe use. A review of medical device operating manuals is proposed as a more practical method of usability evaluation. Operating manuals for five volumetric infusion pumps from three manufacturers were selected for this study (January-April 2003). Each manual's safety message content was evaluated to determine whether the message indicated a device design characteristic that violated known usability principles (heuristics) or indicated a violation of an affordance of the device. "Minimize memory load," with 65 violations, was the heuristic violated most frequently across pumps. Variations between pumps, including the frequency and severity of violations for each, were noted. Results suggest that manual review can provide a proxy for heuristic evaluation of the actual medical device. This method, intended to be a component of prepurchasing evaluation, can complement more formal usability evaluation methods and be used to select a subset of devices for more extensive and formal testing.

Battery Test Manual For Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles

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

Jeffrey R. Belt

2010-09-01

This battery test procedure manual was prepared for the United States Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Vehicle Technologies Program. It is based on technical targets established for energy storage development projects aimed at meeting system level DOE goals for Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV). The specific procedures defined in this manual support the performance and life characterization of advanced battery devices under development for PHEV’s. However, it does share some methods described in the previously published battery test manual for power-assist hybrid electric vehicles. Due to the complexity of some of the proceduresmore » and supporting analysis, a revision including some modifications and clarifications of these procedures is expected. As in previous battery and capacitor test manuals, this version of the manual defines testing methods for full-size battery systems, along with provisions for scaling these tests for modules, cells or other subscale level devices.« less

Battery Test Manual For Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles

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

Jeffrey R. Belt

2010-12-01

This battery test procedure manual was prepared for the United States Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Vehicle Technologies Program. It is based on technical targets established for energy storage development projects aimed at meeting system level DOE goals for Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV). The specific procedures defined in this manual support the performance and life characterization of advanced battery devices under development for PHEV’s. However, it does share some methods described in the previously published battery test manual for power-assist hybrid electric vehicles. Due to the complexity of some of the proceduresmore » and supporting analysis, a revision including some modifications and clarifications of these procedures is expected. As in previous battery and capacitor test manuals, this version of the manual defines testing methods for full-size battery systems, along with provisions for scaling these tests for modules, cells or other subscale level devices.« less

A novel eco-friendly technique for efficient control of lime water softening process.

PubMed

Ostovar, Mohamad; Amiri, Mohamad

2013-12-01

Lime softening is an established type of water treatment used for water softening. The performance of this process is highly dependent on lime dosage. Currently, lime dosage is adjusted manually based on chemical tests, aimed at maintaining the phenolphthalein (P) and total (M) alkalinities within a certain range (2 P - M > or = 5). In this paper, a critical study of the softening process has been presented. It has been shown that the current method is frequently incorrect. Furthermore, electrical conductivity (EC) has been introduced as a novel indicator for effectively characterizing the lime softening process.This novel technique has several advantages over the current alkalinities method. Because no chemical reagents are needed for titration, which is a simple test, there is a considerable reduction in test costs. Additionally, there is a reduction in the treated water hardness and generated sludge during the lime softening process. Therefore, it is highly eco-friendly, and is a very cost effective alternative technique for efficient control of the lime softening process.

Model-based segmentation in orbital volume measurement with cone beam computed tomography and evaluation against current concepts.

PubMed

Wagner, Maximilian E H; Gellrich, Nils-Claudius; Friese, Karl-Ingo; Becker, Matthias; Wolter, Franz-Erich; Lichtenstein, Juergen T; Stoetzer, Marcus; Rana, Majeed; Essig, Harald

2016-01-01

Objective determination of the orbital volume is important in the diagnostic process and in evaluating the efficacy of medical and/or surgical treatment of orbital diseases. Tools designed to measure orbital volume with computed tomography (CT) often cannot be used with cone beam CT (CBCT) because of inferior tissue representation, although CBCT has the benefit of greater availability and lower patient radiation exposure. Therefore, a model-based segmentation technique is presented as a new method for measuring orbital volume and compared to alternative techniques. Both eyes from thirty subjects with no known orbital pathology who had undergone CBCT as a part of routine care were evaluated (n = 60 eyes). Orbital volume was measured with manual, atlas-based, and model-based segmentation methods. Volume measurements, volume determination time, and usability were compared between the three methods. Differences in means were tested for statistical significance using two-tailed Student's t tests. Neither atlas-based (26.63 ± 3.15 mm(3)) nor model-based (26.87 ± 2.99 mm(3)) measurements were significantly different from manual volume measurements (26.65 ± 4.0 mm(3)). However, the time required to determine orbital volume was significantly longer for manual measurements (10.24 ± 1.21 min) than for atlas-based (6.96 ± 2.62 min, p < 0.001) or model-based (5.73 ± 1.12 min, p < 0.001) measurements. All three orbital volume measurement methods examined can accurately measure orbital volume, although atlas-based and model-based methods seem to be more user-friendly and less time-consuming. The new model-based technique achieves fully automated segmentation results, whereas all atlas-based segmentations at least required manipulations to the anterior closing. Additionally, model-based segmentation can provide reliable orbital volume measurements when CT image quality is poor.

Semiautomated segmentation of head and neck cancers in 18F-FDG PET scans: A just-enough-interaction approach.

PubMed

Beichel, Reinhard R; Van Tol, Markus; Ulrich, Ethan J; Bauer, Christian; Chang, Tangel; Plichta, Kristin A; Smith, Brian J; Sunderland, John J; Graham, Michael M; Sonka, Milan; Buatti, John M

2016-06-01

The purpose of this work was to develop, validate, and compare a highly computer-aided method for the segmentation of hot lesions in head and neck 18F-FDG PET scans. A semiautomated segmentation method was developed, which transforms the segmentation problem into a graph-based optimization problem. For this purpose, a graph structure around a user-provided approximate lesion centerpoint is constructed and a suitable cost function is derived based on local image statistics. To handle frequently occurring situations that are ambiguous (e.g., lesions adjacent to each other versus lesion with inhomogeneous uptake), several segmentation modes are introduced that adapt the behavior of the base algorithm accordingly. In addition, the authors present approaches for the efficient interactive local and global refinement of initial segmentations that are based on the "just-enough-interaction" principle. For method validation, 60 PET/CT scans from 59 different subjects with 230 head and neck lesions were utilized. All patients had squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. A detailed comparison with the current clinically relevant standard manual segmentation approach was performed based on 2760 segmentations produced by three experts. Segmentation accuracy measured by the Dice coefficient of the proposed semiautomated and standard manual segmentation approach was 0.766 and 0.764, respectively. This difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.2145). However, the intra- and interoperator standard deviations were significantly lower for the semiautomated method. In addition, the proposed method was found to be significantly faster and resulted in significantly higher intra- and interoperator segmentation agreement when compared to the manual segmentation approach. Lack of consistency in tumor definition is a critical barrier for radiation treatment targeting as well as for response assessment in clinical trials and in clinical oncology decision-making. The properties of the authors approach make it well suited for applications in image-guided radiation oncology, response assessment, or treatment outcome prediction.

Three-dimensional murine airway segmentation in micro-CT images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Lijun; Thiesse, Jacqueline; McLennan, Geoffrey; Hoffman, Eric A.; Reinhardt, Joseph M.

2007-03-01

Thoracic imaging for small animals has emerged as an important tool for monitoring pulmonary disease progression and therapy response in genetically engineered animals. Micro-CT is becoming the standard thoracic imaging modality in small animal imaging because it can produce high-resolution images of the lung parenchyma, vasculature, and airways. Segmentation, measurement, and visualization of the airway tree is an important step in pulmonary image analysis. However, manual analysis of the airway tree in micro-CT images can be extremely time-consuming since a typical dataset is usually on the order of several gigabytes in size. Automated and semi-automated tools for micro-CT airway analysis are desirable. In this paper, we propose an automatic airway segmentation method for in vivo micro-CT images of the murine lung and validate our method by comparing the automatic results to manual tracing. Our method is based primarily on grayscale morphology. The results show good visual matches between manually segmented and automatically segmented trees. The average true positive volume fraction compared to manual analysis is 91.61%. The overall runtime for the automatic method is on the order of 30 minutes per volume compared to several hours to a few days for manual analysis.

Influence of Vibrotactile Feedback on Controlling Tilt Motion After Spaceflight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wood, S. J.; Rupert, A. H.; Vanya, R. D.; Esteves, J. T.; Clement, G.

2011-01-01

We hypothesize that adaptive changes in how inertial cues from the vestibular system are integrated with other sensory information leads to perceptual disturbances and impaired manual control following transitions between gravity environments. The primary goals of this ongoing post-flight investigation are to quantify decrements in manual control of tilt motion following short-duration spaceflight and to evaluate vibrotactile feedback of tilt as a sensorimotor countermeasure. METHODS. Data is currently being collected on 9 astronaut subjects during 3 preflight sessions and during the first 8 days after Shuttle landings. Variable radius centrifugation (216 deg/s, <20 cm radius) in a darkened room is utilized to elicit otolith reflexes in the lateral plane without concordant canal or visual cues. A Tilt-Translation Sled (TTS) is capable of synchronizing pitch tilt with fore-aft translation to align the resultant gravitoinertial vector with the longitudinal body axis, thereby eliciting canal reflexes without concordant otolith or visual cues. A simple 4 tactor system was implemented to provide feedback when tilt position exceeded predetermined levels in either device. Closed-loop nulling tasks are performed during random tilt steps or sum-of-sines (TTS only) with and without vibrotactile feedback of chair position. RESULTS. On landing day the manual control performance without vibrotactile feedback was reduced by >30% based on the gain or the amount of tilt disturbance successfully nulled. Manual control performance tended to return to baseline levels within 1-2 days following landing. Root-mean-square position error and tilt velocity were significantly reduced with vibrotactile feedback. CONCLUSIONS. These preliminary results are consistent with our hypothesis that adaptive changes in vestibular processing corresponds to reduced manual control performance following G-transitions. A simple vibrotactile prosthesis improves the ability to null out tilt motion within a limited range of motion disturbances.

Utilization of Physical Therapy Intervention Among Patients With Plantar Fasciitis in the United States.

PubMed

Fraser, John J; Glaviano, Neal R; Hertel, Jay

2017-02-01

Study Design Retrospective observational study. Background Plantar fasciitis is responsible for 1 million ambulatory patient care visits annually in the United States. Few studies have investigated practice patterns in the treatment of patients with plantar fasciitis. Objective To assess physical therapist utilization and employment of manual therapy and supervised rehabilitation in the treatment of patients with plantar fasciitis. Methods A retrospective review of the PearlDiver patient record database was used to evaluate physical therapist utilization and use of manual therapy and supervised rehabilitation in patients with plantar fasciitis between 2007 and 2011. An International Classification of Diseases code (728.71) was used to identify plantar fasciitis, and Current Procedural Terminology codes were used to identify evaluations (97001), manual therapy (97140), and rehabilitation services (97110, 97530, 97112). Results A total of 819 963 unique patients diagnosed with plantar fasciitis accounted for 5 739 737 visits from 2007 to 2011, comprising 2.7% of all patients in the database. Only 7.1% (95% confidence interval: 7.0%, 7.1%) of patients received a physical therapist evaluation. Of the 57 800 patients evaluated by a physical therapist (59.8% female), 50 382 (87.2% ± 0.4%) received manual therapy, with significant increases in utilization per annum. A large proportion (89.5% ± 0.4%) received rehabilitation following physical therapist evaluation. Conclusion Despite plantar fasciitis being a frequently occurring musculoskeletal condition, a small proportion of patients with plantar fasciitis were seen by physical therapists. Most patients who were evaluated by a physical therapist received manual therapy and a course of supervised rehabilitation as part of their plan of care. Level of Evidence Treatment, level 2a. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2017;47(2):49-55. doi:10.2519/jospt.2017.6999.

Motion Perception and Manual Control Performance During Passive Tilt and Translation Following Space Flight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clement, Gilles; Wood, Scott J.

2010-01-01

This joint ESA-NASA study is examining changes in motion perception following Space Shuttle flights and the operational implications of post-flight tilt-translation ambiguity for manual control performance. Vibrotactile feedback of tilt orientation is also being evaluated as a countermeasure to improve performance during a closed-loop nulling task. METHODS. Data has been collected on 5 astronaut subjects during 3 preflight sessions and during the first 8 days after Shuttle landings. Variable radius centrifugation (216 deg/s) combined with body translation (12-22 cm, peak-to-peak) is utilized to elicit roll-tilt perception (equivalent to 20 deg, peak-to-peak). A forward-backward moving sled (24-390 cm, peak-to-peak) with or without chair tilting in pitch is utilized to elicit pitch tilt perception (equivalent to 20 deg, peak-to-peak). These combinations are elicited at 0.15, 0.3, and 0.6 Hz for evaluating the effect of motion frequency on tilt-translation ambiguity. In both devices, a closed-loop nulling task is also performed during pseudorandom motion with and without vibrotactile feedback of tilt. All tests are performed in complete darkness. PRELIMINARY RESULTS. Data collection is currently ongoing. Results to date suggest there is a trend for translation motion perception to be increased at the low and medium frequencies on landing day compared to pre-flight. Manual control performance is improved with vibrotactile feedback. DISCUSSION. The results of this study indicate that post-flight recovery of motion perception and manual control performance is complete within 8 days following short-duration space missions. Vibrotactile feedback of tilt improves manual control performance both before and after flight.

Automatic Correction Algorithm of Hyfrology Feature Attribute in National Geographic Census

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, C.; Guo, P.; Liu, X.

2017-09-01

A subset of the attributes of hydrologic features data in national geographic census are not clear, the current solution to this problem was through manual filling which is inefficient and liable to mistakes. So this paper proposes an automatic correction algorithm of hydrologic features attribute. Based on the analysis of the structure characteristics and topological relation, we put forward three basic principles of correction which include network proximity, structure robustness and topology ductility. Based on the WJ-III map workstation, we realize the automatic correction of hydrologic features. Finally, practical data is used to validate the method. The results show that our method is highly reasonable and efficient.

Automated location detection of injection site for preclinical stereotactic neurosurgery procedure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abbaszadeh, Shiva; Wu, Hemmings C. H.

2017-03-01

Currently, during stereotactic neurosurgery procedures, the manual task of locating the proper area for needle insertion or implantation of electrode/cannula/optic fiber can be time consuming. The requirement of the task is to quickly and accurately find the location for insertion. In this study we investigate an automated method to locate the entry point of region of interest. This method leverages a digital image capture system, pattern recognition, and motorized stages. Template matching of known anatomical identifiable regions is used to find regions of interest (e.g. Bregma) in rodents. For our initial study, we tackle the problem of automatically detecting the entry point.

Development and evaluation of a semiautomatic segmentation method for the estimation of LV parameters on cine MR images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mazonakis, Michalis; Grinias, Elias; Pagonidis, Konstantin; Tziritas, George; Damilakis, John

2010-02-01

The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate a semiautomatic method for left ventricular (LV) segmentation on cine MR images and subsequent estimation of cardiac parameters. The study group comprised cardiac MR examinations of 18 consecutive patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease. The new method allowed the automatic detection of the LV endocardial and epicardial boundaries on each short-axis cine MR image using a Bayesian flooding segmentation algorithm and weighted least-squares B-splines minimization. Manual editing of the automatic contours could be performed for unsatisfactory segmentation results. The end-diastolic volume (EDV), end-systolic volume (ESV), ejection fraction (EF) and LV mass estimated by the new method were compared with the reference values obtained by manually tracing the LV cavity borders. The reproducibility of the new method was determined using data from two independent observers. The mean number of endocardial and epicardial outlines not requiring any manual adjustment was more than 80% and 76% of the total contour number per study, respectively. The mean segmentation time including the required manual corrections was 2.3 ± 0.7 min per patient. LV volumes estimated by the semiautomatic method were significantly lower than those by manual tracing (P < 0.05), whereas no difference was found for EF and LV mass (P > 0.05). LV indices estimated by the two methods were well correlated (r >= 0.80). The mean difference between manual and semiautomatic method for estimating EDV, ESV, EF and LV mass was 6.1 ± 7.2 ml, 3.0 ± 5.2 ml, -0.6 ± 4.3% and -6.2 ± 12.2 g, respectively. The intraobserver and interobserver variability associated with the semiautomatic determination of LV indices was 0.5-1.2% and 0.8-3.9%, respectively. The estimation of LV parameters with the new semiautomatic segmentation method is technically feasible, highly reproducible and time effective.

Issues that Drive Waste Management Technology Development for Space Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fisher, John W.; Levri, Julie A.; Hogan, John A.; Wignarajah, Kanapathipillai

2005-01-01

Waste management technologies for space life support systems are currently at low development levels. Manual compaction of waste in plastic bags and overboard disposal to earth return vehicles are the primary current waste management methods. Particularly on future missions, continuance of current waste management methods would tend to expose the crew to waste hazards, forfeit recoverable resources such as water, consume valuable crew time, contaminate planetary surfaces, and risk return to Earth of extraterrestrial life. Improvement of waste management capabilities is needed for adequate management of wastes. Improvements include recovery of water and other resources, conversion of waste to states harmless to humans, long-term containment of wastes, and disposal of waste. Current NASA requirements documents on waste management are generally not highly detailed. More detailed requirements are needed to guide the development of waste management technologies that will adequately manage waste. In addition to satisfying requirements, waste management technologies must also recover resources. Recovery of resources such as water and habitat volume can reduce mission cost. This paper explores the drivers for waste management technology development including requirements and resource recovery.

Prompt use of mechanical cardiopulmonary resuscitation in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: the MECCA study report

PubMed Central

Anantharaman, Venkataraman; Ng, Boon Lui Benjamin; Ang, Shiang Hu; Lee, Chun Yue Francis; Leong, Siew Hon Benjamin; Ong, Marcus Eng Hock; Chua, Siang Jin Terrance; Rabind, Antony Charles; Anjali, Nagaraj Baglody; Hao, Ying

2017-01-01

INTRODUCTION Early use of mechanical cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) may improve survival outcomes. Current evidence for such devices uses outcomes from an intention-to-treat (ITT) perspective. We aimed to determine whether early use of mechanical CPR using a LUCAS 2 device results in better outcomes. METHODS A prospective, randomised, multicentre study was conducted over one year with LUCAS 2 devices in 14 ambulances and manual CPR in 32 ambulances to manage OHCA. The primary outcome was return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). Secondary outcomes were survival at 24 hours, discharge from hospital and 30 days. RESULTS Of the 1,274 patients recruited, 1,191 were eligible for analysis. 889 had manual CPR and 302 had LUCAS CPR. From an ITT perspective, outcomes for manual and LUCAS CPR were: ROSC 29.2% and 31.1% (odds ratio [OR] 1.09, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.82–1.45; p = 0.537); 24-hour survival 11.2% and 13.2% (OR 1.20, 95% CI 0.81–1.78; p = 0.352); survival to discharge 3.6% and 4.3% (OR 1.20, 95% CI 0.62–2.33; p = 0.579); and 30-day survival 3.0% and 4.0% (OR 1.32, 95% CI 0.66–2.64; p = 0.430), respectively. By as-treated analysis, outcomes for manual, early LUCAS and late LUCAS CPR were: ROSC 28.0%, 36.9% and 24.5%; 24-hour survival 10.6%, 15.5% and 8.2%; survival to discharge 2.9%, 5.8% and 2.0%; and 30-day survival 2.4%, 5.8% and 0.0%, respectively. Adjusted OR for survival with early LUCAS vs. manual CPR was 1.47 after adjustment for other variables (p = 0.026). CONCLUSION This study showed a survival benefit with LUCAS CPR as compared to manual CPR only, when the device was applied early on-site. PMID:28741013

Manual Therapy in the Treatment of Idiopathic Scoliosis. Analysis of Current Knowledge.

PubMed

Czaprowski, Dariusz

2016-10-28

Apart from the recommended specific physiotherapy, the treatment of idiopathic scoliosis (IS) also incorporates non-specific manual therapy (NMT). The aim of this paper is to assess the efficacy of NMT (manual therapy, chiropractic, osteopathy) used in the treatment of children and adolescents with IS. The study analysed systematic reviews (Analysis 1) and other recent scientific publications (Analysis 2). Analysis 1 encompassed papers on the use of NMT in patients with IS. Works concerning specific physiotherapy (SP) or bracing (B) and other types of scoliosis were excluded from the analysis. Inclusion criteria for Analysis 2 were: treatment with NMT; subjects aged 10-18 years with IS. The following types of papers were excluded: works analysing NMT combined with SP or B, reports concerning adult pa tients, analyses of single cases and publications included in Analysis 1. Analysis 1: six systematic reviews contained 6 papers on the efficacy of NMT in the treatment of IS. The results of these studies are contradictory, ranging from Cobb angle reduction to no treatment effects whatsoever. The papers analysed are characterised by poor methodological quality: small group sizes, incomplete descriptions of the study groups, no follow-up and no control groups. Analysis 2: in total, 217 papers were found. None of them met the criteria set for the analysis. 1. Few papers verifying the efficacy of manual therapy, chiropractic and osteopathy in the treatment of idiopathic scoliosis have been published to date. 2. The majority are experimental studies with poor methodology or observational case studies. 3. At present, the efficacy of non-specific manual therapy in the treatment of patients with idiopathic scoliosis cannot be reliably evaluated. 4. It is necessary to conduct further research based on appropriate methods (prospective, rando mi s ed, controlled studies) in order to reliably assess the usefulness of non-specific manual therapy in the treatment of idiopathic scoliosis.

Evaluation of Automated and Semi-Automated Scoring of Polysomnographic Recordings from a Clinical Trial Using Zolpidem in the Treatment of Insomnia

PubMed Central

Svetnik, Vladimir; Ma, Junshui; Soper, Keith A.; Doran, Scott; Renger, John J.; Deacon, Steve; Koblan, Ken S.

2007-01-01

Objective: To evaluate the performance of 2 automated systems, Morpheus and Somnolyzer24X7, with various levels of human review/editing, in scoring polysomnographic (PSG) recordings from a clinical trial using zolpidem in a model of transient insomnia. Methods: 164 all-night PSG recordings from 82 subjects collected during 2 nights of sleep, one under placebo and one under zolpidem (10 mg) treatment were used. For each recording, 6 different methods were used to provide sleep stage scores based on Rechtschaffen & Kales criteria: 1) full manual scoring, 2) automated scoring by Morpheus 3) automated scoring by Somnolyzer24X7, 4) automated scoring by Morpheus with full manual review, 5) automated scoring by Morpheus with partial manual review, 6) automated scoring by Somnolyzer24X7 with partial manual review. Ten traditional clinical efficacy measures of sleep initiation, maintenance, and architecture were calculated. Results: Pair-wise epoch-by-epoch agreements between fully automated and manual scores were in the range of intersite manual scoring agreements reported in the literature (70%-72%). Pair-wise epoch-by-epoch agreements between automated scores manually reviewed were higher (73%-76%). The direction and statistical significance of treatment effect sizes using traditional efficacy endpoints were essentially the same whichever method was used. As the degree of manual review increased, the magnitude of the effect size approached those estimated with fully manual scoring. Conclusion: Automated or semi-automated sleep PSG scoring offers valuable alternatives to costly, time consuming, and intrasite and intersite variable manual scoring, especially in large multicenter clinical trials. Reduction in scoring variability may also reduce the sample size of a clinical trial. Citation: Svetnik V; Ma J; Soper KA; Doran S; Renger JJ; Deacon S; Koblan KS. Evaluation of automated and semi-automated scoring of polysomnographic recordings from a clinical trial using zolpidem in the treatment of insomnia. SLEEP 2007;30(11):1562-1574. PMID:18041489

Cost-effective system for facial imaging and three-dimensional reconstruction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shokouhi, S. B.; Monro, D. M.; Sherlock, Barry G.

1998-06-01

Three dimensional (3-D) images have recently received wide attention in applications involving medical treatment. Most current 3-D imaging methods focus on the internal organs of the body. However, several medical image applications such as plastic surgery, body deformities, rehabilitation, dental surgery and orthodontics, make use of the surface contours of the body. Several techniques are currently available for producing 3-D images of the body surface and most of the systems which implement these techniques are expensive, requiring complex equipment with highly trained operators. The research involves the development of a simple, low cost and non-invasive contour capturing method for facial surfaces. This is achieved using the structured light technique, employing a standard commercial slide projector, CCD camera and a frame-grabber card linked to a PC. Structured light has already been used for many applications, but only to a limited extent in the clinical environment. All current implementations involve extensive manual intervention by highly skilled operators and this has proven to be a serious hindrance to clinical acceptance of 3-D imaging. A primary objective of this work is to minimize the amount of manual intervention required, so that the system can be used by clinicians who do not have specialist training in the use of this equipment. The eventual aim is to provide a software assisted surgical procedure, which by merging the facial data, allows the manipulation of soft tissue and gives the facility to predict and monitor post-surgical appearance. The research focuses on how the images are obtained using the structured light optic system and the subsequent image processing of data to give a realistic 3-D image.

A literature review of anthropometric studies of school students for ergonomics purposes: Are accuracy, precision and reliability being considered?

PubMed

Bravo, G; Bragança, S; Arezes, P M; Molenbroek, J F M; Castellucci, H I

2018-05-22

Despite offering many benefits, direct manual anthropometric measurement method can be problematic due to their vulnerability to measurement errors. The purpose of this literature review was to determine, whether or not the currently published anthropometric studies of school children, related to ergonomics, mentioned or evaluated the variables precision, reliability or accuracy in the direct manual measurement method. Two bibliographic databases, and the bibliographic references of all the selected papers were used for finding relevant published papers in the fields considered in this study. Forty-six (46) studies met the criteria previously defined for this literature review. However, only ten (10) studies mentioned at least one of the analyzed variables, and none has evaluated all of them. Only reliability was assessed by three papers. Moreover, in what regards the factors that affect precision, reliability and accuracy, the reviewed papers presented large differences. This was particularly clear in the instruments used for the measurements, which were not consistent throughout the studies. Additionally, it was also clear that there was a lack of information regarding the evaluators' training and procedures for anthropometric data collection, which are assumed to be the most important issues that affect precision, reliability and accuracy. Based on the review of the literature, it was possible to conclude that the considered anthropometric studies had not focused their attention to the analysis of precision, reliability and accuracy of the manual measurement methods. Hence, and with the aim of avoiding measurement errors and misleading data, anthropometric studies should put more efforts and care on testing measurement error and defining the procedures used to collect anthropometric data.

The Coping Cat Program for Anxious Youth: The FEAR Plan Comes to Life

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Podell, Jennifer L.; Mychailyszyn, Matthew; Edmunds, Julie; Puleo, Connor M.; Kendall, Philip C.

2010-01-01

Manual-based treatments (therapist manuals, child workbooks) exist for the treatment of anxiety disorders in youth. The current article describes a cognitive-behavioral treatment program, "Coping Cat", for childhood anxiety, with an emphasis on its flexible application and implementation as well as video components to demonstrate aspects of the…

78 FR 5281 - Revisions to Procedural Rules To Clarify Practices and Procedures Applicable in Permit Appeals...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-25

... Practice Manual. Revising the regulation to reflect current practice will provide clarity to practitioners... date of publication in the Federal Register. The sixty days between the date of publication and the... standing orders, and the Board's Practice Manual. The amendments to the rule clarify review procedures for...

District 1199C Training & Upgrading Fund. A Manual for Union-Management Educational Partnerships.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ryan, James T.

This manual provides guidelines for developing and implementing employee educational programs with the cooperation of unions and management. It establishes the need for such programs by explaining the current and future demographics of the workplace, then suggests ways to determine the need for education in any particular company. Information…

Defining Environmental Education. Workshop Resource Manual.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Disinger, John F.; Monroe, Martha C.

This booklet is one in a series of resource manuals to help teacher educators conduct environmental education (EE) teacher workshops or promote EE programs. This unit is an orientation to the field of EE. It offers a definition of EE and some ways to explain its value to educators and environmental managers. The unit explains current and…

An automatic method to calculate heart rate from zebrafish larval cardiac videos.

PubMed

Kang, Chia-Pin; Tu, Hung-Chi; Fu, Tzu-Fun; Wu, Jhe-Ming; Chu, Po-Hsun; Chang, Darby Tien-Hao

2018-05-09

Zebrafish is a widely used model organism for studying heart development and cardiac-related pathogenesis. With the ability of surviving without a functional circulation at larval stages, strong genetic similarity between zebrafish and mammals, prolific reproduction and optically transparent embryos, zebrafish is powerful in modeling mammalian cardiac physiology and pathology as well as in large-scale high throughput screening. However, an economical and convenient tool for rapid evaluation of fish cardiac function is still in need. There have been several image analysis methods to assess cardiac functions in zebrafish embryos/larvae, but they are still improvable to reduce manual intervention in the entire process. This work developed a fully automatic method to calculate heart rate, an important parameter to analyze cardiac function, from videos. It contains several filters to identify the heart region, to reduce video noise and to calculate heart rates. The proposed method was evaluated with 32 zebrafish larval cardiac videos that were recording at three-day post-fertilization. The heart rate measured by the proposed method was comparable to that determined by manual counting. The experimental results show that the proposed method does not lose accuracy while largely reducing the labor cost and uncertainty of manual counting. With the proposed method, researchers do not have to manually select a region of interest before analyzing videos. Moreover, filters designed to reduce video noise can alleviate background fluctuations during the video recording stage (e.g. shifting), which makes recorders generate usable videos easily and therefore reduce manual efforts while recording.

On-line moisture determination of ore concentrates 'a review of traditional methods and introduction of a novel solution'.

PubMed

Cancilla, P A; Barrette, P; Rosenblum, F

2002-12-01

The manual gravimetric drying moisture determination methods currently employed by most mineral processing plants fail to provide timely and accurate information required for automatic control. The costs associated with transporting and handling concentrates still represent a major portion of the overall treatment price. When considering the cash flow of a mining operation that is governed by both the smelter contract, with moisture penalties and the quantity and quality of the concentrates shipped, an efficient method of on-line moisture content would be a welcome tool. A novel on-line determination system for ore concentrate moisture content would replace the tedious manual procedure. Since the introduction of microelectronic-based control systems, operators have strived to reduce the treatment costs to the minimum. Therefore, a representative and timely determination of on-line moisture content becomes vital for control set points and timely feedback. Reliable sensors have long been on the 'wish list' of mineral processors since the problem has always been that you can only control what you can measure. Today, the task of moisture determination is still done by the classical technique of loss in weight utilizing uncontrolled procedures. These same methods were introduced in the earliest base metal concentrators. Generally, it is acceptable to have ore concentrate moisture content vary within a range of 7-9%, but controlling the moisture content below 8% is a difficult task with a manually controlled system. Many times, delays in manually achieving reliable feedback of the moisture content results in the moisture varying from 5-12% before corrective actions can be made. This paper first reviews the traditional and widely available methods for determining moisture content in granular materials by applying physical principles and properties to measure moisture content. All methods are in some form affected when employed on mineral ore concentrates. This paper introduces and describes a novel on-line moisture sensor employed for mineral processing de-watering applications, which not only automates the tedious tasks but also results in reliable moisture feedback that can be used in the optimization of the de-watering process equipment such as pressure or vacuum filters and fuel-fired driers. Finally, two measurement applications will be presented which indicate the usefulness and summarizes the measurement requirements for the proposed method of employing drag force and mechanical properties of the material itself to determine the moisture content. Copyright 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd.

Interfacing Computer-Assisted Drafting and Design with the Building Loads Analysis and System Thermodynamics (BLAST) Program

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-10-01

Manual CI APPENDIX D: Drawing Navigator Field Test D1 DISTRIBUTION Accesion For NTIS CRA&I OTIC TAB Unannouncea JustiteCdtOn By Distribution I "".i•I...methods replace manual methods, the automation will handle the data for the designer, thus reducing error and increasing throughput. However, the two...actively move data from one automation tool (CADD) to the other (the analysis program). This intervention involves a manual rekeying of data already in

Battery Test Manual For 48 Volt Mild Hybrid Electric Vehicles

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

Walker, Lee Kenneth

2017-03-01

This manual details the U.S. Advanced Battery Consortium and U.S. Department of Energy Vehicle Technologies Program goals, test methods, and analysis techniques for a 48 Volt Mild Hybrid Electric Vehicle system. The test methods are outlined stating with characterization tests, followed by life tests. The final section details standardized analysis techniques for 48 V systems that allow for the comparison of different programs that use this manual. An example test plan is included, along with guidance to filling in gap table numbers.

An Integrated Approach to Segmentation and Nonrigid Registration for Application in Image-Guided Pelvic Radiotherapy

PubMed Central

Lu, Chao; Chelikani, Sudhakar; Papademetris, Xenophon; Knisely, Jonathan P.; Milosevic, Michael F.; Chen, Zhe; Jaffray, David A.; Staib, Lawrence H.; Duncan, James S.

2011-01-01

External beam radiotherapy (EBRT) has become the preferred options for non-surgical treatment of prostate cancer and cervix cancer. In order to deliver higher doses to cancerous regions within these pelvic structures (i.e. prostate or cervix) while maintaining or lowering the doses to surrounding non-cancerous regions, it is critical to account for setup variation, organ motion, anatomical changes due to treatment and intra-fraction motion. In previous work, manual segmentation of the soft tissues is performed and then images are registered based on the manual segmentation. In this paper, we present an integrated automatic approach to multiple organ segmentation and nonrigid constrained registration, which can achieve these two aims simultaneously. The segmentation and registration steps are both formulated using a Bayesian framework, and they constrain each other using an iterative conditional model strategy. We also propose a new strategy to assess cumulative actual dose for this novel integrated algorithm, in order to both determine whether the intended treatment is being delivered and, potentially, whether or not a plan should be adjusted for future treatment fractions. Quantitative results show that the automatic segmentation produced results that have an accuracy comparable to manual segmentation, while the registration part significantly outperforms both rigid and non-rigid registration. Clinical application and evaluation of dose delivery show the superiority of proposed method to the procedure currently used in clinical practice, i.e. manual segmentation followed by rigid registration. PMID:21646038

[Touching cancer: shiatsu as complementary treatment to support cancer patients].

PubMed

Argash, Oz; Caspi, Opher

2008-01-01

In recent years there has been an increase in the interest of cancer patients in receiving complementary medicine therapies as supportive measures to cure the disease. In response, medical units that combine conventional and complementary medicine (integrative medicine) have been established in leading cancer centers worldwide. In Israel, a special integrative medicine unit that combines mind-body, Chinese medicine, nutrition, herbs, supplements, and manual therapies (such as shiatsu) before, during and after conventional anti-cancer therapies has been established as an integral part of the Davidoff Comprehensive Cancer Center in 2006. Shiatsu represents a group of manual therapeutic techniques, including acupressure. Shiatsu offers cancer patients a non-pharmacologic method to relieve symptoms and improve quality of life throughout the course of illness. Research indicates that acupressure is relatively effective and safe for common cancer-related symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and insomnia. In our experience, shiatsu is also relatively effective and safe for other common symptoms such as fatigue, muscular pain and body image dissatisfaction. Yet, insufficient evidence exists to delineate the best means by which shiatsu and other manual therapies could or should be integrated into routine cancer care. The purpose of the present paper is to describe what is currently known about this topic in order to support decision-making that is based on facts, rather than on myths and misconceptions. We call for more research that examines the effectiveness and safety of shiatsu and other manual therapies in the care of cancer patients.

Curso: Auxiliar de Farmacia. Guia. Farmacia Teorica: Manual del Estudiante. Matematica General: Manual del Estudiante. Documento de Trabajo (Pharmacy Assistant Course Guide. Theoretical Pharmacy Student Manual. General Mathematics Student Manual. Working Document).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Puerto Rico State Dept. of Education, Hato Rey. Area for Vocational and Technical Education.

The three parts of this document are intended for a 3-semester course for pharmacy assistants. The course guide contains the following sections: occupational description; educational philosophy; general objectives; tasks/competencies for each unit; course organization; brief description of the topics; student standards; and evaluation methods.…

Automatic Organ Localization for Adaptive Radiation Therapy for Prostate Cancer

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-05-01

and provides a framework for task 3. Key Research Accomplishments "* Comparison of manual segmentation with our automatic method, using several...well as manual segmentations by a different rater. "* Computation of the actual cumulative dose delivered to both the cancerous and critical healthy...adaptive treatment of prostate or other cancer. As a result, all such work must be done manually . However, manual segmentation of the tumor and neighboring

Evaluation of Semiautomated IS6110-Based Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism Typing for Mycobacterium tuberculosis in a High-Burden Setting.

PubMed

Said, Halima M; Krishnamani, Keshav; Omar, Shaheed V; Dreyer, Andries W; Sansom, Bianca; Fallows, Dorothy; Ismail, Nazir A

2016-10-01

The manual IS6110-based restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) typing method is highly discriminatory; however, it is laborious and technically demanding, and data exchange remains a challenge. In an effort to improve IS6110-based RFLP to make it a faster format, DuPont Molecular Diagnostics recently introduced the IS6110-PvuII kit for semiautomated typing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis using the RiboPrinter microbial characterization system. This study aimed to evaluate the semiautomated RFLP typing against the standard manual method. A total of 112 isolates collected between 2013 and 2014 were included. All isolates were genotyped using manual and semiautomated RFLP typing methods. Clustering rates and discriminatory indexes were compared between methods. The overall performance of semiautomated RFLP compared to manual typing was excellent, with high discriminatory index (0.990 versus 0.995, respectively) and similar numbers of unique profiles (72 versus 74, respectively), numbers of clustered isolates (33 versus 31, respectively), cluster sizes (2 to 6 and 2 to 5 isolates, respectively), and clustering rates (21.9% and 17.1%, respectively). The semiautomated RFLP system is technically simple and significantly faster than the manual RFLP method (8 h versus 5 days). The analysis is fully automated and generates easily manageable databases of standardized fingerprints that can be easily exchanged between laboratories. Based on its high-throughput processing with minimal human effort, the semiautomated RFLP can be a very useful tool as a first-line method for routine typing of M. tuberculosis isolates, especially where Beijing strains are highly prevalent, followed by manual RFLP typing if resolution is not achieved, thereby saving time and labor. Copyright © 2016, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Comparison of two methodologies for the enrichment of mononuclear cells from thawed cord blood products: The automated Sepax system versus the manual Ficoll method.

PubMed

Kaur, Indreshpal; Zulovich, Jane M; Gonzalez, Marissa; McGee, Kara M; Ponweera, Nirmali; Thandi, Daljit; Alvarez, Enrique F; Annandale, Kathy; Flagge, Frank; Rezvani, Katayoun; Shpall, Elizabeth

2017-03-01

Umbilical cord blood (CB) is being used as a source of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and immune cells to treat many disorders. Because these cells are present in low numbers in CB, investigators have developed strategies to expand HSCs and other immune cells such as natural killer (NK) cells. The initial step in this process is to enrich mononuclear cells (MNCs) while depleting unwanted cells. The manual method of MNC enrichment is routinely used by many centers; however, it is an open system, time-consuming and operator dependent. For clinical manufacturing, it is important to have a closed system to avoid microbial contamination. In this study, we optimized an automated, closed system (Sepax) for enriching MNCs from cryopreserved CB units. Using Sepax, we observed higher recovery of total nucleated cells (TNC), CD34 + cells, NK cells and monocytes when compared to manual enrichment, despite similar TNC and CD34 + viability with the two methods. Even though the depletion of red blood cells, granulocytes and platelets was superior using the manual method, significantly higher CFU-GM were obtained in MNCs enriched using Sepax compared to the manual method. This is likely related to the fact that the automated Sepax significantly shortened the processing time (Sepax: 74 - 175 minutes versus manual method: 180 - 290 minutes). The use of DNAse and MgCl 2 during the Sepax thaw and wash procedure prevents clumping of cells and loss of viability, resulting in improved post-thaw cell recovery. We optimized enrichment of MNCs from cryopreserved CB products in a closed system using the Sepax which is a walk away and automated processing system. Copyright © 2017 International Society for Cellular Therapy. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An evaluation of inexpensive methods for root image acquisition when using rhizotrons.

PubMed

Mohamed, Awaz; Monnier, Yogan; Mao, Zhun; Lobet, Guillaume; Maeght, Jean-Luc; Ramel, Merlin; Stokes, Alexia

2017-01-01

Belowground processes play an essential role in ecosystem nutrient cycling and the global carbon budget cycle. Quantifying fine root growth is crucial to the understanding of ecosystem structure and function and in predicting how ecosystems respond to climate variability. A better understanding of root system growth is necessary, but choosing the best method of observation is complex, especially in the natural soil environment. Here, we compare five methods of root image acquisition using inexpensive technology that is currently available on the market: flatbed scanner, handheld scanner, manual tracing, a smartphone application scanner and a time-lapse camera. Using the five methods, root elongation rate (RER) was measured for three months, on roots of hybrid walnut ( Juglans nigra  ×  Juglans regia L.) in rhizotrons installed in agroforests. When all methods were compared together, there were no significant differences in relative cumulative root length. However, the time-lapse camera and the manual tracing method significantly overestimated the relative mean diameter of roots compared to the three scanning methods. The smartphone scanning application was found to perform best overall when considering image quality and ease of use in the field. The automatic time-lapse camera was useful for measuring RER over several months without any human intervention. Our results show that inexpensive scanning and automated methods provide correct measurements of root elongation and length (but not diameter when using the time-lapse camera). These methods are capable of detecting fine roots to a diameter of 0.1 mm and can therefore be selected by the user depending on the data required.

Automated Power Assessment for Helicopter Turboshaft Engines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Simon, Donald L.; Litt, Jonathan S.

2008-01-01

An accurate indication of available power is required for helicopter mission planning purposes. Available power is currently estimated on U.S. Army Blackhawk helicopters by performing a Maximum Power Check (MPC), a manual procedure performed by maintenance pilots on a periodic basis. The MPC establishes Engine Torque Factor (ETF), an indication of available power. It is desirable to replace the current manual MPC procedure with an automated approach that will enable continuous real-time assessment of available power utilizing normal mission data. This report presents an automated power assessment approach which processes data currently collected within helicopter Health and Usage Monitoring System (HUMS) units. The overall approach consists of: 1) a steady-state data filter which identifies and extracts steady-state operating points within HUMS data sets; 2) engine performance curve trend monitoring and updating; and 3) automated ETF calculation. The algorithm is coded in MATLAB (The MathWorks, Inc.) and currently runs on a PC. Results from the application of this technique to HUMS mission data collected from UH-60L aircraft equipped with T700-GE-701C engines are presented and compared to manually calculated ETF values. Potential future enhancements are discussed.

Supercolor coding methods for large-scale multiplexing of biochemical assays.

PubMed

Rajagopal, Aditya; Scherer, Axel; Homyk, Andrew; Kartalov, Emil

2013-08-20

We present a novel method for the encoding and decoding of multiplexed biochemical assays. The method enables a theoretically unlimited number of independent targets to be detected and uniquely identified in any combination in the same sample. For example, the method offers easy access to 12-plex and larger PCR assays, as contrasted to the current 4-plex assays. This advancement would allow for large panels of tests to be run simultaneously in the same sample, saving reagents, time, consumables, and manual labor, while also avoiding the traditional loss of sensitivity due to sample aliquoting. Thus, the presented method is a major technological breakthrough with far-reaching impact on biotechnology, biomedical science, and clinical diagnostics. Herein, we present the mathematical theory behind the method as well as its experimental proof of principle using Taqman PCR on sequences specific to infectious diseases.

Using the Project Method in Distributive Education. Teacher's Manual.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maletta, Edwin

The document explains how to integrate the project training methods into a distributive education curriculum for grades 10 or 11. The purpose of this teacher's manual is to give an overall picture of the project method in use. Ten sample projects are included which could apply to any distributive education student concentrating on the major areas…

A comparison of oxygen saturation data in inpatients with low oxygen saturation using automated continuous monitoring and intermittent manual data charting.

PubMed

Taenzer, Andreas H; Pyke, Joshua; Herrick, Michael D; Dodds, Thomas M; McGrath, Susan P

2014-02-01

The manual collection and charting of traditional vital signs data in inpatient populations have been shown to be inaccurate when compared with true physiologic values. This issue has not been examined with respect to oxygen saturation data despite the increased use of this measurement in systems designed to assess the risk of patient deterioration. Of particular note are the lack of available data examining the accuracy of oxygen saturation charting in a particularly vulnerable group of patients who have prolonged oxygen desaturations (mean SpO2 <90% over at least 15 minutes). In addition, no data are currently available that investigate the often suspected "wake up" effect, resulting from a nurse entering a patient's room to obtain vital signs. In this study, we compared oxygen saturation data recorded manually with data collected by an automated continuous monitoring system in 16 inpatients considered to be at high risk for deterioration (average SpO2 values <90% collected by the automated system in a 15-minute interval before a manual charting event). Data were sampled from the automatic collection system from 2 periods: over a 15-minute period that ended 5 minutes before the time of the manual data collection and charting, and over a 5-minute range before and after the time of the manual data collection and charting. Average saturations from prolonged baseline desaturations (15-minute period) were compared with both the manual and automated data sampled at the time of the nurse's visit to analyze for systematic change and to investigate the presence of an arousal effect. The manually charted data were higher than those recorded by the automated system. Manually recorded data were on average 6.5% (confidence interval, 4.0%-9.0%) higher in oxygen saturation. No significant arousal effect resulting from the nurse's visit to the patient's room was detected. In a cohort of patients with prolonged desaturations, manual recordings of SpO2 did not reflect physiologic patient state when compared with continuous automated sampling. Currently, early warning scores depend on manual vital sign recordings in many settings; the study data suggest that SpO2 ought to be added to the list of vital sign values that have been shown to be recorded inaccurately.

Innovative techniques with multi-purpose survey vehicle for automated analysis of cross-slope data.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2007-11-02

Manual surveying methods have long been used in the field of highway engineering to determine : the cross-slope, and longitudinal grade of an existing roadway. However, these methods are : slow, tedious and labor intensive. Moreover, manual survey me...

Calibrating the future highway safety manual predictive methods for Oregon state highways.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-02-01

The Highway Safety Manual (HSM) was published by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) in the spring of 2010. Volume 2 (Part C) of the HSM includes safety predictive methods which can be used to quantitativel...

Computer-aided target tracking in motion analysis studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burdick, Dominic C.; Marcuse, M. L.; Mislan, J. D.

1990-08-01

Motion analysis studies require the precise tracking of reference objects in sequential scenes. In a typical situation, events of interest are captured at high frame rates using special cameras, and selected objects or targets are tracked on a frame by frame basis to provide necessary data for motion reconstruction. Tracking is usually done using manual methods which are slow and prone to error. A computer based image analysis system has been developed that performs tracking automatically. The objective of this work was to eliminate the bottleneck due to manual methods in high volume tracking applications such as the analysis of crash test films for the automotive industry. The system has proven to be successful in tracking standard fiducial targets and other objects in crash test scenes. Over 95 percent of target positions which could be located using manual methods can be tracked by the system, with a significant improvement in throughput over manual methods. Future work will focus on the tracking of clusters of targets and on tracking deformable objects such as airbags.

Manual of analytical methods for the Environmental Health Laboratory

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

Gray, C. E.

1975-06-01

This manual was compiled from techniques used In the Environmental Health Laboratory of Sandia Laboratories at Albuquerque. New Mexico, and is a revision of an earlier publication (SC-M-07-3044) edited by Lial W. Brewer. The procedures arc similar to those used in other laboratories devoted to Environmental Health practices. Some of the methods are standard and others are modified to suit our needs; others were developed at Sandia. The author has attempted to present all methods in a simple and concise manner, but in sufficient detail to make them readily usable. It is not inferred that the methods are universal formore » any type of sample, but they have been found very reliable for the types of samples mentioned. The author will welcome inquiry for clarification of any part of this manual. It is the desire of the author that this manual will be of use and service to others. New and revised procedures will be issued as supplements to this document.« less

Quartermaster 1 and C, Rate Training Manual.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Naval Personnel Program Support Activity, Washington, DC.

The technical subject matter of the Quartermaster rating is presented in this training manual written to prepare men of the Navy and Naval Reserve for advancement examinations. The manual includes eleven chapters. Discussed are commonly used methods and procedures of operating magnetic compasses and gyrocompasses, determining a ship's position,…

Manual for the Comparative Politics Laboratory: Conditions for Effective Democracy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fogelman, Edwin; Zingale, Nancy

This manual introduces undergraduate students in political science to major types of data and methods for cross-national quantitative analysis. The manual's topic, Conditions for Effective Democracy, was chosen because it incorporates several different kinds of data and illustrates various methodological problems. The data are cross-sectional…

English in the Work Place for School Custodians. Manual and Curriculum Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cruz, Jane; And Others

This manual is intended to assist in the development of programs in vocational English as a Second Language (VESL) for limited-English-speaking individuals working as school custodians. The manual describes steps in program development, offers methods for needs assessment, specifies instructional objectives, discusses techniques for lesson…

Washington Manual: A New Tool for Local School Accounting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Federal Aid Planner, 1972

1972-01-01

An advance glimpse of the revised financial accounting methods for school districts recommended in a new manual from the U. S. Office of Education. The manual is designed to help school districts modernize their financial accounting procedures and their entire range of fiscal management practices. (Author/DN)

40 CFR 58.12 - Operating schedules.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... seasons exempted by the Regional Administrator. (b) For Pb manual methods, at least one 24-hour sample must be collected every 6 days except during periods or seasons exempted by the Regional Administrator... and must be approved by the Regional Administrator. (d) For manual PM 2.5 samplers: (1)(i) Manual PM 2...

40 CFR 58.12 - Operating schedules.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... seasons exempted by the Regional Administrator. (b) For Pb manual methods, at least one 24-hour sample must be collected every 6 days except during periods or seasons exempted by the Regional Administrator... and must be approved by the Regional Administrator. (d) For manual PM 2.5 samplers: (1)(i) Manual PM 2...

Task-based evaluation of segmentation algorithms for diffusion-weighted MRI without using a gold standard

PubMed Central

Jha, Abhinav K.; Kupinski, Matthew A.; Rodríguez, Jeffrey J.; Stephen, Renu M.; Stopeck, Alison T.

2012-01-01

In many studies, the estimation of the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of lesions in visceral organs in diffusion-weighted (DW) magnetic resonance images requires an accurate lesion-segmentation algorithm. To evaluate these lesion-segmentation algorithms, region-overlap measures are used currently. However, the end task from the DW images is accurate ADC estimation, and the region-overlap measures do not evaluate the segmentation algorithms on this task. Moreover, these measures rely on the existence of gold-standard segmentation of the lesion, which is typically unavailable. In this paper, we study the problem of task-based evaluation of segmentation algorithms in DW imaging in the absence of a gold standard. We first show that using manual segmentations instead of gold-standard segmentations for this task-based evaluation is unreliable. We then propose a method to compare the segmentation algorithms that does not require gold-standard or manual segmentation results. The no-gold-standard method estimates the bias and the variance of the error between the true ADC values and the ADC values estimated using the automated segmentation algorithm. The method can be used to rank the segmentation algorithms on the basis of both accuracy and precision. We also propose consistency checks for this evaluation technique. PMID:22713231

Measuring snow water equivalent from common-offset GPR records through migration velocity analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

St. Clair, James; Holbrook, W. Steven

2017-12-01

Many mountainous regions depend on seasonal snowfall for their water resources. Current methods of predicting the availability of water resources rely on long-term relationships between stream discharge and snowpack monitoring at isolated locations, which are less reliable during abnormal snow years. Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) has been shown to be an effective tool for measuring snow water equivalent (SWE) because of the close relationship between snow density and radar velocity. However, the standard methods of measuring radar velocity can be time-consuming. Here we apply a migration focusing method originally developed for extracting velocity information from diffracted energy observed in zero-offset seismic sections to the problem of estimating radar velocities in seasonal snow from common-offset GPR data. Diffractions are isolated by plane-wave-destruction (PWD) filtering and the optimal migration velocity is chosen based on the varimax norm of the migrated image. We then use the radar velocity to estimate snow density, depth, and SWE. The GPR-derived SWE estimates are within 6 % of manual SWE measurements when the GPR antenna is coupled to the snow surface and 3-21 % of the manual measurements when the antenna is mounted on the front of a snowmobile ˜ 0.5 m above the snow surface.

Preparation of crotaline F-ab antivenom (CroFab) with automated mixing methods: in vitro observations.

PubMed

Vohra, Rais; Kelner, Michael; Clark, Richard F

2009-01-01

Crotaline Polyvalent Ovine Fab antivenom (CroFab, Savage Laboratories and Protherics Inc., Brentwood, TN, USA) preparation requires that the lyophilized powder be manually reconstituted before use. We compared automated methods for driving the product into solution with the standard manual method of reconstitution, and the effect of repeated rinsing of the product vial, on the per-vial availability of antivenom. Normal saline (NS, 10 mL) was added to 12 vials of expired CroFab. Vials were assigned in pairs to each of six mixing methods, including one pair mixed manually as recommended by the product package insert. Each vial's contents were diluted to a final volume of 75 mL of normal saline. Protein concentration was measured with a colorimetric assay. The fluid left in each vial was removed and the vial was washed with 10 mL NS. Total protein yield from each step was calculated. There was no significant change in protein yield among three of five automated mixing methods when compared to manual reconstitution. Repeat rinsing of the product vial with an additional 10 mLs of fluid added to the protein yield regardless of the mixing method used. We found slightly higher protein yields with all automated methods compared to manual mixing, but only two of five comparisons with the standard mixing method demonstrated statistical significance. However, for all methods tested, the addition of a second rinsing and recovery step increased the amount of protein recovered considerably, presumably by allowing solution of protein trapped in the foamy residues. Automated mixing methods and repeat rinsing of the product vial may allow higher protein yields in the preparation of CroFab antivenom.

Inter-arch digital model vs. manual cast measurements: Accuracy and reliability.

PubMed

Kiviahde, Heikki; Bukovac, Lea; Jussila, Päivi; Pesonen, Paula; Sipilä, Kirsi; Raustia, Aune; Pirttiniemi, Pertti

2017-06-28

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy and reliability of inter-arch measurements using digital dental models and conventional dental casts. Thirty sets of dental casts with permanent dentition were examined. Manual measurements were done with a digital caliper directly on the dental casts, and digital measurements were made on 3D models by two independent examiners. Intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC), a paired sample t-test or Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and Bland-Altman plots were used to evaluate intra- and inter-examiner error and to determine the accuracy and reliability of the measurements. The ICC values were generally good for manual and excellent for digital measurements. The Bland-Altman plots of all the measurements showed good agreement between the manual and digital methods and excellent inter-examiner agreement using the digital method. Inter-arch occlusal measurements on digital models are accurate and reliable and are superior to manual measurements.

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

Not Available

The Drawdown and Distribution Management Manual (DDMM) provides a comprehensive guide to the planning, preparation, and operational processes associated with an SPR system response to an energy emergency. Although parts of the process may be unique to a particular situation, the manual describes the end-to-end continuity of the response by including those activities that would be common to most situations. This manual follows DOE policy contained in DOE Office of Energy Emergencies (OEE) documents that define comprehensive DOE energy emergency response procedures, currently known as the Energy Emergency Response Management System (EERMS). 6 refs.

Method of converting an existing vehicle powertrain to a hybrid powertrain system

DOEpatents

Reed, Jr., Richard G.; Boberg, Evan S.; Lawrie, Robert E.; Castaing, Francois J.

2001-12-25

A method of converting an existing vehicle powertrain including a manual transmission to a hybrid powertrain system with an automated powertrain transmission. The first step in the method of attaching a gear train housing to a housing of said manual transmission, said gear train housing receiving as end of drive shaft of said transmission and rotatably supporting a gear train assembly. Secondly, mounting an electric motor/generator to said gear train housing and attaching a motor/generator drive shaft of said electric motor/generator to said gear train assembly. Lastly, connecting an electro-mechanical clutch actuator to a friction clutch mechanism of said manual transmission.

Identification of QRS complex in non-stationary electrocardiogram of sick infants.

PubMed

Kota, S; Swisher, C B; Al-Shargabi, T; Andescavage, N; du Plessis, A; Govindan, R B

2017-08-01

Due to the high-frequency of routine interventions in an intensive care setting, electrocardiogram (ECG) recordings from sick infants are highly non-stationary, with recurrent changes in the baseline, alterations in the morphology of the waveform, and attenuations of the signal strength. Current methods lack reliability in identifying QRS complexes (a marker of individual cardiac cycles) in the non-stationary ECG. In the current study we address this problem by proposing a novel approach to QRS complex identification. Our approach employs lowpass filtering, half-wave rectification, and the use of instantaneous Hilbert phase to identify QRS complexes in the ECG. We demonstrate the application of this method using ECG recordings from eight preterm infants undergoing intensive care, as well as from 18 normal adult volunteers available via a public database. We compared our approach to the commonly used approaches including Pan and Tompkins (PT), gqrs, wavedet, and wqrs for identifying QRS complexes and then compared each with manually identified QRS complexes. For preterm infants, a comparison between the QRS complexes identified by our approach and those identified through manual annotations yielded sensitivity and positive predictive values of 99% and 99.91%, respectively. The comparison metrics for each method are as follows: PT (sensitivity: 84.49%, positive predictive value: 99.88%), gqrs (85.25%, 99.49%), wavedet (95.24%, 99.86%), and wqrs (96.99%, 96.55%). Thus, the sensitivity values of the four methods previously described, are lower than the sensitivity of the method we propose; however, the positive predictive values of these other approaches is comparable to those of our method, with the exception of the wqrs approach, which yielded a slightly lower value. For adult ECG, our approach yielded a sensitivity of 99.78%, whereas PT yielded 99.79%. The positive predictive value was 99.42% for both our approach as well as for PT. We propose a novel method for identifying QRS complexes that outperforms common currently available tools for non-stationary ECG data in infants. For stationary ECG our proposed approach and the PT approach perform equally well. The ECG acquired in a clinical environment may be prone to issues related to non-stationarity, especially in critically ill patients. The approach proposed in this report offers superior reliability in these scenarios. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An onboard data analysis method to track the seasonal polar caps on Mars

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wagstaff, K.L.; Castano, R.; Chien, S.; Ivanov, A.B.; Pounders, E.; Titus, T.N.; ,

2005-01-01

The Martian seasonal CO2 ice caps advance and retreat each year. They are currently studied using instruments such as the THermal EMission Imaging System (THEMIS), a visible and infra-red camera on the Mars Odyssey spacecraft [1]. However, each image must be downlinked to Earth prior to analysis. In contrast, we have developed the Bimodal Image Temperature (BIT) histogram analysis method for onboard detection of the cap edge, before transmission. In downlink-limited scenarios when the entire image cannot be transmitted, the location of the cap edge can still be identified and sent to Earth. In this paper, we evaluate our method on uncalibrated THEMIS data and find 1) agreement with manual cap edge identifications to within 28.2 km, and 2) high accuracy even with a smaller analysis window, yielding large reductions in memory requirements. This algorithm is currently being considered as a capability enhancement for the Odyssey second extended mission, beginning in fall 2006.

Evaluation of mouse red blood cell and platelet counting with an automated hematology analyzer.

PubMed

Fukuda, Teruko; Asou, Eri; Nogi, Kimiko; Goto, Kazuo

2017-10-07

An evaluation of mouse red blood cell (RBC) and platelet (PLT) counting with an automated hematology analyzer was performed with three strains of mice, C57BL/6 (B6), BALB/c (BALB) and DBA/2 (D2). There were no significant differences in RBC and PLT counts between manual and automated optical methods in any of the samples, except for D2 mice. For D2, RBC counts obtained using the manual method were significantly lower than those obtained using the automated optical method (P<0.05), and PLT counts obtained using the manual method were higher than those obtained using the automated optical method (P<0.05). An automated hematology analyzer can be used for RBC and PLT counting; however, an appropriate method should be selected when D2 mice samples are used.

Do you see what I see? Mobile eye-tracker contextual analysis and inter-rater reliability.

PubMed

Stuart, S; Hunt, D; Nell, J; Godfrey, A; Hausdorff, J M; Rochester, L; Alcock, L

2018-02-01

Mobile eye-trackers are currently used during real-world tasks (e.g. gait) to monitor visual and cognitive processes, particularly in ageing and Parkinson's disease (PD). However, contextual analysis involving fixation locations during such tasks is rarely performed due to its complexity. This study adapted a validated algorithm and developed a classification method to semi-automate contextual analysis of mobile eye-tracking data. We further assessed inter-rater reliability of the proposed classification method. A mobile eye-tracker recorded eye-movements during walking in five healthy older adult controls (HC) and five people with PD. Fixations were identified using a previously validated algorithm, which was adapted to provide still images of fixation locations (n = 116). The fixation location was manually identified by two raters (DH, JN), who classified the locations. Cohen's kappa correlation coefficients determined the inter-rater reliability. The algorithm successfully provided still images for each fixation, allowing manual contextual analysis to be performed. The inter-rater reliability for classifying the fixation location was high for both PD (kappa = 0.80, 95% agreement) and HC groups (kappa = 0.80, 91% agreement), which indicated a reliable classification method. This study developed a reliable semi-automated contextual analysis method for gait studies in HC and PD. Future studies could adapt this methodology for various gait-related eye-tracking studies.

Battery Calendar Life Estimator Manual Modeling and Simulation

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

Jon P. Christophersen; Ira Bloom; Ed Thomas

2012-10-01

The Battery Life Estimator (BLE) Manual has been prepared to assist developers in their efforts to estimate the calendar life of advanced batteries for automotive applications. Testing requirements and procedures are defined by the various manuals previously published under the United States Advanced Battery Consortium (USABC). The purpose of this manual is to describe and standardize a method for estimating calendar life based on statistical models and degradation data acquired from typical USABC battery testing.

Battery Life Estimator Manual Linear Modeling and Simulation

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

Jon P. Christophersen; Ira Bloom; Ed Thomas

2009-08-01

The Battery Life Estimator (BLE) Manual has been prepared to assist developers in their efforts to estimate the calendar life of advanced batteries for automotive applications. Testing requirements and procedures are defined by the various manuals previously published under the United States Advanced Battery Consortium (USABC). The purpose of this manual is to describe and standardize a method for estimating calendar life based on statistical models and degradation data acquired from typical USABC battery testing.

Development and Evaluation of a Manual for Extended Brief Intervention for Alcohol Misuse for Adults with Mild to Moderate Intellectual Disabilities Living in the Community: The EBI-LD Study Manual

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kouimtsidis, Christos; Scior, Katrina; Baio, Gianluca; Hunter, Rachael; Pezzoni, Vittoria; Hassiotis, Angela

2017-01-01

Background: Extended brief interventions for alcohol misuse are effective in the general population. The process of manualising the first ever such intervention for people with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities in the UK is the focus of this study. Methods: The manual was an adaptation of existing manuals based on Motivational Enhancement…

Comparison of individual and pooled sampling methods for detecting bacterial pathogens of fish

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mumford, Sonia; Patterson, Chris; Evered, J.; Brunson, Ray; Levine, J.; Winton, J.

2005-01-01

Examination of finfish populations for viral and bacterial pathogens is an important component of fish disease control programs worldwide. Two methods are commonly used for collecting tissue samples for bacteriological culture, the currently accepted standards for detection of bacterial fish pathogens. The method specified in the Office International des Epizooties Manual of Diagnostic Tests for Aquatic Animals permits combining renal and splenic tissues from as many as 5 fish into pooled samples. The American Fisheries Society (AFS) Blue Book/US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Inspection Manual specifies the use of a bacteriological loop for collecting samples from the kidney of individual fish. An alternative would be to more fully utilize the pooled samples taken for virology. If implemented, this approach would provide substantial savings in labor and materials. To compare the relative performance of the AFS/USFWS method and this alternative approach, cultures of Yersinia ruckeri were used to establish low-level infections in groups of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) that were sampled by both methods. Yersinia ruckeri was cultured from 22 of 37 groups by at least 1 method. The loop method yielded 18 positive groups, with 1 group positive in the loop samples but negative in the pooled samples. The pooled samples produced 21 positive groups, with 4 groups positive in the pooled samples but negative in the loop samples. There was statistically significant agreement (Spearman coefficient 0.80, P < 0.001) in the relative ability of the 2 sampling methods to permit detection of low-level bacterial infections of rainbow trout.

User Manuals for a Primary Care Electronic Medical Record System: A Mixed Methods Study of User- and Vendor-Generated Documents.

PubMed

Shachak, Aviv; Dow, Rustam; Barnsley, Jan; Tu, Karen; Domb, Sharon; Jadad, Alejandro R; Lemieux-Charles, Louise

2013-06-04

Tutorials and user manuals are important forms of impersonal support for using software applications including electronic medical records (EMRs). Differences between user- and vendor documentation may indicate support needs, which are not sufficiently addressed by the official documentation, and reveal new elements that may inform the design of tutorials and user manuals. What are the differences between user-generated tutorials and manuals for an EMR and the official user manual from the software vendor? Effective design of tutorials and user manuals requires careful packaging of information, balance between declarative and procedural texts, an action and task-oriented approach, support for error recognition and recovery, and effective use of visual elements. No previous research compared these elements between formal and informal documents. We conducted an mixed methods study. Seven tutorials and two manuals for an EMR were collected from three family health teams and compared with the official user manual from the software vendor. Documents were qualitatively analyzed using a framework analysis approach in relation to the principles of technical documentation described above. Subsets of the data were quantitatively analyzed using cross-tabulation to compare the types of error information and visual cues in screen captures between user- and vendor-generated manuals. The user-developed tutorials and manuals differed from the vendor-developed manual in that they contained mostly procedural and not declarative information; were customized to the specific workflow, user roles, and patient characteristics; contained more error information related to work processes than to software usage; and used explicit visual cues on screen captures to help users identify window elements. These findings imply that to support EMR implementation, tutorials and manuals need to be customized and adapted to specific organizational contexts and workflows. The main limitation of the study is its generalizability. Future research should address this limitation and may explore alternative approaches to software documentation, such as modular manuals or participatory design.

Automated Detection of HONcode Website Conformity Compared to Manual Detection: An Evaluation

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Background To earn HONcode certification, a website must conform to the 8 principles of the HONcode of Conduct In the current manual process of certification, a HONcode expert assesses the candidate website using precise guidelines for each principle. In the scope of the European project KHRESMOI, the Health on the Net (HON) Foundation has developed an automated system to assist in detecting a website’s HONcode conformity. Automated assistance in conducting HONcode reviews can expedite the current time-consuming tasks of HONcode certification and ongoing surveillance. Additionally, an automated tool used as a plugin to a general search engine might help to detect health websites that respect HONcode principles but have not yet been certified. Objective The goal of this study was to determine whether the automated system is capable of performing as good as human experts for the task of identifying HONcode principles on health websites. Methods Using manual evaluation by HONcode senior experts as a baseline, this study compared the capability of the automated HONcode detection system to that of the HONcode senior experts. A set of 27 health-related websites were manually assessed for compliance to each of the 8 HONcode principles by senior HONcode experts. The same set of websites were processed by the automated system for HONcode compliance detection based on supervised machine learning. The results obtained by these two methods were then compared. Results For the privacy criterion, the automated system obtained the same results as the human expert for 17 of 27 sites (14 true positives and 3 true negatives) without noise (0 false positives). The remaining 10 false negative instances for the privacy criterion represented tolerable behavior because it is important that all automatically detected principle conformities are accurate (ie, specificity [100%] is preferred over sensitivity [58%] for the privacy criterion). In addition, the automated system had precision of at least 75%, with a recall of more than 50% for contact details (100% precision, 69% recall), authority (85% precision, 52% recall), and reference (75% precision, 56% recall). The results also revealed issues for some criteria such as date. Changing the “document” definition (ie, using the sentence instead of whole document as a unit of classification) within the automated system resolved some but not all of them. Conclusions Study results indicate concordance between automated and expert manual compliance detection for authority, privacy, reference, and contact details. Results also indicate that using the same general parameters for automated detection of each criterion produces suboptimal results. Future work to configure optimal system parameters for each HONcode principle would improve results. The potential utility of integrating automated detection of HONcode conformity into future search engines is also discussed. PMID:26036669

A curated gluten protein sequence database to support development of proteomics methods for determination of gluten in gluten-free foods.

PubMed

Bromilow, Sophie; Gethings, Lee A; Buckley, Mike; Bromley, Mike; Shewry, Peter R; Langridge, James I; Clare Mills, E N

2017-06-23

The unique physiochemical properties of wheat gluten enable a diverse range of food products to be manufactured. However, gluten triggers coeliac disease, a condition which is treated using a gluten-free diet. Analytical methods are required to confirm if foods are gluten-free, but current immunoassay-based methods can unreliable and proteomic methods offer an alternative but require comprehensive and well annotated sequence databases which are lacking for gluten. A manually a curated database (GluPro V1.0) of gluten proteins, comprising 630 discrete unique full length protein sequences has been compiled. It is representative of the different types of gliadin and glutenin components found in gluten. An in silico comparison of their coeliac toxicity was undertaken by analysing the distribution of coeliac toxic motifs. This demonstrated that whilst the α-gliadin proteins contained more toxic motifs, these were distributed across all gluten protein sub-types. Comparison of annotations observed using a discovery proteomics dataset acquired using ion mobility MS/MS showed that more reliable identifications were obtained using the GluPro V1.0 database compared to the complete reviewed Viridiplantae database. This highlights the value of a curated sequence database specifically designed to support the proteomic workflows and the development of methods to detect and quantify gluten. We have constructed the first manually curated open-source wheat gluten protein sequence database (GluPro V1.0) in a FASTA format to support the application of proteomic methods for gluten protein detection and quantification. We have also analysed the manually verified sequences to give the first comprehensive overview of the distribution of sequences able to elicit a reaction in coeliac disease, the prevalent form of gluten intolerance. Provision of this database will improve the reliability of gluten protein identification by proteomic analysis, and aid the development of targeted mass spectrometry methods in line with Codex Alimentarius Commission requirements for foods designed to meet the needs of gluten intolerant individuals. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Indicating spinal joint mobilisations or manipulations in patients with neck or low-back pain: protocol of an inter-examiner reliability study among manual therapists

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Manual spinal joint mobilisations and manipulations are widely used treatments in patients with neck and low-back pain. Inter-examiner reliability of passive intervertebral motion assessment of the cervical and lumbar spine, perceived as important for indicating these interventions, is poor within a univariable approach. The diagnostic process as a whole in daily practice in manual therapy has a multivariable character, however, in which the use and interpretation of passive intervertebral motion assessment depend on earlier results from the diagnostic process. To date, the inter-examiner reliability among manual therapists of a multivariable diagnostic decision-making process in patients with neck or low-back pain is unknown. Methods This study will be conducted as a repeated-measures design in which 14 pairs of manual therapists independently examine a consecutive series of a planned total of 165 patients with neck or low-back pain presenting in primary care physiotherapy. Primary outcome measure is therapists’ decision about whether or not manual spinal joint mobilisations or manipulations, or both, are indicated in each patient, alone or as part of a multimodal treatment. Therapists will largely be free to conduct the full diagnostic process based on their formulated examination objectives. For each pair of therapists, 2×2 tables will be constructed and reliability for the dichotomous decision will be expressed using Cohen’s kappa. In addition, observed agreement, prevalence of positive decisions, prevalence index, bias index, and specific agreement in positive and negative decisions will be calculated. Univariable logistic regression analysis of concordant decisions will be performed to explore which demographic, professional, or clinical factors contributed to reliability. Discussion This study will provide an estimate of the inter-examiner reliability among manual therapists of indicating spinal joint mobilisations or manipulations in patients with neck or low-back pain based on a multivariable diagnostic reasoning and decision-making process, as opposed to reliability of individual tests. As such, it is proposed as an initial step toward the development of an alternative approach to current classification systems and prediction rules for identifying those patients with spinal disorders that may show a better response to manual therapy which can be incorporated in randomised clinical trials. Potential methodological limitations of this study are discussed. PMID:24982754

Analysis of on-line clinical laboratory manuals and practical recommendations.

PubMed

Beckwith, Bruce; Schwartz, Robert; Pantanowitz, Liron

2004-04-01

On-line clinical laboratory manuals are a valuable resource for medical professionals. To our knowledge, no recommendations currently exist for their content or design. To analyze publicly accessible on-line clinical laboratory manuals and to propose guidelines for their content. We conducted an Internet search for clinical laboratory manuals written in English with individual test listings. Four individual test listings in each manual were evaluated for 16 data elements, including sample requirements, test methodology, units of measure, reference range, and critical values. Web sites were also evaluated for supplementary information and search functions. We identified 48 on-line laboratory manuals, including 24 academic or community hospital laboratories and 24 commercial or reference laboratories. All manuals had search engines and/or test indices. No single manual contained all 16 data elements evaluated. An average of 8.9 (56%) elements were present (range, 4-14). Basic sample requirements (specimen and volume needed) were the elements most commonly present (98% of manuals). The frequency of the remaining data elements varied from 10% to 90%. On-line clinical laboratory manuals originate from both hospital and commercial laboratories. While most manuals were user-friendly and contained adequate specimen-collection information, other important elements, such as reference ranges, were frequently absent. To ensure that clinical laboratory manuals are of maximal utility, we propose the following 13 data elements be included in individual test listings: test name, synonyms, test description, test methodology, sample requirements, volume requirements, collection guidelines, transport guidelines, units of measure, reference range, critical values, test availability, and date of latest revision.

Validity of automated measurement of left ventricular ejection fraction and volume using the Philips EPIQ system.

PubMed

Hovnanians, Ninel; Win, Theresa; Makkiya, Mohammed; Zheng, Qi; Taub, Cynthia

2017-11-01

To assess the efficiency and reproducibility of automated measurements of left ventricular (LV) volumes and LV ejection fraction (LVEF) in comparison to manually traced biplane Simpson's method. This is a single-center prospective study. Apical four- and two-chamber views were acquired in patients in sinus rhythm. Two operators independently measured LV volumes and LVEF using biplane Simpson's method. In addition, the image analysis software a2DQ on the Philips EPIQ system was applied to automatically assess the LV volumes and LVEF. Time spent on each analysis, using both methods, was documented. Concordance of echocardiographic measures was evaluated using intraclass correlation (ICC) and Bland-Altman analysis. Manual tracing and automated measurement of LV volumes and LVEF were performed in 184 patients with a mean age of 67.3 ± 17.3 years and BMI 28.0 ± 6.8 kg/m 2 . ICC and Bland-Altman analysis showed good agreements between manual and automated methods measuring LVEF, end-systolic, and end-diastolic volumes. The average analysis time was significantly less using the automated method than manual tracing (116 vs 217 seconds/patient, P < .0001). Automated measurement using the novel image analysis software a2DQ on the Philips EPIQ system produced accurate, efficient, and reproducible assessment of LV volumes and LVEF compared with manual measurement. © 2017, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The clinical applicability of an automated plethysmographic determination of the ankle-brachial index after vascular surgery.

PubMed

van der Slegt, Jasper; Verbogt, Nathalie Pa; Mulder, Paul Gh; Steunenberg, Stijn L; Steunenberg, Bastiaan E; van der Laan, Lijckle

2016-10-01

An automated ankle-brachial index device could lead to potential time savings and more accuracy in ankle-brachial index-determination after vascular surgery. This prospective cross-sectional study compared postprocedural ankle-brachial indices measured by a manual method with ankle-brachial indices of an automated plethysmographic method. Forty-two patients were included. No significant difference in time performing a measurement was observed (1.1 min, 95% CI: -0.2 to +2.4; P = 0.095). Mean ankle-brachial index with the automated method was 0.105 higher (95% CI: 0.017 to 0.193; P = 0.020) than with the manual method, with limits of agreement of -0.376 and +0.587. Total variance amounted to 0.0759 and the correlation between both methods was 0.60. Reliability expressed as maximum absolute difference (95% level) between duplicate ankle-brachial index-measurements under identical conditions was 0.350 (manual) and 0.152 (automated), although not significant (p = 0.053). Finally, the automated method had 34% points higher failure rate than the manual method. In conclusion based on this study, the automated ankle-brachial index-method seems not to be clinically applicable for measuring ankle-brachial index postoperatively in patients with vascular disease. © The Author(s) 2016.

Automated face detection for occurrence and occupancy estimation in chimpanzees.

PubMed

Crunchant, Anne-Sophie; Egerer, Monika; Loos, Alexander; Burghardt, Tilo; Zuberbühler, Klaus; Corogenes, Katherine; Leinert, Vera; Kulik, Lars; Kühl, Hjalmar S

2017-03-01

Surveying endangered species is necessary to evaluate conservation effectiveness. Camera trapping and biometric computer vision are recent technological advances. They have impacted on the methods applicable to field surveys and these methods have gained significant momentum over the last decade. Yet, most researchers inspect footage manually and few studies have used automated semantic processing of video trap data from the field. The particular aim of this study is to evaluate methods that incorporate automated face detection technology as an aid to estimate site use of two chimpanzee communities based on camera trapping. As a comparative baseline we employ traditional manual inspection of footage. Our analysis focuses specifically on the basic parameter of occurrence where we assess the performance and practical value of chimpanzee face detection software. We found that the semi-automated data processing required only 2-4% of the time compared to the purely manual analysis. This is a non-negligible increase in efficiency that is critical when assessing the feasibility of camera trap occupancy surveys. Our evaluations suggest that our methodology estimates the proportion of sites used relatively reliably. Chimpanzees are mostly detected when they are present and when videos are filmed in high-resolution: the highest recall rate was 77%, for a false alarm rate of 2.8% for videos containing only chimpanzee frontal face views. Certainly, our study is only a first step for transferring face detection software from the lab into field application. Our results are promising and indicate that the current limitation of detecting chimpanzees in camera trap footage due to lack of suitable face views can be easily overcome on the level of field data collection, that is, by the combined placement of multiple high-resolution cameras facing reverse directions. This will enable to routinely conduct chimpanzee occupancy surveys based on camera trapping and semi-automated processing of footage. Using semi-automated ape face detection technology for processing camera trap footage requires only 2-4% of the time compared to manual analysis and allows to estimate site use by chimpanzees relatively reliably. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Application of manual assessment of oxygen radical absorbent capacity (ORAC) for use in high throughput assay of "total" antioxidant activity of drugs and natural products.

PubMed

Price, Joseph A; Sanny, Charles G; Shevlin, Dennis

2006-01-01

Antioxidants are of particular interest in a spectrum of diseases, and thus are an active area of drug discovery and design. It is important to make considered choices as to which assay chemistry will best serve for particular investigations. We examined the manual oxygen radical absorbent capacity (ORAC) assay for "total" antioxidant activity, including a direct comparison to an alternative technique, the AOP-490 assay, using a panel of extracts from 12 phylogenetically unrelated algae. The AOP-490 assay was done per manufacturer's protocol. The ORAC assay was done by hand, in 96-well plates, not by machine as had been previously published. Our ORAC calculations were done using an in-experiment antioxidant standard curve. Results were reported as equivalents of the antioxidant Trolox, which was used as a standard. With the AOP-490 kit (from Oxis Research) widespread activity was found, but not in all samples. When the ORAC method was used to assay aliquots of the same extracts there was significant activity detected in all samples, and the rank order of activity by the two methods was not identical. The data showed the wide occurrence of antioxidants in algae. The standard curve with the manual ORAC assay was linear in the range tested (0-100 mM Trolox) and had excellent reproducibility. The importance of the beneficial effects of antioxidants is currently an area of active interest for drug development, and thus it is of great value to have an assay that is robust and approximates "total" antioxidant activity in a high throughput format. The ORAC (oxygen radical absorbent capacity) method was adapted to microplates and an eight-channel pipette and was more effective in detecting "total" antioxidant activity than the AOP-490 assay. These results might vary with other types of samples, and would depend on the active agents measured, but do suggest the practical value of the ORAC assay for any laboratory not ready for robotics but using manual 96-well format assays, and the utility of the ORAC assay for evaluating algal, and probably other samples as well.

Simply Great Cooking Instruction. A Manual for Teaching Cooking to Non-Reading Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sesto, Cameron

This manual presents a method of teaching cooking to nonreaders. The language of the method consists of visual symbols, such as drawings of bowls, spoons, and ingredients, and color. The "Simply Great" method consists of three basic formats: the one-step booklet, the full-page format, and the simply written for the student with some…

CDPOP Users Manual

Treesearch

E. L. Landguth; B. K. Hand; J. M. Glassy; S. A. Cushman; M. Jacobi; T. J. Julian

2011-01-01

The goal of this user manual is to explain the technical aspects of the current release of the CDPOP program. CDPOP v1.0 is a major extension of the CDPOP program (Landguth and Cushman 2010). CDPOP is an individual-based program that simulates the influences of landscape structure on emergence of spatial patterns in population genetic data as functions of individual-...

Schools Are for All Kids: School Site Implementation. Level II Training. Participants Manual.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roger, Blair; And Others

This training manual for a 2-day workshop was developed from the perspective that a fully inclusive society will evolve only if there are schools which embrace all children, including those with disabilities. Each participating team first considers their school's current goals and progress made towards full inclusion, and then establishes goals…

Managing the Defiant Child: A Guide to Parent Training. [Videotape and Program Manual].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barkley, Russell A.

This videotape and accompanying manual are intended to provide a review of current knowledge about the management of defiance in children, a common behavior pattern which may be increasing in prevalence and is a known precursor to such serious disorders as oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) and conduct disorder. The first section of the manual…

Small Farm Grain Storage. Appropriate Technologies for Development. Manual M-2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lindblad, Carl; Druben, Laurel

Designed as a working and teaching tool for development workers in their field activities, this manual combines in one volume the basic principles of grain storage and the practical solutions currently being used and tested around the world to combat grain storage problems. Each of six sections begins with informative material on the topic to be…

The procedures manual of the Environmental Measurements Laboratory. Volume 1, 28. edition

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

Chieco, N.A.

1997-02-01

This manual covers procedures and technology currently in use at the Environmental Measurements Laboratory. An attempt is made to be sure that all work carried out will be of the highest quality. Attention is focused on the following areas: quality assurance; sampling; radiation measurements; analytical chemistry; radionuclide data; special facilities; and specifications.

Bone marrow cavity segmentation using graph-cuts with wavelet-based texture feature.

PubMed

Shigeta, Hironori; Mashita, Tomohiro; Kikuta, Junichi; Seno, Shigeto; Takemura, Haruo; Ishii, Masaru; Matsuda, Hideo

2017-10-01

Emerging bioimaging technologies enable us to capture various dynamic cellular activities [Formula: see text]. As large amounts of data are obtained these days and it is becoming unrealistic to manually process massive number of images, automatic analysis methods are required. One of the issues for automatic image segmentation is that image-taking conditions are variable. Thus, commonly, many manual inputs are required according to each image. In this paper, we propose a bone marrow cavity (BMC) segmentation method for bone images as BMC is considered to be related to the mechanism of bone remodeling, osteoporosis, and so on. To reduce manual inputs to segment BMC, we classified the texture pattern using wavelet transformation and support vector machine. We also integrated the result of texture pattern classification into the graph-cuts-based image segmentation method because texture analysis does not consider spatial continuity. Our method is applicable to a particular frame in an image sequence in which the condition of fluorescent material is variable. In the experiment, we evaluated our method with nine types of mother wavelets and several sets of scale parameters. The proposed method with graph-cuts and texture pattern classification performs well without manual inputs by a user.

Manual versus automated coding of free-text self-reported medication data in the 45 and Up Study: a validation study.

PubMed

Gnjidic, Danijela; Pearson, Sallie-Anne; Hilmer, Sarah N; Basilakis, Jim; Schaffer, Andrea L; Blyth, Fiona M; Banks, Emily

2015-03-30

Increasingly, automated methods are being used to code free-text medication data, but evidence on the validity of these methods is limited. To examine the accuracy of automated coding of previously keyed in free-text medication data compared with manual coding of original handwritten free-text responses (the 'gold standard'). A random sample of 500 participants (475 with and 25 without medication data in the free-text box) enrolled in the 45 and Up Study was selected. Manual coding involved medication experts keying in free-text responses and coding using Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) codes (i.e. chemical substance 7-digit level; chemical subgroup 5-digit; pharmacological subgroup 4-digit; therapeutic subgroup 3-digit). Using keyed-in free-text responses entered by non-experts, the automated approach coded entries using the Australian Medicines Terminology database and assigned corresponding ATC codes. Based on manual coding, 1377 free-text entries were recorded and, of these, 1282 medications were coded to ATCs manually. The sensitivity of automated coding compared with manual coding was 79% (n = 1014) for entries coded at the exact ATC level, and 81.6% (n = 1046), 83.0% (n = 1064) and 83.8% (n = 1074) at the 5, 4 and 3-digit ATC levels, respectively. The sensitivity of automated coding for blank responses was 100% compared with manual coding. Sensitivity of automated coding was highest for prescription medications and lowest for vitamins and supplements, compared with the manual approach. Positive predictive values for automated coding were above 95% for 34 of the 38 individual prescription medications examined. Automated coding for free-text prescription medication data shows very high to excellent sensitivity and positive predictive values, indicating that automated methods can potentially be useful for large-scale, medication-related research.

Long-term outcomes of the current remote magnetic catheter navigation technique for ablation of atrial fibrillation.

PubMed

Yuan, Shiwen; Holmqvist, Fredrik; Kongstad, Ole; Jensen, Steen M; Wang, Lingwei; Ljungström, Erik; Hertervig, Eva; Borgquist, Rasmus

2017-12-01

Comparisons between remote magnetic (RMN) and manual catheter navigation for atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation have earlier been reported with controversial results. However, these reports were based on earlier generations of the RMN system. To evaluate the outcomes of the most current RMN system for AF ablation in a larger patient population with longer follow-up time, 112 patients with AF (78 paroxysmal, 34 persistent) who underwent AF ablation utilizing RMN (RMN group) were compared to 102 AF ablation patients (72 paroxysmal, 30 persistent) utilizing manual technique (Manual group). The RMN group was associated with significantly shorter fluoroscopy time (10.4 ± 6.4 vs. 16.3 ± 10.9 min, p < .001) but used more RF energy (64.1 ± 19.4KJ vs. 54.3 ± 24.1 KJ, p < .05), while total procedure time showed no significant difference (201 ± 35 vs. 196 ± 44 min, NS). After 39 ± 9/44 ± 10 months of follow-up, AF-free rates at 1year, 2 years and 3.5 years post ablation were 63%, 46% and 42% in the RMN group vs. 60%, 32% and 30% (survival analysis p < .05) in the Manual group, whereas clinically effective rates were 82%, 73% and 70% for the former vs. 70%, 56% and 49% for the latter (survival analysis p < .005). Differing from previous reports, our data from a larger patient population and longer follow-up time demonstrates that compared to manual technique, the most current RMN technique is associated with better procedural and clinical outcomes for AF ablation.

Fully Automated Prostate Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Transrectal Ultrasound Fusion via a Probabilistic Registration Metric.

PubMed

Sparks, Rachel; Bloch, B Nicolas; Feleppa, Ernest; Barratt, Dean; Madabhushi, Anant

2013-03-08

In this work, we present a novel, automated, registration method to fuse magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) images of the prostate. Our methodology consists of: (1) delineating the prostate on MRI, (2) building a probabilistic model of prostate location on TRUS, and (3) aligning the MRI prostate segmentation to the TRUS probabilistic model. TRUS-guided needle biopsy is the current gold standard for prostate cancer (CaP) diagnosis. Up to 40% of CaP lesions appear isoechoic on TRUS, hence TRUS-guided biopsy cannot reliably target CaP lesions and is associated with a high false negative rate. MRI is better able to distinguish CaP from benign prostatic tissue, but requires special equipment and training. MRI-TRUS fusion, whereby MRI is acquired pre-operatively and aligned to TRUS during the biopsy procedure, allows for information from both modalities to be used to help guide the biopsy. The use of MRI and TRUS in combination to guide biopsy at least doubles the yield of positive biopsies. Previous work on MRI-TRUS fusion has involved aligning manually determined fiducials or prostate surfaces to achieve image registration. The accuracy of these methods is dependent on the reader's ability to determine fiducials or prostate surfaces with minimal error, which is a difficult and time-consuming task. Our novel, fully automated MRI-TRUS fusion method represents a significant advance over the current state-of-the-art because it does not require manual intervention after TRUS acquisition. All necessary preprocessing steps (i.e. delineation of the prostate on MRI) can be performed offline prior to the biopsy procedure. We evaluated our method on seven patient studies, with B-mode TRUS and a 1.5 T surface coil MRI. Our method has a root mean square error (RMSE) for expertly selected fiducials (consisting of the urethra, calcifications, and the centroids of CaP nodules) of 3.39 ± 0.85 mm.

Computer-assisted determination of left ventricular endocardial borders reduces variability in the echocardiographic assessment of ejection fraction

PubMed Central

Maret, Eva; Brudin, Lars; Lindstrom, Lena; Nylander, Eva; Ohlsson, Jan L; Engvall, Jan E

2008-01-01

Background Left ventricular size and function are important prognostic factors in heart disease. Their measurement is the most frequent reason for sending patients to the echo lab. These measurements have important implications for therapy but are sensitive to the skill of the operator. Earlier automated echo-based methods have not become widely used. The aim of our study was to evaluate an automatic echocardiographic method (with manual correction if needed) for determining left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) based on an active appearance model of the left ventricle (syngo®AutoEF, Siemens Medical Solutions). Comparisons were made with manual planimetry (manual Simpson), visual assessment and automatically determined LVEF from quantitative myocardial gated single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Methods 60 consecutive patients referred for myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) were included in the study. Two-dimensional echocardiography was performed within one hour of MPI at rest. Image quality did not constitute an exclusion criterion. Analysis was performed by five experienced observers and by two novices. Results LVEF (%), end-diastolic and end-systolic volume/BSA (ml/m2) were for uncorrected AutoEF 54 ± 10, 51 ± 16, 24 ± 13, for corrected AutoEF 53 ± 10, 53 ± 18, 26 ± 14, for manual Simpson 51 ± 11, 56 ± 20, 28 ± 15, and for MPI 52 ± 12, 67 ± 26, 35 ± 23. The required time for analysis was significantly different for all four echocardiographic methods and was for uncorrected AutoEF 79 ± 5 s, for corrected AutoEF 159 ± 46 s, for manual Simpson 177 ± 66 s, and for visual assessment 33 ± 14 s. Compared with the expert manual Simpson, limits of agreement for novice corrected AutoEF was lower than for novice manual Simpson (0.8 ± 10.5 vs. -3.2 ± 11.4 LVEF percentage points). Calculated for experts and with LVEF (%) categorized into < 30, 30–44, 45–54 and ≥ 55, kappa measure of agreement was moderate (0.44–0.53) for all method comparisons (uncorrected AutoEF not evaluated). Conclusion Corrected AutoEF reduces the variation in measurements compared with manual planimetry, without increasing the time required. The method seems especially suited for unexperienced readers. PMID:19014461

Expressive Vocabulary Acquisition in Children with Intellectual Disability: Speech or Manual Signs?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vandereet, Joke; Maes, Bea; Lembrechts, Dirk; Zink, Inge

2011-01-01

Background: The aim of this study was to examine the degree to which children with intellectual disability (ID) depend on manual signs during their expressive vocabulary acquisition, in relation to child and social-environmental characteristics. Method: Expressive vocabulary acquisition in speech and manual signs was monitored over a 2-year period…

Animal Traction. Appropriate Technologies for Development. Manual M-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watson, Peter R.

This manual is designed for use by Peace Corps volunteers and agricultural extension personnel working in animal traction development programs. While some of the information contained in the manual is specific to the extension of animal-powered agriculture in Africa, the principles covered are generally applicable wherever the method is being used…

Manual for Identification of Limited-English Proficiency Students with Special Needs. Report #11785.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ambert, Alba N.; And Others

This manual, intended to assist teachers in identifying students with limited-English proficiency who may have special needs, concentrates on four areas: language, observation, testing, and learning problems. The main part of the manual has eight sections dealing with the following topics: (1) observation techniques and methods; (2) modifications…

Infant and Toddler Oral- and Manual-Motor Skills Predict Later Speech Fluency in Autism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gernsbacher, Morton Ann; Sauer, Eve A.; Geye, Heather M.; Schweigert, Emily K.; Goldsmith, H. Hill

2008-01-01

Background: Spoken and gestural communication proficiency varies greatly among autistic individuals. Three studies examined the role of oral- and manual-motor skill in predicting autistic children's speech development. Methods: Study 1 investigated whether infant and toddler oral- and manual-motor skills predict middle childhood and teenage speech…

40 CFR 58.12 - Operating schedules.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... seasons exempted by the Regional Administrator. (b) For Pb manual methods, at least one 24-hour sample must be collected every 6 days except during periods or seasons exempted by the Regional Administrator... and must be approved by the Regional Administrator. (d) For manual PM2.5 samplers: (1)(i) Manual PM2.5...

Assessing the economics of processing end-of-life vehicles through manual dismantling.

PubMed

Tian, Jin; Chen, Ming

2016-10-01

Most dismantling enterprises in a number of developing countries, such as China, usually adopt the "manual+mechanical" dismantling approach to process end-of-life vehicles. However, the automobile industry does not have a clear indicator to reasonably and effectively determine the manual dismantling degree for end-of-life vehicles. In this study, five different dismantling scenarios and an economic system for end-of-life vehicles were developed based on the actual situation of end-of-life vehicles. The fuzzy analytic hierarchy process was applied to set the weights of direct costs, indirect costs, and sales and to obtain an optimal manual dismantling scenario. Results showed that although the traditional method of "dismantling to the end" can guarantee the highest recycling rate, this method is not the best among all the scenarios. The profit gained in the optimal scenario is 100.6% higher than that in the traditional scenario. The optimal manual dismantling scenario showed that enterprises are required to select suitable parts to process through manual dismantling. Selecting suitable parts maximizes economic profit and improves dismantling speed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

SOWFA + Super Controller User's Manual

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

Fleming, P.; Gebraad, P.; Churchfield, M.

2013-08-01

SOWFA + Super Controller is a modification of the NREL's SOWFA tool which allows for a user to apply multiturbine or centralized wind plant control algorithms within the high-fidelity SOWFA simulation environment. The tool is currently a branch of the main SOWFA program, but will one day will be merged into a single version. This manual introduces the tool and provides examples such that a usercan implement their own super controller and set up and run simulations. The manual only discusses enough about SOWFA itself to allow for the customization of controllers and running of simulations, and details of SOWFAmore » itself are reported elsewhere Churchfield and Lee (2013); Churchfield et al. (2012). SOWFA + Super Controller, and this manual, are in alpha mode.« less

An automatic vision-based malaria diagnosis system.

PubMed

Vink, J P; Laubscher, M; Vlutters, R; Silamut, K; Maude, R J; Hasan, M U; DE Haan, G

2013-06-01

Malaria is a worldwide health problem with 225 million infections each year. A fast and easy-to-use method, with high performance is required to differentiate malaria from non-malarial fevers. Manual examination of blood smears is currently the gold standard, but it is time-consuming, labour-intensive, requires skilled microscopists and the sensitivity of the method depends heavily on the skills of the microscopist. We propose an easy-to-use, quantitative cartridge-scanner system for vision-based malaria diagnosis, focusing on low malaria parasite densities. We have used special finger-prick cartridges filled with acridine orange to obtain a thin blood film and a dedicated scanner to image the cartridge. Using supervised learning, we have built a Plasmodium falciparum detector. A two-step approach was used to first segment potentially interesting areas, which are then analysed in more detail. The performance of the detector was validated using 5,420 manually annotated parasite images from malaria parasite culture in medium, as well as using 40 cartridges of 11,780 images containing healthy blood. From finger prick to result, the prototype cartridge-scanner system gave a quantitative diagnosis in 16 min, of which only 1 min required manual interaction of basic operations. It does not require a wet lab or a skilled operator and provides parasite images for manual review and quality control. In healthy samples, the image analysis part of the system achieved an overall specificity of 99.999978% at the level of (infected) red blood cells, resulting in at most seven false positives per microlitre. Furthermore, the system showed a sensitivity of 75% at the cell level, enabling the detection of low parasite densities in a fast and easy-to-use manner. A field trial in Chittagong (Bangladesh) indicated that future work should primarily focus on improving the filling process of the cartridge and the focus control part of the scanner. © 2013 The Authors Journal of Microscopy © 2013 Royal Microscopical Society.

SU-E-J-159: Intra-Patient Deformable Image Registration Uncertainties Quantified Using the Distance Discordance Metric

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

Saleh, Z; Thor, M; Apte, A

2014-06-01

Purpose: The quantitative evaluation of deformable image registration (DIR) is currently challenging due to lack of a ground truth. In this study we test a new method proposed for quantifying multiple-image based DIRrelated uncertainties, for DIR of pelvic images. Methods: 19 patients were analyzed, each with 6 CT scans, who previously had radiotherapy for prostate cancer. Manually delineated structures for rectum and bladder, which served as ground truth structures, were delineated on the planning CT and each subsequent scan. For each patient, voxel-by-voxel DIR-related uncertainties were evaluated, following B-spline based DIR, by applying a previously developed metric, the distance discordancemore » metric (DDM; Saleh et al., PMB (2014) 59:733). The DDM map was superimposed on the first acquired CT scan and DDM statistics were assessed, also relative to two metrics estimating the agreement between the propagated and the manually delineated structures. Results: The highest DDM values which correspond to greatest spatial uncertainties were observed near the body surface and in the bowel due to the presence of gas. The mean rectal and bladder DDM values ranged from 1.1–11.1 mm and 1.5–12.7 mm, respectively. There was a strong correlation in the DDMs between the rectum and bladder (Pearson R = 0.68 for the max DDM). For both structures, DDM was correlated with the ratio between the DIR-propagated and manually delineated volumes (R = 0.74 for the max rectal DDM). The maximum rectal DDM was negatively correlated with the Dice Similarity Coefficient between the propagated and the manually delineated volumes (R= −0.52). Conclusion: The multipleimage based DDM map quantified considerable DIR variability across different structures and among patients. Besides using the DDM for quantifying DIR-related uncertainties it could potentially be used to adjust for uncertainties in DIR-based accumulated dose distributions.« less

Automated MRI Cerebellar Size Measurements Using Active Appearance Modeling

PubMed Central

Price, Mathew; Cardenas, Valerie A.; Fein, George

2014-01-01

Although the human cerebellum has been increasingly identified as an important hub that shows potential for helping in the diagnosis of a large spectrum of disorders, such as alcoholism, autism, and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, the high costs associated with manual segmentation, and low availability of reliable automated cerebellar segmentation tools, has resulted in a limited focus on cerebellar measurement in human neuroimaging studies. We present here the CATK (Cerebellar Analysis Toolkit), which is based on the Bayesian framework implemented in FMRIB’s FIRST. This approach involves training Active Appearance Models (AAM) using hand-delineated examples. CATK can currently delineate the cerebellar hemispheres and three vermal groups (lobules I–V, VI–VII, and VIII–X). Linear registration with the low-resolution MNI152 template is used to provide initial alignment, and Point Distribution Models (PDM) are parameterized using stellar sampling. The Bayesian approach models the relationship between shape and texture through computation of conditionals in the training set. Our method varies from the FIRST framework in that initial fitting is driven by 1D intensity profile matching, and the conditional likelihood function is subsequently used to refine fitting. The method was developed using T1-weighted images from 63 subjects that were imaged and manually labeled: 43 subjects were scanned once and were used for training models, and 20 subjects were imaged twice (with manual labeling applied to both runs) and used to assess reliability and validity. Intraclass correlation analysis shows that CATK is highly reliable (average test-retest ICCs of 0.96), and offers excellent agreement with the gold standard (average validity ICC of 0.87 against manual labels). Comparisons against an alternative atlas-based approach, SUIT (Spatially Unbiased Infratentorial Template), that registers images with a high-resolution template of the cerebellum, show that our AAM approach offers superior reliability and validity. Extensions of CATK to cerebellar hemisphere parcels is envisioned. PMID:25192657

External defibrillation in the left lateral position--a comparison of manual paddles with self-adhesive pads.

PubMed

Dodd, Tamsin E L; Deakin, Charles D; Petley, Graham W; Clewlow, Frank

2004-12-01

Firm paddle force during defibrillation lowers transthoracic impedance (TTI) and increases transmyocardial current, increasing the chances of successful cardioversion. Current protocols recommend that if defibrillation using the anterior-apical (AA) paddle position fails, the anterior-posterior (AP) position should be used. This generally requires the patient to be placed in the left lateral position with the operator leaning over the patient. Avoiding physical contact with the patient during defibrillation subjectively makes application of firm paddle force difficult in the AP position. We compared TTI between the AA and AP positions and between manual paddles and self-adhesive pads to establish if the AP position precludes firm paddle force and to compare TTI between paddles and self-adhesive pads. Twenty-one consecutive patients undergoing elective cardioversion (age 39-82) were studied. TTI was measured between pairs of manually held paddles and self-adhesive pads using AA placement with the patient supine, and AP placement with the patient left lateral position. Mean TTI using the AP electrode position was lower using manual paddles (66.5 Omega; 95% CI 60.2-72.9 Omega) than that using self-adhesive pads (92.1 Omega; 95% CI 81.5-102.7 Omega; 95% CI between the mean =15.8-35.5 Omega; P <0.0001). TTI was significantly less using the manual paddles compared with self-adhesive pads in both AA and AP positions (P <0.0001). Despite the subjective difficulties of defibrillating patients in the AP position whilst leaning over them, use of manual paddles achieves a lower TTI than that achieved with self-adhesive pads.

Modeling prostate anatomy from multiple view TRUS images for image-guided HIFU therapy.

PubMed

Penna, Michael A; Dines, Kris A; Seip, Ralf; Carlson, Roy F; Sanghvi, Narendra T

2007-01-01

Current planning methods for transrectal high-intensity focused ultrasound treatment of prostate cancer rely on manually defining treatment regions in 15-20 sector transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) images of the prostate. Although effective, it is desirable to reduce user interaction time by identifying functionally related anatomic structures (segmenting), then automatically laying out treatment sites using these structures as a guide. Accordingly, a method has been developed to effectively generate solid three-dimensional (3-D) models of the prostate, urethra, and rectal wall from boundary trace data. Modeling the urethra and rectal wall are straightforward, but modeling the prostate is more difficult and has received much attention in the literature. New results presented here are aimed at overcoming many of the limitations of previous approaches to modeling the prostate while using boundary traces obtained via manual tracing in as few as 5 sector and 3 linear images. The results presented here are based on a new type of surface, the Fourier ellipsoid, and the use of sector and linear TRUS images. Tissue-specific 3-D models will ultimately permit finer control of energy deposition and more selective destruction of cancerous regions while sparing critical neighboring structures.

Automation of block assignment planning using a diagram-based scenario modeling method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hwang, In Hyuck; Kim, Youngmin; Lee, Dong Kun; Shin, Jong Gye

2014-03-01

Most shipbuilding scheduling research so far has focused on the load level on the dock plan. This is be¬cause the dock is the least extendable resource in shipyards, and its overloading is difficult to resolve. However, once dock scheduling is completed, making a plan that makes the best use of the rest of the resources in the shipyard to minimize any additional cost is also important. Block assignment planning is one of the midterm planning tasks; it assigns a block to the facility (factory/shop or surface plate) that will actually manufacture the block according to the block characteristics and current situation of the facility. It is one of the most heavily loaded midterm planning tasks and is carried out manu¬ally by experienced workers. In this study, a method of representing the block assignment rules using a diagram was su¬ggested through analysis of the existing manual process. A block allocation program was developed which automated the block assignment process according to the rules represented by the diagram. The planning scenario was validated through a case study that compared the manual assignment and two automated block assignment results.

Semi-Automatic Segmentation Software for Quantitative Clinical Brain Glioblastoma Evaluation

PubMed Central

Zhu, Y; Young, G; Xue, Z; Huang, R; You, H; Setayesh, K; Hatabu, H; Cao, F; Wong, S.T.

2012-01-01

Rationale and Objectives Quantitative measurement provides essential information about disease progression and treatment response in patients with Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). The goal of this paper is to present and validate a software pipeline for semi-automatic GBM segmentation, called AFINITI (Assisted Follow-up in NeuroImaging of Therapeutic Intervention), using clinical data from GBM patients. Materials and Methods Our software adopts the current state-of-the-art tumor segmentation algorithms and combines them into one clinically usable pipeline. Both the advantages of the traditional voxel-based and the deformable shape-based segmentation are embedded into the software pipeline. The former provides an automatic tumor segmentation scheme based on T1- and T2-weighted MR brain data, and the latter refines the segmentation results with minimal manual input. Results Twenty six clinical MR brain images of GBM patients were processed and compared with manual results. The results can be visualized using the embedded graphic user interface (GUI). Conclusion Validation results using clinical GBM data showed high correlation between the AFINITI results and manual annotation. Compared to the voxel-wise segmentation, AFINITI yielded more accurate results in segmenting the enhanced GBM from multimodality MRI data. The proposed pipeline could be used as additional information to interpret MR brain images in neuroradiology. PMID:22591720

Characterization of available automated external defibrillators in the market based on the product manuals in 2014

PubMed Central

Ho, Chik Leung; Cheng, Ka Wai; Ma, Tze Hang; Wong, Yau Hang; Cheng, Ka Lok; Kam, Chak Wah

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: To popularize the wide-spread use of automated external defibrillator (AED) to save life in sudden cardiac arrest, we compared the strength and weakness of different types of AEDs to enable a sound selection based on regional requirement. METHODS: This was a retrospective descriptive study. Different types of AEDs were compared according to the information of AEDs from manuals and brochures provided by the manufacturers. Fifteen types of AEDs were divided into 3 groups, basic, intermediate and advanced. RESULTS: Lifeline™ AUTO AED had the best performance in price, portability and user-friendly among AEDs of basic level. It required less time for shock charging. Samaritan PAD defibrillator was superior in price, portability, durability and characteristic among AEDs of intermediate level. It had the longest warranty and highest protection against water and dust. Lifeline™ PRO AED had the best performance in most of the criteria among AEDs of advanced level and offered CPR video and manual mode for laypersons and clinicians respectively. CONCLUSION: Lifeline™ AUTO AED, Samaritan PAD defibrillator, Lifeline™ PRO AED are superior in AEDs of basic, intermediate and advanced levels, respectively. A feasible AED may be chosen by users according to the regional requirement and the current information about the best available products. PMID:27313810

Fetal brain volumetry through MRI volumetric reconstruction and segmentation

PubMed Central

Estroff, Judy A.; Barnewolt, Carol E.; Connolly, Susan A.; Warfield, Simon K.

2013-01-01

Purpose Fetal MRI volumetry is a useful technique but it is limited by a dependency upon motion-free scans, tedious manual segmentation, and spatial inaccuracy due to thick-slice scans. An image processing pipeline that addresses these limitations was developed and tested. Materials and methods The principal sequences acquired in fetal MRI clinical practice are multiple orthogonal single-shot fast spin echo scans. State-of-the-art image processing techniques were used for inter-slice motion correction and super-resolution reconstruction of high-resolution volumetric images from these scans. The reconstructed volume images were processed with intensity non-uniformity correction and the fetal brain extracted by using supervised automated segmentation. Results Reconstruction, segmentation and volumetry of the fetal brains for a cohort of twenty-five clinically acquired fetal MRI scans was done. Performance metrics for volume reconstruction, segmentation and volumetry were determined by comparing to manual tracings in five randomly chosen cases. Finally, analysis of the fetal brain and parenchymal volumes was performed based on the gestational age of the fetuses. Conclusion The image processing pipeline developed in this study enables volume rendering and accurate fetal brain volumetry by addressing the limitations of current volumetry techniques, which include dependency on motion-free scans, manual segmentation, and inaccurate thick-slice interpolation. PMID:20625848

A Laboratory Manual for Stepwise Cerebral White Matter Fiber Dissection.

PubMed

Koutsarnakis, Christos; Liakos, Faidon; Kalyvas, Aristotelis V; Sakas, Damianos E; Stranjalis, George

2015-08-01

White matter fiber dissection is an important method in acquiring a thorough neuroanatomic knowledge for surgical practice. Previous studies have definitely improved our understanding of intrinsic brain anatomy and emphasized on the significance of this technique in modern neurosurgery. However, current literature lacks a complete and concentrated laboratory guide about the entire dissection procedure. Hence, our primary objective is to introduce a detailed laboratory manual for cerebral white matter dissection by highlighting consecutive dissection steps, and to stress important technical comments facilitating this complex procedure. Twenty adult, formalin-fixed cerebral hemispheres were included in the study. Ten specimens were dissected in the lateromedial and 10 in the mediolateral direction, respectively, using the fiber dissection technique and the microscope. Eleven and 8 consecutive and distinctive dissection steps are recommended for the lateromedial and mediolateral dissection procedures, respectively. Photographs highlighting various anatomic landmarks accompany every step. Technical recommendations, facilitating the dissection process, are also indicated. The fiber dissection technique, although complex and time consuming, offers a three-dimensional knowledge of intrinsic brain anatomy and architecture, thus improving both the quality of microneurosurgery and the patient's standard of care. The present anatomic study provides a thorough dissection manual to those who study brain anatomy using this technique. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A study of visual and blood contamination on reprocessed endodontic files from general dental practice.

PubMed

Letters, S; Smith, A J; McHugh, S; Bagg, J

2005-10-22

This study examined methods used for reprocessing endodontic instruments in general dental practice and determined the degree of residual visual contamination and blood contamination on 250 reprocessed files collected from 25 general dental practices. A questionnaire was administered to 25 general dental practitioners to obtain information on the re-processing of used endodontic files. Ten files which had been used and reprocessed were also collected from each practice. These were examined visually under a dissecting light microscope for residual contamination and then tested for blood deposits using the Kastle-Meyer test. Nineteen of the 25 practices used stainless steel hand files. No practitioners used endodontic files as single use devices. Ninety-two per cent of the practitioners discarded and replaced files when they were bent or damaged. Several decontamination methods were reported. The two combinations employed most frequently were manual cleaning and autoclaving or manual cleaning, followed by ultrasonic cleaning and autoclaving. Of the 250 files, 75% showed some degree of visual contamination and seven percent tested positive for residual blood. Blood contaminated files were significantly more heavily contaminated when examined visually. Large variations were found in residual contamination of files collected from practices using the same methods of decontamination. While all practitioners re-used endodontic files, the variations in decontamination methods reported indicate a lack of clarity on best practice. This study demonstrates that endodontic files are not reliably decontaminated by methods currently employed in dental practice.

An automatic markerless registration method for neurosurgical robotics based on an optical camera.

PubMed

Meng, Fanle; Zhai, Fangwen; Zeng, Bowei; Ding, Hui; Wang, Guangzhi

2018-02-01

Current markerless registration methods for neurosurgical robotics use the facial surface to match the robot space with the image space, and acquisition of the facial surface usually requires manual interaction and constrains the patient to a supine position. To overcome these drawbacks, we propose a registration method that is automatic and does not constrain patient position. An optical camera attached to the robot end effector captures images around the patient's head from multiple views. Then, high coverage of the head surface is reconstructed from the images through multi-view stereo vision. Since the acquired head surface point cloud contains color information, a specific mark that is manually drawn on the patient's head prior to the capture procedure can be extracted to automatically accomplish coarse registration rather than using facial anatomic landmarks. Then, fine registration is achieved by registering the high coverage of the head surface without relying solely on the facial region, thus eliminating patient position constraints. The head surface was acquired by the camera with a good repeatability accuracy. The average target registration error of 8 different patient positions measured with targets inside a head phantom was [Formula: see text], while the mean surface registration error was [Formula: see text]. The method proposed in this paper achieves automatic markerless registration in multiple patient positions and guarantees registration accuracy inside the head. This method provides a new approach for establishing the spatial relationship between the image space and the robot space.

Fully automatic region of interest selection in glomerular filtration rate estimation from 99mTc-DTPA renogram.

PubMed

Lin, Kun-Ju; Huang, Jia-Yann; Chen, Yung-Sheng

2011-12-01

Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is a common accepted standard estimation of renal function. Gamma camera-based methods for estimating renal uptake of (99m)Tc-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) without blood or urine sampling have been widely used. Of these, the method introduced by Gates has been the most common method. Currently, most of gamma cameras are equipped with a commercial program for GFR determination, a semi-quantitative analysis by manually drawing region of interest (ROI) over each kidney. Then, the GFR value can be computed from the scintigraphic determination of (99m)Tc-DTPA uptake within the kidney automatically. Delineating the kidney area is difficult when applying a fixed threshold value. Moreover, hand-drawn ROIs are tedious, time consuming, and dependent highly on operator skill. Thus, we developed a fully automatic renal ROI estimation system based on the temporal changes in intensity counts, intensity-pair distribution image contrast enhancement method, adaptive thresholding, and morphological operations that can locate the kidney area and obtain the GFR value from a (99m)Tc-DTPA renogram. To evaluate the performance of the proposed approach, 30 clinical dynamic renograms were introduced. The fully automatic approach failed in one patient with very poor renal function. Four patients had a unilateral kidney, and the others had bilateral kidneys. The automatic contours from the remaining 54 kidneys were compared with the contours of manual drawing. The 54 kidneys were included for area error and boundary error analyses. There was high correlation between two physicians' manual contours and the contours obtained by our approach. For area error analysis, the mean true positive area overlap is 91%, the mean false negative is 13.4%, and the mean false positive is 9.3%. The boundary error is 1.6 pixels. The GFR calculated using this automatic computer-aided approach is reproducible and may be applied to help nuclear medicine physicians in clinical practice.

Myocardium tracking via matching distributions.

PubMed

Ben Ayed, Ismail; Li, Shuo; Ross, Ian; Islam, Ali

2009-01-01

The goal of this study is to investigate automatic myocardium tracking in cardiac Magnetic Resonance (MR) sequences using global distribution matching via level-set curve evolution. Rather than relying on the pixelwise information as in existing approaches, distribution matching compares intensity distributions, and consequently, is well-suited to the myocardium tracking problem. Starting from a manual segmentation of the first frame, two curves are evolved in order to recover the endocardium (inner myocardium boundary) and the epicardium (outer myocardium boundary) in all the frames. For each curve, the evolution equation is sought following the maximization of a functional containing two terms: (1) a distribution matching term measuring the similarity between the non-parametric intensity distributions sampled from inside and outside the curve to the model distributions of the corresponding regions estimated from the previous frame; (2) a gradient term for smoothing the curve and biasing it toward high gradient of intensity. The Bhattacharyya coefficient is used as a similarity measure between distributions. The functional maximization is obtained by the Euler-Lagrange ascent equation of curve evolution, and efficiently implemented via level-set. The performance of the proposed distribution matching was quantitatively evaluated by comparisons with independent manual segmentations approved by an experienced cardiologist. The method was applied to ten 2D mid-cavity MR sequences corresponding to ten different subjects. Although neither shape prior knowledge nor curve coupling were used, quantitative evaluation demonstrated that the results were consistent with manual segmentations. The proposed method compares well with existing methods. The algorithm also yields a satisfying reproducibility. Distribution matching leads to a myocardium tracking which is more flexible and applicable than existing methods because the algorithm uses only the current data, i.e., does not require a training, and consequently, the solution is not bounded to some shape/intensity prior information learned from of a finite training set.

Towards fully automated structure-based function prediction in structural genomics: a case study.

PubMed

Watson, James D; Sanderson, Steve; Ezersky, Alexandra; Savchenko, Alexei; Edwards, Aled; Orengo, Christine; Joachimiak, Andrzej; Laskowski, Roman A; Thornton, Janet M

2007-04-13

As the global Structural Genomics projects have picked up pace, the number of structures annotated in the Protein Data Bank as hypothetical protein or unknown function has grown significantly. A major challenge now involves the development of computational methods to assign functions to these proteins accurately and automatically. As part of the Midwest Center for Structural Genomics (MCSG) we have developed a fully automated functional analysis server, ProFunc, which performs a battery of analyses on a submitted structure. The analyses combine a number of sequence-based and structure-based methods to identify functional clues. After the first stage of the Protein Structure Initiative (PSI), we review the success of the pipeline and the importance of structure-based function prediction. As a dataset, we have chosen all structures solved by the MCSG during the 5 years of the first PSI. Our analysis suggests that two of the structure-based methods are particularly successful and provide examples of local similarity that is difficult to identify using current sequence-based methods. No one method is successful in all cases, so, through the use of a number of complementary sequence and structural approaches, the ProFunc server increases the chances that at least one method will find a significant hit that can help elucidate function. Manual assessment of the results is a time-consuming process and subject to individual interpretation and human error. We present a method based on the Gene Ontology (GO) schema using GO-slims that can allow the automated assessment of hits with a success rate approaching that of expert manual assessment.

Interactive 3D segmentation using connected orthogonal contours.

PubMed

de Bruin, P W; Dercksen, V J; Post, F H; Vossepoel, A M; Streekstra, G J; Vos, F M

2005-05-01

This paper describes a new method for interactive segmentation that is based on cross-sectional design and 3D modelling. The method represents a 3D model by a set of connected contours that are planar and orthogonal. Planar contours overlayed on image data are easily manipulated and linked contours reduce the amount of user interaction.1 This method solves the contour-to-contour correspondence problem and can capture extrema of objects in a more flexible way than manual segmentation of a stack of 2D images. The resulting 3D model is guaranteed to be free of geometric and topological errors. We show that manual segmentation using connected orthogonal contours has great advantages over conventional manual segmentation. Furthermore, the method provides effective feedback and control for creating an initial model for, and control and steering of, (semi-)automatic segmentation methods.

Comparison of various RNA extraction methods, cDNA preparation and isolation of calmodulin gene from a highly melanized isolate of apple leaf blotch fungus Marssonina coronaria.

PubMed

Chauhan, Arjun; Sharma, J N; Modgil, Manju; Siddappa, Sundaresha

2018-05-29

Marssonina coronaria causes apple blotch disease resulting in severe premature defoliation, and is distributed in many leading apple-growing areas in the world. Effective, reliable and high-quality RNA extraction is an indispensable procedure in any molecular biology study. No method currently exists for RNA extraction from M. coronaria that produces a high quantity of melanin-free RNA. Therefore, we evaluated eight RNA extraction methods including manual and commercial kits, to yield a sufficient quantity of high-quality and melanin-free RNA. Manual methods used here resulted in low quality and black colored RNA pellets showing the presence of melanin, despite all the modifications employed to original procedures. However, these methods when coupled with clean up resulted in melanin-free RNA. On the other hand, all commercial kits used were able to yield high-quality melanin-free RNA having variable yields. TRIzol™ Reagent + RNA Clean & Concentrator™-5 and Ambion-PureLink® RNA Mini Kit were found to be the best methods as the RNA extracted with these methods from 15 day old fungal culture grown on solid medium were free of melanin with good yield. RNA extracted by this improved methodology was applied for RT-PCR, subsequent PCR amplification, and isolation of calmodulin gene sequences from M. coronaria and infected apple leaf pieces. These methods are more time effective than traditional methods and take only an hour to complete. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the method of isolation of high-quality RNA for cDNA synthesis as well as isolation of the calmodulin gene sequence from this fungus. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Urban Watershed Forestry Manual Part 1: Methods for Increasing Forest Cover in a Watershed

Treesearch

Karen Cappiella; Tom Schueler; Tiffany Wright

2005-01-01

This manual is one in a three-part series on using trees to protect and restore urban watersheds. A brief description of each part follows. Part 1: Methods for Increasing Forest Cover in a Watershed introduces the emerging topic of urban watershed forestry. This part also presents new methods for the watershed planner or forester to systematically measure watershed...

Excel spreadsheet in teaching numerical methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Djamila, Harimi

2017-09-01

One of the important objectives in teaching numerical methods for undergraduates’ students is to bring into the comprehension of numerical methods algorithms. Although, manual calculation is important in understanding the procedure, it is time consuming and prone to error. This is specifically the case when considering the iteration procedure used in many numerical methods. Currently, many commercial programs are useful in teaching numerical methods such as Matlab, Maple, and Mathematica. These are usually not user-friendly by the uninitiated. Excel spreadsheet offers an initial level of programming, which it can be used either in or off campus. The students will not be distracted with writing codes. It must be emphasized that general commercial software is required to be introduced later to more elaborated questions. This article aims to report on a teaching numerical methods strategy for undergraduates engineering programs. It is directed to students, lecturers and researchers in engineering field.

extrap: Software to assist the selection of extrapolation methods for moving-boat ADCP streamflow measurements

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mueller, David S.

2013-01-01

profiles from the entire cross section and multiple transects to determine a mean profile for the measurement. The use of an exponent derived from normalized data from the entire cross section is shown to be valid for application of the power velocity distribution law in the computation of the unmeasured discharge in a cross section. Selected statistics are combined with empirically derived criteria to automatically select the appropriate extrapolation methods. A graphical user interface (GUI) provides the user tools to visually evaluate the automatically selected extrapolation methods and manually change them, as necessary. The sensitivity of the total discharge to available extrapolation methods is presented in the GUI. Use of extrap by field hydrographers has demonstrated that extrap is a more accurate and efficient method of determining the appropriate extrapolation methods compared with tools currently (2012) provided in the ADCP manufacturers’ software.

Development and validation of a food photography manual, as a tool for estimation of food portion size in epidemiological dietary surveys in Tunisia

PubMed Central

Bouchoucha, Mongia; Akrout, Mouna; Bellali, Hédia; Bouchoucha, Rim; Tarhouni, Fadwa; Mansour, Abderraouf Ben; Zouari, Béchir

2016-01-01

Background Estimation of food portion sizes has always been a challenge in dietary studies on free-living individuals. The aim of this work was to develop and validate a food photography manual to improve the accuracy of the estimated size of consumed food portions. Methods A manual was compiled from digital photos of foods commonly consumed by the Tunisian population. The food was cooked and weighed before taking digital photographs of three portion sizes. The manual was validated by comparing the method of 24-hour recall (using photos) to the reference method [food weighing (FW)]. In both the methods, the comparison focused on food intake amounts as well as nutritional issues. Validity was assessed by Bland–Altman limits of agreement. In total, 31 male and female volunteers aged 9–89 participated in the study. Results We focused on eight food categories and compared their estimated amounts (using the 24-hour recall method) to those actually consumed (using FW). Animal products and sweets were underestimated, whereas pasta, bread, vegetables, fruits, and dairy products were overestimated. However, the difference between the two methods is not statistically significant except for pasta (p<0.05) and dairy products (p<0.05). The coefficient of correlation between the two methods is highly significant, ranging from 0.876 for pasta to 0.989 for dairy products. Nutrient intake calculated for both methods showed insignificant differences except for fat (p<0.001) and dietary fiber (p<0.05). A highly significant correlation was observed between the two methods for all micronutrients. The test agreement highlights the lack of difference between the two methods. Conclusion The difference between the 24-hour recall method using digital photos and the weighing method is acceptable. Our findings indicate that the food photography manual can be a useful tool for quantifying food portion sizes in epidemiological dietary surveys. PMID:27585631

Development and validation of a food photography manual, as a tool for estimation of food portion size in epidemiological dietary surveys in Tunisia.

PubMed

Bouchoucha, Mongia; Akrout, Mouna; Bellali, Hédia; Bouchoucha, Rim; Tarhouni, Fadwa; Mansour, Abderraouf Ben; Zouari, Béchir

2016-01-01

Background Estimation of food portion sizes has always been a challenge in dietary studies on free-living individuals. The aim of this work was to develop and validate a food photography manual to improve the accuracy of the estimated size of consumed food portions. Methods A manual was compiled from digital photos of foods commonly consumed by the Tunisian population. The food was cooked and weighed before taking digital photographs of three portion sizes. The manual was validated by comparing the method of 24-hour recall (using photos) to the reference method [food weighing (FW)]. In both the methods, the comparison focused on food intake amounts as well as nutritional issues. Validity was assessed by Bland-Altman limits of agreement. In total, 31 male and female volunteers aged 9-89 participated in the study. Results We focused on eight food categories and compared their estimated amounts (using the 24-hour recall method) to those actually consumed (using FW). Animal products and sweets were underestimated, whereas pasta, bread, vegetables, fruits, and dairy products were overestimated. However, the difference between the two methods is not statistically significant except for pasta (p<0.05) and dairy products (p<0.05). The coefficient of correlation between the two methods is highly significant, ranging from 0.876 for pasta to 0.989 for dairy products. Nutrient intake calculated for both methods showed insignificant differences except for fat (p<0.001) and dietary fiber (p<0.05). A highly significant correlation was observed between the two methods for all micronutrients. The test agreement highlights the lack of difference between the two methods. Conclusion The difference between the 24-hour recall method using digital photos and the weighing method is acceptable. Our findings indicate that the food photography manual can be a useful tool for quantifying food portion sizes in epidemiological dietary surveys.

User's Manual for FEM-BEM Method. 1.0

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Butler, Theresa; Deshpande, M. D. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

A user's manual for using FORTRAN code to perform electromagnetic analysis of arbitrarily shaped material cylinders using a hybrid method that combines the finite element method (FEM) and the boundary element method (BEM). In this method, the material cylinder is enclosed by a fictitious boundary and the Maxwell's equations are solved by FEM inside the boundary and by BEM outside the boundary. The electromagnetic scattering on several arbitrarily shaped material cylinders using this FORTRAN code is computed to as examples.

Is STAPLE algorithm confident to assess segmentation methods in PET imaging?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dewalle-Vignion, Anne-Sophie; Betrouni, Nacim; Baillet, Clio; Vermandel, Maximilien

2015-12-01

Accurate tumor segmentation in [18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography is crucial for tumor response assessment and target volume definition in radiation therapy. Evaluation of segmentation methods from clinical data without ground truth is usually based on physicians’ manual delineations. In this context, the simultaneous truth and performance level estimation (STAPLE) algorithm could be useful to manage the multi-observers variability. In this paper, we evaluated how this algorithm could accurately estimate the ground truth in PET imaging. Complete evaluation study using different criteria was performed on simulated data. The STAPLE algorithm was applied to manual and automatic segmentation results. A specific configuration of the implementation provided by the Computational Radiology Laboratory was used. Consensus obtained by the STAPLE algorithm from manual delineations appeared to be more accurate than manual delineations themselves (80% of overlap). An improvement of the accuracy was also observed when applying the STAPLE algorithm to automatic segmentations results. The STAPLE algorithm, with the configuration used in this paper, is more appropriate than manual delineations alone or automatic segmentations results alone to estimate the ground truth in PET imaging. Therefore, it might be preferred to assess the accuracy of tumor segmentation methods in PET imaging.

Is STAPLE algorithm confident to assess segmentation methods in PET imaging?

PubMed

Dewalle-Vignion, Anne-Sophie; Betrouni, Nacim; Baillet, Clio; Vermandel, Maximilien

2015-12-21

Accurate tumor segmentation in [18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography is crucial for tumor response assessment and target volume definition in radiation therapy. Evaluation of segmentation methods from clinical data without ground truth is usually based on physicians' manual delineations. In this context, the simultaneous truth and performance level estimation (STAPLE) algorithm could be useful to manage the multi-observers variability. In this paper, we evaluated how this algorithm could accurately estimate the ground truth in PET imaging. Complete evaluation study using different criteria was performed on simulated data. The STAPLE algorithm was applied to manual and automatic segmentation results. A specific configuration of the implementation provided by the Computational Radiology Laboratory was used. Consensus obtained by the STAPLE algorithm from manual delineations appeared to be more accurate than manual delineations themselves (80% of overlap). An improvement of the accuracy was also observed when applying the STAPLE algorithm to automatic segmentations results. The STAPLE algorithm, with the configuration used in this paper, is more appropriate than manual delineations alone or automatic segmentations results alone to estimate the ground truth in PET imaging. Therefore, it might be preferred to assess the accuracy of tumor segmentation methods in PET imaging.

Economic and workflow analysis of a blood bank automated system.

PubMed

Shin, Kyung-Hwa; Kim, Hyung Hoi; Chang, Chulhun L; Lee, Eun Yup

2013-07-01

This study compared the estimated costs and times required for ABO/Rh(D) typing and unexpected antibody screening using an automated system and manual methods. The total cost included direct and labor costs. Labor costs were calculated on the basis of the average operator salaries and unit values (minutes), which was the hands-on time required to test one sample. To estimate unit values, workflows were recorded on video, and the time required for each process was analyzed separately. The unit values of ABO/Rh(D) typing using the manual method were 5.65 and 8.1 min during regular and unsocial working hours, respectively. The unit value was less than 3.5 min when several samples were tested simultaneously. The unit value for unexpected antibody screening was 2.6 min. The unit values using the automated method for ABO/Rh(D) typing, unexpected antibody screening, and both simultaneously were all 1.5 min. The total cost of ABO/Rh(D) typing of only one sample using the automated analyzer was lower than that of testing only one sample using the manual technique but higher than that of testing several samples simultaneously. The total cost of unexpected antibody screening using an automated analyzer was less than that using the manual method. ABO/Rh(D) typing using an automated analyzer incurs a lower unit value and cost than that using the manual technique when only one sample is tested at a time. Unexpected antibody screening using an automated analyzer always incurs a lower unit value and cost than that using the manual technique.

3 dimensional cell cultures: a comparison between manually and automatically produced alginate beads.

PubMed

Lehmann, R; Gallert, C; Roddelkopf, T; Junginger, S; Wree, A; Thurow, K

2016-08-01

Cancer diseases are a common problem of the population caused by age and increased harmful environmental influences. Herein, new therapeutic strategies and compound screenings are necessary. The regular 2D cultivation has to be replaced by three dimensional cell culturing (3D) for better simulation of in vivo conditions. The 3D cultivation with alginate matrix is an appropriate method for encapsulate cells to form cancer constructs. The automated manufacturing of alginate beads might be an ultimate method for large-scaled manufacturing constructs similar to cancer tissue. The aim of this study was the integration of full automated systems for the production, cultivation and screening of 3D cell cultures. We compared the automated methods with the regular manual processes. Furthermore, we investigated the influence of antibiotics on these 3D cell culture systems. The alginate beads were formed by automated and manual procedures. The automated steps were processes by the Biomek(®) Cell Workstation (celisca, Rostock, Germany). The proliferation and toxicity were manually and automatically evaluated at day 14 and 35 of cultivation. The results visualized an accumulation and expansion of cell aggregates over the period of incubation. However, the proliferation and toxicity were faintly and partly significantly decreased on day 35 compared to day 14. The comparison of the manual and automated methods displayed similar results. We conclude that the manual production process could be replaced by the automation. Using automation, 3D cell cultures can be produced in industrial scale and improve the drug development and screening to treat serious illnesses like cancer.

Neonatal and maternal outcomes of successful manual rotation to correct malposition of the fetal head; A retrospective and prospective observational study

PubMed Central

Tempest, Nicola; McGuinness, Naomi; Lane, Steven; Hapangama, Dharani K.

2017-01-01

Objective To evaluate the neonatal and maternal outcomes associated with successful operative vaginal births assisted by manual rotation. Design Prospective and retrospective observational study. Setting Delivery suite in a tertiary referral teaching hospital in England. Population A cohort of 2,426 consecutive operative births, in the second stage of labour, complicated with malposition of the fetal head during 2006–2013. Methods Outcomes of all births successfully assisted by manual rotation followed by direct traction instruments were compared with other methods of operative birth for fetal malposition in the second stage of labour (rotational ventouse, Kielland forceps and caesarean section). Main outcome measures Associated neonatal outcomes (admission to the special care baby unit, low cord pH, low Apgar and shoulder dystocia) and maternal outcomes (massive obstetric haemorrhage (blood loss of >1500ml) and obstetric anal sphincter injury). Results Births successfully assisted with manual rotation followed by direct traction instruments, resulted in 10% (36/346) of the babies being admitted to the Special Care Baby Unit, 4.9% (17/349) shoulder dystocia, 2% (7/349) massive obstetric haemorrhage and 1.7% (6/349) obstetric anal sphincter injury, similar to other methods of rotational births. Conclusions Adverse neonatal and maternal outcomes associated with successful manual rotations followed by direct traction instruments were comparable to traditional methods of operative births. There is an urgent need to standardise the practice (guidance, training) and documentation of manual rotation followed by direct traction instrumental deliveries that will enable assessment of its efficacy and the absolute safety in achieving a vaginal birth. PMID:28489924

Microbial ecology laboratory procedures manual NASA/MSFC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Huff, Timothy L.

1990-01-01

An essential part of the efficient operation of any microbiology laboratory involved in sample analysis is a standard procedures manual. The purpose of this manual is to provide concise and well defined instructions on routine technical procedures involving sample analysis and methods for monitoring and maintaining quality control within the laboratory. Of equal importance is the safe operation of the laboratory. This manual outlines detailed procedures to be followed in the microbial ecology laboratory to assure safety, analytical control, and validity of results.

Important wheelchair skills for new manual wheelchair users: health care professional and wheelchair user perspectives.

PubMed

Morgan, Kerri A; Engsberg, Jack R; Gray, David B

2017-01-01

The purpose of this project was to identify wheelchair skills currently being taught to new manual wheelchair users, identify areas of importance for manual wheelchair skills' training during initial rehabilitation, identify similarities and differences between the perspectives of health care professionals and manual wheelchair users and use the ICF to organize themes related to rehabilitation and learning how to use a manual wheelchair. Focus groups were conducted with health care professionals and experienced manual wheelchair users. ICF codes were used to identify focus group themes. The Activities and Participation codes were more frequently used than Structure, Function and Environment codes. Wheelchair skills identified as important for new manual wheelchair users included propulsion techniques, transfers in an out of the wheelchair, providing maintenance to the wheelchair and navigating barriers such as curbs, ramps and rough terrain. Health care professionals and manual wheelchair users identified the need to incorporate the environment (home and community) into the wheelchair training program. Identifying essential components for training the proper propulsion mechanics and wheelchair skills in new manual wheelchair users is an important step in preventing future health and participation restrictions. Implications for Rehabilitation Wheelchair skills are being addressed frequently during rehabilitation at the activity-dependent level. Propulsion techniques, transfers in an out of the wheelchair, providing maintenance to the wheelchair and navigating barriers such as curbs, ramps and rough terrain are important skills to address during wheelchair training. Environment factors (in the home and community) are important to incorporate into wheelchair training to maximize safe and multiple-environmental-setting uses of manual wheelchairs. The ICF has application to understanding manual wheelchair rehabilitation for wheelchair users and therapists for improving the understanding of manual wheelchair use.

The Selection and Appointment of School Heads. A Manual of Suggestions to Boards of Trustees and Candidates. Third Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Driscoll, Eileen R.

To assist in the selection of new private school heads, this manual provides advice to both boards of trustees and candidates. Advice directed to the board covers timing of the search and selection, announcement of the current head's resignation, search committee formation, the committee chairperson, staff assistance, search budget, job…

Reforestation in Arid Lands. Appropriate Technologies for Development. Manual M-5.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Palmer, Virginia C., Ed.

This manual presents some current, state-of-the-art examples of forestry programs in West Africa. It is based on the collective experiences of foresters and of local farmers and herders. Since many of the problems of reforestation of dry areas are the same worldwide, the text (which focuses on the broad subject of project implementation) includes…

Parenting Skills Manual, 1984-1985. Delta College Parent Awareness. Developmental Disabilities/Parent Awareness Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Delta Coll., University Center, MI. Allied Health-Community Affairs.

Designed for parents with handicapped children, this manual provides current information on the development and growth stages of all children to serve as a basis or guideline for comparison. First, introductory comments focus on skills needed by all parents to help their children build feelings of self-worth and to grow. Next, an overview is…

Development of a Policy Manual for Student Internship in the Media Communication Science Department at Trenton State College. Educational Policy Systems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pypcznski, Penny

The State of New Jersey's certification requirements mandate that school librarian professional preparation should include an internship program. Trenton State College offers such a program but lacks a formal policy manual outlining the necessary requirements and procedures. This study surveyed the current policies in the Department of Media…

School-Based Prevention of Bullying and Relational Aggression in Adolescence: The Fairplayer.manual

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scheithauer, Herbert; Hess, Markus; Schultze-Krumbholz, Anja; Bull, Heike Dele

2012-01-01

The fairplayer.manual is a school-based program to prevent bullying. The program consists of fifteen to seventeen consecutive ninety-minute lessons using cognitive-behavioral methods, methods targeting group norms and group dynamics, and discussions on moral dilemmas. Following a two-day training session, teachers, together with skilled…

RELAP-7 Theory Manual

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

Berry, Ray Alden; Zou, Ling; Zhao, Haihua

This document summarizes the physical models and mathematical formulations used in the RELAP-7 code. In summary, the MOOSE based RELAP-7 code development is an ongoing effort. The MOOSE framework enables rapid development of the RELAP-7 code. The developmental efforts and results demonstrate that the RELAP-7 project is on a path to success. This theory manual documents the main features implemented into the RELAP-7 code. Because the code is an ongoing development effort, this RELAP-7 Theory Manual will evolve with periodic updates to keep it current with the state of the development, implementation, and model additions/revisions.

A manual-based individual therapy to improve metacognition in schizophrenia: protocol of a multi-center RCT

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Metacognitive dysfunction has been widely recognized as a feature of schizophrenia. As it is linked with deficits in several aspects of daily life functioning, improvement of metacognition may lead to improvement in functioning. Individual psychotherapy might be a useful form of treatment to improve metacognition in patients with schizophrenia; multiple case reports and a pilot study show promising results. The present study aims to measure the effectiveness of an individual, manual-based therapy (Metacognitive Reflection and Insight Therapy, MERIT) in improving metacognition in patients with schizophrenia. We also want to examine if improvement in metacognitive abilities is correlated with improvements in aspects of daily life functioning namely social functioning, experience of symptoms, quality of life, depression, work readiness, insight and experience of stigma. Methods/Design MERIT is currently evaluated in a multicenter randomized controlled trial. Thirteen therapists in six mental health institutions in the Netherlands participate in this study. Patients are randomly assigned to either MERIT or the control condition: treatment as usual (TAU). Discussion If proven effective, MERIT can be a useful addition to the care for schizophrenia patients. The design brings along some methodological difficulties, these issues are addressed in the discussion of this paper. Trial registration Current Controlled Trials: ISRCTN16659871. PMID:24490942

Thermal spray manual for machinery components

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

Travis, R.; Ginther, C.; Herbstritt, M.

1995-12-31

The Thermal Spray Manual For Machinery Components is a National Shipbuilding Research (SP-7) Project. This Manual is being developed by Puget Sound Naval Shipyard with the help of other government thermal spray facilities and SP-7 panel members. The purpose of the manual is to provide marine repair facilities with a ``how to do`` document that will be ``user friendly`` and known to be technically sound through production experience. The manual`s intent is to give marine repair facilities the ability to maximize the thermal spray process as a repair method for machinery components and to give these facilities guidelines on howmore » to become qualified to receive certification that they meet the requirements of Military Standard 1687A.« less

Verdant: automated annotation, alignment and phylogenetic analysis of whole chloroplast genomes.

PubMed

McKain, Michael R; Hartsock, Ryan H; Wohl, Molly M; Kellogg, Elizabeth A

2017-01-01

Chloroplast genomes are now produced in the hundreds for angiosperm phylogenetics projects, but current methods for annotation, alignment and tree estimation still require some manual intervention reducing throughput and increasing analysis time for large chloroplast systematics projects. Verdant is a web-based software suite and database built to take advantage a novel annotation program, annoBTD. Using annoBTD, Verdant provides accurate annotation of chloroplast genomes without manual intervention. Subsequent alignment and tree estimation can incorporate newly annotated and publically available plastomes and can accommodate a large number of taxa. Verdant sharply reduces the time required for analysis of assembled chloroplast genomes and removes the need for pipelines and software on personal hardware. Verdant is available at: http://verdant.iplantcollaborative.org/plastidDB/ It is implemented in PHP, Perl, MySQL, Javascript, HTML and CSS with all major browsers supported. mrmckain@gmail.comSupplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press.

An expert system for wind shear avoidance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stengel, Robert F.; Stratton, D. Alexander

1990-01-01

The principal objectives are to develop methods for assessing the likelihood of wind shear encounter (based on real-time information in the cockpit), for deciding what flight path to pursue (e.g., takeoff abort, landing go-around, or normal climbout or glide slope), and for using the aircraft's full potential for combating wind shear. This study requires the definition of both deterministic and statistical techniques for fusing internal and external information, for making go/no-go decisions, and for generating commands to the aircraft's autopilot and flight directors for both automatic and manually controlled flight. The expert system for pilot aiding is based on the results of the FAA Windshear Training Aids Program, a two-volume manual that presents an overview, pilot guide, training program, and substantiating data that provides guidelines for this initial development. The Windshear Safety Advisor expert system currently contains over 140 rules and is coded in the LISP programming language for implementation on a Symbolics 3670 LISP Machine.

Current Space Station Experiments Investigating Component Level Electronics Repair

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Easton, John W.; Struk, Peter M.

2010-01-01

The Soldering in a Reduced Gravity Experiment (SoRGE) and Component Repair Experiment (CRE)-1 are tests performed on the International Space Station to determine the techniques, tools, and training necessary to allow future crews to perform manual electronics repairs at the component level. SoRGE provides information on the formation and internal structure of through-hole solder joints, illustrating the challenges and implications of soldering in reduced gravity. SoRGE showed a significant increase in internal void defects for joints formed in low gravity compared to normal gravity. Methods for mitigating these void defects were evaluated using a modified soldering process. CRE-1 demonstrated the removal, cleaning, and replacement of electronics components by manual means on functional circuit boards. The majority of components successful passed a post-repair functional test demonstrating the feasibility of component-level repair within the confines of a spacecraft. Together, these tasks provide information to recommend material and tool improvements, training improvements, and future work to help enable electronics repairs in future space missions.

Safe Manual Jettison

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barton, Jay

2008-01-01

In space, the controlled release of certain cargoes is no less useful than the maritime jettisons from which they take their name but is also much more dangerous. Experience has shown that jettisons can be performed safely, but the process is complicated with the path to performing a jettison taking months or even years. In the background, time is also required to write procedures, train the crew, configure the vehicle, and many other activities. This paper outlines the current process used by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for manual jettisons, detailing the methods used to assure that the jettisons and the jettisoned objects are as safe as achievable and that the crew is adequately trained to be able to affect the safe jettison. The goal of this paper is not only to capture what it takes to perform safe jettisons in the near Earth environment but to extrapolate this knowledge to future space exploration scenarios that will likely have Extravehicular Activity (EVA) and International Partner (IP) interfaces.

Battery Test Manual For Electric Vehicles, Revision 3

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

Christophersen, Jon P.

2015-06-01

This battery test procedure manual was prepared for the United States Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Vehicle Technologies Office. It is based on technical targets for commercial viability established for energy storage development projects aimed at meeting system level DOE goals for Electric Vehicles (EV). The specific procedures defined in this manual support the performance and life characterization of advanced battery devices under development for EVs. However, it does share some methods described in the previously published battery test manual for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. Due to the complexity of some of themore » procedures and supporting analysis, future revisions including some modifications and clarifications of these procedures are expected. As in previous battery and capacitor test manuals, this version of the manual defines testing methods for full-size battery systems, along with provisions for scaling these tests for modules, cells or other subscale level devices. The DOE-United States Advanced Battery Consortium (USABC), Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) supported the development of the manual. Technical Team points of contact responsible for its development and revision are Chul Bae of Ford Motor Company and Jon P. Christophersen of the Idaho National Laboratory. The development of this manual was funded by the Unites States Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Vehicle Technologies Office. Technical direction from DOE was provided by David Howell, Energy Storage R&D Manager and Hybrid Electric Systems Team Leader. Comments and questions regarding the manual should be directed to Jon P. Christophersen at the Idaho National Laboratory (jon.christophersen@inl.gov).« less

An improved schlieren method for measurement and automatic reconstruction of the far-field focal spot

PubMed Central

Wang, Zhengzhou; Hu, Bingliang; Yin, Qinye

2017-01-01

The schlieren method of measuring far-field focal spots offers many advantages at the Shenguang III laser facility such as low cost and automatic laser-path collimation. However, current methods of far-field focal spot measurement often suffer from low precision and efficiency when the final focal spot is merged manually, thereby reducing the accuracy of reconstruction. In this paper, we introduce an improved schlieren method to construct the high dynamic-range image of far-field focal spots and improve the reconstruction accuracy and efficiency. First, a detection method based on weak light beam sampling and magnification imaging was designed; images of the main and side lobes of the focused laser irradiance in the far field were obtained using two scientific CCD cameras. Second, using a self-correlation template matching algorithm, a circle the same size as the schlieren ball was dug from the main lobe cutting image and used to change the relative region of the main lobe cutting image within a 100×100 pixel region. The position that had the largest correlation coefficient between the side lobe cutting image and the main lobe cutting image when a circle was dug was identified as the best matching point. Finally, the least squares method was used to fit the center of the side lobe schlieren small ball, and the error was less than 1 pixel. The experimental results show that this method enables the accurate, high-dynamic-range measurement of a far-field focal spot and automatic image reconstruction. Because the best matching point is obtained through image processing rather than traditional reconstruction methods based on manual splicing, this method is less sensitive to the efficiency of focal-spot reconstruction and thus offers better experimental precision. PMID:28207758

Microbleed detection using automated segmentation (MIDAS): a new method applicable to standard clinical MR images.

PubMed

Seghier, Mohamed L; Kolanko, Magdalena A; Leff, Alexander P; Jäger, Hans R; Gregoire, Simone M; Werring, David J

2011-03-23

Cerebral microbleeds, visible on gradient-recalled echo (GRE) T2* MRI, have generated increasing interest as an imaging marker of small vessel diseases, with relevance for intracerebral bleeding risk or brain dysfunction. Manual rating methods have limited reliability and are time-consuming. We developed a new method for microbleed detection using automated segmentation (MIDAS) and compared it with a validated visual rating system. In thirty consecutive stroke service patients, standard GRE T2* images were acquired and manually rated for microbleeds by a trained observer. After spatially normalizing each patient's GRE T2* images into a standard stereotaxic space, the automated microbleed detection algorithm (MIDAS) identified cerebral microbleeds by explicitly incorporating an "extra" tissue class for abnormal voxels within a unified segmentation-normalization model. The agreement between manual and automated methods was assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Kappa statistic. We found that MIDAS had generally moderate to good agreement with the manual reference method for the presence of lobar microbleeds (Kappa = 0.43, improved to 0.65 after manual exclusion of obvious artefacts). Agreement for the number of microbleeds was very good for lobar regions: (ICC = 0.71, improved to ICC = 0.87). MIDAS successfully detected all patients with multiple (≥2) lobar microbleeds. MIDAS can identify microbleeds on standard MR datasets, and with an additional rapid editing step shows good agreement with a validated visual rating system. MIDAS may be useful in screening for multiple lobar microbleeds.

Automation of Endmember Pixel Selection in SEBAL/METRIC Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhattarai, N.; Quackenbush, L. J.; Im, J.; Shaw, S. B.

2015-12-01

The commonly applied surface energy balance for land (SEBAL) and its variant, mapping evapotranspiration (ET) at high resolution with internalized calibration (METRIC) models require manual selection of endmember (i.e. hot and cold) pixels to calibrate sensible heat flux. Current approaches for automating this process are based on statistical methods and do not appear to be robust under varying climate conditions and seasons. In this paper, we introduce a new approach based on simple machine learning tools and search algorithms that provides an automatic and time efficient way of identifying endmember pixels for use in these models. The fully automated models were applied on over 100 cloud-free Landsat images with each image covering several eddy covariance flux sites in Florida and Oklahoma. Observed land surface temperatures at automatically identified hot and cold pixels were within 0.5% of those from pixels manually identified by an experienced operator (coefficient of determination, R2, ≥ 0.92, Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency, NSE, ≥ 0.92, and root mean squared error, RMSE, ≤ 1.67 K). Daily ET estimates derived from the automated SEBAL and METRIC models were in good agreement with their manual counterparts (e.g., NSE ≥ 0.91 and RMSE ≤ 0.35 mm day-1). Automated and manual pixel selection resulted in similar estimates of observed ET across all sites. The proposed approach should reduce time demands for applying SEBAL/METRIC models and allow for their more widespread and frequent use. This automation can also reduce potential bias that could be introduced by an inexperienced operator and extend the domain of the models to new users.

Haptic exploratory behavior during object discrimination: a novel automatic annotation method.

PubMed

Jansen, Sander E M; Bergmann Tiest, Wouter M; Kappers, Astrid M L

2015-01-01

In order to acquire information concerning the geometry and material of handheld objects, people tend to execute stereotypical hand movement patterns called haptic Exploratory Procedures (EPs). Manual annotation of haptic exploration trials with these EPs is a laborious task that is affected by subjectivity, attentional lapses, and viewing angle limitations. In this paper we propose an automatic EP annotation method based on position and orientation data from motion tracking sensors placed on both hands and inside a stimulus. A set of kinematic variables is computed from these data and compared to sets of predefined criteria for each of four EPs. Whenever all criteria for a specific EP are met, it is assumed that that particular hand movement pattern was performed. This method is applied to data from an experiment where blindfolded participants haptically discriminated between objects differing in hardness, roughness, volume, and weight. In order to validate the method, its output is compared to manual annotation based on video recordings of the same trials. Although mean pairwise agreement is less between human-automatic pairs than between human-human pairs (55.7% vs 74.5%), the proposed method performs much better than random annotation (2.4%). Furthermore, each EP is linked to a specific object property for which it is optimal (e.g., Lateral Motion for roughness). We found that the percentage of trials where the expected EP was found does not differ between manual and automatic annotation. For now, this method cannot yet completely replace a manual annotation procedure. However, it could be used as a starting point that can be supplemented by manual annotation.

Development and validation of a food photography manual, as a tool for estimation of food portion size in epidemiological dietary surveys in Tunisia.

PubMed

Bouchoucha, Mongia; Akrout, Mouna; Bellali, Hédia; Bouchoucha, Rim; Tarhouni, Fadwa; Mansour, Abderraouf Ben; Zouari, Béchir

2016-01-01

Estimation of food portion sizes has always been a challenge in dietary studies on free-living individuals. The aim of this work was to develop and validate a food photography manual to improve the accuracy of the estimated size of consumed food portions. A manual was compiled from digital photos of foods commonly consumed by the Tunisian population. The food was cooked and weighed before taking digital photographs of three portion sizes. The manual was validated by comparing the method of 24-hour recall (using photos) to the reference method [food weighing (FW)]. In both the methods, the comparison focused on food intake amounts as well as nutritional issues. Validity was assessed by Bland-Altman limits of agreement. In total, 31 male and female volunteers aged 9-89 participated in the study. We focused on eight food categories and compared their estimated amounts (using the 24-hour recall method) to those actually consumed (using FW). Animal products and sweets were underestimated, whereas pasta, bread, vegetables, fruits, and dairy products were overestimated. However, the difference between the two methods is not statistically significant except for pasta (p<0.05) and dairy products (p<0.05). The coefficient of correlation between the two methods is highly significant, ranging from 0.876 for pasta to 0.989 for dairy products. Nutrient intake calculated for both methods showed insignificant differences except for fat (p<0.001) and dietary fiber (p<0.05). A highly significant correlation was observed between the two methods for all micronutrients. The test agreement highlights the lack of difference between the two methods. The difference between the 24-hour recall method using digital photos and the weighing method is acceptable. Our findings indicate that the food photography manual can be a useful tool for quantifying food portion sizes in epidemiological dietary surveys.

Automated Tumor Volumetry Using Computer-Aided Image Segmentation

PubMed Central

Bilello, Michel; Sadaghiani, Mohammed Salehi; Akbari, Hamed; Atthiah, Mark A.; Ali, Zarina S.; Da, Xiao; Zhan, Yiqang; O'Rourke, Donald; Grady, Sean M.; Davatzikos, Christos

2015-01-01

Rationale and Objectives Accurate segmentation of brain tumors, and quantification of tumor volume, is important for diagnosis, monitoring, and planning therapeutic intervention. Manual segmentation is not widely used because of time constraints. Previous efforts have mainly produced methods that are tailored to a particular type of tumor or acquisition protocol and have mostly failed to produce a method that functions on different tumor types and is robust to changes in scanning parameters, resolution, and image quality, thereby limiting their clinical value. Herein, we present a semiautomatic method for tumor segmentation that is fast, accurate, and robust to a wide variation in image quality and resolution. Materials and Methods A semiautomatic segmentation method based on the geodesic distance transform was developed and validated by using it to segment 54 brain tumors. Glioblastomas, meningiomas, and brain metastases were segmented. Qualitative validation was based on physician ratings provided by three clinical experts. Quantitative validation was based on comparing semiautomatic and manual segmentations. Results Tumor segmentations obtained using manual and automatic methods were compared quantitatively using the Dice measure of overlap. Subjective evaluation was performed by having human experts rate the computerized segmentations on a 0–5 rating scale where 5 indicated perfect segmentation. Conclusions The proposed method addresses a significant, unmet need in the field of neuro-oncology. Specifically, this method enables clinicians to obtain accurate and reproducible tumor volumes without the need for manual segmentation. PMID:25770633

Japanese Society for Laboratory Hematology flow cytometric reference method of determining the differential leukocyte count: external quality assurance using fresh blood samples.

PubMed

Kawai, Y; Nagai, Y; Ogawa, E; Kondo, H

2017-04-01

To provide target values for the manufacturers' survey of the Japanese Society for Laboratory Hematology (JSLH), accurate standard data from healthy volunteers were needed for the five-part differential leukocyte count. To obtain such data, JSLH required an antibody panel that achieved high specificity (particularly for mononuclear cells) using simple gating procedures. We developed a flow cytometric method for determining the differential leukocyte count (JSLH-Diff) and validated it by comparison with the flow cytometric differential leukocyte count of the International Council for Standardization in Haematology (ICSH-Diff) and the manual differential count obtained by microscopy (Manual-Diff). First, the reference laboratory performed an imprecision study of JSLH-Diff and ICSH-Diff, as well as performing comparison among JSLH-Diff, Manual-Diff, and ICSH-Diff. Then two reference laboratories and seven participating laboratories performed imprecision and accuracy studies of JSLH-Diff, Manual-Diff, and ICSH-Diff. Simultaneously, six manufacturers' laboratories provided their own representative values by using automated hematology analyzers. The precision of both JSLH-Diff and ICSH-Diff methods was adequate. Comparison by the reference laboratory showed that all correlation coefficients, slopes and intercepts obtained by the JSLH-Diff, ICSH-Diff, and Manual-Diff methods conformed to the criteria. When the imprecision and accuracy of JSLH-Diff were assessed at seven laboratories, the CV% for lymphocytes, neutrophils, monocytes, eosinophils, and basophils was 0.5~0.9%, 0.3~0.7%, 1.7~2.6%, 3.0~7.9%, and 3.8~10.4%, respectively. More than 99% of CD45 positive leukocytes were identified as normal leukocytes by JSLH-Diff. When JSLH-Diff method were validated by comparison with Manual-Diff and ICSH-Diff, JSLH-Diff showed good performance as a reference method. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

MA130301GT catalogue of Martian impact craters and advanced evaluation of crater detection algorithms using diverse topography and image datasets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salamunićcar, Goran; Lončarić, Sven; Pina, Pedro; Bandeira, Lourenço; Saraiva, José

2011-01-01

Recently, all the craters from the major currently available manually assembled catalogues have been merged into the catalogue with 57 633 known Martian impact craters (MA57633GT). In addition, the work on crater detection algorithm (CDA), developed to search for still uncatalogued impact craters using 1/128° MOLA data, resulted in MA115225GT. In parallel with this work another CDA has been developed which resulted in the Stepinski catalogue containing 75 919 craters (MA75919T). The new MA130301GT catalogue presented in this paper is the result of: (1) overall merger of MA115225GT and MA75919T; (2) 2042 additional craters found using Shen-Castan based CDA from the previous work and 1/128° MOLA data; and (3) 3129 additional craters found using CDA for optical images from the previous work and selected regions of 1/256° MDIM, 1/256° THEMIS-DIR, and 1/256° MOC datasets. All craters from MA130301GT are manually aligned with all used datasets. For all the craters that originate from the used catalogues (Barlow, Rodionova, Boyce, Kuzmin, Stepinski) we integrated all the attributes available in these catalogues. With such an approach MA130301GT provides everything that was included in these catalogues, plus: (1) the correlation between various morphological descriptors from used catalogues; (2) the correlation between manually assigned attributes and automated depth/diameter measurements from MA75919T and our CDA; (3) surface dating which has been improved in resolution globally; (4) average errors and their standard deviations for manually and automatically assigned attributes such as position coordinates, diameter, depth/diameter ratio, etc.; and (5) positional accuracy of features in the used datasets according to the defined coordinate system referred to as MDIM 2.1, which incorporates 1232 globally distributed ground control points, while our catalogue contains 130 301 cross-references between each of the used datasets. Global completeness of MA130301GT is up to ˜ D≥2 km (it contains 85 783 such craters, while the smallest D is 0.924 km). This is a considerable improvement in comparison with the completeness of the Rodionova (˜10 km), Barlow (˜5 km) and Stepinski (˜3 km) catalogues. An accompanying result to the new catalogue is a contribution to the evaluation of CDAs - the following methods have been developed: (1) a new context-aware method for the advanced automated registration of craters with GT catalogues; (2) a new method for manual registration of newly found craters into GT catalogues; and (3) additional new accompanying methods for objective evaluation of CDAs using different datasets including optical images.

Hanford Environmental Information System (HEIS) Operator`s Manual. Volume 1

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

Schreck, R.I.

1991-10-01

The Hanford Environmental Information System (HEIS) is a consolidated set of automated resources that effectively manage the data gathered during environmental monitoring and restoration of the Hanford Site. The HEIS includes an integrated database that provides consistent and current data to all users and promotes sharing of data by the entire user community. This manual describes the facilities available to the operational user who is responsible for data entry, processing, scheduling, reporting, and quality assurance. A companion manual, the HEIS User`s Manual, describes the facilities available-to the scientist, engineer, or manager who uses the system for environmental monitoring, assessment, andmore » restoration planning; and to the regulator who is responsible for reviewing Hanford Site operations against regulatory requirements and guidelines.« less

Peak Detection Method Evaluation for Ion Mobility Spectrometry by Using Machine Learning Approaches

PubMed Central

Hauschild, Anne-Christin; Kopczynski, Dominik; D’Addario, Marianna; Baumbach, Jörg Ingo; Rahmann, Sven; Baumbach, Jan

2013-01-01

Ion mobility spectrometry with pre-separation by multi-capillary columns (MCC/IMS) has become an established inexpensive, non-invasive bioanalytics technology for detecting volatile organic compounds (VOCs) with various metabolomics applications in medical research. To pave the way for this technology towards daily usage in medical practice, different steps still have to be taken. With respect to modern biomarker research, one of the most important tasks is the automatic classification of patient-specific data sets into different groups, healthy or not, for instance. Although sophisticated machine learning methods exist, an inevitable preprocessing step is reliable and robust peak detection without manual intervention. In this work we evaluate four state-of-the-art approaches for automated IMS-based peak detection: local maxima search, watershed transformation with IPHEx, region-merging with VisualNow, and peak model estimation (PME). We manually generated a gold standard with the aid of a domain expert (manual) and compare the performance of the four peak calling methods with respect to two distinct criteria. We first utilize established machine learning methods and systematically study their classification performance based on the four peak detectors’ results. Second, we investigate the classification variance and robustness regarding perturbation and overfitting. Our main finding is that the power of the classification accuracy is almost equally good for all methods, the manually created gold standard as well as the four automatic peak finding methods. In addition, we note that all tools, manual and automatic, are similarly robust against perturbations. However, the classification performance is more robust against overfitting when using the PME as peak calling preprocessor. In summary, we conclude that all methods, though small differences exist, are largely reliable and enable a wide spectrum of real-world biomedical applications. PMID:24957992

Peak detection method evaluation for ion mobility spectrometry by using machine learning approaches.

PubMed

Hauschild, Anne-Christin; Kopczynski, Dominik; D'Addario, Marianna; Baumbach, Jörg Ingo; Rahmann, Sven; Baumbach, Jan

2013-04-16

Ion mobility spectrometry with pre-separation by multi-capillary columns (MCC/IMS) has become an established inexpensive, non-invasive bioanalytics technology for detecting volatile organic compounds (VOCs) with various metabolomics applications in medical research. To pave the way for this technology towards daily usage in medical practice, different steps still have to be taken. With respect to modern biomarker research, one of the most important tasks is the automatic classification of patient-specific data sets into different groups, healthy or not, for instance. Although sophisticated machine learning methods exist, an inevitable preprocessing step is reliable and robust peak detection without manual intervention. In this work we evaluate four state-of-the-art approaches for automated IMS-based peak detection: local maxima search, watershed transformation with IPHEx, region-merging with VisualNow, and peak model estimation (PME).We manually generated Metabolites 2013, 3 278 a gold standard with the aid of a domain expert (manual) and compare the performance of the four peak calling methods with respect to two distinct criteria. We first utilize established machine learning methods and systematically study their classification performance based on the four peak detectors' results. Second, we investigate the classification variance and robustness regarding perturbation and overfitting. Our main finding is that the power of the classification accuracy is almost equally good for all methods, the manually created gold standard as well as the four automatic peak finding methods. In addition, we note that all tools, manual and automatic, are similarly robust against perturbations. However, the classification performance is more robust against overfitting when using the PME as peak calling preprocessor. In summary, we conclude that all methods, though small differences exist, are largely reliable and enable a wide spectrum of real-world biomedical applications.

Disinfection of transvaginal ultrasound probes in a clinical setting: comparative performance of automated and manual reprocessing methods.

PubMed

Buescher, D L; Möllers, M; Falkenberg, M K; Amler, S; Kipp, F; Burdach, J; Klockenbusch, W; Schmitz, R

2016-05-01

Transvaginal and intracavitary ultrasound probes are a possible source of cross-contamination with microorganisms and thus a risk to patients' health. Therefore appropriate methods for reprocessing are needed. This study was designed to compare the standard disinfection method for transvaginal ultrasound probes in Germany with an automated disinfection method in a clinical setting. This was a prospective randomized controlled clinical study of two groups. In each group, 120 microbial samples were collected from ultrasound transducers before and after disinfection with either an automated method (Trophon EPR®) or a manual method (Mikrozid Sensitive® wipes). Samples were then analyzed for microbial growth and isolates were identified to species level. Automated disinfection had a statistically significantly higher success rate of 91.4% (106/116) compared with 78.8% (89/113) for manual disinfection (P = 0.009). The risk of contamination was increased by 2.9-fold when disinfection was performed manually (odds ratio, 2.9 (95% CI, 1.3-6.3)). Before disinfection, bacterial contamination was observed on 98.8% of probes. Microbial analysis revealed 36 different species of bacteria, including skin and environmental bacteria as well as pathogenic bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus, enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas spp. Considering the high number of contaminated probes and bacterial species found, disinfection of the ultrasound probe's body and handle should be performed after each use to decrease the risk of cross-contamination. This study favored automated disinfection owing to its significantly higher efficacy compared with a manual method. Copyright © 2015 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Copyright © 2015 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Validity of endothelial cell analysis methods and recommendations for calibration in Topcon SP-2000P specular microscopy.

PubMed

van Schaick, Willem; van Dooren, Bart T H; Mulder, Paul G H; Völker-Dieben, Hennie J M

2005-07-01

To report on the calibration of the Topcon SP-2000P specular microscope and the Endothelial Cell Analysis Module of the IMAGEnet 2000 software, and to establish the validity of the different endothelial cell density (ECD) assessment methods available in these instruments. Using an external microgrid, we calibrated the magnification of the SP-2000P and the IMAGEnet software. In both eyes of 36 volunteers, we validated 4 ECD assessment methods by comparing these methods to the gold standard manual ECD, manual counting of cells on a video print. These methods were: the estimated ECD, estimation of ECD with a reference grid on the camera screen; the SP-2000P ECD, pointing out whole contiguous cells on the camera screen; the uncorrected IMAGEnet ECD, using automatically drawn cell borders, and the corrected IMAGEnet ECD, with manual correction of incorrectly drawn cell borders in the automated analysis. Validity of each method was evaluated by calculating both the mean difference with the manual ECD and the limits of agreement as described by Bland and Altman. Preset factory values of magnification were incorrect, resulting in errors in ECD of up to 9%. All assessments except 1 of the estimated ECDs differed significantly from manual ECDs, with most differences being similar (< or =6.5%), except for uncorrected IMAGEnet ECD (30.2%). Corrected IMAGEnet ECD showed the narrowest limits of agreement (-4.9 to +19.3%). We advise checking the calibration of magnification in any specular microscope or endothelial analysis software as it may be erroneous. Corrected IMAGEnet ECD is the most valid of the investigated methods in the Topcon SP-2000P/IMAGEnet 2000 combination.

Automated replication of cone beam CT-guided treatments in the Pinnacle(3) treatment planning system for adaptive radiotherapy.

PubMed

Hargrave, Catriona; Mason, Nicole; Guidi, Robyn; Miller, Julie-Anne; Becker, Jillian; Moores, Matthew; Mengersen, Kerrie; Poulsen, Michael; Harden, Fiona

2016-03-01

Time-consuming manual methods have been required to register cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images with plans in the Pinnacle(3) treatment planning system in order to replicate delivered treatments for adaptive radiotherapy. These methods rely on fiducial marker (FM) placement during CBCT acquisition or the image mid-point to localise the image isocentre. A quality assurance study was conducted to validate an automated CBCT-plan registration method utilising the Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) Structure Set (RS) and Spatial Registration (RE) files created during online image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT). CBCTs of a phantom were acquired with FMs and predetermined setup errors using various online IGRT workflows. The CBCTs, DICOM RS and RE files were imported into Pinnacle(3) plans of the phantom and the resulting automated CBCT-plan registrations were compared to existing manual methods. A clinical protocol for the automated method was subsequently developed and tested retrospectively using CBCTs and plans for six bladder patients. The automated CBCT-plan registration method was successfully applied to thirty-four phantom CBCT images acquired with an online 0 mm action level workflow. Ten CBCTs acquired with other IGRT workflows required manual workarounds. This was addressed during the development and testing of the clinical protocol using twenty-eight patient CBCTs. The automated CBCT-plan registrations were instantaneous, replicating delivered treatments in Pinnacle(3) with errors of ±0.5 mm. These errors were comparable to mid-point-dependant manual registrations but superior to FM-dependant manual registrations. The automated CBCT-plan registration method quickly and reliably replicates delivered treatments in Pinnacle(3) for adaptive radiotherapy.

Correction for FDG PET dose extravasations: Monte Carlo validation and quantitative evaluation of patient studies.

PubMed

Silva-Rodríguez, Jesús; Aguiar, Pablo; Sánchez, Manuel; Mosquera, Javier; Luna-Vega, Víctor; Cortés, Julia; Garrido, Miguel; Pombar, Miguel; Ruibal, Alvaro

2014-05-01

Current procedure guidelines for whole body [18F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG)-positron emission tomography (PET) state that studies with visible dose extravasations should be rejected for quantification protocols. Our work is focused on the development and validation of methods for estimating extravasated doses in order to correct standard uptake value (SUV) values for this effect in clinical routine. One thousand three hundred sixty-seven consecutive whole body FDG-PET studies were visually inspected looking for extravasation cases. Two methods for estimating the extravasated dose were proposed and validated in different scenarios using Monte Carlo simulations. All visible extravasations were retrospectively evaluated using a manual ROI based method. In addition, the 50 patients with higher extravasated doses were also evaluated using a threshold-based method. Simulation studies showed that the proposed methods for estimating extravasated doses allow us to compensate the impact of extravasations on SUV values with an error below 5%. The quantitative evaluation of patient studies revealed that paravenous injection is a relatively frequent effect (18%) with a small fraction of patients presenting considerable extravasations ranging from 1% to a maximum of 22% of the injected dose. A criterion based on the extravasated volume and maximum concentration was established in order to identify this fraction of patients that might be corrected for paravenous injection effect. The authors propose the use of a manual ROI based method for estimating the effectively administered FDG dose and then correct SUV quantification in those patients fulfilling the proposed criterion.

Survey of Manual Methods of Measurements of Asbestos, Beryllium, Lead, Cadmium, Selenium, and Mercury in Stationary Source Emissions. Environmental Monitoring Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coulson, Dale M.; And Others

The purpose of this study is to evaluate existing manual methods for analyzing asbestos, beryllium, lead, cadmium, selenium, and mercury, and from this evaluation to provide the best and most practical set of analytical methods for measuring emissions of these elements from stationary sources. The work in this study was divided into two phases.…

Review of manual control methods for handheld maneuverable instruments.

PubMed

Fan, Chunman; Dodou, Dimitra; Breedveld, Paul

2013-06-01

By the introduction of new technologies, surgical procedures have been varying from free access in open surgery towards limited access in minimal access surgery. Improving access to difficult-to-reach anatomic sites, e.g. in neurosurgery or percutaneous interventions, needs advanced maneuverable instrumentation. Advances in maneuverable technology require the development of dedicated methods enabling surgeons to stay in direct, manual control of these complex instruments. This article gives an overview of the state-of-the-art in the development of manual control methods for handheld maneuverable instruments. It categorizes the manual control methods in three levels: a) number of steerable segments, b) number of Degrees Of Freedom (DOF), and c) coupling between control motion of the handle and steering motion of the tip. The literature research was completed by using Web of Science, Scopus and PubMed. The study shows that in controlling single steerable segments, direct as well as indirect control methods have been developed, whereas in controlling multiple steerable segments, a gradual shift can be noticed from parallel and serial control to integrated control. The development of multi-segmented maneuverable instruments is still at an early stage, and an intuitive and effective method to control them has to become a primary focus in the domain of minimal access surgery.

User Manuals for a Primary Care Electronic Medical Record System: A Mixed Methods Study of User- and Vendor-Generated Documents

PubMed Central

Dow, Rustam; Barnsley, Jan; Tu, Karen; Domb, Sharon; Jadad, Alejandro R.; Lemieux-Charles, Louise

2015-01-01

Research problem Tutorials and user manuals are important forms of impersonal support for using software applications including electronic medical records (EMRs). Differences between user- and vendor documentation may indicate support needs, which are not sufficiently addressed by the official documentation, and reveal new elements that may inform the design of tutorials and user manuals. Research question What are the differences between user-generated tutorials and manuals for an EMR and the official user manual from the software vendor? Literature review Effective design of tutorials and user manuals requires careful packaging of information, balance between declarative and procedural texts, an action and task-oriented approach, support for error recognition and recovery, and effective use of visual elements. No previous research compared these elements between formal and informal documents. Methodology We conducted an mixed methods study. Seven tutorials and two manuals for an EMR were collected from three family health teams and compared with the official user manual from the software vendor. Documents were qualitatively analyzed using a framework analysis approach in relation to the principles of technical documentation described above. Subsets of the data were quantitatively analyzed using cross-tabulation to compare the types of error information and visual cues in screen captures between user- and vendor-generated manuals. Results and discussion The user-developed tutorials and manuals differed from the vendor-developed manual in that they contained mostly procedural and not declarative information; were customized to the specific workflow, user roles, and patient characteristics; contained more error information related to work processes than to software usage; and used explicit visual cues on screen captures to help users identify window elements. These findings imply that to support EMR implementation, tutorials and manuals need to be customized and adapted to specific organizational contexts and workflows. The main limitation of the study is its generalizability. Future research should address this limitation and may explore alternative approaches to software documentation, such as modular manuals or participatory design. PMID:26190888

Optimal level of continuous positive airway pressure: auto-adjusting titration versus titration with a predictive equation.

PubMed

Choi, Ji Ho; Jun, Young Joon; Oh, Jeong In; Jung, Jong Yoon; Hwang, Gyu Ho; Kwon, Soon Young; Lee, Heung Man; Kim, Tae Hoon; Lee, Sang Hag; Lee, Seung Hoon

2013-05-01

The aims of the present study were twofold. We sought to compare two methods of titrating the level of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) - auto-adjusting titration and titration using a predictive equation - with full-night manual titration used as the benchmark. We also investigated the reliability of the two methods in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). Twenty consecutive adult patients with OSAS who had successful, full-night manual and auto-adjusting CPAP titration participated in this study. The titration pressure level was calculated with a previously developed predictive equation based on body mass index and apnea-hypopnea index. The mean titration pressure levels obtained with the manual, auto-adjusting, and predictive equation methods were 9.0 +/- 3.6, 9.4 +/- 3.0, and 8.1 +/- 1.6 cm H2O,respectively. There was a significant difference in the concordance within the range of +/- 2 cm H2O (p = 0.019) between both the auto-adjusting titration and the titration using the predictive equation compared to the full-night manual titration. However, there was no significant difference in the concordance within the range of +/- 1 cm H2O (p > 0.999). When compared to full-night manual titration as the standard method, auto-adjusting titration appears to be more reliable than using a predictive equation for determining the optimal CPAP level in patients with OSAS.

Characterization of shallow unconsolidated aquifers in West Africa using different hydrogeological data sources as a contribution to the promotion of manual drilling and low cost techniques for groundwater exploration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fussi, Fabio; Fumagalli, Letizia; Bonomi, Tullia; Kane, Cheikh H.; Fava, Francesco; Di Mauro, Biagio; Hamidou, Barry; Niang, Magatte; Wade, Souleye; Colombo, Roberto

2016-04-01

Manual drilling refers to several drilling methods that rely on human energy to construct a borehole and complete a water supply (Danert, 2015). It can be an effective strategy to increase access to groundwater in low income countries , but manual drilling can be applied only where shallow geological layers are relatively soft and water table is not too deep. It is important therefore to identify those zones where shallow hydrogeological conditions are suitable, investigating the characteristics of shallow porous aquifers. Existing hydrogeological studies are generally focused in the characterization of deep fractures aquifers, more productive and able to ensure water supply for large settlements. Information concerning shallow porous aquifers are limited. This research has been carried out in two different study areas in West Africa (North-Western Senegal and Eastern Guinea). Aim of the research is the characterization of shallow aquifer using different methods and the identification of hydrogeological condition suitable for manual drilling implementation. Three different methods to estimate geometry and hydraulic properties of shallow unconsolidated aquifers have been used: The first method is based on the analysis of stratigraphic data obtained from borehole logs of the national water point database in both countries. The following steps have been implemented on the original information using the software TANGAFRIC, specifically designed for this study: a) identification of most frequent terms used for hydrogeological description in Senegal and Guinea database; b) definition of standard categories and manual codification of data; c) automatic extraction of average distribution of textural classes at different depth intervals in the unconsolidated aquifer; d) estimation of hydraulic parameters using conversion tables between texture and hydraulic conductivity available in the literature. . The second method is based on the interpretation of pump and recovery test in large diameter wells. K values obtained from these tests provide direct information on hydraulic parameters of shallow porous aquifers (while pump tests data obtained from deep mechanized boreholes, exploiting fractured aquifers, cannot be considered representative for the target shallow aquifer of manual drilling). The third method is based on the interpretation of stratigraphic logs and simplified pump test from manual drilled wells carried out since 2012 in Guinea. In this country a standard and systematic procedure to collect hydrogeological data from these wells (therefore indicating properties of shallow aquifer) has been put in place in 2011; it is considered one of the best example worldwide about technical data collection and systematization from manual drilling activities, but its development has been stopped because of the outbreak of Ebola in this country. The integration of these 3 methods allow to estimate geometry and hydraulic behavior of shallow unconsolidated aquifer, identifying those areas where manual drilling is feasible and estimating potential yield that can be extracted. In the mean time this research provides relevant indications concerning the use of data obtained from low cost open hand dug or manually drilled wells (rarely used in hydrogeological research) for groundwater exploration of shallow aquifers.