Sample records for document presents background

  1. Document segmentation for high-quality printing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ancin, Hakan

    1997-04-01

    A technique to segment dark texts on light background of mixed mode color documents is presented. This process does not perceptually change graphics and photo regions. Color documents are scanned and printed from various media which usually do not have clean background. This is especially the case for the printouts generated from thin magazine samples, these printouts usually include text and figures form the back of the page, which is called bleeding. Removal of bleeding artifacts improves the perceptual quality of the printed document and reduces the color ink usage. By detecting the light background of the document, these artifacts are removed from background regions. Also detection of dark text regions enables the halftoning algorithms to use true black ink for the black text pixels instead of composite black. The processed document contains sharp black text on white background, resulting improved perceptual quality and better ink utilization. The described method is memory efficient and requires a small number of scan lines of high resolution color documents during processing.

  2. Adaptive color artwork

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Beretta, Giordano

    2007-01-01

    The words in a document are often supported, illustrated, and enriched by visuals. When color is used, some of it is used to define the document's identity and is therefore strictly controlled in the design process. The result of this design process is a "color specification sheet," which must be created for every background color. While in traditional publishing there are only a few backgrounds, in variable data publishing a larger number of backgrounds can be used. We present an algorithm that nudges the colors in a visual to be distinct from a background while preserving the visual's general color character.

  3. Presenter's Guide to Perspectives (Law-Related Education). Draft.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pratt, Robert B.

    This document is the presenter's guide to SO 008 871. The document is the result of three and one-half years of effort to improve social studies in the secondary schools in Iowa. Perspectives, part one of the two-part series, presents information and background to aid in the reform, innovation, and evaluation of social studies programs. This…

  4. Aviation System Analysis Capability Quick Response System Report

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Roberts, Eileen; Villani, James A.; Ritter, Paul

    1998-01-01

    The purpose of this document is to present the additions and modifications made to the Aviation System Analysis Capability (ASAC) Quick Response System (QRS) in FY 1997 in support of the ASAC ORS development effort. This document contains an overview of the project background and scope and defines the QRS. The document also presents an overview of the Logistics Management Institute (LMI) facility that supports the QRS, and it includes a summary of the planned additions to the QRS in FY 1998. The document has five appendices.

  5. The Gasoline Shortage: A National Perspective; A Background Paper, Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, U.S. Senate, Ninety-Third Congress, First Session. [Committee Print

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. Senate Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs.

    This publication is a background document for the National Fuels and Energy Policy Study authorized by Senate Resolution 45. The purpose of this report is to identify the issues, to describe the impact of present policy on gasoline supply and demand, and to suggest potential measures to reduce the shortfall. This document is published to assist…

  6. Aviation System Analysis Capability (ASAC) Quick Response System (QRS) Test Report

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Roberts, Eileen; Villani, James A.; Ritter, Paul

    1997-01-01

    This document is the Aviation System Analysis Capability (ASAC) Quick Response System (QRS) Test Report. The purpose of this document is to present the results of the QRS unit and system tests in support of the ASAC QRS development effort. This document contains an overview of the project background and scope, defines the QRS system and presents the additions made to the QRS this year, explains the assumptions, constraints, and approach used to conduct QRS Unit and System Testing, and presents the schedule used to perform QRS Testing. The document also presents an overview of the Logistics Management Institute (LMI) Test Facility and testing environment and summarizes the QRS Unit and System Test effort and results.

  7. Mexico: Centro de Documentacion e Informacion Educativa. Seminario de Documentacion e Informacion Pedagogica en America Latina (The Mexican Center for Educational Documentation and Information. Working Paper for the Seminar on Educational Documentation and Information in Latin America).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Secretaria de Educacion Publica, Mexico City (Mexico). Centro de Documentacion e Informacion Educativa.

    This document describes the Center for Documentation and Educational Information in Mexico City. Background information on similar services in Mexico is provided and a detailed description of the Center is presented, covering organization, objectives, administration, users, activities, services, and publications. (VM)

  8. A Perspective on Marketing Teacher Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Turner, John E.

    1990-01-01

    This document presents a model for program planning and decision making for teacher education in marketing and discusses teacher education policy in the context of the model. The first section explains the document's background and perspective. The second section places marketing teacher education in the context of a larger marketing education…

  9. Proposed best demonstrated available technology (BDAT) background document for K031, K084, K101, K102, characteristic arsenic wastes (D004), characteristic selenium wastes (D010), and P and U wastes containing arsenic and selenium listing constitutents. Volume 1

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

    Rosengrant, L.; Craig, R.

    1989-11-01

    The background document presents the technical support and rationale for developing regulatory standards for K031, K084, K101, K102, D004, D010 and P and U wastes. Section 1 presents available data regarding the industries affected by the land disposal restriction, brief descriptions of the waste-generating processes, and waste characterization data. Section 2 discusses the technologies used to treat the wastes; Section 3 presents available treatment performance data; Section explains EPA's determination of BDAT; Section 5 discusses the selection of constituents to be regulated; and Section 6 determines the proposed treatment standards.

  10. Exploring the Unknown: Selected Documents in the History of the US Civil Space Program. Volume 1; Organizing for Exploration

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Logsdon, John M. (Editor); Lear, Linda J. (Editor); Warren-Findley, Jannelle (Editor); Williamson, Ray A. (Editor); Day, Dwayne A. (Editor)

    1995-01-01

    A selection of key documents in the history of the U.S. civil space program is presented. This volume deals with organizational developments of the space program. More than 200 documents are printed. Each is introduced by a headnote providing context, bibliographical information, and background information necessary to understanding the document. These are organized into four major sections, each beginning with an introductory essay that keys the documents to major events in the history of the space program.

  11. GRC-11-02-17-WindTunnel-9x15-001

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2017-11-02

    The Aerosciences Evaluation and Test Capabilities (AETC) Portfolio implemented the Capability Challenge to “Reduce Background Noise Levels for Engine Efficiency Measurements at the NASA Glenn 9x15 Low Speed Wind Tunnel”. The 9x15 Low Speed Wind Tunnel Acoustic Improvements animation documents the acoustic modifications being made to the 9x15 leg of the wind tunnel to reduce background noise levels. A brief history of the 9x15, research testing performed in the wind tunnel, the need to reduce background noise, and the five state of the art acoustic design modifications are documented in the animation. The expected noise reduction is presented audibly and the resulting benefit to NASA is also defined.

  12. Adaptive removal of background and white space from document images using seam categorization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fillion, Claude; Fan, Zhigang; Monga, Vishal

    2011-03-01

    Document images are obtained regularly by rasterization of document content and as scans of printed documents. Resizing via background and white space removal is often desired for better consumption of these images, whether on displays or in print. While white space and background are easy to identify in images, existing methods such as naïve removal and content aware resizing (seam carving) each have limitations that can lead to undesirable artifacts, such as uneven spacing between lines of text or poor arrangement of content. An adaptive method based on image content is hence needed. In this paper we propose an adaptive method to intelligently remove white space and background content from document images. Document images are different from pictorial images in structure. They typically contain objects (text letters, pictures and graphics) separated by uniform background, which include both white paper space and other uniform color background. Pixels in uniform background regions are excellent candidates for deletion if resizing is required, as they introduce less change in document content and style, compared with deletion of object pixels. We propose a background deletion method that exploits both local and global context. The method aims to retain the document structural information and image quality.

  13. Mathematics Technical Report: Exercise Volume. National Assessment of Educational Progress. Report No. 04-MA-20.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Education Commission of the States, Denver, CO. National Assessment of Educational Progress.

    Included in Chapter 1 of this report are background information on the 1972-73 mathematics assessment; details of the computational formulas used in reporting results; and explanations of the technical documentation, exercise presentation, documentation pages, scoring guides, and data tables for released and unreleased exercises. The remainder of…

  14. SSME Advanced Health Management: Project Overview

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Plowden, John

    2000-01-01

    This document is the viewgraphs from a presentation concerning the development of the Health Management system for the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME). It reviews the historical background of the SSME Advanced Health Management effort through the present final Health management configuration. The document includes reviews of three subsystems to the Advanced Health Management System: (1) the Real-Time Vibration Monitor System, (2) the Linear Engine Model, and (3) the Optical Plume Anomaly Detection system.

  15. Communication pitfalls of traditional history and physical write-up documentation

    PubMed Central

    Brown, Jeffrey L

    2017-01-01

    Background An unofficial standardized “write-up” outline is commonly used for documenting history and physical examinations, giving oral presentations, and teaching clinical skills. Despite general acceptance, there is an apparent discrepancy between the way clinical encounters are conducted and how they are documented. Methods Fifteen medical school websites were randomly selected from search-engine generated lists. One example of a history and physical write-up from each of six sites, one teaching outline from each of nine additional sites, and recommendations for documentation made in two commonly used textbooks were compared for similarities and differences. Results Except for minor variations in documenting background information, all sampled materials utilized the same standardized format. When the examiners’ early perceptions of the patients’ degree of illness or level of distress were described, they were categorized as “general appearance” within the physical findings. Contrary to clinical practice, none of the examples or recommendations documented these early perceptions before chief concerns and history were presented. Discussion An examiner’s initial perceptions of a patient’s affect, degree of illness, and level of distress can influence the content of the history, triage decisions, and prioritization of likely diagnoses. When chief concerns and history are shared without benefit of this information, erroneous assumptions and miscommunications can result. Conclusion This survey confirms common use of a standardized outline for documenting, communicating, and teaching history-taking and physical examination protocol. The present outline shares early observations out of clinical sequence and may provide inadequate context for accurate interpretation of chief concerns and history. Corrective actions include modifying the documentation sequence to conform to clinical practice and teaching contextual methodology for sharing patient information. PMID:28096709

  16. Policy Framework for Addressing Personal Security Issues Concerning Women and Girls. National Strategy on Community Safety and Crime Prevention.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National Crime Prevention Centre, Ottawa (Ontario).

    This document presents a policy framework for improving the personal security of women and girls. The document includes: (1) "Introduction"; (2) "Policy Background" (the concept of personal security, the societal context of women's personal security, consequences of violence for women and girls, long-term policy concern, and…

  17. Monitoring the Implementation of IDEA: Proceedings of the National Monitoring Conference (6th, Salt Lake City, Utah, October 2002).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tschantz, Jennifer

    This document presents the proceedings of the sixth National Monitoring Conference concerned with implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Introductory material describes the purpose and background of the document and the federal monitoring of states, including the Continuous Improvement Monitoring Process (CIMP) and…

  18. Choguita Rarámuri (Tarahumara) Language Description and Documentation: A Guide to the Deposited Collection and Associated Materials

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Caballero, Gabriela

    2017-01-01

    Choguita Rarámuri (Tarahumara) is a Uto-Aztecan language spoken in Northern Mexico of great typological, theoretical, and historical significance. This paper presents an overview and background of the Choguita Rarámuri language description and documentation project and provides a guide to the documentary collection emerging from this project. This…

  19. Children's Self-Documentation and Understanding of the Concepts "Healthy" and "Unhealthy"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reeve, Suzanne; Bell, Philip

    2009-01-01

    The present paper describes a study in which 13 children aged 9-11 years, of diverse ethnic, linguistic, and socio-economic backgrounds, were asked to use a digital camera and small notebook to document the range of things they consider to be healthy and unhealthy. Using open-ended interview questions, the children were then asked to explain each…

  20. The Persistence of Presentism

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hargreaves, Andy; Shirley, Dennis

    2009-01-01

    Background/Context: This study draws on the voluminous research on teachers' workplace orientations and especially on Dan Lortie's documentation of conservatism, individualism, and presentism among teachers. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study: This study investigated a school reform network of over 300 secondary schools entitled…

  1. iSMART: Ontology-based Semantic Query of CDA Documents

    PubMed Central

    Liu, Shengping; Ni, Yuan; Mei, Jing; Li, Hanyu; Xie, Guotong; Hu, Gang; Liu, Haifeng; Hou, Xueqiao; Pan, Yue

    2009-01-01

    The Health Level 7 Clinical Document Architecture (CDA) is widely accepted as the format for electronic clinical document. With the rich ontological references in CDA documents, the ontology-based semantic query could be performed to retrieve CDA documents. In this paper, we present iSMART (interactive Semantic MedicAl Record reTrieval), a prototype system designed for ontology-based semantic query of CDA documents. The clinical information in CDA documents will be extracted into RDF triples by a declarative XML to RDF transformer. An ontology reasoner is developed to infer additional information by combining the background knowledge from SNOMED CT ontology. Then an RDF query engine is leveraged to enable the semantic queries. This system has been evaluated using the real clinical documents collected from a large hospital in southern China. PMID:20351883

  2. Keeping the Peace in an Age of Conflict: Debating the U.S. Role. Choices for the 21st Century.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lhowe, Mary, Ed.

    This document presents a particularly challenging unit that thrusts students into the new foreign policy frontier that has developed since the end of the Cold War. The unit contains background reading and foreign policy options. The first part of the background reading introduces students to the institutions and conceptual framework of the…

  3. Background Music in the Dissection Laboratory: Impact on Stress Associated with the Dissection Experience

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Anyanwu, Emeka G.

    2015-01-01

    Notable challenges, such as mental distress, boredom, negative moods, and attitudes, have been associated with learning in the cadaver dissection laboratory (CDL). The ability of background music (BM) to enhance the cognitive abilities of students is well documented. The present study was designed to investigate the impact of BM in the CDL and on…

  4. Long-term warranties on highway projects.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2008-09-01

    This report documents the state of the art and practice of warranty contracting in the United States. Background information, key elements, benefits and concerns, and lesson learned in other states regarding warranty contracting are presented in the ...

  5. Computer program documentation user information for the RSO-tape print program (RSOPRNT)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gibbs, P. M. (Principal Investigator)

    1980-01-01

    A user's guide for the RSOPRNT, a TRASYS Master Restart Output Tape (RSO) reader is presented. Background information and sample runstreams, as well as, references, input requirements and options, are included.

  6. Federal Child Care Policy. Current and Proposed. Family Impact Seminar (Washington, D.C., April 28, 1989). Meeting Highlights and Background Briefing Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ooms, Theodora; Herendeen, Lisa

    The purpose of this policy seminar, one of a series of family impact seminars, was to consider current and proposed policies of the federal government that concern child care. This document provides highlights of presentations by the seminar panelists and a background briefing report prepared before the meeting. The highlights section summarizes:…

  7. TORO II: A finite element computer program for nonlinear quasi-static problems in electromagnetics: Part 2, User`s manual

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

    Gartling, D.K.

    User instructions are given for the finite element, electromagnetics program, TORO II. The theoretical background and numerical methods used in the program are documented in SAND95-2472. The present document also describes a number of example problems that have been analyzed with the code and provides sample input files for typical simulations. 20 refs., 34 figs., 3 tabs.

  8. 2015 Revision to 2008 Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) Related Documents

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Find tools for background ozone, maps of nonattainment areas, an overview of the proposal, and information on designations, monitoring and permitting requirements and a presentation on the 2015 ozone NAAQS revision.

  9. Apostle Islands National Lakeshore: alternatives analysis for LCM replacement

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2014-10-01

    This report documents a study which analyzed various transportation options for Apostle Islands National Lakeshore (APIS) to pump toilet systems and perform construction support activities. The report presents the background of the study; describes t...

  10. Surrogate Safety Assessment Model (SSAM)--software user manual

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2008-05-01

    This document presents guidelines for the installation and use of the Surrogate Safety Assessment Model (SSAM) software. For more information regarding the SSAM application, including discussion of theoretical background and the results of a series o...

  11. Library Service Now in New York State: A Background Paper Prepared for the Governor's Commission on Libraries. Some People Say...

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Prentice, Ann E.; Connor, Jean L.

    Prepared as a background paper for the Governor's Conference on Libraries in June 1978, this document presents a summary of what is known (or not known) about the library 'picture' in New York State. This picture is sketched in an overview, and then specific areas are colored in. Information on each type of library--school, public, academic,…

  12. VISIONS2 Learning for Life Initiative. Workplace Literacy Implementation Model.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Walsh, Chris L.; Ferguson, Susan E.; Taylor, Mary Lou

    This document presents a model for implementing workplace literacy education that focuses on giving front-line workers or first-line workers basic skills instruction and an appreciation for lifelong learning. The introduction presents background information on the model, which was developed during a partnership between a technical college and an…

  13. African swine fever: background, present time and prospects

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The purpose of this monograph is to summarize the existing international and national experience of monitoring, diagnostics, forecasting, and implementing measures of management and control of ASF. This publication contains national and international regulatory documents, reference materials and the...

  14. Guidelines for Measuring Coastal Acidification

    EPA Science Inventory

    The purpose of this presentation is to provide EPA colleagues in region 1 with background information related to, and a description of, the recently published document entitled "Guidelines for Measuring Changes in seawater pH and associated carbonate chemistry in coastal env...

  15. Federal Strategies for Inducing Technological Innovation in the Auto Industry

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1978-03-01

    The present document is intended to provide background information on the innovation process and the spectrum of alternative Federal strate??ies for achieving National automotive goals in the areas of safety, fuel economy and emissions. A narrative...

  16. Proposed amendment to best demonstrated available technology (BDAT) background document for wastes from the production of 1, 1, 1-trichloroethane K028, K029, K095, and K096. Volume 5

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

    Berlow, J.R.; Eby, E.

    This amendment document describes the technologies used to treat K028 nonwastewater metals and K029, K095, and K096 waste waters (or similar wastes, if any) and presents the treatment performance data on which the treatment standards for these wastes are based. The document also explains how EPA determined BDAT, selected constituents for regulation, and calculated proposed treatment standards for K028 nonwaste water metals and K029, K095, and K096 wastewaters.

  17. Human Factors in the Design and Evaluation of Air Traffic Control Systems

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1995-04-01

    This document presents human factors issues that should be considered in the design and evaluation of air traffic : control (ATC) systems and subsystems. It provides background material on the capabilities and limitations of humans as : information p...

  18. Coral Reef Early Warning System (CREWS) RPC Experiment

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Estep, Leland; Spruce, Joseph P.; Hall, Callie

    2007-01-01

    This viewgraph document reviews the background, objectives, methodology, validation, and present status of the Coral Reef Early Warning System (CREWS) Rapid Prototyping Capability (RPC) experiment. The potential NASA contribution to CREWS Decision Support Tool (DST) centers on remotely sensed imagery products.

  19. Document image binarization using "multi-scale" predefined filters

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Saabni, Raid M.

    2018-04-01

    Reading text or searching for key words within a historical document is a very challenging task. one of the first steps of the complete task is binarization, where we separate foreground such as text, figures and drawings from the background. Successful results of this important step in many cases can determine next steps to success or failure, therefore it is very vital to the success of the complete task of reading and analyzing the content of a document image. Generally, historical documents images are of poor quality due to their storage condition and degradation over time, which mostly cause to varying contrasts, stains, dirt and seeping ink from reverse side. In this paper, we use banks of anisotropic predefined filters in different scales and orientations to develop a binarization method for degraded documents and manuscripts. Using the fact, that handwritten strokes may follow different scales and orientations, we use predefined sets of filter banks having various scales, weights, and orientations to seek a compact set of filters and weights in order to generate diffrent layers of foregrounds and background. Results of convolving these fiters on the gray level image locally, weighted and accumulated to enhance the original image. Based on the different layers, seeds of components in the gray level image and a learning process, we present an improved binarization algorithm to separate the background from layers of foreground. Different layers of foreground which may be caused by seeping ink, degradation or other factors are also separated from the real foreground in a second phase. Promising experimental results were obtained on the DIBCO2011 , DIBCO2013 and H-DIBCO2016 data sets and a collection of images taken from real historical documents.

  20. Improved Emergency Egress Lighting System for the ISS

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Eaton, Leslie L.; Barr, Don A.

    2005-01-01

    Emergency lights provide illumination in corridors, stairwells, ramps, escalators, aisles, and exit passageways during power failures. Safety and visibility are critical during a power outage. If emergency lights fail to operate properly, the building occupants can become disoriented. Four documents in a collection discuss different topics relating to a proposed improved emergency egress lighting system (EELS) for the International Space Station (ISS). While the present EELS is designed around rows of green-light-emitting diodes, the proposed system contains strips of electroluminescent tape using different colors for each egress path. The proposed EELS can be powered by the same battery currently used by the present EELS, but would require an inverter because electroluminescent devices require AC. Electroluminescent devices also require significantly less current and, depending on the color, would emit 3 to 8 times the light of the present EELS. In addition, they could operate for up to 75 hours (versus .20 minutes for the present system). The first document contains a one-page summary of the proposal and an evaluation of technical merit. The second document summarizes the motivation for, and the design of, the proposed EELS. The third document addresses relevant aspects of the measurement of spectral sensitivity and the psychophysics of perception of light. The fourth document presents additional background information and technical specifications for the electroluminescent tapes.

  1. Towards More Flexibility in Training: A Review of Some Experiences in Rationalizing the Provision of Vocational Qualifications. Employment and Training Papers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tchaban, A., Ed.

    This document presents five papers, each describing different experiences in the introduction, promotion and implementation of innovative adult training approaches aimed at achieving more flexibility in skill development. An introduction (Anatoli Tchaban) presents background information and a synthesis of the studies covering definitions, concepts…

  2. Bulgarians: Costumes.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kolar, Walter W.

    This booklet presents background information and descriptions of Bulgarian national costumes. The document is part of an ethnic heritage unit intended for use by elementary and secondary social studies classroom teachers as they develop and implement cultural awareness educational programs on Bulgaria. Costumes from 11 Bulgarian regions are…

  3. Inert Reassessment Document for Sodium Molybdate - CAS No. 7631-95-0

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Sodium molybdate is a soluble sodium salt form of molybdenum, a naturallyoccurringelement that is present in the earth's crust and in soils at background concentrations of1-2 mgkg. Molybdenum is an essential trace element for virtually all life forms.

  4. Development of Advisory Levels for Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBS) Cleanup

    EPA Science Inventory

    The document presents background information used in developing advisory levels of PCBs in soil estimated to be permissible in protecting public health. The results of exposure assessment and health effects studies are combined to arrive at the permissible levels of PCBs. Health ...

  5. Correcting geometric and photometric distortion of document images on a smartphone

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Simon, Christian; Williem; Park, In Kyu

    2015-01-01

    A set of document image processing algorithms for improving the optical character recognition (OCR) capability of smartphone applications is presented. The scope of the problem covers the geometric and photometric distortion correction of document images. The proposed framework was developed to satisfy industrial requirements. It is implemented on an off-the-shelf smartphone with limited resources in terms of speed and memory. Geometric distortions, i.e., skew and perspective distortion, are corrected by sending horizontal and vertical vanishing points toward infinity in a downsampled image. Photometric distortion includes image degradation from moiré pattern noise and specular highlights. Moiré pattern noise is removed using low-pass filters with different sizes independently applied to the background and text region. The contrast of the text in a specular highlighted area is enhanced by locally enlarging the intensity difference between the background and text while the noise is suppressed. Intensive experiments indicate that the proposed methods show a consistent and robust performance on a smartphone with a runtime of less than 1 s.

  6. AISS Miro Manual: A Rough Guide

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2006-12-01

    Architechture for Autonomy. This document gives the reader background on “Miro” and the detailed procedure used to install the toolkit and all associated...and address of the organization preparing the document. Organizations for whom the document was prepared, e.g. Centre sponsoring a contractor’s report...to build DRDC’s Architechture for Autonomy. This document gives the reader background on “Miro” and the detailed procedure used to install the toolkit

  7. Developing Teachers: Improving Professional Development for Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Coe, Robert; Aloisi, Cesare; Higgins, Steve; Major, Lee Elliot

    2015-01-01

    This document is a summary of the report "What Makes Great Teaching". It argues that improved teacher ­development will positively impact on pupil attainment, particular those from disadvantaged backgrounds. "Developing Teachers" presents five policy recommendations which have been signed by 17 of Britain's leading headteachers…

  8. Mathematics at Work in Alberta.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Glanfield, Florence, Ed.; Tilroe, Daryle, Ed.

    This document is designed to assist teachers by providing practical examples of real world applications of high school mathematics. Fifteen problems are presented that individuals in industry and business solve using mathematics. Each problem provides the contributor's name, suggested skills required to solve the problem, background information…

  9. The Cuban Missile Crisis. Lesson Plan.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Miller, Linda K.; McAuliffe, Mary

    1994-01-01

    Presents a secondary lesson plan based on primary sources recently released by the Central Intelligence Agency on the Cuban Missile Crisis. Provides a background essay on the event. Includes five maps and three documents, all of which have been declassified from top secret or secret status. (CFR)

  10. NOx SOx Secondary NAAQS: Integrated Review Plan - CASAC Advisory

    EPA Science Inventory

    The NOx SOx Secondary NAAQS Integrated Review Plan is the first document generated as part of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) review process. The Plan presents background information, the schedule for the review, the process to be used in conducting the review,...

  11. Clean, Safe Water. For How Long?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zenke, Pam

    The document presents research and project-oriented activities at the secondary school level for studying Illinois' streams, water pollution, and methods for controlling pollution. Social, economic, and political issues are examined as part of the planning for pollution prevention. Following six teaching objectives, background information traces…

  12. Mathematics Equity. A Resource Book.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tyree, Eddy; And Others

    Provided in this document is a brief summary of current research on equity in mathematics, readings on the topic, and lists of selected programs and resource materials. Readings presented include: "Teaching Mathematics in a Multicultural Setting: Some Considerations when Teachers and Students are of Differing Cultural Backgrounds"…

  13. Accounting Principles and Financial Statements.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Robinson, Daniel D.

    1973-01-01

    This document presents the background and analysis of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) guide to auditing colleges and universities. Highlights include the approval of the market value option, the treatment of endowment gains, debt services as transfers, the decisions on pledges, the use of financial statements, the…

  14. Issue Papers To Consumer Protection in Postsecondary Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    1974

    This document is intended to present background information on the basic consumer protection issues in postsecondary education. Topics discussed are: (1) recruitment practices of postsecondary schools; (2) the role of a state agency in consumer protection; (3) consumer rights, responsibilities and redress of consumer protection; (4) advertising…

  15. Synthesis of OECD work on environment and transport and survey of related OECD, IEA and ECMT activities

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2000-04-17

    This document includes two related papers. The first, The Background and Synthesis Report, presents an overview of key conclusions and findings that can be derived from recent work by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) ...

  16. The Real E-books.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ditlea, Steve

    2000-01-01

    Focuses on the "real" e-books. Discusses Stephen King's novella released exclusively for electronic publication, and discusses experiences of another author writing on a specialized subject. Presents a brief background of e-books. Examines the differences between Portable Document Format (PDF) technology and the new Open eBook (OEB)…

  17. The use of fingerprints available on the web in false identity documents: Analysis from a forensic intelligence perspective.

    PubMed

    Girelli, Carlos Magno Alves

    2016-05-01

    Fingerprints present in false identity documents were found on the web. In some cases, laterally reversed (mirrored) images of a same fingerprint were observed in different documents. In the present work, 100 fingerprints images downloaded from the web, as well as their reversals obtained by image editing, were compared between themselves and against the database of the Brazilian Federal Police AFIS, in order to better understand trends about this kind of forgery in Brazil. Some image editing effects were observed in the analyzed fingerprints: addition of artifacts (such as watermarks), image rotation, image stylization, lateral reversal and tonal reversal. Discussion about lateral reversals' detection is presented in this article, as well as suggestion to reduce errors due to missed HIT decisions between reversed fingerprints. The present work aims to highlight the importance of the fingerprints' analysis when performing document examination, especially when only copies of documents are available, something very common in Brazil. Besides the intrinsic features of the fingermarks considered in three levels of details by ACE-V methodology, some visual features of the fingerprints images can be helpful to identify sources of forgeries and modus operandi, such as: limits and image contours, fails in the friction ridges caused by excess or lack of inking and presence of watermarks and artifacts arising from the background. Based on the agreement of such features in fingerprints present in different identity documents and also on the analysis of the time and location where the documents were seized, it is possible to highlight potential links between apparently unconnected crimes. Therefore, fingerprints have potential to reduce linkage blindness and the present work suggests the analysis of fingerprints when profiling false identity documents, as well as the inclusion of fingerprints features in the profile of the documents. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Current Recruitment Practices in Community Colleges and Other Post Secondary Institutions.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rinck, Lorna Lee

    Research documents, conference presentations, and journal articles are used in a five-part review of recruitment strategies currently being employed at junior colleges. The first section provides background information on the development of the community college movement. The second section focuses on changing student objectives and their…

  19. Computer Assisted Testing at the Education Resource Center.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Uffelman, Robert L.

    The development of the Computer Assisted Testing (CAT) System at the University of Delaware is described. The introduction presents the background leading up to interactive terminal testing in 1973. Documentation for the system includes CAT System programs, format of questions for constructing test item pools, format for entering class lists,…

  20. Psychopathology in Female Juvenile Offenders

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dixon, Angela; Howie, Pauline; Starling, Jean

    2004-01-01

    Background: The aim was to document the spectrum of present and lifetime psychological disorders in female juvenile offenders, and to examine the relations between mental health status and socio-demographic, family and trauma variables. Method: One hundred juvenile offenders were matched with a comparison group of 100 females on age and…

  1. Documenting the Past and the Present: Madrid, New Mexico.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gentry, Thomas

    2002-01-01

    Discusses a project in which students visit the town of Madrid, New Mexico, to create a photographic record of Madrid, accompanied by stories. Explains that a video documentary was created about this experience. Includes background information on the village of Madrid to be shared with students. (CMK)

  2. African-German Cooperation in Educational Research and Planning.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sachsenmeier, Peter

    The report presents background information and proceedings from a conference held in Bonn, Germany, in September 1977 to encourage exchange of ideas between African and German educators and government officials. Specifically, the conference served to document the increasing interest of German educators to interact with educators from the third…

  3. Aspects of School Television in Europe. A Documentation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Meyer, Manfred, Ed.

    This book is intended to provide background information for people interested in school television; for producers and editors of educational broadcasts worldwide; and newcomers, information seekers, and researchers in the field of educational broadcasting. Material in the book is presented in seven "chapters" or sections: Chapter 1--a…

  4. Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) Primary NAAQS Review: Integrated Review Plan - Advisory with CASAC

    EPA Science Inventory

    The SO2 Integrated Review Plan is the first document generated as part of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) review process. The Plan presents background information, the schedule for the review, the process to be used in conducting the review, and the key policy-...

  5. National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for Lime Manufacturing Background Information Document (BID): Public Comments and Responses

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    On December 20, 2002, the EPA proposed national emission standards for HAP emissions from lime manufacturing plants located at major source facilities (67 FR 78046). Summaries of the comments, and the EPA's responses, are presented in this BID.

  6. Win, Lose, and Drawing Conclusions: Bellows, Boxing, and Progressivism.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Adams, Peter A.

    1992-01-01

    Presents a lesson plan in which George Bellows's painting "Both Members of this Club" is analyzed as a historical document illustrating the Progressive movement. Suggests that the lesson can introduce students to a different form of historical communication. Includes background information and procedures for approaching the lesson.…

  7. Journalism Education's Roots in Latin America Are Traced.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Knudson, Jerry W.

    1987-01-01

    Discusses a document recently discovered in Bolivia that has cast new light on the background of journalism education in Latin America. Indicates that the movement toward the licensing of journalists was present from the beginning. Describes early journalism education in Argentina, Mexico, Ecuador, Peru, and Central America. (JD)

  8. Vocational Education-Defense Establishment Collaboration: State-of-the-Practice Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chalupsky, Albert B.; Peirano-Dalldorf, Marie R.

    This report presents a review of the historical background, progress, and problems associated with the development of collaborative efforts between vocational education and various sectors of the defense establishment. Through extensive document review, supplemented by telephone and on-site discussions with educators and employers, the benefits…

  9. India: A Land of Contrasts. How to Develop Pro-Active Action Student Awareness and Understanding about the Third World in South Asia.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Peters, Richard O.

    This document presents a critical thinking/decision-making model to help students in grades K-12 understand East Indian culture. It is divided into three sections. Section 1 provides background information about India from the 15th century BC to the present. It briefly discusses religion, independence, political organization, social institutions,…

  10. 36 CFR § 1238.14 - What are the microfilming requirements for permanent and unscheduled records?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... processing procedures in ANSI/AIIM MS1 and ANSI/AIIM MS23 (both incorporated by reference, see § 1238.5). (d... reference, see § 1238.5). (2) Background density of images. Agencies must use the background ISO standard... densities for images of documents are as follows: Classification Description of document Background density...

  11. Bethesda Conference #36 and the European Society of Cardiology Consensus Recommendations revisited a comparison of U.S. and European criteria for eligibility and disqualification of competitive athletes with cardiovascular abnormalities.

    PubMed

    Pelliccia, Antonio; Zipes, Douglas P; Maron, Barry J

    2008-12-09

    Aspiration to reduce the risks of athletic field deaths prompted the American Heart Association and European Society of Cardiology (ESC) to establish consensus guidelines for eligibility/disqualification decisions in competitive athletes with cardiovascular abnormalities. Since 2005, the Bethesda Conference #36 and the ESC consensus documents have been relied upon by physicians from different parts of the world. The 2 consensus documents emanate from largely different cultural, social, and legal backgrounds existing in the U.S. and Europe and, although several recommendations are similar, in some instances the Bethesda Conference #36 and the ESC consensus documents suggest different approaches to disqualification decisions and implications for clinical practice, raising the possibility that confusion and discrepancies will contaminate the management of competitive athletes with cardiovascular disease. In the present article, the differences between the 2 documents are critically viewed, with special attention to genetic cardiovascular diseases relevant to sudden death in young athletes, through the prism of different cultural backgrounds, societal attitudes, and also perceptions regarding exposure to legal liability in the U.S. and Europe. In conclusion, it seems appropriate at some time to consider assembling updated recommendations for sports eligibility/disqualification that assimilate both the U.S. and European perspectives, with the aspiration of creating a unique and authoritative document applicable to the global sports medicine community.

  12. The World Food Situation: Resource and Environmental Issues in the Developing Countries and the United States. Research Paper R-6.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Crosson, Pierre R.; Frederick, Kenneth D.

    The book provides an overview of the food situation in developing nations and in the United States as it will be until the end of the 20th century. Specifically, the research focuses on interrelationships among world food needs, resources, and environmental issues. The document is presented in seven chapters. Chapter I presents background on the…

  13. Work-Based Learning: A Resource Guide for Change.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hudson River Center for Program Development, Glenmont, NY.

    This document is intended to provide New York schools, business/industry representatives, and others with resources to develop or further refine work-based learning (WBL) strategies or components. Section 1 presents background information on the following topics: (1) the scope of WBL; (2) foundations for the development of WBL; (3) categories of…

  14. Developments in Technical Education in the British Caribbean, 1940-60.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pemberton, S. Macpherson

    The paper discusses developments in technical education in the British West Indies from 1940-1960 emphasizing the relation between education and economic development. The objective is to analyze the economic basis of progress in technical education. The document is presented in four chapters. Chapter I summarizes historical background prior to…

  15. Adolescent Eating Disorders: Anorexia and Bulimia. Publication 352-004.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bayer, Alan E.; Baker, Daniel H.

    This document presents an overview of anorexia nervosa and bulimia in adolescents. A brief review of the historical background of these eating disorders is included. Causes of anorexia and bulimia are discussed and physical, behavioral, emotional, and perceptual characteristics of the disorders are listed in a section on symptoms. The need for a…

  16. Context Modulates Attention to Social Scenes in Toddlers with Autism

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chawarska, Katarzyna; Macari, Suzanne; Shic, Frederick

    2012-01-01

    Background: In typical development, the unfolding of social and communicative skills hinges upon the ability to allocate and sustain attention toward people, a skill present moments after birth. Deficits in social attention have been well documented in autism, though the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Methods: In order to parse the…

  17. IFLA General Conference, 1986. Management and Technology Division. Section: Conservation. Papers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, The Hague (Netherlands).

    This document contains three papers on conservation which were presented at the 1986 International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) conference. In "The IFLA Conservation Section and the Core Programme for Preservation (PAC)," David W. G. Clements of the United Kingdom outlines the background of the Core Programme on Preservation…

  18. Brownfields to School Sites: How Can the State Facilitate Cleanup To Build Essential Schools?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    California State Legislature, Sacramento. Select Committee on Environmental Justice.

    This document presents background information and testimony concerning the cleanup of potentially contaminated vacant or underutilized property for use as future school sites in low-income and minority communities. Various proposals are offered that would allow the state, where necessary, to facilitate the cleanup of these "brownfields"…

  19. The Current Situation in Latin American Education. Bulletin, 1963, No. 21. OE-14060

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hauch, Charles C.

    1962-01-01

    The brief description of education in Latin American presented here is based on information available to the Office of Education, much of it in unpublished form, and provides an overview of the general situation of education in Latin America. Document contents include: (1) Introduction: Some Background Factors--historical,…

  20. Environmental Asbestos Assessment Manual Superfund Method for the Determination of Asbestos in Ambient Air Part 2: Technical Background Document

    EPA Science Inventory

    A sampling and analysis method for the determination of asbestos in air is presented in Part 1 of this report, under separate cover. This method is designed specifically to provide results suitable for supporting risk assessments at Superfund sites, although it is applicable t...

  1. Institutional Roles for In-Service Education of School Administrators.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lynch, Patrick D., Ed.; Blackstone, Peggy L., Ed.

    This document is a compilation of papers read at a 4-day conference attended by 60 participants from throughout the United States. Chapters include (1) "In-Service Education of School Administrators: Background, Present Status, and Problems," by Robert B. Howsam; (2) "Notes on Institutional Relationships in the In-Service Education of the…

  2. Teaching about Ethnic Conflict: Global Issues. Ethnic Heritage Series, Volume 2.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lamy, Steven L.

    The document presents background information and activities for use by secondary school social studies teachers as they incorporate material on ethnic conflict into the curriculum. Ethnic conflicts are interpreted as hostilities which are either solely based upon or accentuated by ethnic differences. Examples are violence in Northern Ireland,…

  3. Linking Culture and Environment: What Can the Anasazi Tell Us?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sunal, Cynthia Szymanski; Vinson, Beth McCulloch

    This document presents a series of eight lesson plans (or "learning cycles") for teaching fourth, fifth, and sixth grade students about the Anasazi Indians of the southwestern United States. Each lesson sets forth intended grade level, background information on the key idea and goal, time needed, prerequisite skills and concepts, a…

  4. Environmental Education in the Elementary School. A Selection of Articles Reprinted from Science and Children.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shugrue, Sylvia K., Comp.; Lamberton, Berenice, Comp.

    Included in this document are a selection of articles reprinted from SCIENCE AND CHILDREN. They focus on environmental education in the elementary school, and present a number of environmental perspectives. Those concerning general or background information are: an examination of environmental education: children's attitudes about the environment;…

  5. Connecticut's Challenge: An Agenda for Educational Equity and Excellence.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Connecticut State Board of Education, Hartford.

    In early 1984, Connecticut's state board of education adopted an agenda of seven major initiatives for improving the quality of education in the state. Each initiative was further broken down into one or more specific issues. This document examines the background of each issue, presents recommendations for addressing the issue, discusses…

  6. The Just Community School: The Theory and the Cambridge Cluster School Experiment.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kohlberg, Lawrence; And Others

    The background, evaluation process, theories, and practical aspects of the Just Community High School in Cambridge, Masachusetts, are presented. The document is organized into four sections. Section 1 briefly discusses the components of a Just School: participatory democracy with teachers and students having equal rights, emphasis on conflict…

  7. Productivity and Capital Goods.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zicht, Barbara, Ed.; And Others

    1981-01-01

    Providing teacher background on the concepts of productivity and capital goods, this document presents 3 teaching units about these ideas for different grade levels. The grade K-2 unit, "How Do They Do It?," is designed to provide students with an understanding of how physical capital goods add to productivity. Activities include a field trip to…

  8. Progress Report on the State of Texas Master Plan for Educational Technology, 2000-2003.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Texas Education Agency, Austin.

    This progress report documents accomplishments and activities for September 2000 through August 2002 related to the State of Texas Master Plan for Educational Technology 2000-2003. The first section presents background, goals, and recommendations as adopted by the Education Technology Coordinating Council (ETCC) in December 1999. The second…

  9. Policies and Practices in the Bibliographic Control of United States Government Publications.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Crowers, Clifford P., Ed.

    1974-01-01

    In an attempt to clarify the indexing and announcing controls for government documents, this issue of the Drexel Library Quarterly presents background information on several of the information controlling and access agencies, describes their operations, and points out their inherent problems and weaknesses. The agencies covered are the Government…

  10. Who Owns Your Land?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barlowe, Raleigh

    This document examines the background and the changing nature of property rights from feudal times to the present, and is intended as an educational booklet. The existence of property implies the presence of an owner, an object that can be owned, and a sovereign power to protect the property right. Property involves a number of separable rights,…

  11. Interagency Depainting Study Status

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Clark-Ingram, Marceia; Cook, Beth

    1999-01-01

    This document discusses coating removal in general. Sections of this presentation include: regulatory background, the initial parameters of the study, the current parameters of the study, stages in each sequence, preparation of the test specimen, material evaluation testing, chemical stripping, CO2 blasting, Flashjet coating removal, plastic media blasting, sodium bicarbonate wet stripping, water stripping, and wheat starch stripping.

  12. Program Planning: The Embryonic Stage.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stone, Gwen

    The document examines a number of sex education programs and reviews some of the problems and issues educators encounter in planning and initiating sex education programs. Included is a discussion of population background of Polk County, Iowa and a presentation by school administrators of five reasons which favor the teaching of sex education: (1)…

  13. Topics in Ho Morphophonology and Morphosyntax

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pucilowski, Anna

    2013-01-01

    Ho, an under-documented North Munda language of India, is known for its complex verb forms. This dissertation focuses on analysis of several features of those complex verbs, using data from original fieldwork undertaken by the author. By way of background, an analysis of the phonetics, phonology and morphophonology of Ho is first presented. Ho has…

  14. School Nurses' Perceived Barriers to Discussing Weight with Children and Their Families: A Qualitative Approach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Steele, Ric G.; Wu, Yelena P.; Jensen, Chad D.; Pankey, Sydni; Davis, Ann M.; Aylward, Brandon S.

    2011-01-01

    Background: Previous studies have documented the presence of specific barriers to school nurses' communications with families about weight-related health. The purpose of the present study was to contribute to the literature by further analyzing, using focus group methodology, school nurses' perceived barriers to addressing weight-related health…

  15. Story Retelling by Bilingual Children with Language Impairments and Typically Developing Controls

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Squires, Katie E.; Lugo-Neris, Mirza J.; Peña, Elizabeth D.; Bedore, Lisa M.; Bohman, Thomas M.; Gillam, Ronald B.

    2014-01-01

    Background: To date there is limited information documenting growth patterns in the narratives of bilingual children with and without primary language impairment (PLI). Aims: This study was designed to determine whether bilingual children with and without PLI present similar gains from kindergarten to first grade in the macro- and microstructure…

  16. Higher Education and Development in South-East Asia. Volume II, Country Profiles.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hayden, Howard; And Others

    This document, the second of three volumes concerned with the role of institutions of higher education in the development of countries in South-East Asia, presents country profiles for Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Viet-Nam, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and the Philippines. The profile emphasizes background, higher education, educational…

  17. Exploring the Scope of Design Expression: A Visual Introduction.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sitz, Robert C.

    This document presents a definition and brief background of graphic design and visual education. It outlines a journalism and mass media course lecture which introduces students to the commercial scope of visual communications and the potentials of design. The script along with appropriate slide titles and descriptions, are provided to recreate…

  18. Solid waste information and tracking system client-server conversion project management plan

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

    May, D.L.

    1998-04-15

    This Project Management Plan is the lead planning document governing the proposed conversion of the Solid Waste Information and Tracking System (SWITS) to a client-server architecture. This plan presents the content specified by American National Standards Institute (ANSI)/Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standards for software development, with additional information categories deemed to be necessary to describe the conversion fully. This plan is a living document that will be reviewed on a periodic basis and revised when necessary to reflect changes in baseline design concepts and schedules. This PMP describes the background, planning and management of the SWITS conversion.more » It does not constitute a statement of product requirements. Requirements and specification documentation needed for the SWITS conversion will be released as supporting documents.« less

  19. Background for protective action recommendations: accidental radioactive contamination of food and animal feeds. Final report

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

    Shleien, B.; Schmidt, G.D.; Chiacchierini, R.P.

    This report provides background material for the development of FDA's Protective Action Recommendations: Accidental Radioactive Contamination of Food and Animal Feeds. The rationale, dosimetric and agricultural transport models for the Protective Action Guides are presented, along with information on dietary intake. In addition, the document contains a discussion of field methods of analysis of radionuclides deposited on the ground or contained in milk and herbage. Various protective actions are described and evaluated, and a cost-effectiveness analysis for the recommendations performed.

  20. A SWOT analysis of the organization and financing of the Danish health care system.

    PubMed

    Christiansen, Terkel

    2002-02-01

    The organization and financing of the Danish health care system was evaluated within a framework of a SWOT analysis (analysis of Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) by a panel of five members with a background in health economics. The present paper describes the methods and materials used for the evaluation: selection of panel members, structure of the evaluation task according to the health care triangle model, selection of background material consisting of documents and literature on the Danish health care system, and a 1-week study visit.

  1. Transparency and Documentation in Simulations of Infectious Disease Outbreaks: Towards Evidence-Based Public Health Decisions and Communications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ekberg, Joakim; Timpka, Toomas; Morin, Magnus; Jenvald, Johan; Nyce, James M.; Gursky, Elin A.; Eriksson, Henrik

    Computer simulations have emerged as important tools in the preparation for outbreaks of infectious disease. To support the collaborative planning and responding to the outbreaks, reports from simulations need to be transparent (accessible) with regard to the underlying parametric settings. This paper presents a design for generation of simulation reports where the background settings used in the simulation models are automatically visualized. We extended the ontology-management system Protégé to tag different settings into categories, and included these in report generation in parallel to the simulation outcomes. The report generator takes advantage of an XSLT specification and collects the documentation of the particular simulation settings into abridged XMLs including also summarized results. We conclude that even though inclusion of critical background settings in reports may not increase the accuracy of infectious disease simulations, it can prevent misunderstandings and less than optimal public health decisions.

  2. TORO II: A finite element computer program for nonlinear quasi-static problems in electromagnetics: Part 1, Theoretical background

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

    Gartling, D.K.

    The theoretical and numerical background for the finite element computer program, TORO II, is presented in detail. TORO II is designed for the multi-dimensional analysis of nonlinear, electromagnetic field problems described by the quasi-static form of Maxwell`s equations. A general description of the boundary value problems treated by the program is presented. The finite element formulation and the associated numerical methods used in TORO II are also outlined. Instructions for the use of the code are documented in SAND96-0903; examples of problems analyzed with the code are also provided in the user`s manual. 24 refs., 8 figs.

  3. Background experiences, time allocation, time on teaching and perceived support of early-career college science faculty

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sagendorf, Kenneth S.

    The purposes of this research were to create an inventory of the research, teaching and service background experiences of and to document the time allocation and time spent on teaching by early-career college science faculty members. This project is presented as three distinct papers. Thirty early-career faculty in the science disciplines from sixteen different institutions in their first year of employment participated in this study. For the first two papers, a new survey was developed asking participants to choose which experiences they had acquired prior to taking their current faculty position and asking them to document their time allocation and time spent on teaching activities in an average work week. In addition, a third component documents the support early-career college faculty in the sciences are receiving from the perspective of faculty members and their respective department chairpersons and identifies areas of disagreement between these two different groups. Twenty early-career college science faculty and their respective department chairpersons completed a newly-designed survey regarding the support offered to new faculty. The survey addressed the areas of feedback on performance, clarity of tenure requirements, mentoring, support for teaching and scholarship and balancing faculty life. This dissertation presents the results from these surveys, accounting for different demographic variables such as science discipline, gender and institutional category.

  4. Biotea: RDFizing PubMed Central in support for the paper as an interface to the Web of Data

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background The World Wide Web has become a dissemination platform for scientific and non-scientific publications. However, most of the information remains locked up in discrete documents that are not always interconnected or machine-readable. The connectivity tissue provided by RDF technology has not yet been widely used to support the generation of self-describing, machine-readable documents. Results In this paper, we present our approach to the generation of self-describing machine-readable scholarly documents. We understand the scientific document as an entry point and interface to the Web of Data. We have semantically processed the full-text, open-access subset of PubMed Central. Our RDF model and resulting dataset make extensive use of existing ontologies and semantic enrichment services. We expose our model, services, prototype, and datasets at http://biotea.idiginfo.org/ Conclusions The semantic processing of biomedical literature presented in this paper embeds documents within the Web of Data and facilitates the execution of concept-based queries against the entire digital library. Our approach delivers a flexible and adaptable set of tools for metadata enrichment and semantic processing of biomedical documents. Our model delivers a semantically rich and highly interconnected dataset with self-describing content so that software can make effective use of it. PMID:23734622

  5. What Changes Are Most Needed in the Procedures Used in the United States Justice System? National Debate Topic for High Schools, 1983-1984, Pursuant to Public Law 88-246. Senate, 98th Congress, 1st Session, Document No. 98-5.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Library of Congress, Washington, DC. Congressional Research Service.

    Designed to facilitate research on and the preparation and presentation of arguments for the national debate topic, this manual summarizes the present state of the judiciary and court reform issues. The volume begins with a collection of articles, statements, and reports that present a general background on the justice system and court reform.…

  6. Recommendations on the Mathematical Preparation of Teachers. CUPM Panel on Teacher Training. MAA Notes, Number 2.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mathematical Association of America, Berkeley, CA. Committee on the Undergraduate Program in Mathematics.

    This document presents the latest set of recommendations on the mathematical preparation of elementary and secondary school teachers developed by the Committee on the Undergraduate Program in Mathematics (CUPM) of the Mathematical Association of America (MAA). The introduction notes the background for the recommendations, and states that they are…

  7. Predictors of Situational Disengagement in the Academic Setting: The Contribution of Grades, Perceived Competence, and Academic Motivation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stephan, Yannick; Caudroit, Johan; Boiche, Julie; Sarrazin, Philippe

    2011-01-01

    Background: Although psychological disengagement is a well-documented phenomenon in the academic setting, the attempts to identify its predictors are scarce. In addition, existing research has mainly focused on chronic disengagement and less is known on the determinants of situational disengagement. Aims: The purpose of the present study was to…

  8. Science Education in Canadian Schools. Volume I. Introduction and Curriculum Analyses. Background Study 52.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Orpwood, Graham W. F.; Souque, Jean-Pascal

    A major study of Canadian science education was undertaken in 1980 to establish a documented basis for describing the present purposes and general characteristics of science teaching in Canadian schools, to provide a historical analysis of science education in Canada, and to stimulate active deliberation concerning future options for science…

  9. Students Exiting School, 1993-94. Programs for Exceptional Students Data Report, Series 97-12.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Florida State Dept. of Education, Tallahassee. Div. of Public Schools.

    This document presents narrative data, tables, and graphs on exceptional education students who exited school in Florida during the 1993-94 school year. The first section provides background information and describes the types of exit data collected from school districts and agency programs. Definitions of terms are also provided. The next three…

  10. The Role of Professional Background, Case Characteristics, and Protective Agency Response in Mandated Child Abuse Reporting.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zellman, Gail L.; Bell, Robert M.

    This document presents a report on research undertaken to assess the incidence of child abuse reporting and of failure to report among mandated reporters; the contributions of workplace, personal, and institutional factors to reporting behavior; and the interaction of mandated reporters with the child protective agencies to which they report. The…

  11. Cooperative Purchasing Guidelines. Background and Research, Pros and Cons, Examples of Exemplary Programs, Sample Forms, and Organization Procedures.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Association of School Business Officials, Chicago, IL.

    Cooperative purchasing programs among school districts have grown rapidly in the past decade, but significant questions remain about the benefits and drawbacks of such programs. This document presents the results of a project sponsored by the Association of School Business Officials for the purpose of addressing these questions. Comprising…

  12. The Value of Children: A Cross-National Study, Volume Three. Hawaii.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Arnold, Fred; Fawcett, James T.

    The document, one in a series of seven reports from the Value of Children Project, discusses results of the survey in Hawaii. Specifically, the study investigated the social, psychological, and economic costs and benefits associated with having children. The volume is presented in seven chapters. Chapter I describes the background of the study and…

  13. Police Traffic Services Basic Training Program. Student Study Guide. Volume 3 of 3.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hale, Allen; Hamilton, John W.

    As part of the basic training program in police traffic services intended to establish a national standard, the student study guide was developed to serve as a basic reference text to reinforce and supplement the subject material presented in class. The document consists of the six following major sections: (1) background for policy traffic…

  14. Dementia and Mortality In Persons with Down's Syndrome

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Coppus, A.; Evenhuis, H.; Verberne, G.-J.; Visser, F.; van Gool, P.; Eikelenboom, P.; van Duijin, C.

    2006-01-01

    Background: Numerous studies have documented that persons with Downs syndrome (DS) are at an increased risk of Alzheimers disease (AD). However, at present it is still not clear whether or not all persons with DS will develop dementia as they reach old age. Methods: We studied 506 people with DS, aged 45 years and above. A standardized assessment…

  15. Preventing Lead Poisoning in Young Children. A Statement by the Centers for Disease Control.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Centers for Disease Control (DHHS/PHS), Atlanta, GA.

    This document is the fourth revision of a statement by the Centers for Disease Control. Introductory and background chapters present data that indicate significant adverse effects of lead levels in children's blood that were previously believed to be safe. Other chapters discuss: (1) sources of lead exposure, including paint, soil and dust, and…

  16. Physics in perspective. Volume 2, part A: The core subfields of physics

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1972-01-01

    Panel reports to the Survey Committee are presented to provide detailed technical background and documentation for committee findings, and to indicate the vitality and strength of the subfields of physics. Included are the core subfields of acoustics, optics, condensed matter, plasmas and fluids, atomic molecular and electron physics, nuclear physics, and elementary particle physics.

  17. Law: The Language of Liberty. Supplemental Materials for Alabama Social Studies Teachers. Grade 11.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alabama Administrative Office of Courts, Montgomery.

    Student activities, teacher background information, and lesson ideas for teaching about law in social studies classrooms are presented. The first section provides students with a worksheet for determining the dates and historical significance of 15 great events (or documents) in U.S. history. A teacher resource list matches each event to pages in…

  18. Transcripts of Oral Histories for An Ethnohistory of the Westport-Norwalk Area from 1900 to Today.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Westport-Weston Arts Council, CT.

    Transcripts are presented of interviews with 20 individuals of various ethnic backgrounds who live in the Westport-Norwalk, Connecticut, area. The document is part of a project to investigate the ethnically varied cultural, heritage of the Westport-Norwalk area from 1900 to 1979. Persons interviewed are identified by ethnic group, including…

  19. Signature detection and matching for document image retrieval.

    PubMed

    Zhu, Guangyu; Zheng, Yefeng; Doermann, David; Jaeger, Stefan

    2009-11-01

    As one of the most pervasive methods of individual identification and document authentication, signatures present convincing evidence and provide an important form of indexing for effective document image processing and retrieval in a broad range of applications. However, detection and segmentation of free-form objects such as signatures from clustered background is currently an open document analysis problem. In this paper, we focus on two fundamental problems in signature-based document image retrieval. First, we propose a novel multiscale approach to jointly detecting and segmenting signatures from document images. Rather than focusing on local features that typically have large variations, our approach captures the structural saliency using a signature production model and computes the dynamic curvature of 2D contour fragments over multiple scales. This detection framework is general and computationally tractable. Second, we treat the problem of signature retrieval in the unconstrained setting of translation, scale, and rotation invariant nonrigid shape matching. We propose two novel measures of shape dissimilarity based on anisotropic scaling and registration residual error and present a supervised learning framework for combining complementary shape information from different dissimilarity metrics using LDA. We quantitatively study state-of-the-art shape representations, shape matching algorithms, measures of dissimilarity, and the use of multiple instances as query in document image retrieval. We further demonstrate our matching techniques in offline signature verification. Extensive experiments using large real-world collections of English and Arabic machine-printed and handwritten documents demonstrate the excellent performance of our approaches.

  20. Stroke-model-based character extraction from gray-level document images.

    PubMed

    Ye, X; Cheriet, M; Suen, C Y

    2001-01-01

    Global gray-level thresholding techniques such as Otsu's method, and local gray-level thresholding techniques such as edge-based segmentation or the adaptive thresholding method are powerful in extracting character objects from simple or slowly varying backgrounds. However, they are found to be insufficient when the backgrounds include sharply varying contours or fonts in different sizes. A stroke-model is proposed to depict the local features of character objects as double-edges in a predefined size. This model enables us to detect thin connected components selectively, while ignoring relatively large backgrounds that appear complex. Meanwhile, since the stroke width restriction is fully factored in, the proposed technique can be used to extract characters in predefined font sizes. To process large volumes of documents efficiently, a hybrid method is proposed for character extraction from various backgrounds. Using the measurement of class separability to differentiate images with simple backgrounds from those with complex backgrounds, the hybrid method can process documents with different backgrounds by applying the appropriate methods. Experiments on extracting handwriting from a check image, as well as machine-printed characters from scene images demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed model.

  1. Proceedings of the Binational Conference on Libraries in California and Baja California (1st, Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico, January 13-14, 1984) = Memorias de la Primera Conferencia Binacional de Bibliotecas de las Californias.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ayala, Marta Stiefel, Ed.; And Others

    This document includes the text of presentations given at the First Binational Conference on Libraries in California and Baja California, as well as minutes from four roundtables held at the conference. Following a prologue and a brief background on the conference, the following presentations are included: (1) "State Support for Public…

  2. Patent Documents as a Resource for Studies and Education in Geophysics - An Approach.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wollny, K. G.

    2016-12-01

    Patents are a highly neglected source of information in geophysics, although they supply a wealth of technical and historically relevant data and might be an important asset for researchers and students. The technical drawings and descriptions in patent documents provide insight into the personal work of a researcher or a scientific group and give detailed technical background information, show interdisciplinary solutions for similar problems, help to learn about inventions too advanced for their time but maybe useful now, and to explore the historical background and timelines of inventions and their inventors. It will be shown how to get access to patent documents and how to use them for research and education purposes. Exemplary inventions by well-known geoscientists or scientists in related fields will be presented to illustrate the usefulness of patent documents. The data pool used is the International Patent Classification (IPC) class G01V that the United Nations' World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) has set up mainly for inventions with key aspects in geophysics. This class contains approximately 235,000 patent documents (July 2016) for methods, apparatuses or scientific instruments developed during scientific projects or by geophysical companies. The patent documents can be accessed via patent databases. The most important patent databases are for free, search functionality is self-explanatory and the amount of information to be extracted is enormous. For example, more than 90 million multilingual patent documents are currently available online (July 2016) in DEPATIS database of the German Patent and Trade Mark Office or ESPACENET of the European Patent Office. To summarize, patent documents are a highly useful tool for educational and research purposes to strengthen students' and scientists' knowledge in a practically orientated geophysical field and to widen the horizon to adjacent technical areas. Last but not least, they also provide insight into historical aspects of geophysics and the persons working in that area.

  3. Surface properties of ocean fronts

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wolff, P. M.; Hubert, W. E.

    1976-01-01

    Background information on oceanic fronts is presented and the results of several models which were developed to study the dynamics of oceanic fronts and their effects on various surface properties are described. The details of the four numerical models used in these studies are given in separate appendices which contain all of the physical equations, program documentation and running instructions for the models.

  4. Leading the Charge for Institutional Renewal. Proceedings of the Annual NEAIR Conference (38th, Boston, Massachusetts, December 3-6, 2011)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carson, Cristi, Ed.

    2011-01-01

    The NEAIR (North East Association for Institutional Research) 2011 Conference Proceedings is a compilation of papers presented at the Boston, Massachusetts conference. Papers in this document include: (1) Are Students Dropping Out or Dragging Out the College Experience? The Roles of Socioeconomic Status and Academic Background (Leslie S. Stratton…

  5. Information Services; A Survey of the History and Present Status of the Field. MOREL Regional Information System for Educators.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Grimes, George

    This document is one of a series describing the background, functions, and utilization of the Regional Information System (RIS) developed by the Michigan-Ohio Regional Educational Laboratory (MOREL). The continuing history of the field of librarianship and information services is reviewed in this report. The first part covers ancient times to the…

  6. A climate adaptation strategy for conservation and management of yellowcedar in Alaska

    Treesearch

    Paul E. Hennon; Carol M. McKenzie; David D' Amore; Dustin T. Wittwer; Robin L. Mulvey; Melinda S. Lamb; Frances E. Biles; Rich C. Cronn

    2016-01-01

    A conservation and management strategy for yellow-cedar in Alaska is presented in the context of climate change. This document has four sections. Section 1 covers the ecology and silvics of yellow-cedar, as well as other background information. Section 2 outlines knowledge on the extensive mortality to yellow-cedar, including the role of climate. Section 3 describes...

  7. Learning as Renewal: Contribution to the Present Theoretical Background of the Lifelong Learning Policy of the European Union

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Szakos, Eva Feketene

    2014-01-01

    There are a number of EU documents on the term and way of implementation of lifelong learning. However, the characteristics of learning from adult education perspectives are not sufficiently emphasized and are undertheorized in them. Numerous new, theoretical works have been published on adult learning in the related adult education literature…

  8. Metrication: A Guide for Producers of Packaged Goods. Consumer Research Report No. 4.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Consumer and Corporate Affairs Dept., Ottawa (Ontario).

    A guide on metrication, this document was developed to expose the perceived benefits to industry and the consumer of a conversion to the metric system, and to remove the anxieties associated with such a conversion. Presented are: (1) a summarized overview and background of the system, and trends relative to its widespread use, (2) examples of the…

  9. User's Guide for ERB 7 SEFDT. Volume 1: User's Guide. Volume 2: Quality Control Report, Year 1

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ray, S. N.; Tighe, R. J.; Scherrer, S. A.

    1984-01-01

    The Nimbus-7 ERB SEFDT Data User's Guide is presented. The guide consists of four subsections which describe: (1) the scope of the data User's Guide; (2) the background on Nimbus-7 Spacecraft and the ERB experiment; (3) the SEFDT data product and processing scenario; and (4) other related products and documents.

  10. Deaf English--An Investigation of the Written English Competence of Deaf Adolescents. Technical Report No. 236.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Charrow, Veda R.

    Presented is support for the existence of "Deaf English," a non-standard dialect common to the prelingually deaf; and reported is an investigation of the written English competence of deaf adolescents. In the first half of the document the author discusses the historical background of deaf education and the linguistic and cognitive abilities of…

  11. Education and Rural Development in the 31 Least Developed Countries. Reports Studies...S.97.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zuberi, Habib

    The report contains information based on the country presentation papers submitted by the 31 countries for the 1981 United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDCs). It is intended as a background document for the Unesco meeting of experts from the LDCs on "needs and priorities in regard to education" to be held at…

  12. SPIRES (Stanford Physics Information REtrieval System) 1969-70 Annual Report to the National Science Foundation (Office of Science Information Service).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Parker, Edwin B.

    The third annual report (covering the 18-month period from January 1969 to June 1970) of the Stanford Physics Information REtrieval System (SPIRES) project, which is developing an augmented bibliographic retrieval capability, is presented in this document. A first section describes the background of the project and its association with Project…

  13. Behavioral Criteria in Research and the Study of Racism: Performing the Jackal Function (Part I).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hilliard, Asa G.; And Others

    This document presents a synthesis of research and theories used as background for a study designed to identify racist behaviors and to observe change in racist behaviors resulting from an intervention. The first chapter defines racism and discusses problems in creating a paradigm for the study of behavioral change. The second chapter contains a…

  14. Occupational Home Economics Education Series. Care and Independent Living Services for Aging. Competency Based Teaching Module.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wheeler-Liston, Carol; And Others

    This large training module is intended to help prepare home helpers or others who can provide direct care and can utilize resources to assist older persons. The document presents first a general discussion of the background and rationale behind a series of occupational home economics modules. In addition, the particular module on serving the aging…

  15. Aviation Structural Mechanic S 3 & 2. NAVTRA-10308-C. Rate Training Manual.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bureau of Naval Personnel, Washington, DC.

    This document is one of a series of rate training manuals designed to provide enlisted personnel of the Navy or Naval Reserve with the background information that will be useful in preparing for advancement in Aviation Structural Mechanics S (AMS) rating and to present necessary information for the proper performance of duties in that rating. The…

  16. Computers in Schools. A Strategic Planning Symposium (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, January 29-31, 1986).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Romaniuk, Gene, Ed.

    This report of a symposium for educators in the province of Alberta provides background information on the symposium, a set of six major recommendations made by the participants, reports from the working groups to which participants were assigned; and the text of 12 papers presented at the meeting. The nine chapters of the report document the…

  17. Water Quality-8th Grade Earth Science, or "Lets Get Relevant."

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rezabek, Edward

    This document describes some experiences in a science/technology/society (STS) program for an eighth grade science course at a small rural school in Iowa. The background information about the school and the general goal of the STS program are outlined. The curriculum structure of the program related to water as a reusable resource is presented.…

  18. ANOPP2 User's Manual: Version 1.2

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lopes, L. V.; Burley, C. L.

    2016-01-01

    This manual documents the Aircraft NOise Prediction Program 2 (ANOPP2). ANOPP2 is a toolkit that includes a framework, noise prediction methods, and peripheral software to aid a user in predicting and understanding aircraft noise. This manual includes an explanation of the overall design and structure of ANOPP2, including a brief introduction to aircraft noise prediction and the ANOPP2 background, philosophy, and architecture. The concept of nested acoustic data surfaces and its application to a mixed-fidelity noise prediction are presented. The structure and usage of ANOPP2, which includes the communication between the user, the ANOPP2 framework, and noise prediction methods, are presented for two scenarios: wind-tunnel and flight. These scenarios serve to provide the user with guidance and documentation references for performing a noise prediction using ANOPP2.

  19. Artificial Intelligence for Controlling Robotic Aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Krishnakumar, Kalmanje

    2005-01-01

    A document consisting mostly of lecture slides presents overviews of artificial-intelligence-based control methods now under development for application to robotic aircraft [called Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in the paper] and spacecraft and to the next generation of flight controllers for piloted aircraft. Following brief introductory remarks, the paper presents background information on intelligent control, including basic characteristics defining intelligent systems and intelligent control and the concept of levels of intelligent control. Next, the paper addresses several concepts in intelligent flight control. The document ends with some concluding remarks, including statements to the effect that (1) intelligent control architectures can guarantee stability of inner control loops and (2) for UAVs, intelligent control provides a robust way to accommodate an outer-loop control architecture for planning and/or related purposes.

  20. Letter from House Minority Leader Gerald R. Ford to President Richard M. Nixon. Teaching with Documents.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Potter, Lee Ann; Schamel, Wynell

    2001-01-01

    Provides historical background on how President Richard Nixon selected someone as vice president after Spiro T. Agnew resigned due to criminal charges. Provides background information on his choice, Gerald Ford, and discusses the process of how Ford officially became vice president. Includes a document from the Nixon Presidential Materials…

  1. Equal Opportunity for Women. Regents Policy Paper and Action Plan for the 1990s.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    New York State Education Dept., Albany.

    This document contains a policy paper and an accompanying background paper that documents the persistence in New York State educational institutions of unequal treatment and unequal achievement between the sexes--inequities that contribute to unequal career opportunities later on. The background paper reviews in detail the progress of New York…

  2. Automatic document classification of biological literature

    PubMed Central

    Chen, David; Müller, Hans-Michael; Sternberg, Paul W

    2006-01-01

    Background Document classification is a wide-spread problem with many applications, from organizing search engine snippets to spam filtering. We previously described Textpresso, a text-mining system for biological literature, which marks up full text according to a shallow ontology that includes terms of biological interest. This project investigates document classification in the context of biological literature, making use of the Textpresso markup of a corpus of Caenorhabditis elegans literature. Results We present a two-step text categorization algorithm to classify a corpus of C. elegans papers. Our classification method first uses a support vector machine-trained classifier, followed by a novel, phrase-based clustering algorithm. This clustering step autonomously creates cluster labels that are descriptive and understandable by humans. This clustering engine performed better on a standard test-set (Reuters 21578) compared to previously published results (F-value of 0.55 vs. 0.49), while producing cluster descriptions that appear more useful. A web interface allows researchers to quickly navigate through the hierarchy and look for documents that belong to a specific concept. Conclusion We have demonstrated a simple method to classify biological documents that embodies an improvement over current methods. While the classification results are currently optimized for Caenorhabditis elegans papers by human-created rules, the classification engine can be adapted to different types of documents. We have demonstrated this by presenting a web interface that allows researchers to quickly navigate through the hierarchy and look for documents that belong to a specific concept. PMID:16893465

  3. Effect of didactic lectures on obesity documentation and counseling among internal medicine residents

    PubMed Central

    Ren, Vicky; Ellison, Kathleen; Miller, Jonathan; Busireddy, Kiran; Vickery, Erin; Panda, Mukta; Qayyum, Rehan

    2016-01-01

    Background Screening adult patients for obesity and offering appropriate counseling and treatment for weight loss is recommended. However, many healthcare providers feel ill-equipped to address this topic. Objective We examined whether didactic presentations lead to increased obesity documentation and counseling among internal medicine (IM) residents. Methods We reviewed medical records of patients seen at the IM Resident Continuity Clinic during April 2015. Residents were provided feedback at two didactic presentations during May 2015. To examine the effect of this intervention, we repeated medical record review during June 2015. For both reviews, we abstracted patient-specific (i.e., age, body mass index [BMI], race, sex, and number of comorbid diagnoses) and resident-specific (i.e., sex and training level) data as well as evidence of obesity documentation and counseling. We used logistic regression models to examine the effect of intervention on obesity documentation and counseling, adjusting for patient- and resident-specific variables. Results Of the 278 patients with BMI≥30 kg/m2, 139 were seen before and 139 after the intervention. Intervention had no effect on obesity documentation or counseling with or without adjustment for confounding variables (both P>0.05). In adjusted post-hoc analyses, each additional comorbidity increased the odds of obesity documentation by 8% (OR=1.08; 95% CI=1.05–1.11; P<0.001). In addition, as compared to postgraduate year (PGY) 1 residents, PGY-3 residents were 56% (OR=0.44; 95% CI=0.21–0.95; P=0.03) less likely to counsel obese patients. Conclusions Obesity is inadequately addressed in primary care settings, and didactic presentations were unable to increase obesity documentation or weight loss counseling. Future research to identify effective interventions is needed. PMID:27124168

  4. The Attempted Dismantling of the Medicare Home Care Benefit. A Report by the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Health and Long-Term Care of the Select Committee on Aging. House of Representatives, Ninety-Ninth Congress, Second Session.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pepper, Claude

    This document presents Congressman Claude Pepper's report on the Medicare Home Care Benefit. Section I traces the history of home health care in the United States. Section II offers statistics and general background information about older Americans and Medicare. The beginning of the Medicare home care benefit and its present operation are…

  5. Education in Asia and Oceania. Regional Conference of Ministers of Education and Those Responsible for Economic Planning in Asia and Oceania (4th, Colombo, Sri Lanka, July 24-August 1, 1978). Bulletin of the Unesco Regional Office for Education in Asia and Oceania, Number 20.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, Bangkok (Thailand). Regional Office for Education in Asia and Oceania.

    The book presents background information and papers which were prepared for a conference on educational development in Asia and Oceania. The document is presented in three major sections. Section I offers an overview of regional development strategies with emphasis on the relationship of education to economic development. Major regional objectives…

  6. Responsible innovation in human germline gene editing: Background document to the recommendations of ESHG and ESHRE.

    PubMed

    De Wert, Guido; Heindryckx, Björn; Pennings, Guido; Clarke, Angus; Eichenlaub-Ritter, Ursula; van El, Carla G; Forzano, Francesca; Goddijn, Mariëtte; Howard, Heidi C; Radojkovic, Dragica; Rial-Sebbag, Emmanuelle; Dondorp, Wybo; Tarlatzis, Basil C; Cornel, Martina C

    2018-04-01

    Technological developments in gene editing raise high expectations for clinical applications, including editing of the germline. The European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) and the European Society of Human Genetics (ESHG) together developed a Background document and Recommendations to inform and stimulate ongoing societal debates. This document provides the background to the Recommendations. Germline gene editing is currently not allowed in many countries. This makes clinical applications in these countries impossible now, even if germline gene editing would become safe and effective. What were the arguments behind this legislation, and are they still convincing? If a technique could help to avoid serious genetic disorders, in a safe and effective way, would this be a reason to reconsider earlier standpoints? This Background document summarizes the scientific developments and expectations regarding germline gene editing, legal regulations at the European level, and ethics for three different settings (basic research, preclinical research and clinical applications). In ethical terms, we argue that the deontological objections (e.g., gene editing goes against nature) do not seem convincing while consequentialist objections (e.g., safety for the children thus conceived and following generations) require research, not all of which is allowed in the current legal situation in European countries. Development of this Background document and Recommendations reflects the responsibility to help society understand and debate the full range of possible implications of the new technologies, and to contribute to regulations that are adapted to the dynamics of the field while taking account of ethical considerations and societal concerns.

  7. Periodic Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 Collides with Jupiter. Background Material for Science Teachers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jet Propulsion Lab., Pasadena, CA.

    In July of 1994, fragments of Comet Shoemaker-Levy collided with Jupiter. This document has been provided to better inform students of the work that will be done by scientists and others involved in the study of this event. This document offers some background material on Jupiter, comets, what has and possibly will happen, and how scientists…

  8. An Evaluation of the Effectiveness of a "Five Ways to Well-Being" Group Run with People with Learning Disabilities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mahoney-Davies, Gerwyn; Dixon, Clare; Tynan, Hannah; Mann, Sian

    2017-01-01

    Background: The "Five Ways to Well-being" document presents five ways in which people in the general population may be able to improve their well-being. This study evaluates the use of a "Five Ways to Well-being" group in a population of people with learning disabilities. Materials and Methods: Twelve participants who attend a…

  9. Who Drops Out of High School? Findings from High School and Beyond. Contractor Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barro, Stephen M.; Kolstad, Andrew

    This document contains the final report on a study of factors associated with dropping out of high school. The analyses presented are based on data from the initial and first follow-up rounds of the High School and Beyond survey of the sophomore class of 1980. The introductory chapter discusses the background of the dropout problem and influences…

  10. Adolescent Health. Volume II: Background and the Effectiveness of Selected Prevention and Treatment Services [and] Indexes to Volumes I, II, and III.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. Office of Technology Assessment.

    This document, the second of three volumes in the U.S. Congress Office of Technology Assessment's "Adolescent Health" series, provides background information on aspects of adolescents' lives and examines the effectiveness of prevention and treatment interventions. Chapter 1, an introduction to this two-part document, provides a summary of the…

  11. Effectiveness guidance document (EGD) for acupuncture research - a consensus document for conducting trials

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background There is a need for more Comparative Effectiveness Research (CER) to strengthen the evidence base for clinical and policy decision-making. Effectiveness Guidance Documents (EGD) are targeted to clinical researchers. The aim of this EGD is to provide specific recommendations for the design of prospective acupuncture studies to support optimal use of resources for generating evidence that will inform stakeholder decision-making. Methods Document development based on multiple systematic consensus procedures (written Delphi rounds, interactive consensus workshop, international expert review). To balance aspects of internal and external validity, multiple stakeholders including patients, clinicians and payers were involved. Results Recommendations focused mainly on randomized studies and were developed for the following areas: overall research strategy, treatment protocol, expertise and setting, outcomes, study design and statistical analyses, economic evaluation, and publication. Conclusion The present EGD, based on an international consensus developed with multiple stakeholder involvement, provides the first systematic methodological guidance for future CER on acupuncture. PMID:22953730

  12. Development and Certification of Ultrasonic Background Noise Test (UBNT) System for use on the International Space Station (ISS)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Prosser, William H.; Madaras, Eric I.

    2011-01-01

    As a next step in the development and implementation of an on-board leak detection and localization system on the International Space Station (ISS), there is a documented need to obtain measurements of the ultrasonic background noise levels that exist within the ISS. This need is documented in the ISS Integrated Risk Management System (IRMA), Watch Item #4669. To address this, scientists and engineers from the Langley Research Center (LaRC) and the Johnson Space Center (JSC), proposed to the NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) and the ISS Vehicle Office a joint assessment to develop a flight package as a Station Development Test Objective (SDTO) that would perform ultrasonic background noise measurements within the United States (US) controlled ISS structure. This document contains the results of the assessment

  13. Gaining New Insights - Building on Experience. Selected Papers from the Annual Conference of the North American Association for Environmental Education (24th, Portland, Maine, September 15-20, 1995).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Slocombe, D. Scott, Ed.

    This document contains selected papers from the 24th annual conference of the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE). Papers and reports from the NAAEE Sections and other special workshops are presented first, followed by contributed papers, and finally a section providing background information on the NAAEE. Various topics…

  14. Adlai E. Stevenson Speeches from the Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library, Princeton University in Milner Library, Illinois State University.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Maher, Michael

    The document introduces and lists tape recordings of Adlai E. Stevenson's speeches from 1952 until his death in 1965. The objective is to supplement the tapes and to aid in their usage by offering background information. The guide is presented in two sections. Section I offers an overview of the political atmosphere in 1952 and 1956 and…

  15. The Impact on Vocational Training of Studies. Analysing and Forecasting Trends in Occupations. Case Studies in Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark. CEDEFOP Document.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training, Thessaloniki (Greece).

    This report describes a study to verify the impact on vocational training policies of research and development work carried out in the field of anticipation of educational and training needs, labor market forecasts, and skills analysis. Section I provides background. Section II presents the framework of the study. Section III includes the full…

  16. Fifty Years of Social Security: Past Achievements and Future Challenges. An Information Paper Prepared for Use by the Special Committee on Aging. United States Senate, Ninety-Ninth Congress, First Session.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. Senate Special Committee on Aging.

    This document contains six essays examining the history and impact of the social security program on America's economic and social development. "Social Security: The Cornerstone of American Social Welfare Policy," by Malcolm H. Morrison, presents brief background information on the system and discusses the basic principles of social…

  17. General Information about Crisis Nursery Care, ARCH Factsheet Number 1 [and] General Information about Respite Care, ARCH Factsheet Number 2.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    North Carolina State Dept. of Human Resources, Raleigh. Div. of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services.

    This document consists of a combination of two separately published fact sheets, one on crisis nursery care for children at risk of abuse or neglect and one on respite care for families of children with disabilities or chronic illness. The fact sheet on crisis nursery care presents background information on the federal role in developing crisis…

  18. Sector Education and Training Authority for Secondary Argiculture (SETASA), Small, Micro and Medium Enterprises (SMME) and Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) Final Report October 2004

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Academy for Educational Development, 2004

    2004-01-01

    This document reports on a programme of technical assistance for the Sector Education and Training Authority for Secondary Agriculture (SETASA) in 2003/2004. It presents background information which is both essential for understanding the rest of the report, including its attachments, and can be seen as reflecting some of the insights gained…

  19. Challenges & Roadmap for Beyond CMOS Computing Simulation.

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

    Rodrigues, Arun F.; Frank, Michael P.

    Simulating HPC systems is a difficult task and the emergence of “Beyond CMOS” architectures and execution models will increase that difficulty. This document presents a “tutorial” on some of the simulation challenges faced by conventional and non-conventional architectures (Section 1) and goals and requirements for simulating Beyond CMOS systems (Section 2). These provide background for proposed short- and long-term roadmaps for simulation efforts at Sandia (Sections 3 and 4). Additionally, a brief explanation of a proof-of-concept integration of a Beyond CMOS architectural simulator is presented (Section 2.3).

  20. BIGHORN Computational Fluid Dynamics Theory, Methodology, and Code Verification & Validation Benchmark Problems

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

    Xia, Yidong; Andrs, David; Martineau, Richard Charles

    This document presents the theoretical background for a hybrid finite-element / finite-volume fluid flow solver, namely BIGHORN, based on the Multiphysics Object Oriented Simulation Environment (MOOSE) computational framework developed at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). An overview of the numerical methods used in BIGHORN are discussed and followed by a presentation of the formulation details. The document begins with the governing equations for the compressible fluid flow, with an outline of the requisite constitutive relations. A second-order finite volume method used for solving the compressible fluid flow problems is presented next. A Pressure-Corrected Implicit Continuous-fluid Eulerian (PCICE) formulation for timemore » integration is also presented. The multi-fluid formulation is being developed. Although multi-fluid is not fully-developed, BIGHORN has been designed to handle multi-fluid problems. Due to the flexibility in the underlying MOOSE framework, BIGHORN is quite extensible, and can accommodate both multi-species and multi-phase formulations. This document also presents a suite of verification & validation benchmark test problems for BIGHORN. The intent for this suite of problems is to provide baseline comparison data that demonstrates the performance of the BIGHORN solution methods on problems that vary in complexity from laminar to turbulent flows. Wherever possible, some form of solution verification has been attempted to identify sensitivities in the solution methods, and suggest best practices when using BIGHORN.« less

  1. Cultural diversity: blind spot in medical curriculum documents, a document analysis

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background Cultural diversity among patients presents specific challenges to physicians. Therefore, cultural diversity training is needed in medical education. In cases where strategic curriculum documents form the basis of medical training it is expected that the topic of cultural diversity is included in these documents, especially if these have been recently updated. The aim of this study was to assess the current formal status of cultural diversity training in the Netherlands, which is a multi-ethnic country with recently updated medical curriculum documents. Methods In February and March 2013, a document analysis was performed of strategic curriculum documents for undergraduate and postgraduate medical education in the Netherlands. All text phrases that referred to cultural diversity were extracted from these documents. Subsequently, these phrases were sorted into objectives, training methods or evaluation tools to assess how they contributed to adequate curriculum design. Results Of a total of 52 documents, 33 documents contained phrases with information about cultural diversity training. Cultural diversity aspects were more prominently described in the curriculum documents for undergraduate education than in those for postgraduate education. The most specific information about cultural diversity was found in the blueprint for undergraduate medical education. In the postgraduate curriculum documents, attention to cultural diversity differed among specialties and was mainly superficial. Conclusions Cultural diversity is an underrepresented topic in the Dutch documents that form the basis for actual medical training, although the documents have been updated recently. Attention to the topic is thus unwarranted. This situation does not fit the demand of a multi-ethnic society for doctors with cultural diversity competences. Multi-ethnic countries should be critical on the content of the bases for their medical educational curricula. PMID:25150546

  2. U.S.-China Relations: The China Council of the Asia Society. A Medial Source Guide, Issues for the '80s.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Council on International and Public Affairs, New York, NY.

    Concise, authoritative background information on U.S.-China relations is provided for journalists in this guide, one of a series dealing with topics of interest to the U.S. media. The guide begins with a chronology of U.S.-China relations from 1979 to 1982. The texts of documents on U.S.-China relations are then presented. These include the…

  3. Information transfer satellite concept study. Volume 3: Appendices

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bergin, P.; Kincade, C.; Kurpiewski, D.; Leinhaupel, F.; Millican, F.; Onstad, R.

    1971-01-01

    Briefly reviewed are the various documents which supply background information for the information transfer satellite study. The sixteen papers reviewed are evaluated in terms of: (1) the category of service or demand being treated; (2) the extent to which information transfer predictions are quantified; (3) the degree to which the data supplied is adequate for the purposes of system synthesis; (4) some assessment as to the overall utility of the data presented in the paper.

  4. First columbellid species (Gastropoda: Buccinoidea) from deep-sea hydrothermal vents, discovered in Okinawa Trough, Japan.

    PubMed

    Chen, Chong; Watanabe, Hiromi Kayama; Araya, Juan Francisco

    2017-12-12

    The molluscan diversity of deep-sea chemosynthetic ecosystems in Japan has been in general well documented with about 80 described species, of which over half are gastropods (Sasaki et al. 2005; Fujikura et al. 2012; Sasaki et al. 2016). Recently, however, a number of novel hydrothermal vent sites were discovered in the area using multibeam echo-sounding (Nakamura et al. 2015), providing opportunities for new discoveries. As a part of ongoing studies documenting the biodiversity of such sites, we present the first record of Columbellidae from hydrothermal vents, with a new species recovered from Natsu and Aki sites, in the Iheya North hydrothermal field (for map and background on the vent field see Nakamura et al. 2015).

  5. Offline Arabic handwriting recognition: a survey.

    PubMed

    Lorigo, Liana M; Govindaraju, Venu

    2006-05-01

    The automatic recognition of text on scanned images has enabled many applications such as searching for words in large volumes of documents, automatic sorting of postal mail, and convenient editing of previously printed documents. The domain of handwriting in the Arabic script presents unique technical challenges and has been addressed more recently than other domains. Many different methods have been proposed and applied to various types of images. This paper provides a comprehensive review of these methods. It is the first survey to focus on Arabic handwriting recognition and the first Arabic character recognition survey to provide recognition rates and descriptions of test data for the approaches discussed. It includes background on the field, discussion of the methods, and future research directions.

  6. Weather Requirements and Procedures for Step 1: High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Flight Operations in the National Air Space (NAS)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2007-01-01

    This cover sheet is for version 2 of the weather requirements document along with Appendix A. The purpose of the requirements document was to identify and to list the weather functional requirements needed to achieve the Access 5 vision of "operating High Altitude, Long Endurance (HALE) Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) routinely, safely, and reliably in the National Airspace System (NAS) for Step 1." A discussion of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) references and related policies, procedures, and standards is provided as basis for the recommendations supported within this document. Additional procedures and reference documentation related to weather functional requirements is also provided for background. The functional requirements and related information are to be proposed to the FAA and various standards organizations for consideration and approval. The appendix was designed to show that sources of flight weather information are readily available to UAS pilots conducting missions in the NAS. All weather information for this presentation was obtained from the public internet.

  7. When and how do GPs record vital signs in children with acute infections? A cross-sectional study

    PubMed Central

    Blacklock, Claire; Haj-Hassan, Tanya Ali; Thompson, Matthew J

    2012-01-01

    Background NICE recommendations and evidence from ambulatory settings promotes the use of vital signs in identifying serious infections in children. This appears to differ from usual clinical practice where GPs report measuring vital signs infrequently. Aim To identify frequency of vital sign documentation by GPs, in the assessment of children with acute infections in primary care. Design and setting Observational study in 15 general practice surgeries in Oxfordshire and Somerset, UK. Method A standardised proforma was used to extract consultation details including documentation of numerical vital signs, and words or phrases used by the GP in assessing vital signs, for 850 children aged 1 month to 16 years presenting with acute infection. Results Of the children presenting with acute infections 31.6% had one or more numerical vital signs recorded (269, 31.6%), however GP recording rate improved if free text proxies were also considered: at least one vital sign was then recorded in over half (54.1%) of children. In those with recorded numerical values for vital signs, the most frequent was temperature (210, 24.7%), followed by heart rate (62, 7.3%), respiratory rate (58, 6.8%), and capillary refill time (36, 4.2%). Words or phrases for vital signs were documented infrequently (temperature 17.6%, respiratory rate 14.6%, capillary refill time 12.5%, and heart rate 0.5%), Text relating to global assessment was documented in 313/850 (36.8%) of consultations. Conclusion GPs record vital signs using words and phrases as well as numerical methods, although overall documentation of vital signs is infrequent in children presenting with acute infections. PMID:23265227

  8. Transmittal of Background Statement on Top-Down BACT

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This document may be of assistance in applying the New Source Review (NSR) air permitting regulations including the Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) requirements. This document is part of the NSR Policy and Guidance Database. Some documents in the database are a scanned or retyped version of a paper photocopy of the original. Although we have taken considerable effort to quality assure the documents, some may contain typographical errors. Contact the office that issued the document if you need a copy of the original.

  9. Case studies of energy efficiency financing in the original five pilot states, 1993-1996

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

    Farhar, B C; Collins, N E; Walsh, R W

    1997-05-01

    The purpose of this report is to document progress in state-level programs in energy efficiency financing programs that are linked with home energy rating systems. Case studies are presented of programs in five states using a federal pilot program to amortize the costs of home energy improvements. The case studies present background information, describe the states` program, list preliminary evaluation data and findings, and discuss problems and solution encountered in the programs. A comparison of experiences in pilot states will be used to provide guidelines for program implementers, federal agencies, and Congress. 5 refs.

  10. Building SAWE Capability as an ANSI Accredited Standards Developer

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cerro, Jeffrey A.; Davis, Ed; Peterson, Eric; Griffiths, William T.; Brooks, Andy; Stratton, Bonnie; Attar, Jose

    2014-01-01

    This paper presents a 2014 status of the Society of Allied Weight Engineers' process towards becoming an Accredited Standards Developer (ASD) under certification by the United States American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Included is material from the committee's 2013 International presentation, current status, and additional general background material. The document strives to serve as a reference point to assist SAWE Recommended Practice and Standards developers in negotiating United States Standards Strategy, international standards strategy, and the association of SAWE standards and recommended practices to those efforts. Required procedures for SAWE to develop and maintain Recommended Practices and ANSI/SAWE Standards are reviewed.

  11. Photovoltaic array space power plus diagnostics experiment

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Burger, D. R.

    1990-01-01

    The objective is to summarize the five years of hardware development and fabrication represented by the Photovoltaic Array Space Power Plus Diagnostics (PASP Plus) Instrument. The original PASP Experiment requirements and background is presented along with the modifications which were requested to transform the PASP Experiment into the PASP Plus Instrument. The PASP Plus hardware and software is described. Test results for components and subsystems are given as well as final system tests. Also included are appendices which describe the major subsystems and present supporting documentation such as block diagrams, schematics, circuit board artwork, drawings, test procedures and test reports.

  12. A Space Data System Standard for Telerobotic Operations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mittman, David S.; Martinez, Lindolfo

    2014-01-01

    The Telerobotics Working Group of the Mission Operations and Information Management Services Area of the Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems is drafting a document that will help bound the scope of an eventual international standard for telerobotic operations services. This paper will present the work in progress and provide background for how the international community is beginning to define standards in telerobotic operations that will help ensure the success of complex missions to explore beyond Earth orbit.

  13. Assessing Student Achievement in the States: Background Studies. Studies for the Evaluation of the NAEP Trial State Assessment Commissioned for the National Academy of Education Panel Report on the 1990 Trial.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National Academy of Education, Stanford, CA.

    This document presents 10 papers concerning the 1990 Trial State Assessment, which was restricted to the eighth-grade public school population in 37 states, the District of Columbia, and 2 U.S. territories. The following are the papers: (1) "A Critique of Sampling in the 1990 Trial State Assessment" (Bruce D. Spencer); (2)…

  14. Role of Background in the CERCLA Cleanup Program

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This document clarifies the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) preferred approach for the consideration of background constituent concentrations of hazardous substances, pollutants, and contaminants in certain steps of the remedy selection process

  15. Final safety analysis report for the Galileo Mission: Volume 1, Reference design document

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

    Not Available

    The Galileo mission uses nuclear power sources called Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs) to provide the spacecraft's primary electrical power. Because these generators contain nuclear material, a Safety Analysis Report (SAR) is required. A preliminary SAR and an updated SAR were previously issued that provided an evolving status report on the safety analysis. As a result of the Challenger accident, the launch dates for both Galileo and Ulysses missions were later rescheduled for November 1989 and October 1990, respectively. The decision was made by agreement between the DOE and the NASA to have a revised safety evaluation and report (FSAR) preparedmore » on the basis of these revised vehicle accidents and environments. The results of this latest revised safety evaluation are presented in this document (Galileo FSAR). Volume I, this document, provides the background design information required to understand the analyses presented in Volumes II and III. It contains descriptions of the RTGs, the Galileo spacecraft, the Space Shuttle, the Inertial Upper Stage (IUS), the trajectory and flight characteristics including flight contingency modes, and the launch site. There are two appendices in Volume I which provide detailed material properties for the RTG.« less

  16. Using Readability Tests to Improve the Accuracy of Evaluation Documents Intended for Low-Literate Participants

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kouame, Julien B.

    2010-01-01

    Background: Readability tests are indicators that measure how easy a document can be read and understood. Simple, but very often ignored, readability statistics cannot only provide information about the level of difficulty of the readability of particular documents but also can increase an evaluator's credibility. Purpose: The purpose of this…

  17. Technical Assistance and Training from the Document Design Project. Final Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    American Institutes for Research, Washington, DC.

    Contained in this report is a description of the technical assistance and training phase of the Document Design Project, a program funded by the National Institute of Education and intended to address and correct the readability problems posed by public documents. The first section of the report provides background material on the assistance and…

  18. Writer identification on historical Glagolitic documents

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fiel, Stefan; Hollaus, Fabian; Gau, Melanie; Sablatnig, Robert

    2013-12-01

    This work aims at automatically identifying scribes of historical Slavonic manuscripts. The quality of the ancient documents is partially degraded by faded-out ink or varying background. The writer identification method used is based on image features, which are described with Scale Invariant Feature Transform (SIFT) features. A visual vocabulary is used for the description of handwriting characteristics, whereby the features are clustered using a Gaussian Mixture Model and employing the Fisher kernel. The writer identification approach is originally designed for grayscale images of modern handwritings. But contrary to modern documents, the historical manuscripts are partially corrupted by background clutter and water stains. As a result, SIFT features are also found on the background. Since the method shows also good results on binarized images of modern handwritings, the approach was additionally applied on binarized images of the ancient writings. Experiments show that this preprocessing step leads to a significant performance increase: The identification rate on binarized images is 98.9%, compared to an identification rate of 87.6% gained on grayscale images.

  19. Image Segmentation of Historical Handwriting from Palm Leaf Manuscripts

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Surinta, Olarik; Chamchong, Rapeeporn

    Palm leaf manuscripts were one of the earliest forms of written media and were used in Southeast Asia to store early written knowledge about subjects such as medicine, Buddhist doctrine and astrology. Therefore, historical handwritten palm leaf manuscripts are important for people who like to learn about historical documents, because we can learn more experience from them. This paper presents an image segmentation of historical handwriting from palm leaf manuscripts. The process is composed of three steps: 1) background elimination to separate text and background by Otsu's algorithm 2) line segmentation and 3) character segmentation by histogram of image. The end result is the character's image. The results from this research may be applied to optical character recognition (OCR) in the future.

  20. U. S. EPA’S NA APPROACH FOR PETROLEUM HYDROCARBONS

    EPA Science Inventory

    Most evaluations of NA of petroleum hydrocarbons use geochemical data to document the NA through biodegradation. The expected trends during biodegradation (plume interior vs. background concentrations) are Dissolved oxygen concentrations below background, Nitrate concentrations ...

  1. NEUROTOXICITY OF TETRACHLOROETHYLENE (PERCHLOROETHYLENE): DISCUSSION PAPER

    EPA Science Inventory

    This paper is a background document for a meeting of neurotoxicity experts to discuss the central nervous system effects of exposure to perchloroethylene (perc). The document reviews the literature on neurological testing of people exposed to perc occupationally in dry cleanin...

  2. 36 CFR 1238.14 - What are the microfilming requirements for permanent and unscheduled records?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... accordance with ISO 18901 (incorporated by reference, see § 1238.5) and use the processing procedures in ANSI... § 1238.5). (2) Background density of images. Agencies must use the background ISO standard visual diffuse... transmission density. (i) Recommended visual diffuse transmission background densities for images of documents...

  3. 36 CFR 1238.14 - What are the microfilming requirements for permanent and unscheduled records?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... accordance with ISO 18901 (incorporated by reference, see § 1238.5) and use the processing procedures in ANSI... § 1238.5). (2) Background density of images. Agencies must use the background ISO standard visual diffuse... transmission density. (i) Recommended visual diffuse transmission background densities for images of documents...

  4. 36 CFR 1238.14 - What are the microfilming requirements for permanent and unscheduled records?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... accordance with ISO 18901 (incorporated by reference, see § 1238.5) and use the processing procedures in ANSI... § 1238.5). (2) Background density of images. Agencies must use the background ISO standard visual diffuse... transmission density. (i) Recommended visual diffuse transmission background densities for images of documents...

  5. Notes on Earth Atmospheric Entry for Mars Sample Return Missions

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rivell, Thomas

    2006-01-01

    The entry of sample return vehicles (SRVs) into the Earth's atmosphere is the subject of this document. The Earth entry environment for vehicles, or capsules, returning from the planet Mars is discussed along with the subjects of dynamics, aerodynamics, and heat transfer. The material presented is intended for engineers and scientists who do not have strong backgrounds in aerodynamics, aerothermodynamics and flight mechanics. The document is not intended to be comprehensive and some important topics are omitted. The topics considered in this document include basic principles of physics (fluid mechanics, dynamics and heat transfer), chemistry and engineering mechanics. These subjects include: a) fluid mechanics (aerodynamics, aerothermodynamics, compressible fluids, shock waves, boundary layers, and flow regimes from subsonic to hypervelocity; b) the Earth s atmosphere and gravity; c) thermal protection system design considerations; d) heat and mass transfer (convection, radiation, and ablation); e) flight mechanics (basic rigid body dynamics and stability); and f) flight- and ground-test requirements; and g) trajectory and flow simulation methods.

  6. Use of a simplified consent form to facilitate patient understanding of informed consent for laparoscopic cholecystectomy

    PubMed Central

    Borello, Alessandro; Passera, Roberto; Surace, Alessandra; Marola, Silvia; Buccelli, Claudio; Niola, Massimo; Di Lorenzo, Pierpaolo; Amato, Maurizio; Di Domenico, Lorenza; Solej, Mario; Martino, Valter

    2016-01-01

    Abstract Background Surgical informed consent forms can be complicated for patients to read and understand. We created a consent form with key information presented in bulleted texts and diagrams combined in a graphical format to facilitate the understanding of information during the verbal consent discussion. Methods This prospective, randomized study involved 70 adult patients awaiting cholecystectomy for gallstones. Consent was obtained after standard verbal explanation using either a graphically formatted (study group, n=33) or a standard text document (control group, n=37). Comprehension was evaluated with a 9-item multiple-choice questionnaire administered before surgery and factors affecting comprehension were analyzed. Results Comparison of questionnaire scores showed no effect of age, sex, time between consent and surgery, or document format on understanding of informed consent. Educational level was the only predictor of comprehension. Conclusions Simplified surgical consent documents meet the goals of health literacy and informed consent. Educational level appears to be a strong predictor of understanding. PMID:28352847

  7. Directrices para la Creacion del Centro Nacional de Informacion y Documentacion (Guidelines for the Creation of a National Information and Documentation Center).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Menda Behrens, Eduardo

    This document discusses background information and guidelines for the creation of a national information and documentation center for the dissemination of scientific and technological information. The study first reports on information services in several other countries and the need for an information center in Venezuela; included are…

  8. Retirement Income for an Aging Population. A Report Prepared by Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress, with Analytic Support from the Congressional Budget Office. Committee on Ways and Means, U.S. House of Representatives, One Hundredth Congress, First Session.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Library of Congress, Washington, DC. Congressional Research Service.

    This document presents an extensive report on retirement income prepared by the Congressional Research Service at the request of Congressman Dan Rostenkowski. The report consists of an executive summary, an overview of the issue, and a series of background papers. Part I provides an overview of retirement income for an aging population and…

  9. Shuttle Ground Operations Efficiencies/Technologies (SGOE/T) study. Volume 2: Ground Operations evaluation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Scholz, A. L.; Hart, M. T.; Lowry, D. J.

    1987-01-01

    The Ground Operations Evaluation describes the breath and depth of the various study elements selected as a result of an operational analysis conducted during the early part of the study. Analysis techniques used for the evaluation are described in detail. Elements selected for further evaluation are identified; the results of the analysis documented; and a follow-on course of action recommended. The background and rationale for developing recommendations for the current Shuttle or for future programs is presented.

  10. Basis and Purpose Document for the proposed NESHAP for Pharmaceuticals Production

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The Basis and Purpose Document provides background information on, and the rationale for, decisions made by EPA related to the proposed standards for the reduction of hazardous air pollutants (HAP) emitted through the manufacture of pharmaceutical products

  11. 78 FR 41412 - Notice of Availability of Policy Document

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-07-10

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Health Resources and Services Administration Notice of Availability of Policy Document AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), HHS. ACTION: Final.../policiesregulations/policies/pin201301.html . Background: HHS' Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA...

  12. Indian Ocean radiocarbon: Data from the INDIGO 1, 2, and 3 cruises

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

    Sepanski, R.J.

    1991-01-01

    This document presents {sup 14}C activities (expressed in the internationally adopted {Delta}{sup 14}C scale) from water samples taken at various locations and depths in the Indian and Southern oceans through the Indien Gaz Ocean (INDIGO) project. These data were collected as part of the INDIGO 1, INDIGO 2, and INDIGO 3 cruises, which took place during the years 1985, 1986, and 1987, respectively. These data have been used to estimate the penetration of anthropogenic CO{sub 2} in the Indian and Southern oceans. The document also presents supporting data for potential temperature, salinity, density (sigma-theta), {delta}{sup 13}C, and total CO{sub 2}.more » All radiocarbon measurements have been examined statistically for quality of sample counts and stability of counting efficiency and background. In addition, all data have been reviewed by the Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center and assessed for gross accuracy and consistency (absence of obvious outliers and other anomalous values). These data are available free of charge as a numeric data package (NDP) from the Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center. The NDP consists of this document and a magnetic tape containing machine-readable files. This document provides sample listing of the Indian Ocean radiocarbon data as they appear on the magnetic tape, as well as a complete listing of these data in tabular form. This document also offers retrieval program listings, furnishes information on sampling methods and data selection, defines limitations and restrictions of the data, and provides reprints of pertinent literature. 13 refs., 4 tabs.« less

  13. National Survey of Patients’ Bill of Rights Statutes

    PubMed Central

    Jacob, Dan M.; Hochhauser, Mark; Parker, Ruth M.

    2009-01-01

    BACKGROUND Despite vigorous national debate between 1999–2001 the federal patients’ bill of rights (PBOR) was not enacted. However, states have enacted legislation and the Joint Commission defined an accreditation standard to present patients with their rights. Because such initiatives can be undermined by overly complex language, we surveyed the readability of hospital PBOR documents as well as texts mandated by state law. METHODS State Web sites and codes were searched to identify PBOR statutes for general patient populations. The rights addressed were compared with the 12 themes presented in the American Hospital Association’s (AHA) PBOR text of 2002. In addition, we obtained PBOR texts from a sample of hospitals in each state. Readability was evaluated using Prose, a software program which reports an average of eight readability formulas. RESULTS Of 23 states with a PBOR statute for the general public, all establish a grievance policy, four protect a private right of action, and one stipulates fines for violations. These laws address an average of 7.4 of the 12 AHA themes. Nine states’ statutes specify PBOR text for distribution to patients. These documents have an average readability of 15th grade (range, 11.6, New York, to 17.0, Minnesota). PBOR documents from 240 US hospitals have an average readability of 14th grade (range, 8.2 to 17.0). CONCLUSIONS While the average U.S. adult reads at an 8th grade reading level, an advanced college reading level is routinely required to read PBOR documents. Patients are not likely to learn about their rights from documents they cannot read. PMID:19189192

  14. Effectiveness guidance document (EGD) for Chinese medicine trials: a consensus document

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background There is a need for more Comparative Effectiveness Research (CER) on Chinese medicine (CM) to inform clinical and policy decision-making. This document aims to provide consensus advice for the design of CER trials on CM for researchers. It broadly aims to ensure more adequate design and optimal use of resources in generating evidence for CM to inform stakeholder decision-making. Methods The Effectiveness Guidance Document (EGD) development was based on multiple consensus procedures (survey, written Delphi rounds, interactive consensus workshop, international expert review). To balance aspects of internal and external validity, multiple stakeholders, including patients, clinicians, researchers and payers were involved in creating this document. Results Recommendations were developed for “using available data” and “future clinical studies”. The recommendations for future trials focus on randomized trials and cover the following areas: designing CER studies, treatments, expertise and setting, outcomes, study design and statistical analyses, economic evaluation, and publication. Conclusion The present EGD provides the first systematic methodological guidance for future CER trials on CM and can be applied to single or multi-component treatments. While CONSORT statements provide guidelines for reporting studies, EGDs provide recommendations for the design of future studies and can contribute to a more strategic use of limited research resources, as well as greater consistency in trial design. PMID:24885146

  15. Questions of scientific responsibility: the Baltimore case.

    PubMed

    Lang, Serge

    1993-01-01

    A number of cases of questionable behavior in science have been extensively reported in the media during the last two or three years. What standards are upheld by the scientific community affect the community internally, and also affect its relations with society at large, including Congress. Here I wish to address questions of scientific responsibility, using the Baltimore case as a concrete instance where they came up. The first part containing historical background is necessary to provide readers with documentation so that they can have some factual bases on which to evaluate respective positions and my conclusions that follow -- based on further but more succinctly summarized documentation. I have reproduced many quotes because I firmly believe people are entitled to be represented by their own wording. Conversely, I hold people accountable for their official positions. Some of these are reproduced in footnotes, and some longer ones are reproduced in appendices. I also do not ask to be trusted. By providing numerous references, I hope that readers who find my documentation insufficient can follow up by looking up these references.... The article is in six parts: Part I. Historical Background. This part gives mostly a historical background of the early phases of the Baltimore case. Part II. The First Issue of Responsibility. This part presents a discussion of certain scientific responsibilities based on that background, specifically: the responsibility of answering questions about one's work, and the responsibility whether to submit to authority. Part III. The NIH Investigations. This part summarizes the two NIH investigations. Part IV. The Dingell Subcommittee. This part deals with the responsibilities of a Congressional Committee vis-à-vis science. Part V. Further Issues of Responsibility. This part goes into an open ended discussion of many issues of responsibility facing scientists, vis-à-vis themselves and vis-à-vis society at large, including Congress. The list is long, and readers can look at the section and paragraph headings to get an idea of their content. Part VI. Personal Credibility, a Shift at the Grass Roots, and Baltimore's Persistence.

  16. Quality and correlates of medical record documentation in the ambulatory care setting

    PubMed Central

    Soto, Carlos M; Kleinman, Kenneth P; Simon, Steven R

    2002-01-01

    Background Documentation in the medical record facilitates the diagnosis and treatment of patients. Few studies have assessed the quality of outpatient medical record documentation, and to the authors' knowledge, none has conclusively determined the correlates of chart documentation. We therefore undertook the present study to measure the rates of documentation of quality of care measures in an outpatient primary care practice setting that utilizes an electronic medical record. Methods We reviewed electronic medical records from 834 patients receiving care from 167 physicians (117 internists and 50 pediatricians) at 14 sites of a multi-specialty medical group in Massachusetts. We abstracted information for five measures of medical record documentation quality: smoking history, medications, drug allergies, compliance with screening guidelines, and immunizations. From other sources we determined physicians' specialty, gender, year of medical school graduation, and self-reported time spent teaching and in patient care. Results Among internists, unadjusted rates of documentation were 96.2% for immunizations, 91.6% for medications, 88% for compliance with screening guidelines, 61.6% for drug allergies, 37.8% for smoking history. Among pediatricians, rates were 100% for immunizations, 84.8% for medications, 90.8% for compliance with screening guidelines, 50.4% for drug allergies, and 20.4% for smoking history. While certain physician and patient characteristics correlated with some measures of documentation quality, documentation varied depending on the measure. For example, female internists were more likely than male internists to document smoking history (odds ratio [OR], 1.90; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.27 – 2.83) but were less likely to document drug allergies (OR, 0.51; 95% CI, 0.35 – 0.75). Conclusions Medical record documentation varied depending on the measure, with room for improvement in most domains. A variety of characteristics correlated with medical record documentation, but no pattern emerged. Further study could lead to targeted interventions to improve documentation. PMID:12473161

  17. Fast words boundaries localization in text fields for low quality document images

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ilin, Dmitry; Novikov, Dmitriy; Polevoy, Dmitry; Nikolaev, Dmitry

    2018-04-01

    The paper examines the problem of word boundaries precise localization in document text zones. Document processing on a mobile device consists of document localization, perspective correction, localization of individual fields, finding words in separate zones, segmentation and recognition. While capturing an image with a mobile digital camera under uncontrolled capturing conditions, digital noise, perspective distortions or glares may occur. Further document processing gets complicated because of its specifics: layout elements, complex background, static text, document security elements, variety of text fonts. However, the problem of word boundaries localization has to be solved at runtime on mobile CPU with limited computing capabilities under specified restrictions. At the moment, there are several groups of methods optimized for different conditions. Methods for the scanned printed text are quick but limited only for images of high quality. Methods for text in the wild have an excessively high computational complexity, thus, are hardly suitable for running on mobile devices as part of the mobile document recognition system. The method presented in this paper solves a more specialized problem than the task of finding text on natural images. It uses local features, a sliding window and a lightweight neural network in order to achieve an optimal algorithm speed-precision ratio. The duration of the algorithm is 12 ms per field running on an ARM processor of a mobile device. The error rate for boundaries localization on a test sample of 8000 fields is 0.3

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

    Hausladen, Paul; Blessinger, Christopher S; Guzzardo, Tyler

    A complete understanding of both the steady state and transient background measured by Radiation Portal Monitors (RPMs) is essential to predictable system performance, as well as maximization of detection sensitivity. To facilitate this understanding, a test bed for the study of natural background in RPMs has been established at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. This work was performed in support of the Second Line of Defense Program's mission to detect the illicit movement of nuclear material. In the present work, transient increases in gamma ray counting rates in RPMs due to rain are investigated. The increase in background activity associatedmore » with rain, which has been well documented in the field of environmental radioactivity, originates from the atmospheric deposition of two radioactive daughters of radon-222, namely lead-214 and bismuth-214 (henceforth {sup 222}Rn, {sup 214}Pb and {sup 214}Bi). In this study, rainfall rates recorded by a co-located weather station are compared with RPM count rates and High Purity Germanium spectra. The data verifies these radionuclides are responsible for the dominant transient natural background fluctuations in RPMs. Effects on system performance and potential mitigation strategies are discussed.« less

  19. 77 FR 3933 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Oklahoma; Infrastructure...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-01-26

    ... public inspection in the Region 6 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Review Room between the hours of 8:30... document wherever ``we,'' ``us,'' or ``our'' is used, we mean the EPA. I. Background II. Final Action III. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews I. Background The background for today's action is discussed in detail...

  20. New Law Relating to Family and Medical Leave (1987 Wisconsin Act 287). Information Memorandum 88-13.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rose, Laura

    This document describes the 1987 Wisconsin Act 287 which concern providing family leave and medical leave to employees. The background of the law is described in the first part of the document. The second part of the document describes the family and medical leave act. These topics are covered: (1) basic provisions of family and medical leave,…

  1. Ethnopharmacological survey of Samburu district, Kenya

    PubMed Central

    Nanyingi, Mark O; Mbaria, James M; Lanyasunya, Adamson L; Wagate, Cyrus G; Koros, Kipsengeret B; Kaburia, Humphrey F; Munenge, Rahab W; Ogara, William O

    2008-01-01

    Background Ethnobotanical pharmacopoeia is confidently used in disease intervention and there is need for documentation and preservation of traditional medical knowledge to bolster the discovery of novel drugs. The objective of the present study was to document the indigenous medicinal plant utilization, management and their extinction threats in Samburu District, Kenya. Methods Field research was conducted in six divisions of Samburu District in Kenya. We randomly sampled 100 consented interviewees stratified by age, gender, occupation and level of education. We collected plant use data through semi-structured questionnaires; transect walks, oral interviews and focus groups discussions. Voucher specimens of all cited botanic species were collected and deposited at University of Nairobi's botany herbarium. Results Data on plant use from the informants yielded 990 citations on 56 medicinal plant species, which are used to treat 54 different animal and human diseases including; malaria, digestive disorders, respiratory syndromes and ectoparasites. Conclusion The ethnomedicinal use of plant species was documented in the study area for treatment of both human and veterinary diseases. The local population has high ethnobotanical knowledge and has adopted sound management conservation practices. The major threatening factors reported were anthropogenic and natural. Ethnomedical documentation and sustainable plant utilization can support drug discovery efforts in developing countries. PMID:18498665

  2. Implementation of a publication strategy in the context of reporting biases. A case study based on new documents from Neurontin® litigation

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background Previous studies have documented strategies to promote off-label use of drugs using journal publications and other means. Few studies have presented internal company communications that discussed financial reasons for manipulating the scholarly record related to off-label indications. The objective of this study was to build on previous studies to illustrate implementation of a publication strategy by the drug manufacturer for four off-label uses of gabapentin (Neurontin®, Pfizer, Inc.): migraine prophylaxis, treatment of bipolar disorders, neuropathic pain, and nociceptive pain. Methods We included in this study internal company documents, email correspondence, memoranda, study protocols and reports that were made publicly available in 2008 as part of litigation brought by consumers and health insurers against Pfizer for fraudulent sales practices in its marketing of gabapentin (see http://pacer.mad.uscourts.gov/dc/cgi-bin/recentops.pl?filename=saris/pdf/ucl%20opinion.pdf for the Court’s findings). We reviewed documents pertaining to 20 clinical trials, 12 of which were published. We categorized our observations related to reporting biases and linked them with topics covered in internal documents, that is, deciding what should and should not be published and how to spin the study findings (re-framing study results to explain away unfavorable findings or to emphasize favorable findings); and where and when findings should be published and by whom. Results We present extracts from internal company marketing assessments recommending that Pfizer and Parke-Davis (Pfizer acquired Parke-Davis in 2000) adopt a publication strategy to conduct trials and disseminate trial findings for unapproved uses rather than an indication strategy to obtain regulatory approval. We show internal company email correspondence and documents revealing how publication content was influenced and spin was applied; how the company selected where trial findings would be presented or published; how publication of study results was delayed; and the role of ghost authorship. Conclusions Taken together, the extracts we present from internal company documents illustrate implementation of a strategy at odds with unbiased study conduct and dissemination. Our findings suggest that Pfizer and Parke-Davis’s publication strategy had the potential to distort the scientific literature, and thus misinform healthcare decision-makers. PMID:22888801

  3. Expert system verification and validation study: ES V/V Workshop

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    French, Scott; Hamilton, David

    1992-01-01

    The primary purpose of this document is to build a foundation for applying principles of verification and validation (V&V) of expert systems. To achieve this, some V&V as applied to conventionally implemented software is required. Part one will discuss the background of V&V from the perspective of (1) what is V&V of software and (2) V&V's role in developing software. Part one will also overview some common analysis techniques that are applied when performing V&V of software. All of these materials will be presented based on the assumption that the reader has little or no background in V&V or in developing procedural software. The primary purpose of part two is to explain the major techniques that have been developed for V&V of expert systems.

  4. Maritime zones delimitation - Problems and solutions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kastrisios, Christos; Tsoulos, Lysandros

    2018-05-01

    The delimitation of maritime zones and boundaries foreseen by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) is a factor of economic growth, effective management of the coastal and ocean environment and the cornerstone for maritime spatial planning. Maritime zones and boundaries form the outermost limits of coastal states and their accurate delineation and cartographic portrayal is a matter of national priority. Although UNCLOS is a legal document, its implementation -at first place- is purely technical and requires -amongst others- theoretical and applied background on Geodesy, Cartography and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for those involved. This paper provides a brief historical background of the evolution of the UNCLOS, presents the various concepts of the Convention and identifies the problems inherent in the maritime delimitation process. Furthermore, it presents solutions that will facilitate the cartographer's work in order to achieve unquestionable results. Through the paper it becomes evident that the role of the cartographer and the GIS expert is critical for the successful implementation of maritime delimitation.

  5. Document similarity measures and document browsing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ahmadullin, Ildus; Fan, Jian; Damera-Venkata, Niranjan; Lim, Suk Hwan; Lin, Qian; Liu, Jerry; Liu, Sam; O'Brien-Strain, Eamonn; Allebach, Jan

    2011-03-01

    Managing large document databases is an important task today. Being able to automatically com- pare document layouts and classify and search documents with respect to their visual appearance proves to be desirable in many applications. We measure single page documents' similarity with respect to distance functions between three document components: background, text, and saliency. Each document component is represented as a Gaussian mixture distribution; and distances between dierent documents' components are calculated as probabilistic similarities between corresponding distributions. The similarity measure between documents is represented as a weighted sum of the components' distances. Using this document similarity measure, we propose a browsing mechanism operating on a document dataset. For these purposes, we use a hierarchical browsing environment which we call the document similarity pyramid. It allows the user to browse a large document dataset and to search for documents in the dataset that are similar to the query. The user can browse the dataset on dierent levels of the pyramid, and zoom into the documents that are of interest.

  6. UCD IIRG at TREC 2012 Medical Track

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-11-01

    documents. For ex- ample, the query “shakespeare.author” would en- sure that documents matching shakespeare in the au- thor field are returned. On the...corpus side, field extents are identified using XMLlike markup, e.g. <author> shakespeare </author>. 3 System Background & Motivation This section outlines

  7. Document image cleanup and binarization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wu, Victor; Manmatha, Raghaven

    1998-04-01

    Image binarization is a difficult task for documents with text over textured or shaded backgrounds, poor contrast, and/or considerable noise. Current optical character recognition (OCR) and document analysis technology do not handle such documents well. We have developed a simple yet effective algorithm for document image clean-up and binarization. The algorithm consists of two basic steps. In the first step, the input image is smoothed using a low-pass filter. The smoothing operation enhances the text relative to any background texture. This is because background texture normally has higher frequency than text does. The smoothing operation also removes speckle noise. In the second step, the intensity histogram of the smoothed image is computed and a threshold automatically selected as follows. For black text, the first peak of the histogram corresponds to text. Thresholding the image at the value of the valley between the first and second peaks of the histogram binarizes the image well. In order to reliably identify the valley, the histogram is smoothed by a low-pass filter before the threshold is computed. The algorithm has been applied to some 50 images from a wide variety of source: digitized video frames, photos, newspapers, advertisements in magazines or sales flyers, personal checks, etc. There are 21820 characters and 4406 words in these images. 91 percent of the characters and 86 percent of the words are successfully cleaned up and binarized. A commercial OCR was applied to the binarized text when it consisted of fonts which were OCR recognizable. The recognition rate was 84 percent for the characters and 77 percent for the words.

  8. Intersection negotiation problems of older drivers. Volume 2, Background synthesis on age and intersection driving difficulties

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-09-01

    This project included a background literature synthesis and observational field study. The research goals were to document driving problems and errors at intersections, for older drivers using their own cars to travel familiar and unfamiliar routes, ...

  9. China: Background Notes Series.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reams, Joanne Reppert

    Concise background information on the People's Republic of China is provided. The publication begins with a profile of the country, outlining the people, geography, economy, and membership in international organizations. The bulk of the document then discusses in more detail China's people, geography, history, government, education, economy, and…

  10. STEPS: A NARRATIVE ACCOUNT OF A GABAPENTIN SEEDING TRIAL

    PubMed Central

    Krumholz, Samuel D.; Egilman, David S.; Ross, Joseph S.

    2012-01-01

    Background Seeding trials, clinical studies conducted by pharmaceutical companies for marketing purposes, have rarely been described in detail. Methods We examined all documents relating to the clinical trial Study of Neurontin: Titrate to Effect, Profile of Safety (STEPS) produced during the Neurontin marketing, sales practices and product liability litigation, including company internal and external correspondence, reports, and presentations, as well as depositions elicited in legal proceedings of Harden Manufacturing v. Pfizer and Franklin v. Warner-Lambert, the majority of which were created between 1990 and 2009. Using a systematic search strategy, we identified and reviewed all documents related to the STEPS trial, in order to identify key themes related to the trial’s conduct and determine the extent of marketing involvement in its planning and implementation. Results Documents demonstrated that STEPS was a seeding trial posing as a legitimate scientific study. Documents consistently described the trial itself, not trial results, to be a marketing tactic in the company’s marketing plans. Documents demonstrated that several external sources questioned the validity of the study before execution, and that data quality during the study was often compromised. Furthermore, documents described company analyses examining the impact of participating as a STEPS investigator on rates and dosages of gabapentin prescribing, finding a positive association. None of these findings were reported in two published papers. Conclusions The STEPS trial was a seeding trial, used to promote gabapentin and increase prescribing among investigators, and marketing was extensively involved in its planning and implementation. PMID:21709111

  11. Biblio-MetReS: A bibliometric network reconstruction application and server

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background Reconstruction of genes and/or protein networks from automated analysis of the literature is one of the current targets of text mining in biomedical research. Some user-friendly tools already perform this analysis on precompiled databases of abstracts of scientific papers. Other tools allow expert users to elaborate and analyze the full content of a corpus of scientific documents. However, to our knowledge, no user friendly tool that simultaneously analyzes the latest set of scientific documents available on line and reconstructs the set of genes referenced in those documents is available. Results This article presents such a tool, Biblio-MetReS, and compares its functioning and results to those of other user-friendly applications (iHOP, STRING) that are widely used. Under similar conditions, Biblio-MetReS creates networks that are comparable to those of other user friendly tools. Furthermore, analysis of full text documents provides more complete reconstructions than those that result from using only the abstract of the document. Conclusions Literature-based automated network reconstruction is still far from providing complete reconstructions of molecular networks. However, its value as an auxiliary tool is high and it will increase as standards for reporting biological entities and relationships become more widely accepted and enforced. Biblio-MetReS is an application that can be downloaded from http://metres.udl.cat/. It provides an easy to use environment for researchers to reconstruct their networks of interest from an always up to date set of scientific documents. PMID:21975133

  12. Improving Text Recall with Multiple Summaries

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    van der Meij, Hans; van der Meij, Jan

    2012-01-01

    Background. QuikScan (QS) is an innovative design that aims to improve accessibility, comprehensibility, and subsequent recall of expository text by means of frequent within-document summaries that are formatted as numbered list items. The numbers in the QS summaries correspond to numbers placed in the body of the document where the summarized…

  13. Educational Voucher Demonstration Archive: Project-Level Documentation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Leinwand (C.M.) Associates, Inc., Newton, MA.

    This report describes the Educational Voucher Demonstration, serves as a guide for its documentation, and offers an extensive bibliography. Part 1 gives background information and summarizes the implementation of the Alum Rock Demonstration based on a transitional voucher model and involving six public schools, each offering at least two distinct…

  14. Glimpses into Northwest Lives: Some Outstanding Women.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Simon-McWilliams, Ethel; Caldwell, Fran

    Intended as a motivational tool to be used in public school classroom instruction and counseling, this document recognizes some of the outstanding women, from varied ethnic and racial backgrounds, who have contributed to life in the northwestern United States. The document contains succinct biographies of 37 women, and also includes suggestions to…

  15. Closeup of LDEF experiment trays documented during STS-32 photo survey

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1990-01-20

    Closeup of Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) experiment trays is documented during STS-32 retrieval activity and photo survey conducted by crewmembers onboard Columbia, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 102. Partially visible is the Polymer Matrix Composite Materials Experiment. In the background is the surface of the Earth.

  16. New Evidence: Data Documenting Parental Support for Earlier Sexuality Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barr, Elissa M.; Moore, Michele J.; Johnson, Tammie; Forrest, Jamie; Jordan, Melissa

    2014-01-01

    Background: Numerous studies document support for sexuality education to be taught in high school, and often, in middle school. However, little research has been conducted addressing support for sexuality education in elementary schools. Methods: As part of the state Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Survey administration, the…

  17. Advantages of Coordinated School Health Portfolios: Documenting and Showcasing Achievements

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shipley, Meagan; Lohrmann, David; Barnes, Priscilla; O'Neill, Jim

    2013-01-01

    Background: Thirteen school district teams from Michigan and Indiana participated in the Michiana Coordinated School Health Leadership Institute with the intent of Coordinated School Health Program (CSHP) implementation. The purpose of this study was to determine if portfolios served as an effective approach for documenting teams' accomplishments…

  18. Working with Practicing Teachers in a High-Stakes Teaching Context to Rethink Their Pedagogical Practices with Children of Diverse Backgrounds

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brown, Christopher P.; Weber, Natalie Babiak

    2016-01-01

    The public education system in the United States continues to struggle in educating children of diverse backgrounds. Many have addressed this issue by documenting how certain practices teach children particular types of knowledge and skills. This developmental focus on what should be happening to children of diverse backgrounds tends to ignore the…

  19. Substance use disorders in Arab countries: research activity and bibliometric analysis

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background Substance use disorders, which include substance abuse and substance dependence, are present in all regions of the world including Middle Eastern Arab countries. Bibliometric analysis is an increasingly used tool for research assessment. The main objective of this study was to assess research productivity in the field of substance use disorders in Arab countries using bibliometric indicators. Methodology Original or review research articles authored or co-authored by investigators from Arab countries about substance use disorders during the period 1900 – 2013 were retrieved using the ISI Web of Science database. Research activity was assessed by analyzing the annual research productivity, contribution of each Arab country, names of journals, citations, and types of abused substances. Results Four hundred and thirteen documents in substance use disorders were retrieved. Annual research productivity was low but showed a significant increase in the last few years. In terms of quantity, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (83 documents) ranked first in research about substance use disorders while Lebanon (17.4 documents per million) ranked first in terms of number of documents published per million inhabitants. Retrieved documents were found in different journal titles and categories, mostly in Drug and Alcohol Dependence Journal. Authors from USA appeared in 117 documents published by investigators from Arab countries. Citation analysis of retrieved documents showed that the average citation per document was 10.76 and the h - index was 35. The majority of retrieved documents were about tobacco and smoking (175 documents) field while alcohol consumption and abuse research was the least with 69 documents. Conclusion The results obtained suggest that research in this field was largely neglected in the past. However, recent research interest was observed. Research output on tobacco and smoking was relatively high compared to other substances of abuse like illicit drugs and medicinal agents. Governmental funding for academics and mental health graduate programs to do research in the field of substance use disorders is highly recommended. PMID:25148888

  20. The Acoustic Environment of the NASA Glenn 9- by 15-foot Low-Speed Wind Tunnel

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Stephens, David B.

    2015-01-01

    The 9- by 15-Foot Low Speed Wind Tunnel is an acoustic testing facility with a long history of aircraft propulsion noise research. Due to interest in renovating the facility to support future testing of advanced quiet engine designs, a study was conducted to document the background noise level in the facility and investigate the sources of contaminating noise. The anechoic quality of the facility was also investigated using an interrupted noise method. The present report discusses these aspects of the noise environment in this facility.

  1. IRIS Toxicological Review of Dichloromethane (Methylene ...

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    EPA has finalized the Toxicological Review of Dichloromethane (Methylene Chloride): In support of the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS). Now final, this assessment may be used by EPA’s program and regional offices to inform decisions to protect human health. This document presents background information and justification for the Intergrated Risk Information System (IRIS) Summary of the hazard and dose-response assessment of dichloromethane. IRIS Summaries may include oral reference dose (RfD) and inhalation reference concentration (RfC) values for chronic and other exposure durations, and a carcinogencity assessment. Internet/NCEA web site

  2. Superfund record of decision (EPA Region 3): Stanley Kessler Superfund Site, King of Prussia, PA, September 1994

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

    Not Available

    1994-09-29

    This decision document presents the final selected remedial action for the Stanley Kessler Superfund Site (the Site). The selected remedy for the Site will restore contaminated ground water to its beneficial use by cleaning up the ground water to background levels as established by EPA or the appropriate Maximum Contaminant Levels or non-zero Maximum Contaminant Level Goals established under the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act whichever is more stringent. The selected remedy is the only planned action for the Site.

  3. Smart Grid Interoperability Maturity Model Beta Version

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

    Widergren, Steven E.; Drummond, R.; Giroti, Tony

    The GridWise Architecture Council was formed by the U.S. Department of Energy to promote and enable interoperability among the many entities that interact with the electric power system. This balanced team of industry representatives proposes principles for the development of interoperability concepts and standards. The Council provides industry guidance and tools that make it an available resource for smart grid implementations. In the spirit of advancing interoperability of an ecosystem of smart grid devices and systems, this document presents a model for evaluating the maturity of the artifacts and processes that specify the agreement of parties to collaborate across anmore » information exchange interface. You are expected to have a solid understanding of large, complex system integration concepts and experience in dealing with software component interoperation. Those without this technical background should read the Executive Summary for a description of the purpose and contents of the document. Other documents, such as checklists, guides, and whitepapers, exist for targeted purposes and audiences. Please see the www.gridwiseac.org website for more products of the Council that may be of interest to you.« less

  4. Update on Law-Related Education, 1997.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Update on Law-Related, 1997

    1997-01-01

    This document consists of 3 volumes of a serial devoted to law-related education (LRE) offering background information on a wide range of legal issues and teaching strategies for LRE. The title themes for the three volumes include "International Law,""Crime and Freedom," and "Civil Law". Background articles are…

  5. 32 CFR 701.40 - Background.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... OFFICIAL RECORDS AVAILABILITY OF DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY RECORDS AND PUBLICATION OF DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY DOCUMENTS AFFECTING THE PUBLIC FOIA Fees § 701.40 Background. (a) The DON follows the uniform fee schedule... Freedom of Information Act Fee Schedule and Guidelines. (b) Fees reflect direct costs for search; review...

  6. Rain-induced increase in background radiation detected by Radiation Portal Monitors.

    PubMed

    Livesay, R J; Blessinger, C S; Guzzardo, T F; Hausladen, P A

    2014-11-01

    A complete understanding of both the steady state and transient background measured by Radiation Portal Monitors (RPMs) is essential to predictable system performance, as well as maximization of detection sensitivity. To facilitate this understanding, a test bed for the study of natural background in RPMs has been established at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. This work was performed in support of the Second Line of Defense Program's mission to enhance partner country capability to deter, detect, and interdict the illicit movement of special nuclear material. In the present work, transient increases in gamma-ray counting rates in RPMs due to rain are investigated. The increase in background activity associated with rain, which has been well documented in the field of environmental radioactivity, originates primarily from the wet-deposition of two radioactive daughters of (222)Rn, namely, (214)Pb and (214)Bi. In this study, rainfall rates recorded by a co-located weather station are compared with RPM count rates and high-purity germanium spectra. The data verify that these radionuclides are responsible for the largest environmental background fluctuations in RPMs. Analytical expressions for the detector response function in Poly-Vinyl Toluene have been derived. Effects on system performance and potential mitigation strategies are discussed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Foudroyant Course of an Extensive Clostridium septicum Gas Gangrene in a Diabetic Patient with Occult Carcinoma of the Colon

    PubMed Central

    Kutup, Asad; Gehl, Axel; Zustin, Jozef; Grossterlinden, Lars G.; Rueger, Johannes M.; Lehmann, Wolfgang

    2013-01-01

    Background. Spontaneous gas gangrene is a rare disease in which Clostridium septicum frequently can be detected. After an incubation period of 5–48 hours, a very painful swelling is accompanied by a rapidly spreading toxic-infectious clinical picture ultimately leading to septic shock and multiple organ failure. We present a case of a completely documented rare infectious disease with triage findings including initial vital signs, initial medical findings, and the emergency lab., radiological, intraoperative, histopathological, microbiological, and postmortem results. After initial diagnosis of the underlying disease, the patient has been immediately transferred to the operating theatre. The laboratory findings reflect the devastating effect of toxin α which is a toxin typically produced by C. septicum. The patient presented both an anaemia and a manifest coagulopathy as well as an onset of multiple organ failure. Despite the aggressive medical and surgical measures that have been taken, this patient could not be saved. Discussion. The case presented vividly emphasises the difficulty to identify these cases early enough to save a patient. This documentation may help health care providers to identify this life threatening disease as early as possible in future cases. PMID:23864974

  8. Binarization algorithm for document image with complex background

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Miao, Shaojun; Lu, Tongwei; Min, Feng

    2015-12-01

    The most important step in image preprocessing for Optical Character Recognition (OCR) is binarization. Due to the complex background or varying light in the text image, binarization is a very difficult problem. This paper presents the improved binarization algorithm. The algorithm can be divided into several steps. First, the background approximation can be obtained by the polynomial fitting, and the text is sharpened by using bilateral filter. Second, the image contrast compensation is done to reduce the impact of light and improve contrast of the original image. Third, the first derivative of the pixels in the compensated image are calculated to get the average value of the threshold, then the edge detection is obtained. Fourth, the stroke width of the text is estimated through a measuring of distance between edge pixels. The final stroke width is determined by choosing the most frequent distance in the histogram. Fifth, according to the value of the final stroke width, the window size is calculated, then a local threshold estimation approach can begin to binaries the image. Finally, the small noise is removed based on the morphological operators. The experimental result shows that the proposed method can effectively remove the noise caused by complex background and varying light.

  9. Requirement of scientific documentation for the development of Naturopathy.

    PubMed

    Rastogi, Rajiv

    2006-01-01

    Past few decades have witnessed explosion of knowledge in almost every field. This has resulted not only in the advancement of the subjects in particular but also have influenced the growth of various allied subjects. The present paper explains about the advancement of science through efforts made in specific areas and also through discoveries in different allied fields having an indirect influence upon the subject in proper. In Naturopathy this seems that though nothing particular is added to the basic thoughts or fundamental principles of the subject yet the entire treatment understanding is revolutionised under the influence of scientific discoveries of past few decades. Advent of information technology has further added to the boom of knowledge and many times this seems impossible to utilize these informations for the good of human being because these are not logically arranged in our minds. In the above background, the author tries to define documentation stating that we have today ocean of information and knowledge about various things- living or dead, plants, animals or human beings; the geographical conditions or changing weather and environment. What required to be done is to extract the relevant knowledge and information required to enrich the subject. The author compares documentation with churning of milk to extract butter. Documentation, in fact, is churning of ocean of information to extract the specific, most appropriate, relevant and defined information and knowledge related to the particular subject . The paper besides discussing the definition of documentation, highlights the areas of Naturopathy requiring an urgent necessity to make proper documentations. Paper also discusses the present status of Naturopathy in India, proposes short-term and long-term goals to be achieved and plans the strategies for achieving them. The most important aspect of the paper is due understanding of the limitations of Naturopathy but a constant effort to improve the same with the growth made in various discipline of science so far.

  10. Tank waste remediation system functions and requirements document

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

    Carpenter, K.E

    1996-10-03

    This is the Tank Waste Remediation System (TWRS) Functions and Requirements Document derived from the TWRS Technical Baseline. The document consists of several text sections that provide the purpose, scope, background information, and an explanation of how this document assists the application of Systems Engineering to the TWRS. The primary functions identified in the TWRS Functions and Requirements Document are identified in Figure 4.1 (Section 4.0) Currently, this document is part of the overall effort to develop the TWRS Functional Requirements Baseline, and contains the functions and requirements needed to properly define the top three TWRS function levels. TWRS Technicalmore » Baseline information (RDD-100 database) included in the appendices of the attached document contain the TWRS functions, requirements, and architecture necessary to define the TWRS Functional Requirements Baseline. Document organization and user directions are provided in the introductory text. This document will continue to be modified during the TWRS life-cycle.« less

  11. Family Background and Early Life Course Transitions in Kinshasa.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tambashe, B. Oleko; Shapiro, David

    1996-01-01

    Examines the impact of a woman's family background on transitions to sexual activity, marriage, and motherhood. Documents how parental education, parental survival status, and other factors are important in the transition to adult roles. Findings suggest that increases in educational levels should contribute to delays in these transitions and…

  12. Detroit Metropolitan Library Research and Demonstration Project. Background Data.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kremer, Helen

    The Detroit Metropolitan Region, including six countries in southeastern Michigan, is the focus for the Detroit Metropolitan Library Research and Demonstration Project. This document provides background data on the region for the Project. Data included are (1) population, (2) educational facilities, (3) numbers of elementary and secondary pupils…

  13. Using Background Music To Enhance Memory and Improve Learning.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Anderson, Scheree; Henke, Jeanette; McLaughlin, Maureen; Ripp, Mary; Tuffs, Patricia

    This report describes a program to enhance spelling word retention through the use of background music. The targeted population consisted of elementary students in three middle class communities located in the southwestern suburbs of Chicago. The problems for poor spelling retention were documented through data revealing the number of students…

  14. 78 FR 23545 - Proposed Extension of Approval of Information Collection; Comment Request: Third Party Conformity...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-04-19

    ... evaluate whether third party conformity assessment bodies meet the requirements to test for compliance to... background documents or comments received, go to http://www.regulations.gov . FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT...: A. Background The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA) requires third party...

  15. Creating Mathematical Futures through an Equitable Teaching Approach: The Case of Railside School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Boaler, Jo; Staples, Megan

    2008-01-01

    Background/Context: School tracking practices have been documented repeatedly as having negative effects on students' identity development and attainment, particularly for those students placed in lower tracks. Despite this documentation, tracking persists as a normative practice in American high schools, perhaps in part because we have few models…

  16. Sandia National Laboratories/New Mexico Environmental Baseline update--Revision 1.0

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

    NONE

    1996-07-01

    This report provides a baseline update to provide the background information necessary for personnel to prepare clear and consise NEPA documentation. The environment of the Sandia National Laboratories is described in this document, including the ecology, meteorology, climatology, seismology, emissions, cultural resources and land use, visual resources, noise pollution, transportation, and socioeconomics.

  17. Concern about Lost Talent: Support Document

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sikora, Joanna; Saha, Lawrence J.

    2011-01-01

    This document was produced by the authors based on their research for the report "Lost talent? The occupational ambitions and attainments of young Australians", and is an added resource for further information. The purpose of this supplement is to provide greater detail about the background of research into the topic of human talent in…

  18. REVIEW OF THE NEGOTIATION OF THE MODEL PROTOCOL ADDITIONAL TO THE AGREEMENT(S) BETWEEN STATE(S) AND THE INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY FOR THE APPLICATION OF SAFEGUARDS, INFCIRC/540 (Corrected) VOLUME III/III, IAEA COMMITTEE 24, DEVELOPMENT OF INFCIRC/540, ARTICLE-BY-ARTICLE REVIEW (1996-1997).

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

    Rosenthal, M.D.; Houck, F.

    In this section of the report, the development of INFCIRC/540 is traced by a compilation of citations from the IAEA documents presented to the Board of Governors and the records of discussions in the Board that took place prior to the establishment of Committee 24 as well as the documents and discussions of that committee. The evolution of the text is presented separately for each article or, for the more complex articles, for each paragraph or group of paragraphs of the article. This section covers all articles, including those involving no issues. Background, issues, interpretations and conclusions, which were addressedmore » in Volumes I, II, and III are not repeated here. The comments by states that are included are generally limited to objections and suggested changes. Requests for clarification or elaboration have been omitted, although it is recognized that such comments were sometimes veiled objections.« less

  19. Prevalence and management of back pain in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients: A retrospective study

    PubMed Central

    Théroux, Jean; Le May, Sylvie; Fortin, Carole; Labelle, Hubert

    2015-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Back pain (BP) has often been associated with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS), which is a three-dimensional deviation of the vertebral column. In adolescents, chronic pain appears to be a predictor of health care utilization and has a negative impact on physical, psychological and family well-being. In this population, BP tends to be persistent and may be a predictor of BP in adulthood. OBJECTIVE: To document the prevalence and management of BP in AIS patients. METHODS: A retrospective chart review of AIS patients who were referred to Sainte-Justine University Teaching Hospital (Montreal, Quebec) from 2006 to 2011 was conducted. RESULTS: A total of 310 randomly selected charts were reviewed. Nearly one-half of the patients (47.3%) mentioned that they experienced BP, most commonly in the lumbar (19.7%) and thoracic regions (7.7%). The type of BP was documented in only 36% (n=112) of the charts. Pain intensity was specified in only 21% (n=65) of the charts. In approximately 80% (n=248) of the charts, no pain management treatment plan was documented. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of BP was moderately high among the present sample of adolescents with AIS. An improved system for documenting BP assessment, type, treatment plan and treatment effectiveness would improve pain management for these patients. PMID:25831076

  20. The 2011 revision of the global strategy for the diagnosis, management and prevention of COPD (GOLD)--why and what?

    PubMed

    Vestbo, Jørgen; Hurd, Suzanne S; Rodriguez-Roisin, Roberto

    2012-10-01

    The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) has published a strategy for diagnosis and for management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) since 2001 and this has formed the basis for numerous national and regional guidelines. We describe the background for the 2011 revision of the GOLD document. The GOLD document is updated annually and revised every 5 years based on published research as well as an evaluation by an expert panel of how to best formulate and disseminate knowledge on COPD. The GOLD 2011 revision states that spirometry is required for making a clinical diagnosis of COPD. At the same time, the document has less emphasis on spirometric evaluation of disease severity and launches a combined assessment taking symptoms, spirometry and history of exacerbations into account. This is matched with initial treatment for COPD where smoking cessation, pulmonary rehabilitation and physical activity in general are given high priority followed by pharmacologic treatment guided by the novel assessment scheme. Comorbidities are often present in COPD and the GOLD 2011 revision gives some guidance in how to manage these as well as how to manage COPD in the presence of comorbidities. A more clinically oriented GOLD document will hopefully improve assessment and management of COPD. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  1. Coding of procedures documented by general practitioners in Swedish primary care-an explorative study using two procedure coding systems

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background Procedures documented by general practitioners in primary care have not been studied in relation to procedure coding systems. We aimed to describe procedures documented by Swedish general practitioners in electronic patient records and to compare them to the Swedish Classification of Health Interventions (KVÅ) and SNOMED CT. Methods Procedures in 200 record entries were identified, coded, assessed in relation to two procedure coding systems and analysed. Results 417 procedures found in the 200 electronic patient record entries were coded with 36 different Classification of Health Interventions categories and 148 different SNOMED CT concepts. 22.8% of the procedures could not be coded with any Classification of Health Interventions category and 4.3% could not be coded with any SNOMED CT concept. 206 procedure-concept/category pairs were assessed as a complete match in SNOMED CT compared to 10 in the Classification of Health Interventions. Conclusions Procedures documented by general practitioners were present in nearly all electronic patient record entries. Almost all procedures could be coded using SNOMED CT. Classification of Health Interventions covered the procedures to a lesser extent and with a much lower degree of concordance. SNOMED CT is a more flexible terminology system that can be used for different purposes for procedure coding in primary care. PMID:22230095

  2. Surgical Treatment and Rehabilitation of Combined Complex Ligament Injuries

    PubMed Central

    Romeyn, Richard L.; Jennings, Jason

    2008-01-01

    This article is a description of the surgical treatment and rehabilitation of combined complex ligament injuries. A background will be provided, and information on the combined complex knee injuries, selected aspects of surgical treatments, and rehabilitation strategies will be presented. Combined complex ligament injuries are devastating injuries and are not very common compared to other knee injuries. No meta-analysis or systematic review studies exist regarding the best treatments for these patients. This article's emphasis is on the stages in the rehabilitation program with documentation of the scientific and clinical rationale for the treatment techniques in each stage. Treatment interventions are described and documented with the limited evidence available in treating these patients. Guidelines for treatment, surgery, and a clinical protocol for treating patients with combined complex ligament injuries are provided for the practicing clinician to use as a template for treating these complicated patients. PMID:21509123

  3. Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) Primary NAAQS REVIEW: Integrated ...

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The NOx Integrated Review Plan is the first document generated as part of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) review process. The Plan presents background information, the schedule for the review, the process to be used in conducting the review, and the key policy-relevant science issues that will guide the review. The integrated review plan also discusses the frameworks for the various assessment documents to be prepared by the EPA as part of the review, including an Integrated Science Assessment (ISA), and as warranted, a Risk/Exposure Assessment (REA), and a Policy Assessment (PA). The primary purpose of the NOx Integrated Review Plan is to highlight the key policy-relevant issues to be considered in the Review of the NO2 primary NAAQS. A draft of the integrated review plan will be the subject of an advisory review with the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) and made available to the public for review and comment.

  4. Robust Adaptive Thresholder For Document Scanning Applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hsing, To R.

    1982-12-01

    In document scanning applications, thresholding is used to obtain binary data from a scanner. However, due to: (1) a wide range of different color backgrounds; (2) density variations of printed text information; and (3) the shading effect caused by the optical systems, the use of adaptive thresholding to enhance the useful information is highly desired. This paper describes a new robust adaptive thresholder for obtaining valid binary images. It is basically a memory type algorithm which can dynamically update the black and white reference level to optimize a local adaptive threshold function. The results of high image quality from different types of simulate test patterns can be obtained by this algorithm. The software algorithm is described and experiment results are present to describe the procedures. Results also show that the techniques described here can be used for real-time signal processing in the varied applications.

  5. Faunus: An object oriented framework for molecular simulation

    PubMed Central

    Lund, Mikael; Trulsson, Martin; Persson, Björn

    2008-01-01

    Background We present a C++ class library for Monte Carlo simulation of molecular systems, including proteins in solution. The design is generic and highly modular, enabling multiple developers to easily implement additional features. The statistical mechanical methods are documented by extensive use of code comments that – subsequently – are collected to automatically build a web-based manual. Results We show how an object oriented design can be used to create an intuitively appealing coding framework for molecular simulation. This is exemplified in a minimalistic C++ program that can calculate protein protonation states. We further discuss performance issues related to high level coding abstraction. Conclusion C++ and the Standard Template Library (STL) provide a high-performance platform for generic molecular modeling. Automatic generation of code documentation from inline comments has proven particularly useful in that no separate manual needs to be maintained. PMID:18241331

  6. Fitness Tracker for Weight Lifting Style Workouts

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

    Wihl, B. M.

    This document proposes an early, high level design for a fitness tracking system which can automatically log weight lifting style workouts. The system will provide an easy to use interface both physically through the use of several wireless wristband style motion trackers worn on the limbs, and graphically through a smartphone application. Exercise classification will be accomplished by calibration of the user’s specific motions. The system will accurately track a user’s workout, miscounting no more than one repetition in every 20, have sufficient battery life to last several hours, work with existing smartphones and have a cost similar to thosemore » of current fitness tracking devices. This document presents the mission background, current state-of-theart, stakeholders and their expectations, the proposed system’s context and concepts, implementation concepts, system requirements, first sublevel function decomposition, possible risks for the system, and a reflection on the design process.« less

  7. Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) Primary NAAQS Review: Integrated ...

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The SO2 Integrated Review Plan is the first document generated as part of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) review process. The Plan presents background information, the schedule for the review, the process to be used in conducting the review, and the key policy-relevant science issues that will guide the review. The integrated review plan also discusses the frameworks for the various assessment documents to be prepared by the EPA as part of the review, including an Integrated Science Assessment (ISA), and as warranted, a Risk/Exposure Assessment (REA), and a Policy Assessment (PA). The primary purpose of the SO2 Integrated Review Plan is to highlight the key policy-relevant issues to be considered in the Review of the SO2 primary NAAQS. A draft of the integrated review plan will be the subject of an advisory with the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) and made available to the public for review and comment.

  8. Clustering document fragments using background color and texture information

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chanda, Sukalpa; Franke, Katrin; Pal, Umapada

    2012-01-01

    Forensic analysis of questioned documents sometimes can be extensively data intensive. A forensic expert might need to analyze a heap of document fragments and in such cases to ensure reliability he/she should focus only on relevant evidences hidden in those document fragments. Relevant document retrieval needs finding of similar document fragments. One notion of obtaining such similar documents could be by using document fragment's physical characteristics like color, texture, etc. In this article we propose an automatic scheme to retrieve similar document fragments based on visual appearance of document paper and texture. Multispectral color characteristics using biologically inspired color differentiation techniques are implemented here. This is done by projecting document color characteristics to Lab color space. Gabor filter-based texture analysis is used to identify document texture. It is desired that document fragments from same source will have similar color and texture. For clustering similar document fragments of our test dataset we use a Self Organizing Map (SOM) of dimension 5×5, where the document color and texture information are used as features. We obtained an encouraging accuracy of 97.17% from 1063 test images.

  9. Introduction of Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation into Nursing Practice: A Prospective Study.

    PubMed

    Achrekar, Meera S; Murthy, Vedang; Kanan, Sadhana; Shetty, Rani; Nair, Mini; Khattry, Navin

    2016-01-01

    The aim of the study was to introduce and evaluate the compliance to documentation of situation, background, assessment, recommendation (SBAR) form. Twenty nurses involved in active bedside care were selected by simple random sampling. Use of SBAR was illustrated thru self-instructional module (SIM). Content validity and reliability were established. The situation, background, assessment, recommendation (SBAR) form was disseminated for use in a clinical setting during shift handover. A retrospective audit was undertaken at 1 st week (A1) and 16 th week (A2), post introduction of SIM. Nurse's opinion about the SBAR form was also captured. Majority of nurses were females (65%) in the age group 21-30 years (80%). There was a significant association ( P = 0.019) between overall audit scores and graduate nurses. Significant improvement ( P = 0.043) seen in overall scores between A1 (mean: 23.20) and A2 (mean: 24.26) and also in "Situation" domain ( P = 0.045) as compared to other domains. There was only a marginal improvement in documentation related to patient's allergies and relevant past history (7%) while identifying comorbidities decreased by 40%. Only 70% of nurses had documented plan of care. Most (76%) of nurses expressed that SBAR form was useful, but 24% nurses felt SBAR documentation was time-consuming. The assessment was easy (53%) to document while recommendation was the difficult (53%) part. SBAR technique has helped nurses to have a focused and easy communication during transition of care during handover. Importance and relevance of capturing information need to be reinforced. An audit to look for reduced number of incidents related to communication failures is essential for long-term evaluation of patient outcomes. Use of standardized SBAR in nursing practice for bedside shift handover will improve communication between nurses and thus ensure patient safety.

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

    Pattison, Morgan

    A 2017 update to the Solid-State Lighting R&D Plan that is divided into two documents. The first document describes a list of suggested SSL priority research topics and the second document provides context and background, including information drawn from technical, market, and economic studies. Widely referenced by industry and government both here and abroad, these documents reflect SSL stakeholder inputs on key R&D topics that will improve efficacy, reduce cost, remove barriers to adoption, and add value for LED and OLED lighting solutions over the next three to five years, and discuss those applications that drive and prioritize the specificmore » R&D.« less

  11. Flow Quality Survey of the NASA Ames 11-by 11-Ft Transonic Wind Tunnel

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Amaya, Max A.

    2011-01-01

    New baseline turbulence levels have been measured using a new CTA and new hot-wire sensors. Levels remain the same as measured in 1999. Data and methodology documented (almost). New baseline acoustics levels have been measured up to Mach 1.35. -Levels are higher than reported in 1999. -Data and methodology documented (almost). Application of fairings to the strut trailing edge showed up to a 10% reduction in the tunnel background noise. Data analysis and documentation for publishing is ongoing.

  12. A comparative study on effect of e-learning and instructor-led methods on nurses’ documentation competency

    PubMed Central

    Abbaszadeh, Abbas; Sabeghi, Hakimeh; Borhani, Fariba; Heydari, Abbas

    2011-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Accurate recording of the nursing care indicates the care performance and its quality, so that, any failure in documentation can be a reason for inadequate patient care. Therefore, improving nurses’ skills in this field using effective educational methods is of high importance. Since traditional teaching methods are not suitable for communities with rapid knowledge expansion and constant changes, e-learning methods can be a viable alternative. To show the importance of e-learning methods on nurses’ care reporting skills, this study was performed to compare the e-learning methods with the traditional instructor-led methods. METHODS: This was a quasi-experimental study aimed to compare the effect of two teaching methods (e-learning and lecture) on nursing documentation and examine the differences in acquiring competency on documentation between nurses who participated in the e-learning (n = 30) and nurses in a lecture group (n = 31). RESULTS: The results of the present study indicated that statistically there was no significant difference between the two groups. The findings also revealed that statistically there was no significant correlation between the two groups toward demographic variables. However, we believe that due to benefits of e-learning against traditional instructor-led method, and according to their equal effect on nurses’ documentation competency, it can be a qualified substitute for traditional instructor-led method. CONCLUSIONS: E-learning as a student-centered method as well as lecture method equally promote competency of the nurses on documentation. Therefore, e-learning can be used to facilitate the implementation of nursing educational programs. PMID:22224113

  13. Students Working with Multiple Conflicting Documents on a Scientific Issue: Relations between Epistemic Cognition while Reading and Sourcing and Argumentation in Essays

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bråten, Ivar; Ferguson, Leila E.; Strømsø, Helge I.; Anmarkrud, Øistein

    2014-01-01

    Background: There is burgeoning research within educational psychology on both epistemic cognition and multiple-documents literacy, as well as on relationships between the two constructs. Aim: To examine relationships between epistemic cognition concerning the justification of knowledge claims and sourcing and argumentation skills. Sample:…

  14. RE: Request for Correction, Technical Support Document, Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reporting from the Petroleum and Natural Gas Industry

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The Industrial Energy Consumers of America (IECA) joins the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in its request for correction of information developed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in a background technical support document titled Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reporting from the Petroleum and Natural Gas Industry

  15. Promoting Equity for Our Nation's Youngest Students: School Psychologists as Agents of Social Justice in Early Childhood Settings

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Albritton, Kizzy; Anhalt, Karla; Terry, Nicole Patton

    2016-01-01

    Achievement and disciplinary inequities between students from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds and their White peers have been documented for decades in U.S. public schools. Researchers have documented that some racially and ethnically diverse students enter school with weaker academic skills than their White counterparts. Further,…

  16. Understanding "A Tale of Two Cities": A Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historical Documents.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Newlin, George

    Charles Dickens' novel, "A Tale of Two Cities," does not waste a word in telling a touching, suspenseful tale set against the background of one of the bloodiest events in history, the French Revolution. This casebook's collection of historical documents, collateral readings, and commentary will promote interdisciplinary study of the…

  17. Vitamin D and Fractures in People with Intellectual Disability

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vanlint, S.; Nugent, M.

    2006-01-01

    Background: People with intellectual disability (ID) are thought to be at an increased risk of fractures. The extent of this increase in risk has been incompletely documented in the literature, and the underlying reasons remain to be elucidated. Methods: The aims of our study were to document the vitamin D status and fracture incidence in an…

  18. Background Information Document for Updating AP42 Section 2.4 for Estimating Emissions from Municipal Solid Waste Landfills

    EPA Science Inventory

    This revised draft document was prepared for U.S. EPA's Office of Research and Development, and describes the data analysis undertaken to update the Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Landfill section of AP-42. This 2008 update includes the addition of data from 62 landfill gas emission...

  19. Phenotypic and Genetic Associations between Reading Comprehension, Decoding Skills, and ADHD Dimensions: Evidence from Two Population-Based Studies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Plourde, Vickie; Boivin, Michel; Forget-Dubois, Nadine; Brendgen, Mara; Vitaro, Frank; Marino, Cecilia; Tremblay, Richard T.; Dionne, Ginette

    2015-01-01

    Background: The phenotypic and genetic associations between decoding skills and ADHD dimensions have been documented but less is known about the association with reading comprehension. The aim of the study is to document the phenotypic and genetic associations between reading comprehension and ADHD dimensions of inattention and…

  20. Solid waste information and tracking system server conversion project management plan

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

    MAY, D.L.

    1999-04-12

    The Project Management Plan governing the conversion of Solid Waste Information and Tracking System (SWITS) to a client-server architecture. The Solid Waste Information and Tracking System Project Management Plan (PMP) describes the background, planning and management of the SWITS conversion. Requirements and specification documentation needed for the SWITS conversion will be released as supporting documents.

  1. Family Background and School Effects on Student Achievement: A Multilevel Analysis of the Coleman Data

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Konstantopoulos, Spyros; Borman, Geoffrey

    2011-01-01

    Background/Context: A main objective of the Equality of Educational Opportunity Survey (EEOS), conducted in 1965, was to document the lack of availability of equal educational opportunities for minority students in public schools. Another equally important objective was to reveal specific inequalities in facilities and resources available to…

  2. 76 FR 30280 - Public Meeting To Discuss the Proposed Rule on Enhanced Weapons, Firearms Background Checks, and...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-05-25

    ... Proposed Rule on Enhanced Weapons, Firearms Background Checks, and Security Event Notifications AGENCY... the proposed enhanced weapons rule, the two draft regulatory guides, and the draft weapons safety.... No formal comments on the proposed enhanced weapons rule or the draft guidance documents will be...

  3. Synthetic fiber production facilities: Background information for proposed standards

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Goodwin, D. R.

    1982-10-01

    Standards of performance to control emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOC) from new, modified, and reconstructed synthetic fiber production facilities are being proposed under section III of the Clean Air Act. This document contains information on the background and authority, regulatory alternatives considered, and environmental and economic impacts of the regulatory alternatives.

  4. Towards a better understanding of the nomenclature used in information-packaging efforts to support evidence-informed policymaking in low- and middle-income countries

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background The growing recognition of the importance of concisely communicating research evidence and other policy-relevant information to policymakers has underpinned the development of several information-packaging efforts over the past decade. This has led to a wide variability in the types of documents produced, which is at best confusing and at worst discouraging for those they intend to reach. This paper has two main objectives: to develop a better understanding of the range of documents and document names used by the organizations preparing them; and to assess whether there are any consistencies in the characteristics of sampled documents across the names employed to label (in the title) or describe (in the document or website) them. Methods We undertook a documentary analysis of web-published document series that are prepared by a variety of organizations with the primary intention of providing information to health systems policymakers and stakeholders, and addressing questions related to health policy and health systems with a focus on low- and middle-income countries. No time limit was set. Results In total, 109 individual documents from 24 series produced by 16 different organizations were included. The name ‘policy brief/briefing’ was the most frequently used (39%) to label or describe a document, and was used in all eight broad content areas that we identified, even though they did not have obviously common traits among them. In terms of document characteristics, most documents (90%) used skimmable formats that are easy to read, with understandable, jargon-free, language (80%). Availability of information on the methods (47%) or the quality of the presented evidence (27%) was less common. One-third (32%) chose the topic based on an explicit process to assess the demand for information from policy makers and even fewer (19%) engaged with policymakers to discuss the content of these documents such as through merit review. Conclusions This study highlights the need for organizations embarking on future information-packaging efforts to be more thoughtful when deciding how to name these documents and the need for greater transparency in describing their content, purpose and intended audience. PMID:24889015

  5. Child deaths with persistent neglected experiences from medico-legal documents in Japan.

    PubMed

    Yamaoka, Yui; Tamiya, Nanako; Fujiwara, Takeo; Yamasaki, Yukie; Matsuzawa, Akemi; Miyaishi, Satoru

    2015-06-01

    Few studies have examined the actual conditions of fatal neglect in Japan. The aims of this study were to investigate persistent neglect among child fatalities using medico-legal documents, and to describe the characteristics of the socio-familial background and biological data. The current study analyzed the documents of all postmortem external examinations and autopsies in children <2 years old carried out in one prefecture in Japan from 2006 to 2011. After examining 59 autopsy cases using modified the Maltreatment Classification System, we identified six children who experienced persistent neglect as study samples. Three children were found in unsanitary rooms and one was left alone inside a car. In two cases, age of mother at delivery was <21 years old. Three victims had 1 year older sibling. With regard to history of use of health services, three mothers missed some prenatal care visits, and two refused to receive neonatal home visits. With regard to biological data the average weight Z score of six children was -2.22 after being adjusted to average weight for age (in months) and sex. Three children had acute or chronic undernutrition. Three victims had thymic involution considered as being due to chronic child maltreatment. The present collaboration between public health and legal medicine has enabled investigation of the background and biological impact of experiences of persistent neglect. A multidisciplinary system of evaluating child death is needed to identify preventable factors in order to intervene in the case of neglected children in a timely manner. © 2014 The Authors. Pediatrics International published by Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd on behalf of Japan Pediatric Society.

  6. Development, Problems and Countermeasures of Chinese Racing Car Industry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, J. J.

    2018-05-01

    In recent years, motor car racing has developed rapidly in China. However, under the background of maximum vehicle production and car ownership in China, the racing car industry has a long way compared with that of the developed countries. The paper analyzes the current situation and summarizes the problems of Chinese racing car industry with supporting documentation and review of the literature. The future trend of the development of car industry in China is discussed. On the basis of the analysis and prediction, the strategies to respond to the future racing car industry in China are presented.

  7. Wireless Network Communications Overview for Space Mission Operations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Fink, Patrick W.

    2009-01-01

    The mission of the On-Board Wireless Working Group (WWG) is to serve as a general CCSDS focus group for intra-vehicle wireless technologies. The WWG investigates and makes recommendations pursuant to standardization of applicable wireless network protocols, ensuring the interoperability of independently developed wireless communication assets. This document presents technical background information concerning uses and applicability of wireless networking technologies for space missions. Agency-relevant driving scenarios, for which wireless network communications will provide a significant return-on-investment benefiting the participating international agencies, are used to focus the scope of the enclosed technical information.

  8. Hydrocephalus as a rare compilation of vertebrobasilar dolichoectasia: A case report and review of the literature

    PubMed Central

    Ebrahimzadeh, Keveh; Bakhtevari, Mehrdad H.; Shafizad, Misagh; Rezaei, Omidvar

    2017-01-01

    Background: Vertebrobasilar dolichoectasia (VBD) is a rare disease characterized by significant expansion, elongation, and tortuosity of the vertebrobasilar arteries. Hydrocephalus is a rare compilation of VBD. Case Description: In this study, we report a 68-year-old male presenting with headache, progressive decreased visual acuity, memory loss, imbalance while walking, and episodes of urinary incontinency. The patient was diagnosed with dolichoectasia of basilar artery causing compression of the third ventricular outflow and thus, presenting with hydrocephalus documented with brain computed tomography scan and brain magnetic resonance imaging. The patient underwent surgical operation and ventriculoperitoneal shunt placement. Conclusion: In the case of hydrocephalus or normal pressure hydrocephalous, VBD should be considered as a differential diagnosis. PMID:29184707

  9. The Effect of an Electronic SBAR Communication Tool on Documentation of Acute Events in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.

    PubMed

    Panesar, Rahul S; Albert, Ben; Messina, Catherine; Parker, Margaret

    2016-01-01

    The Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation (SBAR) handoff tool is designed to improve communication. The effects of integrating an electronic medical record (EMR) with a SBAR template are unclear. The research team hypothesizes that an electronic SBAR template improves documentation and communication between nurses and physicians. In all, 84 patient events were recorded from 542 admissions to the pediatric intensive care unit. Three time periods were studied: (a) paper documentation only, (b) electronic documentation, and (c) electronic documentation with an SBAR template. Documentation quality was assessed using a 4-point scoring system. The frequency of event notes increased progressively during the 3 study periods. Mean quality scores improved significantly from paper documentation to EMR free-text notes and to electronic SBAR-template notes, as did nurse and attending physician notification. The implementation of an electronic SBAR note is associated with more complete documentation and increased frequency of documentation of communication among nurses and physicians. © The Author(s) 2014.

  10. Initial Steps toward Validating and Measuring the Quality of Computerized Provider Documentation

    PubMed Central

    Hammond, Kenric W.; Efthimiadis, Efthimis N.; Weir, Charlene R.; Embi, Peter J.; Thielke, Stephen M.; Laundry, Ryan M.; Hedeen, Ashley

    2010-01-01

    Background: Concerns exist about the quality of electronic health care documentation. Prior studies have focused on physicians. This investigation studied document quality perceptions of practitioners (including physicians), nurses and administrative staff. Methods: An instrument developed from staff interviews and literature sources was administered to 110 practitioners, nurses and administrative staff. Short, long and original versions of records were rated. Results: Length transformation did not affect quality ratings. On several scales practitioners rated notes less favorably than administrators or nurses. The original source document was associated with the quality rating, as was tf·idf, a relevance statistic computed from document text. Tf·idf was strongly associated with practitioner quality ratings. Conclusion: Document quality estimates were not sensitive to modifying redundancy in documents. Some perceptions of quality differ by role. Intrinsic document properties are associated with staff judgments of document quality. For practitioners, the tf·idf statistic was strongly associated with the quality dimensions evaluated. PMID:21346983

  11. Solid-State Lighting 2017 Suggested Research Topics

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

    None, None

    2017-09-29

    A 2017 update to the Solid-State Lighting R&D Plan that is divided into two documents. The first document describes a list of suggested SSL priority research topics and the second document provides context and background, including information drawn from technical, market, and economic studies. Widely referenced by industry and government both here and abroad, these documents reflect SSL stakeholder inputs on key R&D topics that will improve efficacy, reduce cost, remove barriers to adoption, and add value for LED and OLED lighting solutions over the next three to five years, and discuss those applications that drive and prioritize the specificmore » R&D.« less

  12. Solid-State Lighting 2017 Suggested Research Topics

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

    None, None

    A 2017 update to the Solid-State Lighting R&D Plan that is divided into two documents. The first document describes a list of suggested SSL priority research topics and the second document provides context and background, including information drawn from technical, market, and economic studies. Widely referenced by industry and government both here and abroad, these documents reflect SSL stakeholder inputs on key R&D topics that will improve efficacy, reduce cost, remove barriers to adoption, and add value for LED and OLED lighting solutions over the next three to five years, and discuss those applications that drive and prioritize the specificmore » R&D.« less

  13. "Role Models Are Real People": Speakers and Field Trips for Chicago's American Indian Elementary School Children.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hill, Lola L.

    This two-part document describes the background and development of "Role Models Are Real People," a speakers' program for at-risk American Indian students, grades 6-8, in Chicago. The first part of the document includes the program proposal, outlining dropout statistics and other data showing reason for concern about American Indian…

  14. The Documentation of Health Problems in Relation to Prescribed Medication in People with Profound Intellectual and Multiple Disabilities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    van der Heide, D. C.; van der Putten, A. A. J.; van den Berg, P. B.; Taxis, K.; Vlaskamp, C.

    2009-01-01

    Background: Persons with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities (PIMD) suffer from a wide range of health problems and use a wide range of different drugs. This study investigated for frequently used medication whether there was a health problem documented in the medical notes for the drug prescribed. Method: Persons with PIMD with an…

  15. Common Parts Catalog for Industry Shipyards

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-01-01

    U.S. marine industry. *^^ DEFENSE STANDARDIZATION PROGRAM CASE STUDY Common Parts Catalog for Industry Shipyards BACKGROUND Tin* CPC is a...surface ships and submarines. A success story for submarines was documented in an earlier I >SP case study, Tfw Virginia Class Submarine Program ...be saved through focused and disciplined standardization.The accomplishments documented m The Virginia Class Submarine Program case study provided a

  16. The Politics of Another Side: Truth-in-Military-Recruiting Advocacy in an Urban School District

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Anderson, Gary L.

    2009-01-01

    This article provides documentation of the current military presence in U.S. secondary schools and groups that have mobilized to monitor or oppose this presence. This documentation provides the background for a narrative of a multiple-year effort the author engaged in to promote academic freedom for teachers and students and to provide high school…

  17. 77 FR 60683 - Proposed Extension of Approval of Information Collection; Comment Request-Safety Standard for...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-10-04

    .... Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or comments received, go to http://www...: [email protected] . SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A. Background In 1979, the Commission issued the Safety... based on a test of each product or upon a reasonable testing program. Section 14(b) of the CPSA...

  18. The need for precise and well-documented experimental data on prompt fission neutron spectra from neutron-induced fission of 239Pu

    DOE PAGES

    Neudecker, Denise; Taddeucci, Terry Nicholas; Haight, Robert Cameron; ...

    2016-01-06

    The spectrum of neutrons emitted promptly after 239Pu(n,f)—a so-called prompt fission neutron spectrum (PFNS)—is a quantity of high interest, for instance, for reactor physics and global security. However, there are only few experimental data sets available that are suitable for evaluations. In addition, some of those data sets differ by more than their 1-σ uncertainty boundaries. We present the results of MCNP studies indicating that these differences are partly caused by underestimated multiple scattering contributions, over-corrected background, and inconsistent deconvolution methods. A detailed uncertainty quantification for suitable experimental data was undertaken including these effects, and test-evaluations were performed with themore » improved uncertainty information. The test-evaluations illustrate that the inadequately estimated effects and detailed uncertainty quantification have an impact on the evaluated PFNS and associated uncertainties as well as the neutron multiplicity of selected critical assemblies. A summary of data and documentation needs to improve the quality of the experimental database is provided based on the results of simulations and test-evaluations. Furthermore, given the possibly substantial distortion of the PFNS by multiple scattering and background effects, special care should be taken to reduce these effects in future measurements, e.g., by measuring the 239Pu PFNS as a ratio to either the 235U or 252Cf PFNS.« less

  19. Strategic Plan. Volume 1

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2002-01-01

    The purpose of this document is to present the strategic plan and associated organizational structure that the National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI) will utilize to achieve the defined mission and objectives provided by NASA. Much of the information regarding the background and establishment of the NSBRI by NASA has been provided in other documentation and will not be repeated in this Strategic Plan. This Strategic Plan is presented in two volumes. Volume I (this volume) begins with an Introduction (Section 2) that provides the Institute's NASA-defined mission and objectives, and the organizational structure adopted to implement these through three Strategic Programs: Countermeasure Research; Education, Training and Outreach; and Cooperative Research and Development. These programs are described in Sections 3 to 5. Each program is presented in a similar way, using four subsections: Goals and Objectives; Current Strategies; Gaps and Modifications; and Resource Requirements. Section 6 provides the administrative infrastructure and total budget required to implement the Strategic Programs and assures that they form a single cohesive plan. This plan will ensure continued success of the Institute for the next five years. Volume II of the Strategic Plan provides an in-depth analysis of the current and future strategic programs of the 12 current NSBRI teams, including their goals, objectives, mutual interactions and schedules.

  20. Self-authentication of value documents

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hayosh, Thomas D.

    1998-04-01

    To prevent fraud it is critical to distinguish an authentic document from a counterfeit or altered document. Most current technologies rely on difficult-to-print human detectable features which are added to a document to prevent illegal reproduction. Fraud detection is mostly accomplished by human observation and is based upon the examiner's knowledge, experience and time allotted for examination of a document. Another approach to increasing the security of a value document is to add a unique property to each document. Data about that property is then encoded on the document itself and finally secured using a public key based digital signature. In such a scheme, machine readability of authenticity is possible. This paper describes a patent-applied-for methodology using the unique property of magnetic ink printing, magnetic remanence, that provides for full self- authentication when used with a recordable magnetic stripe for storing a digital signature and other document data. Traditionally the authenticity of a document is determined by physical examination for color, background printing, paper texture, printing resolution, and ink characteristics. On an initial level, there may be numerous security features present on a value document but only a few can be detected and evaluated by the untrained individual. Because security features are normally not standardized except on currency, training tellers and cashiers to do extensive security evaluation is not practical, even though these people are often the only people who get a chance to closely examine the document in a payment system which is back-end automated. In the context of this paper, one should be thinking about value documents such as commercial and personal checks although the concepts presented here can easily be applied to travelers cheques, credit cards, event tickets, passports, driver's licenses, motor vehicle titles, and even currency. For a practical self-authentication system, the false alarms should be less than 1% on the first read pass. Causes of false alarms could be the lack of robustness of the taggant discrimination algorithm, excessive document skew as it is being read, or errors in reading the recordable stripe. The false alarm rate is readily tested by reading the magnetic tags and digitally signing documents in one reader and performing authentication in at least two other reading devices. When reading the same check in the same reader where signed, the error metric is typically in the range of 0.0600. When comparing different checks in different readers, the error metric generally reports values in the range of 0.3930. It is clear from tests to date that the taggant patterns are randomly different for checks even when printed serially one after another using the same printing process. Testing results to date on the robustness of the taggant comparison and discrimination algorithms indicate that it is probable that low false alarms and very low false accept rates will be achieved.

  1. 'A major lobbying effort to change and unify the excise structure in six Central American countries': How British American Tobacco influenced tax and tariff rates in the Central American Common Market

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background Transnational tobacco companies (TTCs) may respond to processes of regional trade integration both by acting politically to influence policy and by reorganising their own operations. The Central American Common Market (CACM) was reinvigorated in the 1990s, reflecting processes of regional trade liberalisation in Latin America and globally. This study aimed to ascertain how British American Tobacco (BAT), which dominated the markets of the CACM, sought to influence policy towards it by member country governments and how the CACM process impacted upon BAT's operations. Methods The study analysed internal tobacco industry documents released as a result of litigation in the US and available from the online Legacy Tobacco Documents Library at http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/. Documents were retrieved by searching the BAT collection using key terms in an iterative process. Analysis was based on an interpretive approach involving a process of attempting to understand the meanings of individual documents and relating these to other documents in the set, identifying the central themes of documents and clusters of documents, contextualising the documentary data, and choosing representative material in order to present findings. Results Utilising its multinational character, BAT was able to act in a coordinated way across the member countries of the CACM to influence tariffs and taxes to its advantage. Documents demonstrate a high degree of access to governments and officials. The company conducted a coordinated, and largely successful, attempt to keep external tariff rates for cigarettes high and to reduce external tariffs for key inputs, whilst also influencing the harmonisation of excise taxes between countries. Protected by these high external tariffs, it reorganised its own operations to take advantage of regional economies of scale. In direct contradiction to arguments presented to CACM governments that affording the tobacco industry protection via high cigarette tariffs would safeguard employment, the company's regional reorganisation involved the loss of hundreds of jobs. Conclusions Regional integration organisations and their member states should be aware of the capacity of TTCs to act in a coordinated transnational manner to influence policy in their own interests, and coordinate their own public health and tax policies in a similarly effective way. PMID:21595921

  2. Medical errors in primary care clinics – a cross sectional study

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background Patient safety is vital in patient care. There is a lack of studies on medical errors in primary care settings. The aim of the study is to determine the extent of diagnostic inaccuracies and management errors in public funded primary care clinics. Methods This was a cross-sectional study conducted in twelve public funded primary care clinics in Malaysia. A total of 1753 medical records were randomly selected in 12 primary care clinics in 2007 and were reviewed by trained family physicians for diagnostic, management and documentation errors, potential errors causing serious harm and likelihood of preventability of such errors. Results The majority of patient encounters (81%) were with medical assistants. Diagnostic errors were present in 3.6% (95% CI: 2.2, 5.0) of medical records and management errors in 53.2% (95% CI: 46.3, 60.2). For management errors, medication errors were present in 41.1% (95% CI: 35.8, 46.4) of records, investigation errors in 21.7% (95% CI: 16.5, 26.8) and decision making errors in 14.5% (95% CI: 10.8, 18.2). A total of 39.9% (95% CI: 33.1, 46.7) of these errors had the potential to cause serious harm. Problems of documentation including illegible handwriting were found in 98.0% (95% CI: 97.0, 99.1) of records. Nearly all errors (93.5%) detected were considered preventable. Conclusions The occurrence of medical errors was high in primary care clinics particularly with documentation and medication errors. Nearly all were preventable. Remedial intervention addressing completeness of documentation and prescriptions are likely to yield reduction of errors. PMID:23267547

  3. A knowledgebase system to enhance scientific discovery: Telemakus

    PubMed Central

    Fuller, Sherrilynne S; Revere, Debra; Bugni, Paul F; Martin, George M

    2004-01-01

    Background With the rapid expansion of scientific research, the ability to effectively find or integrate new domain knowledge in the sciences is proving increasingly difficult. Efforts to improve and speed up scientific discovery are being explored on a number of fronts. However, much of this work is based on traditional search and retrieval approaches and the bibliographic citation presentation format remains unchanged. Methods Case study. Results The Telemakus KnowledgeBase System provides flexible new tools for creating knowledgebases to facilitate retrieval and review of scientific research reports. In formalizing the representation of the research methods and results of scientific reports, Telemakus offers a potential strategy to enhance the scientific discovery process. While other research has demonstrated that aggregating and analyzing research findings across domains augments knowledge discovery, the Telemakus system is unique in combining document surrogates with interactive concept maps of linked relationships across groups of research reports. Conclusion Based on how scientists conduct research and read the literature, the Telemakus KnowledgeBase System brings together three innovations in analyzing, displaying and summarizing research reports across a domain: (1) research report schema, a document surrogate of extracted research methods and findings presented in a consistent and structured schema format which mimics the research process itself and provides a high-level surrogate to facilitate searching and rapid review of retrieved documents; (2) research findings, used to index the documents, allowing searchers to request, for example, research studies which have studied the relationship between neoplasms and vitamin E; and (3) visual exploration interface of linked relationships for interactive querying of research findings across the knowledgebase and graphical displays of what is known as well as, through gaps in the map, what is yet to be tested. The rationale and system architecture are described and plans for the future are discussed. PMID:15507158

  4. Digital Recording and Documentation of Endoscopic Procedures: Do Patients and Doctors Think Alike?

    PubMed

    Willner, Nadav; Peled-Raz, Maya; Shteinberg, Dan; Shteinberg, Michal; Keren, Dean; Rainis, Tova

    2016-01-01

    Aims and Methods. Conducting a survey study of a large number of patients and gastroenterologists aimed at identifying relevant predictors of interest in digital recording and documentation (DRD) of endoscopic procedures. Outpatients presenting to the endoscopy unit at our institution for an endoscopy examination were anonymously surveyed, regarding their views and opinions of a possible recording of the procedure. A parallel survey for gastroenterologists was conducted. Results. 417 patients and 62 gastroenterologists participated in two parallel surveys regarding DRD of endoscopic procedures. 66.4% of the patients expressed interest in digital documentation of their endoscopic procedure, with 90.5% of them requesting a copy. 43.6% of the physicians supported digital recording while 27.4% opposed it, with 48.4% opposing to making a copy of the recording available to the patient. No sociodemographic or background factors predicted patient's interest in DRD. 66% of the physicians reported having recording facilities in their institutions, but only 43.6% of them stated performing recording. Having institutional guidelines for DRD was found to be the only significant predictor for routine recording. Conclusions. Our study exposes patients' positive views of digital recording and documentation of endoscopic procedures. In contrast, physicians appear to be much more reluctant towards DRD and are centrally motivated by legal concerns when opposing DRD, as well as when supporting it.

  5. TFaNS Tone Fan Noise Design/Prediction System. Volume 1; System Description, CUP3D Technical Documentation and Manual for Code Developers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Topol, David A.

    1999-01-01

    TFaNS is the Tone Fan Noise Design/Prediction System developed by Pratt & Whitney under contract to NASA Lewis (presently NASA Glenn). The purpose of this system is to predict tone noise emanating from a fan stage including the effects of reflection and transmission by the rotor and stator and by the duct inlet and nozzle. These effects have been added to an existing annular duct/isolated stator noise prediction capability. TFaNS consists of: The codes that compute the acoustic properties (reflection and transmission coefficients) of the various elements and write them to files. Cup3D: Fan Noise Coupling Code that reads these files, solves the coupling problem, and outputs the desired noise predictions. AWAKEN: CFD/Measured Wake Postprocessor which reformats CFD wake predictions and/or measured wake data so it can be used by the system. This volume of the report provides technical background for TFaNS including the organization of the system and CUP3D technical documentation. This document also provides information for code developers who must write Acoustic Property Files in the CUP3D format. This report is divided into three volumes: Volume I: System Description, CUP3D Technical Documentation, and Manual for Code Developers; Volume II: User's Manual, TFaNS Vers. 1.4; Volume III: Evaluation of System Codes.

  6. Certification of Safety-Critical Software Under DO-178C and DO-278A

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jacklin, Stephen A.

    2012-01-01

    The RTCA has recently released DO-178C and DO-278A as new certification guidance for the production of airborne and ground-based air traffic management software, respectively. Additionally, RTCA special committee SC-205 has also produced, at the same time, five other companion documents. These documents are RTCA DO-248C, DO-330, DO-331, DO- 332, and DO-333. These supplements address frequently asked questions about software certification, provide guidance on tool qualification requirements, and illustrate the modifications recommended to DO-178C when using model-based software design, object oriented programming, and formal methods. The objective of this paper is to first explain the relationship of DO-178C to the former DO-178B in order to give those familiar with DO- 178B an indication of what has been changed and what has not been changed. With this background, the relationship of DO-178C and DO-278 to the new DO-278A document for ground-based software development is shown. Last, an overview of the new guidance contained in the tool qualification document and the three new supplements to DO-178C and DO-278A is presented. For those unfamiliar with DO-178B, this paper serves to provide an entry point to this new certification guidance for airborne and ground-based CNS/ATM software certification.

  7. Linkages between human health and ocean health: a participatory climate change vulnerability assessment for marine mammal harvesters

    PubMed Central

    Gadamus, Lily

    2013-01-01

    Background Indigenous residents of Alaska's Bering Strait Region depend, both culturally and nutritionally, on ice seal and walrus harvests. Currently, climate change and resultant increases in marine industrial development threaten these species and the cultures that depend on them. Objective To document: (a) local descriptions of the importance of marine mammal hunting; (b) traditional methods for determining if harvested marine mammals are safe to consume; and (c) marine mammal outcomes that would have adverse effects on community health, the perceived causes of these outcomes, strategies for preventing these outcomes and community adaptations to outcomes that cannot be mitigated. Design Semi-structured interviews and focus groups were conducted with 82 indigenous hunters and elders from the Bering Strait region. Standard qualitative analysis was conducted on interview transcripts, which were coded for both inductive and deductive codes. Responses describing marine mammal food safety and importance are presented using inductively generated categories. Responses describing negative marine mammal outcomes are presented in a vulnerability framework, which links human health outcomes to marine conditions. Results Project participants perceived that shipping noise and pollution, as well as marine mammal food source depletion by industrial fishing, posed the greatest threats to marine mammal hunting traditions. Proposed adaptations primarily fell into 2 categories: (a) greater tribal influence over marine policy; and (b) documentation of traditional knowledge for local use. This paper presents 1 example of documenting traditional knowledge as an adaptation strategy: traditional methods for determining if marine mammal food is safe to eat. Conclusions Participant recommendations indicate that 1 strategy to promote rural Alaskan adaptation to climate change is to better incorporate local knowledge and values into decision-making processes. Participant interest in documenting traditional knowledge for local use also indicates that funding agencies could support climate change adaptation by awarding more grants for tribal research that advances local, rather than academic, use of traditional knowledge. PMID:23984268

  8. Multibeam Sonar Backscatter Data Acquisition and Processing: Guidelines and Recommendations from the GEOHAB Backscatter Working Group

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Heffron, E.; Lurton, X.; Lamarche, G.; Brown, C.; Lucieer, V.; Rice, G.; Schimel, A.; Weber, T.

    2015-12-01

    Backscatter data acquired with multibeam sonars are now commonly used for the remote geological interpretation of the seabed. The systems hardware, software, and processing methods and tools have grown in numbers and improved over the years, yet many issues linger: there are no standard procedures for acquisition, poor or absent calibration, limited understanding and documentation of processing methods, etc. A workshop organized at the GeoHab (a community of geoscientists and biologists around the topic of marine habitat mapping) annual meeting in 2013 was dedicated to seafloor backscatter data from multibeam sonars and concluded that there was an overwhelming need for better coherence and agreement on the topics of acquisition, processing and interpretation of data. The GeoHab Backscatter Working Group (BSWG) was subsequently created with the purpose of documenting and synthetizing the state-of-the-art in sensors and techniques available today and proposing methods for best practice in the acquisition and processing of backscatter data. Two years later, the resulting document "Backscatter measurements by seafloor-mapping sonars: Guidelines and Recommendations" was completed1. The document provides: An introduction to backscatter measurements by seafloor-mapping sonars; A background on the physical principles of sonar backscatter; A discussion on users' needs from a wide spectrum of community end-users; A review on backscatter measurement; An analysis of best practices in data acquisition; A review of data processing principles with details on present software implementation; and finally A synthesis and key recommendations. This presentation reviews the BSWG mandate, structure, and development of this document. It details the various chapter contents, its recommendations to sonar manufacturers, operators, data processing software developers and end-users and its implication for the marine geology community. 1: Downloadable at https://www.niwa.co.nz/coasts-and-oceans/research-projects/backscatter-measurement-guidelines

  9. The theoretical background to BS7167: 1990 - specification for Bordeaux connections

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gorley, T. A. E.

    1992-03-01

    The theoretical background to the specification of Bordeaux connections (components of lifting gear used to join together wire rope and a chain, or two lengths of wire rope, where the joined lengths have to run over a sheave as in the case of grabbing cranes) is documented. Decisions taken in the drafting of earlier specifications are not documented. The design criteria for BS7167:1990 are addressed. The various parts of the Bordeaux connection specified in the standard are discussed in turn: the link portion, the rope portion, and the grab shackle. Some tests on the new design undertaken by the Health and Safety Executive confirm the new design criteria to be adequate for the strengths of rope to be used with this component.

  10. Biomedical literature classification using encyclopedic knowledge: a Wikipedia-based bag-of-concepts approach.

    PubMed

    Mouriño García, Marcos Antonio; Pérez Rodríguez, Roberto; Anido Rifón, Luis E

    2015-01-01

    Automatic classification of text documents into a set of categories has a lot of applications. Among those applications, the automatic classification of biomedical literature stands out as an important application for automatic document classification strategies. Biomedical staff and researchers have to deal with a lot of literature in their daily activities, so it would be useful a system that allows for accessing to documents of interest in a simple and effective way; thus, it is necessary that these documents are sorted based on some criteria-that is to say, they have to be classified. Documents to classify are usually represented following the bag-of-words (BoW) paradigm. Features are words in the text-thus suffering from synonymy and polysemy-and their weights are just based on their frequency of occurrence. This paper presents an empirical study of the efficiency of a classifier that leverages encyclopedic background knowledge-concretely Wikipedia-in order to create bag-of-concepts (BoC) representations of documents, understanding concept as "unit of meaning", and thus tackling synonymy and polysemy. Besides, the weighting of concepts is based on their semantic relevance in the text. For the evaluation of the proposal, empirical experiments have been conducted with one of the commonly used corpora for evaluating classification and retrieval of biomedical information, OHSUMED, and also with a purpose-built corpus of MEDLINE biomedical abstracts, UVigoMED. Results obtained show that the Wikipedia-based bag-of-concepts representation outperforms the classical bag-of-words representation up to 157% in the single-label classification problem and up to 100% in the multi-label problem for OHSUMED corpus, and up to 122% in the single-label classification problem and up to 155% in the multi-label problem for UVigoMED corpus.

  11. Biomedical literature classification using encyclopedic knowledge: a Wikipedia-based bag-of-concepts approach

    PubMed Central

    Pérez Rodríguez, Roberto; Anido Rifón, Luis E.

    2015-01-01

    Automatic classification of text documents into a set of categories has a lot of applications. Among those applications, the automatic classification of biomedical literature stands out as an important application for automatic document classification strategies. Biomedical staff and researchers have to deal with a lot of literature in their daily activities, so it would be useful a system that allows for accessing to documents of interest in a simple and effective way; thus, it is necessary that these documents are sorted based on some criteria—that is to say, they have to be classified. Documents to classify are usually represented following the bag-of-words (BoW) paradigm. Features are words in the text—thus suffering from synonymy and polysemy—and their weights are just based on their frequency of occurrence. This paper presents an empirical study of the efficiency of a classifier that leverages encyclopedic background knowledge—concretely Wikipedia—in order to create bag-of-concepts (BoC) representations of documents, understanding concept as “unit of meaning”, and thus tackling synonymy and polysemy. Besides, the weighting of concepts is based on their semantic relevance in the text. For the evaluation of the proposal, empirical experiments have been conducted with one of the commonly used corpora for evaluating classification and retrieval of biomedical information, OHSUMED, and also with a purpose-built corpus of MEDLINE biomedical abstracts, UVigoMED. Results obtained show that the Wikipedia-based bag-of-concepts representation outperforms the classical bag-of-words representation up to 157% in the single-label classification problem and up to 100% in the multi-label problem for OHSUMED corpus, and up to 122% in the single-label classification problem and up to 155% in the multi-label problem for UVigoMED corpus. PMID:26468436

  12. Power, Avionics and Software Communication Network Architecture

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ivancic, William D.; Sands, Obed S.; Bakula, Casey J.; Oldham, Daniel R.; Wright, Ted; Bradish, Martin A.; Klebau, Joseph M.

    2014-01-01

    This document describes the communication architecture for the Power, Avionics and Software (PAS) 2.0 subsystem for the Advanced Extravehicular Mobile Unit (AEMU). The following systems are described in detail: Caution Warn- ing and Control System, Informatics, Storage, Video, Audio, Communication, and Monitoring Test and Validation. This document also provides some background as well as the purpose and goals of the PAS project at Glenn Research Center (GRC).

  13. Taxation and Indian Sovereignty: A Look at the Matter of Taxation in a State Tribal Context.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chandler, Dolores, Ed.; Cordero, Andreita, Ed.

    Responding to a need expressed by New Mexico American Indian tribal leaders, this document defines and clarifies the status of reservations vis a vis the state's legal authority to impose tax. Divided into two major sections dealing with a current orientation to tax laws and the legal background upon which they are founded, this document also…

  14. Xanthogranulomatous Salpingooophoritis: The Youngest Documented Case Report

    PubMed Central

    Tanwar, Harshawardhan; Joshi, Avinash; Wagaskar, Vinayak; Kini, Siddharth; Bachhav, Manoj

    2015-01-01

    Background. Xanthogranulomatous inflammation is an uncommon affection of the female genital tract. The youngest case reported of xanthogranulomatous salpingooophoritis in literature was by Shilpa et al. in 2013 in an eighteen-year-old female. Case Report. We report a case of 2-year-old female child with right-sided xanthogranulomatous salpingooophoritis presented as mass in abdomen. This is a case report of the youngest documented case of xanthogranulomatous salpingooophoritis in literature. As per abdominal examination, there was generalized distention of abdomen and a mass was palpable which was arising out of pelvis more on the right side. The ultrasonography (USG) abdomen and pelvis revealed a thick-walled mass measuring 9.2 cm × 6.0 cm × 7.6 cm in pelvis. We did right salpingooophorectomy of the patient. On histopathology, the diagnosis of xanthogranulomatous salpingooophoritis was confirmed. Conclusion. Clinical presentation, radiological appearance, and gross features of xanthogranulomatous lesions of ovary can mimic neoplastic lesions and lead to misdiagnosis. Though, it is very rare in pediatric age group, xanthogranulomatous salpingooophoritis as one of the differential diagnoses should be kept in mind while dealing with tuboovarian masses in this age group. PMID:26114000

  15. Negotiating Family, Navigating Resettlement: Family Connectedness amongst Resettled Youth with Refugee Backgrounds Living in Melbourne, Australia

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McMichael, C.; Gifford, S. M.; Correa-Velez, I.

    2011-01-01

    Refugee adolescents resettling in a new country face many challenges, and being part of a supportive family is a critical factor in assisting them to achieve wellbeing and create positive futures. This longitudinal study documents experiences of family life in the resettlement context of 120 young people with refugee backgrounds living in…

  16. Training for a Changing Society. A Report on Current Vocational Education and Training Research in Europe. Reference Document.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tessaring, Manfred

    This report describes the background and links among education, training, labor market, economy, and society. Part 1 deals with the statutory, institutional, and political background to vocational education and training (VET), steering of VET systems, funding, and performance of VET systems and the European context. Part 2 discusses research on…

  17. Background Information for Think Tank on Planning, Governance and System Building Early Care and Education--NYC

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Boressoff, Todd

    2008-01-01

    This document provides some background on early childhood planning and system building around the country. Since mid-December, the author has been studying these efforts for Child Care, Inc. (CCI) interviewing national experts and reading widely. This outline provides insights and lesson learned from those inquiries. The goal at this meeting will…

  18. Background Materials Concerning Child and Family Services Act, 1975, H.R. 2966. Committee Print, 94th Congress, 2d Session.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. House Committee on Education and Labor.

    This document contains the text of Child and Family Services Act of 1975, H.R. 2966, and background materials concerning that act. Included are reprints of many newspaper and magazine articles as well as statements of members of Congress in response to the campaign against the bill. (MS)

  19. Equity for Women in the 1990s: Regents Policy and Action Plan with Supporting Background.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Burke, Geraldine

    Equal opportunity for women was last examined by the New York State Board of Regents in 1972. This document contains two papers: (1) a policy paper "Equal Opportunity for Women" prepared by the Regents reaffirming their commitment to gender equity by proposing an action plan; and (2) a background paper, "Equity for Women in the…

  20. Navigating a Transdisciplinary Research Project with a Non-Traditional Academic Background: Climate Change, Soil Health and Sustainability

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Basche, A.

    2014-12-01

    The Climate and Corn-based Cropping Systems Coordinated Agriculture Project (CSCAP) is a collaboration of 150+ team members spanning a range of scientific disciplinary backgrounds. The project goal is to produce collaborative research, education and extension aimed at mitigating and adapting Midwest cropping systems to climate variability and change. My PhD work in Agronomy and Sustainable Agriculture is a part of the CSCAP although my prior academic background was in applied climate science and biology, thus proposing a potential challenge to the new academic landscape. Further, graduate students within CSCAP are a part of a natural experiment in how the next generation of scientists operates in a transdisciplinary environment. As part of my leadership in the CSCAP, I helped to develop a "roadmap" document outlining the learning opportunities available to students. This document was meant to underscore the skills and experiences that will aid us in future collaborative research projects. Through these leadership experiences, I believe that the underpinning of any successful collaborative research project requires time: to develop relationships, earn trust and develop shared understandings and respect for different academic backgrounds.

  1. Building Information Modelling for Cultural Heritage: A review

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Logothetis, S.; Delinasiou, A.; Stylianidis, E.

    2015-08-01

    We discuss the evolution and state-of-the-art of the use of Building Information Modelling (BIM) in the field of culture heritage documentation. BIM is a hot theme involving different characteristics including principles, technology, even privacy rights for the cultural heritage objects. Modern documentation needs identified the potential of BIM in the recent years. Many architects, archaeologists, conservationists, engineers regard BIM as a disruptive force, changing the way professionals can document and manage a cultural heritage structure. The latest years, there are many developments in the BIM field while the developed technology and methods challenged the cultural heritage community in the documentation framework. In this review article, following a brief historic background for the BIM, we review the recent developments focusing in the cultural heritage documentation perspective.

  2. GridAPPS-D Conceptual Design v1.0

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

    Melton, Ronald B.; Schneider, Kevin P.; McDermott, Thomas E.

    2017-05-31

    The purpose of this document is to provide a conceptual design of the distribution system application development platform being developed for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Distribution Management System (ADMS) Program by the Grid Modernization Laboratory Consortium project GM0063. The platform will be referred to as GridAPPS-D. This document provides a high level, conceptual view of the platform and provides related background and contextual information. This document is intended to both educate readers about the technical work of the project and to serve as a point of reference for the project team. The document will be updated as themore » project progresses.« less

  3. Solid-State Lighting 2017 Suggested Research Topics Supplement: Technology and Market Context

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

    None, None

    A 2017 update to the Solid-State Lighting R&D Plan that is divided into two documents. The first document describes a list of suggested SSL priority research topics and the second document provides context and background, including information drawn from technical, market, and economic studies. Widely referenced by industry and government both here and abroad, these documents reflect SSL stakeholder inputs on key R&D topics that will improve efficacy, reduce cost, remove barriers to adoption, and add value for LED and OLED lighting solutions over the next three to five years, and discuss those applications that drive and prioritize the specificmore » R&D.« less

  4. Aging management program of the reactor building concrete at Point Lepreau Generating Station

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aldea, C.-M.; Shenton, B.; Demerchant, M. M.; Gendron, T.

    2011-04-01

    In order for New Brunswick Power Nuclear (NBPN) to control the risks of degradation of the concrete reactor building at the Point Lepreau Generating Station (PLGS) the development of an aging management plan (AMP) was initiated. The intention of this plan was to determine the requirements for specific structural components of concrete of the reactor building that require regular inspection and maintenance to ensure the safe and reliable operation of the plant. The document is currently in draft form and presents an integrated methodology for the application of an AMP for the concrete of the reactor building. The current AMP addresses the reactor building structure and various components, such as joint sealant and liners that are integral to the structure. It does not include internal components housed within the structure. This paper provides background information regarding the document developed and the strategy developed to manage potential degradation of the concrete of the reactor building, as well as specific programs and preventive and corrective maintenance activities initiated.

  5. NOx SOx Secondary NAAQS: Integrated Review Plan ...

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The NOx SOx Secondary NAAQS Integrated Review Plan is the first document generated as part of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) review process. The Plan presents background information, the schedule for the review, the process to be used in conducting the review, and the key policy-relevant science issues that will guide the review. The integrated review plan also discusses the frameworks for the various assessment documents to be prepared by the EPA as part of the review, including an Integrated Science Assessment (ISA), and as warranted, a Risk/Exposure Assessment (REA), and a Policy Assessment (PA). The primary purpose of the NOx SOx Secondary NAAQS Integrated Review Plan is to highlight the key policy-relevant issues to be considered in the Review of the Oxides of Nitrogen and Oxides of Sulfur Secondary NAAQS. A draft of the integrated review plan will be the subject of an advisory review with the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) and made available to the public for review and comment.

  6. Ethnobotanical investigations among tribes in Madurai District of Tamil Nadu (India)

    PubMed Central

    Ignacimuthu, S; Ayyanar, M; Sivaraman K, Sankara

    2006-01-01

    Background An ethnobotanical survey was carried out to collect information on the use of medicinal plants in Southern Western Ghats of India (Madurai district, Tamil Nadu). Information presented in this paper was gathered from the paliyar tribes using an integrated approach of botanical collections, group discussions and interviews with questionnaires in the years 1998 – 1999. The informants interviewed were 12 among whom 4 were tribal practitioners. Results A total of 60 ethnomedicinal plant species distributed in 32 families are documented in this study. The medicinal plants used by paliyars are listed with Latin name, family, local name, parts used, mode of preparation and medicinal uses. Generally, fresh part of the plant was used for the preparation of medicine. Conclusion We observed that the documented ethnomedicinal plants were mostly used to cure skin diseases, poison bites, stomachache and nervous disorders. The results of this study showed that these tribal people still depend on medicinal plants in Madurai district forest areas. PMID:16689985

  7. Assessing semantic similarity of texts - Methods and algorithms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rozeva, Anna; Zerkova, Silvia

    2017-12-01

    Assessing the semantic similarity of texts is an important part of different text-related applications like educational systems, information retrieval, text summarization, etc. This task is performed by sophisticated analysis, which implements text-mining techniques. Text mining involves several pre-processing steps, which provide for obtaining structured representative model of the documents in a corpus by means of extracting and selecting the features, characterizing their content. Generally the model is vector-based and enables further analysis with knowledge discovery approaches. Algorithms and measures are used for assessing texts at syntactical and semantic level. An important text-mining method and similarity measure is latent semantic analysis (LSA). It provides for reducing the dimensionality of the document vector space and better capturing the text semantics. The mathematical background of LSA for deriving the meaning of the words in a given text by exploring their co-occurrence is examined. The algorithm for obtaining the vector representation of words and their corresponding latent concepts in a reduced multidimensional space as well as similarity calculation are presented.

  8. A Nursing Intelligence System to Support Secondary Use of Nursing Routine Data

    PubMed Central

    Rauchegger, F.; Ammenwerth, E.

    2015-01-01

    Summary Background Nursing care is facing exponential growth of information from nursing documentation. This amount of electronically available data collected routinely opens up new opportunities for secondary use. Objectives To present a case study of a nursing intelligence system for reusing routinely collected nursing documentation data for multiple purposes, including quality management of nursing care. Methods The SPIRIT framework for systematically planning the reuse of clinical routine data was leveraged to design a nursing intelligence system which then was implemented using open source tools in a large university hospital group following the spiral model of software engineering. Results The nursing intelligence system is in routine use now and updated regularly, and includes over 40 million data sets. It allows the outcome and quality analysis of data related to the nursing process. Conclusions Following a systematic approach for planning and designing a solution for reusing routine care data appeared to be successful. The resulting nursing intelligence system is useful in practice now, but remains malleable for future changes. PMID:26171085

  9. Assessment of NASA's Aircraft Noise Prediction Capability

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dahl, Milo D. (Editor)

    2012-01-01

    A goal of NASA s Fundamental Aeronautics Program is the improvement of aircraft noise prediction. This document provides an assessment, conducted from 2006 to 2009, on the current state of the art for aircraft noise prediction by carefully analyzing the results from prediction tools and from the experimental databases to determine errors and uncertainties and compare results to validate the predictions. The error analysis is included for both the predictions and the experimental data and helps identify where improvements are required. This study is restricted to prediction methods and databases developed or sponsored by NASA, although in many cases they represent the current state of the art for industry. The present document begins with an introduction giving a general background for and a discussion on the process of this assessment followed by eight chapters covering topics at both the system and the component levels. The topic areas, each with multiple contributors, are aircraft system noise, engine system noise, airframe noise, fan noise, liner physics, duct acoustics, jet noise, and propulsion airframe aeroacoustics.

  10. Case Definitions, Diagnostic Algorithms, and Priorities in Encephalitis: Consensus Statement of the International Encephalitis Consortium

    PubMed Central

    Venkatesan, A.; Tunkel, A. R.; Bloch, K. C.; Lauring, A. S.; Sejvar, J.; Bitnun, A.; Stahl, J-P.; Mailles, A.; Drebot, M.; Rupprecht, C. E.; Yoder, J.; Cope, J. R.; Wilson, M. R.; Whitley, R. J.; Sullivan, J.; Granerod, J.; Jones, C.; Eastwood, K.; Ward, K. N.; Durrheim, D. N.; Solbrig, M. V.; Guo-Dong, L.; Glaser, C. A.; Sheriff, Heather; Brown, David; Farnon, Eileen; Messenger, Sharon; Paterson, Beverley; Soldatos, Ariane; Roy, Sharon; Visvesvara, Govinda; Beach, Michael; Nasci, Roger; Pertowski, Carol; Schmid, Scott; Rascoe, Lisa; Montgomery, Joel; Tong, Suxiang; Breiman, Robert; Franka, Richard; Keuhnert, Matt; Angulo, Fred; Cherry, James

    2013-01-01

    Background.Encephalitis continues to result in substantial morbidity and mortality worldwide. Advances in diagnosis and management have been limited, in part, by a lack of consensus on case definitions, standardized diagnostic approaches, and priorities for research. Methods.In March 2012, the International Encephalitis Consortium, a committee begun in 2010 with members worldwide, held a meeting in Atlanta to discuss recent advances in encephalitis and to set priorities for future study. Results.We present a consensus document that proposes a standardized case definition and diagnostic guidelines for evaluation of adults and children with suspected encephalitis. In addition, areas of research priority, including host genetics and selected emerging infections, are discussed. Conclusions.We anticipate that this document, representing a synthesis of our discussions and supported by literature, will serve as a practical aid to clinicians evaluating patients with suspected encephalitis and will identify key areas and approaches to advance our knowledge of encephalitis. PMID:23861361

  11. Staggered-grid finite-difference acoustic modeling with the Time-Domain Atmospheric Acoustic Propagation Suite (TDAAPS).

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

    Aldridge, David Franklin; Collier, Sandra L.; Marlin, David H.

    2005-05-01

    This document is intended to serve as a users guide for the time-domain atmospheric acoustic propagation suite (TDAAPS) program developed as part of the Department of Defense High-Performance Modernization Office (HPCMP) Common High-Performance Computing Scalable Software Initiative (CHSSI). TDAAPS performs staggered-grid finite-difference modeling of the acoustic velocity-pressure system with the incorporation of spatially inhomogeneous winds. Wherever practical the control structure of the codes are written in C++ using an object oriented design. Sections of code where a large number of calculations are required are written in C or F77 in order to enable better compiler optimization of these sections. Themore » TDAAPS program conforms to a UNIX style calling interface. Most of the actions of the codes are controlled by adding flags to the invoking command line. This document presents a large number of examples and provides new users with the necessary background to perform acoustic modeling with TDAAPS.« less

  12. Application and Evaluation of Interactive 3D PDF for Presenting and Sharing Planning Results for Liver Surgery in Clinical Routine

    PubMed Central

    Newe, Axel; Becker, Linda; Schenk, Andrea

    2014-01-01

    Background & Objectives The Portable Document Format (PDF) is the de-facto standard for the exchange of electronic documents. It is platform-independent, suitable for the exchange of medical data, and allows for the embedding of three-dimensional (3D) surface mesh models. In this article, we present the first clinical routine application of interactive 3D surface mesh models which have been integrated into PDF files for the presentation and the exchange of Computer Assisted Surgery Planning (CASP) results in liver surgery. We aimed to prove the feasibility of applying 3D PDF in medical reporting and investigated the user experience with this new technology. Methods We developed an interactive 3D PDF report document format and implemented a software tool to create these reports automatically. After more than 1000 liver CASP cases that have been reported in clinical routine using our 3D PDF report, an international user survey was carried out online to evaluate the user experience. Results Our solution enables the user to interactively explore the anatomical configuration and to have different analyses and various resection proposals displayed within a 3D PDF document covering only a single page that acts more like a software application than like a typical PDF file (“PDF App”). The new 3D PDF report offers many advantages over the previous solutions. According to the results of the online survey, the users have assessed the pragmatic quality (functionality, usability, perspicuity, efficiency) as well as the hedonic quality (attractiveness, novelty) very positively. Conclusion The usage of 3D PDF for reporting and sharing CASP results is feasible and well accepted by the target audience. Using interactive PDF with embedded 3D models is an enabler for presenting and exchanging complex medical information in an easy and platform-independent way. Medical staff as well as patients can benefit from the possibilities provided by 3D PDF. Our results open the door for a wider use of this new technology, since the basic idea can and should be applied for many medical disciplines and use cases. PMID:25551375

  13. Meeting report: Spontaneous lesions and diseases in wild, captive-bred, and zoo-housed nonhuman primates and in nonhuman primate species used in drug safety studies.

    PubMed

    Sasseville, V G; Mansfield, K G; Mankowski, J L; Tremblay, C; Terio, K A; Mätz-Rensing, K; Gruber-Dujardin, E; Delaney, M A; Schmidt, L D; Liu, D; Markovits, J E; Owston, M; Harbison, C; Shanmukhappa, S; Miller, A D; Kaliyaperumal, S; Assaf, B T; Kattenhorn, L; Macri, S Cummings; Simmons, H A; Baldessari, A; Sharma, P; Courtney, C; Bradley, A; Cline, J M; Reindel, J F; Hutto, D L; Montali, R J; Lowenstine, L J

    2012-11-01

    The combination of loss of habitat, human population encroachment, and increased demand of select nonhuman primates for biomedical research has significantly affected populations. There remains a need for knowledge and expertise in understanding background findings as related to the age, source, strain, and disease status of nonhuman primates. In particular, for safety/biomedical studies, a broader understanding and documentation of lesions would help clarify background from drug-related findings. A workshop and a minisymposium on spontaneous lesions and diseases in nonhuman primates were sponsored by the concurrent Annual Meetings of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists and the American Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathology held December 3-4, 2011, in Nashville, Tennessee. The first session had presentations from Drs Lowenstine and Montali, pathologists with extensive experience in wild and zoo populations of nonhuman primates, which was followed by presentations of 20 unique case reports of rare or newly observed spontaneous lesions in nonhuman primates (see online files for access to digital whole-slide images corresponding to each case report at http://www.scanscope.com/ACVP%20Slide%20Seminars/2011/Primate%20Pathology/view.apml). The minisymposium was composed of 5 nonhuman-primate researchers (Drs Bradley, Cline, Sasseville, Miller, Hutto) who concentrated on background and spontaneous lesions in nonhuman primates used in drug safety studies. Cynomolgus and rhesus macaques were emphasized, with some material presented on common marmosets. Congenital, acquired, inflammatory, and neoplastic changes were highlighed with a focus on clinical, macroscopic, and histopathologic findings that could confound the interpretation of drug safety studies.

  14. Brain drain or links to the world: views on emigrants from Singapore.

    PubMed

    Yap, M T

    1994-01-01

    "This article will present a general picture of emigration and emigrants from Singapore, with specific references to Australia where the data permit. The first section presents some flow data on the magnitudes of emigration from Singapore.... It is necessary to place this outflow against the background of the constraints imposed by the country's small size. This is discussed in the second section, together with the economic policies and strategies adopted to overcome these constraints. The third section documents the public debate on emigration and the responses to the 'problem.' This is followed in the last section by a prognosis for the future, particularly with regard to the implications for Australia. The article ends with a discussion of the relationship between emigration and nation building, using Singapore as a case study." excerpt

  15. STAGS Example Problems Manual

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Knight, Norman F., Jr.; Rankin, Charles C.

    2006-01-01

    This document summarizes the STructural Analysis of General Shells (STAGS) development effort, STAGS performance for selected demonstration problems, and STAGS application problems illustrating selected advanced features available in the STAGS Version 5.0. Each problem is discussed including selected background information and reference solutions when available. The modeling and solution approach for each problem is described and illustrated. Numerical results are presented and compared with reference solutions, test data, and/or results obtained from mesh refinement studies. These solutions provide an indication of the overall capabilities of the STAGS nonlinear finite element analysis tool and provide users with representative cases, including input files, to explore these capabilities that may then be tailored to other applications.

  16. Space Settlements: A Design Study

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Johnson, Richard D. (Editor); Holbrow, Charles (Editor)

    1977-01-01

    Nineteen professors of engineering, physical science, social science, and architecture, three volunteers, six students, a technical director, and two co-directors worked for ten weeks to construct a convincing picture of how people might permanently sustain life in space on a large scale, and to design a system for the colonization of space. Because the idea of colonizing space has awakened strong public interest, the document presented is written to be understood by the educated public and specialists in other fields. It also includes considerable background material. A table of units and conversion factors is included to aid the reader in interpreting the units of the metric system used in the report.

  17. A Communication Architecture for an Advanced Extravehicular Mobile Unit

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ivancic, William D.; Sands, Obed S.; Bakula, Casey J.; Oldham, Daniel R.; Wright, Ted; Bradish, Martin A.; Klebau, Joseph M.

    2014-01-01

    This document describes the communication architecture for the Power, Avionics and Software (PAS) 1.0 subsystem for the Advanced Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AEMU). The following systems are described in detail: Caution Warning and Control System, Informatics, Storage, Video, Audio, Communication, and Monitoring Test and Validation. This document also provides some background as well as the purpose and goals of the PAS subsystem being developed at Glenn Research Center (GRC).

  18. Surplus Highly Enriched Uranium Disposition Program plan

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

    NONE

    1996-10-01

    The purpose of this document is to provide upper level guidance for the program that will downblend surplus highly enriched uranium for use as commercial nuclear reactor fuel or low-level radioactive waste. The intent of this document is to outline the overall mission and program objectives. The document is also intended to provide a general basis for integration of disposition efforts among all applicable sites. This plan provides background information, establishes the scope of disposition activities, provides an approach to the mission and objectives, identifies programmatic assumptions, defines major roles, provides summary level schedules and milestones, and addresses budget requirements.

  19. TIMSS 2011 User Guide for the International Database. Supplement 3: Variables Derived from the Student, Home, Teacher, and School Questionnaire Data

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Foy, Pierre, Ed.; Arora, Alka, Ed.; Stanco, Gabrielle M., Ed.

    2013-01-01

    This supplement contains documentation on all the derived variables contained in the TIMSS 2011 data files that are based on background questionnaire variables. These variables were used to report background data in the TIMSS 2011 International Results in Mathematics and TIMSS 2011 International Results in Science reports, and are made available…

  20. Individual, Social, and Family Factors Associated with High School Dropout among Low-SES Youth: Differential Effects as a Function of Immigrant Status

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Archambault, Isabelle; Janosz, Michel; Dupéré, Véronique; Brault, Marie-Christine; Andrew, Marie Mc

    2017-01-01

    Background: In most Western countries, the individual, social, and family characteristics associated with students' dropout in the general population are well documented. Yet, there is a lack of large-scale studies to establish whether these characteristics have the same influence for students with an immigrant background. Aims: The first aim of…

  1. Opportunities to Improve Air Quality through Transportation Pricing Programs

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This document is intended to give state and local air quality and transportation planners,elected government officials, and other interested parties background information on transportation pricing programs.

  2. Refining Presentation Documents with Presentation Schema

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Obara, Yuki; Kashihara, Akihiro

    2017-01-01

    Presentation is one of the important activities in research to publish research results. When we create presentation documents (P-documents for short), it is important to compose presentation structure (P-structure for short) that represents what to present and how to sequence the contents. To create proper P-documents, we need to learn how to…

  3. Transnational Tobacco Company Interests in Smokeless Tobacco in Europe: Analysis of Internal Industry Documents and Contemporary Industry Materials

    PubMed Central

    Peeters, Silvy; Gilmore, Anna B.

    2013-01-01

    Background European Union (EU) legislation bans the sale of snus, a smokeless tobacco (SLT) which is considerably less harmful than smoking, in all EU countries other than Sweden. To inform the current review of this legislation, this paper aims to explore transnational tobacco company (TTC) interests in SLT and pure nicotine in Europe from the 1970s to the present, comparing them with TTCs' public claims of support for harm reduction. Methods and Results Internal tobacco industry documents (in total 416 documents dating from 1971 to 2009), obtained via searching the online Legacy Tobacco Documents Library, were analysed using a hermeneutic approach. This library comprises documents obtained via litigation in the US and does not include documents from Imperial Tobacco, Japan Tobacco International, or Swedish Match. To help overcome this limitation and provide more recent data, we triangulated our documentary findings with contemporary documentation including TTC investor presentations. The analysis demonstrates that British American Tobacco explored SLT opportunities in Europe from 1971 driven by regulatory threats and health concerns, both likely to impact cigarette sales negatively, and the potential to create a new form of tobacco use among those no longer interested in taking up smoking. Young people were a key target. TTCs did not, however, make SLT investments until 2002, a time when EU cigarette volumes started declining, smoke-free legislation was being introduced, and public health became interested in harm reduction. All TTCs have now invested in snus (and recently in pure nicotine), yet both early and recent snus test markets appear to have failed, and little evidence was found in TTCs' corporate materials that snus is central to their business strategy. Conclusions There is clear evidence that BAT's early interest in introducing SLT in Europe was based on the potential for creating an alternative form of tobacco use in light of declining cigarette sales and social restrictions on smoking, with young people a key target. We conclude that by investing in snus, and recently nicotine, TTCs have eliminated competition between cigarettes and lower-risk products, thus helping maintain the current market balance in favour of (highly profitable) cigarettes while ensuring TTCs' long-term future should cigarette sales decline further and profit margins be eroded. Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary PMID:24058299

  4. Eliminate background interference from latent fingerprints using ultraviolet multispectral imaging

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huang, Wei; Xu, Xiaojing; Wang, Guiqiang

    2014-02-01

    Fingerprints are the most important evidence in crime scene. The technology of developing latent fingerprints is one of the hottest research areas in forensic science. Recently, multispectral imaging which has shown great capability in fingerprints development, questioned document detection and trace evidence examination is used in detecting material evidence. This paper studied how to eliminate background interference from non-porous and porous surface latent fingerprints by rotating filter wheel ultraviolet multispectral imaging. The results approved that background interference could be removed clearly from latent fingerprints by using multispectral imaging in ultraviolet bandwidth.

  5. Space and surface power for the space exploration initiative: Results from project outreach

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Shipbaugh, C.; Solomon, K.; Gonzales, D.; Juncosa, M.; Bauer, T.; Salter, R.

    1991-01-01

    The analysis and evaluations of the Space and Surface Power panel, one of eight panels created by RAND to screen and analyze submissions to the Space Exploration Initiative (SEI) Outreach Program, is documented. In addition to managing and evaluating the responses, or submissions, to this public outreach program, RAND conducted its own analysis and evaluation relevent to SEI mission concepts, systems, and technologies. The Power panel screened and analyzed submissions for which a substantial portion of the concepts involved power generation sources, transmission, distribution, thermal management, and handling of power (including conditioning, conversion, packaging, and enhancements in system components). A background discussion of the areas the Power panel covered and the issues the reviewers considered pertinent to the analysis of power submissions are presented. An overview of each of the highest-ranked submissions and then a discussion of these submissions is presented. The results of the analysis is presented.

  6. Sustainable reduction of bioreactor contamination in an industrial fermentation pilot plant.

    PubMed

    Junker, Beth; Lester, Michael; Leporati, James; Schmitt, John; Kovatch, Michael; Borysewicz, Stan; Maciejak, Waldemar; Seeley, Anna; Hesse, Michelle; Connors, Neal; Brix, Thomas; Creveling, Eric; Salmon, Peter

    2006-10-01

    Facility experience primarily in drug-oriented fermentation equipment (producing small molecules such as secondary metabolites, bioconversions, and enzymes) and, to a lesser extent, in biologics-oriented fermentation equipment (producing large molecules such as recombinant proteins and microbial vaccines) in an industrial fermentation pilot plant over the past 15 years is described. Potential approaches for equipment design and maintenance, operational procedures, validation/verification testing, medium selection, culture purity/sterility analysis, and contamination investigation are presented, and those approaches implemented are identified. Failure data collected for pilot plant operation for nearly 15 years are presented and best practices for documentation and tracking are outlined. This analysis does not exhaustively discuss available design, operational and procedural options; rather it selectively presents what has been determined to be beneficial in an industrial pilot plant setting. Literature references have been incorporated to provide background and context where appropriate.

  7. Project development process.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2007-08-01

    The following chapter explains the purpose of this document, outlines the essential elements involved in : the Project Development Process, describes the differences in the three main project classifications, and : provides the necessary background i...

  8. The Need for Precise and Well-documented Experimental Data on Prompt Fission Neutron Spectra from Neutron-induced Fission of {sup 239}Pu

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

    Neudecker, D., E-mail: dneudecker@lanl.gov; Taddeucci, T.N.; Haight, R.C.

    2016-01-15

    The spectrum of neutrons emitted promptly after {sup 239}Pu(n,f)—a so-called prompt fission neutron spectrum (PFNS)—is a quantity of high interest, for instance, for reactor physics and global security. However, there are only few experimental data sets available that are suitable for evaluations. In addition, some of those data sets differ by more than their 1-σ uncertainty boundaries. We present the results of MCNP studies indicating that these differences are partly caused by underestimated multiple scattering contributions, over-corrected background, and inconsistent deconvolution methods. A detailed uncertainty quantification for suitable experimental data was undertaken including these effects, and test-evaluations were performed withmore » the improved uncertainty information. The test-evaluations illustrate that the inadequately estimated effects and detailed uncertainty quantification have an impact on the evaluated PFNS and associated uncertainties as well as the neutron multiplicity of selected critical assemblies. A summary of data and documentation needs to improve the quality of the experimental database is provided based on the results of simulations and test-evaluations. Given the possibly substantial distortion of the PFNS by multiple scattering and background effects, special care should be taken to reduce these effects in future measurements, e.g., by measuring the {sup 239}Pu PFNS as a ratio to either the {sup 235}U or {sup 252}Cf PFNS.« less

  9. Houston Smart Commuter

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2002-04-01

    This final report documents the background, history, operations and findings of the Houston Smart Commuter operational test. This operational test was designed to evaluate the potential for achieving more efficient use of travel alternatives through ...

  10. Panic attack triggering myocardial ischemia documented by myocardial perfusion imaging study. A case report

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background Chest pain, a key element in the investigation of coronary artery disease is often regarded as a benign prognosis when present in panic attacks. However, panic disorder has been suggested as an independent risk factor for long-term prognosis of cardiovascular diseases and a trigger of acute myocardial infarction. Objective Faced with the extreme importance in differentiate from ischemic to non-ischemic chest pain, we report a case of panic attack induced by inhalation of 35% carbon dioxide triggering myocardial ischemia, documented by myocardial perfusion imaging study. Discussion Panic attack is undoubtedly a strong component of mental stress. Patients with coronary artery disease may present myocardial ischemia in mental stress response by two ways: an increase in coronary vasomotor tone or a sympathetic hyperactivity leading to a rise in myocardial oxygen consumption. Coronary artery spasm was presumed to be present in cases of cardiac ischemia linked to panic disorder. Possibly the carbon dioxide challenge test could trigger myocardial ischemia by the same mechanisms. Conclusion The use of mental stress has been suggested as an alternative method for myocardial ischemia investigation. Based on translational medicine objectives the use of CO2 challenge followed by Sestamibi SPECT could be a useful method to allow improved application of research-based knowledge to the medical field, specifically at the interface of PD and cardiovascular disease. PMID:22999016

  11. Emotional benefit of cosmetic camouflage in the treatment of facial skin conditions: personal experience and review

    PubMed Central

    Levy, Lauren L; Emer, Jason J

    2012-01-01

    Background Recent studies highlighting the psychological benefits of medical treatment for dermatological skin conditions have demonstrated a clear role for medical therapy in psychological health. Skin conditions, particularly those that are overtly visible, such as those located on the face, neck, and hands, often have a profound effect on the daily functioning of those affected. The literature documents significant emotional benefits using medical therapy in conditions such as acne, psoriasis, vitiligo, and rosacea, but there is little evidence documenting similar results with the use of cosmetic camouflage. Here we present a review highlighting the practical use of cosmetic camouflage makeup in patients with facial skin conditions and review its implications for psychological health. Methods A search of the Medline and Scopus databases was performed to identify articles documenting the emotional benefit of cosmetic camouflage. Results Cosmetic camouflage provides a significant emotional benefit for patients with facial skin conditions, and this is substantiated by a literature review and personal experience. More clinical studies are needed to assess and validate the findings reported here. Conclusion Patients with visible skin conditions have increased rates of depression, anxiety, and decreased self-esteem. It is prudent for us to consider therapies that can offer rapid and dramatic results, such as cosmetic camouflage. PMID:23152694

  12. Baby Killers: Documentation and Evolution of Scuttle Fly (Diptera: Phoridae) Parasitism of Ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Brood

    PubMed Central

    Brown, Brian V.; Hash, John M.; Porras, Wendy; Amorim, Dalton de Souza

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Background Numerous well-documented associations occur among species of scuttle flies (Diptera: Phoridae) and ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), but examples of brood parasitism are rare and the mechanisms of parasitism often remain unsubstantiated. New information We present two video-documented examples of ant brood (larvae and pupae) parasitism by scuttle flies. In footage from Estação Biológica de Boracéia in Brazil, adult females of Ceratoconus setipennis Borgmeier can be seen attacking workers of Linepithema humile (Mayr) species group while they are carrying brood, and ovipositing directly onto brood in the nest. In another remarkable example, footage from the Soltis Center, near Peñas Blancas in Costa Rica, shows adult females of an unidentified species of the Apocephalus grandipalpus Borgmeier group mounting Pheidole Westwood brood upside-down and ovipositing while the brood are being transported by workers. Analysis of evolutionary relationships (in preparation) among Apocephalus Coquillett species shows that this is a newly derived behavior within the genus, as the A. grandipalpus group arises within a group of adult ant parasitoids. In contrast, relationships of Ceratoconus Borgmeier have not been studied, and the lifestyles of the other species in the genus are largely unknown. PMID:28325980

  13. A Bird Strike Handbook for Base-Level Managers

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1984-09-01

    Background Literature Review . . . . . . . . . . 7 Statistical History. . • . 7 . . . . • . . • Bird Behavior. ... . .. . . .. . . 9 Literature...compiled all relevant information through an extensive literature search, review of base-level documents, and personal interviews. The final product...34. .•" ’ft,, ft. . 𔃾 ft ’ft V. V. 11. Background Literature Review Chapter 4 of this thesis will be a handbook for use by the base-level managers. In essence

  14. Choosing a Microcomputer: A Success Story.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mason, Robert M.

    1983-01-01

    Documentation of author's personal experience in the purchasing of a microcomputer discusses background learning, the purchase decision, needs assessment, computer literacy, general information on microcomputers, the situation assessment, and the final check. (EJS)

  15. Radioactivity in fossils at the Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument.

    PubMed

    Farmer, C Neal; Kathren, Ronald L; Christensen, Craig

    2008-08-01

    Since 1996, higher than background levels of naturally occurring radioactivity have been documented in both fossil and mineral deposits at Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument in south-central Idaho. Radioactive fossil sites occur primarily within an elevation zone of 900-1000 m above sea level and are most commonly found associated with ancient river channels filled with sand. Fossils found in clay rich deposits do not exhibit discernable levels of radioactivity. Out of 300 randomly selected fossils, approximately three-fourths exhibit detectable levels of natural radioactivity ranging from 1 to 2 orders of magnitude above ambient background levels when surveyed with a portable hand held Geiger-Muller survey instrument. Mineral deposits in geologic strata also show above ambient background levels of radioactivity. Radiochemical lab analysis has documented the presence of numerous natural radioactive isotopes. It is postulated that ancient groundwater transported radioactive elements through sand bodies containing fossils which precipitated out of solution during the fossilization process. The elevated levels of natural radioactivity in fossils may require special precautions to ensure that exposures to personnel from stored or displayed items are kept as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA).

  16. Variational dynamic background model for keyword spotting in handwritten documents

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kumar, Gaurav; Wshah, Safwan; Govindaraju, Venu

    2013-12-01

    We propose a bayesian framework for keyword spotting in handwritten documents. This work is an extension to our previous work where we proposed dynamic background model, DBM for keyword spotting that takes into account the local character level scores and global word level scores to learn a logistic regression classifier to separate keywords from non-keywords. In this work, we add a bayesian layer on top of the DBM called the variational dynamic background model, VDBM. The logistic regression classifier uses the sigmoid function to separate keywords from non-keywords. The sigmoid function being neither convex nor concave, exact inference of VDBM becomes intractable. An expectation maximization step is proposed to do approximate inference. The advantage of VDBM over the DBM is multi-fold. Firstly, being bayesian, it prevents over-fitting of data. Secondly, it provides better modeling of data and an improved prediction of unseen data. VDBM is evaluated on the IAM dataset and the results prove that it outperforms our prior work and other state of the art line based word spotting system.

  17. Summary of Information and Resources Related to Energy Use in Healthcare Facilities - Version 1

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

    Singer, Brett C.; Coughlin, Jennifer L.; Mathew, Paul A.

    This document presents the results of a review of publicly available information on energy use in health care facilities. The information contained in this document and in the sources cited herein provides the background and context for efforts to reduce energy use and costs in health care. Recognizing the breadth and diversity of relevant information, the author acknowledges that the report is likely not comprehensive. It is intended only to present a broad picture of what is currently known about health care energy use. This review was conducted as part of a 'High Performance Health Care Buildings' research study fundedmore » by the California Energy Commission. The study was motivated by the recognition that health care facilities collectively account for a substantial fraction of total commercial building energy use, due in large part to the very high energy intensity of hospitals and other inpatient care facilities. The goal of the study was to develop a roadmap of research, development and deployment (RD&D) needs for the health care industry. In addition to this information review, the road map development process included interviews with industry experts and a full-day workshop at LBNL in March 2009. This report is described as 'Version 1' with the intent that it will be expanded and updated as part of an ongoing LBNL program in healthcare energy efficiency. The document is being released in this form with the hope that it can assist others in finding and accessing the resources described within.« less

  18. INDOT Technical Training Plan

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2012-04-01

    The study provides the background documents necessary for the development of a Technical Training Plan and makes recommendations : for the content and structure of such a plan for the District Operations, Operations, Capital Program Management, and E...

  19. Background Investigations and Clearances

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    You may need to complete certain security forms and report for identity proofing and fingerprinting before you can begin work at EPA. The following document contain specific instructions and information to help guide you through the process:

  20. European Union regulators and industry agree on improving specific environmental release categories: Report from the exchange network for exposure scenarios specific environmental release category workshop on May 13, 2016.

    PubMed

    Ahrens, Andreas; Moilanen, Marianne; Martin, Sara; Garcia-John, Enrique; Sättler, Daniel; Bakker, Joost; Reihlen, Antonia; Wind, Thorsten; Tolls, Johannes

    2017-09-01

    Specific environmental release categories (SPERCs) are an instrument for lower-tier environmental emissions assessments. They support chemical safety assessments under the European Union (EU) regulation Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation, and Restriction of Chemicals. SPERCs have been developed by industry and subjected to regulatory review. Within the framework of the Chemical Safety Report/Exposure Scenario Roadmap, the EU Chemicals Agency (ECHA), the EU Member State authorities, and European industry sector associations collaborate to improve the quality of the SPERCs. Following up on the outcome of ECHA's SPERC Best Practice Project, industry, together with ECHA, developed an updated SPERC factsheet template and guidance on how to fill it out. In addition, industry developed 2 sets of SPERC factsheet examples and the corresponding SPERC background documents. These documents were submitted to a multistakeholder review process. The comments from the review were discussed at a workshop in spring 2016. The workshop participants acknowledged the revised factsheet format including the corresponding guidance, the 2 SPERC factsheets, and the 2 SPERC background documents as best practice examples. The package is expected to support further improvement of the quality of the SPERCs. A common understanding was achieved of the need to match the level of detail of the use conditions description with the risk to be controlled (i.e., the emission intensity and hazard profile of the substances) and with the level of conservatism of SPERC release factors. The complete and transparent documentation of the derivation of the release factors and of their conservatism is conceived as crucial for the credibility of the SPERCs, such that they can be trusted by partners in the chemicals supply chain and by regulators. To that end, background documents will include a dedicated section describing the conservatism of SPERCs. The workshop concluded with an outline of the practical way forward for the improvement of SPERC documentation. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2017;13:815-820. © 2017 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC). © 2017 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC).

  1. "Heidelberg standard examination" and "Heidelberg standard procedures" - Development of faculty-wide standards for physical examination techniques and clinical procedures in undergraduate medical education.

    PubMed

    Nikendei, C; Ganschow, P; Groener, J B; Huwendiek, S; Köchel, A; Köhl-Hackert, N; Pjontek, R; Rodrian, J; Scheibe, F; Stadler, A-K; Steiner, T; Stiepak, J; Tabatabai, J; Utz, A; Kadmon, M

    2016-01-01

    The competent physical examination of patients and the safe and professional implementation of clinical procedures constitute essential components of medical practice in nearly all areas of medicine. The central objective of the projects "Heidelberg standard examination" and "Heidelberg standard procedures", which were initiated by students, was to establish uniform interdisciplinary standards for physical examination and clinical procedures, and to distribute them in coordination with all clinical disciplines at the Heidelberg University Hospital. The presented project report illuminates the background of the initiative and its methodological implementation. Moreover, it describes the multimedia documentation in the form of pocketbooks and a multimedia internet-based platform, as well as the integration into the curriculum. The project presentation aims to provide orientation and action guidelines to facilitate similar processes in other faculties.

  2. X-29 High Alpha Test in the National Transonic Facility

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Underwood, Pamela J.; Owens, Lewis R.; Wahls, Richard A.; Williams, Susan

    2003-01-01

    This paper describes the X-29A research program at the National Transonic Facility. This wind tunnel test leveraged the X-29A high alpha flight test program by enabling ground-to-flight correlation studies with an emphasis on Reynolds number effects. The background and objectives of this test program, as well as the comparison of high Reynolds number wind tunnel data to X-29A flight test data are presented. The effects of Reynolds number on the forebody pressures at high angles of attack are also presented. The purpose of this paper is to document this test and serve as a reference for future ground-to-flight correlation studies, and high angle-of-attack investigations. Good ground-to-flight correlations were observed for angles of attack up to 50 deg, and Reynolds number effects were also observed.

  3. Change deafness for real spatialized environmental scenes.

    PubMed

    Gaston, Jeremy; Dickerson, Kelly; Hipp, Daniel; Gerhardstein, Peter

    2017-01-01

    The everyday auditory environment is complex and dynamic; often, multiple sounds co-occur and compete for a listener's cognitive resources. 'Change deafness', framed as the auditory analog to the well-documented phenomenon of 'change blindness', describes the finding that changes presented within complex environments are often missed. The present study examines a number of stimulus factors that may influence change deafness under real-world listening conditions. Specifically, an AX (same-different) discrimination task was used to examine the effects of both spatial separation over a loudspeaker array and the type of change (sound source additions and removals) on discrimination of changes embedded in complex backgrounds. Results using signal detection theory and accuracy analyses indicated that, under most conditions, errors were significantly reduced for spatially distributed relative to non-spatial scenes. A second goal of the present study was to evaluate a possible link between memory for scene contents and change discrimination. Memory was evaluated by presenting a cued recall test following each trial of the discrimination task. Results using signal detection theory and accuracy analyses indicated that recall ability was similar in terms of accuracy, but there were reductions in sensitivity compared to previous reports. Finally, the present study used a large and representative sample of outdoor, urban, and environmental sounds, presented in unique combinations of nearly 1000 trials per participant. This enabled the exploration of the relationship between change perception and the perceptual similarity between change targets and background scene sounds. These (post hoc) analyses suggest both a categorical and a stimulus-level relationship between scene similarity and the magnitude of change errors.

  4. Logic-Based Retrieval: Technology for Content-Oriented and Analytical Querying of Patent Data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Klampanos, Iraklis Angelos; Wu, Hengzhi; Roelleke, Thomas; Azzam, Hany

    Patent searching is a complex retrieval task. An initial document search is only the starting point of a chain of searches and decisions that need to be made by patent searchers. Keyword-based retrieval is adequate for document searching, but it is not suitable for modelling comprehensive retrieval strategies. DB-like and logical approaches are the state-of-the-art techniques to model strategies, reasoning and decision making. In this paper we present the application of logical retrieval to patent searching. The two grand challenges are expressiveness and scalability, where high degree of expressiveness usually means a loss in scalability. In this paper we report how to maintain scalability while offering the expressiveness of logical retrieval required for solving patent search tasks. We present logical retrieval background, and how to model data-source selection and results' fusion. Moreover, we demonstrate the modelling of a retrieval strategy, a technique by which patent professionals are able to express, store and exchange their strategies and rationales when searching patents or when making decisions. An overview of the architecture and technical details complement the paper, while the evaluation reports preliminary results on how query processing times can be guaranteed, and how quality is affected by trading off responsiveness.

  5. National Athletic Trainers' Association Position Statement: Exertional Heat Illnesses

    PubMed Central

    Casa, Douglas J.; DeMartini, Julie K.; Bergeron, Michael F.; Csillan, Dave; Eichner, E. Randy; Lopez, Rebecca M.; Ferrara, Michael S.; Miller, Kevin C.; O'Connor, Francis; Sawka, Michael N.; Yeargin, Susan W.

    2015-01-01

    Objective  To present best-practice recommendations for the prevention, recognition, and treatment of exertional heat illnesses (EHIs) and to describe the relevant physiology of thermoregulation. Background  Certified athletic trainers recognize and treat athletes with EHIs, often in high-risk environments. Although the proper recognition and successful treatment strategies are well documented, EHIs continue to plague athletes, and exertional heat stroke remains one of the leading causes of sudden death during sport. The recommendations presented in this document provide athletic trainers and allied health providers with an integrated scientific and clinically applicable approach to the prevention, recognition, treatment of, and return-to-activity guidelines for EHIs. These recommendations are given so that proper recognition and treatment can be accomplished in order to maximize the safety and performance of athletes. Recommendations  Athletic trainers and other allied health care professionals should use these recommendations to establish onsite emergency action plans for their venues and athletes. The primary goal of athlete safety is addressed through the appropriate prevention strategies, proper recognition tactics, and effective treatment plans for EHIs. Athletic trainers and other allied health care professionals must be properly educated and prepared to respond in an expedient manner to alleviate symptoms and minimize the morbidity and mortality associated with these illnesses. PMID:26381473

  6. Reducing variation in decomposition odour profiling using comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography.

    PubMed

    Perrault, Katelynn A; Stefanuto, Pierre-Hugues; Stuart, Barbara H; Rai, Tapan; Focant, Jean-François; Forbes, Shari L

    2015-01-01

    Challenges in decomposition odour profiling have led to variation in the documented odour profile by different research groups worldwide. Background subtraction and use of controls are important considerations given the variation introduced by decomposition studies conducted in different geographical environments. The collection of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from soil beneath decomposing remains is challenging due to the high levels of inherent soil VOCs, further confounded by the use of highly sensitive instrumentation. This study presents a method that provides suitable chromatographic resolution for profiling decomposition odour in soil by comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry using appropriate controls and field blanks. Logarithmic transformation and t-testing of compounds permitted the generation of a compound list of decomposition VOCs in soil. Principal component analysis demonstrated the improved discrimination between experimental and control soil, verifying the value of the data handling method. Data handling procedures have not been well documented in this field and standardisation would thereby reduce misidentification of VOCs present in the surrounding environment as decomposition byproducts. Uniformity of data handling and instrumental procedures will reduce analytical variation, increasing confidence in the future when investigating the effect of taphonomic variables on the decomposition VOC profile. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  7. Mars Sample Handling Protocol Workshop Series

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rummel, John D. (Editor); Race, Margaret S. (Editor); Acevedo, Sara (Technical Monitor)

    2000-01-01

    This document is the report resulting from the first workshop of the series on development of the criteria for a Mars sample handling protocol. Workshop 1 was held in Bethesda, Maryland on March 20-22, 2000. This report serves to document the proceedings of Workshop 1; it summarizes relevant background information, provides an overview of the deliberations to date, and helps frame issues that will need further attention or resolution in upcoming workshops. Specific recommendations are not part of this report.

  8. Environmental Information Document: L-reactor reactivation

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

    Mackey, H.E. Jr.

    1982-04-01

    Purpose of this Environmental Information Document is to provide background for assessing environmental impacts associated with the renovation, restartup, and operation of L Reactor at the Savannah River Plant (SRP). SRP is a major US Department of Energy installation for the production of nuclear materials for national defense. The purpose of the restart of L Reactor is to increase the production of nuclear weapons materials, such as plutonium and tritium, to meet projected needs in the nuclear weapons program.

  9. Technical support documentation for the Automated Residential Energy Standard (ARES) in support of proposed interim energy conservation voluntary performance standards for new non-federal residential buildings: Volume 2

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

    NONE

    The Automated Residential Energy Standard (ARES) program is designed to identify levels of thermal integrity (e.g., insulation levels, glazing layers, equipment efficiencies, etc.) that are cost effective for typical residential structures and to create a residential energy standard based on these levels. This document contains technical background the explains the data and the algorithms used by the program.

  10. Meeting Report: Spontaneous Lesions and Diseases in Wild, Captive-Bred, and Zoo-Housed Nonhuman Primates and in Nonhuman Primate Species Used in Drug Safety Studies

    PubMed Central

    Sasseville, V. G.; Mansfield, K. G.; Mankowski, J. L.; Tremblay, C.; Terio, K. A.; Mätz-Rensing, K.; Gruber-Dujardin, E.; Delaney, M. A.; Schmidt, L. D.; Liu, D.; Markovits, J. E.; Owston, M.; Harbison, C.; Shanmukhappa, S.; Miller, A. D.; Kaliyaperumal, S.; Assaf, B. T.; Kattenhorn, L.; Macri, S. Cummings; Simmons, H. A.; Baldessari, A.; Sharma, P.; Courtney, C.; Bradley, A.; Cline, J. M.; Reindel, J. F.; Hutto, D. L.; Montali, R. J.; Lowenstine, L. J.

    2014-01-01

    The combination of loss of habitat, human population encroachment, and increased demand of select nonhuman primates for biomedical research has significantly affected populations. There remains a need for knowledge and expertise in understanding background findings as related to the age, source, strain, and disease status of nonhuman primates. In particular, for safety/biomedical studies, a broader understanding and documentation of lesions would help clarify background from drug-related findings. A workshop and a minisymposium on spontaneous lesions and diseases in nonhuman primates were sponsored by the concurrent Annual Meetings of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists and the American Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathology held December 3–4, 2011, in Nashville, Tennessee. The first session had presentations from Drs Lowenstine and Montali, pathologists with extensive experience in wild and zoo populations of nonhuman primates, which was followed by presentations of 20 unique case reports of rare or newly observed spontaneous lesions in nonhuman primates (see online files for access to digital whole-slide images corresponding to each case report at http://www.scanscope.com/ACVP%20Slide%20 Seminars/2011/Primate%20Pathology/view.apml). The minisymposium was composed of 5 nonhuman-primate researchers (Drs Bradley, Cline, Sasseville, Miller, Hutto) who concentrated on background and spontaneous lesions in nonhuman primates used in drug safety studies. Cynomolgus and rhesus macaques were emphasized, with some material presented on common marmosets. Congenital, acquired, inflammatory, and neoplastic changes were highlighed with a focus on clinical, macroscopic, and histopathologic findings that could confound the interpretation of drug safety studies. PMID:23135296

  11. ESHRE Task Force on Ethics and Law 21: genetic screening of gamete donors: ethical issues.

    PubMed

    Dondorp, W; De Wert, G; Pennings, G; Shenfield, F; Devroey, P; Tarlatzis, B; Barri, P; Diedrich, K; Eichenlaub-Ritter, U; Tüttelmann, F; Provoost, V

    2014-07-01

    This Task Force document explores the ethical issues involved in the debate about the scope of genetic screening of gamete donors. Calls for expanded donor screening arise against the background of both occasional findings of serious but rare genetic conditions in donors or donor offspring that were not detected through present screening procedures and the advent of new genomic technologies promising affordable testing of donors for a wide range of conditions. Ethical principles require that all stakeholders' interests are taken into account, including those of candidate donors. The message of the profession should be that avoiding all risks is impossible and that testing should remain proportional.

  12. Magnetic Earth Ionosphere Resonant Frequencies (NASA-MEIRF Project)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1994-01-01

    During this current reporting period, the project has focused on completing Phase 1 of the field monitoring work and documenting research results. Highlights of these efforts include presentations of papers at the annual joint meeting of the American Physical Society/American Association of Physics Teachers, April 18-22, 1994, in Crystal City, Virginia, and at the International Space, Time, and Gravitation Conference and Etoiles de L'Ecole Polytechnique Symposium, May 23-28, 1994, in St. Petersburg, Russia. Field measurements of the background ultra low frequency (ULF) electromagnetic spectrum in the New Mexico and Texas regions show interesting differences. Included are papers entitled 'Triplet Solution of the Twin Paradox' and 'Classical Electron Mass and Fields, Part 3.'

  13. 77 FR 71461 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-11-30

    ... the public accountant file with the Commission a Form ADV-E and accompanying statement within four... PRA that does not display a valid OMB control number. The public may view the background documentation...

  14. Pollinator Protection Plans Metrics PPDC Workgroup August 10, 2017

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This document provides minutes of the PPDC Metrics Workgroup teleconference, including review the charge and goals for the workgroup, review background materials, establish ground rules and operating principles for the group and related discussion.

  15. Pollinator Protection Plans Metrics PPDC Workgroup October 31, 2017

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This document provides minutes of the PPDC Metrics Workgroup teleconference, including review the charge and goals for the workgroup, review background materials, establish ground rules and operating principles for the group and related discussion.

  16. Pollinator Protection Plans Metrics PPDC Workgroup May 2, 2017

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This document provides minutes of the PPDC Metrics Workgroup teleconference, including review the charge and goals for the workgroup, review background materials, establish ground rules and operating principles for the group and related discussion.

  17. Pollinator Protection Plans Metrics PPDC Workgroup October 12, 2016

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This document provides minutes of the PPDC Metrics Workgroup teleconference, including review the charge and goals for the workgroup, review background materials, establish ground rules and operating principles for the group and related discussion.

  18. Pollinator Protection Plans Metrics PPDC Workgroup February 15, 2017

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This document provides minutes of the PPDC Metrics Workgroup teleconference, including review the charge and goals for the workgroup, review background materials, establish ground rules and operating principles for the group and related discussion.

  19. Pollinator Protection Plans Metrics PPDC Workgroup June 22, 2017

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This document provides minutes of the PPDC Metrics Workgroup teleconference, including review the charge and goals for the workgroup, review background materials, establish ground rules and operating principles for the group and related discussion.

  20. INDOT Technical Training Plan : Appendix B

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2012-04-01

    The study provides the background documents necessary for the development of a Technical Training Plan and makes recommendations for the content and structure of such a plan for the District Operations, Operations, Capital Program Management, and Eng...

  1. INDOT Technical Training Plan : Appendix M

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2012-04-01

    The study provides the background documents necessary for the development of a Technical Training Plan and makes recommendations for the content and structure of such a plan for the District Operations, Operations, Capital Program Management, and Eng...

  2. INDOT Technical Training Plan : Appendix P

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2012-04-01

    The study provides the background documents necessary for the development of a Technical Training Plan and makes recommendations for the content and structure of such a plan for the District Operations, Operations, Capital Program Management, and Eng...

  3. Pollinator Protection Plans Metrics PPDC Workgroup October 11, 2017

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This document provides minutes of the PPDC Metrics Workgroup teleconference, including review the charge and goals for the workgroup, review background materials, establish ground rules and operating principles for the group and related discussion.

  4. Pollinator Protection Plans Metrics PPDC Workgroup January 18, 2017

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This document provides minutes of the PPDC Metrics Workgroup teleconference, including review the charge and goals for the workgroup, review background materials, establish ground rules and operating principles for the group and related discussion.

  5. Pollinator Protection Plans Metrics PPDC Workgroup July 27, 2017

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This document provides minutes of the PPDC Metrics Workgroup teleconference, including review the charge and goals for the workgroup, review background materials, establish ground rules and operating principles for the group and related discussion.

  6. Pollinator Protection Plans Metrics PPDC Workgroup September 13, 2017

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This document provides minutes of the PPDC Metrics Workgroup teleconference, including review the charge and goals for the workgroup, review background materials, establish ground rules and operating principles for the group and related discussion.

  7. Astronautic structures manual

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1977-01-01

    Three-volume reference work serves as catalog of analysis techniques for elastic and inelastic stress ranges and as source on background and development of methods. Information is condensation of published journal articles, industry and university publications, textbooks, and government documents.

  8. INDOT Technical Training Plan : Appendix F

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2012-04-01

    The study provides the background documents necessary for the development of a Technical Training Plan and makes recommendations for the content and structure of such a plan for the District Operations, Operations, Capital Program Management, and Eng...

  9. INDOT Technical Training Plan : Appendix H

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2012-04-01

    The study provides the background documents necessary for the development of a Technical Training Plan and makes recommendations for the content and structure of such a plan for the District Operations, Operations, Capital Program Management, and Eng...

  10. INDOT Technical Training Plan : Appendix E

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2012-04-01

    The study provides the background documents necessary for the development of a Technical Training Plan and makes recommendations for the content and structure of such a plan for the District Operations, Operations, Capital Program Management, and Eng...

  11. INDOT Technical Training Plan : Appendix O

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2012-04-01

    The study provides the background documents necessary for the development of a Technical Training Plan and makes recommendations for the content and structure of such a plan for the District Operations, Operations, Capital Program Management, and Eng...

  12. INDOT Technical Training Plan : Appendix J

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2012-04-01

    The study provides the background documents necessary for the development of a Technical Training Plan and makes recommendations for the content and structure of such a plan for the District Operations, Operations, Capital Program Management, and Eng...

  13. INDOT Technical Training Plan : Appendix L

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2012-04-01

    The study provides the background documents necessary for the development of a Technical Training Plan and makes recommendations for the content and structure of such a plan for the District Operations, Operations, Capital Program Management, and Eng...

  14. INDOT Technical Training Plan : Appendix A

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2012-04-01

    The study provides the background documents necessary for the development of a Technical Training Plan and makes recommendations for the content and structure of such a plan for the District Operations, Operations, Capital Program Management, and Eng...

  15. 75 FR 73106 - Draft Guidance for Industry and Food and Drug Administration Staff; Establishing the Performance...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-11-29

    ... document describes FDA's recommendations concerning 510(k) submissions for various types of in vitro.... SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Background This draft guidance includes recommendations concerning 510(k...

  16. INDOT Technical Training Plan : Appendix D

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2012-04-01

    The study provides the background documents necessary for the development of a Technical Training Plan and makes recommendations for the content and structure of such a plan for the District Operations, Operations, Capital Program Management, and Eng...

  17. Pollinator Protection Plans Metrics PPDC Workgroup April 13, 2017

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This document provides minutes of the PPDC Metrics Workgroup teleconference, including review the charge and goals for the workgroup, review background materials, establish ground rules and operating principles for the group and related discussion.

  18. INDOT Technical Training Plan : Appendix K

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2012-04-01

    The study provides the background documents necessary for the development of a Technical Training Plan and makes recommendations for the content and structure of such a plan for the District Operations, Operations, Capital Program Management, and Eng...

  19. Pollinator Protection Plans Metrics PPDC Workgroup March 15, 2017

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This document provides minutes of the PPDC Metrics Workgroup teleconference, including review the charge and goals for the workgroup, review background materials, establish ground rules and operating principles for the group and related discussion.

  20. INDOT Technical Training Plan : Appendix G

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2012-04-01

    The study provides the background documents necessary for the development of a Technical Training Plan and makes recommendations for the content and structure of such a plan for the District Operations, Operations, Capital Program Management, and Eng...

  1. INDOT Technical Training Plan : Appendix I

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2012-04-01

    The study provides the background documents necessary for the development of a Technical Training Plan and makes recommendations for the content and structure of such a plan for the District Operations, Operations, Capital Program Management, and Eng...

  2. INDOT Technical Training Plan : Appendix N

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2012-04-01

    The study provides the background documents necessary for the development of a Technical Training Plan and makes recommendations for the content and structure of such a plan for the District Operations, Operations, Capital Program Management, and Eng...

  3. INDOT Technical Training Plan : Appendix C

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2012-04-01

    The study provides the background documents necessary for the development of a Technical Training Plan and makes recommendations for the content and structure of such a plan for the District Operations, Operations, Capital Program Management, and Eng...

  4. Clay Ceramics Manufacturing: National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP)

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Learn about the NESHAP regulation for clay ceramic manufacturing by reading the rule summary, rule history, code of federal regulations, and the additional resources like fact sheets and background information documents

  5. A method to characterise site, urban and regional ambient background radiation.

    PubMed

    Passmore, C; Kirr, M

    2011-03-01

    Control dosemeters are routinely provided to customers to monitor the background radiation so that it can be subtracted from the gross response of the dosemeter to arrive at the occupational dose. Landauer, the largest dosimetry processor in the world with subsidiaries in Australia, Brazil, China, France, Japan, Mexico and the UK, has clients in approximately 130 countries. The Glenwood facility processes over 1.1 million controls per year. This network of clients around the world provides a unique ability to monitor the world's ambient background radiation. Control data can be mined to provide useful historical information regarding ambient background rates and provide a historical baseline for geographical areas. Historical baseline can be used to provide site or region-specific background subtraction values, document the variation in ambient background radiation around a client's site or provide a baseline for measuring the efficiency of clean-up efforts in urban areas after a dirty bomb detonation.

  6. Chronic disease prevention policy in British Columbia and Ontario in light of public health renewal: a comparative policy analysis

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Public health strategies that focus on legislative and policy change involving chronic disease risk factors such as unhealthy diet and physical inactivity have the potential to prevent chronic diseases and improve quality of life as a whole. However, many public health policies introduced as part of public health reform have not yet been analyzed, such as in British Columbia and Ontario. The purpose of this paper is to present the results of a descriptive, comparative analysis of public health policies related to the Healthy Living Core Program in British Columbia and Chronic Disease Prevention Standard in Ontario that are intended to prevent a range of chronic diseases by promoting healthy eating and physical activity, among other things. Methods Policy documents were found through Internet search engines and Ministry websites, at the guidance of policy experts. These included government documents as well as documents from non-governmental organizations that were implementing policies and programs at a provincial level. Documents (n = 31) were then analysed using thematic content analysis to classify, describe and compare policies in a systematic fashion, using the software NVivo. Results Three main categories emerged from the analysis of documents: 1) goals for chronic disease prevention in British Columbia and Ontario, 2) components of chronic disease prevention policies, and 3) expected outputs of chronic disease prevention interventions. Although there were many similarities between the two provinces, they differed somewhat in terms of their approach to issues such as evidence, equity, and policy components. Some expected outputs were adoption of healthy behaviours, use of information, healthy environments and increased public awareness. Conclusions The two provincial policies present different approaches to support the implementation of related programs. Differences may be related to contextual factors such as program delivery structures and different philosophical approaches underlying the two frameworks. These differences and possible explanations for them are important to understand because they serve to contextualize the differences in health outcomes across the two provinces that might eventually be observed. This analysis informs future public health policy directions as the two provinces can learn from each other. PMID:24099140

  7. Section 3. The SPARROW Surface Water-Quality Model: Theory, Application and User Documentation

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Schwarz, G.E.; Hoos, A.B.; Alexander, R.B.; Smith, R.A.

    2006-01-01

    SPARROW (SPAtially Referenced Regressions On Watershed attributes) is a watershed modeling technique for relating water-quality measurements made at a network of monitoring stations to attributes of the watersheds containing the stations. The core of the model consists of a nonlinear regression equation describing the non-conservative transport of contaminants from point and diffuse sources on land to rivers and through the stream and river network. The model predicts contaminant flux, concentration, and yield in streams and has been used to evaluate alternative hypotheses about the important contaminant sources and watershed properties that control transport over large spatial scales. This report provides documentation for the SPARROW modeling technique and computer software to guide users in constructing and applying basic SPARROW models. The documentation gives details of the SPARROW software, including the input data and installation requirements, and guidance in the specification, calibration, and application of basic SPARROW models, as well as descriptions of the model output and its interpretation. The documentation is intended for both researchers and water-resource managers with interest in using the results of existing models and developing and applying new SPARROW models. The documentation of the model is presented in two parts. Part 1 provides a theoretical and practical introduction to SPARROW modeling techniques, which includes a discussion of the objectives, conceptual attributes, and model infrastructure of SPARROW. Part 1 also includes background on the commonly used model specifications and the methods for estimating and evaluating parameters, evaluating model fit, and generating water-quality predictions and measures of uncertainty. Part 2 provides a user's guide to SPARROW, which includes a discussion of the software architecture and details of the model input requirements and output files, graphs, and maps. The text documentation and computer software are available on the Web at http://usgs.er.gov/sparrow/sparrow-mod/.

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

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Messer, Elizabeth A.

    2005-01-01

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

  9. PubMed related articles: a probabilistic topic-based model for content similarity

    PubMed Central

    Lin, Jimmy; Wilbur, W John

    2007-01-01

    Background We present a probabilistic topic-based model for content similarity called pmra that underlies the related article search feature in PubMed. Whether or not a document is about a particular topic is computed from term frequencies, modeled as Poisson distributions. Unlike previous probabilistic retrieval models, we do not attempt to estimate relevance–but rather our focus is "relatedness", the probability that a user would want to examine a particular document given known interest in another. We also describe a novel technique for estimating parameters that does not require human relevance judgments; instead, the process is based on the existence of MeSH ® in MEDLINE ®. Results The pmra retrieval model was compared against bm25, a competitive probabilistic model that shares theoretical similarities. Experiments using the test collection from the TREC 2005 genomics track shows a small but statistically significant improvement of pmra over bm25 in terms of precision. Conclusion Our experiments suggest that the pmra model provides an effective ranking algorithm for related article search. PMID:17971238

  10. Improving identification and management of partner violence: examining the process of academic detailing: a qualitative study

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background Many physicians do not routinely inquire about intimate partner violence. Purpose This qualitative study explores the process of academic detailing as an intervention to change physician behavior with regard to intimate partner violence (IPV) identification and documentation. Method A non-physician academic detailer provided a seven-session modular curriculum over a two-and-a-half month period. The detailer noted written details of each training session. Audiotapes of training sessions and semi-structured exit interviews with each physician were recorded and transcribed. Transcriptions were qualitatively and thematically coded and analyzed using Atlas ti®. Results All three study physicians reported increased clarity with regard to the scope of their responsibility to their patients experiencing IPV. They also reported increased levels of comfort in the effective identification and appropriate documentation of IPV and the provision of ongoing support to the patient, including referrals to specialized community services. Conclusion Academic detailing, if presented by a supportive and knowledgeable academic detailer, shows promise to improve physician attitudes and practices with regards to patients in violent relationships. PMID:21679450

  11. Ocean Optics Protocols for Satellite Ocean Color Sensor Validation. Volume 1; Revised

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mueller, James L. (Editor); Fargion, Giulietta (Editor); Mueller, J. L.; Trees, C.; Austin, R. W.; Pietras, C.; Hooker, S.; Holben, B.; McClain, Charles R.; Clark, D. K.; hide

    2002-01-01

    This document stipulates protocols for measuring bio-optical and radiometric data for the SIMBIOS Project. It supersedes the earlier version, and is organized into four parts: Introductory Background, Instrument Characteristics, Field Measurements and Data Analysis, Data Reporting and Archival. Changes in this revision include the addition of three new chapters: (1) Fundamental Definitions, Relationships and Conventions; (2) MOBY, A Radiometric Buoy for Performance Monitoring and Vicarious Calibration of Satellite Ocean Color Sensors: Measurement and Data Analysis Protocols; and (3) Normalized Water-Leaving Radiance and Remote Sensing Reflectance: Bidirectional Reflectance and Other Factors. Although the present document represents another significant, incremental improvement in the ocean optics protocols, there are several protocols that have either been overtaken by recent technological progress, or have been otherwise identified as inadequate. Revision 4 is scheduled for completion sometime in 2003. This technical report is not meant as a substitute for scientific literature. Instead, it will provide a ready and responsive vehicle for the multitude of technical reports issued by an operational Project. The contributions are published as submitted, after only minor editing to correct obvious grammatical or clerical errors.

  12. Ocean Optics Protocols for Satellite Ocean Color Sensor Validation. Volume 2; Revised

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mueller, James L. (Editor); Fargion, Giulietta S. (Editor); Trees, C.; Austin, R. W.; Pietras, C. (Editor); Hooker, S.; Holben, B.; McClain, Charles R.; Clark, D. K.; Yuen, M.

    2002-01-01

    This document stipulates protocols for measuring bio-optical and radiometric data for the SIMBIOS Project. It supersedes the earlier version, and is organized into four parts: Introductory Background, Instrument Characteristics, Field Measurements and Data Analysis, Data Reporting and Archival. Changes in this revision include the addition of three new chapters: (1) Fundamental Definitions, Relationships and Conventions; (2) MOBY, A Radiometric Buoy for Performance Monitoring and Vicarious Calibration of Satellite Ocean Color Sensors: Measurement and Data Analysis Protocols; and (3) Normalized Water-Leaving Radiance and Remote Sensing Reflectance: Bidirectional Reflectance and Other Factors. Although the present document represents another significant, incremental improvement in the ocean optics protocols, there are several protocols that have either been overtaken by recent technological progress, or have been otherwise identified as inadequate. Revision 4 is scheduled for completion sometime in 2003. This technical report is not meant as a substitute for scientific literature. Instead, it will provide a ready and responsive vehicle for the multitude of technical reports issued by an operational Project. The contributions are published as submitted, after only minor editing to correct obvious grammatical or clerical errors.

  13. Youth and Work: The Incidence of the Economic Situation on the Access of Young People to Education, Culture and Work. Report, Recommendations and Documents of a European Regional Meeting, Venice, 7-11 November, 1977.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, Paris (France).

    This document contains materials from a Unesco European regional meeting held in Venice (November 7-11, 1977) to discuss the problem of youth unemployment. The final report of the meeting is composed of (1) a summary of the discussions on background and nature of the problem, remedies, action, education and training, creating jobs, quality of…

  14. Energy and Environment Guide to Action - Chapter 1: Introduction and Background

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Introduces the Energy and Environment Guide to Action which documents best practices for designing and implementing state policies and the benefits of energy efficiency, renewable energy, and combined heat and power policies and programs.

  15. Clean Air Act Second Prospective Report Study Science Advisory Board Review, December 15-16, 2009

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The subcommittee of the 812 council reviewed several materials during this meeting, including benefits analysis, uncertainty analysis and background documents supporting the second section of the 812 cost-benefit analysis.

  16. Intersection negotiation problems of older drivers. Volume 1

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-09-01

    This project included a background literature synthesis and observational field study. The research goals were to document driving problems and errors at intersections, for older drivers using their own cars to travel familiar and unfamiliar routes, ...

  17. ProUCL version 4.00.05 Documentation Downloads

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    ProUCL 4.00.05 serves as a companion software package for Calculating Upper Confidence Limits for Exposure Point Concentrations at Hazardous Waste Sites and Guidance for Comparing Background and Chemical Concentrations in Soil for CERCLA Sites.

  18. Highway maintenance concept vehicle final report : phase four.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2002-06-01

    This report documents Phase IV of the Highway Maintenance Concept Vehicle (HMCV) project, : a pooled fund study sponsored by the Departments of Transportation of Iowa, Pennsylvania, and : Wisconsin. This report provides the background, including a br...

  19. USDOT guidance summary for connected vehicle deployments : human use approval.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2016-07-01

    This document provides guidance material in regards to human use approval required for the CV Pilots DeploymentConcept Development Phase. Background is provided on relevant Federal guidance and Institutional Review Boards,including specific reference...

  20. Natural background levels and threshold values for groundwater in fluvial Pleistocene and Tertiary marine aquifers in Flanders, Belgium

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Coetsiers, Marleen; Blaser, Petra; Martens, Kristine; Walraevens, Kristine

    2009-05-01

    Aquifers from the same typology can have strongly different groundwater chemistry. Deducing the groundwater quality of less well-characterized aquifers from well-documented aquifers belonging to the same typology should be done with great reserve, and can only be considered as a preliminary approach. In the EU’s 6th FP BRIDGE project “Background cRiteria for the IDentification of Groundwater thrEsholds”, a methodology for the derivation of threshold values (TV) for groundwater bodies is proposed. This methodology is tested on four aquifers in Flanders of the sand and gravel typology. The methodology works well for all but the Ledo-Paniselian aquifer, where the subdivision into a fresh and saline part is disproved, as a gradual natural transition from fresh to saline conditions in the aquifer is observed. The 90 percentile is proposed as natural background level (NBL) for the unconfined Pleistocene deposits, ascribing the outliers to possible influence of pollution. For the Tertiary aquifers, high values for different parameters have a natural origin and the 97.7 percentile is preferred as NBL. The methodology leads to high TVs for parameters presenting low NBL, when compared to the standard used as a reference. This would allow for substantial anthropogenic inputs of these parameters.

  1. Ten years of the International Patient Decision Aid Standards Collaboration: evolution of the core dimensions for assessing the quality of patient decision aids

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    In 2003, the International Patient Decision Aid Standards (IPDAS) Collaboration was established to enhance the quality and effectiveness of patient decision aids by establishing an evidence-informed framework for improving their content, development, implementation, and evaluation. Over this 10 year period, the Collaboration has established: a) the background document on 12 core dimensions to inform the original modified Delphi process to establish the IPDAS checklist (74 items); b) the valid and reliable IPDAS instrument (47 items); and c) the IPDAS qualifying (6 items), certifying (6 items + 4 items for screening), and quality criteria (28 items). The objective of this paper is to describe the evolution of the IPDAS Collaboration and discuss the standardized process used to update the background documents on the theoretical rationales, evidence and emerging issues underlying the 12 core dimensions for assessing the quality of patient decision aids. PMID:24624947

  2. Translated and annotated version of the 2015-2020 National Mental Health Work Plan of the People's Republic of China

    PubMed Central

    XIONG, Wei; PHILLIPS, Michael R.

    2016-01-01

    The following document is a translation of the 2015-2020 National Mental Health Work Plan of the People's Republic of China which was issued by the General Office of China's State Council on June 4, 2015. The original Chinese version of the document is available at the official government website: http://www.gov.cn/gongbao/content/2015/content_2883226.htm The translators have added annotations at the end of the document that provide background information to help contextualize content that may be unclear to readers unfamiliar with China and explain their decisions when translating terms that can have multiple interpretations. PMID:27688639

  3. KC-135 and Other Microgravity Simulations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Skinner, Noel C.

    1999-01-01

    This document represents a summary of medical and scientific evaluations conducted aboard the KC-135 from June 20, 1998 to June 20, 1999. Included is a general overview of KC-135 activities manifested and coordinated by the Life Sciences Research Laboratories. A collection of brief reports that describes tests conducted aboard the KC-135 follows the overview. Principal investigators and test engineers contributed significantly to the content of the report describing their particular experiment or hardware evaluation. Although this document follows general guidelines, each report format may vary to accommodate differences in experiment design and procedures. This document concludes with an appendix that provides background information concerning the KC-135 and the Reduced-Gravity Program.

  4. C-9 and Other Microgravity Simulations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hecht, Sharon (Editor); Reeves, Jacqueline M. (Editor); Spector, Elisabeth (Editor)

    2009-01-01

    This document represents a summary of medical and scientific evaluations conducted aboard the C-9 and other NASA-sponsored aircraft from June 2008 to June 2009. Included is a general overview of investigations manifested and coordinated by the Human Adaptation and Counter-measures Division. A collection of brief reports that describe tests conducted aboard the NASA-sponsored aircraft follows the overview. Principal investigators and test engineers contributed significantly to the content of the report, describing their particular experiment or hardware evaluation. Although this document follows general guidelines, each report format may vary to accommodate differences in experiment design and procedures. This document concludes with an appendix that provides background information concerning the Reduced Gravity Program. Acknowledgments

  5. C-9 and Other Microgravity Simulations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Schlegel, Todd; Skinner, Noel

    2007-01-01

    This document represents a summary of medical and scientific evaluations conducted aboard the C-9 or other NASA-sponsored aircraft from June 30, 2006, to June 30, 2007. Included is a general overview of investigations manifested and coordinated by the Human Adaptation and Countermeasures Office. A collection of brief reports that describe tests conducted aboard the NASA-sponsored aircraft follows the overview. Principal investigators and test engineers contributed significantly to the content of the report, describing their particular experiment or hardware evaluation. Although this document follows general guidelines, each report format may vary to accommodate differences in experiment design and procedures. This document concludes with an appendix that provides background information about the Reduced Gravity Program.

  6. KC-135 and Other Microgravity Simulations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Skinner, Noel C.; Schlegel, Todd T. (Technical Monitor)

    2001-01-01

    This document represents a summary of medical and scientific evaluations conducted aboard the KC-135 from January to June 15, 2001. Included is a general overview of KC-135 activities manifested and coordinated by the Human Adaptation and Countermeasures Office. A collection of brief reports that describes tests conducted aboard the KC-135 follows the overview. Principal investigators and test engineers contributed significantly to the content of the report describing their particular experiment or hardware evaluation. Although this document follows general guidelines, each report format may vary to accommodate differences in experiment design and procedures. This document concludes with an appendix that provides background information concerning the KC-135 and the Reduced-Gravity Program.

  7. C-9 and Other Microgravity Simulations Summary Report

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2010-01-01

    This document represents a summary of medical and scientific evaluations conducted aboard the C-9 and other NASA-sponsored aircraft from June 2009 to June 2010. Included is a general overview of investigations manifested and coordinated by the Human Adaptation and Countermeasures Division. A collection of brief reports that describe tests conducted aboard the NASA-sponsored aircraft follows the overview. Principal investigators and test engineers contributed significantly to the content of the report, describing their particular experiment or hardware evaluation. Although this document follows general guidelines, each report format may vary to accommodate differences in experiment design and procedures. This document concludes with an appendix that provides background information concerning the Reduced Gravity Program.

  8. swga: a primer design toolkit for selective whole genome amplification.

    PubMed

    Clarke, Erik L; Sundararaman, Sesh A; Seifert, Stephanie N; Bushman, Frederic D; Hahn, Beatrice H; Brisson, Dustin

    2017-07-15

    Population genomic analyses are often hindered by difficulties in obtaining sufficient numbers of genomes for analysis by DNA sequencing. Selective whole-genome amplification (SWGA) provides an efficient approach to amplify microbial genomes from complex backgrounds for sequence acquisition. However, the process of designing sets of primers for this method has many degrees of freedom and would benefit from an automated process to evaluate the vast number of potential primer sets. Here, we present swga , a program that identifies primer sets for SWGA and evaluates them for efficiency and selectivity. We used swga to design and test primer sets for the selective amplification of Wolbachia pipientis genomic DNA from infected Drosophila melanogaster and Mycobacterium tuberculosis from human blood. We identify primer sets that successfully amplify each against their backgrounds and describe a general method for using swga for arbitrary targets. In addition, we describe characteristics of primer sets that correlate with successful amplification, and present guidelines for implementation of SWGA to detect new targets. Source code and documentation are freely available on https://www.github.com/eclarke/swga . The program is implemented in Python and C and licensed under the GNU Public License. ecl@mail.med.upenn.edu. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press.

  9. Current situation and future plans in radioactive waste management in Mexico

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

    Lopez, H.; Jimenez, M.

    1992-01-01

    A brief introduction is offered in this document in order to explain the importance which is given in Mexico to the safe management of radioactive wastes. The Secretaria de Energia, Minas e Industria Paraestatal is the organization responsible for this issue. Also, a brief historical background is offered so as to understand the evolution of these activities since they were originated. This background allows us to describe the present situation, which consists in a substantial change in the volume of produced radioactive wastes; in other words, before the present situation only the, nuclear wastes from the application of radioisotopes weremore » generated whereas currently, with the starting of commercial operation of the first unit of Laguna Verde Nuclear Power Plant (LVNPP), large volumes of industrial radioactive wastes are being generated. A mention is given as well of the acquired experience during more than 20 years of waste management and of the technologies which have been applied or practiced in the use and disposal of such wastes. Finally, some general trends in relation to the future planning are indicated, which essentially consist in the siting and characterization of a site so as to, design and construct a permanent disposal facility in order to dispose the operational radioactive wastes from LVNPP.« less

  10. Cross-cultural variation in symptom perception of hypoglycemia

    PubMed Central

    Kalra, Sanjay; Balhara, Yatan Pal Singh; Mithal, Ambrish

    2013-01-01

    Background: Cross-cultural differences in attitudes and practices related to diabetes are well-known. Similar differences in symptom reporting of endocrine conditions such as menopause are well documented. Minimal literature is available on the cross-cultural variation in reporting of hypoglycemic symptoms. Aims: This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the symptoms of hypoglycemia encountered by diabetologists who deal with patients from different language groups from various states of North and West India and Nepal. Materials and Methods: Eighty three doctors from six Indian states and Nepal, attending a continuing medical education program were requested to fill a detailed, pre-tested, Likert scale based questionnaire which assessed the frequency and symptoms with which patients presented with hypoglycemia in their clinical practice. Data were analyzed based on geographic location of the diabetologists and language spoken by their patients (Hindi vs. Gujarati). Results: Gujarati-speaking patients tended to report to their doctors, a greater inability to work under pressure and a higher frequency of intense hunger during hypoglycemia. They were less likely to report specific adrenergic (inward trembling), neuroglycopenic (feeling down over nothing), and nocturnal (crumpled bedsheets upon waking up) symptoms. Conclusion: Significant cross-cultural differences related to the symptomatology of hypoglycemia are noted. Indian diabetologists should be aware of the varying presentation of hypoglycemia based on language and ethnic background. PMID:24672191

  11. Performance evaluation methodology for historical document image binarization.

    PubMed

    Ntirogiannis, Konstantinos; Gatos, Basilis; Pratikakis, Ioannis

    2013-02-01

    Document image binarization is of great importance in the document image analysis and recognition pipeline since it affects further stages of the recognition process. The evaluation of a binarization method aids in studying its algorithmic behavior, as well as verifying its effectiveness, by providing qualitative and quantitative indication of its performance. This paper addresses a pixel-based binarization evaluation methodology for historical handwritten/machine-printed document images. In the proposed evaluation scheme, the recall and precision evaluation measures are properly modified using a weighting scheme that diminishes any potential evaluation bias. Additional performance metrics of the proposed evaluation scheme consist of the percentage rates of broken and missed text, false alarms, background noise, character enlargement, and merging. Several experiments conducted in comparison with other pixel-based evaluation measures demonstrate the validity of the proposed evaluation scheme.

  12. Computer software documentation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Comella, P. A.

    1973-01-01

    A tutorial in the documentation of computer software is presented. It presents a methodology for achieving an adequate level of documentation as a natural outgrowth of the total programming effort commencing with the initial problem statement and definition and terminating with the final verification of code. It discusses the content of adequate documentation, the necessity for such documentation and the problems impeding achievement of adequate documentation.

  13. Urgent need to reevaluate the latest World Health Organization guidelines for toxic inorganic substances in drinking water.

    PubMed

    Frisbie, Seth H; Mitchell, Erika J; Sarkar, Bibudhendra

    2015-08-13

    The World Health Organization (WHO) has established guidelines for drinking-water quality that cover biological and chemical hazards from both natural and anthropogenic sources. In the most recent edition of Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality (2011), the WHO withdrew, suspended, did not establish, or raised guidelines for the inorganic toxic substances manganese, molybdenum, nitrite, aluminum, boron, nickel, uranium, mercury, and selenium. In this paper, we review these changes to the WHO drinking-water guidelines, examining in detail the material presented in the WHO background documents for each of these toxic substances. In some cases, these WHO background documents use literature reviews that do not take into account scientific research published within the last 10 or more years. In addition, there are instances in which standard WHO practices for deriving guidelines are not used; for example, rounding and other mathematical errors are made. According to published meeting reports from the WHO Chemical Aspects Working Group, the WHO has a timetable for revising some of its guidelines for drinking-water quality, but for many of these toxic substances the planned changes are minimal or will be delayed for as long as 5 years. Given the limited nature of the planned WHO revisions to the inorganic toxic substances and the extended timetable for these revisions, we suggest that governments, researchers, and other stakeholders might establish independent recommendations for inorganic toxic substances and possibly other chemicals to proactively protect public health, or at the very least, revert to previous editions of the Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality, which were more protective of public health.

  14. Rad GTPase Deficiency Leads to Cardiac Hypertrophy

    PubMed Central

    Tseng, Yu-Hua; Xie, Chang-Qing; Ilany, Jacob; Brüning, Jens C.; Sun, Zhongcui; Zhu, Xiaojun; Cui, Taixing; Youker, Keith A.; Yang, Qinglin; Day, Sharlene M.; Kahn, C. Ronald; Chen, Y. Eugene

    2014-01-01

    Background Rad (Ras associated with diabetes) GTPase is the prototypic member of a subfamily of Ras-related small G proteins. The aim of the present study was to define whether Rad plays an important role in mediating cardiac hypertrophy. Methods and Results We document for the first time that levels of Rad mRNA and protein were decreased significantly in human failing hearts (n=10) compared with normal hearts (n=3; P<0.01). Similarly, Rad expression was decreased significantly in cardiac hypertrophy induced by pressure overload and in cultured cardiomyocytes with hypertrophy induced by 10 μmol/L phenylephrine. Gain and loss of Rad function in cardiomyocytes significantly inhibited and increased phenylephrine-induced hypertrophy, respectively. In addition, activation of calcium-calmodulin–dependent kinase II (CaMKII), a strong inducer of cardiac hypertrophy, was significantly inhibited by Rad overexpression. Conversely, downregulation of CaMKIIδ by RNA interference technology attenuated the phenylephrine-induced hypertrophic response in cardiomyocytes in which Rad was also knocked down. To further elucidate the potential role of Rad in vivo, we generated Rad-deficient mice and demonstrated that they were more susceptible to cardiac hypertrophy associated with increased CaMKII phosphorylation than wild-type littermate controls. Conclusions The present data document for the first time that Rad is a novel mediator that inhibits cardiac hypertrophy through the CaMKII pathway. The present study will have significant implications for understanding the mechanisms of cardiac hypertrophy and setting the basis for the development of new strategies for treatment of cardiac hypertrophy. PMID:18056528

  15. Are Current Insulin Pumps Accessible to Blind and Visually Impaired People?

    PubMed Central

    Burton, Darren M.; Uslan, Mark M.; Blubaugh, Morgan V.; Clements, Charles W.

    2009-01-01

    Background In 2004, Uslan and colleagues determined that insulin pumps (IPs) on the market were largely inaccessible to blind and visually impaired persons. The objective of this study is to determine if accessibility status changed in the ensuing 4 years. Methods Five IPs on the market in 2008 were acquired and analyzed for key accessibility traits such as speech and other audio output, tactual nature of control buttons, and the quality of visual displays. It was also determined whether or not a blind or visually impaired person could independently complete tasks such as programming the IP for insulin delivery, replacing batteries, and reading manuals and other documentation. Results It was found that IPs have not improved in accessibility since 2004. None have speech output, and with the exception of the Animas IR 2020, no significantly improved visual display characteristics were found. Documentation is still not completely accessible. Conclusion Insulin pumps are relatively complex devices, with serious health consequences resulting from improper use. For IPs to be used safely and independently by blind and visually impaired patients, they must include voice output to communicate all the information presented on their display screens. Enhancing display contrast and the size of the displayed information would also improve accessibility for visually impaired users. The IPs must also come with accessible user documentation in alternate formats. PMID:20144301

  16. Design and implementation of the mobility assessment tool: software description

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background In previous work, we described the development of an 81-item video-animated tool for assessing mobility. In response to criticism levied during a pilot study of this tool, we sought to develop a new version built upon a flexible framework for designing and administering the instrument. Results Rather than constructing a self-contained software application with a hard-coded instrument, we designed an XML schema capable of describing a variety of psychometric instruments. The new version of our video-animated assessment tool was then defined fully within the context of a compliant XML document. Two software applications—one built in Java, the other in Objective-C for the Apple iPad—were then built that could present the instrument described in the XML document and collect participants’ responses. Separating the instrument’s definition from the software application implementing it allowed for rapid iteration and easy, reliable definition of variations. Conclusions Defining instruments in a software-independent XML document simplifies the process of defining instruments and variations and allows a single instrument to be deployed on as many platforms as there are software applications capable of interpreting the instrument, thereby broadening the potential target audience for the instrument. Continued work will be done to further specify and refine this type of instrument specification with a focus on spurring adoption by researchers in gerontology and geriatric medicine. PMID:23879716

  17. 2014 Proposed Revision to 2008 Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) Supporting Documents

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Find information on the 2014 proposed ozone NAAQS revision, and find tools for background ozone, maps of nonattainment areas, an overview of the proposal, and information on designations, monitoring and permitting requirements

  18. Brick and Structural Clay Products: National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP)

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Learn about the NESHAP regulation for brick and structural clay products by reading the rule summary, rule history, code of federal regulations, and the additional resources like fact sheets and background information documents

  19. Municipal Solid Waste Landfills: New Source Performance Standards (NSPS), Emission Guidelines (EG) and Compliance Times

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    learn about the NSPS for municipal solid waste landfills by reading the rule summary, rule history, code of federal regulations text, fact sheets, background information documents, related rules and compliance information.

  20. USDA-EPA Collaborative Ammonia Research

    EPA Science Inventory

    In 2014, a work group was formed between USDA and EPA to facilitate information exchange on ammonia emissions from agriculture, air quality impacts and emission mitigation options and to identify opportunities for collaboration. This document provides background on the work grou...

  1. 77 FR 38297 - Revised Document Posted: NIOSH List of Antineoplastic and Other Hazardous Drugs in Healthcare...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-06-27

    .../2012-150 . Background: The NIOSH Alert: NIOSH published Preventing Occupational Exposures to.../docs/2004-165/ ). Appendix A of this Alert defined hazardous drugs and provided a list of drugs that...

  2. 75 FR 57044 - NIOSH List of Antineoplastic and Other Hazardous Drugs in Healthcare Settings 2010

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-09-17

    ...-167/ . Background: The NIOSH Alert: Preventing Occupational Exposures to Antineoplastic and Other... the 2004 list in Appendix A of the Alert. This guidance document does not have the force and effect of...

  3. 78 FR 17747 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Request for Comments for a New Information Collection

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-03-22

    ... background documents or comments received go to the Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations... enhance the public's knowledge on addressing right-of-way challenges on transportation projects and on...

  4. The Printing and Publishing Industry: National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP)

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Learn about the NESHAP for the printing and publishing industry by reading the rule summary and history. You can also find the additional resources like fact sheets, background information documents and related rules

  5. Solid Waste Information and Tracking System Client Server Conversion Project Management Plan

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

    GLASSCOCK, J.A.

    2000-02-10

    The Project Management Plan governing the conversion of SWITS to a client-server architecture. The PMP describes the background, planning and management of the SWITS conversion. Requirements and specification documentation needed for the SWITS conversion

  6. Penis deformity after intra-urethral liquid paraffin administration in a young male: a case report

    PubMed Central

    Kokkonouzis, Ioannis; Antoniou, Georgios; Droulias, Athanasios

    2008-01-01

    Background Self-induced injections of liquid substances mainly for penis enlargement is a well-documented but still rather uncommon practice in the western world. Case presentation Herein we present the case of a 30-year-old male who self-inflicted, twice in a six-month-period, intra-urethral liquid paraffin and tied up his penis with a cord in order to achieve both enlargement and elongation. He arrived in our emergency department suffering from suprapubic pain; physical examination revealed a rather unique deformity of the penis. He finally refused any treatment and absconded. Conclusion Side effects after paraffin administration are various and sometimes severe. Most of the times surgical treatment is needed and radical excision together with follow-up seems the best modality. Such practices emphasize on the public's misbelieves and that some aspects of sexual medicine are yet covered with the veil of misconception. PMID:18840268

  7. Phaeochromocytoma in a 86-year-old patient presenting with reversible myocardial dysfunction.

    PubMed

    Szwench, Elżbieta; P Czkowska, Mariola; Marczewski, Krzysztof; Klisiewicz, Anna; Micha Owska, Ilona; Ciuba, Iwona; Januszewicz, Magdalena; Prejbisz, Aleksander; Hoffman, Piotr; Januszewicz, Andrzej

    2011-12-01

    BACKGROUND. Phaeochromocytomas and paragangliomas are rare, mostly benign catecholamine-producing tumours of chromaffin cells of the adrenal medulla or of extra-adrenal paraganglia. Phaeochromocytoma may occur at any age, the greatest frequency being in the fourth and fifth decades. Only on extremely rare occasions does the tumour develop in the very old patients. METHODS. We are describing an 86-year-old patient with phaeochromocytoma, presenting with reversible myocardial dysfunction. RESULTS. This very old patient with phaeochromocytoma had hypertension characterized by labile blood pressure values and increased daytime blood pressure variability. This patient exhibited reversible myocardial dysfunction suggestive for "catecholaminergic cardiomyopathy", as the complication of phaeochromocytoma. After surgical removal of the tumour, recovery of left ventricular function was documented by echocardiography showing normalization of systolic function and improvement of diastolic function. CONCLUSION. Phaeochromocytomas are rare forms of secondary hypertension, but should be considered in the differential diagnosis, regardless of age, even in very old patients.

  8. Constitutional Thinness and Anorexia Nervosa: A Possible Misdiagnosis?

    PubMed Central

    Estour, Bruno; Galusca, Bogdan; Germain, Natacha

    2014-01-01

    Clinical and biological aspects of restrictive anorexia nervosa (R-AN) are well documented. More than 10,000 articles since 1911 and more than 600 in 2013 have addressed R-AN psychiatric, somatic, and biological aspects. Genetic background, ineffectiveness of appetite regulating hormones on refeeding process, bone loss, and place of amenorrhea in the definition are widely discussed and reviewed. Oppositely, constitutional thinness (CT) is an almost unknown entity. Only 32 articles have been published on this topic since 1953. Similar symptoms associating low body mass index, low fat, and bone mass are reported in both CT and R-AN subjects. Conversely, menses are preserved in CT women and almost the entire hormonal profile is normal, except for leptin and PYY. The aim of the present review is to alert the clinician on the confusing clinical presentation of these two situations, a potential source of misdiagnosis, especially since R-AN definition has changed in DSM5. PMID:25368605

  9. Constitutional thinness and anorexia nervosa: a possible misdiagnosis?

    PubMed

    Estour, Bruno; Galusca, Bogdan; Germain, Natacha

    2014-01-01

    Clinical and biological aspects of restrictive anorexia nervosa (R-AN) are well documented. More than 10,000 articles since 1911 and more than 600 in 2013 have addressed R-AN psychiatric, somatic, and biological aspects. Genetic background, ineffectiveness of appetite regulating hormones on refeeding process, bone loss, and place of amenorrhea in the definition are widely discussed and reviewed. Oppositely, constitutional thinness (CT) is an almost unknown entity. Only 32 articles have been published on this topic since 1953. Similar symptoms associating low body mass index, low fat, and bone mass are reported in both CT and R-AN subjects. Conversely, menses are preserved in CT women and almost the entire hormonal profile is normal, except for leptin and PYY. The aim of the present review is to alert the clinician on the confusing clinical presentation of these two situations, a potential source of misdiagnosis, especially since R-AN definition has changed in DSM5.

  10. Checklist of bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) from managed emergent wetlands in the lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley of Arkansas

    PubMed Central

    2018-01-01

    Abstract Background Here we present the results from a two-year bee survey conducted on 18 managed emergent wetlands in the lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley of Arkansas, USA. Sample methods included pan traps, sweep netting and blue-vane traps. We document 83 bee species and morphospecies in 5 families and 31 genera, of which 37 species represent first published state records for Arkansas. The majority of species were opportunistic wetland species; only a small number were wetland-dependent species or species largely restricted to alluvial plains. New information We present new distributional records for bee species not previously recorded in managed emergent wetlands and report specimens of thirty-seven species for which no published Arkansas records exist, expanding the known ranges of Ceratina cockerelli, Diadasia enavata, Lasioglossum creberrimum, Svastra cressonii and Dieunomia triangulifera. We also distinguish opportunistic wetland bee species from wetland-dependent and alluvial plain-restricted species. PMID:29773960

  11. “Heidelberg standard examination” and “Heidelberg standard procedures” – Development of faculty-wide standards for physical examination techniques and clinical procedures in undergraduate medical education

    PubMed Central

    Nikendei, C.; Ganschow, P.; Groener, J. B.; Huwendiek, S.; Köchel, A.; Köhl-Hackert, N.; Pjontek, R.; Rodrian, J.; Scheibe, F.; Stadler, A.-K.; Steiner, T.; Stiepak, J.; Tabatabai, J.; Utz, A.; Kadmon, M.

    2016-01-01

    The competent physical examination of patients and the safe and professional implementation of clinical procedures constitute essential components of medical practice in nearly all areas of medicine. The central objective of the projects “Heidelberg standard examination” and “Heidelberg standard procedures”, which were initiated by students, was to establish uniform interdisciplinary standards for physical examination and clinical procedures, and to distribute them in coordination with all clinical disciplines at the Heidelberg University Hospital. The presented project report illuminates the background of the initiative and its methodological implementation. Moreover, it describes the multimedia documentation in the form of pocketbooks and a multimedia internet-based platform, as well as the integration into the curriculum. The project presentation aims to provide orientation and action guidelines to facilitate similar processes in other faculties. PMID:27579354

  12. More evidence of unpublished industry studies of lead smelter/refinery workers

    PubMed Central

    2015-01-01

    Background Lead smelter/refinery workers in the US have had significant exposure to lead and are an important occupational group to study to understand the health effects of chronic lead exposure in adults. Recent research found evidence that studies of lead smelter/refinery workers have been conducted but not published. This paper presents further evidence for this contention. Objectives To present further evidence of industry conducted, unpublished epidemiologic studies of lead smelter/refinery workers and health outcomes. Methods Historical research relying on primary sources such as internal industry documents and published studies. Results ASARCO smelter/refinery workers were studied in the early 1980s and found to have increased risk of lung cancer and stroke in one study, but not in another. Conclusions Because occupational lead exposure is an on-going concern for US and overseas workers, all epidemiologic studies should be made available to evaluate and update occupational health and safety standards. PMID:26070220

  13. Document Concurrence System

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Muhsin, Mansour; Walters, Ian

    2004-01-01

    The Document Concurrence System is a combination of software modules for routing users expressions of concurrence with documents. This system enables determination of the current status of concurrences and eliminates the need for the prior practice of manually delivering paper documents to all persons whose approvals were required. This system runs on a server, and participants gain access via personal computers equipped with Web-browser and electronic-mail software. A user can begin a concurrence routing process by logging onto an administration module, naming the approvers and stating the sequence for routing among them, and attaching documents. The server then sends a message to the first person on the list. Upon concurrence by the first person, the system sends a message to the second person, and so forth. A person on the list indicates approval, places the documents on hold, or indicates disapproval, via a Web-based module. When the last person on the list has concurred, a message is sent to the initiator, who can then finalize the process through the administration module. A background process running on the server identifies concurrence processes that are overdue and sends reminders to the appropriate persons.

  14. A literature review on work transitioning of youth with disabilities into competitive employment

    PubMed Central

    2017-01-01

    Background The marginalisation of youth with disabilities from employment opportunities is evident from literature in as far as they form part of the larger groups ‘people with disabilities’ and ‘youth’. A focused view of programmes that assist youth with disabilities into employment has not been presented, despite the worldwide crisis of youth unemployment. Aim This review aimed to identify evidence on work transition programmes that are effective in assisting people with disabilities into open labour market (competitive) employment, as well as to highlight gaps in knowledge to inform future research on this topic. Methods Literature and policy on programmes that support such transitions were considered, firstly from a global perspective and then with a view from developing countries. The SALSA (Search, Appraisal, Synthesis and Analysis) framework was used to source and analyse information from a diverse set of documents. Various online databases were searched for research papers published between 1990 and 2016, and websites were searched for reports pertaining to this topic. Results Ninety-nine documents were selected to inform the review, out of an identified 259 scientific journal articles, policy documents, acts, organisational reports and book chapters. Conclusion A synthesis of findings was presented in a narrative that reflects the themes of youth with disabilities and employment in the world, work transition endeavours in the developing world and a specific focus on this group in South Africa. The review revealed a gap in knowledge and evidence pertaining to youth with disabilities and employment, highlighting these as research foci, and emphasising the need for youth-focused research that generates knowledge about disability and transitions into the labour force. PMID:28936411

  15. Measuring the effects of acupuncture and homoeopathy in general practice: An uncontrolled prospective documentation approach

    PubMed Central

    Güthlin, Corina; Lange, Oliver; Walach, Harald

    2004-01-01

    Background Despite the increasing demand for acupuncture and homoeopathy in Germany, little is known about the effects of these treatments in routine care. We set up a pragmatic documentation study in general practice funded within the scope of project launched by a German health insurer. Patients were followed-up for up to four years. Methods The aim of the project was to study the effects and benefits of acupuncture and/or homoeopathy, and to assess patient satisfaction within a prospective documentation of over 5000 acupuncture and over 900 homoeopathy patients. As data sources, we used the documentation made available by therapists on every individual visit and a standardised quality-of-life questionnaire (MOS SF-36); these were complemented by questions concerning the patient's medical history and by questions on patient satisfaction. The health insurer provided us with data on work absenteeism. Results Descriptive analyses of the main outcomes showed benefit of treatment with middle to large-sized effects for the quality of life questionnaire SF-36 and about 1 point improvement on a rating scale of effects, given by doctors. Data on the treatment and the patients' and physicians' background suggests chronically ill patients treated by fairly regular schemes. Conclusion Since the results showed evidence of a subjective benefit for patients from acupuncture and homoeopathy, this may account for the increase in demand for these treatments especially when patients are chronically ill and unsatisfied with the conventional treatment given previously. PMID:15113434

  16. Observations and modeling of seismic background noise

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Peterson, Jon R.

    1993-01-01

    The preparation of this report had two purposes. One was to present a catalog of seismic background noise spectra obtained from a worldwide network of seismograph stations. The other purpose was to refine and document models of seismic background noise that have been in use for several years. The second objective was, in fact, the principal reason that this study was initiated and influenced the procedures used in collecting and processing the data.With a single exception, all of the data used in this study were extracted from the digital data archive at the U.S. Geological Survey's Albuquerque Seismological Laboratory (ASL). This archive dates from 1972 when ASL first began deploying digital seismograph systems and collecting and distributing digital data under the sponsorship of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). There have been many changes and additions to the global seismograph networks during the past twenty years, but perhaps none as significant as the current deployment of very broadband seismographs by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the University of California San Diego (UCSD) under the scientific direction of the IRIS consortium. The new data acquisition systems have extended the bandwidth and resolution of seismic recording, and they utilize high-density recording media that permit the continuous recording of broadband data. The data improvements and continuous recording greatly benefit and simplify surveys of seismic background noise.Although there are many other sources of digital data, the ASL archive data were used almost exclusively because of accessibility and because the data systems and their calibration are well documented for the most part. Fortunately, the ASL archive contains high-quality data from other stations in addition to those deployed by the USGS. Included are data from UCSD IRIS/IDA stations, the Regional Seismic Test Network (RSTN) deployed by Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), and the TERRAscope network deployed by the California Institute of Technology in cooperation with other institutions.A map showing the approximate locations of the stations used in this study is provided in Figure 1. One might hope for a better distribution of stations in the southern hemisphere, especially Africa and South America, in order to look for regional variations in seismic noise (apart from the major differences between continental, coastal and island sites). Unfortunately, anyone looking for subtle regional variations in seismic noise is probably going to be disappointed by the spectral data presented in this report because much of the station data appear to be dominated by local disturbances caused by instrumental, environmental, cultural, or surf noise. Better instruments and better instrument siting, or a well-funded field program, will be needed before a global isoseismal noise map can be produced. However, by assembling a composite of background noise from a large network of stations, many of the local station variables are masked, and it is possible to create generalized spectral plots of Earth noise for hypothetical quiet and noisy station sites.

  17. Oak Ridge Environmental Information System (OREIS) functional system design document

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

    Birchfield, T.E.; Brown, M.O.; Coleman, P.R.

    1994-03-01

    The OREIS Functional System Design document provides a detailed functional description of the Oak Ridge Environmental Information System (OREIS). It expands the system requirements defined in the OREIS Phase 1-System Definition Document (ES/ER/TM-34). Documentation of OREIS development is based on the Automated Data Processing System Development Methodology, a Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc., procedure written to assist in developing scientific and technical computer systems. This document focuses on the development of the functional design of the user interface, which includes the integration of commercial applications software. The data model and data dictionary are summarized briefly; however, the Data Management Planmore » for OREIS (ES/ER/TM-39), a companion document to the Functional System Design document, provides the complete data dictionary and detailed descriptions of the requirements for the data base structure. The OREIS system will provide the following functions, which are executed from a Menu Manager: (1) preferences, (2) view manager, (3) macro manager, (4) data analysis (assisted analysis and unassisted analysis), and (5) spatial analysis/map generation (assisted ARC/INFO and unassisted ARC/INFO). Additional functionality includes interprocess communications, which handle background operations of OREIS.« less

  18. Research on Youth Employment and Employability Development. Youth Employment Policies and Programs for the 1890s. Background Analysis for the Department of Labor Employment and Training Components of the Youth Act of 1980. Youth Knowledge Development Report 2.12.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Taggart, Robert

    Prepared as a basic background document for an interagency task force on youth employment, this report analyzes youth employment policies and programs for the 1980s. The main body of the report consists of three sections. Section 1, entitled "Policy Perspectives on the Youth Employment Problem," contains a discussion of pathways to…

  19. Backscat Lidar Simulation Version 4.0: Technical Documentation and Users Guide

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1994-06-10

    assumed, so the background radiance is set to zero . The transmitter has a 90% optical efficiency and makes use of a 0.85 ptm pulsed laser diode having 1...azimuth is 270’ (i.e., facing due. west). Nighttime operation is assumed, so the background radiance is set to zero . The transmitter has a 90% optical...th(- computer "locking up". che:,k the amount of available RAM. Try to remove any memory resident resident programs that are not absolutely needed

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

    Shull, D.

    This report documents the initial feasibility tests performed using a commercial acoustic emission instrument for the purpose of detecting beetles in Department of Energy 9975 shipping packages. The device selected for this testing was a commercial handheld instrument and probe developed for the detection of termites, weevils, beetles and other insect infestations in wooden structures, trees, plants and soil. The results of two rounds of testing are presented. The first tests were performed by the vendor using only the hand-held instrument’s indications and real-time operator analysis of the audio signal content. The second tests included hands-free positioning of the instrumentmore » probe and post-collection analysis of the recorded audio signal content including audio background comparisons. The test results indicate that the system is promising for detecting the presence of drugstore beetles, however, additional work would be needed to improve the ease of detection and to automate the signal processing to eliminate the need for human interpretation. Mechanisms for hands-free positioning of the probe and audio background discrimination are also necessary for reliable detection and to reduce potential operator dose in radiation environments.« less

  1. A novel portable energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometer with triaxial geometry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pessanha, S.; Alves, M.; Sampaio, J. M.; Santos, J. P.; Carvalho, M. L.; Guerra, M.

    2017-01-01

    The X-ray fluorescence technique is a powerful analytical tool with a broad range of applications such as quality control, environmental contamination by heavy metals, cultural heritage, among others. For the first time, a portable energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometer was assembled, with orthogonal triaxial geometry between the X-ray tube, the secondary target, the sample and the detector. This geometry reduces the background of the measured spectra by reducing significantly the Bremsstrahlung produced in the tube through polarization in the secondary target and in the sample. Consequently, a practically monochromatic excitation energy is obtained. In this way, a better peak-background ratio is obtained compared to similar devices, improving the detection limits and leading to superior sensitivity. The performance of this setup is compared with the one of a benchtop setup with triaxial geometry and a portable setup with planar geometry. Two case studies are presented concerning the analysis of a 18th century paper document, and the bone remains of an individual buried in the early 19th century.

  2. 78 FR 63242 - Proposed Template Safe Harbor Agreement for the Solano County Water Agency in Yolo and Solano...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-10-23

    ... to view the document at the above address during normal business hours (see ADDRESSES). Background... listed species to their property, to increase the numbers or distribution of listed species already on...

  3. Alcohol safety action projects evaluation of operations : data, table of results, and formulation

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1979-06-01

    This volume contains the data used in the evaluation of 35 Alcohol Safety Action Projects implemented throughout the country. Historical background, discussion of analytic results and factors affecting impact detecion are contained in the document ti...

  4. Documentation in Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Burke, Arvid J.; Burke, Mary A.

    After a summary of background knowledge useful in searching for information, the authors cover extensively the sources available to the researcher interested in locating educational data or conducting a search of bibliographic materials. They list reference books, dictionaries, almanacs, yearbooks, subject matter summaries; and sources for…

  5. Vietnam War Resisters in Canada, 1965-1977. "Draft Dodgers" or Refugees from Militarism?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bennett, Paul W.

    1989-01-01

    Provides background information and primary source documents to teach about the issues surrounding Canada's admission of U.S. Vietnam War resisters from 1965 to 1977. Includes primary sources which may serve as points of discussion. (LS)

  6. Safety Relevant Observations on the TGV High Speed Train

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1991-07-01

    This report describes the background leading up to the development of the train grande vitesse (TGV) system, the French high-speed technology; the technology itself in some detail; and the potential U.S. applications. This document also reviews Feder...

  7. Illinois Manufacturing Technology Curriculum.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cliffe, Roger; And Others

    This manufacturing technology curriculum involves students in learning problem-solving, communication, team building, quality control, safety, math, science, and technical skills. The document begins with a section on implementation, which gives background information on the purposes and development of the curriculum, explains its rationale,…

  8. 32 CFR 644.83 - Negotiations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... the time of purchase. Therefore, in the negotiation for the purchase of land, an approved current... should study the background data of the project, consisting of the authorizing act, survey report, project document, design memoranda, etc.; the applicable appraisal reports; tract ownership data...

  9. 32 CFR 644.83 - Negotiations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... the time of purchase. Therefore, in the negotiation for the purchase of land, an approved current... should study the background data of the project, consisting of the authorizing act, survey report, project document, design memoranda, etc.; the applicable appraisal reports; tract ownership data...

  10. 32 CFR 644.83 - Negotiations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... the time of purchase. Therefore, in the negotiation for the purchase of land, an approved current... should study the background data of the project, consisting of the authorizing act, survey report, project document, design memoranda, etc.; the applicable appraisal reports; tract ownership data...

  11. 32 CFR 644.83 - Negotiations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... the time of purchase. Therefore, in the negotiation for the purchase of land, an approved current... should study the background data of the project, consisting of the authorizing act, survey report, project document, design memoranda, etc.; the applicable appraisal reports; tract ownership data...

  12. 32 CFR 644.83 - Negotiations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... the time of purchase. Therefore, in the negotiation for the purchase of land, an approved current... should study the background data of the project, consisting of the authorizing act, survey report, project document, design memoranda, etc.; the applicable appraisal reports; tract ownership data...

  13. International exploration of Mars. A special bibliography

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1991-01-01

    This bibliography lists 173 reports, articles, and other documents introduced into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information Database on the exploration of Mars. Historical references are cited for background. The bibliography was created for the 1991 session of the International Space University.

  14. Brownfields Recover Your Resources - Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle Construction and Demolition Materials at Land Revitalization Projects

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This document provides background information on how the sustainable reuse of brownfield properties includes efforts to reduce the environmental impact by reusing and recycling materials generated during building construction, demolition, or renovation.

  15. Unusual etiology of gastrointestinal symptoms: the case of jojoba butter

    PubMed Central

    Minckler, Michael R; Fisher, Joseph; Bowers, Rachel; Amini, Richard

    2017-01-01

    Background Jojoba butter is cyanogenic and has gained attention among herbal supplement consumers due to claims that it may aid in weight loss. Jojoba butter is extracted from the seeds of jojoba shrubs found in the Sonoran Desert. The seeds have long been recognized as inedible, however clinical symptoms following ingestion are not well documented. Case report This report describes a patient who developed restlessness and gastrointestinal complaints following ingestion of homemade jojoba seed butter. The patient’s presentation following ingestion is discussed, as well as effective workup and treatment. In our case, the patient was monitored and received fluid resuscitation, lorazepam, and diphenhydramine for symptomatic therapy. Conclusion This case describes the gastrointestinal sequela and effective management following ingestion of jojoba butter. PMID:28223850

  16. Helicobacter pylori status and associated gastroscopic diagnoses in a tertiary hospital endoscopy population in Rwanda

    PubMed Central

    Walker, Timothy D.; Karemera, Martin; Ngabonziza, Francois; Kyamanywa, Patrick

    2014-01-01

    Background The study was undertaken to document the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori and endoscopic diagnoses in Rwandans presenting for gastroscopy. Methods We studied an endoscopic database containing 961 consecutive gastroscopy patients at the University Teaching Hospital, Butare, over 12 months. Patient characteristics, endoscopic diagnoses and H. pylori status (by modified rapid urease testing) were analysed. Results and conclusion The overall H. pylori positivity rate was 75% (n=825), similar to that found elsewhere in sub-Saharan Africa. Common endoscopic diagnoses included duodenal ulceration (20%), duodenitis (9%), benign gastric outlet obstruction (6%) and malignancy (5%). Duodenal ulceration was strongly associated with H. pylori infection (OR 6.2 [3.1–12.6]; p<0.001). PMID:24598794

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

    Reid, M. J.; Brunthaler, A.; Menten, K. M.

    The BeSSeL Survey is mapping the spiral structure of the Milky Way by measuring trigonometric parallaxes of hundreds of maser sources associated with high-mass star formation. While parallax techniques for water masers at high frequency (22 GHz) have been well documented, recent observations of methanol masers at lower frequency (6.7 GHz) have revealed astrometric issues associated with signal propagation through the ionosphere that could significantly limit parallax accuracy. These problems displayed as a “parallax gradient” on the sky when measured against different background quasars. We present an analysis method in which we generate position data relative to an “artificial quasar”more » at the target maser position at each epoch. Fitting parallax to these data can significantly mitigate the problems and improve parallax accuracy.« less

  18. Pioneer probe mission with orbiter option

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1975-01-01

    A spacecraft is described which is based on Pioneer 10 and 11, and existing propulsion technology; it can transport and release a probe for entry into Jupiter's atmosphere, and subsequently maneuver to place the spacecraft in orbit about Jupiter. Orbital operations last 3 years and include maneuvers to provide multiple close satellite encounters which allow the orbit to be significantly changed to explore different parts of the magnetosphere. A mission summary, a guide to related documents, and background information about Jupiter are presented along with mission analysis over the complete mission profile. Other topics discussed include the launch, interplanetary flight, probe release and orbit deflection, probe entry, orbit selection, orbit insertion, periapsis raising, spacecraft description, and the effects of Jupiter's radiation belt on both orbiter and the probe.

  19. System safety checklist Skylab program report

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mcnail, E. M.

    1974-01-01

    Design criteria statement applicable to a wide variety of flight systems, experiments and other payloads, associated ground support equipment and facility support systems are presented. The document reflects a composite of experience gained throughout the aerospace industry prior to Skylab and additional experience gained during the Skylab Program. It has been prepared to provide current and future program organizations with a broad source of safety-related design criteria and to suggest methods for systematic and progressive application of the criteria beginning with preliminary development of design requirements and specifications. Recognizing the users obligation to shape the checklist to his particular needs, a summary of the historical background, rationale, objectives, development and implementation approach, and benefits based on Skylab experience has been included.

  20. Novel online security system based on rare-earth-doped glass microbeads

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Officer, Simon; Prabhu, G. R.; Pollard, Pat; Hunter, Catherine; Ross, Gary A.

    2004-06-01

    A novel fluorescent security label has been produced that could replace numerous conventional fluorescent dyes in document security. This label utilizes rare earth ions doped in a borosilicate glass matrix to produce sharp spectral fluorescence peaks with characteristic long lifetimes due to the rare earth ions. These are subsequently detected by an online detection system based on fluorescence and the long lifetimes to avoid any interference from other fluorophores present in the background. Security is further enhanced by the interaction of the rare earth ions with each other and the effect of the host on the emission spectra and therefore the number of permutations that could be produced. This creates a very secure label with various applications for the security market.

  1. A coherent graph-based semantic clustering and summarization approach for biomedical literature and a new summarization evaluation method

    PubMed Central

    Yoo, Illhoi; Hu, Xiaohua; Song, Il-Yeol

    2007-01-01

    Background A huge amount of biomedical textual information has been produced and collected in MEDLINE for decades. In order to easily utilize biomedical information in the free text, document clustering and text summarization together are used as a solution for text information overload problem. In this paper, we introduce a coherent graph-based semantic clustering and summarization approach for biomedical literature. Results Our extensive experimental results show the approach shows 45% cluster quality improvement and 72% clustering reliability improvement, in terms of misclassification index, over Bisecting K-means as a leading document clustering approach. In addition, our approach provides concise but rich text summary in key concepts and sentences. Conclusion Our coherent biomedical literature clustering and summarization approach that takes advantage of ontology-enriched graphical representations significantly improves the quality of document clusters and understandability of documents through summaries. PMID:18047705

  2. DETECTION OF CANINE PARVOVIRUS ANTIGEN IN DOGS IN KUMASI, GHANA

    PubMed Central

    Folitse, R. D; Kodie, D.O; Amemor, E.; Dei, D.; Tasiame, W.; Burimuah, V.; Emikpe, B.O

    2018-01-01

    Background: Canine Parvovirus (CPV) in dogs has been documented in many countries. However, evidence of the infection is scanty in Ghana. This study was conducted to detect canine parvovirus antigen in dogs presented with diarrhoea to the Government Veterinary Clinic in Kumasi, Ghana. Materials and Methods: Faecal samples from 72 dogs presented with diarrhoea were tested for the presence of canine parvovirus antigen using commercially available rapid test kit (BIT® Rapid Colour Canine Parvovirus Ag Test Kit, BIOINDIST Co. Ltd, Korea) based on the principle of immunochromatography. Influence of breed, sex, age, vaccination history and the nature of diarrhoea were assessed. Data obtained was analysed with SPSS and subjected to the chi-square test. Significance was at α0.05 Results: We found 61.11% tested positive (44/72) for CPV. Based on sex, 61.54% of males (20/33) and 60.61% of females tested positive (24/39). A total of 65.67% of samples from puppies below 6 months were positive. 56.25% of CPV vaccinated dogs and 70.83% of unvaccinated dogs were positive respectively. 69.05% of samples from haemorrhagic diarrhoeic dogs and 50.00% from non-haemorrhagic diarrhoeic dogs were positive of CPV. Conclusion: The study is the first documented evidence of the existence of CPV in Ghana. It also revealed that absence of bloody diarrhoea does not necessarily rule out CPV infection. PMID:29302647

  3. Forum for debate: Safety of allogeneic blood transfusion alternatives in the surgical/critically ill patient.

    PubMed

    Muñoz Gómez, M; Bisbe Vives, E; Basora Macaya, M; García Erce, J A; Gómez Luque, A; Leal-Noval, S R; Colomina, M J; Comin Colet, J; Contreras Barbeta, E; Cuenca Espiérrez, J; Garcia de Lorenzo Y Mateos, A; Gomollón García, F; Izuel Ramí, M; Moral García, M V; Montoro Ronsano, J B; Páramo Fernández, J A; Pereira Saavedra, A; Quintana Diaz, M; Remacha Sevilla, Á; Salinas Argente, R; Sánchez Pérez, C; Tirado Anglés, G; Torrabadella de Reinoso, P

    2015-12-01

    In recent years, several safety alerts have questioned or restricted the use of some pharmacological alternatives to allogeneic blood transfusion in established indications. In contrast, there seems to be a promotion of other alternatives, based on blood products and/or antifibrinolytic drugs, which lack a solid scientific basis. The Multidisciplinary Autotransfusion Study Group and the Anemia Working Group España convened a multidisciplinary panel of 23 experts belonging to different healthcare areas in a forum for debate to: 1) analyze the different safety alerts referred to certain transfusion alternatives; 2) study the background leading to such alternatives, the evidence supporting them, and their consequences for everyday clinical practice, and 3) issue a weighted statement on the safety of each questioned transfusion alternative, according to its clinical use. The members of the forum maintained telematics contact for the exchange of information and the distribution of tasks, and a joint meeting was held where the conclusions on each of the items examined were presented and discussed. A first version of the document was drafted, and subjected to 4 rounds of review and updating until consensus was reached (unanimously in most cases). We present the final version of the document, approved by all panel members, and hope it will be useful for our colleagues. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and SEMICYUC. All rights reserved.

  4. 77 FR 12202 - Public Inspection of Material Relating to Tax-Exempt Organizations

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-02-29

    ...This document contains final regulations pertaining to the public inspection of material relating to tax-exempt organizations and final regulations pertaining to the public inspection of written determinations and background file documents. These regulations are necessary to clarify rules relating to information and materials made available by the IRS for public inspection under the Internal Revenue Code (Code). The final regulations affect certain organizations exempt from Federal income tax, organizations that were exempt but are no longer exempt from Federal income tax, and organizations that were denied tax-exempt status.

  5. Determination of Duty Cycle for Energy Storage Systems in a Renewables (Solar) Firming Application

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

    Schoenwald, David A.; Ellison, James

    2016-04-01

    This report supplements the document, “Protocol for Uniformly Measuring and Expressing the Performance of Energy Storage Systems,” issued in a revised version in April 2016, which will include the renewables (solar) firming application for an energy storage system (ESS). This report provides the background and documentation associated with the determination of a duty cycle for an ESS operated in a renewables (solar) firming application for the purpose of measuring and expressing ESS performance in accordance with the ESS performance protocol.

  6. KC-135 and Other Microgravity Simulations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2005-01-01

    This document represents a summary of medical and scientific evaluations conducted aboard the KC-135 from June 23, 2004 to June 27, 2005. Included is a general overview of KC-135 activities manifested and coordinated by the Human Adaptation and Countermeasures Office. A collection of brief reports that describe tests conducted aboard the KC-135 follows the overview. Principal investigators and test engineers contributed significantly to the content of the report describing their particular experiment or hardware evaluation. This document concludes with an appendix that provides background information concerning the KC-135 and the Reduced-Gravity Program.

  7. AgRISTARS: Foreign commodity production forecasting. Project test reports document, volume 1. [using North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, and Minnesota

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Waggoner, J. T.; Phinney, D. E. (Principal Investigator)

    1981-01-01

    Foreign Commodity Production Forecasting testing activities through June 1981 are documented. A log of test reports is presented. Standard documentation sets are included for each test. The documentation elements presented in each set are summarized.

  8. BLDG. 16 - PROGRESS PHOTO (CLEAR LAKE)

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1963-09-25

    S63-17423 (25 Sept. 1963) --- This easterly view documents early construction of the Manned Spacecraft Center in September of 1963. The Avionics Systems Laboratory (Building 16) is in the foreground and the Project Management Building is see in the right background. Photo credit: NASA

  9. Petroleum Refineries (Catalytic Cracking, Catalytic Reforming and Sulfur Recovery Units): National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP)

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    learn more about the NESHAP for catalytic cracking and reforming units, as well as sulfur recovery units in petroleum refineries by reading the rule history, rule summary, background information documents, and compliance information

  10. BIBLIOGRAPHY ON ACHIEVEMENT.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA. Graduate School of Education.

    THIS BIBLIOGRAPHY LISTS MATERIAL ON VARIOUS ASPECTS OF ACHIEVEMENT. APPROXIMATELY 40 UNANNOTATED REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED TO DOCUMENTS DATING FROM 1952 TO 1965. JOURNALS, BOOKS, AND REPORT MATERIALS ARE LISTED. SUBJECT AREAS INCLUDED ARE BEHAVIOR TESTS, ACHIEVEMENT BEHAVIOR, ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT, AND SOCIAL-CLASS BACKGROUND. A RELATED REPORT IS ED…

  11. The Negro in America: A Bibliography. Second Edition.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Miller, Elizabeth W., Comp.; Fisher, Mary L., Comp.

    Contents of this annotated bibliography, containing 6500 entries embracing significant citations, scholarly and popular, of books, journals, pamphlets and government documents mainly published between 1954 and February 1970, includes the following sections: general background; history; demography; definition and description; biography and letters;…

  12. JAGUAR developer's manual.

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

    Chan, Ethan

    2011-06-01

    JAGUAR (JAva GUi for Applied Research) is a Java software tool providing an advanced text editor and graphical user interface (GUI) to manipulate DAKOTA (Design Analysis Kit for Optimization and Terascale Applications) input specifications. This document focuses on the technical background necessary for a developer to understand JAGUAR.

  13. Fatal and serious injury traffic crash trends in Michigan : 1995-1999

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2001-01-01

    This is the latest report in a series documenting five-year trends in Michigan traffic crashes. This report provides background information necessary for the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning to set and evaluate traffic safety goals and to p...

  14. Accident casualty reporting and recording by DOT modal agencies : a background paper

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2001-06-30

    This report was prepared in support of the Safety Data Action Plan (SDAP) sponsored by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS). This document supports the working group responsible for SDAP research project #2 - Develop Common Criteria for Repo...

  15. WATER QUALITY CRITERIA DOCUMENTS

    EPA Science Inventory

    Background

    Water quality standards and criteria are the foundation for a wide range of programs under the Clean Water Act. Specifically, under section 304(a)(1) of the Clean Water Act it requires EPA to develop criteria for water quality that accurately re...

  16. Review & Peer Review of “Parameters for Properly Designed and Operated Flares” Documents

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This page contains two 2012 memoranda on the review of EPA's parameters for properly designed and operated flares. One details the process of peer review, and the other provides background information and specific charge questions to the panel.

  17. Overt and Latent Cardiac Effects of Ozone Inhalation in Rats: Evidence for Autonomic Modulation and Increased Myocardial Vulnerability

    EPA Science Inventory

    Background: Ozone (03) is a well-documented respiratory oxidant, but increasing epidemiologic evidence points to extra-pulmonary effects including positive associations between ambient 03 concentrations and cardiovascular morbidity/mortality. Objectives: With preliminary reports ...

  18. Probabilistic topic modeling for the analysis and classification of genomic sequences

    PubMed Central

    2015-01-01

    Background Studies on genomic sequences for classification and taxonomic identification have a leading role in the biomedical field and in the analysis of biodiversity. These studies are focusing on the so-called barcode genes, representing a well defined region of the whole genome. Recently, alignment-free techniques are gaining more importance because they are able to overcome the drawbacks of sequence alignment techniques. In this paper a new alignment-free method for DNA sequences clustering and classification is proposed. The method is based on k-mers representation and text mining techniques. Methods The presented method is based on Probabilistic Topic Modeling, a statistical technique originally proposed for text documents. Probabilistic topic models are able to find in a document corpus the topics (recurrent themes) characterizing classes of documents. This technique, applied on DNA sequences representing the documents, exploits the frequency of fixed-length k-mers and builds a generative model for a training group of sequences. This generative model, obtained through the Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) algorithm, is then used to classify a large set of genomic sequences. Results and conclusions We performed classification of over 7000 16S DNA barcode sequences taken from Ribosomal Database Project (RDP) repository, training probabilistic topic models. The proposed method is compared to the RDP tool and Support Vector Machine (SVM) classification algorithm in a extensive set of trials using both complete sequences and short sequence snippets (from 400 bp to 25 bp). Our method reaches very similar results to RDP classifier and SVM for complete sequences. The most interesting results are obtained when short sequence snippets are considered. In these conditions the proposed method outperforms RDP and SVM with ultra short sequences and it exhibits a smooth decrease of performance, at every taxonomic level, when the sequence length is decreased. PMID:25916734

  19. Developing topic-specific search filters for PubMed with click-through data.

    PubMed

    Li, J; Lu, Z

    2013-01-01

    Search filters have been developed and demonstrated for better information access to the immense and ever-growing body of publications in the biomedical domain. However, to date the number of filters remains quite limited because the current filter development methods require significant human efforts in manual document review and filter term selection. In this regard, we aim to investigate automatic methods for generating search filters. We present an automated method to develop topic-specific filters on the basis of users' search logs in PubMed. Specifically, for a given topic, we first detect its relevant user queries and then include their corresponding clicked articles to serve as the topic-relevant document set accordingly. Next, we statistically identify informative terms that best represent the topic-relevant document set using a background set composed of topic irrelevant articles. Lastly, the selected representative terms are combined with Boolean operators and evaluated on benchmark datasets to derive the final filter with the best performance. We applied our method to develop filters for four clinical topics: nephrology, diabetes, pregnancy, and depression. For the nephrology filter, our method obtained performance comparable to the state of the art (sensitivity of 91.3%, specificity of 98.7%, precision of 94.6%, and accuracy of 97.2%). Similarly, high-performing results (over 90% in all measures) were obtained for the other three search filters. Based on PubMed click-through data, we successfully developed a high-performance method for generating topic-specific search filters that is significantly more efficient than existing manual methods. All data sets (topic-relevant and irrelevant document sets) used in this study and a demonstration system are publicly available at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/CBBresearch/Lu/downloads/CQ_filter/

  20. Developing Topic-Specific Search Filters for PubMed with Click-Through Data

    PubMed Central

    Li, Jiao; Lu, Zhiyong

    2013-01-01

    Summary Objectives Search filters have been developed and demonstrated for better information access to the immense and ever-growing body of publications in the biomedical domain. However, to date the number of filters remains quite limited because the current filter development methods require significant human efforts in manual document review and filter term selection. In this regard, we aim to investigate automatic methods for generating search filters. Methods We present an automated method to develop topic-specific filters on the basis of users’ search logs in PubMed. Specifically, for a given topic, we first detect its relevant user queries and then include their corresponding clicked articles to serve as the topic-relevant document set accordingly. Next, we statistically identify informative terms that best represent the topic-relevant document set using a background set composed of topic irrelevant articles. Lastly, the selected representative terms are combined with Boolean operators and evaluated on benchmark datasets to derive the final filter with the best performance. Results We applied our method to develop filters for four clinical topics: nephrology, diabetes, pregnancy, and depression. For the nephrology filter, our method obtained performance comparable to the state of the art (sensitivity of 91.3%, specificity of 98.7%, precision of 94.6%, and accuracy of 97.2%). Similarly, high-performing results (over 90% in all measures) were obtained for the other three search filters. Conclusion Based on PubMed click-through data, we successfully developed a high-performance method for generating topic-specific search filters that is significantly more efficient than existing manual methods. All data sets (topic-relevant and irrelevant document sets) used in this study and a demonstration system are publicly available at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/CBBresearch/Lu/downloads/CQ_filter/ PMID:23666447

  1. Incense and ritual plant use in Southwest China: A case study among the Bai in Shaxi

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background Ritual and religious uses of plant-derived smoke are widespread throughout the world. Our research focuses on Southwest China, where the use of incense is very common. This study aims to document and analyze contemporary ritual plant uses by the Bai people of Shaxi Township (Jianchuan County, Dali Prefecture, Yunnan Province), including their related ethnobotanical knowledge, practices, and beliefs. Methods The present study builds on previous ethnobotanical research in Shaxi, which started in 2005. Interviews focusing on ritual plant use and associated beliefs were carried out with a total of 44 Bai informants in September 2009 and May and June 2010. The results are supplemented with information on the local religion collected from June to December 2010. All documented species were vouchered, and are deposited at the herbaria of Kunming Institute of Botany (KUN) and the University of Zurich (Z/ZT). Results A total of 17 species have been documented for use in incense. They are always used in mixtures and are either burned in the form of powders in a censer or as joss sticks. The smell of the smoke is the main criterion for the selection of the incense plants. Incense is burned for communication with spiritual entities at graves, temples, and cooking stoves, as well as for personal well-being. Cupressus funebris Endl., Gaultheria fragrantissima Wall., and Ligustrum sempervirens (Franch.) Lingelsh. are the most important incense species. Others serve as substitutes or are used to stretch incense powders. Conclusions In Shaxi the use of incense mixtures at the household and community level is regularly practiced for communication with ancestors, ghosts, and deities and in some cases to strengthen self-awareness. Some of the documented species are widely used in central Asia and Europe, hinting at the well documented knowledge exchange that occurred in Shaxi, which was a major hub along the influential Southern Silk Road. PMID:22165897

  2. A Scopus-based examination of tobacco use publications in Middle Eastern Arab countries during the period 2003–2012

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background Tobacco smoking is the main health-care problem in the world. Evaluation of scientific output in the field of tobacco use has been poorly explored in Middle Eastern Arab (MEA) countries to date, and there are few internationally published reports on research activity in tobacco use. The main objectives of this study were to analyse the research output originating from 13 MEA countries on tobacco fields and to examine the authorship pattern and the citations retrieved from the Scopus database. Methods Data from 1 January 2003 through 31 December 2012 were searched for documents with specific words regarding the tobacco field as 'keywords’ in the title in any 1 of the 13 MEA countries. Research productivity was evaluated based on a methodology developed and used in other bibliometric studies. Results Five hundred documents were retrieved from 320 peer-reviewed journals. The greatest amount of research activity was from Egypt (25.4%), followed by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) (23.2%), Lebanon (16.3%), and Jordan (14.8%). The total number of citations for the 560 documents, at the time of data analysis (27 August 2013), was 5,585, with a mean ± SD of 9.95 ± 22.64 and a median (interquartile range) of 3(1–10). The h-index of the retrieved documents was 34. This study identified 232 (41.4%) documents from 53 countries in MEA-foreign country collaborations. By region, MEA collaborated most often with countries in the Americas (29.6%), followed by countries in the same MEA region (13.4%), especially KSA and Egypt. Conclusions The present data reveal a promising rise and a good start for research productivity in the tobacco field in the Arab world. Research output is low in some countries, which can be improved by investing in more international and national collaborative research projects in the field of tobacco. PMID:24885706

  3. Background Report: Recommendations on Guidance for Diagnostic X-Ray Studies in Federal Health Care Facilities

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This document shares the guidance developed by the Interagency Working Group which was formed to develop guidance to reduce unnecessary radiation exposures from the use of x-rays in the healing arts in Federal health care facilities.

  4. Inference as Prediction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Watson, Jane

    2007-01-01

    Inference, or decision making, is seen in curriculum documents as the final step in a statistical investigation. For a formal statistical enquiry this may be associated with sophisticated tests involving probability distributions. For young students without the mathematical background to perform such tests, it is still possible to draw informal…

  5. A Case control study of cardiovascular disease and arsenic exposure in Inner Mongolia, China

    EPA Science Inventory

    Background: Millions of people are at risk from the adverse effects of waterborne arsenic. Although the cardiovascular effects of high exposures to arsenic have been well documented, few individual level prospective studies have assessed cardiovascular risk at moderate exposures....

  6. 75 FR 404 - Privacy Act of 1974; Department of Homeland Security U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-009...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-01-05

    .... Government. The Privacy Act exemptions for this system go unchanged and the Final Rule remains in place. This... the docket to read background documents or comments received go to http://www.regulations.gov . FOR...

  7. Conditional Independence in Applied Probability.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pfeiffer, Paul E.

    This material assumes the user has the background provided by a good undergraduate course in applied probability. It is felt that introductory courses in calculus, linear algebra, and perhaps some differential equations should provide the requisite experience and proficiency with mathematical concepts, notation, and argument. The document is…

  8. 76 FR 38053 - Clarification of the Fireworks Approvals Policy

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-06-29

    .... Background The pyrotechnic industry is a global logistics supply chain comprised of mostly foreign fireworks... between these two entities. All participants throughout the supply chain will be held accountable for... document. One commenter requests PHMSA consider waste management of used or defective fireworks when...

  9. Ideas: NCTM Standards-Based Instruction, Grades K-4.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hynes, Michael C., Ed.

    This document is a collection of activity-based mathematics lessons for grades K-4 from the "Ideas" department in "Arithmetic Teacher: Mathematics Education through the Middle Grades." Each lesson includes background information, objectives, directions, extensions, and student worksheets. A matrix is included which correlates…

  10. 75 FR 2153 - National Fire Academy Board of Visitors

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-01-14

    ...] National Fire Academy Board of Visitors AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency, DHS. ACTION: Committee Management; Notice of Open Teleconference Federal Advisory Committee Meeting. SUMMARY: The National Fire.... Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or comments received by the National Fire...

  11. The Documentation Centre for Education in Europe

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Educational Documentation and Information, 1971

    1971-01-01

    This account of the Centre, prepared by the Secretariat of the Council of Europe, is in three parts: the first, Background, explains its origins and policy framework; the sections headed Operations and Publications respectively describe its functions as a library" and as a publishing house." (Author)

  12. Abnormal Repetitive Behaviours: Shared Phenomenology and Pathophysiology

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Muehlmann, A. M.; Lewis, M. H.

    2012-01-01

    Background: Self-injurious behaviour (SIB) is a devastating problem observed in individuals with various neurodevelopmental disorders, including specific genetic syndromes as well as idiopathic intellectual and developmental disability. Although an increased prevalence of SIB has been documented in specific genetic mutations, little is known about…

  13. Psychological Approaches to Problems of Children and Adolescents.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Grimes, Jeff, Ed.

    This document, intended as a resource for school psychologists, contains articles addressing a variety of psychological and behavioral problems of children and adolescents. Each chapter includes the following content: background information concerning the specific topic, approaches for assessing the behavior of concern, intervention possibilities,…

  14. 76 FR 57771 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-09-16

    ... Securities and Exchange Commission (``Commission'') has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget... display a valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number. Background documentation for this... Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, Room 10102, New Executive Office Building, Washington...

  15. 76 FR 75921 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-12-05

    ... Securities and Exchange Commission (``Commission'') has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget... of Management and Budget (OMB) control number. The public may view the background documentation for... Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, Room 10102, New Executive Office Building, Washington...

  16. Making Prevention Work.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (DHHS/PHS), Rockville, MD. Center for Substance Abuse Prevention.

    This booklet provides data and information to show that substance abuse prevention is working and encourages all sectors of society to become involved. Twenty percent of the document features background information about what's working to prevent substance abuse, lists of risk and protective factors, data that show the relationship between…

  17. The Korean War: An ERIC/ChESS Sample.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pinhey, Laura A.

    2000-01-01

    Provides a list of teaching materials and general background documents about the Korean War from the ERIC database. Offers directions for obtaining the full text of materials about the division of South and North Korea, the geography of Korea, and South Korea's economic development. (CMK)

  18. Evaluation of Traditional and Technology-Based Grocery Store Nutrition Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schultz, Jennifer; Litchfield, Ruth

    2016-01-01

    Background: A literature gap exists for grocery interventions with realistic resource expectations; few technology-based publications exist, and none document traditional comparison. Purpose: Compare grocery store traditional aisle demonstrations (AD) and technology-based (TB) nutrition education treatments. Methods: A quasi-experimental 4-month…

  19. Photochemically Altered Air Pollution Mixtures and Contractile Parameters in Isolated Murine Hearts before and after Ischemia.

    EPA Science Inventory

    Background: Epidemiological and toxicological studies support a causative link between ambient air pollution exposure and increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. While the adverse health effects of single pollutants are documented, little is known of the health effects...

  20. Ideas: NCTM Standards-Based Instruction, Grades 5-8.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hynes, Michael C., Ed.

    This document is a collection of activity-based mathematics lessons for grades 5-8 from the "Ideas" department in "Arithmetic Teacher: Mathematics Education through the Middle Grades." Each lesson includes background information, objectives, directions, extensions, and student worksheets. A matrix is included which correlates…

Some links on this page may take you to non-federal websites. Their policies may differ from this site.
Top