OntologyWidget – a reusable, embeddable widget for easily locating ontology terms

PubMed Central

Beauheim, Catherine C; Wymore, Farrell; Nitzberg, Michael; Zachariah, Zachariah K; Jin, Heng; Skene, JH Pate; Ball, Catherine A; Sherlock, Gavin

2007-01-01

Background Biomedical ontologies are being widely used to annotate biological data in a computer-accessible, consistent and well-defined manner. However, due to their size and complexity, annotating data with appropriate terms from an ontology is often challenging for experts and non-experts alike, because there exist few tools that allow one to quickly find relevant ontology terms to easily populate a web form. Results We have produced a tool, OntologyWidget, which allows users to rapidly search for and browse ontology terms. OntologyWidget can easily be embedded in other web-based applications. OntologyWidget is written using AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) and has two related elements. The first is a dynamic auto-complete ontology search feature. As a user enters characters into the search box, the appropriate ontology is queried remotely for terms that match the typed-in text, and the query results populate a drop-down list with all potential matches. Upon selection of a term from the list, the user can locate this term within a generic and dynamic ontology browser, which comprises the second element of the tool. The ontology browser shows the paths from a selected term to the root as well as parent/child tree hierarchies. We have implemented web services at the Stanford Microarray Database (SMD), which provide the OntologyWidget with access to over 40 ontologies from the Open Biological Ontology (OBO) website [1]. Each ontology is updated weekly. Adopters of the OntologyWidget can either use SMD's web services, or elect to rely on their own. Deploying the OntologyWidget can be accomplished in three simple steps: (1) install Apache Tomcat [2] on one's web server, (2) download and install the OntologyWidget servlet stub that provides access to the SMD ontology web services, and (3) create an html (HyperText Markup Language) file that refers to the OntologyWidget using a simple, well-defined format. Conclusion We have developed OntologyWidget, an easy

Visualizing Cloud Properties and Satellite Imagery: A Tool for Visualization and Information Integration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chee, T.; Nguyen, L.; Smith, W. L., Jr.; Spangenberg, D.; Palikonda, R.; Bedka, K. M.; Minnis, P.; Thieman, M. M.; Nordeen, M.

2017-12-01

Providing public access to research products including cloud macro and microphysical properties and satellite imagery are a key concern for the NASA Langley Research Center Cloud and Radiation Group. This work describes a web based visualization tool and API that allows end users to easily create customized cloud product and satellite imagery, ground site data and satellite ground track information that is generated dynamically. The tool has two uses, one to visualize the dynamically created imagery and the other to provide access to the dynamically generated imagery directly at a later time. Internally, we leverage our practical experience with large, scalable application practices to develop a system that has the largest potential for scalability as well as the ability to be deployed on the cloud to accommodate scalability issues. We build upon NASA Langley Cloud and Radiation Group's experience with making real-time and historical satellite cloud product information, satellite imagery, ground site data and satellite track information accessible and easily searchable. This tool is the culmination of our prior experience with dynamic imagery generation and provides a way to build a "mash-up" of dynamically generated imagery and related kinds of information that are visualized together to add value to disparate but related information. In support of NASA strategic goals, our group aims to make as much scientific knowledge, observations and products available to the citizen science, research and interested communities as well as for automated systems to acquire the same information for data mining or other analytic purposes. This tool and the underlying API's provide a valuable research tool to a wide audience both as a standalone research tool and also as an easily accessed data source that can easily be mined or used with existing tools.

Lightweight Object Oriented Structure analysis: Tools for building Tools to Analyze Molecular Dynamics Simulations

PubMed Central

Romo, Tod D.; Leioatts, Nicholas; Grossfield, Alan

2014-01-01

LOOS (Lightweight Object-Oriented Structure-analysis) is a C++ library designed to facilitate making novel tools for analyzing molecular dynamics simulations by abstracting out the repetitive tasks, allowing developers to focus on the scientifically relevant part of the problem. LOOS supports input using the native file formats of most common biomolecular simulation packages, including CHARMM, NAMD, Amber, Tinker, and Gromacs. A dynamic atom selection language based on the C expression syntax is included and is easily accessible to the tool-writer. In addition, LOOS is bundled with over 120 pre-built tools, including suites of tools for analyzing simulation convergence, 3D histograms, and elastic network models. Through modern C++ design, LOOS is both simple to develop with (requiring knowledge of only 4 core classes and a few utility functions) and is easily extensible. A python interface to the core classes is also provided, further facilitating tool development. PMID:25327784

A Tool and Application Programming Interface for Browsing Historical Geostationary Satellite Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chee, T.; Nguyen, L.; Minnis, P.; Spangenberg, D.; Ayers, J.

2013-12-01

Providing access to information is a key concern for NASA Langley Research Center. We describe a tool and method that allows end users to easily browse and access information that is otherwise difficult to acquire and manipulate. The tool described has as its core the application-programming interface that is made available to the public. One goal of the tool is to provide a demonstration to end users so that they can use the enhanced imagery as an input into their own work flows. This project builds upon NASA Langley Cloud and Radiation Group's experience with making real-time and historical satellite imagery accessible and easily searchable. As we see the increasing use of virtual supply chains that provide additional value at each link there is value in making satellite imagery available through a simple access method as well as allowing users to browse and view that imagery as they need rather than in a manner most convenient for the data provider.

Internet Tools Access Administrative Data at the University of Delaware.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jacobson, Carl

1995-01-01

At the University of Delaware, World Wide Web tools are used to produce multiplatform administrative applications, including hyperreporting, mixed media, electronic forms, and kiosk services. Web applications are quickly and easily crafted to interact with administrative databases. They are particularly suited to customer outreach efforts,…

Making large amounts of meteorological plots easily accessible to users

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lamy-Thepaut, Sylvie; Siemen, Stephan; Sahin, Cihan; Raoult, Baudouin

2015-04-01

The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) is an international organisation providing its member organisations with forecasts in the medium time range of 3 to 15 days, and some longer-range forecasts for up to a year ahead, with varying degrees of detail. As part of its mission, ECMWF generates an increasing number of forecast data products for its users. To support the work of forecasters and researchers and to let them make best use of ECMWF forecasts, the Centre also provides tools and interfaces to visualise their products. This allows users to make use of and explore forecasts without having to transfer large amounts of raw data. This is especially true for products based on ECMWF's 50 member ensemble forecast, where some specific processing and visualisation are applied to extract information. Every day, thousands of raw data are being pushed to the ECMWF's interactive web charts application called ecCharts, and thousands of products are processed and pushed to ECMWF's institutional web site ecCharts provides a highly interactive application to display and manipulate recent numerical forecasts to forecasters in national weather services and ECMWF's commercial customers. With ecCharts forecasters are able to explore ECMWF's medium-range forecasts in far greater detail than has previously been possible on the web, and this as soon as the forecast becomes available. All ecCharts's products are also available through a machine-to-machine web map service based on the OGC Web Map Service (WMS) standard. ECMWF institutional web site provides access to a large number of graphical products. It was entirely redesigned last year. It now shares the same infrastructure as ECMWF's ecCharts, and can benefit of some ecCharts functionalities, for example the dashboard. The dashboard initially developed for ecCharts allows users to organise their own collection of products depending on their work flow, and is being further developed. In its first

Tools for educational access to seismic data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taber, J. J.; Welti, R.; Bravo, T. K.; Hubenthal, M.; Frechette, K.

2017-12-01

Student engagement can be increased both by providing easy access to real data, and by addressing newsworthy events such as recent large earthquakes. IRIS EPO has a suite of access and visualization tools that can be used for such engagement, including a set of three tools that allow students to explore global seismicity, use seismic data to determine Earth structure, and view and analyze near-real-time ground motion data in the classroom. These tools are linked to online lessons that are designed for use in middle school through introductory undergraduate classes. The IRIS Earthquake Browser allows discovery of key aspects of plate tectonics, earthquake locations (in pseudo 3D) and seismicity rates and patterns. IEB quickly displays up to 20,000 seismic events over up to 30 years, making it one of the most responsive, practical ways to visualize historical seismicity in a browser. Maps are bookmarkable and preserve state, meaning IEB map links can be shared or worked into a lesson plan. The Global Seismogram Plotter automatically creates visually clear seismic record sections from selected large earthquakes that are tablet-friendly and can also to be printed for use in a classroom without computers. The plots are designed to be appropriate for use with no parameters to set, but users can also modify the plots, such as including a recording station near a chosen location. A guided exercise is provided where students use the record section to discover the diameter of Earth's outer core. Students can pick and compare phase arrival times onscreen which is key to performing the exercise. A companion station map shows station locations and further information and is linked to the record section. jAmaSeis displays seismic data in real-time from either a local instrument and/or from remote seismic stations that stream data using standard seismic data protocols, and can be used in the classroom or as a public display. Users can filter data, fit a seismogram to travel time

NATIONAL URBAN DATABASE AND ACCESS PROTAL TOOL

EPA Science Inventory

Current mesoscale weather prediction and microscale dispersion models are limited in their ability to perform accurate assessments in urban areas. A project called the National Urban Database with Access Portal Tool (NUDAPT) is beginning to provide urban data and improve the para...

Expectations, effect and experiences of an easily accessible self-management intervention for people with chronic pain: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial with embedded qualitative study.

PubMed

Nøst, Torunn Hatlen; Steinsbekk, Aslak; Bratås, Ola; Grønning, Kjersti

2016-07-18

People struggling with chronic pain may benefit from different types of non-pharmacological interventions such as self-management courses. Self-management courses aim to increase participants' skills and knowledge in managing chronic conditions. Community health-care services in Norway have increasingly established Healthy Life Centres (HLCs) to offer easily accessible interventions to people in need of support to better handle a life with chronic illness. The aim of this trial is to investigate the expectations, effect and experience of an easily accessible, group-based self-management course delivered at a HLC for people with chronic pain. This is an open pragmatic two-armed randomised controlled trial with an embedded qualitative study. The intervention is a self-management course comprising education, discussions, exchange of experiences between the participants, and physical movement exercises. The control group is offered a drop-in outdoor physical activity. The intervention period is 6 weeks. The primary outcome is patient activation measured by the patient activation measure (PAM). The secondary outcomes include measures of self-efficacy, pain and quality of life. Data will be collected at baseline, and after 3, 6 and 12 months. Using a mixed linear model, the number needed in each arm to achieve a power of 80 % becomes 55. To allow for dropout, the aim is to include 120 participants. Analysis will be done using mixed linear models. In the embedded qualitative study, we will perform semi-structured face-to-face interviews with a sample from both trial arms before randomisation and after 3 and 12 months. The topics elaborated will be motivation for participation and experiences with the activity related to possible changes in managing and coping with chronic pain. There is need for more knowledge on interventions delivering self-care support in an easily accessible way that aim to reach those in need of this kind of health service. This trial will

Lightweight object oriented structure analysis: tools for building tools to analyze molecular dynamics simulations.

PubMed

Romo, Tod D; Leioatts, Nicholas; Grossfield, Alan

2014-12-15

LOOS (Lightweight Object Oriented Structure-analysis) is a C++ library designed to facilitate making novel tools for analyzing molecular dynamics simulations by abstracting out the repetitive tasks, allowing developers to focus on the scientifically relevant part of the problem. LOOS supports input using the native file formats of most common biomolecular simulation packages, including CHARMM, NAMD, Amber, Tinker, and Gromacs. A dynamic atom selection language based on the C expression syntax is included and is easily accessible to the tool-writer. In addition, LOOS is bundled with over 140 prebuilt tools, including suites of tools for analyzing simulation convergence, three-dimensional histograms, and elastic network models. Through modern C++ design, LOOS is both simple to develop with (requiring knowledge of only four core classes and a few utility functions) and is easily extensible. A python interface to the core classes is also provided, further facilitating tool development. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

NASA PDS IMG: Accessing Your Planetary Image Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Padams, J.; Grimes, K.; Hollins, G.; Lavoie, S.; Stanboli, A.; Wagstaff, K.

2018-04-01

The Planetary Data System Cartography and Imaging Sciences Node provides a number of tools and services to integrate the 700+ TB of image data so information can be correlated across missions, instruments, and data sets and easily accessed by the science community.

Multi-tool accessibility assessment of government department websites:a case-study with JKGAD.

PubMed

Ismail, Abid; Kuppusamy, K S; Nengroo, Ab Shakoor

2017-08-02

Nature of being accessible to all categories of users is one of the primary factors for enabling the wider reach of the resources published through World Wide Web. The accessibility of websites has been analyzed through W3C guidelines with the help of various tools. This paper presents a multi-tool accessibility assessment of government department websites belonging to the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. A comparative analysis of six accessibility tools is also presented with 14 different parameters. The accessibility analysis tools used in this study for analysis are aChecker, Cynthia Says, Tenon, wave, Mauve, and Hera. These tools provide us the results of selected websites accessibility status on Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 1.0 and 2.0. It was found that there are variations in accessibility analysis results when using different accessibility metrics to measure the accessibility of websites. In addition to this, we have identified the guidelines which have frequently been violated. It was observed that there is a need for incorporating the accessibility component features among the selected websites. This paper presents a set of suggestions to improve the accessibility status of these sites so that the information and services provided by these sites shall reach a wider spectrum of audience without any barrier. Implications for rehabilitation The following points indicates that this case study of JKGAD websites comes under Rehabilitation focused on Visually Impaired users. Due to the universal nature of web, it should be accessible to all according to WCAG guidelines framed by World Wide Web Consortium. In this paper we have identified multiple accessibility barriers for persons with visual impairment while browsing the Jammu and Kashmir Government websites. Multi-tool analysis has been done to pin-point the potential barriers for persons with visually Impaired. Usability analysis has been performed to check whether these websites are suitable

Customizable tool for ecological data entry, assessment, monitoring, and interpretation

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Database for Inventory, Monitoring and Assessment (DIMA) is a highly customizable tool for data entry, assessment, monitoring, and interpretation. DIMA is a Microsoft Access database that can easily be used without Access knowledge and is available at no cost. Data can be entered for common, nat...

Vascular Access Tracking System: a Web-Based Clinical Tracking Tool for Identifying Catheter Related Blood Stream Infections in Interventional Radiology Placed Central Venous Catheters.

PubMed

Morrison, James; Kaufman, John

2016-12-01

Vascular access is invaluable in the treatment of hospitalized patients. Central venous catheters provide a durable and long-term solution while saving patients from repeated needle sticks for peripheral IVs and blood draws. The initial catheter placement procedure and long-term catheter usage place patients at risk for infection. The goal of this project was to develop a system to track and evaluate central line-associated blood stream infections related to interventional radiology placement of central venous catheters. A customized web-based clinical database was developed via open-source tools to provide a dashboard for data mining and analysis of the catheter placement and infection information. Preliminary results were gathered over a 4-month period confirming the utility of the system. The tools and methodology employed to develop the vascular access tracking system could be easily tailored to other clinical scenarios to assist in quality control and improvement programs.

Upholding Accessibility Standards When Selecting Tech Tools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whetstone, Kimarie W.

2017-01-01

Research-supported guidelines to assist faculty with finding and evaluating online course tools and media that are accessible to learners taking online college courses in the United States are not generally available. The recent refresh to Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (29 U.S.C. § 794(d)) provides justification for…

Easily disassembled electrical connector for high voltage, high frequency connections

DOEpatents

Milner, Joseph R.

1994-01-01

An easily accessible electrical connector capable of rapid assembly and disassembly wherein a wide metal conductor sheet may be evenly contacted over the entire width of the conductor sheet by opposing surfaces on the connector which provide an even clamping pressure against opposite surfaces of the metal conductor sheet using a single threaded actuating screw.

Easily disassembled electrical connector for high voltage, high frequency connections

DOEpatents

Milner, J.R.

1994-05-10

An easily accessible electrical connector capable of rapid assembly and disassembly is described wherein a wide metal conductor sheet may be evenly contacted over the entire width of the conductor sheet by opposing surfaces on the connector which provide an even clamping pressure against opposite surfaces of the metal conductor sheet using a single threaded actuating screw. 13 figures.

Providing Access and Visualization to Global Cloud Properties from GEO Satellites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chee, T.; Nguyen, L.; Minnis, P.; Spangenberg, D.; Palikonda, R.; Ayers, J. K.

2015-12-01

Providing public access to cloud macro and microphysical properties is a key concern for the NASA Langley Research Center Cloud and Radiation Group. This work describes a tool and method that allows end users to easily browse and access cloud information that is otherwise difficult to acquire and manipulate. The core of the tool is an application-programming interface that is made available to the public. One goal of the tool is to provide a demonstration to end users so that they can use the dynamically generated imagery as an input into their own work flows for both image generation and cloud product requisition. This project builds upon NASA Langley Cloud and Radiation Group's experience with making real-time and historical satellite cloud product imagery accessible and easily searchable. As we see the increasing use of virtual supply chains that provide additional value at each link there is value in making satellite derived cloud product information available through a simple access method as well as allowing users to browse and view that imagery as they need rather than in a manner most convenient for the data provider. Using the Open Geospatial Consortium's Web Processing Service as our access method, we describe a system that uses a hybrid local and cloud based parallel processing system that can return both satellite imagery and cloud product imagery as well as the binary data used to generate them in multiple formats. The images and cloud products are sourced from multiple satellites and also "merged" datasets created by temporally and spatially matching satellite sensors. Finally, the tool and API allow users to access information that spans the time ranges that our group has information available. In the case of satellite imagery, the temporal range can span the entire lifetime of the sensor.

An Overview of Public Access Computer Software Management Tools for Libraries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wayne, Richard

2004-01-01

An IT decision maker gives an overview of public access PC software that's useful in controlling session length and scheduling, Internet access, print output, security, and the latest headaches: spyware and adware. In this article, the author describes a representative sample of software tools in several important categories such as setup…

The Adversarial Route Analysis Tool: A Web Application

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

Casson, William H. Jr.

2012-08-02

The Adversarial Route Analysis Tool is a type of Google maps for adversaries. It's a web-based Geospatial application similar to Google Maps. It helps the U.S. government plan operations that predict where an adversary might be. It's easily accessible and maintainble and it's simple to use without much training.

Making On-Line Science Course Materials Easily Translatable and Accessible Worldwide: Challenges and Solutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adams, Wendy K.; Alhadlaq, Hisham; Malley, Christopher V.; Perkins, Katherine K.; Olson, Jonathan; Alshaya, Fahad; Alabdulkareem, Saleh; Wieman, Carl E.

2012-01-01

The PhET Interactive Simulations Project partnered with the Excellence Research Center of Science and Mathematics Education at King Saud University with the joint goal of making simulations useable worldwide. One of the main challenges of this partnership is to make PhET simulations and the website easily translatable into any language. The PhET…

Easily Accessible Camera Mount

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chalson, H. E.

1986-01-01

Modified mount enables fast alinement of movie cameras in explosionproof housings. Screw on side and readily reached through side door of housing. Mount includes right-angle drive mechanism containing two miter gears that turn threaded shaft. Shaft drives movable dovetail clamping jaw that engages fixed dovetail plate on camera. Mechanism alines camera in housing and secures it. Reduces installation time by 80 percent.

Interactive, open source, travel time scenario modelling: tools to facilitate participation in health service access analysis.

PubMed

Fisher, Rohan; Lassa, Jonatan

2017-04-18

Modelling travel time to services has become a common public health tool for planning service provision but the usefulness of these analyses is constrained by the availability of accurate input data and limitations inherent in the assumptions and parameterisation. This is particularly an issue in the developing world where access to basic data is limited and travel is often complex and multi-modal. Improving the accuracy and relevance in this context requires greater accessibility to, and flexibility in, travel time modelling tools to facilitate the incorporation of local knowledge and the rapid exploration of multiple travel scenarios. The aim of this work was to develop simple open source, adaptable, interactive travel time modelling tools to allow greater access to and participation in service access analysis. Described are three interconnected applications designed to reduce some of the barriers to the more wide-spread use of GIS analysis of service access and allow for complex spatial and temporal variations in service availability. These applications are an open source GIS tool-kit and two geo-simulation models. The development of these tools was guided by health service issues from a developing world context but they present a general approach to enabling greater access to and flexibility in health access modelling. The tools demonstrate a method that substantially simplifies the process for conducting travel time assessments and demonstrate a dynamic, interactive approach in an open source GIS format. In addition this paper provides examples from empirical experience where these tools have informed better policy and planning. Travel and health service access is complex and cannot be reduced to a few static modeled outputs. The approaches described in this paper use a unique set of tools to explore this complexity, promote discussion and build understanding with the goal of producing better planning outcomes. The accessible, flexible, interactive and

New Tools for Sea Ice Data Analysis and Visualization: NSIDC's Arctic Sea Ice News and Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vizcarra, N.; Stroeve, J.; Beam, K.; Beitler, J.; Brandt, M.; Kovarik, J.; Savoie, M. H.; Skaug, M.; Stafford, T.

2017-12-01

Arctic sea ice has long been recognized as a sensitive climate indicator and has undergone a dramatic decline over the past thirty years. Antarctic sea ice continues to be an intriguing and active field of research. The National Snow and Ice Data Center's Arctic Sea Ice News & Analysis (ASINA) offers researchers and the public a transparent view of sea ice data and analysis. We have released a new set of tools for sea ice analysis and visualization. In addition to Charctic, our interactive sea ice extent graph, the new Sea Ice Data and Analysis Tools page provides access to Arctic and Antarctic sea ice data organized in seven different data workbooks, updated daily or monthly. An interactive tool lets scientists, or the public, quickly compare changes in ice extent and location. Another tool allows users to map trends, anomalies, and means for user-defined time periods. Animations of September Arctic and Antarctic monthly average sea ice extent and concentration may also be accessed from this page. Our tools help the NSIDC scientists monitor and understand sea ice conditions in near real time. They also allow the public to easily interact with and explore sea ice data. Technical innovations in our data center helped NSIDC quickly build these tools and more easily maintain them. The tools were made publicly accessible to meet the desire from the public and members of the media to access the numbers and calculations that power our visualizations and analysis. This poster explores these tools and how other researchers, the media, and the general public are using them.

WebGeocalc and Cosmographia: Modern Tools to Access SPICE Archives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Semenov, B. V.; Acton, C. H.; Bachman, N. J.; Ferguson, E. W.; Rose, M. E.; Wright, E. D.

2017-06-01

The WebGeocalc (WGC) web client-server tool and the SPICE-enhanced Cosmographia visualization program are two new ways for accessing space mission geometry data provided in the PDS SPICE kernel archives and by mission operational SPICE kernel sets.

GoCxx: a tool to easily leverage C++ legacy code for multicore-friendly Go libraries and frameworks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Binet, Sébastien

2012-12-01

Current HENP libraries and frameworks were written before multicore systems became widely deployed and used. From this environment, a ‘single-thread’ processing model naturally emerged but the implicit assumptions it encouraged are greatly impairing our abilities to scale in a multicore/manycore world. Writing scalable code in C++ for multicore architectures, while doable, is no panacea. Sure, C++11 will improve on the current situation (by standardizing on std::thread, introducing lambda functions and defining a memory model) but it will do so at the price of complicating further an already quite sophisticated language. This level of sophistication has probably already strongly motivated analysis groups to migrate to CPython, hoping for its current limitations with respect to multicore scalability to be either lifted (Grand Interpreter Lock removal) or for the advent of a new Python VM better tailored for this kind of environment (PyPy, Jython, …) Could HENP migrate to a language with none of the deficiencies of C++ (build time, deployment, low level tools for concurrency) and with the fast turn-around time, simplicity and ease of coding of Python? This paper will try to make the case for Go - a young open source language with built-in facilities to easily express and expose concurrency - being such a language. We introduce GoCxx, a tool leveraging gcc-xml's output to automatize the tedious work of creating Go wrappers for foreign languages, a critical task for any language wishing to leverage legacy and field-tested code. We will conclude with the first results of applying GoCxx to real C++ code.

DRT accessibility tool (P1) : user guide (P2) : workshop materials (P3).

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-03-01

This is a collection of workshop materials, collected in August 2014, pertaining to a DRT Accessibility Tool developed for the Texas : Department of Transportation. This tool addresses some of the challenges of operating : a demand-responsive transit...

Accessing the SEED genome databases via Web services API: tools for programmers.

PubMed

Disz, Terry; Akhter, Sajia; Cuevas, Daniel; Olson, Robert; Overbeek, Ross; Vonstein, Veronika; Stevens, Rick; Edwards, Robert A

2010-06-14

The SEED integrates many publicly available genome sequences into a single resource. The database contains accurate and up-to-date annotations based on the subsystems concept that leverages clustering between genomes and other clues to accurately and efficiently annotate microbial genomes. The backend is used as the foundation for many genome annotation tools, such as the Rapid Annotation using Subsystems Technology (RAST) server for whole genome annotation, the metagenomics RAST server for random community genome annotations, and the annotation clearinghouse for exchanging annotations from different resources. In addition to a web user interface, the SEED also provides Web services based API for programmatic access to the data in the SEED, allowing the development of third-party tools and mash-ups. The currently exposed Web services encompass over forty different methods for accessing data related to microbial genome annotations. The Web services provide comprehensive access to the database back end, allowing any programmer access to the most consistent and accurate genome annotations available. The Web services are deployed using a platform independent service-oriented approach that allows the user to choose the most suitable programming platform for their application. Example code demonstrate that Web services can be used to access the SEED using common bioinformatics programming languages such as Perl, Python, and Java. We present a novel approach to access the SEED database. Using Web services, a robust API for access to genomics data is provided, without requiring large volume downloads all at once. The API ensures timely access to the most current datasets available, including the new genomes as soon as they come online.

Automating testbed documentation and database access using World Wide Web (WWW) tools

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ames, Charles; Auernheimer, Brent; Lee, Young H.

1994-01-01

A method for providing uniform transparent access to disparate distributed information systems was demonstrated. A prototype testing interface was developed to access documentation and information using publicly available hypermedia tools. The prototype gives testers a uniform, platform-independent user interface to on-line documentation, user manuals, and mission-specific test and operations data. Mosaic was the common user interface, and HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) provided hypertext capability.

λ5-Phosphorus-Containing α-Diazo Compounds: A Valuable Tool for Accessing Phosphorus-Functionalized Molecules.

PubMed

Marinozzi, Maura; Pertusati, Fabrizio; Serpi, Michaela

2016-11-23

The compounds characterized by the presence of a λ 5 -phosphorus functionality at the α-position with respect to the diazo moiety, here referred to as λ 5 -phosphorus-containing α-diazo compounds (PCDCs), represent a vast class of extremely versatile reagents in organic chemistry and are particularly useful in the preparation of phosphonate- and phosphinoxide-functionalized molecules. Indeed, thanks to the high reactivity of the diazo moiety, PCDCs can be induced to undergo a wide variety of chemical transformations. Among them are carbon-hydrogen, as well as heteroatom-hydrogen insertion reactions, cyclopropanation, ylide formation, Wolff rearrangement, and cycloaddition reactions. PCDCs can be easily prepared from readily accessible precursors by a variety of different methods, such as diazotization, Bamford-Stevens-type elimination, and diazo transfer reactions. This evidence along with their relative stability and manageability make them appealing tools in organic synthesis. This Review aims to demonstrate the ongoing utility of PCDCs in the modern preparation of different classes of phosphorus-containing compounds, phosphonates, in particular. Furthermore, to address the lack of precedent collective papers, this Review also summarizes the methods for PCDCs preparation.

Open access for ALICE analysis based on virtualization technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buncic, P.; Gheata, M.; Schutz, Y.

2015-12-01

Open access is one of the important leverages for long-term data preservation for a HEP experiment. To guarantee the usability of data analysis tools beyond the experiment lifetime it is crucial that third party users from the scientific community have access to the data and associated software. The ALICE Collaboration has developed a layer of lightweight components built on top of virtualization technology to hide the complexity and details of the experiment-specific software. Users can perform basic analysis tasks within CernVM, a lightweight generic virtual machine, paired with an ALICE specific contextualization. Once the virtual machine is launched, a graphical user interface is automatically started without any additional configuration. This interface allows downloading the base ALICE analysis software and running a set of ALICE analysis modules. Currently the available tools include fully documented tutorials for ALICE analysis, such as the measurement of strange particle production or the nuclear modification factor in Pb-Pb collisions. The interface can be easily extended to include an arbitrary number of additional analysis modules. We present the current status of the tools used by ALICE through the CERN open access portal, and the plans for future extensions of this system.

Data access and decision tools for coastal water resources ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

US EPA has supported the development of numerous models and tools to support implementation of environmental regulations. However, transfer of knowledge and methods from detailed technical models to support practical problem solving by local communities and watershed or coastal management organizations remains a challenge. We have developed the Estuary Data Mapper (EDM) to facilitate data discovery, visualization and access to support environmental problem solving for coastal watersheds and estuaries. EDM is a stand-alone application based on open-source software which requires only internet access for operation. Initially, development of EDM focused on delivery of raw data streams from distributed web services, ranging from atmospheric deposition to hydrologic, tidal, and water quality time series, estuarine habitat characteristics, and remote sensing products. We have transitioned to include access to value-added products which provide end-users with results of future scenario analysis, facilitate extension of models across geographic regions, and/or promote model interoperability. Here we present three examples: 1) the delivery of input data for the development of seagrass models across estuaries, 2) scenarios illustrating the implications of riparian buffer management (loss or restoration) for stream thermal regimes and fish communities, and 3) access to hydrology model outputs to foster connections across models at different scales, ultimately feeding

The Role of Social Media Tools: Accessible Tourism for Disabled Citizens

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Altinay, Zehra; Saner, Tulen; Bahçelerli, Nesrin M.; Altinay, Fahriye

2016-01-01

Knowledge sharing becomes important to accomplish digital citizenship. Social media tools become popular to share and diffuse the knowledge in the digitalization. This social media learning and knowledge sharing platforms provides accessibility to the services within societies especially for disabled citizens. This research study aims to evaluate…

Demonstrating High-Accuracy Orbital Access Using Open-Source Tools

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gilbertson, Christian; Welch, Bryan

2017-01-01

Orbit propagation is fundamental to almost every space-based analysis. Currently, many system analysts use commercial software to predict the future positions of orbiting satellites. This is one of many capabilities that can replicated, with great accuracy, without using expensive, proprietary software. NASAs SCaN (Space Communication and Navigation) Center for Engineering, Networks, Integration, and Communications (SCENIC) project plans to provide its analysis capabilities using a combination of internal and open-source software, allowing for a much greater measure of customization and flexibility, while reducing recurring software license costs. MATLAB and the open-source Orbit Determination Toolbox created by Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) were utilized to develop tools with the capability to propagate orbits, perform line-of-sight (LOS) availability analyses, and visualize the results. The developed programs are modular and can be applied for mission planning and viability analysis in a variety of Solar System applications. The tools can perform 2 and N-body orbit propagation, find inter-satellite and satellite to ground station LOS access (accounting for intermediate oblate spheroid body blocking, geometric restrictions of the antenna field-of-view (FOV), and relativistic corrections), and create animations of planetary movement, satellite orbits, and LOS accesses. The code is the basis for SCENICs broad analysis capabilities including dynamic link analysis, dilution-of-precision navigation analysis, and orbital availability calculations.

Disaster easily averted? Data confidentiality and the hospital desktop computer.

PubMed

Sethi, Neeraj; Lane, Gethin; Newton, Sophie; Egan, Philip; Ghosh, Samit

2014-05-01

We specifically identified the hospital desktop computer as a potential source of breaches in confidentiality. We aimed to evaluate if there was accessible, unprotected, confidential information stored on the desktop screen on computers in a district general hospital and if so, how a teaching intervention could improve this situation. An unannounced spot check of 59 ward computers was performed. Data were collected regarding how many had confidential information stored on the desktop screen without any password protection. An online learning module was mandated for healthcare staff and a second cycle of inspection performed. A district general hospital. Two doctors conducted the audit. Computers in clinical areas were assessed. All clinical staff with computer access underwent the online learning module. An online learning module regarding data protection and confidentiality. In the first cycle, 55% of ward computers had easily accessible patient or staff confidential information stored on their desktop screen. This included handovers, referral letters, staff sick leave lists, audits and nursing reports. The majority (85%) of computers accessed were logged in under a generic username and password. The intervention produced an improvement in the second cycle findings with only 26% of computers being found to have unprotected confidential information stored on them. The failure to comply with appropriate confidential data protection regulations is a persistent problem. Education produces some improvement but we also propose a systemic approach to solving this problem. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Providing web-based tools for time series access and analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eberle, Jonas; Hüttich, Christian; Schmullius, Christiane

2014-05-01

Time series information is widely used in environmental change analyses and is also an essential information for stakeholders and governmental agencies. However, a challenging issue is the processing of raw data and the execution of time series analysis. In most cases, data has to be found, downloaded, processed and even converted in the correct data format prior to executing time series analysis tools. Data has to be prepared to use it in different existing software packages. Several packages like TIMESAT (Jönnson & Eklundh, 2004) for phenological studies, BFAST (Verbesselt et al., 2010) for breakpoint detection, and GreenBrown (Forkel et al., 2013) for trend calculations are provided as open-source software and can be executed from the command line. This is needed if data pre-processing and time series analysis is being automated. To bring both parts, automated data access and data analysis, together, a web-based system was developed to provide access to satellite based time series data and access to above mentioned analysis tools. Users of the web portal are able to specify a point or a polygon and an available dataset (e.g., Vegetation Indices and Land Surface Temperature datasets from NASA MODIS). The data is then being processed and provided as a time series CSV file. Afterwards the user can select an analysis tool that is being executed on the server. The final data (CSV, plot images, GeoTIFFs) is visualized in the web portal and can be downloaded for further usage. As a first use case, we built up a complimentary web-based system with NASA MODIS products for Germany and parts of Siberia based on the Earth Observation Monitor (www.earth-observation-monitor.net). The aim of this work is to make time series analysis with existing tools as easy as possible that users can focus on the interpretation of the results. References: Jönnson, P. and L. Eklundh (2004). TIMESAT - a program for analysing time-series of satellite sensor data. Computers and Geosciences 30

The Small Body Mapping Tool (SBMT) for Accessing, Visualizing, and Analyzing Spacecraft Data in Three Dimensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barnouin, O. S.; Ernst, C. M.; Daly, R. T.

2018-04-01

The free, publicly available Small Body Mapping Tool (SBMT) developed at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory is a powerful, easy-to-use tool for accessing and analyzing data from small bodies.

Tools for Integrating Data Access from the IRIS DMC into Research Workflows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reyes, C. G.; Suleiman, Y. Y.; Trabant, C.; Karstens, R.; Weertman, B. R.

2012-12-01

Web service interfaces at the IRIS Data Management Center (DMC) provide access to a vast archive of seismological and related geophysical data. These interfaces are designed to easily incorporate data access into data processing workflows. Examples of data that may be accessed include: time series data, related metadata, and earthquake information. The DMC has developed command line scripts, MATLAB® interfaces and a Java library to support a wide variety of data access needs. Users of these interfaces do not need to concern themselves with web service details, networking, or even (in most cases) data conversion. Fetch scripts allow access to the DMC archive and are a comfortable fit for command line users. These scripts are written in Perl and are well suited for automation and integration into existing workflows on most operating systems. For metdata and event information, the Fetch scripts even parse the returned data into simple text summaries. The IRIS Java Web Services Library (IRIS-WS Library) allows Java developers the ability to create programs that access the DMC archives seamlessly. By returning the data and information as native Java objects the Library insulates the developer from data formats, network programming and web service details. The MATLAB interfaces leverage this library to allow users access to the DMC archive directly from within MATLAB (r2009b or newer), returning data into variables for immediate use. Data users and research groups are developing other toolkits that use the DMC's web services. Notably, the ObsPy framework developed at LMU Munich is a Python Toolbox that allows seamless access to data and information via the DMC services. Another example is the MATLAB-based GISMO and Waveform Suite developments that can now access data via web services. In summary, there now exist a host of ways that researchers can bring IRIS DMC data directly into their workflows. MATLAB users can use irisFetch.m, command line users can use the various

Planetary data in education: tool development for access to the Planetary Data System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Atkinson, C. H.; Andres, P. M.; Liggett, P. K.; Lowes, L. L.; Sword, B. J.

2003-01-01

In this session we will describe and demonstrate the interface to the PDS access tools and functions developed for the scientific community, and discuss the potential for its utilization in K-14 formal and informal settings.

A tool for improving the Web accessibility of visually handicapped persons.

PubMed

Fujiki, Tadayoshi; Hanada, Eisuke; Yamada, Tomomi; Noda, Yoshihiro; Antoku, Yasuaki; Nakashima, Naoki; Nose, Yoshiaki

2006-04-01

Abstract Much has been written concerning the difficulties faced by visually handicapped persons when they access the internet. To solve some of the problems and to make web pages more accessible, we developed a tool we call the "Easy Bar," which works as a toolbar on the web browser. The functions of the Easy Bar are to change the size of web texts and images, to adjust the color, and to clear cached data that is automatically saved by the web browser. These functions are executed with ease by clicking buttons and operating a pull-down list. Since the icons built into Easy Bar are quite large, it is not necessary for the user to deal with delicate operations. The functions of Easy Bar run on any web page without increasing the processing time. For the visually handicapped, Easy Bar would contribute greatly to improved web accessibility to medical information.

SWS: accessing SRS sites contents through Web Services.

PubMed

Romano, Paolo; Marra, Domenico

2008-03-26

Web Services and Workflow Management Systems can support creation and deployment of network systems, able to automate data analysis and retrieval processes in biomedical research. Web Services have been implemented at bioinformatics centres and workflow systems have been proposed for biological data analysis. New databanks are often developed by taking into account these technologies, but many existing databases do not allow a programmatic access. Only a fraction of available databanks can thus be queried through programmatic interfaces. SRS is a well know indexing and search engine for biomedical databanks offering public access to many databanks and analysis tools. Unfortunately, these data are not easily and efficiently accessible through Web Services. We have developed 'SRS by WS' (SWS), a tool that makes information available in SRS sites accessible through Web Services. Information on known sites is maintained in a database, srsdb. SWS consists in a suite of WS that can query both srsdb, for information on sites and databases, and SRS sites. SWS returns results in a text-only format and can be accessed through a WSDL compliant client. SWS enables interoperability between workflow systems and SRS implementations, by also managing access to alternative sites, in order to cope with network and maintenance problems, and selecting the most up-to-date among available systems. Development and implementation of Web Services, allowing to make a programmatic access to an exhaustive set of biomedical databases can significantly improve automation of in-silico analysis. SWS supports this activity by making biological databanks that are managed in public SRS sites available through a programmatic interface.

Using Virtual Astronomical Observatory Tools for Astronomy 101

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mighell, Kenneth J.; Garmany, K.; Larson, K.; Eastwood, K. D.

2009-01-01

The Virtual Observatory provides several tools that are useful for educators. With these tools, instructors can easily provide real data to students in an environment that engages student curiosity and builds student understanding. In this poster we demonstrate how the tools Aladin and TOPCAT can be used to enhance astronomy education. The Aladin Sky Atlas is a Virtual Observatory portal from the CDS that displays images, superimposes catalogs, and provides interactive access to data. For illustration, we show an exercise for non-science majors in a college-level astronomy course that introduces students to the HR diagram of star clusters. After launching the pre-loaded Aladin applet, students select their own stars, connecting visual cues of brightness and color to the conceptual meaning behind a quantitative HR diagram. TOPCAT can be linked with Aladin on the desktop to let students analyze their data, perform calculations, and create professional-quality graphs. The basic exercise can be easily expanded to address other learning objectives and provides a launching point for students to access, visualize, and explore multi-wavelength data as they continue in astronomy. As a second example, we show an exercise that uses TOPCAT to do three-dimensional plotting of the positions of open and globular cluster to illustrate galactic structure. Detailed information is available at the following website: http://www.noao.edu/staff/mighell/nvoss2008/ . This research was done at the 2008 U.S. National Virtual Observatory Summer School which was held in Santa Fe, New Mexico on September 3 - 11, 2008 and was sponsored by the National Science Foundation.

External access to ALICE controls conditions data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jadlovský, J.; Jadlovská, A.; Sarnovský, J.; Jajčišin, Š.; Čopík, M.; Jadlovská, S.; Papcun, P.; Bielek, R.; Čerkala, J.; Kopčík, M.; Chochula, P.; Augustinus, A.

2014-06-01

ALICE Controls data produced by commercial SCADA system WINCCOA is stored in ORACLE database on the private experiment network. The SCADA system allows for basic access and processing of the historical data. More advanced analysis requires tools like ROOT and needs therefore a separate access method to the archives. The present scenario expects that detector experts create simple WINCCOA scripts, which retrieves and stores data in a form usable for further studies. This relatively simple procedure generates a lot of administrative overhead - users have to request the data, experts needed to run the script, the results have to be exported outside of the experiment network. The new mechanism profits from database replica, which is running on the CERN campus network. Access to this database is not restricted and there is no risk of generating a heavy load affecting the operation of the experiment. The developed tools presented in this paper allow for access to this data. The users can use web-based tools to generate the requests, consisting of the data identifiers and period of time of interest. The administrators maintain full control over the data - an authorization and authentication mechanism helps to assign privileges to selected users and restrict access to certain groups of data. Advanced caching mechanism allows the user to profit from the presence of already processed data sets. This feature significantly reduces the time required for debugging as the retrieval of raw data can last tens of minutes. A highly configurable client allows for information retrieval bypassing the interactive interface. This method is for example used by ALICE Offline to extract operational conditions after a run is completed. Last but not least, the software can be easily adopted to any underlying database structure and is therefore not limited to WINCCOA.

Web-Based Geographic Information System Tool for Accessing Hanford Site Environmental Data

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

Triplett, Mark B.; Seiple, Timothy E.; Watson, David J.

Data volume, complexity, and access issues pose severe challenges for analysts, regulators and stakeholders attempting to efficiently use legacy data to support decision making at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Hanford Site. DOE has partnered with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) on the PHOENIX (PNNL-Hanford Online Environmental Information System) project, which seeks to address data access, transparency, and integration challenges at Hanford to provide effective decision support. PHOENIX is a family of spatially-enabled web applications providing quick access to decades of valuable scientific data and insight through intuitive query, visualization, and analysis tools. PHOENIX realizes broad, public accessibilitymore » by relying only on ubiquitous web-browsers, eliminating the need for specialized software. It accommodates a wide range of users with intuitive user interfaces that require little or no training to quickly obtain and visualize data. Currently, PHOENIX is actively hosting three applications focused on groundwater monitoring, groundwater clean-up performance reporting, and in-tank monitoring. PHOENIX-based applications are being used to streamline investigative and analytical processes at Hanford, saving time and money. But more importantly, by integrating previously isolated datasets and developing relevant visualization and analysis tools, PHOENIX applications are enabling DOE to discover new correlations hidden in legacy data, allowing them to more effectively address complex issues at Hanford.« less

Increasing Access and Usability of Remote Sensing Data: The NASA Protected Area Archive

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Geller, Gary N.

2004-01-01

Although remote sensing data are now widely available, much of it at low or no-cost, many managers of protected conservation areas do not have the expertise or tools to view or analyze it. Thus access to it by the protected area management community is effectively blocked. The Protected Area Archive will increase access to remote sensing data by creating collections of satellite images of protected areas and packaging them with simple-to-use visualization and analytical tools. The user can easily locate the area and image of interest on a map, then display, roam, and zoom the image. A set of simple tools will be provided so the user can explore the data and employ it to assist in management and monitoring of their area. The 'Phase 1 ' version requires only a Windows-based computer and basic computer skills, and may be of particular help to protected area managers in developing countries.

Open access to high-level data and analysis tools in the CMS experiment at the LHC

DOE PAGES

Calderon, A.; Colling, D.; Huffman, A.; ...

2015-12-23

The CMS experiment, in recognition of its commitment to data preservation and open access as well as to education and outreach, has made its first public release of high-level data under the CC0 waiver: up to half of the proton-proton collision data (by volume) at 7 TeV from 2010 in CMS Analysis Object Data format. CMS has prepared, in collaboration with CERN and the other LHC experiments, an open-data web portal based on Invenio. The portal provides access to CMS public data as well as to analysis tools and documentation for the public. The tools include an event display andmore » histogram application that run in the browser. In addition a virtual machine containing a CMS software environment along with XRootD access to the data is available. Within the virtual machine the public can analyse CMS data, example code is provided. As a result, we describe the accompanying tools and documentation and discuss the first experiences of data use.« less

Interactive and Approachable Web-Based Tools for Exploring Global Geophysical Data Records

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Croteau, M. J.; Nerem, R. S.; Merrifield, M. A.; Thompson, P. R.; Loomis, B. D.; Wiese, D. N.; Zlotnicki, V.; Larson, J.; Talpe, M.; Hardy, R. A.

2017-12-01

Making global and regional data accessible and understandable for non-experts can be both challenging and hazardous. While data products are often developed with end users in mind, the ease of use of these data can vary greatly. Scientists must take care to provide detailed guides for how to use data products to ensure users are not incorrectly applying data to their problem. For example, terrestrial water storage data from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellite mission is notoriously difficult for non-experts to access and correctly use. However, allowing these data to be easily accessible to scientists outside the GRACE community is desirable because this would allow that data to see much wider-spread use. We have developed a web-based interactive mapping and plotting tool that provides easy access to geophysical data. This work presents an intuitive method for making such data widely accessible to experts and non-experts alike, making the data approachable and ensuring proper use of the data. This tool has proven helpful to experts by providing fast and detailed access to the data. Simultaneously, the tool allows non-experts to gain familiarity with the information contained in the data and access to that information for both scientific studies and public use. In this presentation, we discuss the development of this tool and application to both GRACE and ocean altimetry satellite missions, and demonstrate the capabilities of the tool. Focusing on the data visualization aspects of the tool, we showcase our integrations of the Mapbox API and the D3.js data-driven web document framework. We then explore the potential of these tools in other web-based visualization projects, and how incorporation of such tools into science can improve the presentation of research results. We demonstrate how the development of an interactive and exploratory resource can enable further layers of exploratory and scientific discovery.

Improving the effectiveness of ecological site descriptions: General state-and-transition models and the Ecosystem Dynamics Interpretive Tool (EDIT)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bestelmeyer, Brandon T.; Williamson, Jeb C.; Talbot, Curtis J.; Cates, Greg W.; Duniway, Michael C.; Brown, Joel R.

2016-01-01

State-and-transition models (STMs) are useful tools for management, but they can be difficult to use and have limited content.STMs created for groups of related ecological sites could simplify and improve their utility. The amount of information linked to models can be increased using tables that communicate management interpretations and important within-group variability.We created a new web-based information system (the Ecosystem Dynamics Interpretive Tool) to house STMs, associated tabular information, and other ecological site data and descriptors.Fewer, more informative, better organized, and easily accessible STMs should increase the accessibility of science information.

MATISSE: A novel tool to access, visualize and analyse data from planetary exploration missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zinzi, A.; Capria, M. T.; Palomba, E.; Giommi, P.; Antonelli, L. A.

2016-04-01

The increasing number and complexity of planetary exploration space missions require new tools to access, visualize and analyse data to improve their scientific return. ASI Science Data Center (ASDC) addresses this request with the web-tool MATISSE (Multi-purpose Advanced Tool for the Instruments of the Solar System Exploration), allowing the visualization of single observation or real-time computed high-order products, directly projected on the three-dimensional model of the selected target body. Using MATISSE it will be no longer needed to download huge quantity of data or to write down a specific code for every instrument analysed, greatly encouraging studies based on joint analysis of different datasets. In addition the extremely high-resolution output, to be used offline with a Python-based free software, together with the files to be read with specific GIS software, makes it a valuable tool to further process the data at the best spatial accuracy available. MATISSE modular structure permits addition of new missions or tasks and, thanks to dedicated future developments, it would be possible to make it compliant to the Planetary Virtual Observatory standards currently under definition. In this context the recent development of an interface to the NASA ODE REST API by which it is possible to access to public repositories is set.

Authoring Tools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Treviranus, Jutta

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

The iMeteo is a web-based weather visualization tool

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tuni San-Martín, Max; San-Martín, Daniel; Cofiño, Antonio S.

2010-05-01

iMeteo is a web-based weather visualization tool. Designed with an extensible J2EE architecture, it is capable of displaying information from heterogeneous data sources such as gridded data from numerical models (in NetCDF format) or databases of local predictions. All this information is presented in a user-friendly way, being able to choose the specific tool to display data (maps, graphs, information tables) and customize it to desired locations. *Modular Display System* Visualization of the data is achieved through a set of mini tools called widgets. A user can add them at will and arrange them around the screen easily with a drag and drop movement. They can be of various types and each can be configured separately, forming a really powerful and configurable system. The "Map" is the most complex widget, since it can show several variables simultaneously (either gridded or point-based) through a layered display. Other useful widgets are the the "Histogram", which generates a graph with the frequency characteristics of a variable and the "Timeline" which shows the time evolution of a variable at a given location in an interactive way. *Customization and security* Following the trends in web development, the user can easily customize the way data is displayed. Due to programming in client side with technologies like AJAX, the interaction with the application is similar to the desktop ones because there are rapid respone times. If a user is registered then he could also save his settings in the database, allowing access from any system with Internet access with his particular setup. There is particular emphasis on application security. The administrator can define a set of user profiles, which may have associated restrictions on access to certain data sources, geographic areas or time intervals.

Cloud-Based Computational Tools for Earth Science Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arendt, A. A.; Fatland, R.; Howe, B.

2015-12-01

Earth scientists are increasingly required to think across disciplines and utilize a wide range of datasets in order to solve complex environmental challenges. Although significant progress has been made in distributing data, researchers must still invest heavily in developing computational tools to accommodate their specific domain. Here we document our development of lightweight computational data systems aimed at enabling rapid data distribution, analytics and problem solving tools for Earth science applications. Our goal is for these systems to be easily deployable, scalable and flexible to accommodate new research directions. As an example we describe "Ice2Ocean", a software system aimed at predicting runoff from snow and ice in the Gulf of Alaska region. Our backend components include relational database software to handle tabular and vector datasets, Python tools (NumPy, pandas and xray) for rapid querying of gridded climate data, and an energy and mass balance hydrological simulation model (SnowModel). These components are hosted in a cloud environment for direct access across research teams, and can also be accessed via API web services using a REST interface. This API is a vital component of our system architecture, as it enables quick integration of our analytical tools across disciplines, and can be accessed by any existing data distribution centers. We will showcase several data integration and visualization examples to illustrate how our system has expanded our ability to conduct cross-disciplinary research.

AR4VI: AR as an Accessibility Tool for People with Visual Impairments.

PubMed

Coughlan, James M; Miele, Joshua

2017-10-01

Although AR technology has been largely dominated by visual media, a number of AR tools using both visual and auditory feedback have been developed specifically to assist people with low vision or blindness - an application domain that we term Augmented Reality for Visual Impairment (AR4VI). We describe two AR4VI tools developed at Smith-Kettlewell, as well as a number of pre-existing examples. We emphasize that AR4VI is a powerful tool with the potential to remove or significantly reduce a range of accessibility barriers. Rather than being restricted to use by people with visual impairments, AR4VI is a compelling universal design approach offering benefits for mainstream applications as well.

Communicative Access Measures for Stroke: Development and Evaluation of a Quality Improvement Tool.

PubMed

Kagan, Aura; Simmons-Mackie, Nina; Victor, J Charles; Chan, Melodie T

2017-11-01

To (1) develop a systems-level quality improvement tool targeting communicative access to information and decision-making for stroke patients with language disorders; and (2) evaluate the resulting tool-the Communicative Access Measures for Stroke (CAMS). Survey development and evaluation was in line with accepted guidelines and included item generation and reduction, survey formatting and composition, pretesting, pilot testing, and reliability assessment. Development and evaluation were carried out in hospital and community agency settings. The project used a convenience sample of 31 participants for the survey development, and 63 participants for the CAMS reliability study (broken down into 6 administrators/managers, 32 frontline staff, 25 participants with aphasia). Eligible participants invited to the reliability study included individuals from 45 community-based organizations in Ontario as well as 4400 individuals from communities of practice. Not applicable. Data were analyzed using kappa statistics and intraclass correlations for each item score on all surveys. A tool, the CAMS, comprising 3 surveys, was developed for health facilities from the perspectives of (1) administrators/policymakers, (2) staff/frontline health care providers, and (3) patients with aphasia (using a communicatively accessible version). Reliability for items on the CAMS-Administrator and CAMS-Staff surveys was moderate to high (kappa/intraclass correlation coefficients [ICCs], .54-1.00). As expected, reliability was lower for the CAMS-Patient survey, with most items having ICCs between 0.4 and 0.6. These findings suggest that CAMS may provide useful quality improvement information for health care facilities with an interest in improving care for patients with stroke and aphasia. Copyright © 2017 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Web Based Tool for Mission Operations Scenarios

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Boyles, Carole A.; Bindschadler, Duane L.

2008-01-01

A conventional practice for spaceflight projects is to document scenarios in a monolithic Operations Concept document. Such documents can be hundreds of pages long and may require laborious updates. Software development practice utilizes scenarios in the form of smaller, individual use cases, which are often structured and managed using UML. We have developed a process and a web-based scenario tool that utilizes a similar philosophy of smaller, more compact scenarios (but avoids the formality of UML). The need for a scenario process and tool became apparent during the authors' work on a large astrophysics mission. It was noted that every phase of the Mission (e.g., formulation, design, verification and validation, and operations) looked back to scenarios to assess completeness of requirements and design. It was also noted that terminology needed to be clarified and structured to assure communication across all levels of the project. Attempts to manage, communicate, and evolve scenarios at all levels of a project using conventional tools (e.g., Excel) and methods (Scenario Working Group meetings) were not effective given limitations on budget and staffing. The objective of this paper is to document the scenario process and tool created to offer projects a low-cost capability to create, communicate, manage, and evolve scenarios throughout project development. The process and tool have the further benefit of allowing the association of requirements with particular scenarios, establishing and viewing relationships between higher- and lower-level scenarios, and the ability to place all scenarios in a shared context. The resulting structured set of scenarios is widely visible (using a web browser), easily updated, and can be searched according to various criteria including the level (e.g., Project, System, and Team) and Mission Phase. Scenarios are maintained in a web-accessible environment that provides a structured set of scenario fields and allows for maximum

An Analysis of Website Accessibility in Higher Education in Indonesia Based on WCAG 2.0 Guidelines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arasid, W.; Abdullah, A. G.; Wahyudin, D.; Abdullah, C. U.; Widiaty, I.; Zakaria, D.; Amelia, N.; Juhana, A.

2018-02-01

Website accessibility is a simple way to access a website by everyone so that information on the website can be easily understood. This study aims to improve the accessibility of universities’ website to analyze website accessibility problems based on WCAG 2.0 guidelines. This study analyzed 13 universities’ websites in West Java, Indonesia by using TAW as an evaluation tool. The evaluation results were presented in a graph showing the error rate of each university’s website. The same errors that occurred in almost all websites were: non-text content, info and relationships, page title, link purpose, language of page, on input, labels and instructions, parsing, and name, role, value criteria. This study was expected to provide information to the university and to perform as guidelines for website accessibility improvements.

Beyond information access: Support for complex cognitive activities in public health informatics tools.

PubMed

Sedig, Kamran; Parsons, Paul; Dittmer, Mark; Ola, Oluwakemi

2012-01-01

Public health professionals work with a variety of information sources to carry out their everyday activities. In recent years, interactive computational tools have become deeply embedded in such activities. Unlike the early days of computational tool use, the potential of tools nowadays is not limited to simply providing access to information; rather, they can act as powerful mediators of human-information discourse, enabling rich interaction with public health information. If public health informatics tools are designed and used properly, they can facilitate, enhance, and support the performance of complex cognitive activities that are essential to public health informatics, such as problem solving, forecasting, sense-making, and planning. However, the effective design and evaluation of public health informatics tools requires an understanding of the cognitive and perceptual issues pertaining to how humans work and think with information to perform such activities. This paper draws on research that has examined some of the relevant issues, including interaction design, complex cognition, and visual representations, to offer some human-centered design and evaluation considerations for public health informatics tools.

Index of Access: a new innovative and dynamic tool for rural health service and workforce planning.

PubMed

McGrail, Matthew R; Russell, Deborah J; Humphreys, John S

2017-10-01

Objective Improving access to primary health care (PHC) remains a key issue for rural residents and health service planners. This study aims to show that how access to PHC services is measured has important implications for rural health service and workforce planning. Methods A more sophisticated tool to measure access to PHC services is proposed, which can help health service planners overcome the shortcomings of existing measures and long-standing access barriers to PHC. Critically, the proposed Index of Access captures key components of access and uses a floating catchment approach to better define service areas and population accessibility levels. Moreover, as demonstrated through a case study, the Index of Access enables modelling of the effects of workforce supply variations. Results Hypothetical increases in supply are modelled for a range of regional centres, medium and small rural towns, with resulting changes of access scores valuable to informing health service and workforce planning decisions. Conclusions The availability and application of a specific 'fit-for-purpose' access measure enables a more accurate empirical basis for service planning and allocation of health resources. This measure has great potential for improved identification of PHC access inequities and guiding redistribution of PHC services to correct such inequities. What is known about the topic? Resource allocation and health service planning decisions for rural and remote health settings are currently based on either simple measures of access (e.g. provider-to-population ratios) or proxy measures of access (e.g. standard geographical classifications). Both approaches have substantial limitations for informing rural health service planning and decision making. What does this paper add? The adoption of a new improved tool to measure access to PHC services, the Index of Access, is proposed to assist health service and workforce planning. Its usefulness for health service planning is

WaveNet: A Web-Based Metocean Data Access, Processing and Analysis Tool. Part 4 - GLOS/GLCFS Database

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-06-01

and Coastal Data Information Program ( CDIP ). This User’s Guide includes step-by-step instructions for accessing the GLOS/GLCFS database via WaveNet...access, processing and analysis tool; part 3 – CDIP database. ERDC/CHL CHETN-xx-14. Vicksburg, MS: U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center

Nuclear data made easily accessible through the Notre Dame Nuclear Database

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khouw, Timothy; Lee, Kevin; Fasano, Patrick; Mumpower, Matthew; Aprahamian, Ani

2014-09-01

In 1994, the NNDC revolutionized nuclear research by providing a colorful, clickable, searchable database over the internet. Over the last twenty years, web technology has evolved dramatically. Our project, the Notre Dame Nuclear Database, aims to provide a more comprehensive and broadly searchable interactive body of data. The database can be searched by an array of filters which includes metadata such as the facility where a measurement is made, the author(s), or date of publication for the datum of interest. The user interface takes full advantage of HTML, a web markup language, CSS (cascading style sheets to define the aesthetics of the website), and JavaScript, a language that can process complex data. A command-line interface is supported that interacts with the database directly on a user's local machine which provides single command access to data. This is possible through the use of a standardized API (application programming interface) that relies upon well-defined filtering variables to produce customized search results. We offer an innovative chart of nuclides utilizing scalable vector graphics (SVG) to deliver users an unsurpassed level of interactivity supported on all computers and mobile devices. We will present a functional demo of our database at the conference.

AR4VI: AR as an Accessibility Tool for People with Visual Impairments

PubMed Central

Coughlan, James M.; Miele, Joshua

2017-01-01

Although AR technology has been largely dominated by visual media, a number of AR tools using both visual and auditory feedback have been developed specifically to assist people with low vision or blindness – an application domain that we term Augmented Reality for Visual Impairment (AR4VI). We describe two AR4VI tools developed at Smith-Kettlewell, as well as a number of pre-existing examples. We emphasize that AR4VI is a powerful tool with the potential to remove or significantly reduce a range of accessibility barriers. Rather than being restricted to use by people with visual impairments, AR4VI is a compelling universal design approach offering benefits for mainstream applications as well. PMID:29303163

WebCN: A web-based computation tool for in situ-produced cosmogenic nuclides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Xiuzeng; Li, Yingkui; Bourgeois, Mike; Caffee, Marc; Elmore, David; Granger, Darryl; Muzikar, Paul; Smith, Preston

2007-06-01

Cosmogenic nuclide techniques are increasingly being utilized in geoscience research. For this it is critical to establish an effective, easily accessible and well defined tool for cosmogenic nuclide computations. We have been developing a web-based tool (WebCN) to calculate surface exposure ages and erosion rates based on the nuclide concentrations measured by the accelerator mass spectrometry. WebCN for 10Be and 26Al has been finished and published at http://www.physics.purdue.edu/primelab/for_users/rockage.html. WebCN for 36Cl is under construction. WebCN is designed as a three-tier client/server model and uses the open source PostgreSQL for the database management and PHP for the interface design and calculations. On the client side, an internet browser and Microsoft Access are used as application interfaces to access the system. Open Database Connectivity is used to link PostgreSQL and Microsoft Access. WebCN accounts for both spatial and temporal distributions of the cosmic ray flux to calculate the production rates of in situ-produced cosmogenic nuclides at the Earth's surface.

Enabling Web-Based GIS Tools for Internet and Mobile Devices To Improve and Expand NASA Data Accessibility and Analysis Functionality for the Renewable Energy and Agricultural Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ross, A.; Stackhouse, P. W.; Tisdale, B.; Tisdale, M.; Chandler, W.; Hoell, J. M., Jr.; Kusterer, J.

2014-12-01

The NASA Langley Research Center Science Directorate and Atmospheric Science Data Center have initiated a pilot program to utilize Geographic Information System (GIS) tools that enable, generate and store climatological averages using spatial queries and calculations in a spatial database resulting in greater accessibility of data for government agencies, industry and private sector individuals. The major objectives of this effort include the 1) Processing and reformulation of current data to be consistent with ESRI and openGIS tools, 2) Develop functions to improve capability and analysis that produce "on-the-fly" data products, extending these past the single location to regional and global scales. 3) Update the current web sites to enable both web-based and mobile application displays for optimization on mobile platforms, 4) Interact with user communities in government and industry to test formats and usage of optimization, and 5) develop a series of metrics that allow for monitoring of progressive performance. Significant project results will include the the development of Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) compliant web services (WMS, WCS, WFS, WPS) that serve renewable energy and agricultural application products to users using GIS software and tools. Each data product and OGC service will be registered within ECHO, the Common Metadata Repository, the Geospatial Platform, and Data.gov to ensure the data are easily discoverable and provide data users with enhanced access to SSE data, parameters, services, and applications. This effort supports cross agency, cross organization, and interoperability of SSE data products and services by collaborating with DOI, NRCan, NREL, NCAR, and HOMER for requirements vetting and test bed users before making available to the wider public.

The PEcAn Project: Accessible Tools for On-demand Ecosystem Modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cowdery, E.; Kooper, R.; LeBauer, D.; Desai, A. R.; Mantooth, J.; Dietze, M.

2014-12-01

Ecosystem models play a critical role in understanding the terrestrial biosphere and forecasting changes in the carbon cycle, however current forecasts have considerable uncertainty. The amount of data being collected and produced is increasing on daily basis as we enter the "big data" era, but only a fraction of this data is being used to constrain models. Until we can improve the problems of model accessibility and model-data communication, none of these resources can be used to their full potential. The Predictive Ecosystem Analyzer (PEcAn) is an ecoinformatics toolbox and a set of workflows that wrap around an ecosystem model and manage the flow of information in and out of regional-scale TBMs. Here we present new modules developed in PEcAn to manage the processing of meteorological data, one of the primary driver dependencies for ecosystem models. The module downloads, reads, extracts, and converts meteorological observations to Unidata Climate Forecast (CF) NetCDF community standard, a convention used for most climate forecast and weather models. The module also automates the conversion from NetCDF to model specific formats, including basic merging, gap-filling, and downscaling procedures. PEcAn currently supports tower-based micrometeorological observations at Ameriflux and FluxNET sites, site-level CSV-formatted data, and regional and global reanalysis products such as the North American Regional Reanalysis and CRU-NCEP. The workflow is easily extensible to additional products and processing algorithms.These meteorological workflows have been coupled with the PEcAn web interface and now allow anyone to run multiple ecosystem models for any location on the Earth by simply clicking on an intuitive Google-map based interface. This will allow users to more readily compare models to observations at those sites, leading to better calibration and validation. Current work is extending these workflows to also process field, remotely-sensed, and historical

Examination of CRISPR/Cas9 design tools and the effect of target site accessibility on Cas9 activity.

PubMed

Lee, Ciaran M; Davis, Timothy H; Bao, Gang

2018-04-01

What is the topic of this review? In this review, we analyse the performance of recently described tools for CRISPR/Cas9 guide RNA design, in particular, design tools that predict CRISPR/Cas9 activity. What advances does it highlight? Recently, many tools designed to predict CRISPR/Cas9 activity have been reported. However, the majority of these tools lack experimental validation. Our analyses indicate that these tools have poor predictive power. Our preliminary results suggest that target site accessibility should be considered in order to develop better guide RNA design tools with improved predictive power. The recent adaptation of the clustered regulatory interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) system for targeted genome engineering has led to its widespread application in many fields worldwide. In order to gain a better understanding of the design rules of CRISPR/Cas9 systems, several groups have carried out large library-based screens leading to some insight into sequence preferences among highly active target sites. To facilitate CRISPR/Cas9 design, these studies have spawned a plethora of guide RNA (gRNA) design tools with algorithms based solely on direct or indirect sequence features. Here, we demonstrate that the predictive power of these tools is poor, suggesting that sequence features alone cannot accurately inform the cutting efficiency of a particular CRISPR/Cas9 gRNA design. Furthermore, we demonstrate that DNA target site accessibility influences the activity of CRISPR/Cas9. With further optimization, we hypothesize that it will be possible to increase the predictive power of gRNA design tools by including both sequence and target site accessibility metrics. © 2017 The Authors. Experimental Physiology © 2017 The Physiological Society.

CloudMan as a platform for tool, data, and analysis distribution.

PubMed

Afgan, Enis; Chapman, Brad; Taylor, James

2012-11-27

Cloud computing provides an infrastructure that facilitates large scale computational analysis in a scalable, democratized fashion, However, in this context it is difficult to ensure sharing of an analysis environment and associated data in a scalable and precisely reproducible way. CloudMan (usecloudman.org) enables individual researchers to easily deploy, customize, and share their entire cloud analysis environment, including data, tools, and configurations. With the enabled customization and sharing of instances, CloudMan can be used as a platform for collaboration. The presented solution improves accessibility of cloud resources, tools, and data to the level of an individual researcher and contributes toward reproducibility and transparency of research solutions.

Naturalistic study of guideline implementation tool use via evaluation of website access and physician survey.

PubMed

Armstrong, Melissa J; Gronseth, Gary S; Dubinsky, Richard; Potrebic, Sonja; Penfold Murray, Rebecca; Getchius, Thomas S D; Rheaume, Carol; Gagliardi, Anna R

2017-01-13

Clinical guidelines support decision-making at the point-of-care but the onus is often on individual users such as physicians to implement them. Research shows that the inclusion of implementation tools in or with guidelines (GItools) is associated with guideline use. However, there is little research on which GItools best support implementation by individual physicians. The purpose of this study was to investigate naturalistic access and use of GItools produced by the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) to inform future tool development. Website accesses over six months were summarized for eight AAN guidelines and associated GItools published between July 2012 and August 2013. Academy members were surveyed about use of tools accompanying the sport concussion guideline. Data were analyzed using summary statistics and the Chi-square test. The clinician summary was accessed more frequently (29.0%, p < 0.001) compared with the slide presentation (26.8%), patient summary (23.2%) or case study (20.9%), although this varied by guideline topic. For the sport concussion guideline, which was accompanied by a greater variety of GItools, the mobile phone quick reference check application was most frequently accessed, followed by the clinician summary, patient summary, and slide presentation. For the sports concussion guideline survey, most respondents (response rate 21.8%, 168/797) were aware of the guideline (88.1%) and had read the guideline (78.6%). For GItool use, respondents indicated reading the reference card (51.2%), clinician summary (45.2%), patient summary (28.0%), mobile phone application (26.2%), and coach/athletic trainer summary (20.2%). Patterns of sports concussion GItool use were similar between respondents who said they had and had not yet implemented the guideline. Developers faced with resource limitations may wish to prioritize the development of printable or mobile application clinician summaries, which were accessed significantly more than other

Internet tool box for rural GPs to access mental health services information.

PubMed

Ollerenshaw, Alison

2009-01-01

Rural GPs play a significant role in the mental health care of their patients. It is therefore crucial that they have access to reputable support and advice that enhances their existing knowledge. This article outlines a recent project initiated by the Australian rural Ballarat and District Division of General Practice (BDDGP) to develop and implement an online resource to facilitate local implementation and delivery of the 'Better Access to Mental Health Care' (BAMHC) program. This 12 month project was initiated in response to a request from local GPs for additional information about and support in using the BAMHC program. The project is the culmination of significant collaboration among key stakeholders that includes local GPs, GP advisors from BDDGP, BDDGP staff, and two University of Ballarat research centres (the Centre for Health Research and Practice, and the Centre for Electronic Commerce and Communication). This article documents the key stages involved in the project from initiation to implementation, and reports on the use of this resource 12 months after its launch. The BDDGP represents 107 GPs and six GP registrars and covers a large rural/semi-rural area of 7300 km2 and a catchment population of more than 120,000. The format and design of the project entailed four distinct but interrelated stages of development: (1) developing the program specifications and localising it to the BDDGP catchment; (2) constructing a decision-making support tool with 7 sequential steps comprising key questions and links to detailed answers; (3) developing and populating an online service directory of local allied health professionals; and (4) constructing the website for easy access and navigation for GPs and other service providers. The website was publicly launched in December 2007 and is hosted by BDDGP. Since then it has received strong support. In the 12 months since its launch the website received regular and continuous visits (2847 visits/11,500 pages accessed). In

Evaluation of Florida physicians' knowledge and attitudes toward accessing the state prescription drug monitoring program as a prescribing tool.

PubMed

Gershman, Jennifer A; Gershman, Jason A; Fass, Andrea D; Popovici, Ioana

2014-12-01

The purpose of this study is to assess Florida physicians' attitudes and knowledge toward accessing the state's prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP). Five thousand medical doctors and osteopathic physicians licensed in Florida were randomly selected for a voluntary and anonymous 15-question self-administered survey approved by the Institutional Review Board. Surveys were distributed through U.S. postal service mail. Likert-scale questions were used to assess prior knowledge (1 = none to 5 = excellent) and attitudes toward accessing the PDMP (1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree). The study yielded a response rate of 7.8%, 71.5% of whom agreed or strongly agreed that the PDMP is a useful tool. Among participants that have access and answered the PDMP usefulness question, 94.8% agree or strongly agree that it is a useful tool. There were 63 out of 64 physicians (98.4%) who conducted 25 or more searches who agreed or strongly agreed that the PDMP is a useful tool for monitoring patients' controlled substance histories. There were 72.5% of participants with access that answered the "doctor shopping" question who agreed that "doctor shopping" will decrease. Among the 64 most frequent PDMP users, 69.4% agreed or strongly agreed that they have prescribed fewer controlled substances after accessing the PDMP. The study revealed that a majority of participants believe that the PDMP is a useful tool for monitoring patients' controlled substance histories. More continuing education programs should be provided to Florida physicians to enhance their knowledge regarding PDMPs. Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

OXlearn: a new MATLAB-based simulation tool for connectionist models.

PubMed

Ruh, Nicolas; Westermann, Gert

2009-11-01

OXlearn is a free, platform-independent MATLAB toolbox in which standard connectionist neural network models can be set up, run, and analyzed by means of a user-friendly graphical interface. Due to its seamless integration with the MATLAB programming environment, the inner workings of the simulation tool can be easily inspected and/or extended using native MATLAB commands or components. This combination of usability, transparency, and extendability makes OXlearn an efficient tool for the implementation of basic research projects or the prototyping of more complex research endeavors, as well as for teaching. Both the MATLAB toolbox and a compiled version that does not require access to MATLAB can be downloaded from http://psych.brookes.ac.uk/oxlearn/.

Scientific Platform as a Service - Tools and solutions for efficient access to and analysis of oceanographic data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vines, Aleksander; Hansen, Morten W.; Korosov, Anton

2017-04-01

Existing infrastructure international and Norwegian projects, e.g., NorDataNet, NMDC and NORMAP, provide open data access through the OPeNDAP protocol following the conventions for CF (Climate and Forecast) metadata, designed to promote the processing and sharing of files created with the NetCDF application programming interface (API). This approach is now also being implemented in the Norwegian Sentinel Data Hub (satellittdata.no) to provide satellite EO data to the user community. Simultaneously with providing simplified and unified data access, these projects also seek to use and establish common standards for use and discovery metadata. This then allows development of standardized tools for data search and (subset) streaming over the internet to perform actual scientific analysis. A combinnation of software tools, which we call a Scientific Platform as a Service (SPaaS), will take advantage of these opportunities to harmonize and streamline the search, retrieval and analysis of integrated satellite and auxiliary observations of the oceans in a seamless system. The SPaaS is a cloud solution for integration of analysis tools with scientific datasets via an API. The core part of the SPaaS is a distributed metadata catalog to store granular metadata describing the structure, location and content of available satellite, model, and in situ datasets. The analysis tools include software for visualization (also online), interactive in-depth analysis, and server-based processing chains. The API conveys search requests between system nodes (i.e., interactive and server tools) and provides easy access to the metadata catalog, data repositories, and the tools. The SPaaS components are integrated in virtual machines, of which provisioning and deployment are automatized using existing state-of-the-art open-source tools (e.g., Vagrant, Ansible, Docker). The open-source code for scientific tools and virtual machine configurations is under version control at https

Participation-based environment accessibility assessment tool (P-BEAAT) in the Zambian context.

PubMed

Banda-Chalwe, Martha; Nitz, Jennifer C; de Jonge, Desleigh

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to describe the preliminary development and validation of a potential measure for assessing the accessibility of the built environment in Zambia. It was designed to identify environmental features that present barriers to participation for people with mobility limitations (PWML) using mobility devices such as wheelchairs or crutches. The Participation-Based Environment Accessibility Assessment Tool (P-BEAAT) was developed through focus group discussions and personal interviews with 88 PWML from five provinces of Zambia regarding the accessibility of their built environment. The content validity of the P-BEAAT checklist was accomplished through three phases of development with data gathered from 11 focus groups and nine personal interviews. Participants described accessibility barriers which affect their participation in daily life. This information generated the P-BEAAT with 66 items describing eight environmental features with potential for identifying environmental barriers. The P-BEAAT has shown good homogeneity with Cronbach's α score of 0.91. The P-BEAAT was constructed grounded in the reality of people's experiences in Zambia for use in assessing environmental features important in the participation of daily life of PWML pertinent to developing countries. Further clinimetric testing of the properties of the P-BEAAT to establish reliability should be conducted next.

catsHTM: A Tool for Fast Accessing and Cross-matching Large Astronomical Catalogs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soumagnac, Maayane T.; Ofek, Eran O.

2018-07-01

Fast access to large catalogs is required for some astronomical applications. Here we introduce the catsHTM tool, consisting of several large catalogs reformatted into HDF5-based file format, which can be downloaded and used locally. To allow fast access, the catalogs are partitioned into hierarchical triangular meshes and stored in HDF5 files. Several tools are provided to perform efficient cone searches at resolutions spanning from a few arc-seconds to degrees, within a few milliseconds time. The first released version includes the following catalogs (by alphabetical order): 2MASS, 2MASS extended sources, AKARI, APASS, Cosmos, DECaLS/DR5, FIRST, GAIA/DR1, GAIA/DR2, GALEX/DR6Plus7, HSC/v2, IPHAS/DR2, NED redshifts, NVSS, Pan-STARRS1/DR1, PTF photometric catalog, ROSAT faint source, SDSS sources, SDSS/DR14 spectroscopy, SkyMapper, Spitzer/SAGE, Spitzer/IRAC galactic center, UCAC4, UKIDSS/DR10, VST/ATLAS/DR3, VST/KiDS/DR3, WISE and XMM. We provide Python code that allows to perform cone searches, as well as MATLAB code for performing cone searches, catalog cross-matching, general searches, as well as load and create these catalogs.

The University of Minnesota's Internet Gopher System: A Tool for Accessing Network-Based Electronic Information.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wiggins, Rich

1993-01-01

Describes the Gopher system developed at the University of Minnesota for accessing information on the Internet. Highlights include the need for navigation tools; Gopher clients; FTP (File Transfer Protocol); campuswide information systems; navigational enhancements; privacy and security issues; electronic publishing; multimedia; and future…

Final Report: Results from Accessing Curriculum through Technology Tools (ACTTT), A Model Development Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johanson, Joyce; Clark, Letha; Daytner, Katrina; Robinson, Linda

2009-01-01

Accessing Curriculum through Technology Tools (ACTTT), a model development project, was developed and tested by staff of the Center for Best Practices in Early Childhood (the Center), a research and development unit within the College of Education and Human Services at Western Illinois University. The major goal of ACTTT was to develop,…

Public access management as an adaptive wildlife management tool

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ouren, Douglas S.; Watts, Raymond D.

2005-01-01

One key issue in the Black Mesa – Black Canyon area is the interaction between motorized vehicles and. The working hypothesis for this study is that early season elk movement onto private lands and the National Park is precipitated by increased use of Off Highway Vehicles (OHV’s). Data on intensity of motorized use is extremely limited. In this study, we monitor intensity of motorized vehicle and trail use on elk movements and habitat usage and analyze interactions. If management agencies decide to alter accessibility, we will monitor wildlife responses to changes in the human-use regime. This provides a unique opportunity for adaptive management experimentation based on coordinated research and monitoring. The products from this project will provide natural resource managers across the nation with tools and information to better meet these resource challenges.

Optimal Access to NASA Water Cycle Data for Water Resources Management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teng, W. L.; Arctur, D. K.; Espinoza, G. E.; Rui, H.; Strub, R. F.; Vollmer, B.

2016-12-01

A "Digital Divide" in data representation exists between the preferred way of data access by the hydrology community (i.e., as time series of discrete spatial objects) and the common way of data archival by earth science data centers (i.e., as continuous spatial fields, one file per time step). This Divide has been an obstacle, specifically, between the Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrologic Science, Inc. Hydrologic Information System (CUAHSI HIS) and NASA Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC). An optimal approach to bridging the Divide, developed by the GES DISC, is to reorganize data from the way they are archived to some way that is optimal for the desired method of data access. Specifically for CUAHSI HIS, selected data sets were reorganized into time series files, one per geographical "point." These time series files, termed "data rods," are pre-generated or virtual (generated on-the-fly). Data sets available as data rods include North American Land Data Assimilation System (NLDAS), Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS), TRMM Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis (TMPA), Land Parameter Retrieval Model (LPRM), Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA)-Land, and Groundwater and Soil Moisture Conditions from Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) Data Assimilation drought indicators for North America Drought Monitor (GRACE-DA-DM). In order to easily avail the operational water resources community the benefits of optimally reorganized data, we have developed multiple methods of making these data more easily accessible and usable. These include direct access via RESTful Web services, a browser-based Web map and statistical tool for selected NLDAS variables for the U.S. (CONUS), a HydroShare app (Data Rods Explorer, under development) on the Tethys Platform, and access via the GEOSS Portal. Examples of drought-related applications of these data and data access

The ATS Web Page Provides "Tool Boxes" for: Access Opportunities, Performance, Interfaces, Volume, Environments, "Wish List" Entry and Educational Outreach

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

This viewgraph presentation gives an overview of the Access to Space website, including information on the 'tool boxes' available on the website for access opportunities, performance, interfaces, volume, environments, 'wish list' entry, and educational outreach.

CloudMan as a platform for tool, data, and analysis distribution

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Cloud computing provides an infrastructure that facilitates large scale computational analysis in a scalable, democratized fashion, However, in this context it is difficult to ensure sharing of an analysis environment and associated data in a scalable and precisely reproducible way. Results CloudMan (usecloudman.org) enables individual researchers to easily deploy, customize, and share their entire cloud analysis environment, including data, tools, and configurations. Conclusions With the enabled customization and sharing of instances, CloudMan can be used as a platform for collaboration. The presented solution improves accessibility of cloud resources, tools, and data to the level of an individual researcher and contributes toward reproducibility and transparency of research solutions. PMID:23181507

The new medicare drug benefit: formularies and their potential effects on access to medications.

PubMed

Huskamp, Haiden A; Keating, Nancy L

2005-07-01

During congressional debate over the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit, much attention was focused on nominal benefit design. Relatively little attention was paid to details about how plans would operate, such as the design of drug formularies. Yet, formularies will be important tools for controlling costs, and may be as important as nominal benefit design in determining enrollees' access to medications and out-of-pocket costs. We describe Part D plan incentives and how they may influence formulary design, and then provide recommendations for Part D formulary implementation. We encourage the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to develop standardized tools to provide physicians and patients with up-to-date and easily accessible information about covered drugs on each plan's formulary (perhaps via a central website) and a national set of easy-to-follow procedures for reconsideration and appeals. Such efforts should reduce administrative burden and better allow physicians to help patients obtain needed medications.

New Tools to Search for Data in the European Space Agency's Planetary Science Archive

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grotheer, E.; Macfarlane, A. J.; Rios, C.; Arviset, C.; Heather, D.; Fraga, D.; Vallejo, F.; De Marchi, G.; Barbarisi, I.; Saiz, J.; Barthelemy, M.; Docasal, R.; Martinez, S.; Besse, S.; Lim, T.

2016-12-01

The European Space Agency's (ESA) Planetary Science Archive (PSA), which can be accessed at http://archives.esac.esa.int/psa, provides public access to the archived data of Europe's missions to our neighboring planets. These datasets are compliant with the Planetary Data System (PDS) standards. Recently, a new interface has been released, which includes upgrades to make PDS4 data available from newer missions such as ExoMars and BepiColombo. Additionally, the PSA development team has been working to ensure that the legacy PDS3 data will be more easily accessible via the new interface as well. In addition to a new querying interface, the new PSA also allows access via the EPN-TAP and PDAP protocols. This makes the PSA data sets compatible with other archive-related tools and projects, such as the Virtual European Solar and Planetary Access (VESPA) project for creating a virtual observatory.

U.S. Geological Survey community for data integration: data upload, registry, and access tool

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2012-01-01

As a leading science and information agency and in fulfillment of its mission to provide reliable scientific information to describe and understand the Earth, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) ensures that all scientific data are effectively hosted, adequately described, and appropriately accessible to scientists, collaborators, and the general public. To succeed in this task, the USGS established the Community for Data Integration (CDI) to address data and information management issues affecting the proficiency of earth science research. Through the CDI, the USGS is providing data and metadata management tools, cyber infrastructure, collaboration tools, and training in support of scientists and technology specialists throughout the project life cycle. One of the significant tools recently created to contribute to this mission is the Uploader tool. This tool allows scientists with limited data management resources to address many of the key aspects of the data life cycle: the ability to protect, preserve, publish and share data. By implementing this application inside ScienceBase, scientists also can take advantage of other collaboration capabilities provided by the ScienceBase platform.

Easily configured real-time CPOE Pick Off Tool supporting focused clinical research and quality improvement.

PubMed

Rosenbaum, Benjamin P; Silkin, Nikolay; Miller, Randolph A

2014-01-01

Real-time alerting systems typically warn providers about abnormal laboratory results or medication interactions. For more complex tasks, institutions create site-wide 'data warehouses' to support quality audits and longitudinal research. Sophisticated systems like i2b2 or Stanford's STRIDE utilize data warehouses to identify cohorts for research and quality monitoring. However, substantial resources are required to install and maintain such systems. For more modest goals, an organization desiring merely to identify patients with 'isolation' orders, or to determine patients' eligibility for clinical trials, may adopt a simpler, limited approach based on processing the output of one clinical system, and not a data warehouse. We describe a limited, order-entry-based, real-time 'pick off' tool, utilizing public domain software (PHP, MySQL). Through a web interface the tool assists users in constructing complex order-related queries and auto-generates corresponding database queries that can be executed at recurring intervals. We describe successful application of the tool for research and quality monitoring.

Simplified Metadata Curation via the Metadata Management Tool

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shum, D.; Pilone, D.

2015-12-01

The Metadata Management Tool (MMT) is the newest capability developed as part of NASA Earth Observing System Data and Information System's (EOSDIS) efforts to simplify metadata creation and improve metadata quality. The MMT was developed via an agile methodology, taking into account inputs from GCMD's science coordinators and other end-users. In its initial release, the MMT uses the Unified Metadata Model for Collections (UMM-C) to allow metadata providers to easily create and update collection records in the ISO-19115 format. Through a simplified UI experience, metadata curators can create and edit collections without full knowledge of the NASA Best Practices implementation of ISO-19115 format, while still generating compliant metadata. More experienced users are also able to access raw metadata to build more complex records as needed. In future releases, the MMT will build upon recent work done in the community to assess metadata quality and compliance with a variety of standards through application of metadata rubrics. The tool will provide users with clear guidance as to how to easily change their metadata in order to improve their quality and compliance. Through these features, the MMT allows data providers to create and maintain compliant and high quality metadata in a short amount of time.

SIPP ACCESS: Information Tools Improve Access to National Longitudinal Panel Surveys.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robbin, Alice; David, Martin

1988-01-01

A computer-based, integrated information system incorporating data and information about the data, SIPP ACCESS systematically links technologies of laser disk, mainframe computer, microcomputer, and electronic networks, and applies relational technology to provide access to information about complex statistical data collections. Examples are given…

Making interdisciplinary solid Earth modeling and analysis tools accessible in a diverse undergraduate and graduate classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Becker, T. W.

2011-12-01

I present results from ongoing, NSF-CAREER funded educational and research efforts that center around making numerical tools in seismology and geodynamics more accessible to a broader audience. The goal is not only to train students in quantitative, interdisciplinary research, but also to make methods more easily accessible to practitioners across disciplines. I describe the two main efforts that were funded, the Solid Earth Research and Teaching Environment (SEATREE, geosys.usc.edu/projects/seatree/), and a new Numerical Methods class. SEATREE is a modular and user-friendly software framework to facilitate using solid Earth research tools in the undergraduate and graduate classroom and for interdisciplinary, scientific collaboration. We use only open-source software, and most programming is done in the Python computer language. We strive to make use of modern software design and development concepts while remaining compatible with traditional scientific coding and existing, legacy software. Our goals are to provide a fully contained, yet transparent package that lets users operate in an easy, graphically supported "black box" mode, while also allowing to look under the hood, for example to conduct numerous forward models to explore parameter space. SEATREE currently has several implemented modules, including on global mantle flow, 2D phase velocity tomography, and 2D mantle convection and was used at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, and at a 2010 CIDER summer school tutorial. SEATREE was developed in collaboration with engineering and computer science undergraduate students, some of which have gone on to work in Earth Science projects. In the long run, we envision SEATREE to contribute to new ways of sharing scientific research, and making (numerical) experiments truly reproducible again. The other project is a set of lecture notes and Matlab exercises on Numerical Methods in solid Earth, focusing on finite difference and element methods. The

Tools for healthy tribes: improving access to healthy foods in Indian country.

PubMed

Fleischhacker, Sheila; Byrd, Randi R; Ramachandran, Gowri; Vu, Maihan; Ries, Amy; Bell, Ronny A; Evenson, Kelly R

2012-09-01

There is growing recognition that policymakers can promote access to healthy, affordable foods within neighborhoods, schools, childcare centers, and workplaces. Despite the disproportionate risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes among American Indian children and adults, comparatively little attention has been focused on the opportunities tribal policymakers have to implement policies or resolutions to promote access to healthy, affordable foods. This paper presents an approach for integrating formative research into an action-oriented strategy of developing and disseminating tribally led environmental and policy strategies to promote access to and consumption of healthy, affordable foods. This paper explains how the American Indian Healthy Eating Project evolved through five phases and discusses each phase's essential steps involved, outcomes derived, and lessons learned. Using community-based participatory research and informed by the Social Cognitive Theory and ecologic frameworks, the American Indian Healthy Eating Project was started in fall 2008 and has evolved through five phases: (1) starting the conversation; (2) conducting multidisciplinary formative research; (3) strengthening partnerships and tailoring policy options; (4) disseminating community-generated ideas; and (5) accelerating action while fostering sustainability. Collectively, these phases helped develop and disseminate Tools for Healthy Tribes-a toolkit used to raise awareness among participating tribal policymakers of their opportunities to improve access to healthy, affordable foods. Formal and informal strategies can engage tribal leaders in the development of culturally appropriate and tribe-specific sustainable strategies to improve such access, as well as empower tribal leaders to leverage their authority toward raising a healthier generation of American Indian children. Copyright © 2012 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An easily accessible sulfated saccharide mimetic inhibits in vitro human tumor cell adhesion and angiogenesis of vascular endothelial cells

PubMed Central

Marano, Grazia; Gronewold, Claas; Frank, Martin; Merling, Anette; Kliem, Christian; Sauer, Sandra; Wiessler, Manfred; Frei, Eva

2012-01-01

Summary Oligosaccharides aberrantly expressed on tumor cells influence processes such as cell adhesion and modulation of the cell’s microenvironment resulting in an increased malignancy. Schmidt’s imidate strategy offers an effective method to synthesize libraries of various oligosaccharide mimetics. With the aim to perturb interactions of tumor cells with extracellular matrix proteins and host cells, molecules with 3,4-bis(hydroxymethyl)furan as core structure were synthesized and screened in biological assays for their abilities to interfere in cell adhesion and other steps of the metastatic cascade, such as tumor-induced angiogenesis. The most active compound, (4-{[(β-D-galactopyranosyl)oxy]methyl}furan-3-yl)methyl hydrogen sulfate (GSF), inhibited the activation of matrix-metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) as well as migration of the human melanoma cells of the lines WM-115 and WM-266-4 in a two-dimensional migration assay. GSF inhibited completely the adhesion of WM-115 cells to the extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, fibrinogen and fibronectin. In an in vitro angiogenesis assay with human endothelial cells, GSF very effectively inhibited endothelial tubule formation and sprouting of blood vessels, as well as the adhesion of endothelial cells to ECM proteins. GSF was not cytotoxic at biologically active concentrations; neither were 3,4-bis{[(β-D-galactopyranosyl)oxy]methyl}furan (BGF) nor methyl β-D-galactopyranoside nor 3,4-bis(hydroxymethyl)furan, which were used as controls, eliciting comparable biological activity. In silico modeling experiments, in which binding of GSF to the extracellular domain of the integrin αvβ3 was determined, revealed specific docking of GSF to the same binding site as the natural peptidic ligands of this integrin. The sulfate in the molecule coordinated with one manganese ion in the binding site. These studies show that this chemically easily accessible molecule GSF, synthesized in three steps from 3,4-bis

Access to Success

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brunken, Anna; Delly, Pamela

2011-01-01

Changes to education in Australia have seen new government legislations increasing educational pathways so students can more easily enter university, the aim being to increase participation. Now, many domestic students utilise various pathways to access university. Some have undertaken basic Further Education Diplomas, received subject credits,…

Graphical tools for network meta-analysis in STATA.

PubMed

Chaimani, Anna; Higgins, Julian P T; Mavridis, Dimitris; Spyridonos, Panagiota; Salanti, Georgia

2013-01-01

Network meta-analysis synthesizes direct and indirect evidence in a network of trials that compare multiple interventions and has the potential to rank the competing treatments according to the studied outcome. Despite its usefulness network meta-analysis is often criticized for its complexity and for being accessible only to researchers with strong statistical and computational skills. The evaluation of the underlying model assumptions, the statistical technicalities and presentation of the results in a concise and understandable way are all challenging aspects in the network meta-analysis methodology. In this paper we aim to make the methodology accessible to non-statisticians by presenting and explaining a series of graphical tools via worked examples. To this end, we provide a set of STATA routines that can be easily employed to present the evidence base, evaluate the assumptions, fit the network meta-analysis model and interpret its results.

Graphical Tools for Network Meta-Analysis in STATA

PubMed Central

Chaimani, Anna; Higgins, Julian P. T.; Mavridis, Dimitris; Spyridonos, Panagiota; Salanti, Georgia

2013-01-01

Network meta-analysis synthesizes direct and indirect evidence in a network of trials that compare multiple interventions and has the potential to rank the competing treatments according to the studied outcome. Despite its usefulness network meta-analysis is often criticized for its complexity and for being accessible only to researchers with strong statistical and computational skills. The evaluation of the underlying model assumptions, the statistical technicalities and presentation of the results in a concise and understandable way are all challenging aspects in the network meta-analysis methodology. In this paper we aim to make the methodology accessible to non-statisticians by presenting and explaining a series of graphical tools via worked examples. To this end, we provide a set of STATA routines that can be easily employed to present the evidence base, evaluate the assumptions, fit the network meta-analysis model and interpret its results. PMID:24098547

BamTools: a C++ API and toolkit for analyzing and managing BAM files.

PubMed

Barnett, Derek W; Garrison, Erik K; Quinlan, Aaron R; Strömberg, Michael P; Marth, Gabor T

2011-06-15

Analysis of genomic sequencing data requires efficient, easy-to-use access to alignment results and flexible data management tools (e.g. filtering, merging, sorting, etc.). However, the enormous amount of data produced by current sequencing technologies is typically stored in compressed, binary formats that are not easily handled by the text-based parsers commonly used in bioinformatics research. We introduce a software suite for programmers and end users that facilitates research analysis and data management using BAM files. BamTools provides both the first C++ API publicly available for BAM file support as well as a command-line toolkit. BamTools was written in C++, and is supported on Linux, Mac OSX and MS Windows. Source code and documentation are freely available at http://github.org/pezmaster31/bamtools.

Artificial intelligence, neural network, and Internet tool integration in a pathology workstation to improve information access

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sargis, J. C.; Gray, W. A.

1999-03-01

The APWS allows user friendly access to several legacy systems which would normally each demand domain expertise for proper utilization. The generalized model, including objects, classes, strategies and patterns is presented. The core components of the APWS are the Microsoft Windows 95 Operating System, Oracle, Oracle Power Objects, Artificial Intelligence tools, a medical hyperlibrary and a web site. The paper includes a discussion of how could be automated by taking advantage of the expert system, object oriented programming and intelligent relational database tools within the APWS.

Book4All: A Tool to Make an e-Book More Accessible to Students with Vision/Visual-Impairments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Calabrò, Antonello; Contini, Elia; Leporini, Barbara

Empowering people who are blind or otherwise visually impaired includes ensuring that products and electronic materials incorporate a broad range of accessibility features and work well with screen readers and other assistive technology devices. This is particularly important for students with vision impairments. Unfortunately, authors and publishers often do not include specific criteria when preparing the contents. Consequently, e-books can be inadequate for blind and low vision users, especially for students. In this paper we describe a semi-automatic tool developed to support operators who adapt e-documents for visually impaired students. The proposed tool can be used to convert a PDF e-book into a more suitable accessible and usable format readable on desktop computer or on mobile devices.

MATISSE a web-based tool to access, visualize and analyze high resolution minor bodies observation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zinzi, Angelo; Capria, Maria Teresa; Palomba, Ernesto; Antonelli, Lucio Angelo; Giommi, Paolo

2016-07-01

In the recent years planetary exploration missions acquired data from minor bodies (i.e., dwarf planets, asteroid and comets) at a detail level never reached before. Since these objects often present very irregular shapes (as in the case of the comet 67P Churyumov-Gerasimenko target of the ESA Rosetta mission) "classical" bidimensional projections of observations are difficult to understand. With the aim of providing the scientific community a tool to access, visualize and analyze data in a new way, ASI Science Data Center started to develop MATISSE (Multi-purposed Advanced Tool for the Instruments for the Solar System Exploration - http://tools.asdc.asi.it/matisse.jsp) in late 2012. This tool allows 3D web-based visualization of data acquired by planetary exploration missions: the output could either be the straightforward projection of the selected observation over the shape model of the target body or the visualization of a high-order product (average/mosaic, difference, ratio, RGB) computed directly online with MATISSE. Standard outputs of the tool also comprise downloadable files to be used with GIS software (GeoTIFF and ENVI format) and 3D very high-resolution files to be viewed by means of the free software Paraview. During this period the first and most frequent exploitation of the tool has been related to visualization of data acquired by VIRTIS-M instruments onboard Rosetta observing the comet 67P. The success of this task, well represented by the good number of published works that used images made with MATISSE confirmed the need of a different approach to correctly visualize data coming from irregular shaped bodies. In the next future the datasets available to MATISSE are planned to be extended, starting from the addition of VIR-Dawn observations of both Vesta and Ceres and also using standard protocols to access data stored in external repositories, such as NASA ODE and Planetary VO.

An Internet of Things Example: Classrooms Access Control over Near Field Communication

PubMed Central

Palma, Daniel; Agudo, Juan Enrique; Sánchez, Héctor; Macías, Miguel Macías

2014-01-01

The Internet of Things is one of the ideas that has become increasingly relevant in recent years. It involves connecting things to the Internet in order to retrieve information from them at any time and from anywhere. In the Internet of Things, sensor networks that exchange information wirelessly via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee or RF are common. In this sense, our paper presents a way in which each classroom control is accessed through Near Field Communication (NFC) and the information is shared via radio frequency. These data are published on the Web and could easily be used for building applications from the data collected. As a result, our application collects information from the classroom to create a control classroom tool that displays access to and the status of all the classrooms graphically and also connects this data with social networks. PMID:24755520

An internet of things example: classrooms access control over near field communication.

PubMed

Palma, Daniel; Agudo, Juan Enrique; Sánchez, Héctor; Macías, Miguel Macías

2014-04-21

The Internet of Things is one of the ideas that has become increasingly relevant in recent years. It involves connecting things to the Internet in order to retrieve information from them at any time and from anywhere. In the Internet of Things, sensor networks that exchange information wirelessly via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee or RF are common. In this sense, our paper presents a way in which each classroom control is accessed through Near Field Communication (NFC) and the information is shared via radio frequency. These data are published on the Web and could easily be used for building applications from the data collected. As a result, our application collects information from the classroom to create a control classroom tool that displays access to and the status of all the classrooms graphically and also connects this data with social networks.

The virtual lover: variable and easily guided 3D fish animations as an innovative tool in mate-choice experiments with sailfin mollies-I. Design and implementation

PubMed Central

Smielik, Ievgen; Hütwohl, Jan-Marco; Gierszewski, Stefanie; Witte, Klaudia; Kuhnert, Klaus-Dieter

2017-01-01

Abstract Animal behavior researchers often face problems regarding standardization and reproducibility of their experiments. This has led to the partial substitution of live animals with artificial virtual stimuli. In addition to standardization and reproducibility, virtual stimuli open new options for researchers since they are easily changeable in morphology and appearance, and their behavior can be defined. In this article, a novel toolchain to conduct behavior experiments with fish is presented by a case study in sailfin mollies Poecilia latipinna. As the toolchain holds many different and novel features, it offers new possibilities for studies in behavioral animal research and promotes the standardization of experiments. The presented method includes options to design, animate, and present virtual stimuli to live fish. The designing tool offers an easy and user-friendly way to define size, coloration, and morphology of stimuli and moreover it is able to configure virtual stimuli randomly without any user influence. Furthermore, the toolchain brings a novel method to animate stimuli in a semiautomatic way with the help of a game controller. These created swimming paths can be applied to different stimuli in real time. A presentation tool combines models and swimming paths regarding formerly defined playlists, and presents the stimuli onto 2 screens. Experiments with live sailfin mollies validated the usage of the created virtual 3D fish models in mate-choice experiments. PMID:29491963

The virtual lover: variable and easily guided 3D fish animations as an innovative tool in mate-choice experiments with sailfin mollies-I. Design and implementation.

PubMed

Müller, Klaus; Smielik, Ievgen; Hütwohl, Jan-Marco; Gierszewski, Stefanie; Witte, Klaudia; Kuhnert, Klaus-Dieter

2017-02-01

Animal behavior researchers often face problems regarding standardization and reproducibility of their experiments. This has led to the partial substitution of live animals with artificial virtual stimuli. In addition to standardization and reproducibility, virtual stimuli open new options for researchers since they are easily changeable in morphology and appearance, and their behavior can be defined. In this article, a novel toolchain to conduct behavior experiments with fish is presented by a case study in sailfin mollies Poecilia latipinna . As the toolchain holds many different and novel features, it offers new possibilities for studies in behavioral animal research and promotes the standardization of experiments. The presented method includes options to design, animate, and present virtual stimuli to live fish. The designing tool offers an easy and user-friendly way to define size, coloration, and morphology of stimuli and moreover it is able to configure virtual stimuli randomly without any user influence. Furthermore, the toolchain brings a novel method to animate stimuli in a semiautomatic way with the help of a game controller. These created swimming paths can be applied to different stimuli in real time. A presentation tool combines models and swimming paths regarding formerly defined playlists, and presents the stimuli onto 2 screens. Experiments with live sailfin mollies validated the usage of the created virtual 3D fish models in mate-choice experiments.

OpenTopography: Enabling Online Access to High-Resolution Lidar Topography Data and Processing Tools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crosby, Christopher; Nandigam, Viswanath; Baru, Chaitan; Arrowsmith, J. Ramon

2013-04-01

High-resolution topography data acquired with lidar (light detection and ranging) technology are revolutionizing the way we study the Earth's surface and overlying vegetation. These data, collected from airborne, tripod, or mobile-mounted scanners have emerged as a fundamental tool for research on topics ranging from earthquake hazards to hillslope processes. Lidar data provide a digital representation of the earth's surface at a resolution sufficient to appropriately capture the processes that contribute to landscape evolution. The U.S. National Science Foundation-funded OpenTopography Facility (http://www.opentopography.org) is a web-based system designed to democratize access to earth science-oriented lidar topography data. OpenTopography provides free, online access to lidar data in a number of forms, including the raw point cloud and associated geospatial-processing tools for customized analysis. The point cloud data are co-located with on-demand processing tools to generate digital elevation models, and derived products and visualizations which allow users to quickly access data in a format appropriate for their scientific application. The OpenTopography system is built using a service-oriented architecture (SOA) that leverages cyberinfrastructure resources at the San Diego Supercomputer Center at the University of California San Diego to allow users, regardless of expertise level, to access these massive lidar datasets and derived products for use in research and teaching. OpenTopography hosts over 500 billion lidar returns covering 85,000 km2. These data are all in the public domain and are provided by a variety of partners under joint agreements and memoranda of understanding with OpenTopography. Partners include national facilities such as the NSF-funded National Center for Airborne Lidar Mapping (NCALM), as well as non-governmental organizations and local, state, and federal agencies. OpenTopography has become a hub for high-resolution topography

Smartphones for post-event analysis: a low-cost and easily accessible approach for mapping natural hazards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tarolli, Paolo; Prosdocimi, Massimo; Sofia, Giulia; Dalla Fontana, Giancarlo

2015-04-01

technology. Anyone (included farmers, technicians or who work at Civil Protection) who has a good smartphone can take photographs and, from these photographs, they can easily obtain high-resolution DSMs. Therefore, SfM technique accomplished with smartphones can be a very strategic tool for post-event field surveys, to increase the existing knowledge on such events, and to provide fast technical solutions for risk mitigation (e.g. landslide and flood risk management). The future challenge consists of using only a smartphone for local scale post-event analyses. This can be even enhanced by the development of specific apps that are able to build quickly a 3D view of the case study and arrange a preliminary quantitative analysis of the process involved, ready to be sent to Civil Protection for further elaborations. Tarolli, P. (2014). High-resolution topography for understanding Earth surface processes: opportunities and challenges. Geomorphology, 216, 295-312, doi:10.1016/j.geomorph.2014.03.008.

OLTARIS: On-Line Tool for the Assessment of Radiation in Space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sandridge, Chris A.; Blattnig, Steve R.; Clowdsley, Martha S.; Norbury, John; Qualis, Garry D.; Simonsen, Lisa C.; Singleterry, Robert C.; Slaba, Tony C.; Walker, Steven A.; Badavi, Francis F.;

deepTools2: a next generation web server for deep-sequencing data analysis.

PubMed

Ramírez, Fidel; Ryan, Devon P; Grüning, Björn; Bhardwaj, Vivek; Kilpert, Fabian; Richter, Andreas S; Heyne, Steffen; Dündar, Friederike; Manke, Thomas

2016-07-08

We present an update to our Galaxy-based web server for processing and visualizing deeply sequenced data. Its core tool set, deepTools, allows users to perform complete bioinformatic workflows ranging from quality controls and normalizations of aligned reads to integrative analyses, including clustering and visualization approaches. Since we first described our deepTools Galaxy server in 2014, we have implemented new solutions for many requests from the community and our users. Here, we introduce significant enhancements and new tools to further improve data visualization and interpretation. deepTools continue to be open to all users and freely available as a web service at deeptools.ie-freiburg.mpg.de The new deepTools2 suite can be easily deployed within any Galaxy framework via the toolshed repository, and we also provide source code for command line usage under Linux and Mac OS X. A public and documented API for access to deepTools functionality is also available. © The Author(s) 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

The Five S’s: A Communication Tool for Child Psychiatric Access Projects

PubMed Central

Harrison, Joyce; Wasserman, Kate; Steinberg, Janna; Platt, Rheanna; Coble, Kelly; Bower, Kelly

2017-01-01

Given the gap in child psychiatric services available to meet existing pediatric behavioral health needs, children and families are increasingly seeking behavioral health services from their primary care clinicians (PCCs). However, many pediatricians report not feeling adequately trained to meet these needs. As a result, child psychiatric access projects (CPAPs) are being developed around the country to support the integration of care for children. Despite the promise and success of these programs, there are barriers, including the challenge of effective communication between PCCs and child psychiatrists. Consultants from the Maryland CPAP, the Behavioral Health Integration in Pediatric Primary Care (BHIPP) project, have developed a framework called the Five S’s. The Five S’s are Safety, Specific Behaviors, Setting, Scary Things, and Screening/Services. It is a tool that can be used to help PCCs and child psychiatrists communicate and collaborate to formulate pediatric behavioral health cases for consultation or referral requests. Each of these components and its importance to the case consultation are described. Two case studies are presented that illustrate how the Five S’s tool can be used in clinical consultation between PCC and child psychiatrist. We also describe the utility of the tool beyond its use in behavioral health consultation. PMID:27919566

Pipe dream? Envisioning a grassroots Python ecosystem of open, common software tools and data access in support of river and coastal biogeochemical research (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mayorga, E.

2013-12-01

Practical, problem oriented software developed by scientists and graduate students in domains lacking a strong software development tradition is often balkanized into the scripting environments provided by dominant, typically proprietary tools. In environmental fields, these tools include ArcGIS, Matlab, SAS, Excel and others, and are often constrained to specific operating systems. While this situation is the outcome of rational choices, it limits the dissemination of useful tools and their integration into loosely coupled frameworks that can meet wider needs and be developed organically by groups addressing their own needs. Open-source dynamic languages offer the advantages of an accessible programming syntax, a wealth of pre-existing libraries, multi-platform access, linkage to community libraries developed in lower level languages such as C or FORTRAN, and access to web service infrastructure. Python in particular has seen a large and increasing uptake in scientific communities, as evidenced by the continued growth of the annual SciPy conference. Ecosystems with distinctive physical structures and organization, and mechanistic processes that are well characterized, are both factors that have often led to the grass-roots development of useful code meeting the needs of a range of communities. In aquatic applications, examples include river and watershed analysis tools (River Tools, Taudem, etc), and geochemical modules such as CO2SYS, PHREEQ and LOADEST. I will review the state of affairs and explore the potential offered by a Python tool ecosystem in supporting aquatic biogeochemistry and water quality research. This potential is multi-faceted and broadly involves accessibility to lone grad students, access to a wide community of programmers and problem solvers via online resources such as StackExchange, and opportunities to leverage broader cyberinfrastructure efforts and tools, including those from widely different domains. Collaborative development of such

SIDECACHE: Information access, management and dissemination framework for web services.

PubMed

Doderer, Mark S; Burkhardt, Cory; Robbins, Kay A

2011-06-14

Many bioinformatics algorithms and data sets are deployed using web services so that the results can be explored via the Internet and easily integrated into other tools and services. These services often include data from other sites that is accessed either dynamically or through file downloads. Developers of these services face several problems because of the dynamic nature of the information from the upstream services. Many publicly available repositories of bioinformatics data frequently update their information. When such an update occurs, the developers of the downstream service may also need to update. For file downloads, this process is typically performed manually followed by web service restart. Requests for information obtained by dynamic access of upstream sources is sometimes subject to rate restrictions. SideCache provides a framework for deploying web services that integrate information extracted from other databases and from web sources that are periodically updated. This situation occurs frequently in biotechnology where new information is being continuously generated and the latest information is important. SideCache provides several types of services including proxy access and rate control, local caching, and automatic web service updating. We have used the SideCache framework to automate the deployment and updating of a number of bioinformatics web services and tools that extract information from remote primary sources such as NCBI, NCIBI, and Ensembl. The SideCache framework also has been used to share research results through the use of a SideCache derived web service.

Old Tools for New Problems: Modifying Master Gardener Training to Improve Food Access in Rural Areas

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Randle, Anne

2015-01-01

Extension faces ever-changing problems, which can be addressed by modifying successful tools rather than inventing new ones. The Master Gardener program has proven its effectiveness, but the cost and time commitment can make it inaccessible to rural, low-income communities, where training in home gardening may address issues of food access and…

Voltage controlled oscillator is easily aligned, has low phase noise

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sydnor, R. L.

1965-01-01

Voltage Controlled Oscillator /VCO/, represented by an equivalent RF circuit, is easily adjusted for optimum performance by varying the circuit parameter. It contains a crystal drive level which is also easily adjusted to obtain minimum phase noise.

BamTools: a C++ API and toolkit for analyzing and managing BAM files

PubMed Central

Barnett, Derek W.; Garrison, Erik K.; Quinlan, Aaron R.; Strömberg, Michael P.; Marth, Gabor T.

2011-01-01

Motivation: Analysis of genomic sequencing data requires efficient, easy-to-use access to alignment results and flexible data management tools (e.g. filtering, merging, sorting, etc.). However, the enormous amount of data produced by current sequencing technologies is typically stored in compressed, binary formats that are not easily handled by the text-based parsers commonly used in bioinformatics research. Results: We introduce a software suite for programmers and end users that facilitates research analysis and data management using BAM files. BamTools provides both the first C++ API publicly available for BAM file support as well as a command-line toolkit. Availability: BamTools was written in C++, and is supported on Linux, Mac OSX and MS Windows. Source code and documentation are freely available at http://github.org/pezmaster31/bamtools. Contact: barnetde@bc.edu PMID:21493652

BioSPICE: access to the most current computational tools for biologists.

PubMed

Garvey, Thomas D; Lincoln, Patrick; Pedersen, Charles John; Martin, David; Johnson, Mark

2003-01-01

The goal of the BioSPICE program is to create a framework that provides biologists access to the most current computational tools. At the program midpoint, the BioSPICE member community has produced a software system that comprises contributions from approximately 20 participating laboratories integrated under the BioSPICE Dashboard and a methodology for continued software integration. These contributed software modules are the BioSPICE Dashboard, a graphical environment that combines Open Agent Architecture and NetBeans software technologies in a coherent, biologist-friendly user interface. The current Dashboard permits data sources, models, simulation engines, and output displays provided by different investigators and running on different machines to work together across a distributed, heterogeneous network. Among several other features, the Dashboard enables users to create graphical workflows by configuring and connecting available BioSPICE components. Anticipated future enhancements to BioSPICE include a notebook capability that will permit researchers to browse and compile data to support model building, a biological model repository, and tools to support the development, control, and data reduction of wet-lab experiments. In addition to the BioSPICE software products, a project website supports information exchange and community building.

GENESI-DR - A single access point to Earth Science data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cossu, R.; Goncalves, P.; Pacini, F.

2009-04-01

The amount of information being generated about our planet is increasing at an exponential rate, but it must be easily accessible in order to apply it to the global needs relating to the state of the Earth. Currently, information about the state of the Earth, relevant services, analysis results, applications and tools are accessible in a very scattered and uncoordinated way, often through individual initiatives from Earth Observation mission operators, scientific institutes dealing with ground measurements, service companies, data catalogues, etc. A dedicated infrastructure providing transparent access to all this will support Earth Science communities by allowing them to easily and quickly derive objective information and share knowledge based on all environmentally sensitive domains. The use of high-speed networks (GÉANT) and the experimentation of new technologies, like BitTorrent, will also contribute to better services for the Earth Science communities. GENESI-DR (Ground European Network for Earth Science Interoperations - Digital Repositories), an ESA-led, European Commission (EC)-funded two-year project, is taking the lead in providing reliable, easy, long-term access to Earth Science data via the Internet. This project will allow scientists from different Earth Science disciplines located across Europe to locate, access, combine and integrate historical and fresh Earth-related data from space, airborne and in-situ sensors archived in large distributed repositories. GENESI-DR builds a federated collection of heterogeneous digital Earth Science repositories to establish a dedicated infrastructure providing transparent access to all this and allowing Earth Science communities to easily and quickly derive objective information and share knowledge based on all environmentally sensitive domains. The federated digital repositories, seen as services and data providers, will share access to their resources (catalogue functions, data access, processing services etc

bioWeb3D: an online webGL 3D data visualisation tool

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Data visualization is critical for interpreting biological data. However, in practice it can prove to be a bottleneck for non trained researchers; this is especially true for three dimensional (3D) data representation. Whilst existing software can provide all necessary functionalities to represent and manipulate biological 3D datasets, very few are easily accessible (browser based), cross platform and accessible to non-expert users. Results An online HTML5/WebGL based 3D visualisation tool has been developed to allow biologists to quickly and easily view interactive and customizable three dimensional representations of their data along with multiple layers of information. Using the WebGL library Three.js written in Javascript, bioWeb3D allows the simultaneous visualisation of multiple large datasets inputted via a simple JSON, XML or CSV file, which can be read and analysed locally thanks to HTML5 capabilities. Conclusions Using basic 3D representation techniques in a technologically innovative context, we provide a program that is not intended to compete with professional 3D representation software, but that instead enables a quick and intuitive representation of reasonably large 3D datasets. PMID:23758781

bioWeb3D: an online webGL 3D data visualisation tool.

PubMed

Pettit, Jean-Baptiste; Marioni, John C

2013-06-07

Data visualization is critical for interpreting biological data. However, in practice it can prove to be a bottleneck for non trained researchers; this is especially true for three dimensional (3D) data representation. Whilst existing software can provide all necessary functionalities to represent and manipulate biological 3D datasets, very few are easily accessible (browser based), cross platform and accessible to non-expert users. An online HTML5/WebGL based 3D visualisation tool has been developed to allow biologists to quickly and easily view interactive and customizable three dimensional representations of their data along with multiple layers of information. Using the WebGL library Three.js written in Javascript, bioWeb3D allows the simultaneous visualisation of multiple large datasets inputted via a simple JSON, XML or CSV file, which can be read and analysed locally thanks to HTML5 capabilities. Using basic 3D representation techniques in a technologically innovative context, we provide a program that is not intended to compete with professional 3D representation software, but that instead enables a quick and intuitive representation of reasonably large 3D datasets.

A Reassessment of Complementary Access Tools for Chemical Indicators

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

Siskind, Barry; Stern, Warren; Henzl, Vladimir

2016-04-01

-evaluation of the technologies considered under Phase 2, we provide a preliminary re-ranking of the suggested tools for detection of chemical indicators during complementary access.« less

Tools for Implementing an Evidence-Based Approach in Public Health Practice

PubMed Central

Jacobs, Julie A.; Jones, Ellen; Gabella, Barbara A.; Spring, Bonnie

2012-01-01

Increasing disease rates, limited funding, and the ever-growing scientific basis for intervention demand the use of proven strategies to improve population health. Public health practitioners must be ready to implement an evidence-based approach in their work to meet health goals and sustain necessary resources. We researched easily accessible and time-efficient tools for implementing an evidence-based public health (EBPH) approach to improve population health. Several tools have been developed to meet EBPH needs, including free online resources in the following topic areas: training and planning tools, US health surveillance, policy tracking and surveillance, systematic reviews and evidence-based guidelines, economic evaluation, and gray literature. Key elements of EBPH are engaging the community in assessment and decision making; using data and information systems systematically; making decisions on the basis of the best available peer-reviewed evidence (both quantitative and qualitative); applying program-planning frameworks (often based in health-behavior theory); conducting sound evaluation; and disseminating what is learned. PMID:22721501

A user's guide to coping with estuarine management bureaucracy: An Estuarine Planning Support System (EPSS) tool.

PubMed

Lonsdale, Jemma; Nicholson, Rose; Weston, Keith; Elliott, Michael; Birchenough, Andrew; Sühring, Roxana

2018-02-01

Estuaries are amongst the most socio-economically and ecologically important environments however, due to competing and conflicting demands, management is often challenging with a complex legislative framework managed by multiple agencies. To facilitate the understanding of this legislative framework, we have developed a GISbased Estuarine Planning Support System tool. The tool integrates the requirements of the relevant legislation and provides a basis for assessing the current environmental state of an estuary as well as informing and assessing new plans to ensure a healthy estuarine state. The tool ensures that the information is easily accessible for regulators, managers, developers and the public. The tool is intended to be adaptable, but is assessed using the Humber Estuary, United Kingdom as a case study area. The successful application of the tool for complex socio-economic and environmental systems demonstrates that the tool can efficiently guide users through the complex requirements needed to support sustainable development. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Tools and strategies for instrument monitoring, data mining and data access

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Hees, R. M., ,, Dr

2009-04-01

particular, the packet table API allows very compact storage of compound data sets and very fast read/write access. Details about this implementation and pitfalls will be given in the presentation. [Data Mining] The ability to select relevant data is a requirement that all data centers have to offer. The NL-SCIA-DC allows the users to select data using several criteria including: time, geo-location, type of observation and data quality. The result of the query are [i] location and name of relevant data products (files), or [ii] listing of meta data of the relevant measurements, or [iii] listing of the measurements (level 2 or higher). For this application, we need the power of a relational database, the SQL language, and the availability of spatial functions. PostgreSQL, extended with postGIS support turned out to be a good choice. Common queries on tables with millions of rows can be executed within seconds. [Data Deployment] The dissemination of scientific data is often cumbersome by the usage of many different formats to store the products. Therefore, time-consuming and inefficient conversions are needed to use data products from different origin. Within the Atmospheric Data Access for the Geospatial User Community (ADAGUC) project we provide selected space borne atmospheric and land data sets in the same data format and consistent internal structure, so that users can easily use and combine data. The common format for storage is HDF5, but the netCDF-4 API is used to create the data sets. The standard for metadata and dataset attributes follow the netCDF Climate and Forecast conventions, in addition metadata complies to the ISO 19115:2003 INSPIRE profile are added. The advantage of netCDF-4 is that the API is essentially equal to netCDF-3 (with a few extensions), while the data format is HDF5 (recognized by many scientific tools). The added metadata ensures product traceability. Details will be given in the presentation and several posters.

A collaborative environment for developing and validating predictive tools for protein biophysical characteristics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnston, Michael A.; Farrell, Damien; Nielsen, Jens Erik

2012-04-01

The exchange of information between experimentalists and theoreticians is crucial to improving the predictive ability of theoretical methods and hence our understanding of the related biology. However many barriers exist which prevent the flow of information between the two disciplines. Enabling effective collaboration requires that experimentalists can easily apply computational tools to their data, share their data with theoreticians, and that both the experimental data and computational results are accessible to the wider community. We present a prototype collaborative environment for developing and validating predictive tools for protein biophysical characteristics. The environment is built on two central components; a new python-based integration module which allows theoreticians to provide and manage remote access to their programs; and PEATDB, a program for storing and sharing experimental data from protein biophysical characterisation studies. We demonstrate our approach by integrating PEATSA, a web-based service for predicting changes in protein biophysical characteristics, into PEATDB. Furthermore, we illustrate how the resulting environment aids method development using the Potapov dataset of experimentally measured ΔΔGfold values, previously employed to validate and train protein stability prediction algorithms.

FreeSASA: An open source C library for solvent accessible surface area calculations.

PubMed

Mitternacht, Simon

2016-01-01

Calculating solvent accessible surface areas (SASA) is a run-of-the-mill calculation in structural biology. Although there are many programs available for this calculation, there are no free-standing, open-source tools designed for easy tool-chain integration. FreeSASA is an open source C library for SASA calculations that provides both command-line and Python interfaces in addition to its C API. The library implements both Lee and Richards' and Shrake and Rupley's approximations, and is highly configurable to allow the user to control molecular parameters, accuracy and output granularity. It only depends on standard C libraries and should therefore be easy to compile and install on any platform. The library is well-documented, stable and efficient. The command-line interface can easily replace closed source legacy programs, with comparable or better accuracy and speed, and with some added functionality.

Assessing the Library Homepages of COPLAC Institutions for Section 508 Accessibility Errors: Who's Accessible, Who's Not, and How the Online WebXACT Assessment Tool Can Help

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huprich, Julia; Green, Ravonne

2007-01-01

The Council on Public Liberal Arts Colleges (COPLAC) libraries websites were assessed for Section 508 errors using the online WebXACT tool. Only three of the twenty-one institutions (14%) had zero accessibility errors. Eighty-six percent of the COPLAC institutions had an average of 1.24 errors. Section 508 compliance is required for institutions…

WaveNet: A Web-Based Metocean Data Access, Processing and Analysis Tool; Part 5 - WW3 Database

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-02-01

Program ( CDIP ); and Part 4 for the Great Lakes Observing System/Coastal Forecasting System (GLOS/GLCFS). Using step-by-step instructions, this Part 5...Demirbilek, Z., L. Lin, and D. Wilson. 2014a. WaveNet: A web-based metocean data access, processing, and analysis tool; part 3– CDIP database

Oceans of Data: In what ways can learning research inform the development of electronic interfaces and tools for use by students accessing large scientific databases?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krumhansl, R. A.; Foster, J.; Peach, C. L.; Busey, A.; Baker, I.

2012-12-01

The practice of science and engineering is being revolutionized by the development of cyberinfrastructure for accessing near real-time and archived observatory data. Large cyberinfrastructure projects have the potential to transform the way science is taught in high school classrooms, making enormous quantities of scientific data available, giving students opportunities to analyze and draw conclusions from many kinds of complex data, and providing students with experiences using state-of-the-art resources and techniques for scientific investigations. However, online interfaces to scientific data are built by scientists for scientists, and their design can significantly impede broad use by novices. Knowledge relevant to the design of student interfaces to complex scientific databases is broadly dispersed among disciplines ranging from cognitive science to computer science and cartography and is not easily accessible to designers of educational interfaces. To inform efforts at bridging scientific cyberinfrastructure to the high school classroom, Education Development Center, Inc. and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography conducted an NSF-funded 2-year interdisciplinary review of literature and expert opinion pertinent to making interfaces to large scientific databases accessible to and usable by precollege learners and their teachers. Project findings are grounded in the fundamentals of Cognitive Load Theory, Visual Perception, Schemata formation and Universal Design for Learning. The Knowledge Status Report (KSR) presents cross-cutting and visualization-specific guidelines that highlight how interface design features can address/ ameliorate challenges novice high school students face as they navigate complex databases to find data, and construct and look for patterns in maps, graphs, animations and other data visualizations. The guidelines present ways to make scientific databases more broadly accessible by: 1) adjusting the cognitive load imposed by the user

FACILITATING ADVANCED URBAN METEOROLOGY AND AIR QUALITY MODELING CAPABILITIES WITH HIGH RESOLUTION URBAN DATABASE AND ACCESS PORTAL TOOLS

EPA Science Inventory

Information of urban morphological features at high resolution is needed to properly model and characterize the meteorological and air quality fields in urban areas. We describe a new project called National Urban Database with Access Portal Tool, (NUDAPT) that addresses this nee...

Easily degradable carbon - an indicator of microbial hotspots and soil degradation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wolińska, Agnieszka; Banach, Artur; Szafranek-Nakonieczna, Anna; Stępniewska, Zofia; Błaszczyk, Mieczysław

2018-01-01

The effect of arable soil was quantified against non-cultivated soil on easily degradable carbon and other selected microbiological factors, i.e. soil microbial biomass, respiration activity, and dehydrogenase activity. The intent was to ascertain whether easily degradable carbo can be useful as a sensitive indicator of both soil biological degradation and microbial hot-spots indication. As a result, it was found that soil respiration activity was significantly higher (p <0.0001) in all controls, ranging between 30-60 vs. 11.5-23.7 μmol CO2 kg d.m.-1 h-1 for the arable soils. Dehydrogenase activity was significantly lower in the arable soil (down to 35-40% of the control values, p <0.001) varying depending on the soil type. The microbial biomass was also significantly higher at the non-cultivated soil (512-2807 vs. 416-1429 µg g-1 d.m., p <0.001), while easily degradable carbon ranged between 620-1209 mg kg-1 non-cultivated soil and 497-877 mg kg-1 arable soil (p <0.0001). It was demonstrated that agricultural practices affected soil properties by significantly reducing the levels of the studied parameters in relation to the control soils. The significant correlations of easily degradable carbon-respiration activity (ρ = 0.77*), easily degradable carbon-dehydrogenase activity (ρ = 0.42*), and easily degradable carbon-microbial biomass (ρ = 0.53*) reveal that easily degradable carbon is a novel, suitable factor indicative of soil biological degradation. It, therefore, could be used for evaluating the degree of soil degradation and for choosing a proper management procedure.

Supporting geoscience with graphical-user-interface Internet tools for the Macintosh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robin, Bernard

1995-07-01

This paper describes a suite of Macintosh graphical-user-interface (GUI) software programs that can be used in conjunction with the Internet to support geoscience education. These software programs allow science educators to access and retrieve a large body of resources from an increasing number of network sites, taking advantage of the intuitive, simple-to-use Macintosh operating system. With these tools, educators easily can locate, download, and exchange not only text files but also sound resources, video movie clips, and software application files from their desktop computers. Another major advantage of these software tools is that they are available at no cost and may be distributed freely. The following GUI software tools are described including examples of how they can be used in an educational setting: ∗ Eudora—an e-mail program ∗ NewsWatcher—a newsreader ∗ TurboGopher—a Gopher program ∗ Fetch—a software application for easy File Transfer Protocol (FTP) ∗ NCSA Mosaic—a worldwide hypertext browsing program. An explosive growth of online archives currently is underway as new electronic sites are being added continuously to the Internet. Many of these resources may be of interest to science educators who learn they can share not only ASCII text files, but also graphic image files, sound resources, QuickTime movie clips, and hypermedia projects with colleagues from locations around the world. These powerful, yet simple to learn GUI software tools are providing a revolution in how knowledge can be accessed, retrieved, and shared.

The influence of social media and easily accessible online information on the aesthetic plastic surgery practice: literature review and our own experience.

PubMed

Montemurro, Paolo; Porcnik, Ales; Hedén, Per; Otte, Maximilian

2015-04-01

Patients interested in aesthetic plastic surgery procedures increasingly seek advice on social media and rely on easily accessible online information. The investigatory goal was to determine the impact of this phenomenon on the everyday aesthetic plastic surgery practice. Five hundred consecutive patients completed a questionnaire prior to their consultation with a plastic surgeon at our clinic. A questionnaire was also completed by 128 plastic surgeons practising in 19 different countries. A literature review was performed. Almost all patients (95%) used the internet to collect information prior to consultation, for 68% of them it being their first search method. Social media were used by 46% of patients and 40% of these were strongly influenced when choosing a specific doctor. The majority of plastic surgeons (85%) thought the information found on social media could lead to unrealistic expectations. However, 45% of plastic surgeons believed that their consultations became easier after the advent of social media, 29% found them more difficult. A literature review showed a high percentage of poor quality internet websites regarding plastic surgery and an increase in use of social media among plastic surgeons. The internet and social media play an important and growing role in plastic surgery. This results in more informed patients but may create unrealistic expectations. Even if the internet provides ample information, it cannot replace the face-to-face consultation, which always should remain a detailed process, covering both risks and limitations of alternative procedures. Available literature on how social media influences the medical practice is still scarce and further research is needed. This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266.

OLS Client and OLS Dialog: Open Source Tools to Annotate Public Omics Datasets.

PubMed

Perez-Riverol, Yasset; Ternent, Tobias; Koch, Maximilian; Barsnes, Harald; Vrousgou, Olga; Jupp, Simon; Vizcaíno, Juan Antonio

2017-10-01

The availability of user-friendly software to annotate biological datasets and experimental details is becoming essential in data management practices, both in local storage systems and in public databases. The Ontology Lookup Service (OLS, http://www.ebi.ac.uk/ols) is a popular centralized service to query, browse and navigate biomedical ontologies and controlled vocabularies. Recently, the OLS framework has been completely redeveloped (version 3.0), including enhancements in the data model, like the added support for Web Ontology Language based ontologies, among many other improvements. However, the new OLS is not backwards compatible and new software tools are needed to enable access to this widely used framework now that the previous version is no longer available. We here present the OLS Client as a free, open-source Java library to retrieve information from the new version of the OLS. It enables rapid tool creation by providing a robust, pluggable programming interface and common data model to programmatically access the OLS. The library has already been integrated and is routinely used by several bioinformatics resources and related data annotation tools. Secondly, we also introduce an updated version of the OLS Dialog (version 2.0), a Java graphical user interface that can be easily plugged into Java desktop applications to access the OLS. The software and related documentation are freely available at https://github.com/PRIDE-Utilities/ols-client and https://github.com/PRIDE-Toolsuite/ols-dialog. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

The Research Tools of the Virtual Astronomical Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hanisch, Robert J.; Berriman, G. B.; Lazio, T. J.; Project, VAO

2013-01-01

Astronomy is being transformed by the vast quantities of data, models, and simulations that are becoming available to astronomers at an ever-accelerating rate. The U.S. Virtual Astronomical Observatory (VAO) has been funded to provide an operational facility that is intended to be a resource for discovery and access of data, and to provide science services that use these data. Over the course of the past year, the VAO has been developing and releasing for community use five science tools: 1) "Iris", for dynamically building and analyzing spectral energy distributions, 2) a web-based data discovery tool that allows astronomers to identify and retrieve catalog, image, and spectral data on sources of interest, 3) a scalable cross-comparison service that allows astronomers to conduct pair-wise positional matches between very large catalogs stored remotely as well as between remote and local catalogs, 4) time series tools that allow astronomers to compute periodograms of the public data held at the NASA Star and Exoplanet Database (NStED) and the Harvard Time Series Center, and 5) A VO-aware release of the Image Reduction and Analysis Facility (IRAF) that provides transparent access to VO-available data collections and is SAMP-enabled, so that IRAF users can easily use tools such as Aladin and Topcat in conjuction with IRAF tasks. Additional VAO services will be built to make it easy for researchers to provide access to their data in VO-compliant ways, to build VO-enabled custom applications in Python, and to respond generally to the growing size and complexity of astronomy data. Acknowledgements: The Virtual Astronomical Observatory (VAO) is managed by the VAO, LLC, a non-profit company established as a partnership of the Associated Universities, Inc. and the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc. The VAO is sponsored by the National Science Foundation and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Easily overlooked sonographic findings in the evaluation of neonatal encephalopathy: lessons learned from magnetic resonance imaging.

PubMed

Dinan, David; Daneman, Alan; Guimaraes, Carolina V; Chauvin, Nancy A; Victoria, Teresa; Epelman, Monica

2014-12-01

Findings of neonatal encephalopathy (NE) and specifically those of hypoxic-ischemic injury are frequently evident on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Although MRI has become more widely used and has gained widespread acceptance as the study of choice for the evaluation of NE in recent years, its costs are high and access to MRI is sometimes limited for extremely sick neonates. Therefore, head sonography (US) continues to be the first-line imaging modality for the evaluation of the brain in neonates with NE; furthermore, in many of these infants, the diagnosis of NE may have first been made or suggested using head US. US is noninvasive, inexpensive, and portable, allowing examinations to be performed without moving the infant. However, many of the telltale signs of NE on US are subtle and may be easily overlooked, contributing to diagnostic delay or misdiagnosis. We aim to illustrate the spectrum of US findings in NE, with emphasis on those findings that may be easily overlooked on US. Recognition of these findings could potentially improve detection rates, reduce errors, and improve patient management. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Tool time: Gender and students' use of tools, control, and authority

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, M. Gail; Brader-Araje, Laura; Carboni, Lisa Wilson; Carter, Glenda; Rua, Melissa J.; Banilower, Eric; Hatch, Holly

2000-10-01

In this study, we examined how students used science equipment and tools in constructing knowledge during science instruction. Within a geographical metaphor, we focused on how students use tools when constructing new knowledge, how control of tools is actualized from pedagogical perspectives, how language and tool accessibility intersect, how gender intersects with tool use, and how competition for resources impacts access to tools. Sixteen targeted students from five elementary science classes were observed for 3 days of instruction. Results showed gender differences in students' use of exclusive language and commands, as well as in the ways students played and tinkered with tools. Girls tended to carefully follow the teacher's directions during the laboratory and did little playing or tinkering with science tools. Male students tended to use tools in inventive and exploratory ways. Results also showed that whether or not a student had access to his or her own materials became indicative of the type of verbal interactions that took place during the science investigation. Gender-related patterns in how tools are shared, how dyads relate to the materials and each other, and how materials are used to build knowledge are described.

wft4galaxy: a workflow testing tool for galaxy.

PubMed

Piras, Marco Enrico; Pireddu, Luca; Zanetti, Gianluigi

2017-12-01

Workflow managers for scientific analysis provide a high-level programming platform facilitating standardization, automation, collaboration and access to sophisticated computing resources. The Galaxy workflow manager provides a prime example of this type of platform. As compositions of simpler tools, workflows effectively comprise specialized computer programs implementing often very complex analysis procedures. To date, no simple way to automatically test Galaxy workflows and ensure their correctness has appeared in the literature. With wft4galaxy we offer a tool to bring automated testing to Galaxy workflows, making it feasible to bring continuous integration to their development and ensuring that defects are detected promptly. wft4galaxy can be easily installed as a regular Python program or launched directly as a Docker container-the latter reducing installation effort to a minimum. Available at https://github.com/phnmnl/wft4galaxy under the Academic Free License v3.0. marcoenrico.piras@crs4.it. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press.

An XML-based Generic Tool for Information Retrieval in Solar Databases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scholl, Isabelle F.; Legay, Eric; Linsolas, Romain

This paper presents the current architecture of the `Solar Web Project' now in its development phase. This tool will provide scientists interested in solar data with a single web-based interface for browsing distributed and heterogeneous catalogs of solar observations. The main goal is to have a generic application that can be easily extended to new sets of data or to new missions with a low level of maintenance. It is developed with Java and XML is used as a powerful configuration language. The server, independent of any database scheme, can communicate with a client (the user interface) and several local or remote archive access systems (such as existing web pages, ftp sites or SQL databases). Archive access systems are externally described in XML files. The user interface is also dynamically generated from an XML file containing the window building rules and a simplified database description. This project is developed at MEDOC (Multi-Experiment Data and Operations Centre), located at the Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale (Orsay, France). Successful tests have been conducted with other solar archive access systems.

A Data Management System for International Space Station Simulation Tools

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Betts, Bradley J.; DelMundo, Rommel; Elcott, Sharif; McIntosh, Dawn; Niehaus, Brian; Papasin, Richard; Mah, Robert W.; Clancy, Daniel (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Groups associated with the design, operational, and training aspects of the International Space Station make extensive use of modeling and simulation tools. Users of these tools often need to access and manipulate large quantities of data associated with the station, ranging from design documents to wiring diagrams. Retrieving and manipulating this data directly within the simulation and modeling environment can provide substantial benefit to users. An approach for providing these kinds of data management services, including a database schema and class structure, is presented. Implementation details are also provided as a data management system is integrated into the Intelligent Virtual Station, a modeling and simulation tool developed by the NASA Ames Smart Systems Research Laboratory. One use of the Intelligent Virtual Station is generating station-related training procedures in a virtual environment, The data management component allows users to quickly and easily retrieve information related to objects on the station, enhancing their ability to generate accurate procedures. Users can associate new information with objects and have that information stored in a database.

Electronic modules easily separated from heat sink

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1965-01-01

Metal heat sink and electronic modules bonded to a thermal bridge can be easily cleaved for removal of the modules for replacement or repair. A thin film of grease between a fluorocarbon polymer film on the metal heat sink and an adhesive film on the modules acts as the cleavage plane.

WaveNet: A Web-Based Metocean Data Access, Processing, and Analysis Tool. Part 3 - CDIP Database

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-06-01

and Analysis Tool; Part 3 – CDIP Database by Zeki Demirbilek, Lihwa Lin, and Derek Wilson PURPOSE: This Coastal and Hydraulics Engineering...Technical Note (CHETN) describes coupling of the Coastal Data Information Program ( CDIP ) database to WaveNet, the first module of MetOcnDat (Meteorological...provides a step-by-step procedure to access, process, and analyze wave and wind data from the CDIP database. BACKGROUND: WaveNet addresses a basic

Q.U.E.S.T. An Interactive Earth Science Study Tool: Connecting Real Students to Digital Libraries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moore, A.; Danowski, D.; Brindisi, C.; Sandvol, C.; Seber, D.

2001-05-01

Quick Use Earth Study Tool (QUEST) is an experimental educational interface to the Cornell University's Geoscience Information System (http://atlas.geo.cornell.edu). The information system currently includes more than 100 geographic, geologic, and geophysical data sets along with World Wide Web based interactive mapping tools for data display and analysis. The system is GIS based and accessible via any web browser that support Java applets. QUEST is the companion module that has been developed to assist educators who wish to use these data to their fullest potential, providing tutorials, sample exercises, and suggested projects. Clearly, students learn best when they engage in the practice of science. One means to accomplish this is to have students access primary scientific data. Our experience suggests that a structured exploration of original data sets enhances student learning. For this reason we have selected a subset of Cornell's available geoscience data, and have designed a series of activities that allow students to explore dynamic Earth processes. Currently, these data include the ISC seismicity catalog, volcanism data from the Smithsonian Institution, and digital topography from the USGS and NOAA. The QUEST interface allows students to query the data sets based on a variety of criteria (e.g., earthquakes can be sorted by date, magnitude, depth, and location), or perform computations on data (e.g., sea level can be interactively mapped at any elevation on the DEM). Because the system is GIS-based, multiple data sets can be displayed simultaneously in order for users to examine the spatial relationships between geological features. Users can zoom in to regions of interest, and a map history window keeps track of student work so that comparisons are easily made. QUEST is accompanied by a Teacher's Manual to assist teachers in extracting the most information from the available data and tools. Through these efforts we hope to provide teachers and students

When action is not enough: tool-use reveals tactile-dependent access to Body Schema.

PubMed

Cardinali, L; Brozzoli, C; Urquizar, C; Salemme, R; Roy, A C; Farnè, A

2011-11-01

Proper motor control of our own body implies a reliable representation of body parts. This information is supposed to be stored in the Body Schema (BS), a body representation that appears separate from a more perceptual body representation, the Body Image (BI). The dissociation between BS for action and BI for perception, originally based on neuropsychological evidence, has recently become the focus of behavioural studies in physiological conditions. By inducing the rubber hand illusion in healthy participants, Kammers et al. (2009) showed perceptual changes attributable to the BI to which the BS, as indexed via motor tasks, was immune. To more definitively support the existence of dissociable body representations in physiological conditions, here we tested for the opposite dissociation, namely, whether a tool-use paradigm would induce a functional update of the BS (via a motor localization task) without affecting the BI (via a perceptual localization task). Healthy subjects were required to localize three anatomical landmarks on their right arm, before and after using the same arm to control a tool. In addition to this classical task-dependency approach, we assessed whether preferential access to the BS could also depend upon the way positional information about forearm targets is provided, to subsequently execute the same task. To this aim, participants performed either verbally or tactually driven versions of the motor and perceptual localization tasks. Results showed that both the motor and perceptual tasks were sensitive to the update of the forearm representation, but only when the localization task (perceptual or motor) was driven by a tactile input. This pattern reveals that the motor output is not sufficient per se, but has to be coupled with tactually mediated information to guarantee access to the BS. These findings shade a new light on the action-perception models of body representations and underlie how functional plasticity may be a useful tool to

Open Window: When Easily Identifiable Genomes and Traits Are in the Public Domain

PubMed Central

Angrist, Misha

2014-01-01

“One can't be of an enquiring and experimental nature, and still be very sensible.” - Charles Fort [1] As the costs of personal genetic testing “self-quantification” fall, publicly accessible databases housing people's genotypic and phenotypic information are gradually increasing in number and scope. The latest entrant is openSNP, which allows participants to upload their personal genetic/genomic and self-reported phenotypic data. I believe the emergence of such open repositories of human biological data is a natural reflection of inquisitive and digitally literate people's desires to make genomic and phenotypic information more easily available to a community beyond the research establishment. Such unfettered databases hold the promise of contributing mightily to science, science education and medicine. That said, in an age of increasingly widespread governmental and corporate surveillance, we would do well to be mindful that genomic DNA is uniquely identifying. Participants in open biological databases are engaged in a real-time experiment whose outcome is unknown. PMID:24647311

2B-Alert Web: An Open-Access Tool for Predicting the Effects of Sleep/Wake Schedules and Caffeine Consumption on Neurobehavioral Performance.

PubMed

Reifman, Jaques; Kumar, Kamal; Wesensten, Nancy J; Tountas, Nikolaos A; Balkin, Thomas J; Ramakrishnan, Sridhar

2016-12-01

Computational tools that predict the effects of daily sleep/wake amounts on neurobehavioral performance are critical components of fatigue management systems, allowing for the identification of periods during which individuals are at increased risk for performance errors. However, none of the existing computational tools is publicly available, and the commercially available tools do not account for the beneficial effects of caffeine on performance, limiting their practical utility. Here, we introduce 2B-Alert Web, an open-access tool for predicting neurobehavioral performance, which accounts for the effects of sleep/wake schedules, time of day, and caffeine consumption, while incorporating the latest scientific findings in sleep restriction, sleep extension, and recovery sleep. We combined our validated Unified Model of Performance and our validated caffeine model to form a single, integrated modeling framework instantiated as a Web-enabled tool. 2B-Alert Web allows users to input daily sleep/wake schedules and caffeine consumption (dosage and time) to obtain group-average predictions of neurobehavioral performance based on psychomotor vigilance tasks. 2B-Alert Web is accessible at: https://2b-alert-web.bhsai.org. The 2B-Alert Web tool allows users to obtain predictions for mean response time, mean reciprocal response time, and number of lapses. The graphing tool allows for simultaneous display of up to seven different sleep/wake and caffeine schedules. The schedules and corresponding predicted outputs can be saved as a Microsoft Excel file; the corresponding plots can be saved as an image file. The schedules and predictions are erased when the user logs off, thereby maintaining privacy and confidentiality. The publicly accessible 2B-Alert Web tool is available for operators, schedulers, and neurobehavioral scientists as well as the general public to determine the impact of any given sleep/wake schedule, caffeine consumption, and time of day on performance of a

Volcanic eruptions, hazardous ash clouds and visualization tools for accessing real-time infrared remote sensing data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Webley, P.; Dehn, J.; Dean, K. G.; Macfarlane, S.

2010-12-01

Volcanic eruptions are a global hazard, affecting local infrastructure, impacting airports and hindering the aviation community, as seen in Europe during Spring 2010 from the Eyjafjallajokull eruption in Iceland. Here, we show how remote sensing data is used through web-based interfaces for monitoring volcanic activity, both ground based thermal signals and airborne ash clouds. These ‘web tools’, http://avo.images.alaska.edu/, provide timely availability of polar orbiting and geostationary data from US National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration and Japanese Meteorological Agency satellites for the North Pacific (NOPAC) region. This data is used operationally by the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) for monitoring volcanic activity, especially at remote volcanoes and generates ‘alarms’ of any detected volcanic activity and ash clouds. The webtools allow the remote sensing team of AVO to easily perform their twice daily monitoring shifts. The web tools also assist the National Weather Service, Alaska and Kamchatkan Volcanic Emergency Response Team, Russia in their operational duties. Users are able to detect ash clouds, measure the distance from the source, area and signal strength. Within the web tools, there are 40 x 40 km datasets centered on each volcano and a searchable database of all acquired data from 1993 until present with the ability to produce time series data per volcano. Additionally, a data center illustrates the acquired data across the NOPAC within the last 48 hours, http://avo.images.alaska.edu/tools/datacenter/. We will illustrate new visualization tools allowing users to display the satellite imagery within Google Earth/Maps, and ArcGIS Explorer both as static maps and time-animated imagery. We will show these tools in real-time as well as examples of past large volcanic eruptions. In the future, we will develop the tools to produce real-time ash retrievals, run volcanic ash dispersion

Implementation and impact of an online tool used in primary care to improve access to financial benefits for patients: a study protocol.

PubMed

Aery, Anjana; Rucchetto, Anne; Singer, Alexander; Halas, Gayle; Bloch, Gary; Goel, Ritika; Raza, Danyaal; Upshur, Ross E G; Bellaire, Jackie; Katz, Alan; Pinto, Andrew David

2017-10-22

Addressing the social determinants of health has been identified as crucial to reducing health inequities. However, few evidence-based interventions exist. This study emerges from an ongoing collaboration between physicians, researchers and a financial literacy organisation. Our study will answer the following: Is an online tool that improves access to financial benefits feasible and acceptable? Can such a tool be integrated into clinical workflow? What are patient perspectives on the tool and what is the short-term impact on access to benefits? An advisory group made up of patients living on low incomes and representatives from community agencies supports this study. We will recruit three primary care sites in Toronto, Ontario and three in Winnipeg, Manitoba that serve low-income communities. We will introduce clinicians to screening for poverty and how benefits can increase income. Health providers will be encouraged to use the tool with any patient seen. The health provider and patient will complete the online tool together, generating a tailored list of benefits and resources to assist with obtaining these benefits. A brief survey on this experience will be administered to patients after they complete the tool, as well as a request to contact them in 1 month. Those who agree to be contacted will be interviewed on whether the intervention improved access to financial benefits. We will also administer an online survey to providers and conduct focus groups at each site. Key ethical concerns include that patients may feel discomfort when being asked about their financial situation, may feel obliged to complete the tool and may have their expectations falsely raised about receiving benefits. Providers will be trained to address each of these concerns. We will share our findings with providers and policy-makers interested in addressing the social determinants of health within healthcare settings. Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT02959866. Registered 7 November 2016

Updating Risk Prediction Tools: A Case Study in Prostate Cancer

PubMed Central

Ankerst, Donna P.; Koniarski, Tim; Liang, Yuanyuan; Leach, Robin J.; Feng, Ziding; Sanda, Martin G.; Partin, Alan W.; Chan, Daniel W; Kagan, Jacob; Sokoll, Lori; Wei, John T; Thompson, Ian M.

2013-01-01

Online risk prediction tools for common cancers are now easily accessible and widely used by patients and doctors for informed decision-making concerning screening and diagnosis. A practical problem is as cancer research moves forward and new biomarkers and risk factors are discovered, there is a need to update the risk algorithms to include them. Typically the new markers and risk factors cannot be retrospectively measured on the same study participants used to develop the original prediction tool, necessitating the merging of a separate study of different participants, which may be much smaller in sample size and of a different design. Validation of the updated tool on a third independent data set is warranted before the updated tool can go online. This article reports on the application of Bayes rule for updating risk prediction tools to include a set of biomarkers measured in an external study to the original study used to develop the risk prediction tool. The procedure is illustrated in the context of updating the online Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial Risk Calculator to incorporate the new markers %freePSA and [−2]proPSA measured on an external case control study performed in Texas, U.S.. Recent state-of-the art methods in validation of risk prediction tools and evaluation of the improvement of updated to original tools are implemented using an external validation set provided by the U.S. Early Detection Research Network. PMID:22095849

Updating risk prediction tools: a case study in prostate cancer.

PubMed

Ankerst, Donna P; Koniarski, Tim; Liang, Yuanyuan; Leach, Robin J; Feng, Ziding; Sanda, Martin G; Partin, Alan W; Chan, Daniel W; Kagan, Jacob; Sokoll, Lori; Wei, John T; Thompson, Ian M

2012-01-01

Online risk prediction tools for common cancers are now easily accessible and widely used by patients and doctors for informed decision-making concerning screening and diagnosis. A practical problem is as cancer research moves forward and new biomarkers and risk factors are discovered, there is a need to update the risk algorithms to include them. Typically, the new markers and risk factors cannot be retrospectively measured on the same study participants used to develop the original prediction tool, necessitating the merging of a separate study of different participants, which may be much smaller in sample size and of a different design. Validation of the updated tool on a third independent data set is warranted before the updated tool can go online. This article reports on the application of Bayes rule for updating risk prediction tools to include a set of biomarkers measured in an external study to the original study used to develop the risk prediction tool. The procedure is illustrated in the context of updating the online Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial Risk Calculator to incorporate the new markers %freePSA and [-2]proPSA measured on an external case-control study performed in Texas, U.S.. Recent state-of-the art methods in validation of risk prediction tools and evaluation of the improvement of updated to original tools are implemented using an external validation set provided by the U.S. Early Detection Research Network. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

From an Easily Accessible Pentacarbonylcobalt(I) Salt to Piano-Stool Cations [(arene)Co(CO)2 ].

PubMed

Meier, Stefan C; Holz, Albina; Schmidt, Alexei; Kratzert, Daniel; Himmel, Daniel; Krossing, Ingo

2017-10-17

The facile synthesis of a pentacarbonyl cobalt(I) salt without the need for a superacid as solvent is presented. This salt, [Co(CO) 5 ] + [Al(OR F ) 4 ] - {R F =C(CF 3 ) 3 }, readily accessible on a multigram scale, undergoes substitution reactions with arenes yielding the hitherto unknown class of two-legged cobalt piano-stool complexes [(arene)Co(CO) 2 ] + with four different arene ligands. Such a substitution chemistry would have been impossible in superacid solution, as the arenes used would have been oxidized and/or protonated. Thus, the general approach described herein may have a wide synthetic use. Additionally, the thermochemistry of the piano-stool complexes is shown to be not easy to describe computationally and most of the established DFT methods overestimate the reaction energies. Only CCSD(T) calculations close to the basis set limit gave energies fully agreeing with the experiment. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Magnet-wire wrapping tool for integrated circuits

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Takahashi, T. H.

1972-01-01

Wire-dispensing tool which resembles mechanical pencil is used to wrap magnet wire around integrated circuit terminals uniformly and securely without damaging insulative coating on wire. Tool is hand-held and easily manipulated to execute wire wrapping movements.

Vascular access: a never-ending story.

PubMed

Hedin, U

2014-12-01

Vascular surgeons are more and more becoming responsible for "life-line" creation well functioning and maintenance of hemodialysis patients and to provide a well functioning and multidisciplinary access service together with nefrologists, dialysis staff, and interventional radiology. For many, this sometimes arduous surgery with associated complicated clinical decision making, becomes a constant and challenging burden but much through the appearance of national and international guidelines and especially the endovascular technology, feasible solutions are easily at hand and the life as an access surgeon more pleasant. Here, basics in dialysis access care are presented together with some examples of novel available solutions to troublesome clinical problems.

Data Access Tools And Services At The Goddard Distributed Active Archive Center (GDAAC)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pham, Long; Eng, Eunice; Sweatman, Paul

2003-01-01

As one of the largest providers of Earth Science data from the Earth Observing System, GDAAC provides the latest data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS), Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment (SORCE) data products via GDAAC's data pool (50TB of disk cache). In order to make this huge volume of data more accessible to the public and science communities, the GDAAC offers multiple data access tools and services: Open Source Project for Network Data Access Protocol (OPeNDAP), Grid Analysis and Display System (GrADS/DODS) (GDS), Live Access Server (LAS), OpenGlS Web Map Server (WMS) and Near Archive Data Mining (NADM). The objective is to assist users in retrieving electronically a smaller, usable portion of data for further analysis. The OPeNDAP server, formerly known as the Distributed Oceanographic Data System (DODS), allows the user to retrieve data without worrying about the data format. OPeNDAP is capable of server-side subsetting of HDF, HDF-EOS, netCDF, JGOFS, ASCII, DSP, FITS and binary data formats. The GrADS/DODS server is capable of serving the same data formats as OPeNDAP. GDS has an additional feature of server-side analysis. Users can analyze the data on the server there by decreasing the computational load on their client's system. The LAS is a flexible server that allows user to graphically visualize data on the fly, to request different file formats and to compare variables from distributed locations. Users of LAS have options to use other available graphics viewers such as IDL, Matlab or GrADS. WMS is based on the OPeNDAP for serving geospatial information. WMS supports OpenGlS protocol to provide data in GIs-friendly formats for analysis and visualization. NADM is another access to the GDAAC's data pool. NADM gives users the capability to use a browser to upload their C, FORTRAN or IDL algorithms, test the algorithms, and mine data in the data pool. With NADM, the GDAAC provides an

Developing user-friendly habitat suitability tools from regional stream fish survey data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zorn, T.G.; Seelbach, P.; Wiley, M.J.

2011-01-01

We developed user-friendly fish habitat suitability tools (plots) for fishery managers in Michigan; these tools are based on driving habitat variables and fish population estimates for several hundred stream sites throughout the state. We generated contour plots to show patterns in fish biomass for over 60 common species (and for 120 species grouped at the family level) in relation to axes of catchment area and low-flow yield (90% exceedance flow divided by catchment area) and also in relation to axes of mean and weekly range of July temperatures. The plots showed distinct patterns in fish habitat suitability at each level of biological organization studied and were useful for quantitatively comparing river sites. We demonstrate how these plots can be used to support stream management, and we provide examples pertaining to resource assessment, trout stocking, angling regulations, chemical reclamation of marginal trout streams, indicator species, instream flow protection, and habitat restoration. These straightforward and effective tools are electronically available so that managers can easily access and incorporate them into decision protocols and presentations.

The DEDUCE Guided Query Tool: Providing Simplified Access to Clinical Data for Research and Quality Improvement

PubMed Central

Horvath, Monica M.; Winfield, Stephanie; Evans, Steve; Slopek, Steve; Shang, Howard; Ferranti, Jeffrey

2011-01-01

In many healthcare organizations, comparative effectiveness research and quality improvement (QI) investigations are hampered by a lack of access to data created as a byproduct of patient care. Data collection often hinges upon either manual chart review or ad hoc requests to technical experts who support legacy clinical systems. In order to facilitate this needed capacity for data exploration at our institution (Duke University Health System), we have designed and deployed a robust Web application for cohort identification and data extraction—the Duke Enterprise Data Unified Content Explorer (DEDUCE). DEDUCE is envisioned as a simple, web-based environment that allows investigators access to administrative, financial, and clinical information generated during patient care. By using business intelligence tools to create a view into Duke Medicine's enterprise data warehouse, DEDUCE provides a guided query functionality using a wizard-like interface that lets users filter through millions of clinical records, explore aggregate reports, and, export extracts. Researchers and QI specialists can obtain detailed patient- and observation-level extracts without needing to understand structured query language or the underlying database model. Developers designing such tools must devote sufficient training and develop application safeguards to ensure that patient-centered clinical researchers understand when observation-level extracts should be used. This may mitigate the risk of data being misunderstood and consequently used in an improper fashion. PMID:21130181

The DEDUCE Guided Query tool: providing simplified access to clinical data for research and quality improvement.

PubMed

Horvath, Monica M; Winfield, Stephanie; Evans, Steve; Slopek, Steve; Shang, Howard; Ferranti, Jeffrey

2011-04-01

In many healthcare organizations, comparative effectiveness research and quality improvement (QI) investigations are hampered by a lack of access to data created as a byproduct of patient care. Data collection often hinges upon either manual chart review or ad hoc requests to technical experts who support legacy clinical systems. In order to facilitate this needed capacity for data exploration at our institution (Duke University Health System), we have designed and deployed a robust Web application for cohort identification and data extraction--the Duke Enterprise Data Unified Content Explorer (DEDUCE). DEDUCE is envisioned as a simple, web-based environment that allows investigators access to administrative, financial, and clinical information generated during patient care. By using business intelligence tools to create a view into Duke Medicine's enterprise data warehouse, DEDUCE provides a Guided Query functionality using a wizard-like interface that lets users filter through millions of clinical records, explore aggregate reports, and, export extracts. Researchers and QI specialists can obtain detailed patient- and observation-level extracts without needing to understand structured query language or the underlying database model. Developers designing such tools must devote sufficient training and develop application safeguards to ensure that patient-centered clinical researchers understand when observation-level extracts should be used. This may mitigate the risk of data being misunderstood and consequently used in an improper fashion. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Clearly written, easily comprehended? The readability of websites providing information on epilepsy.

PubMed

Brigo, Francesco; Otte, Willem M; Igwe, Stanley C; Tezzon, Frediano; Nardone, Raffaele

2015-03-01

There is a general need for high-quality, easily accessible, and comprehensive health-care information on epilepsy to better inform the general population about this highly stigmatized neurological disorder. The aim of this study was to evaluate the health literacy level of eight popular English-written websites that provide information on epilepsy in quantitative terms of readability. Educational epilepsy material on these websites, including 41 Wikipedia articles, were analyzed for their overall level of readability and the corresponding academic grade level needed to comprehend the published texts on the first reading. The Flesch Reading Ease (FRE) was used to assess ease of comprehension while the Gunning Fog Index, Coleman-Liau Index, Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, Automated Readability Index, and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook scales estimated the corresponding academic grade level needed for comprehension. The average readability of websites yielded results indicative of a difficult-to-fairly-difficult readability level (FRE results: 44.0±8.2), with text readability corresponding to an 11th academic grade level (11.3±1.9). The average FRE score of the Wikipedia articles was indicative of a difficult readability level (25.6±9.5), with the other readability scales yielding results corresponding to a 14th grade level (14.3±1.7). Popular websites providing information on epilepsy, including Wikipedia, often demonstrate a low level of readability. This can be ameliorated by increasing access to clear and concise online information on epilepsy and health in general. Short "basic" summaries targeted to patients and nonmedical users should be added to articles published in specialist websites and Wikipedia to ease readability. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Development of a Suicidal Ideation Detection Tool for Primary Healthcare Settings: Using Open Access Online Psychosocial Data.

PubMed

Meyer, Denny; Abbott, Jo-Anne; Rehm, Imogen; Bhar, Sunil; Barak, Azy; Deng, Gary; Wallace, Klaire; Ogden, Edward; Klein, Britt

2017-04-01

Suicidal patients often visit healthcare professionals in their last month before suicide, but medical practitioners are unlikely to raise the issue of suicide with patients because of time constraints and uncertainty regarding an appropriate approach. A brief tool called the e-PASS Suicidal Ideation Detector (eSID) was developed for medical practitioners to help detect the presence of suicidal ideation (SI) in their clients. If SI is detected, the system alerts medical practitioners to address this issue with a client. The eSID tool was developed due to the absence of an easy-to-use, evidence-based SI detection tool for general practice. The tool was developed using binary logistic regression analyses of data provided by clients accessing an online psychological assessment function. Ten primary healthcare professionals provided advice regarding the use of the tool. The analysis identified eleven factors in addition to the Kessler-6 for inclusion in the model used to predict the probability of recent SI. The model performed well across gender and age groups 18-64 (AUR 0.834, 95% CI 0.828-0.841, N = 16,703). Healthcare professionals were interviewed; they recommended that the tool be incorporated into existing medical software systems and that additional resources be supplied, tailored to the level of risk identified. The eSID is expected to trigger risk assessments by healthcare professionals when this is necessary. Initial reactions of healthcare professionals to the tool were favorable, but further testing and in situ development are required.

Special issue on enabling open and interoperable access to Planetary Science and Heliophysics databases and tools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2018-01-01

The large amount of data generated by modern space missions calls for a change of organization of data distribution and access procedures. Although long term archives exist for telescopic and space-borne observations, high-level functions need to be developed on top of these repositories to make Planetary Science and Heliophysics data more accessible and to favor interoperability. Results of simulations and reference laboratory data also need to be integrated to support and interpret the observations. Interoperable software and interfaces have recently been developed in many scientific domains. The Virtual Observatory (VO) interoperable standards developed for Astronomy by the International Virtual Observatory Alliance (IVOA) can be adapted to Planetary Sciences, as demonstrated by the VESPA (Virtual European Solar and Planetary Access) team within the Europlanet-H2020-RI project. Other communities have developed their own standards: GIS (Geographic Information System) for Earth and planetary surfaces tools, SPASE (Space Physics Archive Search and Extract) for space plasma, PDS4 (NASA Planetary Data System, version 4) and IPDA (International Planetary Data Alliance) for planetary mission archives, etc, and an effort to make them interoperable altogether is starting, including automated workflows to process related data from different sources.

Multi-mission space vehicle subsystem analysis tools

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kordon, M.; Wood, E.

2003-01-01

Spacecraft engineers often rely on specialized simulation tools to facilitate the analysis, design and operation of space systems. Unfortunately these tools are often designed for one phase of a single mission and cannot be easily adapted to other phases or other misions. The Multi-Mission Pace Vehicle Susbsystem Analysis Tools are designed to provide a solution to this problem.

Interactive Tools to Access the HELCATS Catalogues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rouillard, Alexis; Plotnikov, Illya; Pinto, Rui; Génot, Vincent; Bouchemit, Myriam; Davies, Jackie

2017-04-01

The propagation tool is a web-based interface written in java that allows users to propagate Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs), Corotating Interaction Regions (CIRs) and Solar Energetic Particles (SEPs) in the inner heliosphere. The tool displays unique datasets and catalogues through a 2-D visualisation of the trajectories of these heliospheric structures in relation to the orbital position of probes/planets and the pointing direction and extent of different imaging instruments. Summary plots of in-situ data or images of the solar corona and planetary aurorae stored at the CDPP, MEDOC and APIS databases, respectively, can be used to verify the presence of heliospheric structures at the estimated launch or impact times. A great novelty of the tool is the immediate visualisation of J-maps and the possibility to superpose on these maps the HELCATS CME and CIR catalogues.

Interactive Tools to Access the HELCATS Catalogues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rouillard, A.; Génot, V.; Bouchemit, M.; Pinto, R.

2017-09-01

The propagation tool is a web-based interface written in java that allows users to propagate Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs), Corotating Interaction Regions (CIRs) and Solar Energetic Particles (SEPs) in the inner heliosphere. The tool displays unique datasets and catalogues through a 2-D visualisation of the trajectories of these heliospheric structures in relation to the orbital position of probes/planets and the pointing direction and extent of different imaging instruments. Summary plots of in-situ data or images of the solar corona and planetary aurorae stored at the CDPP, MEDOC and APIS databases, respectively, can be used to verify the presence of heliospheric structures at the estimated launch or impact times. A great novelty of the tool is the immediate visualisation of J-maps and the possibility to superpose on these maps the HELCATS CME and CIR catalogues.

Accessibility, usability, and usefulness of a Web-based clinical decision support tool to enhance provider-patient communication around Self-management TO Prevent (STOP) Stroke.

PubMed

Anderson, Jane A; Godwin, Kyler M; Saleem, Jason J; Russell, Scott; Robinson, Joshua J; Kimmel, Barbara

2014-12-01

This article reports redesign strategies identified to create a Web-based user-interface for the Self-management TO Prevent (STOP) Stroke Tool. Members of a Stroke Quality Improvement Network (N = 12) viewed a visualization video of a proposed prototype and provided feedback on implementation barriers/facilitators. Stroke-care providers (N = 10) tested the Web-based prototype in think-aloud sessions of simulated clinic visits. Participants' dialogues were coded into themes. Access to comprehensive information and the automated features/systematized processes were the primary accessibility and usability facilitator themes. The need for training, time to complete the tool, and computer-centric care were identified as possible usability barriers. Patient accountability, reminders for best practice, goal-focused care, and communication/counseling themes indicate that the STOP Stroke Tool supports the paradigm of patient-centered care. The STOP Stroke Tool was found to prompt clinicians on secondary stroke-prevention clinical-practice guidelines, facilitate comprehensive documentation of evidence-based care, and support clinicians in providing patient-centered care through the shared decision-making process that occurred while using the action-planning/goal-setting feature of the tool. © The Author(s) 2013.

Tool Time: Gender and Students' Use of Tools, Control, and Authority.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, M. Gail; Brader-Araje, Laura; Carboni, Lisa Wilson; Carter, Glenda; Rua, Melissa J.; Banilower, Eric; Hatch, Holly

2000-01-01

Observes 16 students from five elementary science classes to examine how students use tools when constructing new knowledge during science instruction, how control of tools is actualized from pedagogical perspectives, how language and tool accessibility intersect, how gender intersects with tool use, and how competition for resources impacts…

Development of an expert analysis tool based on an interactive subsidence hazard map for urban land use in the city of Celaya, Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alloy, A.; Gonzalez Dominguez, F.; Nila Fonseca, A. L.; Ruangsirikulchai, A.; Gentle, J. N., Jr.; Cabral, E.; Pierce, S. A.

2016-12-01

Land Subsidence as a result of groundwater extraction in central Mexico's larger urban centers initiated in the 80's as a result of population and economic growth. The city of Celaya has undergone subsidence for a few decades and a consequence is the development of an active normal fault system that affects its urban infrastructure and residential areas. To facilitate its analysis and a land use decision-making process we created an online interactive map enabling users to easily obtain information associated with land subsidence. Geological and socioeconomic data of the city was collected, including fault location, population data, and other important infrastructure and structural data has been obtained from fieldwork as part of a study abroad interchange undergraduate course. The subsidence and associated faulting hazard map was created using an InSAR derived subsidence velocity map and population data from INEGI to identify hazard zones using a subsidence gradient spatial analysis approach based on a subsidence gradient and population risk matrix. This interactive map provides a simple perspective of different vulnerable urban elements. As an accessible visualization tool, it will enhance communication between scientific and socio-economic disciplines. Our project also lays the groundwork for a future expert analysis system with an open source and easily accessible Python coded, SQLite database driven website which archives fault and subsidence data along with visual damage documentation to civil structures. This database takes field notes and provides an entry form for uniform datasets, which are used to generate a JSON. Such a database is useful because it allows geoscientists to have a centralized repository and access to their observations over time. Because of the widespread presence of the subsidence phenomena throughout cities in central Mexico, the spatial analysis has been automated using the open source software R. Raster, rgeos, shapefiles, and rgdal

Critical Appraisal Tools and Reporting Guidelines for Evidence-Based Practice.

PubMed

Buccheri, Robin K; Sharifi, Claire

2017-12-01

Nurses engaged in evidence-based practice (EBP) have two important sets of tools: Critical appraisal tools and reporting guidelines. Critical appraisal tools facilitate the appraisal process and guide a consumer of evidence through an objective, analytical, evaluation process. Reporting guidelines, checklists of items that should be included in a publication or report, ensure that the project or guidelines are reported on with clarity, completeness, and transparency. The primary purpose of this paper is to help nurses understand the difference between critical appraisal tools and reporting guidelines. A secondary purpose is to help nurses locate the appropriate tool for the appraisal or reporting of evidence. A systematic search was conducted to find commonly used critical appraisal tools and reporting guidelines for EBP in nursing. This article serves as a resource to help nurse navigate the often-overwhelming terrain of critical appraisal tools and reporting guidelines, and will help both novice and experienced consumers of evidence more easily select the appropriate tool(s) to use for critical appraisal and reporting of evidence. Having the skills to select the appropriate tool or guideline is an essential part of meeting EBP competencies for both practicing registered nurses and advanced practice nurses (Melnyk & Gallagher-Ford, 2015; Melnyk, Gallagher-Ford, & Fineout-Overholt, 2017). Nine commonly used critical appraisal tools and eight reporting guidelines were found and are described in this manuscript. Specific steps for selecting an appropriate tool as well as examples of each tool's use in a publication are provided. Practicing registered nurses and advance practice nurses must be able to critically appraise and disseminate evidence in order to meet EBP competencies. This article is a resource for understanding the difference between critical appraisal tools and reporting guidelines, and identifying and accessing appropriate tools or guidelines. © 2017

Assessing Accessibility: How Accessible Are Online Courses for Students with Disabilities?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Massengale, Lindsey R.; Vasquez, Eleazar, III

2016-01-01

Delivering course material in a manner that is accessible to all students including those with disabilities is important in the online environment. This article presents an analysis focusing on the accessibility of six courses presented through the Webcourses platform. Six professors volunteered one course for analysis. The tool used for analyzing…

Internet (WWW) based system of ultrasonic image processing tools for remote image analysis.

PubMed

Zeng, Hong; Fei, Ding-Yu; Fu, Cai-Ting; Kraft, Kenneth A

2003-07-01

Ultrasonic Doppler color imaging can provide anatomic information and simultaneously render flow information within blood vessels for diagnostic purpose. Many researchers are currently developing ultrasound image processing algorithms in order to provide physicians with accurate clinical parameters from the images. Because researchers use a variety of computer languages and work on different computer platforms to implement their algorithms, it is difficult for other researchers and physicians to access those programs. A system has been developed using World Wide Web (WWW) technologies and HTTP communication protocols to publish our ultrasonic Angle Independent Doppler Color Image (AIDCI) processing algorithm and several general measurement tools on the Internet, where authorized researchers and physicians can easily access the program using web browsers to carry out remote analysis of their local ultrasonic images or images provided from the database. In order to overcome potential incompatibility between programs and users' computer platforms, ActiveX technology was used in this project. The technique developed may also be used for other research fields.

Cloud-Based Mobile Application Development Tools and NASA Science Datasets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oostra, D.; Lewis, P. M.; Chambers, L. H.; Moore, S. W.

2011-12-01

A number of cloud-based visual development tools have emerged that provide methods for developing mobile applications quickly and without previous programming experience. This paper will explore how our new and current data users can best combine these cloud-based mobile application tools and available NASA climate science datasets. Our vision is that users will create their own mobile applications for visualizing our data and will develop tools for their own needs. The approach we are documenting is based on two main ideas. The first is to provide training and information. Through examples, sharing experiences, and providing workshops, users can be shown how to use free online tools to easily create mobile applications that interact with NASA datasets. The second approach is to provide application programming interfaces (APIs), databases, and web applications to access data in a way that educators, students and scientists can quickly integrate it into their own mobile application development. This framework allows us to foster development activities and boost interaction with NASA's data while saving resources that would be required for a large internal application development staff. The findings of this work will include data gathered through meetings with local data providers, educators, libraries and individuals. From the very first queries into this topic, a high level of interest has been identified from our groups of users. This overt interest, combined with the marked popularity of mobile applications, has created a new channel for outreach and communications between the science and education communities. As a result, we would like to offer educators and other stakeholders some insight into the mobile application development arena, and provide some next steps and new approaches. Our hope is that, through our efforts, we will broaden the scope and usage of NASA's climate science data by providing new ways to access environmentally relevant datasets.

Deciding with the eye: how the visually manipulated accessibility of information in memory influences decision behavior.

PubMed

Platzer, Christine; Bröder, Arndt; Heck, Daniel W

2014-05-01

Decision situations are typically characterized by uncertainty: Individuals do not know the values of different options on a criterion dimension. For example, consumers do not know which is the healthiest of several products. To make a decision, individuals can use information about cues that are probabilistically related to the criterion dimension, such as sugar content or the concentration of natural vitamins. In two experiments, we investigated how the accessibility of cue information in memory affects which decision strategy individuals rely on. The accessibility of cue information was manipulated by means of a newly developed paradigm, the spatial-memory-cueing paradigm, which is based on a combination of the looking-at-nothing phenomenon and the spatial-cueing paradigm. The results indicated that people use different decision strategies, depending on the validity of easily accessible information. If the easily accessible information is valid, people stop information search and decide according to a simple take-the-best heuristic. If, however, information that comes to mind easily has a low predictive validity, people are more likely to integrate all available cue information in a compensatory manner.

NATIONAL URBAN DATABASE AND ACCESS PORTAL TOOL (NUDAPT): FACILITATING ADVANCEMENTS IN URBAN METEOROLOGY AND CLIMATE MODELING WITH COMMUNITY-BASED URBAN DATABASES

EPA Science Inventory

We discuss the initial design and application of the National Urban Database and Access Portal Tool (NUDAPT). This new project is sponsored by the USEPA and involves collaborations and contributions from many groups from federal and state agencies, and from private and academic i...

The braingraph.org database of high resolution structural connectomes and the brain graph tools.

PubMed

Kerepesi, Csaba; Szalkai, Balázs; Varga, Bálint; Grolmusz, Vince

2017-10-01

Based on the data of the NIH-funded Human Connectome Project, we have computed structural connectomes of 426 human subjects in five different resolutions of 83, 129, 234, 463 and 1015 nodes and several edge weights. The graphs are given in anatomically annotated GraphML format that facilitates better further processing and visualization. For 96 subjects, the anatomically classified sub-graphs can also be accessed, formed from the vertices corresponding to distinct lobes or even smaller regions of interests of the brain. For example, one can easily download and study the connectomes, restricted to the frontal lobes or just to the left precuneus of 96 subjects using the data. Partially directed connectomes of 423 subjects are also available for download. We also present a GitHub-deposited set of tools, called the Brain Graph Tools, for several processing tasks of the connectomes on the site http://braingraph.org.

Efficient Access Control in Multimedia Social Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sachan, Amit; Emmanuel, Sabu

Multimedia social networks (MMSNs) have provided a convenient way to share multimedia contents such as images, videos, blogs, etc. Contents shared by a person can be easily accessed by anybody else over the Internet. However, due to various privacy, security, and legal concerns people often want to selectively share the contents only with their friends, family, colleagues, etc. Access control mechanisms play an important role in this situation. With access control mechanisms one can decide the persons who can access a shared content and who cannot. But continuously growing content uploads and accesses, fine grained access control requirements (e.g. different access control parameters for different parts in a picture), and specific access control requirements for multimedia contents can make the time complexity of access control to be very large. So, it is important to study an efficient access control mechanism suitable for MMSNs. In this chapter we present an efficient bit-vector transform based access control mechanism for MMSNs. The proposed approach is also compatible with other requirements of MMSNs, such as access rights modification, content deletion, etc. Mathematical analysis and experimental results show the effectiveness and efficiency of our proposed approach.

Adding tools to the open source toolbox: The Internet

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Porth, Tricia

1994-01-01

The Internet offers researchers additional sources of information not easily available from traditional sources such as print volumes or commercial data bases. Internet tools such as e-mail and file transfer protocol (ftp) speed up the way researchers communicate and transmit data. Mosaic, one of the newest additions to the Internet toolbox, allows users to combine tools such as ftp, gopher, wide area information server, and the world wide web with multimedia capabilities. Mosaic has quickly become a popular means of making information available on the Internet because it is versatile and easily customizable.

Design and application of a tool for structuring, capitalizing and making more accessible information and lessons learned from accidents involving machinery.

PubMed

Sadeghi, Samira; Sadeghi, Leyla; Tricot, Nicolas; Mathieu, Luc

2017-12-01

Accident reports are published in order to communicate the information and lessons learned from accidents. An efficient accident recording and analysis system is a necessary step towards improvement of safety. However, currently there is a shortage of efficient tools to support such recording and analysis. In this study we introduce a flexible and customizable tool that allows structuring and analysis of this information. This tool has been implemented under TEEXMA®. We named our prototype TEEXMA®SAFETY. This tool provides an information management system to facilitate data collection, organization, query, analysis and reporting of accidents. A predefined information retrieval module provides ready access to data which allows the user to quickly identify the possible hazards for specific machines and provides information on the source of hazards. The main target audience for this tool includes safety personnel, accident reporters and designers. The proposed data model has been developed by analyzing different accident reports.

Development of a nursing handoff tool: a web-based application to enhance patient safety.

PubMed

Goldsmith, Denise; Boomhower, Marc; Lancaster, Diane R; Antonelli, Mary; Kenyon, Mary Anne Murphy; Benoit, Angela; Chang, Frank; Dykes, Patricia C

2010-11-13

Dynamic and complex clinical environments present many challenges for effective communication among health care providers. The omission of accurate, timely, easily accessible vital information by health care providers significantly increases risk of patient harm and can have devastating consequences for patient care. An effective nursing handoff supports the standardized transfer of accurate, timely, critical patient information, as well as continuity of care and treatment, resulting in enhanced patient safety. The Brigham and Women's/Faulkner Hospital Healthcare Information Technology Innovation Program (HIP) is supporting the development of a web based nursing handoff tool (NHT). The goal of this project is to develop a "proof of concept" handoff application to be evaluated by nurses on the inpatient intermediate care units. The handoff tool would enable nurses to use existing knowledge of evidence-based handoff methodology in their everyday practice to improve patient care and safety. In this paper, we discuss the results of nursing focus groups designed to identify the current state of handoff practice as well as the functional and data element requirements of a web based Nursing Handoff Tool (NHT).

Subsetting Tools for Enabling Easy Access to International Airborne Chemistry Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Northup, E. A.; Chen, G.; Quam, B. M.; Beach, A. L., III; Silverman, M. L.; Early, A. B.

2017-12-01

In response to the Research Opportunities in Earth and Space Science (ROSES) 2015 release announcement for Advancing Collaborative Connections for Earth System Science (ACCESS), researchers at NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) proposed to extend the capabilities of the existing Toolsets for Airborne Data (TAD) to include subsetting functionality to allow for easier access to international airborne field campaign data. Airborne field studies are commonly used to gain a detailed understanding of atmospheric processes for scientific research on international climate change and air quality issues. To accommodate the rigorous process for manipulating airborne field study chemistry data, and to lessen barriers for researchers, TAD was created with the ability to geolocate data from various sources measured on different time scales from a single flight. The analysis of airborne chemistry data typically requires data subsetting, which can be challenging and resource-intensive for end users. In an effort to streamline this process, new data subsetting features and updates to the current database model will be added to the TAD toolset. These will include two subsetters: temporal and spatial, and vertical profile. The temporal and spatial subsetter will allow users to both focus on data from a specific location and/or time period. The vertical profile subsetter will retrieve data collected during an individual aircraft ascent or descent spiral. These new web-based tools will allow for automation of the typically labor-intensive manual data subsetting process, which will provide users with data tailored to their specific research interests. The system has been designed to allow for new in-situ airborne missions to be added as they become available, with only minor pre-processing required. The development of these enhancements will be discussed in this presentation.

Escape Excel: A tool for preventing gene symbol and accession conversion errors.

PubMed

Welsh, Eric A; Stewart, Paul A; Kuenzi, Brent M; Eschrich, James A

2017-01-01

Microsoft Excel automatically converts certain gene symbols, database accessions, and other alphanumeric text into dates, scientific notation, and other numerical representations. These conversions lead to subsequent, irreversible, corruption of the imported text. A recent survey of popular genomic literature estimates that one-fifth of all papers with supplementary gene lists suffer from this issue. Here, we present an open-source tool, Escape Excel, which prevents these erroneous conversions by generating an escaped text file that can be safely imported into Excel. Escape Excel is implemented in a variety of formats (http://www.github.com/pstew/escape_excel), including a command line based Perl script, a Windows-only Excel Add-In, an OS X drag-and-drop application, a simple web-server, and as a Galaxy web environment interface. Test server implementations are accessible as a Galaxy interface (http://apostl.moffitt.org) and simple non-Galaxy web server (http://apostl.moffitt.org:8000/). Escape Excel detects and escapes a wide variety of problematic text strings so that they are not erroneously converted into other representations upon importation into Excel. Examples of problematic strings include date-like strings, time-like strings, leading zeroes in front of numbers, and long numeric and alphanumeric identifiers that should not be automatically converted into scientific notation. It is hoped that greater awareness of these potential data corruption issues, together with diligent escaping of text files prior to importation into Excel, will help to reduce the amount of Excel-corrupted data in scientific analyses and publications.

Escape Excel: A tool for preventing gene symbol and accession conversion errors

PubMed Central

Stewart, Paul A.; Kuenzi, Brent M.; Eschrich, James A.

2017-01-01

Background Microsoft Excel automatically converts certain gene symbols, database accessions, and other alphanumeric text into dates, scientific notation, and other numerical representations. These conversions lead to subsequent, irreversible, corruption of the imported text. A recent survey of popular genomic literature estimates that one-fifth of all papers with supplementary gene lists suffer from this issue. Results Here, we present an open-source tool, Escape Excel, which prevents these erroneous conversions by generating an escaped text file that can be safely imported into Excel. Escape Excel is implemented in a variety of formats (http://www.github.com/pstew/escape_excel), including a command line based Perl script, a Windows-only Excel Add-In, an OS X drag-and-drop application, a simple web-server, and as a Galaxy web environment interface. Test server implementations are accessible as a Galaxy interface (http://apostl.moffitt.org) and simple non-Galaxy web server (http://apostl.moffitt.org:8000/). Conclusions Escape Excel detects and escapes a wide variety of problematic text strings so that they are not erroneously converted into other representations upon importation into Excel. Examples of problematic strings include date-like strings, time-like strings, leading zeroes in front of numbers, and long numeric and alphanumeric identifiers that should not be automatically converted into scientific notation. It is hoped that greater awareness of these potential data corruption issues, together with diligent escaping of text files prior to importation into Excel, will help to reduce the amount of Excel-corrupted data in scientific analyses and publications. PMID:28953918

Discovery and New Frontiers Project Budget Analysis Tool

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Newhouse, Marilyn E.

2011-01-01

The Discovery and New Frontiers (D&NF) programs are multi-project, uncoupled programs that currently comprise 13 missions in phases A through F. The ability to fly frequent science missions to explore the solar system is the primary measure of program success. The program office uses a Budget Analysis Tool to perform "what-if" analyses and compare mission scenarios to the current program budget, and rapidly forecast the programs ability to meet their launch rate requirements. The tool allows the user to specify the total mission cost (fixed year), mission development and operations profile by phase (percent total mission cost and duration), launch vehicle, and launch date for multiple missions. The tool automatically applies inflation and rolls up the total program costs (in real year dollars) for comparison against available program budget. Thus, the tool allows the user to rapidly and easily explore a variety of launch rates and analyze the effect of changes in future mission or launch vehicle costs, the differing development profiles or operational durations of a future mission, or a replan of a current mission on the overall program budget. Because the tool also reports average monthly costs for the specified mission profile, the development or operations cost profile can easily be validate against program experience for similar missions. While specifically designed for predicting overall program budgets for programs that develop and operate multiple missions concurrently, the basic concept of the tool (rolling up multiple, independently-budget lines) could easily be adapted to other applications.

Moving toward a universally accessible web: Web accessibility and education.

PubMed

Kurt, Serhat

2017-12-08

The World Wide Web is an extremely powerful source of information, inspiration, ideas, and opportunities. As such, it has become an integral part of daily life for a great majority of people. Yet, for a significant number of others, the internet offers only limited value due to the existence of barriers which make accessing the Web difficult, if not impossible. This article illustrates some of the reasons that achieving equality of access to the online world of education is so critical, explores the current status of Web accessibility, discusses evaluative tools and methods that can help identify accessibility issues in educational websites, and provides practical recommendations and guidelines for resolving some of the obstacles that currently hinder the achievability of the goal of universal Web access.

Toxicity Estimation Software Tool (TEST)

EPA Science Inventory

The Toxicity Estimation Software Tool (TEST) was developed to allow users to easily estimate the toxicity of chemicals using Quantitative Structure Activity Relationships (QSARs) methodologies. QSARs are mathematical models used to predict measures of toxicity from the physical c...

Access, Use and Perceptions of Teachers and Students towards Mobile Phones as a Tool for Teaching and Learning in Tanzania

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kafyulilo, Ayoub

2014-01-01

This study explored the access, use and perceptions of teachers and students towards mobile phones as a tool for facilitating teaching and learning beyond the classroom walls. A total of 29 pre-service teachers and four college instructors from Dar es salaam University College of Education (DUCE) as well as 12 in-service teachers and 40 students…

Algorithmic Bricks: A Tangible Robot Programming Tool for Elementary School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kwon, D.-Y.; Kim, H.-S.; Shim, J.-K.; Lee, W.-G.

2012-01-01

Tangible programming tools enable children to easily learn the programming process, previously considered to be difficult for them. While various tangible programming tools have been developed, there is still a lack of available tools to help students experience the general programming process. This study therefore developed a tool called…

Browser-Based Accessibility Evaluation Tools for Beginners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McHale, Nina

2011-01-01

There are hundreds of Web accessibility software options out in the world that serve many different functions. Not surprisingly, many of them are designed for users with a wide range of abilities, with the intent of making the use of computers and the Internet easier for both work and entertainment. There are, however, numerous products available…

Development and formative evaluation of a visual e-tool to help decision makers navigate the evidence around health financing.

PubMed

Skordis-Worrall, Jolene; Pulkki-Brännström, Anni-Maria; Utley, Martin; Kembhavi, Gayatri; Bricki, Nouria; Dutoit, Xavier; Rosato, Mikey; Pagel, Christina

2012-12-21

There are calls for low and middle income countries to develop robust health financing policies to increase service coverage. However, existing evidence around financing options is complex and often difficult for policy makers to access. To summarize the evidence on the impact of financing health systems and develop an e-tool to help decision makers navigate the findings. After reviewing the literature, we used thematic analysis to summarize the impact of 7 common health financing mechanisms on 5 common health system goals. Information on the relevance of each study to a user's context was provided by 11 country indicators. A Web-based e-tool was then developed to assist users in navigating the literature review. This tool was evaluated using feedback from early users, collected using an online survey and in-depth interviews with key informants. The e-tool provides graphical summaries that allow a user to assess the following parameters with a single snapshot: the number of relevant studies available in the literature, the heterogeneity of evidence, where key evidence is lacking, and how closely the evidence matches their own context. Users particularly liked the visual display and found navigating the tool intuitive. However there was concern that a lack of evidence on positive impact might be construed as evidence against a financing option and that the tool might over-simplify the available financing options. Complex evidence can be made more easily accessible and potentially more understandable using basic Web-based technology and innovative graphical representations that match findings to the users' goals and context.

Ecoupling server: A tool to compute and analyze electronic couplings.

PubMed

Cabeza de Vaca, Israel; Acebes, Sandra; Guallar, Victor

2016-07-05

Electron transfer processes are often studied through the evaluation and analysis of the electronic coupling (EC). Since most standard QM codes do not provide readily such a measure, additional, and user-friendly tools to compute and analyze electronic coupling from external wave functions will be of high value. The first server to provide a friendly interface for evaluation and analysis of electronic couplings under two different approximations (FDC and GMH) is presented in this communication. Ecoupling server accepts inputs from common QM and QM/MM software and provides useful plots to understand and analyze the results easily. The web server has been implemented in CGI-python using Apache and it is accessible at http://ecouplingserver.bsc.es. Ecoupling server is free and open to all users without login. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The Grapefruit: An Alternative Arthroscopic Tool Skill Platform.

PubMed

Molho, David A; Sylvia, Stephen M; Schwartz, Daniel L; Merwin, Sara L; Levy, I Martin

2017-08-01

To establish the construct validity of an arthroscopic training model that teaches arthroscopic tool skills including triangulation, grasping, precision biting, implant delivery and ambidexterity and uses a whole grapefruit for its training platform. For the grapefruit training model (GTM), an arthroscope and arthroscopic instruments were introduced through portals cut in the grapefruit skin of a whole prepared grapefruit. After institutional review board approval, participants performed a set of tasks inside the grapefruit. Performance for each component was assessed by recording errors, achievement of criteria, and time to completion. A total of 19 medical students, orthopaedic surgery residents, and fellowship-trained orthopaedic surgeons were included in the analysis and were divided into 3 groups based on arthroscopic experience. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the post hoc Tukey test were used for statistical analysis. One-way ANOVA showed significant differences in both time to completion and errors between groups, F(2, 16) = 16.10, P < .001; F(2, 16) = 17.43, P < .001. Group A had a longer time to completion and more errors than group B (P = .025, P = .019), and group B had a longer time to completion and more errors than group C (P = .023, P = .018). The GTM is an easily assembled and an alternative arthroscopic training model that bridges the gap between box trainers, cadavers, and virtual reality simulators. Our findings suggest construct validity when evaluating its use for teaching the basic arthroscopic tool skills. As such, it is a useful addition to the arthroscopic training toolbox. There is a need for validated low-cost arthroscopic training models that are easily accessible. Copyright © 2017 Arthroscopy Association of North America. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Smartphones as Tools for Delivering Sun-Smart Education to Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Igoe, Damien; Parisi, Alfio; Carter, Brad

2013-01-01

Smartphones are used widely by the general public and students. They are one of the most popular and easily accessible technologies. These devices were originally designed as a means of communication. However, they have evolved into a mobile computing platform with built in sensors and the ability to access a vast number of applications. This…

A Simple and Novel Method to Attain Retrograde Ureteral Access after Previous Cohen Cross-Trigonal Ureteral Reimplantation

PubMed Central

Adam, Ahmed

2017-01-01

Objective To describe a simple, novel method to achieve ureteric access in the Cohen crossed reimplanted ureter, which will allow retrograde working access via the conventional transurethral method. Materials and Methods Under cystoscopic vision, suprapubic needle puncture was performed. The needle was directed (bevel facing) towards the desired ureteric orifice (UO). A guidewire (with a floppy-tip) was then inserted into the suprapubic needle passing into the bladder, and then easily passed into the crossed-reimplanted UO. The distal end of the guidewire was then removed through the urethra with cystoscopic grasping forceps. The straightened ureter then easily facilitated ureteroscopy access, retrograde pyelogram studies, and JJ stent insertion in a conventional transurethral method. Results The UO and ureter were aligned in a more conventional orthotopic course, to allow for conventional transurethral working access. Conclusion A novel method to access the Cohen crossed reimplanted ureter was described. All previously published methods of accessing the crossed ureter were critically appraised. PMID:29463976

Rapid Access Real-Time device and Rapid Access software: new tools in the armamentarium of capsule endoscopy.

PubMed

Spada, Cristiano; Riccioni, Maria Elena; Costamagna, Guido

2007-07-01

Small bowel capsule endoscopy represents a significant advance in the investigation of the small bowel, allowing direct visualization of this section of the gastrointestinal system. More recently, new video capsules have been released, specifically designed to investigate the esophagus and the colon. In June 2006, Given Imaging Ltd received marketing clearance from the US FDA for the Rapid Access Real-Time (RT) and Rapid Access software. The Rapid Access RT is a handheld device that enables real-time viewing during capsule endoscopy procedures. To date, the clinical benefits of this device are unknown as studies on the Rapid Access RT system have not yet been published. However, it appears that the Rapid Access RT system may reduce the examination and reading time, and may impact significantly in cases where it is important to know the precise localization of the capsule (during PillCam ESO ingestion procedures, PillCam Colon examinations or when delayed gastric transit is suspected) or in case of severe gastrointestinal bleeding (when a therapeutic procedure is required urgently).

Improving Data Discovery, Access, and Analysis to More Than Three Decades of Oceanographic and Geomorphologic Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Forte, M.; Hesser, T.; Knee, K.; Ingram, I.; Hathaway, K. K.; Brodie, K. L.; Spore, N.; Bird, A.; Fratantonio, R.; Dopsovic, R.; Keith, A.; Gadomski, K.

2016-02-01

The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center's (USACE ERDC) Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory (CHL) Coastal Observations and Analysis Branch (COAB) Measurements Program has a 35-year record of coastal observations. These datasets include oceanographic point source measurements, Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) GPS bathymetry surveys, and remote sensing data from both the Field Research Facility (FRF) in Duck, NC and from other project and experiment sites around the nation. The data has been used to support a variety of USACE mission areas, including coastal wave model development, beach and bar response, coastal project design, coastal storm surge, and other coastal hazard investigations. Furthermore these data have been widely used by a number of federal and state agencies, academic institutions, and private industries in hundreds of scientific and engineering investigations, publications, conference presentations and model advancement studies. A limiting factor to the use of FRF data has been rapid, reliable access and publicly available metadata for each data type. The addition of web tools, accessible data files, and well-documented metadata will open the door to much future collaboration. With the help of industry partner RPS ASA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Mobile District Spatial Data Branch, a Data Integration Framework (DIF) was developed. The DIF represents a combination of processes, standards, people, and tools used to transform disconnected enterprise data into useful, easily accessible information for analysis and reporting. A front-end data portal connects the user to the framework that integrates both oceanographic observation and geomorphology measurements using a combination of ESRI and open-source technology while providing a seamless data discovery, access, and analysis experience to the user. The user interface was built with ESRI's JavaScript API and all project metadata is managed using Geoportal. The geomorphology data is made

Developing Information Services and Tools to Access and Evaluate Data Quality in Global Satellite-based Precipitation Products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Z.; Shie, C. L.; Meyer, D. J.

2017-12-01

Global satellite-based precipitation products have been widely used in research and applications around the world. Compared to ground-based observations, satellite-based measurements provide precipitation data on a global scale, especially in remote continents and over oceans. Over the years, satellite-based precipitation products have evolved from single sensor and single algorithm to multi-sensors and multi-algorithms. As a result, many satellite-based precipitation products have been enhanced such as spatial and temporal coverages. With inclusion of ground-based measurements, biases of satellite-based precipitation products have been significantly reduced. However, data quality issues still exist and can be caused by many factors such as observations, satellite platform anomaly, algorithms, production, calibration, validation, data services, etc. The NASA Goddard Earth Sciences (GES) Data and Information Services Center (DISC) is home to NASA global precipitation product archives including the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM), the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM), as well as other global and regional precipitation products. Precipitation is one of the top downloaded and accessed parameters in the GES DISC data archive. Meanwhile, users want to easily locate and obtain data quality information at regional and global scales to better understand how precipitation products perform and how reliable they are. As data service providers, it is necessary to provide an easy access to data quality information, however, such information normally is not available, and when it is available, it is not in one place and difficult to locate. In this presentation, we will present challenges and activities at the GES DISC to address precipitation data quality issues.

Datasets2Tools, repository and search engine for bioinformatics datasets, tools and canned analyses

PubMed Central

Torre, Denis; Krawczuk, Patrycja; Jagodnik, Kathleen M.; Lachmann, Alexander; Wang, Zichen; Wang, Lily; Kuleshov, Maxim V.; Ma’ayan, Avi

2018-01-01

Biomedical data repositories such as the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) enable the search and discovery of relevant biomedical digital data objects. Similarly, resources such as OMICtools, index bioinformatics tools that can extract knowledge from these digital data objects. However, systematic access to pre-generated ‘canned’ analyses applied by bioinformatics tools to biomedical digital data objects is currently not available. Datasets2Tools is a repository indexing 31,473 canned bioinformatics analyses applied to 6,431 datasets. The Datasets2Tools repository also contains the indexing of 4,901 published bioinformatics software tools, and all the analyzed datasets. Datasets2Tools enables users to rapidly find datasets, tools, and canned analyses through an intuitive web interface, a Google Chrome extension, and an API. Furthermore, Datasets2Tools provides a platform for contributing canned analyses, datasets, and tools, as well as evaluating these digital objects according to their compliance with the findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable (FAIR) principles. By incorporating community engagement, Datasets2Tools promotes sharing of digital resources to stimulate the extraction of knowledge from biomedical research data. Datasets2Tools is freely available from: http://amp.pharm.mssm.edu/datasets2tools. PMID:29485625

Datasets2Tools, repository and search engine for bioinformatics datasets, tools and canned analyses.

PubMed

Torre, Denis; Krawczuk, Patrycja; Jagodnik, Kathleen M; Lachmann, Alexander; Wang, Zichen; Wang, Lily; Kuleshov, Maxim V; Ma'ayan, Avi

2018-02-27

Biomedical data repositories such as the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) enable the search and discovery of relevant biomedical digital data objects. Similarly, resources such as OMICtools, index bioinformatics tools that can extract knowledge from these digital data objects. However, systematic access to pre-generated 'canned' analyses applied by bioinformatics tools to biomedical digital data objects is currently not available. Datasets2Tools is a repository indexing 31,473 canned bioinformatics analyses applied to 6,431 datasets. The Datasets2Tools repository also contains the indexing of 4,901 published bioinformatics software tools, and all the analyzed datasets. Datasets2Tools enables users to rapidly find datasets, tools, and canned analyses through an intuitive web interface, a Google Chrome extension, and an API. Furthermore, Datasets2Tools provides a platform for contributing canned analyses, datasets, and tools, as well as evaluating these digital objects according to their compliance with the findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable (FAIR) principles. By incorporating community engagement, Datasets2Tools promotes sharing of digital resources to stimulate the extraction of knowledge from biomedical research data. Datasets2Tools is freely available from: http://amp.pharm.mssm.edu/datasets2tools.

SNPversity: a web-based tool for visualizing diversity

PubMed Central

Schott, David A; Vinnakota, Abhinav G; Portwood, John L; Andorf, Carson M

2018-01-01

Abstract Many stand-alone desktop software suites exist to visualize single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) diversity, but web-based software that can be easily implemented and used for biological databases is absent. SNPversity was created to answer this need by building an open-source visualization tool that can be implemented on a Unix-like machine and served through a web browser that can be accessible worldwide. SNPversity consists of a HDF5 database back-end for SNPs, a data exchange layer powered by TASSEL libraries that represent data in JSON format, and an interface layer using PHP to visualize SNP information. SNPversity displays data in real-time through a web browser in grids that are color-coded according to a given SNP’s allelic status and mutational state. SNPversity is currently available at MaizeGDB, the maize community’s database, and will be soon available at GrainGenes, the clade-oriented database for Triticeae and Avena species, including wheat, barley, rye, and oat. The code and documentation are uploaded onto github, and they are freely available to the public. We expect that the tool will be highly useful for other biological databases with a similar need to display SNP diversity through their web interfaces. Database URL: https://www.maizegdb.org/snpversity PMID:29688387

Barriers and facilitators to parents seeking and accessing professional support for anxiety disorders in children: qualitative interview study.

PubMed

Reardon, Tessa; Harvey, Kate; Young, Bridget; O'Brien, Doireann; Creswell, Cathy

2018-01-25

Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental health disorders experienced by children, but only a minority of these children access professional help. Understanding the difficulties parents face seeking support for child anxiety disorders could inform targeted interventions to improve treatment access. The aims of the study were to identify barriers and facilitators to seeking and accessing professional support for child anxiety disorders, and ways to minimise these barriers. A qualitative interview study was conducted with parents of 16 children (aged 7-11 years) with anxiety disorders identified through screening in schools. Barriers and facilitators were identified in relation to four distinct stages in the help-seeking process: parents recognising the anxiety difficulty, parents recognising the need for professional support, parents contacting professionals, and families receiving professional support. Barriers and facilitators at each stage related to the child's difficulties, the role of the parent, and parent perceptions of professionals and services. Findings illustrate the need (1) for readily available tools to help parents and professionals identify clinically significant anxiety in children, (2) to ensure that families and professionals can easily access guidance on the help-seeking process and available support, and (3) to ensure existing services offer sufficient provision for less severe difficulties that incorporates direct support for parents.

Subject Access to "Pornography" for Serious Research Purposes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moya, Cynde

2001-01-01

Examines some of the research needs in academic disciplines for access to pornographic materials, and looks at tools, such as thesauri and Web directories, which have been built to help searchers find materials. Discusses research needs for access to materials; tools built by librarians to subject analyze material; and Internet words for indexing…

Breakthrough Science Enabled by Regular Access to Orbits Beyond Earth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gorjian, V.

2018-02-01

Regular launches to the Deep Space Gateway (DSG) will enable smallsats to access orbits not currently easily available to low cost missions. These orbits will allow great new science, especially when using the DSG as an optical hub for downlink.

Google Tools in the Classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Albee, E. M.; Koons, P. O.; Schauffler, M.; Zhu, Y.; Segee, B. E.

2009-12-01

The Maine Learning Technology Initiative provides every seventh and eighth grade student in the state with MacBook laptop computers. Limitless education possibilities exist with the inclusion of Google Tools and laptops as learning tools in our modern classrooms. Google Applications allow students to create documents, spreadsheets, charts, graphs, forms, and presentations and easily allows the sharing of information with their fellow classmates and teachers. These applications invite the use of inquiry and critical thinking skills, collaboration among peers, and subject integration to teach students crucial concepts. The benefits for teachers extend into the realm of using Google sites to easily create a teacher website and blog to upload classroom information and create a communication connection for parents and students as well as collaborations between the teachers and University researchers and educators. Google Applications further enhances the possibilities for learning, sharing a wealth of information, and enhancing communication inside and outside of the classroom.

A geodata warehouse: Using denormalisation techniques as a tool for delivering spatially enabled integrated geological information to geologists

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kingdon, Andrew; Nayembil, Martin L.; Richardson, Anne E.; Smith, A. Graham

2016-11-01

New requirements to understand geological properties in three dimensions have led to the development of PropBase, a data structure and delivery tools to deliver this. At the BGS, relational database management systems (RDBMS) has facilitated effective data management using normalised subject-based database designs with business rules in a centralised, vocabulary controlled, architecture. These have delivered effective data storage in a secure environment. However, isolated subject-oriented designs prevented efficient cross-domain querying of datasets. Additionally, the tools provided often did not enable effective data discovery as they struggled to resolve the complex underlying normalised structures providing poor data access speeds. Users developed bespoke access tools to structures they did not fully understand sometimes delivering them incorrect results. Therefore, BGS has developed PropBase, a generic denormalised data structure within an RDBMS to store property data, to facilitate rapid and standardised data discovery and access, incorporating 2D and 3D physical and chemical property data, with associated metadata. This includes scripts to populate and synchronise the layer with its data sources through structured input and transcription standards. A core component of the architecture includes, an optimised query object, to deliver geoscience information from a structure equivalent to a data warehouse. This enables optimised query performance to deliver data in multiple standardised formats using a web discovery tool. Semantic interoperability is enforced through vocabularies combined from all data sources facilitating searching of related terms. PropBase holds 28.1 million spatially enabled property data points from 10 source databases incorporating over 50 property data types with a vocabulary set that includes 557 property terms. By enabling property data searches across multiple databases PropBase has facilitated new scientific research, previously

Enhancing Discovery, Search, and Access of NASA Hydrological Data by Leveraging GEOSS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Teng, William L.

2015-01-01

An ongoing NASA-funded project has removed a longstanding barrier to accessing NASA data (i.e., accessing archived time-step array data as point-time series) for selected variables of the North American and Global Land Data Assimilation Systems (NLDAS and GLDAS, respectively) and other EOSDIS (Earth Observing System Data Information System) data sets (e.g., precipitation, soil moisture). These time series (data rods) are pre-generated. Data rods Web services are accessible through the CUAHSI Hydrologic Information System (HIS) and the Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC) but are not easily discoverable by users of other non-NASA data systems. The Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) is a logical mechanism for providing access to the data rods. An ongoing GEOSS Water Services project aims to develop a distributed, global registry of water data, map, and modeling services cataloged using the standards and procedures of the Open Geospatial Consortium and the World Meteorological Organization. The ongoing data rods project has demonstrated the feasibility of leveraging the GEOSS infrastructure to help provide access to time series of model grid information or grids of information over a geographical domain for a particular time interval. A recently-begun, related NASA-funded ACCESS-GEOSS project expands on these prior efforts. Current work is focused on both improving the performance of the generation of on-the-fly (OTF) data rods and the Web interfaces from which users can easily discover, search, and access NASA data.

Developing Healthcare Data Analytics APPs with Open Data Science Tools.

PubMed

Hao, Bibo; Sun, Wen; Yu, Yiqin; Xie, Guotong

2017-01-01

Recent advances in big data analytics provide more flexible, efficient, and open tools for researchers to gain insight from healthcare data. Whilst many tools require researchers to develop programs with programming languages like Python, R and so on, which is not a skill set grasped by many researchers in the healthcare data analytics area. To make data science more approachable, we explored existing tools and developed a practice that can help data scientists convert existing analytics pipelines to user-friendly analytics APPs with rich interactions and features of real-time analysis. With this practice, data scientists can develop customized analytics pipelines as APPs in Jupyter Notebook and disseminate them to other researchers easily, and researchers can benefit from the shared notebook to perform analysis tasks or reproduce research results much more easily.

Accessing and Visualizing scientific spatiotemporal data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Katz, Daniel S.; Bergou, Attila; Berriman, Bruce G.; Block, Gary L.; Collier, Jim; Curkendall, David W.; Good, John; Husman, Laura; Jacob, Joseph C.; Laity, Anastasia;

Producing Fe-W-Co-Cr-C Alloy Cutting Tool Material Through Powder Metallurgy Route

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Datta Banik, Bibhas; Dutta, Debasish; Ray, Siddhartha

2017-04-01

High speed steel tools can withstand high impact forces as they are tough in nature. But they cannot retain their hardness at elevated temperature i.e. their hot hardness is low. Therefore permissible cutting speed is low and tools wear out easily. Use of lubricants is essential for HSS cutting tools. On the other hand cemented carbide tools can withstand greater compressive force, but due to lower toughness the tool can break easily. Moreover the cost of the tool is comparatively high. To achieve a better machining economy, Fe-W-Co-Cr-C alloys are being used nowadays. Their toughness is as good as HSS tools and hardness is very near to carbide tools. Even, at moderate cutting speeds they can be safely used in old machines having vibration. Moreover it is much cheaper than carbide tools. This paper highlights the Manufacturing Technology of the alloy and studies the comparative tribological properties of the alloy and tungsten mono carbide.

Walkyourplace - Evaluating Neighbourhood Accessibility at Street Level

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steiniger, S.; Poorazizi, M. E.; Hunter, A. J. S.

2013-05-01

The popularity of a neighbourhood is often explained by its perceived "higher" quality of life. Good access to shops, restaurants, parks, etc., is seen as an indicator that reflects improved quality of life. We present a web-based tool for assessment of accessibility to such services. The system evaluates in real time an area that is accessible using pedestrian, transit, and cycling infrastructure. The accessible area is evaluated using "quality of life" indicators, such as the number of grocery stores, shopping and recreation facilities, and local crime within that area. This tool sets itself apart from pre-computed and neighbourhood-level walkability indices, because it makes use of detailed street-level data, rather than block-level generalizations. It uses real network travel time, and, when transit data are provided, permits the creation and evaluation of accessibility areas for a combination of travel modes such as walking with transit use.

Atom-Role-Based Access Control Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, Weihong; Huang, Richeng; Hou, Xiaoli; Wei, Gang; Xiao, Shui; Chen, Yindong

Role-based access control (RBAC) model has been widely recognized as an efficient access control model and becomes a hot research topic of information security at present. However, in the large-scale enterprise application environments, the traditional RBAC model based on the role hierarchy has the following deficiencies: Firstly, it is unable to reflect the role relationships in complicated cases effectively, which does not accord with practical applications. Secondly, the senior role unconditionally inherits all permissions of the junior role, thus if a user is under the supervisor role, he may accumulate all permissions, and this easily causes the abuse of permission and violates the least privilege principle, which is one of the main security principles. To deal with these problems, we, after analyzing permission types and role relationships, proposed the concept of atom role and built an atom-role-based access control model, called ATRBAC, by dividing the permission set of each regular role based on inheritance path relationships. Through the application-specific analysis, this model can well meet the access control requirements.

The APIS service : a tool for accessing value-added HST planetary auroral observations over 1997-2015

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lamy, L.; Henry, F.; Prangé, R.; Le Sidaner, P.

2015-10-01

The Auroral Planetary Imaging and Spectroscopy (APIS) service http://obspm.fr/apis/ provides an open and interactive access to processed auroral observations of the outer planets and their satellites. Such observations are of interest for a wide community at the interface between planetology, magnetospheric and heliospheric physics. APIS consists of (i) a high level database, built from planetary auroral observations acquired by the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) since 1997 with its mostly used Far-Ultraviolet spectro- imagers, (ii) a dedicated search interface aimed at browsing efficiently this database through relevant conditional search criteria (Figure 1) and (iii) the ability to interactively work with the data online through plotting tools developed by the Virtual Observatory (VO) community, such as Aladin and Specview. This service is VO compliant and can therefore also been queried by external search tools of the VO community. The diversity of available data and the capability to sort them out by relevant physical criteria shall in particular facilitate statistical studies, on long-term scales and/or multi-instrumental multispectral combined analysis [1,2]. We will present the updated capabilities of APIS with several examples. Several tutorials are available online.

Development of «Park-and-Ride» system as a tool for sustainable access control managing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Danilina, Nina; Vlasov, Denis

2017-10-01

Large cities, whereby people use private transport, are facing the same challenges related to traffic congestion, reliability of public transportation and parking demand. Managing urban traffic and transport has become the most relevant police in transport planning. The article deals with the potential for further implementation in Russian Federation of «Park-and- Ride» recognized as an essential part of the overall transport and parking offer and successful planning tool to reducing congestion for any urban area around the world. The studies have been carried out in Moscow acknowledged as the city core of Moscow agglomeration — the largest and most populous in Russia. The research aims to support for the development of «Park-and-Ride» system applying the methodical approach adapted by the authors for the study to make it relevant for cities. A three-steps access control is offered to reduce private cars use in the city center. The results of the studies shows that such traffic management tool can help successfully in balancing the traffic demand and supply and, consequently, in resolving transport congestion and the number of coherent social, urban and economic challenges addressed to the sustainable development of urban areas.

Enhanced STEM Learning with the GeoMapApp Data Exploration Tool

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goodwillie, A. M.

2014-12-01

GeoMapApp (http://www.geomapapp.org), is a free, map-based data discovery and visualisation tool developed with NSF funding at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. GeoMapApp provides casual and specialist users alike with access to hundreds of built-in geoscience data sets covering geology, geophysics, geochemistry, oceanography, climatology, cryospherics, and the environment. Users can also import their own data tables, spreadsheets, shapefiles, grids and images. Simple manipulation and analysis tools combined with layering capabilities and engaging visualisations provide a powerful platform with which to explore and interrogate geoscience data in its proper geospatial context thus helping users to more easily gain insight into the meaning of the data. A global elevation base map covering the oceans as well as continents forms the backbone of GeoMapApp. The multi-resolution base map is updated regularly and includes data sources ranging from Space Shuttle elevation data for land areas to ultra-high-resolution surveys of coral reefs and seafloor hydrothermal vent fields. Examples of built-in data sets that can be layered over the elevation model include interactive earthquake and volcano data, plate tectonic velocities, hurricane tracks, land and ocean temperature, water column properties, age of the ocean floor, and deep submersible bottom photos. A versatile profiling tool provides instant access to data cross-sections. Contouring and 3-D views are also offered - the attached image shows a 3-D view of East Africa's Ngorongoro Crater as an example. Tabular data - both imported and built-in - can be displayed in a variety of ways and a lasso tool enables users to quickly select data points directly from the map. A range of STEM-based education material based upon GeoMapApp is already available, including a number of self-contained modules for school- and college-level students (http://www.geomapapp.org/education/contributed_material.html). More learning modules are

AccessMod 3.0: computing geographic coverage and accessibility to health care services using anisotropic movement of patients

PubMed Central

Ray, Nicolas; Ebener, Steeve

2008-01-01

Background Access to health care can be described along four dimensions: geographic accessibility, availability, financial accessibility and acceptability. Geographic accessibility measures how physically accessible resources are for the population, while availability reflects what resources are available and in what amount. Combining these two types of measure into a single index provides a measure of geographic (or spatial) coverage, which is an important measure for assessing the degree of accessibility of a health care network. Results This paper describes the latest version of AccessMod, an extension to the Geographical Information System ArcView 3.×, and provides an example of application of this tool. AccessMod 3 allows one to compute geographic coverage to health care using terrain information and population distribution. Four major types of analysis are available in AccessMod: (1) modeling the coverage of catchment areas linked to an existing health facility network based on travel time, to provide a measure of physical accessibility to health care; (2) modeling geographic coverage according to the availability of services; (3) projecting the coverage of a scaling-up of an existing network; (4) providing information for cost effectiveness analysis when little information about the existing network is available. In addition to integrating travelling time, population distribution and the population coverage capacity specific to each health facility in the network, AccessMod can incorporate the influence of landscape components (e.g. topography, river and road networks, vegetation) that impact travelling time to and from facilities. Topographical constraints can be taken into account through an anisotropic analysis that considers the direction of movement. We provide an example of the application of AccessMod in the southern part of Malawi that shows the influences of the landscape constraints and of the modes of transportation on geographic coverage

Multi-Instrument Tools and Services to Access NASA Earth Science Data from the GSFC Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kempler, Steve; Leptoukh, Greg; Lynnes, Chris

2010-01-01

The presentation purpose is to describe multi-instrument tools and services that facilitate access and usability of NASA Earth science data at Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). NASA's Earth observing system includes 14 satellites. Topics include EOSDIS facilities and system architecture, and overview of GSFC Earth Science Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC) mission, Mirador data search, Giovanni, multi-instrument data exploration, Google Earth[TM], data merging, and applications.

Development of the public information and communication technology assessment tool.

PubMed

Ripat, Jacquie; Watzke, James; Birch, Gary

2008-09-01

Public information and communication technologies, such as information kiosks, automated banking machines and ticket dispensers, allow people to access services in a convenient and timely manner. However, the development of these technologies has occurred largely without consideration of access by people with disabilities. Inaccessible technical features make operation of a public technology difficult and barriers in the environment create navigational challenges, limiting the opportunity of people with disabilities to use these devices and access the services they provide. This paper describes the development of a tool that individuals, disability advocacy groups, business owners, healthcare providers, and urban planners can use to evaluate the accessibility of public technologies and the surrounding environment. Evaluation results can then be used to develop recommendations and advocate for technical and environmental changes to improve access. Tool development consisted of a review of the literature and key Canadian Standards Association documents, task analysis, and consultation with accessibility experts. Studies of content validity, tool usability, inter-rater and test-retest reliability were conducted in sites across Canada. Accessibility experts verified the content validity of the tool. The current version of the tool has incorporated the findings of a usability study. Initial testing indicated excellent agreement for inter-rater and test-retest reliability scores. Social exclusion can arise when public technologies are not accessible. This newly developed instrument provides detailed information that can be used to advocate for more accessible and inclusive public information and communication technologies.

Enhancing Access to and Use of NASA Earth Sciences Data via CUAHSI-HIS (Hydrologic Information System) and Other Hydrologic Community Tools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rui, H.; Strub, R.; Teng, W. L.; Vollmer, B.; Mocko, D. M.; Maidment, D. R.; Whiteaker, T. L.

2013-12-01

The way NASA earth sciences data are typically archived (by time steps, one step per file, often containing multiple variables) is not optimal for their access by the hydrologic community, particularly if the data volume and/or number of data files are large. To enhance the access to and use of these NASA data, the NASA Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC) adopted two approaches, in a project supported by the NASA ACCESS Program. The first is to optimally reorganize two large hydrological data sets for more efficient access, as time series, and to integrate the time series data (aka 'data rods') into hydrologic community tools, such as CUAHSI-HIS, EPA-BASINS, and Esri-ArcGIS. This effort has thus far resulted in the reorganization and archive (as data rods) of the following variables from the North American and Global Land Data Assimilation Systems (NLDAS and GLDAS, respectively): precipitation, soil moisture, evapotranspiration, runoff, near-surface specific humidity, potential evaporation, soil temperature, near surface air temperature, and near-surface wind. The second approach is to leverage the NASA Simple Subset Wizard (SSW), which was developed to unite data search and subsetters at various NASA EOSDIS data centers into a single, simple, seamless process. Data accessed via SSW are converted to time series before being made available via Web service. Leveraging SSW makes all data accessible via SSW potentially available to HIS users, which increases the number of data sets available as time series beyond those available as data rods. Thus far, a set of selected variables from the NASA Modern Era-Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications Land Surface (MERRA-Land) data set has been integrated into CUAHSI-HIS, including evaporation, land surface temperature, runoff, soil moisture, soil temperature, precipitation, and transpiration. All data integration into these tools has been conducted in collaboration with their

Web-accessible cervigram automatic segmentation tool

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xue, Zhiyun; Antani, Sameer; Long, L. Rodney; Thoma, George R.

2010-03-01

Uterine cervix image analysis is of great importance to the study of uterine cervix cancer, which is among the leading cancers affecting women worldwide. In this paper, we describe our proof-of-concept, Web-accessible system for automated segmentation of significant tissue regions in uterine cervix images, which also demonstrates our research efforts toward promoting collaboration between engineers and physicians for medical image analysis projects. Our design and implementation unifies the merits of two commonly used languages, MATLAB and Java. It circumvents the heavy workload of recoding the sophisticated segmentation algorithms originally developed in MATLAB into Java while allowing remote users who are not experienced programmers and algorithms developers to apply those processing methods to their own cervicographic images and evaluate the algorithms. Several other practical issues of the systems are also discussed, such as the compression of images and the format of the segmentation results.

Cultural transmission of tool use by Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops sp.) provides access to a novel foraging niche.

PubMed

Krützen, Michael; Kreicker, Sina; MacLeod, Colin D; Learmonth, Jennifer; Kopps, Anna M; Walsham, Pamela; Allen, Simon J

2014-06-07

Culturally transmitted tool use has important ecological and evolutionary consequences and has been proposed as a significant driver of human evolution. Such evidence is still scarce in other animals. In cetaceans, tool use has been inferred using indirect evidence in one population of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops sp.), where particular dolphins ('spongers') use marine sponges during foraging. To date, evidence of whether this foraging tactic actually provides access to novel food items is lacking. We used fatty acid (FA) signature analysis to identify dietary differences between spongers and non-spongers, analysing data from 11 spongers and 27 non-spongers from two different study sites. Both univariate and multivariate analyses revealed significant differences in FA profiles between spongers and non-spongers between and within study sites. Moreover, FA profiles differed significantly between spongers and non-spongers foraging within the same deep channel habitat, whereas the profiles of non-spongers from deep channel and shallow habitats at this site could not be distinguished. Our results indicate that sponge use by bottlenose dolphins is linked to significant differences in diet. It appears that cultural transmission of tool use in dolphins, as in humans, allows the exploitation of an otherwise unused niche.

NASA Access Mechanism - Graphical user interface information retrieval system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hunter, Judy F.; Generous, Curtis; Duncan, Denise

1993-01-01

Access to online information sources of aerospace, scientific, and engineering data, a mission focus for NASA's Scientific and Technical Information Program, has always been limited by factors such as telecommunications, query language syntax, lack of standardization in the information, and the lack of adequate tools to assist in searching. Today, the NASA STI Program's NASA Access Mechanism (NAM) prototype offers a solution to these problems by providing the user with a set of tools that provide a graphical interface to remote, heterogeneous, and distributed information in a manner adaptable to both casual and expert users. Additionally, the NAM provides access to many Internet-based services such as Electronic Mail, the Wide Area Information Servers system, Peer Locating tools, and electronic bulletin boards.

NASA access mechanism: Graphical user interface information retrieval system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hunter, Judy; Generous, Curtis; Duncan, Denise

1993-01-01

Access to online information sources of aerospace, scientific, and engineering data, a mission focus for NASA's Scientific and Technical Information Program, has always been limited to factors such as telecommunications, query language syntax, lack of standardization in the information, and the lack of adequate tools to assist in searching. Today, the NASA STI Program's NASA Access Mechanism (NAM) prototype offers a solution to these problems by providing the user with a set of tools that provide a graphical interface to remote, heterogeneous, and distributed information in a manner adaptable to both casual and expert users. Additionally, the NAM provides access to many Internet-based services such as Electronic Mail, the Wide Area Information Servers system, Peer Locating tools, and electronic bulletin boards.

Surging Seas Risk Finder: A Tool for Local-Scale Flood Risk Assessments in Coastal Cities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kulp, S. A.; Strauss, B.

2015-12-01

Local decision makers in coastal cities require accurate, accessible, and thorough assessments of flood exposure risk within their individual municipality, in their efforts to mitigate against damage due to future sea level rise. To fill this need, we have developed Climate Central's Surging Seas Risk Finder, an interactive data toolkit which presents our sea level rise and storm surge analysis for every coastal town, city, county, and state within the USA. Using this tool, policy makers can easily zoom in on their local place of interest to receive a detailed flood risk assessment, which synthesizes a wide range of features including total population, socially vulnerable population, housing, property value, road miles, power plants, schools, hospitals, and many other critical facilities. Risk Finder can also be used to identify specific points of interest in danger of exposure at different flood levels. Additionally, this tool provides localized storm surge probabilities and sea level rise projections at tidal gauges along the coast, so that users can quickly understand the risk of flooding in their area over the coming decades.

The Sorghum Headworm Calculator: A speedy tool for headworm management

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Sorghum Headworm Calculator is an interactive decision support system for sorghum headworm management. It was designed to be easily accessible and usable. It provides users with organized information on identification, sampling, and management using images, descriptions and research-based mana...

Increasing global accessibility and understanding of water column sonar data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wall, C.; Anderson, C.; Mesick, S.; Parsons, A. R.; Boyer, T.; McLean, S. J.

2016-02-01

Active acoustic (sonar) technology is of increasing importance for research examining the water column. NOAA uses water column sonar data to map acoustic properties from the ocean surface to the seafloor - from bubbles to biology to bottom. Scientific echosounders aboard fishery survey vessels are used to estimate biomass, measure fish school morphology, and characterize habitat. These surveys produce large volumes of data that are costly and difficult to maintain due to their size, complexity, and proprietary format that require specific software and extensive knowledge. However, through proper management they can deliver valuable information beyond their original collection purpose. In order to maximize the benefit to the public, the data must be easily discoverable and accessible. Access to ancillary data is also needed for complete environmental context and ecosystem assessment. NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information, in partnership with NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service and the University of Colorado, created a national archive for the stewardship and distribution of water column sonar data collected on NOAA and academic vessels. A web-based access page allows users to query the metadata and access the raw sonar data. Visualization products being developed allow researchers and the public to understand the quality and content of large volumes of archived data more easily. Such products transform the complex data into a digestible image or graphic and are highly valuable for a broad audience of varying backgrounds. Concurrently collected oceanographic data and bathymetric data are being integrated into the data access web page to provide an ecosystem-wide understanding of the area ensonified. Benefits of the archive include global access to an unprecedented nationwide dataset and the increased potential for researchers to address cross-cutting scientific questions to advance the field of marine ecosystem acoustics.

An easily regenerable enzyme reactor prepared from polymerized high internal phase emulsions.

PubMed

Ruan, Guihua; Wu, Zhenwei; Huang, Yipeng; Wei, Meiping; Su, Rihui; Du, Fuyou

2016-04-22

A large-scale high-efficient enzyme reactor based on polymerized high internal phase emulsion monolith (polyHIPE) was prepared. First, a porous cross-linked polyHIPE monolith was prepared by in-situ thermal polymerization of a high internal phase emulsion containing styrene, divinylbenzene and polyglutaraldehyde. The enzyme of TPCK-Trypsin was then immobilized on the monolithic polyHIPE. The performance of the resultant enzyme reactor was assessed according to the conversion ability of Nα-benzoyl-l-arginine ethyl ester to Nα-benzoyl-l-arginine, and the protein digestibility of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and cytochrome (Cyt-C). The results showed that the prepared enzyme reactor exhibited high enzyme immobilization efficiency and fast and easy-control protein digestibility. BSA and Cyt-C could be digested in 10 min with sequence coverage of 59% and 78%, respectively. The peptides and residual protein could be easily rinsed out from reactor and the reactor could be regenerated easily with 4 M HCl without any structure destruction. Properties of multiple interconnected chambers with good permeability, fast digestion facility and easily reproducibility indicated that the polyHIPE enzyme reactor was a good selector potentially applied in proteomics and catalysis areas. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Using bio.tools to generate and annotate workbench tool descriptions

PubMed Central

Hillion, Kenzo-Hugo; Kuzmin, Ivan; Khodak, Anton; Rasche, Eric; Crusoe, Michael; Peterson, Hedi; Ison, Jon; Ménager, Hervé

2017-01-01

Workbench and workflow systems such as Galaxy, Taverna, Chipster, or Common Workflow Language (CWL)-based frameworks, facilitate the access to bioinformatics tools in a user-friendly, scalable and reproducible way. Still, the integration of tools in such environments remains a cumbersome, time consuming and error-prone process. A major consequence is the incomplete or outdated description of tools that are often missing important information, including parameters and metadata such as publication or links to documentation. ToolDog (Tool DescriptiOn Generator) facilitates the integration of tools - which have been registered in the ELIXIR tools registry (https://bio.tools) - into workbench environments by generating tool description templates. ToolDog includes two modules. The first module analyses the source code of the bioinformatics software with language-specific plugins, and generates a skeleton for a Galaxy XML or CWL tool description. The second module is dedicated to the enrichment of the generated tool description, using metadata provided by bio.tools. This last module can also be used on its own to complete or correct existing tool descriptions with missing metadata. PMID:29333231

GeneTools--application for functional annotation and statistical hypothesis testing.

PubMed

Beisvag, Vidar; Jünge, Frode K R; Bergum, Hallgeir; Jølsum, Lars; Lydersen, Stian; Günther, Clara-Cecilie; Ramampiaro, Heri; Langaas, Mette; Sandvik, Arne K; Laegreid, Astrid

2006-10-24

Modern biology has shifted from "one gene" approaches to methods for genomic-scale analysis like microarray technology, which allow simultaneous measurement of thousands of genes. This has created a need for tools facilitating interpretation of biological data in "batch" mode. However, such tools often leave the investigator with large volumes of apparently unorganized information. To meet this interpretation challenge, gene-set, or cluster testing has become a popular analytical tool. Many gene-set testing methods and software packages are now available, most of which use a variety of statistical tests to assess the genes in a set for biological information. However, the field is still evolving, and there is a great need for "integrated" solutions. GeneTools is a web-service providing access to a database that brings together information from a broad range of resources. The annotation data are updated weekly, guaranteeing that users get data most recently available. Data submitted by the user are stored in the database, where it can easily be updated, shared between users and exported in various formats. GeneTools provides three different tools: i) NMC Annotation Tool, which offers annotations from several databases like UniGene, Entrez Gene, SwissProt and GeneOntology, in both single- and batch search mode. ii) GO Annotator Tool, where users can add new gene ontology (GO) annotations to genes of interest. These user defined GO annotations can be used in further analysis or exported for public distribution. iii) eGOn, a tool for visualization and statistical hypothesis testing of GO category representation. As the first GO tool, eGOn supports hypothesis testing for three different situations (master-target situation, mutually exclusive target-target situation and intersecting target-target situation). An important additional function is an evidence-code filter that allows users, to select the GO annotations for the analysis. GeneTools is the first "all in one

Air Quality uFIND: User-oriented Tool Set for Air Quality Data Discovery and Access

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoijarvi, K.; Robinson, E. M.; Husar, R. B.; Falke, S. R.; Schultz, M. G.; Keating, T. J.

2012-12-01

Historically, there have been major impediments to seamless and effective data usage encountered by both data providers and users. Over the last five years, the international Air Quality (AQ) Community has worked through forums such as the Group on Earth Observations AQ Community of Practice, the ESIP AQ Working Group, and the Task Force on Hemispheric Transport of Air Pollution to converge on data format standards (e.g., netCDF), data access standards (e.g., Open Geospatial Consortium Web Coverage Services), metadata standards (e.g., ISO 19115), as well as other conventions (e.g., CF Naming Convention) in order to build an Air Quality Data Network. The centerpiece of the AQ Data Network is the web service-based tool set: user-oriented Filtering and Identification of Networked Data. The purpose of uFIND is to provide rich and powerful facilities for the user to: a) discover and choose a desired dataset by navigation through the multi-dimensional metadata space using faceted search, b) seamlessly access and browse datasets, and c) use uFINDs facilities as a web service for mashups with other AQ applications and portals. In a user-centric information system such as uFIND, the user experience is improved by metadata that includes the general fields for discovery as well as community-specific metadata to narrow the search beyond space, time and generic keyword searches. However, even with the community-specific additions, the ISO 19115 records were formed in compliance with the standard, so that other standards-based search interface could leverage this additional information. To identify the fields necessary for metadata discovery we started with the ISO 19115 Core Metadata fields and fields that were needed for a Catalog Service for the Web (CSW) Record. This fulfilled two goals - one to create valid ISO 19115 records and the other to be able to retrieve the records through a Catalog Service for the Web query. Beyond the required set of fields, the AQ Community added

Ferret: a user-friendly Java tool to extract data from the 1000 Genomes Project.

PubMed

Limou, Sophie; Taverner, Andrew M; Winkler, Cheryl A

2016-07-15

The 1000 Genomes (1KG) Project provides a near-comprehensive resource on human genetic variation in worldwide reference populations. 1KG variants can be accessed through a browser and through the raw and annotated data that are regularly released on an ftp server. We developed Ferret, a user-friendly Java tool, to easily extract genetic variation information from these large and complex data files. From a locus, gene(s) or SNP(s) of interest, Ferret retrieves genotype data for 1KG SNPs and indels, and computes allelic frequencies for 1KG populations and optionally, for the Exome Sequencing Project populations. By converting the 1KG data into files that can be imported into popular pre-existing tools (e.g. PLINK and HaploView), Ferret offers a straightforward way, even for non-bioinformatics specialists, to manipulate, explore and merge 1KG data with the user's dataset, as well as visualize linkage disequilibrium pattern, infer haplotypes and design tagSNPs. Ferret tool and source code are publicly available at http://limousophie35.github.io/Ferret/ ferret@nih.gov Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. Published by Oxford University Press 2016. This work is written by US Government employees and is in the public domain in the US.

DOS Design/Application Tools System/Segment Specification. Volume 3

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-09-01

consume the same information to obtain that information without "manual" translation by people. Solving the information management problem effectively...and consumes ’ even more information than centralized development. Distributed systems cannot be developed successfully by experiment without...human intervention because all tools consume input from and produce output to the same repository. New tools are easily absorbed into the environment

Vehicle barrier with access delay

DOEpatents

Swahlan, David J; Wilke, Jason

2013-09-03

An access delay vehicle barrier for stopping unauthorized entry into secure areas by a vehicle ramming attack includes access delay features for preventing and/or delaying an adversary from defeating or compromising the barrier. A horizontally deployed barrier member can include an exterior steel casing, an interior steel reinforcing member and access delay members disposed within the casing and between the casing and the interior reinforcing member. Access delay members can include wooden structural lumber, concrete and/or polymeric members that in combination with the exterior casing and interior reinforcing member act cooperatively to impair an adversarial attach by thermal, mechanical and/or explosive tools.

The SOOS Data Portal, providing access to Southern Oceans data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Proctor, Roger; Finney, Kim; Blain, Peter; Taylor, Fiona; Newman, Louise; Meredith, Mike; Schofield, Oscar

2013-04-01

The Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS) is an international initiative to enhance, coordinate and expand the strategic observations of the Southern Oceans that are required to address key scientific and societal challenges. A key component of SOOS will be the creation and maintenance of a Southern Ocean Data Portal to provide improved access to historical and ongoing data (Schofield et al., 2012, Eos, Vol. 93, No. 26, pp 241-243). The scale of this effort will require strong leveraging of existing data centres, new cyberinfrastructure development efforts, and defined data collection, quality control, and archiving procedures across the international community. The task of assembling the SOOS data portal is assigned to the SOOS Data Management Sub-Committee. The information infrastructure chosen for the SOOS data portal is based on the Australian Ocean Data Network (AODN, http://portal.aodn.org.au). The AODN infrastructure is built on open-source tools and the use of international standards ensures efficiency of data exchange and interoperability between contributing systems. OGC standard web services protocols are used for serving of data via the internet. These include Web Map Service (WMS) for visualisation, Web Feature Service (WFS) for data download, and Catalogue Service for Web (CSW) for catalogue exchange. The portal offers a number of tools to access and visualize data: - a Search link to the metadata catalogue enables search and discovery by simple text search, by geographic area, temporal extent, keyword, parameter, organisation, or by any combination of these, allowing users to gain access to further information and/or the data for download. Also, searches can be restricted to items which have either data to download, or attached map layers, or both - a Map interface for discovery and display of data, with the ability to change the style and opacity of layers, add additional data layers via OGC Web Map Services, view animated timeseries datastreams

Lunar e-Library: A Research Tool Focused on the Lunar Environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McMahan, Tracy A.; Shea, Charlotte A.; Finckenor, Miria; Ferguson, Dale

2007-01-01

As NASA plans and implements the Vision for Space Exploration, managers, engineers, and scientists need lunar environment information that is readily available and easily accessed. For this effort, lunar environment data was compiled from a variety of missions from Apollo to more recent remote sensing missions, such as Clementine. This valuable information comes not only in the form of measurements and images but also from the observations of astronauts who have visited the Moon and people who have designed spacecraft for lunar missions. To provide a research tool that makes the voluminous lunar data more accessible, the Space Environments and Effects (SEE) Program, managed at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, AL, organized the data into a DVD knowledgebase: the Lunar e-Library. This searchable collection of 1100 electronic (.PDF) documents and abstracts makes it easy to find critical technical data and lessons learned from past lunar missions and exploration studies. The SEE Program began distributing the Lunar e-Library DVD in 2006. This paper describes the Lunar e-Library development process (including a description of the databases and resources used to acquire the documents) and the contents of the DVD product, demonstrates its usefulness with focused searches, and provides information on how to obtain this free resource.

Apes produce tools for future use.

PubMed

Bräuer, Juliane; Call, Josep

2015-03-01

There is now growing evidence that some animal species are able to plan for the future. For example great apes save and exchange tools for future use. Here we raise the question whether chimpanzees, orangutans, and bonobos would produce tools for future use. Subjects only had access to a baited apparatus for a limited duration and therefore should use the time preceding this access to create the appropriate tools in order to get the rewards. The apes were tested in three conditions depending on the need for pre-prepared tools. Either eight tools, one tool or no tools were needed to retrieve the reward. The apes prepared tools in advance for future use and they produced them mainly in conditions when they were really needed. The fact that apes were able to solve this new task indicates that their planning skills are flexible. However, for the condition in which eight tools were needed, apes produced less than two tools per trial in advance. However, they used their chance to produce additional tools in the tool use phase-thus often obtaining most of the reward from the apparatus. Increased pressure to prepare more tools in advance did not have an effect on their performance. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Dcs Data Viewer, an Application that Accesses ATLAS DCS Historical Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsarouchas, C.; Schlenker, S.; Dimitrov, G.; Jahn, G.

2014-06-01

The ATLAS experiment at CERN is one of the four Large Hadron Collider experiments. The Detector Control System (DCS) of ATLAS is responsible for the supervision of the detector equipment, the reading of operational parameters, the propagation of the alarms and the archiving of important operational data in a relational database (DB). DCS Data Viewer (DDV) is an application that provides access to the ATLAS DCS historical data through a web interface. Its design is structured using a client-server architecture. The pythonic server connects to the DB and fetches the data by using optimized SQL requests. It communicates with the outside world, by accepting HTTP requests and it can be used stand alone. The client is an AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) interactive web application developed under the Google Web Toolkit (GWT) framework. Its web interface is user friendly, platform and browser independent. The selection of metadata is done via a column-tree view or with a powerful search engine. The final visualization of the data is done using java applets or java script applications as plugins. The default output is a value-over-time chart, but other types of outputs like tables, ascii or ROOT files are supported too. Excessive access or malicious use of the database is prevented by a dedicated protection mechanism, allowing the exposure of the tool to hundreds of inexperienced users. The current configuration of the client and of the outputs can be saved in an XML file. Protection against web security attacks is foreseen and authentication constrains have been taken into account, allowing the exposure of the tool to hundreds of users world wide. Due to its flexible interface and its generic and modular approach, DDV could be easily used for other experiment control systems.

Demonstrate provider accessibility with desktop and online services.

PubMed

2001-10-01

It's available on personal computers with a CD or through Internet access. Assess instantly the accessibility of your provider network or the most promising areas to establish a health service with new GIS tools.

Technology for the Struggling Reader: Free and Easily Accessible Resources

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berkeley, Sheri; Lindstrom, Jennifer H.

2011-01-01

A fundamental problem for many struggling readers, their parents, and their teachers is that there are few benchmarks to guide decision making about assistive technological supports when the nature of a disability is cognitive (e.g., specific learning disability, SLD) rather than physical. However, resources such as the National Center on…

Lunar hand tools

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bentz, Karl F.; Coleman, Robert D.; Dubnik, Kathy; Marshall, William S.; Mcentee, Amy; Na, Sae H.; Patton, Scott G.; West, Michael C.

1987-01-01

Tools useful for operations and maintenance tasks on the lunar surface were determined and designed. Primary constraints are the lunar environment, the astronaut's space suit and the strength limits of the astronaut on the moon. A multipurpose rotary motion tool and a collapsible tool carrier were designed. For the rotary tool, a brushless motor and controls were specified, a material for the housing was chosen, bearings and lubrication were recommended and a planetary reduction gear attachment was designed. The tool carrier was designed primarily for ease of access to the tools and fasteners. A material was selected and structural analysis was performed on the carrier. Recommendations were made about the limitations of human performance and about possible attachments to the torque driver.

Cool Tools for Back to School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jackson, Carrie

2013-01-01

When school leaders engage with their communities, they develop trusting relationships that support student, staff, and family learning. Digital and social media tools open doors and create opportunities to connect with families and communities in ways that have never been seen before. This article provides three simple ideas that can easily be…

Public Access for Teaching Genomics, Proteomics, and Bioinformatics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campbell, A. Malcolm

2003-01-01

When the human genome project was conceived, its leaders wanted all researchers to have equal access to the data and associated research tools. Their vision of equal access provides an unprecedented teaching opportunity. Teachers and students have free access to the same databases that researchers are using. Furthermore, the recent movement to…

Current state of web accessibility of Malaysian ministries websites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmi, Aidi; Mohamad, Rosli

2016-08-01

Despite the fact that Malaysian public institutions have progressed considerably on website and portal usage, web accessibility has been reported as one of the issues deserves special attention. Consistent with the government moves to promote an effective use of web and portal, it is essential for the government institutions to ensure compliance with established standards and guidelines on web accessibility. This paper evaluates accessibility of 25 Malaysian ministries websites using automated tools i.e. WAVE and Achecker. Both tools are designed to objectively evaluate web accessibility in conformance with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 (WCAG 2.0) and United States Rehabilitation Act 1973 (Section 508). The findings reported somewhat low compliance to web accessibility standard amongst the ministries. Further enhancement is needed in the aspect of input elements such as label and checkbox to be associated with text as well as image-related elements. This findings could be used as a mechanism for webmasters to locate and rectify errors pertaining to the web accessibility and to ensure equal access of the web information and services to all citizen.

Current Development Status of an Integrated Tool for Modeling Quasi-static Deformation in the Solid Earth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, C. A.; Dicaprio, C.; Simons, M.

2003-12-01

With the advent of projects such as the Plate Boundary Observatory and future InSAR missions, spatially dense geodetic data of high quality will provide an increasingly detailed picture of the movement of the earth's surface. To interpret such information, powerful and easily accessible modeling tools are required. We are presently developing such a tool that we feel will meet many of the needs for evaluating quasi-static earth deformation. As a starting point, we begin with a modified version of the finite element code TECTON, which has been specifically designed to solve tectonic problems involving faulting and viscoelastic/plastic earth behavior. As our first priority, we are integrating the code into the GeoFramework, which is an extension of the Python-based Pyre modeling framework. The goal of this framework is to provide simplified user interfaces for powerful modeling codes, to provide easy access to utilities such as meshers and visualization tools, and to provide a tight integration between different modeling tools so they can interact with each other. The initial integration of the code into this framework is essentially complete, and a more thorough integration, where Python-based drivers control the entire solution, will be completed in the near future. We have an evolving set of priorities that we expect to solidify as we receive more input from the modeling community. Current priorities include the development of linear and quadratic tetrahedral elements, the development of a parallelized version of the code using the PETSc libraries, the addition of more complex rheologies, realistic fault friction models, adaptive time stepping, and spherical geometries. In this presentation we describe current progress toward our various priorities, briefly describe the structure of the code within the GeoFramework, and demonstrate some sample applications.

49 CFR 563.12 - Data retrieval tools.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 49 Transportation 6 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Data retrieval tools. 563.12 Section 563.12... ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION EVENT DATA RECORDERS § 563.12 Data retrieval tools. Each... tool(s) is commercially available that is capable of accessing and retrieving the data stored in the...

CFD Multiphysics Tool

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Perrell, Eric R.

2005-01-01

The recent bold initiatives to expand the human presence in space require innovative approaches to the design of propulsion systems whose underlying technology is not yet mature. The space propulsion community has identified a number of candidate concepts. A short list includes solar sails, high-energy-density chemical propellants, electric and electromagnetic accelerators, solar-thermal and nuclear-thermal expanders. For each of these, the underlying physics are relatively well understood. One could easily cite authoritative texts, addressing both the governing equations, and practical solution methods for, e.g. electromagnetic fields, heat transfer, radiation, thermophysics, structural dynamics, particulate kinematics, nuclear energy, power conversion, and fluid dynamics. One could also easily cite scholarly works in which complete equation sets for any one of these physical processes have been accurately solved relative to complex engineered systems. The Advanced Concepts and Analysis Office (ACAO), Space Transportation Directorate, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, has recently released the first alpha version of a set of computer utilities for performing the applicable physical analyses relative to candidate deep-space propulsion systems such as those listed above. PARSEC, Preliminary Analysis of Revolutionary in-Space Engineering Concepts, enables rapid iterative calculations using several physics tools developed in-house. A complete cycle of the entire tool set takes about twenty minutes. PARSEC is a level-zero/level-one design tool. For PARSEC s proof-of-concept, and preliminary design decision-making, assumptions that significantly simplify the governing equation sets are necessary. To proceed to level-two, one wishes to retain modeling of the underlying physics as close as practical to known applicable first principles. This report describes results of collaboration between ACAO, and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU), to begin building a set of

Tools to Manage and Access the NOMAD Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trompet, L.; Vandaele, A. C.; Thomas, I. R.

2018-04-01

The NOMAD instrument on-board the ExoMars spacecraft will generate a large amount of data of the atmosphere of Mars. The Planetary Aeronomy Division at IASB is willing to make their tools and these data available to the whole planetary science community.

Jupiter Environment Tool

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sturm, Erick J.; Monahue, Kenneth M.; Biehl, James P.; Kokorowski, Michael; Ngalande, Cedrick,; Boedeker, Jordan

2012-01-01

The Jupiter Environment Tool (JET) is a custom UI plug-in for STK that provides an interface to Jupiter environment models for visualization and analysis. Users can visualize the different magnetic field models of Jupiter through various rendering methods, which are fully integrated within STK s 3D Window. This allows users to take snapshots and make animations of their scenarios with magnetic field visualizations. Analytical data can be accessed in the form of custom vectors. Given these custom vectors, users have access to magnetic field data in custom reports, graphs, access constraints, coverage analysis, and anywhere else vectors are used within STK.

Ecological and social correlates of chimpanzee tool use.

PubMed

Sanz, Crickette M; Morgan, David B

2013-11-19

The emergence of technology has been suggested to coincide with scarcity of staple resources that led to innovations in the form of tool-assisted strategies to diversify or augment typical diets. We examined seasonal patterns of several types of tool use exhibited by a chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) population residing in central Africa, to determine whether their technical skills provided access to fallback resources when preferred food items were scarce. Chimpanzees in the Goualougo Triangle exhibit a diverse repertoire of tool behaviours, many of which are exhibited throughout the year. Further, they have developed specific tool sets to overcome the issues of accessibility to particular food items. Our conclusion is that these chimpanzees use a sophisticated tool technology to cope with seasonal changes in relative food abundance and gain access to high-quality foods. Subgroup sizes were smaller in tool using contexts than other foraging contexts, suggesting that the size of the social group may not be as important in promoting complex tool traditions as the frequency and type of social interactions. Further, reports from other populations and species showed that tool use may occur more often in response to ecological opportunities and relative profitability of foraging techniques than scarcity of resources.

Ecological and social correlates of chimpanzee tool use

PubMed Central

Sanz, Crickette M.; Morgan, David B.

2013-01-01

The emergence of technology has been suggested to coincide with scarcity of staple resources that led to innovations in the form of tool-assisted strategies to diversify or augment typical diets. We examined seasonal patterns of several types of tool use exhibited by a chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) population residing in central Africa, to determine whether their technical skills provided access to fallback resources when preferred food items were scarce. Chimpanzees in the Goualougo Triangle exhibit a diverse repertoire of tool behaviours, many of which are exhibited throughout the year. Further, they have developed specific tool sets to overcome the issues of accessibility to particular food items. Our conclusion is that these chimpanzees use a sophisticated tool technology to cope with seasonal changes in relative food abundance and gain access to high-quality foods. Subgroup sizes were smaller in tool using contexts than other foraging contexts, suggesting that the size of the social group may not be as important in promoting complex tool traditions as the frequency and type of social interactions. Further, reports from other populations and species showed that tool use may occur more often in response to ecological opportunities and relative profitability of foraging techniques than scarcity of resources. PMID:24101626

The MY NASA DATA Project: Tools and a Collaboration Space for Knowledge Discovery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chambers, L. H.; Alston, E. J.; Diones, D. D.; Moore, S. W.; Oots, P. C.; Phelps, C. S.

2006-05-01

The Atmospheric Science Data Center (ASDC) at NASA Langley Research Center is charged with serving a wide user community that is interested in its large data holdings in the areas of Aerosols, Clouds, Radiation Budget, and Tropospheric Chemistry. Most of the data holdings, however, are in large files with specialized data formats. The MY NASA DATA (mynasadata.larc.nasa.gov) project began in 2004, as part of the NASA Research, Education, and Applications Solutions Network (REASoN), in order to open this important resource to a broader community including K-12 education and citizen scientists. MY NASA DATA (short for Mentoring and inquirY using NASA Data on Atmospheric and earth science for Teachers and Amateurs) consists of a web space that collects tools, lesson plans, and specially developed documentation to help the target audience more easily use the vast collection of NASA data about the Earth System. The core piece of the MY NASA DATA project is the creation of microsets (both static and custom) that make data easily accessible. The installation of a Live Access Server (LAS) greatly enhanced the ability for teachers, students, and citizen scientists to create and explore custom microsets of Earth System Science data. The LAS, which is an open source software tool using emerging data standards, also allows the MY NASA DATA team to make available data on other aspects of the Earth System from collaborating data centers. We are currently working with the Physical Oceanography DAAC at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory to bring in several parameters describing the ocean. In addition, MY NASA DATA serves as a central space for the K-12 community to share resources. The site already includes a dozen User-contributed lesson plans. This year we will be focusing on the Citizen Science portion of the site, and will be welcoming user-contributed project ideas, as well as reports of completed projects. An e-mentor network has also been created to involve a wider community in

Supporting Public Access to Research Results

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lapinski, P. Scott; Osterbur, David; Parker, Joshua; McCray, Alexa T.

2014-01-01

We posed the question of what services an academic library can best provide to support the NIH Public Access Policy. We approached the answer to this question through education, collaboration, and tool-building. As a result, over the last four years we have engaged over 1,500 participants in discussions of public access to research results, forged…

Spatial access priority mapping (SAPM) with fishers: a quantitative GIS method for participatory planning.

PubMed

Yates, Katherine L; Schoeman, David S

2013-01-01

Spatial management tools, such as marine spatial planning and marine protected areas, are playing an increasingly important role in attempts to improve marine management and accommodate conflicting needs. Robust data are needed to inform decisions among different planning options, and early inclusion of stakeholder involvement is widely regarded as vital for success. One of the biggest stakeholder groups, and the most likely to be adversely impacted by spatial restrictions, is the fishing community. In order to take their priorities into account, planners need to understand spatial variation in their perceived value of the sea. Here a readily accessible, novel method for quantitatively mapping fishers' spatial access priorities is presented. Spatial access priority mapping, or SAPM, uses only basic functions of standard spreadsheet and GIS software. Unlike the use of remote-sensing data, SAPM actively engages fishers in participatory mapping, documenting rather than inferring their priorities. By so doing, SAPM also facilitates the gathering of other useful data, such as local ecological knowledge. The method was tested and validated in Northern Ireland, where over 100 fishers participated in a semi-structured questionnaire and mapping exercise. The response rate was excellent, 97%, demonstrating fishers' willingness to be involved. The resultant maps are easily accessible and instantly informative, providing a very clear visual indication of which areas are most important for the fishers. The maps also provide quantitative data, which can be used to analyse the relative impact of different management options on the fishing industry and can be incorporated into planning software, such as MARXAN, to ensure that conservation goals can be met at minimum negative impact to the industry. This research shows how spatial access priority mapping can facilitate the early engagement of fishers and the ready incorporation of their priorities into the decision-making process

Macroscopic characterisations of Web accessibility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lopes, Rui; Carriço, Luis

2010-12-01

The Web Science framework poses fundamental questions on the analysis of the Web, by focusing on how microscopic properties (e.g. at the level of a Web page or Web site) emerge into macroscopic properties and phenomena. One research topic on the analysis of the Web is Web accessibility evaluation, which centres on understanding how accessible a Web page is for people with disabilities. However, when framing Web accessibility evaluation on Web Science, we have found that existing research stays at the microscopic level. This article presents an experimental study on framing Web accessibility evaluation into Web Science's goals. This study resulted in novel accessibility properties of the Web not found at microscopic levels, as well as of Web accessibility evaluation processes themselves. We observed at large scale some of the empirical knowledge on how accessibility is perceived by designers and developers, such as the disparity of interpretations of accessibility evaluation tools warnings. We also found a direct relation between accessibility quality and Web page complexity. We provide a set of guidelines for designing Web pages, education on Web accessibility, as well as on the computational limits of large-scale Web accessibility evaluations.

Cultural transmission of tool use by Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops sp.) provides access to a novel foraging niche

PubMed Central

Krützen, Michael; Kreicker, Sina; MacLeod, Colin D.; Learmonth, Jennifer; Kopps, Anna M.; Walsham, Pamela; Allen, Simon J.

2014-01-01

Culturally transmitted tool use has important ecological and evolutionary consequences and has been proposed as a significant driver of human evolution. Such evidence is still scarce in other animals. In cetaceans, tool use has been inferred using indirect evidence in one population of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops sp.), where particular dolphins (‘spongers’) use marine sponges during foraging. To date, evidence of whether this foraging tactic actually provides access to novel food items is lacking. We used fatty acid (FA) signature analysis to identify dietary differences between spongers and non-spongers, analysing data from 11 spongers and 27 non-spongers from two different study sites. Both univariate and multivariate analyses revealed significant differences in FA profiles between spongers and non-spongers between and within study sites. Moreover, FA profiles differed significantly between spongers and non-spongers foraging within the same deep channel habitat, whereas the profiles of non-spongers from deep channel and shallow habitats at this site could not be distinguished. Our results indicate that sponge use by bottlenose dolphins is linked to significant differences in diet. It appears that cultural transmission of tool use in dolphins, as in humans, allows the exploitation of an otherwise unused niche. PMID:24759862

Development and evaluation of an open source software tool for deidentification of pathology reports

PubMed Central

Beckwith, Bruce A; Mahaadevan, Rajeshwarri; Balis, Ulysses J; Kuo, Frank

2006-01-01

Background Electronic medical records, including pathology reports, are often used for research purposes. Currently, there are few programs freely available to remove identifiers while leaving the remainder of the pathology report text intact. Our goal was to produce an open source, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliant, deidentification tool tailored for pathology reports. We designed a three-step process for removing potential identifiers. The first step is to look for identifiers known to be associated with the patient, such as name, medical record number, pathology accession number, etc. Next, a series of pattern matches look for predictable patterns likely to represent identifying data; such as dates, accession numbers and addresses as well as patient, institution and physician names. Finally, individual words are compared with a database of proper names and geographic locations. Pathology reports from three institutions were used to design and test the algorithms. The software was improved iteratively on training sets until it exhibited good performance. 1800 new pathology reports were then processed. Each report was reviewed manually before and after deidentification to catalog all identifiers and note those that were not removed. Results 1254 (69.7 %) of 1800 pathology reports contained identifiers in the body of the report. 3439 (98.3%) of 3499 unique identifiers in the test set were removed. Only 19 HIPAA-specified identifiers (mainly consult accession numbers and misspelled names) were missed. Of 41 non-HIPAA identifiers missed, the majority were partial institutional addresses and ages. Outside consultation case reports typically contain numerous identifiers and were the most challenging to deidentify comprehensively. There was variation in performance among reports from the three institutions, highlighting the need for site-specific customization, which is easily accomplished with our tool. Conclusion We have

The Accessible Pantry: Food Identification Tips, Tools, and Techniques

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sokol-McKay, Debra A.; Michels, Dianne

2006-01-01

For individuals with visual impairments, poorly designed labels can be barriers to receiving safe and independent access to important information about products in daily use. The authors discuss how organization and proper lighting can reduce the amount of labeling needed on food products and indicate how individuals with visual impairments can…

Tooling Foam for Structural Composite Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

DeLay, Tom; Smith, Brett H.; Ely, Kevin; MacArthur, Doug

1998-01-01

Tooling technology applications for composite structures fabrication have been expanded at MSFC's Productivity Enhancement Complex (PEC). Engineers from NASA/MSFC and Lockheed Martin Corporation have developed a tooling foam for use in composite materials processing and manufacturing that exhibits superior thermal and mechanical properties in comparison with other tooling foam materials. This tooling foam is also compatible with most preimpregnated composite resins such as epoxy, bismaleimide, phenolic and their associated cure cycles. MARCORE tooling foam has excellent processability for applications requiring either integral or removable tooling. It can also be tailored to meet the requirements for composite processing of parts with unlimited cross sectional area. A shelf life of at least six months is easily maintained when components are stored between 50F - 70F. The MARCORE tooling foam system is a two component urethane-modified polyisocyanurate, high density rigid foam with zero ozone depletion potential. This readily machineable, lightweight tooling foam is ideal for composite structures fabrication and is dimensionally stable at temperatures up to 350F and pressures of 100 psi.

Water Resources Risks and the Climate Resilience Toolkit: Tools, Case Studies, and Partnerships

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Read, E. K.; Blodgett, D. L.; Booth, N.

2014-12-01

The Water Resources Risk topic of the Climate Resilience Toolkit (CRT) is designed to provide decision support, technical, and educational resources to communities, water resource managers, policy analysts, and water utilities working to increase the resilience of water resources to climate change. We highlight the partnerships (between federal and state agencies, non-governmental organizations, and private partners), tools (e.g., downscaled climate products, historical and real-time water data, and decision support) and success stories that are informing the CRT Water Resources Risks Theme content, and identify remaining needs in available resources for building resilience of water resources to climate change. The following questions will frame the content of the Water Resources Risk CRT: How are human and natural components of the hydrologic cycle changing? How can communities and water managers plan for uncertain future conditions? How will changing water resources impact food production, energy resources, ecosystems, and human health? What water resources data are of high value to society and are they easily accessible? Input on existing tools, resources, or potential partnerships that could be used to further develop content and fill gaps in the Water Resources CRT is welcome. We also invite ideas for water resources 'innovation challenges', in which technology developers work to create tools to that enhance the capacity of communities and managers to increase resilience of water resources at the local and regional scales.

Web tools for predictive toxicology model building.

PubMed

Jeliazkova, Nina

2012-07-01

The development and use of web tools in chemistry has accumulated more than 15 years of history already. Powered by the advances in the Internet technologies, the current generation of web systems are starting to expand into areas, traditional for desktop applications. The web platforms integrate data storage, cheminformatics and data analysis tools. The ease of use and the collaborative potential of the web is compelling, despite the challenges. The topic of this review is a set of recently published web tools that facilitate predictive toxicology model building. The focus is on software platforms, offering web access to chemical structure-based methods, although some of the frameworks could also provide bioinformatics or hybrid data analysis functionalities. A number of historical and current developments are cited. In order to provide comparable assessment, the following characteristics are considered: support for workflows, descriptor calculations, visualization, modeling algorithms, data management and data sharing capabilities, availability of GUI or programmatic access and implementation details. The success of the Web is largely due to its highly decentralized, yet sufficiently interoperable model for information access. The expected future convergence between cheminformatics and bioinformatics databases provides new challenges toward management and analysis of large data sets. The web tools in predictive toxicology will likely continue to evolve toward the right mix of flexibility, performance, scalability, interoperability, sets of unique features offered, friendly user interfaces, programmatic access for advanced users, platform independence, results reproducibility, curation and crowdsourcing utilities, collaborative sharing and secure access.

Pathogen metadata platform: software for accessing and analyzing pathogen strain information.

PubMed

Chang, Wenling E; Peterson, Matthew W; Garay, Christopher D; Korves, Tonia

2016-09-15

Pathogen metadata includes information about where and when a pathogen was collected and the type of environment it came from. Along with genomic nucleotide sequence data, this metadata is growing rapidly and becoming a valuable resource not only for research but for biosurveillance and public health. However, current freely available tools for analyzing this data are geared towards bioinformaticians and/or do not provide summaries and visualizations needed to readily interpret results. We designed a platform to easily access and summarize data about pathogen samples. The software includes a PostgreSQL database that captures metadata useful for disease outbreak investigations, and scripts for downloading and parsing data from NCBI BioSample and BioProject into the database. The software provides a user interface to query metadata and obtain standardized results in an exportable, tab-delimited format. To visually summarize results, the user interface provides a 2D histogram for user-selected metadata types and mapping of geolocated entries. The software is built on the LabKey data platform, an open-source data management platform, which enables developers to add functionalities. We demonstrate the use of the software in querying for a pathogen serovar and for genome sequence identifiers. This software enables users to create a local database for pathogen metadata, populate it with data from NCBI, easily query the data, and obtain visual summaries. Some of the components, such as the database, are modular and can be incorporated into other data platforms. The source code is freely available for download at https://github.com/wchangmitre/bioattribution .

Tool Releases Optical Elements From Spring Brackets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gum, J. S.

1984-01-01

Threaded hooks retract bracket arms holding element. Tool uses three hooks with threaded shanks mounted in ring-shaped holder to pull on tabs to release optical element. One person can easily insert or remove optical element (such as prism or lens) from spring holder or bracket with minimal risk of damage.

Assured Access/Mobile Computing Initiatives on Five University Campuses.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blurton, Craig; Chee, Yam San; Long, Phillip D.; Resmer, Mark; Runde, Craig

Mobile computing and assured access are becoming popular terms to describe a growing number of university programs which take advantage of ubiquitous network access points and the portability of notebook computers to ensure all students have access to digital tools and resources. However, the implementation of such programs varies widely from…

A Conceptual Framework of Mapping Access to Health Care across EU Countries: The Patient Access Initiative.

PubMed

Souliotis, Kyriakos; Hasardzhiev, Stanimir; Agapidaki, Eirini

Research evidence suggests that access to health care is the key influential factor for improved population health outcomes and health care system sustainability. Although the importance of addressing barriers in access to health care across European countries is well documented, little has been done to improve the situation. This is due to different definitions, approaches and policies, and partly due to persisting disparities in access within and between European countries. To bridge this gap, the Patient Access Partnership (PACT) developed (a) the '5As' definition of access, which details the five critical elements (adequacy, accessibility, affordability, appropriateness, and availability) of access to health care, (b) a multi-stakeholders' approach for mapping access, and (c) a 13-item questionnaire based on the 5As definition in an effort to address these obstacles and to identify best practices. These tools are expected to contribute effectively to addressing access barriers in practice, by suggesting a common framework and facilitating the exchange of knowledge and expertise, in order to improve access to health care between and within European countries. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Access and privacy rights using web security standards to increase patient empowerment.

PubMed

Falcão-Reis, Filipa; Costa-Pereira, Altamiro; Correia, Manuel E

2008-01-01

Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems are becoming more and more sophisticated and include nowadays numerous applications, which are not only accessed by medical professionals, but also by accounting and administrative personnel. This could represent a problem concerning basic rights such as privacy and confidentiality. The principles, guidelines and recommendations compiled by the OECD protection of privacy and trans-border flow of personal data are described and considered within health information system development. Granting access to an EHR should be dependent upon the owner of the record; the patient: he must be entitled to define who is allowed to access his EHRs, besides the access control scheme each health organization may have implemented. In this way, it's not only up to health professionals to decide who have access to what, but the patient himself. Implementing such a policy is walking towards patient empowerment which society should encourage and governments should promote. The paper then introduces a technical solution based on web security standards. This would give patients the ability to monitor and control which entities have access to their personal EHRs, thus empowering them with the knowledge of how much of his medical history is known and by whom. It is necessary to create standard data access protocols, mechanisms and policies to protect the privacy rights and furthermore, to enable patients, to automatically track the movement (flow) of their personal data and information in the context of health information systems. This solution must be functional and, above all, user-friendly and the interface should take in consideration some heuristics of usability in order to provide the user with the best tools. The current official standards on confidentiality and privacy in health care, currently being developed within the EU, are explained, in order to achieve a consensual idea of the guidelines that all member states should follow to transfer

[Web accessibility of Internet appointment scheduling in primary care].

PubMed

Casasola Balsells, Luis Alejandro; Guerra González, Juan Carlos; Casasola Balsells, María Araceli; Pérez Chamorro, Vicente Antonio

2017-12-16

To assess the accessibility level of Internet appointment scheduling in primary care and the fulfilment of the requirements of Spanish legislation. Descriptive study of the accessibility of 18 web sites corresponding to the autonomic health services responsible for Internet appointment scheduling for primary health care services. The level of web accessibility was evaluated by means of five automated tools. Only six websites self-declared to be in compliance with level AA of WCAG 2.0. The level of web accessibility according to the legal requirements in Spain is low. The evaluation tools identified the main errors to be corrected. Most of the autonomic health services responsible for Internet appointment scheduling in primary care need to improve their level of web accessibility and ensure that it complies with Spanish legislation. Copyright © 2017 SESPAS. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

IP access networks with QoS support

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sargento, Susana; Valadas, Rui J. M. T.; Goncalves, Jorge; Sousa, Henrique

2001-07-01

The increasing demand of new services and applications is pushing for drastic changes on the design of access networks targeted mainly for residential and SOHO users. Future access networks will provide full service integration (including multimedia), resource sharing at the packet level and QoS support. It is expected that using IP as the base technology, the ideal plug-and-play scenario, where the management actions of the access network operator are kept to a minimum, will be achieved easily. This paper proposes an architecture for access networks based on layer 2 or layer 3 multiplexers that allows a number of simplifications in the network elements and protocols (e.g. in the routing and addressing functions). We discuss two possible steps in the evolution of access networks towards a more efficient support of IP based services. The first one still provides no QoS support and was designed with the goal of reusing as much as possible current technologies; it is based on tunneling to transport PPP sessions. The second one introduces QoS support through the use of emerging technologies and protocols. We illustrate the different phases of a multimedia Internet access session, when using SIP for session initiation, COPS for the management of QoS policies including the AAA functions and RSVP for resource reservation.

Access to Space Interactive Design Web Site

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leon, John; Cutlip, William; Hametz, Mark

2000-01-01

The Access To Space (ATS) Group at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) supports the science and technology community at GSFC by facilitating frequent and affordable opportunities for access to space. Through partnerships established with access mode suppliers, the ATS Group has developed an interactive Mission Design web site. The ATS web site provides both the information and the tools necessary to assist mission planners in selecting and planning their ride to space. This includes the evaluation of single payloads vs. ride-sharing opportunities to reduce the cost of access to space. Features of this site include the following: (1) Mission Database. Our mission database contains a listing of missions ranging from proposed missions to manifested. Missions can be entered by our user community through data input tools. Data is then accessed by users through various search engines: orbit parameters, ride-share opportunities, spacecraft parameters, other mission notes, launch vehicle, and contact information. (2) Launch Vehicle Toolboxes. The launch vehicle toolboxes provide the user a full range of information on vehicle classes and individual configurations. Topics include: general information, environments, performance, payload interface, available volume, and launch sites.

An inexpensive, easily constructed, reusable task trainer for simulating ultrasound-guided pericardiocentesis.

PubMed

Zerth, Herb; Harwood, Robert; Tommaso, Laura; Girzadas, Daniel V

2012-12-01

Pericardiocentesis is a low-frequency, high-risk procedure integral to the practice of emergency medicine. Ultrasound-guided pericardiocentesis is the preferred technique for providing this critical intervention. Traditionally, emergency physicians learned pericardiocentesis in real time, at the bedside, on critically ill patients. Medical education is moving toward simulation for training and assessment of procedures such as pericardiocentesis because it allows learners to practice time-sensitive skills without risk to patient or learner. The retail market for models for pericardiocentesis practice is limited and expensive. We have developed an ultrasound-guided pericardiocentesis task trainer that allows the physician to insert a needle under ultrasound guidance, pierce the "pericardial sac" and aspirate "blood." Our model can be simply constructed in a home kitchen, and the overall preparation time is 1 h. Our model costs $20.00 (US, 2008). Materials needed for the construction include 16 ounces of plain gelatin, one large balloon, one golf ball, food coloring, non-stick cooking spray, one wooden cooking skewer, surgical iodine solution, and a 4-quart sized plastic food storage container. Refrigeration and a heat source for cooking are also required. Once prepared, the model is usable for 2 weeks at room temperature and may be preserved an additional week if refrigerated. When the model shows signs of wear, it can be easily remade, by simply recycling the existing materials. The self-made model was well liked by training staff due to accessibility of a simulation model, and by learners of the technique as they felt more at ease performing pericardiocentesis on a live patient. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Aquatic access for the disabled.

PubMed

Walk, E E; Himel, H N; Batra, E K; Baruch, L; O'Connor, M B; Tanner, A E; Edlich, R F

1992-01-01

Innovations in rehabilitation engineering can now provide aquatic access for the disabled. In the regional burn center, the Bodi-Gard cart shower system (Hospital Therapy Products, Inc., Wood Dale, Ill.) uses three flexible hoses to provide precise hydrotherapy and debridement. Its main mixing valve controls temperature and pressure and is easily disinfected by an in-line chamber. This shower system is complemented by the foldable Bodi-Gard mobile seat shower system (Hospital Therapy Products, Inc.). This system, which is covered by a disposable liner, surrounds the patient with eight water jets that empty into any floor drain. The Bather 2001 (Silcraft Corp., Traverse City, Mich.) is a fiberglass hydrotherapy bathtub with a unique Aqua-Seal door (Silcraft Corp.) that can be raised to provide patient access. Its unique closed-loop disinfection system prevents contamination of its internal components. The Nolan Tublift (Aquatic Access, Louisville, Ky.) is a lightweight, removable lift that uses water power to gently raise and lower its seat. It can be manually swiveled to allow access from a wheelchair. Transfer benches span the tub wall to provide access to the shower and bathtub. Although they are a less expensive alternative to the Tublift, they allow water to spill outside the tub, which may create a slippery bathroom floor. The Nolan Poolift (Guardian Products, Arleta, Calif.) is a water-powered pool lift, which automatically rotates as it descends. It is capable of lifting up to 135 kg with a home water pressure of 55 psi. In contrast, the water-powered Aquatic Access Poolift is a less expensive pool lift, which rotates manually with assistance.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Vega-Constellation Tools to Analize Hyperspectral Images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Savorskiy, V.; Loupian, E.; Balashov, I.; Kashnitskii, A.; Konstantinova, A.; Tolpin, V.; Uvarov, I.; Kuznetsov, O.; Maklakov, S.; Panova, O.; Savchenko, E.

2016-06-01

Creating high-performance means to manage massive hyperspectral data (HSD) arrays is an actual challenge when it is implemented to deal with disparate information resources. Aiming to solve this problem the present work develops tools to work with HSD in a distributed information infrastructure, i.e. primarily to use those tools in remote access mode. The main feature of presented approach is in the development of remotely accessed services, which allow users both to conduct search and retrieval procedures on HSD sets and to provide target users with tools to analyze and to process HSD in remote mode. These services were implemented within VEGA-Constellation family information systems that were extended by adding tools oriented to support the studies of certain classes of natural objects by exploring their HSD. Particular developed tools provide capabilities to conduct analysis of such objects as vegetation canopies (forest and agriculture), open soils, forest fires, and areas of thermal anomalies. Developed software tools were successfully tested on Hyperion data sets.

EAST: Developing an Electronic Assessment and Storage Tool.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edwards, Katherine I.; Fernandez, Eugenia; Milionis, Tracey M.; Williamson, David M.

2002-01-01

Describes the purpose, development, analysis, prototyping, and features of the Electronic Assessment and Storage Tool (EAST). The Web-based system aids curriculum assessment at Purdue School of Engineering and Technology at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis through the ability to easily store artifacts in electronic form, support…

Flexibility in problem solving and tool use of kea and New Caledonian crows in a multi access box paradigm.

PubMed

Auersperg, Alice M I; von Bayern, Auguste M P; Gajdon, Gyula K; Huber, Ludwig; Kacelnik, Alex

2011-01-01

Parrots and corvids show outstanding innovative and flexible behaviour. In particular, kea and New Caledonian crows are often singled out as being exceptionally sophisticated in physical cognition, so that comparing them in this respect is particularly interesting. However, comparing cognitive mechanisms among species requires consideration of non-cognitive behavioural propensities and morphological characteristics evolved from different ancestry and adapted to fit different ecological niches. We used a novel experimental approach based on a Multi-Access-Box (MAB). Food could be extracted by four different techniques, two of them involving tools. Initially all four options were available to the subjects. Once they reached criterion for mastering one option, this task was blocked, until the subjects became proficient in another solution. The exploratory behaviour differed considerably. Only one (of six) kea and one (of five) NCC mastered all four options, including a first report of innovative stick tool use in kea. The crows were more efficient in using the stick tool, the kea the ball tool. The kea were haptically more explorative than the NCC, discovered two or three solutions within the first ten trials (against a mean of 0.75 discoveries by the crows) and switched more quickly to new solutions when the previous one was blocked. Differences in exploration technique, neophobia and object manipulation are likely to explain differential performance across the set of tasks. Our study further underlines the need to use a diversity of tasks when comparing cognitive traits between members of different species. Extension of a similar method to other taxa could help developing a comparative cognition research program.

DNAproDB: an interactive tool for structural analysis of DNA–protein complexes

PubMed Central

Sagendorf, Jared M.

2017-01-01

Abstract Many biological processes are mediated by complex interactions between DNA and proteins. Transcription factors, various polymerases, nucleases and histones recognize and bind DNA with different levels of binding specificity. To understand the physical mechanisms that allow proteins to recognize DNA and achieve their biological functions, it is important to analyze structures of DNA–protein complexes in detail. DNAproDB is a web-based interactive tool designed to help researchers study these complexes. DNAproDB provides an automated structure-processing pipeline that extracts structural features from DNA–protein complexes. The extracted features are organized in structured data files, which are easily parsed with any programming language or viewed in a browser. We processed a large number of DNA–protein complexes retrieved from the Protein Data Bank and created the DNAproDB database to store this data. Users can search the database by combining features of the DNA, protein or DNA–protein interactions at the interface. Additionally, users can upload their own structures for processing privately and securely. DNAproDB provides several interactive and customizable tools for creating visualizations of the DNA–protein interface at different levels of abstraction that can be exported as high quality figures. All functionality is documented and freely accessible at http://dnaprodb.usc.edu. PMID:28431131

The Virtual Space Physics Observatory: Quick Access to Data and Tools

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cornwell, Carl; Roberts, D. Aaron; McGuire, Robert E.

2006-01-01

The Virtual Space Physics Observatory (VSPO; see http://vspo.gsfc.nasa.gov) has grown to provide a way to find and access about 375 data products and services from over 100 spacecraft/observatories in space and solar physics. The datasets are mainly chosen to be the most requested, and include most of the publicly available data products from operating NASA Heliophysics spacecraft as well as from solar observatories measuring across the frequency spectrum. Service links include a "quick orbits" page that uses SSCWeb Web Services to provide a rapid answer to questions such as "What spacecraft were in orbit in July 1992?" and "Where were Geotail, Cluster, and Polar on 2 June 2001?" These queries are linked back to the data search page. The VSPO interface provides many ways of looking for data based on terms used in a registry of resources using the SPASE Data Model that will be the standard for Heliophysics Virtual Observatories. VSPO itself is accessible via an API that allows other applications to use it as a Web Service; this has been implemented in one instance using the ViSBARD visualization program. The VSPO will become part of the Space Physics Data Facility, and will continue to expand its access to data. A challenge for all VOs will be to provide uniform access to data at the variable level, and we will be addressing this question in a number of ways.

Web Access to RSIG Data

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Remote Sensing Information Gateway, a tool that allows scientists, researchers and decision makers to access a variety of multi-terabyte, environmental datasets and to subset the data and obtain only needed variables, greatly improving the download time.

Precision replenishable grinding tool and manufacturing process

DOEpatents

Makowiecki, D.M.; Kerns, J.A.; Blaedel, K.L.; Colella, N.J.; Davis, P.J.; Juntz, R.S.

1998-06-09

A reusable grinding tool consisting of a replaceable single layer of abrasive particles intimately bonded to a precisely configured tool substrate, and a process for manufacturing the grinding tool are disclosed. The tool substrate may be ceramic or metal and the abrasive particles are preferably diamond, but may be cubic boron nitride. The manufacturing process involves: coating a configured tool substrate with layers of metals, such as titanium, copper and titanium, by physical vapor deposition (PVD); applying the abrasive particles to the coated surface by a slurry technique; and brazing the abrasive particles to the tool substrate by alloying the metal layers. The precision control of the composition and thickness of the metal layers enables the bonding of a single layer or several layers of micron size abrasive particles to the tool surface. By the incorporation of an easily dissolved metal layer in the composition such allows the removal and replacement of the abrasive particles, thereby providing a process for replenishing a precisely machined grinding tool with fine abrasive particles, thus greatly reducing costs as compared to replacing expensive grinding tools. 11 figs.

Precision replenishable grinding tool and manufacturing process

DOEpatents

Makowiecki, Daniel M.; Kerns, John A.; Blaedel, Kenneth L.; Colella, Nicholas J.; Davis, Pete J.; Juntz, Robert S.

1998-01-01

A reusable grinding tool consisting of a replaceable single layer of abrasive particles intimately bonded to a precisely configured tool substrate, and a process for manufacturing the grinding tool. The tool substrate may be ceramic or metal and the abrasive particles are preferably diamond, but may be cubic boron nitride. The manufacturing process involves: coating a configured tool substrate with layers of metals, such as titanium, copper and titanium, by physical vapor deposition (PVD); applying the abrasive particles to the coated surface by a slurry technique; and brazing the abrasive particles to the tool substrate by alloying the metal layers. The precision control of the composition and thickness of the metal layers enables the bonding of a single layer or several layers of micron size abrasive particles to the tool surface. By the incorporation of an easily dissolved metal layer in the composition such allows the removal and replacement of the abrasive particles, thereby providing a process for replenishing a precisely machined grinding tool with fine abrasive particles, thus greatly reducing costs as compared to replacing expensive grinding tools.

Automated Computer Access Request System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Snook, Bryan E.

2010-01-01

The Automated Computer Access Request (AutoCAR) system is a Web-based account provisioning application that replaces the time-consuming paper-based computer-access request process at Johnson Space Center (JSC). Auto- CAR combines rules-based and role-based functionality in one application to provide a centralized system that is easily and widely accessible. The system features a work-flow engine that facilitates request routing, a user registration directory containing contact information and user metadata, an access request submission and tracking process, and a system administrator account management component. This provides full, end-to-end disposition approval chain accountability from the moment a request is submitted. By blending both rules-based and rolebased functionality, AutoCAR has the flexibility to route requests based on a user s nationality, JSC affiliation status, and other export-control requirements, while ensuring a user s request is addressed by either a primary or backup approver. All user accounts that are tracked in AutoCAR are recorded and mapped to the native operating system schema on the target platform where user accounts reside. This allows for future extensibility for supporting creation, deletion, and account management directly on the target platforms by way of AutoCAR. The system s directory-based lookup and day-today change analysis of directory information determines personnel moves, deletions, and additions, and automatically notifies a user via e-mail to revalidate his/her account access as a result of such changes. AutoCAR is a Microsoft classic active server page (ASP) application hosted on a Microsoft Internet Information Server (IIS).

Ground access to airport study

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2001-08-24

The Ground Access to Airport Study for the California Department of Transportation (Department), hereinafter referred to as Caltrans, began in July 2000. The Study's primary purpose was to assist Caltrans in identifying needs and provide tools to imp...

TEST (Toxicity Estimation Software Tool) Ver 4.1

EPA Science Inventory

The Toxicity Estimation Software Tool (T.E.S.T.) has been developed to allow users to easily estimate toxicity and physical properties using a variety of QSAR methodologies. T.E.S.T allows a user to estimate toxicity without requiring any external programs. Users can input a chem...

Friendly Extensible Transfer Tool Beta Version

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

Collins, William P.; Gutierrez, Kenneth M.; McRee, Susan R.

2016-04-15

Often data transfer software is designed to meet specific requirements or apply to specific environments. Frequently, this requires source code integration for added functionality. An extensible data transfer framework is needed to more easily incorporate new capabilities, in modular fashion. Using FrETT framework, functionality may be incorporated (in many cases without need of source code) to handle new platform capabilities: I/O methods (e.g., platform specific data access), network transport methods, data processing (e.g., data compression.).

Data Integration Tool: Permafrost Data Debugging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilcox, H.; Schaefer, K. M.; Jafarov, E. E.; Pulsifer, P. L.; Strawhacker, C.; Yarmey, L.; Basak, R.

2017-12-01

We developed a Data Integration Tool (DIT) to significantly speed up the time of manual processing needed to translate inconsistent, scattered historical permafrost data into files ready to ingest directly into the Global Terrestrial Network-Permafrost (GTN-P). The United States National Science Foundation funded this project through the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) with the GTN-P to improve permafrost data access and discovery. We leverage this data to support science research and policy decisions. DIT is a workflow manager that divides data preparation and analysis into a series of steps or operations called widgets (https://github.com/PermaData/DIT). Each widget does a specific operation, such as read, multiply by a constant, sort, plot, and write data. DIT allows the user to select and order the widgets as desired to meet their specific needs, incrementally interact with and evolve the widget workflows, and save those workflows for reproducibility. Taking ideas from visual programming found in the art and design domain, debugging and iterative design principles from software engineering, and the scientific data processing and analysis power of Fortran and Python it was written for interactive, iterative data manipulation, quality control, processing, and analysis of inconsistent data in an easily installable application. DIT was used to completely translate one dataset (133 sites) that was successfully added to GTN-P, nearly translate three datasets (270 sites), and is scheduled to translate 10 more datasets ( 1000 sites) from the legacy inactive site data holdings of the Frozen Ground Data Center (FGDC). Iterative development has provided the permafrost and wider scientific community with an extendable tool designed specifically for the iterative process of translating unruly data.

Unified Access Architecture for Large-Scale Scientific Datasets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karna, Risav

2014-05-01

Data-intensive sciences have to deploy diverse large scale database technologies for data analytics as scientists have now been dealing with much larger volume than ever before. While array databases have bridged many gaps between the needs of data-intensive research fields and DBMS technologies (Zhang 2011), invocation of other big data tools accompanying these databases is still manual and separate the database management's interface. We identify this as an architectural challenge that will increasingly complicate the user's work flow owing to the growing number of useful but isolated and niche database tools. Such use of data analysis tools in effect leaves the burden on the user's end to synchronize the results from other data manipulation analysis tools with the database management system. To this end, we propose a unified access interface for using big data tools within large scale scientific array database using the database queries themselves to embed foreign routines belonging to the big data tools. Such an invocation of foreign data manipulation routines inside a query into a database can be made possible through a user-defined function (UDF). UDFs that allow such levels of freedom as to call modules from another language and interface back and forth between the query body and the side-loaded functions would be needed for this purpose. For the purpose of this research we attempt coupling of four widely used tools Hadoop (hadoop1), Matlab (matlab1), R (r1) and ScaLAPACK (scalapack1) with UDF feature of rasdaman (Baumann 98), an array-based data manager, for investigating this concept. The native array data model used by an array-based data manager provides compact data storage and high performance operations on ordered data such as spatial data, temporal data, and matrix-based data for linear algebra operations (scidbusr1). Performances issues arising due to coupling of tools with different paradigms, niche functionalities, separate processes and output

Integration of EGA secure data access into Galaxy.

PubMed

Hoogstrate, Youri; Zhang, Chao; Senf, Alexander; Bijlard, Jochem; Hiltemann, Saskia; van Enckevort, David; Repo, Susanna; Heringa, Jaap; Jenster, Guido; J A Fijneman, Remond; Boiten, Jan-Willem; A Meijer, Gerrit; Stubbs, Andrew; Rambla, Jordi; Spalding, Dylan; Abeln, Sanne

2016-01-01

High-throughput molecular profiling techniques are routinely generating vast amounts of data for translational medicine studies. Secure access controlled systems are needed to manage, store, transfer and distribute these data due to its personally identifiable nature. The European Genome-phenome Archive (EGA) was created to facilitate access and management to long-term archival of bio-molecular data. Each data provider is responsible for ensuring a Data Access Committee is in place to grant access to data stored in the EGA. Moreover, the transfer of data during upload and download is encrypted. ELIXIR, a European research infrastructure for life-science data, initiated a project (2016 Human Data Implementation Study) to understand and document the ELIXIR requirements for secure management of controlled-access data. As part of this project, a full ecosystem was designed to connect archived raw experimental molecular profiling data with interpreted data and the computational workflows, using the CTMM Translational Research IT (CTMM-TraIT) infrastructure http://www.ctmm-trait.nl as an example. Here we present the first outcomes of this project, a framework to enable the download of EGA data to a Galaxy server in a secure way. Galaxy provides an intuitive user interface for molecular biologists and bioinformaticians to run and design data analysis workflows. More specifically, we developed a tool -- ega_download_streamer - that can download data securely from EGA into a Galaxy server, which can subsequently be further processed. This tool will allow a user within the browser to run an entire analysis containing sensitive data from EGA, and to make this analysis available for other researchers in a reproducible manner, as shown with a proof of concept study.  The tool ega_download_streamer is available in the Galaxy tool shed: https://toolshed.g2.bx.psu.edu/view/yhoogstrate/ega_download_streamer.

Integration of EGA secure data access into Galaxy

PubMed Central

Hoogstrate, Youri; Zhang, Chao; Senf, Alexander; Bijlard, Jochem; Hiltemann, Saskia; van Enckevort, David; Repo, Susanna; Heringa, Jaap; Jenster, Guido; Fijneman, Remond J.A.; Boiten, Jan-Willem; A. Meijer, Gerrit; Stubbs, Andrew; Rambla, Jordi; Spalding, Dylan; Abeln, Sanne

2016-01-01

High-throughput molecular profiling techniques are routinely generating vast amounts of data for translational medicine studies. Secure access controlled systems are needed to manage, store, transfer and distribute these data due to its personally identifiable nature. The European Genome-phenome Archive (EGA) was created to facilitate access and management to long-term archival of bio-molecular data. Each data provider is responsible for ensuring a Data Access Committee is in place to grant access to data stored in the EGA. Moreover, the transfer of data during upload and download is encrypted. ELIXIR, a European research infrastructure for life-science data, initiated a project (2016 Human Data Implementation Study) to understand and document the ELIXIR requirements for secure management of controlled-access data. As part of this project, a full ecosystem was designed to connect archived raw experimental molecular profiling data with interpreted data and the computational workflows, using the CTMM Translational Research IT (CTMM-TraIT) infrastructure http://www.ctmm-trait.nl as an example. Here we present the first outcomes of this project, a framework to enable the download of EGA data to a Galaxy server in a secure way. Galaxy provides an intuitive user interface for molecular biologists and bioinformaticians to run and design data analysis workflows. More specifically, we developed a tool -- ega_download_streamer - that can download data securely from EGA into a Galaxy server, which can subsequently be further processed. This tool will allow a user within the browser to run an entire analysis containing sensitive data from EGA, and to make this analysis available for other researchers in a reproducible manner, as shown with a proof of concept study.  The tool ega_download_streamer is available in the Galaxy tool shed: https://toolshed.g2.bx.psu.edu/view/yhoogstrate/ega_download_streamer. PMID:28232859

Easily constructed spectroelectrochemical cell for batch and flow injection analyses.

PubMed

Flowers, Paul A; Maynor, Margaret A; Owens, Donald E

2002-02-01

The design and performance of an easily constructed spectroelectrochemical cell suitable for batch and flow injection measurements are described. The cell is fabricated from a commercially available 5-mm quartz cuvette and employs 60 ppi reticulated vitreous carbon as the working electrode, resulting in a reasonable compromise between optical sensitivity and thin-layer electrochemical behavior. The spectroelectrochemical traits of the cell in both batch and flow modes were evaluated using aqueous ferricyanide and compare favorably to those reported previously for similar cells.

How Philadelphia is Integrating Climate Science and Policy: Changing Capital Planning Processes and Developing Flood-Depth Tools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhat, C.; Dix, B.; Choate, A.; Wong, A.; Asam, S.; Schultz, P. A.

2016-12-01

Policy makers can implement more effective climate change adaptation programs if they are provided with two tools: accessible information on the impacts that they need to prepare for, and clear guidance on how to integrate climate change considerations into their work. This presentation will highlight recent and ongoing efforts at the City of Philadelphia to integrate climate science into their decision-making. These efforts include developing a climate change information visualization tool, climate change risk assessments across the city, and processes to integrate climate change into routine planning and budgeting practices. The goal of these efforts is to make climate change science highly targeted to decision maker needs, non-political, easily accessible, and actionable. While sea level rise inundation maps have been available to communities for years, the maps do not effectively communicate how the design of a building or a piece of infrastructure would need to be modified to protect it. The Philadelphia Flood Risk Viewer is an interactive planning tool that allows Philadelphia to identify projected depths of flooding for any location within the City, for a variety of sea level rise and storm surge scenarios. Users can also determine whether a location is located in a FEMA floodplain. By having access to information on the projected depth of flooding at a given location, the City can determine what flood protection measures may be effective, or even inform the long-term viability of developing a particular area. With an understanding of climate vulnerabilities, cities have the opportunity to make smart, climate-resilient investments with their capital budgets that will yield multiple benefits for years to come. Few, however, have established protocols for doing so. Philadelphia, with support from ICF, developed a guidance document that identifies recommendations for integrating climate change considerations throughout the Capital Program and capital budgeting

On-line access to geoscience bibliographic citations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wild, Emily C.

2012-01-01

On-line geoscience bibliographic citations and access points to citations are exponentially increasing as commercial, non-profit, and government agencies worldwide publish materials electronically. On-line bibliographic tools capture cited works, and open access content allows for freely obtained citations and documents. For this newsletter, citations from the numerous journals and books listed in the "Recent Papers" section of the EXPLORE newsletters from 2008-2011 were used to provide freely-accessible web sites to determine the availability of bibliographic information.

Tools & Services - SEER Registrars

Cancer.gov

View glossary for registrars. Access ICD conversion programs, SEER Abstracting Tool, SEER Data Viewer, SEER interactive drug database for coding oncology drugs, data documentation, variable recodes, and SEER Application Programming Interface for developers.

Developing Web-based Tools for Collaborative Science and Public Outreach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Friedman, A.; Pizarro, O.; Williams, S. B.

2016-02-01

With the advances in high bandwidth communications and the proliferation of social media tools, education & outreach activities have become commonplace on ocean-bound research cruises. In parallel, advances in underwater robotics & other data collecting platforms, have made it possible to collect copious amounts of oceanographic data. This data then typically undergoes laborious, manual processing to transform it into quantitative information, which normally occurs post cruise resulting in significant lags between collecting data and using it for scientific discovery. This presentation discusses how appropriately designed software systems, can be used to fulfill multiple objectives and attempt to leverage public engagement in order to compliment science goals. We will present two software platforms: the first is a web browser based tool that was developed for real-time tracking of multiple underwater robots and ships. It was designed to allow anyone on board to view or control it on any device with a web browser. It opens up the possibility of remote teleoperation & engagement and was easily adapted to enable live streaming over the internet for public outreach. While the tracking system provided context and engaged people in real-time, it also directed interested participants to Squidle, another online system. Developed for scientists, Squidle supports data management, exploration & analysis and enables direct access to survey data reducing the lag in data processing. It provides a user-friendly streamlined interface that integrates advanced data management & online annotation tools. This system was adapted to provide a simplified user interface, tutorial instructions and a gamified ranking system to encourage "citizen science" participation. These examples show that through a flexible design approach, it is possible to leverage the development effort of creating science tools to facilitate outreach goals, opening up the possibility for acquiring large volumes of

hydropower biological evaluation tools

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

This software is a set of analytical tools to evaluate the physical and biological performance of existing, refurbished, or newly installed conventional hydro-turbines nationwide where fish passage is a regulatory concern. The current version is based on information collected by the Sensor Fish. Future version will include other technologies. The tool set includes data acquisition, data processing, and biological response tools with applications to various turbine designs and other passage alternatives. The associated database is centralized, and can be accessed remotely. We have demonstrated its use for various applications including both turbines and spillways

Open access tools for quality-assured and efficient data entry in a large, state-wide tobacco survey in India

PubMed Central

Shewade, Hemant Deepak; Vidhubala, E; Subramani, Divyaraj Prabhakar; Lal, Pranay; Bhatt, Neelam; Sundaramoorthi, C.; Singh, Rana J.; Kumar, Ajay M. V.

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Background: A large state-wide tobacco survey was conducted using modified version of pretested, globally validated Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) questionnaire in 2015–22016 in Tamil Nadu, India. Due to resource constrains, data collection was carrid out using paper-based questionnaires (unlike the GATS-India, 2009–2010, which used hand-held computer devices) while data entry was done using open access tools. The objective of this paper is to describe the process of data entry and assess its quality assurance and efficiency. Methods: In EpiData language, a variable is referred to as ‘field’ and a questionnaire (set of fields) as ‘record’. EpiData software was used for double data entry with adequate checks followed by validation. Teamviewer was used for remote training and trouble shooting. The EpiData databases (one each for each district and each zone in Chennai city) were housed in shared Dropbox folders, which enabled secure sharing of files and automatic back-up. Each database for a district/zone had separate file for data entry of household level and individual level questionnaire. Results: Of 32,945 households, there were 111,363 individuals aged ≥15 years. The average proportion of records with data entry errors for a district/zone in household level and individual level file was 4% and 24%, respectively. These are the errors that would have gone unnoticed if single entry was used. The median (inter-quartile range) time taken for double data entry for a single household level and individual level questionnaire was 30 (24, 40) s and 86 (64, 126) s, respectively. Conclusion: Efficient and quality-assured near-real-time data entry in a large sub-national tobacco survey was performed using innovative, resource-efficient use of open access tools. PMID:29092673

Open access tools for quality-assured and efficient data entry in a large, state-wide tobacco survey in India.

PubMed

Shewade, Hemant Deepak; Vidhubala, E; Subramani, Divyaraj Prabhakar; Lal, Pranay; Bhatt, Neelam; Sundaramoorthi, C; Singh, Rana J; Kumar, Ajay M V

2017-01-01

A large state-wide tobacco survey was conducted using modified version of pretested, globally validated Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) questionnaire in 2015-22016 in Tamil Nadu, India. Due to resource constrains, data collection was carrid out using paper-based questionnaires (unlike the GATS-India, 2009-2010, which used hand-held computer devices) while data entry was done using open access tools. The objective of this paper is to describe the process of data entry and assess its quality assurance and efficiency. In EpiData language, a variable is referred to as 'field' and a questionnaire (set of fields) as 'record'. EpiData software was used for double data entry with adequate checks followed by validation. Teamviewer was used for remote training and trouble shooting. The EpiData databases (one each for each district and each zone in Chennai city) were housed in shared Dropbox folders, which enabled secure sharing of files and automatic back-up. Each database for a district/zone had separate file for data entry of household level and individual level questionnaire. Of 32,945 households, there were 111,363 individuals aged ≥15 years. The average proportion of records with data entry errors for a district/zone in household level and individual level file was 4% and 24%, respectively. These are the errors that would have gone unnoticed if single entry was used. The median (inter-quartile range) time taken for double data entry for a single household level and individual level questionnaire was 30 (24, 40) s and 86 (64, 126) s, respectively. Efficient and quality-assured near-real-time data entry in a large sub-national tobacco survey was performed using innovative, resource-efficient use of open access tools.

Using Clinically Accessible Tools to Measure Sound Levels and Sleep Disruption in the ICU: A Prospective Multicenter Observational Study.

PubMed

Litton, Edward; Elliott, Rosalind; Thompson, Kelly; Watts, Nicola; Seppelt, Ian; Webb, Steven A R

2017-06-01

To use clinically accessible tools to determine unit-level and individual patient factors associated with sound levels and sleep disruption in a range of representative ICUs. A cross-sectional, observational study. Australian and New Zealand ICUs. All patients 16 years or over occupying an ICU bed on one of two Point Prevalence study days in 2015. Ambient sound was measured for 1 minute using an application downloaded to a personal mobile device. Bedside nurses also recorded the total time and number of awakening for each patient overnight. The study included 539 participants with sound level recorded using an application downloaded to a personal mobile device from 39 ICUs. Maximum and mean sound levels were 78 dB (SD, 9) and 62 dB (SD, 8), respectively. Maximum sound levels were higher in ICUs with a sleep policy or protocol compared with those without maximum sound levels 81 dB (95% CI, 79-83) versus 77 dB (95% CI, 77-78), mean difference 4 dB (95% CI, 0-2), p < 0.001. There was no significant difference in sound levels regardless of single room occupancy, mechanical ventilation status, or illness severity. Clinical nursing staff in all 39 ICUs were able to record sleep assessment in 15-minute intervals. The median time awake and number of prolonged disruptions were 3 hours (interquartile range, 1-4) and three (interquartile range, 2-5), respectively. Across a large number of ICUs, patients were exposed to high sound levels and substantial sleep disruption irrespective of factors including previous implementation of a sleep policy. Sound and sleep measurement using simple and accessible tools can facilitate future studies and could feasibly be implemented into clinical practice.

A SERS protocol as a potential tool to access 6-mercaptopurine release accelerated by glutathione-S-transferase.

PubMed

Wang, Ying; Sun, Jie; Yang, Qingran; Lu, Wenbo; Li, Yan; Dong, Jian; Qian, Weiping

2015-11-21

The developed method for monitoring GST, an important drug metabolic enzyme, could greatly facilitate researches on relative biological fields. In this work, we have developed a SERS technique to monitor the absorbance behaviour of 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP) and its glutathione-S-transferase (GST)-accelerated glutathione (GSH)-triggered release behaviour on the surface of gold nanoflowers (GNFs), using the GNFs as excellent SERS substrates. The SERS signal was used as an indicator of absorbance or release of 6-MP on the gold surface. We found that GST can accelerate GSH-triggered release behaviour of 6-MP from the gold surface. We speculated that GST catalyzes nucleophilic GSH to competitively bind with the electrophilic substance 6-MP. Experimental results have proved that the presented SERS protocol can be utilized as an effective tool for accessing the release of anticancer drugs.

Software tool for mining liquid chromatography/multi-stage mass spectrometry data for comprehensive glycerophospholipid profiling.

PubMed

Hein, Eva-Maria; Bödeker, Bertram; Nolte, Jürgen; Hayen, Heiko

2010-07-30

Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) has emerged as an indispensable tool in the field of lipidomics. Despite the growing interest in lipid analysis, there are only a few software tools available for data evaluation, as compared for example to proteomics applications. This makes comprehensive lipid analysis a complex challenge. Thus, a computational tool for harnessing the raw data from liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) experiments was developed in this study and is available from the authors on request. The Profiler-Merger-Viewer tool is a software package for automatic processing of raw-data from data-dependent experiments, measured by high-performance liquid chromatography hyphenated to electrospray ionization hybrid linear ion trap Fourier transform mass spectrometry (FTICR-MS and Orbitrap) in single and multi-stage mode. The software contains three parts: processing of the raw data by Profiler for lipid identification, summarizing of replicate measurements by Merger and visualization of all relevant data (chromatograms as well as mass spectra) for validation of the results by Viewer. The tool is easily accessible, since it is implemented in Java and uses Microsoft Excel (XLS) as output format. The motivation was to develop a tool which supports and accelerates the manual data evaluation (identification and relative quantification) significantly but does not make a complete data analysis within a black-box system. The software's mode of operation, usage and options will be demonstrated on the basis of a lipid extract of baker's yeast (S. cerevisiae). In this study, we focused on three important representatives of lipids: glycerophospholipids, lyso-glycerophospholipids and free fatty acids. Copyright 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Flexibility in Problem Solving and Tool Use of Kea and New Caledonian Crows in a Multi Access Box Paradigm

PubMed Central

Auersperg, Alice M. I.; von Bayern, Auguste M. P.; Gajdon, Gyula K.

2011-01-01

Parrots and corvids show outstanding innovative and flexible behaviour. In particular, kea and New Caledonian crows are often singled out as being exceptionally sophisticated in physical cognition, so that comparing them in this respect is particularly interesting. However, comparing cognitive mechanisms among species requires consideration of non-cognitive behavioural propensities and morphological characteristics evolved from different ancestry and adapted to fit different ecological niches. We used a novel experimental approach based on a Multi-Access-Box (MAB). Food could be extracted by four different techniques, two of them involving tools. Initially all four options were available to the subjects. Once they reached criterion for mastering one option, this task was blocked, until the subjects became proficient in another solution. The exploratory behaviour differed considerably. Only one (of six) kea and one (of five) NCC mastered all four options, including a first report of innovative stick tool use in kea. The crows were more efficient in using the stick tool, the kea the ball tool. The kea were haptically more explorative than the NCC, discovered two or three solutions within the first ten trials (against a mean of 0.75 discoveries by the crows) and switched more quickly to new solutions when the previous one was blocked. Differences in exploration technique, neophobia and object manipulation are likely to explain differential performance across the set of tasks. Our study further underlines the need to use a diversity of tasks when comparing cognitive traits between members of different species. Extension of a similar method to other taxa could help developing a comparative cognition research program. PMID:21687666

Evaluation of RPE-Select: A Web-Based Respiratory Protective Equipment Selector Tool.

PubMed

Vaughan, Nick; Rajan-Sithamparanadarajah, Bob; Atkinson, Robert

2016-08-01

This article describes the evaluation of an open-access web-based respiratory protective equipment selector tool (RPE-Select, accessible at http://www.healthyworkinglives.com/rpe-selector). This tool is based on the principles of the COSHH-Essentials (C-E) control banding (CB) tool, which was developed for the exposure risk management of hazardous chemicals in the workplace by small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and general practice H&S professionals. RPE-Select can be used for identifying adequate and suitable RPE for dusts, fibres, mist (solvent, water, and oil based), sprays, volatile solids, fumes, gases, vapours, and actual or potential oxygen deficiency. It can be applied for substances and products with safety data sheets as well as for a large number of commonly encountered process-generated substances (PGS), such as poultry house dusts or welding fume. Potential international usability has been built-in by using the Hazard Statements developed for the Globally Harmonised System (GHS) and providing recommended RPE in picture form as well as with a written specification. Illustration helps to compensate for the variabilities in assigned protection factors across the world. RPE-Select uses easily understandable descriptions/explanations and an interactive stepwise flow for providing input/answers at each step. The output of the selection process is a report summarising the user input data and a selection of RPE, including types of filters where applicable, from which the user can select the appropriate one for each wearer. In addition, each report includes 'Dos' and 'Don'ts' for the recommended RPE. RPE-Select outcomes, based on up to 20 hypothetical use scenarios, were evaluated in comparison with other available RPE selection processes and tools, and by 32 independent users with a broad range of familiarities with industrial use scenarios in general and respiratory protection in particular. For scenarios involving substances having safety data sheets

Evaluation of RPE-Select: A Web-Based Respiratory Protective Equipment Selector Tool

PubMed Central

Vaughan, Nick; Rajan-Sithamparanadarajah, Bob; Atkinson, Robert

2016-01-01

This article describes the evaluation of an open-access web-based respiratory protective equipment selector tool (RPE-Select, accessible at http://www.healthyworkinglives.com/rpe-selector). This tool is based on the principles of the COSHH-Essentials (C-E) control banding (CB) tool, which was developed for the exposure risk management of hazardous chemicals in the workplace by small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and general practice H&S professionals. RPE-Select can be used for identifying adequate and suitable RPE for dusts, fibres, mist (solvent, water, and oil based), sprays, volatile solids, fumes, gases, vapours, and actual or potential oxygen deficiency. It can be applied for substances and products with safety data sheets as well as for a large number of commonly encountered process-generated substances (PGS), such as poultry house dusts or welding fume. Potential international usability has been built-in by using the Hazard Statements developed for the Globally Harmonised System (GHS) and providing recommended RPE in picture form as well as with a written specification. Illustration helps to compensate for the variabilities in assigned protection factors across the world. RPE-Select uses easily understandable descriptions/explanations and an interactive stepwise flow for providing input/answers at each step. The output of the selection process is a report summarising the user input data and a selection of RPE, including types of filters where applicable, from which the user can select the appropriate one for each wearer. In addition, each report includes ‘Dos’ and ‘Don’ts’ for the recommended RPE. RPE-Select outcomes, based on up to 20 hypothetical use scenarios, were evaluated in comparison with other available RPE selection processes and tools, and by 32 independent users with a broad range of familiarities with industrial use scenarios in general and respiratory protection in particular. For scenarios involving substances having safety

An easily regenerable enzyme reactor prepared from polymerized high internal phase emulsions

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

Ruan, Guihua, E-mail: guihuaruan@hotmail.com; Guangxi Collaborative Innovation Center for Water Pollution Control and Water Safety in Karst Area, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin 541004; Wu, Zhenwei

A large-scale high-efficient enzyme reactor based on polymerized high internal phase emulsion monolith (polyHIPE) was prepared. First, a porous cross-linked polyHIPE monolith was prepared by in-situ thermal polymerization of a high internal phase emulsion containing styrene, divinylbenzene and polyglutaraldehyde. The enzyme of TPCK-Trypsin was then immobilized on the monolithic polyHIPE. The performance of the resultant enzyme reactor was assessed according to the conversion ability of N{sub α}-benzoyl-L-arginine ethyl ester to N{sub α}-benzoyl-L-arginine, and the protein digestibility of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and cytochrome (Cyt-C). The results showed that the prepared enzyme reactor exhibited high enzyme immobilization efficiency and fast andmore » easy-control protein digestibility. BSA and Cyt-C could be digested in 10 min with sequence coverage of 59% and 78%, respectively. The peptides and residual protein could be easily rinsed out from reactor and the reactor could be regenerated easily with 4 M HCl without any structure destruction. Properties of multiple interconnected chambers with good permeability, fast digestion facility and easily reproducibility indicated that the polyHIPE enzyme reactor was a good selector potentially applied in proteomics and catalysis areas. - Graphical abstract: Schematic illustration of preparation of hypercrosslinking polyHIPE immobilized enzyme reactor for on-column protein digestion. - Highlights: • A reactor was prepared and used for enzyme immobilization and continuous on-column protein digestion. • The new polyHIPE IMER was quite suit for protein digestion with good properties. • On-column digestion revealed that the IMER was easy regenerated by HCl without any structure destruction.« less

Increasing information accessibility for patients in obstetrics-gynecology domain.

PubMed

Crişan-Vida, Mihaela; Stoicu-Tivadar, Lăcrămioara

2014-01-01

It is important for the patient to have access to personal medical information in order to manage information for increased quality of medical care and life. The paper presents a module added to an Obstetrics-Gynaecology Department information system (OGD IS) supporting patient empowerment. The patient is accessing the system easily using laptops or mobile devices. The application accessed by the patient is web-based, implemented in Visual Studio. NET, using ASP.NET pages and C# language, and the application is published in the Windows Azure cloud. The solution is user friendly using familiar devices and is ubiquitous using the cloud solution. A module for translating medical terms in colloquial ones is integrated in the system. For certain situations the patient will get information related to life style influencing health status as how and what to eat or what type of exercise it is recommended.

mORCA: ubiquitous access to life science web services.

PubMed

Diaz-Del-Pino, Sergio; Trelles, Oswaldo; Falgueras, Juan

2018-01-16

Technical advances in mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets have produced an extraordinary increase in their use around the world and have become part of our daily lives. The possibility of carrying these devices in a pocket, particularly mobile phones, has enabled ubiquitous access to Internet resources. Furthermore, in the life sciences world there has been a vast proliferation of data types and services that finish as Web Services. This suggests the need for research into mobile clients to deal with life sciences applications for effective usage and exploitation. Analysing the current features in existing bioinformatics applications managing Web Services, we have devised, implemented, and deployed an easy-to-use web-based lightweight mobile client. This client is able to browse, select, compose parameters, invoke, and monitor the execution of Web Services stored in catalogues or central repositories. The client is also able to deal with huge amounts of data between external storage mounts. In addition, we also present a validation use case, which illustrates the usage of the application while executing, monitoring, and exploring the results of a registered workflow. The software its available in the Apple Store and Android Market and the source code is publicly available in Github. Mobile devices are becoming increasingly important in the scientific world due to their strong potential impact on scientific applications. Bioinformatics should not fall behind this trend. We present an original software client that deals with the intrinsic limitations of such devices and propose different guidelines to provide location-independent access to computational resources in bioinformatics and biomedicine. Its modular design makes it easily expandable with the inclusion of new repositories, tools, types of visualization, etc.

Ursgal, Universal Python Module Combining Common Bottom-Up Proteomics Tools for Large-Scale Analysis.

PubMed

Kremer, Lukas P M; Leufken, Johannes; Oyunchimeg, Purevdulam; Schulze, Stefan; Fufezan, Christian

2016-03-04

Proteomics data integration has become a broad field with a variety of programs offering innovative algorithms to analyze increasing amounts of data. Unfortunately, this software diversity leads to many problems as soon as the data is analyzed using more than one algorithm for the same task. Although it was shown that the combination of multiple peptide identification algorithms yields more robust results, it is only recently that unified approaches are emerging; however, workflows that, for example, aim to optimize search parameters or that employ cascaded style searches can only be made accessible if data analysis becomes not only unified but also and most importantly scriptable. Here we introduce Ursgal, a Python interface to many commonly used bottom-up proteomics tools and to additional auxiliary programs. Complex workflows can thus be composed using the Python scripting language using a few lines of code. Ursgal is easily extensible, and we have made several database search engines (X!Tandem, OMSSA, MS-GF+, Myrimatch, MS Amanda), statistical postprocessing algorithms (qvality, Percolator), and one algorithm that combines statistically postprocessed outputs from multiple search engines ("combined FDR") accessible as an interface in Python. Furthermore, we have implemented a new algorithm ("combined PEP") that combines multiple search engines employing elements of "combined FDR", PeptideShaker, and Bayes' theorem.

Sine-Bar Attachment For Machine Tools

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mann, Franklin D.

1988-01-01

Sine-bar attachment for collets, spindles, and chucks helps machinists set up quickly for precise angular cuts that require greater precision than provided by graduations of machine tools. Machinist uses attachment to index head, carriage of milling machine or lathe relative to table or turning axis of tool. Attachment accurate to 1 minute or arc depending on length of sine bar and precision of gauge blocks in setup. Attachment installs quickly and easily on almost any type of lathe or mill. Requires no special clamps or fixtures, and eliminates many trial-and-error measurements. More stable than improvised setups and not jarred out of position readily.

Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Microbial Swab Tool

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rucker, Michelle

2015-01-01

When we send humans to search for life on Mars, we'll need to know what we brought with us versus what may already be there. To ensure our crewed spacecraft meet planetary protection requirements--and to protect our science from human contamination--we'll need to know whether micro-organisms are leaking/venting from our ships and spacesuits. This is easily done by swabbing external vents and surfaces for analysis, but there was no US EVA tool for that job. NASA engineers developed an EVA-compatible swab tool that can be used to collect data on current hardware, which will influence eventual Mars life support and EVA hardware designs.

29 CFR 1926.302 - Power-operated hand tools.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... the source of supply or branch line to reduce pressure in case of hose failure. (8) Airless spray guns... the open barrel end. (6) Loaded tools shall not be left unattended. (7) Fasteners shall not be driven...-hardened steel, glass block, live rock, face brick, or hollow tile. (8) Driving into materials easily...

29 CFR 1926.302 - Power-operated hand tools.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... the source of supply or branch line to reduce pressure in case of hose failure. (8) Airless spray guns... the open barrel end. (6) Loaded tools shall not be left unattended. (7) Fasteners shall not be driven...-hardened steel, glass block, live rock, face brick, or hollow tile. (8) Driving into materials easily...

29 CFR 1926.302 - Power-operated hand tools.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... the source of supply or branch line to reduce pressure in case of hose failure. (8) Airless spray guns... the open barrel end. (6) Loaded tools shall not be left unattended. (7) Fasteners shall not be driven...-hardened steel, glass block, live rock, face brick, or hollow tile. (8) Driving into materials easily...

29 CFR 1926.302 - Power-operated hand tools.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... the source of supply or branch line to reduce pressure in case of hose failure. (8) Airless spray guns... the open barrel end. (6) Loaded tools shall not be left unattended. (7) Fasteners shall not be driven...-hardened steel, glass block, live rock, face brick, or hollow tile. (8) Driving into materials easily...

29 CFR 1926.302 - Power-operated hand tools.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... the source of supply or branch line to reduce pressure in case of hose failure. (8) Airless spray guns... the open barrel end. (6) Loaded tools shall not be left unattended. (7) Fasteners shall not be driven...-hardened steel, glass block, live rock, face brick, or hollow tile. (8) Driving into materials easily...

Plasmonic Films Can Easily Be Better: Rules and Recipes

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

High-quality materials are critical for advances in plasmonics, especially as researchers now investigate quantum effects at the limit of single surface plasmons or exploit ultraviolet- or CMOS-compatible metals such as aluminum or copper. Unfortunately, due to inexperience with deposition methods, many plasmonics researchers deposit metals under the wrong conditions, severely limiting performance unnecessarily. This is then compounded as others follow their published procedures. In this perspective, we describe simple rules collected from the surface-science literature that allow high-quality plasmonic films of aluminum, copper, gold, and silver to be easily deposited with commonly available equipment (a thermal evaporator). Recipes are also provided so that films with optimal optical properties can be routinely obtained. PMID:25950012

Individuals with Access and Functional Needs

MedlinePlus

... online tool helps people locate and access their electronic health records from a variety of sources. Plan ... Social Security or other regular benefits, switching to electronic payments is a simple, significant way to protect ...

disLocate: tools to rapidly quantify local intermolecular structure to assess two-dimensional order in self-assembled systems.

PubMed

Bumstead, Matt; Liang, Kunyu; Hanta, Gregory; Hui, Lok Shu; Turak, Ayse

2018-01-24

Order classification is particularly important in photonics, optoelectronics, nanotechnology, biology, and biomedicine, as self-assembled and living systems tend to be ordered well but not perfectly. Engineering sets of experimental protocols that can accurately reproduce specific desired patterns can be a challenge when (dis)ordered outcomes look visually similar. Robust comparisons between similar samples, especially with limited data sets, need a finely tuned ensemble of accurate analysis tools. Here we introduce our numerical Mathematica package disLocate, a suite of tools to rapidly quantify the spatial structure of a two-dimensional dispersion of objects. The full range of tools available in disLocate give different insights into the quality and type of order present in a given dispersion, accessing the translational, orientational and entropic order. The utility of this package allows for researchers to extract the variation and confidence range within finite sets of data (single images) using different structure metrics to quantify local variation in disorder. Containing all metrics within one package allows for researchers to easily and rapidly extract many different parameters simultaneously, allowing robust conclusions to be drawn on the order of a given system. Quantifying the experimental trends which produce desired morphologies enables engineering of novel methods to direct self-assembly.

A primer on intraosseous access: History, clinical considerations, and current devices.

PubMed

Burgert, James M

2016-01-01

Intraosseous (IO) access is a method recommended by the American Heart Association and the European Resuscitation Council to administer resuscitative drugs and fluids when intravenous (IV) access cannot be rapidly or easily obtained. Many clinicians have limited knowledge or experience with the IO route. The purpose of this review was to provide the reader with a succinct review of the history, clinical considerations, and devices associated with IO access. Narrative review. University-based academic research cell. Not applicable. Not applicable. IO access is a lifesaving bridge to definitive vascular access that may be considered when an IV cannot be rapidly attained and the patient's outcome may be negatively affected without prompt circulatory access. The IO route has few contraindications for use and a low rate of serious complications. Multiple manual and powered devices that may be placed in several anatomic sites are commercially available. All clinicians who provide acute care or respond to cardiovascular emergencies should obtain training and maintain proficiency in placing and using IO devices as the IO route is recommended by the major resuscitation organizations as the preferred route of infusion when rapid, reliable IV access is unavailable.

The NIDDK Information Network: A Community Portal for Finding Data, Materials, and Tools for Researchers Studying Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases

PubMed Central

Whetzel, Patricia L.; Grethe, Jeffrey S.; Banks, Davis E.; Martone, Maryann E.

2015-01-01

The NIDDK Information Network (dkNET; http://dknet.org) was launched to serve the needs of basic and clinical investigators in metabolic, digestive and kidney disease by facilitating access to research resources that advance the mission of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). By research resources, we mean the multitude of data, software tools, materials, services, projects and organizations available to researchers in the public domain. Most of these are accessed via web-accessible databases or web portals, each developed, designed and maintained by numerous different projects, organizations and individuals. While many of the large government funded databases, maintained by agencies such as European Bioinformatics Institute and the National Center for Biotechnology Information, are well known to researchers, many more that have been developed by and for the biomedical research community are unknown or underutilized. At least part of the problem is the nature of dynamic databases, which are considered part of the “hidden” web, that is, content that is not easily accessed by search engines. dkNET was created specifically to address the challenge of connecting researchers to research resources via these types of community databases and web portals. dkNET functions as a “search engine for data”, searching across millions of database records contained in hundreds of biomedical databases developed and maintained by independent projects around the world. A primary focus of dkNET are centers and projects specifically created to provide high quality data and resources to NIDDK researchers. Through the novel data ingest process used in dkNET, additional data sources can easily be incorporated, allowing it to scale with the growth of digital data and the needs of the dkNET community. Here, we provide an overview of the dkNET portal and its functions. We show how dkNET can be used to address a variety of use cases that involve

Water Powered Tools

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1976-01-01

Space Spin-Offs, Inc. under a contract with Lewis Research Center and Marshall Space Flight Center produced a new water-powered saw that cuts through concrete and steel plate reducing danger of explosion or electric shock in rescue and other operations. In prototype unit efficient water-powered turbine drives an 8 inch diameter grinding disk at 6,600 rpm. Exhaust water cools disk and workpiece quenching any sparks produced by cutting head. At maximum power, tool easily cuts through quarter inch steel plate. Adapter heads for chain saws, impact wrenches, heavy duty drills, and power hack saws can be fitted.

Tools to Ease Your Internet Adventures: Part I.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Descy, Don E.

1993-01-01

This first of a two-part series highlights three tools that improve accessibility to Internet resources: (1) Alex, a database that accesses files in FTP (file transfer protocol) sites; (2) Archie, software that searches for file names with a user's search term; and (3) Gopher, a menu-driven program to access Internet sites. (LRW)

CCDST: A free Canadian climate data scraping tool

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonifacio, Charmaine; Barchyn, Thomas E.; Hugenholtz, Chris H.; Kienzle, Stefan W.

2015-02-01

In this paper we present a new software tool that automatically fetches, downloads and consolidates climate data from a Web database where the data are contained on multiple Web pages. The tool is called the Canadian Climate Data Scraping Tool (CCDST) and was developed to enhance access and simplify analysis of climate data from Canada's National Climate Data and Information Archive (NCDIA). The CCDST deconstructs a URL for a particular climate station in the NCDIA and then iteratively modifies the date parameters to download large volumes of data, remove individual file headers, and merge data files into one output file. This automated sequence enhances access to climate data by substantially reducing the time needed to manually download data from multiple Web pages. To this end, we present a case study of the temporal dynamics of blowing snow events that resulted in ~3.1 weeks time savings. Without the CCDST, the time involved in manually downloading climate data limits access and restrains researchers and students from exploring climate trends. The tool is coded as a Microsoft Excel macro and is available to researchers and students for free. The main concept and structure of the tool can be modified for other Web databases hosting geophysical data.

High Tech and Library Access for People with Disabilities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roatch, Mary A.

1992-01-01

Describes tools that enable people with disabilities to access print information, including optical character recognition, synthetic voice output, other input devices, Braille access devices, large print displays, television and video, TDD (Telecommunications Devices for the Deaf), and Telebraille. Use of technology by libraries to meet mandates…

Why do children lack the flexibility to innovate tools?

PubMed

Cutting, Nicola; Apperly, Ian A; Beck, Sarah R

2011-08-01

Despite being proficient tool users, young children have surprising difficulty in innovating tools (making novel tools to solve problems). Two experiments found that 4- to 7-year-olds had difficulty on two tool innovation problems and explored reasons for this inflexibility. Experiment 1 (N=51) showed that children's performance was unaffected by the need to switch away from previously correct strategies. Experiment 2 (N=92) suggested that children's difficulty could not easily be explained by task pragmatics or permission issues. Both experiments found evidence that some children perseverated on a single incorrect strategy, but such perseveration was insufficient to explain children's tendency not to innovate tools. We suggest that children's difficulty lies not with switching, task pragmatics, or behavioral perseveration but rather with solving the fundamentally "ill-structured" nature of tool innovation problems. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Simplified, inverse, ejector design tool

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dechant, Lawrence J.

1993-01-01

A simple lumped parameter based inverse design tool has been developed which provides flow path geometry and entrainment estimates subject to operational, acoustic, and design constraints. These constraints are manifested through specification of primary mass flow rate or ejector thrust, fully-mixed exit velocity, and static pressure matching. Fundamentally, integral forms of the conservation equations coupled with the specified design constraints are combined to yield an easily invertible linear system in terms of the flow path cross-sectional areas. Entrainment is computed by back substitution. Initial comparison with experimental and analogous one-dimensional methods show good agreement. Thus, this simple inverse design code provides an analytically based, preliminary design tool with direct application to High Speed Civil Transport (HSCT) design studies.

Maximizing Access Technology Tools for the Library of the Future

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pearson, Waynn

2003-01-01

The renovated Cerritos Public Library is a unique blending of traditional and hightech features. One of the key principles in its planning and design was to enable a range of convenient access services. This article summarizes the process of building this library and how it has been received by users. (Contains 5 figures.)

An alternative and inexpensive percutaneous access needle in pediatric patients.

PubMed

Penbegul, Necmettin; Soylemez, Haluk; Bozkurt, Yasar; Sancaktutar, Ahmet Ali; Bodakci, Mehmet Nuri; Hatipoglu, Namik Kemal; Atar, Murat; Yildirim, Kadir

2012-10-01

The most important factor that increases the cost of percutaneous surgery is the disposable instruments used for the surgery. In this study we present the advantages of using an intravenous cannula instead of a percutaneous access needle for renal access. Recently, percutaneous stone surgery has grown in use in pediatric cases and is considered a minimally invasive surgery. The most important step in this surgery is access to the renal collecting systems. Although fluoroscopy has been used frequently at this stage, the use of ultrasound has recently increased. During percutaneous accesses under all types of imaging techniques, disposable 11- to 15-cm-long 18-ga needles are used. In pediatric cases, these longer needles are difficult to use. Using disposable materials in percutaneous nephrolithotomy increases the cost of the procedure. Therefore, we asserted that percutaneous access especially in pediatric cases could be performed using a 16-ga intravenous cannula (angiocath). Indeed, percutaneous access was performed successfully, especially in pediatric preschool patients. Shorter needle length, easy skin entry, comfort of manipulation, clear visualization of the metal needle on ultrasound, and wide availability can be considered advantages of this method. The angiocath is also less expensive than a percutaneous access needle. Angiocath is inexpensive, easily available, and practical, and it is the shortest needle to perform percutaneous access in pediatric patients. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Microcomputer-Based Access to Machine-Readable Numeric Databases.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wenzel, Patrick

1988-01-01

Describes the use of microcomputers and relational database management systems to improve access to numeric databases by the Data and Program Library Service at the University of Wisconsin. The internal records management system, in-house reference tools, and plans to extend these tools to the entire campus are discussed. (3 references) (CLB)

Techniques to Access Databases and Integrate Data for Hydrologic Modeling

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

Whelan, Gene; Tenney, Nathan D.; Pelton, Mitchell A.

2009-06-17

This document addresses techniques to access and integrate data for defining site-specific conditions and behaviors associated with ground-water and surface-water radionuclide transport applicable to U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission reviews. Environmental models typically require input data from multiple internal and external sources that may include, but are not limited to, stream and rainfall gage data, meteorological data, hydrogeological data, habitat data, and biological data. These data may be retrieved from a variety of organizations (e.g., federal, state, and regional) and source types (e.g., HTTP, FTP, and databases). Available data sources relevant to hydrologic analyses for reactor licensing are identified and reviewed.more » The data sources described can be useful to define model inputs and parameters, including site features (e.g., watershed boundaries, stream locations, reservoirs, site topography), site properties (e.g., surface conditions, subsurface hydraulic properties, water quality), and site boundary conditions, input forcings, and extreme events (e.g., stream discharge, lake levels, precipitation, recharge, flood and drought characteristics). Available software tools for accessing established databases, retrieving the data, and integrating it with models were identified and reviewed. The emphasis in this review was on existing software products with minimal required modifications to enable their use with the FRAMES modeling framework. The ability of four of these tools to access and retrieve the identified data sources was reviewed. These four software tools were the Hydrologic Data Acquisition and Processing System (HDAPS), Integrated Water Resources Modeling System (IWRMS) External Data Harvester, Data for Environmental Modeling Environmental Data Download Tool (D4EM EDDT), and the FRAMES Internet Database Tools. The IWRMS External Data Harvester and the D4EM EDDT were identified as the most promising tools based on their ability to

Teaching the Assessment of Normality Using Large Easily-Generated Real Data Sets

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kulp, Christopher W.; Sprechini, Gene D.

2016-01-01

A classroom activity is presented, which can be used in teaching students statistics with an easily generated, large, real world data set. The activity consists of analyzing a video recording of an object. The colour data of the recorded object can then be used as a data set to explore variation in the data using graphs including histograms,…

Mapping Application for Penguin Populations and Projected Dynamics (MAPPPD): Data and Tools for Dynamic Management and Decision Support

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Humphries, G. R. W.; Naveen, R.; Schwaller, M.; Che-Castaldo, C.; McDowall, P.; Schrimpf, M.; Schrimpf, Michael; Lynch, H. J.

2017-01-01

The Mapping Application for Penguin Populations and Projected Dynamics (MAPPPD) is a web-based, open access, decision-support tool designed to assist scientists, non-governmental organizations and policy-makers working to meet the management objectives as set forth by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) and other components of the Antarctic Treaty System (ATS) (that is, Consultative Meetings and the ATS Committee on Environmental Protection). MAPPPD was designed specifically to complement existing efforts such as the CCAMLR Ecosystem Monitoring Program (CEMP) and the ATS site guidelines for visitors. The database underlying MAPPPD includes all publicly available (published and unpublished) count data on emperor, gentoo, Adelie) and chinstrap penguins in Antarctica. Penguin population models are used to assimilate available data into estimates of abundance for each site and year.Results are easily aggregated across multiple sites to obtain abundance estimates over any user-defined area of interest. A front end web interface located at www.penguinmap.com provides free and ready access to the most recent count and modelled data, and can act as a facilitator for data transfer between scientists and Antarctic stakeholders to help inform management decisions for the continent.

Facilitating climate change assessments by providing easy access to data and decision-support tools on-line

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bachelet, D. M.

2012-12-01

Public land managers are under increasing pressure to consider the potential impacts of climate change but they often lack access to the necessary scientific information and the support to interpret projections. Over 27% of the United States land area are designated as protected areas (e.g. National Parks and Wilderness Areas) including 76,900,000 ha of National Forests areas for which management plans need to be revised to prepare for climate change. Projections of warmer drier conditions raise concerns about extended summer drought, increased fire risks and potential pest/insect outbreaks threatening the carbon sequestration potential of the region as well as late summer water availability. Downscaled climate projections, soil vulnerability indices, and simulated climate change impacts on vegetation cover, fire frequency, carbon stocks, as well as species range shifts, have been uploaded in databasin.org to provide easy access to documented information that can be displayed, shared, and freely manipulated on line. We have uploaded NARCCAP scenarios and provided animations and time series display to look at regional and temporal trends in climate projections. We have uploaded simulation results of vegetation shifts from the global scale to local national parks and shared results with concerned managers. We have used combinations of vegetation models and niche models to evaluate wildlife resilience to future conditions. We have designed fuzzy logic models for ecological assessment projects and made them available on the Data Basin web site. We describe how we have used all this information to quantify climate change vulnerability for a variety of ecosystems, developing new web tools to provide comparative summaries of the various types of spatial and temporal data available for different regions.

Service composition towards increasing end-user accessibility.

PubMed

Kaklanis, Nikolaos; Votis, Konstantinos; Tzovaras, Dimitrios

2015-01-01

This paper presents the Cloud4all Service Synthesizer Tool, a framework that enables efficient orchestration of accessibility services, as well as their combination into complex forms, providing more advanced functionalities towards increasing the accessibility of end-users with various types of functional limitations. The supported services are described formally within an ontology, enabling, thus, semantic service composition. The proposed service composition approach is based on semantic matching between services specifications on the one hand and user needs/preferences and current context of use on the other hand. The use of automatic composition of accessibility services can significantly enhance end-users' accessibility, especially in cases where assistive solutions are not available in their device.

GridTool: A surface modeling and grid generation tool

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Samareh-Abolhassani, Jamshid

1995-01-01

GridTool is designed around the concept that the surface grids are generated on a set of bi-linear patches. This type of grid generation is quite easy to implement, and it avoids the problems associated with complex CAD surface representations and associated surface parameterizations. However, the resulting surface grids are close to but not on the original CAD surfaces. This problem can be alleviated by projecting the resulting surface grids onto the original CAD surfaces. GridTool is designed primary for unstructured grid generation systems. Currently, GridTool supports VGRID and FELISA systems, and it can be easily extended to support other unstructured grid generation systems. The data in GridTool is stored parametrically so that once the problem is set up, one can modify the surfaces and the entire set of points, curves and patches will be updated automatically. This is very useful in a multidisciplinary design and optimization process. GridTool is written entirely in ANSI 'C', the interface is based on the FORMS library, and the graphics is based on the GL library. The code has been tested successfully on IRIS workstations running IRIX4.0 and above. The memory is allocated dynamically, therefore, memory size will depend on the complexity of geometry/grid. GridTool data structure is based on a link-list structure which allows the required memory to expand and contract dynamically according to the user's data size and action. Data structure contains several types of objects such as points, curves, patches, sources and surfaces. At any given time, there is always an active object which is drawn in magenta, or in their highlighted colors as defined by the resource file which will be discussed later.

Accessing Suomi NPP OMPS Products through the GES DISC Online Data Services

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, J.; Wei, J.; Gerasimov, I.; Vollmer, Bruce E.

2017-01-01

This presentation will provide an overview of the OMPS products available at the GES DISC archive, as well as demonstrate the various data services provided by the GES DISC. Since the TOMS, SBUV, and EOS Aura (OMI, MLS, HIRDLS) data products are also available from the GES DISC archive, these can be easily accessed and compared with the OMPS data.

Ratio measures in leading medical journals: structured review of accessibility of underlying absolute risks

PubMed Central

Schwartz, Lisa M; Dvorin, Evan L; Welch, H Gilbert

2006-01-01

Objective To examine the accessibility of absolute risk in articles reporting ratio measures in leading medical journals. Design Structured review of abstracts presenting ratio measures. Setting Articles published between 1 June 2003 and 1 May 2004 in Annals of Internal Medicine, BMJ, Journal of the American Medical Association, Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Lancet, and New England Journal of Medicine. Participants 222 articles based on study designs in which absolute risks were directly calculable (61 randomised trials, 161 cohort studies). Main outcome measure Accessibility of the absolute risks underlying the first ratio measure in the abstract. Results 68% of articles (150/222) failed to report the underlying absolute risks for the first ratio measure in the abstract (range 55−81% across the journals). Among these articles, about half did report the underlying absolute risks elsewhere in the article (text, table, or figure) but half did not report them anywhere. Absolute risks were more likely to be reported in the abstract for randomised trials compared with cohort studies (62% v 21%; relative risk 3.0, 95% confidence interval 2.1 to 4.2) and for studies reporting crude compared with adjusted ratio measures (62% v 21%; relative risk 3.0, 2.1 to 4.3). Conclusion Absolute risks are often not easily accessible in articles reporting ratio measures and sometimes are missing altogether—this lack of accessibility can easily exaggerate readers' perceptions of benefit or harm. PMID:17060338

ACCESS! Teaching Writing Skills to Students with Intellectual Disability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cannella-Malone, Helen I.; Konrad, Moira; Pennington, Robert C.

2015-01-01

The purpose of this article is to provide teachers with tools that they can use to teach written expression to school-age students with intellectual disabilities. These tools are presented around the mnemonic ACCESS: accommodations and assistive technologies, concrete topics, critical skills, explicit instruction, strategy instruction, systematic…

DEVELOPMENT OF QUANTITATIVE STRUCTURE ACTIVITY RELATIONSHIPS (QSARS) TO PREDICT TOXICITY FOR A VARIETY OF HUMAN AND ECOLOGICAL ENDPOINTS

EPA Science Inventory

A web accessible software tool is being developed to predict the toxicity of unknown chemicals for a wide variety of endpoints. The tool will enable a user to easily predict the toxicity of a query compound by simply entering its structure in a 2-dimensional (2-D) chemical sketc...

AN Fitting Reconditioning Tool

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lopez, Jason

2011-01-01

A tool was developed to repair or replace AN fittings on the shuttle external tank (ET). (The AN thread is a type of fitting used to connect flexible hoses and rigid metal tubing that carry fluid. It is a U.S. military-derived specification agreed upon by the Army and Navy, hence AN.) The tool is used on a drill and is guided by a pilot shaft that follows the inside bore. The cutting edge of the tool is a standard-size replaceable insert. In the typical Post Launch Maintenance/Repair process for the AN fittings, the six fittings are removed from the ET's GUCP (ground umbilical carrier plate) for reconditioning. The fittings are inspected for damage to the sealing surface per standard operations maintenance instructions. When damage is found on the sealing surface, the condition is documented. A new AN reconditioning tool is set up to cut and remove the surface damage. It is then inspected to verify the fitting still meets drawing requirements. The tool features a cone-shaped interior at 36.5 , and may be adjusted at a precise angle with go-no-go gauges to insure that the cutting edge could be adjusted as it wore down. One tool, one setting block, and one go-no-go gauge were fabricated. At the time of this reporting, the tool has reconditioned/returned to spec 36 AN fittings with 100-percent success of no leakage. This tool provides a quick solution to repair a leaky AN fitting. The tool could easily be modified with different-sized pilot shafts to different-sized fittings.

Final Report: Correctness Tools for Petascale Computing

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

Mellor-Crummey, John

2014-10-27

In the course of developing parallel programs for leadership computing systems, subtle programming errors often arise that are extremely difficult to diagnose without tools. To meet this challenge, University of Maryland, the University of Wisconsin—Madison, and Rice University worked to develop lightweight tools to help code developers pinpoint a variety of program correctness errors that plague parallel scientific codes. The aim of this project was to develop software tools that help diagnose program errors including memory leaks, memory access errors, round-off errors, and data races. Research at Rice University focused on developing algorithms and data structures to support efficient monitoringmore » of multithreaded programs for memory access errors and data races. This is a final report about research and development work at Rice University as part of this project.« less

Chimera Grid Tools

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chan, William M.; Rogers, Stuart E.; Nash, Steven M.; Buning, Pieter G.; Meakin, Robert

2005-01-01

Chimera Grid Tools (CGT) is a software package for performing computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis utilizing the Chimera-overset-grid method. For modeling flows with viscosity about geometrically complex bodies in relative motion, the Chimera-overset-grid method is among the most computationally cost-effective methods for obtaining accurate aerodynamic results. CGT contains a large collection of tools for generating overset grids, preparing inputs for computer programs that solve equations of flow on the grids, and post-processing of flow-solution data. The tools in CGT include grid editing tools, surface-grid-generation tools, volume-grid-generation tools, utility scripts, configuration scripts, and tools for post-processing (including generation of animated images of flows and calculating forces and moments exerted on affected bodies). One of the tools, denoted OVERGRID, is a graphical user interface (GUI) that serves to visualize the grids and flow solutions and provides central access to many other tools. The GUI facilitates the generation of grids for a new flow-field configuration. Scripts that follow the grid generation process can then be constructed to mostly automate grid generation for similar configurations. CGT is designed for use in conjunction with a computer-aided-design program that provides the geometry description of the bodies, and a flow-solver program.

An optimization framework for measuring spatial access over healthcare networks.

PubMed

Li, Zihao; Serban, Nicoleta; Swann, Julie L

2015-07-17

Measurement of healthcare spatial access over a network involves accounting for demand, supply, and network structure. Popular approaches are based on floating catchment areas; however the methods can overestimate demand over the network and fail to capture cascading effects across the system. Optimization is presented as a framework to measure spatial access. Questions related to when and why optimization should be used are addressed. The accuracy of the optimization models compared to the two-step floating catchment area method and its variations is analytically demonstrated, and a case study of specialty care for Cystic Fibrosis over the continental United States is used to compare these approaches. The optimization models capture a patient's experience rather than their opportunities and avoid overestimating patient demand. They can also capture system effects due to change based on congestion. Furthermore, the optimization models provide more elements of access than traditional catchment methods. Optimization models can incorporate user choice and other variations, and they can be useful towards targeting interventions to improve access. They can be easily adapted to measure access for different types of patients, over different provider types, or with capacity constraints in the network. Moreover, optimization models allow differences in access in rural and urban areas.

Type-Based Access Control in Data-Centric Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caires, Luís; Pérez, Jorge A.; Seco, João Costa; Vieira, Hugo Torres; Ferrão, Lúcio

Data-centric multi-user systems, such as web applications, require flexible yet fine-grained data security mechanisms. Such mechanisms are usually enforced by a specially crafted security layer, which adds extra complexity and often leads to error prone coding, easily causing severe security breaches. In this paper, we introduce a programming language approach for enforcing access control policies to data in data-centric programs by static typing. Our development is based on the general concept of refinement type, but extended so as to address realistic and challenging scenarios of permission-based data security, in which policies dynamically depend on the database state, and flexible combinations of column- and row-level protection of data are necessary. We state and prove soundness and safety of our type system, stating that well-typed programs never break the declared data access control policies.

LTPP Climate Tool [Tech Brief

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-01-01

This Product Brief describes the Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) Climate Tool (intended for use by infrastructure engineers) that provides convenient access to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Modern-Era Retrospective An...

Verification of the Icarus Material Response Tool

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schroeder, Olivia; Palmer, Grant; Stern, Eric; Schulz, Joseph; Muppidi, Suman; Martin, Alexandre

2017-01-01

Due to the complex physics encountered during reentry, material response solvers are used for two main purposes: improve the understanding of the physical phenomena; and design and size thermal protection systems (TPS). Icarus, is a three dimensional, unstructured material response tool that is intended to be used for design while maintaining the flexibility to easily implement physical models as needed. Because TPS selection and sizing is critical, it is of the utmost importance that the design tools be extensively verified and validated before their use. Verification tests aim at insuring that the numerical schemes and equations are implemented correctly by comparison to analytical solutions and grid convergence tests.

Accessibility and Integrity of Networked Information Collections. Background Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lynch, Clifford A.

This paper considers questions related to the integrity and accessibility of new electronic information resources. It begins with a review of recent developments in networked information resources and the tools to identify, navigate, and use such resources. An overview is then given of the issues involved in access and integrity questions. Links…

Biological data integration: wrapping data and tools.

PubMed

Lacroix, Zoé

2002-06-01

Nowadays scientific data is inevitably digital and stored in a wide variety of formats in heterogeneous systems. Scientists need to access an integrated view of remote or local heterogeneous data sources with advanced data accessing, analyzing, and visualization tools. Building a digital library for scientific data requires accessing and manipulating data extracted from flat files or databases, documents retrieved from the Web as well as data generated by software. We present an approach to wrapping web data sources, databases, flat files, or data generated by tools through a database view mechanism. Generally, a wrapper has two tasks: it first sends a query to the source to retrieve data and, second builds the expected output with respect to the virtual structure. Our wrappers are composed of a retrieval component based on an intermediate object view mechanism called search views mapping the source capabilities to attributes, and an eXtensible Markup Language (XML) engine, respectively, to perform these two tasks. The originality of the approach consists of: 1) a generic view mechanism to access seamlessly data sources with limited capabilities and 2) the ability to wrap data sources as well as the useful specific tools they may provide. Our approach has been developed and demonstrated as part of the multidatabase system supporting queries via uniform object protocol model (OPM) interfaces.

Development of an accessibility formulation to measure customers' evaluations of demand-responsive transit (DRT) systems : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-03-01

This report discusses the application of the paratransit microsimulation patron accessibility analysis tool : developed by the University of Texas researchers. The research team worked on updating the DRT Accessibility : Tool developed by the Texas D...

UceWeb: a web-based collaborative tool for collecting and sharing quality of life data.

PubMed

Parimbelli, E; Sacchi, L; Rubrichi, S; Mazzanti, A; Quaglini, S

2015-01-01

This work aims at building a platform where quality-of-life data, namely utility coefficients, can be elicited not only for immediate use, but also systematically stored together with patient profiles to build a public repository to be further exploited in studies on specific target populations (e.g. cost/utility analyses). We capitalized on utility theory and previous experience to define a set of desirable features such a tool should show to facilitate sound elicitation of quality of life. A set of visualization tools and algorithms has been developed to this purpose. To make it easily accessible for potential users, the software has been designed as a web application. A pilot validation study has been performed on 20 atrial fibrillation patients. A collaborative platform, UceWeb, has been developed and tested. It implements the standard gamble, time trade-off and rating-scale utility elicitation methods. It allows doctors and patients to choose the mode of interaction to maximize patients’ comfort in answering difficult questions. Every utility elicitation may contribute to the growth of the repository. UceWeb can become a unique source of data allowing researchers both to perform more reliable comparisons among healthcare interventions and build statistical models to gain deeper insight into quality of life data.

jORCA: easily integrating bioinformatics Web Services.

PubMed

Martín-Requena, Victoria; Ríos, Javier; García, Maximiliano; Ramírez, Sergio; Trelles, Oswaldo

2010-02-15

Web services technology is becoming the option of choice to deploy bioinformatics tools that are universally available. One of the major strengths of this approach is that it supports machine-to-machine interoperability over a network. However, a weakness of this approach is that various Web Services differ in their definition and invocation protocols, as well as their communication and data formats-and this presents a barrier to service interoperability. jORCA is a desktop client aimed at facilitating seamless integration of Web Services. It does so by making a uniform representation of the different web resources, supporting scalable service discovery, and automatic composition of workflows. Usability is at the top of the jORCA agenda; thus it is a highly customizable and extensible application that accommodates a broad range of user skills featuring double-click invocation of services in conjunction with advanced execution-control, on the fly data standardization, extensibility of viewer plug-ins, drag-and-drop editing capabilities, plus a file-based browsing style and organization of favourite tools. The integration of bioinformatics Web Services is made easier to support a wider range of users. .

A Framework to Guide the Development of a Teaching Mathematics with Technology Massive Open Online Course for Educators (MOOC-Ed)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hollebrands, Karen F.

2017-01-01

Mathematics teacher educators face a challenge of preparing teachers to use technology that is rapidly changing and easily available. Teachers have access to thousands of digital tools to use with students and need guidance about how to critically choose and use tools to support students' mathematics learning. Research provides guidance to…

Improving e-book access via a library-developed full-text search tool.

PubMed

Foust, Jill E; Bergen, Phillip; Maxeiner, Gretchen L; Pawlowski, Peter N

2007-01-01

This paper reports on the development of a tool for searching the contents of licensed full-text electronic book (e-book) collections. The Health Sciences Library System (HSLS) provides services to the University of Pittsburgh's medical programs and large academic health system. The HSLS has developed an innovative tool for federated searching of its e-book collections. Built using the XML-based Vivísimo development environment, the tool enables a user to perform a full-text search of over 2,500 titles from the library's seven most highly used e-book collections. From a single "Google-style" query, results are returned as an integrated set of links pointing directly to relevant sections of the full text. Results are also grouped into categories that enable more precise retrieval without reformulation of the search. A heuristic evaluation demonstrated the usability of the tool and a web server log analysis indicated an acceptable level of usage. Based on its success, there are plans to increase the number of online book collections searched. This library's first foray into federated searching has produced an effective tool for searching across large collections of full-text e-books and has provided a good foundation for the development of other library-based federated searching products.

Mechanisms that improve referential access*

PubMed Central

Gernsbacher, Morton Ann

2015-01-01

Two mechanisms, suppression and enhancement, are proposed to improve referential access. Enhancement improves the accessibility of previously mentioned concepts by increasing or boosting their activation; suppression improves concepts’ accessibility by decreasing or dampening the activation of other concepts. Presumably, these mechanisms are triggered by the informational content of anaphors. Six experiments investigated this proposal by manipulating whether an anaphoric reference was made with a very explicit, repeated name anaphor or a less explicit pronoun. Subjects read sentences that introduced two participants in their first clauses, for example, “Ann predicted that Pam would lose the track race,” and the sentences referred to one of the two participants in their second clauses, “but Pam/she came in first very easily.” While subjects read each sentence, the activation level of the two participants was measured by a probe verification task. The first two experiments demonstrated that explicit, repeated name anaphors immediately trigger the enhancement of their own antecedents and immediately trigger the suppression of other (nonantecedent) participants. The third experiment demonstrated that less explicit, pronoun anaphors also trigger the suppression of other nonantecedents, but they do so less quickly—even when, as in the fourth experiment, the semantic information to identify their antecedents occurs prior to the pronouns (e.g., “Ann predicted that Pam would lose the track race. But after winning the race, she …”). The fifth experiment demonstrated that more explicit pronouns – pronouns that match the gender of only one participant—trigger suppression more powerfully. A final experiment demonstrated that it is not only rementioned participants who improve their referential access by triggering the suppression of other participants; newly introduced participants do so too (e.g., “Ann predicted that Pam would lose the track race, but

Powering up Technology from Passive Access to Active Integration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Shay

2015-01-01

For many educators, working with students who were deaf or hard of hearing was the need to have "access." Access to technology was the tool of choice for providing integration that has come to be so much more than gadgets. It is intercurricular--math software incorporates reading, science websites support language skills. It is…

Measuring Access to Learning Opportunities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hawley, Willis D., Ed.; Ready, Timothy, Ed.

This study examined the continued relevance and adequacy of the Elementary and Secondary School Civil Rights Compliance Report (E&S Survey) as a tool for enforcing civil rights laws in education, monitoring quality of access to learning opportunities, and research on other current issues of educational policy and practice. The Committee on…

Content Classification: Leveraging New Tools and Librarians' Expertise.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Starr, Jennie

1999-01-01

Presents factors for librarians to consider when decision-making about information retrieval. Discusses indexing theory; thesauri aids; controlled vocabulary or thesauri to increase access; humans versus machines; automated tools; product evaluations and evaluation criteria; automated classification tools; content server products; and document…

DAnTE: a statistical tool for quantitative analysis of –omics data

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

Polpitiya, Ashoka D.; Qian, Weijun; Jaitly, Navdeep

2008-05-03

DAnTE (Data Analysis Tool Extension) is a statistical tool designed to address challenges unique to quantitative bottom-up, shotgun proteomics data. This tool has also been demonstrated for microarray data and can easily be extended to other high-throughput data types. DAnTE features selected normalization methods, missing value imputation algorithms, peptide to protein rollup methods, an extensive array of plotting functions, and a comprehensive ANOVA scheme that can handle unbalanced data and random effects. The Graphical User Interface (GUI) is designed to be very intuitive and user friendly.

Use of Mobile Devices to Access Resources Among Health Professions Students: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Mi, Misa; Wu, Wendy; Qiu, Maylene; Zhang, Yingting; Wu, Lin; Li, Jie

2016-01-01

This systematic review examines types of mobile devices used by health professions students, kinds of resources and tools accessed via mobile devices, and reasons for using the devices to access the resources and tools. The review included 20 studies selected from articles published in English between January 2010 and April 2015, retrieved from PubMed and other sources. Data extracted included participants, study designs, mobile devices used, mobile resources/apps accessed, outcome measures, and advantages of and barriers to using mobile devices. The review indicates significant variability across the studies in terms of research methods, types of mobile programs implemented, resources accessed, and outcomes. There were beneficial effects of using mobile devices to access resources as well as conspicuous challenges or barriers in using mobile devices.

Robots are not just tools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prescott, Tony J.

2017-04-01

The EPSRC principles of robotics make a number of commitments about the ontological status of robots such as that robots are "just tools" or can give only "an impression or real intelligence". This commentary proposes that this assumes, all too easily, that we know the boundary conditions of future robotics development, and argues that progress towards a more useful set of principles could begin by thinking carefully about the ontological status of robots. Whilst most robots are currently little more than tools, we are entering an era where there will be new kinds of entities that combine some of the properties of tools with psychological capacities that we had previously thought were reserved for complex biological organisms such as humans. The ontological status of robots might be best described as liminal - neither living nor simply mechanical. There is also evidence that people will treat robots as more than just tools regardless of the extent to which their machine nature is transparent. Ethical principles need to be developed that recognise these ontological and psychological issues around the nature of robots and how they are perceived.

Hair: A Diagnostic Tool to Complement Blood Serum and Urine.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maugh, Thomas H., II

1978-01-01

Trace elements and some drugs can be identified in hair and it seems likely that other organic chemicals will be identifiable in the future. Since hair is so easily collected, stored, and analyzed it promises to be an ideal complement to serum and urine analysis as a diagnostic tool. (BB)

Hypercard Another Computer Tool.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Geske, Joel

1991-01-01

Describes "Hypercard," a computer application package usable in all three modes of instructional computing: tutor, tool, and tutee. Suggests using Hypercard in scholastic journalism programs to teach such topics as news, headlines, design, photography, and advertising. Argues that the ability to access, organize, manipulate, and comprehend…

Technology Resources: Mathematics Accessibility for All Not Accommodation for Some

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duranczyk, Irene M.

2009-01-01

When faculty and learning assistance staff create teaching documents and web pages envisioning the widest range of users they can save time while achieving access for all. There are tools and techniques available to make mathematics visual, orally, and dynamically more accessible through multimodal presentation forms. Resources from Design…

Accessing Biomedical Literature in the Current Information Landscape

PubMed Central

Khare, Ritu; Leaman, Robert; Lu, Zhiyong

2015-01-01

i. Summary Biomedical and life sciences literature is unique because of its exponentially increasing volume and interdisciplinary nature. Biomedical literature access is essential for several types of users including biomedical researchers, clinicians, database curators, and bibliometricians. In the past few decades, several online search tools and literature archives, generic as well as biomedicine-specific, have been developed. We present this chapter in the light of three consecutive steps of literature access: searching for citations, retrieving full-text, and viewing the article. The first section presents the current state of practice of biomedical literature access, including an analysis of the search tools most frequently used by the users, including PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science, Scopus, and Embase, and a study on biomedical literature archives such as PubMed Central. The next section describes current research and the state-of-the-art systems motivated by the challenges a user faces during query formulation and interpretation of search results. The research solutions are classified into five key areas related to text and data mining, text similarity search, semantic search, query support, relevance ranking, and clustering results. Finally, the last section describes some predicted future trends for improving biomedical literature access, such as searching and reading articles on portable devices, and adoption of the open access policy. PMID:24788259

Digital health tools for diabetes.

PubMed

Salber, Patricia; Niksch, Alisa

2015-01-01

Digital health tools are providing patients with easier ways to keep track of their blood glucose levels and other key self-reported data, such as carbohydrates ingested, medication administered, and physical activity. Data are often uploaded into the cloud where physicians and other members of the care team can access them. Clinical studies are beginning to demonstrate efficacy of some of these tools, and Food and Drug Administration approval, when present, provides some much-needed validation. It is anticipated that these tools will continue to evolve and patient acceptance will continue to grow. Physician and care teams will need to familiarize themselves with the tools their patients are using and provide guidance and support for their use.

Improving e-book access via a library-developed full-text search tool*

PubMed Central

Foust, Jill E.; Bergen, Phillip; Maxeiner, Gretchen L.; Pawlowski, Peter N.

2007-01-01

Purpose: This paper reports on the development of a tool for searching the contents of licensed full-text electronic book (e-book) collections. Setting: The Health Sciences Library System (HSLS) provides services to the University of Pittsburgh's medical programs and large academic health system. Brief Description: The HSLS has developed an innovative tool for federated searching of its e-book collections. Built using the XML-based Vivísimo development environment, the tool enables a user to perform a full-text search of over 2,500 titles from the library's seven most highly used e-book collections. From a single “Google-style” query, results are returned as an integrated set of links pointing directly to relevant sections of the full text. Results are also grouped into categories that enable more precise retrieval without reformulation of the search. Results/Evaluation: A heuristic evaluation demonstrated the usability of the tool and a web server log analysis indicated an acceptable level of usage. Based on its success, there are plans to increase the number of online book collections searched. Conclusion: This library's first foray into federated searching has produced an effective tool for searching across large collections of full-text e-books and has provided a good foundation for the development of other library-based federated searching products. PMID:17252065

Electronic tools for infectious diseases and microbiology

PubMed Central

Burdette, Steven D

2007-01-01

Electronic tools for infectious diseases and medical microbiology have the ability to change the way the diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases are approached. Medical information today has the ability to be dynamic, keeping up with the latest research or clinical issues, instead of being static and years behind, as many textbooks are. The ability to rapidly disseminate information around the world opens up the possibility of communicating with people thousands of miles away to quickly and efficiently learn about emerging infections. Electronic tools have expanded beyond the desktop computer and the Internet, and now include personal digital assistants and other portable devices such as cellular phones. These pocket-sized devices have the ability to provide access to clinical information at the point of care. New electronic tools include e-mail listservs, electronic drug databases and search engines that allow focused clinical questions. The goal of the present article is to provide an overview of how electronic tools can impact infectious diseases and microbiology, while providing links and resources to allow users to maximize their efficiency in accessing this information. Links to the mentioned Web sites and programs are provided along with other useful electronic tools. PMID:18978984

A Hybrid Evaluation System Framework (Shell & Web) with Standardized Access to Climate Model Data and Verification Tools for a Clear Climate Science Infrastructure on Big Data High Performance Computers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kadow, C.; Illing, S.; Kunst, O.; Cubasch, U.

2014-12-01

The project 'Integrated Data and Evaluation System for Decadal Scale Prediction' (INTEGRATION) as part of the German decadal prediction project MiKlip develops a central evaluation system. The fully operational hybrid features a HPC shell access and an user friendly web-interface. It employs one common system with a variety of verification tools and validation data from different projects in- and outside of MiKlip. The evaluation system is located at the German Climate Computing Centre (DKRZ) and has direct access to the bulk of its ESGF node including millions of climate model data sets, e.g. from CMIP5 and CORDEX. The database is organized by the international CMOR standard using the meta information of the self-describing model, reanalysis and observational data sets. Apache Solr is used for indexing the different data projects into one common search environment. This implemented meta data system with its advanced but easy to handle search tool supports users, developers and their tools to retrieve the required information. A generic application programming interface (API) allows scientific developers to connect their analysis tools with the evaluation system independently of the programming language used. Users of the evaluation techniques benefit from the common interface of the evaluation system without any need to understand the different scripting languages. Facilitating the provision and usage of tools and climate data increases automatically the number of scientists working with the data sets and identify discrepancies. Additionally, the history and configuration sub-system stores every analysis performed with the evaluation system in a MySQL database. Configurations and results of the tools can be shared among scientists via shell or web-system. Therefore, plugged-in tools gain automatically from transparency and reproducibility. Furthermore, when configurations match while starting a evaluation tool, the system suggests to use results already produced

A Hybrid Evaluation System Framework (Shell & Web) with Standardized Access to Climate Model Data and Verification Tools for a Clear Climate Science Infrastructure on Big Data High Performance Computers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kadow, Christopher; Illing, Sebastian; Kunst, Oliver; Ulbrich, Uwe; Cubasch, Ulrich

2015-04-01

The project 'Integrated Data and Evaluation System for Decadal Scale Prediction' (INTEGRATION) as part of the German decadal prediction project MiKlip develops a central evaluation system. The fully operational hybrid features a HPC shell access and an user friendly web-interface. It employs one common system with a variety of verification tools and validation data from different projects in- and outside of MiKlip. The evaluation system is located at the German Climate Computing Centre (DKRZ) and has direct access to the bulk of its ESGF node including millions of climate model data sets, e.g. from CMIP5 and CORDEX. The database is organized by the international CMOR standard using the meta information of the self-describing model, reanalysis and observational data sets. Apache Solr is used for indexing the different data projects into one common search environment. This implemented meta data system with its advanced but easy to handle search tool supports users, developers and their tools to retrieve the required information. A generic application programming interface (API) allows scientific developers to connect their analysis tools with the evaluation system independently of the programming language used. Users of the evaluation techniques benefit from the common interface of the evaluation system without any need to understand the different scripting languages. Facilitating the provision and usage of tools and climate data increases automatically the number of scientists working with the data sets and identify discrepancies. Additionally, the history and configuration sub-system stores every analysis performed with the evaluation system in a MySQL database. Configurations and results of the tools can be shared among scientists via shell or web-system. Therefore, plugged-in tools gain automatically from transparency and reproducibility. Furthermore, when configurations match while starting a evaluation tool, the system suggests to use results already produced

The International Mouse Phenotyping Consortium Web Portal, a unified point of access for knockout mice and related phenotyping data

PubMed Central

Koscielny, Gautier; Yaikhom, Gagarine; Iyer, Vivek; Meehan, Terrence F.; Morgan, Hugh; Atienza-Herrero, Julian; Blake, Andrew; Chen, Chao-Kung; Easty, Richard; Di Fenza, Armida; Fiegel, Tanja; Grifiths, Mark; Horne, Alan; Karp, Natasha A.; Kurbatova, Natalja; Mason, Jeremy C.; Matthews, Peter; Oakley, Darren J.; Qazi, Asfand; Regnart, Jack; Retha, Ahmad; Santos, Luis A.; Sneddon, Duncan J.; Warren, Jonathan; Westerberg, Henrik; Wilson, Robert J.; Melvin, David G.; Smedley, Damian; Brown, Steve D. M.; Flicek, Paul; Skarnes, William C.; Mallon, Ann-Marie; Parkinson, Helen

2014-01-01

The International Mouse Phenotyping Consortium (IMPC) web portal (http://www.mousephenotype.org) provides the biomedical community with a unified point of access to mutant mice and rich collection of related emerging and existing mouse phenotype data. IMPC mouse clinics worldwide follow rigorous highly structured and standardized protocols for the experimentation, collection and dissemination of data. Dedicated ‘data wranglers’ work with each phenotyping center to collate data and perform quality control of data. An automated statistical analysis pipeline has been developed to identify knockout strains with a significant change in the phenotype parameters. Annotation with biomedical ontologies allows biologists and clinicians to easily find mouse strains with phenotypic traits relevant to their research. Data integration with other resources will provide insights into mammalian gene function and human disease. As phenotype data become available for every gene in the mouse, the IMPC web portal will become an invaluable tool for researchers studying the genetic contributions of genes to human diseases. PMID:24194600

NASA Earth Observations (NEO): Data Access for Informal Education and Outreach

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ward, Kevin; Herring, David

2005-01-01

The NEO (NASA Earth Observations) web space is currently under development with the goal of significantly increasing the demand for NASA remote sensing data while dramatically simplifying public access to georeferenced images. NEO will target the unsophisticated, nontraditional data users who are currently underserved by the existing data ordering systems. These users will include formal and informal educators, museum and science center personnel, professional communicators, and citizen scientists and amateur Earth observers. Users will be able to view and manipulate georeferenced browse imagery and, if they desire, download directly or order the source HDF data from the data provider (e.g., NASA DAAC or science team) via a single, integrated interface. NE0 will accomplish this goal by anticipating users expectations and knowledge level, thus providing an interface that presents material to users in a more simplified manner, without relying upon the jargon/technical terminology that make even the identification of the appropriate data set a significant hurdle. NEO will also act as a gateway that manages users expectations by providing specific details about images and data formats, developing tutorials regarding the manipulation of georeferenced imagery and raw data, links to software tools and ensuring that users are able to get the image they want in the format they want as easily as possible.

Web-based Tool Suite for Plasmasphere Information Discovery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Newman, T. S.; Wang, C.; Gallagher, D. L.

2005-12-01

A suite of tools that enable discovery of terrestrial plasmasphere characteristics from NASA IMAGE Extreme Ultra Violet (EUV) images is described. The tool suite is web-accessible, allowing easy remote access without the need for any software installation on the user's computer. The features supported by the tool include reconstruction of the plasmasphere plasma density distribution from a short sequence of EUV images, semi-automated selection of the plasmapause boundary in an EUV image, and mapping of the selected boundary to the geomagnetic equatorial plane. EUV image upload and result download is also supported. The tool suite's plasmapause mapping feature is achieved via the Roelof and Skinner (2000) Edge Algorithm. The plasma density reconstruction is achieved through a tomographic technique that exploits physical constraints to allow for a moderate resolution result. The tool suite's software architecture uses Java Server Pages (JSP) and Java Applets on the front side for user-software interaction and Java Servlets on the server side for task execution. The compute-intensive components of the tool suite are implemented in C++ and invoked by the server via Java Native Interface (JNI).

SECIMTools: a suite of metabolomics data analysis tools.

PubMed

Kirpich, Alexander S; Ibarra, Miguel; Moskalenko, Oleksandr; Fear, Justin M; Gerken, Joseph; Mi, Xinlei; Ashrafi, Ali; Morse, Alison M; McIntyre, Lauren M

2018-04-20

Metabolomics has the promise to transform the area of personalized medicine with the rapid development of high throughput technology for untargeted analysis of metabolites. Open access, easy to use, analytic tools that are broadly accessible to the biological community need to be developed. While technology used in metabolomics varies, most metabolomics studies have a set of features identified. Galaxy is an open access platform that enables scientists at all levels to interact with big data. Galaxy promotes reproducibility by saving histories and enabling the sharing workflows among scientists. SECIMTools (SouthEast Center for Integrated Metabolomics) is a set of Python applications that are available both as standalone tools and wrapped for use in Galaxy. The suite includes a comprehensive set of quality control metrics (retention time window evaluation and various peak evaluation tools), visualization techniques (hierarchical cluster heatmap, principal component analysis, modular modularity clustering), basic statistical analysis methods (partial least squares - discriminant analysis, analysis of variance, t-test, Kruskal-Wallis non-parametric test), advanced classification methods (random forest, support vector machines), and advanced variable selection tools (least absolute shrinkage and selection operator LASSO and Elastic Net). SECIMTools leverages the Galaxy platform and enables integrated workflows for metabolomics data analysis made from building blocks designed for easy use and interpretability. Standard data formats and a set of utilities allow arbitrary linkages between tools to encourage novel workflow designs. The Galaxy framework enables future data integration for metabolomics studies with other omics data.

Data access and decision tools for coastal water resources management

EPA Science Inventory

US EPA has supported the development of numerous models and tools to support implementation of environmental regulations. However, transfer of knowledge and methods from detailed technical models to support practical problem solving by local communities and watershed or coastal ...

The AAS Working Group on Accessibility and Disability (WGAD) Year 1 Highlights and Database Access

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knierman, Karen A.; Diaz Merced, Wanda; Aarnio, Alicia; Garcia, Beatriz; Monkiewicz, Jacqueline A.; Murphy, Nicholas Arnold

2017-06-01

The AAS Working Group on Accessibility and Disability (WGAD) was formed in January of 2016 with the express purpose of seeking equity of opportunity and building inclusive practices for disabled astronomers at all educational and career stages. In this presentation, we will provide a summary of current activities, focusing on developing best practices for accessibility with respect to astronomical databases, publications, and meetings. Due to the reliance of space sciences on databases, it is important to have user centered design systems for data retrieval. The cognitive overload that may be experienced by users of current databases may be mitigated by use of multi-modal interfaces such as xSonify. Such interfaces would be in parallel or outside the original database and would not require additional software efforts from the original database. WGAD is partnering with the IAU Commission C1 WG Astronomy for Equity and Inclusion to develop such accessibility tools for databases and methods for user testing. To collect data on astronomical conference and meeting accessibility considerations, WGAD solicited feedback from January AAS attendees via a web form. These data, together with upcoming input from the community and analysis of accessibility documents of similar conferences, will be used to create a meeting accessibility document. Additionally, we will update the progress of journal access guidelines and our social media presence via Twitter. We recommend that astronomical journals form committees to evaluate the accessibility of their publications by performing user-centered usability studies.

Unusual hand postures but not familiar tools show motor equivalence with precision grasping.

PubMed

Tang, Rixin; Whitwell, Robert L; Goodale, Melvyn A

2016-06-01

A central question in sensorimotor control is whether or not actions performed with the hands and corresponding actions performed with tools share a common underlying motor plan, even though different muscles and effectors are engaged. There is certainly evidence that tools used to extend the reach of the limb can be incorporated into the body schema after training. But even so, it is not clear whether or not actions such as grasping with tools and grasping with the fingers share the same programming network, i.e. show 'motor equivalence'. Here we first show that feedback-appropriate motor programming for grasps with atypical hand postures readily transfers to stereotypical precision grasps. In stark contrast, however, we find no evidence for an analogous transfer of the programming for grasps using tools to the same stereotypical precision grasps. These findings have important implications for our understanding of body schema. Although the extension of the limb that is afforded by tool use may be incorporated into the body schema, the programming of a grasping movement made with tools appears to resist such incorporation. It could be the case that the proprioceptive signals from the limb can be easily updated to reflect the end of a tool held in the hand, but the motor programs and sensory signals associated with grasping with the thumb and finger cannot be easily adapted to control the opening and closing of a tool. Instead, new but well-practiced motor programs are put in place for tool use that do not exhibit motor equivalence with manual grasping. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Crying without a cause and being easily upset in two-year-olds: heritability and predictive power of behavioral problems.

PubMed

Groen-Blokhuis, Maria M; Middeldorp, Christel M; M van Beijsterveldt, Catharina E; Boomsma, Dorret I

2011-10-01

In order to estimate the influence of genetic and environmental factors on 'crying without a cause' and 'being easily upset' in 2-year-old children, a large twin study was carried out. Prospective data were available for ~18,000 2-year-old twin pairs from the Netherlands Twin Register. A bivariate genetic analysis was performed using structural equation modeling in the Mx software package. The influence of maternal personality characteristics and demographic and lifestyle factors was tested to identify specific risk factors that may underlie the shared environment of twins. Furthermore, it was tested whether crying without a cause and being easily upset were predictive of later internalizing, externalizing and attention problems. Crying without a cause yielded a heritability estimate of 60% in boys and girls. For easily upset, the heritability was estimated at 43% in boys and 31% in girls. The variance explained by shared environment varied between 35% and 63%. The correlation between crying without a cause and easily upset (r = .36) was explained both by genetic and shared environmental factors. Birth cohort, gestational age, socioeconomic status, parental age, parental smoking behavior and alcohol use during pregnancy did not explain the shared environmental component. Neuroticism of the mother explained a small proportion of the additive genetic, but not of the shared environmental effects for easily upset. Crying without a cause and being easily upset at age 2 were predictive of internalizing, externalizing and attention problems at age 7, with effect sizes of .28-.42. A large influence of shared environmental factors on crying without a cause and easily upset was detected. Although these effects could be specific to these items, we could not explain them by personality characteristics of the mother or by demographic and lifestyle factors, and we recognize that these effects may reflect other maternal characteristics. A substantial influence of genetic factors

Value for money - recasting the problem in terms of dynamic access prioritisation.

PubMed

Taylor, William J; Laking, George

2010-01-01

To develop an approach for achieving value for money in rehabilitation based on dynamic prioritisation of access to services according to individual capacity to benefit. A critical review of economic evaluation and adaptation of a prioritisation method used in determining access to elective surgical services in New Zealand to a rehabilitation context. The cost-effectiveness frontier is not straight but curved, suggesting that some people benefit more from a given intervention than others. An approach that identifies those most likely to benefit from inpatient rehabilitation following stroke (as an example) and enables access in order of capacity to benefit is presented in the context of a quality improvement programme. The approach is operationalised as a prioritisation tool that is dynamic in the sense that is can be reapplied subject to changes in the patient's clinical status. The steps proposed to develop such a tool include qualitative research with expert clinicians, pair-wise comparison of alternative scenarios (1000Minds survey), construction of an economic model of the tool's operation and an observational cohort study to help populate the model and calibrate the tool. A dynamic prioritisation approach to guide access to scarce health-care resources (such as inpatient rehabilitation following stroke) offers a transparent and equitable way of achieving value for money in the delivery of rehabilitation services.

Determining the Accessibility of K-12 Digital Materials: Tools for Educators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Sean J.; Stahl, William

2016-01-01

This article explores the manner in which teachers and district leaders can further determine whether or not the digital materials they are considering are accessible for all learners--particularly those with disabilities--and appropriate to the accommodations and modifications provided in the brick-and-mortar school environment. The article…

DataUp: A tool to help researchers describe and share tabular data.

PubMed

Strasser, Carly; Kunze, John; Abrams, Stephen; Cruse, Patricia

2014-01-01

Scientific datasets have immeasurable value, but they lose their value over time without proper documentation, long-term storage, and easy discovery and access. Across disciplines as diverse as astronomy, demography, archeology, and ecology, large numbers of small heterogeneous datasets (i.e., the long tail of data) are especially at risk unless they are properly documented, saved, and shared. One unifying factor for many of these at-risk datasets is that they reside in spreadsheets. In response to this need, the California Digital Library (CDL) partnered with Microsoft Research Connections and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation to create the DataUp data management tool for Microsoft Excel. Many researchers creating these small, heterogeneous datasets use Excel at some point in their data collection and analysis workflow, so we were interested in developing a data management tool that fits easily into those work flows and minimizes the learning curve for researchers. The DataUp project began in August 2011. We first formally assessed the needs of researchers by conducting surveys and interviews of our target research groups: earth, environmental, and ecological scientists. We found that, on average, researchers had very poor data management practices, were not aware of data centers or metadata standards, and did not understand the benefits of data management or sharing. Based on our survey results, we composed a list of desirable components and requirements and solicited feedback from the community to prioritize potential features of the DataUp tool. These requirements were then relayed to the software developers, and DataUp was successfully launched in October 2012.

DataUp: A tool to help researchers describe and share tabular data

PubMed Central

Strasser, Carly; Kunze, John; Abrams, Stephen; Cruse, Patricia

2014-01-01

Scientific datasets have immeasurable value, but they lose their value over time without proper documentation, long-term storage, and easy discovery and access. Across disciplines as diverse as astronomy, demography, archeology, and ecology, large numbers of small heterogeneous datasets (i.e., the long tail of data) are especially at risk unless they are properly documented, saved, and shared. One unifying factor for many of these at-risk datasets is that they reside in spreadsheets. In response to this need, the California Digital Library (CDL) partnered with Microsoft Research Connections and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation to create the DataUp data management tool for Microsoft Excel. Many researchers creating these small, heterogeneous datasets use Excel at some point in their data collection and analysis workflow, so we were interested in developing a data management tool that fits easily into those work flows and minimizes the learning curve for researchers. The DataUp project began in August 2011. We first formally assessed the needs of researchers by conducting surveys and interviews of our target research groups: earth, environmental, and ecological scientists. We found that, on average, researchers had very poor data management practices, were not aware of data centers or metadata standards, and did not understand the benefits of data management or sharing. Based on our survey results, we composed a list of desirable components and requirements and solicited feedback from the community to prioritize potential features of the DataUp tool. These requirements were then relayed to the software developers, and DataUp was successfully launched in October 2012. PMID:25653834

National Geothermal Data System: an Exemplar of Open Access to Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allison, M. L.; Richard, S. M.; Blackman, H.; Anderson, A.

2013-12-01

The National Geothermal Data System's (NGDS - www.geothermaldata.org) formal launch in 2014 will provide open access to millions of datasets, sharing technical geothermal-relevant data across the geosciences to propel geothermal development and production. With information from all of the Department of Energy's sponsored development and research projects and geologic data from all 50 states, this free, interactive tool is opening new exploration opportunities and shortening project development by making data easily discoverable and accessible. We continue to populate our prototype functional data system with multiple data nodes and nationwide data online and available to the public. Data from state geological surveys and partners includes more than 5 million records online, including 1.48 million well headers (oil and gas, water, geothermal), 732,000 well logs, and 314,000 borehole temperatures and is growing rapidly. There are over 250 Web services and another 138 WMS (Web Map Services) registered in the system as of August, 2013. Companion projects run by Boise State University, Southern Methodist University, and USGS are adding millions of additional data records. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory is managing the Geothermal Data Repository which will serve as a system node and clearinghouse for data from hundreds of DOE-funded geothermal projects. NGDS is built on the US Geoscience Information Network data integration framework, which is a joint undertaking of the USGS and the Association of American State Geologists (AASG). NGDS is fully compliant with the White House Executive Order of May 2013, requiring all federal agencies to make their data holdings publicly accessible online in open source, interoperable formats with common core and extensible metadata. The National Geothermal Data System is being designed, built, deployed, and populated primarily with grants from the US Department of Energy, Geothermal Technologies Office. To keep this operational

A nomogram incorporating six easily obtained parameters to discriminate intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and hepatocellular carcinoma.

PubMed

Wang, Mengmeng; Gao, Yuzhen; Feng, Huijuan; Warner, Elisa; An, Mingrui; Jia, Jian'an; Chen, Shipeng; Fang, Meng; Ji, Jun; Gu, Xing; Gao, Chunfang

2018-03-01

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are the most prevalent histologic types of primary liver cancer (PLC). Although ICC and HCC share similar risk factors and clinical manifestations, ICC usually bears poorer prognosis than HCC. Confidently discriminating ICC and HCC before surgery is beneficial to both treatment and prognosis. Given the lack of effective differential diagnosis biomarkers and methods, construction of models based on available clinicopathological characteristics is in need. Nomograms present a simple and efficient way to make a discrimination. A total of 2894 patients who underwent surgery for PLC were collected. Of these, 1614 patients formed the training cohort for nomogram construction, and thereafter, 1280 patients formed the validation cohort to confirm the model's performance. Histopathologically confirmed ICC was diagnosed in 401 (24.8%) and 296 (23.1%) patients in these two cohorts, respectively. A nomogram integrating six easily obtained variables (Gender, Hepatitis B surface antigen, Aspartate aminotransferase, Alpha-fetoprotein, Carcinoembryonic antigen, Carbohydrate antigen 19-9) is proposed in accordance with Akaike's Information Criterion (AIC). A score of 15 was determined as the cut-off value, and the corresponding discrimination efficacy was sufficient. Additionally, patients who scored higher than 15 suffered poorer prognosis than those with lower scores, regardless of the subtype of PLC. A nomogram for clinical discrimination of ICC and HCC has been established, where a higher score indicates ICC and poor prognosis. Further application of this nomogram in multicenter investigations may confirm the practicality of this tool for future clinical use. © 2018 The Authors. Cancer Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Tools for Educational Data Mining: A Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Slater, Stefan; Joksimovic, Srecko; Kovanovic, Vitomir; Baker, Ryan S.; Gasevic, Dragan

2017-01-01

In recent years, a wide array of tools have emerged for the purposes of conducting educational data mining (EDM) and/or learning analytics (LA) research. In this article, we hope to highlight some of the most widely used, most accessible, and most powerful tools available for the researcher interested in conducting EDM/LA research. We will…

Is the digitization of laparoscopic movement using accessible alternative technologies possible?

PubMed

Lorias Espinoza, Daniel; Gutiérrez Gnecchi, José Antonio; Martínez, Arturo Minor

2012-05-01

It is widely documented that laparoscopic surgeons require training, and an objective evaluation of the training that they receive. The most advanced evaluation systems integrate the digitization of the movement of laparoscopic tools. A great number of these systems, however, do not permit the use of real tools and their high cost limits their academic impact. Likewise, it is documented that new and accessible systems need to be developed. The aim of this article is to explore the possibility of digitizing the movement of laparoscopic tools in a three-dimensional workspace, using accessible alternative technology. Our proposal uses a commercial Wii video game control in conjunction with a program for determining kinematic variables during the execution of a recognition task.

Improving Existing EPO Efforts with Data Access through the National Virtual Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raddick, M. J.; Christian, C. A.; O'Mullane, W. J.

2005-05-01

The National Virtual Observatory (NVO) is developing tools to enable astronomy data to be shared seamlessly across the Internet. The goal of the NVO is to allow anyone on the Internet to access all astronomy data ever measured, with any instrument, in any wavelength. The NVO's research efforts focus on allowing scientists to access existing online data, adding value to each dataset by virtue of its connection to others. Similarly, the NVO's Education and Public Outreach (EPO) efforts focus on connecting existing projects with the our seamless access to real, modern astronomy data from thousands of research projects. We hope that this connection will provide countless opportunities to expand and enhance existing EPO projects. Some of the projects currently working with NVO are the CLEA labs at Gettysburg College, Project LITE at Boston University, and Adler Planetarium. In this poster, I will describe the current EPO efforts that incorporate the NVO's data access tools. I will also provide a tutorial for EPO developers, with practical suggestions on how to incorporate NVO tools into existing projects. I will also give contact information for further help.

A computing method for spatial accessibility based on grid partition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Linbing; Zhang, Xinchang

2007-06-01

An accessibility computing method and process based on grid partition was put forward in the paper. As two important factors impacting on traffic, density of road network and relative spatial resistance for difference land use was integrated into computing traffic cost in each grid. A* algorithms was inducted to searching optimum traffic cost of grids path, a detailed searching process and definition of heuristic evaluation function was described in the paper. Therefore, the method can be implemented more simply and its data source is obtained more easily. Moreover, by changing heuristic searching information, more reasonable computing result can be obtained. For confirming our research, a software package was developed with C# language under ArcEngine9 environment. Applying the computing method, a case study on accessibility of business districts in Guangzhou city was carried out.

Evaluation of easily measured risk factors in the prediction of osteoporotic fractures

PubMed Central

Bensen, Robert; Adachi, Jonathan D; Papaioannou, Alexandra; Ioannidis, George; Olszynski, Wojciech P; Sebaldt, Rolf J; Murray, Timothy M; Josse, Robert G; Brown, Jacques P; Hanley, David A; Petrie, Annie; Puglia, Mark; Goldsmith, Charlie H; Bensen, W

2005-01-01

Background Fracture represents the single most important clinical event in patients with osteoporosis, yet remains under-predicted. As few premonitory symptoms for fracture exist, it is of critical importance that physicians effectively and efficiently identify individuals at increased fracture risk. Methods Of 3426 postmenopausal women in CANDOO, 40, 158, 99, and 64 women developed a new hip, vertebral, wrist or rib fracture, respectively. Seven easily measured risk factors predictive of fracture in research trials were examined in clinical practice including: age (<65, 65–69, 70–74, 75–79, 80+ years), rising from a chair with arms (yes, no), weight (< 57, ≥ 57kg), maternal history of hip facture (yes, no), prior fracture after age 50 (yes, no), hip T-score (>-1, -1 to >-2.5, ≤-2.5), and current smoking status (yes, no). Multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted. Results The inability to rise from a chair without the use of arms (3.58; 95% CI: 1.17, 10.93) was the most significant risk factor for new hip fracture. Notable risk factors for predicting new vertebral fractures were: low body weight (1.57; 95% CI: 1.04, 2.37), current smoking (1.95; 95% CI: 1.20, 3.18) and age between 75–79 years (1.96; 95% CI: 1.10, 3.51). New wrist fractures were significantly identified by low body weight (1.71, 95% CI: 1.01, 2.90) and prior fracture after 50 years (1.96; 95% CI: 1.19, 3.22). Predictors of new rib fractures include a maternal history of a hip facture (2.89; 95% CI: 1.04, 8.08) and a prior fracture after 50 years (2.16; 95% CI: 1.20, 3.87). Conclusion This study has shown that there exists a variety of predictors of future fracture, besides BMD, that can be easily assessed by a physician. The significance of each variable depends on the site of incident fracture. Of greatest interest is that an inability to rise from a chair is perhaps the most readily identifiable significant risk factor for hip fracture and can be easily incorporated into

Overview of Virtual Observatory Tools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allen, M. G.

2009-07-01

I provide a brief introduction and tour of selected Virtual Observatory tools to highlight some of the core functions provided by the VO, and the way that astronomers may use the tools and services for doing science. VO tools provide advanced functions for searching and using images, catalogues and spectra that have been made available in the VO. The tools may work together by providing efficient and innovative browsing and analysis of data, and I also describe how many VO services may be accessed by a scripting or command line environment. Early science usage of the VO provides important feedback on the development of the system, and I show how VO portals try to address early user comments about the navigation and use of the VO.

SEER Abstracting Tool (SEER*Abs)

Cancer.gov

With this customizable tool, registrars can collect and store data abstracted from medical records. Download the software and find technical support and reference manuals. SEER*Abs has features for creating records, managing abstracting work and data, accessing reference data, and integrating edits.

Large optical 3D MEMS switches in access networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Madamopoulos, Nicholas; Kaman, Volkan; Yuan, Shifu; Jerphagnon, Olivier; Helkey, Roger; Bowers, John E.

2007-09-01

Interest is high among residential customers and businesses for advanced, broadband services such as fast Internet access, electronic commerce, video-on-demand, digital broadcasting, teleconferencing and telemedicine. In order to satisfy such growing demand of end-customers, access technologies such as fiber-to-the-home/building (FTTH/B) are increasingly being deployed. Carriers can reduce maintenance costs, minimize technology obsolescence and introduce new services easily by reducing active elements in the fiber access network. However, having a passive optical network (PON) also introduces operational and maintenance challenges. Increased diagnostic monitoring capability of the network becomes a necessity as more and more fibers are provisioned to deliver services to the end-customers. This paper demonstrates the clear advantages that large 3D optical MEMS switches offer in solving these access network problems. The advantages in preventative maintenance, remote monitoring, test and diagnostic capability are highlighted. The low optical insertion loss for all switch optical connections of the switch enables the monitoring, grooming and serving of a large number of PON lines and customers. Furthermore, the 3D MEMS switch is transparent to optical wavelengths and data formats, thus making it easy to incorporate future upgrades, such higher bit rates or DWDM overlay to a PON.

Access to Teacher Evaluations Divides Advocates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sawchuk, Stephen

2012-01-01

As the movement to overhaul teacher evaluation marches onward, an emerging question is splitting the swath of advocates who support the new tools used to gauge teacher performance: Who should get access to the resulting information? Supporters of typing teacher evaluations to student performance differ over whether individuals' results should be…

Burned bodies: post-mortem computed tomography, an essential tool for modern forensic medicine.

PubMed

Coty, J-B; Nedelcu, C; Yahya, S; Dupont, V; Rougé-Maillart, C; Verschoore, M; Ridereau Zins, C; Aubé, C

2018-06-07

Currently, post-mortem computed tomography (PMCT) has become an accessible and contemporary tool for forensic investigations. In the case of burn victims, it provides specific semiologies requiring a prudent understanding to differentiate between the normal post-mortem changes from heat-related changes. The aim of this pictorial essay is to provide to the radiologist the keys to establish complete and focused reports in cases of PMCT of burn victims. Thus, the radiologist must discern all the contextual divergences with the forensic history, and must be able to report all the relevant elements to answer to the forensic pathologist the following questions: Are there tomographic features that could help to identify the victim? Is there evidence of remains of biological fluids in liquid form available for toxicological analysis and DNA sampling? Is there another obvious cause of death than heat-related lesions, especially metallic foreign bodies of ballistic origin? Finally, what are the characteristic burn-related injuries seen on the corpse that should be sought during the autopsy? • CT is highly useful to find features permitting the identification of a severely burned body. • PMCT is a major asset in gunshot injuries to depict ballistic foreign bodies in the burned cadavers. • CT is able to recognise accessible blood for tests versus heat clot (air-crescent sign). • Heat-related fractures are easily differentiated from traumatic fractures. • Epidural collections with a subdural appearance are typical heat-related head lesions.

Quantifying the Personal Creative Experience: Evaluation of Digital Creativity Support Tools Using Self-Report and Physiological Responses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carroll, Erin Ashley

2013-01-01

Creativity is understood intuitively, but it is not easily defined and therefore difficult to measure. This makes it challenging to evaluate the ability of a digital tool to support the creative process. When evaluating creativity support tools (CSTs), it is critical to look beyond traditional time, error, and other productivity measurements that…

Mobile applications in oncology: is it possible for patients and healthcare professionals to easily identify relevant tools?

PubMed

Brouard, Benoit; Bardo, Pascale; Bonnet, Clément; Mounier, Nicolas; Vignot, Marina; Vignot, Stéphane

2016-11-01

Mobile applications represent promising tools in management of chronic diseases, both for patients and healthcare professionals, and especially in oncology. Among the large number of mobile health (mhealth) applications available in mobile stores, it could be difficult for users to identify the most relevant ones. This study evaluated the business model and the scientific validation for mobile applications related to oncology. A systematic review was performed over the two major marketplaces. Purpose, scientific validation, and source of funding were evaluated according to the description of applications in stores. Results were stratified according to targeted audience (general population/patients/healthcare professionals). Five hundred and thirty-nine applications related to oncology were identified: 46.8% dedicated to healthcare professionals, 31.5% to general population, and 21.7% to patients. A lack of information about healthcare professionals' involvement in the development process was noted since only 36.5% of applications mentioned an obvious scientific validation. Most apps were free (72.2%) and without explicit support by industry (94.2%). There is a need to enforce independent review of mhealth applications in oncology. The economic model could be questioned and the source of funding should be clarified. Meanwhile, patients and healthcare professionals should remain cautious about applications' contents. Key messages A systematic review was performed to describe the mobile applications related to oncology and it revealed a lack of information on scientific validation and funding. Independent scientific review and the reporting of conflicts of interest should be encouraged. Users, and all health professionals, should be aware that health applications, whatever the quality of their content, do not actually embrace such an approach.

GEOCAB Portal: A gateway for discovering and accessing capacity building resources in Earth Observation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Desconnets, Jean-Christophe; Giuliani, Gregory; Guigoz, Yaniss; Lacroix, Pierre; Mlisa, Andiswa; Noort, Mark; Ray, Nicolas; Searby, Nancy D.

2017-02-01

The discovery of and access to capacity building resources are often essential to conduct environmental projects based on Earth Observation (EO) resources, whether they are Earth Observation products, methodological tools, techniques, organizations that impart training in these techniques or even projects that have shown practical achievements. Recognizing this opportunity and need, the European Commission through two FP7 projects jointly with the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) teamed up with the Committee on Earth observation Satellites (CEOS). The Global Earth Observation CApacity Building (GEOCAB) portal aims at compiling all current capacity building efforts on the use of EO data for societal benefits into an easily updateable and user-friendly portal. GEOCAB offers a faceted search to improve user discovery experience with a fully interactive world map with all inventoried projects and activities. This paper focuses on the conceptual framework used to implement the underlying platform. An ISO19115 metadata model associated with a terminological repository are the core elements that provide a semantic search application and an interoperable discovery service. The organization and the contribution of different user communities to ensure the management and the update of the content of GEOCAB are addressed.

Easily Transported CCD Systems for Use in Astronomy Labs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meisel, D.

1992-12-01

Relatively inexpensive CCD cameras and portable computers are now easily obtained as commercially available products. I will describe a prototype system that can be used by introductory astronomy students, even urban enviroments, to obtain useful observations of the night sky. It is based on the ST-4 CCDs made by Santa Barbara Instruments Group and Macintosh Powerbook145 computers. Students take outdoor images directly from the college campus, bring the exposures back into the lab and download the images into our networked server. These stored images can then be processed (at a later time) using a variety of image processing programs including a new astronomical version of the popular "freeware" NIH Image package that is currently under development at Geneseo. The prototype of this system will be demonstrated and available for hands-on use during the meeting. This work is supported by NSF ILI Demonstration Grant USE9250493 and Grants from SUNY-GENESEO.

indCAPS: A tool for designing screening primers for CRISPR/Cas9 mutagenesis events.

PubMed

Hodgens, Charles; Nimchuk, Zachary L; Kieber, Joseph J

2017-01-01

Genetic manipulation of organisms using CRISPR/Cas9 technology generally produces small insertions/deletions (indels) that can be difficult to detect. Here, we describe a technique to easily and rapidly identify such indels. Sequence-identified mutations that alter a restriction enzyme recognition site can be readily distinguished from wild-type alleles using a cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence (CAPS) technique. If a restriction site is created or altered by the mutation such that only one allele contains the restriction site, a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by a restriction digest can be used to distinguish the two alleles. However, in the case of most CRISPR-induced alleles, no such restriction sites are present in the target sequences. In this case, a derived CAPS (dCAPS) approach can be used in which mismatches are purposefully introduced in the oligonucleotide primers to create a restriction site in one, but not both, of the amplified templates. Web-based tools exist to aid dCAPS primer design, but when supplied sequences that include indels, the current tools often fail to suggest appropriate primers. Here, we report the development of a Python-based, species-agnostic web tool, called indCAPS, suitable for the design of PCR primers used in dCAPS assays that is compatible with indels. This tool should have wide utility for screening editing events following CRISPR/Cas9 mutagenesis as well as for identifying specific editing events in a pool of CRISPR-mediated mutagenesis events. This tool was field-tested in a CRISPR mutagenesis experiment targeting a cytokinin receptor (AHK3) in Arabidopsis thaliana. The tool suggested primers that successfully distinguished between wild-type and edited alleles of a target locus and facilitated the isolation of two novel ahk3 null alleles. Users can access indCAPS and design PCR primers to employ dCAPS to identify CRISPR/Cas9 alleles at http://indcaps.kieber.cloudapps.unc.edu/.

CDPP Tools in the IMPEx infrastructure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gangloff, Michel; Génot, Vincent; Bourrel, Nataliya; Hess, Sébastien; Khodachenko, Maxim; Modolo, Ronan; Kallio, Esa; Alexeev, Igor; Al-Ubaidi, Tarek; Cecconi, Baptiste; André, Nicolas; Budnik, Elena; Bouchemit, Myriam; Dufourg, Nicolas; Beigbeder, Laurent

2014-05-01

The CDPP (Centre de Données de la Physique des Plasmas, http://cdpp.eu/), the French data center for plasma physics, is engaged for more than a decade in the archiving and dissemination of plasma data products from space missions and ground observatories. Besides these activities, the CDPP developed services like AMDA (http://amda.cdpp.eu/) which enables in depth analysis of large amount of data through dedicated functionalities such as: visualization, conditional search, cataloguing, and 3DView (http://3dview.cdpp.eu/) which provides immersive visualisations in planetary environments and is further developed to include simulation and observational data. Both tools implement the IMPEx protocol (http://impexfp7.oeaw.ac.at/) to give access to outputs of simulation runs and models in planetary sciences from several providers like LATMOS, FMI , SINP; prototypes have also been built to access some UCLA and CCMC simulations. These tools and their interaction will be presented together with the IMPEx simulation data model (http://impex.latmos.ipsl.fr/tools/DataModel.htm) used for the interface to model databases.

The Picture Plus Discussion Intervention: Text Access for High School Students with Moderate Intellectual Disability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shurr, Jordan; Taber-Doughty, Teresa

2017-01-01

Students with moderate intellectual disability often experience limited access to age-appropriate texts due to limitations in reading skills, access to instruction and supports, and educator beliefs. Use of text read alouds is an emerging tool for increasing such access; however, supports are often still required for access to age-appropriate…

Video analysis of projectile motion using tablet computers as experimental tools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klein, P.; Gröber, S.; Kuhn, J.; Müller, A.

2014-01-01

Tablet computers were used as experimental tools to record and analyse the motion of a ball thrown vertically from a moving skateboard. Special applications plotted the measurement data component by component, allowing a simple determination of initial conditions and g in order to explore the underlying laws of motion. This experiment can easily be performed by students themselves, providing more autonomy in their problem-solving processes than traditional learning approaches. We believe that this autonomy and the authenticity of the experimental tool both foster their motivation.

Ergonomic suitability of kitchen furniture regarding height accessibility.

PubMed

Hrovatin, Jasna; Prekrat, Silvana; Oblak, Leon; Ravnik, David

2015-03-01

It is possible to significantly ease kitchen chores with properly sized and appropriately arranged cupboards. In designing kitchen furniture and the optimal depth and the height of storage capacities, accessibility should be taken into consideration. It is known that the optimal storage zone is between 800 and 1100 mm and that there is reduced visibility and accessibility at the level between 1400 and 1700 mm, which is even more prominent for the elderly. This suggests that wall cabinets are not recommended for the elderly. The aim of this study was to determine to what extent kitchens manufactured by Slovenian furniture manufacturers are suitable for users of different age groups with regard to the accessibility of goods stored in the cupboards. Furthermore, based on the measurement analysis, recommendations are provided for designing kitchen furniture that would meet the needs of the elderly. The study, carried out using a computer simulation model, analyzed the products of three Slovenian kitchen manufacturers. The cross section of accessibility in the wall cabinets was determined for different age groups of men and women. The results show that the efficacy of the volume in wall cabinets higher than 600 mm, in comparison to places where objects are easily reachable, is 30% lower for women, thus indicating the inefficiency of storage space in wall cabinets. In terms of accessibility, existing kitchens are not optimal for the elderly, and a model with a deeper worktop and wall cabinets lowered onto the worktop is proposed. Accessibility in such wall cabinets is increased by up to 70% if the body is moved forward by 30°.

Analysis Tool Web Services from the EMBL-EBI.

PubMed

McWilliam, Hamish; Li, Weizhong; Uludag, Mahmut; Squizzato, Silvano; Park, Young Mi; Buso, Nicola; Cowley, Andrew Peter; Lopez, Rodrigo

2013-07-01

Since 2004 the European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) has provided access to a wide range of databases and analysis tools via Web Services interfaces. This comprises services to search across the databases available from the EMBL-EBI and to explore the network of cross-references present in the data (e.g. EB-eye), services to retrieve entry data in various data formats and to access the data in specific fields (e.g. dbfetch), and analysis tool services, for example, sequence similarity search (e.g. FASTA and NCBI BLAST), multiple sequence alignment (e.g. Clustal Omega and MUSCLE), pairwise sequence alignment and protein functional analysis (e.g. InterProScan and Phobius). The REST/SOAP Web Services (http://www.ebi.ac.uk/Tools/webservices/) interfaces to these databases and tools allow their integration into other tools, applications, web sites, pipeline processes and analytical workflows. To get users started using the Web Services, sample clients are provided covering a range of programming languages and popular Web Service tool kits, and a brief guide to Web Services technologies, including a set of tutorials, is available for those wishing to learn more and develop their own clients. Users of the Web Services are informed of improvements and updates via a range of methods.

Analysis Tool Web Services from the EMBL-EBI

PubMed Central

McWilliam, Hamish; Li, Weizhong; Uludag, Mahmut; Squizzato, Silvano; Park, Young Mi; Buso, Nicola; Cowley, Andrew Peter; Lopez, Rodrigo

2013-01-01

Since 2004 the European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) has provided access to a wide range of databases and analysis tools via Web Services interfaces. This comprises services to search across the databases available from the EMBL-EBI and to explore the network of cross-references present in the data (e.g. EB-eye), services to retrieve entry data in various data formats and to access the data in specific fields (e.g. dbfetch), and analysis tool services, for example, sequence similarity search (e.g. FASTA and NCBI BLAST), multiple sequence alignment (e.g. Clustal Omega and MUSCLE), pairwise sequence alignment and protein functional analysis (e.g. InterProScan and Phobius). The REST/SOAP Web Services (http://www.ebi.ac.uk/Tools/webservices/) interfaces to these databases and tools allow their integration into other tools, applications, web sites, pipeline processes and analytical workflows. To get users started using the Web Services, sample clients are provided covering a range of programming languages and popular Web Service tool kits, and a brief guide to Web Services technologies, including a set of tutorials, is available for those wishing to learn more and develop their own clients. Users of the Web Services are informed of improvements and updates via a range of methods. PMID:23671338

National Geothermal Data System: Open Access to Geoscience Data, Maps, and Documents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caudill, C. M.; Richard, S. M.; Musil, L.; Sonnenschein, A.; Good, J.

2014-12-01

The U.S. National Geothermal Data System (NGDS) provides free open access to millions of geoscience data records, publications, maps, and reports via distributed web services to propel geothermal research, development, and production. NGDS is built on the US Geoscience Information Network (USGIN) data integration framework, which is a joint undertaking of the USGS and the Association of American State Geologists (AASG), and is compliant with international standards and protocols. NGDS currently serves geoscience information from 60+ data providers in all 50 states. Free and open source software is used in this federated system where data owners maintain control of their data. This interactive online system makes geoscience data easily discoverable, accessible, and interoperable at no cost to users. The dynamic project site http://geothermaldata.org serves as the information source and gateway to the system, allowing data and applications discovery and availability of the system's data feed. It also provides access to NGDS specifications and the free and open source code base (on GitHub), a map-centric and library style search interface, other software applications utilizing NGDS services, NGDS tutorials (via YouTube and USGIN site), and user-created tools and scripts. The user-friendly map-centric web-based application has been created to support finding, visualizing, mapping, and acquisition of data based on topic, location, time, provider, or key words. Geographic datasets visualized through the map interface also allow users to inspect the details of individual GIS data points (e.g. wells, geologic units, etc.). In addition, the interface provides the information necessary for users to access the GIS data from third party software applications such as GoogleEarth, UDig, and ArcGIS. A redistributable, free and open source software package called GINstack (USGIN software stack) was also created to give data providers a simple way to release data using

The Rainbow Bridge Metaphor as a Tool for Developing Accessible E-Learning Practices in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seale, Jane K.

2006-01-01

This paper explores the extent to which existing accessibility metaphors can help to develop our conceptualizations of accessible e-­learning practice in higher education and outlines a proposal for a new rainbow bridge metaphor for accessible e­-learning practice. The need for a metaphor that reflects in more depth what we are beginning to…

Tool for cutting insulation from electrical cables

DOEpatents

Harless, Charles E.; Taylor, Ward G.

1978-01-01

This invention is an efficient hand tool for precisely slitting the sheath of insulation on an electrical cable--e.g., a cable two inches in diameter--in a manner facilitating subsequent peeling or stripping of the insulation. The tool includes a rigid frame which is slidably fitted on an end section of the cable. The frame carries a rigidly affixed handle and an opposed, elongated blade-and-handle assembly. The blade-and-handle assembly is pivotally supported by a bracket which is slidably mounted on the frame for movement toward and away from the cable, thus providing an adjustment for the depth of cut. The blade-and-handle assembly is mountable to the bracket in two pivotable positions. With the assembly mounted in the first position, the tool is turned about the cable to slit the insulation circumferentially. With the assembly mounted in the second position, the tool is drawn along the cable to slit the insulation axially. When cut both circumferentially and axially, the insulation can easily be peeled from the cable.

Advanced Online Survival Analysis Tool for Predictive Modelling in Clinical Data Science.

PubMed

Montes-Torres, Julio; Subirats, José Luis; Ribelles, Nuria; Urda, Daniel; Franco, Leonardo; Alba, Emilio; Jerez, José Manuel

2016-01-01

One of the prevailing applications of machine learning is the use of predictive modelling in clinical survival analysis. In this work, we present our view of the current situation of computer tools for survival analysis, stressing the need of transferring the latest results in the field of machine learning to biomedical researchers. We propose a web based software for survival analysis called OSA (Online Survival Analysis), which has been developed as an open access and user friendly option to obtain discrete time, predictive survival models at individual level using machine learning techniques, and to perform standard survival analysis. OSA employs an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) based method to produce the predictive survival models. Additionally, the software can easily generate survival and hazard curves with multiple options to personalise the plots, obtain contingency tables from the uploaded data to perform different tests, and fit a Cox regression model from a number of predictor variables. In the Materials and Methods section, we depict the general architecture of the application and introduce the mathematical background of each of the implemented methods. The study concludes with examples of use showing the results obtained with public datasets.

Advanced Online Survival Analysis Tool for Predictive Modelling in Clinical Data Science

PubMed Central

Montes-Torres, Julio; Subirats, José Luis; Ribelles, Nuria; Urda, Daniel; Franco, Leonardo; Alba, Emilio; Jerez, José Manuel

2016-01-01

One of the prevailing applications of machine learning is the use of predictive modelling in clinical survival analysis. In this work, we present our view of the current situation of computer tools for survival analysis, stressing the need of transferring the latest results in the field of machine learning to biomedical researchers. We propose a web based software for survival analysis called OSA (Online Survival Analysis), which has been developed as an open access and user friendly option to obtain discrete time, predictive survival models at individual level using machine learning techniques, and to perform standard survival analysis. OSA employs an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) based method to produce the predictive survival models. Additionally, the software can easily generate survival and hazard curves with multiple options to personalise the plots, obtain contingency tables from the uploaded data to perform different tests, and fit a Cox regression model from a number of predictor variables. In the Materials and Methods section, we depict the general architecture of the application and introduce the mathematical background of each of the implemented methods. The study concludes with examples of use showing the results obtained with public datasets. PMID:27532883

Data are from Mars, Tools are from Venus

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, H. Joe

2017-01-01

Although during the data production phase, the data producers will usually ensure the products to be easily used by the specific power users the products serve. However, most data products are also posted for general public to use. It is not straightforward for data producers to anticipate what tools that these general end-data users are likely to use. In this talk, we will try to help fill in the gap by going over various tools related to Earth Science and how they work with the existing NASA HDF (Hierarchical Data Format) data products and the reasons why some products cannot be visualized or analyzed by existing tools. One goal is for to give insights for data producers on how to make their data product more interoperable. On the other hand, we also provide some hints for end users on how to make tools work with existing HDF data products. (tool category list: check the comments) HDF-EOS tools: HDFView HDF-EOS Plugin, HEG, h4tonccf, hdf-eos2 dumper, NCL, MATLAB, IDL, etc.net; CDF-Java tools: Panoply, IDV, toosUI, NcML, etc.net; CDF-C tools: ArcGIS Desktop, GrADS, NCL, NCO, etc.; GDAL tools: ArcGIS Desktop, QGIS, Google Earth, etc.; CSV tools: ArcGIS Online, MS Excel, Tableau, etc.

Science opportunity analyzer - a multi-mission tool for planning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Streiffert, B. A.; Polanskey, C. A.; O'Reilly, T.; Colwell, J.

2002-01-01

For many years the diverse scientific community that supports JPL's wide variety ofinterplanetary space missions has needed a tool in order to plan and develop their experiments. The tool needs to be easily adapted to various mission types and portable to the user community. The Science Opportunity Analyzer, SOA, now in its third year of development, is intended to meet this need. SOA is a java-based application that is designed to enable scientists to identify and analyze opportunities for science observations from spacecraft. It differs from other planning tools in that it does not require an in-depth knowledge of the spacecraft command system or operation modes to begin high level planning. Users can, however, develop increasingly detailed levels of design. SOA consists of six major functions: Opportunity Search, Visualization, Observation Design, Constraint Checking, Data Output and Communications. Opportunity Search is a GUI driven interface to existing search engines that can be used to identify times when a spacecraft is in a specific geometrical relationship with other bodies in the solar system. This function can be used for advanced mission planning as well as for making last minute adjustments to mission sequences in response to trajectory modifications. Visualization is a key aspect of SOA. The user can view observation opportunities in either a 3D representation or as a 2D map projection. The user is given extensive flexibility to customize what is displayed in the view. Observation Design allows the user to orient the spacecraft and visualize the projection of the instrument field of view for that orientation using the same views as Opportunity Search. Constraint Checking is provided to validate various geometrical and physical aspects of an observation design. The user has the ability to easily create custom rules or to use official project-generated flight rules. This capability may also allow scientists to easily impact the cost to science if

[A telephone hotline as an easily accessible service for questions on schizophrenia].

PubMed

Wessling, A; Wölwer, W; Heres, S; Mayenberger, M; Rummel, C; Sievers, M; Wagner, M; Klosterkötter, J; Gaebel, W

2006-09-01

Public relations activities of the German Research Network on Schizophrenia (GRNS) have shown that there is a demand for more information about schizophrenia disorder. This confirms international research findings that relatives of schizophrenia patients are particularly in need of information and support. In response, the GRNS has maintained a telephone hotline since 2001. The hotline is manned by clinical experts, psychiatrists, or psychologists once a week. The telephone calls are documented in a systematic manner. From 2001 to 2003, 3,909 calls were registered. This volume exceeds the limit of the hotline's resources. The telephone hotline is mainly used by relatives of psychotic patients. Most questions relate to the symptoms of schizophrenia and pharmaceutical treatment. The need for emotional support is also a high motivational factor for dialing the hotline number. The telephone hotline seems to be a worthwhile addition to the already existing crisis telephones and should be maintained even after public funding of the network expires.

Design of a Web-tool for diagnostic clinical trials handling medical imaging research.

PubMed

Baltasar Sánchez, Alicia; González-Sistal, Angel

2011-04-01

New clinical studies in medicine are based on patients and controls using different imaging diagnostic modalities. Medical information systems are not designed for clinical trials employing clinical imaging. Although commercial software and communication systems focus on storage of image data, they are not suitable for storage and mining of new types of quantitative data. We sought to design a Web-tool to support diagnostic clinical trials involving different experts and hospitals or research centres. The image analysis of this project is based on skeletal X-ray imaging. It involves a computerised image method using quantitative analysis of regions of interest in healthy bone and skeletal metastases. The database is implemented with ASP.NET 3.5 and C# technologies for our Web-based application. For data storage, we chose MySQL v.5.0, one of the most popular open source databases. User logins were necessary, and access to patient data was logged for auditing. For security, all data transmissions were carried over encrypted connections. This Web-tool is available to users scattered at different locations; it allows an efficient organisation and storage of data (case report form) and images and allows each user to know precisely what his task is. The advantages of our Web-tool are as follows: (1) sustainability is guaranteed; (2) network locations for collection of data are secured; (3) all clinical information is stored together with the original images and the results derived from processed images and statistical analysis that enable us to perform retrospective studies; (4) changes are easily incorporated because of the modular architecture; and (5) assessment of trial data collected at different sites is centralised to reduce statistical variance.

MaGnET: Malaria Genome Exploration Tool.

PubMed

Sharman, Joanna L; Gerloff, Dietlind L

2013-09-15

The Malaria Genome Exploration Tool (MaGnET) is a software tool enabling intuitive 'exploration-style' visualization of functional genomics data relating to the malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. MaGnET provides innovative integrated graphic displays for different datasets, including genomic location of genes, mRNA expression data, protein-protein interactions and more. Any selection of genes to explore made by the user is easily carried over between the different viewers for different datasets, and can be changed interactively at any point (without returning to a search). Free online use (Java Web Start) or download (Java application archive and MySQL database; requires local MySQL installation) at http://malariagenomeexplorer.org joanna.sharman@ed.ac.uk or dgerloff@ffame.org Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Data Discovery and Access via the Heliophysics Events Knowledgebase (HEK)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Somani, A.; Hurlburt, N. E.; Schrijver, C. J.; Cheung, M.; Freeland, S.; Slater, G. L.; Seguin, R.; Timmons, R.; Green, S.; Chang, L.; Kobashi, A.; Jaffey, A.

2011-12-01

The HEK is a integrated system which helps direct scientists to solar events and data from a variety of providers. The system is fully operational and adoption of HEK has been growing since the launch of NASA's SDO mission. In this presentation we describe the different components that comprise HEK. The Heliophysics Events Registry (HER) and Heliophysics Coverage Registry (HCR) form the two major databases behind the system. The HCR allows the user to search on coverage event metadata for a variety of instruments. The HER allows the user to search on annotated event metadata for a variety of instruments. Both the HCR and HER are accessible via a web API which can return search results in machine readable formats (e.g. XML and JSON). A variety of SolarSoft services are also provided to allow users to search the HEK as well as obtain and manipulate data. Other components include - the Event Detection System (EDS) continually runs feature finding algorithms on SDO data to populate the HER with relevant events, - A web form for users to request SDO data cutouts for multiple AIA channels as well as HMI line-of-sight magnetograms, - iSolSearch, which allows a user to browse events in the HER and search for specific events over a specific time interval, all within a graphical web page, - Panorama, which is the software tool used for rapid visualization of large volumes of solar image data in multiple channels/wavelengths. The user can also easily create WYSIWYG movies and launch the Annotator tool to describe events and features. - EVACS, which provides a JOGL powered client for the HER and HCR. EVACS displays the searched for events on a full disk magnetogram of the sun while displaying more detailed information for events.

Using the STOQS Web Application for Access to in situ Oceanographic Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCann, M. P.

2012-12-01

Using the STOQS Web Application for Access to in situ Oceanographic Data Mike McCann 7 August 2012 With increasing measurement and sampling capabilities of autonomous oceanographic platforms (e.g. Gliders, Autonomous Underwater Vehicles, Wavegliders), the need to efficiently access and visualize the data they collect is growing. The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute has designed and built the Spatial Temporal Oceanographic Query System (STOQS) specifically to address this issue. The need for STOQS arises from inefficiencies discovered from using CF-NetCDF point observation conventions for these data. The problem is that access efficiency decreases with decreasing dimension of CF-NetCDF data. For example, the Trajectory Common Data Model feature type has only one coordinate dimension, usually Time - positions of the trajectory (Depth, Latitude, Longitude) are stored as non-indexed record variables within the NetCDF file. If client software needs to access data between two depth values or from a bounded geographic area, then the whole data set must be read and the selection made within the client software. This is very inefficient. What is needed is a way to easily select data of interest from an archive given any number of spatial, temporal, or other constraints. Geospatial relational database technology provides this capability. The full STOQS application consists of a Postgres/PostGIS database, Mapserver, and Python-Django running on a server and Web 2.0 technology (jQuery, OpenLayers, Twitter Bootstrap) running in a modern web browser. The web application provides faceted search capabilities allowing a user to quickly drill into the data of interest. Data selection can be constrained by spatial, temporal, and depth selections as well as by parameter value and platform name. The web application layer also provides a REST (Representational State Transfer) Application Programming Interface allowing tools such as the Matlab stoqstoolbox to retrieve data

Efficient Memory Access with NumPy Global Arrays using Local Memory Access

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

Daily, Jeffrey A.; Berghofer, Dan C.

This paper discusses the work completed working with Global Arrays of data on distributed multi-computer systems and improving their performance. The tasks completed were done at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in the Science Undergrad Laboratory Internship program in the summer of 2013 for the Data Intensive Computing Group in the Fundamental and Computational Sciences DIrectorate. This work was done on the Global Arrays Toolkit developed by this group. This toolkit is an interface for programmers to more easily create arrays of data on networks of computers. This is useful because scientific computation is often done on large amounts of datamore » sometimes so large that individual computers cannot hold all of it. This data is held in array form and can best be processed on supercomputers which often consist of a network of individual computers doing their computation in parallel. One major challenge for this sort of programming is that operations on arrays on multiple computers is very complex and an interface is needed so that these arrays seem like they are on a single computer. This is what global arrays does. The work done here is to use more efficient operations on that data that requires less copying of data to be completed. This saves a lot of time because copying data on many different computers is time intensive. The way this challenge was solved is when data to be operated on with binary operations are on the same computer, they are not copied when they are accessed. When they are on separate computers, only one set is copied when accessed. This saves time because of less copying done although more data access operations were done.« less

Accessing Suomi NPP OMPS Products Through the GES DISC Online Data Services

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, J. E.; Wei, J. C.; Garasimov, I.; Vollmer, B.

2017-12-01

The NASA Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC) is the primary archive of the latest versions of atmospheric composition data from the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (NPP) Ozone Mapping Profiler Suite (OMPS) mission. OMPS consists of three spectrometers: a Nadir Mapper (300-420 nm) with 50×50 km2 resolution and 2600 km wide swath, a Nadir Profiler (250-310 nm) with 250×250 km2 footprint, and a three-slit Limb Profiler (290-1000 nm) making 3 vertical profiles spaced about 250 km apart with 1-2 km vertical resolution up to 65 km altitude. OMPS measures primarily ozone, both total column and vertical profiles, but also includes measurements of NO2 and SO2 total and tropospheric columns, aerosol extinction profiles. Also available from OMPS are the Level-1B calibrated and geolocated radiances. All data products are generated at the OMPS Science Investigator Processing System (SIPS) at NASA/GSFC. This presentation will provide an overview of the OMPS products available at the GES DISC archive, as well as demonstrate the various data services provided by the GES DISC. Traditionally users have accessed data by downloading data files using anonymous FTP. Although one may still download the full OMPS data products from the archive (using HTTPS instead), the GES DISC now also offers online data services that allow users to not have to physically download the full data files to their desktop computer. Users can access the data through a desktop client tool (such as IDL, Matlab or Panoply) using OPeNDAP. Other data services include file subsetters (spatially, temporally, and/or by variable), as well as data visualization and exploration services for users to preview or quickly analyze the data. Since TOMS and EOS Aura data products are also available from the GES DISC archive, these can be easily accessed and compared with the OMPS data.

EBOOK.EXE: A Desktop Authoring Tool for HURAA.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hu, Xiangen; Mathews, Eric; Graesser, Arthur C.; Susarla, Suresh

The development of authoring tools for intelligent systems is an important step for creating, maintaining, and structuring content in a quick and easy manner. It has the benefit of allowing for a rapid change to new domains or topics for tutoring. The development of such tools requires functional control, access protection, ease of learning, and…

The iPlant Collaborative: Cyberinfrastructure for Enabling Data to Discovery for the Life Sciences.

PubMed

Merchant, Nirav; Lyons, Eric; Goff, Stephen; Vaughn, Matthew; Ware, Doreen; Micklos, David; Antin, Parker

2016-01-01

The iPlant Collaborative provides life science research communities access to comprehensive, scalable, and cohesive computational infrastructure for data management; identity management; collaboration tools; and cloud, high-performance, high-throughput computing. iPlant provides training, learning material, and best practice resources to help all researchers make the best use of their data, expand their computational skill set, and effectively manage their data and computation when working as distributed teams. iPlant's platform permits researchers to easily deposit and share their data and deploy new computational tools and analysis workflows, allowing the broader community to easily use and reuse those data and computational analyses.

Analyzing Saturn's Magnetospheric Data After Cassini - Improving and Future-Proofing Cassini / MAPS Tools and Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, L. E.; Faden, J.; Vandegriff, J. D.; Kurth, W. S.; Mitchell, D. G.

2017-12-01

We present a plan to provide enhanced longevity to analysis software and science data used throughout the Cassini mission for viewing Magnetosphere and Plasma Science (MAPS) data. While a final archive is being prepared for Cassini, the tools that read from this archive will eventually become moribund as real world hardware and software systems evolve. We will add an access layer over existing and planned Cassini data products that will allow multiple tools to access many public MAPS datasets. The access layer is called the Heliophysics Application Programmer's Interface (HAPI), and this is a mechanism being adopted at many data centers across Heliophysics and planetary science for the serving of time series data. Two existing tools are also being enhanced to read from HAPI servers, namely Autoplot from the University of Iowa and MIDL (Mission Independent Data Layer) from The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab. Thus both tools will be able to access data from RPWS, MAG, CAPS, and MIMI. In addition to being able to access data from each other's institutions, these tools will be able to read from all the new datasets expected to come online using the HAPI standard in the near future. The PDS also plans to use HAPI for all the holdings at the Planetary and Plasma Interactions (PPI) node. A basic presentation of the new HAPI data server mechanism is presented, as is an early demonstration of the modified tools.

Delivering Electronic Resources with Web OPACs and Other Web-based Tools: Needs of Reference Librarians.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bordeianu, Sever; Carter, Christina E.; Dennis, Nancy K.

2000-01-01

Describes Web-based online public access catalogs (Web OPACs) and other Web-based tools as gateway methods for providing access to library collections. Addresses solutions for overcoming barriers to information, such as through the implementation of proxy servers and other authentication tools for remote users. (Contains 18 references.)…

Coastal On-line Assessment and Synthesis Tool 2.0

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, Richard; Navard, Andrew; Nguyen, Beth

2011-01-01

COAST (Coastal On-line Assessment and Synthesis Tool) is a 3D, open-source Earth data browser developed by leveraging and enhancing previous NASA open-source tools. These tools use satellite imagery and elevation data in a way that allows any user to zoom from orbit view down into any place on Earth, and enables the user to experience Earth terrain in a visually rich 3D view. The benefits associated with taking advantage of an open-source geo-browser are that it is free, extensible, and offers a worldwide developer community that is available to provide additional development and improvement potential. What makes COAST unique is that it simplifies the process of locating and accessing data sources, and allows a user to combine them into a multi-layered and/or multi-temporal visual analytical look into possible data interrelationships and coeffectors for coastal environment phenomenology. COAST provides users with new data visual analytic capabilities. COAST has been upgraded to maximize use of open-source data access, viewing, and data manipulation software tools. The COAST 2.0 toolset has been developed to increase access to a larger realm of the most commonly implemented data formats used by the coastal science community. New and enhanced functionalities that upgrade COAST to COAST 2.0 include the development of the Temporal Visualization Tool (TVT) plug-in, the Recursive Online Remote Data-Data Mapper (RECORD-DM) utility, the Import Data Tool (IDT), and the Add Points Tool (APT). With these improvements, users can integrate their own data with other data sources, and visualize the resulting layers of different data types (such as spatial and spectral, for simultaneous visual analysis), and visualize temporal changes in areas of interest.

Tribal-Focused Environmental Risk and Sustainability Tool (Tribal-FERST) Fact Sheet

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The Tribal-Focused Environmental Risk and Sustainability Tool (Tribal- FERST) is a web-based geospatial decision support tool that will provide tribes with easy access to the best available human health and ecological science.

Assessing the Unseen: Using Music and Literature to Access and Develop First Graders' Knowledge of Sound Waves

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCourt, Susan; Kelley, Sybil S.

2016-01-01

Most young children love a good song and dance, an enticing story, and gorgeous illustrations. How could this staple of the early childhood classroom--music and literature--access children's ideas about physical science? How can young children communicate their knowledge of unseen science concepts that are not easily represented in pictures? These…

Animal Agriculture in a Changing Climate Online Course: An Effective Tool for Creating Extension Competency

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whitefield, Elizabeth; Schmidt, David; Witt-Swanson, Lindsay; Smith, David; Pronto, Jennifer; Knox, Pam; Powers, Crystal

2016-01-01

There is a need to create competency among Extension professionals on the topic of climate change adaptation and mitigation in animal agriculture. The Animal Agriculture in a Changing Climate online course provides an easily accessible, user-friendly, free, and interactive experience for learning science-based information on a national and…

TheCellMap.org: A Web-Accessible Database for Visualizing and Mining the Global Yeast Genetic Interaction Network

PubMed Central

Usaj, Matej; Tan, Yizhao; Wang, Wen; VanderSluis, Benjamin; Zou, Albert; Myers, Chad L.; Costanzo, Michael; Andrews, Brenda; Boone, Charles

2017-01-01

Providing access to quantitative genomic data is key to ensure large-scale data validation and promote new discoveries. TheCellMap.org serves as a central repository for storing and analyzing quantitative genetic interaction data produced by genome-scale Synthetic Genetic Array (SGA) experiments with the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In particular, TheCellMap.org allows users to easily access, visualize, explore, and functionally annotate genetic interactions, or to extract and reorganize subnetworks, using data-driven network layouts in an intuitive and interactive manner. PMID:28325812

A free-access online key to identify Amazonian ferns.

PubMed

Zuquim, Gabriela; Tuomisto, Hanna; Prado, Jefferson

2017-01-01

There is urgent need for more data on species distributions in order to improve conservation planning. A crucial but challenging aspect of producing high-quality data is the correct identification of organisms. Traditional printed floras and dichotomous keys are difficult to use for someone not familiar with the technical jargon. In poorly known areas, such as Amazonia, they also become quickly outdated as new species are described or ranges extended. Recently, online tools have allowed developing dynamic, interactive, and accessible keys that make species identification possible for a broader public. In order to facilitate identifying plants collected in field inventories, we developed an internet-based free-access tool to identify Amazonian fern species. We focused on ferns, because they are easy to collect and their edaphic affinities are relatively well known, so they can be used as an indicator group for habitat mapping. Our key includes 302 terrestrial and aquatic entities mainly from lowland Amazonian forests. It is a free-access key, so the user can freely choose which morphological features to use and in which order to assess them. All taxa are richly illustrated, so specimens can be identified by a combination of character choices, visual comparison, and written descriptions. The identification tool was developed in Lucid 3.5 software and it is available at http://keyserver.lucidcentral.org:8080/sandbox/keys.jsp.

A free-access online key to identify Amazonian ferns

PubMed Central

Zuquim, Gabriela; Tuomisto, Hanna; Prado, Jefferson

2017-01-01

Abstract There is urgent need for more data on species distributions in order to improve conservation planning. A crucial but challenging aspect of producing high-quality data is the correct identification of organisms. Traditional printed floras and dichotomous keys are difficult to use for someone not familiar with the technical jargon. In poorly known areas, such as Amazonia, they also become quickly outdated as new species are described or ranges extended. Recently, online tools have allowed developing dynamic, interactive, and accessible keys that make species identification possible for a broader public. In order to facilitate identifying plants collected in field inventories, we developed an internet-based free-access tool to identify Amazonian fern species. We focused on ferns, because they are easy to collect and their edaphic affinities are relatively well known, so they can be used as an indicator group for habitat mapping. Our key includes 302 terrestrial and aquatic entities mainly from lowland Amazonian forests. It is a free-access key, so the user can freely choose which morphological features to use and in which order to assess them. All taxa are richly illustrated, so specimens can be identified by a combination of character choices, visual comparison, and written descriptions. The identification tool was developed in Lucid 3.5 software and it is available at http://keyserver.lucidcentral.org:8080/sandbox/keys.jsp. PMID:28781548

Learning to merge: a new tool for interactive mapping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Porter, Reid B.; Lundquist, Sheng; Ruggiero, Christy

2013-05-01

The task of turning raw imagery into semantically meaningful maps and overlays is a key area of remote sensing activity. Image analysts, in applications ranging from environmental monitoring to intelligence, use imagery to generate and update maps of terrain, vegetation, road networks, buildings and other relevant features. Often these tasks can be cast as a pixel labeling problem, and several interactive pixel labeling tools have been developed. These tools exploit training data, which is generated by analysts using simple and intuitive paint-program annotation tools, in order to tailor the labeling algorithm for the particular dataset and task. In other cases, the task is best cast as a pixel segmentation problem. Interactive pixel segmentation tools have also been developed, but these tools typically do not learn from training data like the pixel labeling tools do. In this paper we investigate tools for interactive pixel segmentation that also learn from user input. The input has the form of segment merging (or grouping). Merging examples are 1) easily obtained from analysts using vector annotation tools, and 2) more challenging to exploit than traditional labels. We outline the key issues in developing these interactive merging tools, and describe their application to remote sensing.

Microsoft Producer: A Software Tool for Creating Multimedia PowerPoint[R] Presentations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leffingwell, Thad R.; Thomas, David G.; Elliott, William H.

2007-01-01

Microsoft[R] Producer[R] is a powerful yet user-friendly PowerPoint companion tool for creating on-demand multimedia presentations. Instructors can easily distribute these presentations via compact disc or streaming media over the Internet. We describe the features of the software, system requirements, and other required hardware. We also describe…

Network Computing Infrastructure to Share Tools and Data in Global Nuclear Energy Partnership

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Guehee; Suzuki, Yoshio; Teshima, Naoya

CCSE/JAEA (Center for Computational Science and e-Systems/Japan Atomic Energy Agency) integrated a prototype system of a network computing infrastructure for sharing tools and data to support the U.S. and Japan collaboration in GNEP (Global Nuclear Energy Partnership). We focused on three technical issues to apply our information process infrastructure, which are accessibility, security, and usability. In designing the prototype system, we integrated and improved both network and Web technologies. For the accessibility issue, we adopted SSL-VPN (Security Socket Layer-Virtual Private Network) technology for the access beyond firewalls. For the security issue, we developed an authentication gateway based on the PKI (Public Key Infrastructure) authentication mechanism to strengthen the security. Also, we set fine access control policy to shared tools and data and used shared key based encryption method to protect tools and data against leakage to third parties. For the usability issue, we chose Web browsers as user interface and developed Web application to provide functions to support sharing tools and data. By using WebDAV (Web-based Distributed Authoring and Versioning) function, users can manipulate shared tools and data through the Windows-like folder environment. We implemented the prototype system in Grid infrastructure for atomic energy research: AEGIS (Atomic Energy Grid Infrastructure) developed by CCSE/JAEA. The prototype system was applied for the trial use in the first period of GNEP.

Applying the Karma Provenance tool to NASA's AMSR-E Data Production Stream

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramachandran, R.; Conover, H.; Regner, K.; Movva, S.; Goodman, H. M.; Pale, B.; Purohit, P.; Sun, Y.

2010-12-01

Current procedures for capturing and disseminating provenance, or data product lineage, are limited in both what is captured and how it is disseminated to the science community. For example, the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for the Earth Observing System (AMSR-E) Science Investigator-led Processing System (SIPS) generates Level 2 and Level 3 data products for a variety of geophysical parameters. Data provenance and quality information for these data sets is either very general (e.g., user guides, a list of anomalous data receipt and processing conditions over the life of the missions) or difficult to access or interpret (e.g., quality flags embedded in the data, production history files not easily available to users). Karma is a provenance collection and representation tool designed and developed for data driven workflows such as the productions streams used to produce EOS standard products. Karma records uniform and usable provenance metadata independent of the processing system while minimizing both the modification burden on the processing system and the overall performance overhead. Karma collects both the process and data provenance. The process provenance contains information about the workflow execution and the associated algorithm invocations. The data provenance captures metadata about the derivation history of the data product, including algorithms used and input data sources transformed to generate it. As part of an ongoing NASA funded project, Karma is being integrated into the AMSR-E SIPS data production streams. Metadata gathered by the tool will be presented to the data consumers as provenance graphs, which are useful in validating the workflows and determining the quality of the data product. This presentation will discuss design and implementation issues faced while incorporating a provenance tool into a structured data production flow. Prototype results will also be presented in this talk.

Support for Systematic Code Reviews with the SCRUB Tool

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holzmann, Gerald J.

2010-01-01

SCRUB is a code review tool that supports both large, team-based software development efforts (e.g., for mission software) as well as individual tasks. The tool was developed at JPL to support a new, streamlined code review process that combines human-generated review reports with program-generated review reports from a customizable range of state-of-the-art source code analyzers. The leading commercial tools include Codesonar, Coverity, and Klocwork, each of which can achieve a reasonably low rate of false-positives in the warnings that they generate. The time required to analyze code with these tools can vary greatly. In each case, however, the tools produce results that would be difficult to realize with human code inspections alone. There is little overlap in the results produced by the different analyzers, and each analyzer used generally increases the effectiveness of the overall effort. The SCRUB tool allows all reports to be accessed through a single, uniform interface (see figure) that facilitates brows ing code and reports. Improvements over existing software include significant simplification, and leveraging of a range of commercial, static source code analyzers in a single, uniform framework. The tool runs as a small stand-alone application, avoiding the security problems related to tools based on Web browsers. A developer or reviewer, for instance, must have already obtained access rights to a code base before that code can be browsed and reviewed with the SCRUB tool. The tool cannot open any files or folders to which the user does not already have access. This means that the tool does not need to enforce or administer any additional security policies. The analysis results presented through the SCRUB tool s user interface are always computed off-line, given that, especially for larger projects, this computation can take longer than appropriate for interactive tool use. The recommended code review process that is supported by the SCRUB tool consists of

Estimation of toxicity using a Java based software tool

EPA Science Inventory

A software tool has been developed that will allow a user to estimate the toxicity for a variety of endpoints (such as acute aquatic toxicity). The software tool is coded in Java and can be accessed using a web browser (or alternatively downloaded and ran as a stand alone applic...

WOVOdat: A New Tool for Managing and Accessing Data of Worldwide Volcanic Unrest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Venezky, D. Y.; Malone, S. D.; Newhall, C. G.

2002-12-01

WOVOdat (World Organization of Volcano Observatories database of volcanic unrest) will for the first time bring together data of worldwide volcanic seismicity, ground deformation, fumarolic activity, and other changes within or adjacent to a volcanic system. Although a large body of data and experience has been built over the past century, currently, we have no means of accessing that collective experience for use during crises and for research. WOVOdat will be the central resource of a data management system; other components will include utilities for data input and archiving, structured data retrieval, and data mining; educational modules; and links to institutional databases such as IRIS (global seismicity), UNAVCO (global GPS coordinates and strain vectors), and Smithsonian's Global Volcanism Program (historical eruptions). Data will be geospatially and time-referenced, to provide four dimensional images of how volcanic systems respond to magma intrusion, regional strain, and other disturbances prior to and during eruption. As part of the design phase, a small WOVOdat team is currently collecting information from observatories about their data types, formats, and local data management. The database schema is being designed such that responses to common, yet complex, queries are rapid (e.g., where else has similar unrest occurred and what was the outcome?) while also allowing for more detailed research analysis of relationships between various parameters (e.g., what do temporal relations between long-period earthquakes, transient deformation, and spikes in gas emission tell us about the geometry and physical properties of magma and a volcanic edifice?). We are excited by the potential of WOVOdat, and we invite participation in its design and development. Next steps involve formalizing and testing the design, and, developing utilities for translating data of various formats into common formats. The large job of populating the database will follow, and eventually

WebProtégé: A Collaborative Ontology Editor and Knowledge Acquisition Tool for the Web

PubMed Central

Tudorache, Tania; Nyulas, Csongor; Noy, Natalya F.; Musen, Mark A.

2012-01-01

In this paper, we present WebProtégé—a lightweight ontology editor and knowledge acquisition tool for the Web. With the wide adoption of Web 2.0 platforms and the gradual adoption of ontologies and Semantic Web technologies in the real world, we need ontology-development tools that are better suited for the novel ways of interacting, constructing and consuming knowledge. Users today take Web-based content creation and online collaboration for granted. WebProtégé integrates these features as part of the ontology development process itself. We tried to lower the entry barrier to ontology development by providing a tool that is accessible from any Web browser, has extensive support for collaboration, and a highly customizable and pluggable user interface that can be adapted to any level of user expertise. The declarative user interface enabled us to create custom knowledge-acquisition forms tailored for domain experts. We built WebProtégé using the existing Protégé infrastructure, which supports collaboration on the back end side, and the Google Web Toolkit for the front end. The generic and extensible infrastructure allowed us to easily deploy WebProtégé in production settings for several projects. We present the main features of WebProtégé and its architecture and describe briefly some of its uses for real-world projects. WebProtégé is free and open source. An online demo is available at http://webprotege.stanford.edu. PMID:23807872

PLOT3D Export Tool for Tecplot

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alter, Stephen

2010-01-01

The PLOT3D export tool for Tecplot solves the problem of modified data being impossible to output for use by another computational science solver. The PLOT3D Exporter add-on enables the use of the most commonly available visualization tools to engineers for output of a standard format. The exportation of PLOT3D data from Tecplot has far reaching effects because it allows for grid and solution manipulation within a graphical user interface (GUI) that is easily customized with macro language-based and user-developed GUIs. The add-on also enables the use of Tecplot as an interpolation tool for solution conversion between different grids of different types. This one add-on enhances the functionality of Tecplot so significantly, it offers the ability to incorporate Tecplot into a general suite of tools for computational science applications as a 3D graphics engine for visualization of all data. Within the PLOT3D Export Add-on are several functions that enhance the operations and effectiveness of the add-on. Unlike Tecplot output functions, the PLOT3D Export Add-on enables the use of the zone selection dialog in Tecplot to choose which zones are to be written by offering three distinct options - output of active, inactive, or all zones (grid blocks). As the user modifies the zones to output with the zone selection dialog, the zones to be written are similarly updated. This enables the use of Tecplot to create multiple configurations of a geometry being analyzed. For example, if an aircraft is loaded with multiple deflections of flaps, by activating and deactivating different zones for a specific flap setting, new specific configurations of that aircraft can be easily generated by only writing out specific zones. Thus, if ten flap settings are loaded into Tecplot, the PLOT3D Export software can output ten different configurations, one for each flap setting.

Zap 'Em with Assistive Technology: Notetaking, Modified Materials, Assistive Writing Tools, References, Organizational Tools, Cognitive Assistance, Adapted Access.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lahm, Elizabeth A.; Morrissette, Sandra K.

This collection of materials describes different types of computer applications and software that can help students with disabilities. It contains information on: (1) Easy Access, a feature of the systems software on every Macintosh computer that allows use of the keypad instead of the mouse, options for slow keys, and options for sticky keys; (2)…

An Introduction to Web Accessibility, Web Standards, and Web Standards Makers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McHale, Nina

2011-01-01

Librarians and libraries have long been committed to providing equitable access to information. In the past decade and a half, the growth of the Internet and the rapid increase in the number of online library resources and tools have added a new dimension to this core duty of the profession: ensuring accessibility of online resources to users with…

Understanding and Improving Blind Students' Access to Visual Information in Computer Science Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baker, Catherine M.

Teaching people with disabilities tech skills empowers them to create solutions to problems they encounter and prepares them for careers. However, computer science is typically taught in a highly visual manner which can present barriers for people who are blind. The goal of this dissertation is to understand and decrease those barriers. The first projects I present looked at the barriers that blind students face. I first present the results of my survey and interviews with blind students with degrees in computer science or related fields. This work highlighted the many barriers that these blind students faced. I then followed-up on one of the barriers mentioned, access to technology, by doing a preliminary accessibility evaluation of six popular integrated development environments (IDEs) and code editors. I found that half were unusable and all had some inaccessible portions. As access to visual information is a barrier in computer science education, I present three projects I have done to decrease this barrier. The first project is Tactile Graphics with a Voice (TGV). This project investigated an alternative to Braille labels for those who do not know Braille and showed that TGV was a potential alternative. The next project was StructJumper, which created a modified abstract syntax tree that blind programmers could use to navigate through code with their screen reader. The evaluation showed that users could navigate more quickly and easily determine the relationships of lines of code when they were using StructJumper compared to when they were not. Finally, I present a tool for dynamic graphs (the type with nodes and edges) which had two different modes for handling focus changes when moving between graphs. I found that the modes support different approaches for exploring the graphs and therefore preferences are mixed based on the user's preferred approach. However, both modes had similar accuracy in completing the tasks. These projects are a first step towards

Assessing communication accessibility in the university classroom: towards a goal of universal hearing accessibility.

PubMed

Cheesman, Margaret F; Jennings, Mary Beth; Klinger, Lisa

2013-01-01

Measures of accessibility typically focus on the physical environment and aspects relating to getting into and out of spaces. The transient sound environment is less well characterized in typical accessibility measures. Hearing accessibility measures can be based upon physical indices or functional assessment. The physical measures are indices that use signal-to-noise ratios to evaluate audibility while the functional assessment tool adopts universal design for hearing (UDH) principles derived from principles of universal design. The UDH principles include (1) Optimization of the hearing environment for all; (2) Optimization of interactions between persons and objects to promote better hearing in an environment; (3) Optimization of opportunities for people to have multiple choices of interactions with one another; (4) Optimization of opportunities for people to perform different activities in and across environments; (5) Optimization of opportunities for people to have safe, private, and secure use of the environment while minimizing distraction, interference, or cognitive loading; and (6) Optimization of opportunities for people to use the environment without extra steps for hearing access during preparatory, use and/or after use phases. This paper compares the two approaches using case examples from post-secondary classrooms in order to describe the potential advantages and limitations of each.

Consultant management estimating tool : users' manual.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-04-01

The Switchboard is the opening form displayed to users. Use : the Switchboard to access the main functions of the estimating : tool. Double-click on a box to select the desired function. From : the Switchboard a user can initiate a search for project...

Food abundance, prey morphology, and diet specialization influence individual sea otter tool use

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fujii, Jessica A.; Ralls, Katherine; Tinker, M. Tim

2017-01-01

Sea otters are well-known tool users, employing objects such as rocks or shells to break open invertebrate prey. We used a series of generalized linear mixed effect models to examine observational data on prey capture and tool use from 211 tagged individuals from 5 geographically defined study areas throughout the sea otter’s range in California. Our best supported model was able to explain 75% of the variation in the frequency of tool use by individual sea otters with only ecological and demographic variables. In one study area, where sea otter food resources were abundant, all individuals had similar diets focusing on preferred prey items and used tools at low to moderate frequencies (4–38% of prey captures). In the remaining areas, where sea otters were food-limited, individuals specialized on different subsets of the available prey and had a wider range of average tool-use frequency (0–98% of prey captures). The prevalence of difficult-to-access prey in individual diets was a major predictor of tool use and increased the likelihood of using tools on prey that were not difficult to access as well. Age, sex, and feeding habitat also contributed to the probability of tool use but to a smaller extent. We developed a conceptual model illustrating how food abundance, the prevalence of difficult-to-access prey, and individual diet specialization interacted to determine the likelihood that individual sea otters would use tools and considered the model’s relevance to other tool-using species.

Build your own social network laboratory with Social Lab: a tool for research in social media.

PubMed

Garaizar, Pablo; Reips, Ulf-Dietrich

2014-06-01

Social networking has surpassed e-mail and instant messaging as the dominant form of online communication (Meeker, Devitt, & Wu, 2010). Currently, all large social networks are proprietary, making it difficult to impossible for researchers to make changes to such networks for the purpose of study design and access to user-generated data from the networks. To address this issue, the authors have developed and present Social Lab, an Internet-based free and open-source social network software system available from http://www.sociallab.es . Having full availability of navigation and communication data in Social Lab allows researchers to investigate behavior in social media on an individual and group level. Automated artificial users ("bots") are available to the researcher to simulate and stimulate social networking situations. These bots respond dynamically to situations as they unfold. The bots can easily be configured with scripts and can be used to experimentally manipulate social networking situations in Social Lab. Examples for setting up, configuring, and using Social Lab as a tool for research in social media are provided.

Parallel software tools at Langley Research Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moitra, Stuti; Tennille, Geoffrey M.; Lakeotes, Christopher D.; Randall, Donald P.; Arthur, Jarvis J.; Hammond, Dana P.; Mall, Gerald H.

1993-01-01

This document gives a brief overview of parallel software tools available on the Intel iPSC/860 parallel computer at Langley Research Center. It is intended to provide a source of information that is somewhat more concise than vendor-supplied material on the purpose and use of various tools. Each of the chapters on tools is organized in a similar manner covering an overview of the functionality, access information, how to effectively use the tool, observations about the tool and how it compares to similar software, known problems or shortfalls with the software, and reference documentation. It is primarily intended for users of the iPSC/860 at Langley Research Center and is appropriate for both the experienced and novice user.

Large-area Overhead Manipulator for Access of Fields

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Multi-axis, cable-driven manipulators have evolved over many years providing large area suspended platform access, programmability, relatively rigid and flexibly-positioned platform control and full six degree of freedom (DOF) manipulation of sensors and tools. We describe innovations for a new six...

Tool use and mechanical problem solving in apraxia.

PubMed

Goldenberg, G; Hagmann, S

1998-07-01

Moorlaas (1928) proposed that apraxic patients can identify objects and can remember the purpose they have been made for but do not know the way in which they must be used to achieve that purpose. Knowledge about the use of objects and tools can have two sources: It can be based on retrieval of instructions of use from semantic memory or on a direct inference of function from structure. The ability to infer function from structure enables subjects to use unfamiliar tools and to detect alternative uses of familiar tools. It is the basis of mechanical problem solving. The purpose of the present study was to analyze retrieval of instruction of use, mechanical problem solving, and actual tool use in patients with apraxia due to circumscribed lesions of the left hemisphere. For assessing mechanical problem solving we developed a test of selection and application of novel tools. Access to instruction of use was tested by pantomime of tool use. Actual tool use was examined for the same familiar tools. Forty two patients with left brain damage (LBD) and aphasia, 22 patients with right brain damage (RBD) and 22 controls were examined. Only LBD patients differed from controls on all tests. RBD patients had difficulties with the use but not with the selection of novel tools. In LBD patients there was a significant correlation between pantomime of tool use and novel tool selection but there were single cases who scored in the defective range on one of these tests and normally on the other. Analysis of LBD patients' lesions suggested that frontal lobe damage does not disturb novel tool selection. Only LBD patients who failed on pantomime of object use and on novel tool selection committed errors in actual use of familiar tools. The finding that mechanical problem solving is invariably defective in apraxic patients who commit errors with familiar tools is in good accord with clinical observations, as the gravity of their errors goes beyond what one would expect as a mere sequel