Using network analysis to explore if professional opinions on Japanese encephalitis risk factors in Nepal reflect a socio-ecological system perspective.

PubMed

Hecker, Kent; El Kurdi, Syliva; Joshi, Durgadatt; Stephen, Craig

2013-12-01

Japanese encephalitis (JE) is the leading cause of viral encephalitis in Asia and a significant public health problem in Nepal. Its epidemiology is influenced by factors affecting its amplifying hosts (pigs), vectors (mosquitoes), and dead-end hosts (including people). While most control efforts target reduced susceptibility to infection either by vaccination of people or pigs or by reduced exposure to mosquitoes; the economic reality of Nepal makes it challenging to implement standard JE control measures. An ecohealth approach has been nominated as a way to assist in finding and prioritizing locally relevant strategies for JE control that may be viable, feasible, and acceptable. We sought to understand if Nepalese experts responsible for JE management conceived of its epidemiology in terms of a socio-ecological system to determine if they would consider ecohealth approaches. Network analysis suggested that they did not conceive JE risk as a product of a socio-ecological system. Traditional proximal risk factors of pigs, mosquitoes, and vaccination predominated experts' conception of JE risk. People seeking to encourage an ecohealth approach or social change models to JE management in Nepal may benefit from adopting social marketing concepts to encourage and empower local experts to examine JE from a socio-ecological perspective.

Techniques for capturing expert knowledge - An expert systems/hypertext approach

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lafferty, Larry; Taylor, Greg; Schumann, Robin; Evans, Randy; Koller, Albert M., Jr.

1990-01-01

The knowledge-acquisition strategy developed for the Explosive Hazards Classification (EHC) Expert System is described in which expert systems and hypertext are combined, and broad applications are proposed. The EHC expert system is based on rapid prototyping in which primary knowledge acquisition from experts is not emphasized; the explosive hazards technical bulletin, technical guidance, and minimal interviewing are used to develop the knowledge-based system. Hypertext is used to capture the technical information with respect to four issues including procedural, materials, test, and classification issues. The hypertext display allows the integration of multiple knowlege representations such as clarifications or opinions, and thereby allows the performance of a broad range of tasks on a single machine. Among other recommendations, it is suggested that the integration of hypertext and expert systems makes the resulting synergistic system highly efficient.

Resilience Simulation for Water, Power & Road Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clark, S. S.; Seager, T. P.; Chester, M.; Eisenberg, D. A.; Sweet, D.; Linkov, I.

2014-12-01

The increasing frequency, scale, and damages associated with recent catastrophic events has called for a shift in focus from evading losses through risk analysis to improving threat preparation, planning, absorption, recovery, and adaptation through resilience. However, neither underlying theory nor analytic tools have kept pace with resilience rhetoric. As a consequence, current approaches to engineering resilience analysis often conflate resilience and robustness or collapse into a deeper commitment to the risk analytic paradigm proven problematic in the first place. This research seeks a generalizable understanding of resilience that is applicable in multiple disciplinary contexts. We adopt a unique investigative perspective by coupling social and technical analysis with human subjects research to discover the adaptive actions, ideas and decisions that contribute to resilience in three socio-technical infrastructure systems: electric power, water, and roadways. Our research integrates physical models representing network objects with examination of the knowledge systems and social interactions revealed by human subjects making decisions in a simulated crisis environment. To ensure a diversity of contexts, we model electric power, water, roadway and knowledge networks for Phoenix AZ and Indianapolis IN. We synthesize this in a new computer-based Resilient Infrastructure Simulation Environment (RISE) to allow individuals, groups (including students) and experts to test different network design configurations and crisis response approaches. By observing simulated failures and best performances, we expect a generalizable understanding of resilience may emerge that yields a measureable understanding of the sensing, anticipating, adapting, and learning processes that are essential to resilient organizations.

A socio-technical systems approach to studying interruptions: understanding the interrupter's perspective.

PubMed

Rivera, A Joy

2014-05-01

The purpose of this study was to understand the cognitive processes underlying nurses' decision to interrupt other nurses. The Institute of Medicine (2000) reported that interruptions are likely contributors to medical errors. Unfortunately, the research to date has been quite homogenous, focusing only on the healthcare provider being interrupted, ignoring the true complexities of interruptions. This study took a socio-technical approach being the first to examine interruptions from the viewpoint of the interrupting nurse. Over 15 h of observations and 10 open-ended interviews with expert nurses in a Neuroscience Surgical Intensive Care Unit were conducted. It was found that nurses conduct a quick cost-benefit assessment to determine the interruptibility of other nurses and whether an interruption is value-added vs. non-value added. To complete the assessment, nurses consider several conditional factors related to the interruptee, the interrupter, and the nature of the interruption content, and different potential consequences of the interruption. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

A systemic analysis of South Korea Sewol ferry accident - Striking a balance between learning and accountability.

PubMed

Kee, Dohyung; Jun, Gyuchan Thomas; Waterson, Patrick; Haslam, Roger

2017-03-01

The South Korea Sewol ferry accident in April 2014 claimed the lives of over 300 passengers and led to criminal charges of 399 personnel concerned including imprisonment of 154 of them as of Oct 2014. Blame and punishment culture can be prevalent in a more hierarchical society like South Korea as shown in the aftermath of this disaster. This study aims to analyse the South Korea ferry accident using Rasmussen's risk management framework and the associated AcciMap technique and to propose recommendations drawn from an AcciMap-based focus group with systems safety experts. The data for the accident analysis were collected mainly from an interim investigation report by the Board of Audit and Inspection of Korea and major South Korean and foreign newspapers. The analysis showed that the accident was attributed to many contributing factors arising from front-line operators, management, regulators and government. It also showed how the multiple factors including economic, social and political pressures and individual workload contributed to the accident and how they affected each other. This AcciMap was presented to 27 safety researchers and experts at 'the legacy of Jens Rasmussen' symposium adjunct to ODAM2014. Their recommendations were captured through a focus group. The four main recommendations include forgive (no blame and punishment on individuals), analyse (socio-technical system-based), learn (from why things do not go wrong) and change (bottom-up safety culture and safety system management). The findings offer important insights into how this type of accident should be understood, analysed and the subsequent response. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Socio-Technical Analysis of Patient Accessible Electronic Health Records.

PubMed

Hägglund, Maria; Scandurra, Isabella

2017-01-01

In Sweden, and internationally, there is a movement towards increased transparency in healthcare including giving patients online access to their electronic health records (EHR). The purpose of this paper is to analyze the Swedish patient accessible EHR (PAEHR) service using a socio-technical framework, to increase the understanding of factors that influence the design, implementation, adoption and use of the service. Using the Sitting and Singh socio-technical framework as a basis for analyzing the Swedish PAEHR system and its context indicated that there are many stakeholders engaged in these types of services, with different driving forces and incentives that may influence the adoption and usefulness of PAEHR services. The analysis was useful in highlighting important areas that need to be further explored in evaluations of PAEHR services, and can act as a guide when planning evaluations of any PAEHR service.

Construction of a Digital Video Library: A Socio-Technical Pilot Study on College Students' Attitudes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Hsin-Liang; Choi, Gilok

2005-01-01

This study investigates socio-technical aspects of digital video libraries based on college students' learning experiences and perspectives. Forty-one students in biology classes were studied through a survey and individual interviews. Findings are presented by the students' knowledge of computer technology, experiences with AV materials, and…

Analyzing Information Systems Development: A Comparison and Analysis of Eight IS Development Approaches.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Iivari, Juhani; Hirschheim, Rudy

1996-01-01

Analyzes and compares eight information systems (IS) development approaches: Information Modelling, Decision Support Systems, the Socio-Technical approach, the Infological approach, the Interactionist approach, the Speech Act-based approach, Soft Systems Methodology, and the Scandinavian Trade Unionist approach. Discusses the organizational roles…

Designing water demand management schemes using a socio-technical modelling approach.

PubMed

Baki, Sotiria; Rozos, Evangelos; Makropoulos, Christos

2018-05-01

Although it is now widely acknowledged that urban water systems (UWSs) are complex socio-technical systems and that a shift towards a socio-technical approach is critical in achieving sustainable urban water management, still, more often than not, UWSs are designed using a segmented modelling approach. As such, either the analysis focuses on the description of the purely technical sub-system, without explicitly taking into account the system's dynamic socio-economic processes, or a more interdisciplinary approach is followed, but delivered through relatively coarse models, which often fail to provide a thorough representation of the urban water cycle and hence cannot deliver accurate estimations of the hydrosystem's responses. In this work we propose an integrated modelling approach for the study of the complete socio-technical UWS that also takes into account socio-economic and climatic variability. We have developed an integrated model, which is used to investigate the diffusion of household water conservation technologies and its effects on the UWS, under different socio-economic and climatic scenarios. The integrated model is formed by coupling a System Dynamics model that simulates the water technology adoption process, and the Urban Water Optioneering Tool (UWOT) for the detailed simulation of the urban water cycle. The model and approach are tested and demonstrated in an urban redevelopment area in Athens, Greece under different socio-economic scenarios and policy interventions. It is suggested that the proposed approach can establish quantifiable links between socio-economic change and UWS responses and therefore assist decision makers in designing more effective and resilient long-term strategies for water conservation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fullerene data mining using bibliometrics and database tomography

PubMed

Kostoff; Braun; Schubert; Toothman; Humenik

2000-01-01

Database tomography (DT) is a textual database analysis system consisting of two major components: (1) algorithms for extracting multiword phrase frequencies and phrase proximities (physical closeness of the multiword technical phrases) from any type of large textual database, to augment (2) interpretative capabilities of the expert human analyst. DT was used to derive technical intelligence from a fullerenes database derived from the Science Citation Index and the Engineering Compendex. Phrase frequency analysis by the technical domain experts provided the pervasive technical themes of the fullerenes database, and phrase proximity analysis provided the relationships among the pervasive technical themes. Bibliometric analysis of the fullerenes literature supplemented the DT results with author/journal/institution publication and citation data. Comparisons of fullerenes results with past analyses of similarly structured near-earth space, chemistry, hypersonic/supersonic flow, aircraft, and ship hydrodynamics databases are made. One important finding is that many of the normalized bibliometric distribution functions are extremely consistent across these diverse technical domains and could reasonably be expected to apply to broader chemical topics than fullerenes that span multiple structural classes. Finally, lessons learned about integrating the technical domain experts with the data mining tools are presented.

Choose and Book: a sociological analysis of 'resistance' to an expert system.

PubMed

Greenhalgh, Trisha; Stones, Rob; Swinglehurst, Deborah

2014-03-01

In 2004, the English Department of Health introduced a technology (Choose and Book) designed to help general practitioners and patients book hospital outpatient appointments. It was anticipated that remote booking would become standard practice once technical challenges were overcome. But despite political pressure and financial incentives, Choose and Book remained unpopular and was generally used reluctantly if at all. Policymakers framed this as a problem of 'clinician resistance'. We considered Choose and Book from a sociological perspective. Our dataset, drawn from a qualitative study of computer use in general practice, comprised background documents, field notes, interviews, clinical consultations (directly observed and videotaped) and naturally occurring talk relating to referral to hospital in four general practices. We used strong structuration theory, Giddens' conceptualisation of expert systems, and sensitivity to other sociological perspectives on technology, institutions and professional values to examine the relationship between the external environment, the evolving technology and actions of human agents (GPs, administrators, managers and patients). Choose and Book had the characteristics of an expert system. It served to 'empty out' the content of the consultation as the abstract knowledge it contained was assumed to have universal validity and to over-ride the clinician's application of local knowledge and practical wisdom. Sick patients were incorrectly assumed to behave as rational choosers, able and willing to decide between potential options using abstracted codified information. Our analysis revealed four foci of resistance: to the policy of choice that Choose and Book symbolised and purported to deliver; to accommodating the technology's socio-material constraints; to interference with doctors' contextual judgements; and to adjusting to the altered social relations consequent on its use. We conclude that 'resistance' is a complex phenomenon with socio-material and normative components; it is unlikely to be overcome using the behaviourist techniques recommended in some health informatics and policy literature. Copyright © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Factors influencing societal response of nanotechnology: an expert stakeholder analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gupta, Nidhi; Fischer, Arnout R. H.; van der Lans, Ivo A.; Frewer, Lynn J.

2012-05-01

Nanotechnology can be described as an emerging technology and, as has been the case with other emerging technologies such as genetic modification, different socio-psychological factors will potentially influence societal responses to its development and application. These factors will play an important role in how nanotechnology is developed and commercialised. This article aims to identify expert opinion on factors influencing societal response to applications of nanotechnology. Structured interviews with experts on nanotechnology from North West Europe were conducted using repertory grid methodology in conjunction with generalized Procrustes analysis to examine the psychological constructs underlying societal uptake of 15 key applications of nanotechnology drawn from different areas (e.g. medicine, agriculture and environment, chemical, food, military, sports, and cosmetics). Based on expert judgement, the main factors influencing societal response to different applications of nanotechnology will be the extent to which applications are perceived to be beneficial, useful, and necessary, and how 'real' and physically close to the end-user these applications are perceived to be by the public.

Socio-technical issues and challenges in implementing safe patient handovers: insights from ethnographic case studies.

PubMed

Balka, Ellen; Tolar, Marianne; Coates, Shannon; Whitehouse, Sandra

2013-12-01

Ineffective handovers in patient care, including those where information loss occurs between care providers, have been identified as a risk to patient safety. Computerization of health information is often offered as a solution to improve the quality of care handovers and decrease adverse events related to patient safety. The purpose of this paper is to broaden our understanding of clinical handover as a patient safety issue, and to identify socio-technical issues which may come to bear on the success of computer based handover tools. Three in depth ethnographic case studies were undertaken. Field notes were transcribed and analyzed with the aid of qualitative data analysis software. Within case analysis was performed on each case, and subsequently, cross case analyses were performed. We identified five types of socio-technical issues which must be addressed if electronic handover tools are to succeed. The inter-dependencies of these issues are addressed in relation to arenas in which health care work takes place. We suggest that the contextual nature of information, ethical and medico-legal issues arising in relation to information handover, and issues related to data standards and system interoperability must be addressed if computerized health information systems are to achieve improvements in patient safety related to handovers in care. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Applying STAMP in Accident Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leveson, Nancy; Daouk, Mirna; Dulac, Nicolas; Marais, Karen

2003-01-01

Accident models play a critical role in accident investigation and analysis. Most traditional models are based on an underlying chain of events. These models, however, have serious limitations when used for complex, socio-technical systems. Previously, Leveson proposed a new accident model (STAMP) based on system theory. In STAMP, the basic concept is not an event but a constraint. This paper shows how STAMP can be applied to accident analysis using three different views or models of the accident process and proposes a notation for describing this process.

Air-Based Remediation Workshop - Section 1 Sampling And Analysis Revelant To Air-Based Remediation Technologies

EPA Science Inventory

Pursant to the EPA-AIT Implementing Arrangement 7 for Technical Environmental Collaboration, Activity 11 "Remediation of Contaminated Sites," the USEPA Office of International Affairs Organized a Force Air Remediation Workshop in Taipei to deliver expert training to the Environme...

In the public interest: assessing expert and stakeholder influence in public deliberation about biobanks.

PubMed

MacLean, Samantha; Burgess, Michael M

2010-07-01

Providing technical and experiential information without overwhelming participants' perspectives presents a major challenge to public involvement in policy decisions. This article reports the design and analysis of a case study on incorporating expert and stakeholder knowledge without including them as deliberators, while supporting deliberative participants' ability to introduce and critically assess different perspectives. Analysis of audio-recorded deliberations illustrates how expert and stakeholder knowledge was cited, criticized and incorporated into deliberations. In conclusion, separating experts and stakeholders from deliberations may be an important prima facie principle when the goal is to enhance citizen representation on technical issues and related policy.

Adapting an Agent-Based Model of Socio-Technical Systems to Analyze Security Failures

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-10-17

total number of non-blackouts differed from the total number in the baseline data to a statistically significant extent with a p- valueɘ.0003...the total number of non-blackouts differed from the total number in the baseline data to a statistically significant extent with a p-valueɘ.0003...I. Nikolic, and Z. Lukszo, Eds., Agent-based modelling of socio-technical systems. Springer Science & Business Media, 2013, vol. 9. [12] A. P. Shaw

AGRI Grain Power ethanol-for-fuel project feasibility-study report. Volume III. Project environmental/health/safety/ and socioeconomic

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

Not Available

1981-04-01

The AGRI GRAIN POWER (AGP) project, hereafter referred to as the Project, was formed to evaluate the commercial viability and assess the desireability of implementing a large grain based grass-roots anhydrous ethanol fuel project to be sited near Des Moines, Iowa. This report presents the results of a Project feasibility evaluation. The Project concept is based on involving a very strong managerial, financial and technical joint venture that is extremely expert in all facets of planning and implementing a large ethanol project; on locating the ethanol project at a highly desireable site; on utilizing a proven ethanol process; and onmore » developing a Project that is well suited to market requirements, resource availability and competitive factors. This volume contains the results of the environmental, health, safety, and socio-economic studies.« less

Evaluation of aviation-based safety team training in a hospital in The Netherlands.

PubMed

De Korne, Dirk F; Van Wijngaarden, Jeroen D H; Van Dyck, Cathy; Hiddema, U Francis; Klazinga, Niek S

2014-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the implementation of a broad-scale team resource management (TRM) program on safety culture in a Dutch eye hospital, detailing the program's content and procedures. Aviation-based TRM training is recognized as a useful approach to increase patient safety, but little is known about how it affects safety culture. Pre- and post-assessments of the hospitals' safety culture was based on interviews with ophthalmologists, anesthesiologists, residents, nurses, and support staff. Interim observations were made at training sessions and in daily hospital practice. The program consisted of safety audits of processes and (team) activities, interactive classroom training sessions by aviation experts, a flight simulator session, and video recording of team activities with subsequent feedback. Medical professionals considered aviation experts inspiring role models and respected their non-hierarchical external perspective and focus on medical-technical issues. The post-assessment showed that ophthalmologists and other hospital staff had become increasingly aware of safety issues. The multidisciplinary approach promoted social (team) orientation that replaced the former functionally-oriented culture. The number of reported near-incidents greatly increased; the number of wrong-side surgeries stabilized to a minimum after an initial substantial reduction. The study was observational and the hospital's variety of efforts to improve safety culture prevented us from establishing a causal relation between improvement and any one specific intervention. Aviation-based TRM training can be a useful to stimulate safety culture in hospitals. Safety and quality improvements are not single treatment interventions but complex socio-technical interventions. A multidisciplinary system approach and focus on "team" instead of "profession" seems both necessary and difficult in hospital care.

Technical Aspects of Endobronchial Ultrasound-Guided Transbronchial Needle Aspiration: CHEST Guideline and Expert Panel Report.

PubMed

Wahidi, Momen M; Herth, Felix; Yasufuku, Kazuhiro; Shepherd, Ray Wesley; Yarmus, Lonny; Chawla, Mohit; Lamb, Carla; Casey, Kenneth R; Patel, Sheena; Silvestri, Gerard A; Feller-Kopman, David J

2016-03-01

Endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) was introduced in the last decade, enabling real-time guidance of transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA) of mediastinal and hilar structures and parabronchial lung masses. The many publications produced about EBUS-TBNA have led to a better understanding of the performance characteristics of this procedure. The goal of this document was to examine the current literature on the technical aspects of EBUS-TBNA as they relate to patient, technology, and proceduralist factors to provide evidence-based and expert guidance to clinicians. Rigorous methodology has been applied to provide a trustworthy evidence-based guideline and expert panel report. A group of approved panelists developed key clinical questions by using the PICO (population, intervention, comparator, and outcome) format that addressed specific topics on the technical aspects of EBUS-TBNA. MEDLINE (via PubMed) and the Cochrane Library were systematically searched for relevant literature, which was supplemented by manual searches. References were screened for inclusion, and well-recognized document evaluation tools were used to assess the quality of included studies, to extract meaningful data, and to grade the level of evidence to support each recommendation or suggestion. Our systematic review and critical analysis of the literature on 15 PICO questions related to the technical aspects of EBUS-TBNA resulted in 12 statements: 7 evidence-based graded recommendations and 5 ungraded consensus-based statements. Three questions did not have sufficient evidence to generate a statement. Evidence on the technical aspects of EBUS-TBNA varies in strength but is satisfactory in certain areas to guide clinicians on the best conditions to perform EBUS-guided tissue sampling. Additional research is needed to enhance our knowledge regarding the optimal performance of this effective procedure. Copyright © 2016 American College of Chest Physicians. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A brief history and technical review of the expert system research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tan, Haocheng

2017-09-01

The expert system is a computer system that emulates the decision-making ability of a human expert, which aims to solve complex problems by reasoning knowledge. It is an important branch of artificial intelligence. In this paper, firstly, we briefly introduce the development and basic structure of the expert system. Then, from the perspective of the enabling technology, we classify the current expert systems and elaborate four expert systems: The Rule-Based Expert System, the Framework-Based Expert System, the Fuzzy Logic-Based Expert System and the Expert System Based on Neural Network.

How Expert Pilots Think Cognitive Processes in Expert Decision Making

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-02-01

Management (CRM) This document is available to the public Advanced Qualification Program (AQP) through the National Technical Information Cognitive Task Analysis (CTA...8217 Selecting realistic EDM scenarios with critical events and performing a cognitive task analysis of novice vs. expert decision making for these events...scenarios with critical events and performing a cognitive task analysis of novice vs. expert decision making for these events is a basic requirement for

Reliable assessment of laparoscopic performance in the operating room using videotape analysis.

PubMed

Chang, Lily; Hogle, Nancy J; Moore, Brianna B; Graham, Mark J; Sinanan, Mika N; Bailey, Robert; Fowler, Dennis L

2007-06-01

The Global Operative Assessment of Laparoscopic Skills (GOALS) is a valid assessment tool for objectively evaluating the technical performance of laparoscopic skills in surgery residents. We hypothesized that GOALS would reliably differentiate between an experienced (expert) and an inexperienced (novice) laparoscopic surgeon (construct validity) based on a blinded videotape review of a laparoscopic cholecystectomy procedure. Ten board-certified surgeons actively engaged in the practice and teaching of laparoscopy reviewed and evaluated the videotaped operative performance of one novice and one expert laparoscopic surgeon using GOALS. Each reviewer recorded a score for both the expert and the novice videotape reviews in each of the 5 domains in GOALS (depth perception, bimanual dexterity, efficiency, tissue handling, and overall competence). The scores for the expert and the novice were compared and statistically analyzed using single-factor analysis of variance (ANOVA). The expert scored significantly higher than the novice did in the domains of depth perception (p = .005), bimanual dexterity (p = .001), efficiency (p = .001), and overall competence ( p = .001). Interrater reliability for the reviewers of the novice tape was Cronbach alpha = .93 and the expert tape was Cronbach alpha = .87. There was no difference between the two for tissue handling. The Global Operative Assessment of Laparoscopic Skills is a valid, objective assessment tool for evaluating technical surgical performance when used to blindly evaluate an intraoperative videotape recording of a laparoscopic procedure.

Cost Risk Analysis Based on Perception of the Engineering Process

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dean, Edwin B.; Wood, Darrell A.; Moore, Arlene A.; Bogart, Edward H.

1986-01-01

In most cost estimating applications at the NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC), it is desirable to present predicted cost as a range of possible costs rather than a single predicted cost. A cost risk analysis generates a range of cost for a project and assigns a probability level to each cost value in the range. Constructing a cost risk curve requires a good estimate of the expected cost of a project. It must also include a good estimate of expected variance of the cost. Many cost risk analyses are based upon an expert's knowledge of the cost of similar projects in the past. In a common scenario, a manager or engineer, asked to estimate the cost of a project in his area of expertise, will gather historical cost data from a similar completed project. The cost of the completed project is adjusted using the perceived technical and economic differences between the two projects. This allows errors from at least three sources. The historical cost data may be in error by some unknown amount. The managers' evaluation of the new project and its similarity to the old project may be in error. The factors used to adjust the cost of the old project may not correctly reflect the differences. Some risk analyses are based on untested hypotheses about the form of the statistical distribution that underlies the distribution of possible cost. The usual problem is not just to come up with an estimate of the cost of a project, but to predict the range of values into which the cost may fall and with what level of confidence the prediction is made. Risk analysis techniques that assume the shape of the underlying cost distribution and derive the risk curve from a single estimate plus and minus some amount usually fail to take into account the actual magnitude of the uncertainty in cost due to technical factors in the project itself. This paper addresses a cost risk method that is based on parametric estimates of the technical factors involved in the project being costed. The engineering process parameters are elicited from the engineer/expert on the project and are based on that expert's technical knowledge. These are converted by a parametric cost model into a cost estimate. The method discussed makes no assumptions about the distribution underlying the distribution of possible costs, and is not tied to the analysis of previous projects, except through the expert calibrations performed by the parametric cost analyst.

Analysis of the Technical Writing Profession through the DACUM Process.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nolan, Timothy; Green, Marc

To help develop a curriculum program for technical writers, Cincinnati Technical College used the Developing a Curriculum (DACUM) method to produce a technical writing skills profile. DACUM develops an occupation analysis through a modified brainstorming process by a panel of expert workers under the direction of a qualified coordinator. This…

A socio-technical critique of tiered services: implications for interprofessional care.

PubMed

Hood, Rick

2015-01-01

In the health and social care sector, tiered services have become an increasingly influential way of organising professional expertise to address the needs of vulnerable people. Drawing on its application to UK child welfare services, this paper discusses the merits of the tiered model from a socio-technical perspective - an approach that has emerged from the fields of accident analysis and systems design. The main elements of a socio-technical critique are outlined and used to explore how tiered services provide support to families and prevent harm to children. Attention is drawn to the distribution of expertise and resources in a tiered system, and to the role of referral and gate-keeping procedures in dispersing accountability for outcomes. An argument is made for designing systems "against demand", and the paper concludes by discussing some alternative models of multi-agency provision.

New tools for an old trade: a socio-technical appraisal of how electronic decision support is used by primary care practitioners.

PubMed

Peiris, David; Usherwood, Tim; Weeramanthri, Tarun; Cass, Alan; Patel, Anushka

2011-11-01

This article explores Australian general practitioners' (GPs) views on a novel electronic decision support (EDS) tool being developed for cardiovascular disease management. We use Timmermans and Berg's technology-in-practice approach to examine how technologies influence and are influenced by the social networks in which they are placed. In all, 21 general practitioners who piloted the tool were interviewed. The tool occupied an ill-defined middle ground in a dialectical relationship between GPs' routine care and factors promoting best practice. Drawing on Lipsky's concept of 'street-level bureaucrats', the tool's ability to process workloads expeditiously was of greatest appeal to GPs. This feature of the tool gave it the potential to alter the structure, process and content of healthcare encounters. The credibility of EDS tools appears to be mediated by fluid notions of best practice, based on an expert scrutiny of the evidence, synthesis via authoritative guidelines and dissemination through trusted and often informal networks. Balanced against this is the importance of 'soft' forms of knowledge such as intuition and timing in everyday decision-making. This resonates with Aristotle's theory of phronesis (practical wisdom) and may render EDS tools inconsequential if they merely process biomedical data. While EDS tools show promise in improving health practitioner performance, the socio-technical dimensions of their implementation warrant careful consideration. © 2011 The Authors. Sociology of Health & Illness © 2011 Foundation for the Sociology of Health & Illness/Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Comparison of a traditional with a new approach based on Graph Theory to vulnerability assessment to natural hazards: a study case on a socio-economic complex system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arosio, Marcello; Martina, Mario L. V.

2017-04-01

The emergent behaviour of the contemporary complex, socio-technical and interconnected society makes the collective risk greater than the sum of the parts and this requires a holistic, systematic and integrated approach. Although there have been major improvements in recent years, there are still some limitation in term of a holistic approach that is able to include the emergent value hidden in the connections between exposed elements and the interactions between the different spheres of the multi-hazards, vulnerability, exposure and resilience. To deal with these challenges it is necessary to consider the connections between the exposed elements (e.g. populations, schools, hospital, etc.) and to quantify the relative importance of the elements and their interconnections (e.g. the need of injured people to go to hospital or children to school). In a system (e.g. road, hospital and ecological network, etc.), or in a System of System (e.g. socio-technical urban service), there are critical elements that, beyond the intrinsic vulnerability, can be characterized by greater or lower vulnerability because of their physical, geographical, cyber or logical connections. To this aim, we propose in this study a comparative analysis between traditional reductionist approach and a new holistic approach to vulnerability assessment to natural hazards. The analysis considers a study case of a socio-economic complex system through an innovative approach based on the properties of graph G=(N,L). A graph consists of two sets N (nodes) and L (links): the nodes represent the single exposed elements (physical, social, environmental, etc.) to a hazard, while the links (or connections) represent the interaction between the elements. The final goal is to illustrate an application of this innovative approach of integrated collective vulnerability assessment.

Capturing farm diversity with hypothesis-based typologies: An innovative methodological framework for farming system typology development

PubMed Central

Alvarez, Stéphanie; Timler, Carl J.; Michalscheck, Mirja; Paas, Wim; Descheemaeker, Katrien; Tittonell, Pablo; Andersson, Jens A.; Groot, Jeroen C. J.

2018-01-01

Creating typologies is a way to summarize the large heterogeneity of smallholder farming systems into a few farm types. Various methods exist, commonly using statistical analysis, to create these typologies. We demonstrate that the methodological decisions on data collection, variable selection, data-reduction and clustering techniques can bear a large impact on the typology results. We illustrate the effects of analysing the diversity from different angles, using different typology objectives and different hypotheses, on typology creation by using an example from Zambia’s Eastern Province. Five separate typologies were created with principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA), based on three different expert-informed hypotheses. The greatest overlap between typologies was observed for the larger, wealthier farm types but for the remainder of the farms there were no clear overlaps between typologies. Based on these results, we argue that the typology development should be guided by a hypothesis on the local agriculture features and the drivers and mechanisms of differentiation among farming systems, such as biophysical and socio-economic conditions. That hypothesis is based both on the typology objective and on prior expert knowledge and theories of the farm diversity in the study area. We present a methodological framework that aims to integrate participatory and statistical methods for hypothesis-based typology construction. This is an iterative process whereby the results of the statistical analysis are compared with the reality of the target population as hypothesized by the local experts. Using a well-defined hypothesis and the presented methodological framework, which consolidates the hypothesis through local expert knowledge for the creation of typologies, warrants development of less subjective and more contextualized quantitative farm typologies. PMID:29763422

Capturing farm diversity with hypothesis-based typologies: An innovative methodological framework for farming system typology development.

PubMed

Alvarez, Stéphanie; Timler, Carl J; Michalscheck, Mirja; Paas, Wim; Descheemaeker, Katrien; Tittonell, Pablo; Andersson, Jens A; Groot, Jeroen C J

2018-01-01

Creating typologies is a way to summarize the large heterogeneity of smallholder farming systems into a few farm types. Various methods exist, commonly using statistical analysis, to create these typologies. We demonstrate that the methodological decisions on data collection, variable selection, data-reduction and clustering techniques can bear a large impact on the typology results. We illustrate the effects of analysing the diversity from different angles, using different typology objectives and different hypotheses, on typology creation by using an example from Zambia's Eastern Province. Five separate typologies were created with principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA), based on three different expert-informed hypotheses. The greatest overlap between typologies was observed for the larger, wealthier farm types but for the remainder of the farms there were no clear overlaps between typologies. Based on these results, we argue that the typology development should be guided by a hypothesis on the local agriculture features and the drivers and mechanisms of differentiation among farming systems, such as biophysical and socio-economic conditions. That hypothesis is based both on the typology objective and on prior expert knowledge and theories of the farm diversity in the study area. We present a methodological framework that aims to integrate participatory and statistical methods for hypothesis-based typology construction. This is an iterative process whereby the results of the statistical analysis are compared with the reality of the target population as hypothesized by the local experts. Using a well-defined hypothesis and the presented methodological framework, which consolidates the hypothesis through local expert knowledge for the creation of typologies, warrants development of less subjective and more contextualized quantitative farm typologies.

What defines an Expert? - Uncertainty in the interpretation of seismic data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bond, C. E.

2008-12-01

Studies focusing on the elicitation of information from experts are concentrated primarily in economics and world markets, medical practice and expert witness testimonies. Expert elicitation theory has been applied in the natural sciences, most notably in the prediction of fluid flow in hydrological studies. In the geological sciences expert elicitation has been limited to theoretical analysis with studies focusing on the elicitation element, gaining expert opinion rather than necessarily understanding the basis behind the expert view. In these cases experts are defined in a traditional sense, based for example on: standing in the field, no. of years of experience, no. of peer reviewed publications, the experts position in a company hierarchy or academia. Here traditional indicators of expertise have been compared for significance on affective seismic interpretation. Polytomous regression analysis has been used to assess the relative significance of length and type of experience on the outcome of a seismic interpretation exercise. Following the initial analysis the techniques used by participants to interpret the seismic image were added as additional variables to the analysis. Specific technical skills and techniques were found to be more important for the affective geological interpretation of seismic data than the traditional indicators of expertise. The results of a seismic interpretation exercise, the techniques used to interpret the seismic and the participant's prior experience have been combined and analysed to answer the question - who is and what defines an expert?

An Approach to the Reuse of Technical Materials for Educational Purposes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Levinstein, Irwin; Bryant, Wayne H. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

This project addresses the problem of transforming technical documents intended for a technical audience into educational materials directed toward segments of the general public. In particular it addresses the conversion of technical material into Internet based educational materials. A major consideration of the project is the conservation of the time of subject matter experts in the organization in recognition of the fact that such experts are likely to be more valuable to the organization for purposes other than the production of educational outreach.

Development of a framework for resilience measurement: Suggestion of fuzzy Resilience Grade (RG) and fuzzy Resilience Early Warning Grade (REWG).

PubMed

Omidvar, Mohsen; Mazloumi, Adel; Mohammad Fam, Iraj; Nirumand, Fereshteh

2017-01-01

Resilience engineering (RE) can be an alternative technique to the traditional risk assessment and management techniques, to predict and manage safety conditions of modern socio-technical organizations. While traditional risk management approaches are retrospective and highlight error calculation and computation of malfunction possibilities, resilience engineering seeks ways to improve capacity at all levels of organizations in order to build strong yet flexible processes. Considering the resilience potential measurement as a concern in complex working systems, the aim of this study was to quantify the resilience by the help of fuzzy sets and Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) techniques. In this paper, we adopted the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) method to measure resilience in a gas refinery plant. A resilience assessment framework containing six indicators, each with its own sub-indicators, was constructed. Then, the fuzzy weights of the indicators and the sub-indicators were derived from pair-wise comparisons conducted by experts. The fuzzy evaluating vectors of the indicators and the sub-indicators computed according to the initial assessment data. Finally, the Comprehensive Resilience Index (CoRI), Resilience Grade (RG), and Resilience Early Warning Grade (REWG) were established. To demonstrate the applicability of the proposed method, an illustrative example in a gas refinery complex (an instance of socio-technical systems) was provided. CoRI of the refinery ranked as "III". In addition, for the six main indicators, RG and REWG ranked as "III" and "NEWZ", respectively, except for C3, in which RG ranked as "II", and REWG ranked as "OEWZ". The results revealed the engineering practicability and usefulness of the proposed method in resilience evaluation of socio-technical systems.

Multi-objective, multiple participant decision support for water management in the Andarax catchment, Almeria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Cauwenbergh, N.; Pinte, D.; Tilmant, A.; Frances, I.; Pulido-Bosch, A.; Vanclooster, M.

2008-04-01

Water management in the Andarax river basin (Almeria, Spain) is a multi-objective, multi-participant, long-term decision-making problem that faces several challenges. Adequate water allocation needs informed decisions to meet increasing socio-economic demands while respecting the environmental integrity of this basin. Key players in the Andarax water sector include the municipality of Almeria, the irrigators involved in the intensive greenhouse agricultural sector, and booming second residences. A decision support system (DSS) is developed to rank different sustainable planning and management alternatives according to their socio-economic and environmental performance. The DSS is intimately linked to sustainability indicators and is designed through a public participation process. Indicators are linked to criteria reflecting stakeholders concerns in the 2005 field survey, such as fulfilling water demand, water price, technical and economical efficiency, social and environmental impacts. Indicators can be partly quantified after simulating the operation of the groundwater reservoir over a 20-year planning period and partly through a parallel expert evaluation process. To predict the impact of future water demand in the catchment, several development scenarios are designed to be evaluated in the DSS. The successive multi-criteria analysis of the performance indicators permits the ranking of the different management alternatives according to the multiple objectives formulated by the different sectors/participants. This allows more informed and transparent decision-making processes for the Andarax river basin, recognizing both the socio-economic and environmental dimensions of water resources management.

Human Systems Center Products and Progress.

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-10-01

and (CASHE:PVS). CASHE:PVS version 1.0 is a CD-ROM- As a precursor to developing collaborative based hypermedia- ergonomic information base design...computer-generated image to determine if the Crew System Ergonomics Information Analysis activity is physically possible. Expert system Center known as...and facility issues relative Federal Drug Administration, and Centers for to dentistry . The scope includes technical Disease Control to establish

Handbook of Methods for the Evaluation of Water Conservation for Municipal and Industrial Water Supply.

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-10-01

complex process of data collection, selection and application of analysis methodologies, identification and evaluation of technical, socio -econmic and...area and political subdivision data. Two solutions are available: (a) disaggregate demographic and socio -econanic data to the service area (this...century. with this as an example, and data limitations can extend from the limits of knowledge of climate to limits of data on socio -econamic

Factors influencing societal response of nanotechnology: an expert stakeholder analysis.

PubMed

Gupta, Nidhi; Fischer, Arnout R H; van der Lans, Ivo A; Frewer, Lynn J

2012-05-01

Nanotechnology can be described as an emerging technology and, as has been the case with other emerging technologies such as genetic modification, different socio-psychological factors will potentially influence societal responses to its development and application. These factors will play an important role in how nanotechnology is developed and commercialised. This article aims to identify expert opinion on factors influencing societal response to applications of nanotechnology. Structured interviews with experts on nanotechnology from North West Europe were conducted using repertory grid methodology in conjunction with generalized Procrustes analysis to examine the psychological constructs underlying societal uptake of 15 key applications of nanotechnology drawn from different areas (e.g. medicine, agriculture and environment, chemical, food, military, sports, and cosmetics). Based on expert judgement, the main factors influencing societal response to different applications of nanotechnology will be the extent to which applications are perceived to be beneficial, useful, and necessary, and how 'real' and physically close to the end-user these applications are perceived to be by the public. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11051-012-0857-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Transferring Codified Knowledge: Socio-Technical versus Top-Down Approaches

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guzman, Gustavo; Trivelato, Luiz F.

2008-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to analyse and evaluate the transfer process of codified knowledge (CK) performed under two different approaches: the "socio-technical" and the "top-down". It is argued that the socio-technical approach supports the transfer of CK better than the top-down approach. Design/methodology/approach: Case study methodology was…

Developing and Validating the Socio-Technical Model in Ontology Engineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silalahi, Mesnan; Indra Sensuse, Dana; Giri Sucahyo, Yudho; Fadhilah Akmaliah, Izzah; Rahayu, Puji; Cahyaningsih, Elin

2018-03-01

This paper describes results from an attempt to develop a model in ontology engineering methodology and a way to validate the model. The approach to methodology in ontology engineering is from the point view of socio-technical system theory. Qualitative research synthesis is used to build the model using meta-ethnography. In order to ensure the objectivity of the measurement, inter-rater reliability method was applied using a multi-rater Fleiss Kappa. The results show the accordance of the research output with the diamond model in the socio-technical system theory by evidence of the interdependency of the four socio-technical variables namely people, technology, structure and task.

Validation of a novel duplex ultrasound objective structured assessment of technical skills (DUOSATS) for arterial stenosis detection.

PubMed

Jaffer, U; Singh, P; Pandey, V A; Aslam, M; Standfield, N J

2014-01-01

Duplex ultrasound facilitates bedside diagnosis and hence timely patient care. Its uptake has been hampered by training and accreditation issues. We have developed an assessment tool for Duplex arterial stenosis measurement for both simulator and patient based training. A novel assessment tool: duplex ultrasound assessment of technical skills was developed. A modified duplex ultrasound assessment of technical skills was used for simulator training. Novice, intermediate experience and expert users of duplex ultrasound were invited to participate. Participants viewed an instructional video and were allowed ample time to familiarize with the equipment. Participants' attempts were recorded and independently assessed by four experts using the modified duplex ultrasound assessment of technical skills. 'Global' assessment was also done on a four point Likert scale. Content, construct and concurrent validity as well as reliability were evaluated. Content and construct validity as well as reliability were demonstrated. The simulator had good satisfaction rating from participants: median 4; range 3-5. Receiver operator characteristic analysis has established a cut point of 22/ 34 and 25/ 40 were most appropriate for simulator and patient based assessment respectively. We have validated a novel assessment tool for duplex arterial stenosis detection. Further work is underway to establish transference validity of simulator training to improved skill in scanning patients. We have developed and validated duplex ultrasound assessment of technical skills for simulator training.

Mapping the global health employment market: an analysis of global health jobs.

PubMed

Keralis, Jessica M; Riggin-Pathak, Brianne L; Majeski, Theresa; Pathak, Bogdan A; Foggia, Janine; Cullinen, Kathleen M; Rajagopal, Abbhirami; West, Heidi S

2018-02-27

The number of university global health training programs has grown in recent years. However, there is little research on the needs of the global health profession. We therefore set out to characterize the global health employment market by analyzing global health job vacancies. We collected data from advertised, paid positions posted to web-based job boards, email listservs, and global health organization websites from November 2015 to May 2016. Data on requirements for education, language proficiency, technical expertise, physical location, and experience level were analyzed for all vacancies. Descriptive statistics were calculated for the aforementioned job characteristics. Associations between technical specialty area and requirements for non-English language proficiency and overseas experience were calculated using Chi-square statistics. A qualitative thematic analysis was performed on a subset of vacancies. We analyzed the data from 1007 global health job vacancies from 127 employers. Among private and non-profit sector vacancies, 40% (n = 354) were for technical or subject matter experts, 20% (n = 177) for program directors, and 16% (n = 139) for managers, compared to 9.8% (n = 87) for entry-level and 13.6% (n = 120) for mid-level positions. The most common technical focus area was program or project management, followed by HIV/AIDS and quantitative analysis. Thematic analysis demonstrated a common emphasis on program operations, relations, design and planning, communication, and management. Our analysis shows a demand for candidates with several years of experience with global health programs, particularly program managers/directors and technical experts, with very few entry-level positions accessible to recent graduates of global health training programs. It is unlikely that global health training programs equip graduates to be competitive for the majority of positions that are currently available in this field.

Final Technical Report on Quantifying Dependability Attributes of Software Based Safety Critical Instrumentation and Control Systems in Nuclear Power Plants

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

Smidts, Carol; Huang, Funqun; Li, Boyuan

With the current transition from analog to digital instrumentation and control systems in nuclear power plants, the number and variety of software-based systems have significantly increased. The sophisticated nature and increasing complexity of software raises trust in these systems as a significant challenge. The trust placed in a software system is typically termed software dependability. Software dependability analysis faces uncommon challenges since software systems’ characteristics differ from those of hardware systems. The lack of systematic science-based methods for quantifying the dependability attributes in software-based instrumentation as well as control systems in safety critical applications has proved itself to be amore » significant inhibitor to the expanded use of modern digital technology in the nuclear industry. Dependability refers to the ability of a system to deliver a service that can be trusted. Dependability is commonly considered as a general concept that encompasses different attributes, e.g., reliability, safety, security, availability and maintainability. Dependability research has progressed significantly over the last few decades. For example, various assessment models and/or design approaches have been proposed for software reliability, software availability and software maintainability. Advances have also been made to integrate multiple dependability attributes, e.g., integrating security with other dependability attributes, measuring availability and maintainability, modeling reliability and availability, quantifying reliability and security, exploring the dependencies between security and safety and developing integrated analysis models. However, there is still a lack of understanding of the dependencies between various dependability attributes as a whole and of how such dependencies are formed. To address the need for quantification and give a more objective basis to the review process -- therefore reducing regulatory uncertainty -- measures and methods are needed to assess dependability attributes early on, as well as throughout the life-cycle process of software development. In this research, extensive expert opinion elicitation is used to identify the measures and methods for assessing software dependability. Semi-structured questionnaires were designed to elicit expert knowledge. A new notation system, Causal Mechanism Graphing, was developed to extract and represent such knowledge. The Causal Mechanism Graphs were merged, thus, obtaining the consensus knowledge shared by the domain experts. In this report, we focus on how software contributes to dependability. However, software dependability is not discussed separately from the context of systems or socio-technical systems. Specifically, this report focuses on software dependability, reliability, safety, security, availability, and maintainability. Our research was conducted in the sequence of stages found below. Each stage is further examined in its corresponding chapter. Stage 1 (Chapter 2): Elicitation of causal maps describing the dependencies between dependability attributes. These causal maps were constructed using expert opinion elicitation. This chapter describes the expert opinion elicitation process, the questionnaire design, the causal map construction method and the causal maps obtained. Stage 2 (Chapter 3): Elicitation of the causal map describing the occurrence of the event of interest for each dependability attribute. The causal mechanisms for the “event of interest” were extracted for each of the software dependability attributes. The “event of interest” for a dependability attribute is generally considered to be the “attribute failure”, e.g. security failure. The extraction was based on the analysis of expert elicitation results obtained in Stage 1. Stage 3 (Chapter 4): Identification of relevant measurements. Measures for the “events of interest” and their causal mechanisms were obtained from expert opinion elicitation for each of the software dependability attributes. The measures extracted are presented in this chapter. Stage 4 (Chapter 5): Assessment of the coverage of the causal maps via measures. Coverage was assessed to determine whether the measures obtained were sufficient to quantify software dependability, and what measures are further required. Stage 5 (Chapter 6): Identification of “missing” measures and measurement approaches for concepts not covered. New measures, for concepts that had not been covered sufficiently as determined in Stage 4, were identified using supplementary expert opinion elicitation as well as literature reviews. Stage 6 (Chapter 7): Building of a detailed quantification model based on the causal maps and measurements obtained. Ability to derive such a quantification model shows that the causal models and measurements derived from the previous stages (Stage 1 to Stage 5) can form the technical basis for developing dependability quantification models. Scope restrictions have led us to prioritize this demonstration effort. The demonstration was focused on a critical system, i.e. the reactor protection system. For this system, a ranking of the software dependability attributes by nuclear stakeholders was developed. As expected for this application, the stakeholder ranking identified safety as the most critical attribute to be quantified. A safety quantification model limited to the requirements phase of development was built. Two case studies were conducted for verification. A preliminary control gate for software safety for the requirements stage was proposed and applied to the first case study. The control gate allows a cost effective selection of the duration of the requirements phase.« less

Socio-Technical Deliberation about Free and Open Source Software: Accounting for the Status of Artifacts in Public Life

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Benoit-Barne, Chantal

2007-01-01

This essay investigates the rhetorical practices of socio-technical deliberation about free and open source (F/OS) software, providing support for the idea that a public sphere is a socio-technical ensemble that is discursive and fluid, yet tangible and organized because it is enacted by both humans and non-humans. In keeping with the empirical…

The multi-level perspective analysis: Indonesia geothermal energy transition study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wisaksono, A.; Murphy, J.; Sharp, J. H.; Younger, P. L.

2018-01-01

The study adopts a multi-level perspective in technology transition to analyse how the transition process in the development of geothermal energy in Indonesia is able to compete against the incumbent fossil-fuelled energy sources. Three levels of multi-level perspective are socio-technical landscape (ST-landscape), socio-technical regime (ST-regime) and niche innovations in Indonesia geothermal development. The identification, mapping and analysis of the dynamic relationship between each level are the important pillars of the multi-level perspective framework. The analysis considers the set of rules, actors and controversies that may arise in the technological transition process. The identified geothermal resource risks are the basis of the emerging geothermal technological innovations in Indonesian geothermal. The analysis of this study reveals the transition pathway, which yields a forecast for the Indonesian geothermal technology transition in the form of scenarios and probable impacts.

Four Common Simplifications of Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis do not hold for River Rehabilitation

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

River rehabilitation aims at alleviating negative effects of human impacts such as loss of biodiversity and reduction of ecosystem services. Such interventions entail difficult trade-offs between different ecological and often socio-economic objectives. Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) is a very suitable approach that helps assessing the current ecological state and prioritizing river rehabilitation measures in a standardized way, based on stakeholder or expert preferences. Applications of MCDA in river rehabilitation projects are often simplified, i.e. using a limited number of objectives and indicators, assuming linear value functions, aggregating individual indicator assessments additively, and/or assuming risk neutrality of experts. Here, we demonstrate an implementation of MCDA expert preference assessments to river rehabilitation and provide ample material for other applications. To test whether the above simplifications reflect common expert opinion, we carried out very detailed interviews with five river ecologists and a hydraulic engineer. We defined essential objectives and measurable quality indicators (attributes), elicited the experts´ preferences for objectives on a standardized scale (value functions) and their risk attitude, and identified suitable aggregation methods. The experts recommended an extensive objectives hierarchy including between 54 and 93 essential objectives and between 37 to 61 essential attributes. For 81% of these, they defined non-linear value functions and in 76% recommended multiplicative aggregation. The experts were risk averse or risk prone (but never risk neutral), depending on the current ecological state of the river, and the experts´ personal importance of objectives. We conclude that the four commonly applied simplifications clearly do not reflect the opinion of river rehabilitation experts. The optimal level of model complexity, however, remains highly case-study specific depending on data and resource availability, the context, and the complexity of the decision problem. PMID:26954353

Development of Lesson Plans and Student Worksheets Based Socio-Scientific Issues on Pollution Environmental Topic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahayu, S.; Meyliana, M.; Arlingga, A.; Reny, R.; Siahaan, P.; Hernani, H.

2017-09-01

The aim of this study is to develop lesson plans and student worksheets based socio-scientific issues on pollution environmental topic for seventh-grade junior high school students. Environmental pollution topic split into several subtopics namely air pollution, water pollution and soil pollution. The composing of lesson plans were developed based on socio-scientific issues with five stages, namely (1) Motivate; (2) Challenge; (3) Collect scientific evidence; (4) Analyse the evidence; (5) Build knowledge and make connections; and (6) Use evidence. While student worksheets contain articles on socio-scientific issues, practice, and there are a few questions to determine students’ reasoning. The method that is used in this research is research and development (R & D method). Development model used in this study is a model of Plomp that consists of four stages, namely: (1) Initial Research; (2) Design; (3) Realization or Construction; (4) Testing, evaluation and revision; (5) Implementation, while the research was limited to the fourth stage. Lesson plans and student worksheets based on socio-scientific issues was validated through an expert validation. The result showed that lesson plans and student worksheets based socio-scientific issues on pollution theme have a very decent and be able to apply in science classroom.

Complex socio-technical systems: Characterization and management guidelines.

PubMed

Righi, Angela Weber; Saurin, Tarcisio Abreu

2015-09-01

Although ergonomics has paid increasing attention to the perspective of complexity, methods for its operationalization are scarce. This study introduces a framework for the operationalization of the "attribute view" of complexity, which involves: (i) the delimitation of the socio-technical system (STS); (ii) the description of four complexity attributes, namely a large number of elements in dynamic interactions, a wide diversity of elements, unexpected variability, and resilience; (iii) the assessment of six management guidelines, namely design slack, give visibility to processes and outcomes, anticipate and monitor the impacts of small changes, monitor the gap between prescription and practice, encourage diversity of perspectives when making decisions, and create an environment that supports resilience; and (iv) the identification of leverage points for improving the STS design, based on both the analysis of relationships among the attributes and their classification as irreducible/manageable complexity, and liability/asset. The use of the framework is illustrated by the study of an emergency department of a University hospital. Data collection involved analysis of documents, observations of work at the front-line, interviews with employees, and the application of questionnaires. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

High-level user interfaces for transfer function design with semantics.

PubMed

Salama, Christof Rezk; Keller, Maik; Kohlmann, Peter

2006-01-01

Many sophisticated techniques for the visualization of volumetric data such as medical data have been published. While existing techniques are mature from a technical point of view, managing the complexity of visual parameters is still difficult for non-expert users. To this end, this paper presents new ideas to facilitate the specification of optical properties for direct volume rendering. We introduce an additional level of abstraction for parametric models of transfer functions. The proposed framework allows visualization experts to design high-level transfer function models which can intuitively be used by non-expert users. The results are user interfaces which provide semantic information for specialized visualization problems. The proposed method is based on principal component analysis as well as on concepts borrowed from computer animation.

Care networking: a study of technical mediations in a home telecare service.

PubMed

Correa, Gonzalo; Domènech, Miquel

2013-07-22

This article examines the processes of technical mediation within familial care networks based on a study of home telecare targeted at older people. Supported by contributions from the actor-network theory as part of the social psychology of science and technology, these processes of technical mediation are analyzed using a qualitative approach. The data were gathered through six focus groups and four in-depth interviews; the participants in the study included users, relatives and formal carers. Thematic analysis techniques encompassing the information were used, revealing the effects on the patterns of caring relationships. The results show the interplay between presence-absence made possible by the devices; the two-way direction of care between the older people and the artifacts; and the process of sustaining care using the technology. We conclude that care should be seen as a socio-technical network where technology plays an active role in sustaining family relationships.

Care Networking: A Study of Technical Mediations in a Home Telecare Service

PubMed Central

Correa, Gonzalo; Domènech, Miquel

2013-01-01

This article examines the processes of technical mediation within familial care networks based on a study of home telecare targeted at older people. Supported by contributions from the actor—network theory as part of the social psychology of science and technology, these processes of technical mediation are analyzed using a qualitative approach. The data were gathered through six focus groups and four in-depth interviews; the participants in the study included users, relatives and formal carers. Thematic analysis techniques encompassing the information were used, revealing the effects on the patterns of caring relationships. The results show the interplay between presence-absence made possible by the devices; the two-way direction of care between the older people and the artifacts; and the process of sustaining care using the technology. We conclude that care should be seen as a socio-technical network where technology plays an active role in sustaining family relationships. PMID:23880730

Risk Interfaces to Support Integrated Systems Analysis and Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mindock, Jennifer; Lumpkins, Sarah; Shelhamer, Mark; Anton, Wilma; Havenhill, Maria

2016-01-01

Objectives for systems analysis capability: Develop integrated understanding of how a complex human physiological-socio-technical mission system behaves in spaceflight. Why? Support development of integrated solutions that prevent unwanted outcomes (Implementable approaches to minimize mission resources(mass, power, crew time, etc.)); Support development of tools for autonomy (need for exploration) (Assess and maintain resilience -individuals, teams, integrated system). Output of this exercise: -Representation of interfaces based on Human System Risk Board (HSRB) Risk Summary information and simple status based on Human Research Roadmap; Consolidated HSRB information applied to support communication; Point-of-Departure for HRP Element planning; Ability to track and communicate status of collaborations. 4

A marketing approach to carpool demand analysis. Technical memorandum II. Survey tabulations and evaluation. Conservation paper. [Commuter survey in 3 major urban areas

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

Not Available

1976-07-01

The memorandum contains many detailed tabulations, cross tabulations, and major conclusions for policy assessment resulting from a survey taken in connection with a research effort examining the role of individuals attitudes and perceptions in deciding whether or not to carpool. The research was based upon a survey of commuters in 3 major urban areas and has resulted in a sizeable new data base on respondents' socio-economic and worktrip characteristics, travel perceptions, and travel preferences.

Structural Analysis of Technical-Tactical Elements in Table Tennis and their Role in Different Playing Zones.

PubMed

Munivrana, Goran; Petrinović, Lidija Zekan; Kondrič, Miran

2015-09-29

For the purpose of determining the overall structure of technical-tactical elements in table tennis and evaluating their role in different playing zones around the table, a new measuring instrument (a questionnaire) was formulated that took advantage of the expert knowledge of top, world class table tennis coaches. The results of the hierarchical taxonomic (cluster) analysis showed that the overall structure of the technical-tactical elements forming the table tennis technique could be divided into three basic groups; a group of technical-tactical elements (A) used in the phase of preparing one's own and disabling the opponent's attack; a group of technical-tactical elements (B) used in the phase of attack and counterattack; and a group of technical-tactical elements (C) used in the phase of defense. The differences among the obtained groups of table tennis elements were determined by applying the Kruskal-Wallis test, while relations between the groups and their role in different playing zones around the table were analyzed by comparing the average values of the experts' scores.

Characterization of biosurfactant produced by petrofilic bacteria isolated from hydrocarbon impacted soil and its potential application in bioremediation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arsyah, D. M.; Kardena, E.; Helmy, Q.

2018-01-01

The study adopts a multi-level perspective in technology transition to analyse how the transition process in the development of geothermal energy in Indonesia is able to compete against the incumbent fossil-fuelled energy sources. Three levels of multi-level perspective are socio-technical landscape (ST-landscape), socio-technical regime (ST-regime) and niche innovations in Indonesia geothermal development. The identification, mapping and analysis of the dynamic relationship between each level are the important pillars of the multi-level perspective framework. The analysis considers the set of rules, actors and controversies that may arise in the technological transition process. The identified geothermal resource risks are the basis of the emerging geothermal technological innovations in Indonesian geothermal. The analysis of this study reveals the transition pathway, which yields a forecast for the Indonesian geothermal technology transition in the form of scenarios and probable impacts.

Environmental and natural resource implications of sustainable urban infrastructure systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bergesen, Joseph D.; Suh, Sangwon; Baynes, Timothy M.; Kaviti Musango, Josephine

2017-12-01

As cities grow, their environmental and natural resource footprints also tend to grow to keep up with the increasing demand on essential urban services such as passenger transportation, commercial space, and thermal comfort. The urban infrastructure systems, or socio-technical systems providing these services are the major conduits through which natural resources are consumed and environmental impacts are generated. This paper aims to gauge the potential reductions in environmental and resources footprints through urban transformation, including the deployment of resource-efficient socio-technical systems and strategic densification. Using hybrid life cycle assessment approach combined with scenarios, we analyzed the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, water use, metal consumption and land use of selected socio-technical systems in 84 cities from the present to 2050. The socio-technical systems analyzed are: (1) bus rapid transit with electric buses, (2) green commercial buildings, and (3) district energy. We developed a baseline model for each city considering gross domestic product, population density, and climate conditions. Then, we overlaid three scenarios on top of the baseline model: (1) decarbonization of electricity, (2) aggressive deployment of resource-efficient socio-technical systems, and (3) strategic urban densification scenarios to each city and quantified their potentials in reducing the environmental and resource impacts of cities by 2050. The results show that, under the baseline scenario, the environmental and natural resource footprints of all 84 cities combined would increase 58%-116% by 2050. The resource-efficient scenario along with strategic densification, however, has the potential to curve down GHG emissions to 17% below the 2010 level in 2050. Such transformation can also limit the increase in all resource footprints to less than 23% relative to 2010. This analysis suggests that resource-efficient urban infrastructure and decarbonization of electricity coupled with strategic densification have a potential to mitigate resources and environmental footprints of growing cities.

Bridging analytical approaches for low-carbon transitions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geels, Frank W.; Berkhout, Frans; van Vuuren, Detlef P.

2016-06-01

Low-carbon transitions are long-term multi-faceted processes. Although integrated assessment models have many strengths for analysing such transitions, their mathematical representation requires a simplification of the causes, dynamics and scope of such societal transformations. We suggest that integrated assessment model-based analysis should be complemented with insights from socio-technical transition analysis and practice-based action research. We discuss the underlying assumptions, strengths and weaknesses of these three analytical approaches. We argue that full integration of these approaches is not feasible, because of foundational differences in philosophies of science and ontological assumptions. Instead, we suggest that bridging, based on sequential and interactive articulation of different approaches, may generate a more comprehensive and useful chain of assessments to support policy formation and action. We also show how these approaches address knowledge needs of different policymakers (international, national and local), relate to different dimensions of policy processes and speak to different policy-relevant criteria such as cost-effectiveness, socio-political feasibility, social acceptance and legitimacy, and flexibility. A more differentiated set of analytical approaches thus enables a more differentiated approach to climate policy making.

77 FR 15753 - Request for Nominations of Experts for a Science Advisory Board Panel To Review EPA's Web-Based...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-16

... Advisory Board Panel To Review EPA's Web-Based Report on the Environment AGENCY: Environmental Protection... nominations of technical experts to form an SAB panel to review the Agency's Web-based Report on the... procedural policies. EPA's Web-based Report on the Environment (ROE) has been developed to provide a...

Embedding Entrepreneurs in Improving The Skills Of Entrepreneurs of Technology-Based Vocational School In Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Imam Agung, Achmad; Mukhadis, Amat; Sutadji, Eddy; Purnomo

2018-04-01

This study aims to identify the characteristics of entrepreneurship/entrepreneurial potential-based technology, for in order to develop the traits of an entrepreneur-based technology in Indonesia in general and Surabaya in particular. This specification aims to: 1) determine the profile of the socio-demographic and entrepreneur of technology experts (technopreneur), technology developers and students; 5) determine the need for the skills of an entrepreneur-based technology; and 3) recommend actions that will improve the skills of technology-based entrepreneurship. This study is a small study, the type of this research is research and development with a quantitative approach, whereas the respondents as the following: taken random participants 5 technology developers, 5 entrepreneurs of technology-based, and the students 10 of the vocational school in Surabaya . A tool of descriptive statistics (i.e., count the frequency, tools and analysis cross-tabular) is used to analyze the data. Score the competence of the entrepreneur personally from the respondents was also determined. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and analysis of T-test is further used to determine the significance of differences in average values between the nature of the Competence of the entrepreneur personal in between the groups of respondents are different. The results showed that the entrepreneurial technology-based and students are significantly different from the experts of today’s technology in search of opportunities, risk-taking and self-confidence. The need for the development of entrepreneurship skill-based technopreneur. Shortcomings search of opportunity, self-confidence, risk taking, networking and negotiation and an essential characteristic of the Competence of the entrepreneur and another private between the developer and the students should be addressed by a special program and training program in the future and/or courses and programs were instituted in entrepreneurship. Components of the training and business/technical of the project can consider the traits that should be improved among developers and students; it becomes the need of the skills of the entrepreneur-based technology to the future. To develop the traits of the Competence of the Entrepreneur’s Personal, competition, training and business seminars, investor forums, the exhibition and the exhibition of technology-based products and should be followed on a regular basis. These activities can be coordinated by the Ministry of Cooperatives and SMES, training centres and technology entrepreneur better it states or private. In addition, the activities of the clinic and assisting the business in coordination with the department of management and other related

Planning bioinformatics workflows using an expert system.

PubMed

Chen, Xiaoling; Chang, Jeffrey T

2017-04-15

Bioinformatic analyses are becoming formidably more complex due to the increasing number of steps required to process the data, as well as the proliferation of methods that can be used in each step. To alleviate this difficulty, pipelines are commonly employed. However, pipelines are typically implemented to automate a specific analysis, and thus are difficult to use for exploratory analyses requiring systematic changes to the software or parameters used. To automate the development of pipelines, we have investigated expert systems. We created the Bioinformatics ExperT SYstem (BETSY) that includes a knowledge base where the capabilities of bioinformatics software is explicitly and formally encoded. BETSY is a backwards-chaining rule-based expert system comprised of a data model that can capture the richness of biological data, and an inference engine that reasons on the knowledge base to produce workflows. Currently, the knowledge base is populated with rules to analyze microarray and next generation sequencing data. We evaluated BETSY and found that it could generate workflows that reproduce and go beyond previously published bioinformatics results. Finally, a meta-investigation of the workflows generated from the knowledge base produced a quantitative measure of the technical burden imposed by each step of bioinformatics analyses, revealing the large number of steps devoted to the pre-processing of data. In sum, an expert system approach can facilitate exploratory bioinformatic analysis by automating the development of workflows, a task that requires significant domain expertise. https://github.com/jefftc/changlab. jeffrey.t.chang@uth.tmc.edu. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

Planning bioinformatics workflows using an expert system

PubMed Central

Chen, Xiaoling; Chang, Jeffrey T.

2017-01-01

Abstract Motivation: Bioinformatic analyses are becoming formidably more complex due to the increasing number of steps required to process the data, as well as the proliferation of methods that can be used in each step. To alleviate this difficulty, pipelines are commonly employed. However, pipelines are typically implemented to automate a specific analysis, and thus are difficult to use for exploratory analyses requiring systematic changes to the software or parameters used. Results: To automate the development of pipelines, we have investigated expert systems. We created the Bioinformatics ExperT SYstem (BETSY) that includes a knowledge base where the capabilities of bioinformatics software is explicitly and formally encoded. BETSY is a backwards-chaining rule-based expert system comprised of a data model that can capture the richness of biological data, and an inference engine that reasons on the knowledge base to produce workflows. Currently, the knowledge base is populated with rules to analyze microarray and next generation sequencing data. We evaluated BETSY and found that it could generate workflows that reproduce and go beyond previously published bioinformatics results. Finally, a meta-investigation of the workflows generated from the knowledge base produced a quantitative measure of the technical burden imposed by each step of bioinformatics analyses, revealing the large number of steps devoted to the pre-processing of data. In sum, an expert system approach can facilitate exploratory bioinformatic analysis by automating the development of workflows, a task that requires significant domain expertise. Availability and Implementation: https://github.com/jefftc/changlab Contact: jeffrey.t.chang@uth.tmc.edu PMID:28052928

Movement evaluation of front crawl swimming: Technical skill versus aesthetic quality

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

The study aim was to compare expert with non-expert swimmers’ rating of the aesthetic and technical qualities of front crawl in video-taped recordings of swimmers with low, middle, and high level proficiency. The results suggest that: i) observers’ experience affects their judgment: only the expert observers correctly rated the swimmers’ proficiency level; ii) evaluation of movement (technical and aesthetic scores) is correlated with the level of skill as expressed in the kinematics of the observed action (swimming speed, stroke frequency, and stroke length); iii) expert and non-expert observers use different strategies to rate the aesthetic and technical qualities of movement: equating the technical skill with the aesthetic quality is a general rule non-expert observers follow in the evaluation of human movement. PMID:28886063

An integrated multi criteria approach for landfill siting in a conflicting environmental, economical and socio-cultural area.

PubMed

Eskandari, Mahnaz; Homaee, Mehdi; Mahmodi, Shahla

2012-08-01

Landfill site selection is a complicated multi criteria land use planning that should convince all related stakeholders with different insights. This paper addresses an integrating approach for landfill siting based on conflicting opinions among environmental, economical and socio-cultural expertise. In order to gain optimized siting decision, the issue was investigated in different viewpoints. At first step based on opinion sampling and questionnaire results of 35 experts familiar with local situations, the national environmental legislations and international practices, 13 constraints and 15 factors were built in hierarchical structure. Factors divided into three environmental, economical and socio-cultural groups. In the next step, the GIS-database was developed based on the designated criteria. In the third stage, the criteria standardization and criteria weighting were accomplished. The relative importance weights of criteria and subcriteria were estimated, respectively, using analytical hierarchy process and rank ordering methods based on different experts opinions. Thereafter, by using simple additive weighting method, the suitability maps for landfill siting in Marvdasht, Iran, was evaluated in environmental, economical and socio-cultural visions. The importance of each group of criteria in its own vision was assigned to be higher than two other groups. In the fourth stage, the final suitability map was obtained after crossing three resulted maps in different visions and reported in five suitability classes for landfill construction. This map indicated that almost 1224 ha of the study area can be considered as best suitable class for landfill siting considering all visions. In the last stage, a comprehensive field visit was performed to verify the selected site obtained from the proposed model. This field inspection has confirmed the proposed integrating approach for the landfill siting. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Disaster risk reduction and 'built-in' resilience: towards overarching principles for construction practice.

PubMed

Bosher, Lee; Dainty, Andrew

2011-01-01

The emerging emphasis on disaster risk reduction has broadened the range of experts whose knowledge must be garnered to resolve complex socio-technical challenges. This paper examines the role and position of the construction sector for addressing these concerns. Specifically, it examines the recursive nature of practices within the built environment, which can be seen as deeply ingraining fragmented approaches to the development process. These, in turn, render the industry a difficult arena within which to enact structural and cultural change. Based on a wide body of literature on resiliency a set of overarching principles are proffered to help inform efforts to overcome some of the barriers to creating a more resilient built environment. It is argued that these principles offer a point of departure for embedding resilience considerations at both project and institutional levels, although real change would demand challenging some of the conventions that currently underpin construction development. © 2011 The Author(s). Disasters © Overseas Development Institute, 2011.

A quasi-Delphi study on technological barriers to the uptake of hydrogen as a fuel for transport applications-Production, storage and fuel cell drivetrain considerations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hart, David; Anghel, Alexandra T.; Huijsmans, Joep; Vuille, François

The introduction of hydrogen in transport, particularly using fuel cell vehicles, faces a number of technical and non-technical hurdles. However, their relative importance is unclear, as are the levels of concern accorded them within the expert community conducting research and development within this area. To understand what issues are considered by experts working in the field to have significant potential to slow down or prevent the introduction of hydrogen technology in transport, a study was undertaken, primarily during 2007. Three key technology areas within hydrogen transport were selected - hydrogen storage, fuel cell drivetrains, and small-scale hydrogen production - and interviews with selected experts conducted. Forty-nine experts from 34 organisations within the fuel cell, automotive, industrial gas and other related industries participated, in addition to some key academic and government figures. The survey was conducted in China, Japan, North America and Europe, and analysed using conventional mathematical techniques to provide weighted and averaged rankings of issues viewed as important by the experts. It became clear both from the interviews and the subsequent analysis that while a primary concern in China was fundamental technical performance, in the other regions cost and policy were rated more highly. Although a few individual experts identified possible technical showstoppers, the overall message was that pre-commercial hydrogen fuel cell vehicles could realistically be on the road in tens of thousands within 5 years, and that full commercialisation could take place within 10-15 years, without the need for radical technical breakthroughs. Perhaps surprisingly, the performance of hydrogen storage technologies was not viewed as a showstopper, though cost was seen as a significant challenge. Overall, however, coherent policy development was more frequently identified as a major issue to address.

Regulatory decision-making under uncertainty: are costs proportionate to benefits when restricting dangerous chemicals on European markets?

PubMed

Brouwer, Roy; Cauchi, Jonathan; Verhoeven, Julia

2014-04-01

Since 2007 regulation 1907/2006/EC concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) is in force in Europe to reduce the adverse effects of hazardous chemical substances on human health and the environment. Implementation of the regulation by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) is supported by a Socio-Economic Analysis (SEA) Committee, consisting of European experts who help prepare ECHA's opinion on proposals for either restricting or authorizing dangerous substances. This paper presents the outcomes of the SEA underlying the first restriction proposals. Member states proposing a restriction have to show that it will reduce the risks to an acceptable level at a cost which is proportionate to the avoided risk. What is considered proportionate is not clearly defined in REACH. The opinion making process is characterized by many uncertainties: the expert group had no previous experiences to fall back on and limited information about the expected costs and benefits of the proposed restrictions. The study provides insight into expert opinions on environmental and health risks under uncertainty in the specific context of REACH. Particular attention is paid to the confidence experts place on the estimated socio-economic benefits of the avoided risks compared to the estimated compliance costs. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Identifying the relevant features of the National Digital Cadastral Database (NDCDB) for spatial analysis by using the Delphi Technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Halim, N. Z. A.; Sulaiman, S. A.; Talib, K.; Ng, E. G.

2018-02-01

This paper explains the process carried out in identifying the relevant features of the National Digital Cadastral Database (NDCDB) for spatial analysis. The research was initially a part of a larger research exercise to identify the significance of NDCDB from the legal, technical, role and land-based analysis perspectives. The research methodology of applying the Delphi technique is substantially discussed in this paper. A heterogeneous panel of 14 experts was created to determine the importance of NDCDB from the technical relevance standpoint. Three statements describing the relevant features of NDCDB for spatial analysis were established after three rounds of consensus building. It highlighted the NDCDB’s characteristics such as its spatial accuracy, functions, and criteria as a facilitating tool for spatial analysis. By recognising the relevant features of NDCDB for spatial analysis in this study, practical application of NDCDB for various analysis and purpose can be widely implemented.

Improving a health information system for real-time data entries: An action research project using socio-technical systems theory.

PubMed

Adaba, Godfried Bakiyem; Kebebew, Yohannes

2018-03-01

This paper presents the findings of an action research (AR) project to improve a health information system (HIS) at the Operating Theater Department (OTD) of a National Health Service (NHS) hospital in South East England, the UK. Informed by socio-technical systems (STS) theory, AR was used to design an intervention to enhance an existing patient administration system (PAS) to enable data entries in real time while contributing to the literature. The study analyzed qualitative data collected through interviews, participant observations, and document reviews. The study found that the design of the PAS was unsuitable to the work of the three units of the OTD. Based on the diagnoses and STS theory, the project developed and implemented a successful intervention to enhance the legacy system for data entries in real time. The study demonstrates the value of AR from a socio-technical perspective for improving existing systems in healthcare settings. The steps adopted in this study could be applied to improve similar systems. A follow-up study will be essential to assess the sustainability of the improved system.

Satellite Earth observation data to identify anthropogenic pressures in selected protected areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nagendra, Harini; Mairota, Paola; Marangi, Carmela; Lucas, Richard; Dimopoulos, Panayotis; Honrado, João Pradinho; Niphadkar, Madhura; Mücher, Caspar A.; Tomaselli, Valeria; Panitsa, Maria; Tarantino, Cristina; Manakos, Ioannis; Blonda, Palma

2015-05-01

Protected areas are experiencing increased levels of human pressure. To enable appropriate conservation action, it is critical to map and monitor changes in the type and extent of land cover/use and habitat classes, which can be related to human pressures over time. Satellite Earth observation (EO) data and techniques offer the opportunity to detect such changes. Yet association with field information and expert interpretation by ecologists is required to interpret, qualify and link these changes to human pressure. There is thus an urgent need to harmonize the technical background of experts in the field of EO data analysis with the terminology of ecologists, protected area management authorities and policy makers in order to provide meaningful, context-specific value-added EO products. This paper builds on the DPSIR framework, providing a terminology to relate the concepts of state, pressures, and drivers with the application of EO analysis. The type of pressure can be inferred through the detection of changes in state (i.e. changes in land cover and/or habitat type and/or condition). Four broad categories of changes in state are identified, i.e. land cover/habitat conversion, land cover/habitat modification, habitat fragmentation and changes in landscape connectivity, and changes in plant community structure. These categories of change in state can be mapped through EO analyses, with the goal of using expert judgement to relate changes in state to causal direct anthropogenic pressures. Drawing on expert knowledge, a set of protected areas located in diverse socio-ecological contexts and subject to a variety of pressures are analysed to (a) link the four categories of changes in state of land cover/habitats to the drivers (anthropogenic pressure), as relevant to specific target land cover and habitat classes; (b) identify (for pressure mapping) the most appropriate spatial and temporal EO data sources as well as interpretations from ecologists and field data useful in connection with EO data analysis. We provide detailed examples for two protected areas, demonstrating the use of EO data for detection of land cover/habitat change, coupled with expert interpretation to relate such change to specific anthropogenic pressures. We conclude with a discussion of the limitations and feasibility of using EO data and techniques to identify anthropogenic pressures, suggesting additional research efforts required in this direction.

Renewable energy education and industrial arts: linking knowledge producers with knowledge

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

Foley, R.L.

This study introduces renewable energy technology into the industrial arts programs in the State of New Hampshire by providing the following information for decision making: (1) a broad-based perspective on renewable energy technology; (2) the selection of an educational change model; (3) data from a needs analysis; (4) an initial screening of potential teacher-trainers. The Wolf-Welsh Linkage Model was selected as the knowledge production/utilization model for bridging the knowledge gap between renewable energy experts and industrial arts teachers. Ninety-six renewable energy experts were identified by a three-step peer nomination process (92% response rate). The experts stressed the conceptual foundations, economicmore » justifications, and the scientific and quantitative basics of renewable energy technology. The teachers focused on wood-burning technology, educational strategies, and the more popular alternative energy sources such as windpower, hydropower, photovoltaics, and biomass. The most emphatic contribution of the needs analysis was the experts' and teachers' shared perception that residential/commercial building design, retrofitting, and construction is the single most important practical, technical area for the application of renewable energy technology.« less

Computer technologies and institutional memory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bell, Christopher; Lachman, Roy

1989-01-01

NASA programs for manned space flight are in their 27th year. Scientists and engineers who worked continuously on the development of aerospace technology during that period are approaching retirement. The resulting loss to the organization will be considerable. Although this problem is general to the NASA community, the problem was explored in terms of the institutional memory and technical expertise of a single individual in the Man-Systems division. The main domain of the expert was spacecraft lighting, which became the subject area for analysis in these studies. The report starts with an analysis of the cumulative expertise and institutional memory of technical employees of organizations such as NASA. A set of solutions to this problem are examined and found inadequate. Two solutions were investigated at length: hypertext and expert systems. Illustrative examples were provided of hypertext and expert system representation of spacecraft lighting. These computer technologies can be used to ameliorate the problem of the loss of invaluable personnel.

Report on the technical review workshop on the reference dose for Aroclor 1016. Held in Washington, DC on May 24-25, 1994

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

NONE

1994-11-01

The report includes information and material from a technical review workshop organized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency`s (EPA`s) Risk Assessment Forum for EPA`s Reference Dose/Reference Concentration (RfD/RfC) Work Group. The meeting was held in Washington, DC, at the Barcelo Washington Hotel on May 24-25, 1994. The subject of the technical review was the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) RfD entry for Aroclor 1016, a polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB). The expert technical review panel was convened to independently evaluate whether the RfD for Aroclor 1016 is based on a scientifically responsible analysis that represents full consideration of the available data andmore » clean articulation of that analysis in the IRIS RfD entry. EPA also requested panel members to consider four broad options for the Aroclor 1016 RfD as potential recommendations to the RfD/RfC Work Group.« less

Understanding Teamwork in Trauma Resuscitation through Analysis of Team Errors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sarcevic, Aleksandra

2009-01-01

An analysis of human errors in complex work settings can lead to important insights into the workspace design. This type of analysis is particularly relevant to safety-critical, socio-technical systems that are highly dynamic, stressful and time-constrained, and where failures can result in catastrophic societal, economic or environmental…

Ecosystem service valuations of mangrove ecosystems to inform decision making and future valuation exercises.

PubMed

Mukherjee, Nibedita; Sutherland, William J; Dicks, Lynn; Hugé, Jean; Koedam, Nico; Dahdouh-Guebas, Farid

2014-01-01

The valuation of ecosystem services is a complex process as it includes several dimensions (ecological, socio-cultural and economic) and not all of these can be quantified in monetary units. The aim of this paper is to conduct an ecosystem services valuation study for mangroves ecosystems, the results of which can be used to inform governance and management of mangroves. We used an expert-based participatory approach (the Delphi technique) to identify, categorize and rank the various ecosystem services provided by mangrove ecosystems at a global scale. Subsequently we looked for evidence in the existing ecosystem services literature for monetary valuations of these ecosystem service categories throughout the biogeographic distribution of mangroves. We then compared the relative ranking of ecosystem service categories between the monetary valuations and the expert based analysis. The experts identified 16 ecosystem service categories, six of which are not adequately represented in the literature. There was no significant correlation between the expert based valuation (the Delphi technique) and the economic valuation, indicating that the scope of valuation of ecosystem services needs to be broadened. Acknowledging this diversity in different valuation approaches, and developing methodological frameworks that foster the pluralism of values in ecosystem services research, are crucial for maintaining the credibility of ecosystem services valuation. To conclude, we use the findings of our dual approach to valuation to make recommendations on how to assess and manage the ecosystem services provided by mangrove ecosystems.

Ecosystem Service Valuations of Mangrove Ecosystems to Inform Decision Making and Future Valuation Exercises

PubMed Central

Mukherjee, Nibedita; Sutherland, William J.; Dicks, Lynn; Hugé, Jean; Koedam, Nico; Dahdouh-Guebas, Farid

2014-01-01

The valuation of ecosystem services is a complex process as it includes several dimensions (ecological, socio-cultural and economic) and not all of these can be quantified in monetary units. The aim of this paper is to conduct an ecosystem services valuation study for mangroves ecosystems, the results of which can be used to inform governance and management of mangroves. We used an expert-based participatory approach (the Delphi technique) to identify, categorize and rank the various ecosystem services provided by mangrove ecosystems at a global scale. Subsequently we looked for evidence in the existing ecosystem services literature for monetary valuations of these ecosystem service categories throughout the biogeographic distribution of mangroves. We then compared the relative ranking of ecosystem service categories between the monetary valuations and the expert based analysis. The experts identified 16 ecosystem service categories, six of which are not adequately represented in the literature. There was no significant correlation between the expert based valuation (the Delphi technique) and the economic valuation, indicating that the scope of valuation of ecosystem services needs to be broadened. Acknowledging this diversity in different valuation approaches, and developing methodological frameworks that foster the pluralism of values in ecosystem services research, are crucial for maintaining the credibility of ecosystem services valuation. To conclude, we use the findings of our dual approach to valuation to make recommendations on how to assess and manage the ecosystem services provided by mangrove ecosystems. PMID:25243852

[Retrospective analysis of primary disability among employees of enterprises for the production of technical ceramics].

PubMed

Serebryakov, P V; Khoshtariya, N V; Mustafina, I Z

On the example of588 disability cases registered in employees of the plant for the production of technical ceramics during the 1975-2014 the analysis of the dynamics of illness, gender and age structure of disability indices on the main Origlnarartlcie and auxiliary units of the enterprise was executed for the interval of 10 years periods. There were followed trends in the alteration of the structure of the disability caused by the socio-economic, hygienic and demographic factors.

Community-based livestock breeding programmes: essentials and examples.

PubMed

Mueller, J P; Rischkowsky, B; Haile, A; Philipsson, J; Mwai, O; Besbes, B; Valle Zárate, A; Tibbo, M; Mirkena, T; Duguma, G; Sölkner, J; Wurzinger, M

2015-04-01

Breeding programmes described as community-based (CBBP) typically relate to low-input systems with farmers having a common interest to improve and share their genetic resources. CBBPs are more frequent with keepers of small ruminants, in particular smallholders of local breeds, than with cattle, pigs or chickens with which farmers may have easier access to alternative programmes. Constraints that limit the adoption of conventional breeding technologies in low-input systems cover a range of organizational and technical aspects. The analysis of 8 CBBPs located in countries of Latin-America, Africa and Asia highlights the importance of bottom-up approaches and involvement of local institutions in the planning and implementation stages. The analysis also reveals a high dependence of these programmes on organizational, technical and financial support. Completely self-sustained CBBPs seem to be difficult to realize. There is a need to implement and document formal socio-economic evaluations of CBBPs to provide governments and other development agencies with the information necessary for creating sustainable CBBPs at larger scales. © 2015 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Integrating diverse scientific and practitioner knowledge in ecological risk analysis: a case study of biodiversity risk assessment in South Africa.

PubMed

Dana, G V; Kapuscinski, A R; Donaldson, J S

2012-05-15

Ecological risk analysis (ERA) is a structured evaluation of threats to species, natural communities, and ecosystem processes from pollutants and toxicants and more complicated living stressors such as invasive species, genetically modified organisms, and biological control agents. Such analyses are typically conducted by a narrowly-focused group of scientific experts using technical information. We evaluate whether the inclusion of more diverse experts and practitioners in ERA improved the ecological knowledge base about South African biodiversity and the potential impacts of genetically modified (GM) crops. We conducted two participatory ERA workshops in South Africa, analyzing potential impacts of GM maize on biodiversity. The first workshop involved only four biological scientists, who were joined by 18 diverse scientists and practitioners in the second, and we compared the ERA process and results between the two using descriptive statistics and semi-structured interview responses. The addition of diverse experts and practitioners led to a more comprehensive understanding of biological composition of the agro-ecosystem and a more ecologically relevant set of hazards, but impeded hazard prioritization and the generation of precise risk assessment values. Results suggest that diverse participation can improve the scoping or problem formulation of the ERA, by generating an ecologically robust set of information on which to base the subsequent, more technical risk assessment. The participatory ERA process also increased the transparency of the ERA by exposing the logic and rationale for decisions made at each step. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bioethics for Technical Experts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asano, Shigetaka

Along with rapidly expanding applications of life science and technology, technical experts have been implicated more and more often with ethical, social, and legal problems than before. It should be noted that in this background there are scientific and social uncertainty elements which are inevitable during the progress of life science in addition to the historically-established social unreliability to scientists and engineers. In order to solve these problems, therefore, we should establish the social governance with ‘relief’ and ‘reliance’ which enables for both citizens and engineers to share the awareness of the issues, to design social orders and criterions based on hypothetical sense of values for bioethics, to carry out practical use management of each subject carefully, and to improve the sense of values from hypothetical to universal. Concerning these measures, the technical experts can learn many things from the present performance in the medical field.

Probabilistic Structural Analysis Methods (PSAM) for select space propulsion system components

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

This annual report summarizes the work completed during the third year of technical effort on the referenced contract. Principal developments continue to focus on the Probabilistic Finite Element Method (PFEM) which has been under development for three years. Essentially all of the linear capabilities within the PFEM code are in place. Major progress in the application or verifications phase was achieved. An EXPERT module architecture was designed and partially implemented. EXPERT is a user interface module which incorporates an expert system shell for the implementation of a rule-based interface utilizing the experience and expertise of the user community. The Fast Probability Integration (FPI) Algorithm continues to demonstrate outstanding performance characteristics for the integration of probability density functions for multiple variables. Additionally, an enhanced Monte Carlo simulation algorithm was developed and demonstrated for a variety of numerical strategies.

Energy Levels and Co-evolution of Product Innovation in Supply Chain Clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ji, Guojun

In the last decade supply chain clusters phenomenon has emerged as a new approach in product innovation studies. This article makes three contributions to the approach by addressing some open issues. The first contribution is to explicitly incorporate the energy levels in the analysis. Hence, the unit of analysis is widened from sectoral systems of innovation to socio-technical systems. Hence, the unit of analysis is widened from sectoral systems of innovation to socio-technical systems. The second contribution is to suggest an analytical distinction between different evolution method, actors involved in them, and the institutions which guide actor's perceptions and activities. Thirdly, the article opens up the black box of institutions, making them an integral part of supply chain. The article provides a coherent conceptual multi-level perspective, using insights from sociology, institutional theory and innovation studies. The perspective is particularly useful to analyze long-term dynamics supply chain clusters phenomenon, shifts from one energy level to another and the co-evolution of product innovation.

Socio-technical transition as a co-evolutionary process: Innovation and the role of niche markets in the transition to motor vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Birky, Alicia K.

2008-10-01

Significant reductions in greenhouse emissions from personal transportation will require a transition to an alternative technology regime based on renewable energy sources. Two bodies of research, the quasi-evolutionary (QE) model and the multi-level perspective (MLP) assert that processes within niches play a fundamental role in such transitions. This research asks whether the description of transitions based on this niche hypothesis and its underlying assumptions is consistent with the historical U.S. transition to motor vehicles at the beginning of the 20th century. Unique to this dissertation is the combination of the perspective of the entrepreneur with co-evolutionary approaches to socio-technical transitions. This approach is augmented with concepts from the industry life-cycle model and with a taxonomy of mechanisms of learning. Using this analytic framework, I examine specifically the role of entrepreneurial behavior and processes within and among firms in the co-evolution of technologies and institutions during the transition to motor vehicles. I find that niche markets played an important role in the development of the technology, institutions, and the industry. However, I also find that the diffusion of the automobile is not consistent with the niche hypothesis in the following ways: (1) product improvements and cost reductions were not realized in niche markets, but were achieved simultaneously with diffusion into mass markets; (2) in addition to learning-by-doing and learning-by-interacting with users, knowledge spillovers and interacting with suppliers were critical in this process; (3) cost reductions were not automatic results of expanding markets, but rather arose from the strategies of entrepreneurs based on personal perspectives and values. This finding supports the use of a behavioral approach with a micro-focus in the analysis of socio-technical change. I also find that the emergence and diffusion of the motor vehicle can only be understood by considering the combination of developments and processes in multiple regimes, within niches, and within the wider technical, institutional, and ecological complex (TIEC). For the automobile, the process of regime development was more consistent with a fit-stretch pattern of gradual unfolding and adaptation than one of niche proliferation and rapid regime renewal described in the literature.

Australian Defense.

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-12-01

the Joint Intelligence Organization ( JIO ) came into existence. It was only an analysis and information agency and did not collect intelligence. It was...34to provide expert technical analysis and the best kind of judgment on kinds of security problems that might arise." 3 The JIO brought sections of the... JIO char er detailed its function of intelligence assessments "on military, economic, scientific, and technical matters affecting Australia’s defence

Analytic hierarchy process helps select site for limestone quarry expansion in Barbados.

PubMed

Dey, Prasanta Kumar; Ramcharan, Eugene K

2008-09-01

Site selection is a key activity for quarry expansion to support cement production, and is governed by factors such as resource availability, logistics, costs, and socio-economic-environmental factors. Adequate consideration of all the factors facilitates both industrial productivity and sustainable economic growth. This study illustrates the site selection process that was undertaken for the expansion of limestone quarry operations to support cement production in Barbados. First, alternate sites with adequate resources to support a 25-year development horizon were identified. Second, technical and socio-economic-environmental factors were then identified. Third, a database was developed for each site with respect to each factor. Fourth, a hierarchical model in analytic hierarchy process (AHP) framework was then developed. Fifth, the relative ranking of the alternate sites was then derived through pair wise comparison in all the levels and through subsequent synthesizing of the results across the hierarchy through computer software (Expert Choice). The study reveals that an integrated framework using the AHP can help select a site for the quarry expansion project in Barbados.

Socio-economic factors of bacillary dysentery based on spatial correlation analysis in Guangxi Province, China.

PubMed

Nie, Chengjing; Li, Hairong; Yang, Linsheng; Zhong, Gemei; Zhang, Lan

2014-01-01

In the past decade, bacillary dysentery was still a big public health problem in China, especially in Guangxi Province, where thousands of severe diarrhea cases occur every year. Reported bacillary dysentery cases in Guangxi Province were obtained from local Centers for Diseases Prevention and Control. The 14 socio-economic indexes were selected as potential explanatory variables for the study. The spatial correlation analysis was used to explore the associations between the selected factors and bacillary dysentery incidence at county level, which was based on the software of ArcGIS10.2 and GeoDA 0.9.5i. The proportion of primary industry, the proportion of younger than 5-year-old children in total population, the number of hospitals per thousand persons and the rates of bacillary dysentery incidence show statistically significant positive correlation. But the proportion of secondary industry, per capital GDP, per capital government revenue, rural population proportion, popularization rate of tap water in rural area, access rate to the sanitation toilets in rural, number of beds in hospitals per thousand persons, medical and technical personnel per thousand persons and the rate of bacillary dysentery incidence show statistically significant negative correlation. The socio-economic factors can be divided into four aspects, including economic development, health development, medical development and human own condition. The four aspects were not isolated from each other, but interacted with each other.

Web-based visualisation and analysis of 3D electron-microscopy data from EMDB and PDB.

PubMed

Lagerstedt, Ingvar; Moore, William J; Patwardhan, Ardan; Sanz-García, Eduardo; Best, Christoph; Swedlow, Jason R; Kleywegt, Gerard J

2013-11-01

The Protein Data Bank in Europe (PDBe) has developed web-based tools for the visualisation and analysis of 3D electron microscopy (3DEM) structures in the Electron Microscopy Data Bank (EMDB) and Protein Data Bank (PDB). The tools include: (1) a volume viewer for 3D visualisation of maps, tomograms and models, (2) a slice viewer for inspecting 2D slices of tomographic reconstructions, and (3) visual analysis pages to facilitate analysis and validation of maps, tomograms and models. These tools were designed to help non-experts and experts alike to get some insight into the content and assess the quality of 3DEM structures in EMDB and PDB without the need to install specialised software or to download large amounts of data from these archives. The technical challenges encountered in developing these tools, as well as the more general considerations when making archived data available to the user community through a web interface, are discussed. Copyright © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Technology-related medication errors in a tertiary hospital: a 5-year analysis of reported medication incidents.

PubMed

Samaranayake, N R; Cheung, S T D; Chui, W C M; Cheung, B M Y

2012-12-01

Healthcare technology is meant to reduce medication errors. The objective of this study was to assess unintended errors related to technologies in the medication use process. Medication incidents reported from 2006 to 2010 in a main tertiary care hospital were analysed by a pharmacist and technology-related errors were identified. Technology-related errors were further classified as socio-technical errors and device errors. This analysis was conducted using data from medication incident reports which may represent only a small proportion of medication errors that actually takes place in a hospital. Hence, interpretation of results must be tentative. 1538 medication incidents were reported. 17.1% of all incidents were technology-related, of which only 1.9% were device errors, whereas most were socio-technical errors (98.1%). Of these, 61.2% were linked to computerised prescription order entry, 23.2% to bar-coded patient identification labels, 7.2% to infusion pumps, 6.8% to computer-aided dispensing label generation and 1.5% to other technologies. The immediate causes for technology-related errors included, poor interface between user and computer (68.1%), improper procedures or rule violations (22.1%), poor interface between user and infusion pump (4.9%), technical defects (1.9%) and others (3.0%). In 11.4% of the technology-related incidents, the error was detected after the drug had been administered. A considerable proportion of all incidents were technology-related. Most errors were due to socio-technical issues. Unintended and unanticipated errors may happen when using technologies. Therefore, when using technologies, system improvement, awareness, training and monitoring are needed to minimise medication errors. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Defining and Building an Enriched Learning and Information Environment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodrum, David A.; And Others

1993-01-01

Discusses the development of an Enriched Learning and Information Environment (ELIE). Highlights include technology-based and theory-based frameworks for defining ELIEs; a socio-technical definition; a conceptual prototype; a participatory design process, including iterative design through rapid prototyping; and design issues for technology…

Information Retrieval Diary of an Expert Technical Translator.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cremmins, Edward T.

1984-01-01

Recommends use of entries from the information retrieval diary of Ted Crump, expert technical translator at the National Institute of Health, in the construction of computer models showing how expert translators solve problems of ambiguity in language. Expert and inexpert translation systems, eponyms, abbreviations, and alphabetic solutions are…

Evaluation of colonoscopy technical skill levels by use of an objective kinematic-based system.

PubMed

Obstein, Keith L; Patil, Vaibhav D; Jayender, Jagadeesan; San José Estépar, Raúl; Spofford, Inbar S; Lengyel, Balazs I; Vosburgh, Kirby G; Thompson, Christopher C

2011-02-01

Colonoscopy requires training and experience to ensure accuracy and safety. Currently, no objective, validated process exists to determine when an endoscopist has attained technical competence. Kinematics data describing movements of laparoscopic instruments have been used in surgical skill assessment to define expert surgical technique. We have developed a novel system to record kinematics data during colonoscopy and quantitatively assess colonoscopist performance. To use kinematic analysis of colonoscopy to quantitatively assess endoscopic technical performance. Prospective cohort study. Tertiary-care academic medical center. This study involved physicians who perform colonoscopy. Application of a kinematics data collection system to colonoscopy evaluation. Kinematics data, validated task load assessment instrument, and technical difficulty visual analog scale. All 13 participants completed the colonoscopy to the terminal ileum on the standard colon model. Attending physicians reached the terminal ileum quicker than fellows (median time, 150.19 seconds vs 299.86 seconds; p<.01) with reduced path lengths for all 4 sensors, decreased flex (1.75 m vs 3.14 m; P=.03), smaller tip angulation, reduced absolute roll, and lower curvature of the endoscope. With performance of attending physicians serving as the expert reference standard, the mean kinematic score increased by 19.89 for each decrease in postgraduate year (P<.01). Overall, fellows experienced greater mental, physical, and temporal demand than did attending physicians. Small cohort size. Kinematic data and score calculation appear useful in the evaluation of colonoscopy technical skill levels. The kinematic score appears to consistently vary by year of training. Because this assessment is nonsubjective, it may be an improvement over current methods for determination of competence. Ongoing studies are establishing benchmarks and characteristic profiles of skill groups based on kinematics data. Copyright © 2011 American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Do technical skills correlate with non-technical skills in crisis resource management: a simulation study.

PubMed

Riem, N; Boet, S; Bould, M D; Tavares, W; Naik, V N

2012-11-01

Both technical skills (TS) and non-technical skills (NTS) are key to ensuring patient safety in acute care practice and effective crisis management. These skills are often taught and assessed separately. We hypothesized that TS and NTS are not independent of each other, and we aimed to evaluate the relationship between TS and NTS during a simulated intraoperative crisis scenario. This study was a retrospective analysis of performances from a previously published work. After institutional ethics approval, 50 anaesthesiology residents managed a simulated crisis scenario of an intraoperative cardiac arrest secondary to a malignant arrhythmia. We used a modified Delphi approach to design a TS checklist, specific for the management of a malignant arrhythmia requiring defibrillation. All scenarios were recorded. Each performance was analysed by four independent experts. For each performance, two experts independently rated the technical performance using the TS checklist, and two other experts independently rated NTS using the Anaesthetists' Non-Technical Skills score. TS and NTS were significantly correlated to each other (r=0.45, P<0.05). During a simulated 5 min resuscitation requiring crisis resource management, our results indicate that TS and NTS are related to one another. This research provides the basis for future studies evaluating the nature of this relationship, the influence of NTS training on the performance of TS, and to determine whether NTS are generic and transferrable between crises that require different TS.

Diverse knowledges and competing interests: an essay on socio-technical problem-solving.

PubMed

di Norcia, Vincent

2002-01-01

Solving complex socio-technical problems, this paper claims, involves diverse knowledges (cognitive diversity), competing interests (social diversity), and pragmatism. To explain this view, this paper first explores two different cases: Canadian pulp and paper mill pollution and siting nuclear reactors in systematically sensitive areas of California. Solving such socio-technically complex problems involves cognitive diversity as well as social diversity and pragmatism. Cognitive diversity requires one to not only recognize relevant knowledges but also to assess their validity. Finally, it is suggested, integrating the resultant set of diverse relevant and valid knowledges determines the parameters of the solution space for the problem.

Toward a theory of distributed word expert natural language parsing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rieger, C.; Small, S.

1981-01-01

An approach to natural language meaning-based parsing in which the unit of linguistic knowledge is the word rather than the rewrite rule is described. In the word expert parser, knowledge about language is distributed across a population of procedural experts, each representing a word of the language, and each an expert at diagnosing that word's intended usage in context. The parser is structured around a coroutine control environment in which the generator-like word experts ask questions and exchange information in coming to collective agreement on sentence meaning. The word expert theory is advanced as a better cognitive model of human language expertise than the traditional rule-based approach. The technical discussion is organized around examples taken from the prototype LISP system which implements parts of the theory.

Innovative Socio-Technical Environments in Support of Distributed Intelligence and Lifelong Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fischer, G; Konomi, S.

2007-01-01

Individual, unaided human abilities are constrained. Media have helped us to transcend boundaries in thinking, working, learning and collaborating by supporting "distributed intelligence". Wireless and mobile technologies provide new opportunities for creating novel socio-technical environments and thereby empowering humans, but not without…

The Socio-Technical Design of a Library and Information Science Collaboratory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lassi, Monica; Sonnenwald, Diane H.

2013-01-01

Introduction: We present a prototype collaboratory, a socio-technical platform to support sharing research data collection instruments in library and information science. No previous collaboratory has attempted to facilitate sharing digital research data collection instruments among library and information science researchers. Method: We have…

Supplement to a Methodology for Succession Planning for Technical Experts

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

Kirk, Bernadette Lugue; Cain, Ronald A.; Agreda, Carla L.

This report complements A Methodology for Succession Planning for Technical Experts (Ron Cain, Shaheen Dewji, Carla Agreda, Bernadette Kirk, July 2017), which describes a draft methodology for identifying and evaluating the loss of key technical skills at nuclear operations facilities. This report targets the methodology for identifying critical skills, and the methodology is tested through interviews with selected subject matter experts.

On the design of computer-based models for integrated environmental science.

PubMed

McIntosh, Brian S; Jeffrey, Paul; Lemon, Mark; Winder, Nick

2005-06-01

The current research agenda in environmental science is dominated by calls to integrate science and policy to better understand and manage links between social (human) and natural (nonhuman) processes. Freshwater resource management is one area where such calls can be heard. Designing computer-based models for integrated environmental science poses special challenges to the research community. At present it is not clear whether such tools, or their outputs, receive much practical policy or planning application. It is argued that this is a result of (1) a lack of appreciation within the research modeling community of the characteristics of different decision-making processes including policy, planning, and (2) participation, (3) a lack of appreciation of the characteristics of different decision-making contexts, (4) the technical difficulties in implementing the necessary support tool functionality, and (5) the socio-technical demands of designing tools to be of practical use. This article presents a critical synthesis of ideas from each of these areas and interprets them in terms of design requirements for computer-based models being developed to provide scientific information support for policy and planning. Illustrative examples are given from the field of freshwater resources management. Although computer-based diagramming and modeling tools can facilitate processes of dialogue, they lack adequate simulation capabilities. Component-based models and modeling frameworks provide such functionality and may be suited to supporting problematic or messy decision contexts. However, significant technical (implementation) and socio-technical (use) challenges need to be addressed before such ambition can be realized.

Spatialization of Brazilian pig production: relationship between productive, physical, environmental, and socio-economic variables.

PubMed

da Silva, Isabel C M; Bremm, Bárbara; Teixeira, Jennifer L; Costa, Nathalia S; Barcellos, Júlio O J; Braccini, José; Cesconeto, Robson J; McManus, Concepta

2017-06-01

Brazilian pig production spans over a large territory encompassing regions of different climatic and socio-economic realities. Production, physical, socio-economic, and environmental data were used to characterize pig production in the country. Multivariate analysis evaluated indices including number productivity, production levels, and income from pigs, together with the average area of pig farm and socio-economic variables such as municipal human development index, technical guidance received from agricultural cooperatives and industrial companies, number of family farms, and offtake; and finally, environmental variables: latitude, longitude, annual temperature range, solar radiation index, as well as temperature and humidity index. The Southern region has the largest herd, number of pigs sold/sow, and offtake rate (p < 0.05), followed by the Midwest and Southeast. No significant correlations were seen between production rates and productivity with the socio-economic and environmental variables in the regions of Brazil. Production indexes, productivity, and offtake rate discriminated Northeast and Midwest and Northeast and Southeast regions. The Northern region, with a large area, has few and far-between farms that rear pigs for subsistence. The Northeast region has large herds, but low productivity. Number of slaughtered pigs has been variable over the past three decades, with few states responsible for maintaining high production in Brazil. However, the activity can be effective in any region of the country with technology and technical assistance adapted to regional characteristics.

Understanding critical barriers to implementing a clinical information system in a nursing home through the lens of a socio-technical perspective.

PubMed

Or, Calvin; Dohan, Michael; Tan, Joseph

2014-09-01

This paper addresses key barriers to implementing a clinical information system (CIS) in a Hong Kong nursing home setting, from a healthcare specific socio-technical perspective. Data was collected through field observations (n = 12) and semi-structured individual interviews (n = 18) of CIS stakeholders in a Hong Kong nursing home, and analyzed using the immersion/crystallization approach. Complex interactions relevant to our case were contextualized and interpreted within the perspective of the Sittig-Singh Healthcare Socio-Technical Framework (HSTF). Three broad clusters of implementation barriers from the eight HSTF dimensions were identified: (a) Infrastructure-based barriers, which relate to conflict between government regulations and system functional needs of users; lack of financial support; inconsistency between workflow, work policy, and procedures; and inadequacy of hardware-software infrastructural and technical support; (b) Process-based barriers, which relate to mismatch between the technology, existing work practice and workflow, and communication; low system speed, accessibility, and stability; deficient computer literacy; more experience in health care profession; clinical content inadequacy and unavailability; as well as poor system usefulness and user interface design; and (c) Outcome-based barriers, which relate to the lack of measurement and monitoring of system effectiveness. Two additional dimensions underlining the importance of the ability of a CIS to change are proposed to extend the Sittig-Singh HSTF. First, advocacy would promote the articulation and influence of changes in the system and subsequent outcomes by CIS stakeholders, and second, adaptability would ensure the ability of the system to adjust to emerging needs. The broad set of discovered implementation shortcomings expands prior research on why CIS can fail in nursing home settings. Moreover, our investigation offers a knowledge base and recommendations that can serve as a guide for future implementation strategies and policies in CIS initiatives.

Sociotechnical Walkthrough: A Means for Knowledge Integration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herrmann, Thomas; Loser, Kai-Uwe; Jahnke, Isa

2007-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to show that for the successful development of socio-technical systems it is essential that various stakeholders are able to integrate their different knowledge and perspectives. A method that supports knowledge integration in the course of introduction and development of socio-technical systems is the…

A Bit More to It: Scholarly Communication Forums as Socio-Technical Interaction Networks.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kling, Rob; McKim, Geoffrey; King, Adam

2003-01-01

Examines the conceptual models that help to understand the development and sustainability of scholarly and professional communication forums on the Internet. An alternative information processing model that considers information technologies as Socio-Technical Interaction Networks (STINs) and a method for modeling electronic forums as STINs are…

A socio-technical model to explore urban water systems scenarios.

PubMed

de Haan, Fjalar J; Ferguson, Briony C; Deletic, Ana; Brown, Rebekah R

2013-01-01

This article reports on the ongoing work and research involved in the development of a socio-technical model of urban water systems. Socio-technical means the model is not so much concerned with the technical or biophysical aspects of urban water systems, but rather with the social and institutional implications of the urban water infrastructure and vice versa. A socio-technical model, in the view purported in this article, produces scenarios of different urban water servicing solutions gaining or losing influence in meeting water-related societal needs, like potable water, drainage, environmental health and amenity. The urban water system is parameterised with vectors of the relative influence of each servicing solution. The model is a software implementation of the Multi-Pattern Approach, a theory on societal systems, like urban water systems, and how these develop and go through transitions under various internal and external conditions. Acknowledging that social dynamics comes with severe and non-reducible uncertainties, the model is set up to be exploratory, meaning that for any initial condition several possible future scenarios are produced. This article gives a concise overview of the necessary theoretical background, the model architecture and some initial test results using a drainage example.

A Delphi-Based Framework for systems architecting of in-orbit exploration infrastructure for human exploration beyond Low Earth Orbit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aliakbargolkar, Alessandro; Crawley, Edward F.

2014-01-01

The current debate in the U.S. Human Spaceflight Program focuses on the development of the next generation of man-rated heavy lift launch vehicles. While launch vehicle systems are of critical importance for future exploration, a comprehensive analysis of the entire exploration infrastructure is required to avoid costly pitfalls at early stages of the design process. This paper addresses this need by presenting a Delphi-Based Systems Architecting Framework for integrated architectural analysis of future in-orbit infrastructure for human space exploration beyond Low Earth Orbit. The paper is structured in two parts. The first part consists of an expert elicitation study to identify objectives for the in-space transportation infrastructure. The study was conducted between November 2011 and January 2012 with 15 senior experts involved in human spaceflight in the United States and Europe. The elicitation study included the formation of three expert panels representing exploration, science, and policy stakeholders engaged in a 3-round Delphi study. The rationale behind the Delphi approach, as imported from social science research, is discussed. Finally, a novel version of the Delphi method is presented and applied to technical decision-making and systems architecting in the context of human space exploration. The second part of the paper describes a tradespace exploration study of in-orbit infrastructure coupled with a requirements definition exercise informed by expert elicitation. The uncertainties associated with technical requirements and stakeholder goals are explicitly considered in the analysis. The outcome of the expert elicitation process portrays an integrated view of perceived stakeholder needs within the human spaceflight community. Needs are subsequently converted into requirements and coupled to the system architectures of interest to analyze the correlation between exploration, science, and policy goals. Pareto analysis is used to identify architectures of interest for further consideration by decision-makers. The paper closes with a summary of insights and develops a strategy for evolutionary development of the exploration infrastructure of the incoming decades. The most important result produced by this analysis is the identification of a critical irreducible ambiguity undermining value delivery for the in-space transportation infrastructure of the next three decades: destination choice. Consensus on destination is far from being reached by the community at large, with particular reference to exploration and policy stakeholders. The realization of this ambiguity is a call for NASA to promote an open forum on this topic, and to develop a strong case for policy makers to incentivize investments in the human spaceflight industry in the next decades.

ICT and Knowledge Construction: Towards New Features for the Socio-Technical Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cartelli, Antonio

2007-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide an analysis and review of the sociotechnical approach as a result of analysis of experiences with the introduction of ICT in higher education. Design/methodology/approach: The experiences of the author with the creation of special web sites in palaeography are analysed paying special attention to…

Expert assessments and content analysis of crew communication during ISS missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yusupova, Anna

During the last seven years, we have analyzed the communication patterns between ISS crewmembers and mission control personnel and identified a number of different communication styles between these two groups (Gushin et al, 2005). In this paper, we will report on an external validity check we conducted that compares our findings with those of another study using the same research material. For many years the group of psychologists at the Medical Center of Space Flight Control (TCUMOKO) at the Institute for Biomedical Problems (IBMP) in Moscow has been analyzing audio communication sessions of Russian space crews with the ground-based Mission Control during long-duration spaceflight conditions. We compared week by week texts of the standard weekly monitoring reports made by the TsUP psychological group and audiocommunication of space crews with mission control centers. Expert assessments of the crewmembers' psychological state are made by IBMP psychoneurologists on the basis of daily schedule fulfillment, video and audio materials, and psychophysiological data from board. The second approach was based on the crew-ground communication analysis. For both population of messages we applied two corresponding schemas of content analysis. All statements made in communication sessions and weekly reports were divided into three groups in terms of their communication function (Lomov, 1981): 1) informative function (e.g., demands for information, requests, professional slang); 2) socio-regulatory function (e.g., rational consent or discord, operational complaint, refusal to cooperate); and 3) affective (emotional) function (e.g., encouragement, sympathy, emotional consent or discord). Number of statements of the audiocommunication sessions correlated with corresponding functions (informative, regulatory, affective) of communication in weekly monitioring reports made by experts. Crewmembers verbal behavior expresses its psycho-emotional state which is formulated by expert psychologists in weekly reports. This result shows that both approaches (expert assessment and content analysis of crew communication) can provide us with valuable data concerning crew's psychological state. Statistically significant correlations between crew-ground communication and expert assessment parameters testify that the same patterns of crewmembers behavior could be detected by both methods. 1. Lomov B.F. Problem of communication in psychology. // Problem of communication in psychology. Moscow, Nauka, 1981 2. Gushin V., M.D., Yusupova A., Pustinnikova J., Popova I. Crew-ground control communication styles: preliminary results in psychosocial area. // Proceedings of 56th International Astronautical Congress, Fukuoka 2005.

A Novel Interdisciplinary Approach to Socio-Technical Complexity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bassetti, Chiara

The chapter presents a novel interdisciplinary approach that integrates micro-sociological analysis into computer-vision and pattern-recognition modeling and algorithms, the purpose being to tackle socio-technical complexity at a systemic yet micro-grounded level. The approach is empirically-grounded and both theoretically- and analytically-driven, yet systemic and multidimensional, semi-supervised and computable, and oriented towards large scale applications. The chapter describes the proposed approach especially as for its sociological foundations, and as applied to the analysis of a particular setting --i.e. sport-spectator crowds. Crowds, better defined as large gatherings, are almost ever-present in our societies, and capturing their dynamics is crucial. From social sciences to public safety management and emergency response, modeling and predicting large gatherings' presence and dynamics, thus possibly preventing critical situations and being able to properly react to them, is fundamental. This is where semi/automated technologies can make the difference. The work presented in this chapter is intended as a scientific step towards such an objective.

Bridging the Expert and Citizen Divide: Integrating Public Deliberation to Inform NASA's Asteroid Initiative

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farooque, M.; Tomblin, D. C.; Sittenfeld, D.

2017-12-01

The demand for public engagement in upstream science and technology is fast becoming mainstream. From the National Academies to the European Commission, from geoengineering to gene editing, from artificial intelligence to synthetic biology—there is a growing recognition of the socio-technical nature of the inherent challenges and a variety of calls for earlier and sustained engagement with diverse stakeholders and the general public. Despite a significant increase in the number and sophistication of approaches, institutional and cultural barriers remain, particularly in linking techno-scientific discourse with socio-political discourse. We will report on a 2014 study to use Participatory Technology Assessment (pTA), a method for eliciting informed, deliberative, diverse, and representative citizen views prior to making decisions about science and technology, to inform upstream decisions concerning NASA's Asteroid Initiative. In partnership with NASA, the Expert and Citizen Assessment of Science and Technology (ECAST) network conducted pTA forums in Boston and Phoenix to assess citizens' preferences and values about potential options for asteroid detection, mitigation, and retrieval and the deployment of the Capability Driven Framework as a planning instrument for a journey to Mars. We describe the three-step trans-disciplinary research process applied for (a) issue framing and deliberation design, (b) content development and participant recruitment, and (c) value assessments and results integration. We present result highlights, describe how they were used, and what kind of impact they had on decisions made by NASA. We discuss the influence this project had on subsequent initiatives by NOAA for climate resilience planning and by DOE for nuclear waste management. We conclude with our thoughts on (i) a new institutional model and (ii) research, application and adaptation opportunities going forward focusing on the role pTA can play to bridge the divide between societal needs and experts decision-making.

Examining Co-Teaching through a Socio-Technical Systems Lens

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Isherwood, Robert S.; Barger-Anderson, Richard; Erickson, Matthew

2012-01-01

Qualitative research was conducted in a large suburban school district implementing co-teaching as a new service delivery model for special education. Researchers examined the changes that resulted from the new service delivery model using a socio-technical systems lens. This framework views schools as open systems that contain a structural, task,…

Promoting Teachers' Learning and Knowledge Building in a Socio-Technical System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tammets, Kairit; Pata, Kai; Laanpere, Mart

2013-01-01

The study proposes a way in which the learning and knowledge building (LKB) framework, which is consistent with the knowledge conversion phases proposed by Nonaka and Takeuchi, supports teachers' informal and self-directed workplace learning. An LKB framework in a socio-technical system was developed to support professional development in an…

An intelligent tutoring system for space shuttle diagnosis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, William B.; Norton, Jeffrey E.; Duncan, Phillip C.

1988-01-01

An Intelligent Tutoring System (ITS) transcends conventional computer-based instruction. An ITS is capable of monitoring and understanding student performance thereby providing feedback, explanation, and remediation. This is accomplished by including models of the student, the instructor, and the expert technician or operator in the domain of interest. The space shuttle fuel cell is the technical domain for the project described below. One system, Microcomputer Intelligence for Technical Training (MITT), demonstrates that ITS's can be developed and delivered, with a reasonable amount of effort and in a short period of time, on a microcomputer. The MITT system capitalizes on the diagnostic training approach called Framework for Aiding the Understanding of Logical Troubleshooting (FAULT) (Johnson, 1987). The system's embedded procedural expert was developed with NASA's C-Language Integrated Production (CLIP) expert system shell (Cubert, 1987).

Implementing assessments of robot-assisted technical skill in urological education: a systematic review and synthesis of the validity evidence.

PubMed

Goldenberg, Mitchell G; Lee, Jason Y; Kwong, Jethro C C; Grantcharov, Teodor P; Costello, Anthony

2018-03-31

To systematically review and synthesise the validity evidence supporting intraoperative and simulation-based assessments of technical skill in urological robot-assisted surgery (RAS), and make evidence-based recommendations for the implementation of these assessments in urological training. A literature search of the Medline, PsycINFO and Embase databases was performed. Articles using technical skill and simulation-based assessments in RAS were abstracted. Only studies involving urology trainees or faculty were included in the final analysis. Multiple tools for the assessment of technical robotic skill have been published, with mixed sources of validity evidence to support their use. These evaluations have been used in both the ex vivo and in vivo settings. Performance evaluations range from global rating scales to psychometrics, and assessments are carried out through automation, expert analysts, and crowdsourcing. There have been rapid expansions in approaches to RAS technical skills assessment, both in simulated and clinical settings. Alternative approaches to assessment in RAS, such as crowdsourcing and psychometrics, remain under investigation. Evidence to support the use of these metrics in high-stakes decisions is likely insufficient at present. © 2018 The Authors BJU International © 2018 BJU International Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Reaching a 1.5°C target: socio-technical challenges for a rapid transition to low-carbon electricity systems.

PubMed

Eyre, Nick; Darby, Sarah J; Grünewald, Philipp; McKenna, Eoghan; Ford, Rebecca

2018-05-13

A 1.5°C global average target implies that we should no longer focus on merely incremental emissions reductions from the electricity system, but rather on fundamentally re-envisaging a system that, sooner rather than later, becomes carbon free. Many low-carbon technologies are surpassing mainstream predictions for both uptake and cost reduction. Their deployment is beginning to be disruptive within established systems. 'Smart technologies' are being developed to address emerging challenges of system integration, but their rates of future deployment remain uncertain. We argue that transition towards a system that can fully displace carbon generation sources will require expanding the focus of our efforts beyond technical solutions. Recognizing that change has social and technical dimensions, and that these interact strongly, we set out a socio-technical review that covers electricity infrastructure, citizens, business models and governance. It describes some of the socio-technical challenges that need to be addressed for the successful transition of the existing electricity systems. We conclude that a socio-technical understanding of electricity system transitions offers new and better insights into the potential and challenges for rapid decarbonization.This article is part of the theme issue 'The Paris Agreement: understanding the physical and social challenges for a warming world of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels'. © 2018 The Author(s).

Socio-Economic Factors of Bacillary Dysentery Based on Spatial Correlation Analysis in Guangxi Province, China

PubMed Central

Nie, Chengjing; Li, Hairong; Yang, Linsheng; Zhong, Gemei; Zhang, Lan

2014-01-01

Background In the past decade, bacillary dysentery was still a big public health problem in China, especially in Guangxi Province, where thousands of severe diarrhea cases occur every year. Methods Reported bacillary dysentery cases in Guangxi Province were obtained from local Centers for Diseases Prevention and Control. The 14 socio-economic indexes were selected as potential explanatory variables for the study. The spatial correlation analysis was used to explore the associations between the selected factors and bacillary dysentery incidence at county level, which was based on the software of ArcGIS10.2 and GeoDA 0.9.5i. Results The proportion of primary industry, the proportion of younger than 5-year-old children in total population, the number of hospitals per thousand persons and the rates of bacillary dysentery incidence show statistically significant positive correlation. But the proportion of secondary industry, per capital GDP, per capital government revenue, rural population proportion, popularization rate of tap water in rural area, access rate to the sanitation toilets in rural, number of beds in hospitals per thousand persons, medical and technical personnel per thousand persons and the rate of bacillary dysentery incidence show statistically significant negative correlation. The socio-economic factors can be divided into four aspects, including economic development, health development, medical development and human own condition. The four aspects were not isolated from each other, but interacted with each other. PMID:25036182

Assessment of pharmacy students' communication competence using the Roter Interaction Analysis System during objective structured clinical examinations.

PubMed

Kubota, Yoshie; Yano, Yoshitaka; Seki, Susumu; Takada, Kaori; Sakuma, Mio; Morimoto, Takeshi; Akaike, Akinori; Hiraide, Atsushi

2011-04-11

To determine the value of using the Roter Interaction Analysis System during objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) to assess pharmacy students' communication competence. As pharmacy students completed a clinical OSCE involving an interview with a simulated patient, 3 experts used a global rating scale to assess students' overall performance in the interview, and both the student's and patient's languages were coded using the Roter Interaction Analysis System (RIAS). The coders recorded the number of utterances (ie, units of spoken language) in each RIAS category. Correlations between the raters' scores and the number and types of utterances were examined. There was a significant correlation between students' global rating scores on the OSCE and the number of utterances in the RIAS socio-emotional category but not the RIAS business category. The RIAS proved to be a useful tool for assessing the socio-emotional aspect of students' interview skills.

Modeling the Spatial Dynamics of Regional Land Use: The CLUE-S Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verburg, Peter H.; Soepboer, Welmoed; Veldkamp, A.; Limpiada, Ramil; Espaldon, Victoria; Mastura, Sharifah S. A.

2002-09-01

Land-use change models are important tools for integrated environmental management. Through scenario analysis they can help to identify near-future critical locations in the face of environmental change. A dynamic, spatially explicit, land-use change model is presented for the regional scale: CLUE-S. The model is specifically developed for the analysis of land use in small regions (e.g., a watershed or province) at a fine spatial resolution. The model structure is based on systems theory to allow the integrated analysis of land-use change in relation to socio-economic and biophysical driving factors. The model explicitly addresses the hierarchical organization of land use systems, spatial connectivity between locations and stability. Stability is incorporated by a set of variables that define the relative elasticity of the actual land-use type to conversion. The user can specify these settings based on expert knowledge or survey data. Two applications of the model in the Philippines and Malaysia are used to illustrate the functioning of the model and its validation.

Modeling the spatial dynamics of regional land use: the CLUE-S model.

PubMed

Verburg, Peter H; Soepboer, Welmoed; Veldkamp, A; Limpiada, Ramil; Espaldon, Victoria; Mastura, Sharifah S A

2002-09-01

Land-use change models are important tools for integrated environmental management. Through scenario analysis they can help to identify near-future critical locations in the face of environmental change. A dynamic, spatially explicit, land-use change model is presented for the regional scale: CLUE-S. The model is specifically developed for the analysis of land use in small regions (e.g., a watershed or province) at a fine spatial resolution. The model structure is based on systems theory to allow the integrated analysis of land-use change in relation to socio-economic and biophysical driving factors. The model explicitly addresses the hierarchical organization of land use systems, spatial connectivity between locations and stability. Stability is incorporated by a set of variables that define the relative elasticity of the actual land-use type to conversion. The user can specify these settings based on expert knowledge or survey data. Two applications of the model in the Philippines and Malaysia are used to illustrate the functioning of the model and its validation.

Field Test of the Methodology for Succession Planning for Technical Experts

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

Cain, Ronald A.; Kirk, Bernadette Lugue; Agreda, Carla L.

This report complements A Methodology for Succession Planning for Technical Experts (Ron Cain, Shaheen Dewji, Carla Agreda, Bernadette Kirk, July 2017), which describes a methodology for identifying and evaluating the loss of key technical skills at nuclear operations facilities. This report targets the methodology for identifying critical skills, hereafter referred to as “core competencies”. The methodology has been field tested by interviewing selected retiring subject matter experts (SMEs).

Crowdsourcing: a valid alternative to expert evaluation of robotic surgery skills.

PubMed

Polin, Michael R; Siddiqui, Nazema Y; Comstock, Bryan A; Hesham, Helai; Brown, Casey; Lendvay, Thomas S; Martino, Martin A

2016-11-01

Robotic-assisted gynecologic surgery is common, but requires unique training. A validated assessment tool for evaluating trainees' robotic surgery skills is Robotic-Objective Structured Assessments of Technical Skills. We sought to assess whether crowdsourcing can be used as an alternative to expert surgical evaluators in scoring Robotic-Objective Structured Assessments of Technical Skills. The Robotic Training Network produced the Robotic-Objective Structured Assessments of Technical Skills, which evaluate trainees across 5 dry lab robotic surgical drills. Robotic-Objective Structured Assessments of Technical Skills were previously validated in a study of 105 participants, where dry lab surgical drills were recorded, de-identified, and scored by 3 expert surgeons using the Robotic-Objective Structured Assessments of Technical Skills checklist. Our methods-comparison study uses these previously obtained recordings and expert surgeon scores. Mean scores per participant from each drill were separated into quartiles. Crowdworkers were trained and calibrated on Robotic-Objective Structured Assessments of Technical Skills scoring using a representative recording of a skilled and novice surgeon. Following this, 3 recordings from each scoring quartile for each drill were randomly selected. Crowdworkers evaluated the randomly selected recordings using Robotic-Objective Structured Assessments of Technical Skills. Linear mixed effects models were used to derive mean crowdsourced ratings for each drill. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated to assess the correlation between crowdsourced and expert surgeons' ratings. In all, 448 crowdworkers reviewed videos from 60 dry lab drills, and completed a total of 2517 Robotic-Objective Structured Assessments of Technical Skills assessments within 16 hours. Crowdsourced Robotic-Objective Structured Assessments of Technical Skills ratings were highly correlated with expert surgeon ratings across each of the 5 dry lab drills (r ranging from 0.75-0.91). Crowdsourced assessments of recorded dry lab surgical drills using a validated assessment tool are a rapid and suitable alternative to expert surgeon evaluation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Analysis of the Federal Aviation Administration’s Host Computer Acquisition Process and Potential Application in Department of Defense Acquisitions

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-09-01

defense programs lost far more to inefficient procedures than to fraud and dishonesty * (President’s Commission, l986c:15). Based on the Commission...recommendations from current studies, lessons learned from a successful program, and DOD expert opinions to develop an acquisition management strategy that...established for the alternative(s) selected in the preceding phase. 5. In the concept demonstration/validation phase the technical risk and economic

Cognitive Task Analysis, Interface Design, and Technical Troubleshooting.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Steinberg, Linda S.; Gitomer, Drew H.

A model of the interface design process is proposed that makes use of two interdependent levels of cognitive analysis: the study of the criterion task through an analysis of expert/novice differences and the evaluation of the working user interface design through the application of a practical interface analysis methodology (GOMS model). This dual…

A Combined Corpus and Systemic-Functional Analysis of the Problem-Solution Pattern in a Student and Professional Corpus of Technical Writing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flowerdew, Lynne

2003-01-01

Reports on research describing similarities and differences between expert and novice writing in the problem-solution pattern, a frequent rhetorical pattern of technical academic writing. A corpus of undergraduate student writing and one containing professional writing consisted of 80 and 60 recommendation reports, respectively, with each corpus…

Taking the 21st Century Seriously: Young People, Education and Socio-Technical Futures

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Facer, Keri

2012-01-01

Rhetoric about young people's "ownership" of future socio-technical change is a familiar part of much educational and political discourse. This does not, however, translate in practice into a meaningful dialogue with young people about the sorts of futures they might wish to see emerge. This paper argues that a number of social and…

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

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walfish, Ruth A.; Brody, David L.

2018-01-01

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

Technical Assistance Program: Off to a Running Start (Newsletter)

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

Not Available

This newsletter describes key activities of the DOE Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs for Winter 2012. Between December 2, 2011, and January 15, 2012, 46 American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes submitted applications to receive technical assistance through the program, which provides Tribes with on-the-ground technical support from DOE and National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) staff to help move tribal energy efficiency and renewable energy projects forward. The applications are being considered through the Strategic Technical Assistance Response Team (START) selection process, which incorporates expert reviews and outreach to Tribes who present a need for assistance with theirmore » community-based energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. The final successful applicants will be selected based on the clarity of their requests for technical assistance and the ability of START to successfully work with each unique project or community. At least three selected Tribes in Alaska will receive technical assistance between March and May 2012, and up to five selected Tribes in the contiguous United States will receive technical assistance between March and August 2012. During the months of START Program activity, DOE and NREL experts will work in the two locations. In Alaska, START experts will work directly with community-based project teams to analyze local energy issues and provide assistance with energy projects and cost savings initiatives. This effort will be bolstered by DOE-IE's partnership with the Denali Commission, which will provide further assistance and expertise. In the lower 48 states, NREL experts will work with the selected renewable energy START projects to evaluate financial and technical feasibility and provide early development technical assistance to better position the projects for financing and construction. This on-the-ground technical assistance is part of a broader DOE-IE effort to make reliable, accurate technical information and skills-based training available to tribal communities throughout the United States. The primary goal of the START initiative, according to DOE-IE Director Tracey A. LeBeau, is to bring about the next generation of energy development in Indian Country. Through energy project planning, quality training, and technical assistance, The START program will leverage the early-stage resource characterization and pre-feasibility investments that DOE has made in Indian Country over the years, and unlock the energy resources that exist on tribal lands to help build a 21st century tribal energy economy. Working collaboratively with a select group of Tribes and Alaska Native entities, the DOE Office of Indian Energy, NREL, and the Denali Commission will empower tribal leaders to make informed energy decisions and help build capacity to bring tribal energy visions to fruition and get renewable energy projects off the ground, said LeBeau. Ultimately, these efforts will serve to further the Obama Administration and DOE's shared commitment to provide Native American and Alaska Native communities with the tools and resources they need to foster tribal energy self-sufficiency and sustainability, advancing job creation and enhancing economic competitiveness.« less

Social Network Analysis of the Irish Biotech Industry: Implications for Digital Ecosystems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Egeraat, Chris; Curran, Declan

This paper presents an analysis of the socio-spatial structures of innovation, collaboration and knowledge flow among SMEs in the Irish biotech sector. The study applies social network analysis to determine the structure of networks of company directors and inventors in the biotech sector. In addition, the article discusses the implications of the findings for the role and contours of a biotech digital ecosystem. To distil these lessons, the research team organised a seminar which was attended by representatives of biotech actors and experts.

Talent Identification and Development in Male Football: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Sarmento, Hugo; Anguera, M Teresa; Pereira, Antonino; Araújo, Duarte

2018-04-01

Expertise has been extensively studied in several sports over recent years. The specificities of how excellence is achieved in Association Football, a sport practiced worldwide, are being repeatedly investigated by many researchers through a variety of approaches and scientific disciplines. The aim of this review was to identify and synthesise the most significant literature addressing talent identification and development in football. We identified the most frequently researched topics and characterised their methodologies. A systematic review of Web of Science™ Core Collection and Scopus databases was performed according to PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses) guidelines. The following keywords were used: "football" and "soccer". Each word was associated with the terms "talent", "expert*", "elite", "elite athlete", "identification", "career transition" or "career progression". The selection was for the original articles in English containing relevant data about talent development/identification on male footballers. The search returned 2944 records. After screening against set criteria, a total of 70 manuscripts were fully reviewed. The quality of the evidence reviewed was generally excellent. The most common topics of analysis were (1) task constraints: (a) specificity and volume of practice; (2) performers' constraints: (a) psychological factors; (b) technical and tactical skills; (c) anthropometric and physiological factors; (3) environmental constraints: (a) relative age effect; (b) socio-cultural influences; and (4) multidimensional analysis. Results indicate that the most successful players present technical, tactical, anthropometric, physiological and psychological advantages that change non-linearly with age, maturational status and playing positions. These findings should be carefully considered by those involved in the identification and development of football players. This review highlights the need for coaches and scouts to consider the players' technical and tactical skills combined with their anthropometric and physiological characteristics scaled to age. Moreover, research addressing the psychological and environmental aspects that influence talent identification and development in football is currently lacking. The limitations detected in the reviewed studies suggest that future research should include the best performers and adopt a longitudinal and multidimensional perspective.

Content-based analysis of Ki-67 stained meningioma specimens for automatic hot-spot selection.

PubMed

Swiderska-Chadaj, Zaneta; Markiewicz, Tomasz; Grala, Bartlomiej; Lorent, Malgorzata

2016-10-07

Hot-spot based examination of immunohistochemically stained histological specimens is one of the most important procedures in pathomorphological practice. The development of image acquisition equipment and computational units allows for the automation of this process. Moreover, a lot of possible technical problems occur in everyday histological material, which increases the complexity of the problem. Thus, a full context-based analysis of histological specimens is also needed in the quantification of immunohistochemically stained specimens. One of the most important reactions is the Ki-67 proliferation marker in meningiomas, the most frequent intracranial tumour. The aim of our study is to propose a context-based analysis of Ki-67 stained specimens of meningiomas for automatic selection of hot-spots. The proposed solution is based on textural analysis, mathematical morphology, feature ranking and classification, as well as on the proposed hot-spot gradual extinction algorithm to allow for the proper detection of a set of hot-spot fields. The designed whole slide image processing scheme eliminates such artifacts as hemorrhages, folds or stained vessels from the region of interest. To validate automatic results, a set of 104 meningioma specimens were selected and twenty hot-spots inside them were identified independently by two experts. The Spearman rho correlation coefficient was used to compare the results which were also analyzed with the help of a Bland-Altman plot. The results show that most of the cases (84) were automatically examined properly with two fields of view with a technical problem at the very most. Next, 13 had three such fields, and only seven specimens did not meet the requirement for the automatic examination. Generally, the Automatic System identifies hot-spot areas, especially their maximum points, better. Analysis of the results confirms the very high concordance between an automatic Ki-67 examination and the expert's results, with a Spearman rho higher than 0.95. The proposed hot-spot selection algorithm with an extended context-based analysis of whole slide images and hot-spot gradual extinction algorithm provides an efficient tool for simulation of a manual examination. The presented results have confirmed that the automatic examination of Ki-67 in meningiomas could be introduced in the near future.

Telemedicine information analysis center.

PubMed

Zajtchuk, Joan T; Zajtchuk, Russ; Petrovic, Joseph J; Gutz, Ryan P; Walrath, Benjamin D

2004-01-01

Congress mandated a pilot project to demonstrate the feasibility of establishing a Department of Defense (DoD) telemedicine information analysis center (TIAC). The project developed a medical information support system to show the core capabilities of a TIAC. The productivity and effectiveness of telemedicine researchers and clinical practitioners can be enhanced by the existence of an information analysis center (IACs) devoted to the collection, analysis, synthesis, and dissemination of worldwide scientific and technical information related to the field of telemedicine. The work conducted under the TIAC pilot project establishes the basic IAC functions and assesses the utility of the TIAC to the military medical departments. The pilot project capabilities are Web-based and include: (1) applying the science of classification (taxonomy) to telemedicine to identify key words; (2) creating a relational database of this taxonomy to a bibliographic database using these key words; (3) developing and disseminating information via a public TIAC Web site; (4) performing a specific baseline technical area task for the U.S. Army Medical Command; and (5) providing analyses by subject matter experts.

Composite Socio-Technical Systems: A Method for Social Energy Systems

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

Zhang, Yingchen; He, Fulin; Hao, Jun

In order to model and study the interactions between social on technical systems, a systemic method, namely the composite socio-technical systems (CSTS), is proposed to incorporate social systems, technical systems and the interaction mechanism between them. A case study on University of Denver (DU) campus grid is presented in paper to demonstrate the application of the proposed method. In the case study, the social system, technical system, and the interaction mechanism are defined and modelled within the framework of CSTS. Distributed and centralized control and management schemes are investigated, respectively, and numerical results verifies the feasibility and performance of themore » proposed composite system method.« less

A consensus-based framework for design, validation, and implementation of simulation-based training curricula in surgery.

PubMed

Zevin, Boris; Levy, Jeffrey S; Satava, Richard M; Grantcharov, Teodor P

2012-10-01

Simulation-based training can improve technical and nontechnical skills in surgery. To date, there is no consensus on the principles for design, validation, and implementation of a simulation-based surgical training curriculum. The aim of this study was to define such principles and formulate them into an interoperable framework using international expert consensus based on the Delphi method. Literature was reviewed, 4 international experts were queried, and consensus conference of national and international members of surgical societies was held to identify the items for the Delphi survey. Forty-five international experts in surgical education were invited to complete the online survey by ranking each item on a Likert scale from 1 to 5. Consensus was predefined as Cronbach's α ≥0.80. Items that 80% of experts ranked as ≥4 were included in the final framework. Twenty-four international experts with training in general surgery (n = 11), orthopaedic surgery (n = 2), obstetrics and gynecology (n = 3), urology (n = 1), plastic surgery (n = 1), pediatric surgery (n = 1), otolaryngology (n = 1), vascular surgery (n = 1), military (n = 1), and doctorate-level educators (n = 2) completed the iterative online Delphi survey. Consensus among participants was achieved after one round of the survey (Cronbach's α = 0.91). The final framework included predevelopment analysis; cognitive, psychomotor, and team-based training; curriculum validation evaluation and improvement; and maintenance of training. The Delphi methodology allowed for determination of international expert consensus on the principles for design, validation, and implementation of a simulation-based surgical training curriculum. These principles were formulated into a framework that can be used internationally across surgical specialties as a step-by-step guide for the development and validation of future simulation-based training curricula. Copyright © 2012 American College of Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Chiasmus of Design: Paradoxical Outcomes in the e-Government Reform of UK Children's Services

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wastell, David; White, Sue; Broadhurst, Karen

This paper describes a detailed ethnographic study of the design problems of a major national IT system in the UK- The Integrated Children’s System (ICS). The implementation of the ICS has disrupted social work practice and engendered growing professional resistance, prompting a fundamental review of its design. Marshall McLuhan’s concept of chiasmus is a central feature of our analysis of the vicissitudes of ICS. Chiasmus refers to the tendency of any system, when pushed too far, to produce unintended contradictory effects, and is an intrinsic feature of the behaviour of complex, socio-technical systems. The dysfunctions of the ICS provide a pertinent, large-scale example. The ICS constitutes an attempt, via technological means, to re-organize child welfare services in the UK. Whilst aimed at improving child safety, the ICS has had the opposite effect of increasing the potential for error. This chiasmus has been exposed through the multi-site ethnography reported here, which shows how rigidly designed processes, enforced by IT systems, force social work professionals into unsafe investigative and recording practices which increase the risk of errors. The paper ends by proposing an alternative approach to design, based on socio-technical precepts, emphasizing the principles of minimum critical specification, user-centeredness and local autonomy.

Sustainable Biofuels A Transitions Approach to Understanding the Global Expansion of Ethanol and Biodiesel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cottes, Jeffrey Jacob

Between 1998 and 2008, the promise of biofuels to increase rural development, enhance energy security, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions stimulated their diffusion across international markets. This rapid expansion of ethanol and biodiesel encouraged many jurisdictions to implement biofuels expansion policies and programs. Global biofuels, characterised by mass production and international trade of ethanol and biodiesel, occurred despite their long history as marginal technologies on the fringe of the petroleum-based transportation energy regime. The first purpose of this dissertation is to examine the global expansion of ethanol and biodiesel to understand how these recurrent socio-technological failures co-evolved with petroleum transportation fuels. Drawing from the field of socio-technical transitions, this dissertation also assesses the global expansion of ethanol and biodiesel to determine whether or not these first generation biofuels are sustainable. Numerous studies have assessed the technical effects of ethanol and biodiesel, but effects-based technical assessments of transport biofuels are unable to explain the interaction of wider system elements. The configuration of multi-level factors (i.e., niche development, the technological regime, and the socio-technical landscape) informs the present and emerging social functions of biofuels, which become relevant when determining how biofuels might become a sustainable energy option. The biofuels regimes that evolved in Brazil, the United States, and the European Union provide case studies show how ethanol and biodiesel expanded from fringe fuels to global commodities. The production infrastructures within these dominant biofuels regimes contribute to a persistence of unsustainable first generation biofuels that can inhibit the technical development and sustainability of biofuels. However, new and emerging ethanol and biodiesel markets are relatively small in comparison to the dominant regimes, and can readily adapt to technical and regulatory change. This dissertation argues that dominant biofuels regimes have not produced a sustainable energy option. It explores the Canadian case to evaluate the opportunities for niche development, and suggests that small markets can develop niche innovations by regulating the insertion of sustainability criteria in order to de-align the dominant trajectory of global biofuels production regimes and encourage their re-alignment in a more sustainable configuration.

KSC Technical Capabilities Website

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nufer, Brian; Bursian, Henry; Brown, Laurette L.

2010-01-01

This document is the website pages that review the technical capabilities that the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) has for partnership opportunities. The purpose of this information is to make prospective customers aware of the capabilities and provide an opportunity to form relationships with the experts at KSC. The technical capabilities fall into these areas: (1) Ground Operations and Processing Services, (2) Design and Analysis Solutions, (3) Command and Control Systems / Services, (4) Materials and Processes, (5) Research and Technology Development and (6) Laboratories, Shops and Test Facilities.

Norm-Aware Socio-Technical Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Savarimuthu, Bastin Tony Roy; Ghose, Aditya

The following sections are included: * Introduction * The Need for Norm-Aware Systems * Norms in human societies * Why should software systems be norm-aware? * Case Studies of Norm-Aware Socio-Technical Systems * Human-computer interactions * Virtual environments and multi-player online games * Extracting norms from big data and software repositories * Norms and Sustainability * Sustainability and green ICT * Norm awareness through software systems * Where To, From Here? * Conclusions

Boys, Transitions, and Physical (In)activity: Exploring the Socio-Behavioural Mediators of Participation

PubMed Central

Gibson, Barbara E.

2016-01-01

Purpose: To explore the socio-behavioural mechanisms that motivate or dissuade boys' participation in physical activity (PA) as they transition into adolescence and their implications for physical therapy. Methods: This critical qualitative study involved in-depth interviews using active interviewing techniques with 15 adolescent boys. Data generation and analysis were driven by techniques of grounded theory and Bourdieu's sociology of practice. Results: The analysis identified intersectional relationships among emotions, the inherent pleasures of movement, and a sense of connectedness to PA, each of which acted as a mediating mechanism in motivating participation in PA. Analogously, body dissatisfaction, negative self-perceptions, and repeated instances of explicit and symbolic bullying intersected to dissuade boys from participating and created apathy toward PA. Conclusion: Identifying socio-behavioural mechanisms that motivate or dissuade physically active behaviour contributes new knowledge toward understanding PA attrition among boys transitioning to adolescence. As health advocates and movement experts, physiotherapists have an important role in helping adolescents of all abilities to participate in activities that provide them with meaning, inclusivity, and a sense of connectedness to PA. PMID:27504052

Designing and Developing Technical Curriculum: Finding the Right Subject Matter Expert

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mattoon, Joseph Sterling

2005-01-01

Subject matter experts play an essential role in technical curriculum development by providing accurate and up-to-date information that matches education, training, and workforce needs. The Subject Matter Expert (SME) COMlist is proposed as a tool that enables instructional developers to evaluate an SME's capability and suitability to support…

Organizational Cost of Quality Improvement for Depression Care

PubMed Central

Liu, Chuan-Fen; Rubenstein, Lisa V; Kirchner, JoAnn E; Fortney, John C; Perkins, Mark W; Ober, Scott K; Pyne, Jeffrey M; Chaney, Edmund F

2009-01-01

Objective We documented organizational costs for depression care quality improvement (QI) to develop an evidence-based, Veterans Health Administration (VA) adapted depression care model for primary care practices that performed well for patients, was sustained over time, and could be spread nationally in VA. Data Sources and Study Setting Project records and surveys from three multistate VA administrative regions and seven of their primary care practices. Study Design Descriptive analysis. Data Collection We documented project time commitments and expenses for 86 clinical QI and 42 technical expert support team participants for 4 years from initial contact through care model design, Plan–Do–Study–Act cycles, and achievement of stable workloads in which models functioned as routine care. We assessed time, salary costs, and costs for conference calls, meetings, e-mails, and other activities. Principle Findings Over an average of 27 months, all clinics began referring patients to care managers. Clinical participants spent 1,086 hours at a cost of $84,438. Technical experts spent 2,147 hours costing $197,787. Eighty-five percent of costs derived from initial regional engagement activities and care model design. Conclusions Organizational costs of the QI process for depression care in a large health care system were significant, and should be accounted for when planning for implementation of evidence-based depression care. PMID:19146566

Socio-Technical Dimensions of an Outdoor Mobile Learning Environment: A Three-Phase Design-Based Research Investigation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Land, Susan M.; Zimmerman, Heather Toomey

2015-01-01

This design-based research project examines three iterations of Tree Investigators, a learning environment designed to support science learning outdoors at an arboretum and nature center using mobile devices (iPads). Researchers coded videorecords and artifacts created by children and parents (n = 53) to understand how both social and…

An Expert Map of Gambling Risk Perception.

PubMed

Spurrier, Michael; Blaszczynski, Alexander; Rhodes, Paul

2015-12-01

The purpose of the current study was to investigate the moderating or mediating role played by risk perception in decision-making, gambling behaviour, and disordered gambling aetiology. Eleven gambling expert clinicians and researchers completed a semi-structured interview derived from mental models and grounded theory methodologies. Expert interview data was used to construct a comprehensive expert mental model 'map' detailing risk-perception related factors contributing to harmful or safe gambling. Systematic overlapping processes of data gathering and analysis were used to iteratively extend, saturate, test for exception, and verify concepts and emergent themes. Findings indicated that experts considered idiosyncratic beliefs among gamblers result in overall underestimates of risk and loss, insufficient prioritization of needs, and planning and implementation of risk management strategies. Additional contextual factors influencing use of risk information (reinforcement and learning; mental states, environmental cues, ambivalence; and socio-cultural and biological variables) acted to shape risk perceptions and increase vulnerabilities to harm or disordered gambling. It was concluded that understanding the nature, extent and processes by which risk perception predisposes an individual to maintain gambling despite adverse consequences can guide the content of preventative educational responsible gambling campaigns.

Upper arm elevation and repetitive shoulder movements: a general population job exposure matrix based on expert ratings and technical measurements.

PubMed

Dalbøge, Annett; Hansson, Gert-Åke; Frost, Poul; Andersen, Johan Hviid; Heilskov-Hansen, Thomas; Svendsen, Susanne Wulff

2016-08-01

We recently constructed a general population job exposure matrix (JEM), The Shoulder JEM, based on expert ratings. The overall aim of this study was to convert expert-rated job exposures for upper arm elevation and repetitive shoulder movements to measurement scales. The Shoulder JEM covers all Danish occupational titles, divided into 172 job groups. For 36 of these job groups, we obtained technical measurements (inclinometry) of upper arm elevation and repetitive shoulder movements. To validate the expert-rated job exposures against the measured job exposures, we used Spearman rank correlations and the explained variance[Formula: see text] according to linear regression analyses (36 job groups). We used the linear regression equations to convert the expert-rated job exposures for all 172 job groups into predicted measured job exposures. Bland-Altman analyses were used to assess the agreement between the predicted and measured job exposures. The Spearman rank correlations were 0.63 for upper arm elevation and 0.64 for repetitive shoulder movements. The expert-rated job exposures explained 64% and 41% of the variance of the measured job exposures, respectively. The corresponding calibration equations were y=0.5%time+0.16×expert rating and y=27°/s+0.47×expert rating. The mean differences between predicted and measured job exposures were zero due to calibration; the 95% limits of agreement were ±2.9% time for upper arm elevation >90° and ±33°/s for repetitive shoulder movements. The updated Shoulder JEM can be used to present exposure-response relationships on measurement scales. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Expert communities and interest-formation in the Brazilian AIDS program.

PubMed

Lago, Regina Ferro do; Costa, Nilson do Rosário

2017-05-01

This paper examines the role of the Technical Advisory Committee for antiretroviral therapy of the Brazilian AIDS program in mediating the decision-making process of including new antiretroviral (ARV) drugs in the Unified Health System services by the end of the 2000s. We conducted documental analysis and interviews with key informants from the governmental sphere and professionals. The work features the Technical Advisory Committee as an "expert community", defined as a network of individuals with expertise and competence in a particular sphere and whose knowledge is relevant in critical public policy decision areas. It also indicates that the decision-making process for inclusion of antiretroviral drugs in the Brazilian program was incremental, considering the expectations of the innovative leader companies of pharmaceutical market. The work describes thus the results of the interaction of government interests, pharmaceutical industry and experts in the implementation of a relevant international policy. It provides arguments and evidence for understanding the role of expert communities on a sectorial public policy so far analyzed predominantly from the perspective of social movements.

Identifying the Role of National Digital Cadastral Database (ndcdb) in Malaysia and for Land-Based Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Halim, N. Z. A.; Sulaiman, S. A.; Talib, K.; Yusof, O. M.; Wazir, M. A. M.; Adimin, M. K.

2017-10-01

This paper explains the process carried out in identifying the significant role of NDCDB in Malaysia specifically in the land-based analysis. The research was initially a part of a larger research exercise to identify the significance of NDCDB from the legal, technical, role and land-based analysis perspectives. The research methodology of applying the Delphi technique is substantially discussed in this paper. A heterogeneous panel of 14 experts was created to determine the importance of NDCDB from the role standpoint. Seven statements pertaining the significant role of NDCDB in Malaysia and land-based analysis were established after three rounds of consensus building. The agreed statements provided a clear definition to describe the important role of NDCDB in Malaysia and for land-based analysis, which was limitedly studied that lead to unclear perception to the general public and even the geospatial community. The connection of the statements with disaster management is discussed concisely at the end of the research.

Development of Spreadsheet-Based Integrated Transaction Processing Systems and Financial Reporting Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ariana, I. M.; Bagiada, I. M.

2018-01-01

Development of spreadsheet-based integrated transaction processing systems and financial reporting systems is intended to optimize the capabilities of spreadsheet in accounting data processing. The purpose of this study are: 1) to describe the spreadsheet-based integrated transaction processing systems and financial reporting systems; 2) to test its technical and operational feasibility. This study type is research and development. The main steps of study are: 1) needs analysis (need assessment); 2) developing spreadsheet-based integrated transaction processing systems and financial reporting systems; and 3) testing the feasibility of spreadsheet-based integrated transaction processing systems and financial reporting systems. The technical feasibility include the ability of hardware and operating systems to respond the application of accounting, simplicity and ease of use. Operational feasibility include the ability of users using accounting applications, the ability of accounting applications to produce information, and control applications of the accounting applications. The instrument used to assess the technical and operational feasibility of the systems is the expert perception questionnaire. The instrument uses 4 Likert scale, from 1 (strongly disagree) to 4 (strongly agree). Data were analyzed using percentage analysis by comparing the number of answers within one (1) item by the number of ideal answer within one (1) item. Spreadsheet-based integrated transaction processing systems and financial reporting systems integrate sales, purchases, and cash transaction processing systems to produce financial reports (statement of profit or loss and other comprehensive income, statement of changes in equity, statement of financial position, and statement of cash flows) and other reports. Spreadsheet-based integrated transaction processing systems and financial reporting systems is feasible from the technical aspects (87.50%) and operational aspects (84.17%).

ASTD Technical and Skills Training Handbook.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelly, Leslie, Ed.

This handbook is intended to serve as a hands-on reference for technical trainers, many of whom are resident experts in corporations who have been recruited from within the organization rather than individuals with training background. It contains 23 chapters by experts in the field: (1) The History of Technical Training (Richard A. Swanson and…

Systems Modelling of the Socio-Technical Aspects of Residential Electricity Use and Network Peak Demand.

PubMed

Lewis, Jim; Mengersen, Kerrie; Buys, Laurie; Vine, Desley; Bell, John; Morris, Peter; Ledwich, Gerard

2015-01-01

Provision of network infrastructure to meet rising network peak demand is increasing the cost of electricity. Addressing this demand is a major imperative for Australian electricity agencies. The network peak demand model reported in this paper provides a quantified decision support tool and a means of understanding the key influences and impacts on network peak demand. An investigation of the system factors impacting residential consumers' peak demand for electricity was undertaken in Queensland, Australia. Technical factors, such as the customers' location, housing construction and appliances, were combined with social factors, such as household demographics, culture, trust and knowledge, and Change Management Options (CMOs) such as tariffs, price, managed supply, etc., in a conceptual 'map' of the system. A Bayesian network was used to quantify the model and provide insights into the major influential factors and their interactions. The model was also used to examine the reduction in network peak demand with different market-based and government interventions in various customer locations of interest and investigate the relative importance of instituting programs that build trust and knowledge through well designed customer-industry engagement activities. The Bayesian network was implemented via a spreadsheet with a tickbox interface. The model combined available data from industry-specific and public sources with relevant expert opinion. The results revealed that the most effective intervention strategies involve combining particular CMOs with associated education and engagement activities. The model demonstrated the importance of designing interventions that take into account the interactions of the various elements of the socio-technical system. The options that provided the greatest impact on peak demand were Off-Peak Tariffs and Managed Supply and increases in the price of electricity. The impact in peak demand reduction differed for each of the locations and highlighted that household numbers, demographics as well as the different climates were significant factors. It presented possible network peak demand reductions which would delay any upgrade of networks, resulting in savings for Queensland utilities and ultimately for households. The use of this systems approach using Bayesian networks to assist the management of peak demand in different modelled locations in Queensland provided insights about the most important elements in the system and the intervention strategies that could be tailored to the targeted customer segments.

Systems Modelling of the Socio-Technical Aspects of Residential Electricity Use and Network Peak Demand

PubMed Central

Lewis, Jim; Mengersen, Kerrie; Buys, Laurie; Vine, Desley; Bell, John; Morris, Peter; Ledwich, Gerard

2015-01-01

Provision of network infrastructure to meet rising network peak demand is increasing the cost of electricity. Addressing this demand is a major imperative for Australian electricity agencies. The network peak demand model reported in this paper provides a quantified decision support tool and a means of understanding the key influences and impacts on network peak demand. An investigation of the system factors impacting residential consumers’ peak demand for electricity was undertaken in Queensland, Australia. Technical factors, such as the customers’ location, housing construction and appliances, were combined with social factors, such as household demographics, culture, trust and knowledge, and Change Management Options (CMOs) such as tariffs, price, managed supply, etc., in a conceptual ‘map’ of the system. A Bayesian network was used to quantify the model and provide insights into the major influential factors and their interactions. The model was also used to examine the reduction in network peak demand with different market-based and government interventions in various customer locations of interest and investigate the relative importance of instituting programs that build trust and knowledge through well designed customer-industry engagement activities. The Bayesian network was implemented via a spreadsheet with a tickbox interface. The model combined available data from industry-specific and public sources with relevant expert opinion. The results revealed that the most effective intervention strategies involve combining particular CMOs with associated education and engagement activities. The model demonstrated the importance of designing interventions that take into account the interactions of the various elements of the socio-technical system. The options that provided the greatest impact on peak demand were Off-Peak Tariffs and Managed Supply and increases in the price of electricity. The impact in peak demand reduction differed for each of the locations and highlighted that household numbers, demographics as well as the different climates were significant factors. It presented possible network peak demand reductions which would delay any upgrade of networks, resulting in savings for Queensland utilities and ultimately for households. The use of this systems approach using Bayesian networks to assist the management of peak demand in different modelled locations in Queensland provided insights about the most important elements in the system and the intervention strategies that could be tailored to the targeted customer segments. PMID:26226511

Devising a consensus definition and framework for non-technical skills in healthcare to support educational design: A modified Delphi study.

PubMed

Gordon, Morris; Baker, Paul; Catchpole, Ken; Darbyshire, Daniel; Schocken, Dawn

2015-01-01

Non-technical skills are a subset of human factors that focus on the individual and promote safety through teamwork and awareness. There is no widely adopted competency- or outcome-based framework for non-technical skills training in healthcare. The authors set out to devise such a framework using a modified Delphi approach. An exhaustive list of published and team suggested items was presented to the expert panel for ranking and to propose a definition. In the second round, a focused list was presented, as well as the proposed definition elements. The finalised framework was sent to the panel for review. Sixteen experts participated. The final framework consists of 16 competencies for all and eight specific competencies for team leaders. The consensus definition describes non-technical skills as "a set of social (communication and team work) and cognitive (analytical and personal behaviour) skills that support high quality, safe, effective and efficient inter-professional care within the complex healthcare system". The authors have produced a new competency framework, through the works of an International expert panel, which is not discipline specific that can be used by curriculum developers, educational innovators and clinical teachers to support developments in the field.

Ordering theories: Typologies and conceptual frameworks for sociotechnical change.

PubMed

Sovacool, Benjamin K; Hess, David J

2017-10-01

What theories or concepts are most useful at explaining socio technical change? How can - or cannot - these be integrated? To provide an answer, this study presents the results from 35 semi-structured research interviews with social science experts who also shared more than two hundred articles, reports and books on the topic of the acceptance, adoption, use, or diffusion of technology. This material led to the identification of 96 theories and conceptual approaches spanning 22 identified disciplines. The article begins by explaining its research terms and methods before honing in on a combination of fourteen theories deemed most relevant and useful by the material. These are: Sociotechnical Transitions, Social Practice Theory, Discourse Theory, Domestication Theory, Large Technical Systems, Social Construction of Technology, Sociotechnical Imaginaries, Actor-Network Theory, Social Justice Theory, Sociology of Expectations, Sustainable Development, Values Beliefs Norms Theory, Lifestyle Theory, and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology. It then positions these theories in terms of two distinct typologies. Theories can be placed into five general categories of being centered on agency, structure, meaning, relations or norms. They can also be classified based on their assumptions and goals rooted in functionalism, interpretivism, humanism or conflict. The article lays out tips for research methodology before concluding with insights about technology itself, analytical processes associated with technology, and the framing and communication of results. An interdisciplinary theoretical and conceptual inventory has much to offer students, analysts and scholars wanting to study technological change and society.

Ordering theories: Typologies and conceptual frameworks for sociotechnical change

PubMed Central

Sovacool, Benjamin K; Hess, David J

2017-01-01

What theories or concepts are most useful at explaining socio technical change? How can – or cannot – these be integrated? To provide an answer, this study presents the results from 35 semi-structured research interviews with social science experts who also shared more than two hundred articles, reports and books on the topic of the acceptance, adoption, use, or diffusion of technology. This material led to the identification of 96 theories and conceptual approaches spanning 22 identified disciplines. The article begins by explaining its research terms and methods before honing in on a combination of fourteen theories deemed most relevant and useful by the material. These are: Sociotechnical Transitions, Social Practice Theory, Discourse Theory, Domestication Theory, Large Technical Systems, Social Construction of Technology, Sociotechnical Imaginaries, Actor-Network Theory, Social Justice Theory, Sociology of Expectations, Sustainable Development, Values Beliefs Norms Theory, Lifestyle Theory, and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology. It then positions these theories in terms of two distinct typologies. Theories can be placed into five general categories of being centered on agency, structure, meaning, relations or norms. They can also be classified based on their assumptions and goals rooted in functionalism, interpretivism, humanism or conflict. The article lays out tips for research methodology before concluding with insights about technology itself, analytical processes associated with technology, and the framing and communication of results. An interdisciplinary theoretical and conceptual inventory has much to offer students, analysts and scholars wanting to study technological change and society. PMID:28641502

The future of space imaging. Report of a community-based study of an advanced camera for the Hubble Space Telescope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, Robert A. (Editor)

1993-01-01

The scientific and technical basis for an Advanced Camera (AC) for the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) is discussed. In March 1992, the NASA Program Scientist for HST invited the Space Telescope Science Institute to conduct a community-based study of an AC, which would be installed on a scheduled HST servicing mission in 1999. The study had three phases: a broad community survey of views on candidate science program and required performance of the AC, an analysis of technical issues relating to its implementation, and a panel of experts to formulate conclusions and prioritize recommendations. From the assessment of the imaging tasks astronomers have proposed for or desired from HST, we believe the most valuable 1999 instrument would be a camera with both near ultraviolet/optical (NUVO) and far ultraviolet (FUV) sensitivity, and with both wide field and high resolution options.

A Socio-Environmental Case for Skill in Outdoor Adventure

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mullins, Philip M.

2014-01-01

In response to the crisis of sustainability, this paper revisits understandings of human--environment relations established through skill-based outdoor activities that are used commonly among adventure recreation, education, and tourism. Reconsidering a predominant focus on risk and a persistent tension between technical and environmental…

A Socio-Technical Analysis of Knowledgeable Practice in Radiation Therapy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lozano, Reynaldo Garza

2012-01-01

The role of the modern radiation therapist is directed and driven by the organizational system. Changes affecting their role are implemented as a response to changes in the industry. Operations of the modern cancer center, with new and changing treatment technologies bring questions regarding the learning process of radiation therapists at a time…

Data-driven planning of distributed energy resources amidst socio-technical complexities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jain, Rishee K.; Qin, Junjie; Rajagopal, Ram

2017-08-01

New distributed energy resources (DER) are rapidly replacing centralized power generation due to their environmental, economic and resiliency benefits. Previous analyses of DER systems have been limited in their ability to account for socio-technical complexities, such as intermittent supply, heterogeneous demand and balance-of-system cost dynamics. Here we develop ReMatch, an interdisciplinary modelling framework, spanning engineering, consumer behaviour and data science, and apply it to 10,000 consumers in California, USA. Our results show that deploying DER would yield nearly a 50% reduction in the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) over the status quo even after accounting for socio-technical complexities. We abstract a detailed matching of consumers to DER infrastructure from our results and discuss how this matching can facilitate the development of smart and targeted renewable energy policies, programmes and incentives. Our findings point to the large-scale economic and technical feasibility of DER and underscore the pertinent role DER can play in achieving sustainable energy goals.

Experiments on Socio-Technical Systems: The Problem of Control.

PubMed

Kroes, Peter

2016-06-01

My aim is to question whether the introduction of new technologies in society may be considered to be genuine experiments. I will argue that they are not, at least not in the sense in which the notion of experiment is being used in the natural and social sciences. If the introduction of a new technology in society is interpreted as an experiment, then we are dealing with a notion of experiment that differs in an important respect from the notion of experiment as used in the natural and social sciences. This difference shows itself most prominently when the functioning of the new technological system is not only dependent on technological hardware but also on social 'software', that is, on social institutions such as appropriate laws, and actions of operators of the new technological system. In those cases we are not dealing with 'simply' the introduction of a new technology, but with the introduction of a new socio-technical system. I will argue that if the introduction of a new socio-technical system is considered to be an experiment, then the relation between the experimenter and the system on which the experiment is performed differs significantly from the relation in traditional experiments in the natural and social sciences. In the latter experiments it is assumed that the experimenter is not part of the experimental system and is able to intervene in and control the experimental system from the outside. With regard to the introduction of new socio-technical systems the idea that there is an experimenter outside the socio-technical system who intervenes in and controls that system becomes problematic. From that perspective we are dealing with a different kind of experiment.

Modeling a terminology-based electronic nursing record system: an object-oriented approach.

PubMed

Park, Hyeoun-Ae; Cho, InSook; Byeun, NamSoo

2007-10-01

The aim of this study was to present our perspectives on healthcare information analysis at a conceptual level and the lessons learned from our experience with the development of a terminology-based enterprise electronic nursing record system - which was one of components in an EMR system at a tertiary teaching hospital in Korea - using an object-oriented system analysis and design concept. To ensure a systematic approach and effective collaboration, the department of nursing constituted a system modeling team comprising a project manager, systems analysts, user representatives, an object-oriented methodology expert, and healthcare informaticists (including the authors). A rational unified process (RUP) and the Unified Modeling Language were used as a development process and for modeling notation, respectively. From the scenario and RUP approach, user requirements were formulated into use case sets and the sequence of activities in the scenario was depicted in an activity diagram. The structure of the system was presented in a class diagram. This approach allowed us to identify clearly the structural and behavioral states and important factors of a terminology-based ENR system (e.g., business concerns and system design concerns) according to the viewpoints of both domain and technical experts.

Air-Based Remediation Workshop - Section 7 Sustainable Remediation And Air-Based Technologies

EPA Science Inventory

Pursuant to the EPA-AIT Implementing Arrangement 7 for Technical Environmental Collaboration, Activity 11 "Remediation of Contaminated Sites, " the USEPA Office of International Affairs Organized a Forced Air Remediation Workshop in Taipei to deliver expert training to the Enviro...

Air-Based Remediation Workshop - Section 8 Air-Based Remediation Technology Selection Logic

EPA Science Inventory

Pursuant to the EPA-AIT Implementing Arrangement 7 for Technical Environmental Collaboration, Activity 11 "Remediation of Contaminated Sites," the USEPA Office of International Affairs Organized a Forced Air Remediation Workshop in Taipei to deliver expert training to the Environ...

The role of socio-technical principles in leveraging meaningful benefits from IT investments.

PubMed

Doherty, Neil F

2014-03-01

In recent years there has been a great deal of academic and practitioner interest in the role of 'benefits realisation management' [BRM] approaches, as a means of proactively leveraging value from IT investments. This growing body of work owes a very considerable, but as yet unacknowledged, debt to the work of Ken Eason, and other early socio-technical theorists. Consequently, the aim of this paper is to demonstrate, using the literature, how many of the principles, practices and techniques of BRM have evolved either directly or indirectly from socio-technical approaches to systems design. In so doing, this article makes a further important contribution to the literature by explicitly identifying the underlying principles and key practices of benefits realisation management. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

Harnessing expert knowledge: Defining a Bayesian network decision model with limited data-Model structure for the vibration qualification problem

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

Rizzo, Davinia B.; Blackburn, Mark R.

As systems become more complex, systems engineers rely on experts to inform decisions. There are few experts and limited data in many complex new technologies. This challenges systems engineers as they strive to plan activities such as qualification in an environment where technical constraints are coupled with the traditional cost, risk, and schedule constraints. Bayesian network (BN) models provide a framework to aid systems engineers in planning qualification efforts with complex constraints by harnessing expert knowledge and incorporating technical factors. By quantifying causal factors, a BN model can provide data about the risk of implementing a decision supplemented with informationmore » on driving factors. This allows a systems engineer to make informed decisions and examine “what-if” scenarios. This paper discusses a novel process developed to define a BN model structure based primarily on expert knowledge supplemented with extremely limited data (25 data sets or less). The model was developed to aid qualification decisions—specifically to predict the suitability of six degrees of freedom (6DOF) vibration testing for qualification. The process defined the model structure with expert knowledge in an unbiased manner. Finally, validation during the process execution and of the model provided evidence the process may be an effective tool in harnessing expert knowledge for a BN model.« less

Harnessing expert knowledge: Defining a Bayesian network decision model with limited data-Model structure for the vibration qualification problem

DOE PAGES

Rizzo, Davinia B.; Blackburn, Mark R.

2018-03-30

As systems become more complex, systems engineers rely on experts to inform decisions. There are few experts and limited data in many complex new technologies. This challenges systems engineers as they strive to plan activities such as qualification in an environment where technical constraints are coupled with the traditional cost, risk, and schedule constraints. Bayesian network (BN) models provide a framework to aid systems engineers in planning qualification efforts with complex constraints by harnessing expert knowledge and incorporating technical factors. By quantifying causal factors, a BN model can provide data about the risk of implementing a decision supplemented with informationmore » on driving factors. This allows a systems engineer to make informed decisions and examine “what-if” scenarios. This paper discusses a novel process developed to define a BN model structure based primarily on expert knowledge supplemented with extremely limited data (25 data sets or less). The model was developed to aid qualification decisions—specifically to predict the suitability of six degrees of freedom (6DOF) vibration testing for qualification. The process defined the model structure with expert knowledge in an unbiased manner. Finally, validation during the process execution and of the model provided evidence the process may be an effective tool in harnessing expert knowledge for a BN model.« less

Proceedings of the Conference on Joint Problem Solving and Microcomputers.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-08-01

socio - cultural norm, not as "truth" about the domain, nor on the basis of formal properties attributed to the expert’s mental model. According to Grif...the basis of the task studied or on the grounds of abstract hypotheses about . the domain. Socio - cultural domain representations cannot rely on these...orthogonal to concrete vs. abstract. The con- crete specific acts (some, genetically primary examples) occupy the top left cell. The set of socio - cultural

Tactical and operational response to major incidents: feasibility and reliability of skills assessment using novel virtual environments.

PubMed

Cohen, Daniel; Sevdalis, Nick; Patel, Vishal; Taylor, Michael; Lee, Henry; Vokes, Mick; Heys, Mick; Taylor, David; Batrick, Nicola; Darzi, Ara

2013-07-01

To determine feasibility and reliability of skills assessment in a multi-agency, triple-site major incident response exercise carried out in a virtual world environment. Skills assessment was carried out across three scenarios. The pre-hospital scenario required paramedics to triage and treat casualties at the site of an explosion. Technical skills assessment forms were developed using training syllabus competencies and national guidelines identified by pre-hospital response experts. Non-technical skills were assessed using a seven-point scale previously developed for use by pre-hospital paramedics. The two in-hospital scenarios, focusing on a trauma team leader and a silver/clinical major incident co-ordinator, utilised the validated Trauma-NOTECHS scale to assess five domains of performance. Technical competencies were assessed using an ATLS-style competency scale for the trauma scenario. For the silver scenario, the assessment document was developed using competencies described from a similar role description in a real-life hospital major incident plan. The technical and non-technical performance of all participants was assessed live by two experts in each of the three scenarios and inter-assessor reliability was computed. Participants also self-assessed their performance using identical proformas immediately after the scenarios were completed. Self and expert assessments were correlated (assessment cross-validation). Twenty-three participants underwent all scenarios and assessments. Performance assessments were feasible for both experts as well as the participants. Non-technical performance was generally scored higher than technical performance. Very good inter-rater reliability was obtained between expert raters across all scenarios and both technical and non-technical aspects of performance (reliability range 0.59-0.90, Ps<0.01). Significant positive correlations were found between self and expert assessment in technical skills across all three scenarios (correlation range 0.52-0.84, Ps<0.05), although no such correlations were observed in non-technical skills. This study establishes feasibility and reliability of virtual environment technical and non-technical skills assessment in major incident scenarios for the first time. The development for further scenarios and validated assessment scales will enable major incident planners to utilise virtual technologies for improved major incident preparation and training. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Political epidemiology: strengthening socio-political analysis for mass immunisation - lessons from the smallpox and polio programmes.

PubMed

Taylor, S

2009-01-01

Control and reduction of infectious diseases is a key to attaining the Millennium Development Goals. An important element of this work is the successful immunisation, especially in resource-poor countries. Mass immunisation, most intensively in the case of eradication, depends on a combination of reliable demand (e.g. public willingness to comply with the vaccine protocol) and effective supply (e.g. robust, generally state-led, vaccine delivery). This balance of compliance and enforceability is, quintessentially, socio-political in nature - conditioned by popular perceptions of disease and risk, wider conditions of economic development and poverty, technical aspects of vaccine delivery, and the prevailing international norms regarding power relations between states and peoples. In the past 100 years, three out of six disease eradication programmes have failed. The explanations for failure have focused on biotechnical and managerial or financial issues. Less attention is paid to socio-political aspects. Yet socio-political explanations are key. Eradication is neither inherently prone to failure, nor necessarily doomed in the case of polio. However, eradication, and similar mass immunisation initiatives, which fail to address social and political realities of intervention may be. A comparison of the smallpox and polio eradication programmes illustrates the importance of disease-specific socio-political analysis in programme conceptualisation, design, and management.

Training on women and renewable sources of energy.

PubMed

Duenas Loza, M

1997-01-01

The training package developed by the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women in 1989 focuses on women and energy. The Institute conducts training activities using collected, analyzed and disseminated information and documentation, as well as identification of critical research and training activities and promotion of integrated issues on women and energy policies, programs and projects. Previous training experiences identified the inefficient quality of training offered to community members, technical staff and technical agencies, with more emphasis on the technical skills instead on the managerial, socio-organizational and environmental aspects. The creation of a multimedia modular training material provides an association between the issues of women, New and Renewable Sources of Energy (NRSE) and environmental aspects necessary for the strengthening of national institutions, promotion of socioeconomical and technically feasible renewable technologies, and awareness building, information and communication enhancement. The package covers 1) overview of the UN activities on NRSE; 2) Women's Position in the Energy Sector; 3) NRSE Project and Program design and implementation; 4) relevant NRSE characteristics and technology systems; 5) education and training activities in NRSE projects. This training package is designed to contribute a new approach in the organization and management of NRSE through integration of women's needs and increase awareness and capabilities of planners, officials and experts. In addition, several training seminars were conducted during 1989-91, which focused on the relationship between women and renewable energy sources through the application of participatory and self-reliant techniques.

[Marketing macroenvironment of a sanatorium and spa facility as a study object and a factor of strategic decision making].

PubMed

Babaskin, D V

2009-01-01

Analysis of marketing macroenvironment is an important stage in the formulation of the strategy for the development and operation of a therapeutic and preventive healthcare facility making possible rapid adjustment to sharply changing marketing conditions. The possibility of using expert evaluation for the analysis of the marketing macroenvironment of a sanatorium and spa facility and a concrete medical care service provided (peloidotherapy) is illustrated. The study covers five aspects of marketing macroenvironment, viz. socio-demographic, technological, economic, political and ecological.

A marketing approach to carpool demand analysis. Technical memorandum I. Survey documentation. Conservation paper. [Commuter survey in 3 major urban areas

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

Not Available

1976-07-01

The memorandum details the survey design and methodology employed in connection with a research effort that examined the role of individual's attitudes and perceptions in deciding whether or not to carpool. The study was based upon a survey of commuters in 3 major urban areas and has resulted in a sizeable new data on respondents' socio-economic and worktrip characteristics, travel perceptions, and travel preferences. The memorandum includes a copy of the survey instrument. An overview of the findings, conclusions and recommendations of this research is contained in the Summary Report, PB-261825, also available through NTIS.

Knowledge Management System Model for Learning Organisations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Amin, Yousif; Monamad, Roshayu

2017-01-01

Based on the literature of knowledge management (KM), this paper reports on the progress of developing a new knowledge management system (KMS) model with components architecture that are distributed over the widely-recognised socio-technical system (STS) aspects to guide developers for selecting the most applicable components to support their KM…

The development of a prototype intelligent user interface subsystem for NASA's scientific database systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Campbell, William J.; Roelofs, Larry H.; Short, Nicholas M., Jr.

1987-01-01

The National Space Science Data Center (NSSDC) has initiated an Intelligent Data Management (IDM) research effort which has as one of its components the development of an Intelligent User Interface (IUI).The intent of the latter is to develop a friendly and intelligent user interface service that is based on expert systems and natural language processing technologies. The purpose is to support the large number of potential scientific and engineering users presently having need of space and land related research and technical data but who have little or no experience in query languages or understanding of the information content or architecture of the databases involved. This technical memorandum presents prototype Intelligent User Interface Subsystem (IUIS) using the Crustal Dynamics Project Database as a test bed for the implementation of the CRUDDES (Crustal Dynamics Expert System). The knowledge base has more than 200 rules and represents a single application view and the architectural view. Operational performance using CRUDDES has allowed nondatabase users to obtain useful information from the database previously accessible only to an expert database user or the database designer.

Expert Technical Committee : Bay Bridge Project Assessment meeting, January 6-8, 2005.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2005-01-01

The Expert Technical Committee (ETC) was formed to provide an independent review and : assessment of the history and current status of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge East Span : Seismic Retrofit Cost Increases.

Bridging the Gap Between the Social and the Technical: The Enrolment of Socio-Technical Information Architects to Cope with the Two-Level Model of EPR Systems.

PubMed

Pedersen, Rune

2017-01-01

This is a project proposal derived from an urge to re-define the governance of ICT in healthcare towards regional and national standardization of the patient pathways. The focus is on a two-levelled approach for governing EPR systems where the clinicians' model structured variables and patient pathways. The overall goal is a patient centric EPR portfolio. This paper define and enlighten the need for establishing the socio- technical architect role necessary to obtain the capabilities of a modern structured EPR system. Clinicians are not capable to moderate between the technical and the clinical.

Second Annual Workshop on Space Operations Automation and Robotics (SOAR 1988)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Griffin, Sandy (Editor)

1988-01-01

Papers presented at the Second Annual Workshop on Space Operation Automation and Robotics (SOAR '88), hosted by Wright State University at Dayton, Ohio, on July 20, 21, 22, and 23, 1988, are documented herein. During the 4 days, approximately 100 technical papers were presented by experts from NASA, the USAF, universities, and technical companies. Panel discussions on Human Factors, Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, and Space Systems were held but are not documented herein. Technical topics addressed included knowledge-based systems, human factors, and robotics.

Assessment of Pharmacy Students' Communication Competence Using the Roter Interaction Analysis System During Objective Structured Clinical Examinations

PubMed Central

Kubota, Yoshie; Seki, Susumu; Takada, Kaori; Sakuma, Mio; Morimoto, Takeshi; Akaike, Akinori; Hiraide, Atsushi

2011-01-01

Objective To determine the value of using the Roter Interaction Analysis System during objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) to assess pharmacy students' communication competence. Methods As pharmacy students completed a clinical OSCE involving an interview with a simulated patient, 3 experts used a global rating scale to assess students' overall performance in the interview, and both the student's and patient's languages were coded using the Roter Interaction Analysis System (RIAS). The coders recorded the number of utterances (ie, units of spoken language) in each RIAS category. Correlations between the raters' scores and the number and types of utterances were examined. Results There was a significant correlation between students' global rating scores on the OSCE and the number of utterances in the RIAS socio-emotional category but not the RIAS business category. Conclusions The RIAS proved to be a useful tool for assessing the socio-emotional aspect of students' interview skills. PMID:21655397

Low-carbon yak cheese: transition to biogas in a Himalayan socio-technical niche

PubMed Central

Campbell, Ben; Sallis, Paul

2013-01-01

This study looks at how potential for resilient low-carbon solutions can be understood and enhanced in the diverse environmental, economic and socio-political contexts in which actual scenarios of energy needs and diverse development pathways take shape. It discusses socio-technical transition approaches to assist implementation of a biogas digester system. This will replace fuelwood use in the high forests of Central Nepal, where yak cheese production provides livelihood income but is under threat from the Langtang National Park, which is concerned to protect biodiversity. Alternatives for digester design are discussed, and the consultative issues for deliberative processes among stakeholders’ varied agendas raised. PMID:24427516

Dimensions of patient satisfaction with comprehensive abortion care in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

PubMed

Mossie Chekol, Bekalu; Abera Abdi, Dame; Andualem Adal, Tamirie

2016-12-07

Patient satisfaction is a measure of the extent to which a patient is content with the health care received from health care providers. It has been recognized as one of the most vital indicators of quality. Hence, it has been studied and measured extensively as part of service quality and as a standalone construct. In spite of this, there has been limited or no studies in Ethiopia that describe factors of abortion care contributed to women's satisfaction. This study aimed to identifying the underlying factors that contribute to patient satisfaction with comprehensive abortion care and at exploring relationships between total satisfaction scores and socio-demographic and care-related variables in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. At the beginning of the study in-depth interviews with 16 participants and a focus group discussion of 8 participants were conducted consecutively at the time of discharge to generate questions used to evaluate women's satisfaction with abortion care. Following generation of the perceived indicators, expert review, pilot study, and item analysis were performed in order to produce the reduced and better 26 items used to measure abortion care satisfaction. A total sample size of 450 participants from eight health facilities completed the survey. Principal component exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were conducted respectively to identify and confirm the factors of abortion care contributing to women's satisfaction. Mean satisfaction scores were compared across socio demographic and care-related variables such as age, educational level, gestational age (first trimester and second trimester), and facility type using analysis of variance. Exploratory factor analysis of the 26 items indicated that satisfaction with abortion care consisted of five main components accounting for 60.48% of the variance in total satisfaction scores. Factor loadings of all items were found to be greater than 0.4. These factors are named as follows: "art of care" which means interpersonal relationships with the care-provider, "physical environment" which means the perceived quality of physical surroundings in which care is delivered, including cleanliness of facilities and equipment, "information" which means the information received related to abortion procedures, "privacy and confidentiality", "quality of care" which refers to technical quality of the care provider. Furthermore, analysis of variance showed that overall satisfaction is found to be related to facility type, relationship status, gestational age, and procedural type. The findings provided support that women's satisfaction with comprehensive abortion care has five major factors. Therefore, to improve the overall quality of comprehensive abortion care, attention should be given to the advancement of these components namely, positive interpersonal communication with care-receiver, pleasantness of physical environment, offering enough information related to the procedure, securing clients' privacy during counseling and treatment, and technical quality of the providers.

Ethics, Risk and Benefits Associated with Different Applications of Nanotechnology: a Comparison of Expert and Consumer Perceptions of Drivers of Societal Acceptance.

PubMed

Gupta, N; Fischer, A R H; Frewer, L J

Examining those risk and benefit perceptions utilised in the formation of attitudes and opinions about emerging technologies such as nanotechnology can be useful for both industry and policy makers involved in their development, implementation and regulation. A broad range of different socio-psychological and affective factors may influence consumer responses to different applications of nanotechnology, including ethical concerns. A useful approach to identifying relevant consumer concerns and innovation priorities is to develop predictive constructs which can be used to differentiate applications of nanotechnology in a way which is meaningful to consumers. This requires elicitation of attitudinal constructs from consumers, rather than measuring attitudes assumed to be important by the researcher. Psychological factors influencing societal responses to 15 applications of nanotechnology drawn from different application areas (e.g. medicine, agriculture and environment, food, military, sports, and cosmetics) were identified using repertory grid method in conjunction with generalised Procrustes analysis. The results suggested that people differentiate nanotechnology applications based on the extent to which they perceive them to be beneficial, useful, necessary and important. The benefits may be offset by perceived risks focusing on fear and ethical concerns. Compared to an earlier expert study on societal acceptance of nanotechnology, consumers emphasised ethical issues compared to experts but had less concern regarding potential physical contact with the product and time to market introduction. Consumers envisaged fewer issues with several applications compared to experts, in particular food applications.

Use (and abuse) of expert elicitation in support of decision making for public policy

PubMed Central

Morgan, M. Granger

2014-01-01

The elicitation of scientific and technical judgments from experts, in the form of subjective probability distributions, can be a valuable addition to other forms of evidence in support of public policy decision making. This paper explores when it is sensible to perform such elicitation and how that can best be done. A number of key issues are discussed, including topics on which there are, and are not, experts who have knowledge that provides a basis for making informed predictive judgments; the inadequacy of only using qualitative uncertainty language; the role of cognitive heuristics and of overconfidence; the choice of experts; the development, refinement, and iterative testing of elicitation protocols that are designed to help experts to consider systematically all relevant knowledge when they make their judgments; the treatment of uncertainty about model functional form; diversity of expert opinion; and when it does or does not make sense to combine judgments from different experts. Although it may be tempting to view expert elicitation as a low-cost, low-effort alternative to conducting serious research and analysis, it is neither. Rather, expert elicitation should build on and use the best available research and analysis and be undertaken only when, given those, the state of knowledge will remain insufficient to support timely informed assessment and decision making. PMID:24821779

Potential scenarios for broadening stakeholder involvement in the implementing geological disposal technology platform

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

Martell, Meritxell; Bergmans, Anne

This paper analyses the potential for the involvement of different types of stakeholders in the Implementing Geological Disposal Technology Platform (IGD-TP). This analysis was conducted as part of the InSOTEC project, a three-year (2011- 2014) collaborative research project funded under the 7. Euratom Framework Programme (Grant Agreement nr. 269906). In our analysis, we consider the extent to which the IGDTP's practice as regards to stakeholder involvement matches its discourse, and what potential for improvement exists given its structural organisation as a European Technology Platform (ETPs). Technology Platforms (TPs) can be understood as knowledge networks, deliberately set up to influence (research)more » policy in a specific domain. We therefore use knowledge networks as a conceptual approach and look at the IGD-TP as a complex network which includes actors, knowledge and practices across different countries, focusing on a very specific topic (i.e. implementing geological disposal). We compare the way different stakeholders are involved in the IGD-TP to the practice of other ETPs, and explore how the IGD-TP is viewed by its members and by outsiders to the platform Applying Callon's framework of knowledge co-production (1999) we come to define different degrees of interaction between science, society and policy in view of defining research and development (R and D) priorities [1]. Subsequently we describe how these interactions could be conceptualised and interpreted for the IGD-TP. The current approach of the IGDTP can be mainly understood as classical model involving mainly expert stakeholders and scientists. Where there seems to be a good representation among IGD-TP members of industry, research institutes, and some members of the academic community this is not the case for other types of stakeholders, such as public authorities or civil society. At this stage, the overall approach of the IGD-TP would seem to restrict the scope of stakeholder involvement, as it narrows participation down to uniquely technology experts, hindering socio-technical manifestations. Our analysis nevertheless shows that there is room for engaging with a broader range of stakeholders in the field of radioactive waste management, if this is the intention of the IGD-TP. However, this would require a commitment to developing a common knowledge base including other stakeholders through a process of mutual adjustment and negotiation. (authors)« less

Philosophies of Policy Development and Implementation in Technical and Vocational Education. Report on UNESCO/UNEVOC Regional Expert Group Meeting (Auckland, New Zealand, April 2-9, 1995).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Auckland Inst. of Tech. (New Zealand).

This report begins with an outline of key issues in policy development and implementation in technical and vocational education (TVE). It sets forth the bases of policy development and implementation, the purpose of TVE, contextual factors that affect policy development and implementation. The following values significant in policy determination…

Washington's Community and Technical Colleges' Student Achievement Initiative: Lessons Learned since the 2012 Revision and Considerations for New Allocation Model. Research Report 16-1

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges, 2016

2016-01-01

In January 2012, a system-wide task force came together for a nearly year-long process of revising the community and technical college system's performance-based funding (PBF) system, the Student Achievement Initiative. This review was consistent with national experts' recommendations for continuous evaluation of PBF systems to ensure overall…

Sociological Perspectives on Energy and Rural Development: A Review of Major Frameworks for Research on Developing Countries.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koppel, Bruce; Schlegel, Charles

The principal sociological frameworks used in energy research on developing countries can be appraised in terms of the view of the energy-rural development problem that each framework implies. "Socio-Technical Analysis," which is used most in industrial and organizational sociology and in ecological anthropology, is oriented to the decomposition…

Aerospace Systems Design in NASA's Collaborative Engineering Environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Monell, Donald W.; Piland, William M.

1999-01-01

Past designs of complex aerospace systems involved an environment consisting of collocated design teams with project managers, technical discipline experts, and other experts (e.g. manufacturing and systems operations). These experts were generally qualified only on the basis of past design experience and typically had access to a limited set of integrated analysis tools. These environments provided less than desirable design fidelity, often lead to the inability of assessing critical programmatic and technical issues (e.g., cost risk, technical impacts), and generally derived a design that was not necessarily optimized across the entire system. The continually changing, modern aerospace industry demands systems design processes that involve the best talent available (no matter where it resides) and access to the best design and analysis tools. A solution to these demands involves a design environment referred to as collaborative engineering. The collaborative engineering environment evolving within the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is a capability that enables the Agency's engineering infrastructure to interact and use the best state-of-the-art tools and data across organizational boundaries. Using collaborative engineering, the collocated team is replaced with an interactive team structure where the team members are geographically distributed and the best engineering talent can be applied to the design effort regardless of physical location. In addition, a more efficient, higher quality design product is delivered by bringing together the best engineering talent with more up-to-date design and analysis tools. These tools are focused on interactive, multidisciplinary design and analysis with emphasis on the complete life cycle of the system, and they include nontraditional, integrated tools for life cycle cost estimation and risk assessment. NASA has made substantial progress during the last two years in developing a collaborative engineering environment. NASA is planning to use this collaborative engineering infrastructure to provide better aerospace systems life cycle design and analysis, which includes analytical assessment of the technical and programmatic aspects of a system from "cradle to grave." This paper describes the recent NASA developments in the area of collaborative engineering, the benefits (realized and anticipated) of using the developed capability, and the long-term plans for implementing this capability across the Agency.

Aerospace Systems Design in NASA's Collaborative Engineering Environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Monell, Donald W.; Piland, William M.

2000-01-01

Past designs of complex aerospace systems involved an environment consisting of collocated design teams with project managers, technical discipline experts, and other experts (e.g., manufacturing and systems operation). These experts were generally qualified only on the basis of past design experience and typically had access to a limited set of integrated analysis tools. These environments provided less than desirable design fidelity, often lead to the inability of assessing critical programmatic and technical issues (e.g., cost, risk, technical impacts), and generally derived a design that was not necessarily optimized across the entire system. The continually changing, modern aerospace industry demands systems design processes that involve the best talent available (no matter where it resides) and access to the the best design and analysis tools. A solution to these demands involves a design environment referred to as collaborative engineering. The collaborative engineering environment evolving within the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is a capability that enables the Agency's engineering infrastructure to interact and use the best state-of-the-art tools and data across organizational boundaries. Using collaborative engineering, the collocated team is replaced with an interactive team structure where the team members are geographical distributed and the best engineering talent can be applied to the design effort regardless of physical location. In addition, a more efficient, higher quality design product is delivered by bringing together the best engineering talent with more up-to-date design and analysis tools. These tools are focused on interactive, multidisciplinary design and analysis with emphasis on the complete life cycle of the system, and they include nontraditional, integrated tools for life cycle cost estimation and risk assessment. NASA has made substantial progress during the last two years in developing a collaborative engineering environment. NASA is planning to use this collaborative engineering engineering infrastructure to provide better aerospace systems life cycle design and analysis, which includes analytical assessment of the technical and programmatic aspects of a system from "cradle to grave." This paper describes the recent NASA developments in the area of collaborative engineering, the benefits (realized and anticipated) of using the developed capability, and the long-term plans for implementing this capability across Agency.

Aerospace Systems Design in NASA's Collaborative Engineering Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Monell, Donald W.; Piland, William M.

2000-07-01

Past designs of complex aerospace systems involved an environment consisting of collocated design teams with project managers, technical discipline experts, and other experts (e.g., manufacturing and systems operations). These experts were generally qualified only on the basis of past design experience and typically had access to a limited set of integrated analysis tools. These environments provided less than desirable design fidelity, often led to the inability of assessing critical programmatic and technical issues (e.g., cost, risk, technical impacts), and generally derived a design that was not necessarily optimized across the entire system. The continually changing, modern aerospace industry demands systems design processes that involve the best talent available (no matter where it resides) and access to the best design and analysis tools. A solution to these demands involves a design environment referred to as collaborative engineering. The collaborative engineering environment evolving within the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is a capability that enables the Agency's engineering infrastructure to interact and use the best state-of-the-art tools and data across organizational boundaries. Using collaborative engineering, the collocated team is replaced with an interactive team structure where the team members are geographically distributed and the best engineering talent can be applied to the design effort regardless of physical location. In addition, a more efficient, higher quality design product is delivered by bringing together the best engineering talent with more up-to-date design and analysis tools. These tools are focused on interactive, multidisciplinary design and analysis with emphasis on the complete life cycle of the system, and they include nontraditional, integrated tools for life cycle cost estimation and risk assessment. NASA has made substantial progress during the last two years in developing a collaborative engineering environment. NASA is planning to use this collaborative engineering infrastructure to provide better aerospace systems life cycle design and analysis, which includes analytical assessment of the technical and programmatic aspects of a system from "cradle to grave." This paper describes the recent NASA developments in the area of collaborative engineering, the benefits (realized and anticipated) of using the developed capability, and the long-term plans for implementing this capability across the Agency.

The use of deep and surface learning strategies among students learning English as a foreign language in an Internet environment.

PubMed

Aharony, Noa

2006-12-01

The learning context is learning English in an Internet environment. The examination of this learning process was based on the Biggs and Moore's teaching-learning model (Biggs & Moore, 1993). The research aims to explore the use of the deep and surface strategies in an Internet environment among EFL students who come from different socio-economic backgrounds. The results of the research may add an additional level to the understanding of students' functioning in the Internet environment. One hundred fourty-eight Israeli junior and high school students participated in this research. The methodology was based on special computer software: Screen Cam, which recorded the students' learning process. In addition, expert judges completed a questionnaire which examined and categorized the students' learning strategies. The research findings show a clear preference of participants from all socio-economic backgrounds towards the surface learning strategy. The findings also showed that students from the medium to high socio-economic background used both learning strategies more frequently than low socio-economic students. The results reflect the habits that students acquire during their adjustment process throughout their education careers. A brief encounter with the Internet learning environment apparently cannot change norms or habits, which were acquired in the non-Internet learning environment.

Socio-Environmental Resilience and Complex Urban Systems Modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deal, Brian; Petri, Aaron; Pan, Haozhi; Goldenberg, Romain; Kalantari, Zahra; Cvetkovic, Vladimir

2017-04-01

The increasing pressure of climate change has inspired two normative agendas; socio-technical transitions and socio-ecological resilience, both sharing a complex-systems epistemology (Gillard et al. 2016). Socio-technical solutions include a continuous, massive data gathering exercise now underway in urban places under the guise of developing a 'smart'(er) city. This has led to the creation of data-rich environments where large data sets have become central to monitoring and forming a response to anomalies. Some have argued that these kinds of data sets can help in planning for resilient cities (Norberg and Cumming 2008; Batty 2013). In this paper, we focus on a more nuanced, ecologically based, socio-environmental perspective of resilience planning that is often given less consideration. Here, we broadly discuss (and model) the tightly linked, mutually influenced, social and biophysical subsystems that are critical for understanding urban resilience. We argue for the need to incorporate these sub system linkages into the resilience planning lexicon through the integration of systems models and planning support systems. We make our case by first providing a context for urban resilience from a socio-ecological and planning perspective. We highlight the data needs for this type of resilient planning and compare it to currently collected data streams in various smart city efforts. This helps to define an approach for operationalizing socio-environmental resilience planning using robust systems models and planning support systems. For this, we draw from our experiences in coupling a spatio-temporal land use model (the Landuse Evolution and impact Assessment Model (LEAM)) with water quality and quantity models in Stockholm Sweden. We describe the coupling of these systems models using a robust Planning Support System (PSS) structural framework. We use the coupled model simulations and PSS to analyze the connection between urban land use transformation (social) and water (environmental) systems within the context of planning for a more resilient Stockholm. This work shows that complex urban systems models can help bridge the divide between socio-technological and socio-environmental systems knowledge and achieving resilient urban areas.

Do Surgeons and Gastroenterologists Describe Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography Differently? A Qualitative Study.

PubMed

Boehler, Margaret L; Roberts, Nicole; Sanfey, Hilary; Mellinger, John

2016-01-01

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is a technically challenging procedure performed by both surgeons and gastroenterologists. There is controversy in the field regarding the training necessary to perform ERCP. Widely disparate requisite volumes of experience to achieve proficiency have been published by representatives of each specialty. The basis for these differences has not been fully explored, with particular reference to the cognitive mindset of the different specialties. Structured cognitive task analytic interviews were conducted with 7 expert gastroenterologists and 4 expert surgeons from 4 institutions, each of whom performs ERCP as a common procedure in their clinical practice. A qualitative analysis and grounded theory approach was used, focusing specifically on duct cannulation as a critical procedural element. Transcripts were analyzed using Atlas.ti software. The qualitative analysis of 11 transcripts identified 173 unique codes from a total of 653 quotes. In all, 5 themes were found to describe the codes: judgment, teaching, techniques, principles, and equipment. Significant differences were noted between gastroenterologists and surgeons across these themes. Gastroenterologists placed emphasis on issues of judgment including rationale, and emphasized explanation and clarification in teaching. Surgeons placed more emphasis on use of visual cues, and emphasized technique and equipment nuances. The data suggest that gastroenterologists deconstruct ERCP competence based on application of rules and rationale through reflection. Surgeons focus more on visual and tactile cues in task deconstruction, and may be more likely to measure proficiency based on technical response to such cues. Based on this study, it is proposed that both specialties might have complementary roles in training therapeutic endoscopists. Copyright © 2015 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Non-technical skills for obstetricians conducting forceps and vacuum deliveries: qualitative analysis by interviews and video recordings.

PubMed

Bahl, Rachna; Murphy, Deirdre J; Strachan, Bryony

2010-06-01

Non-technical skills are cognitive and social skills required in an operational task. These skills have been identified and taught in the surgical domain but are of particular relevance to obstetrics where the patient is awake, the partner is present and the clinical circumstances are acute and often stressful. The aim of this study was to define the non-technical skills of an operative vaginal delivery (forceps or vacuum) to facilitate transfer of skills from expert obstetricians to trainee obstetricians. Qualitative study using interviews and video recordings. The study was conducted at two university teaching hospitals (St. Michael's Hospital, Bristol and Ninewells Hospital, Dundee). Participants included 10 obstetricians and eight midwives identified as experts in conducting or supporting operative vaginal deliveries. Semi-structured interviews were carried out using routine clinical scenarios. The experts were also video recorded conducting forceps and vacuum deliveries in a simulation setting. The interviews and video recordings were transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic coding. The anonymised data were independently coded by the three researchers and then compared for consistency of interpretation. The experts reviewed the coded data for respondent validation and clarification. The themes that emerged were used to identify the non-technical skills required for conducting an operative vaginal delivery. The final skills list was classified into seven main categories. Four categories (situational awareness, decision making, task management, and team work and communication) were similar to the categories identified in surgery. Three further categories unique to obstetrics were also identified (professional relationship with the woman, maintaining professional behaviour and cross-monitoring of performance). This explicitly defined skills taxonomy could aid trainees' understanding of the non-technical skills to be considered when conducting an operative vaginal delivery and potentially reduce morbidity and improve the experience of delivery for the mother. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

An innovative and shared methodology for event reconstruction using images in forensic science.

PubMed

Milliet, Quentin; Jendly, Manon; Delémont, Olivier

2015-09-01

This study presents an innovative methodology for forensic science image analysis for event reconstruction. The methodology is based on experiences from real cases. It provides real added value to technical guidelines such as standard operating procedures (SOPs) and enriches the community of practices at stake in this field. This bottom-up solution outlines the many facets of analysis and the complexity of the decision-making process. Additionally, the methodology provides a backbone for articulating more detailed and technical procedures and SOPs. It emerged from a grounded theory approach; data from individual and collective interviews with eight Swiss and nine European forensic image analysis experts were collected and interpreted in a continuous, circular and reflexive manner. Throughout the process of conducting interviews and panel discussions, similarities and discrepancies were discussed in detail to provide a comprehensive picture of practices and points of view and to ultimately formalise shared know-how. Our contribution sheds light on the complexity of the choices, actions and interactions along the path of data collection and analysis, enhancing both the researchers' and participants' reflexivity. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

High-fidelity, low-cost, automated method to assess laparoscopic skills objectively.

PubMed

Gray, Richard J; Kahol, Kanav; Islam, Gazi; Smith, Marshall; Chapital, Alyssa; Ferrara, John

2012-01-01

We sought to define the extent to which a motion analysis-based assessment system constructed with simple equipment could measure technical skill objectively and quantitatively. An "off-the-shelf" digital video system was used to capture the hand and instrument movement of surgical trainees (beginner level = PGY-1, intermediate level = PGY-3, and advanced level = PGY-5/fellows) while they performed a peg transfer exercise. The video data were passed through a custom computer vision algorithm that analyzed incoming pixels to measure movement smoothness objectively. The beginner-level group had the poorest performance, whereas those in the advanced group generated the highest scores. Intermediate-level trainees scored significantly (p < 0.04) better than beginner trainees. Advanced-level trainees scored significantly better than intermediate-level trainees and beginner-level trainees (p < 0.04 and p < 0.03, respectively). A computer vision-based analysis of surgical movements provides an objective basis for technical expertise-level analysis with construct validity. The technology to capture the data is simple, low cost, and readily available, and it obviates the need for expert human assessment in this setting. Copyright © 2012 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The job analysis of Korean nurses as a strategy to improve the Korean Nursing Licensing Examination.

PubMed

Park, In Sook; Suh, Yeon Ok; Park, Hae Sook; Ahn, Soo Yeon; Kang, So Young; Ko, Il Sun

2016-01-01

This study aimed at characterizing Korean nurses' occupational responsibilities to apply the results for improvement of the Korean Nursing Licensing Examination. First, the contents of nursing job were defined based on a focus group interview of 15 nurses. Developing a Curriculum (DACOM) method was used to examine those results and produce the questionnaire by 13 experts. After that, the questionnaire survey to 5,065 hospital nurses was done. The occupational responsibilities of nurses were characterized as involving 8 duties, 49 tasks, and 303 task elements. Those 8 duties are nursing management and professional development, safety and infection control, the management of potential risk factors, basic nursing and caring, the maintenance of physiological integrity, medication and parenteral treatments, socio-psychological integrity, and the maintenance and improvement of health. The content of Korean Nursing Licensing Examination should be improved based on 8 duties and 49 tasks of the occupational responsibilities of Korean nurses.

Selecting Measures to Evaluate Complex Sociotechnical Systems: An Empirical Comparison of a Task-based and Constraint-based Method

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-07-01

experimental requirements of the research are described (See Appendix A for a full description of the development and testing ). 3.1.3 The Black...41 3. TEST SYSTEM USED FOR THE RESEARCH ...Chapter 3: Test system used for the research A complex socio-technical system is required to compare the methods. An emulation of a radar warning

75 FR 6030 - EPA Science Advisory Board Staff Office Request for Nominations of Experts for the SAB Lead (Pb...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-02-05

... requesting public nominations of experts to form an SAB Ad Hoc Panel to review EPA's draft technical analyses... residential dust. OPPT is developing draft technical analyses that will be used to support: (a) Possible... that the SAB conduct a review of these draft technical analyses. The SAB was established by 42 U.S.C...

Automatized Assessment of Protective Group Reactivity: A Step Toward Big Reaction Data Analysis.

PubMed

Lin, Arkadii I; Madzhidov, Timur I; Klimchuk, Olga; Nugmanov, Ramil I; Antipin, Igor S; Varnek, Alexandre

2016-11-28

We report a new method to assess protective groups (PGs) reactivity as a function of reaction conditions (catalyst, solvent) using raw reaction data. It is based on an intuitive similarity principle for chemical reactions: similar reactions proceed under similar conditions. Technically, reaction similarity can be assessed using the Condensed Graph of Reaction (CGR) approach representing an ensemble of reactants and products as a single molecular graph, i.e., as a pseudomolecule for which molecular descriptors or fingerprints can be calculated. CGR-based in-house tools were used to process data for 142,111 catalytic hydrogenation reactions extracted from the Reaxys database. Our results reveal some contradictions with famous Greene's Reactivity Charts based on manual expert analysis. Models developed in this study show high accuracy (ca. 90%) for predicting optimal experimental conditions of protective group deprotection.

Validation of a novel venous duplex ultrasound objective structured assessment of technical skills for the assessment of venous reflux.

PubMed

Jaffer, Usman; Normahani, Pasha; Lackenby, Kimberly; Aslam, Mohammed; Standfield, Nigel J

2015-01-01

Duplex ultrasound measurement of reflux time is central to the diagnosis of venous incompetence. We have developed an assessment tool for Duplex measurement of venous reflux for both simulator and patient-based training. A novel assessment tool, Venous Duplex Ultrasound Assessment of Technical Skills (V-DUOSATS), was developed. A modified DUOSATS was used for simulator training. Participants of varying skill level were invited to viewed an instructional video and were allowed ample time to familiarize with the Duplex equipment. Attempts made by the participants were recorded and independently assessed by 3 expert assessors and 5 novice assessors using the modified V-DUOSATS. "Global" assessment was also done by expert assessors on a 4-point Likert scale. Content, construct, and concurrent validities as well as reliability were evaluated. Content and construct validity as well as reliability were demonstrated. Receiver operator characteristic analysis-established cut points of 19/22 and 21/30 were most appropriate for simulator and patient-based assessment, respectively. We have validated a novel assessment tool for Duplex venous reflux measurement. Further work is required to establish transference validity of simulator training to improve skill in scanning patients. We have developed and validated V-DUOSATS for simulator training. Copyright © 2015 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Schools in the Making: Mapping Digital Spaces of Evidence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Decuypere, Mathias; Ceulemans, Carlijne; Simons, Maarten

2014-01-01

In this article, the focus is on educational governing in the making. Drawing on conceptual underpinnings of socio-technical approaches, this implies an interest both on the way in which a sound knowledge base for policy measures is created, as on the distribution of that knowledge through publically available instruments. Governing by evidence…

Assessing Roles of People, Technology and Structure in Emergency Management Systems: A Public Sector Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Minkyun; Sharman, Raj; Cook-Cottone, Catherine P.; Rao, H. Raghav; Upadhyaya, Shambhu J.

2012-01-01

Emergency management systems are a critical factor in successful mitigation of natural and man-made disasters, facilitating responder decision making in complex situations. Based on socio-technical systems, have which four components (people, technology, structure and task), this study develops a research framework of factors affecting effective…

An Empirical Investigation of Smart Board Innovations in Teaching in UAE University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-Qirim, Nabeel

2016-01-01

This research investigates Teaching Faculty's (TF) adoption and usage of the Interactive or Smart White Board Technology (SB) in UAE University (UAEU). The developed theoretical framework is based on the technological innovation theories and is made of different socio-technical factors. Using survey research targeting UAEU's TF, the research…

Proceedings of Workshop on Expert Systems for Construction Scheduling Held in Champaign, Illinois on 23-24 March 1987.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-08-01

TO 8/87 68 6 CUPPEIFMyTARY 0A,()N Copies are available from,. the National Technical Information Service Springfield, VA 22161 *COSATI CODES 18 SUBJECT... information . The first exploratory research step was to determine the breath and depth of the construction schedule analysis domain. This step defined...ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING THIS RESEARCIH I. O’Connor, Michael J., Jesus M. Dc La Garza, and C. William Ibbs, "An Expert Systcm for Construction

The impact of IT over five decades - towards the Ambient organization.

PubMed

Bjørn-Andersen, Niels; Raymond, Benoit

2014-03-01

This contribution to the Ken D. Eason special issue is an illustration of the value of socio-technical analysis applied at an organizational level. We provide a brief historical overview of socio-technical IS research and review studies investigating the impact of IT on organizational structures in the last five decades, identifying a dominating (new) research theme in each decade. A key overall impact of IT in all decades has been a dramatic decrease in transaction costs making it increasingly easier for organizations to source from external providers. A five level taxonomy of sourcing arrangement is developed together with a framework of organizational activities, and a number of significant cases are offered of how organizations are sourcing practically all types of business processes, including innovation. We argue that future IT will further accelerate the movement towards more sourcing, eventually leading to a new type of organization that we call the Ambient organization. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

Socio-Technical Perspective on Interdisciplinary Interactions During the Development of Complex Engineered Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McGowan, Anna-Maria R.; Daly, Shanna; Baker, Wayne; Papalambros, panos; Seifert, Colleen

2013-01-01

This study investigates interdisciplinary interactions that take place during the research, development, and early conceptual design phases in the design of large-scale complex engineered systems (LaCES) such as aerospace vehicles. These interactions, that take place throughout a large engineering development organization, become the initial conditions of the systems engineering process that ultimately leads to the development of a viable system. This paper summarizes some of the challenges and opportunities regarding social and organizational issues that emerged from a qualitative study using ethnographic and survey data. The analysis reveals several socio-technical couplings between the engineered system and the organization that creates it. Survey respondents noted the importance of interdisciplinary interactions and their benefits to the engineered system as well as substantial challenges in interdisciplinary interactions. Noted benefits included enhanced knowledge and problem mitigation and noted obstacles centered on organizational and human dynamics. Findings suggest that addressing the social challenges may be a critical need in enabling interdisciplinary interactions

Exploratory of society

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cederman, L.-E.; Conte, R.; Helbing, D.; Nowak, A.; Schweitzer, F.; Vespignani, A.

2012-11-01

A huge flow of quantitative social, demographic and behavioral data is becoming available that traces the activities and interactions of individuals, social patterns, transportation infrastructures and travel fluxes. This has caused, together with innovative computational techniques and methods for modeling social actions in hybrid (natural and artificial) societies, a qualitative change in the ways we model socio-technical systems. For the first time, society can be studied in a comprehensive fashion that addresses social and behavioral complexity. In other words we are in the position to envision the development of large data and computational cyber infrastructure defining an exploratory of society that provides quantitative anticipatory, explanatory and scenario analysis capabilities ranging from emerging infectious disease to conflict and crime surges. The goal of the exploratory of society is to provide the basic infrastructure embedding the framework of tools and knowledge needed for the design of forecast/anticipatory/crisis management approaches to socio technical systems, supporting future decision making procedures by accelerating the scientific cycle that goes from data generation to predictions.

Uncovering and Managing the Impact of Methodological Choices for the Computational Construction of Socio-Technical Networks from Texts

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-01-01

networks has become fast , cheap, and easy (Shapiro, 1971; Trigg & Weiser, 1986). Modern information and communication technologies, such as the internet...However, once the model is learned, inference time is not subject to this constraint. Therefore, applying the model in end-user applications is fast ...products that facilitate the fast collection and assessment of these networks. For the purpose of analyzing socio-technical networks of geopolitical

7 CFR 3400.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... the grant application and approved by the Director who is responsible for the scientific and technical... instruments has been delegated. (j) Peer review group means an assembled group of experts or consultants qualified by training and experience in particular scientific or technical fields to give expert advice, in...

7 CFR 3400.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... the grant application and approved by the Director who is responsible for the scientific and technical... instruments has been delegated. (j) Peer review group means an assembled group of experts or consultants qualified by training and experience in particular scientific or technical fields to give expert advice, in...

7 CFR 3400.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... the grant application and approved by the Director who is responsible for the scientific and technical... instruments has been delegated. (j) Peer review group means an assembled group of experts or consultants qualified by training and experience in particular scientific or technical fields to give expert advice, in...

Exploring sustainability transitions in households: insights from real-life experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baedeker, Carolin; Buhl, Johannes; Greiff, Kathrin; Hasselkuß, Marco; Liedtke, Christa; Lukas, Melanie

2016-04-01

Societal transformation towards sustainable consumption and production, especially in urban areas, is a key challenge. The design and implementation of sustainable product service systems (PSS) might be the initial point, in which private households play a major role. The Sustainable LivingLab research infrastructure was developed as an experimental setting for investigating consumption and production patterns in private households, especially to explore socio-technical innovations which are helpful to guide sustainability transitions. The suggested presentation describes results of several real-life experiments conducted in German households, e.g. the project SusLabNRW (North-Rhine Westphalia as part of the European SusLabNWE-Project), the EnerTransRuhr project as well as the PATHWAYS project that explore patterns of action, time use, social practices and the related resource use in private households. The presentation gives an overview of the employed methods and analysed data (qualitative interviews, social network analysis, survey on household activities and inventories and a sustainability assessment (resource profiles - MIPS household analysis). Households' resource consumption was calculated in all fields of activity to analyse social practices' impact. The presentation illustrates how aggregated data can inform scenario analysis and concludes with an outlook onto transition pathways at household level and socio-technical innovations in the fields of housing, nutrition and mobility.

Technical indicators of economic performance in dairy sheep farming.

PubMed

Theodoridis, A; Ragkos, A; Roustemis, D; Arsenos, G; Abas, Z; Sinapis, E

2014-01-01

In this study, the level of technical efficiency of 58 sheep farms rearing the Chios breed in Greece was measured through the application of the stochastic frontier analysis method. A Translog stochastic frontier production function was estimated using farm accounting data of Chios sheep farms and the impact of various socio-demographic and biophysical factors on the estimated efficiency of the farms was evaluated. The farms were classified into efficiency groups on the basis of the estimated level of efficiency and a technical and economic descriptive analysis was applied in order to illustrate an indicative picture of their structure and productivity. The results of the stochastic frontier model indicate that there are substantial production inefficiencies among the Chios sheep farms and that these farms could increase their production through the improvement of technical efficiency, whereas the results of the inefficiency effects model reveal that the farm-specific explanatory factors can partly explain the observed efficiency differentials. The measurement of technical inefficiency and the detection of its determinants can be used to form the basis of policy recommendations that could contribute to the development of the sector.

Technical Risk Assessment. The Status of Current DoD Efforts

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-04-01

naililgocrsf .rv iC’.ti-I ’N tpi). 33-51 andti 62-7, 1 Prinicipal Findings Risk Assessment Guidance [will hats lidft i1fied many technical risk appro ach...8217Ertjvhcs Firt licr. ino st1andlard d1efiitio ’ n oft eciunival ris.k extsts. wit tim twitl.. A t iorifti nv. many program offivi-t have develtoped t he...based ol (fhe technical risk assessnient for the system. Assessment has many % possible approar!:"s. 1 ’siiahly. one- or moh re tech- nical experts

EMB history to increase health technology literacy in the general public for improved health worldwide.

PubMed

Leder, Ron S

2009-01-01

History provides common access to technology for both technical and non technical persons and for youngsters. Placed in an historical context complex health technology and health care can be more understandable and therefore more accessible to the general public; technical persons can understand past health technology advances to help propel the field. History is a reference for experts disguised as a story that anyone can understand and enjoy. This can be useful and effective at improving self advocate based health care.

A European Sustainable Tourism Labels proposal using a composite indicator

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

Blancas, Francisco Javier, E-mail: fjblaper@upo.es; Lozano-Oyola, Macarena, E-mail: mlozoyo@upo.es; González, Mercedes, E-mail: m_gonzalez@uma.es

The tourism sector in Europe faces important challenges which it must deal with to promote its future development. In this context, the European Commission considers that two key issues must be addressed. On the one hand, a better base of socio-economic knowledge about tourism and its relationship with the environment is needed, and, on the other hand, it is necessary to improve the image of European areas as quality sustainable tourism destinations. In this paper we present analytical tools that cover these needs. Specifically, we define a system of sustainable tourism indicators and we obtain a composite indicator incorporating weightsmore » quantified using a panel of experts. Employing the values of this global indicator as a basis, we define a Sustainable Tourism Country-Brand Ranking which assesses the perception of each country-brand depending on its degree of sustainability, and a system of sustainable tourism labels which reward the management carried out. - Highlights: • We define a system of indicators to improve the knowledge about sustainable tourism. • We obtain composite indicators based on expert knowledge. • The Sustainable Tourism Country-Brand Ranking would improve the image of destinations. • We define a Sustainable Tourism Labels System to assess country-brands. • The conclusions of the empirical analysis can be extrapolated to other tourist areas.« less

[Anthropology engaged against Ebola (2014-2016): approaches, contributions and new questions].

PubMed

Desclaux, Alice; Anoko, Julienne

2017-10-02

Anthropologists contributed to the response to the 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak in three ways : as Ebola experts, cultural mediators between populations and caregivers, and researchers. This article presents a preliminary review of approaches, contributions and related issues based on a literature review, case studies and debates. The anthropological research discussed in this article concerns four themes : epidemiological contexts of transmission ; cultural interpretation of illness and social responses ; social construction of stakeholders' experience ; critical analysis of public health interventions. In addition to insightful contributions, particularly regarding the socio-political contexts and their interfaces with global public health measures, anthropologists tested forms of communication to facilitate access of public health actors to their results. However, these heterogeneous forms of engagement raise a number of questions, especially when they reflect anthropological interpretations that exclude any critical or reflexive dimension, or when anthropology is considered to be similar to social intervention. Nevertheless, anthropological research provides a major contribution, which could be even greater if transnational networks set up by researchers to analyse the socio-political, economic and biocultural dimensions of emerging epidemics are supported in order to improve ?preparedness? for future health crises.

ICT, Education and Older People in Australia: A Socio-Technical Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tatnall, Arthur

2014-01-01

People over 65 (or older people) are a growing proportion of the population in many developed countries including Australia. In the last 10 to 12 years interest from this group in the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and the Internet has also grown considerably. ICT has much to offer older people as a means of keeping in…

Acquisition of Expert/Non-Expert Vocabulary from Reformulations.

PubMed

Antoine, Edwige; Grabar, Natalia

2017-01-01

Technical medical terms are complicated to be correctly understood by non-experts. Vocabulary, associating technical terms with layman expressions, can help in increasing the readability of technical texts and their understanding. The purpose of our work is to build this kind of vocabulary. We propose to exploit the notion of reformulation following two methods: extraction of abbreviations and of reformulations with specific markers. The segments associated thanks to these methods are aligned with medical terminologies. Our results allow to cover over 9,000 medical terms and show precision of extractions between 0.24 and 0.98. The results and analyzed and compared with the existing work.

Air-Base Remediation Workshop - Section 3 Bioventig

EPA Science Inventory

Pursuant to the EPA-AIT Implementing Arrangement 7 for Technical Environmental Collaboration, Activity 11 "Remediation of Contaminated Sites," the USEPA Office of International Affairs Organized a Forced Air Remediation Workshop in Taipei to deliver expert training to the Environ...

Air-Based Remediation Workshop - Section 6 Thermal Systems

EPA Science Inventory

Pursuant to the EPA-AIT Implementing Arrangement 7 for Technical Environmental Collaboration, Activity 11 "Remediation of Contaminated Sites," the USEPA Office of International Affairs Organized a Forced Air Remediation Workshop in Taipei to deliver expert training to the Environ...

Expert systems in civil engineering

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

Kostem, C.N.; Maher, M.L.

1986-01-01

This book presents the papers given at a symposium on expert systems in civil engineering. Topics considered at the symposium included problem solving using expert system techniques, construction schedule analysis, decision making and risk analysis, seismic risk analysis systems, an expert system for inactive hazardous waste site characterization, an expert system for site selection, knowledge engineering, and knowledge-based expert systems in seismic analysis.

The consultation and relational empathy (CARE) measure: development and preliminary validation and reliability of an empathy-based consultation process measure.

PubMed

Mercer, Stewart W; Maxwell, Margaret; Heaney, David; Watt, Graham Cm

2004-12-01

Empathy is a key aspect of the clinical encounter but there is a lack of patient-assessed measures suitable for general clinical settings. Our aim was to develop a consultation process measure based on a broad definition of empathy, which is meaningful to patients irrespective of their socio-economic background. Qualitative and quantitative approaches were used to develop and validate the new measure, which we have called the consultation and relational empathy (CARE) measure. Concurrent validity was assessed by correlational analysis against other validated measures in a series of three pilot studies in general practice (in areas of high or low socio-economic deprivation). Face and content validity was investigated by 43 interviews with patients from both types of areas, and by feedback from GPs and expert researchers in the field. The initial version of the new measure (pilot 1; high deprivation practice) correlated strongly (r = 0.85) with the Reynolds empathy measure (RES) and the Barrett-Lennard empathy subscale (BLESS) (r = 0.63), but had a highly skewed distribution (skew -1.879, kurtosis 3.563). Statistical analysis, and feedback from the 20 patients interviewed, the GPs and the expert researchers, led to a number of modifications. The revised, second version of the CARE measure, tested in an area of low deprivation (pilot 2) also correlated strongly with the established empathy measures (r = 0.84 versus RES and r = 0.77 versus BLESS) but had a less skewed distribution (skew -0.634, kurtosis -0.067). Internal reliability of the revised version was high (Cronbach's alpha 0.92). Patient feedback at interview (n = 13) led to only minor modification. The final version of the CARE measure, tested in pilot 3 (high deprivation practice) confirmed the validation with the other empathy measures (r = 0.85 versus RES and r = 0.84 versus BLESS) and the face validity (feedback from 10 patients). These preliminary results support the validity and reliability of the CARE measure as a tool for measuring patients' perceptions of relational empathy in the consultation.

The Method of Immersion the Problem of Comparing Technical Objects in an Expert Shell in the Class of Artificial Intelligence Algorithms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sergey Vasilievich, Buharin; Aleksandr Vladimirovich, Melnikov; Svetlana Nikolaevna, Chernyaeva; Lyudmila Anatolievna, Korobova

2017-08-01

The method of dip of the underlying computational problem of comparing technical object in an expert shell in the class of data mining methods is examined. An example of using the proposed method is given.

A Framework for Evidence-Based Licensure of Adaptive Autonomous Systems: Technical Areas

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-03-01

subjective judgments by human experts . They are design dependent, but address questions of whether the system is performing as needed, as opposed...I N S T I T U T E F O R D E F E N S E A N A L Y S E S A Framework for Evidence-Based Licensure of Adaptive Autonomous Systems : Technical Areas...and Licensure of Autonomous Systems ,” for the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). The views, opinions, and findings should not be construed as

A Socio-technical assessment of the success of picture archiving and communication systems: the radiology technologist’s perspective

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background With the increasing prevalence of Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS) in healthcare institutions, there is a growing need to measure their success. However, there is a lack of published literature emphasizing the technical and social factors underlying a successful PACS. Methods An updated Information Systems Success Model was utilized by radiology technologists (RTs) to evaluate the success of PACS at a large medical center in Taiwan. A survey, consisting of 109 questionnaires, was analyzed by Structural Equation Modeling. Results Socio-technical factors (including system quality, information quality, service quality, perceived usefulness, user satisfaction, and PACS dependence) were proven to be effective measures of PACS success. Although the relationship between service quality and perceived usefulness was not significant, other proposed relationships amongst the six measurement parameters of success were all confirmed. Conclusions Managers have an obligation to improve the attributes of PACS. At the onset of its deployment, RTs will have formed their own subjective opinions with regards to its quality (system quality, information quality, and service quality). As these personal concepts are either refuted or reinforced based on personal experiences, RTs will become either satisfied or dissatisfied with PACS, based on their perception of its usefulness or lack of usefulness. A satisfied RT may play a pivotal role in the implementation of PACS in the future. PMID:24053458

Facilitating Social Collaboration in Mobile Cloud-Based Learning: A Teamwork as A Service (TaaS) Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sun, Geng; Shen, Jun

2014-01-01

Mobile learning is an emerging trend that brings many advantages to distributed learners, enabling them to achieve collaborative learning, in which the virtual teams are usually built to engage multiple learners working together towards the same pedagogical goals in online courses. However, the socio-technical mechanisms to enhance teamwork…

Employee impact and attitude analysis for GHS implementation in Taiwan.

PubMed

Chang, Yi-Kuo; Su, Teh-Sheng; Ouyang, Yun; Tseng, Jo-Ming

2013-01-01

The employee impact and attitude analysis for GHS implementation in Taiwan was investigated in this study. An impact assessment on the new regulations or changes in regulations for government, potential costs, benefits, and the global trade in chemicals to industries and hazard communication program for workers was studied by the methods of the questionnaire design and Delphi expert method. A survey was conducted using questionnaires and taking 200 experts from government's expert database and 500 selected respondents from case company. Results from present study revealed that the barrier associated with GHS implementation is existed; it is feasible to overcome. Both experts and employees think that business entities are insufficient to test and classify chemicals on their own, and the technical guidance from the government is needed. Data analyzed by the logistic regression revealed that more hours an employee spends on education and trainings of new GHS systems; the employee thinks implementation of GHS will improve hazard awareness for transporters. The weak labeling ability affects deployment of the new GHS system.

Air-Based Remediation Workshop - Section 4 In Situ Air Sparging

EPA Science Inventory

Pursuant to the EPA-AIT Implementing Arrangement 7 for Technical Environmental Collaboration, Activity 11 "Remediation of Contaminated Sites," the USEPA Office of International Affairs Organized a Forced Air Remediation Workshop in Taipei to deliver expert training to the Environ...

Air-Based Remediation Workshop - Section 2 Soil Vapor Extraction

EPA Science Inventory

Pursuant to the EPA-AIT Implementing Arrangement 7 for Technical Environmental Collaboration, Activity 11 "Remediation of Contaminated Sties," the USEPA Office of International Affairs Organized a Forced Air Remediation Workshop in Taipei to deliver expert training to the Environ...

Socio-technical systems and interaction design - 21st century relevance.

PubMed

Maguire, Martin

2014-03-01

This paper focuses on the relationship between the socio-technical system and the user-technology interface. It looks at specific aspects of the organisational context such as multiple user roles, job change, work processes and workflows, technical infrastructure, and the challenges they present for the interaction designer. The implications of trends such as more mobile and flexible working, the use of social media, and the growth of the virtual organisation, are also considered. The paper also reviews rapidly evolving technologies such as pervasive systems and artificial intelligence, and the skills that workers will need to engage with them. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

The joint use of resilience engineering and lean production for work system design: A study in healthcare.

PubMed

Rosso, Caroline Brum; Saurin, Tarcisio Abreu

2018-09-01

Although lean production (LP) has been increasingly adopted in healthcare systems, its benefits often fall short of expectations. This might be partially due to the failure of lean to account for the complexity of healthcare. This paper discusses the joint use of principles of LP and resilience engineering (RE), which is an approach for system design inspired by complexity science. Thus, a framework for supporting the design of socio-technical systems, which combines insights from LP and RE, was developed and tested in a system involving a patient flow from an emergency department to an intensive care unit. Based on this empirical study, as well as on extant theory, eight design propositions that support the framework application were developed. Both the framework and its corresponding propositions can contribute to the design of socio-technical systems that are at the same time safe and efficient. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Behavioral intervention technologies: evidence review and recommendations for future research in mental health.

PubMed

Mohr, David C; Burns, Michelle Nicole; Schueller, Stephen M; Clarke, Gregory; Klinkman, Michael

2013-01-01

A technical expert panel convened by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the National Institute of Mental Health was charged with reviewing the state of research on behavioral intervention technologies (BITs) in mental health and identifying the top research priorities. BITs refers to behavioral and psychological interventions that use information and communication technology features to address behavioral and mental health outcomes. This study on the findings of the technical expert panel. Videoconferencing and standard telephone technologies to deliver psychotherapy have been well validated. Web-based interventions have shown efficacy across a broad range of mental health outcomes. Social media such as online support groups have produced disappointing outcomes when used alone. Mobile technologies have received limited attention for mental health outcomes. Virtual reality has shown good efficacy for anxiety and pediatric disorders. Serious gaming has received little work in mental health. Research focused on understanding reach, adherence, barriers and cost is recommended. Improvements in the collection, storage, analysis and visualization of big data will be required. New theoretical models and evaluation strategies will be required. Finally, for BITs to have a public health impact, research on implementation and application to prevention is required. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Graphic Novels: A New Stress Mitigation Tool for Military Training: Developing Content for Hard-to-Reach Audiences.

PubMed

Hourani, Laurel; Lambert, Shari; Peeler, Russ; Lane, Becky; Borst, Carrie

2017-05-01

This article describes the development of two graphic novels as a new approach to mental health communication and coping strategies for the Navy and Marine Corps. The novels are intended to capture the attention of the younger target audience and provide vital teaching messages to better prepare personnel for deployment to combat zones. The novels were developed based on embedding the principles of combat and operational stress control (COSC) into realistic and relatable characters, stories, and images. Approaches used for development included (a) basing storylines on real-life service members and the situations they face in combat and their personal lives; (b) partnering with COSC experts to embed teaching points; (c) ensuring technical accuracy through research and target audience reviews of the storyboard and artwork; (d) developing characters that are representative of the target audience, with varied jobs, ages, backgrounds, and professional concerns; and (e) designing artwork in a manner sensitive to training objectives and the psychological effects on readers. Because technical accuracy, realism, and sensitivity were noted as essential components of an effective graphic novel tool, focus-group research and review of author drafts by the target audience and technical experts are strongly recommended.

Multicriteria Analysis model for the comparison of different rockfalls protection devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mignelli, C.; Pomarico, S.; Peila, D.

2012-04-01

In mountain regions roads and railways as well as urbanized areas, can often be endangered by rockfalls and need to be protected against the impact of falling blocks. The effects of rockfall events can be the damage of road, vehicles, injuries or death of drivers or passengers and economic loss due to road closure. The cost of a single car accident can be significant since it can involve the hospitalization of the driver and passengers, the repair of the vehicle, the legal costs and compensation. The public administrations must manage the roads in order to protect the areas at risk and therefore make choices that take into account both technical and social aspects. The fulfillment of safety requirements for routes in mountainside areas is therefore a multidimensional concept that includes socio-economic, environmental, technical and ethical perspectives and thus leads to issue that are characterized simultaneously by a high degree of conflict, complexity and uncertainty. Multicriteria Analysis (MCA) is an adequate approach that can deal with these kind of issues. It behaves as an umbrella term since it includes a large series of evaluation techniques able to take into explicit consideration simultaneously several criteria, in order to support the Decision Maker through a rational approach to make a comparative assessment of alternative projects. A very large and consolidated amount of MCA literature exists, in which it is possible to find a wide range of techniques and application fields such as waste management, transport infrastructures, strategic policy planning, environmental impact assessment of territorial transformations, market and logistics, economics and finance, industrial management and civil engineering. This paper address the problem of rockfall risk induced on a road using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), a Multicriteria Analysis technique suitable for dealing with complex problems related to making a choice from among several alternatives and which provides a comparison of the considered options. The developed model takes into account five different aspects of the decision-making process (economic, environmental, design, transport and social aspects) that have been organized according the hierarchical framework of the AHP technique. The criteria that were identified in the analysis and their weights, in the decision-making process, have been discussed and determined by means of specific focus groups with technical experts in the geo-engineering field. Three different protection devices, usually used for rockfall protection (embankment, shelter topped by rockfall barrier and tunnel), are compared through the AHP method, in a specific "geo" environment to show the feasibility of the method. The application of the AHP technique, which was performed using the Expert Choice software, allowed the most relevant aspects of the decision-making process to be highlighted and showing how the proposed method can be a valuable tool for public administration. Furthermore, in order to test the robustness of the proposed model a sensitivity analysis was carried out. The research has an originality value since it focuses on a participative methodological approach thus making the decision process more traceable and reliable.

Seismic Hazard Analysis — Quo vadis?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klügel, Jens-Uwe

2008-05-01

The paper is dedicated to the review of methods of seismic hazard analysis currently in use, analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches. The review is performed from the perspective of a user of the results of seismic hazard analysis for different applications such as the design of critical and general (non-critical) civil infrastructures, technical and financial risk analysis. A set of criteria is developed for and applied to an objective assessment of the capabilities of different analysis methods. It is demonstrated that traditional probabilistic seismic hazard analysis (PSHA) methods have significant deficiencies, thus limiting their practical applications. These deficiencies have their roots in the use of inadequate probabilistic models and insufficient understanding of modern concepts of risk analysis, as have been revealed in some recent large scale studies. These deficiencies result in the lack of ability of a correct treatment of dependencies between physical parameters and finally, in an incorrect treatment of uncertainties. As a consequence, results of PSHA studies have been found to be unrealistic in comparison with empirical information from the real world. The attempt to compensate these problems by a systematic use of expert elicitation has, so far, not resulted in any improvement of the situation. It is also shown that scenario-earthquakes developed by disaggregation from the results of a traditional PSHA may not be conservative with respect to energy conservation and should not be used for the design of critical infrastructures without validation. Because the assessment of technical as well as of financial risks associated with potential damages of earthquakes need a risk analysis, current method is based on a probabilistic approach with its unsolved deficiencies. Traditional deterministic or scenario-based seismic hazard analysis methods provide a reliable and in general robust design basis for applications such as the design of critical infrastructures, especially with systematic sensitivity analyses based on validated phenomenological models. Deterministic seismic hazard analysis incorporates uncertainties in the safety factors. These factors are derived from experience as well as from expert judgment. Deterministic methods associated with high safety factors may lead to too conservative results, especially if applied for generally short-lived civil structures. Scenarios used in deterministic seismic hazard analysis have a clear physical basis. They are related to seismic sources discovered by geological, geomorphologic, geodetic and seismological investigations or derived from historical references. Scenario-based methods can be expanded for risk analysis applications with an extended data analysis providing the frequency of seismic events. Such an extension provides a better informed risk model that is suitable for risk-informed decision making.

Single-Case Designs Technical Documentation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kratochwill, T. R.; Hitchcock, J.; Horner, R. H.; Levin, J. R.; Odom, S. L.; Rindskopf, D. M; Shadish, W. R.

2010-01-01

In an effort to expand the pool of scientific evidence available for review, the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) assembled a panel of national experts in single-case design (SCD) and analysis to draft SCD Standards. SCDs are adaptations of interrupted time-series designs and can provide a rigorous experimental evaluation of intervention effects.…

Comparing Accessibility Auditing Methods for Ebooks: Crowdsourced, Functionality-Led Versus Web Content Methodologies.

PubMed

James, Abi; Draffan, E A; Wald, Mike

2017-01-01

This paper presents a gap analysis between crowdsourced functional accessibility evaluations of ebooks conducted by non-experts and the technical accessibility standards employed by developers. It also illustrates how combining these approaches can provide more appropriate information for a wider group of users with print impairments.

Directory of aerospace safety specialized information sources

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fullerton, E. A.; Rubens, L. S.; Mandel, G.; Mckenna, P. J.

1974-01-01

Directory aids safety specialists in locating information sources and individual experts in engineering-related fields. Lists 170 organizations and approximately 300 individuals who can provide safety-related technical information in form of documentation, data, and consulting expertise. Information on hazard and failure cause identification, accident analysis, and materials characteristics are covered.

77 FR 26522 - Proposed Priority; Technical Assistance on State Data Collection, Analysis, and Reporting...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-04

..., parents of individuals with disabilities, data system experts, representatives of other early learning and... to improve their capacity to meet the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) data... data for infants, toddlers, and young children with disabilities (birth through age 5) served through...

44 CFR 152.9 - Reconsideration.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... HOMELAND SECURITY FIRE PREVENTION AND CONTROL ASSISTANCE TO FIREFIGHTERS GRANT PROGRAM § 152.9... technical or procedural error in the processing of the application and can substantiate such assertions. As... experts, we cannot consider requests for reconsideration based upon the merits of an original application...

Air-Based Remediation Workshop - Section 5 Multi-Phase Extraction And Product Recovery

EPA Science Inventory

Pursuant to the EPA-AIT Implementing Arrangement 7 for Technical Environmental Collaboration, Activity 11 "Remediation of Contaminated Sites," the USEPA Office of International Affairs Organized a Forced Air Remediation Workshop in Taipei to deliver expert training to the Environ...

Price versus Value for Online Data.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Leary, Mick

1988-01-01

Examines the new pricing policy adopted by the Chemical Abstracts Service, which is based on search term charges rather than connect time. Technical and business developments leading to this change are reviewed, and reactions of several experts in the online field are included. (MES)

7 CFR 3430.33 - Selection of reviewers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... selected based upon training and experience in relevant scientific, extension, or education fields taking into account the following factors: (1) Level of relevant formal scientific, technical education, and... research, education, or extension activities. (2) Need to include as reviewers experts from various areas...

7 CFR 3430.33 - Selection of reviewers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... selected based upon training and experience in relevant scientific, extension, or education fields taking into account the following factors: (1) Level of relevant formal scientific, technical education, and... research, education, or extension activities. (2) Need to include as reviewers experts from various areas...

7 CFR 3430.33 - Selection of reviewers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... selected based upon training and experience in relevant scientific, extension, or education fields taking into account the following factors: (1) Level of relevant formal scientific, technical education, and... research, education, or extension activities. (2) Need to include as reviewers experts from various areas...

Expert system for web based collaborative CAE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hou, Liang; Lin, Zusheng

2006-11-01

An expert system for web based collaborative CAE was developed based on knowledge engineering, relational database and commercial FEA (Finite element analysis) software. The architecture of the system was illustrated. In this system, the experts' experiences, theories and typical examples and other related knowledge, which will be used in the stage of pre-process in FEA, were categorized into analysis process and object knowledge. Then, the integrated knowledge model based on object-oriented method and rule based method was described. The integrated reasoning process based on CBR (case based reasoning) and rule based reasoning was presented. Finally, the analysis process of this expert system in web based CAE application was illustrated, and an analysis example of a machine tool's column was illustrated to prove the validity of the system.

Is Beauty in the Eyes of the Beholder? Aesthetic Quality versus Technical Skill in Movement Evaluation of Tai Chi.

PubMed

Zamparo, Paola; Zorzi, Elena; Marcantoni, Sara; Cesari, Paola

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to compare experts to naïve practitioners in rating the beauty and the technical quality of a Tai Chi sequence observed in video-clips (of high and middle level performances). Our hypothesis are: i) movement evaluation will correlate with the level of skill expressed in the kinematics of the observed action but ii) only experts will be able to unravel the technical component from the aesthetic component of the observed action. The judgments delivered indicate that both expert and non-expert observers are able to discern a good from a mediocre performance; however, as expected, only experts discriminate the technical from the aesthetic component of the action evaluated and do this independently of the level of skill shown by the model (high or middle level performances). Furthermore, the judgments delivered were strongly related to the kinematic variables measured in the observed model, indicating that observers rely on specific movement kinematics (e.g. movement amplitude, jerk and duration) for action evaluation. These results provide evidence of the complementary functional role of visual and motor action representation in movement evaluation and underline the role of expertise in judging the aesthetic quality of movements.

Is Beauty in the Eyes of the Beholder? Aesthetic Quality versus Technical Skill in Movement Evaluation of Tai Chi

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to compare experts to naïve practitioners in rating the beauty and the technical quality of a Tai Chi sequence observed in video-clips (of high and middle level performances). Our hypothesis are: i) movement evaluation will correlate with the level of skill expressed in the kinematics of the observed action but ii) only experts will be able to unravel the technical component from the aesthetic component of the observed action. The judgments delivered indicate that both expert and non-expert observers are able to discern a good from a mediocre performance; however, as expected, only experts discriminate the technical from the aesthetic component of the action evaluated and do this independently of the level of skill shown by the model (high or middle level performances). Furthermore, the judgments delivered were strongly related to the kinematic variables measured in the observed model, indicating that observers rely on specific movement kinematics (e.g. movement amplitude, jerk and duration) for action evaluation. These results provide evidence of the complementary functional role of visual and motor action representation in movement evaluation and underline the role of expertise in judging the aesthetic quality of movements. PMID:26047473

A procedure for seismic risk reduction in Campania Region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zuccaro, G.; Palmieri, M.; Maggiò, F.; Cicalese, S.; Grassi, V.; Rauci, M.

2008-07-01

The Campania Region has set and performed a peculiar procedure in the field of seismic risk reduction. Great attention has been paid to public strategic buildings such as town halls, civil protection buildings and schools. The Ordinance 3274 promulgate in the 2004 by the Italian central authority obliged the owners of strategic buildings to perform seismic analyses within 2008 in order to check the safety of the structures and the adequacy to the use. In the procedure the Campania region, instead of the local authorities, ensure the complete drafting of seismic checks through financial resources of the Italian Government. A regional scientific technical committee has been constituted, composed of scientific experts, academics in seismic engineering. The committee has drawn up guidelines for the processing of seismic analyses. At the same time, the Region has issued a public competition to select technical seismic engineering experts to appoint seismic analysis in accordance with guidelines. The scientific committee has the option of requiring additional documents and studies in order to approve the safety checks elaborated. The Committee is supported by a technical and administrative secretariat composed of a group of expert in seismic engineering. At the moment several seismic safety checks have been completed. The results will be presented in this paper. Moreover, the policy to mitigate the seismic risk, set by Campania region, was to spend the most of the financial resources available on structural strengthening of public strategic buildings rather than in safety checks. A first set of buildings of which the response under seismic action was already known by data and studies of vulnerability previously realised, were selected for immediate retrofitting designs. Secondly, an other set of buildings were identified for structural strengthening. These were selected by using the criteria specified in the Guide Line prepared by the Scientific Committee and based on data obtained by the first set of safety checks. The strengthening philosophy adopt in the projects will be described in the paper.

ZBIT Bioinformatics Toolbox: A Web-Platform for Systems Biology and Expression Data Analysis

PubMed Central

Römer, Michael; Eichner, Johannes; Dräger, Andreas; Wrzodek, Clemens; Wrzodek, Finja; Zell, Andreas

2016-01-01

Bioinformatics analysis has become an integral part of research in biology. However, installation and use of scientific software can be difficult and often requires technical expert knowledge. Reasons are dependencies on certain operating systems or required third-party libraries, missing graphical user interfaces and documentation, or nonstandard input and output formats. In order to make bioinformatics software easily accessible to researchers, we here present a web-based platform. The Center for Bioinformatics Tuebingen (ZBIT) Bioinformatics Toolbox provides web-based access to a collection of bioinformatics tools developed for systems biology, protein sequence annotation, and expression data analysis. Currently, the collection encompasses software for conversion and processing of community standards SBML and BioPAX, transcription factor analysis, and analysis of microarray data from transcriptomics and proteomics studies. All tools are hosted on a customized Galaxy instance and run on a dedicated computation cluster. Users only need a web browser and an active internet connection in order to benefit from this service. The web platform is designed to facilitate the usage of the bioinformatics tools for researchers without advanced technical background. Users can combine tools for complex analyses or use predefined, customizable workflows. All results are stored persistently and reproducible. For each tool, we provide documentation, tutorials, and example data to maximize usability. The ZBIT Bioinformatics Toolbox is freely available at https://webservices.cs.uni-tuebingen.de/. PMID:26882475

Socio-Technical Systems Analysis in Health Care: A Research Agenda

PubMed Central

Bass, Ellen; Bellandi, Tommaso; Gurses, Ayse; Hallbeck, Susan; Mollo, Vanina

2012-01-01

Given the complexity of health care and the ‘people’ nature of healthcare work and delivery, STSA (Sociotechnical Systems Analysis) research is needed to address the numerous quality of care problems observed across the world. This paper describes open STSA research areas, including workload management, physical, cognitive and macroergonomic issues of medical devices and health information technologies, STSA in transitions of care, STSA of patient-centered care, risk management and patient safety management, resilience, and feedback loops between event detection, reporting and analysis and system redesign. PMID:22611480

Airport Managers' Perspectives on Security and Safety Management Systems in Aviation Operations: A Multiple Case Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, Willie L., Jr.

Global terrorism continues to persist despite the great efforts of various countries to protect and safely secure their citizens. As airports form the entry and exit ports of a country, they are one of the most vulnerable locations to terror attacks. Managers of international airports constantly face similar challenges in developing and implementing airport security protocols. Consequently, the technological advances of today have brought both positive and negative impacts on security and terrorism of airports, which are mostly managed by the airport managers. The roles of the managers have greatly increased over the years due to technological advances. The developments in technology have had different roles in security, both in countering terrorism and, at the same time, increasing the communication methods of the terrorists. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to investigate the perspectives of airport managers with regard to societal security and social interactions in the socio-technical systems of the National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS). Through the data gained regarding managers' perception and experiences, the researcher hoped to enable the development of security measures and policies that are appropriate for airports as socio-technical systems. The researcher conducted interviews with airport managers to gather relevant data to fulfill the rationale of the study. Ten to twelve airport managers based in three commercial aviation airports in Maryland, United States participated in the study. The researcher used a qualitative thematic analysis procedure to analyze the data responses of participants in the interview sessions.

Designing a proficiency-based, content validated virtual reality curriculum for laparoscopic colorectal surgery: a Delphi approach.

PubMed

Palter, Vanessa N; Graafland, Maurits; Schijven, Marlies P; Grantcharov, Teodor P

2012-03-01

Although task training on virtual reality (VR) simulators has been shown to transfer to the operating room, to date no VR curricula have been described for advanced laparoscopic procedures. The purpose of this study was to develop a proficiency-based VR technical skills curriculum for laparoscopic colorectal surgery. The Delphi method was used to determine expert consensus on which VR tasks (on the LapSim simulator) are relevant to teaching laparoscopic colorectal surgery. To accomplish this task, 19 international experts rated all the LapSim tasks on a Likert scale (1-5) with respect to the degree to which they thought that a particular task should be included in a final technical skills curriculum. Results of the survey were sent back to participants until consensus (Cronbach's α >0.8) was reached. A cross-sectional design was utilized to define the benchmark scores for the identified tasks. Nine expert surgeons completed all identified tasks on the "easy," "medium," and "hard" settings of the simulator. In the first round of the survey, Cronbach's α was 0.715; after the second round, consensus was reached at 0.865. Consensus was reached for 7 basic tasks and 1 advanced suturing task. Median expert time and economy of movement scores were defined as benchmarks for all curricular tasks. This study used Delphi consensus methodology to create a curriculum for an advanced laparoscopic procedure that is reflective of current clinical practice on an international level and conforms to current educational standards of proficiency-based training. Copyright © 2012 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Selection of suitable alternatives to reduce the environmental impact of road traffic noise using a fuzzy multi-criteria decision model

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

Ruiz-Padillo, Alejandro, E-mail: aruizp@correo.ugr.es; Civil Engineering Department, University of Granada, Av. Fuentenueva s/n, 18071 Granada; Ruiz, Diego P., E-mail: druiz@ugr.es

Road traffic noise is one of the most significant environmental impacts generated by transport systems. To this regard, the recent implementation of the European Environmental Noise Directive by Public Administrations of the European Union member countries has led to various noise action plans (NAPs) for reducing the noise exposure of EU inhabitants. Every country or administration is responsible for applying criteria based on their own experience or expert knowledge, but there is no regulated process for the prioritization of technical measures within these plans. This paper proposes a multi-criteria decision methodology for the selection of suitable alternatives against traffic noisemore » in each of the road stretches included in the NAPs. The methodology first defines the main criteria and alternatives to be considered. Secondly, it determines the relative weights for the criteria and sub-criteria using the fuzzy extended analytical hierarchy process as applied to the results from an expert panel, thereby allowing expert knowledge to be captured in an automated way. A final step comprises the use of discrete multi-criteria analysis methods such as weighted sum, ELECTRE and TOPSIS, to rank the alternatives by suitability. To illustrate an application of the proposed methodology, this paper describes its implementation in a complex real case study: the selection of optimal technical solutions against traffic noise in the top priority road stretch included in the revision of the NAP of the regional road network in the province of Almeria (Spain).« less

Development of a software tool to support chemical and biological terrorism intelligence analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hunt, Allen R.; Foreman, William

1997-01-01

AKELA has developed a software tool which uses a systems analytic approach to model the critical processes which support the acquisition of biological and chemical weapons by terrorist organizations. This tool has four major components. The first is a procedural expert system which describes the weapon acquisition process. It shows the relationship between the stages a group goes through to acquire and use a weapon, and the activities in each stage required to be successful. It applies to both state sponsored and small group acquisition. An important part of this expert system is an analysis of the acquisition process which is embodied in a list of observables of weapon acquisition activity. These observables are cues for intelligence collection The second component is a detailed glossary of technical terms which helps analysts with a non- technical background understand the potential relevance of collected information. The third component is a linking capability which shows where technical terms apply to the parts of the acquisition process. The final component is a simple, intuitive user interface which shows a picture of the entire process at a glance and lets the user move quickly to get more detailed information. This paper explains e each of these five model components.

Applying the global RCP-SSP-SPA scenario framework at sub-national scale: A multi-scale and participatory scenario approach.

PubMed

Kebede, Abiy S; Nicholls, Robert J; Allan, Andrew; Arto, Iñaki; Cazcarro, Ignacio; Fernandes, Jose A; Hill, Chris T; Hutton, Craig W; Kay, Susan; Lázár, Attila N; Macadam, Ian; Palmer, Matthew; Suckall, Natalie; Tompkins, Emma L; Vincent, Katharine; Whitehead, Paul W

2018-09-01

To better anticipate potential impacts of climate change, diverse information about the future is required, including climate, society and economy, and adaptation and mitigation. To address this need, a global RCP (Representative Concentration Pathways), SSP (Shared Socio-economic Pathways), and SPA (Shared climate Policy Assumptions) (RCP-SSP-SPA) scenario framework has been developed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fifth Assessment Report (IPCC-AR5). Application of this full global framework at sub-national scales introduces two key challenges: added complexity in capturing the multiple dimensions of change, and issues of scale. Perhaps for this reason, there are few such applications of this new framework. Here, we present an integrated multi-scale hybrid scenario approach that combines both expert-based and participatory methods. The framework has been developed and applied within the DECCMA 1 project with the purpose of exploring migration and adaptation in three deltas across West Africa and South Asia: (i) the Volta delta (Ghana), (ii) the Mahanadi delta (India), and (iii) the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna (GBM) delta (Bangladesh/India). Using a climate scenario that encompasses a wide range of impacts (RCP8.5) combined with three SSP-based socio-economic scenarios (SSP2, SSP3, SSP5), we generate highly divergent and challenging scenario contexts across multiple scales against which robustness of the human and natural systems within the deltas are tested. In addition, we consider four distinct adaptation policy trajectories: Minimum intervention, Economic capacity expansion, System efficiency enhancement, and System restructuring, which describe alternative future bundles of adaptation actions/measures under different socio-economic trajectories. The paper highlights the importance of multi-scale (combined top-down and bottom-up) and participatory (joint expert-stakeholder) scenario methods for addressing uncertainty in adaptation decision-making. The framework facilitates improved integrated assessments of the potential impacts and plausible adaptation policy choices (including migration) under uncertain future changing conditions. The concept, methods, and processes presented are transferable to other sub-national socio-ecological settings with multi-scale challenges. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Teaching and Learning English as a Foreign Language in Taiwan: A Socio-Cultural Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kung, Fan-Wei

2017-01-01

This article examines the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) context in Taiwan based on Vygotsky's (1978) socio-cultural framework. The historical context is provided after some delineations of the educational system in Taiwan with regard to its foreign language instruction policy and development. Based upon the proposed socio-cultural framework,…

2013 Technical Roundtable

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

On December 9, 2013, EPA reconvened the study’s Technical Roundtable. Subject-matter experts discussed the outcomes of the 2013 Technical Workshops, stakeholder engagement, and plans for draft assessment report.

The ARGO Project: assessing NA-TECH risks on off-shore oil platforms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Capuano, Paolo; Basco, Anna; Di Ruocco, Angela; Esposito, Simona; Fusco, Giannetta; Garcia-Aristizabal, Alexander; Mercogliano, Paola; Salzano, Ernesto; Solaro, Giuseppe; Teofilo, Gianvito; Scandone, Paolo; Gasparini, Paolo

2017-04-01

ARGO (Analysis of natural and anthropogenic risks on off-shore oil platforms) is a 2 years project, funded by the DGS-UNMIG (Directorate General for Safety of Mining and Energy Activities - National Mining Office for Hydrocarbons and Georesources) of Italian Ministry of Economic Development. The project, coordinated by AMRA (Center for the Analysis and Monitoring of Environmental Risk), aims at providing technical support for the analysis of natural and anthropogenic risks on offshore oil platforms. In order to achieve this challenging objective, ARGO brings together climate experts, risk management experts, seismologists, geologists, chemical engineers, earth and coastal observation experts. ARGO has developed methodologies for the probabilistic analysis of industrial accidents triggered by natural events (NA-TECH) on offshore oil platforms in the Italian seas, including extreme events related to climate changes. Furthermore the environmental effect of offshore activities has been investigated, including: changes on seismicity and on the evolution of coastal areas close to offshore platforms. Then a probabilistic multi-risk framework has been developed for the analysis of NA-TECH events on offshore installations for hydrocarbon extraction.

IT-adoption and the interaction of task, technology and individuals: a fit framework and a case study

PubMed Central

Ammenwerth, Elske; Iller, Carola; Mahler, Cornelia

2006-01-01

Background Factors of IT adoption have largely been discussed in the literature. However, existing frameworks (such as TAM or TTF) are failing to include one important aspect, the interaction between user and task. Method Based on a literature study and a case study, we developed the FITT framework to help analyse the socio-organisational-technical factors that influence IT adoption in a health care setting. Results Our FITT framework ("Fit between Individuals, Task and Technology") is based on the idea that IT adoption in a clinical environment depends on the fit between the attributes of the individual users (e.g. computer anxiety, motivation), attributes of the technology (e.g. usability, functionality, performance), and attributes of the clinical tasks and processes (e.g. organisation, task complexity). We used this framework in the retrospective analysis of a three-year case study, describing the adoption of a nursing documentation system in various departments in a German University Hospital. We will show how the FITT framework helped analyzing the process of IT adoption during an IT implementation: we were able to describe every found IT adoption problem with regard to the three fit dimensions, and any intervention on the fit can be described with regard to the three objects of the FITT framework (individual, task, technology). We also derive facilitators and barriers to IT adoption of clinical information systems. Conclusion This work should support a better understanding of the reasons for IT adoption failures and therefore enable better prepared and more successful IT introduction projects. We will discuss, however, that from a more epistemological point of view, it may be difficult or even impossible to analyse the complex and interacting factors that predict success or failure of IT projects in a socio-technical environment. PMID:16401336

Climate change-induced heat risks for migrant populations working at brick kilns in India: a transdisciplinary approach.

PubMed

Lundgren-Kownacki, Karin; Kjellberg, Siri M; Gooch, Pernille; Dabaieh, Marwa; Anandh, Latha; Venugopal, Vidhya

2018-03-01

During the summer of 2015, India was hit by a scorching heat wave that melted pavements in Delhi and caused thousands of deaths, mainly among the most marginalized populations. One such group facing growing heat risks from both occupational and meteorological causes are migrant brick kiln workers. This study evaluates both current heat risks and the potential future impacts of heat caused by climate change, for the people working at brick kilns in India. A case study of heat stress faced by people working at brick kilns near Chennai, India, is the anchor point around which a transdisciplinary approach was applied. Around Chennai, the situation is alarming since occupational heat exposure in the hot season from March to July is already at the upper limits of what humans can tolerate before risking serious impairment. The aim of the study was to identify new pathways for change and soft solutions by both reframing the problem and expanding the solution space being considered in order to improve the quality of life for the migrant populations at the brick kilns. Technical solutions evaluated include the use of sun-dried mud bricks and other locally "appropriate technologies" that could mitigate the worsening of climate change-induced heat. Socio-cultural solutions discussed for empowering the people who work at the brick kilns include participatory approaches such as open re-localization, and rights-based approaches including the environmental sustainability and the human rights-based approach framework. Our analysis suggests that an integrative, transdisciplinary approach could incorporate a more holistic range of technical and socio-culturally informed solutions in order to protect the health of people threatened by India's brick kiln industry.

Climate change-induced heat risks for migrant populations working at brick kilns in India: a transdisciplinary approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lundgren-Kownacki, Karin; Kjellberg, Siri M.; Gooch, Pernille; Dabaieh, Marwa; Anandh, Latha; Venugopal, Vidhya

2018-03-01

During the summer of 2015, India was hit by a scorching heat wave that melted pavements in Delhi and caused thousands of deaths, mainly among the most marginalized populations. One such group facing growing heat risks from both occupational and meteorological causes are migrant brick kiln workers. This study evaluates both current heat risks and the potential future impacts of heat caused by climate change, for the people working at brick kilns in India. A case study of heat stress faced by people working at brick kilns near Chennai, India, is the anchor point around which a transdisciplinary approach was applied. Around Chennai, the situation is alarming since occupational heat exposure in the hot season from March to July is already at the upper limits of what humans can tolerate before risking serious impairment. The aim of the study was to identify new pathways for change and soft solutions by both reframing the problem and expanding the solution space being considered in order to improve the quality of life for the migrant populations at the brick kilns. Technical solutions evaluated include the use of sun-dried mud bricks and other locally "appropriate technologies" that could mitigate the worsening of climate change-induced heat. Socio-cultural solutions discussed for empowering the people who work at the brick kilns include participatory approaches such as open re-localization, and rights-based approaches including the environmental sustainability and the human rights-based approach framework. Our analysis suggests that an integrative, transdisciplinary approach could incorporate a more holistic range of technical and socio-culturally informed solutions in order to protect the health of people threatened by India's brick kiln industry.

Geological Disposal of Radioactive Waste: A Long-Term Socio-Technical Experiment.

PubMed

Schröder, Jantine

2016-06-01

In this article we investigate whether long-term radioactive waste management by means of geological disposal can be understood as a social experiment. Geological disposal is a rather particular technology in the way it deals with the analytical and ethical complexities implied by the idea of technological innovation as social experimentation, because it is presented as a technology that ultimately functions without human involvement. We argue that, even when the long term function of the 'social' is foreseen to be restricted to safeguarding the functioning of the 'technical', geological disposal is still a social experiment. In order to better understand this argument and explore how it could be addressed, we elaborate the idea of social experimentation with the notion of co-production and the analytical tools of delegation, prescription and network as developed by actor-network theory. In doing so we emphasize that geological disposal inherently involves relations between surface and subsurface, between humans and nonhumans, between the social, material and natural realm, and that these relations require recognition and further elaboration. In other words, we argue that geological disposal concurrently is a social and a technical experiment, or better, a long-term socio-technical experiment. We end with proposing the idea of 'actor-networking' as a sensitizing concept for future research into what geological disposal as a socio-technical experiment could look like.

Renewable Energy Data, Analysis, and Decisions: A Guide for Practitioners

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

Cox, Sarah L; Lopez, Anthony J; Watson, Andrea C

High-quality renewable energy resource data and other geographic information system (GIS) data are essential for the transition to a clean energy economy that prioritizes local resources, improves resiliency, creates jobs, and promotes energy independence. This guide is intended to support policymakers and planners, as well as technical experts, consultants, and academics in incorporating improved data and analysis into renewable energy decision-making.

Structural Analysis of Technical-Tactical Elements in Table Tennis and their Role in Different Playing Zones

PubMed Central

Munivrana, Goran; Petrinović, Lidija Zekan; Kondrič, Miran

2015-01-01

For the purpose of determining the overall structure of technical-tactical elements in table tennis and evaluating their role in different playing zones around the table, a new measuring instrument (a questionnaire) was formulated that took advantage of the expert knowledge of top, world class table tennis coaches. The results of the hierarchical taxonomic (cluster) analysis showed that the overall structure of the technical-tactical elements forming the table tennis technique could be divided into three basic groups; a group of technical-tactical elements (A) used in the phase of preparing one’s own and disabling the opponent’s attack; a group of technical-tactical elements (B) used in the phase of attack and counterattack; and a group of technical-tactical elements (C) used in the phase of defense. The differences among the obtained groups of table tennis elements were determined by applying the Kruskal-Wallis test, while relations between the groups and their role in different playing zones around the table were analyzed by comparing the average values of the experts’ scores. PMID:26557204

Instructional Applications of Artificial Intelligence.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Halff, Henry M.

1986-01-01

Surveys artificial intelligence and the development of computer-based tutors and speculates on the future of artificial intelligence in education. Includes discussion of the definitions of knowledge, expert systems (computer systems that solve tough technical problems), intelligent tutoring systems (ITS), and specific ITSs such as GUIDON, MYCIN,…

Elements of Emotional Intelligence that Facilitate Exper-to-Peer Tacit Knowledge Transfer

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berry, Catherine M.

2010-01-01

The purpose of this quantitative study was to compare the emotional intelligence competencies of a group of technical experts with high skills in problem-solving, leadership and mentoring (Group A) with a group of technical experts with lower skills in problem solving, leadership, and mentoring (Group B) at a semiconductor manufacturing factory in…

Porous silicon for drug delivery applications and theranostics: recent advances, critical review and perspectives.

PubMed

Kumeria, Tushar; McInnes, Steven J P; Maher, Shaheer; Santos, Abel

2017-12-01

Porous silicon (pSi) engineered by electrochemical etching has been used as a drug delivery vehicle to address the intrinsic limitations of traditional therapeutics. Biodegradability, biocompatibility, and optoelectronic properties make pSi a unique candidate for developing biomaterials for theranostics and photodynamic therapies. This review presents an updated overview about the recent therapeutic systems based on pSi, with a critical analysis on the problems and opportunities that this technology faces as well as highlighting pSi's growing potential. Areas covered: Recent progress in pSi-based research includes drug delivery systems, including biocompatibility studies, drug delivery, theranostics, and clinical trials with the most relevant examples of pSi-based systems presented here. A critical analysis about the technical advantages and disadvantages of these systems is provided along with an assessment on the challenges that this technology faces, including clinical trials and investors' support. Expert opinion: pSi is an outstanding material that could improve existing drug delivery and photodynamic therapies in different areas, paving the way for developing advanced theranostic nanomedicines and incorporating payloads of therapeutics with imaging capabilities. However, more extensive in-vivo studies are needed to assess the feasibility and reliability of this technology for clinical practice. The technical and commercial challenges that this technology face are still uncertain.

A marketing approach to carpool demand analysis. Technical memorandum III. Tradeoff model and policy simulation. Conservation paper. [Commuter survey in 3 major urban areas

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

Not Available

1976-07-01

The memorandum discusses the theoretical basis of the trade-off model and its adaptation particularly in the simulation procedures used in evaluating specific policies. Two published articles dealing with the development and application of the trade-off model for market research are included as appendices to this memorandum. This model was the primary instrument used in connection with a research effort examining the role of individuals attitudes and perceptions in deciding whether or not to carpool. The research was based upon a survey of commuters in 3 major urban areas and has resulted in a sizeable new data base on respondents' socio-economicmore » and worktrip characteristics, travel perceptions, and travel preferences. Research is contained in the Summary Report, also available through NTIS.« less

Defining European preparedness and research needs regarding emerging infectious animal diseases: results from a Delphi expert consultation.

PubMed

Wentholt, M T A; Cardoen, S; Imberechts, H; Van Huffel, X; Ooms, B W; Frewer, L J

2012-02-01

Emerging and major infectious animal diseases can have significant international impact on social, economic and environmental level, and are being driven by various factors. Prevention and control measures should be prepared at both national and international level to mitigate these disease risks. Research to support such policy development is mostly carried out at national level and dedicated transnational research programmes are still in its infancy. This research reports on part of a process to develop a common strategic research agenda on emerging and major infectious diseases of livestock in Europe, covering a 5-15-year time span. A two round online Delphi study was conducted to explore the views of experts on issues relating to research needs on emerging infectious diseases of livestock in Europe. Drivers that may influence the incidence of emerging infectious animal diseases in both the short (next 5 years) and medium term (10-15 years) were identified. Drivers related to regulatory measures and biological science developments were thought to decrease the incidence, and socio-economic factors to increase the incidence of emerging infectious animal diseases. From the first round a list of threats to animal health was compiled and participants combined these threats with relevant drivers in the second round. Next to identifying threats to animal health, also possible mitigatory actions to reduce the negative impact of these threats were identified. Participants emphasised that interdisciplinary research is needed to understand drivers of emerging infectious animal diseases, as well as to develop prevention and control measures which are both socio-economic and technical. From this it can be concluded that interdisciplinary research combining both natural and social research themes is required. Some of the European member states research budget needs to be allocated so that effective prevention and mitigation strategies can be developed. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Laparoscopic surgery skills evaluation: analysis based on accelerometers.

PubMed

Sánchez, Alexis; Rodríguez, Omaira; Sánchez, Renata; Benítez, Gustavo; Pena, Romina; Salamo, Oriana; Baez, Valentina

2014-01-01

Technical skills assessment is considered an important part of surgical training. Subjective assessment is not appropriate for training feedback, and there is now increased demand for objective assessment of surgical performance. Economy of movement has been proposed as an excellent alternative for this purpose. The investigators describe a readily available method to evaluate surgical skills through motion analysis using accelerometers in Apple's iPod Touch device. Two groups of individuals with different minimally invasive surgery skill levels (experts and novices) were evaluated. Each group was asked to perform a given task with an iPod Touch placed on the dominant-hand wrist. The Accelerometer Data Pro application makes it possible to obtain movement-related data detected by the accelerometers. Average acceleration and maximum acceleration for each axis (x, y, and z) were determined and compared. The analysis of average acceleration and maximum acceleration showed statistically significant differences between groups on both the y (P = .04, P = .03) and z (P = .04, P = .04) axes. This demonstrates the ability to distinguish between experts and novices. The analysis of the x axis showed no significant differences between groups, which could be explained by the fact that the task involves few movements on this axis. Accelerometer-based motion analysis is a useful tool to evaluate laparoscopic skill development of surgeons and should be used in training programs. Validation of this device in an in vivo setting is a research goal of the investigators' team.

Exploring the resilience of Bt cotton's "pro-poor success story".

PubMed

Glover, Dominic

2010-01-01

Expectations play a powerful role in driving technological change. Expectations are often encapsulated in narratives of technological promise that emphasize potential benefits and downplay potential negative impacts. Genetically modified (GM, transgenic) crops have been framed by expectations that they would be an intrinsically "pro-poor" innovation that would contribute powerfully to international agricultural development. However, expectations typically have to be scaled back in the light of experience. Published reviews of the socio-economic impacts of GM crops among poor, small-scale farmers in the developing world indicate that these effects have been very mixed and contingent on the agronomic, socio-economic and institutional settings where the technology has been applied. These conclusions should modulate expectations about the pro-poor potential of GM crop technology and focus attention on the conditions under which it might deliver substantial and sustainable benefits for poor farmers. However, the idea of GM crop technology as an intrinsically pro-poor developmental success story has been sustained in academic, public and policy arenas. This narrative depends upon an analysis that disembeds the technology from the technical, social and institutional contexts in which it is applied. Agricultural development policy should be based on a more rigorous and dispassionate analysis, rather than optimistic expectations alone.

Expert models and modeling processes associated with a computer-modeling tool

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Baohui; Liu, Xiufeng; Krajcik, Joseph S.

2006-07-01

Holding the premise that the development of expertise is a continuous process, this study concerns expert models and modeling processes associated with a modeling tool called Model-It. Five advanced Ph.D. students in environmental engineering and public health used Model-It to create and test models of water quality. Using think aloud technique and video recording, we captured their computer screen modeling activities and thinking processes. We also interviewed them the day following their modeling sessions to further probe the rationale of their modeling practices. We analyzed both the audio-video transcripts and the experts' models. We found the experts' modeling processes followed the linear sequence built in the modeling program with few instances of moving back and forth. They specified their goals up front and spent a long time thinking through an entire model before acting. They specified relationships with accurate and convincing evidence. Factors (i.e., variables) in expert models were clustered, and represented by specialized technical terms. Based on the above findings, we made suggestions for improving model-based science teaching and learning using Model-It.

Iridium: failures & successes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Christensen, CarissaBryce; Beard, Suzette

2001-03-01

This paper will provide an overview of the Iridium business venture in terms of the challenges faced, the successes achieved, and the causes of the ultimate failure of the venture — bankruptcy and system de-orbit. The paper will address technical, business, and policy issues. The intent of the paper is to provide a balanced and accurate overview of the Iridium experience, to aid future decision-making by policy makers, the business community, and technical experts. Key topics will include the history of the program, the objectives and decision-making of Motorola, the market research and analysis conducted, partnering strategies and their impact, consumer equipment availability, and technical issues — target performance, performance achieved, technical accomplishments, and expected and unexpected technical challenges. The paper will use as sources trade media and business articles on the Iridium program, technical papers and conference presentations, Wall Street analyst's reports, and, where possible, interviews with participants and close observers.

Rooftop Energy Potential of Low Income Communities in America REPLICA

DOE Data Explorer

Mooney, Meghan (ORCID:0000000309406958); Sigrin, Ben

1970-01-01

The Rooftop Energy Potential of Low Income Communities in America REPLICA data set provides estimates of residential rooftop solar technical potential at the tract-level with emphasis on estimates for Low and Moderate Income LMI populations. In addition to technical potential REPLICA is comprised of 10 additional datasets at the tract-level to provide socio-demographic and market context. The model year vintage of REPLICA is 2015. The LMI solar potential estimates are made at the tract level grouped by Area Median Income AMI income tenure and building type. These estimates are based off of LiDAR data of 128 metropolitan areas statistical modeling and ACS 2011-2015 demographic data. The remaining datasets are supplemental datasets that can be used in conjunction with the technical potential data for general LMI solar analysis planning and policy making. The core dataset is a wide-format CSV file seeds_ii_replica.csv that can be tagged to a tract geometry using the GEOID or GISJOIN fields. In addition users can download geographic shapefiles for the main or supplemental datasets. This dataset was generated as part of the larger NREL-led SEEDSII Solar Energy Evolution and Diffusion Studies project and specifically for the NREL technical report titled Rooftop Solar Technical Potential for Low-to-Moderate Income Households in the United States by Sigrin and Mooney 2018. This dataset is intended to give researchers planners advocates and policy-makers access to credible data to analyze low-income solar issues and potentially perform cost-benefit analysis for program design. To explore the data in an interactive web mapping environment use the NREL SolarForAll app.

Adaptive capacity and community-based natural resource management.

PubMed

Armitage, Derek

2005-06-01

Why do some community-based natural resource management strategies perform better than others? Commons theorists have approached this question by developing institutional design principles to address collective choice situations, while other analysts have critiqued the underlying assumptions of community-based resource management. However, efforts to enhance community-based natural resource management performance also require an analysis of exogenous and endogenous variables that influence how social actors not only act collectively but do so in ways that respond to changing circumstances, foster learning, and build capacity for management adaptation. Drawing on examples from northern Canada and Southeast Asia, this article examines the relationship among adaptive capacity, community-based resource management performance, and the socio-institutional determinants of collective action, such as technical, financial, and legal constraints, and complex issues of politics, scale, knowledge, community and culture. An emphasis on adaptive capacity responds to a conceptual weakness in community-based natural resource management and highlights an emerging research and policy discourse that builds upon static design principles and the contested concepts in current management practice.

Understanding and Managing Causality of Change in Socio-Technical Systems 3

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-01-06

influence, and (4) management and control. The questions are listed below. Dynamics and Context  What can be learned from patterns of causal...has proven to be an insufficient method to determine existence of behavioral and performance patterns . Cognitive work analysis, on the other hand...to provide a point of comparison, including Victorian bushfires, Queensland and Victorian floods, and the mine collapse in Chile. Privacy, Threats

Evaluation of a proposed expert system development methodology: Two case studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gilstrap, Lewey

1990-01-01

Two expert system development projects were studied to evaluate a proposed Expert Systems Development Methodology (ESDM). The ESDM was developed to provide guidance to managers and technical personnel and serve as a standard in the development of expert systems. It was agreed that the proposed ESDM must be evaluated before it could be adopted; therefore a study was planned for its evaluation. This detailed study is now underway. Before the study began, however, two ongoing projects were selected for a retrospective evaluation. They were the Ranging Equipment Diagnostic Expert System (REDEX) and the Backup Control Mode Analysis and Utility System (BCAUS). Both projects were approximately 1 year into development. Interviews of project personnel were conducted, and the resulting data was used to prepare the retrospective evaluation. Decision models of the two projects were constructed and used to evaluate the completeness and accuracy of key provisions of ESDM. A major conclusion reached from these case studies is that suitability and risk analysis should be required for all AI projects, large and small. Further, the objectives of each stage of development during a project should be selected to reduce the next largest area of risk or uncertainty on the project.

From conventional drainage to sustainable stormwater management: Beyond the technical challenges.

PubMed

Goulden, Shula; Portman, Michelle E; Carmon, Naomi; Alon-Mozes, Tal

2018-08-01

Countries and cities are increasingly recognizing the value of adopting Sustainable Stormwater Management (SSWM) goals and measures. SSWM serves multiple hydrological, ecological, social and economic goals and can replace substantial parts of conventional drainage infrastructure. Following international experience in the socio-technical nature of transitions in stormwater management, this research investigates how socio-institutional factors enable the transition from conventional to sustainable stormwater management over time. The research is based on analysing available relevant documents, semi-structured interviews and focus groups, all in a single country case study (Israel). We found significant changes in professional awareness and discourse, some advances in professional standards of work and changes to the regulative system, supporting infiltration practices in particular. We concluded that the three-pillared socio-institutional framework, composed of cultural-cognitive, normative and regulative changes, was insightful for mapping factors supporting transition from conventional drainage to SSWM. Elements within the three pillars can work simultaneously and synergistically to achieve widespread change. At the same time, while SSWM always strives to achieve multiple goals, the order of priority of the various goals may differ from place to place and may change over time. Thus the transition process across the socio-institutional pillars should be renewed if and when the priority of goals changes. The urban and regional planning system can play a crucial role in enhancing the transition process from conventional to sustainable stormwater management. These conclusions may be relevant to other localities and countries that are struggling with such transitions to sustainability. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The role of the China Experts Advisory Committee on Immunization Program.

PubMed

Zheng, Jingshan; Zhou, Yuqing; Wang, Huaqing; Liang, Xiaofeng

2010-04-19

The Experts Advisory Committee on Immunization Program (EACIP) of China was founded in 1982, and currently consists of 33 experts in immunization and related fields, selected by the Ministry of Health, to provide advice and guidance on the control of vaccine-preventable diseases. The main tasks of the EACIP are to advise on the national immunization schedule, to participate in the drafting and review of technical documents, and to participate in field supervision and staff training. In 2007, the EACIP used evidence-based methods to formulate a revised national immunization schedule. The EACIP has played and is playing an increasingly important role in guiding immunization policy in China. Copyright © 2010. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

WODA Technical Guidance on Underwater Sound from Dredging.

PubMed

Thomsen, Frank; Borsani, Fabrizio; Clarke, Douglas; de Jong, Christ; de Wit, Pim; Goethals, Fredrik; Holtkamp, Martine; Martin, Elena San; Spadaro, Philip; van Raalte, Gerard; Victor, George Yesu Vedha; Jensen, Anders

2016-01-01

The World Organization of Dredging Associations (WODA) has identified underwater sound as an environmental issue that needs further consideration. A WODA Expert Group on Underwater Sound (WEGUS) prepared a guidance paper in 2013 on dredging sound, including a summary of potential impacts on aquatic biota and advice on underwater sound monitoring procedures. The paper follows a risk-based approach and provides guidance for standardization of acoustic terminology and methods for data collection and analysis. Furthermore, the literature on dredging-related sounds and the effects of dredging sounds on marine life is surveyed and guidance on the management of dredging-related sound risks is provided.

Of earprints, fingerprints, scent dogs, cot deaths and cognitive contamination--a brief look at the present state of play in the forensic arena.

PubMed

Broeders, A P A

2006-06-02

Over the last decades, the importance of technical and scientific evidence for the criminal justice system has been steadily increasing. Unfortunately, the weight of forensic evidence is not always easy for the trier of fact to assess, as appears from a brief discussion of some recent cases in which the weight of expert evidence was either grossly over- or understated. Also, in recent years, questions surrounding the value of forensic evidence have played a major role in the appeal and revision stages of a number of highly publicized criminal cases in several countries, including the UK and the Netherlands. Some of the present confusion is caused by the different ways in which conclusions are formulated by experts working within the traditional approach to forensic identification, as exemplified by (1) dactyloscopy and (2) the other traditional forensic identification disciplines like handwriting analysis, firearms analysis and fibre analysis, as opposed to those working within the modern scientific approach used in forensic DNA analysis. Though most clearly expressed in the way conclusions are formulated within the diverse fields, these differences essentially reflect the scientific paradigms underlying the various identification disciplines. The types of conclusions typically formulated by practitioners of the traditional identification disciplines are seen to be directly related to the two major principles underpinning traditional identification science, i.e. the uniqueness assumption and the individualization principle. The latter of these is shown to be particularly problematic, especially when carried to its extreme, as embodied in the positivity doctrine, which is almost universally embraced by the dactyloscopy profession and allows categorical identification only. Apart from issues arising out of the interpretation of otherwise valid expert evidence there is growing concern over the validity and reliability of the expert evidence submitted to courts. While in various countries including the USA, Canada and the Netherlands criteria have been introduced which may be used as a form of input or output control on expert evidence, in England and Wales expert evidence is much less likely to be subject to forms of admissibility or reliability testing. Finally, a number of measures are proposed which may go some way to address some of the present concerns over the evaluation of technical and scientific evidence.

Improving sustainability by technology assessment and systems analysis: the case of IWRM Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nayono, S.; Lehmann, A.; Kopfmüller, J.; Lehn, H.

2016-09-01

To support the implementation of the IWRM-Indonesia process in a water scarce and sanitation poor region of Central Java (Indonesia), sustainability assessments of several technology options of water supply and sanitation were carried out based on the conceptual framework of the integrative sustainability concept of the German Helmholtz association. In the case of water supply, the assessment was based on the life-cycle analysis and life-cycle-costing approach. In the sanitation sector, the focus was set on developing an analytical tool to improve planning procedures in the area of investigation, which can be applied in general to developing and newly emerging countries. Because sanitation systems in particular can be regarded as socio-technical systems, their permanent operability is closely related to cultural or religious preferences which influence acceptability. Therefore, the design of the tool and the assessment of sanitation technologies took into account the views of relevant stakeholders. The key results of the analyses are presented in this article.

Expert agreements and disagreements on induced seismicity by Enhanced Geothermal Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trutnevyte, E.; Azevedo, I. L.

2016-12-01

Enhanced or Engineered Geothermal Systems (EGS) are at an early stage of development and only a handful of projects exist worldwide. In face of limited empirical evidence on EGS induced seismicity, expert elicitation provides a complementary view to quantitative assessments and basic science. We present the results of an international expert elicitation exercise with 14 experts from 6 countries. The elicitation aimed at evaluating induced seismicity hazard and risk for EGS and characterizing associated uncertainty. The state-of-the-art expert elicitation method was used: it combines technical analysis with behavioral science-informed elicitation of expert judgement in order to minimize subjectivity. The experts assessed a harmonized scenario of an EGS plant, its operational characteristics, geological context, and surrounding buildings and infrastructures. The experts provided quantitative estimates of exceedance probabilities of induced M>=3 and M>=5, maximum magnitudes that could be observed, and made judgements on economic loss, injuries, and fatalities in the case of M=3 and M=5. The experts also rated the importance of factors that influence induced seismicity hazard and risk (e.g. reservoir depth, injected volumes, exposed building stock etc.) and the potential uncertainty reductions through future research. We present the findings of this elicitation and highlight the points of expert agreements and disagreements.

[Medical expert systems and clinical needs].

PubMed

Buscher, H P

1991-10-18

The rapid expansion of computer-based systems for problem solving or decision making in medicine, the so-called medical expert systems, emphasize the need for reappraisal of their indication and value. Where specialist knowledge is required, in particular where medical decisions are susceptible to error these systems will probably serve as a valuable support. In the near future computer-based systems should be able to aid the interpretation of findings of technical investigations and the control of treatment, especially where rapid reactions are necessary despite the need of complex analysis of investigated parameters. In the distant future complete support of diagnostic procedures from the history to final diagnosis is possible. It promises to be particularly attractive for the diagnosis of seldom diseases, for difficult differential diagnoses, and in the decision making in the case of expensive, risky or new diagnostic or therapeutic methods. The physician needs to be aware of certain dangers, ranging from misleading information up to abuse. Patient information depends often on subjective reports and error-prone observations. Although basing on problematic knowledge computer-born decisions may have an imperative effect on medical decision making. Also it must be born in mind that medical decisions should always combine the rational with a consideration of human motives.

The choice of primary energy source including PV installation for providing electric energy to a public utility building - a case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Radomski, Bartosz; Ćwiek, Barbara; Mróz, Tomasz M.

2017-11-01

The paper presents multicriteria decision aid analysis of the choice of PV installation providing electric energy to a public utility building. From the energy management point of view electricity obtained by solar radiation has become crucial renewable energy source. Application of PV installations may occur a profitable solution from energy, economic and ecologic point of view for both existing and newly erected buildings. Featured variants of PV installations have been assessed by multicriteria analysis based on ANP (Analytic Network Process) method. Technical, economical, energy and environmental criteria have been identified as main decision criteria. Defined set of decision criteria has an open character and can be modified in the dialog process between the decision-maker and the expert - in the present case, an expert in planning of development of energy supply systems. The proposed approach has been used to evaluate three variants of PV installation acceptable for existing educational building located in Poznań, Poland - the building of Faculty of Chemical Technology, Poznań University of Technology. Multi-criteria analysis based on ANP method and the calculation software Super Decisions has proven to be an effective tool for energy planning, leading to the indication of the recommended variant of PV installation in existing and newly erected public buildings. Achieved results show prospects and possibilities of rational renewable energy usage as complex solution to public utility buildings.

Rule-Based Relaxation of Reference Identification Failures. Technical Report No. 396.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodman, Bradley A.

In a step toward creating a robust natural language understanding system which detects and avoids miscommunication, this artificial intelligence research report provides a taxonomy of miscommunication problems that arise in expert-apprentice dialogues (including misunderstandings, wrong communication, and bad analogies), and proposes a flexible…

Development and Validation of a Novel Robotic Procedure Specific Simulation Platform: Partial Nephrectomy.

PubMed

Hung, Andrew J; Shah, Swar H; Dalag, Leonard; Shin, Daniel; Gill, Inderbir S

2015-08-01

We developed a novel procedure specific simulation platform for robotic partial nephrectomy. In this study we prospectively evaluate its face, content, construct and concurrent validity. This hybrid platform features augmented reality and virtual reality. Augmented reality involves 3-dimensional robotic partial nephrectomy surgical videos overlaid with virtual instruments to teach surgical anatomy, technical skills and operative steps. Advanced technical skills are assessed with an embedded full virtual reality renorrhaphy task. Participants were classified as novice (no surgical training, 15), intermediate (less than 100 robotic cases, 13) or expert (100 or more robotic cases, 14) and prospectively assessed. Cohort performance was compared with the Kruskal-Wallis test (construct validity). Post-study questionnaire was used to assess the realism of simulation (face validity) and usefulness for training (content validity). Concurrent validity evaluated correlation between virtual reality renorrhaphy task and a live porcine robotic partial nephrectomy performance (Spearman's analysis). Experts rated the augmented reality content as realistic (median 8/10) and helpful for resident/fellow training (8.0-8.2/10). Experts rated the platform highly for teaching anatomy (9/10) and operative steps (8.5/10) but moderately for technical skills (7.5/10). Experts and intermediates outperformed novices (construct validity) in efficiency (p=0.0002) and accuracy (p=0.002). For virtual reality renorrhaphy, experts outperformed intermediates on GEARS metrics (p=0.002). Virtual reality renorrhaphy and in vivo porcine robotic partial nephrectomy performance correlated significantly (r=0.8, p <0.0001) (concurrent validity). This augmented reality simulation platform displayed face, content and construct validity. Performance in the procedure specific virtual reality task correlated highly with a porcine model (concurrent validity). Future efforts will integrate procedure specific virtual reality tasks and their global assessment. Copyright © 2015 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Identity Management Systems in Healthcare: The Issue of Patient Identifiers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soenens, Els

According to a recent recommendation of the European Commission, now is the time for Europe to enhance interoperability in eHealth. Although interoperability of patient identifiers seems promising for matters of patient mobility, patient empowerment and effective access to care, we see that today there is indeed a considerable lack of interoperability in the field of patient identification. Looking from a socio-technical rather than a merely technical point of view, one can understand the fact that the development and implementation of an identity management system in a specific healthcare context is influenced by particular social practices, affected by socio-economical history and the political climate and regulated by specific data protection legislations. Consequently, the process of making patient identification in Europe more interoperable is a development beyond semantic and syntactic levels. In this paper, we gives some examples of today’s patient identifier systems in Europe, discuss the issue of interoperability of (unique) patient identifiers from a socio-technical point of view and try not to ignore the ‘privacy side’ of the story.

The influence of political ideology and trust on willingness to vaccinate.

PubMed

Baumgaertner, Bert; Carlisle, Juliet E; Justwan, Florian

2018-01-01

In light of the increasing refusal of some parents to vaccinate children, public health strategies have focused on increasing knowledge and awareness based on a "knowledge-deficit" approach. However, decisions about vaccination are based on more than mere knowledge of risks, costs, and benefits. Individual decision making about vaccinating involves many other factors including those related to emotion, culture, religion, and socio-political context. In this paper, we use a nationally representative internet survey in the U.S. to investigate socio-political characteristics to assess attitudes about vaccination. In particular, we consider how political ideology and trust affect opinions about vaccinations for flu, pertussis, and measles. Our findings demonstrate that ideology has a direct effect on vaccine attitudes. In particular, conservative respondents are less likely to express pro-vaccination beliefs than other individuals. Furthermore, ideology also has an indirect effect on immunization propensity. The ideology variable predicts an indicator capturing trust in government medical experts, which in turn helps to explain individual-level variation with regards to attitudes about vaccine choice.

Integrated computer-aided forensic case analysis, presentation, and documentation based on multimodal 3D data.

PubMed

Bornik, Alexander; Urschler, Martin; Schmalstieg, Dieter; Bischof, Horst; Krauskopf, Astrid; Schwark, Thorsten; Scheurer, Eva; Yen, Kathrin

2018-06-01

Three-dimensional (3D) crime scene documentation using 3D scanners and medical imaging modalities like computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are increasingly applied in forensic casework. Together with digital photography, these modalities enable comprehensive and non-invasive recording of forensically relevant information regarding injuries/pathologies inside the body and on its surface. Furthermore, it is possible to capture traces and items at crime scenes. Such digitally secured evidence has the potential to similarly increase case understanding by forensic experts and non-experts in court. Unlike photographs and 3D surface models, images from CT and MRI are not self-explanatory. Their interpretation and understanding requires radiological knowledge. Findings in tomography data must not only be revealed, but should also be jointly studied with all the 2D and 3D data available in order to clarify spatial interrelations and to optimally exploit the data at hand. This is technically challenging due to the heterogeneous data representations including volumetric data, polygonal 3D models, and images. This paper presents a novel computer-aided forensic toolbox providing tools to support the analysis, documentation, annotation, and illustration of forensic cases using heterogeneous digital data. Conjoint visualization of data from different modalities in their native form and efficient tools to visually extract and emphasize findings help experts to reveal unrecognized correlations and thereby enhance their case understanding. Moreover, the 3D case illustrations created for case analysis represent an efficient means to convey the insights gained from case analysis to forensic non-experts involved in court proceedings like jurists and laymen. The capability of the presented approach in the context of case analysis, its potential to speed up legal procedures and to ultimately enhance legal certainty is demonstrated by introducing a number of representative forensic cases. Copyright © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Griffiths Question Map: A Forensic Tool For Expert Witnesses' Assessments of Witnesses and Victims' Statements.

PubMed

Dodier, Olivier; Denault, Vincent

2018-01-01

Expert witnesses are sometimes asked to assess the reliability of young witnesses and victims' statements because of their high susceptibility to memory biases. This technical note aims to highlight the relevance of the Griffiths Question Map (GQM) as a professional forensic tool to improve expert witnesses' assessments of young witnesses and victims' testimonies. To do so, this innovative question type assessment grid was used to proceed to an in-depth analysis of the interview of an alleged 13-year-old victim of a sexual assault and two rapes. Overall, the GQM stressed how the interview was mainly conducted in an inappropriate manner. The results are examined with regard to scientific knowledge on young witnesses and victims' memory. Finally, it is argued that expert witnesses in inquisitorial systems might use the GQM while encountering difficulties to fulfill the legal standards for expert evidence in adversarial systems because of the lack of studies regarding its reliability. © 2017 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

MERINOVA: Meteorological risks as drivers of environmental innovation in agro-ecosystem management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gobin, Anne; Oger, Robert; Marlier, Catherine; Van De Vijver, Hans; Vandermeulen, Valerie; Van Huylenbroeck, Guido; Zamani, Sepideh; Curnel, Yannick; Mettepenningen, Evi

2013-04-01

The BELSPO funded project 'MERINOVA' deals with risks associated with extreme weather phenomena and with risks of biological origin such as pests and diseases. The major objectives of the proposed project are to characterise extreme meteorological events, assess the impact on Belgian agro-ecosystems, characterise their vulnerability and resilience to these events, and explore innovative adaptation options to agricultural risk management. The project comprises of five major parts that reflect the chain of risks: (i) Hazard: Assessing the likely frequency and magnitude of extreme meteorological events by means of probability density functions; (ii) Impact: Analysing the potential bio-physical and socio-economic impact of extreme weather events on agro-ecosystems in Belgium using process-based modelling techniques commensurate with the regional scale; (iii) Vulnerability: Identifying the most vulnerable agro-ecosystems using fuzzy multi-criteria and spatial analysis; (iv) Risk Management: Uncovering innovative risk management and adaptation options using actor-network theory and fuzzy cognitive mapping techniques; and, (v) Communication: Communicating to research, policy and practitioner communities using web-based techniques. The different tasks of the MERINOVA project require expertise in several scientific disciplines: meteorology, statistics, spatial database management, agronomy, bio-physical impact modelling, socio-economic modelling, actor-network theory, fuzzy cognitive mapping techniques. These expertises are shared by the four scientific partners who each lead one work package. The MERINOVA project will concentrate on promoting a robust and flexible framework by demonstrating its performance across Belgian agro-ecosystems, and by ensuring its relevance to policy makers and practitioners. Impacts developed from physically based models will not only provide information on the state of the damage at any given time, but also assist in understanding the links between different factors causing damage and determining bio-physical vulnerability. Socio-economic impacts will enlarge the basis for vulnerability mapping, risk management and adaptation options. A strong expert and end-user network will be established to help disseminating and exploiting project results to meet user needs.

Techno-socio-economic analysis of losses in capture fishery: a case study in Pelabuhan Ratu, Sukabumi, West Java Province

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nurhayati, A.; Purnomo, A. H.

2018-03-01

This research was aimed at analyzing factors influencing capture fisheries losses, focusing on technical, social and economic aspects at Pelabuhan Ratu. A case study was undertaken, through a survey involving 40 respondents. These respondents represented groups of fishers, collectors, middlemen, processors and consumers. The questions delivered in the survey was adapted from the Exploratory Fish Loss Assessment Method (EFLAM). Based on this research, the fish loss was detected in Palabuhan Ratu, which amounted to 4.25 % at the fisher level and 5.12 % in the following supply chains, due to some factors. It was found that among the technical factors, the most influential ones were handling of landed fish, fish sortation, fish size, fish shelf life and season. Among economic aspect, factors with the most significant influence were fish price fluctuation and price level; meanwhile, among the social factors, those that had the most significant influence was the revenue distribution system. Based on this, the relevant policy implication of this research was the need for effective programs which covers the development of cold chain and distribution facilities and infrastructure, and an improvement in skills and knowledge of fish derivative product processors.

New Technologies in the 1990s: A Socio-Economic Strategy. Conclusions and Recommendations of a Group of Experts on the Social Aspects of New Technologies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, Paris (France).

Focusing on the social aspects of new technologies, this report presents the conclusions drawn and recommendations made by a group of individual experts with wide experience in industry, labor relations, academia, or public service, who were charged with examining the potential importance of the new technologies for growth, jobs, and welfare, and…

Shortage and surplus of water in the socio-hydrological context

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schumann, A.; Nijssen, d.

2014-09-01

Balancing the temporal variability of hydrological conditions in the long- and short-term is often essential for steady socio-economic conditions. However, this equilibrium is very fragile in many cases. Hydrological changes or socio-economic changes may destroy it in a short time. If we extend the bearing capacity of socio-hydrological systems we increase, in many cases, the harmful consequences of failures. Here, two case studies are discussed to illustrate these problems. The limited success at adapting water resources to increasing human requirements without consideration of the natural capacities will be discussed with the example of water use for irrigation in northeastern China. The demand for a new planning approach, which is based on a combination of monitoring, model-based impact assessments and spatial distributed planning, is demonstrated. The problems of water surplus, which becomes evident during floods, are discussed in a second case study. It is shown that flood protection depends strongly on expectations of flood characteristics. The gap between the social requirement for complete flood prevention and the remaining risk of flood damage becomes obvious. An increase of risk-awareness would be more sustainable than promises of flood protection, which are the basis for technical measures to affect floods and (or) to prevent flood damages.

Training in Socio-Emotional Skills through On-Site Training

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Talavera, Elvira Repetto; Perez-Gonzalez, Juan Carlos

2007-01-01

Socio-emotional skills are highly prized on the labour market these days; many writers say that competencies of this type help to increase individuals' employability, but educational institutions consistently forget their responsibility for providing training in them. Most jobs call not only for knowledge and specific technical competencies, but…

An Integrated Textbook, Video, and Software Environment for Novice and Expert Prolog Programmers. Technical Report No. 23.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eisenstadt, Marc; Brayshaw, Mike

This paper describes a Prolog execution model which serves as the uniform basis of textbook material, video-based teaching material, and an advanced graphical user interface for Prolog programmers. The model, based upon an augmented AND/OR tree representation of Prolog programs, uses an enriched "status box" in place of the traditional…

State Solar Technical Assistance | State, Local, and Tribal Governments |

Science.gov Websites

NREL State Solar Technical Assistance State Solar Technical Assistance Request Assistance Subscribe to Email Updates NREL provides direct technical assistance to state and local governments on expert testimony on policy best practices. The Solar Technical Assistance Team (STAT) Network is designed

Multiplatform E-Learning Systems and Technologies: Mobile Devices for Ubiquitous ICT-Based Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goh, Tiong Thye, Ed.

2010-01-01

Multiplatform e-learning systems are emerging technologies that provide integrated learning content to various accessing devices. This book addresses technical challenges, design frameworks, and development experiences of the future that integrate multiple mobile devices into a single multiplatform e-learning system. With expert international…

Towards an International Classification for Patient Safety: the conceptual framework.

PubMed

Sherman, Heather; Castro, Gerard; Fletcher, Martin; Hatlie, Martin; Hibbert, Peter; Jakob, Robert; Koss, Richard; Lewalle, Pierre; Loeb, Jerod; Perneger, Thomas; Runciman, William; Thomson, Richard; Van Der Schaaf, Tjerk; Virtanen, Martti

2009-02-01

Global advances in patient safety have been hampered by the lack of a uniform classification of patient safety concepts. This is a significant barrier to developing strategies to reduce risk, performing evidence-based research and evaluating existing healthcare policies relevant to patient safety. Since 2005, the World Health Organization's World Alliance for Patient Safety has undertaken the Project to Develop an International Classification for Patient Safety (ICPS) to devise a classification which transforms patient safety information collected from disparate systems into a common format to facilitate aggregation, analysis and learning across disciplines, borders and time. A drafting group, comprised of experts from the fields of patient safety, classification theory, health informatics, consumer/patient advocacy, law and medicine, identified and defined key patient safety concepts and developed an internationally agreed conceptual framework for the ICPS based upon existing patient safety classifications. The conceptual framework was iteratively improved through technical expert meetings and a two-stage web-based modified Delphi survey of over 250 international experts. This work culminated in a conceptual framework consisting of ten high level classes: incident type, patient outcomes, patient characteristics, incident characteristics, contributing factors/hazards, organizational outcomes, detection, mitigating factors, ameliorating actions and actions taken to reduce risk. While the framework for the ICPS is in place, several challenges remain. Concepts need to be defined, guidance for using the classification needs to be provided, and further real-world testing needs to occur to progressively refine the ICPS to ensure it is fit for purpose.

Towards an International Classification for Patient Safety: the conceptual framework

PubMed Central

Sherman, Heather; Castro, Gerard; Fletcher, Martin; Hatlie, Martin; Hibbert, Peter; Jakob, Robert; Koss, Richard; Lewalle, Pierre; Loeb, Jerod; Perneger, Thomas; Runciman, William; Thomson, Richard; Van Der Schaaf, Tjerk; Virtanen, Martti

2009-01-01

Global advances in patient safety have been hampered by the lack of a uniform classification of patient safety concepts. This is a significant barrier to developing strategies to reduce risk, performing evidence-based research and evaluating existing healthcare policies relevant to patient safety. Since 2005, the World Health Organization's World Alliance for Patient Safety has undertaken the Project to Develop an International Classification for Patient Safety (ICPS) to devise a classification which transforms patient safety information collected from disparate systems into a common format to facilitate aggregation, analysis and learning across disciplines, borders and time. A drafting group, comprised of experts from the fields of patient safety, classification theory, health informatics, consumer/patient advocacy, law and medicine, identified and defined key patient safety concepts and developed an internationally agreed conceptual framework for the ICPS based upon existing patient safety classifications. The conceptual framework was iteratively improved through technical expert meetings and a two-stage web-based modified Delphi survey of over 250 international experts. This work culminated in a conceptual framework consisting of ten high level classes: incident type, patient outcomes, patient characteristics, incident characteristics, contributing factors/hazards, organizational outcomes, detection, mitigating factors, ameliorating actions and actions taken to reduce risk. While the framework for the ICPS is in place, several challenges remain. Concepts need to be defined, guidance for using the classification needs to be provided, and further real-world testing needs to occur to progressively refine the ICPS to ensure it is fit for purpose. PMID:19147595

Peer consultation on relationship between PAC profile and toxicity of petroleum substances.

PubMed

Patterson, Jacqueline; Maier, Andrew; Kohrman-Vincent, Melissa; Dourson, Michael L

2013-11-01

An expert peer consultation panel reviewed a report by the PAC Analysis Task Group, which hypothesized that systemic, developmental, and reproductive toxicity observed in repeated-dose dermal toxicity studies was related to polycyclic aromatic compound (PAC) content. Peer consultations seek to solicit scientific and technical input from experts on the scientific basis and merits of the subject report. This peer consultation panel included nine scientists with expertise in petroleum chemistry, biostatistics, toxicology, risk assessment, structure activity, and reproductive and developmental toxicology. The panel evaluated the technical quality of the PAC report and provided recommendations for improving the statistical and biological approaches. The PAC report authors revised their methods and documentation, which are published elsewhere in this supplement. A review of the post peer consultation manuscripts confirmed that many of the key suggestions from expert panel members were considered and incorporated. In cases where the PAC report authors did not fully incorporate panel suggestions from the peer consultation, they have provided an explanation and support for their decision. This peer consultation demonstrates the value of formal engagement of peers in development of new scientific methods and approaches. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Designing an Educational Website to Improve Quality of Supportive Oncology Care for Women with Ovarian Cancer: An Expert Usability Review and Analysis.

PubMed

McClellan, Molly A; Karumur, Raghav Pavan; Vogel, Rachel Isaksson; Petzel, Sue V; Cragg, Julie; Chan, Daniel; Jacko, Julie A; Sainfort, François; Geller, Melissa A

A broad-based research team developed a Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)-compliant educational website for women with ovarian cancer to improve the quality of supportive oncology care. Prior to a randomized clinical trial of the website, initial usability testing was implemented to evaluate the website. The initial review found that 165/247 checklist items had sufficient information to allow for evaluation with the website achieving an overall score of 63%. By category, lowest scores were for the Home Page, Task Orientation, Page Layout & Visual Design, and Help, Feedback & Error Tolerance. Major issues thought to potentially impede actual usage were prioritized in redevelopment and the second usability review, conducted by the same expert, saw an improvement in scores. Incorporating usability concepts from the start of development, fulfilling the positive expectations of end-users and identifying technical and personal factors that optimize use may greatly enhance usage of health websites.

Designing an Educational Website to Improve Quality of Supportive Oncology Care for Women with Ovarian Cancer: An Expert Usability Review and Analysis

PubMed Central

McClellan, Molly A.; Karumur, Raghav Pavan; Vogel, Rachel Isaksson; Petzel, Sue V.; Cragg, Julie; Chan, Daniel; Jacko, Julie A.; Sainfort, François; Geller, Melissa A.

2016-01-01

A broad-based research team developed a Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)-compliant educational website for women with ovarian cancer to improve the quality of supportive oncology care. Prior to a randomized clinical trial of the website, initial usability testing was implemented to evaluate the website. The initial review found that 165/247 checklist items had sufficient information to allow for evaluation with the website achieving an overall score of 63%. By category, lowest scores were for the Home Page, Task Orientation, Page Layout & Visual Design, and Help, Feedback & Error Tolerance. Major issues thought to potentially impede actual usage were prioritized in redevelopment and the second usability review, conducted by the same expert, saw an improvement in scores. Incorporating usability concepts from the start of development, fulfilling the positive expectations of end-users and identifying technical and personal factors that optimize use may greatly enhance usage of health websites. PMID:27110082

Dynamic development of public attitudes towards science policymaking.

PubMed

Okamura, Keisuke

2016-05-01

Understanding the heterogeneity of mechanisms that form public attitudes towards science and technology policymaking is essential to the establishment of an effective public engagement platform. Using the 2011 public opinion survey data from Japan (n = 6,136), I divided the general public into three categories: the Attentive public, who are willing to actively engage with science and technology policymaking dialogue; the Interested public, who have moderate interest in science and technology but rely on experts for policy decisions; and the Residual public, who have minimal interest in science and technology. On the basis of the results of multivariate regression analysis, I have identified several key predispositions towards science and technology and other socio-demographic characteristics that influence the shift of individuals from one category of the general public to another. The findings provide a foundation for understanding how to induce more accountable, evidence-based science and technology policymaking. © The Author(s) 2015.

Agency, Socio-Cultural Context, and the Role of the Technical Communicator during IT Adoption: A Case Study in Innovation Diffusion across Cultures

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coggio, Grace Leinbach

2010-01-01

This dissertation examines the diffusion of an innovative information technology system across multiple cultures between 2000 and 2006. Developed and implemented by technical communicators in the technical communication department of a global medical device company, the Advanced Single-Source Authoring and Publication System (ASAPS) brought…

Environmental, Human Health and Socio-Economic Effects of Cement Powders: The Multicriteria Analysis as Decisional Methodology.

PubMed

Moretti, Laura; Di Mascio, Paola; Bellagamba, Simona

2017-06-16

The attention to sustainability-related issues has grown fast in recent decades. The experience gained with these themes reveals the importance of considering this topic in the construction industry, which represents an important sector throughout the world. This work consists on conducting a multicriteria analysis of four cement powders, with the objective of calculating and analysing the environmental, human health and socio-economic effects of their production processes. The economic, technical, environmental and safety performances of the examined powders result from official, both internal and public, documents prepared by the producers. The Analytic Hierarchy Process permitted to consider several indicators (i.e., environmental, human health related and socio-economic parameters) and to conduct comprehensive and unbiased analyses which gave the best, most sustainable cement powder. As assumed in this study, the contribution of each considered parameter to the overall sustainability has a different incidence, therefore the procedure could be used to support on-going sustainability efforts under different conditions. The results also prove that it is not appropriate to regard only one parameter to identify the 'best' cement powder, but several impact categories should be considered and analysed if there is an interest for pursuing different, often conflicting interests.

Biobank Finances: A Socio-Economic Analysis and Review.

PubMed

Gee, Sally; Oliver, Rob; Corfield, Julie; Georghiou, Luke; Yuille, Martin

2015-12-01

This socio-economic study is based on the widely held view that there is an inadequate supply of human biological samples that is hampering biomedical research development and innovation (RDI). The potential value of samples and the associated data are thus not being realized. We aimed to examine whether the financing of biobanks contributes to this problem and then to propose a national solution. We combined three methods: a qualitative case study; literature analysis; and informal consultations with experts. The case study enabled an examination of the complex institutional arrangements for biobanks, with a particular focus on cost models. For the purposes of comparison, a typology for biobanks was developed using the three methods. We found that it is not possible to apply a standard cost model across the diversity of biobanks, and there is a deficit in coordination and sustainability and an excess of complexity. We propose that coordination across this diversity requires dedicated resources for a national biobanking distributed research infrastructure. A coordination center would establish and improve standards and support a national portal for access. This should be financed centrally by public funds, possibly supplemented by industrial funding. We propose that: a) sample acquisition continues to be costed into projects and project proposals to ensure biobanking is driven by research needs; b) core biobanking activities and facilities be supported by central public funds distributed directly to host public institutions; and c) marginal costs for access be paid for by the user.

Development of Smart Grid for Community and Cyber based Landslide Hazard Monitoring and Early Warning System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karnawati, D.; Wilopo, W.; Fathani, T. F.; Fukuoka, H.; Andayani, B.

2012-12-01

A Smart Grid is a cyber-based tool to facilitate a network of sensors for monitoring and communicating the landslide hazard and providing the early warning. The sensor is designed as an electronic sensor installed in the existing monitoring and early warning instruments, and also as the human sensors which comprise selected committed-people at the local community, such as the local surveyor, local observer, member of the local task force for disaster risk reduction, and any person at the local community who has been registered to dedicate their commitments for sending reports related to the landslide symptoms observed at their living environment. This tool is designed to be capable to receive up to thousands of reports/information at the same time through the electronic sensors, text message (mobile phone), the on-line participatory web as well as various social media such as Twitter and Face book. The information that should be recorded/ reported by the sensors is related to the parameters of landslide symptoms, for example the progress of cracks occurrence, ground subsidence or ground deformation. Within 10 minutes, this tool will be able to automatically elaborate and analyse the reported symptoms to predict the landslide hazard and risk levels. The predicted level of hazard/ risk can be sent back to the network of electronic and human sensors as the early warning information. The key parameters indicating the symptoms of landslide hazard were recorded/ monitored by the electrical and the human sensors. Those parameters were identified based on the investigation on geological and geotechnical conditions, supported with the laboratory analysis. The cause and triggering mechanism of landslide in the study area was also analysed in order to define the critical condition to launch the early warning. However, not only the technical but also social system were developed to raise community awareness and commitments to serve the mission as the human sensors, which will be responsible for reporting and informing the early warning. Therefore, a community empowerment and encouragement program through public education was conducted. Strategy and approach for this program was formulated based on the socio-engineering investigation. Finally, the results of technical and social engineering investigations, have been elaborated to further enhance the performance of expert system of the Smart Grid, in order to completely establish this system as an innovative and effective tool for the landslide monitoring and early warning in tropical-developing country.

An analysis of electronic document management in oncology care.

PubMed

Poulter, Thomas; Gannon, Brian; Bath, Peter A

2012-06-01

In this research in progress, a reference model for the use of electronic patient record (EPR) systems in oncology is described. The model, termed CICERO, comprises technical and functional components, and emphasises usability, clinical safety and user acceptance. One of the functional components of the model-an electronic document and records management (EDRM) system-is monitored in the course of its deployment at a leading oncology centre in the UK. Specifically, the user requirements and design of the EDRM solution are described.The study is interpretative and forms part a wider research programme to define and validate the CICERO model. Preliminary conclusions confirm the importance of a socio-technical perspective in Onco-EPR system design.

76 FR 30939 - Science Advisory Board Staff Office; Request for Nominations of Experts for SAB Libby Amphibole...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-27

... Nominations of Experts for SAB Libby Amphibole Asbestos Review Panel AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency... nominations of technical experts to serve on an Asbestos expert panel under the auspices of the SAB to conduct a peer review of EPA's Draft Toxicological Review of Libby Amphibole Asbestos. DATES: Nominations...

A Toolkit to assess health needs for congenital disorders in low- and middle-income countries: an instrument for public health action.

PubMed

Nacul, L C; Stewart, A; Alberg, C; Chowdhury, S; Darlison, M W; Grollman, C; Hall, A; Modell, B; Moorthie, S; Sagoo, G S; Burton, H

2014-06-01

In 2010 the World Health Assembly called for action to improve the care and prevention of congenital disorders, noting that technical guidance would be required for this task, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Responding to this call, we have developed a freely available web-accessible Toolkit for assessing health needs for congenital disorders. Materials for the Toolkit website (http://toolkit.phgfoundation.org) were prepared by an iterative process of writing, discussion and modification by the project team, with advice from external experts. A customized database was developed using epidemiological, demographic, socio-economic and health-services data from a range of validated sources. Document-processing and data integration software combines data from the database with a template to generate topic- and country-specific Calculator documents for quantitative analysis. The Toolkit guides users through selection of topics (including both clinical conditions and relevant health services), assembly and evaluation of qualitative and quantitative information, assessment of the potential effects of selected interventions, and planning and prioritization of actions to reduce the risk or prevalence of congenital disorders. The Toolkit enables users without epidemiological or public health expertise to undertake health needs assessment as a prerequisite for strategic planning in relation to congenital disorders in their country or region. © The Author 2013. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Faculty of Public Health.

Application of stakeholder-based and modelling approaches for supporting robust adaptation decision making under future climatic uncertainty and changing urban-agricultural water demand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhave, Ajay; Dessai, Suraje; Conway, Declan; Stainforth, David

2016-04-01

Deep uncertainty in future climate change and socio-economic conditions necessitates the use of assess-risk-of-policy approaches over predict-then-act approaches for adaptation decision making. Robust Decision Making (RDM) approaches embody this principle and help evaluate the ability of adaptation options to satisfy stakeholder preferences under wide-ranging future conditions. This study involves the simultaneous application of two RDM approaches; qualitative and quantitative, in the Cauvery River Basin in Karnataka (population ~23 million), India. The study aims to (a) determine robust water resources adaptation options for the 2030s and 2050s and (b) compare the usefulness of a qualitative stakeholder-driven approach with a quantitative modelling approach. For developing a large set of future scenarios a combination of climate narratives and socio-economic narratives was used. Using structured expert elicitation with a group of climate experts in the Indian Summer Monsoon, climatic narratives were developed. Socio-economic narratives were developed to reflect potential future urban and agricultural water demand. In the qualitative RDM approach, a stakeholder workshop helped elicit key vulnerabilities, water resources adaptation options and performance criteria for evaluating options. During a second workshop, stakeholders discussed and evaluated adaptation options against the performance criteria for a large number of scenarios of climatic and socio-economic change in the basin. In the quantitative RDM approach, a Water Evaluation And Planning (WEAP) model was forced by precipitation and evapotranspiration data, coherent with the climatic narratives, together with water demand data based on socio-economic narratives. We find that compared to business-as-usual conditions options addressing urban water demand satisfy performance criteria across scenarios and provide co-benefits like energy savings and reduction in groundwater depletion, while options reducing agricultural water demand significantly affect downstream water availability. Water demand options demonstrate potential to improve environmental flow conditions and satisfy legal water supply requirements for downstream riparian states. On the other hand, currently planned large scale infrastructural projects demonstrate reduced value in certain scenarios, illustrating the impacts of lock-in effects of large scale infrastructure. From a methodological perspective, we find that while the stakeholder-driven approach revealed robust options in a resource-light manner and helped initiate much needed interaction amongst stakeholders, the modelling approach provides complementary quantitative information. The study reveals robust adaptation options for this important basin and provides a strong methodological basis for carrying out future studies that support adaptation decision making.

EarthCube as an information resource marketplace; the GEAR Project conceptual design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richard, S. M.; Zaslavsky, I.; Gupta, A.; Valentine, D.

2015-12-01

Geoscience Architecture for Research (GEAR) is approaching EarthCube design as a complex and evolving socio-technical federation of systems. EarthCube is intended to support the science research enterprise, for which there is no centralized command and control, requirements are a moving target, the function and behavior of the system must evolve and adapt as new scientific paradigms emerge, and system participants are conducting research that inherently implies seeking new ways of doing things. EarthCube must address evolving user requirements and enable domain and project systems developed under different management and for different purposes to work together. The EC architecture must focus on creating a technical environment that enables new capabilities by combining existing and newly developed resources in various ways, and encourages development of new resource designs intended for re-use and interoperability. In a sense, instead of a single architecture design, GEAR provides a way to accommodate multiple designs tuned to different tasks. This agile, adaptive, evolutionary software development style is based on a continuously updated portfolio of compatible components that enable new sub-system architecture. System users make decisions about which components to use in this marketplace based on performance, satisfaction, and impact metrics collected continuously to evaluate components, determine priorities, and guide resource allocation decisions by the system governance agency. EC is designed as a federation of independent systems, and although the coordinator of the EC system may be named an enterprise architect, the focus of the role needs to be organizing resources, assessing their readiness for interoperability with the existing EC component inventory, managing dependencies between transient subsystems, mechanisms of stakeholder engagement and inclusion, and negotiation of standard interfaces, rather than actual specification of components. Composition of components will be developed by projects that involve both domain scientists and CI experts for specific research problems. We believe an agile, marketplace type approach is an essential architectural strategy for EarthCube.

PVEX: An expert system for producibility/value engineering

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lam, Chun S.; Moseley, Warren

1991-01-01

PVEX is described as an expert system that solves the problem of selection of the material and process in missile manufacturing. The producibility and the value problem has been deeply studied in the past years, and was written in dBase III and PROLOG before. A new approach is presented in that the solution is achieved by introducing hypothetical reasoning, heuristic criteria integrated with a simple hypertext system and shell programming. PVEX combines KMS with Unix scripts which graphically depicts decision trees. The decision trees convey high level qualitative problem solving knowledge to users, and a stand-alone help facility and technical documentation is available through KMS. The system developed is considerably less development costly than any other comparable expert system.

Integrating public risk perception into formal natural hazard risk assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plattner, Th.; Plapp, T.; Hebel, B.

2006-06-01

An urgent need to take perception into account for risk assessment has been pointed out by relevant literature, its impact in terms of risk-related behaviour by individuals is obvious. This study represents an effort to overcome the broadly discussed question of whether risk perception is quantifiable or not by proposing a still simple but applicable methodology. A novel approach is elaborated to obtain a more accurate and comprehensive quantification of risk in comparison to present formal risk evaluation practice. A consideration of relevant factors enables a explicit quantification of individual risk perception and evaluation. The model approach integrates the effective individual risk reff and a weighted mean of relevant perception affecting factors PAF. The relevant PAF cover voluntariness of risk-taking, individual reducibility of risk, knowledge and experience, endangerment, subjective damage rating and subjective recurrence frequency perception. The approach assigns an individual weight to each PAF to represent its impact magnitude. The quantification of these weights is target-group-dependent (e.g. experts, laypersons) and may be effected by psychometric methods. The novel approach is subject to a plausibility check using data from an expert-workshop. A first model application is conducted by means of data of an empirical risk perception study in Western Germany to deduce PAF and weight quantification as well as to confirm and evaluate model applicbility and flexibility. Main fields of application will be a quantification of risk perception by individual persons in a formal and technical way e.g. for the purpose of risk communication issues in illustrating differing perspectives of experts and non-experts. For decision making processes this model will have to be applied with caution, since it is by definition not designed to quantify risk acceptance or risk evaluation. The approach may well explain how risk perception differs, but not why it differs. The formal model generates only "snap shots" and considers neither the socio-cultural nor the historical context of risk perception, since it is a highly individualistic and non-contextual approach.

Software simulators for the evaluation of socio-personal competence for certification of qualifications of university graduates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guseva, A. I.; Kireev, V. S.; Silenko, A. N.; Tikhomirov, G. V.; Sheina, E. A.

2017-01-01

This article discusses the issues associated with the use of software simulators for the evaluation of competences for certification of qualifications of employees of the nuclear industry. This study was conducted for the expert and methodical center of assessment and certification of qualifications of specialists in the nuclear industry, based on the National nuclear innovation consortium. The goal of this study is to build a model for assessing the socio-personal competence and its realization in the form of a software simulator. The study was conducted among a large number of senior students MEPhI - future managers, IT professionals, and nuclear physicists. As a result of the survey five classes of students have been allocated differently performing case studies, and for and for different areas of training recommendations on the use of various educational technologies have been made.

Networking expertise: discursive coalitions and collaborative networks of experts in a public creationism controversy in the UK.

PubMed

Allgaier, Joachim

2012-04-01

Experts do play a particular role in public socio-scientific debates, even more so if they form heterogeneous coalition with other actors and experts. A case study about a public science education controversy surrounding the teaching of evolution/creationism in the UK press is used to investigate in detail how connections and coalitions between experts and other actors involved in the controversy emerged and played out. The research focuses on the question of what role collaborative and other networks of experts played in terms of influence, visibility, credibility, consensus and weight of argument. Issues that are considered in the research are the status of the members of the coalitions forming during the debate and how it is displayed in media representations and letters and petitions, and also how these networks and coalitions of experts perform in relation to each other.

Networking expertise: Discursive coalitions and collaborative networks of experts in a public creationism controversy in the UK

PubMed Central

Allgaier, Joachim

2012-01-01

Experts do play a particular role in public socio-scientific debates, even more so if they form heterogeneous coalition with other actors and experts. A case study about a public science education controversy surrounding the teaching of evolution/creationism in the UK press is used to investigate in detail how connections and coalitions between experts and other actors involved in the controversy emerged and played out. The research focuses on the question of what role collaborative and other networks of experts played in terms of influence, visibility, credibility, consensus and weight of argument. Issues that are considered in the research are the status of the members of the coalitions forming during the debate and how it is displayed in media representations and letters and petitions, and also how these networks and coalitions of experts perform in relation to each other. PMID:23045882

A Figure of Merit: Quantifying the Probability of a Nuclear Reactor Accident.

PubMed

Wellock, Thomas R

In recent decades, probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) has become an essential tool in risk analysis and management in many industries and government agencies. The origins of PRA date to the 1975 publication of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC) Reactor Safety Study led by MIT professor Norman Rasmussen. The "Rasmussen Report" inspired considerable political and scholarly disputes over the motives behind it and the value of its methods and numerical estimates of risk. The Report's controversies have overshadowed the deeper technical origins of risk assessment. Nuclear experts had long sought to express risk in a "figure of merit" to verify the safety of weapons and, later, civilian reactors. By the 1970s, technical advances in PRA gave the methodology the potential to serve political ends, too. The Report, it was hoped, would prove nuclear power's safety to a growing chorus of critics. Subsequent attacks on the Report's methods and numerical estimates damaged the NRC's credibility. PRA's fortunes revived when the 1979 Three Mile Island accident demonstrated PRA's potential for improving the safety of nuclear power and other technical systems. Nevertheless, the Report's controversies endure in mistrust of PRA and its experts.

Economic justification of costs at inspection of industrial safety of high-rise marine structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garibin, Pavel; Ol'khovik, Evgeniy; Rastorguev, Igor

2018-03-01

The task of technical and economic regulation within mutual international recognition of testing laboratories are considered. Codes and procedures within requirements of international ISO/IEC standards of a series 17000 for elimination of non-tariff barriers and interlaboratory exchange of experts in the field of high-rise marine construction are considered. In paper, the methods of assessment of formation of economically justified cost of works at inspection and monitoring of technical condition of high-rise marine wharf engineering port structure based on settlement and actual labor input were applied. For the countries of EU, data on the average cost of works of testing laboratory within a week have been taken as a basis. Such approach will be objective as considers only expenses on obligatory actions in the course of inspection of technical condition of port engineering constructions. The analysis of public results of financial activities of the accredited organizations allowed to calculate the main indicators of the size of necessary profit and overheads at observance of all requirements imposed to test laboratories including taking into account their future technical development. The offered practice corresponds to the general direction by mutual international recognition of independent testing laboratories and can be use in the future.

Transforming Effective Army Units: Best Practices and Lessons Learned

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-08-01

Unlimited 106 Dorothy Young 703-545-2316 ii iii Technical Report 1326 Effective Army Units: Best Practices and Lessons Learned...SBCT units at Joint Base Lewis -McChord (JBLM), and two civilian subject matter experts on transformation from the Program Manager (PM) Stryker and...ISR Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance JBLM Joint Base Lewis -McChord JRTC Joint Readiness Training Center A-2 LNO Liaison

Foundation stones for a real socio-environmental integration in projects' impact assessments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andres Dominguez-Gomez, J.

2015-04-01

In the last twenty years, both the increase in academic production and the expansion of professional involvement in Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Social Impact Assessment (SIA), have evidenced growing scientific and business interest in risk and impact analysis. However, this growth has not brought with it a parallel progress in addressing their main shortcomings: insufficient integration of environmental and social features into development project analyses and, in cases where the social aspects are considered, technical-methodological failings in their diagnosis and assessment. It is clear that these weaknesses carry with them substantial threats to the sustainability (social, environmental and economic) of schemes which impact on the environment, and in consequence, to the local contexts where they are carried out and to the delicate balance of the global ecosystem. This paper argue that, in a sociological context of growing complexity, four foundation-stones are required to underpin research methodologies (for both diagnosis and assessment) in the socio-environmental risks of development projects: a theoretical foundation in actor-network theory; an ethical grounding in values which are internationally recognized though not always carried through into practice; a (new) epistemological-scientific base; and a methodological foundation in social participation.

Using cognitive task analysis to create a teaching protocol for bovine dystocia.

PubMed

Read, Emma K; Baillie, Sarah

2013-01-01

When learning skilled techniques and procedures, students face many challenges. Learning is easier when detailed instructions are available, but experts often find it difficult to articulate all of the steps involved in a task or relate to the learner as a novice. This problem is further compounded when the technique is internal and unsighted (e.g., obstetrical procedures). Using expert bovine practitioners and a life-size model cow and calf, the steps and decision making involved in performing correction of two different dystocia presentations (anterior leg back and breech) were deconstructed using cognitive task analysis (CTA). Video cameras were positioned to capture movement inside and outside the cow model while the experts were asked to first perform the technique as they would in a real situation and then perform the procedure again as if articulating the steps to a novice learner. The audio segments were transcribed and, together with the video components, analyzed to create a list of steps for each expert. Consensus was achieved between experts during individual interviews followed by a group discussion. A "gold standard" list or teaching protocol was created for each malpresentation. CTA was useful in defining the technical and cognitive steps required to both perform and teach the tasks effectively. Differences between experts highlight the need for consensus before teaching the skill. In addition, the study identified several different, yet effective, techniques and provided information that could allow experts to consider other approaches they might use when their own technique fails.

Systematic reviews need systematic searchers

PubMed Central

McGowan, Jessie; Sampson, Margaret

2005-01-01

Purpose: This paper will provide a description of the methods, skills, and knowledge of expert searchers working on systematic review teams. Brief Description: Systematic reviews and meta-analyses are very important to health care practitioners, who need to keep abreast of the medical literature and make informed decisions. Searching is a critical part of conducting these systematic reviews, as errors made in the search process potentially result in a biased or otherwise incomplete evidence base for the review. Searches for systematic reviews need to be constructed to maximize recall and deal effectively with a number of potentially biasing factors. Librarians who conduct the searches for systematic reviews must be experts. Discussion/Conclusion: Expert searchers need to understand the specifics about data structure and functions of bibliographic and specialized databases, as well as the technical and methodological issues of searching. Search methodology must be based on research about retrieval practices, and it is vital that expert searchers keep informed about, advocate for, and, moreover, conduct research in information retrieval. Expert searchers are an important part of the systematic review team, crucial throughout the review process—from the development of the proposal and research question to publication. PMID:15685278

Cognitive and Socio-Affective Outcomes of Project-Based Learning: Perceptions of Greek Second Chance School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koutrouba, Konstantina; Karageorgou, Elissavet

2013-01-01

The present questionnaire-based study was conducted in 2010 in order to examine 677 Greek Second Chance School (SCS) students' perceptions about the cognitive and socio-affective outcomes of project-based learning. Data elaboration, statistical and factor analysis showed that the participants found that project-based learning offered a second…

[Text Comprehensibility of Hospital Report Cards].

PubMed

Sander, U; Kolb, B; Christoph, C; Emmert, M

2016-12-01

Objectives: Recently, the number of hospital report cards that compare quality of hospitals and present information from German quality reports has greatly increased. Objectives of this study were to a) identify suitable methods for measuring the readability and comprehensibility of hospital report cards, b) to obtain reliable information on the comprehensibility of texts for laymen, c) to give recommendations for improvements and d) to recommend public health actions. Methods: The readability and comprehensibility of the texts were tested with a) a computer-aided evaluation of formal text characteristics (readability indices Flesch (German formula) and 1. Wiener Sachtextformel formula), b) an expert-based heuristic analysis of readability and comprehensibility of texts (counting technical terms and analysis of text simplicity as well as brevity and conciseness using the Hamburg intelligibility model) and c) a survey of subjects about the comprehensibility of individual technical terms, the assessment of the comprehensibility of the presentations and the subjects' decisions in favour of one of the 5 presented clinics due to the better quality of data. In addition, the correlation between the results of the text analysis with the results from the survey of subjects was tested. Results: The assessment of texts with the computer-aided evaluations showed poor comprehensibility values. The assessment of text simplicity using the Hamburg intelligibility model showed poor comprehensibility values (-0.3). On average, 6.8% of the words used were technical terms. A review of 10 technical terms revealed that in all cases only a minority of respondents (from 4.4% to 39.1%) exactly knew what was meant by each of them. Most subjects (62.4%) also believed that unclear terms worsened their understanding of the information offered. The correlation analysis showed that presentations with a lower frequency of technical terms and better values for the text simplicity were better understood. Conclusion: The determination of the frequency of technical terms and the assessment of text simplicity using the Hamburg intelligibility model were suitable methods to determine the readability and comprehensibility of presentations of quality indicators. The analysis showed predominantly poor comprehensibility values and indicated the need to improve the texts of report cards. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Distributed Item Review: Administrator User Guide. Technical Report #1603

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Irvin, P. Shawn

2016-01-01

The Distributed Item Review (DIR) is a secure and flexible, web-based system designed to present test items to expert reviewers across a broad geographic area for evaluation of important dimensions of quality (e.g., alignment with standards, bias, sensitivity, and student accessibility). The DIR is comprised of essential features that allow system…

Cognition of Experts and Top Managers about the Changes in Innovation Space

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bergman, Jukka-Pekka; Jantunen, Ari; Saksa, Juha-Matti; Hurmelinna-Laukkanen, Pia

2007-01-01

The innovation space has become more complex and knowledge-intensive. As a result, it is increasingly important to see innovations as knowledge that is embodied in learning and technical and organisational knowledge bases. However, in processes such as innovation development, individuals make sense of it and utilise existing knowledge differently…

ATM experiment S-056 image processing requirements definition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

A plan is presented for satisfying the image data processing needs of the S-056 Apollo Telescope Mount experiment. The report is based on information gathered from related technical publications, consultation with numerous image processing experts, and on the experience that was in working on related image processing tasks over a two-year period.

Representing System Behaviors and Expert Behaviors for Intelligent Tutoring. Technical Report No. 108.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Towne, Douglas M.; And Others

Simulation-based software tools that can infer system behaviors from a deep model of the system have the potential for automatically building the semantic representations required to support intelligent tutoring in fault diagnosis. The Intelligent Maintenance Training System (IMTS) is such a resource, designed for use in training troubleshooting…

JETC (Japanese Technology Evaluation Center) Panel Report on High Temperature Superconductivity in Japan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shelton, Duane; Gamota, George

1989-01-01

The Japanese regard success in R and D in high temperature superconductivity as an important national objective. The results of a detailed evaluation of the current state of Japanese high temperature superconductivity development are provided. The analysis was performed by a panel of technical experts drawn from U.S. industry and academia, and is based on reviews of the relevant literature and visits to Japanese government, academic and industrial laboratories. Detailed appraisals are presented on the following: Basic research; superconducting materials; large scale applications; processing of superconducting materials; superconducting electronics and thin films. In all cases, comparisons are made with the corresponding state-of-the-art in the United States.

Understanding the evolution of rice technology in China - from traditional agriculture to GM rice today.

PubMed

Shen, Xiaobai

2010-01-01

This paper provides an historical survey of the evolution of rice technology in China, from the traditional farming system to genetically modified rice today. Using sociotechnological analytical framework, it analyses rice technology as a socio-technical ensemble - a complex interaction of material and social elements, and discusses the specificity of technology development and its socio-technical outcomes. It points to two imperatives in rice variety development: wholesale transporting agricultural technology and social mechanism to developing countries are likely lead to negative consequences; indigenous innovation including deploying GM technology for seed varietal development and capturing/cultivating local knowledge will provide better solutions.

Socio-technical Issues for Ubiquitous Information Society in 2010

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Funabashi, Motohisa; Homma, Koichi; Sasaki, Toshiro; Sato, Yoshinori; Kido, Kunihiko; Fukumoto, Takashi; Yano, Koujin

Impact of the ubiquitous information technology on our society is so significant that directing technological development and preparing institutional apparatus are quite important and urgent. The present paper elaborates, with the efforts by both humanity and engineering disciplines, to find out the socio-technical issues of ubiquitous information society in 2010 by inspecting social implications of emerging technology as well as social expectations. In order to deliberate the issues, scenarios are developed that describes possible life in ubiquitous information society. The derived issues cover integrating information technology and human body, producing smart sharable environment, protecting individual rights, fostering new service business, and forming community.

Cassini/Huygens Probe Entry, Descent, and Landing (EDL) at Titan Independent Technical Assessment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Powell, Richard W.; Lockwood, Mary Kae; Cruz, Juan R.; Striepe, Scott A.; Sutton, Kenneth; Fisher, Jody; Takashima, Naruhisa T.; Justus, Jere; Keller, Vernon W.; Bose, Deepak;

A Delphi Consensus of the Crucial Steps in Gastric Bypass and Sleeve Gastrectomy Procedures in the Netherlands.

PubMed

Kaijser, Mirjam A; van Ramshorst, Gabrielle H; Emous, Marloes; Veeger, Nic J G M; van Wagensveld, Bart A; Pierie, Jean-Pierre E N

2018-04-09

Bariatric procedures are technically complex and skill demanding. In order to standardize the procedures for research and training, a Delphi analysis was performed to reach consensus on the practice of the laparoscopic gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy in the Netherlands. After a pre-round identifying all possible steps from literature and expert opinion within our study group, questionnaires were send to 68 registered Dutch bariatric surgeons, with 73 steps for bypass surgery and 51 steps for sleeve gastrectomy. Statistical analysis was performed to identify steps with and without consensus. This process was repeated to reach consensus of all necessary steps. Thirty-eight participants (56%) responded in the first round and 32 participants (47%) in the second round. After the first Delphi round, 19 steps for gastric bypass (26%) and 14 for sleeve gastrectomy (27%) gained full consensus. After the second round, an additional amount of 10 and 12 sub-steps was confirmed as key steps, respectively. Thirteen steps in the gastric bypass and seven in the gastric sleeve were deemed advisable. Our expert panel showed a high level of consensus expressed in a Cronbach's alpha of 0.82 for the gastric bypass and 0.87 for the sleeve gastrectomy. The Delphi consensus defined 29 steps for gastric bypass and 26 for sleeve gastrectomy as being crucial for correct performance of these procedures to the standards of our expert panel. These results offer a clear framework for the technical execution of these procedures.

Becoming an Expert: Developing Expertise in an Applied Discipline

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kuhlmann, Diane Orlich; Ardichvili, Alexandre

2015-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to examine the development of expertise in an applied discipline by addressing the research question: How is professional expertise developed in an applied profession? Design/methodology/approach: Using a grounded theory methodology (GTM), nine technical-tax experts, and three experienced, non-expert tax professionals were…

Expert Systems the Old Fashioned Way: Person to Person.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCleary, Hunter; Mayer, William J.

1988-01-01

Describes the services of Teltech, Inc., which mimic the desirable attributes of artificial intelligence and expert systems via a "database" of 5,000 experts in technical areas and interactive literature searches executed by staff. Advantages and shortcomings of the network are exemplified by sample searches. Several sample menus and…

ALICE Expert System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ionita, C.; Carena, F.

2014-06-01

The ALICE experiment at CERN employs a number of human operators (shifters), who have to make sure that the experiment is always in a state compatible with taking Physics data. Given the complexity of the system and the myriad of errors that can arise, this is not always a trivial task. The aim of this paper is to describe an expert system that is capable of assisting human shifters in the ALICE control room. The system diagnoses potential issues and attempts to make smart recommendations for troubleshooting. At its core, a Prolog engine infers whether a Physics or a technical run can be started based on the current state of the underlying sub-systems. A separate C++ component queries certain SMI objects and stores their state as facts in a Prolog knowledge base. By mining the data stored in different system logs, the expert system can also diagnose errors arising during a run. Currently the system is used by the on-call experts for faster response times, but we expect it to be adopted as a standard tool by regular shifters during the next data taking period.

Consensus statement for use and technical requirements of thyroid ultrasound in endocrinology units.

PubMed

Martín-Hernández, Tomás; Díez Gómez, Juan José; Díaz-Soto, Gonzalo; Torres Cuadro, Alberto; Navarro González, Elena; Oleaga Alday, Amelia; Sambo Salas, Marcel; Reverter Calatayud, Jordi L; Argüelles Jiménez, Iñaki; Mancha Doblas, Isabel; Fernández García, Diego; Galofré, Juan Carlos

2017-03-01

Thyroid nodule detection has increased with widespread use of ultrasound, which is currently the main tool for detection, monitoring, diagnosis and, in some instances, treatment of thyroid nodules. Knowledge of ultrasound and adequate instruction on its use require a position statement by the scientific societies concerned. The working groups on thyroid cancer and ultrasound techniques of the Spanish Society of Endocrinology and Nutrition have promoted this document, based on a thorough analysis of the current literature, the results of multicenter studies and expert consensus, in order to set the requirements for the best use of ultrasound in clinical practice. The objectives include the adequate framework for use of thyroid ultrasound, the technical and legal requirements, the clinical situations in which it is recommended, the levels of knowledge and learning processes, the associated responsibility, and the establishment of a standardized reporting of results and integration into hospital information systems and endocrinology units. Copyright © 2017 SEEN. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Third Annual Workshop on Space Operations Automation and Robotics (SOAR 1989)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Griffin, Sandy (Editor)

1990-01-01

Papers presented at the Third Annual Workshop on Space Operations Automation and Robotics (SOAR '89), hosted by the NASA Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center at Houston, Texas, on July 25 to 27, 1989, are given. Approximately 100 technical papers were presented by experts from NASA, the USAF, universities, and technical companies. Also held were panel discussions on Air Force/NASA Artificial Intelligence Overview and Expert System Verification and Validation.

Security during the Construction of New Nuclear Power Plants: Technical Basis for Access Authorization and Fitness-For-Duty Requirements

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

Branch, Kristi M.; Baker, Kathryn A.

A technical letter report to the NRC summarizing the findings of a benchmarking study, literature review, and workshop with experts on current industry standards and expert judgments about needs for security during the construction phase of critical infrastructure facilities in the post-September 11 U.S. context, with a special focus on the construction phase of nuclear power plants and personnel security measures.

Neonatal health in Nepal: analysis of absolute and relative inequalities and impact of current efforts to reduce neonatal mortality

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Nepal has made substantial progress in reducing under-five mortality and is on track to achieve Millennium Development Goal 4, but advances in neonatal health are less encouraging. The objectives of this study were to assess relative and absolute inequalities in neonatal mortality over time, and to review experience with major programs to promote neonatal health. Methods Using four nationally representative surveys conducted in 1996, 2001, 2006 and 2011, we calculated neonatal mortality rates for Nepal and for population groups based on child sex, geographical and socio-economic variables using a true cohort log probability approach. Inequalities based on different variables and years were assessed using rate differences (rd) and rate ratios (rr); time trends in neonatal mortality were measured using the annual rate of reduction. Through literature searches and expert consultation, information on Nepalese policies and programs implemented since 1990 and directly or indirectly attempting to reduce neonatal mortality was compiled. Data on timeline, coverage and effectiveness were extracted for major programs. Results The annual rate of reduction for neonatal mortality between 1996 and 2011 (2.8 percent per annum) greatly lags behind the achievements in under-five and infant mortality, and varies across population groups. For the year 2011, stark absolute and relative inequalities in neonatal mortality exist in relation to wealth status (rd = 21.4, rr = 2.2); these are less pronounced for other measures of socio-economic status, child sex and urban–rural residence, ecological and development region. Among many efforts to promote child and maternal health, three established programs and two pilot programs emerged as particularly relevant to reducing neonatal mortality. While these were designed based on national and international evidence, information about coverage of different population groups and effectiveness is limited. Conclusion Neonatal mortality varies greatly by socio-demographic variables. This study clearly shows that much remains to be achieved in terms of reducing neonatal mortality across different socio-economic, ethnic and geographical population groups in Nepal. In moving forward it will be important to scale up programs of proven effectiveness, conduct in-depth evaluation of promising new approaches, target unreached and hard-to-reach populations, and maximize use of financial and personnel resources through integration across programs. PMID:24373558

Neonatal health in Nepal: analysis of absolute and relative inequalities and impact of current efforts to reduce neonatal mortality.

PubMed

Paudel, Deepak; Shrestha, Ishwar B; Siebeck, Matthias; Rehfuess, Eva A

2013-12-28

Nepal has made substantial progress in reducing under-five mortality and is on track to achieve Millennium Development Goal 4, but advances in neonatal health are less encouraging. The objectives of this study were to assess relative and absolute inequalities in neonatal mortality over time, and to review experience with major programs to promote neonatal health. Using four nationally representative surveys conducted in 1996, 2001, 2006 and 2011, we calculated neonatal mortality rates for Nepal and for population groups based on child sex, geographical and socio-economic variables using a true cohort log probability approach. Inequalities based on different variables and years were assessed using rate differences (rd) and rate ratios (rr); time trends in neonatal mortality were measured using the annual rate of reduction. Through literature searches and expert consultation, information on Nepalese policies and programs implemented since 1990 and directly or indirectly attempting to reduce neonatal mortality was compiled. Data on timeline, coverage and effectiveness were extracted for major programs. The annual rate of reduction for neonatal mortality between 1996 and 2011 (2.8 percent per annum) greatly lags behind the achievements in under-five and infant mortality, and varies across population groups. For the year 2011, stark absolute and relative inequalities in neonatal mortality exist in relation to wealth status (rd = 21.4, rr = 2.2); these are less pronounced for other measures of socio-economic status, child sex and urban-rural residence, ecological and development region. Among many efforts to promote child and maternal health, three established programs and two pilot programs emerged as particularly relevant to reducing neonatal mortality. While these were designed based on national and international evidence, information about coverage of different population groups and effectiveness is limited. Neonatal mortality varies greatly by socio-demographic variables. This study clearly shows that much remains to be achieved in terms of reducing neonatal mortality across different socio-economic, ethnic and geographical population groups in Nepal. In moving forward it will be important to scale up programs of proven effectiveness, conduct in-depth evaluation of promising new approaches, target unreached and hard-to-reach populations, and maximize use of financial and personnel resources through integration across programs.

EDI and the Technical Communicator.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eiler, Mary Ann

1994-01-01

Assesses the role of technical communicators in electronic data interchange (EDI). Argues that, as experts in information design, human factors, instructional theory, and professional writing, technical communicators should be advocates of standard documentation protocols and should rethink the traditional concepts of "document" to…

Development of Hydrogen Education Programs for Government Officials

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

Baxter, Shannon; Keller, Russ

1. Subcontractor/Technical Subject Matter Expert (Tasks 1-3) 2. Technical lead for LFG cleanup and hydrogen production systems Support for Feasibility Study 3. Technical Lead for Feasibility Study Coordination of site preparation activities for all project equipment 4. Host site

Inter-organisational communication networks in healthcare: centralised versus decentralised approaches

PubMed Central

Pirnejad, Habibollah; Bal, Roland; Stoop, Arjen P.; Berg, Marc

2007-01-01

Background To afford efficient and high quality care, healthcare providers increasingly need to exchange patient data. The existence of a communication network amongst care providers will help them to exchange patient data more efficiently. Information and communication technology (ICT) has much potential to facilitate the development of such a communication network. Moreover, in order to offer integrated care interoperability of healthcare organizations based upon the exchanged data is of crucial importance. However, complications around such a development are beyond technical impediments. Objectives To determine the challenges and complexities involved in building an Inter-organisational Communication network (IOCN) in healthcare and the appropriations in the strategies. Case study Interviews, literature review, and document analysis were conducted to analyse the developments that have taken place toward building a countrywide electronic patient record and its challenges in The Netherlands. Due to the interrelated nature of technical and non-technical problems, a socio-technical approach was used to analyse the data and define the challenges. Results Organisational and cultural changes are necessary before technical solutions can be applied. There are organisational, financial, political, and ethicolegal challenges that have to be addressed appropriately. Two different approaches, one “centralised” and the other “decentralised” have been used by Dutch healthcare providers to adopt the necessary changes and cope with these challenges. Conclusion The best solutions in building an IOCN have to be drawn from both the centralised and the decentralised approaches. Local communication initiatives have to be supervised and supported centrally and incentives at the organisations' interest level have to be created to encourage the stakeholder organisations to adopt the necessary changes. PMID:17627296

Inter-organisational communication networks in healthcare: centralised versus decentralised approaches.

PubMed

Pirnejad, Habibollah; Bal, Roland; Stoop, Arjen P; Berg, Marc

2007-05-16

To afford efficient and high quality care, healthcare providers increasingly need to exchange patient data. The existence of a communication network amongst care providers will help them to exchange patient data more efficiently. Information and communication technology (ICT) has much potential to facilitate the development of such a communication network. Moreover, in order to offer integrated care interoperability of healthcare organizations based upon the exchanged data is of crucial importance. However, complications around such a development are beyond technical impediments. To determine the challenges and complexities involved in building an Inter-organisational Communication network (IOCN) in healthcare and the appropriations in the strategies. Interviews, literature review, and document analysis were conducted to analyse the developments that have taken place toward building a countrywide electronic patient record and its challenges in The Netherlands. Due to the interrelated nature of technical and non-technical problems, a socio-technical approach was used to analyse the data and define the challenges. Organisational and cultural changes are necessary before technical solutions can be applied. There are organisational, financial, political, and ethicolegal challenges that have to be addressed appropriately. Two different approaches, one "centralised" and the other "decentralised" have been used by Dutch healthcare providers to adopt the necessary changes and cope with these challenges. The best solutions in building an IOCN have to be drawn from both the centralised and the decentralised approaches. Local communication initiatives have to be supervised and supported centrally and incentives at the organisations' interest level have to be created to encourage the stakeholder organisations to adopt the necessary changes.

Risk-based decision-making framework for the selection of sediment dredging option.

PubMed

Manap, Norpadzlihatun; Voulvoulis, Nikolaos

2014-10-15

The aim of this study was to develop a risk-based decision-making framework for the selection of sediment dredging option. Descriptions using case studies of the newly integrated, holistic and staged framework were followed. The first stage utilized the historical dredging monitoring data and the contamination level in media data into Ecological Risk Assessment phases, which have been altered for benefits in cost, time and simplicity. How Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) can be used to analyze and prioritize dredging areas based on environmental, socio-economic and managerial criteria was described for the next stage. The results from MCDA will be integrated into Ecological Risk Assessment to characterize the degree of contamination in the prioritized areas. The last stage was later described using these findings and analyzed using MCDA, in order to identify the best sediment dredging option, accounting for the economic, environmental and technical aspects of dredging, which is beneficial for dredging and sediment management industries. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hydroponics Database and Handbook for the Advanced Life Support Test Bed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nash, Allen J.

1999-01-01

During the summer 1998, I did student assistance to Dr. Daniel J. Barta, chief plant growth expert at Johnson Space Center - NASA. We established the preliminary stages of a hydroponic crop growth database for the Advanced Life Support Systems Integration Test Bed, otherwise referred to as BIO-Plex (Biological Planetary Life Support Systems Test Complex). The database summarizes information from published technical papers by plant growth experts, and it includes bibliographical, environmental and harvest information based on plant growth under varying environmental conditions. I collected 84 lettuce entries, 14 soybean, 49 sweet potato, 16 wheat, 237 white potato, and 26 mix crop entries. The list will grow with the publication of new research. This database will be integrated with a search and systems analysis computer program that will cross-reference multiple parameters to determine optimum edible yield under varying parameters. Also, we have made preliminary effort to put together a crop handbook for BIO-Plex plant growth management. It will be a collection of information obtained from experts who provided recommendations on a particular crop's growing conditions. It includes bibliographic, environmental, nutrient solution, potential yield, harvest nutritional, and propagation procedure information. This handbook will stand as the baseline growth conditions for the first set of experiments in the BIO-Plex facility.

The Use of Video Cases in a Multimedia Learning Environment for Facilitating High School Students' Inquiry into a Problem from Varying Perspectives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zydney, Janet Mannheimer; Grincewicz, Amy

2011-12-01

This study investigated the connection between the use of video cases within a multimedia learning environment and students' inquiry into a socio-scientific problem. The software program was designed based on principles from the Cognitive Flexibility Theory (CFT) and incorporated video cases of experts with differing perspectives. Seventy-nine 10th-grade students in an urban high school participated in this study. After watching the expert videos, students generated investigative questions and reflected on how their ideas changed over time. This study found a significant correlation between the time students spent watching the expert videos and their ability to consider the problem's perspectives as well as their ability to integrate these perspectives within their questions. Moreover, problem-solving ability and time watching the videos were detected as possible influential predictors of students' consideration of the problem's perspectives within their questions. Although students watched all video cases in equivalent ways, one of the video cases, which incorporated multiple perspectives as opposed to just presenting one perspective, appeared most influential in helping students integrate the various perspectives into their own thinking. A qualitative analysis of students' reflections indicated that many students appreciated the complexity, authenticity, and ethical dimensions of the problem. It also revealed that while the majority of students thought critically about the problem, some students still had naïve or simplistic ways of thinking. This study provided some preliminary evidence that offering students the opportunity to watch videos of different perspectives may influence them to think in alternative ways about a complex problem.

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

MacAllister, D.J.; Day, R.; McCormack, M.D.

This paper gives an overview of a major integrated oil company`s experience with artificial intelligence (AI) over the last 5 years, with an emphasis on expert systems. The authors chronicle the development of an AI group, including details on development tool selection, project selection strategies, potential pitfalls, and descriptions of several completed expert systems. Small expert systems produced by teams of petroleum technology experts and experienced expert system developers that are focused in well-defined technical areas have produced substantial benefits and accelerated petroleum technology transfer.

An Interdisciplinary Program in Technical Communications: Problems Encountered.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eckman, Martha

The need for experts in technical communication is growing significantly while the number of college graduates in the field accounts for less than one percent of the need. Three major types of problems should be considered in trying to establish a technical communication program: those involving society's need for better technical communicators,…

Using cognitive work analysis to explore activity allocation within military domains.

PubMed

Jenkins, D P; Stanton, N A; Salmon, P M; Walker, G H; Young, M S

2008-06-01

Cognitive work analysis (CWA) is frequently advocated as an approach for the analysis of complex socio-technical systems. Much of the current CWA literature within the military domain pays particular attention to its initial phases; work domain analysis and contextual task analysis. Comparably, the analysis of the social and organisational constraints receives much less attention. Through the study of a helicopter mission planning system software tool, this paper describes an approach for investigating the constraints affecting the distribution of work. The paper uses this model to evaluate the potential benefits of the social and organisational analysis phase within a military context. The analysis shows that, through its focus on constraints, the approach provides a unique description of the factors influencing the social organisation within a complex domain. This approach appears to be compatible with existing approaches and serves as a validation of more established social analysis techniques. As part of the ergonomic design of mission planning systems, the social organisation and cooperation analysis phase of CWA provides a constraint-based description informing allocation of function between key actor groups. This approach is useful because it poses questions related to the transfer of information and optimum working practices.

Utilisation de la teledetection, des SIG et de l'intelligence artificielle pour determiner le niveau de susceptibilite aux mouvements de terrain: Application dans les Andes de la Bolivie

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peloquin, Stephane

1999-11-01

The socio-economic impact of mass movements for our society is getting more and more serious. The loss of lives and economic losses are now ten times greater than they were at the beginning of the decade. In the hope of reducing these impacts, it is essential to adopt a preventive policy that will encourage mapping of mass movement susceptibility level (MMSL) in critical zones. However, this task is complex and only experts using present techniques can provide satisfactory results. To make possible the production of these maps by a larger number of individuals, we have developed an expert system called EXPERIM that uses remote sensing data and geographic information systems to facilitate the complex tasks without requiring the user to be highly competent in this field of study. This thesis presents the results obtained from a complete strategy developed for a region surrounding Cochabamba, Bolivia. The operational expert system prototype will soon be integrated within the watershed management program directed by the local executing organisation PROMIC. The knowledge acquisition and its expression in concrete terms constitute the principal axis of this research, while the results obtained are the heart of the EXPERIM expert system. These strategic steps aim to establish a knowledge base of data and rules that describe field conditions for each MMSL. We have been able to extract this information by using binary discriminant analysis of a MMSL map produced by an expert for a pilot zone called Cuenca Taquina, which is geoecologically representative of the 38 neighbouring watersheds. Using this technique, we were able to establish a sensitivity model that recreates the expert's map with a success rate of 89% and 78% when two or three MMS levels are used. Based on a detailed analysis of the susceptibility model it was evident that stability conditions are the result of the topographic, geologic and geomorphologic environments. The level of susceptibility was found to be independent of the vegetation condition. In order to apply the model to the surrounding watersheds, we integrated remotely sensed data within the spatial database to map the presence/absence of five essential geoecological units required by the susceptibility model. This was done using a hierarchical classification method. Three sensors were evaluated: Landsat, SPOT and RADARSAT. In the elaboration of this specific step, we evaluated the most efficient spectral band combinations within each image and between images for each of the five geoecological units. For each of the land cover types, the analysis shows that LANDSAT constitutes the most powerful sensor to map these units and that image fusion does not provide significantly better results when compared to the extra amount of work that this requires. Using remote sensing data instead of field data or airphotograph interpretation in watersheds where only topographic data are available decreases the level of accuracy by less than 10%.

A short history of powered wheelchairs.

PubMed

Woods, Brian; Watson, Nick

2003-01-01

This article recounts some early findings on a history of powered wheelchairs in the 20th century from an analysis of archival materials, oral accounts, and secondary sources. The primary goal of this article is not to provide the definitive history of powered wheelchairs, but rather to further our understanding of wheelchair innovation through a historical analysis. The paper sheds light on some of the richness and complexities involved in powered wheelchair innovation, highlights the nonlinearity of that process, and explores the roles of and the relationships between social and technological change. Although it is evident that powered mobility has revolutionized the life experiences of many disabled people, enabling independence, social interaction, and even the facilitation of socio-psychological development, few have charted the social and technological topography that brought this revolutionary change about. In partially mapping the history of powered wheelchairs, this paper draws attention to the idea that wheelchairs are not simply technical devices, but also social and political machines entwined with socio-political conditions and expectations.

Development of a behavioural marker system for scrub practitioners' non-technical skills (SPLINTS system).

PubMed

Mitchell, Lucy; Flin, Rhona; Yule, Steven; Mitchell, Janet; Coutts, Kathy; Youngson, George

2013-04-01

Adverse events still occur despite ongoing efforts to reduce harm to patients. Contributory factors to adverse events are often due to limitations in clinicians' non-technical skills (e.g. communication, situation awareness), rather than deficiencies in technical competence. We developed a behavioural rating system to provide a structured means for teaching and assessing scrub practitioners' (i.e. nurse, technician, operating department practitioner) non-technical skills. Psychologists facilitated focus groups (n = 4) with experienced scrub practitioners (n = 16; 4 in each group) to develop a preliminary taxonomy. Focus groups reviewed lists of non-technical-skill-related behaviours that were extracted from an interview study. The focus groups labelled skill categories and elements and also provided examples of good and poor behaviours for those skills. An expert panel (n = 2 psychologists; n = 1 expert nurse) then used an iterative process to individually and collaboratively review and refine those data to produce a prototype skills taxonomy. A preliminary taxonomy containing eight non-technical skill categories with 28 underlying elements was produced. The expert panel reduced this to three categories (situation awareness, communication and teamwork, task management), each with three underlying elements. The system was called the Scrub Practitioners' List of Intraoperative Non-Technical Skills system. A scoring system and a user handbook were also developed. A prototype behavioural rating system for scrub practitioners' non-technical skills was developed, to aid in teaching and providing formative assessment. This important aspect of performance is not currently explicitly addressed in any educational route to qualify as a scrub practitioner. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

The Shaping of Managers' Security Objectives through Information Security Awareness Training

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, Mark A.

2010-01-01

Information security research states that corporate security policy and information security training should be socio-technical in nature and that corporations should consider training as a primary method of protecting their information systems. However, information security policies and training are predominately technical in nature. In addition,…

An Informatics Blueprint for Healthcare Quality Information Systems

PubMed Central

Niland, Joyce C.; Rouse, Layla; Stahl, Douglas C.

2006-01-01

There is a critical gap in our nation's ability to accurately measure and manage the quality of medical care. A robust healthcare quality information system (HQIS) has the potential to address this deficiency through the capture, codification, and analysis of information about patient treatments and related outcomes. Because non-technical issues often present the greatest challenges, this paper provides an overview of these socio-technical issues in building a successful HQIS, including the human, organizational, and knowledge management (KM) perspectives. Through an extensive literature review and direct experience in building a practical HQIS (the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Outcomes Research Database system), we have formulated an “informatics blueprint” to guide the development of such systems. While the blueprint was developed to facilitate healthcare quality information collection, management, analysis, and reporting, the concepts and advice provided may be extensible to the development of other types of clinical research information systems. PMID:16622161

Technical Report of Successful Deployment of Tandem Visual Tracking During Live Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy Between Novice and Expert Surgeon.

PubMed

Puckett, Yana; Baronia, Benedicto C

2016-09-20

With the recent advances in eye tracking technology, it is now possible to track surgeons' eye movements while engaged in a surgical task or when surgical residents practice their surgical skills. Several studies have compared eye movements of surgical experts and novices and developed techniques to assess surgical skill on the basis of eye movement utilizing simulators and live surgery. None have evaluated simultaneous visual tracking between an expert and a novice during live surgery. Here, we describe a successful simultaneous deployment of visual tracking of an expert and a novice during live laparoscopic cholecystectomy. One expert surgeon and one chief surgical resident at an accredited surgical program in Lubbock, TX, USA performed a live laparoscopic cholecystectomy while simultaneously wearing the visual tracking devices. Their visual attitudes and movements were monitored via video recordings. The recordings were then analyzed for correlation between the expert and the novice. The visual attitudes and movements correlated approximately 85% between an expert surgeon and a chief surgical resident. The surgery was carried out uneventfully, and the data was abstracted with ease. We conclude that simultaneous deployment of visual tracking during live laparoscopic surgery is a possibility. More studies and subjects are needed to verify the success of our results and obtain data analysis.

The influence of political ideology and trust on willingness to vaccinate

PubMed Central

Carlisle, Juliet E.; Justwan, Florian

2018-01-01

In light of the increasing refusal of some parents to vaccinate children, public health strategies have focused on increasing knowledge and awareness based on a “knowledge-deficit” approach. However, decisions about vaccination are based on more than mere knowledge of risks, costs, and benefits. Individual decision making about vaccinating involves many other factors including those related to emotion, culture, religion, and socio-political context. In this paper, we use a nationally representative internet survey in the U.S. to investigate socio-political characteristics to assess attitudes about vaccination. In particular, we consider how political ideology and trust affect opinions about vaccinations for flu, pertussis, and measles. Our findings demonstrate that ideology has a direct effect on vaccine attitudes. In particular, conservative respondents are less likely to express pro-vaccination beliefs than other individuals. Furthermore, ideology also has an indirect effect on immunization propensity. The ideology variable predicts an indicator capturing trust in government medical experts, which in turn helps to explain individual-level variation with regards to attitudes about vaccine choice. PMID:29370265

Inquiries into Malaysia's socio-technical disasters: recommendations and lessons learnt.

PubMed

Said, Aini Mat; Ahmadun, Fakhru'l-Razi; Abdul Kadir, Razali; Daud, Mohamed

2009-04-01

Most democratic countries hold inquiries into disasters. One of their key functions is to establish the cause of an event and to learn lessons in order to prevent a recurrence. In addition, they offer an opportunity for communal catharsis, permitting the public to vent anger, distress and frustration and to exert pressure for policy changes. Malaysia has experienced six landmark socio-technical disasters since 1968, which resulted in the proposal or amendment of various safety/emergency acts and regulations. The authors used a grounded theory approach utilising a constant comparative method to analyse the recommendations made by the inquiries into these events. Data indicate that social and technical recommendations comprise 85 and 15 per cent, respectively, of the total recommendations made by the inquiry committees. This paper offers suggestions for improving the management of inquiry tribunals, as they will remain a valuable source of information for society and corporations to learn from past incidents.

Implementation of an Expert System for Instructional Design: Phase 2. Design Document & Technical Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Merrill, M. David; Li, Zhongmin

The purpose of this project was to develop a prototype expert instructional design system (ID Expert) which would demonstrate the feasibility of a consultation system for use by inexperienced instructional designers. The prototype gathers information from the designer and then makes recommendations for instructional design decisions. The output of…

18 CFR 401.85 - Staff and other expert testimony.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 2 2013-04-01 2012-04-01 true Staff and other expert... ADMINISTRATIVE MANUAL RULES OF PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE Administrative and Other Hearings § 401.85 Staff and other... the presentation of testimony by the Commission's technical staff and other experts, as he may deem...

18 CFR 401.85 - Staff and other expert testimony.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Staff and other expert... ADMINISTRATIVE MANUAL RULES OF PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE Administrative and Other Hearings § 401.85 Staff and other... the presentation of testimony by the Commission's technical staff and other experts, as he may deem...

18 CFR 401.85 - Staff and other expert testimony.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 2 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Staff and other expert... ADMINISTRATIVE MANUAL RULES OF PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE Administrative and Other Hearings § 401.85 Staff and other... the presentation of testimony by the Commission's technical staff and other experts, as he may deem...

18 CFR 401.85 - Staff and other expert testimony.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 2 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Staff and other expert... ADMINISTRATIVE MANUAL RULES OF PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE Administrative and Other Hearings § 401.85 Staff and other... the presentation of testimony by the Commission's technical staff and other experts, as he may deem...

Coordinated and Evidence-Based Policy and Practice for Protecting Children outside of Family Care

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boothby, Neil; Balster, Robert L.; Goldman, Philip; Wessells, Michael G.; Zeanah, Charles H.; Huebner, Gillian; Garbarino, James

2012-01-01

The 2011 U.S. Government Evidence Summit on Protecting Children Outside of Family Care brought together leading researchers and technical experts to assess the available evidence to inform policies, strategies, and programs relevant to protecting children outside of family care in lower and middle income countries. While child vulnerabilities are…

Mindfulness-based prevention for eating disorders: A school-based cluster randomized controlled study.

PubMed

Atkinson, Melissa J; Wade, Tracey D

2015-11-01

Successful prevention of eating disorders represents an important goal due to damaging long-term impacts on health and well-being, modest treatment outcomes, and low treatment seeking among individuals at risk. Mindfulness-based approaches have received early support in the treatment of eating disorders, but have not been evaluated as a prevention strategy. This study aimed to assess the feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy of a novel mindfulness-based intervention for reducing the risk of eating disorders among adolescent females, under both optimal (trained facilitator) and task-shifted (non-expert facilitator) conditions. A school-based cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted in which 19 classes of adolescent girls (N = 347) were allocated to a three-session mindfulness-based intervention, dissonance-based intervention, or classes as usual control. A subset of classes (N = 156) receiving expert facilitation were analyzed separately as a proxy for delivery under optimal conditions. Task-shifted facilitation showed no significant intervention effects across outcomes. Under optimal facilitation, students receiving mindfulness demonstrated significant reductions in weight and shape concern, dietary restraint, thin-ideal internalization, eating disorder symptoms, and psychosocial impairment relative to control by 6-month follow-up. Students receiving dissonance showed significant reductions in socio-cultural pressures. There were no statistically significant differences between the two interventions. Moderate intervention acceptability was reported by both students and teaching staff. Findings show promise for the application of mindfulness in the prevention of eating disorders; however, further work is required to increase both impact and acceptability, and to enable successful outcomes when delivered by less expert providers. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A participative approach to develop sustainability indicators for dehesa agroforestry farms.

PubMed

Escribano, M; Díaz-Caro, C; Mesias, F J

2018-05-29

This paper provides a list of specific indicators that will allow the managers of dehesa farms to assess their sustainability in an easy and reliable way. To this end a Delphi analysis has been carried out with a group of experts in agroforestry systems and sustainability. A total of 30 experts from public institutions, farming, research bodies, environmental and rural development associations, agricultural organizations and companies took part in the study which intended to design a set of sustainability indicators adapted to dehesa agroforestry systems. The experts scored 83 original indicators related to the basic pillars of sustainability (environmental, social and economic) through a two-round procedure. Finally, 24 indicators were selected based on their importance and the consensus achieved. From an environmental point of view, and in line with its significance for dehesa ecosystems, it has been observed that "Stocking rate" is the indicator with greater relevance. Within the economic pillar, "Farm profitability" is the most important indicator, while regarding the technical indicators "Percentage of animal diet based on grazing" is the one that got the highest score. Finally, the "Degree of job satisfaction" and the "Generational renewal" were the most relevant labor indicators. It is considered that the Delphi approach used in this research settles some of the flaws of other sustainability models, such as the adaptation to the system to be studied and the involvement of stakeholders in the design. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Knowing the operative game plan: a novel tool for the assessment of surgical procedural knowledge.

PubMed

Balayla, Jacques; Bergman, Simon; Ghitulescu, Gabriela; Feldman, Liane S; Fraser, Shannon A

2012-08-01

What is the source of inadequate performance in the operating room? Is it a lack of technical skills, poor judgment or a lack of procedural knowledge? We created a surgical procedural knowledge (SPK) assessment tool and evaluated its use. We interviewed medical students, residents and training program staff on SPK assessment tools developed for 3 different common general surgery procedures: inguinal hernia repair with mesh in men, laparoscopic cholecystectomy and right hemicolectomy. The tools were developed as a step-wise assessment of specific surgical procedures based on techniques described in a current surgical text. We compared novice (medical student to postgraduate year [PGY]-2) and expert group (PGY-3 to program staff) scores using the Mann-Whitney U test. We calculated the total SPK score and defined a cut-off score using receiver operating characteristic analysis. In all, 5 participants in 7 different training groups (n = 35) underwent an interview. Median scores for each procedure and overall SPK scores increased with experience. The median SPK for novices was 54.9 (95% confidence interval [CI] 21.6-58.8) compared with 98.05 (95% CP 94.1-100.0) for experts (p = 0.012). The SPK cut-off score of 93.1 discriminates between novice and expert surgeons. Surgical procedural knowledge can reliably be assessed using our SPK assessment tool. It can discriminate between novice and expert surgeons for common general surgical procedures. Future studies are planned to evaluate its use for more complex procedures.

Environmental, Human Health and Socio-Economic Effects of Cement Powders: The Multicriteria Analysis as Decisional Methodology

PubMed Central

Moretti, Laura; Di Mascio, Paola; Bellagamba, Simona

2017-01-01

The attention to sustainability-related issues has grown fast in recent decades. The experience gained with these themes reveals the importance of considering this topic in the construction industry, which represents an important sector throughout the world. This work consists on conducting a multicriteria analysis of four cement powders, with the objective of calculating and analysing the environmental, human health and socio-economic effects of their production processes. The economic, technical, environmental and safety performances of the examined powders result from official, both internal and public, documents prepared by the producers. The Analytic Hierarchy Process permitted to consider several indicators (i.e., environmental, human health related and socio-economic parameters) and to conduct comprehensive and unbiased analyses which gave the best, most sustainable cement powder. As assumed in this study, the contribution of each considered parameter to the overall sustainability has a different incidence, therefore the procedure could be used to support on-going sustainability efforts under different conditions. The results also prove that it is not appropriate to regard only one parameter to identify the ‘best’ cement powder, but several impact categories should be considered and analysed if there is an interest for pursuing different, often conflicting interests. PMID:28621754

A Socio-Technical Analysis of Computer Application within the Fourth Marine Aircraft Wing.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-03-01

IDENTIFICATION NUMBER ORGANIZATION j I applicable) SC ADDRE SS (City, State, and ZIP Code) 10 SOURCE OF FUNDING NUMBERS PROGRAM IPROjECT ITASK WORK .jNIr... currently being- used is not sufficient to meet all the needs of 14tii MAW , Z0 11YR’UTiON /AVAILABILITY Of ABSTRACT 21 ABSTRACT SECURITY...implementation process currently being used is not sufficient to meet all the needs of 4th MAW units. This study identifies alternatives necessary to

Expert assessment of physical ergonomics at video-display unit workstations: repeatability, validity and responsiveness to changes.

PubMed

Ketola, Ritva; Toivonen, Risto; Luukkonen, Ritva; Takala, Esa-Pekka; Viikari-Juntura, Eira

2004-08-01

Inter-observer repeatability, validity and responsiveness to change were determined for an expert assessment method for video-display unit (VDU) workstation ergonomics. The aim was to determine to what extent the expert assessment of ergonomics is related to the technical measurements, tidiness and space, work chair ergonomics and responds to changes in these characteristics. Technical measurements and video-recordings before and 2 months after an ergonomic intervention were made for 109 VDU office workstations. Two experts in ergonomics analysed and rated the ergonomics of the workstations. A researcher analysed tidiness and available space. A physiotherapist classified the work chairs used according to their ergonomic properties. The intra-class correlation coefficient between the workstation ergonomic ratings of the two experts was 0.74 at the baseline and 0.81 at the follow-up. Workstation tidiness and space, and work chair ergonomics, had a strong effect on the assessments of both experts. For both experts a change in the locations of the mouse, the screen and the keyboard and values of tidiness and space and work chair ergonomics during the intervention showed a significant association with the ratings. The assessment method studied can be utilized by an expert in a repeatable manner both in cross-sectional and in longitudinal settings.

Decision Analysis Methods Used to Make Appropriate Investments in Human Exploration Capabilities and Technologies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams-Byrd, Julie; Arney, Dale C.; Hay, Jason; Reeves, John D.; Craig, Douglas

2016-01-01

NASA is transforming human spaceflight. The Agency is shifting from an exploration-based program with human activities in low Earth orbit (LEO) and targeted robotic missions in deep space to a more sustainable and integrated pioneering approach. Through pioneering, NASA seeks to address national goals to develop the capacity for people to work, learn, operate, live, and thrive safely beyond Earth for extended periods of time. However, pioneering space involves daunting technical challenges of transportation, maintaining health, and enabling crew productivity for long durations in remote, hostile, and alien environments. Prudent investments in capability and technology developments, based on mission need, are critical for enabling a campaign of human exploration missions. There are a wide variety of capabilities and technologies that could enable these missions, so it is a major challenge for NASA's Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate (HEOMD) to make knowledgeable portfolio decisions. It is critical for this pioneering initiative that these investment decisions are informed with a prioritization process that is robust and defensible. It is NASA's role to invest in targeted technologies and capabilities that would enable exploration missions even though specific requirements have not been identified. To inform these investments decisions, NASA's HEOMD has supported a variety of analysis activities that prioritize capabilities and technologies. These activities are often based on input from subject matter experts within the NASA community who understand the technical challenges of enabling human exploration missions. This paper will review a variety of processes and methods that NASA has used to prioritize and rank capabilities and technologies applicable to human space exploration. The paper will show the similarities in the various processes and showcase instances were customer specified priorities force modifications to the process. Specifically, this paper will describe the processes that the NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) Technology Assessment and Integration Team (TAIT) has used for several years and how those processes have been customized to meet customer needs while staying robust and defensible. This paper will show how HEOMD uses these analyses results to assist with making informed portfolio investment decisions. The paper will also highlight which human exploration capabilities and technologies typically rank high regardless of the specific design reference mission. The paper will conclude by describing future capability and technology ranking activities that will continue o leverage subject matter experts (SME) input while also incorporating more model-based analysis.

Intergroup Consensus/Disagreement in Support of Group-Based Hierarchy: An Examination of Socio-Structural and Psycho-Cultural Factors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, I-Ching; Pratto, Felicia; Johnson, Blair T.

2011-01-01

A meta-analysis examined the extent to which socio-structural and psycho-cultural characteristics of societies correspond with how much gender and ethnic/racial groups differ on their support of group-based hierarchy. Robustly, women opposed group-based hierarchy more than men did, and members of lower power ethnic/racial groups opposed…

Renewable energy-based electricity for rural social and economic development in Ghana

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

Weingart, J.

1997-12-01

This paper describes a project whose goals include the establishment of a pilot renewable energy-based rural energy services enterprise to serve communities in the Mamprusi East District, focused on: economically productive activities; community services; household non-thermal energy. The program also seeks to establish the technical, economic, financial, institutional, and socio-cultural requirements for sustainability, to demonstrate bankability and financial sustainability, as a pre-investment prelude to commercial growth of such projects, and to establish technical, financial, and service performance standards for private sector rural energy service companies. This project is being implemented now because the government is undergoing structural reform, including privatizationmore » of the power sector, there is active foreign capital available for international development, and the government and people are committed to and able to pay for renewable energy services.« less

DOE standard: The Department of Energy Laboratory Accreditation Program for radiobioassay

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

NONE

1998-12-01

This technical standard describes the US Department of Energy Laboratory Accreditation Program (DOELAP) for Radiobioassay, for use by the US Department of Energy (DOE) and DOE Contractor radiobioassay programs. This standard is intended to be used in conjunction with the general administrative technical standard that describes the overall DOELAP accreditation process--DOE-STD-1111-98, Department of Energy Laboratory Accreditation Program Administration. This technical standard pertains to radiobioassay service laboratories that provide either direct or indirect (in vivo or in vitro) radiobioassay measurements in support of internal dosimetry programs at DOE facilities or for DOE and DOE contractors. Similar technical standards have been developedmore » for other DOELAP dosimetry programs. This program consists of providing an accreditation to DOE radiobioassay programs based on successful completion of a performance-testing process and an on-site evaluation by technical experts. This standard describes the technical requirements and processes specific to the DOELAP Radiobioassay Accreditation Program as required by 10 CFR 835 and as specified generically in DOE-STD-1111-98.« less

A risk assessment methodology to evaluate the risk failure of managed aquifer recharge in the Mediterranean Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodríguez-Escales, Paula; Canelles, Arnau; Sanchez-Vila, Xavier; Folch, Albert; Kurtzman, Daniel; Rossetto, Rudy; Fernández-Escalante, Enrique; Lobo-Ferreira, João-Paulo; Sapiano, Manuel; San-Sebastián, Jon; Schüth, Christoph

2018-06-01

Managed aquifer recharge (MAR) can be affected by many risks. Those risks are related to different technical and non-technical aspects of recharge, like water availability, water quality, legislation, social issues, etc. Many other works have acknowledged risks of this nature theoretically; however, their quantification and definition has not been developed. In this study, the risk definition and quantification has been performed by means of fault trees and probabilistic risk assessment (PRA). We defined a fault tree with 65 basic events applicable to the operation phase. After that, we have applied this methodology to six different managed aquifer recharge sites located in the Mediterranean Basin (Portugal, Spain, Italy, Malta, and Israel). The probabilities of the basic events were defined by expert criteria, based on the knowledge of the different managers of the facilities. From that, we conclude that in all sites, the perception of the expert criteria of the non-technical aspects were as much or even more important than the technical aspects. Regarding the risk results, we observe that the total risk in three of the six sites was equal to or above 0.90. That would mean that the MAR facilities have a risk of failure equal to or higher than 90 % in the period of 2-6 years. The other three sites presented lower risks (75, 29, and 18 % for Malta, Menashe, and Serchio, respectively).

TMS 2014 143rd Annual Meeting & Exhibition, Annual Meeting Supplemental Proceedings (ISBN: 978-1-118-88972-5)

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

Nielsen, K; Zhukov, A; Ipatov, M

The Magnetic Materials for Energy Applications IV, held at the 2014, 143rd Annual Meeting of The Minerals, Metals, and Materials Society (TMS), brought together experts, young investigators, and students from this sub-discipline of materials science in order for them to share their latest discoveries and develop collaborations. This symposium, which is organized by The Minerals, Metals, and Materials Society, is an important event for this community of scientists. This year, over 50 high-level technical talks were planned over the course of the event. In addition, the students and young investigators in attendance ensured the maximum benefit to the next generation’smore » work force in this area of study. Meeting global energy needs in a clean, efficient, secure and sustainable manner is arguably the greatest challenge facing mankind today. Magnetic materials play a critical role in myriad devices for the collection, conversion, transmission and storage of energy. For example, high performance permanent magnets are currently in great demand for the generators in wind turbines and electric motors in hybrid vehicles. Other classes of advanced magnetic materials are essential for efficient inductors/transformers and motors. Energy efficient cooling based on the magnetocaloric effect is another exciting possibility which is rapidly becoming industrially viable. The potential energy savings related to refrigeration and air conditioning based on magnetocaloric materials are highly attractive. This symposium allowed experts in areas relating to the advanced characterization, simulation, and optimization of magnetic materials to convene and present their latest research. The types of interactions afforded by this event are beneficial to society at large primarily because they provide opportunities for the leaders within this field to learn from one another and thus improve the quality and productivity of their investigations. Additionally, the presence of young investigators and students with technical interests in this field provides promise that the United States will continue to be a leader in this area. The support provided by the Department of Energy for this event directly enhanced its impact on the field by helping a number of students, young investigators, and technical experts attend and participate in this event. This symposium brought together research experts and students in the field to present the latest developments on the science surrounding advanced characterization, simulation, and optimization of magnetic materials and their use in energy applications such as generation and magnetic cooling. A strong technical program, containing more than 50 presentations was developed and organized around the following technical sessions. A strong list of invited speakers contributed to the high quality of technical content. Rare Earth Permanent Magnets: Processing, Characterization and Modeling Rare Earth Free Permanent Magnets Fundamentals of the Magnetocaloric Effect and Current Status of Magnetic Cooling Technology Magnetocaloric Materials High Performance Soft Magnets I High Performance Soft Magnets II« less

An Analysis of Estimated Versus Actual Development Costs for an Electronics State-of-the-Art (SOA) Extension.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-12-01

DOWNGPAONG SC-EDULE distributiJ-_ _ . 1.,1J=.ted 4 PERFORMING ORGANZA ;ON REPORT NuMBERIS) S MONiTORING ORGANIZATION REP(CRT %L%𔄂ERS, 6a NAME OF PERFORMING...process. It is the one where assistance of other technical experts may be required. It may also require some restructuring of the program merely to

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 libraries have been used to develop the script which permits to obtain the raster maps of horizontal gradient and population density. An advantage is that this analysis can be automated for periodic updates or repurposed for similar analysis in other cities, providing an easily accessible tool for land subsidence hazard assessments.

Intelligent systems for human resources.

PubMed

Kline, K B

1988-11-01

An intelligent system contains knowledge about some domain; it has sophisticated decision-making processes and the ability to explain its actions. The most important aspect of an intelligent system is its ability to effectively interact with humans to teach or assist complex information processing. Two intelligent systems are Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITs) and Expert Systems. The ITSs provide instruction to a student similar to a human tutor. The ITSs capture individual performance and tutor deficiencies. These systems consist of an expert module, which contains the knowledge or material to be taught; the student module, which contains a representation of the knowledge the student knows and does not know about the domain; and the instructional or teaching module, which selects specific knowledge to teach, the instructional strategy, and provides assistance to the student to tutor deficiencies. Expert systems contain an expert's knowledge about some domain and perform specialized tasks or aid a novice in the performance of certain tasks. The most important part of an expert system is the knowledge base. This knowledge base contains all the specialized and technical knowledge an expert possesses. For an expert system to interact effectively with humans, it must have the ability to explain its actions. Use of intelligent systems can have a profound effect on human resources. The ITSs can provide better training by tutoring on an individual basis, and the expert systems can make better use of human resources through job aiding and performing complex tasks. With increasing training requirements and "doing more with less," intelligent systems can have a positive effect on human resources.

The Accreditation Experience of Clinical Laboratories and Blood Banks in Mexico.

PubMed

Quintana, Sandra

2015-11-01

The accreditation of clinical laboratories and blood banks based on ISO 15189 is now being consolidated in Mexico, and is coordinated by the Mexican accreditation entity innovative strategies, A.C. (ema) and supported by the activities of the committee of clinical laboratories and blood banks. The active participation in working groups formed by the technical committee of clinical laboratories and blood banks in specific areas, has contributed to the formulation of technical documents and criteria of evaluation that strengthen the current accreditation scheme. The national registry of evaluation (PNE) consists of technical experts and evaluators from different disciplines of clinical laboratory; the evaluators actively participate in accreditation assessment, with an ultimate goal to receive training and feedback for continuous improvement of its own performance.

Investigating performance variability of processing, exploitation, and dissemination using a socio-technical systems analysis approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Danczyk, Jennifer; Wollocko, Arthur; Farry, Michael; Voshell, Martin

2016-05-01

Data collection processes supporting Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions have recently undergone a technological transition accomplished by investment in sensor platforms. Various agencies have made these investments to increase the resolution, duration, and quality of data collection, to provide more relevant and recent data to warfighters. However, while sensor improvements have increased the volume of high-resolution data, they often fail to improve situational awareness and actionable intelligence for the warfighter because it lacks efficient Processing, Exploitation, and Dissemination and filtering methods for mission-relevant information needs. The volume of collected ISR data often overwhelms manual and automated processes in modern analysis enterprises, resulting in underexploited data, insufficient, or lack of answers to information requests. The outcome is a significant breakdown in the analytical workflow. To cope with this data overload, many intelligence organizations have sought to re-organize their general staffing requirements and workflows to enhance team communication and coordination, with hopes of exploiting as much high-value data as possible and understanding the value of actionable intelligence well before its relevance has passed. Through this effort we have taken a scholarly approach to this problem by studying the evolution of Processing, Exploitation, and Dissemination, with a specific focus on the Army's most recent evolutions using the Functional Resonance Analysis Method. This method investigates socio-technical processes by analyzing their intended functions and aspects to determine performance variabilities. Gaps are identified and recommendations about force structure and future R and D priorities to increase the throughput of the intelligence enterprise are discussed.

Function Allocation in Complex Socio-Technical Systems: Procedure usage in nuclear power and the Context Analysis Method for Identifying Design Solutions (CAMIDS) Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmitt, Kara Anne

This research aims to prove that strict adherence to procedures and rigid compliance to process in the US Nuclear Industry may not prevent incidents or increase safety. According to the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations, the nuclear power industry has seen a recent rise in events, and this research claims that a contributing factor to this rise is organizational, cultural, and based on peoples overreliance on procedures and policy. Understanding the proper balance of function allocation, automation and human decision-making is imperative to creating a nuclear power plant that is safe, efficient, and reliable. This research claims that new generations of operators are less engaged and thinking because they have been instructed to follow procedures to a fault. According to operators, they were once to know the plant and its interrelations, but organizationally more importance is now put on following procedure and policy. Literature reviews were performed, experts were questioned, and a model for context analysis was developed. The Context Analysis Method for Identifying Design Solutions (CAMIDS) Model was created, verified and validated through both peer review and application in real world scenarios in active nuclear power plant simulators. These experiments supported the claim that strict adherence and rigid compliance to procedures may not increase safety by studying the industry's propensity for following incorrect procedures, and when it directly affects the outcome of safety or security of the plant. The findings of this research indicate that the younger generations of operators rely highly on procedures, and the organizational pressures of required compliance to procedures may lead to incidents within the plant because operators feel pressured into following the rules and policy above performing the correct actions in a timely manner. The findings support computer based procedures, efficient alarm systems, and skill of the craft matrices. The solution to the problems facing the industry include in-depth, multiple fault failure training which tests the operator's knowledge of the situation. This builds operator collaboration, competence and confidence to know what to do, and when to do it in response to an emergency situation. Strict adherence to procedures and rigid compliance to process may not prevent incidents or increase safety; building operators' fundamental skills of collaboration, competence and confidence will.

10 CFR 2.703 - Examination by experts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... permit a qualified individual who has scientific or technical training or experience to participate on... technical training or experience to contribute to the development of an adequate decisional record in the...

Making sense of complex electronic records: socio-technical design in social care.

PubMed

Wastell, David; White, Sue

2014-03-01

Dealing with complex electronic documentation is an integral part of much contemporary professional work. In this paper, we address the design of electronic records for social care professionals in the UK. Recent reforms in UK child welfare have followed a top-down, managerial approach emphasizing conformance to standard processes. The vicissitudes of a major national IT project, the Integrated Children's System, show the limitations of this approach, in particular the detrimental effect it has had on professional autonomy. Following in the foot-steps of Ken Eason, we argue that socio-technical design, by focussing on innovative applications of technology to support users (rather than the interests of the bureaucracy) offers a more promising alternative. A user-centred design exercise is presented to illustrate this approach in action. A novel interface was developed for handling the heterogeneous bundle of documents which make up the social care record, helping social workers make better sense of case-files. The prototype draws on the metaphor of the dining-room table as a way of overcoming the limitations of the computer display. We conclude that socio-technical thinking engenders a shift in mind-set, opening up a radically different design space compared to current design orthodoxy. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

A Socio-Ecological Approach for Identifying and Contextualising Spatial Ecosystem-Based Adaptation Priorities at the Sub-National Level

PubMed Central

Bourne, Amanda; Holness, Stephen; Holden, Petra; Scorgie, Sarshen; Donatti, Camila I.; Midgley, Guy

2016-01-01

Climate change adds an additional layer of complexity to existing sustainable development and biodiversity conservation challenges. The impacts of global climate change are felt locally, and thus local governance structures will increasingly be responsible for preparedness and local responses. Ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) options are gaining prominence as relevant climate change solutions. Local government officials seldom have an appropriate understanding of the role of ecosystem functioning in sustainable development goals, or access to relevant climate information. Thus the use of ecosystems in helping people adapt to climate change is limited partially by the lack of information on where ecosystems have the highest potential to do so. To begin overcoming this barrier, Conservation South Africa in partnership with local government developed a socio-ecological approach for identifying spatial EbA priorities at the sub-national level. Using GIS-based multi-criteria analysis and vegetation distribution models, the authors have spatially integrated relevant ecological and social information at a scale appropriate to inform local level political, administrative, and operational decision makers. This is the first systematic approach of which we are aware that highlights spatial priority areas for EbA implementation. Nodes of socio-ecological vulnerability are identified, and the inclusion of areas that provide ecosystem services and ecological resilience to future climate change is innovative. The purpose of this paper is to present and demonstrate a methodology for combining complex information into user-friendly spatial products for local level decision making on EbA. The authors focus on illustrating the kinds of products that can be generated from combining information in the suggested ways, and do not discuss the nuance of climate models nor present specific technical details of the model outputs here. Two representative case studies from rural South Africa demonstrate the replicability of this approach in rural and peri-urban areas of other developing and least developed countries around the world. PMID:27227671

A Socio-Ecological Approach for Identifying and Contextualising Spatial Ecosystem-Based Adaptation Priorities at the Sub-National Level.

PubMed

Bourne, Amanda; Holness, Stephen; Holden, Petra; Scorgie, Sarshen; Donatti, Camila I; Midgley, Guy

2016-01-01

Climate change adds an additional layer of complexity to existing sustainable development and biodiversity conservation challenges. The impacts of global climate change are felt locally, and thus local governance structures will increasingly be responsible for preparedness and local responses. Ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) options are gaining prominence as relevant climate change solutions. Local government officials seldom have an appropriate understanding of the role of ecosystem functioning in sustainable development goals, or access to relevant climate information. Thus the use of ecosystems in helping people adapt to climate change is limited partially by the lack of information on where ecosystems have the highest potential to do so. To begin overcoming this barrier, Conservation South Africa in partnership with local government developed a socio-ecological approach for identifying spatial EbA priorities at the sub-national level. Using GIS-based multi-criteria analysis and vegetation distribution models, the authors have spatially integrated relevant ecological and social information at a scale appropriate to inform local level political, administrative, and operational decision makers. This is the first systematic approach of which we are aware that highlights spatial priority areas for EbA implementation. Nodes of socio-ecological vulnerability are identified, and the inclusion of areas that provide ecosystem services and ecological resilience to future climate change is innovative. The purpose of this paper is to present and demonstrate a methodology for combining complex information into user-friendly spatial products for local level decision making on EbA. The authors focus on illustrating the kinds of products that can be generated from combining information in the suggested ways, and do not discuss the nuance of climate models nor present specific technical details of the model outputs here. Two representative case studies from rural South Africa demonstrate the replicability of this approach in rural and peri-urban areas of other developing and least developed countries around the world.

The Vulnerability of Earth Systems to Human-Induced Global Change and Strategies for Mitigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watson, R. T.

2002-12-01

Since the IGY, there has been growing evidence that climate is changing in response to human activities. The overwhelming majority of scientific experts, whilst recognizing that scientific uncertainties exist, nonetheless believe that human-induced climate change is inevitable. Indeed, during the last few years, many parts of the world have suffered major heat waves, floods, droughts, fires and extreme weather events leading to significant economic losses and loss of life. While individual events cannot be directly linked to human-induced climate change, the frequency and magnitude of these types of events are predicted to increase in a warmer world. The question is not whether climate will change, but rather how much (magnitude), how fast (the rate of change) and where (regional patterns). It is also clear that climate change and other human-induced modifications to the environment will, in many parts of the world, adversely affect socio-economic sectors, including water resources, agriculture, forestry, fisheries and human settlements, ecological systems (particularly forests and coral reefs), and human health (particularly diseases spread by insects), with developing countries being the most vulnerable. Environmental degradation of all types (i.e., climate change, loss of biodiversity, land degradation, air and water quality) all undermine the challenge of poverty alleviation and sustainable economic growth. One of the major challenges facing humankind is to provide an equitable standard of living for this and future generations: adequate food, water and energy, safe shelter and a healthy environment (e.g., clean air and water). Unfortunately, human-induced climate change, as well as other global environmental issues such as land degradation, loss of biological diversity and stratospheric ozone depletion, threatens our ability to meet these basic human needs. The good news is, however, that the majority of experts believe that significant reductions in net greenhouse gas emissions are technically feasible due to an extensive array of technologies and policy measures in the energy supply, energy demand and agricultural and forestry sectors. In addition, the projected adverse effects of climate change on socio-economic and ecological systems can, to some degree, be reduced through proactive adaptation measures.

The Imperial Paediatric Emergency Training Toolkit (IPETT) for use in paediatric emergency training: development and evaluation of feasibility and validity.

PubMed

Lambden, Simon; DeMunter, Claudine; Dowson, Anne; Cooper, Mehrengise; Gautama, Sanjay; Sevdalis, Nick

2013-06-01

To develop and test the feasibility, reliability, and validity of a practical toolkit for the assessment and feedback of skills required to manage paediatric emergencies in critical care settings. The Imperial Paediatric Emergency Training Toolkit (IPETT) was developed based on current evidence-base and expert input. IPETT assesses both technical and non-technical skills. The technical component covers skills in the areas of clinical assessment, airway and breathing, cardiovascular, and drugs. The non-technical component is based on the validated NOTECHS tool and covers communication and interaction, cooperation and team skills, leadership and managerial skills, and decision-making. The reliability (internal consistency), content validity (inter-correlations between different skills) and concurrent validity (correlations between global technical and non-technical scores) of IPETT were prospectively evaluated in 45 simulated paediatric crises carried out in a PICU with anaesthetic and paediatric trainees (N=52). Non-parametric analyses were carried out. Significance was set at P<0.05. Cronbach alpha reliability coefficients were overall acceptable for the technical (alpha range=0.638-0.810) and good for the non-technical (alpha range=0.701-0.899) component of IPETT. The median inter-skill correlation was rho=0.564 and rho=0.549 for the technical and non-technical components, respectively. These indicate good content validity, as the skills were inter-related but not redundant. We also demonstrate a correlation between the global technical and non-technical scores (rho=0.471) - all Ps<0.05 during the assessments. IPETT offers a psychometrically viable and feasible to use tool in the context of paediatric emergencies training. This study shows that assessment of technical and non-technical skills in combination may offer a more clinically relevant model for training in paediatric emergencies. Further validation should aim to demonstrate skill retention over time and skill transfer from simulation-based training to real emergencies. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Expert Systems Technology and Its Implication for Archives. National Archives Technical Information Paper No. 9.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Michelson, Avra

This report introduces archivists to the potential of expert systems for improving archives administration and alerts them to ways in which they can expect intelligent technologies to impact federal record-keeping systems and scholarly research methods. The report introduces the topic by describing expert systems used in three Fortune 500…

Perspective on intelligent avionics

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

Jones, H.L.

1987-01-01

Technical issues which could potentially limit the capability and acceptibility of expert systems decision-making for avionics applications are addressed. These issues are: real-time AI, mission-critical software, conventional algorithms, pilot interface, knowledge acquisition, and distributed expert systems. Examples from on-going expert system development programs are presented to illustrate likely architectures and applications of future intelligent avionic systems. 13 references.

42 CFR 93.502 - Appointment of the Administrative Law Judge and scientific expert.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... scientific expert. 93.502 Section 93.502 Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN... Judge and scientific expert. (a) Within 30 days of receiving a request for a hearing, the DAB Chair, in... this part. (b) The ALJ may retain one or more persons with appropriate scientific or technical...

42 CFR 93.502 - Appointment of the Administrative Law Judge and scientific expert.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... scientific expert. 93.502 Section 93.502 Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN... Judge and scientific expert. (a) Within 30 days of receiving a request for a hearing, the DAB Chair, in... this part. (b) The ALJ may retain one or more persons with appropriate scientific or technical...

42 CFR 93.502 - Appointment of the Administrative Law Judge and scientific expert.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... scientific expert. 93.502 Section 93.502 Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN... Judge and scientific expert. (a) Within 30 days of receiving a request for a hearing, the DAB Chair, in... this part. (b) The ALJ may retain one or more persons with appropriate scientific or technical...

Assessment of technological level of stem cell research using principal component analysis.

PubMed

Do Cho, Sung; Hwan Hyun, Byung; Kim, Jae Kyeom

2016-01-01

In general, technological levels have been assessed based on specialist's opinion through the methods such as Delphi. But in such cases, results could be significantly biased per study design and individual expert. In this study, therefore scientific literatures and patents were selected by means of analytic indexes for statistic approach and technical assessment of stem cell fields. The analytic indexes, numbers and impact indexes of scientific literatures and patents, were weighted based on principal component analysis, and then, were summated into the single value. Technological obsolescence was calculated through the cited half-life of patents issued by the United States Patents and Trademark Office and was reflected in technological level assessment. As results, ranks of each nation's in reference to the technology level were rated by the proposed method. Furthermore we were able to evaluate strengthens and weaknesses thereof. Although our empirical research presents faithful results, in the further study, there is a need to compare the existing methods and the suggested method.

On the SAR derived alert in the detection of oil spills according to the analysis of the EGEMP.

PubMed

Ferraro, Guido; Baschek, Björn; de Montpellier, Geraldine; Njoten, Ove; Perkovic, Marko; Vespe, Michele

2010-01-01

Satellite services that deliver information about possible oil spills at sea currently use different labels of "confidence" to describe the detections based on radar image processing. A common approach is to use a classification differentiating between low, medium and high levels of confidence. There is an ongoing discussion on the suitability of the existing classification systems of possible oil spills detected by radar satellite images with regard to the relevant significance and correspondence to user requirements. This paper contains a basic analysis of user requirements, current technical possibilities of satellite services as well as proposals for a redesign of the classification system as an evolution towards a more structured alert system. This research work offers a first review of implemented methodologies for the categorisation of detected oil spills, together with the proposal of explorative ideas evaluated by the European Group of Experts on satellite Monitoring of sea-based oil Pollution (EGEMP). Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Can Learning Collaboratives Support Implementation by Rewiring Professional Networks?

PubMed

Bunger, Alicia C; Hanson, Rochelle F; Doogan, Nathan J; Powell, Byron J; Cao, Yiwen; Dunn, Jerry

2016-01-01

This study examined how a learning collaborative focusing on trauma-focused CBT (TF-CBT) impacted advice-seeking patterns between clinicians and three key learning sources: (1) training experts who share technical knowledge about TF-CBT, (2) peers from other participating organizations who share their implementation experiences, and (3) colleagues from their own agency who provide social and professional support. Based on surveys administered to 132 clinicians from 32 agencies, participants' professional networks changed slightly over time by forming new advice-seeking relationships with training experts. While small, these changes at the clinician-level yielded substantial changes in the structure of the regional advice network.

Can Learning Collaboratives Support Implementation By Rewiring Professional Networks?

PubMed Central

Hanson, Rochelle F.; Doogan, Nathan J.; Powell, Byron J.; Cao, Yiwen; Dunn, Jerry

2015-01-01

This study examined how a learning collaborative focusing on Trauma-Focused CBT (TF-CBT) impacted advice-seeking patterns between clinicians and three key learning sources: (1) training experts who share technical knowledge about TF-CBT, (2) peers from other participating organizations who share their implementation experiences, and (3) colleagues from their own agency who provide social and professional support. Based on surveys administered to 132 clinicians from 32 agencies, participants’ professional networks changed slightly over time by forming new advice-seeking relationships with training experts. While small, these changes at the clinician-level yielded substantial changes in the structure of the regional advice network. PMID:25542237

Contextualizing Secure Information System Design: A Socio-Technical Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Charif, Abdul Rahim

2017-01-01

Secure Information Systems (SIS) design paradigms have evolved in generations to adapt to IS security needs. However, modern IS are still vulnerable and are far from secure. The development of an underlying IS cannot be reduced to "technological fixes" neither is the design of SIS. Technical security cannot ensure IS security.…

Test and Evaluation for Enhanced Security: A Quantitative Method to Incorporate Expert Knowledge into Test Planning Decisions.

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

Rizzo, Davinia; Blackburn, Mark

Complex systems are comprised of technical, social, political and environmental factors as well as the programmatic factors of cost, schedule and risk. Testing these systems for enhanced security requires expert knowledge in many different fields. It is important to test these systems to ensure effectiveness, but testing is limited to due cost, schedule, safety, feasibility and a myriad of other reasons. Without an effective decision framework for Test and Evaluation (T&E) planning that can take into consideration technical as well as programmatic factors and leverage expert knowledge, security in complex systems may not be assessed effectively. Therefore, this paper coversmore » the identification of the current T&E planning problem and an approach to include the full variety of factors and leverage expert knowledge in T&E planning through the use of Bayesian Networks (BN).« less

Ocean acidification and its impacts: an expert survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gattuso, J.; Mach, K.; Morgan, M. G.

2011-12-01

The number of scientists investigating ocean acidification as well as the number of papers published on this issue have increased considerably in the past few years. On the one hand, the advances are welcome for the assessment of ocean acidification and its impacts. On the other hand, the volume and rapidity of the scientific developments as well as some contradictory results have created challenges for assessing the current state of knowledge and informing policy makers. Two tools are being used to synthesize the current information: meta-analysis and expert survey. In January this year, Working Groups I and II of the IPCC organized an expert meeting on ocean acidification in Okinawa. Following this meeting, we built a set of 22 statements, in consultation with several of the meeting participants. An expert survey was then conducted. It involved 52 experts who provided a considerable amount of information. The statements covered a broad array of research fields and were grouped in 3 categories: chemical aspects, biological and biogeochemical responses, and policy and socio-economic aspects. The survey results indicate a relatively strong consensus for most statements related to the past, present and future chemical aspects. Examples of consensual issues are: non-anthropogenic ocean acidification events have occurred in the geological past, anthropogenic CO2 emissions is the main (but not the only) mechanism generating the current ocean acidification event, and ocean acidification will be felt for centuries. The experts generally agreed that there will be impacts on biological and ecological processes and biogeochemical feedbacks, but for such statements, the levels of agreement were lower overall, with more variability across responses. Levels of agreements among experts surveyed were comparatively higher for statements regarding calcification, primary production and nitrogen fixation, as compared to impacts on food-webs. The levels of agreement for statements pertaining to policy and socio-economic impacts, for example on food security, were also relatively low. Thanks are due to the respondents: Andreas Andersson, James Barry, Jerry Blackford, Philip Boyd, Ken Caldeira, Long Cao, Sinead Collins, Sarah Cooley, Kim Currie, Allemand Denis, Brad deYoung, Andrew Dickson, Ken Drinkwater, Sam Dupont, Jonathan Erez, Richard Feely, Maoz Fine, Kunshan Gao, Marion Gehlen, Jason Hall-Spencer, Christoph Heinze, Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, Gretchen Hofmann, Roberto Iglesias-Prieto, Maria Debora Iglesias-Rodriguez, Akio Ishida, Masao Ishii, Atsushi Ishimatsu, Haruko Kurihara, Kitack Lee, Su Mei Liu, Salvador Lluch-Cota, Jeremy T. Mathis, Ben McNeil, Philip Munday, John Pandolfi, Gian-Kasper Plattner, Alexander Polonsky, Hans-Otto Pörtner, Ulf Riebesell, Rongshuo, Chris Sabine, Daniela Schmidt, Brad Seibel, Yoshihisa Shirayama, Atsushi Suzuki, Carol Turley, Nicola Wannicke, Poh Poh Wong, Michiyo Yamamoto-Kawai and Peter Zavialov.

Crowd-sourced assessment of technical skills: an adjunct to urology resident surgical simulation training.

PubMed

Holst, Daniel; Kowalewski, Timothy M; White, Lee W; Brand, Timothy C; Harper, Jonathan D; Sorenson, Mathew D; Kirsch, Sarah; Lendvay, Thomas S

2015-05-01

Crowdsourcing is the practice of obtaining services from a large group of people, typically an online community. Validated methods of evaluating surgical video are time-intensive, expensive, and involve participation of multiple expert surgeons. We sought to obtain valid performance scores of urologic trainees and faculty on a dry-laboratory robotic surgery task module by using crowdsourcing through a web-based grading tool called Crowd Sourced Assessment of Technical Skill (CSATS). IRB approval was granted to test the technical skills grading accuracy of Amazon.com Mechanical Turk™ crowd-workers compared to three expert faculty surgeon graders. The two groups assessed dry-laboratory robotic surgical suturing performances of three urology residents (PGY-2, -4, -5) and two faculty using three performance domains from the validated Global Evaluative Assessment of Robotic Skills assessment tool. After an average of 2 hours 50 minutes, each of the five videos received 50 crowd-worker assessments. The inter-rater reliability (IRR) between the surgeons and crowd was 0.91 using Cronbach's alpha statistic (confidence intervals=0.20-0.92), indicating an agreement level between the two groups of "excellent." The crowds were able to discriminate the surgical level, and both the crowds and the expert faculty surgeon graders scored one senior trainee's performance above a faculty's performance. Surgery-naive crowd-workers can rapidly assess varying levels of surgical skill accurately relative to a panel of faculty raters. The crowds provided rapid feedback and were inexpensive. CSATS may be a valuable adjunct to surgical simulation training as requirements for more granular and iterative performance tracking of trainees become mandated and commonplace.

Mapping agricultural landscapes and characterizing adaptive capacity in Central America

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holland, M. B.; Imbach, P. A.; Bouroncle, C.; Donatti, C.; Leguia, E.; Martinez, M.; Medellin, C.; Saborio-Rodriguez, M.; Shamer, S.; Zamora, J.

2013-12-01

One of the key challenges in developing adaptation strategies for smallholder farmers in developing countries is that of a data-poor environment, where spatially-explicit information about where the most vulnerable smallholder communities are located is lacking. Developing countries tend to lack consistent and reliable maps on agricultural land use, and have limited information available on smallholder adaptive capacity. We developed a novel participatory and expert mapping process to overcome these barriers and develop detailed national-scale maps that allow for a characterization of unique agricultural landscapes based on profiles of adaptive capacity for smallholder agriculture in each area. This research focuses specifically on the Central American nations of Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Honduras, where our focus is on coffee and basic grains as the two main cropping systems. Here we present the methodology and results of a series of in-depth interviews and participatory mapping sessions with experts working within the broader agricultural sector in each country. We held individual interviews and mapping sessions with approximately thirty experts from each country, and used a detailed survey instrument for each mapping session to both spatially identify distinct agricultural landscapes, and to further characterize each area based on specific farm practices and social context. The survey also included a series of questions to help us assess the relative adaptive capacity of smallholder agriculture within each landscape. After all expert mapping sessions were completed in each country we convened an expert group to assist in both validating and refining the set of landscapes already defined. We developed a characterization of adaptive capacity by aggregating indicators into main assets-based criteria (e.g. land tenure, access to credit, access to technical assistance, sustainable farm practices) derived from further expert weighting of indicators through an online platform. Our final steps in this process have been to compare the series of expert-derived agricultural landscapes with a set of probability maps for smallholder farming developed from available country-level secondary datasets in order to fill area gaps. We see this analysis and participatory process as closely related to previous work by Eakin et al. (2011) in the region. It provides an example of how expert input and participatory mapping can help meet the pressing need for a deeper contextual understanding of the vulnerability of smallholder farmers to climate change in a data-poor environment. The methods and results of our research also offer an applied example how to approach analysis of adaptive capacity and vulnerability within agricultural systems, and we have purposefully focused on a set of methods that can easily transfer to other countries within regions such as the Tropics. Reference: Eakin, H., L.A. Bojórquez-Tapia, R. Monterde Diaz, E. Castellanos, J. Haggar. 2011. Adaptive Capacity and Social-Environmental Change: Theoretical and Operational Modeling of Smallholder Coffee Systems Response in Mesoamerican Pacific Rim. Environmental Management 47:352-367.

76 FR 8366 - Science Advisory Board Staff Office; Request for Nominations; SAB Environmental Justice Technical...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-14

... Nominations; SAB Environmental Justice Technical Panel AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION... experts to serve on the SAB Environmental Justice Technical (EJT) Panel. DATES: Nominations should be...) released the Interim Guidance on Considering Environmental Justice During the Development of an Action...

EPA Technical Support Centers (TSC): FY14 Lessons ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA’s Technical Support Centers (TSC) included in ORD’s Safe and Healthy Communities (SHC) Research Action Plan fill the need for supplying subject-matter experts to continually assess state-of-the-art research and practices and channel this information to users in both direct applications (i.e., site-specific technical support) and general applications (i.e., technical transfer activities such as technical guidance documents, conferences, or workshops) . The TSCs are charged with providing solutions by: 1) linking EPA research to Agency decision-makers; 2) applying best practices to real world field applications; and 3) channeling feedback from field application to research communities. The TSP goal is to provide Regional Remedial Project Managers (RPMs), Corrective Action Staff, and On-Scene Coordinators (OSCs) with a diverse set of readily-accessible resources for technical assistance. This research summary provides six case studies – two from each of the three TSCs (Ground Water Technical Support Center, Engineering Technical Support Center, and Site Characterization Technical Support Center) – to exemplify and summarize the variety of TSC approaches that contribute to fulfilling the TSP mission. EPA’s Technical Support Centers (TSC) included in ORD’s Safe and Healthy Communities (SHC) Research Action Plan fill the need for supplying subject-matter experts to continually assess state-of-the-art research and practices and channel this informati

The Status of Emerging Technologies: An Economic/Technological Assessment to the Year 2000. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Department of Commerce, Washington, DC.

The U.S. Department of Commerce reviewed emerging technologies and their future impact on the economy. This report lists the emerging technologies and suggests their potential contribution to the gross national product by the year 2000. It is based on an assessment by technical experts and agency heads within the Department of Commerce, who…

Risk-Based Decision Making in a Scientific Issue: A Study of Teachers Discussing a Dilemma through a Microworld

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Levinson, Ralph; Kent, Phillip; Pratt, David; Kapadia, Ramesh; Yogui, Cristina

2012-01-01

Risk has now become a feature of science curricula in many industrialized countries. While risk is conceptualized within a number of different theoretical frameworks, the predominant model used in examination specifications is a utility model in which risk calculations are deemed to be objective through technical expert assessment and where the…

Adult Literacy: Skills for the American Work Force. Research and Development Series No. 265B.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hull, William L.; Sechler, Judith A.

A study examined the nature and extent of adult literacy needs in the American labor force. Data for the study were collected from a review of the literature, site visits to nine industry-based training programs, and consultation with a technical panel of experts. Input from company managers, instructors, and trainers familiar with the…

The Alignment of easyCBM[R] Math Measures to Curriculum Standards. Technical Report #1002

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nese, Joseph F. T.; Lai, Cheng-Fei; Anderson, Daniel; Park, Bitnara Jasmine; Tindal, Gerald; Alonzo, Julie

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the alignment of the easyCBM[R] mathematics benchmark and progress monitoring measures to the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics "Curriculum Focal Points" (NCTM, 2006). Based on Webb's alignment model (1997, 2002), we collected expert judgments on individual math items across a sampling of forms…

Sanitary Survey Training. The Need-to-Know Material. Instructor's Technical Manual.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gardner, Anne, Ed.

This manual, developed as an aid to state agencies who provide instruction to inspectors of water systems, is based on the minimum information that an inspector with limited experience needs to know to successfully assess a public water system. The manual is designed for use by individuals who are experts in the field of water systems and sanitary…

Listing of data systems elements authorities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1977-01-01

The NASA personnel have a need to be aware of and to interact with key technical experts in all areas of data systems. This report presents a partial listing (names, addresses and telephone numbers) of individuals known to be authorities in selected areas of data systems of interest to NASA. The listings are based primarily on recent publications by the named individuals.

Technical skills measurement based on a cyber-physical system for endovascular surgery simulation.

PubMed

Tercero, Carlos; Kodama, Hirokatsu; Shi, Chaoyang; Ooe, Katsutoshi; Ikeda, Seiichi; Fukuda, Toshio; Arai, Fumihito; Negoro, Makoto; Kwon, Guiryong; Najdovski, Zoran

2013-09-01

Quantification of medical skills is a challenge, particularly simulator-based training. In the case of endovascular intervention, it is desirable that a simulator accurately recreates the morphology and mechanical characteristics of the vasculature while enabling scoring. For this purpose, we propose a cyber-physical system composed of optical sensors for a catheter's body motion encoding, a magnetic tracker for motion capture of an operator's hands, and opto-mechatronic sensors for measuring the interaction of the catheter tip with the vasculature model wall. Two pilot studies were conducted for measuring technical skills, one for distinguishing novices from experts and the other for measuring unnecessary motion. The proficiency levels were measurable between expert and novice and also between individual novice users. The results enabled scoring of the user's proficiency level, using sensitivity, reaction time, time to complete a task and respect for tissue integrity as evaluation criteria. Additionally, unnecessary motion was also measurable. The development of cyber-physical simulators for other domains of medicine depend on the study of photoelastic materials for human tissue modelling, and enables quantitative evaluation of skills using surgical instruments and a realistic representation of human tissue. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Development and evaluation of a new taxonomy of mobility-related assistive technology devices.

PubMed

Shoemaker, Laura L; Lenker, James A; Fuhrer, Marcus J; Jutai, Jeffrey W; Demers, Louise; DeRuyter, Frank

2010-10-01

This article reports on the development of a new taxonomy for mobility-related assistive technology devices. A prototype taxonomy was created based on the extant literature. Five mobility device experts were engaged in a modified Delphi process to evaluate and refine the taxonomy. Multiple iterations of expert feedback and revision yielded consensual agreement on the structure and terminology of a new mobility device taxonomy. The taxonomy uses a hierarchical framework to classify ambulation aids and wheeled mobility devices, including their key features that impact mobility. Five attributes of the new taxonomy differentiate it from previous mobility-related device classifications: (1) hierarchical structure, (2) primary device categories are grouped based on their intended mobility impact, (3) comprehensive inclusion of technical features, (4) a capacity to assimilate reimbursement codes, and (5) availability of a detailed glossary. The taxonomy is intended to support assistive technology outcomes research. The taxonomy will enable researchers to capture mobility-related assistive technology device interventions with precision and provide a common terminology that will allow comparisons among studies. The prominence of technical features within the new taxonomy will hopefully promote research that helps clinicians predict how devices will perform, thus aiding clinical decision making and supporting funding recommendations.

Simulation-Based Laparoscopic Surgery Crisis Resource Management Training-Predicting Technical and Nontechnical Skills.

PubMed

Goldenberg, Mitchell G; Fok, Kai H; Ordon, Michael; Pace, Kenneth T; Lee, Jason Y

2017-12-19

To develop a unique simulation-based assessment using a laparoscopic inferior vena cava (IVC) injury scenario that allows for the safe assessment of urology resident's technical and nontechnical skills, and investigate the effect of personality traits performance in a surgical crisis. Urology residents from our institution were recruited to participate in a simulation-based training laparoscopic nephrectomy exercise. Residents completed demographic and multidimensional personality questionnaires and were instructed to play the role of staff urologist. A vasovagal response to pneumoperitoneum and an IVC injury event were scripted into the scenario. Technical and nontechnical skills were assessed by expert laparoscopic surgeons using validated tools (task checklist, GOALS, and NOTSS). Ten junior and five senior urology residents participated. Five residents were unable to complete the exercise safely. Senior residents outperformed juniors on technical (checklist score 15.1 vs 9.9, p < 0.01, GOALS score 18.0 vs 13.3, p < 0.01) and nontechnical performance (NOTSS score 13.8 vs 10.1, p = 0.03). Technical performance scores correlated with NOTSS scores (p < 0.01) and pass/fail rating correlated with technical performance (p < 0.01 for both checklist and GOALS), NOTSS score (p = 0.02), and blood loss (p < 0.01). Only the conscientiousness dimension of the big five inventory correlated with technical score (p = 0.03) and pass/fail rating (p = 0.04). Resident level of training and laparoscopic experience correlated with technical performance during a simulation-based laparoscopic IVC injury crisis management scenario, as well as multiple domains of nontechnical performance. Personality traits of our surgical residents are similar and did not predict technical skill. Copyright © 2017 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Employment of telemedicine in emergency medicine. Clinical requirement analysis, system development and first test results.

PubMed

Czaplik, M; Bergrath, S; Rossaint, R; Thelen, S; Brodziak, T; Valentin, B; Hirsch, F; Beckers, S K; Brokmann, J C

2014-01-01

Demographic change, rising co-morbidity and an increasing number of emergencies are the main challenges that emergency medical services (EMS) in several countries worldwide are facing. In order to improve quality in EMS, highly trained personnel and well-equipped ambulances are essential. However several studies have shown a deficiency in qualified EMS physicians. Telemedicine emerges as a complementary system in EMS that may provide expertise and improve quality of medical treatment on the scene. Hence our aim is to develop and test a specific teleconsultation system. During the development process several use cases were defined and technically specified by medical experts and engineers in the areas of: system administration, start-up of EMS assistance systems, audio communication, data transfer, routine tele-EMS physician activities and research capabilities. Upon completion, technical field tests were performed under realistic conditions to test system properties such as robustness, feasibility and usability, providing end-to-end measurements. Six ambulances were equipped with telemedical facilities based on the results of the requirement analysis and 55 scenarios were tested under realistic conditions in one month. The results indicate that the developed system performed well in terms of usability and robustness. The major challenges were, as expected, mobile communication and data network availability. Third generation networks were only available in 76.4% of the cases. Although 3G (third generation), such as Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), provides beneficial conditions for higher bandwidth, system performance for most features was also acceptable under adequate 2G (second generation) test conditions. An innovative concept for the use of telemedicine for medical consultations in EMS was developed. Organisational and technical aspects were considered and practical requirements specified. Since technical feasibility was demonstrated in these technical field tests, the next step would be to prove medical usefulness and technical robustness under real conditions in a clinical trial.

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

NONE

This document comprises Pacific Northwest National Laboratory`s report for Fiscal Year 1996 on research and development programs. The document contains 161 project summaries in 16 areas of research and development. The 16 areas of research and development reported on are: atmospheric sciences, biotechnology, chemical instrumentation and analysis, computer and information science, ecological science, electronics and sensors, health protection and dosimetry, hydrological and geologic sciences, marine sciences, materials science and engineering, molecular science, process science and engineering, risk and safety analysis, socio-technical systems analysis, statistics and applied mathematics, and thermal and energy systems. In addition, this report provides an overview ofmore » the research and development program, program management, program funding, and Fiscal Year 1997 projects.« less

Effective dialogue: Enhanced public engagement as a legitimising tool for municipal waste management decision-making

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

Garnett, Kenisha, E-mail: k.garnett@cranfield.ac.uk; Cooper, Tim, E-mail: t.h.cooper@ntu.ac.uk

2014-12-15

Highlights: • A review of public engagement in waste management decision-making is undertaken. • Enhanced public engagement is explored as a means to legitimise waste decisions. • Analytical–deliberative processes are explored as a tool for effective dialogue. • Considerations for integrating public values with technical analysis are outlined. • Insights into the design of appropriate public engagement processes are provided. - Abstract: The complexity of municipal waste management decision-making has increased in recent years, accompanied by growing scrutiny from stakeholders, including local communities. This complexity reflects a socio-technical framing of the risks and social impacts associated with selecting technologies andmore » sites for waste treatment and disposal facilities. Consequently there is growing pressure on local authorities for stakeholders (including communities) to be given an early opportunity to shape local waste policy in order to encourage swift planning, development and acceptance of the technologies needed to meet statutory targets to divert waste from landfill. This paper presents findings from a research project that explored the use of analytical–deliberative processes as a legitimising tool for waste management decision-making. Adopting a mixed methods approach, the study revealed that communicating the practical benefits of more inclusive forms of engagement is proving difficult even though planning and policy delays are hindering development and implementation of waste management infrastructure. Adopting analytical–deliberative processes at a more strategic level will require local authorities and practitioners to demonstrate how expert-citizen deliberations may foster progress in resolving controversial issues, through change in individuals, communities and institutions. The findings suggest that a significant shift in culture will be necessary for local authorities to realise the potential of more inclusive decision processes. This calls for political actors and civic society to collaborate in institutionalising public involvement in both strategic and local planning structures.« less

Matrix Failure Modes and Effects Analysis as a Knowledge Base for a Real Time Automated Diagnosis Expert System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Herrin, Stephanie; Iverson, David; Spukovska, Lilly; Souza, Kenneth A. (Technical Monitor)

1994-01-01

Failure Modes and Effects Analysis contain a wealth of information that can be used to create the knowledge base required for building automated diagnostic Expert systems. A real time monitoring and diagnosis expert system based on an actual NASA project's matrix failure modes and effects analysis was developed. This Expert system Was developed at NASA Ames Research Center. This system was first used as a case study to monitor the Research Animal Holding Facility (RAHF), a Space Shuttle payload that is used to house and monitor animals in orbit so the effects of space flight and microgravity can be studied. The techniques developed for the RAHF monitoring and diagnosis Expert system are general enough to be used for monitoring and diagnosis of a variety of other systems that undergo a Matrix FMEA. This automated diagnosis system was successfully used on-line and validated on the Space Shuttle flight STS-58, mission SLS-2 in October 1993.

Vulnerability mapping as a tool to manage the environmental impacts of oil and gas extraction.

PubMed

Esterhuyse, Surina; Sokolic, Frank; Redelinghuys, Nola; Avenant, Marinda; Kijko, Andrzej; Glazewski, Jan; Plit, Lisa; Kemp, Marthie; Smit, Ansie; Vos, A Tascha; von Maltitz, Michael J

2017-11-01

Various biophysical and socio-economic impacts may be associated with unconventional oil and gas (UOG) extraction. A vulnerability map may assist governments during environmental assessments, spatial planning and the regulation of UOG extraction, as well as decision-making around UOG extraction in fragile areas. A regional interactive vulnerability map was developed for UOG extraction in South Africa. This map covers groundwater, surface water, vegetation, socio-economics and seismicity as mapping themes, based on impacts that may emanate from UOG extraction. The mapping themes were developed using a normative approach, where expert input during the identification and classification of vulnerability indicators may increase the acceptability of the resultant map. This article describes the development of the interactive vulnerability map for South Africa, where UOG extraction is not yet allowed and where regulations are still being developed to manage this activity. The importance and policy implications of using vulnerability maps for managing UOG extraction impacts in countries where UOG extraction is planned are highlighted in this article.

Vulnerability mapping as a tool to manage the environmental impacts of oil and gas extraction

PubMed Central

Sokolic, Frank; Redelinghuys, Nola; Avenant, Marinda; Kijko, Andrzej; Glazewski, Jan; Plit, Lisa; Kemp, Marthie; Smit, Ansie; Vos, A. Tascha; von Maltitz, Michael J.

2017-01-01

Various biophysical and socio-economic impacts may be associated with unconventional oil and gas (UOG) extraction. A vulnerability map may assist governments during environmental assessments, spatial planning and the regulation of UOG extraction, as well as decision-making around UOG extraction in fragile areas. A regional interactive vulnerability map was developed for UOG extraction in South Africa. This map covers groundwater, surface water, vegetation, socio-economics and seismicity as mapping themes, based on impacts that may emanate from UOG extraction. The mapping themes were developed using a normative approach, where expert input during the identification and classification of vulnerability indicators may increase the acceptability of the resultant map. This article describes the development of the interactive vulnerability map for South Africa, where UOG extraction is not yet allowed and where regulations are still being developed to manage this activity. The importance and policy implications of using vulnerability maps for managing UOG extraction impacts in countries where UOG extraction is planned are highlighted in this article. PMID:29291094

Major Events Coordinated Security Solutions Technical Report Closeout (MECSS): The Application of Science and Technology to Reduce Risk for V2010 and G8/G20 Summits

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-12-01

CBRNE), aux infrastructures essentielles, à la surveillance, à la sécurité physique, à la cybernétique et à la socio- psychologie . Le présent rapport...la socio- psychologie . Dans le cadre du projet SCSGE, on a produit plus de 195 rapports scientifiques, fruit des efforts, du dévouement et du...aux infrastructures essentielles, à la surveillance, à la sécurité physique, à la cybernétique et à la socio- psychologie . Le présent rapport

Socio-Spatial Analysis of Study Abroad Students' Experiences in/of Place in Morocco

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pipitone, Jennifer M.; Raghavan, Chitra

2017-01-01

This article builds upon existing place-based research through the application of a socio-spatial perspective to make sense of how students' experiences in/of place shape, and are shaped by, the production of experiential learning space. Rather than focusing on the individual as the unit of analysis, this article is concerned with understanding…

Expert Meeting and Membership Meetings, Standing Committee Meeting. Section of Libraries for the Blind. International Federation of Library Associations. Summary.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cylke, Frank Kurt

Two meetings of the International Federation of Library Associations Section of Libraries for the Blind (BLISTA) are summarized. The first was an expert meeting which was held in Marburg/Lahn, Federal Republic of Germany, in August 1983. Participants included 51 librarians and technical experts serving blind and physically disabled individuals in…

Grids: The Top Ten Questions

DOE PAGES

Schopf, Jennifer M.; Nitzberg, Bill

2002-01-01

The design and implementation of a national computing system and data grid has become a reachable goal from both the computer science and computational science point of view. A distributed infrastructure capable of sophisticated computational functions can bring many benefits to scientific work, but poses many challenges, both technical and socio-political. Technical challenges include having basic software tools, higher-level services, functioning and pervasive security, and standards, while socio-political issues include building a user community, adding incentives for sites to be part of a user-centric environment, and educating funding sources about the needs of this community. This paper details the areasmore » relating to Grid research that we feel still need to be addressed to fully leverage the advantages of the Grid.« less

Use of an expert system data analysis manager for space shuttle main engine test evaluation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abernethy, Ken

1988-01-01

The ability to articulate, collect, and automate the application of the expertise needed for the analysis of space shuttle main engine (SSME) test data would be of great benefit to NASA liquid rocket engine experts. This paper describes a project whose goal is to build a rule-based expert system which incorporates such expertise. Experiential expertise, collected directly from the experts currently involved in SSME data analysis, is used to build a rule base to identify engine anomalies similar to those analyzed previously. Additionally, an alternate method of expertise capture is being explored. This method would generate rules inductively based on calculations made using a theoretical model of the SSME's operation. The latter rules would be capable of diagnosing anomalies which may not have appeared before, but whose effects can be predicted by the theoretical model.

A methodology for the assessment of flood hazards at the regional scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gallina, Valentina; Torresan, Silvia; Critto, Andrea; Zabeo, Alex; Semenzin, Elena; Marcomini, Antonio

2013-04-01

In recent years, the frequency of water-related disasters has increased and recent flood events in Europe (e.g. 2002 in Central Europe, 2007 in UK, 2010 in Italy) caused physical-environmental and socio-economic damages. Specifically, floods are the most threatening water-related disaster that affects humans, their lives and properties. Within the KULTURisk project (FP7) a Regional Risk Assessment (RRA) methodology is proposed to evaluate the benefits of risk prevention in terms of reduced environmental risks due to floods. The method is based on the KULTURisk framework and allows the identification and prioritization of targets (i.e. people, buildings, infrastructures, agriculture, natural and semi-natural systems, cultural heritages) and areas at risk from floods in the considered region by comparing the baseline scenario (i.e. current state) with alternative scenarios (i.e. where different structural and/or non-structural measures are planned). The RRA methodology is flexible and can be adapted to different case studies (i.e. large rivers, alpine/mountain catchments, urban areas and coastal areas) and spatial scales (i.e. from the large river to the urban scale). The final aim of RRA is to help decision-makers in examining the possible environmental risks associated with uncertain future flood hazards and in identifying which prevention scenario could be the most suitable one. The RRA methodology employs Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA functions) in order to integrate stakeholder preferences and experts judgments into the analysis. Moreover, Geographic Information Systems (GISs) are used to manage, process, analyze, and map data to facilitate the analysis and the information sharing with different experts and stakeholders. In order to characterize flood risks, the proposed methodology integrates the output of hydrodynamic models with the analysis of site-specific bio-geophysical and socio-economic indicators (e.g. slope of the territory, land cover, population density, economic activities) of several case studies in order to develop risk maps that identify and prioritize relative hot-spot areas and targets at risk at the regional scale. The main outputs of the RRA are receptor-based maps of risks useful to communicate the potential implications of floods in non-monetary terms to stakeholders and administrations. These maps can be a basis for the management of flood risks as they can provide information about the indicative number of inhabitants, the type of economic activities, natural systems and cultural heritages potentially affected by flooding. Moreover, they can provide suitable information about flood risk in the considered area in order to define priorities for prevention measures, for land use planning and management. Finally, the outputs of the RRA methodology can be used as data input in the Socio- Economic Regional Risk Assessment methodology for the economic evaluation of different damages (e.g. tangible costs, intangible costs) and for the social assessment considering the benefits of the human dimension of vulnerability (i.e. adaptive and coping capacity). Within the KULTURisk project, the methodology has been applied and validated in several European case studies. Moreover, its generalization to address other types of natural hazards (e.g. earthquakes, forest fires) will be evaluated. The preliminary results of the RRA application in the KULTURisk project will be here presented and discussed.

Risk communication discourse among ecological risk assessment professionals and its implications for communication with nonexperts.

PubMed

Hunka, Agnieszka D; Palmqvist, Annemette; Thorbek, Pernille; Forbes, Valery E

2013-10-01

Risk communication, especially to the general public and end users of plant protection products, is an important challenge. Currently, much of the risk communication the general public receives is via the popular press, and risk managers face the challenge of presenting their decisions and their scientific basis to the general public in an understandable way. Therefore, we decided to explore the obstacles in risk communication, as done by expert risk assessors and managers. Using the discourse analysis framework and readability tests, we studied perspectives of 3 stakeholder groups-regulators, industry representatives, and academics across Europe. We conducted 30 confidential interviews (10 participants in each group), with part of the interview guide focused on communication of pesticide risk to the general public and the ideas experts in the field of risk assessment and management hold of the public perception of pesticides. We used the key informant approach in recruiting our participants. They were first identified as key stakeholders in ecological risk assessment of pesticides and then sampled by means of a snowball sampling technique. In the analysis, first we identified main motifs (themes) in each group, and then we moved to studying length of the sentences and grammar and to uncovering discourses present in the text data. We also used the Flesch Reading Ease test to determine the comprehension difficulty of transcribed interviews. The test is commonly used as a standard for estimating the readability of technical documents. Our results highlight 3 main obstacles standing in the way of effective communication with wider audiences. First of all, ecological risk assessment as a highly technical procedure uses the specific language of ecological risk assessment, which is also highly specialized and might be difficult to comprehend by nonexperts. Second, the idea of existing "expert-lay discrepancy," a phenomenon described in risk perception studies is visibly present in the experts' opinions. Finally, the communication flow among stakeholders was perceived as flawed, e.g., our participants did not consider themselves fully included in the communication process, despite taking part in many networks. Interestingly, both studies on the role of trust in risk perception, and research on links between daily choices and perceived risk, show that the public is more likely to rely on experts they can trust, than the experts in our study were inclined to think. © 2013 SETAC.

Using GeoRePORT to report socio-economic potential for geothermal development

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

Young, Katherine R.; Levine, Aaron

The Geothermal Resource Portfolio Optimization and Reporting Tool (GeoRePORT, http://en.openei.org/wiki/GeoRePORT) was developed for reporting resource grades and project readiness levels, providing the U.S. Department of Energy a consistent and comprehensible means of evaluating projects. The tool helps funding organizations (1) quantitatively identify barriers, (2) develop measureable goals, (3) objectively evaluate proposals, including contribution to goals, (4) monitor progress, and (5) report portfolio performance. GeoRePORT assesses three categories: geological, technical, and socio-economic. Here, we describe GeoRePORT, then focus on the socio-economic assessment and its applications for assessing deployment potential in the U.S. Socio-economic attributes include land access, permitting, transmission, and market.

Practical problems in aggregating expert opinions

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

Booker, J.M.; Picard, R.R.; Meyer, M.A.

1993-11-01

Expert opinion is data given by a qualified person in response to a technical question. In these analyses, expert opinion provides information where other data are either sparse or non-existent. Improvements in forecasting result from the advantageous addition of expert opinion to observed data in many areas, such as meteorology and econometrics. More generally, analyses of large, complex systems often involve experts on various components of the system supplying input to a decision process; applications include such wide-ranging areas as nuclear reactor safety, management science, and seismology. For large or complex applications, no single expert may be knowledgeable enough aboutmore » the entire application. In other problems, decision makers may find it comforting that a consensus or aggregation of opinions is usually better than a single opinion. Many risk and reliability studies require a single estimate for modeling, analysis, reporting, and decision making purposes. For problems with large uncertainties, the strategy of combining as diverse a set of experts as possible hedges against underestimation of that uncertainty. Decision makers are frequently faced with the task of selecting the experts and combining their opinions. However, the aggregation is often the responsibility of an analyst. Whether the decision maker or the analyst does the aggregation, the input for it, such as providing weights for experts or estimating other parameters, is imperfect owing to a lack of omniscience. Aggregation methods for expert opinions have existed for over thirty years; yet many of the difficulties with their use remain unresolved. The bulk of these problem areas are summarized in the sections that follow: sensitivities of results to assumptions, weights for experts, correlation of experts, and handling uncertainties. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the sources of these problems and describe their effects on aggregation.« less

Development of an objective assessment tool for total laparoscopic hysterectomy: A Delphi method among experts and evaluation on a virtual reality simulator.

PubMed

Knight, Sophie; Aggarwal, Rajesh; Agostini, Aubert; Loundou, Anderson; Berdah, Stéphane; Crochet, Patrice

2018-01-01

Total Laparoscopic hysterectomy (LH) requires an advanced level of operative skills and training. The aim of this study was to develop an objective scale specific for the assessment of technical skills for LH (H-OSATS) and to demonstrate feasibility of use and validity in a virtual reality setting. The scale was developed using a hierarchical task analysis and a panel of international experts. A Delphi method obtained consensus among experts on relevant steps that should be included into the H-OSATS scale for assessment of operative performances. Feasibility of use and validity of the scale were evaluated by reviewing video recordings of LH performed on a virtual reality laparoscopic simulator. Three groups of operators of different levels of experience were assessed in a Marseille teaching hospital (10 novices, 8 intermediates and 8 experienced surgeons). Correlations with scores obtained using a recognised generic global rating tool (OSATS) were calculated. A total of 76 discrete steps were identified by the hierarchical task analysis. 14 experts completed the two rounds of the Delphi questionnaire. 64 steps reached consensus and were integrated in the scale. During the validation process, median time to rate each video recording was 25 minutes. There was a significant difference between the novice, intermediate and experienced group for total H-OSATS scores (133, 155.9 and 178.25 respectively; p = 0.002). H-OSATS scale demonstrated high inter-rater reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] = 0.930; p<0.001) and test retest reliability (ICC = 0.877; p<0.001). High correlations were found between total H-OSATS scores and OSATS scores (rho = 0.928; p<0.001). The H-OSATS scale displayed evidence of validity for assessment of technical performances for LH performed on a virtual reality simulator. The implementation of this scale is expected to facilitate deliberate practice. Next steps should focus on evaluating the validity of the scale in the operating room.

Socio-hydrogeology and low-income countries: taking science to rural society

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Limaye, Shrikant Daji

2017-11-01

Rural societies in low-income, high-population countries often faces scarcity of water of suitable quality for domestic use and agriculture. Hydrogeologists should therefore orientate their research work towards solving practical problems and impart basic knowledge about the hydrogeology of local watersheds to the village councils and communities so as to ensure their participation in better management of groundwater resources. Such cooperation between the hydrogeologists and villagers is the foundation of socio-hydrogeology, which aims at broader dissemination of information and discussions with hydrogeologists at village meetings regarding watershed management such as recharge augmentation, groundwater quality issues and prudent use of groundwater. Socio-hydrogeology implies improved accessibility of rural society to hydrogeological experts and better communication through the use of more appropriate and understandable language.

Improving the Effectiveness of Electronic Health Record-Based Referral Processes

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Electronic health records are increasingly being used to facilitate referral communication in the outpatient setting. However, despite support by technology, referral communication between primary care providers and specialists is often unsatisfactory and is unable to eliminate care delays. This may be in part due to lack of attention to how information and communication technology fits within the social environment of health care. Making electronic referral communication effective requires a multifaceted “socio-technical” approach. Using an 8-dimensional socio-technical model for health information technology as a framework, we describe ten recommendations that represent good clinical practices to design, develop, implement, improve, and monitor electronic referral communication in the outpatient setting. These recommendations were developed on the basis of our previous work, current literature, sound clinical practice, and a systems-based approach to understanding and implementing health information technology solutions. Recommendations are relevant to system designers, practicing clinicians, and other stakeholders considering use of electronic health records to support referral communication. PMID:22973874

Interplay among Technical, Socio-Emotional and Personal Factors in Written Feedback Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chong, Ivan

2018-01-01

The centrality of written feedback is clearly seen from the proliferation of research in the context of higher education. As an increasingly expanding field in research, the majority of written feedback studies have been interested in investigating the technical aspect of how feedback should be given in order to promote student learning. More…

Technical Report of Successful Deployment of Tandem Visual Tracking During Live Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy Between Novice and Expert Surgeon

PubMed Central

Baronia, Benedicto C

2016-01-01

With the recent advances in eye tracking technology, it is now possible to track surgeons’ eye movements while engaged in a surgical task or when surgical residents practice their surgical skills. Several studies have compared eye movements of surgical experts and novices and developed techniques to assess surgical skill on the basis of eye movement utilizing simulators and live surgery. None have evaluated simultaneous visual tracking between an expert and a novice during live surgery. Here, we describe a successful simultaneous deployment of visual tracking of an expert and a novice during live laparoscopic cholecystectomy. One expert surgeon and one chief surgical resident at an accredited surgical program in Lubbock, TX, USA performed a live laparoscopic cholecystectomy while simultaneously wearing the visual tracking devices. Their visual attitudes and movements were monitored via video recordings. The recordings were then analyzed for correlation between the expert and the novice. The visual attitudes and movements correlated approximately 85% between an expert surgeon and a chief surgical resident. The surgery was carried out uneventfully, and the data was abstracted with ease. We conclude that simultaneous deployment of visual tracking during live laparoscopic surgery is a possibility. More studies and subjects are needed to verify the success of our results and obtain data analysis. PMID:27774359

A multi-stakeholder framework for sustainable energy behavior: A multidisciplinary systems study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khansari, Nasrin

Growth of population and moving towards over-consumption and over-pollution are significant threats to the environment and therefore necessitate moving towards sustainability approaches. CO2 emissions are considered to be the main basis of the incredible increase in the earth's surface temperature in recent years. Most emissions result from human activities. Thus, developing a detailed framework representing the parameters affecting individuals' energy behaviors is required. This dissertation offers an integrated conceptual framework to increase the efficiency of energy systems under complex and uncertainty conditions, facilitate energy consumption problem solving, and support the development of capacities at the individual, social, and technical levels to improve managing energy consumptions in the future. This research presents a conceptual soft systems model to explore the process of individuals' energy behavior change based on socio-structural and techno-structural contexts. In addition, a comprehensive model based on systems dynamics principles is presented to address the issue of CO2 emissions related to the households' energy consumption behavior. The proposed systems dynamics model provides a broad overview of the key agents affecting energy consumption, including government/public sector, households, and power industry. The model is created based on the research in the literature discussing the causal relations between various variables. The proposed systems dynamics model is verified by simulating different scenarios. In this research a survey is designed and conducted to investigate the role of individual, social and technical behaviors in reducing energy consumption, energy costs and carbon footprints based on the energy use profile. In sum, this study investigates the process of energy behavior change based on socio-structural and techno-structural contexts.

Adapting an Agent-Based Model of Socio-Technical Systems to Analyze System and Security Failures

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-05-09

statistically significant amount, which it did with a p-valueɘ.0003 on a simulation of 3125 iterations; the data is shown in the Delegation 1 column of...Blackout metric to a statistically significant amount, with a p-valueɘ.0003 on a simulation of 3125 iterations; the data is shown in the Delegation 2...Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Autonomous Agents and Multiagent Systems: volume 1-Volume 1, pp. 1007- 1014 . International Foundation

Optimal service using Matlab - simulink controlled Queuing system at call centers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balaji, N.; Siva, E. P.; Chandrasekaran, A. D.; Tamilazhagan, V.

2018-04-01

This paper presents graphical integrated model based academic research on telephone call centres. This paper introduces an important feature of impatient customers and abandonments in the queue system. However the modern call centre is a complex socio-technical system. Queuing theory has now become a suitable application in the telecom industry to provide better online services. Through this Matlab-simulink multi queuing structured models provide better solutions in complex situations at call centres. Service performance measures analyzed at optimal level through Simulink queuing model.

DataHub: Science data management in support of interactive exploratory analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Handley, Thomas H., Jr.; Rubin, Mark R.

1993-01-01

The DataHub addresses four areas of significant needs: scientific visualization and analysis; science data management; interactions in a distributed, heterogeneous environment; and knowledge-based assistance for these functions. The fundamental innovation embedded within the DataHub is the integration of three technologies, viz. knowledge-based expert systems, science visualization, and science data management. This integration is based on a concept called the DataHub. With the DataHub concept, science investigators are able to apply a more complete solution to all nodes of a distributed system. Both computational nodes and interactives nodes are able to effectively and efficiently use the data services (access, retrieval, update, etc), in a distributed, interdisciplinary information system in a uniform and standard way. This allows the science investigators to concentrate on their scientific endeavors, rather than to involve themselves in the intricate technical details of the systems and tools required to accomplish their work. Thus, science investigators need not be programmers. The emphasis on the definition and prototyping of system elements with sufficient detail to enable data analysis and interpretation leading to information. The DataHub includes all the required end-to-end components and interfaces to demonstrate the complete concept.

DataHub - Science data management in support of interactive exploratory analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Handley, Thomas H., Jr.; Rubin, Mark R.

1993-01-01

DataHub addresses four areas of significant need: scientific visualization and analysis; science data management; interactions in a distributed, heterogeneous environment; and knowledge-based assistance for these functions. The fundamental innovation embedded within the DataHub is the integration of three technologies, viz. knowledge-based expert systems, science visualization, and science data management. This integration is based on a concept called the DataHub. With the DataHub concept, science investigators are able to apply a more complete solution to all nodes of a distributed system. Both computational nodes and interactive nodes are able to effectively and efficiently use the data services (access, retrieval, update, etc.) in a distributed, interdisciplinary information system in a uniform and standard way. This allows the science investigators to concentrate on their scientific endeavors, rather than to involve themselves in the intricate technical details of the systems and tools required to accomplish their work. Thus, science investigators need not be programmers. The emphasis is on the definition and prototyping of system elements with sufficient detail to enable data analysis and interpretation leading to information. The DataHub includes all the required end-to-end components and interfaces to demonstrate the complete concept.

Spatial vulnerability units - expert-based spatial modelling of socio-economic vulnerability in the Salzach catchment, Austria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kienberger, S.; Lang, S.; Zeil, P.

2009-05-01

The assessment of vulnerability has moved to centre-stage of the debate between different scientific disciplines related to climate change and disaster risk management. Composed by a combination of social, economical, physical and environmental factors the assessment implies combining different domains as well as quantitative with qualitative data and makes it therefore a challenge to identify an integrated metric for vulnerability. In this paper we define vulnerability in the context of climate change, targeting the hazard "flood". The developed methodology is being tested in the Salzach river catchment in Austria, which is largely prone to floods. The proposed methodology allows the spatial quantification of vulnerability and the identification of vulnerability units. These units build upon the geon concept which acts as a framework for the regionalization of continuous spatial information according to defined parameters of homogeneity. Using geons, we are capable of transforming singular domains of information on specific systemic components to policy-relevant, conditioned information. Considering the fact that vulnerability is not directly measurable and due to its complex dimension and social construction an expert-based approach has been chosen. Established methodologies such as Multicriteria Decision Analysis, Delphi exercises and regionalization approaches are being integrated. The method not only enables the assessment of vulnerability independent from administrative boundaries, but also applies an aggregation mode which reflects homogenous vulnerability units. This supports decision makers to reflect on complex issues such as vulnerability. Next to that, the advantage is to decompose the units to their underlying domains. Feedback from disaster management experts indicates that the approach helps to improve the design of measures aimed at strengthening preparedness and mitigation. From this point of view, we reach a step closer towards validation of the proposed method, comprising critical user-oriented aspects like adequateness, practicability and usability of the provided results in general.

Rethinking Technical Communication Pedagogy: A Poststructuralist View of Program and Course Design.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woolever, Kristin R.

Technical communication specialists today really have to be technology experts as well as effective writers--even their titles have changed to "information designers, information engineers, or document developers." Teachers of technical communication should be up to date in the classroom to meet the changing needs of the workplace.…

Development and validation of a sensor- and expert model-based training system for laparoscopic surgery: the iSurgeon.

PubMed

Kowalewski, Karl-Friedrich; Hendrie, Jonathan D; Schmidt, Mona W; Garrow, Carly R; Bruckner, Thomas; Proctor, Tanja; Paul, Sai; Adigüzel, Davud; Bodenstedt, Sebastian; Erben, Andreas; Kenngott, Hannes; Erben, Young; Speidel, Stefanie; Müller-Stich, Beat P; Nickel, Felix

2017-05-01

Training and assessment outside of the operating room is crucial for minimally invasive surgery due to steep learning curves. Thus, we have developed and validated the sensor- and expert model-based laparoscopic training system, the iSurgeon. Participants of different experience levels (novice, intermediate, expert) performed four standardized laparoscopic knots. Instruments and surgeons' joint motions were tracked with an NDI Polaris camera and Microsoft Kinect v1. With frame-by-frame image analysis, the key steps of suturing and knot tying were identified and registered with motion data. Construct validity, concurrent validity, and test-retest reliability were analyzed. The Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skills (OSATS) was used as the gold standard for concurrent validity. The system showed construct validity by discrimination between experience levels by parameters such as time (novice = 442.9 ± 238.5 s; intermediate = 190.1 ± 50.3 s; expert = 115.1 ± 29.1 s; p < 0.001), total path length (novice = 18,817 ± 10318 mm; intermediate = 9995 ± 3286 mm; expert = 7265 ± 2232 mm; p < 0.001), average speed (novice = 42.9 ± 8.3 mm/s; intermediate = 52.7 ± 11.2 mm/s; expert = 63.6 ± 12.9 mm/s; p < 0.001), angular path (novice = 20,573 ± 12,611°; intermediate = 8652 ± 2692°; expert = 5654 ± 1746°; p < 0.001), number of movements (novice = 2197 ± 1405; intermediate = 987 ± 367; expert = 743 ± 238; p < 0.001), number of movements per second (novice = 5.0 ± 1.4; intermediate = 5.2 ± 1.5; expert = 6.6 ± 1.6; p = 0.025), and joint angle range (for different axes and joints all p < 0.001). Concurrent validity of OSATS and iSurgeon parameters was established. Test-retest reliability was given for 7 out of 8 parameters. The key steps "wrapping the thread around the instrument" and "needle positioning" were most difficult to learn. Validity and reliability of the self-developed sensor-and expert model-based laparoscopic training system "iSurgeon" were established. Using multiple parameters proved more reliable than single metric parameters. Wrapping of the needle around the thread and needle positioning were identified as difficult key steps for laparoscopic suturing and knot tying. The iSurgeon could generate automated real-time feedback based on expert models which may result in shorter learning curves for laparoscopic tasks. Our next steps will be the implementation and evaluation of full procedural training in an experimental model.

20th Aerospace Mechanisms Symposium. Revised

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1986-01-01

The proceedings of the 20th Aerospace Mechanisms Symposium, hosted by the NASA Lewis Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio, on May 7-9, 1986, is documented herein. During the 3 days, 23 technical papers were presented by experts from the United States and Western Europe. A panel discussion by an International group of experts on future directions In mechanisms was also presented; this discussion, however, is not documented herein. The technical topics addressed included deployable structures, electromagnetic devices, tribology, thermal/mechanical/hydraulic actuators, latching devices, positioning mechanisms, robotic manipulators, and computerized mechanisms synthesis.

The Accreditation Experience of Clinical Laboratories and Blood Banks in Mexico

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

The accreditation of clinical laboratories and blood banks based on ISO 15189 is now being consolidated in Mexico, and is coordinated by the Mexican accreditation entity innovative strategies, A.C. (ema) and supported by the activities of the committee of clinical laboratories and blood banks. The active participation in working groups formed by the technical committee of clinical laboratories and blood banks in specific areas, has contributed to the formulation of technical documents and criteria of evaluation that strengthen the current accreditation scheme. The national registry of evaluation (PNE) consists of technical experts and evaluators from different disciplines of clinical laboratory; the evaluators actively participate in accreditation assessment, with an ultimate goal to receive training and feedback for continuous improvement of its own performance. PMID:27683498

Analysis of the Structure of Surgical Activity for a Suturing and Knot-Tying Task

PubMed Central

Vedula, S. Swaroop; Malpani, Anand O.; Tao, Lingling; Chen, George; Gao, Yixin; Poddar, Piyush; Ahmidi, Narges; Paxton, Christopher; Vidal, Rene; Khudanpur, Sanjeev; Hager, Gregory D.; Chen, Chi Chiung Grace

2016-01-01

Background Surgical tasks are performed in a sequence of steps, and technical skill evaluation includes assessing task flow efficiency. Our objective was to describe differences in task flow for expert and novice surgeons for a basic surgical task. Methods We used a hierarchical semantic vocabulary to decompose and annotate maneuvers and gestures for 135 instances of a surgeon’s knot performed by 18 surgeons. We compared counts of maneuvers and gestures, and analyzed task flow by skill level. Results Experts used fewer gestures to perform the task (26.29; 95% CI = 25.21 to 27.38 for experts vs. 31.30; 95% CI = 29.05 to 33.55 for novices) and made fewer errors in gestures than novices (1.00; 95% CI = 0.61 to 1.39 vs. 2.84; 95% CI = 2.3 to 3.37). Transitions among maneuvers, and among gestures within each maneuver for expert trials were more predictable than novice trials. Conclusions Activity segments and state flow transitions within a basic surgical task differ by surgical skill level, and can be used to provide targeted feedback to surgical trainees. PMID:26950551

Towards integrated water resources management in Colombia: challenges and opportunities for spatial environmental planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salazar, Sergio; Hernández, Sebastián

2015-04-01

Only until 2010 was enacted the first national policy related to the integrated management of water resources in Colombia. In 2011 was established the Directorate for Integrated Water Resources Management within the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development. Between 2010 to 2013 were adopted the regulatory instruments to be developed within the hierarchical structure for spatial environmental planning around the water resources, considering both a transdisciplinary framework and a multi-ethnic and multi-participatory approach. In this context, there is a breakthrough in the development of strategic and tactic actions summarized as follows: i) technical guidelines or projects were developed for the spatial environmental planning at the macroscale river basins (i.e. Magdalena-Cauca river basin with 2.3 million hectares), meso-scale (river basins from 50.000 to 2 million hectares and aquifers) and local scale (catchments areas less than 50.000 hectares); ii) there is an advance in the knowledge of key hydrological processes in the basins of the country as well as actions to restore and preserve ecosystems essential for the regulation of water supply and ecosystem services; iii) demand characterization introducing regional talks with socio-economic stakeholders and promoting water efficiency actions; iv) water use regulation as a way for decontamination and achieving quality standards for prospective uses; v) introduction of risks analysis associated with water resources in the spatial environmental planning and establishment of mitigation and adaptation measures; vi) strengthening the monitoring network of water quality and hydrometeorological variables; vii) strengthening interactions with national and international research as well as the implementation of a national information system of water resources; viii) steps towards water governance with the introduction of socio-economic stakeholder in the spatial environmental planning and implementation of actions to a water culture and water use conflict management. With the premise that "access to information and research are crucial for the integrated water resources management", different planning tools have been implemented in several case studies, considering several hydro-climatic, bio-geographic and socio-cultural contexts. It was supported with a transdisciplinary approach (integrated visions from disciplines such as hydrology, biology, ecology, pedology, geomorphology, geology, economy and social sciences among others) with a key protagonist: the technical and scientific capacity available in the country. From this practical experiences at different spatial scales, we have identified a battery of key challenges: i) extend the spatial and temporal coverage of hydrometeorological and water quality monitoring networks at regional scale; ii) expand the knowledge base of aquatic and transition ecosystem as well as the environmental baseline from regional to local scales; iii) researches about the state of subterranean water resources and their interactions with lotic and lentic systems; iv) move towards the establishment of decision support systems that integrate policy objectives at different scales; v) strengthening technical and scientific capacity of the country expanding academic and research public offer; vi) unifying technical criteria and standards environment management policy; vii) institutional architecture redesign. If there is a political and socio-economical consensus about the urgency to move towards the key aspect summarized here, Colombian people will be giving the definitive step towards integrated water resources management as a cornerstone of spatial environmental planning and water governance. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this abstract are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the Colombian Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development or any agency of the Colombian government.

External Tank Liquid Hydrogen (LH2) Prepress Regression Analysis Independent Review Technical Consultation Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parsons, Vickie s.

2009-01-01

The request to conduct an independent review of regression models, developed for determining the expected Launch Commit Criteria (LCC) External Tank (ET)-04 cycle count for the Space Shuttle ET tanking process, was submitted to the NASA Engineering and Safety Center NESC on September 20, 2005. The NESC team performed an independent review of regression models documented in Prepress Regression Analysis, Tom Clark and Angela Krenn, 10/27/05. This consultation consisted of a peer review by statistical experts of the proposed regression models provided in the Prepress Regression Analysis. This document is the consultation's final report.

A probabilistic analysis of silicon cost

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reiter, L. J.

1983-01-01

Silicon materials costs represent both a cost driver and an area where improvement can be made in the manufacture of photovoltaic modules. The cost from three processes for the production of low-cost silicon being developed under the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Photovoltaic Program is analyzed. The approach is based on probabilistic inputs and makes use of two models developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory: SIMRAND (SIMulation of Research ANd Development) and IPEG (Improved Price Estimating Guidelines). The approach, assumptions, and limitations are detailed along with a verification of the cost analyses methodology. Results, presented in the form of cumulative probability distributions for silicon cost, indicate that there is a 55% chance of reaching the DOE target of $16/kg for silicon material. This is a technically achievable cost based on expert forecasts of the results of ongoing research and development and do not imply any market prices for a given year.

Application of DNA-based methods in forensic entomology.

PubMed

Wells, Jeffrey D; Stevens, Jamie R

2008-01-01

A forensic entomological investigation can benefit from a variety of widely practiced molecular genotyping methods. The most commonly used is DNA-based specimen identification. Other applications include the identification of insect gut contents and the characterization of the population genetic structure of a forensically important insect species. The proper application of these procedures demands that the analyst be technically expert. However, one must also be aware of the extensive list of standards and expectations that many legal systems have developed for forensic DNA analysis. We summarize the DNA techniques that are currently used in, or have been proposed for, forensic entomology and review established genetic analyses from other scientific fields that address questions similar to those in forensic entomology. We describe how accepted standards for forensic DNA practice and method validation are likely to apply to insect evidence used in a death or other forensic entomological investigation.

A Qualitative Study on Organizational Factors Affecting Occupational Accidents.

PubMed

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

2017-03-01

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

Interorganizational Systems Adoption: A Socio-Technical Perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bunker, Deborah; Kautz, Karlheinz; Pyne, Clayton

This paper discusses a case study of an electronic data interchange (EDI) interorganizational system (IOS) adoption project between two organizations (ProvideCo and BuildCo) highlighting that IOS adoption is not only technological in nature and orientation but that organizational factors also play their part. As a result of the case analysis and key findings, an interorganizational collaboration model (Barratt 2004) is amended to explain and highlight the effect of organizational factors on IOS adoption. The amended model includes the relationship of technology (IOS) adoption to cross-functional collaborative activities and risk, power, opportunism, and trust.

Technical interventions to increase adenoma detection rate in colonoscopy.

PubMed

Rondonotti, Emanuele; Andrealli, Alida; Amato, Arnaldo; Paggi, Silvia; Conti, Clara Benedetta; Spinzi, Giancarlo; Radaelli, Franco

2016-12-01

Adenoma detection rate (ADR) is the most robust colonoscopy quality metric and clinical studies have adopted it as the ideal method to assess the impact of technical interventions. Areas covered: We reviewed papers focusing on the impact of colonoscopy technical issues on ADR, including withdrawal time and technique, second evaluation of the right colon, patient positional changes, gastrointestinal assistant participation during colonoscopy, water-aided technique, optimization of bowel preparation and antispasmodic administration. Expert commentary: Overall, technical interventions are inexpensive, available worldwide and easy to implement. Some of them, such as the adoption of split dose regimen and slow scope withdrawal to allow a careful inspection, have been demonstrated to significantly improve ADR. Emerging data support the use of water-exchange colonoscopy. According to published studies, other technical interventions seem to provide only marginal benefit to ADR. Unfortunately, the available evidence has methodological limitations, such as small sample sizes, the inclusion of expert endoscopists only and the evaluation of single technical interventions. Additionally, larger studies are needed to clarify whether these interventions might have a higher benefit on low adenoma detectors and whether the implementation of a bundle of them, instead of a single technical maneuver, might have a greater impact on ADR.

5 CFR 304.102 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Administrative Personnel OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS EXPERT AND CONSULTANT... of unusual competence and skill in a professional, scientific, technical or other activity. (e) An expert position is one that requires the services of a specialist with skills superior to those of others...

Quantitative Effectiveness Analysis of Solar Photovoltaic Policies, Introduction of Socio-Feed-in Tariff Mechanism (SocioFIT) and its Implementation in Turkey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mustafaoglu, Mustafa Sinan

Some of the main energy issues in developing countries are high dependence on non-renewable energy sources, low energy efficiency levels and as a result of this high amount of CO2 emissions. Besides, a common problem of many countries including developing countries is economic inequality problem. In the study, solar photovoltaic policies of Germany, Japan and the USA is analyzed through a quantitative analysis and a new renewable energy support mechanism called Socio Feed-in Tariff Mechanism (SocioFIT) is formed based on the analysis results to address the mentioned issues of developing countries as well as economic inequality problem by using energy savings as a funding source for renewable energy systems. The applicability of the mechanism is solidified by the calculations in case of an implementation of the mechanism in Turkey.

Cutting for a Career; a Discussion of the Domains of Surgical Competence Using Expert Bespoke Tailoring as a Metaphor for Surgical Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rees-Lee, Jacqueline; Kneebone, Roger

2015-01-01

Competency based surgical training uses proficiency of technical skills to quantify surgical competency. We believe this is an over simplification of what is required to be a competent surgeon. This work aims to illuminate the attributes of a mature, competent, thinking surgeon. A bespoke (or custom) tailor is highly trained craftsman who produces…

Education and Training of Nurse Teachers and Managers with Special Regard to Primary Health Care. Technical Report Series 708.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

World Health Organization, Geneva (Switzerland).

A 1983 committee report is presented of the World Health Organization Expert Committee on the Education and Training of Nurse Teachers and Managers with Special Regard to Primary Health Care. After discussing the changing context of health care and trends in primary health care, changes required in education and training in health systems based on…

Blood-Banking Techniques for Plateletpheresis in Swine

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-05-01

automatically calculates the blood volume for that patient according to an internal formula . However, to circumvent the human-based algorithm, for a 60-kg...blood volume (µL) in the percentage recovery formula given earlier. The maximal recovery percent- age was calculated by setting the 3-min results to 100...Control Resuscitation Department, the Veterinary Support Department, and the Laboratory Support Department for their expert technical assistance

Book Review: New Perspectives on Technical Editing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murphy, A. J. (Ed.); Sterken, Christiaan

2012-08-01

New Perspectives on Technical Editing by Avon J. Murphy (ed.) ISBN : 978-0895033949 (2010) Baywood Publishing Company Inc, Hardcover, 210 pages, 35.5 GBP This book presents a collection of 10 chapters dealing with diverse aspects of technical editing (ie, editorial planning, and analysis and structural changes made to other people's technological documents): research in technical editing, trends and teaching of technical editing, copyediting, and technical journal editing. The role and function of the modern journal and book editor is also dealt with in detail. Each chapter is written by an expert in the field: senior editors, university professors in technical communication, technical writers and linguists. The ever-evolving role of the editor is clearly elucidated in several historical reviews, and in the descriptions of the expectations for the future. A very striking aspect of this book is its extensive collection of bibliographic resources: every chapter lists dozens of very useful references, and the closing chapter, and annotated bibliography, contain many not so well known references, and are most useful. All in all, the book is a treasure trove listing more than 400 references, in addition to numerous webpage URLs embedded in the texts. The book is designed to help the reader to understand current practices and norms in technical editing, and to help to take action in editing as well as in teaching and educating would-be editors. The audience for this book thus includes editors and teachers, but also writers, researchers and students. A deep reading of this book will result in a better understanding of the difference between full technical editing and its much narrower component so well known as copyediting, and will convince any prospective editor that editing should not be undertaken if the people involved do not master the art of precision and accuracy in technical (as well as in human) communication, do not possess the technical know how and computer skills, or do not have a very broad knowledge base. The language fluency of every contributor makes this book a pleasure to read, and this particular volume of Baywood's Technical Communications Series is very well edited. The subject index covers almost 8 two-column pages.

Digital Mapping Techniques '07 - Workshop Proceedings

USGS Publications Warehouse

Soller, David R.

2008-01-01

The Digital Mapping Techniques '07 (DMT'07) workshop was attended by 85 technical experts from 49 agencies, universities, and private companies, including representatives from 27 state geological surveys. This year's meeting, the tenth in the annual series, was hosted by the South Carolina Geological Survey, from May 20-23, 2007, on the University of South Carolina campus in Columbia, South Carolina. Each DMT workshop has been coordinated by the U.S. Geological Survey's National Geologic Map Database Project and the Association of American State Geologists (AASG). As in previous year's meetings, the objective was to foster informal discussion and exchange of technical information, principally in order to develop more efficient methods for digital mapping, cartography, GIS analysis, and information management. At this meeting, oral and poster presentations and special discussion sessions emphasized: 1) methods for creating and publishing map products (here, 'publishing' includes Web-based release); 2) field data capture software and techniques, including the use of LIDAR; 3) digital cartographic techniques; 4) migration of digital maps into ArcGIS Geodatabase format; 5) analytical GIS techniques; and 6) continued development of the National Geologic Map Database.

DMS augmented monitoring and diganosis application (DMS AMDA) prototype

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Patterson-Hine, F. A.; Boyd, Mark A.; Iverson, David L.; Donnell, Brian; Lauritsen, Janet; Doubek, Sharon; Gibson, Jim; Monahan, Christine; Rosenthal, Donald A.

1993-01-01

The Data Management System Augmented Monitoring and Diagnosis Application (DMS AMDA) is currently under development at NASA Ames Research Center (ARC). It will provide automated monitoring and diagnosis capabilities for the Space Station Freedom (SSF) Data Management System (DMS) in the Control Center Complex (CCC) at NASA Johnson Space Center. Several advanced automation applications are under development for use in the CCC for other SSF subsystems. The DMS AMDA, however, is the first application to utilize digraph failure analysis techniques and the Extended Realtime FEAT (ERF) application as the core of its diagnostic system design, since the other projects were begun before the digraph tools were available. Model-based diagnosis and expert systems techniques will provide additional capabilities and augment ERF where appropriate. Utilization of system knowledge captured in the design phase of a system in digraphs should result in both a cost savings and a technical advantage during implementation of the diagnostic software. This paper addresses both the programmatic and technical considerations of this approach, and describes the software design and initial prototyping effort.

Spacecraft attitude control using a smart control system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Buckley, Brian; Wheatcraft, Louis

1992-01-01

Traditionally, spacecraft attitude control has been implemented using control loops written in native code for a space hardened processor. The Naval Research Lab has taken this approach during the development of the Attitude Control Electronics (ACE) package. After the system was developed and delivered, NRL decided to explore alternate technologies to accomplish this same task more efficiently. The approach taken by NRL was to implement the ACE control loops using systems technologies. The purpose of this effort was to: (1) research capabilities required of an expert system in processing a classic closed-loop control algorithm; (2) research the development environment required to design and test an embedded expert systems environment; (3) research the complexity of design and development of expert systems versus a conventional approach; and (4) test the resulting systems against the flight acceptance test software for both response and accuracy. Two expert systems were selected to implement the control loops. Criteria used for the selection of the expert systems included that they had to run in both embedded systems and ground based environments. Using two different expert systems allowed a comparison of the real-time capabilities, inferencing capabilities, and the ground-based development environment. The two expert systems chosen for the evaluation were Spacecraft Command Language (SCL), and NEXTPERT Object. SCL is a smart control system produced for the NRL by Interface and Control Systems (ICS). SCL was developed to be used for real-time command, control, and monitoring of a new generation of spacecraft. NEXPERT Object is a commercially available product developed by Neuron Data. Results of the effort were evaluated using the ACE test bed. The ACE test bed had been developed and used to test the original flight hardware and software using simulators and flight-like interfaces. The test bed was used for testing the expert systems in a 'near-flight' environment. The technical approach, the system architecture, the development environments, knowledge base development, and results of this effort are detailed.

Towards socio-hydroinformatics: optimal design and integration of citizen-based information in water-system models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Solomatine, Dimitri; Mazzoleni, Maurizio; Alfonso, Leonardo; Chacon Hurtado, Juan Carlos

2017-04-01

Traditionally, static physical sensors are used to calibrate, validate or update water-system models by water authorities to reduce predictive uncertainty. However, the main problem is scarcity of data in both spatial and temporal domains due to costly maintenance and personnel. On the other hand, the use of low-cost sensor to measure hydrological variables in a more distributed and crowdsourced way is currently expanding and creating a fertile ground to the spread of citizen observatories activities and citizen science projects. Among different citizen sciences projects, the EU-funded projects WeSenseIt (www.wesenseit.eu) and GroundTruth (www.gt20.eu) aim at developing technologies and tools supporting creation of citizen observatories. A drawback of using crowdsourced observations is related to their intrinsic uncertainty and variable life span. Current flood forecasting applications limit the use of crowdsourced observations. Although some efforts to validate model results against these observations have been made, these are mainly done in a post-event analysis. Socio-hydroinformatics aims to integrate hydroinformatics tools and citizen observatories to achieve a dynamic and bidirectional feedbacks between coupled human-water systems. On the one hand, the main technical motivation of socio-hydroinformatics is to fill the gap in hydrological applications regarding the optimal use of crowdsourced observations not only in post-event analyses but in also in real time by their optimal assimilation. On the other hand, the social motivation is to bring citizens closer to decision-making processes and to understand how their participation in the model development process could improve models. In this study, different methods were developed and implemented to optimally design networks of dynamic sensors and assimilate crowdsourced observations, with varying spatial and temporal coverage, into hydrological and hydraulic models. This very first study of socio-hydroinformatics can be a potential application demonstrates that citizens not only play an active role in information capturing, evaluation and communication, but also help to improve models and thus increase flood resilience.

Center for Advanced Space Propulsion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1995-01-01

The Center for Advanced Space Propulsion (CASP) is part of the University of Tennessee-Calspan Center for Aerospace Research (CAR). It was formed in 1985 to take advantage of the extensive research faculty and staff of the University of Tennessee and Calspan Corporation. It is also one of sixteen NASA sponsored Centers established to facilitate the Commercial Development of Space. Based on investigators' qualifications in propulsion system development, and matching industries' strong intent, the Center focused its efforts in the following technical areas: advanced chemical propulsion, electric propulsion, AI/Expert systems, fluids management in microgravity, and propulsion materials processing. This annual report focuses its discussion in these technical areas.

Method for evaluation of human induced pluripotent stem cell quality using image analysis based on the biological morphology of cells.

PubMed

Wakui, Takashi; Matsumoto, Tsuyoshi; Matsubara, Kenta; Kawasaki, Tomoyuki; Yamaguchi, Hiroshi; Akutsu, Hidenori

2017-10-01

We propose an image analysis method for quality evaluation of human pluripotent stem cells based on biologically interpretable features. It is important to maintain the undifferentiated state of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) while culturing the cells during propagation. Cell culture experts visually select good quality cells exhibiting the morphological features characteristic of undifferentiated cells. Experts have empirically determined that these features comprise prominent and abundant nucleoli, less intercellular spacing, and fewer differentiating cellular nuclei. We quantified these features based on experts' visual inspection of phase contrast images of iPSCs and found that these features are effective for evaluating iPSC quality. We then developed an iPSC quality evaluation method using an image analysis technique. The method allowed accurate classification, equivalent to visual inspection by experts, of three iPSC cell lines.

TWRS vadose zone contamination issue expert panel report

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

Shafer, D.S.

1997-05-01

When members were first canvassed for participation in the Vadose Zone Expert Panel the stated purpose for convening the Panel was to review a controversial draft report, the SX Tank Farm Report. This report was produced by a DOE Grand Junction Project Office (GJPO) contractor, RUST Geotech, now MACTEC-ERS, for the DOE Richland Office (DOERL). Three meetings were planned for June, July and August, 1995 to review the draft report and to complete a Panel report by mid-September. The Expert Panel has found its efforts confounded by various non-technical issues. The Expert Panel has chosen to address some of themore » non-technical issues in this Preface rather than to dilute the technical discussion that follows in the body of this independent expert panel status report (Panel Report). Rather than performing a straightforward manuscript review, the Panel was asked to resolve conflicting interpretations of gamma-ray logging measurements performed in vadose zone boreholes (drywells) surrounding the high-level radioactive wastes of the SX tank farm. There are numerous and complex technical issues that must be evaluated before the vertical and radial extent of contaminant migration at the SX tank farm can be accurately assessed. When the Panel first met in early June, 1996, it quickly became apparent that the scientific and technical issues were obscured by policy and institutional affairs which have polarized discussion among various segments of the Hanford organization. This situation reflects the kinds of institutional problems described separately in reports by the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS/NRC), The Hanford Tanks Environmental Impacts and Policy Choices and BmTiers to Science: Technical Management of the Department of Energy Environmental Remediation Program. The Vadose Zone Characterization Program, appears to be caught between conflicting pressures and organizational mandates, some imposed from outside DOE-RL and some self-imposed. The institutional problems they encountered include having both Tank Waste Remediation System (TWRS), the parent organization of the Vadose Zone Characterization Program and Environmental Restoration (ER), each under different regulatory controls and different organizational units, seeking to defend the status quo and discount many of the Panel`s conclusions and recommendations. The results presented in the SX Tank Farm Report, especially the visualizations, have created concern in the public sector, both on a local, personal level and on a national political level.« less

Energy futures: Trading opportunities for the 1980's

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

Treat, J.E.; Cowie, S.; Davidson, F.E.

1984-01-01

This text gives a broad background in both theory and practice of energy futures trading. It details successful contract requirements. It analyzes fundamental and technical pricing and using both to manage risk and achieve trading objectives. Hedging strategy, financial aspects of trading, accounting procedures, internal control systems and tax implications are all expertly covered. The book concludes with the potential impact of futures trading on the structure of world markets. Contents: Energy futures: an overview; Exchanges and their contracts; Fundamental analysis and the theory of hedging; The principles of technical analysis; Putting it all together; Integrated trading strategies; Energy futures;more » Financing and exposure management in the oil industry; Accounting principles, taxation, and internal control; The potential impacts of trading in oil futures on the world oil market; Appendix; Glossary; Index.« less

Extending systems ergonomics thinking to accommodate the socio-technical issues of Systems of Systems.

PubMed

Siemieniuch, C E; Sinclair, M A

2014-01-01

Socio-technical issues for Systems of Systems (SoS) differ in several ways from those for systems, mainly because the individual systems that are components of the SoS are usually owned by different organisations, each responsible for the optimisation and operation of its own system. Consequently, management of the SoS is about negotiation and management of the interfaces. Because of issues of Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), commercial confidence, and the like, there is seldom sufficient, timely information in circulation about the SoS. Surprises are endemic to SoS, and resilience is a fundamental requirement. This paper outlines the different characteristics of SoS compared to ordinary systems, discusses many of the socio-technical issues involved, and then outlines a generic approach to these issues, treating the SoS as a 'wicked problem'. Endemic to this is the need for governance, which is discussed briefly. This is followed by a description of the evident gaps in knowledge about the functioning of SoS, and a listing of tool classes, the development of which would enable progress to be made more effectively. Finally, the paper discusses how the SoS approach might be the best way to entrain ICT to address global drivers, thus pointing to the importance of the SoS approach. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

Integration of an expert teaching assistant with distance learning software

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

Fonseca, S.P.; Reed, N.E.

1996-12-31

The Remote Teaching Assistant (RTA) software currently under development at UC Davis allows students and Teaching Assistants (TA`s) to interact through multimedia communication via the Internet. To resolve the problem of TA unavailability and limited knowledge, an Expert Teaching Assistant (ETA) module is being developed. When TA`s are not on-line, students in need of help consult ETA. The focus of this research is the development and integration of ETA with RTA, the establishment of an architecture suitable for use with education (the domain) in any sub-domain (course), and the creation of a mechanism usable by non-technical personnel to maintain knowledgemore » bases.« less

78 FR 19565 - Call for Expert Reviewers to the U.S. Government Review of the Working Group II Contribution to...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-01

... Climate Change (IPCC), Impacts, Adaptation & Vulnerability. SUMMARY: The United States Global Change... on Climate Change (IPCC), Impacts, Adaptation & Vulnerability. The United Nations Environment... socio-economic information for understanding the scientific basis of climate change, potential impacts...

Development of an instrument for the evaluation of advanced life support performance.

PubMed

Peltonen, L-M; Peltonen, V; Salanterä, S; Tommila, M

2017-10-01

Assessing advanced life support (ALS) competence requires validated instruments. Existing instruments include aspects of technical skills (TS), non-technical skills (NTS) or both, but one instrument for detailed assessment that suits all resuscitation situations is lacking. This study aimed to develop an instrument for the evaluation of the overall ALS performance of the whole team. This instrument development study had four phases. First, we reviewed literature and resuscitation guidelines to explore items to include in the instrument. Thereafter, we interviewed resuscitation team professionals (n = 66), using the critical incident technique, to determine possible additional aspects associated with the performance of ALS. Second, we developed an instrument based on the findings. Third, we used an expert panel (n = 20) to assess the validity of the developed instrument. Finally, we revised the instrument based on the experts' comments and tested it with six experts who evaluated 22 video recorded resuscitations. The final version of the developed instrument had 69 items divided into adherence to guidelines (28 items), clinical decision-making (5 items), workload management (12 items), team behaviour (8 items), information management (6 items), patient integrity and consideration of laymen (4 items) and work routines (6 items). The Cronbach's α values were good, and strong correlations between the overall performance and the instrument were observed. The instrument may be useful for detailed assessment of the team's overall performance, but the numerous items make the use demanding. The instrument is still under development, and more research is needed to determine its psychometric properties. © 2017 The Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica Foundation. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Towards Quality Technical Vocational Education and Training (Tvet) Programmes in Nigeria: Challenges and Improvement Strategies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ayonmike, Chinyere Shirley; Okwelle, P. Chijioke; Okeke, Benjamin Chukwumaijem

2015-01-01

Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) is widely recognized as a vital driving force for the socio-economic growth and technological development of nations. In achieving the goals and objectives of TVET in Nigeria, the quality of the programme needs to be improved and sustained. The purpose of this study is to ascertain the challenges…

Projected use of grazed forages in the United States: 2000 to 2050: A technical document supporting the 2000 USDA Forest Service RPA Assessment

Treesearch

Larry W. van Tassell; E. Tom Bartlett; John E. Mitchell

2001-01-01

Scenario analysis techniques were used to combine projections from 35 grazed forage experts to estimate future forage demand scenarios and examine factors that are anticipated to impact the use of grazed forages in the South, North, and West Regions of the United States. The amount of land available for forage production is projected to decrease in all regions while...

Distintas Modalidades de Aproximar la Educacion al Mundo Productivo: Efectos sobre Variables Psico-Sociales en los Alumnos (Distinct Modalities in Approaching Education for the Productive World: Effects of Socio-psychological Variables on Students).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hidalgo, Abelardo Castro; Carrasco, Decler Martinez; Alegria, Jorge Alegria; Elevancini, Cecilia Maldonado

2000-01-01

States that since the 1990s, professional technical education has produced profound transformations in the relationship between education and work in Chile. Examines in a study how modalities of bringing students to the world of work have affected students' socio-psychological characteristics in comparison to training received from traditional…

An integrated modeling approach to support management decisions of coupled groundwater-agricultural systems under multiple uncertainties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hagos Subagadis, Yohannes; Schütze, Niels; Grundmann, Jens

2015-04-01

The planning and implementation of effective water resources management strategies need an assessment of multiple (physical, environmental, and socio-economic) issues, and often requires new research in which knowledge of diverse disciplines are combined in a unified methodological and operational frameworks. Such integrative research to link different knowledge domains faces several practical challenges. Such complexities are further compounded by multiple actors frequently with conflicting interests and multiple uncertainties about the consequences of potential management decisions. A fuzzy-stochastic multiple criteria decision analysis tool was developed in this study to systematically quantify both probabilistic and fuzzy uncertainties associated with complex hydrosystems management. It integrated physical process-based models, fuzzy logic, expert involvement and stochastic simulation within a general framework. Subsequently, the proposed new approach is applied to a water-scarce coastal arid region water management problem in northern Oman, where saltwater intrusion into a coastal aquifer due to excessive groundwater extraction for irrigated agriculture has affected the aquifer sustainability, endangering associated socio-economic conditions as well as traditional social structure. Results from the developed method have provided key decision alternatives which can serve as a platform for negotiation and further exploration. In addition, this approach has enabled to systematically quantify both probabilistic and fuzzy uncertainties associated with the decision problem. Sensitivity analysis applied within the developed tool has shown that the decision makers' risk aversion and risk taking attitude may yield in different ranking of decision alternatives. The developed approach can be applied to address the complexities and uncertainties inherent in water resources systems to support management decisions, while serving as a platform for stakeholder participation.

Defining the Key Competencies in Radiation Protection for Endovascular Procedures: A Multispecialty Delphi Consensus Study.

PubMed

Doyen, Bart; Maurel, Blandine; Cole, Jonathan; Maertens, Heidi; Mastracci, Tara; Van Herzeele, Isabelle

2018-02-01

Radiation protection training courses currently focus on broad knowledge topics which may not always be relevant in daily practice. The goal of this study was to determine the key competencies in radiation protection that every endovascular team member should possess and apply routinely, through multispecialty clinical content expert consensus. Consensus was obtained through a two round modified Delphi methodology. The expert panel consisted of European vascular surgeons, interventional radiologists, and interventional cardiologists/angiologists experienced in endovascular procedures. An initial list of statements, covering knowledge skills, technical skills and attitudes was created, based on a literature search. Additional statements could be suggested by the experts in the first Delphi round. Each of the statements had to be rated on a 5- point Likert scale. A statement was considered to be a key competency when the internal consistency was greater than alpha = 0.80 and at least 80% of the experts agreed (rating 4/5) or strongly agreed (rating 5/5) with the statement. Questionnaires were emailed to panel members using the Surveymonkey service. Forty-one of 65 (63.1%) invited experts agreed to participate in the study. The response rates were 36 out of 41 (87.8%): overall 38 out of 41(92.6%) in the first round and 36 out of 38 (94.7%) in the second round. The 71 primary statements were supplemented with nine items suggested by the panel. The results showed excellent consensus among responders (Cronbach's alpha = 0.937 first round; 0.958 s round). Experts achieved a consensus that 30 of 33 knowledge skills (90.9%), 23 of 27 technical skills (82.1%), and 15 of 20 attitudes (75.0%) should be considered as key competencies. A multispecialty European endovascular expert panel reached consensus about the key competencies in radiation protection. These results may serve to create practical and relevant radiation protection training courses in the future, enhancing radiation safety for both patients and the entire endovascular team. Copyright © 2017 European Society for Vascular Surgery. All rights reserved.

Collaborative writing: Tools and tips.

PubMed

Eapen, Bell Raj

2007-01-01

Majority of technical writing is done by groups of experts and various web based applications have made this collaboration easy. Email exchange of word processor documents with tracked changes used to be the standard technique for collaborative writing. However web based tools like Google docs and Spreadsheets have made the process fast and efficient. Various versioning tools and synchronous editors are available for those who need additional functionality. Having a group leader who decides the scheduling, communication and conflict resolving protocols is important for successful collaboration.

EAACI position paper on occupational rhinitis

PubMed Central

Moscato, Gianna; Vandenplas, Olivier; Van Wijk, Roy Gerth; Malo, Jean-Luc; Perfetti, Luca; Quirce, Santiago; Walusiak, Jolanta; Castano, Roberto; Pala, Gianni; Gautrin, Denyse; De Groot, Hans; Folletti, Ilenia; Yacoub, Mona Rita; Siracusa, Andrea

2009-01-01

The present document is the result of a consensus reached by a panel of experts from European and non-European countries on Occupational Rhinitis (OR), a disease of emerging relevance which has received little attention in comparison to occupational asthma. The document covers the main items of OR including epidemiology, diagnosis, management, socio-economic impact, preventive strategies and medicolegal issues. An operational definition and classification of OR tailored on that of occupational asthma, as well as a diagnostic algorithm based on steps allowing for different levels of diagnostic evidence are proposed. The needs for future research are pointed out. Key messages are issued for each item. PMID:19257881

Migration Background and Participation in Continuing Education in Germany: An Empirical Analysis Based on Data from the German Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ozturk, Halit; Kaufmann, Katrin

2009-01-01

Europe as an "immigration continent" is going to become an "integration continent". Within this context continuing education has acquired an increasing meaning. Based on the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) study data from 2001-04 the authors examine a broad spectrum of possible factors which may influence participation in…

7 CFR 3415.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... to give expert advice, in accordance with the provisions of this part, on the scientific and... BIOTECHNOLOGY RISK ASSESSMENT RESEARCH GRANTS PROGRAM General § 3415.2 Definitions. As used in this part: (a) Ad... scientific or technical fields to render special expert advice, through written evaluations of grant...

System-wide lean implementation in health care: A multiple case study.

PubMed

Centauri, Federica; Mazzocato, Pamela; Villa, Stefano; Marsilio, Marta

2018-05-01

Background Lean practices have been widely used by health care organizations to meet efficiency, performance and quality improvement needs. The lean health care literature shows that the effective implementation of lean requires a holistic system-wide approach. However, there is still limited evidence on what drives effective system-wide lean implementation in health care. The existing literature suggests that a deeper understanding of how lean interventions interact with the organizational context is necessary to identify the critical variables to successfully sustain system-wide lean strategies. Purpose and methodology: A multiple case study of three Italian hospitals is conducted with the aim to explore the organizational conditions that are relevant for an effective system-wide lean implementation. A conceptual framework, built on socio-technical system schemas, is used to guide data collection and analysis. The analysis points out the importance to support lean implementation with an integrated and coordinated strategy involving the social, technical, and external components of the overall hospital system.

Career and Technical Education at a Crossroads: A Delphi Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cutright, Michael W.

2011-01-01

Career and technical education in the United States has reached a critical juncture. A three round Delphi method was used to determine a consensus on the future events of career and technical education to better inform educational decision makers. Forty-one individual experts in the field were invited to serve as panelists for the Delphi study and…

Exploration of mineral resource deposits based on analysis of aerial and satellite image data employing artificial intelligence methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Osipov, Gennady

2013-04-01

We propose a solution to the problem of exploration of various mineral resource deposits, determination of their forms / classification of types (oil, gas, minerals, gold, etc.) with the help of satellite photography of the region of interest. Images received from satellite are processed and analyzed to reveal the presence of specific signs of deposits of various minerals. Course of data processing and making forecast can be divided into some stages: Pre-processing of images. Normalization of color and luminosity characteristics, determination of the necessary contrast level and integration of a great number of separate photos into a single map of the region are performed. Construction of semantic map image. Recognition of bitmapped image and allocation of objects and primitives known to system are realized. Intelligent analysis. At this stage acquired information is analyzed with the help of a knowledge base, which contain so-called "attention landscapes" of experts. Used methods of recognition and identification of images: a) combined method of image recognition, b)semantic analysis of posterized images, c) reconstruction of three-dimensional objects from bitmapped images, d)cognitive technology of processing and interpretation of images. This stage is fundamentally new and it distinguishes suggested technology from all others. Automatic registration of allocation of experts` attention - registration of so-called "attention landscape" of experts - is the base of the technology. Landscapes of attention are, essentially, highly effective filters that cut off unnecessary information and emphasize exactly the factors used by an expert for making a decision. The technology based on denoted principles involves the next stages, which are implemented in corresponding program agents. Training mode -> Creation of base of ophthalmologic images (OI) -> Processing and making generalized OI (GOI) -> Mode of recognition and interpretation of unknown images. Training mode includes noncontact registration of eye motion, reconstruction of "attention landscape" fixed by the expert, recording the comments of the expert who is a specialist in the field of images` interpretation, and transfer this information into knowledge base.Creation of base of ophthalmologic images (OI) includes making semantic contacts from great number of OI based on analysis of OI and expert's comments.Processing of OI and making generalized OI (GOI) is realized by inductive logic algorithms and consists in synthesis of structural invariants of OI. The mode of recognition and interpretation of unknown images consists of several stages, which include: comparison of unknown image with the base of structural invariants of OI; revealing of structural invariants in unknown images; ynthesis of interpretive message of the structural invariants base and OI base (the experts` comments stored in it). We want to emphasize that the training mode does not assume special involvement of experts to teach the system - it is realized in the process of regular experts` work on image interpretation and it becomes possible after installation of a special apparatus for non contact registration of experts` attention. Consequently, the technology, which principles is described there, provides fundamentally new effective solution to the problem of exploration of mineral resource deposits based on computer analysis of aerial and satellite image data.