Swine Confinement Management: A Curriculum Planning and Resource Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heath, Walter D.; Spetz, Sally H.

This curriculum resource guide, one of seven developed by the State of Illinois to present information on new and emerging curricula existing in the nation, can be used as a basis for local educators to determine the resources needed to offer swine confinement management curricula and to initiate curriculum development at the local level. Chapters…

Industrial Enterprise Handbook. The Wisconsin Guide to Local Curriculum Improvement in Industrial Education, K-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wisconsin State Dept. of Public Instruction, Madison. Div. of Instructional Services.

This handbook is designed to aid industrial educators in developing a private enterprise component in their programs in order to help students learn how business and industry work. It is a guide to implementing The Wisconsin Guide to Local Curriculum Improvement in Industrial Education, K-12. The book contains the following three sections: (1)…

CHP and Local Governments: Case Studies and EPA’s New Guide (Webinar) – September 30, 2014

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This webinar presents two case studies of CHP development projects undertaken through cooperation between private companies and government entities, and introduces an EPA guide to assist local governments to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

A Guide to Curriculum Planning in Foreign Language.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wisconsin State Dept. of Public Instruction, Madison.

A guide designed to help local curriculum planners develop and implement curriculums to provide all students with equal access to foreign languages provides an overview of current philosophies, objectives, methods, materials, and equipment and a guide to sequential program development, articulation, and evaluation. An introductory section…

Improvement Guides for I.A. Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ritz, John M.; Wright, Lawrence S.

1977-01-01

Describes a project to revise "The Wisconsin Guide to Local Curriculum Improvement in Industrial Education, K-12", originally prepared in 1973. Four figures from the guide are included: (1) model of a field objective, (2) curriculum planning model, (3) instructional development process, and (4) process for developing objectives. (MF)

Virginia State Adult Basic Education Administrative Guide for Local Programs and Projects under the Adult Education Act, P.L. 91-230 and Amendments.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Virginia State Dept. of Education, Richmond. Adult Education Service.

This administrative guide was developed to provide local school divisions and other agencies operating federally funded Adult Basic Education (ABE) programs in Virginia with the purpose, requirements, and procedures for conducting these programs. The guide is divided into eleven sections. The introduction covers the purpose and scope of ABE…

Health Education Curriculum Guide, Grades 1-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Massachusetts State Dept. of Education, Boston. Bureau of Elementary and Secondary Education.

This health education curriculum guide has been developed to assist local school districts develop stronger, more effective, school health programs. The guide is organized into four broad areas of health education: physical health, mental and social health, consumer and environmental health, and safe living. Each of these areas is divided into…

Workplace Literacy Development Guide for Employers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seattle-King County Private Industry Council, Seattle, WA.

Developed to assist employers in implementing a company-sponsored, on-site workplace literacy program for their employees, this guide is the result of experiences gained by the Seattle-King County, Washington, Private Industry Council, its partner agencies, and participating local employers. The guide contains sections on the following stages in…

Planning for transit-supportive development : a practitioner's guide. Section 2 : general transit-supportive development planning topics.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-06-01

Planning for Transit-Supportive Development: A Practitioners Guide is a toolkit of practical and innovative measures to help : Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs), regional planners, transit agencies, and local government elected o...

Planning for transit-supportive development : a practitioner's guide. Section 4 : corridor planning and transit-supportive development.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-06-01

Planning for Transit-Supportive Development: A Practitioners Guide is a toolkit of practical and innovative measures to help : Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs), regional planners, transit agencies, and local government elected o...

Planning for transit-supportive development : a practitioner's guide, executive summary.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-06-01

Planning for Transit-Supportive Development: A Practitioners Guide is a toolkit of practical and innovative measures to help : Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs), regional planners, transit agencies, and local government elected o...

Planning for transit-supportive development : a practitioner's guide. Section 3 : regional vision planning and transit-supportive development.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-06-01

Planning for Transit-Supportive Development: A Practitioners Guide is a toolkit of practical and innovative measures to help : Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs), regional planners, transit agencies, and local government elected o...

Planning for transit-supportive development : a practitioner's guide. Section 1 : introduction.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-06-01

Planning for Transit-Supportive Development: A Practitioners Guide is a toolkit of practical and innovative measures to help : Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs), regional planners, transit agencies, and local government elected o...

Economic Development Strategies. Upjohn Institute Staff Working Paper 95-33.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bartik, Timothy J.

This paper, which is intended as a guide for local government managers responsible for economic development policies, begins with a discussion of typical goals and practices of local economic development programs. Examined next are examples of local government involvement in economic development efforts through policies/activities such as the…

Science. A Guide to Curriculum Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Connecticut State Dept. of Education, Hartford.

The purpose of this guide is to aid K-12 curriculum planners in the development and implementation of well-defined programs of study in science suitable for their local school districts. Among the national trends reflected in this guide are the interdisciplinary approach; the use of performance-based student assessments; the utilization of diverse…

Vocational Agriculture/Agribusiness. Wisconsin Association of Vocational Agriculture Instructors Curriculum Guide for Wisconsin High Schools. Revised.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wisconsin Association of Vocational Agriculture Instructors, Madison.

This guide is designed to aid the development of vocational education programs in agriculture in local school districts. Major program objectives, conditions conducive to learning, program evaluation, suggestions for using the guide, curriculum models, and Wisconsin's philosophy and procedures in developing occupational experience programs in…

7 CFR Exhibit B to Subpart G of... - Development and Implementation of Natural Resource Management Guide

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... resource management guide needs to be developed in full recognition of its role as an internal Agency.... County Supervisors shall contact local officials and shall be responsible for being familiar with and for...

Moving toward more community-oriented transportation strategies for the San Francisco Bay Area : a resource guide

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1996-12-01

This resource guide provides a list of references with annotations, including many how to guides, for use by local jurisdictions, developers, transit operators and citizens groups that are interested in planning, designing, reviewing and implementing...

Programs of Study and Support Services Guide. Workforce Development Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

North Carolina State Dept. of Public Instruction, Raleigh.

This document was developed to assist local school systems in North Carolina in planning effective and comprehensive workforce development education programs. It contains information about planning, required resources, instructional guidelines, and program area offerings. The guide is organized in three parts. Part I provides a program description…

Reaching the Least Educated. 130 Local ABE Directors Tell How. Pennsylvania's Handbook on Recruitment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Madeira, Eugene L.

Based on the experience of 130 local adult basic education (ABE) directors in Pennsylvania, this guide presents suggestions for recruiting the least educated adults into ABE programs. Following an introduction that defines ABE and examines whose responsibility ABE is, the guide is divided into 12 chapters. Each of the chapters develops one…

Living Traditions--A Teacher's Guide: Teaching Local History Using State and National Learning Standards.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Skelding, Mark; Kemple, Martin; Kiefer, Joseph

This guide is designed to take teachers through a step-by-step process for developing an integrated, standards-based curriculum that focuses on the stories, history, folkways, and agrarian traditions of the local community. Such a place-based curriculum helps students to become culturally literate, makes learning relevant and engaging, draws on…

Developing Built Environment Programs in Local Health Departments: Lessons Learned From a Nationwide Mentoring Program

PubMed Central

Rube, Kate; Veatch, Maggie; Huang, Katy; Lent, Megan; Goldstein, Gail P.; Lee, Karen K.

2014-01-01

Local health departments (LHDs) have a key role to play in developing built environment policies and programs to encourage physical activity and combat obesity and related chronic diseases. However, information to guide LHDs’ effective engagement in this arena is lacking. During 2011–2012, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) facilitated a built environment peer mentoring program for 14 LHDs nationwide. Program objectives included supporting LHDs in their efforts to achieve built environment goals, offering examples from DOHMH’s built environment work to guide LHDs, and building a healthy built environment learning network. We share lessons learned that can guide LHDs in developing successful healthy built environment agendas. PMID:24625166

Development of Secondary Route Bridge Design Plan Guides

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2018-03-03

The objective of this study is to develop a set of bridge plan guides for low-volume traffic roads. The purpose of the plans is to facilitate construction of new structures suitable for local agencies. The designs are to specifically address common l...

Guide to Marketing Course Competencies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henrico County Public Schools, Glen Allen, VA. Virginia Vocational Curriculum and Resource Center.

This curriculum guide was developed as a model for schools in Virginia to prepare local programs of studies for the marketing program. In addition to marketing competencies for developing occupational expertise, this curriculum includes foundational competencies important for successful performance in marketing. These baseline competencies address…

Petroleum Refinery Jobs and Economic Development Impact (JEDI) Model User Reference Guide

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

Goldberg, Marshall

The Jobs and Economic Development Impact (JEDI) models, developed through the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), are user-friendly tools utilized to estimate the economic impacts at the local level of constructing and operating fuel and power generation projects for a range of conventional and renewable energy technologies. The JEDI Petroleum Refinery Model User Reference Guide was developed to assist users in employing and understanding the model. This guide provides information on the model's underlying methodology, as well as the parameters and references used to develop the cost data utilized in the model. This guide also provides basic instruction on modelmore » add-in features, operation of the model, and a discussion of how the results should be interpreted. Based on project-specific inputs from the user, the model estimates job creation, earning and output (total economic activity) for a given petroleum refinery. This includes the direct, indirect and induced economic impacts to the local economy associated with the refinery's construction and operation phases. Project cost and job data used in the model are derived from the most current cost estimations available. Local direct and indirect economic impacts are estimated using economic multipliers derived from IMPLAN software. By determining the regional economic impacts and job creation for a proposed refinery, the JEDI Petroleum Refinery model can be used to field questions about the added value refineries may bring to the local community.« less

A survey and audit of the first ‘Guides to Local Health Services’ produced by Primary Care Trusts in England

PubMed Central

Noble, Jenny; Hann, Mark; Sheaff, Rod; Marshall, Martin

2005-01-01

Abstract Background  Providing more information for the public about the range and quality of health services is an important part of improving accountability, quality and public responsiveness. Most sources of information to date have failed to address the information needs of people about their local services. The launch in England in 2002 of a new publication, Guides to Local Health Services, was designed to address this deficiency. We conducted an audit of the first Guides, and surveyed those responsible for their production, in order to examine the Guides’ development, content, presentation and dissemination, and to critique the purpose of the initiative. Methods  A semi‐structured questionnaire survey of those responsible for producing the Guides, and an audit of the Guides produced by Primary Care Trusts (PCTs). Results  Most PCTs complied with central guidance about structure and content, but in meeting multiple requirements the Guides lost their clarity of purpose. The content was dominated by information relating to financial and strategic accountability. In producing the Guides, external consultation was limited, particularly with the public but also with local partnership providers of health and social care. The main issues were the lack of a clear focus for Guide information, the level of central direction, the short production lead times, difficulties with distribution, and the many competing demands being made on PCT resources. Conclusions  Guide content should be clearly focused on information that the public wants. Greater responsibility should be devolved to front line PCT staff to determine content in consultation with local users. PMID:15860054

AECAP Guide for State Leaders: State and Local Coordination and Planning to Strengthen Adult Basic Education Services

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alamprese, Judith A.; Gwaltney, Margaret K.

2010-01-01

The Adult Education Coordination and Planning (AECAP) guide is designed to assist state adult education staff in forming partnerships at the state level and facilitating coordination at the local level as a lever for expanding and improving the quality of adult basic education (ABE) and workforce development services. Coordination plays a critical…

Kindergarten Today: A Guide to Curriculum Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

South Dakota State Dept. of Education and Cultural Affairs, Pierre.

Intended as a resource for kindergarten teachers, administrators, parents, and those who develop curriculum, this handbook is designed to assist local school districts in planning and administering kindergarten programs. Consisting of three distinct sections, each with its separate cover, the handbook provides: (1) a guide to curriculum…

The Invasive Plant Species Education Guide

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mason, Kevin; James, Krista; Carlson, Kitrina; D'Angelo, Jean

2010-01-01

To help high school students gain a solid understanding of invasive plant species, university faculty and students from the University of Wisconsin-Stout (UW-Stout) and a local high school teacher worked together to develop the Invasive Plant Species (IPS) Education Guide. The IPS Education Guide includes nine lessons that give students an…

Foreign Language Curriculum Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

North Dakota State Dept. of Public Instruction, Bismarck.

The purpose of this guide is to provide a resource for the development of modern and classical language curricula at the local level in North Dakota schools. The guide contains two sections, one dealing with modern languages, the other with Latin. Each section provides an overview of current philosophy, objectives, methods, and resources in…

Child Health Champion Resource Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC. Office of Administrator.

This resource guide was developed as part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Child Health Champion Campaign, a program designed to empower local citizens and communities to take steps toward protecting their children from environmental health threats. The guide includes descriptions of 241 resources that may be of interest to…

Maryland Public Charter Schools Model Policy and Resource Guide

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maryland State Department of Education, 2005

2005-01-01

This document is designed to guide local boards of education and school systems in Maryland in assisting individuals and organizations interested in establishing public charter schools. This guide is organized into the following parts: (1) Maryland Public Charter Schools Act; (2) Organizing to Assist Public Charter School Development; (3)…

Music: A Guide to Curriculum Development in the Arts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Iowa State Dept. of Public Instruction, Des Moines.

This guide was developed as a model for local music education programs. Following the preface, a unit titled, "Rationale/Philosophy/Goals," contains the philosophy and goals of music education and preferred student attitudes toward music. Goals and objectives for a multicultural, nonsexist approach to music education, and recommendations…

WAVAI Curriculum Guide for Instruction in Wisconsin High Schools. 1975 Revision. Bulletin No. 5011.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wisconsin State Dept. of Public Instruction, Madison. Bureau for Career and Manpower Development.

This guide is designed to aid the development of vocational education programs in agriculture in local school districts. Major program objectives, good learning conditions, program evaluation, suggested teaching methods, and Wisconsin's philosophy and procedures in developing occupational experience programs in vocational agriculture/agribusiness…

Computing and Accounting Office Occupations; Suggested Curricula Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roman, John C.; And Others

These curriculum outlines are for administrator, supervisor, and teacher use in planning courses at local levels according to community needs and availability of facilities, equipment, and teaching time. The guide may also be used in developing and organizing courses for manpower development and training programs. The course outlines and other…

WSDOT pavement preservation guide for local agencies.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-11-01

This report was intended to address two key objectives: (1) identify usage and implementation gaps : found in local agency asset management practices due to decreased resources and develop guidance for : local agencies on recommended practices and to...

The ARL 2030 Scenarios: A User's Guide for Research Libraries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Association of Research Libraries, 2010

2010-01-01

This user's guide was developed to advance local planning at ARL member libraries. It is written for library leaders writ large and for anyone leading or contributing to research library planning processes. Users do not need advanced facilitation skills to benefit from this guide, but facilitators charged with supporting scenario planning will…

Analytic Guided-Search Model of Human Performance Accuracy in Target- Localization Search Tasks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eckstein, Miguel P.; Beutter, Brent R.; Stone, Leland S.

2000-01-01

Current models of human visual search have extended the traditional serial/parallel search dichotomy. Two successful models for predicting human visual search are the Guided Search model and the Signal Detection Theory model. Although these models are inherently different, it has been difficult to compare them because the Guided Search model is designed to predict response time, while Signal Detection Theory models are designed to predict performance accuracy. Moreover, current implementations of the Guided Search model require the use of Monte-Carlo simulations, a method that makes fitting the model's performance quantitatively to human data more computationally time consuming. We have extended the Guided Search model to predict human accuracy in target-localization search tasks. We have also developed analytic expressions that simplify simulation of the model to the evaluation of a small set of equations using only three free parameters. This new implementation and extension of the Guided Search model will enable direct quantitative comparisons with human performance in target-localization search experiments and with the predictions of Signal Detection Theory and other search accuracy models.

A Massachusetts Career Education Staff Development Research Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chase, Elizabeth C. R., Ed.; McLain, Thomas W., Ed.

Designed as a resource manual for use in conjunction with state and/or local level career education staff development training sessions, this handbook also provides local practitioners with information to develop new or improved career education programs. Chapter 1 overviews the concept, rationale, goals, and objectives of career education in…

Contribution to the development of a food guide in Benin: linear programming for the optimization of local diets.

PubMed

Levesque, Sarah; Delisle, Hélène; Agueh, Victoire

2015-03-01

Food guides are important tools for nutrition education. While developing a food guide in Benin, the objective was to determine the daily number of servings per food group and the portion sizes of common foods to be recommended. Linear programming (LP) was used to determine, for each predefined food group, the optimal number and size of servings of commonly consumed foods. Two types of constraints were introduced into the LP models: (i) WHO/FAO Recommended Nutrient Intakes and dietary guidelines for the prevention of chronic diseases; and (ii) dietary patterns based on local food consumption data recently collected in southern Benin in 541 adults. Dietary intakes of the upper tertile of participants for diet quality based on prevention and micronutrient adequacy scores were used in the LP algorithms. Southern area of the Republic of Benin. Local key-players in nutrition (n 30) from the government, academic institutions, international organizations and civil society were partners in the development of the food guide directed at the population. The number of servings per food group and the portion size for eight age-sex groups were determined. For four limiting micronutrients (Fe, Ca, folate and Zn), local diets could be optimized to meet only 70 % of the Recommended Nutrient Intakes, not 100 %. It was possible to determine the daily number of servings and the portion sizes of common foods that can be recommended in Benin with the help of LP to optimize local diets, although Recommended Nutrient Intakes were not fully met for a few critical micronutrients.

How To Develop a Resource Center for a Career Education Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eversole, Opal

Intended to guide local school systems in the development of a resource center for a career education program, this booklet identifies three kinds of resources which should be included: Human resources, community resources, and material resources. Then in a question/answer format, the guide explains the basic steps in identifying all resources…

Guiding Principles: A Resource Guide for Improving School Climate and Discipline

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

US Department of Education, 2014

2014-01-01

Developing positive school climates and improving school discipline policies and practices are critical steps to raising academic achievement and supporting student success. However, there is no single formula for doing so. Rather, the growing body of research and best practices in the field should inform locally developed approaches to improving…

Suicide Prevention. A Guide to Curriculum Planning. Bulletin No. 0500.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wisconsin State Dept. of Public Instruction, Madison.

This guide is intended to reduce the youth suicide rate by teaching decision-making skills and coping mechanisms, and helping students develop self-esteem and communication skills. It was designed to be used by a local suicide prevention curriculum committee or team responsible for the development, implementation, and evaluation of the local…

Characteristics of Successful Local Blended Programs in the Context of the Sloan-C Pillars

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moloney, Jacqueline F.; Hickey, Charmaine P.; Bergin, Amy L.; Boccia, Judith; Polley, Kathleen; Riley, Jeannette E.

2010-01-01

Drawing on the University of Massachusetts experience in developing successful blended local programs, this paper suggests guiding principles that include mission-driven responsiveness to local contexts and partnerships; using low-cost marketing strategies available through local relationships and brand; attending to students' preferences for…

Characteristics of Successful Local Blended Programs in the Context of the Sloan-C Pillars

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moloney, Jacqueline F.; Hickey, Charmaine P.; Bergin, Amy L.; Boccia, Judith; Polley, Kathleen; Riley, Jeannette E.

2007-01-01

Drawing on the University of Massachusetts experience in developing successful blended local programs, this paper suggests guiding principles that include mission-driven responsiveness to local contexts and partnerships; using low-cost marketing strategies available through local relationships and brand; attending to students' preferences for…

Summer-Jobs-for-Youth Program Guide. How to Develop and Manage a Summer Youth Jobs Program. A Technical Assistance Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Alliance of Business, Inc., Washington, DC.

This guide offers a practical approach for operating summer youth employment programs that involves cooperation among private businesses and local organizations. A timetable provides a month-by-month schedule. Seven sections discuss management responsibilities. Program Planning covers scope, goals, and coordination. Program Management addresses…

The World of Work. A Curriculum Guide for Grades One through Twelve.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pointer, Leah J., Ed.

Developed by a committee of principals, counselors, and teachers as part of the local World of Work program, this curriculum guide is designed to aid in providing occupational information and career decision-making skills for grades K-12. Major purposes of the guide are to: (1) provide occupational information that is both educational and…

Music Basic Skills.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kentucky State Dept. of Education, Frankfort.

This document is a statement of the basic music skills that Kentucky students should develop. This skills list does not replace any locally developed curriculum. It is intended as a guide for local school districts in Kentucky in their development of a detailed K-12 curriculum. The skills presented are considered basic to a sound education program…

VOCATIONAL-TECHNICAL FACILITIES PROJECT. PROGRESS REPORT.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

CONRAD, M.J.; VALENTINE, I.E.

IN THE FIRST PHASE OF A PROJECT FOR DEVELOPING PLANNING GUIDES FOR VOCATIONAL FACILITIES, THE OVERALL DIRECTION OF A SERIES OF PLANNING GUIDES IS BEING DETERMINED. IN THE SECOND PHASE AT LEAST ONE PLANNING MANUAL WILL BE DEVELOPED TO SERVE AS A MODEL FOR THE FULL SERIES. A LOCAL WORKING GROUP COMPOSED OF THREE SPECIALISTS FROM THE CENTER FOR…

A Guide for Local Nutrition Consultants on the Nutrition Component of Head Start Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

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

This handbook has been prepared as a guide for the nutritionist providing services to Head Start and other preschool day care programs. Introductory sections describe Project Head Start; the program's major components and aspects of the program; center-based, home-based, child and family development, and Child Development Associate (CDA) programs;…

Bioluminescence Tomography–Guided Radiation Therapy for Preclinical Research

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

Zhang, Bin; Wang, Ken Kang-Hsin, E-mail: kwang27@jhmi.edu; Yu, Jingjing

Purpose: In preclinical radiation research, it is challenging to localize soft tissue targets based on cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) guidance. As a more effective method to localize soft tissue targets, we developed an online bioluminescence tomography (BLT) system for small-animal radiation research platform (SARRP). We demonstrated BLT-guided radiation therapy and validated targeting accuracy based on a newly developed reconstruction algorithm. Methods and Materials: The BLT system was designed to dock with the SARRP for image acquisition and to be detached before radiation delivery. A 3-mirror system was devised to reflect the bioluminescence emitted from the subject to a stationarymore » charge-coupled device (CCD) camera. Multispectral BLT and the incomplete variables truncated conjugate gradient method with a permissible region shrinking strategy were used as the optimization scheme to reconstruct bioluminescent source distributions. To validate BLT targeting accuracy, a small cylindrical light source with high CBCT contrast was placed in a phantom and also in the abdomen of a mouse carcass. The center of mass (CoM) of the source was recovered from BLT and used to guide radiation delivery. The accuracy of the BLT-guided targeting was validated with films and compared with the CBCT-guided delivery. In vivo experiments were conducted to demonstrate BLT localization capability for various source geometries. Results: Online BLT was able to recover the CoM of the embedded light source with an average accuracy of 1 mm compared to that with CBCT localization. Differences between BLT- and CBCT-guided irradiation shown on the films were consistent with the source localization revealed in the BLT and CBCT images. In vivo results demonstrated that our BLT system could potentially be applied for multiple targets and tumors. Conclusions: The online BLT/CBCT/SARRP system provides an effective solution for soft tissue targeting, particularly for small, nonpalpable, or orthotopic tumor models.« less

The Complete Resource Guide for Summer Youth Programs. Program Ideas for Summer Youth Jobs Project Managers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Alliance of Business, Inc., Washington, DC.

This guide consists of suggestions, ideas, and tips intended to stimulate development of cooperative summer youth employment programs in local communities. Addressed in the individual sections of the guide are the following topics: tips on where to start, suggestions on how to get started, hints on securing resources, program resources, use of…

Facilities Information Management: A Guide for State and Local Education Agencies. NCES 2003-400

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Center for Education Statistics (ED), Washington, DC.

This Guide has been developed to provide a framework for decision makers, school facility managers, and the public to identify a basic set of school facilities data elements, including definitions that will meet their information needs. Chapter 1 describes the purpose, scope, and intended audience for this guide. Chapter 2 describes how to use the…

Development of flexible pavement database for local calibration of MEPDG : volume 1.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-06-01

The new mechanistic-empirical pavement design guide (MEPDG), based on the National Cooperative Highway : Research Program (NCHRP) study 1-37A, replaces the widely used but more empirical 1993 AASHTO Guide : for Design of Pavement Structures. The MEPD...

Building professional capacity in ITS : guidelines for staffing, hiring, and designing ideal project teams

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1999-04-01

This guide is intended to help decision makers develop strategies and programs for building and maintaining organizational professional capacity. The guide covers seven different types of local, state and federal agencies and their involvement in twe...

Capacity Development and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support: Guiding Principles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sugai, George; Simonsen, Brandi; Freeman, Jennifer; La Salle, Tamika

2016-01-01

Implementation of multi-tiered systems of support is occurring within and across a number of countries with an increased recent focus on the development of local system capacity to maintain high levels of practice implementation fidelity. The purpose of this paper is to describe the importance of local capacity development in the high fidelity and…

The riparian species recovery plan: A status report

Treesearch

Steven M. Chambers

1996-01-01

Several Federal and State agencies in Arizona and New Mexico are collaborating on the development of a strategy for the restoration of riparian systems. The strategy that is taking shape is the development of a package of formats, methods and information that can guide local groups in developing and implementing local riparian restoration plans. The major elements of...

Jobs and Economic Development Impact (JEDI) Model Geothermal User Reference Guide

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

Johnson, C.; Augustine, C.; Goldberg, M.

2012-09-01

The Geothermal Jobs and Economic Development Impact (JEDI) model, developed through the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), is an Excel-based user-friendly tools that estimates the economic impacts of constructing and operating hydrothermal and Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS) power generation projects at the local level for a range of conventional and renewable energy technologies. The JEDI Model Geothermal User Reference Guide was developed to assist users in using and understanding the model. This guide provides information on the model's underlying methodology, as well as the parameters and references used to develop the cost data utilized in the model. This guide alsomore » provides basic instruction on model add-in features, operation of the model, and a discussion of how the results should be interpreted.« less

Using the Illinois Core Curriculum for Developing Courses of Study in Vocational Agriculture.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Osborne, Ed; Hemp, Paul

This booklet is designed to serve as a practical guide to assist teachers in using the Illinois Core Curriculum in Agriculture to develop courses of study for local vocational agriculture courses. Provided first is an overview of vocational agriculture programs on the secondary-school level in the state of Illinois. The next section is a guide for…

Nutrition Education Resource Guide: An Annotated Bibliography of Educational Materials for the WIC and CSF Programs. Bibliographies and Literature of Agriculture Number 24.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McLaughlin, Elaine Casserly, Comp.; And Others

This resource guide to evaluated print and audiovisual nutrition materials has been developed to assist state and local staff of the Special Supplemental Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) and the Commodity Supplemental Foods Program (CSFP), in selecting, acquiring, and developing accurate and appropriate materials for nutrition…

National Skill Standards Implementation Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Vocational Technical Education Foundation, Washington, DC.

This guide was developed to encourage state policy makers and local school boards to implement the national skill standards formulated by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) and the National Automotive Technician Education Foundation (NATEF) in high schools, technical schools, and technical and community colleges.…

Science Guide for Secondary Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Georgia State Dept. of Education, Atlanta. Office of Instructional Services.

This six-chapter guide is designed to help Georgia teachers adopt or adapt various options into the local school's science curriculum. Major areas addressed in the chapters are: (1) secondary school curriculum development (focusing on performance objectives, sequencing the curriculum, evaluation, and scientific literacy); (2) teaching methods…

Toward canonical ensemble distribution from self-guided Langevin dynamics simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Xiongwu; Brooks, Bernard R.

2011-04-01

This work derives a quantitative description of the conformational distribution in self-guided Langevin dynamics (SGLD) simulations. SGLD simulations employ guiding forces calculated from local average momentums to enhance low-frequency motion. This enhancement in low-frequency motion dramatically accelerates conformational search efficiency, but also induces certain perturbations in conformational distribution. Through the local averaging, we separate properties of molecular systems into low-frequency and high-frequency portions. The guiding force effect on the conformational distribution is quantitatively described using these low-frequency and high-frequency properties. This quantitative relation provides a way to convert between a canonical ensemble and a self-guided ensemble. Using example systems, we demonstrated how to utilize the relation to obtain canonical ensemble properties and conformational distributions from SGLD simulations. This development makes SGLD not only an efficient approach for conformational searching, but also an accurate means for conformational sampling.

Pain and anxiety control: an online study guide.

PubMed

2008-05-01

The Editorial Board of the Journal of Endodontics has developed a literature-based study guide of topical areas related to endodontics. This study guide is intended to give the reader a focused review of the essential endodontic literature and does not cite all possible articles related to each topic. Although citing all articles would be comprehensive, it would defeat the idea of a study guide. This section will cover pain theories and dentin hypersensitivity, referred pain, oral pain not of dental origin, barodontalgia, local anesthetics, long-acting local anesthetics, intrapulpal anesthesia, intraligamentary anesthesia, intraosseous anesthesia, inferior alveolar nerve block anesthesia, Gow-Gates anesthesia technique, Vazirani-Akinosi anesthesia technique, second-division block anesthesia technique, endodontic postoperative pain, effect of occlusal adjustment on endodontic pain, paresthesia associated with periradicular pathosis, analgesics, sedation, and endodontic flare-ups.

Industrial Education Guide for Elementary and Secondary Program Development and Improvement in Industrial Arts, K-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

South Dakota State Div. of Elementary and Secondary Education, Pierre.

This guide for a model industrial arts curriculum for state and local planning has been designed for public school administrators and teachers who wish to establish an industrial arts curriculum in their school or would like to expand an existing one. Covering levels K-12, the guide first suggests a program by operational levels. It then outlines…

Guidelines for Planning Industrial Education Facilities and Equipment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stallsmith, Douglas D.

This guide presents alternatives, resources, and specifications for industrial education teachers to use in preparing a facilities proposal to present to administrators, boards of education, the community, and architects. Developed to reflect the objectives of industrial education as outlined in the "Wisconsin Guide to Local Curriculum…

Social Capital, Organic Agriculture, and Sustainable Livelihood Security: Rethinking Agrarian Change in Mexico

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Getz, Christy

2008-01-01

This paper explores the relevance of extra local market linkages and local-level social capital to sustainable livelihood outcomes in two agrarian communities on Mexico's Baja Peninsula. Contextualized by the specificity of Mexico's transition from state-directed rural development to neoliberally-guided rural development in the 1990s, findings…

Oregon Agriculture I Curriculum Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oregon State Univ., Corvallis. Dept. of Agricultural Education.

This curriculum package was developed to be used as a guide for high school vocational agriculture teachers in Oregon preparing a curriculum to meet local community/regional needs. A second goal of this curriculum is to eliminate sex-bias or sex-role stereotyping in vocational agriculture classes. The curriculum contains 20 units. Topics covered…

Teacher's Guide to Newspaper in Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cole, Helen

This guide contains lists of activities for using the local newspaper as an educational resource to develop content area reading skills. The compilation of ideas and activities, divided into four sections, offers suggestions for using the newspaper in language arts, social studies, mathematics, and science instruction. A fifth section on newspaper…

Steroids. A Resource Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New York State Education Dept., Albany. Bureau of School Health Education and Services.

This guide provides information on steroid use as well as prevention and intervention strategies. It is intended to serve as a supplement to drug abuse education and prevention programs in elementary and secondary schools and as the basis for local curriculum development and instructional activities. The following topics are covered: (1) history…

Oregon Agriculture II Curriculum Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oregon State Univ., Corvallis. Dept. of Agricultural Education.

Developed as a guide for use by vocational agricultural teachers in preparing curriculum to meet local community/regional needs, this package provides materials for a course on production agriculture and agribusiness occupations. The purpose of the course is to provide 10th grade students with fundamental concepts and skills necessary to explore…

Comprehensive Adolescent Pregnancy Services: A Resource Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holt, K. A., Ed.; Langlykke, K., Ed.

This resource guide was compiled to assist state, county, and community personnel in developing comprehensive adolescent health programs which address adolescent pregnancy, prevention, and care. It includes a broad range of topics with materials suitable for both professionals and consumers and for use by regional, state, and local government…

Ho-Nee-Um Trail.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Irwin, Harriet; And Others

Appreciation and concern for the preservation of our natural resources by all citizens is the primary concern of this teacher's guide for use in the elementary grades. It employes the use of a filmstrip in conjunction with a local nature trail, to guide students in developing awareness - by looking closely, listening, touching, and smelling. Major…

Investigating underlying principles to guide health impact assessment.

PubMed

Fakhri, Ali; Maleki, Mohammadreza; Gohari, Mahmoodreza; Harris, Patrick

2014-06-01

Many countries conduct Health Impact Assessment (HIA) of their projects and policies to predict their positive and negative health impacts. In recent years many guides have been developed to inform HIA practice, largely reflecting local developments in HIA. These guides have often been designed for specific contexts and specific need, making the choice between guides difficult. The objective of the current study is to identify underlying principles in order to guide HIA practice in Iran. This study was conducted in three stages: 1) Studies comparing HIA guidelines were reviewed to identify criteria used for comparison seeking emphasized principles. 2) The HIA characteristics extracted from published papers were categorized in order to determine the principles that could guide HIA practice. 3) Finally, these principles were agreed by experts using nominal group technique. The review of the studies comparing HIA guides demonstrated there are no clear comparison criteria for reviewing HIA guides and no study mentioned HIA principles. Investigating the HIA principles from peer-reviewed papers, we found 14 issues. These were, considering of general features in planning and conducting HIAs such as HIA stream, level, timing and type, considering of the wider socio-political and economic context, considering of economic, technical and legal aspects of HIA and capacities for HIA, rationality and comprehensiveness, using appropriate evidence, elaborating on HIA relation to other forms of Impact Assessment, considering of equity, and encouraging intersectoral and interdisciplinary cooperation, involvement of stakeholders and transparency as underlying principles to guide HIA practice. The results emphasize how critical these technical as well as tactical considerations are in the early scoping step of an HIA which plans the conduct of the HIA in reponse to local contextual issues. Determining the principles of HIA from peer-reviewed papers provides an opportunity for guiding HIA practice comprehensively. It seems to be feasible to develop a universal guide that covers all principles required.

Sink or SLIM: A Local Response to Promote Global Sustainable Change through Education, Partnerships, and Workforce Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Roode, Alexander F.; Sakamoto, Clyde M.; Six, Janet

2009-01-01

Maui's unique geographic location, culture, economy, and ecology provide a year-round sustainable living laboratory for the development of sustainable solutions to local and global challenges. Maui Community College's mission, goals, and actions are guided by the Native Hawaiian reverence for the ahupuaa, the traditional land management practice…

Assessing Elderly Housing. A Planning Guide for Mayors, Local Officials, and Housing Advocates.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American Association of Retired Persons, Washington, DC.

This guidebook was designed to assist mayors, local officials, community activists, community-based organizations, and other aging and housing advocates in developing a framework to measure elderly housing needs and to develop a systematic strategy for assisting the elderly in their city with choices in suitable and affordable living arrangements.…

A Guide to Effective Accountability Reporting: Designing Public Reports that Effectively Communicate Accountability, Assessment and Other Quantitative Education Indicators in an Easily Understood Format.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fast, Ellen Forte

This guide was developed to serve as a resource for the staffs of state education agencies and local education agencies who are responsible for producing state, district, or school report cards of the type required under many state or district accountability systems as well as under the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). The guide is not intended to…

Rural Resources Guide: A Directory of Public and Private Assistance for Small Communities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC.

Designed to help rural officials, including tribal governments and community leaders, quickly identify sources of assistance for rural development, this guide catalogs approximately 440 sources of public and private national level technical and financial resource assistance. The sources of assistance listed generally focus on local governments and…

Guide for Educational Planning of Public School Buildings and Sites in Minnesota. Revised.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Minnesota State Dept. of Administration, St. Paul. Documents Section.

This guide serves as a manual for Minnesota school boards, administrators, architects, engineers, and others engaged in developing school plant programs. Part I considers State and local responsibilities in school plant planning procedures; Part II deals with site selection and the requirements for elementary, secondary, service, central, and…

Animals Alive! An Ecological Guide to Animal Activities. Revised Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holley, Dennis

This guide is designed to help teachers develop an inquiry-oriented program for studying the animal kingdom in which live animals are collected locally, studied, observed, and then released completely unharmed back into their natural habitats. This book addresses such concerns of life science teachers as the environmental soundness of methods and…

Industrial Arts Education Guide for Curriculum and Program Planning, Secondary Level.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New York State Education Dept., Albany. Bureau of Occupational Education Curriculum Development.

Guidelines for the development of courses and programs of industrial arts for local school districts in New York State are provided in this guide designed for administrators, curriculum personnel, supervisors, and teachers. Following a discussion of student program options, a basic series of suggested courses (titles and course topics) are…

Wisconsin Cooperative Education State Skill Standards Certificate Program. Mentor Training Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Albrecht, Brian; And Others

This guide contains material developed to help an individual prepare to be a mentor in the Wisconsin School-to-Work Initiative. It is designed to assist a training facilitator while allowing for individual creativity and local customization. Many informative sections are followed by reflective thinking exercises. Section topics include the…

VESL for Heating and Air Conditioning: A Competency-based Curriculum Guide. Project OSCAER.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lopez-Valadez, Jeanne, Ed.; Pankratz, David, Ed.

This guide is intended for vocational educators developing the vocational English as a second language (VESL) component of a course in heating and air conditioning. The introductory section examines assumptions about second language learning and instruction and VESL classes, local adaptations of the curriculum, and sample VESL lessons. The chapter…

A Winter Walk at Ho-Nee-Um.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Irwin, Harriet; And Others

Appreciation and concern for the preservation of our natural resources by all citizens is the primary concern of this teacher's guide for use in the lower primary grades. It employs the use of a filmstrip in conjunction with a local nature trail, to guide students in developing awareness - by looking closely, listening, touching, and smelling. The…

Exploring Ho-Nee-Um in the Spring.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Madison Public Schools, WI.

Appreciation and concern for the preservation of our natural resources by all citizens is the primary concern of this teacher's guide for use in grades three and four. It employs the use of a filmstrip in conjunction with a local nature trail, to guide students in developing awareness--by looking closely, listening, touching, and smelling. The…

The Role of Local Action Teams in School Improvement. Linking R&D with Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kell, Diane; Louis, Karen Seashore

Intended as a guide for educators in shared decision-making, this report summarizes the structures, procedures, and activities of local action teams in 49 schools involved in the National Institute of Education's Research and Development Utilization (RDU) program. Local action teams in the RDU program consisted of formal groups of teachers and…

Geothermal : A Regulatory Guide to Leasing, Permitting, and Licensing in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington.

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

Bloomquist, R.Gordon

1991-10-01

The actual geothermal exploration and development may appear to be a simple and straightforward process in comparison to the legal and institutional maze which the developer must navigate in order to obtain all of the federal, state, and local leases, permits, licenses, and approvals necessary at each step in the process. Finally, and often most difficult, is obtaining a contract for the sale of thermal energy, brine, steam, or electricity. This guide is designed to help developers interested in developing geothermal resource sites in the Bonneville Power Administration Service Territory in the state of Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington bettermore » understand the federal, state, and local institutional process, the roles and responsibilities of each agency, and how and when to make contact in order to obtain the necessary documents.« less

National Apprenticeship and Training Standards for Bricklaying. Revised.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Manpower Administration (DOL), Washington, DC. Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training.

Developed as a guide for local joint apprenticeship and training committees in establishing local bricklaying apprenticeship programs, this booklet represents the sixth revision of the national apprenticeship and training standards for bricklaying apprenticeship. (The standards were prepared and approved by the National Joint Bricklaying…

Energy Efficiency Programs in K-12 Schools: A Guide to Developing and Implementing Greenhouse Gas Reduction Programs. Local Government Climate and Energy Strategy Series

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

US Environmental Protection Agency, 2011

2011-01-01

Saving energy through energy efficiency improvements can cost less than generating, transmitting, and distributing energy from power plants, and provides multiple economic and environmental benefits. Local governments can promote energy efficiency in their jurisdictions by developing and implementing strategies that improve the efficiency of…

Preoperative computed tomography-guided percutaneous hookwire localization of metallic marker clips in the breast with a radial approach: initial experience.

PubMed

Uematsu, T; Kasami, M; Uchida, Y; Sanuki, J; Kimura, K; Tanaka, K; Takahashi, K

2007-06-01

Hookwire localization is the current standard technique for radiological marking of nonpalpable breast lesions. Stereotactic directional vacuum-assisted breast biopsy (SVAB) is of sufficient sensitivity and specificity to replace surgical biopsy. Wire localization for metallic marker clips placed after SVAB is needed. To describe a method for performing computed tomography (CT)-guided hookwire localization using a radial approach for metallic marker clips placed percutaneously after SVAB. Nineteen women scheduled for SVAB with marker-clip placement, CT-guided wire localization of marker clips, and, eventually, surgical excision were prospectively entered into the study. CT-guided wire localization was performed with a radial approach, followed by placement of a localizing marker-clip surgical excision. Feasibility and reliability of the procedure and the incidence of complications were examined. CT-guided wire localization surgical excision was successfully performed in all 19 women without any complications. The mean total procedure time was 15 min. The median distance on CT image from marker clip to hookwire was 2 mm (range 0-3 mm). CT-guided preoperative hookwire localization with a radial approach for marker clips after SVAB is technically feasible.

Action for Advocates of Family Literacy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Center for Family Literacy, Louisville, KY.

Focusing on advocacy (as distinct from lobbying) at the federal level of government, the purpose of this guide is to help develop and implement an action plan for family literacy advocacy. Its advice may be adapted to state and local elected officials as well as those in the non-political environment. Sections of the guide address advocating for…

Forum Guide to Facilities Information Management: A Resource for State and Local Education Agencies. NFES 2012-808

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Forum on Education Statistics, 2012

2012-01-01

Safe and secure facilities that foster learning are crucial to providing quality education services, and developing and maintaining these facilities requires considerable resources and organization. Facility information systems allow education organizations to collect and manage data that can be used to inform and guide decisionmaking about the…

Career Awareness Units, Magnolia Public Schools, Grades 1-7.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Magnolia School District 14, AR.

The guide contains career awareness units for grades one through seven. A chart for each grade level lists the unit titles with textbook references, resource speakers, and study trips. Some of the speakers and study trips suggested throughout the guide are specific to the local area. For each unit, concepts to be developed are coordinated in chart…

Make It Your Business. A Corporate Fundraising Guide for Literacy Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

BCEL Bulletin, 1989

1989-01-01

This guide is intended to help local, state, and national literacy program staff in their attempts to develop corporate funding for their activities. Part I discusses the role of direct corporate giving in the national philanthropic context, as well as patterns and forms of corporate giving. Part II gives guidelines on how to prepare for and…

Are We Covering Our Own Backyards?: An Analysis of Local Research Guides Created by Academic Business Librarians

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lyons, Charles

2009-01-01

This study examines local research guides created by academic business librarians to assist patrons with researching the communities (towns, cities, and regions) where their schools are located. A key finding is that only 33% of the libraries surveyed provide guides to local research, while 80% provide guides to international research. (Contains 2…

Transmission Line Jobs and Economic Development Impact (JEDI) Model User Reference Guide

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

Goldberg, M.; Keyser, D.

The Jobs and Economic Development Impact (JEDI) models, developed through the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), are freely available, user-friendly tools that estimate the potential economic impacts of constructing and operating power generation projects for a range of conventional and renewable energy technologies. The Transmission Line JEDI model can be used to field questions about the economic impacts of transmission lines in a given state, region, or local community. This Transmission Line JEDI User Reference Guide was developed to provide basic instruction on operating the model and understanding the results. This guide also provides information on the model's underlying methodology,more » as well as the parameters and references used to develop the cost data contained in the model.« less

Spatio-temporal control of gene expression and cancer treatment using magnetic resonance imaging-guided focused ultrasound.

PubMed

Moonen, Chrit T W

2007-06-15

Local temperature elevation may be used for tumor ablation, gene expression, drug activation, and gene and/or drug delivery. High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is the only clinically viable technology that can be used to achieve a local temperature increase deep inside the human body in a noninvasive way. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) guidance of the procedure allows in situ target definition and identification of nearby healthy tissue to be spared. In addition, MRI can be used to provide continuous temperature mapping during HIFU for spatial and temporal control of the heating procedure and prediction of the final lesion based on the received thermal dose. The primary purpose of the development of MRI-guided HIFU was to achieve safe noninvasive tissue ablation. The technique has been tested extensively in preclinical studies and is now accepted in the clinic for ablation of uterine fibroids. MRI-guided HIFU for ablation shows conceptual similarities with radiation therapy. However, thermal damage generally shows threshold-like behavior, with necrosis above the critical thermal dose and full recovery below. MRI-guided HIFU is being clinically evaluated in the cancer field. The technology also shows great promise for a variety of advanced therapeutic methods, such as gene therapy. MR-guided HIFU, together with the use of a temperature-sensitive promoter, provides local, physical, and spatio-temporal control of transgene expression. Specially designed contrast agents, together with the combined use of MRI and ultrasound, may be used for local gene and drug delivery.

Lessons from the great egret: Cosmopolitan species as environmental guides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lewis, Celia

This dissertation is an experiment in environmental learning. The cosmopolitan species, the great egret (Egretta alba), is used as a guide to learning about local environmental history and local ecology in four places: Long Island Sound, USA; Delaware Bay, USA; Neusiedler See, Austria; and the Hunter River Valley in New South Wales, Australia. It is also used as a guide to the development of a cosmopolitan environmental perspective. The development of this broad perspective is based on the thesis that knowledge of the ecology of species mobility and cosmopolitanism may bring to light ecological connections within and between places, and that human migration and cultural mobility are also part of the ecological history of the environment. The concept of species guides is reviewed in nature literature, including examples from the works of Richard Nelson, Robert Michael Pyle, Terry Tempest Williams, Scott Weidensaul, and Peter Matthiessen. The author visits egret colonies, interviews biologists working at these sites, and develops narratives about the environmental history and the cultural history of each site, and the connections between egrets and humans in those places. Parallels are drawn between the migrant and cosmopolitan nature of great egrets and other species, and of the human species, and how recognition of these similarities can lead to a cosmopolitan environmental perspective.

Environmental Stewardship: A Conceptual Review and Analytical Framework.

PubMed

Bennett, Nathan J; Whitty, Tara S; Finkbeiner, Elena; Pittman, Jeremy; Bassett, Hannah; Gelcich, Stefan; Allison, Edward H

2018-04-01

There has been increasing attention to and investment in local environmental stewardship in conservation and environmental management policies and programs globally. Yet environmental stewardship has not received adequate conceptual attention. Establishing a clear definition and comprehensive analytical framework could strengthen our ability to understand the factors that lead to the success or failure of environmental stewardship in different contexts and how to most effectively support and enable local efforts. Here we propose such a definition and framework. First, we define local environmental stewardship as the actions taken by individuals, groups or networks of actors, with various motivations and levels of capacity, to protect, care for or responsibly use the environment in pursuit of environmental and/or social outcomes in diverse social-ecological contexts. Next, drawing from a review of the environmental stewardship, management and governance literatures, we unpack the elements of this definition to develop an analytical framework that can facilitate research on local environmental stewardship. Finally, we discuss potential interventions and leverage points for promoting or supporting local stewardship and future applications of the framework to guide descriptive, evaluative, prescriptive or systematic analysis of environmental stewardship. Further application of this framework in diverse environmental and social contexts is recommended to refine the elements and develop insights that will guide and improve the outcomes of environmental stewardship initiatives and investments. Ultimately, our aim is to raise the profile of environmental stewardship as a valuable and holistic concept for guiding productive and sustained relationships with the environment.

Environmental Stewardship: A Conceptual Review and Analytical Framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bennett, Nathan J.; Whitty, Tara S.; Finkbeiner, Elena; Pittman, Jeremy; Bassett, Hannah; Gelcich, Stefan; Allison, Edward H.

2018-04-01

There has been increasing attention to and investment in local environmental stewardship in conservation and environmental management policies and programs globally. Yet environmental stewardship has not received adequate conceptual attention. Establishing a clear definition and comprehensive analytical framework could strengthen our ability to understand the factors that lead to the success or failure of environmental stewardship in different contexts and how to most effectively support and enable local efforts. Here we propose such a definition and framework. First, we define local environmental stewardship as the actions taken by individuals, groups or networks of actors, with various motivations and levels of capacity, to protect, care for or responsibly use the environment in pursuit of environmental and/or social outcomes in diverse social-ecological contexts. Next, drawing from a review of the environmental stewardship, management and governance literatures, we unpack the elements of this definition to develop an analytical framework that can facilitate research on local environmental stewardship. Finally, we discuss potential interventions and leverage points for promoting or supporting local stewardship and future applications of the framework to guide descriptive, evaluative, prescriptive or systematic analysis of environmental stewardship. Further application of this framework in diverse environmental and social contexts is recommended to refine the elements and develop insights that will guide and improve the outcomes of environmental stewardship initiatives and investments. Ultimately, our aim is to raise the profile of environmental stewardship as a valuable and holistic concept for guiding productive and sustained relationships with the environment.

Living with a volcano in your backyard: an educator's guide with emphasis on Mount Rainier

USGS Publications Warehouse

Driedger, Carolyn L.; Doherty, Anne; Dixon, Cheryl; Faust, Lisa M.

2005-01-01

The National Park Service and the U.S. Geological Survey’s Volcano Hazards Program (USGS-VHP) support development and publication of this educator’s guide as part of their mission to educate the public about volcanoes. The USGS-VHP studies the dynamics of volcanoes, investigates eruption histories, develops hazard assessments, monitors volcano-related activity, and collaborates with local officials to lower the risk of disruption when volcanoes become restless.

Joining Forces. A Team Approach to Secondary School Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Rima; Corcoran, Thomas B.

This manual is designed to guide the implementation of the Joining Forces Program, a comprehensive improvement process for secondary schools. Implementation of the program requires the cooperative effort of the local school district, state and local education associations, and the administration and staff of participating schools. Joining Forces…

A New Jersey Comprehensive Career Development Program Model.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walling, Russell; And Others

This manual is a guide to developing a comprehensive career development program in a local school district. It is based on the experience of program development in Neptune Township, New Jersey, following the National Career Development Guidelines of the National Occupational Information Coordinating Committee and the subsequent Comprehensive…

Slope stabilization guide for Minnesota local government engineers.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-06-01

This user guide provides simple, costeffective methods for stabilizing locally maintained slopes along roadways in Minnesota. Eight slope stabilization techniques are presented that local government engineers can undertake using locally available ...

Federal Funding for Early Childhood Supports and Services: A Guide to Sources and Strategies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fisher, Hansine

The need for improved access to quality services for children and their families has resulted in a wide variety of early childhood and out-of-school time initiatives. Recognizing that developing financing plans and finding funding sources are a major challenge for these initiatives, this guide is intended to assist state and local officials, as…

Forum Guide to the Privacy of Student Information: A Resource for Schools. NFES 2006-805

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Erlebacher, Frances, Ed.

2006-01-01

This guide was written to help school and local education agency staff better understand and apply the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), a federal law that protects privacy interests of parents and students in student education records. The Forum has developed full reports on student (and staff ) privacy guidance, but a shorter…

A Guide to Enhancing the Cultural Competence of Runaway and Homeless Youth Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Bassin, and Shaw, Inc., Silver Spring, MD.

In June 1993, the Family and Youth Services Bureau brought together a working group to help local programs for runaway and homeless youth better meet the needs of an increasingly diverse population of young people. Strategies developed by this working group are shared in this guide. The introductory chapter provides a framework within which local…

Suggestions for Curriculum Development [And] Handbook High School Grades, Part D, 10-12. Environmental Education Interdependence: A Concept Approach. Revised.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

King, David C.; Wood, Jayne Millar

Two booklets comprise the grades 10-12 component of a series of guides for incorporating environmental education into the existing curriculum. The guide and handbook emphasize a multidisciplinary approach, use the concept of interdependence as an organizing theme, and offer suggestions for using the local community as a resource. The guide…

Suggestions for Curriculum Development [And] Handbook, Part C, 7-9. Environmental Education Interdependence: A Concept Approach. Revised.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

King, David C.; Stillman, Peter R.

Two booklets, a guide and a handbook, comprise the grades 7-9 component of a series of guides for incorporating environmental education into the existing curriculum. The materials emphasize a multidisciplinary approach, use the concept of interdependence as an organizing theme, and offer suggestions for using the local community as a resource.…

Value of MR contrast media in image-guided body interventions.

PubMed

Saeed, Maythem; Wilson, Mark

2012-01-28

In the past few years, there have been multiple advances in magnetic resonance (MR) instrumentation, in vivo devices, real-time imaging sequences and interventional procedures with new therapies. More recently, interventionists have started to use minimally invasive image-guided procedures and local therapies, which reduce the pain from conventional surgery and increase drug effectiveness, respectively. Local therapy also reduces the systemic dose and eliminates the toxic side effects of some drugs to other organs. The success of MR-guided procedures depends on visualization of the targets in 3D and precise deployment of ablation catheters, local therapies and devices. MR contrast media provide a wealth of tissue contrast and allows 3D and 4D image acquisitions. After the development of fast imaging sequences, the clinical applications of MR contrast media have been substantially expanded to include pre- during- and post-interventions. Prior to intervention, MR contrast media have the potential to localize and delineate pathologic tissues of vital organs, such as the brain, heart, breast, kidney, prostate, liver and uterus. They also offer other options such as labeling therapeutic agents or cells. During intervention, these agents have the capability to map blood vessels and enhance the contrast between the endovascular guidewire/catheters/devices, blood and tissues as well as direct therapies to the target. Furthermore, labeling therapeutic agents or cells aids in visualizing their delivery sites and tracking their tissue distribution. After intervention, MR contrast media have been used for assessing the efficacy of ablation and therapies. It should be noted that most image-guided procedures are under preclinical research and development. It can be concluded that MR contrast media have great value in preclinical and some clinical interventional procedures. Future applications of MR contrast media in image-guided procedures depend on their safety, tolerability, tissue specificity and effectiveness in demonstrating success of the interventions and therapies.

Effects of Insecurity on Community Development Projects in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni and Ahoada East Local Government Areas of Rivers State, Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adekola, G.; Enyiche, C. C.

2017-01-01

The study examined the effects of insecurity on community development projects in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni and Ahoada East Local Government Areas of Rivers State, Nigeria. The study was guided by two research questions and one null hypothesis. The study adopted a descriptive survey design with a population of 3,211 members of various Community Based…

Collaboration: Because It's Good for Children & Families: A Wisconsin Resource Manual.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haglund, Jill; Larson, Nola

This resource guide provides a rationale for collaboration among social agencies and answers some of the questions about cooperation and collaboration between Head Start programs and local school districts. Steps in the process in developing interagency agreements are outlined to assist local education agencies and Head Start programs in…

A Guide to Federal Regulation; Understanding the FCC Rules.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cable Television Information Center, Washington, DC.

While it is apparent that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has given a great deal of thought to the regulation of cable systems, the basic success or failure of cable as a communications service will depend on local development. Relatively little guidance has been provided to local franchising authorities for selecting among applicants,…

Local calibration of the MEPDG for flexible pavement design.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-10-01

In an effort to move toward pavement designs that employ mechanistic principles, the AASHTO Joint : Task Force on Pavements initiated an effort in 1996 to develop an improved pavement design guide. The : project called for the development of a design...

Guidelines for development : Transportation Improvement Programs (TIPs) and the Iowa Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP).

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-02-01

This document serves as a reference guide to local planning agencies for the development of their regional Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP). Any questions regarding content or relati...

Suggestions for Curriculum Development [And] Handbook Upper Elementary Grades, Part B, 4-6. Environmental Education Interdependence: A Concept Approach. Revised.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

King, David C.; Long, Cathryn J.

Two booklets comprise the grades 4-6 component of a series of guides for incorporating environmental education into the existing curriculum. Both the guide and handbook emphasize a multidisciplinary approach, use the concept of interdependence as an organizing theme, and offer suggestions for using the local community as a resource to study the…

American Issues Forum, Volume II: The Molding of American Values. A Study Guide for Courses by Newspaper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parrish, Michael E.; And Others

The study guide is designed to be used with other instructional materials in a one-semester curriculum program which is linked to topics outlined in the American Issues Forum calendar. It is intended for use at the local level. This course seeks to develop new understandings of the problems and realities of contemporary America. Ways in which…

Local numerical modelling of ultrasonic guided waves in linear and nonlinear media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Packo, Pawel; Radecki, Rafal; Kijanka, Piotr; Staszewski, Wieslaw J.; Uhl, Tadeusz; Leamy, Michael J.

2017-04-01

Nonlinear ultrasonic techniques provide improved damage sensitivity compared to linear approaches. The combination of attractive properties of guided waves, such as Lamb waves, with unique features of higher harmonic generation provides great potential for characterization of incipient damage, particularly in plate-like structures. Nonlinear ultrasonic structural health monitoring techniques use interrogation signals at frequencies other than the excitation frequency to detect changes in structural integrity. Signal processing techniques used in non-destructive evaluation are frequently supported by modeling and numerical simulations in order to facilitate problem solution. This paper discusses known and newly-developed local computational strategies for simulating elastic waves, and attempts characterization of their numerical properties in the context of linear and nonlinear media. A hybrid numerical approach combining advantages of the Local Interaction Simulation Approach (LISA) and Cellular Automata for Elastodynamics (CAFE) is proposed for unique treatment of arbitrary strain-stress relations. The iteration equations of the method are derived directly from physical principles employing stress and displacement continuity, leading to an accurate description of the propagation in arbitrarily complex media. Numerical analysis of guided wave propagation, based on the newly developed hybrid approach, is presented and discussed in the paper for linear and nonlinear media. Comparisons to Finite Elements (FE) are also discussed.

Guide for Establishing Programs of Vocational Exploration.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

West Virginia State Dept. of Education, Charleston. Bureau of Vocational, Technical, and Adult Education.

Developed to assist local educational agencies in developing vocational exploratory programs for ninth and tenth grade students, the document outlines activities that emphasize self-exploration and occupational information. Information needed to assess the direction and limits of individual programs, identification of occupational groupings, and…

Object Segmentation Methods for Online Model Acquisition to Guide Robotic Grasping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ignakov, Dmitri

A vision system is an integral component of many autonomous robots. It enables the robot to perform essential tasks such as mapping, localization, or path planning. A vision system also assists with guiding the robot's grasping and manipulation tasks. As an increased demand is placed on service robots to operate in uncontrolled environments, advanced vision systems must be created that can function effectively in visually complex and cluttered settings. This thesis presents the development of segmentation algorithms to assist in online model acquisition for guiding robotic manipulation tasks. Specifically, the focus is placed on localizing door handles to assist in robotic door opening, and on acquiring partial object models to guide robotic grasping. First, a method for localizing a door handle of unknown geometry based on a proposed 3D segmentation method is presented. Following segmentation, localization is performed by fitting a simple box model to the segmented handle. The proposed method functions without requiring assumptions about the appearance of the handle or the door, and without a geometric model of the handle. Next, an object segmentation algorithm is developed, which combines multiple appearance (intensity and texture) and geometric (depth and curvature) cues. The algorithm is able to segment objects without utilizing any a priori appearance or geometric information in visually complex and cluttered environments. The segmentation method is based on the Conditional Random Fields (CRF) framework, and the graph cuts energy minimization technique. A simple and efficient method for initializing the proposed algorithm which overcomes graph cuts' reliance on user interaction is also developed. Finally, an improved segmentation algorithm is developed which incorporates a distance metric learning (DML) step as a means of weighing various appearance and geometric segmentation cues, allowing the method to better adapt to the available data. The improved method also models the distribution of 3D points in space as a distribution of algebraic distances from an ellipsoid fitted to the object, improving the method's ability to predict which points are likely to belong to the object or the background. Experimental validation of all methods is performed. Each method is evaluated in a realistic setting, utilizing scenarios of various complexities. Experimental results have demonstrated the effectiveness of the handle localization method, and the object segmentation methods.

Public/Private Partnerships: Building Support for Employer-Sponsored Eldercare: A Guide for the Aging Network.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sheehy, Edward

This guidebook provides practical information to assist state and local aging agencies in developing strategic relationships with businesses in their communities. It focuses on the experiences of those state agencies and Area Agencies on Aging that are actively working with local employers and it presents a framework for other agencies. The book…

Renewable energy water supply - Mexico program summary

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

Foster, R.

1997-12-01

This paper describes a program directed by the US Agency for International Development and Sandia National Laboratory which installed sustainable energy sources in the form of photovoltaic modules and wind energy systems in rural Mexico to pump water and provide solar distillation services. The paper describes the guidelines which appeared most responsible for success as: promote an integrated development program; install quality systems that develop confidence; instill local project ownership; train local industry and project developers; develop a local maintenance infrastructure; provide users training and operations guide; develop clear lines of responsibilities for system upkeep. The paper emphasizes the importancemore » of training. It also presents much collected data as to the characteristics and performance of the installed systems.« less

Comparison of the analgesic efficacy of ultrasound-guided rectus sheath block and local anesthetic infiltration for laparoscopic percutaneous extraperitoneal closure in children.

PubMed

Uchinami, Yuka; Sakuraya, Fumika; Tanaka, Nobuhiro; Hoshino, Koji; Mikami, Eri; Ishikawa, Taro; Fujii, Hitomi; Ishikawa, Takehiko; Morimoto, Yuji

2017-05-01

Ultrasound-guided rectus sheath block and local anesthetic infiltration are the standard options to improve postoperative pain for children undergoing surgery with a midline incision. However, there is no study comparing the effect of ultrasound-guided rectus sheath block with local anesthetic infiltration for children undergoing laparoscopic surgery. The aim of this trial was to compare the onset of ultrasound-guided rectus sheath block with that of local anesthetic infiltration for laparoscopic percutaneous extraperitoneal closure in children. We performed an observer-blinded, randomized, prospective trial. Enrolled patients were assigned to either an ultrasound-guided rectus sheath block group or a local anesthetic infiltration group. The ultrasound-guided rectus sheath block group (n = 17) received ultrasound-guided rectus sheath block with 0.2 ml·kg -1 of 0.375% ropivacaine per side in the posterior rectus sheath compartment. The local anesthetic infiltration group (n = 17) received local anesthetic infiltration with 0.2 ml·kg -1 of 0.75% ropivacaine. The Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, and Consolability (FLACC) pain scores were recorded at 0, 30, 60 min after arrival at the postanesthesia care unit. Of the 37 patients enrolled in this study, 34 completed the study protocol. A significant difference in the pain scale between the ultrasound-guided rectus sheath block group and local anesthetic infiltration group was found at 0 min (median: 0, interquartile range [IQR]: 0-1.5, vs median: 1, IQR 0-5, confidence interval of median [95% CI]: 0-3, P = 0.048), but no significant difference was found at 30 min (median: 1, IQR: 0-4 vs median: 6, IQR: 0-7, 95% CI: 0-5, P = 0.061), or 60 min (median: 0, IQR: 0-2 vs median: 1, IQR: 0-3, 95% CI: -1 to 1, P = 0.310). No significant difference was found in anesthesia time between the ultrasound-guided rectus sheath block and local anesthetic infiltration groups. No procedure-related complications were observed in either group. Ultrasound-guided rectus sheath block is a quicker way to control postoperative pain for pediatric patients undergoing laparoscopic extraperitoneal closure than local anesthetic infiltration, and thus may provide a clinical benefit. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Rural Workplace Literacy Demonstration Project. Welding Curriculum. Dorsey Trailers, Inc.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Enterprise State Junior Coll., AL.

This curriculum guide contains workplace-specific instructional materials developed for use in a rural workplace literacy demonstration project, specifically with welders. Contents include a student assessment form, instructional objectives, pre- and posttests, learning activities (some locally developed and some selected from commercially…

Evidence for informing health policy development in Low-income Countries (LICs): perspectives of policy actors in Uganda

PubMed Central

Nabyonga-Orem, Juliet; Mijumbi, Rhona

2015-01-01

Background: Although there is a general agreement on the benefits of evidence informed health policy development given resource constraints especially in Low-Income Countries (LICs), the definition of what evidence is, and what evidence is suitable to guide decision-making is still unclear. Our study is contributing to filling this knowledge gap. We aimed to explore health policy actors’ views regarding what evidence they deemed appropriate to guide health policy development. Methods: Using exploratory qualitative methods, we conducted interviews with 51 key informants using an in-depth interview guide. We interviewed a diverse group of stakeholders in health policy development and knowledge translation in the Uganda health sector. Data were analyzed using inductive content analysis techniques. Results: Different stakeholders lay emphasis on different kinds of evidence. While donors preferred international evidence and Ministry of Health (MoH) officials looked to local evidence, district health managers preferred local evidence, evidence from routine monitoring and evaluation, and reports from service providers. Service providers on the other hand preferred local evidence and routine monitoring and evaluation reports whilst researchers preferred systematic reviews and clinical trials. Stakeholders preferred evidence covering several aspects impacting on decision-making highlighting the fact that although policy actors look for factual information, they also require evidence on context and implementation feasibility of a policy decision. Conclusion: What LICs like Uganda categorize as evidence suitable for informing policy encompasses several types with no consensus on what is deemed as most appropriate. Evidence must be of high quality, applicable, acceptable to the users, and informing different aspects of decision-making. PMID:25905479

Transcatheter Arterial Embolization with a Mixture of Absolute Ethanol and Iodized Oil for Poorly Visualized Endophytic Renal Masses Prior to CT-Guided Percutaneous Cryoablation

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

Michimoto, Kenkichi, E-mail: michikoo@jikei.ac.jp; Shimizu, Kanichiro; Kameoka, Yoshihiko

PurposeTo retrospectively evaluate the feasibility of transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) using a mixture of absolute ethanol and iodized oil to improve localization of endophytic renal masses on unenhanced computed tomography (CT) prior to CT-guided percutaneous cryoablation (PCA).Materials and MethodsOur institutional review board approved this retrospective study. From September 2011 to June 2015, 17 patients (mean age, 66.8 years) with stage T1a endophytic renal masses (mean diameter, 26.5 mm) underwent TAE using a mixture of absolute ethanol and iodized oil to improve visualization of small and endophytic renal masses on unenhanced CT prior to CT-guided PCA. TAE was considered successful that accumulated iodizedmore » oil depicted whole of the tumor edge on CT. PCA was considered successful when the iceball covered the entire tumor with over a 5 mm margin. Oncological and renal functional outcomes and complications were also evaluated.ResultsTAE was successfully performed in 16 of 17 endophytic tumors. The 16 tumors were performed under CT-guided PCA with their distinct visualization of localization and safe ablated margin. During the mean follow-up period of 15.4 ± 5.1 months, one patient developed local recurrence. Estimated glomerular filtration rate declined by 8 % with statistical significance (P = 0.01). There was no procedure-related significant complication.ConclusionTAE using a mixture of absolute ethanol and iodized oil to improve visualization of endophytic renal masses facilitated tumor localization on unenhanced CT, permitting depiction of the tumor edge as well as a safe margin for ablation during CT-guided PCA, with an acceptable decline in renal function.« less

Entrepreneurship Theories and Their Use in Rural Development. An Annotated Bibliography.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frederick, Martha; Long, Celeste A.

Entrepreneurship has been one of the major issues in rural education. This annotated bibliography is a guide to theoretical material and to more recent empirical work on entrepreneurs in different economic climates. The material was gathered to enable rural development strategists who want to promote local independent business development to build…

Change Detection via Selective Guided Contrasting Filters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vizilter, Y. V.; Rubis, A. Y.; Zheltov, S. Y.

2017-05-01

Change detection scheme based on guided contrasting was previously proposed. Guided contrasting filter takes two images (test and sample) as input and forms the output as filtered version of test image. Such filter preserves the similar details and smooths the non-similar details of test image with respect to sample image. Due to this the difference between test image and its filtered version (difference map) could be a basis for robust change detection. Guided contrasting is performed in two steps: at the first step some smoothing operator (SO) is applied for elimination of test image details; at the second step all matched details are restored with local contrast proportional to the value of some local similarity coefficient (LSC). The guided contrasting filter was proposed based on local average smoothing as SO and local linear correlation as LSC. In this paper we propose and implement new set of selective guided contrasting filters based on different combinations of various SO and thresholded LSC. Linear average and Gaussian smoothing, nonlinear median filtering, morphological opening and closing are considered as SO. Local linear correlation coefficient, morphological correlation coefficient (MCC), mutual information, mean square MCC and geometrical correlation coefficients are applied as LSC. Thresholding of LSC allows operating with non-normalized LSC and enhancing the selective properties of guided contrasting filters: details are either totally recovered or not recovered at all after the smoothing. These different guided contrasting filters are tested as a part of previously proposed change detection pipeline, which contains following stages: guided contrasting filtering on image pyramid, calculation of difference map, binarization, extraction of change proposals and testing change proposals using local MCC. Experiments on real and simulated image bases demonstrate the applicability of all proposed selective guided contrasting filters. All implemented filters provide the robustness relative to weak geometrical discrepancy of compared images. Selective guided contrasting based on morphological opening/closing and thresholded morphological correlation demonstrates the best change detection result.

Conceptualizing Youth Empowerment within Tobacco Control

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holden, Debra J.; Messeri, Peter; Evans, W. Douglas; Crankshaw, Erik; Ben-Davies, Maureen

2004-01-01

This article presents a conceptual framework that was developed to guide a national evaluation of the American Legacy Foundation's (Legacy) Statewide Youth Movement Against Tobacco Use (SYMATU) program. This program was designed to develop youth-led, youth-directed initiatives within local communities. Two evaluation studies were designed and…

Guidebook for development of traffic monitoring systems for major traffic generators in the state of Texas.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-09-01

The purpose of this guide is to aid the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO), and other state and local agencies to develop an effective traffic monitoring system for new major traffic generators in th...

Technical Review of Law Enforcement Standards and Guides Relative to Incident Management

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

Stenner, Robert D.; Salter, R.; Stanton, J. R.

2009-03-24

In an effort to locate potential law enforcement-related standards that support incident management, a team from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) contacted representatives from the National Institute of Standards-Office of Law Enforcement Standards (NIST-OLES), National Institute of Justice (NIJ), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Secret Service, ASTM International committees that have a law enforcement focus, and a variety of individuals from local and regional law enforcement organizations. Discussions were held with various state and local law enforcement organizations. The NIJ has published several specific equipment-related law enforcement standards that were included in the review, but it appears that lawmore » enforcement program and process-type standards are developed principally by organizations that operate at the state and local level. Input is provided from state regulations and codes and from external non-government organizations (NGOs) that provide national standards. The standards that are adopted from external organizations or developed independently by state authorities are available for use by local law enforcement agencies on a voluntary basis. The extent to which they are used depends on the respective jurisdictions involved. In some instances, use of state and local disseminated standards is mandatory, but in most cases, use is voluntary. Usually, the extent to which these standards are used appears to depend on whether or not jurisdictions receive certification from a “governing” entity due to their use and compliance with the standards. In some cases, these certification-based standards are used in principal but without certification or other compliance monitoring. In general, these standards appear to be routinely used for qualification, selection for employment, and training. In these standards, the term “Peace Officer” is frequently used to refer to law enforcement personnel. This technical review of national law enforcement standards and guides identified the following four guides as having content that supports incident management: • TE-02-02 Guide to Radio Communications Interoperability Strategies and Products • OSHA 335-10N Preparing and Protecting Security Personnel in Emergencies • NIJ 181584 Fire and Arson Scene Evidence: A Guide for Public Safety Personnel • NIJ 181869 A Guide for Explosion and Bombing Scene Investigation In conversations with various state and local law enforcement officials, it was determined that the following National Fire Protection Association (NPFA) standards are generally recognized and tend to be universally used by law enforcement organizations across the country: • NFPA 1600 Standard on Disaster/Emergency Management and Business Continuity Programs • NFPA 1561 Standard on Fire Department Incident Management Systems • NFPA 472 Standard for Competence of Responders to Hazardous Materials/Weapons of Mass Destruction Incidents (2008 Edition) • NFPA 473 Standard for Competencies for EMS Personnel Responding to Hazardous Materials/Weapons of Mass Destruction Incidents (2008 Edition)« less

The Pacific Family and Food Safety: A Food Guide into the 21st Century.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Camacho, Mary Elaine; Aguon, Jane M.

The Food Safety First Program in Guam and the Marianas, sponsored in part by the United States Department of Agriculture, assesses the food safety behavior of the local population, and uses the results to develop educational programs. The thriving of bacteria in the local climate places extra importance on educating the population on the necessity…

Development of the PHAST model: generating standard public health services data and evidence for decision-making.

PubMed

Bekemeier, Betty; Park, Seungeun

2018-04-01

Standardized data regarding the distribution, quality, reach, and variation in public health services provided at the community level and in wide use across states and communities do not exist. This leaves a major gap in our nation's understanding of the value of prevention activities and, in particular, the contributions of our government public health agencies charged with assuring community health promotion and protection. Public health and community leaders, therefore, are eager for accessible and comparable data regarding preventive services that can inform policy decisions about where to invest resources. We used literature review and a practice-based approach, employing an iterative process to identify factors that facilitate data provision among public health practitioners. This paper describes the model, systematically developed by our research team and with input from practice partners, that guides our process toward maximizing the uptake and integration of these standardized measures into state and local data collection systems. The model we developed, using a dissemination and implementation science framework, is intended to foster greater interest in and accountability for data collection around local health department services and to facilitate spatial exploration and statistical analysis of local health department service distribution, change, and performance. Our model is the first of its kind to thoroughly develop a means to guide research and practice in realizing the National Academy of Medicine's recommendation for developing systems to measure and track state and local public health system contributions to population health.

Implementation of a web-based national child health-care programme in a local context: A complex facilitator role.

PubMed

Tell, Johanna; Olander, Ewy; Anderberg, Peter; Berglund, Johan Sanmartin

2018-02-01

The aim of this study was to investigate child health-care coordinators' experiences of being a facilitator for the implementation of a new national child health-care programme in the form of a web-based national guide. The study was based on eight remote, online focus groups, using Skype for Business. A qualitative content analysis was performed. The analysis generated three categories: adapt to a local context, transition challenges and led by strong incentives. There were eight subcategories. In the latent analysis, the theme 'Being a facilitator: a complex role' was formed to express the child health-care coordinators' experiences. Facilitating a national guideline or decision support in a local context is a complex task that requires an advocating and mediating role. For successful implementation, guidelines and decision support, such as a web-based guide and the new child health-care programme, must match professional consensus and needs and be seen as relevant by all. Participation in the development and a strong bottom-up approach was important, making the web-based guide and the programme relevant to whom it is intended to serve, and for successful implementation. The study contributes valuable knowledge when planning to implement a national web-based decision support and policy programme in a local health-care context.

California Endangered Species Resource Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

California State Dept. of Education, Los Angeles.

This document was developed in response to California Senate Bill No. 885, "The Endangered Species Education Project," that called for a statewide program in which schools adopt a local endangered species, research past and current efforts to preserve the species' habitat, develop and implement an action plan to educate the community…

Five-year follow-up using a prostate stent as fiducial in image-guided radiotherapy of prostate cancer.

PubMed

Carl, Jesper; Sander, Lotte

2015-06-01

To report results from the five-year follow-up on a previously reported study using image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) of localized or locally advanced prostate cancer (PC) and a removable prostate stent as fiducial. Patients with local or locally advanced PC were treated using five-field 3D conformal radiotherapy (3DRT). The clinical target volumes (CTV) were treated to 78 Gy in 39 fractions using daily on-line image guidance (IG). Late genito-urinary (GU) and gastro-intestinal (GI) toxicities were scored using the radiotherapy oncology group (RTOG) score and the common toxicity score of adverse events (CTC) score. Urinary symptoms were also scored using the international prostate symptom score (IPSS). Median observation time was 5.4 year. Sixty-two of the 90 patients from the original study cohort were eligible for toxicity assessment. Overall survival, cancer-specific survival and biochemical freedom from failure were 85%, 96% and 80%, respectively at five years after radiotherapy. Late toxicity GU and GI RTOG scores≥2 were 5% and 0%. Comparing pre- and post-radiotherapy IPSS scores indicate that development in urinary symptoms after radiotherapy may be complex. Prostate image-guided radiotherapy using a prostate stent demonstrated survival data comparable with recently published data. GU and GI toxicities at five-year follow-up were low and comparable to the lowest toxicity rates reported. These findings support that the precision of the prostate stent technique is at least as good as other techniques. IPSS revealed a complex development in urinary symptoms after radiotherapy.

Instruction Guide and Macro Analysis Tool for Community-led Air Monitoring

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA has developed two tools for evaluating the performance of low-cost sensors and interpreting the data they collect to help citizen scientists, communities, and professionals interested in learning about local air quality.

Canl to Curarrehue (Chile): A Journey in Alternative Development. Outdoor Education and Sustainable Development: Part Two.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walker, Rod

1999-01-01

The outdoor experience's core element of connection to the earth is a central feature of an environmental-education project in Canl forest sanctuary (Chile). Developed to provide integrated environmental and adventure-education experiences to forest visitors, the project expanded to train local youth as ecotourism guides and native-tree nursery…

Using Repeated LIDAR to Characterize Topographic Changes in Riparian Areas and Stream Channel Morphology in Areas Undergoing Urban Development: An Accuracy Assessment Guide for Local Watershed Managers

EPA Science Inventory

Urban development and the corresponding increases in impervious surfaces associated with that development have long been known to have adverse impacts upon urban riparian systems, water quality and quantity, groundwater recharge, streamflow, and aquatic ecosystem integrity. The ...

Assistive technology for ultrasound-guided central venous catheter placement.

PubMed

Ikhsan, Mohammad; Tan, Kok Kiong; Putra, Andi Sudjana

2018-01-01

This study evaluated the existing technology used to improve the safety and ease of ultrasound-guided central venous catheterization. Electronic database searches were conducted in Scopus, IEEE, Google Patents, and relevant conference databases (SPIE, MICCAI, and IEEE conferences) for related articles on assistive technology for ultrasound-guided central venous catheterization. A total of 89 articles were examined and pointed to several fields that are currently the focus of improvements to ultrasound-guided procedures. These include improving needle visualization, needle guides and localization technology, image processing algorithms to enhance and segment important features within the ultrasound image, robotic assistance using probe-mounted manipulators, and improving procedure ergonomics through in situ projections of important information. Probe-mounted robotic manipulators provide a promising avenue for assistive technology developed for freehand ultrasound-guided percutaneous procedures. However, there is currently a lack of clinical trials to validate the effectiveness of these devices.

ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING FOR SMALL COMMUNITIES: A GUIDE FOR LOCAL DECISION-MAKERS

EPA Science Inventory

Environmental Planning for Small Communities - A Guide for Local Decision-Makers presents a process for creating and implementing a community environmental plan. With a comprehensive environmental plan, local decision-makers can create an integrated approach to protecting the env...

A new memetic algorithm for mitigating tandem automated guided vehicle system partitioning problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pourrahimian, Parinaz

2017-11-01

Automated Guided Vehicle System (AGVS) provides the flexibility and automation demanded by Flexible Manufacturing System (FMS). However, with the growing concern on responsible management of resource use, it is crucial to manage these vehicles in an efficient way in order reduces travel time and controls conflicts and congestions. This paper presents the development process of a new Memetic Algorithm (MA) for optimizing partitioning problem of tandem AGVS. MAs employ a Genetic Algorithm (GA), as a global search, and apply a local search to bring the solutions to a local optimum point. A new Tabu Search (TS) has been developed and combined with a GA to refine the newly generated individuals by GA. The aim of the proposed algorithm is to minimize the maximum workload of the system. After all, the performance of the proposed algorithm is evaluated using Matlab. This study also compared the objective function of the proposed MA with GA. The results showed that the TS, as a local search, significantly improves the objective function of the GA for different system sizes with large and small numbers of zone by 1.26 in average.

Opportunities for the Older Unemployed. An Investigation of Education and Training Needs and Opportunities for Unwaged Adults in Their 40s and 50s.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Browning, Genia; Linn, Pamela

A project was designed to assist older unemployed people in London, England, with the transition to education, vocational training, and employment. The project involved the development of a local tourist guide course at Thames Polytechnic (England), the accreditation of this course, and employment of some of the participants as local tourist…

Get Involved in the Job Opportunities and Basic Skills Training Program (JOBS). What Local Areas Need To Know.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

JTPA Issues, 1989

1989-01-01

This Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) Update provides a quick primer of some of the key areas where states have flexibility to develop their own programs and processes in the new Job Opportunities and Basic Skills (JOBS) program. This guide is organized in seven sections that cover the following topics: (1) introduction; (2) why local areas…

Towards real-time MRI-guided 3D localization of deforming targets for non-invasive cardiac radiosurgery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ipsen, S.; Blanck, O.; Lowther, N. J.; Liney, G. P.; Rai, R.; Bode, F.; Dunst, J.; Schweikard, A.; Keall, P. J.

2016-11-01

Radiosurgery to the pulmonary vein antrum in the left atrium (LA) has recently been proposed for non-invasive treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF). Precise real-time target localization during treatment is necessary due to complex respiratory and cardiac motion and high radiation doses. To determine the 3D position of the LA for motion compensation during radiosurgery, a tracking method based on orthogonal real-time MRI planes was developed for AF treatments with an MRI-guided radiotherapy system. Four healthy volunteers underwent cardiac MRI of the LA. Contractile motion was quantified on 3D LA models derived from 4D scans with 10 phases acquired in end-exhalation. Three localization strategies were developed and tested retrospectively on 2D real-time scans (sagittal, temporal resolution 100 ms, free breathing). The best-performing method was then used to measure 3D target positions in 2D-2D orthogonal planes (sagittal-coronal, temporal resolution 200-252 ms, free breathing) in 20 configurations of a digital phantom and in the volunteer data. The 3D target localization accuracy was quantified in the phantom and qualitatively assessed in the real data. Mean cardiac contraction was  ⩽  3.9 mm between maximum dilation and contraction but anisotropic. A template matching approach with two distinct template phases and ECG-based selection yielded the highest 2D accuracy of 1.2 mm. 3D target localization showed a mean error of 3.2 mm in the customized digital phantoms. Our algorithms were successfully applied to the 2D-2D volunteer data in which we measured a mean 3D LA motion extent of 16.5 mm (SI), 5.8 mm (AP) and 3.1 mm (LR). Real-time target localization on orthogonal MRI planes was successfully implemented for highly deformable targets treated in cardiac radiosurgery. The developed method measures target shifts caused by respiration and cardiac contraction. If the detected motion can be compensated accordingly, an MRI-guided radiotherapy system could potentially enable completely non-invasive treatment of AF.

Evidence for informing health policy development in Low-income Countries (LICs): perspectives of policy actors in Uganda.

PubMed

Nabyonga-Orem, Juliet; Mijumbi, Rhona

2015-03-08

Although there is a general agreement on the benefits of evidence informed health policy development given resource constraints especially in Low-Income Countries (LICs), the definition of what evidence is, and what evidence is suitable to guide decision-making is still unclear. Our study is contributing to filling this knowledge gap. We aimed to explore health policy actors' views regarding what evidence they deemed appropriate to guide health policy development. Using exploratory qualitative methods, we conducted interviews with 51 key informants using an in-depth interview guide. We interviewed a diverse group of stakeholders in health policy development and knowledge translation in the Uganda health sector. Data were analyzed using inductive content analysis techniques. Different stakeholders lay emphasis on different kinds of evidence. While donors preferred international evidence and Ministry of Health (MoH) officials looked to local evidence, district health managers preferred local evidence, evidence from routine monitoring and evaluation, and reports from service providers. Service providers on the other hand preferred local evidence and routine monitoring and evaluation reports whilst researchers preferred systematic reviews and clinical trials. Stakeholders preferred evidence covering several aspects impacting on decision-making highlighting the fact that although policy actors look for factual information, they also require evidence on context and implementation feasibility of a policy decision. What LICs like Uganda categorize as evidence suitable for informing policy encompasses several types with no consensus on what is deemed as most appropriate. Evidence must be of high quality, applicable, acceptable to the users, and informing different aspects of decision-making. © 2015 by Kerman University of Medical Sciences.

Development of an MRI-Guided Intra-Prostatic Needle Placement System

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-07-01

and intra-operative imaging using techniques such as those described by Haker , et al. [18]. Target points for the needle insertion are selected... Haker , S., Fichtinger, G., Tem- pany, C.: Transperineal prostate biopsy under magnetic resonance image guid- ance: A needle placement accuracy study 26...clinically localized prostate cancer. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 42(3), 507–515 (1998) 9. DiMaio, S.P., Pieper, S., Chinzei, K., Hata, N., Haker , S.J

[Percutaneous radiofrequency ablation of osteoid osteomas: technique and results].

PubMed

Bruners, P; Penzkofer, T; Günther, R W; Mahnken, A

2009-08-01

Osteoid osteoma is a benign primary bone tumor that typically occurs in children and young adults. Besides local pain, which is often worse at night, prompt relief due to medication with acetylsalicylic acid (ASS) is characteristic for this bone lesion. Because long-term medication with ASS does not represent an alternative treatment strategy due to its potentially severe side effects, different minimally invasive image-guided techniques for the therapy of osteoid osteoma have been developed. In this context radiofrequency (RF) ablation in particular has become part of the clinical routine. The technique and results of image-guided RF ablation are compared to alternative treatment strategies. Using this technique, an often needle-shaped RF applicator is percutaneously placed into the tumor under image guidance. Then a high-frequency alternating current is applied by the tip of the applicator which leads to ionic motion within the tissue resulting in local heat development and thus in thermal destruction of the surrounding tissue including the tumor. The published primary and secondary success rates of this technique are 87 and 83 %, respectively. Surgical resection and open curettage show comparable success rates but are associated with higher complication rates. In addition image-guided RF ablation of osteoid osteomas is associated with low costs. In conclusion image-guided RF ablation can be considered the gold standard for the treatment of osteoid osteoma.

Improving HIV outcomes in resource-limited countries: the importance of quality indicators.

PubMed

Ahonkhai, Aima A; Bassett, Ingrid V; Ferris, Timothy G; Freedberg, Kenneth A

2012-11-24

Resource-limited countries increasingly depend on quality indicators to improve outcomes within HIV treatment programs, but indicators of program performance suitable for use at the local program level remain underdeveloped. Using the existing literature as a guide, we applied standard quality improvement (QI) concepts to the continuum of HIV care from HIV diagnosis, to enrollment and retention in care, and highlighted critical service delivery process steps to identify opportunities for performance indicator development. We then identified existing indicators to measure program performance, citing examples used by pivotal donor agencies, and assessed their feasibility for use in surveying local program performance. Clinical delivery steps without existing performance measures were identified as opportunities for measure development. Using National Quality Forum (NQF) criteria as a guide, we developed measurement concepts suitable for use at the local program level that address existing gaps in program performance assessment. This analysis of the HIV continuum of care identified seven critical process steps providing numerous opportunities for performance measurement. Analysis of care delivery process steps and the application of NQF criteria identified 24 new measure concepts that are potentially useful for improving operational performance in HIV care at the local level. An evidence-based set of program-level quality indicators is critical for the improvement of HIV care in resource-limited settings. These performance indicators should be utilized as treatment programs continue to grow.

Agriculture in Elementary School: A Challenge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crunkilton, John R.

1975-01-01

The article delineates an approach to teaching agriculture in the elementary grades: the extensive development of materials, lesson guides, and teaching aids which elementary teachers could use in their instructional programs, while local agriculture teachers could serve as consultants. (AJ)

Measurements of dynamic and resilient moduli of roadway test sites.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-12-01

This study developed a material input library of dynamic and resilient moduli of local : pavement materials for the Mechanistic Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) : implementation in Georgia. A database includes: 1) dynamic moduli of asphalt con...

Improving safety on rural local and tribal roads site safety analysis - user guide #1.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-08-01

This User Guide presents an example of how rural local and Tribal practitioners can study conditions at a preselected site. It demonstrates the step-by-step safety analysis process presented in Improving Safety on Rural Local and Tribal Roads Saf...

Ordinary Alchemy: Understanding School and Community Co-Development through the Experiences of a Community School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Diaz Pineiro, Odalys Maria

2010-01-01

Practice and inquiry into school-community connections have been guided by problematic assumptions about the role of neighborhood schools, community based institutions, and local economic development policies in the evolution of urban communities. Formal relationships between schools and urban neighborhoods grounded in these assumptions have been…

EXTENSION IN RURAL COMMUNITIES, A MANUAL FOR AGRICULTURAL AND HOME EXTENSION WORKERS.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

SAVILE, A.H.

A PRACTICAL GUIDE IS PROVIDED FOR TRAINERS OF ADVISORY AND EXTENSION WORKERS AND LOCAL LEADERS IN AGRICULTURE AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT IN DEVELOPING NATIONS. BASIC PRINCIPLES OF AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION, COMMUNITY SURVEY PROCEDURES, ELEMENTS OF PROGRAM PLANNING, AND PURPOSES AND METHODS OF PROGRAM EVALUATION ARE DESCRIBED. THEN FOLLOW TWO CHAPTERS…

Family Living and Parenthood. Performance Objectives and Criterion-Referenced Test Items.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Missouri Univ., Columbia. Instructional Materials Lab.

This guide was developed to assist home economics teachers in implementing the Missouri Vocational Instructional Management System into the home economics curriculum at the local level through a family living and parenthood semester course. The course contains a minimum of two performance objectives for each competency developed and validated by…

Sensor-Based Electromagnetic Navigation (Mediguide®): How Accurate Is It? A Phantom Model Study.

PubMed

Bourier, Felix; Reents, Tilko; Ammar-Busch, Sonia; Buiatti, Alessandra; Grebmer, Christian; Telishevska, Marta; Brkic, Amir; Semmler, Verena; Lennerz, Carsten; Kaess, Bernhard; Kottmaier, Marc; Kolb, Christof; Deisenhofer, Isabel; Hessling, Gabriele

2015-10-01

Data about localization reproducibility as well as spatial and visual accuracy of the new MediGuide® sensor-based electroanatomic navigation technology are scarce. We therefore sought to quantify these parameters based on phantom experiments. A realistic heart phantom was generated in a 3D-Printer. A CT scan was performed on the phantom. The phantom itself served as ground-truth reference to ensure exact and reproducible catheter placement. A MediGuide® catheter was repeatedly tagged at selected positions to assess accuracy of point localization. The catheter was also used to acquire a MediGuide®-scaled geometry in the EnSite Velocity® electroanatomic mapping system. The acquired geometries (MediGuide®-scaled and EnSite Velocity®-scaled) were compared to a CT segmentation of the phantom to quantify concordance. Distances between landmarks were measured in the EnSite Velocity®- and MediGuide®-scaled geometry and the CT dataset for Bland-Altman comparison. The visualization of virtual MediGuide® catheter tips was compared to their corresponding representation on fluoroscopic cine-loops. Point localization accuracy was 0.5 ± 0.3 mm for MediGuide® and 1.4 ± 0.7 mm for EnSite Velocity®. The 3D accuracy of the geometries was 1.1 ± 1.4 mm (MediGuide®-scaled) and 3.2 ± 1.6 mm (not MediGuide®-scaled). The offset between virtual MediGuide® catheter visualization and catheter representation on corresponding fluoroscopic cine-loops was 0.4 ± 0.1 mm. The MediGuide® system shows a very high level of accuracy regarding localization reproducibility as well as spatial and visual accuracy, which can be ascribed to the magnetic field localization technology. The observed offsets between the geometry visualization and the real phantom are below a clinically relevant threshold. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Ergonomics support for local initiative in improving safety and health at work: International Labour Organization experiences in industrially developing countries.

PubMed

Kawakami, T; Kogi, K

2005-04-15

Ergonomics has played essential roles in the technical cooperation activities of the International Labour Organization (ILO) in occupational safety and health in industrially developing countries. Ergonomics support focusing on practical day-to-day needs at the grass-root workplace has strengthened the local initiative in improving safety and health. Practical action-tools such as ergonomics checklists, local good example photos and group discussions have assisted workers and employers in identifying feasible solutions using locally available resources. Direct participation of workers and employers has been promoted in ergonomics training aimed at immediate solutions. ILO Guidelines on Occupational Safety and Health Management Systems have played increasingly important roles in the systematic planning of local improvement actions. Policy-level programmes to develop network support mechanisms to the grass-root workplace were essential for following up and sustaining local achievements. Practical ergonomics support tools, such as action checklists and low-cost improvement guides, should be developed and widely applied so as to reach grass-root levels and help local people create safer and healthier workplaces.

Spotter's Guide for Identifying and Reporting Severe Local Storms.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (DOC), Rockville, MD.

This guide is designed to assist personnel working in the National Weather Service's Severe Local Storm Spotter Networks in identifying and reporting severe local storms. Provided are pictures of cloud types for severe storms including tornadoes, hail, thunder, lightning, heavy rains, and waterspouts. Instructions for key indications to watch for…

SOUTH CAROLINA GUIDE AND MINIMUM SPECIFICATIONS FOR MOBILE CLASSROOM UNITS.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

South Carolina State Education Finance Commission, Columbia. Office of Schoolhouse Planning.

THIS GUIDE OF REQUIRED AND RECOMMENDED STANDARDS FOR MOBILE CLASSROOM UNITS IS INTENDED TO--(1) PROVIDE A GUIDE TO LOCAL SCHOOL AUTHORITIES TO ASSIST THEM IN DETERMINING THE FEASIBILITY OF MOBILE UNITS, (2) SET MINIMUM SAFETY AND UTILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR MOBILE UNITS, (3) ASSURE LOCAL SCHOOL AUTHORITIES OF A MOBILE UNIT MEETING THE ABOVE…

Local Libraries: Global Awareness. A Librarian's Guide to Global Programming for a Sustainable Future.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Global Learning, Inc., Union, NJ.

This guide seeks to provide public and school librarians with a variety of practical resources and activities for contributing to the public's understanding of major global trends and relationships that affect local communities. The guide contains four sections geared towards children, young adults, adults, and school settings. The children's…

Measuring Progress in Chemical Safety: A Guide for Local Emergency Planning Committees and Similar Groups

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

LEPCs set goals and determine if their actions continue to achieve desired outcomes. Based on Guidance on Developing Safety Performance Indicators related to Chemical Accident Prevention, Preparedness and Response for Public Authorities and Communities.

Community-led Air Sensor Evaluation: New Tools for Citizen Scientists Fact Sheet

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA has developed a guide and analysis tool for citizen scientists to evaluate the performance of low-cost sensors and interpret the data they collect to help citizen scientists interested in learning about local air quality.

Galileo Teacher Training Program - GTTP Days

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heenatigala, T.; Doran, R.

2012-09-01

Despite the vast availability of teaching resources on the internet, finding a quality and user-friendly materials is a challenge. Many teachers are not trained with proper computing skills to search for the right materials. With years of expertise training teachers globally, Galileo Teacher Training Program (GTTP) [1] recognize the need of having a go-to place for teachers to access resources. To fill this need GTTP developed - GTTP Days - a program creating resource guides for planetary, lunar and solar fields. Avoiding the imbalance in science resources between the developed and undeveloped world, GTTP Days is available both online and offline as a printable version. Each resource guide covers areas such as scientific knowledge, exploration, observation, photography, art & culture and web tools. The lesson plans of each guide include hands-on activities, web tools, software tools, and activities for people with disabilities [2]. Each activity indicate the concepts used, the skills required and age level which guides the teachers and educators to select the correct content suitable for local curriculum.

Computed tomography guided localization of clinically occult breast carcinoma-the ''N'' skin guide

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

Kopans, D.B.; Meyer, J.E.

1982-10-01

Standard computed tomography (CT) can be used for the three-dimensional localization of clinically occult suspicious breast lesions whose exact position cannot be determined by standard mammographic views. A method is described that facilitates accurate preoperative needle localization using CT guidance, once the position of these lesions is defined.

Preparation for implementation of the mechanistic-empirical pavement design guide in Michigan, part 3 : local calibration and validation of the pavement-ME performance models.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-11-01

The main objective of Part 3 was to locally calibrate and validate the mechanistic-empirical pavement : design guide (Pavement-ME) performance models to Michigan conditions. The local calibration of the : performance models in the Pavement-ME is a ch...

Framework for Health Instruction in California Public Schools Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fodor, John T.; And Others

This guide has been designed to assist school districts in developing a comprehensive program of health instruction from kindergarten through grade twelve. It is a framework that provides structure for the development of a sequential, but flexible health education curriculum to meet local needs and provide for the changing health problems facing…

Development of a simplified flexible pavement design protocol for New York State Department of Transportation based on the AASHTO Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide : technical summary.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-01-01

This report summarizes the local calibration of the distress models for the Northeast (NE) region of the United States and the development of new design tables for new flexible pavement structures. Design, performance, and traffic data collected on t...

Keeping Kids on Track: Impacts of a Parenting-Focused Early Head Start Program on Attachment Security and Cognitive Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roggman, Lori A.; Boyce, Lisa K.; Cook, Gina A.

2009-01-01

Research Findings: The home-based Early Head Start program in this local study aimed to promote children's early attachment and cognitive development by establishing supportive relationships with parents and guiding responsive parenting and positive parent-child play interactions. To test the effectiveness of this approach, we studied the…

The Development of Industry. The Wisconsin Guide to Local Curriculum Improvement in Industrial Education, K-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loeffler, Gordon

This field tested instructional package is intended to develop within the student an understanding of the significant time periods and major events in the history of industry. Defining behavioral objectives, the course description includes a media section, suggested classroom activities, and student evaluation materials, as well as the basic…

Purposeful creation of a pneumothorax and chest tube placement to facilitate CT-guided coil localization of lung nodules before video-assisted thoracoscopic surgical wedge resection.

PubMed

Iqbal, Shams I; Molgaard, Christopher; Williamson, Christina; Flacke, Sebastian

2014-07-01

To evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of pneumothorax creation and chest tube insertion before computed tomography (CT)-guided coil localization of small peripheral lung nodules for video-assisted thoracoscopic surgical (VATS) wedge resection. From May 2011 to October 2013, 21 consecutive patients (seven men; mean age, 62 y; range, 42-76 y) scheduled for VATS wedge resection required CT-guided coil localization for small, likely nonpalpable peripheral lung lesions at a single institution. Outcomes were evaluated retrospectively for technical success and complications. There were 12 nodules and nine ground-glass opacities. Mean lesion distance from the pleural surface was 15 mm (range, 5-35 mm), and average size was 13 mm (range, 7-30 mm). A pneumothorax was successfully created in all patients with a Veress needle, and a chest tube was inserted. All target lesions were marked successfully, leaving one end of the coil within/beyond the lesion and the other end of the coil in the pleural space. The inserted chest tube was used to insufflate air to widen the pleural space during coil positioning and to aspirate any residual air before transfer of the patient to the operating room holding area. Intraparenchymal hemorrhages smaller than 7 cm in diameter developed in two patients during coil placement. All lesions were successfully resected with VATS. Histologic examinaiton revealed 13 primary adenocarcinomas, four metastases, and four benign lesions. Pneumothorax creation and chest tube placement before CT-guided coil localization of peripheral lung nodules for VATS wedge resection facilitates the deployment of the peripheral end of the coil in the pleural space and provides effective management of procedure-related pneumothorax until surgery. Copyright © 2014 SIR. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Real-time visualization of ultrasound-guided retrobulbar blockade: an imaging study.

PubMed

Luyet, C; Eichenberger, U; Moriggl, B; Remonda, L; Greif, R

2008-12-01

Retrobulbar anaesthesia allows eye surgery in awake patients. Severe complications of the blind techniques are reported. Ultrasound-guided needle introduction and direct visualization of the spread of local anaesthetic may improve quality and safety of retrobulbar anaesthesia. Therefore, we developed a new ultrasound-guided technique using human cadavers. In total, 20 blocks on both sides in 10 embalmed human cadavers were performed. Using a small curved array transducer and a long-axis approach, a 22 G short bevel needle was introduced under ultrasound guidance lateral and caudal of the eyeball until the needle tip was seen 2 mm away from the optic nerve. At this point, 2 ml of contrast dye as a substitute for local anaesthetic was injected. Immediately after the injection, the spread of the contrast dye was documented by means of CT scans performed in each cadaver. The CT scans showed the distribution of the contrast dye in the muscle cone and behind the posterior sclera in all but one case. No contrast dye was found inside the optic nerve or inside the eyeball. In one case, there could be an additional trace of contrast dye behind the orbita. Our new ultrasound-guided technique has the potential to improve safety and efficacy of the procedure by direct visualization of the needle placement and the distribution of the injected fluid. Furthermore, the precise injection near the optic nerve could lead to a reduction of the amount of the local anaesthetic needed with fewer related complications.

Breaking the cycles of poverty: Strategies, achievements, and lessons learned in Los Cuatro Santos, Nicaragua, 1990–2014

PubMed Central

Blandón, Elmer Zelaya; Källestål, Carina; Peña, Rodolfo; Perez, Wilton; Berglund, Staffan; Contreras, Mariela; Persson, Lars-Åke

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Background: In a post-war frontier area in north-western Nicaragua that was severely hit by Hurricane Mitch in 1998, local stakeholders embarked on and facilitated multi-dimensional development initiatives to break the cycles of poverty. Objective: The aim of this paper is to describe the process of priority-setting, and the strategies, guiding principles, activities, achievements, and lessons learned in these local development efforts from 1990 to 2014 in the Cuatro Santos area, Nicaragua. Methods: Data were derived from project records and a Health and Demographic Surveillance System that was initiated in 2004. The area had 25,893 inhabitants living in 5,966 households in 2014. Results: A participatory process with local stakeholders and community representatives resulted in a long-term strategic plan. Guiding principles were local ownership, political reconciliation, consensus decision-making, social and gender equity, an environmental and public health perspective, and sustainability. Local data were used in workshops with communities to re-prioritise and formulate new goals. The interventions included water and sanitation, house construction, microcredits, environmental protection, school breakfasts, technical training, university scholarships, home gardening, breastfeeding promotion, and maternity waiting homes. During the last decade, the proportion of individuals living in poverty was reduced from 79 to 47%. Primary school enrolment increased from 70 to 98% after the start of the school breakfast program. Under-five mortality was around 50 per 1,000 live births in 1990 and again peaked after Hurricane Mitch and was approaching 20 per 1,000 in 2014. Several of the interventions have been scaled up as national programs. Conclusions: The lessons learned from the Cuatro Santos initiative underline the importance of a bottom-up approach and local ownership of the development process, the value of local data for monitoring and evaluation, and the need for multi-dimensional local interventions to break the cycles of poverty and gain better health and welfare. PMID:28136698

Breaking the cycles of poverty: Strategies, achievements, and lessons learned in Los Cuatro Santos, Nicaragua, 1990-2014.

PubMed

Blandón, Elmer Zelaya; Källestål, Carina; Peña, Rodolfo; Perez, Wilton; Berglund, Staffan; Contreras, Mariela; Persson, Lars-Åke

2017-01-01

In a post-war frontier area in north-western Nicaragua that was severely hit by Hurricane Mitch in 1998, local stakeholders embarked on and facilitated multi-dimensional development initiatives to break the cycles of poverty. The aim of this paper is to describe the process of priority-setting, and the strategies, guiding principles, activities, achievements, and lessons learned in these local development efforts from 1990 to 2014 in the Cuatro Santos area, Nicaragua. Data were derived from project records and a Health and Demographic Surveillance System that was initiated in 2004. The area had 25,893 inhabitants living in 5,966 households in 2014. A participatory process with local stakeholders and community representatives resulted in a long-term strategic plan. Guiding principles were local ownership, political reconciliation, consensus decision-making, social and gender equity, an environmental and public health perspective, and sustainability. Local data were used in workshops with communities to re-prioritise and formulate new goals. The interventions included water and sanitation, house construction, microcredits, environmental protection, school breakfasts, technical training, university scholarships, home gardening, breastfeeding promotion, and maternity waiting homes. During the last decade, the proportion of individuals living in poverty was reduced from 79 to 47%. Primary school enrolment increased from 70 to 98% after the start of the school breakfast program. Under-five mortality was around 50 per 1,000 live births in 1990 and again peaked after Hurricane Mitch and was approaching 20 per 1,000 in 2014. Several of the interventions have been scaled up as national programs. The lessons learned from the Cuatro Santos initiative underline the importance of a bottom-up approach and local ownership of the development process, the value of local data for monitoring and evaluation, and the need for multi-dimensional local interventions to break the cycles of poverty and gain better health and welfare.

How to Better Prepare Your Community for a Chemical Emergency: A Guide for State, Tribal and Local Agencies

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This guide provides an overview of EPCRA requirements for State Emergency Response Commissions, Tribal Emergency Response Commissions, Local Emergency Planning Committees, and Tribal Emergency Planning Committees.

A guide for local agency pavement managers

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1994-12-01

The purpose of this guide is to provide Washington's local agencies with a practical document that will assist pavement managers in understanding the pavement management process and the steps necessary to implement their own pavement management syste...

Pupil Accounting for Local and State School Systems. State Educational Records and Reports Series: Handbook V. Bulletin, 1964, No. 39. OE-23035

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Putnam, John F., Comp.; Tankard, George G., Jr., Comp.

1964-01-01

This bulletin provides a basic guide for the items of information to be used in pupil accounting in the local and State school systems of the United States. Meeting at the call of the U.S. Commissioner of Education in April 1960, a policy committee for the pupil accounting project defined the project's purpose as the development of a manual of…

[Percutaneous ablation of metastases: where are we and new techniques].

PubMed

Palussière, Jean; Buy, Xavier; Fonck, Mariane

2013-04-01

When a metastatic disease is localized and slowly evolving either spontaneously or after a general treatment, a local treatment may be proposed. For about 15 years, image-guided percutaneous ablation has been developed which allows to treat tumors with temperature modifications. These mini-invasive techniques may be repeated in patients whose disease may be chronic. Ablation techniques are also used in a more palliative manner on bone metastases to obtain pain relief.

Neuronavigation-guided focused ultrasound-induced blood-brain barrier opening: A preliminary study in swine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Hao-Li; Tsai, Hong-Chieh; Lu, Yu-Jen; Wei, Kuo-Chen

2012-11-01

FUS-induced BBB opening is a promising technique for noninvasive and local delivery of drugs into the brain. Here we propose the novel use of a neuronavigation system to guide the FUS-induced BBB opening procedure, and investigate its feasibility in vivo in large animals. We developed an interface between the neuronavigator and FUS to allow guidance of the focal energy produced by the FUS transducer. The system was tested in 29 pigs by more than 40 sonication procedures and evaluated by MRI. Gd-DTPA concentration was quantitated in vivo by MRI R1 relaxometry and compared by ICP-OES assay. Brain histology after FUS exposure was investigated by HE and TUNEL staining. Neuronavigation could successfully guide the focal beam with comparable precision to neurosurgical stereotactic procedures (2.3 ± 0.9 mm). FUS pressure of 0.43 MPa resulted in consistent BBB-opening. Neuronavigation-guided BBB-opening increased Gd-DTPA deposition by up to 1.83 mM (140% increase). MR relaxometry demonstrated high correlation to ICP-OES measurements (r2 = 0.822), suggesting that Gd-DTPA deposition can be directly measured by imaging. Neuronavigation could provide sufficient precision for guiding FUS to temporally and locally open the BBB. Gd-DTPA deposition in the brain could be quantified by MR relaxometry, providing a potential tool for the in vivo quantification of therapeutic agents in CNS disease treatment.

Employer Toolkit.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thuli, Kelli J.; Hong, Esther

This document consists of two guides intended for either employers or service providers involved in school to work partnerships for students with disabilities. "Tools for Service Providers" is intended to be used for training local-level providers who are developing school to work linkages with employers. Following an introduction, this…

Beyond Criminalization: Toward a Criminologically Informed Framework for Mental Health Policy and Services Research

PubMed Central

Silver, Eric; Wolff, Nancy

2010-01-01

The problems posed by persons with mental illness involved with the criminal justice system are vexing ones that have received attention at the local, state and national levels. The conceptual model currently guiding research and social action around these problems is shaped by the “criminalization” perspective and the associated belief that reconnecting individuals with mental health services will by itself reduce risk for arrest. This paper argues that such efforts are necessary but possibly not sufficient to achieve that reduction. Arguing for the need to develop a services research framework that identifies a broader range of risk factors for arrest, we describe three potentially useful criminological frameworks—the “life course,” “local life circumstances” and “routine activities” perspectives. Their utility as platforms for research in a population of persons with mental illness is discussed and suggestions are provided with regard to how services research guided by these perspectives might inform the development of community-based services aimed at reducing risk of arrest. PMID:16791518

Volume-to-Weight Conversion Factors for Solid Waste

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA’s 1997 report, “Measuring Recycling: A Guide for State and Local Governments”, was a guide to facilitate standardization of MSW data collection at the local level. This document provides updates to the factors found in the report.

MR-CT registration using a Ni-Ti prostate stent in image-guided radiotherapy of prostate cancer.

PubMed

Korsager, Anne Sofie; Carl, Jesper; Østergaard, Lasse Riis

2013-06-01

In image-guided radiotherapy of prostate cancer defining the clinical target volume often relies on magnetic resonance (MR). The task of transferring the clinical target volume from MR to standard planning computed tomography (CT) is not trivial due to prostate mobility. In this paper, an automatic local registration approach is proposed based on a newly developed removable Ni-Ti prostate stent. The registration uses the voxel similarity measure mutual information in a two-step approach where the pelvic bones are used to establish an initial registration for the local registration. In a phantom study, the accuracy was measured to 0.97 mm and visual inspection showed accurate registration of all 30 data sets. The consistency of the registration was examined where translation and rotation displacements yield a rotation error of 0.41° ± 0.45° and a translation error of 1.67 ± 2.24 mm. This study demonstrated the feasibility for an automatic local MR-CT registration using the prostate stent.

Spreading Speed of Magnetopause Reconnection X-Lines Using Ground-Satellite Coordination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zou, Ying; Walsh, Brian M.; Nishimura, Yukitoshi; Angelopoulos, Vassilis; Ruohoniemi, J. Michael; McWilliams, Kathryn A.; Nishitani, Nozomu

2018-01-01

Conceptual and numerical models predict that magnetic reconnection starts at a localized region and then spreads out of the reconnection plane. At the Earth's magnetopause this spreading would occur primarily in local time along the boundary. Different simulations have found the spreading to occur at different speeds such as the Alfvén speed and speed of the current carriers. We use conjugate Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS) spacecraft and Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) radar measurements to observationally determine the X-line spreading speed at the magnetopause. THEMIS probes the reconnection parameters locally, and SuperDARN tracks the reconnection development remotely. Spreading speeds under different magnetopause boundary conditions are obtained and compared with model predictions. We find that while spreading under weak guide field could be explained by either the current carriers or the Alfvén waves, spreading under strong guide field is consistent only with the current carriers.

Environmental Education Needs and Preferences of an Inner City Community of Color.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mayeno, Amiko S.

The purpose of this study was to analyze the ways in which the experiences and concerns of a predominantly African American and Hispanic community affect how they view environmental issues. Their views are intended to serve as a guide in the development of an environmental education program that is being developed at one of the local parks.…

Standards for Data Exchange and Case Management Information Systems in Support of Comprehensive Integrated School-Linked Services. Version 2.0.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Far West Lab. for Educational Research and Development, San Francisco, CA.

This report is intended as a guide for local comprehensive integrated school-linked services sites and software vendors in developing and implementing case management information systems for the exchange and management of client data. The report is also intended to influence new development and future revisions of data systems, databases, and…

A case of transgastric gallbladder puncture as a complication during endoscopic ultrasound-guided drainage of a pancreatic pseudocyst.

PubMed

Hikichi, Takuto; Irisawa, Atsushi; Takagi, Tadayuki; Shibukawa, Goro; Wakatsuki, Takeru; Imamura, Hidemichi; Takahashi, Yuta; Sato, Ai; Sato, Masaki; Oyama, Hitoshi; Sato, Naoto; Yamamoto, Go; Mokonuma, Tatsuyuki; Obara, Katsutoshi; Ohira, Hiromasa

2007-06-01

A 43-year-old man, a regular drinker, developed a pseudocyst in the pancreatic tail as a result of acutely worsening chronic pancreatitis. Because the pseudocyst, 10 cm in diameter, did not disappear despite conservative treatment, an internal drainage stent was placed transgastrically under endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) guidance. However, cyst infection occurred, and EUS-guided drainage was performed, when the gallbladder was punctured inadvertently. Immediately a nasocystic drain was placed in the gallbladder. Owing to this timely measure, only mild and localized peritonitis developed. Conservative treatment with fasting and an antibiotic was administered, and peritonitis subsided quickly. On the same day, another nasocystic drain was placed for the pancreatic pseudocyst, and it disappeared. As far as we know, this is the first case in which gallbladder puncture was inadvertently performed during EUS-guided drainage of a pancreatic pseudocyst.

Energy Conservation: A Management Report for State and Local Governments and A Technical Guide for State and Local Governments.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Public Technology, Inc., Washington, DC.

This technical guide is part of a packet of tools designed to assist state or local government practitioners in organizing and managing an energy conservation program. It gives information on adapting energy conservation methods to existing public buildings and on designing new public buildings with energy conservation in mind. It also discusses…

Sexual health knowledge, sexual relationships and condom use among male trekking guides in Nepal: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Simkhada, Padam; van Teijlingen, Edwin R; Regmi, Pramod R; Bhatta, Prakash

2010-01-01

People in Nepal generally hold fairly traditional views about sex and sexual health, whilst Western tourists often have a more liberal approach towards sex and relationships. There is evidence that significant sexual interaction occurs between male trekking guides and female travellers and/or local female sex workers in Nepal. This qualitative study explored trekking guides' sexual health knowledge, sexual relationships and condom use with female trekkers and local female sex workers. A total of 21 in-depth interviews were conducted with male trekking guides. Most reported having had sexual relationships with female trekkers and local female sex workers. Explanations for intercourse with female trekkers included: financial support; getting future trekkers through word-of-mouth advertising from the women they have had sex with; and opportunities for emigration. Interestingly, sexual intercourse is reported as more likely to be initiated by female trekkers than by guides, and more so by older women. In contrast, the main reasons for having sex with local female sex workers included: romantic love or sexual excitement and novelty. Awareness regarding sexual health was high among guides, but several factors discouraged the regular use of condoms. Further research with female tourists would help understand the motivations and reasons for their sexual behaviour.

How to Make Guided Discovery Learning Practical for Student Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Janssen, Fred J. J. M.; Westbroek, Hanna B.; van Driel, Jan H.

2014-01-01

Many innovative teaching approaches lack classroom impact because teachers consider the proposals impractical. Making a teaching approach practical requires instrumentality (procedures), congruence (local fit), and affordable cost (limited time and resources).This paper concerns a study on the development and effects of a participatory design…

ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING FOR COMMUNITIES: A GUIDE TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL VISIONING PROCESS UTILIZING A GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM (GIS)

EPA Science Inventory

This document emphasizes the local stakeholder's role in addressing community-wide environmental issues, especially with respect to the preferred "green" community development. The document is intended to help communities made decisions about alternative land uses and landscape ...

Cable Television: Franchising Considerations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baer, Walter S.; And Others

This volume is a comprehensive reference guide to cable television technology and issues of planning, franchising, and regulating a cable system. It is intended for local government officials and citizens concerned with the development of cable television systems in their communities, as well as for college and university classes in…

Preschool Contracting: A Technical Assistance Guide. Revision.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kentucky State Dept. of Education, Frankfort.

This document presents information needed for development of contractual or cooperative arrangements between local school districts and other agencies and programs in Kentucky in order to better serve preschool children who are at risk of educational failure or who have identified disabilities. After an introductory section, the Preschool…

Geography and the Environment: International Perspectives. Teacher's Resource Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lang, Edward, Ed.; White, Caryn, Ed.

This document is the second curriculum development project of the Connecticut Geographic Alliance. The Alliance focuses on equipping teachers for more effective geographic instruction by providing leadership training so teachers can conduct workshops in local districts, and offering institutes for teachers that focus on important geographic…

Distributed temperature sensors development using an stepped-helical ultrasonic waveguide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Periyannan, Suresh; Rajagopal, Prabhu; Balasubramaniam, Krishnan

2018-04-01

This paper presents the design and development of the distributed ultrasonic waveguide temperature sensors using some stepped-helical structures. Distributed sensing has several applications in various industries (oil, glass, steel) for measurement of physical parameters such as level, temperature, viscosity, etc. This waveguide incorporates a special notch or bend for obtaining ultrasonic wave reflections from the desired locations (Gage-lengths) where local measurements are desired. In this paper, a multi-location measurement wave-guide, with a measurement capability of 18 locations in a single wire, has been fabricated. The distribution of these sensors is both in the axial as well as radial directions using a stepped-helical spring configuration. Also, different high temperature materials have been chosen for the wave-guide. Both lower order axi-symmetric guided ultrasonic modes (L(0,1) and T(0,1)) were employed. These wave modes were generated/received (pulse-echo approach) using conventional longitudinal and shear transducers, respectively. Also, both the wave modes were simultaneously generated/received and compared using shear transducer for developing the distributed helical wave-guide sensors. The effect of dispersion of the wave modes due to curvature effects will also be discussed.

Predictive simulation of guide-wave structural health monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giurgiutiu, Victor

2017-04-01

This paper presents an overview of recent developments on predictive simulation of guided wave structural health monitoring (SHM) with piezoelectric wafer active sensor (PWAS) transducers. The predictive simulation methodology is based on the hybrid global local (HGL) concept which allows fast analytical simulation in the undamaged global field and finite element method (FEM) simulation in the local field around and including the damage. The paper reviews the main results obtained in this area by researchers of the Laboratory for Active Materials and Smart Structures (LAMSS) at the University of South Carolina, USA. After thematic introduction and research motivation, the paper covers four main topics: (i) presentation of the HGL analysis; (ii) analytical simulation in 1D and 2D; (iii) scatter field generation; (iv) HGL examples. The paper ends with summary, discussion, and suggestions for future work.

Design and analysis of ultrasonic monaural audio guiding device for the visually impaired.

PubMed

Kim, Keonwook; Kim, Hyunjai; Yun, Gihun; Kim, Myungsoo

2009-01-01

The novel Audio Guiding Device (AGD) based on the ultrasonic, which is named as SonicID, has been developed in order to localize point of interest for the visually impaired. The SonicID requires the infrastructure of the transmitters for broadcasting the location information over the ultrasonic carrier. The user with ultrasonic headset receives the information with variable amplitude upon the location and direction of the user due to the ultrasonic characteristic and modulation method. This paper proposes the monaural headset form factor of the SonicID which improves the daily life of the beneficiary compare to the previous version which uses the both ears. Experimental results from SonicID, Bluetooth, and audible sound show that the SonicID demonstrates comparable localization performance to the audible sound with silence to others.

[Clinical study on patients with renal-cell carcinoma accompanied with Von Hippel-Lindau disease treated with radiofrequency ablation].

PubMed

Nao, Tomoya; Shimamoto, Tsutomu; Karashima, Takashi; Kamei, Maiko; Fukuhara, Hideo; Fukata, Satoshi; Satake, Hirofumi; Ashida, Shingo; Yamasaki, Ichiro; Kamata, Masayuki; Inoue, Keiji; Yamanishi, Tomoaki; Ogawa, Yasuhiro; Ito, Satoshi; Shuin, Taro

2014-09-01

We report 12 renal cell carcinomas in 6 patients with Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease treated with radiofrequency ablation (RFA). The mean age of the patients was 46 (range 38-53) years (male : 4, female : 2). Computed tomography (CT)-guided transcutaneous RFA was performed under conscious sedation with local anesthetics. The mean size of the tumors was 2.4 (range 0.7-8.1) cm. Nine of the 12 tumors (75%) were locally well controlled. However, 3 tumors in 2 patients developed visceral metastases after RFA. While minimal flank pain, nausea, perinephritic hematoma and lumbago were observed, there was no major complication during or after the procedure. The therapy with CT-guided transcutaneous RFA is efficient and minimal invasive for renal cell carcinoma in patients with VHL, leading to preservation of renal function.

Local Community Entrepreneurship in Mount Agung Trekking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mudana, I. G.; Sutama, I. K.; Widhari, C. I. S.

2018-01-01

Since its last major eruption in 1963, Mount Agung in Selat District, Karangasem Regency, the highest mountain in Bali Province began to be visited by tourists climbers. Because of the informal obligation that every climbing/trekking should be guided by local guides, since the 1990s, there have been initiatives from a number of local community members to serve climbing tourists who were keen to climb the volcano/mountain. This study was conducted to understand and describe the entrepreneurial practices which appeared in the local surrounding community. Specifically, Selat Village, in guiding the climbing/trekking. This study used qualitative data analysis and its theories were adapted to data needed in the field. The results of study showed that Mount Agung was considered attractive by climbing tourists not only because of the exotic beauty and challenges of difficulty (as well as the level of danger) to conquer it, but also because it kept certain myths from its status as a holy/sacred mountain to Balinese Hindus. In fact, a number of tourists who did the climbing/trekking without being guided very often got lost, harmed in an accident, or fell to their death. As a direct result, all climbing activities require guidance. Especially guides from local community organizations who really understand the intricacies of climbing and the curvature of the mountain. The entrepreneurial practices of Selat Village community had arisen not only to serve usual climbing activities, but also to preserve the environment of the mountain and the safety of the climbing tourists with the many taboos related to the climb. These facts could be seen clearly from descriptions of local experts and local climbing guides who have been doing their work for years. As a form of entrepreneurship, they basically did their work for the main purpose of seeking livelihoods (or making money) but their responsibility as local people made them commit to guarding the sanctity of the mountain. This was what distinguished these locals and their unique sense of entrepreneurialism from climbing/trekking entrepreneurship on many other mountains and regions.

Laparoscopic-guided abdominal wall nerve blocks in the pediatric population: a novel technique with comparison to ultrasound-guided blocks and local wound infiltration alone.

PubMed

Landmann, Alessandra; Visoiu, Mihaela; Malek, Marcus M

2018-03-01

Abdominal wall nerve blocks have been gaining popularity for the treatment of perioperative pain in children. Our aim was to compare a technique of surgeon-performed, laparoscopic abdominal wall nerve blocks to anesthesia-placed, ultrasound-guided abdominal wall nerve blocks and the current standard of local wound infiltration. After institutional review board approval was obtained, a retrospective chart review was performed of pediatric patients treated at a single institution during a 2-year period. Statistics were calculated using analysis of variance with post-hoc Bonferonni t tests for pair-wise comparisons. Included in this study were 380 patients who received ultrasound-guided abdominal wall nerve blocks (n = 125), laparoscopic-guided abdominal wall nerve blocks (n = 88), and local wound infiltration (n = 117). Groups were well matched for age, sex, and weight. There was no significant difference in pain scores within the first 8 hours or narcotic usage between groups. Local wound infiltration demonstrated the shortest overall time required to perform (P < .0001). Patients who received a surgeon-performed abdominal wall nerve block demonstrated a shorter duration of hospital stay when compared to the other groups (P = .02). Our study has demonstrated that laparoscopic-guided abdominal wall nerve blocks show similar efficacy to ultrasound-guided nerve blocks performed by pain management physicians without increasing time in the operating room. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An assessment of a traffic monitoring system for a major traffic generator to improve regional planning : final presentation.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2008-08-01

Report Abstract: : The purpose of this guide is to aid the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO), and other state and local agencies to develop an effective traffic monitoring system for new major traff...

A Guide to Undergraduate Science Course and Laboratory Improvements.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Straumanis, Joan, Ed.; Watson, Robert F., Ed.

Reported are activities carried out at colleges and universities during 1976-1980 with support from the National Science Foundation's Local Course Improvement (LOCI) and Instructional Scientific Equipment Program (ISEP). It is intended as a reference for persons interested in current course and laboratory developments in the sciences at the…

LEA Basic Data Systems. A Manual of Developmental Activities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Powers, Roderick W.

Intended to assist school administrators in developing both student information systems and total information systems, this guide contains suggestions which, when considered in terms of local characteristics and concerns, can be used to create such systems to support administrative decision making, state and federal reporting, guidance, research,…

Rural Housing Site Planning in North Carolina. Agricultural Extension Publication 105.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hester, Randolph T., Jr.; And Others

Addressing the problems of rural housing site selection and development in North Carolina, this guide is designed for cooperative and coordinated use by: technical assistance personnel employed by the Farmers Home Administration; local lending institutions; Health Departments; the Agricultural Extension Service; the Soil Conservation Service; and…

Career and Vocational Education. Concepts of Health Management System.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Larson, Curtis G.; Fiedler, Beatrice

This curriculum guide is designed to assist students in developing the ability to understand the many aspects of personal/social/mental health. It emphasizes student performance objectives in physical well-being, disease, reproduction, heredity, mental health and aging. It is also designed to assist the local teacher with organization and…

Animals Alive! An Ecological Guide to Animal Activities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holley, Dennis

Animals Alive! is designed to help teachers develop an inquiry-oriented program for studying the animal kingdom in which, whenever possible, live animals are collected locally, studied, observed, and then released completely unharmed back into their natural habitats. By careful selection and modification of the chapter questions, activities, and…

Arizona watershed framework in the Verde River watershed

Treesearch

Ren Northrup

2000-01-01

The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, Water Quality Division drafted a six-step approach to guide its staff and local participants in developing and implementing watershed management plans. From January 1999 through June 2000, the draft Arizona Statewide Watershed Framework will be tested in Arizona's Verde River watershed. This concept proofing...

Smart human serum albumin-indocyanine green nanoparticles generated by programmed assembly for dual-modal imaging-guided cancer synergistic phototherapy.

PubMed

Sheng, Zonghai; Hu, Dehong; Zheng, Mingbin; Zhao, Pengfei; Liu, Huilong; Gao, Duyang; Gong, Ping; Gao, Guanhui; Zhang, Pengfei; Ma, Yifan; Cai, Lintao

2014-12-23

Phototherapy, including photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT), is a light-activated local treatment modality that is under intensive preclinical and clinical investigations for cancer. To enhance the treatment efficiency of phototherapy and reduce the light-associated side effects, it is highly desirable to improve drug accumulation and precision guided phototherapy for efficient conversion of the absorbed light energy to reactive oxygen species (ROS) and local hyperthermia. In the present study, a programmed assembly strategy was developed for the preparation of human serum albumin (HSA)-indocyanine green (ICG) nanoparticles (HSA-ICG NPs) by intermolecular disulfide conjugations. This study indicated that HSA-ICG NPs had a high accumulation with tumor-to-normal tissue ratio of 36.12±5.12 at 24 h and a long-term retention with more than 7 days in 4T1 tumor-bearing mice, where the tumor and its margin, normal tissue were clearly identified via ICG-based in vivo near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence and photoacoustic dual-modal imaging and spectrum-resolved technology. Meanwhile, HSA-ICG NPs efficiently induced ROS and local hyperthermia simultaneously for synergetic PDT/PTT treatments under a single NIR laser irradiation. After an intravenous injection of HSA-ICG NPs followed by imaging-guided precision phototherapy (808 nm, 0.8 W/cm2 for 5 min), the tumor was completely suppressed, no tumor recurrence and treatments-induced toxicity were observed. The results suggest that HSA-ICG NPs generated by programmed assembly as smart theranostic nanoplatforms are highly potential for imaging-guided cancer phototherapy with PDT/PTT synergistic effects.

Toward integrated image guided liver surgery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jarnagin, W. R.; Simpson, Amber L.; Miga, M. I.

2017-03-01

While clinical neurosurgery has benefited from the advent of frameless image guidance for over three decades, the translation of image guided technologies to abdominal surgery, and more specifically liver resection, has been far more limited. Fundamentally, the workflow, complexity, and presentation have confounded development. With the first real efforts in translation beginning at the turn of the millennia, the work in developing novel augmented technologies to enhance screening, planning, and surgery has come to realization for the field. In this paper, we will review several examples from our own work that demonstrate the impact of image-guided procedure methods in eight clinical studies that speak to: (1) the accuracy in planning for liver resection, (2) enhanced surgical planning with portal vein embolization impact, (3) linking splenic volume changes to post-hepatectomy complications, (4) enhanced intraoperative localization in surgically occult lesions, (5) validation of deformation correction, and a (6) a novel blinded study focused at the value of deformation correction. All six of these studies were achieved in human systems and show the potential impact image guided methodologies could make on liver tissue resection procedures.

Creating a Taxonomy of Local Boards of Health Based on Local Health Departments’ Perspectives

PubMed Central

Shah, Gulzar H.; Sotnikov, Sergey; Leep, Carolyn J.; Ye, Jiali; Van Wave, Timothy W.

2017-01-01

Objectives To develop a local board of health (LBoH) classification scheme and empirical definitions to provide a coherent framework for describing variation in the LBoHs. Methods This study is based on data from the 2015 Local Board of Health Survey, conducted among a nationally representative sample of local health department administrators, with 394 responses. The classification development consisted of the following steps: (1) theoretically guided initial domain development, (2) mapping of the survey variables to the proposed domains, (3) data reduction using principal component analysis and group consensus, and (4) scale development and testing for internal consistency. Results The final classification scheme included 60 items across 6 governance function domains and an additional domain—LBoH characteristics and strengths, such as meeting frequency, composition, and diversity of information sources. Application of this classification strongly supports the premise that LBoHs differ in their performance of governance functions and in other characteristics. Conclusions The LBoH taxonomy provides an empirically tested standardized tool for classifying LBoHs from the viewpoint of local health department administrators. Future studies can use this taxonomy to better characterize the impact of LBoHs. PMID:27854524

MR-based source localization for MR-guided HDR brachytherapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beld, E.; Moerland, M. A.; Zijlstra, F.; Viergever, M. A.; Lagendijk, J. J. W.; Seevinck, P. R.

2018-04-01

For the purpose of MR-guided high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy, a method for real-time localization of an HDR brachytherapy source was developed, which requires high spatial and temporal resolutions. MR-based localization of an HDR source serves two main aims. First, it enables real-time treatment verification by determination of the HDR source positions during treatment. Second, when using a dummy source, MR-based source localization provides an automatic detection of the source dwell positions after catheter insertion, allowing elimination of the catheter reconstruction procedure. Localization of the HDR source was conducted by simulation of the MR artifacts, followed by a phase correlation localization algorithm applied to the MR images and the simulated images, to determine the position of the HDR source in the MR images. To increase the temporal resolution of the MR acquisition, the spatial resolution was decreased, and a subpixel localization operation was introduced. Furthermore, parallel imaging (sensitivity encoding) was applied to further decrease the MR scan time. The localization method was validated by a comparison with CT, and the accuracy and precision were investigated. The results demonstrated that the described method could be used to determine the HDR source position with a high accuracy (0.4–0.6 mm) and a high precision (⩽0.1 mm), at high temporal resolutions (0.15–1.2 s per slice). This would enable real-time treatment verification as well as an automatic detection of the source dwell positions.

Pre-operative localization of solitary pulmonary nodules with computed tomography-guided hook wire: report of 181 patients.

PubMed

Hanauer, Matthieu; Perentes, Jean Yannis; Krueger, Thorsten; Ris, Hans-Beat; Bize, Pierre; Schmidt, Sabine; Gonzalez, Michel

2016-01-16

Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) is currently performed to diagnose and treat solitary pulmonary nodules (SPN). However, the intra-operative identification of deep nodules can be challenging with VATS as the lung is difficult to palpate. The aim of the study was to report the utility and the results of pre-operative computed tomography (CT)-guided hook wire localization of SPN. All records of the patients undergoing CT-guided hook wire localization prior to VATS resection for SPN between 2002 and 2013 were reviewed. The efficacy in localizing the nodule, hook wire complications, necessity to convert VATS to thoracotomy and the histology of SPN are reported. One hundred eighty-one patients (90 females, mean age 63 y, range 28-82 y) underwent 187 pulmonary resections after CT-guided hook wire localization. The mean SPN diameter was 10.3 mm (range: 4-29 mm). The mean distance of the lesion from the pleural surface was 11.6 mm (range: 0-45 mm). The mean time interval from hook wire insertion to VATS resection was 224 min (range 54-622 min). Hook wire complications included pneumothorax requiring chest tube drainage in 4 patients (2.1%) and mild parenchymal haemorrhage in 11 (5.9%) patients. Migration of the hook wire occurred in 7 patients (3.7%) although it did not affect the success of VATS resection (nodule location guided by the lung puncture site). Three patients underwent additional wedge resection by VATS during the same procedure because no lesion was identified in the surgical specimen. Conversion thoracotomy was required in 13 patients (7 %) for centrally localized lesions (6 patients) and pleural adhesions (7 patients). The mean operative time was 60 min (range 18-135 min). Pathological examination revealed a malignant lesion in 107 patients (59 %). The diagnostic yield was 98.3 %. VATS resection for SPN after CT-guided hook wire localization for SPN is safe and allows for proper diagnosis with a low thoracotomy conversion rate.

Implementing LibGuides 2: An Academic Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duncan, Vicky; Lucky, Shannon; McLean, Jaclyn

2015-01-01

Since 1997, the University of Saskatchewan Library has used "subject pages" to highlight key library resources. When Springshare announced it was launching LibGuides v2, a project team was assembled to transition a mixture of locally produced guides and guides created with the original LibGuides v1 software. This article synthesizes best…

Enhancing Effective Stakeholder Participation in Local Groundwater Sustainability Planning through Technical Assistance in California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weintraub, C.; Christian-Smith, J.; Dobbin, K.; Cullen, K.

2017-12-01

This presentation will share content from UCS's new publication, Getting Involved in Groundwater; A Guide to Effective Engagement in California's Groundwater Sustainability Plans, as well as lessons learned from collaborating with community organizations to provide technical assistance to Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) board members and stakeholders in the San Joaquin Valley on Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) development. California's Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) mandates extensive stakeholder engagement, presenting an opportunity for unincorporated, low-income communities that have historically been affected by but not included in water decisions. However, implementation requires a concerted, thoughtful effort. Through technical assistance and strategic outreach, the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) is working to ensure stakeholder engagement in GSP development is robust, diverse, and supported by the best science available. UCS created the GSP stakeholder engagement guide to equip GSA members, scientists and interested community members to meaningfully engage in the GSP development process. The guide serves as a technical primer on SGMA's GSP process and as a resource for understanding groundwater management in California. The guide is just one component of a larger effort to overcome barriers to effective engagement in sustainable groundwater management, especially those presented by technical information. In April, UCS co-hosted a technical assistance workshop for GSA and advisory committee members in Visalia, CA with the Community Water Center (CWC), a local environmental justice non-profit. The workshop was well received and UCS and the CWC were invited to host a second workshop in June. To deepen this engagement and provide one-on-one technical assistance, UCS developed a program to match relevant water experts in the UCS Science Network with GSA members or involved community members in need of specific technical support. Through these efforts, UCS is working to break down barriers to participation and ensure sound science is incorporated into the GSP process.

Low-Power Light Guiding and Localization in Optoplasmonic Chains Obtained by Directed Self-Assembly

PubMed Central

Ahn, Wonmi; Zhao, Xin; Hong, Yan; Reinhard, Björn M.

2016-01-01

Optoplasmonic structures contain plasmonic components embedded in a defined photonic environment to create synergistic interactions between photonic and plasmonic components. Here, we show that chains of optical microspheres containing gold nanoparticles in their evanescent field combine the light guiding properties of a microsphere chain with the light localizing properties of a plasmonic nanoantenna. We implement these materials through template guided self-assembly and investigate their fundamental electromagnetic working principles through combination of electromagnetic simulations and experimental characterization. We demonstrate that optoplasmonic chains implemented by directed self-assembly achieve a significant reduction in guiding losses when compared with conventional plasmonic waveguides and, at the same time, retain the light localizing properties of plasmonic antennas at pre-defined locations. The results reinforce the potential of optoplasmonic structures for realizing low-loss optical interconnects with high bandwidth. PMID:26931149

Ultrasound-guided supraclavicular block: outcome of 510 consecutive cases.

PubMed

Perlas, Anahi; Lobo, Giovanni; Lo, Nick; Brull, Richard; Chan, Vincent W S; Karkhanis, Reena

2009-01-01

Supraclavicular brachial plexus block provides consistently effective anesthesia to the upper extremity. However, traditional nerve localization techniques may be associated with a high risk of pneumothorax. In the present study, we report block success and clinical outcome data from 510 consecutive patients who received an ultrasound-guided supraclavicular block for upper extremity surgery. After institutional review board approval, the outcome of 510 consecutive patients who received an ultrasound-guided supraclavicular block for upper extremity surgery was reviewed. Real-time ultrasound guidance was used with a high-frequency linear probe. The neurovascular structures were imaged on short axis, and the needle was inserted using an in-plane technique with either a medial-to-lateral or lateral-to-medial orientation. Five hundred ten ultrasound-guided supraclavicular blocks were performed (50 inpatients, 460 outpatients) by 47 different operators at different levels of training over a 24-month period. Successful surgical anesthesia was achieved in 94.6% of patients after a single attempt; 2.8% required local anesthetic supplementation of a single peripheral nerve territory; and 2.6% received an unplanned general anesthetic. No cases of clinically symptomatic pneumothorax developed. Complications included symptomatic hemidiaphragmatic paresis (1%), Horner syndrome (1%), unintended vascular punctures (0.4%), and transient sensory deficits (0.4%). Ultrasound-guided supraclavicular block is associated with a high rate of successful surgical anesthesia and a low rate of complications and thus may be a safe alternative for both inpatients and outpatients. Severe underlying respiratory disease and coagulopathy should remain a contraindication for this brachial plexus approach.

Electromagnetic Navigational Bronchoscopy Reduces the Time Required for Localization and Resection of Lung Nodules.

PubMed

Bolton, William David; Cochran, Thomas; Ben-Or, Sharon; Stephenson, James E; Ellis, William; Hale, Allyson L; Binks, Andrew P

The aims of the study were to evaluate electromagnetic navigational bronchoscopy (ENB) and computed tomography-guided placement as localization techniques for minimally invasive resection of small pulmonary nodules and determine whether electromagnetic navigational bronchoscopy is a safer and more effective method than computed tomography-guided localization. We performed a retrospective review of our thoracic surgery database to identify patients who underwent minimally invasive resection for a pulmonary mass and used either electromagnetic navigational bronchoscopy or computed tomography-guided localization techniques between July 2011 and May 2015. Three hundred eighty-three patients had a minimally invasive resection during our study period, 117 of whom underwent electromagnetic navigational bronchoscopy or computed tomography localization (electromagnetic navigational bronchoscopy = 81; computed tomography = 36). There was no significant difference between computed tomography and electromagnetic navigational bronchoscopy patient groups with regard to age, sex, race, pathology, nodule size, or location. Both computed tomography and electromagnetic navigational bronchoscopy were 100% successful at localizing the mass, and there was no difference in the type of definitive surgical resection (wedge, segmentectomy, or lobectomy) (P = 0.320). Postoperative complications occurred in 36% of all patients, but there were no complications related to the localization procedures. In terms of localization time and surgical time, there was no difference between groups. However, the down/wait time between localization and resection was significant (computed tomography = 189 minutes; electromagnetic navigational bronchoscopy = 27 minutes); this explains why the difference in total time (sum of localization, down, and surgery) was significant (P < 0.001). We found electromagnetic navigational bronchoscopy to be as safe and effective as computed tomography-guided wire placement and to provide a significantly decreased down time between localization and surgical resection.

Doing Your Community Education Evaluation: A Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Young, Malcolm B.; And Others

Intended to assist in the evaluation of community education programs, this guide is for program decision makers, primarily at the local level, including staff of school districts, park and recreation departments, other local and state agencies, and private citizens serving on community education boards and councils. Part 1, Evaluation and…

Surface modification of biomedical and dental implants and the processes of inflammation, wound healing and bone formation.

PubMed

Stanford, Clark M

2010-01-25

Bone adaptation or integration of an implant is characterized by a series of biological reactions that start with bone turnover at the interface (a process of localized necrosis), followed by rapid repair. The wound healing response is guided by a complex activation of macrophages leading to tissue turnover and new osteoblast differentiation on the implant surface. The complex role of implant surface topography and impact on healing response plays a role in biological criteria that can guide the design and development of future tissue-implant surface interfaces.

A user's guide to localization-based super-resolution fluorescence imaging.

PubMed

Dempsey, Graham T

2013-01-01

Advances in far-field fluorescence microscopy over the past decade have led to the development of super-resolution imaging techniques that provide more than an order of magnitude improvement in spatial resolution compared to conventional light microscopy. One such approach, called Stochastic Optical Reconstruction Microscopy (STORM) uses the sequential, nanometer-scale localization of individual fluorophores to reconstruct a high-resolution image of a structure of interest. This is an attractive method for biological investigation at the nanoscale due to its relative simplicity, both conceptually and practically in the laboratory. Like most research tools, however, the devil is in the details. The aim of this chapter is to serve as a guide for applying STORM to the study of biological samples. This chapter will discuss considerations for choosing a photoswitchable fluorescent probe, preparing a sample, selecting hardware for data acquisition, and collecting and analyzing data for image reconstruction. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Through the Safety Net: A Citizen's Report on New Jersey Children and Families in Need.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Geismar, Shirley; And Others

In 1982, volunteers in eight New Jersey counties gathered information from 993 respondents through questionnaire-guided interviews about recent local developments in programs traditionally funded and supported by federal legislation. Program areas receiving attention included Aid to Families with Dependent Children; child care; health; the Women,…

A Descriptive Case Study of the Implementation of the Departmentalized Looping Team Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Cody R.

2011-01-01

The conceptual framework guiding this study focuses on local, state, and federal standards as well as demands on schools to improve performance of underserved student populations as impetuses for school structure changes. As related to the aforementioned framework, many schools have developed innovative school restructuring methods such as the…

Asbestos-in-Schools: A Guide to New Federal Requirements for Local Education Agencies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC. Office of Toxic Substances.

In 1986, the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) was signed into law requiring the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop regulations which provide a comprehensive framework for addressing asbestos problems in secondary and elementary schools. The new rule, The Asbestos-Containing Materials in Schools Rule, requires all…

A Guide to Systematic Planning for Vocational and Technical Schools. Research 22.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meckley, Richard F.; And Others

A school planning scheme involving 46 principle activities which occur over a 38-month period is presented. This scheme was developed for individuals responsible for the planning of vocational and technical schools, i.e., supervisors, state staff, university school plant planners, architects, and local school administrators. The activities…

The Use of Teachers' Baseline Normative Beliefs to Guide Professional Development in Teaching Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lloyd, Mary Elizabeth Riley; Veal, William; Howell, Malia

2016-01-01

This article describes the normative beliefs and the discursive claims related to mathematics and teaching mathematics made by approximately 50 middle-level and secondary mathematics teachers within four high-need local education associations participating in a Mathematics and Science Partnership with a southeastern college's Science and Math for…

Challenges: The State Board of Community Colleges 1988 Master Plan.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Florida State Board of Community Colleges, Tallahassee.

The Florida State Board of Community Colleges' 1988 Master Plan presents current trends, challenges, and issues affecting the system in order to guide both local and state institutional development and legislation. The first section of the plan reviews population trends, indicating that: (1) population growth will be the most influential trend…

Strengthening the Rural Carolinas: A Conceptual Framework for the Program for the Rural Carolinas.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MDC, Inc., Chapel Hill, NC.

The Duke Endowment's Program for the Rural Carolinas is a 5-year effort to assist the revitalization of rural communities. Guiding principles of the program are that the rural Carolinas matter, this generation of workers matters, effective community development involves the entire community, solutions must be locally determined, healthy…

Why Waste a Second Chance? A Small Town Guide to Recycling.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Association of Towns and Townships, Washington, DC.

In many communities, garbage disposal--solid waste management--is the third largest municipal expenditure and a fast growing budget item. Many small local governments have controlled the growth of these costs by recycling up to 40% of the total solid waste they produce. This guidebook can help communities identify and develop opportunities…

Achieving a nexus of science, management, and policy in the Sierra Nevada

Treesearch

Peter A. Stine; Dennis D. Murphy

2004-01-01

The policies and strategies that guide the use and management of lands in the Sierra Nevada ecoregion depend on objective scientific information. In recent years, the region has attracted increasing attention from visitors, developers, environmentalists, businesses, scientists, and politicians as well as local residents, resource managers, and research groups. And the...

Eagle Heights Woods: Man's Use of Land.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pratt, Cay; Nelson, Redgy

This teacher's guide for use in the elementary grades was prepared as a result of the 1970 Local Materials Workshop on Outdoor Education, Madison, Wisconsin. It develops the concept of a land ethnic as expressed by Aldo Leopold in "A Sand County Almanac". A filmstrip is employed to discover the meaning of several words pertinent to…

FIRE SERVICE TRAINING, INSTRUCTOR'S MANUAL, BASIC COURSE.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

BERNDT, WILLIAM M.; AND OTHERS

INSTRUCTORS CAN USE THIS MANUAL IN CONDUCTING A 34-HOUR FIRE STATION OR TRAINING CENTER EXTENSION PROGRAM TO IMPROVE THE COMPETENCIES AND SKILLS OF LOCAL FIRE PERSONNEL IN THE SPECIALIZED FIELD OF FIRE SERVICE. IT WAS DEVELOPED BY A STATEWIDE COMMITTEE OF FIRE FIGHTING CONSULTANTS AND ADVISORY GROUPS. THE 26 TEACHING GUIDES PROVIDE INSTRUCTIONAL…

Policy Statement and General Guidelines on Family Life and Sex Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Illinois State Board of Education, Springfield.

This guide is a statement of policy and guidelines on family life and sex education devised by the Illinois State Board of Education to aid local boards of education, school administrators, and community groups in developing and implementing new programs or extending existing programs. A statement of policy including purpose, programs, and…

Guide for Developing High-Quality School Emergency Operations Plans

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Office of Safe and Healthy Students, US Department of Education, 2013

2013-01-01

Each school day, our nation's schools are entrusted to provide a safe and healthy learning environment for approximately 55 million elementary and secondary school students in public and nonpublic schools. In collaboration with their local government and community partners, schools can take steps to plan for these potential emergencies through the…

Business and the Schools: A Guide to Effective Programs. Second Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Council for Aid to Education, New York, NY.

This guidebook contains information to help business leaders and others interested in developing and supporting effective programs to improve American educational quality. Chapter 1 presents an overview of the business/school relationship, which sets the context for corporate involvement in school reform activities at the local, state, and federal…

Guiding Curriculum Development: The Need to Return to Local Control

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Norton, M. Scott

2016-01-01

Top-down mandates concerning the curriculum of the school leave no room for program creativity and program commitment. Yet principals and teachers are held accountable for student achievement results. Constitutionally, powers not granted to the United States are reserved to the States or to the people. This book's primary purposes center on the…

Low-power light guiding and localization in optoplasmonic chains obtained by directed self-assembly

DOE PAGES

Ahn, Wonmi; Zhao, Xin; Hong, Yan; ...

2016-03-02

Here, optoplasmonic structures contain plasmonic components embedded in a defined photonic environment to create synergistic interactions between photonic and plasmonic components. Here, we show that chains of optical microspheres containing gold nanoparticles in their evanescent field combine the light guiding properties of a microsphere chain with the light localizing properties of a plasmonic nanoantenna. We implement these materials through template guided self-assembly and investigate their fundamental electromagnetic working principles through combination of electromagnetic simulations and experimental characterization. We demonstrate that optoplasmonic chains implemented by directed self-assembly achieve a significant reduction in guiding losses when compared with conventional plasmonic waveguides and,more » at the same time, retain the light localizing properties of plasmonic antennas at pre-defined locations. The results reinforce the potential of optoplasmonic structures for realizing low-loss optical interconnects with high bandwidth.« less

Monitoring uniform and localized corrosion in reinforced mortar using high-frequency guided longitudinal wages

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ervin, Benjamin L.; Reis, Henrique; Bernhard, Jennifer T.; Kuchma, Daniel A.

2008-03-01

High-frequency guided longitudinal waves have been used in a through-transmission arrangement to monitor reinforced mortar specimens undergoing both accelerated uniform and localized corrosion. High-frequency guided longitudinal waves were chosen because they have the fastest propagation velocity and lowest theoretical attenuation for the rebar/mortar system. This makes the modes easily discernible and gives them the ability to travel over long distances. The energy of the high-frequency longitudinal waves is located primarily in the center of the rebar, leading to less leakage into the surrounding mortar. The results indicate that the guided mechanical waves are sensitive to both forms of corrosion attack in the form of attenuation, with less sensitivity at higher frequencies. Also promising is the ability to discern uniform corrosion from localized corrosion in a through-transmission arrangement by examination of the frequency domain.

Blueprint for the development of low carbon society scenarios for Asian regions- case study of Iskandar Malaysia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ho, C. S.; Matsuoka, Y.; Chau, L. W.; Teh, B. T.; Simson, J. J.; Gomi, K.

2013-06-01

Malaysian government aims to reduce 40% reduction of carbon emission intensity by the year 2020 using 2005 as the base year. Several mitigation and adaptation strategies in addressing environmental and climate change are formulated at national, regional and local level to mitigate greenhouse gases. This paper aims to examine local and regional resilient policy actions to reduce greenhouse gases using the empirical case of Iskandar Malaysia. The study case is selected because it is one of the fast developing economic corridor regions in Malaysia. In this study, a low carbon society blueprint is initiated to guide the rapid development of this economic corridor towards low carbon green growth. The blueprint provides the sustainable green growth roadmap with major 12 actions for the region. It is done through a bottom-up approach where stakeholder discussions are carried out to allow local communities participation in the plan formulation.

WE-FG-BRA-06: Systematic Study of Target Localization for Bioluminescence Tomography Guided Radiation Therapy for Preclinical Research

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

Zhang, B; Reyes, J; Wong, J

Purpose: To overcome the limitation of CT/CBCT in guiding radiation for soft tissue targets, we developed a bioluminescence tomography(BLT) system for preclinical radiation research. We systematically assessed the system performance in target localization and the ability of resolving two sources in simulations, phantom and in vivo environments. Methods: Multispectral images acquired in single projection were used for the BLT reconstruction. Simulation studies were conducted for single spherical source radius from 0.5 to 3 mm at depth of 3 to 12 mm. The same configuration was also applied for the double sources simulation with source separations varying from 3 to 9more » mm. Experiments were performed in a standalone BLT/CBCT system. Two sources with 3 and 4.7 mm separations placed inside a tissue-mimicking phantom were chosen as the test cases. Live mice implanted with single source at 6 and 9 mm depth, 2 sources with 3 and 5 mm separation at depth of 5 mm or 3 sources in the abdomen were also used to illustrate the in vivo localization capability of the BLT system. Results: Simulation and phantom results illustrate that our BLT can provide 3D source localization with approximately 1 mm accuracy. The in vivo results are encouraging that 1 and 1.7 mm accuracy can be attained for the single source case at 6 and 9 mm depth, respectively. For the 2 sources study, both sources can be distinguished at 3 and 5 mm separations at approximately 1 mm accuracy using 3D BLT but not 2D bioluminescence image. Conclusion: Our BLT/CBCT system can be potentially applied to localize and resolve targets at a wide range of target sizes, depths and separations. The information provided in this study can be instructive to devise margins for BLT-guided irradiation and suggests that the BLT could guide radiation for multiple targets, such as metastasis. Drs. John W. Wong and Iulian I. Iordachita receive royalty payment from a licensing agreement between Xstrahl Ltd and Johns Hopkins University.« less

Guide to Improving Parenting Education in Even Start Family Literacy Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Powell, Douglas R.; D'Angelo, Diane

This guide provides a framework and suggestions for strengthening the quality and impact of parenting education services in Even Start. It is aimed at Even Start state coordinators and local program administrators responsible for supporting and monitoring the quality of parenting education services in Even Start, and at local program staff…

Guided wave propagation in single and double layer hollow cylinders embedded in infinite media.

PubMed

Jia, Hua; Jing, Mu; Joseph, L Rose

2011-02-01

Millions of miles of pipes are being used for the transportation, distribution, and local use of petroleum products, gas, water, and chemicals. Most of the pipes are buried in soil, leading to the significance of the study on the subject of guided wave propagation in pipes with soil influence. Previous investigations of ultrasonic guided wave propagation in an elastic hollow cylinder and in an elastic hollow cylinder coated with a viscoelastic material have led to the development of inspection techniques for bare and coated pipes. However, the lack of investigation on guided wave propagation in hollow cylinders embedded in infinite media like soil has hindered the development of pipe inspection methods. Therefore the influence of infinite media on wave propagation is explored in this paper. Dispersion curves and wave structures of both axisymmetric and nonaxisymmetric wave modes are developed. Due to the importance of the convergence of numerical calculations, the requirements of thickness and element number of the finite soil layer between hollow cylinder and infinite element layer are discussed, and an optimal combination is obtained in this paper. Wave structures are used for the mode identification in the non-monotonic region caused by the viscoelastic properties of coating and infinite media.

MR-guided fine needle aspiration of breast lesions: Initial experience

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

Wald, D.S.; Weinreb, J.C.; Newstead, G.

1996-01-01

Fine needle aspiration (FNA) is a minimally invasive procedure that is used to obtain cytologic specimens of suspicious lesions in the breast. The goal of this study was to evaluate the logistics and limitations of MR-guided FNA using a prototype breast localization coil. MR-guided FNAs were attempted on 18 lesions (detected on mammography and/or palpation) in 16 patients. Patients were prone with their compressed mediolaterally between two plates in a circularly polarized RF coil. Lesion position was determined by reference to fiducial makers that corresponded to a grid of holes placed at 5 mm intervals in compression plate. FNA wasmore » performed with a 22G non-ferromagnetic needle. FNA was successful for 11 of 18 lesions (61%). Of the seven unsuccessful cases, there were four in which the lesions were too posteriorly placed to be accessed through the compression plate by the needle. Three cases were too anteriorly placed to be effectively immobilized and, although successfully localized, were insufficiently sampled by the FNA technique. MR-guided FNA is possible using a prototype breast localization device in a select group of patients. Current coil design limits its use in performing MR-guided FNA on the most anteriorly and posteriorly placed breast lesions. Unique requirements of FNA under MR guidance as compared to needle localization and biopsy have been identified. Modifications in localization hardware and cytology aspiration needles should overcome these restrictions. 15 refs., 3 figs.« less

HSM training guide.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-09-01

"This guide focuses on identifying HSM training currently available to state and local agencies who are considering implementation of the HSM. The objectives of the training guide are to: : Identify key focus groups that can be used as a basis fo...

Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Guided, Open-Label, High-Frequency Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Adolescents with Major Depressive Disorder.

PubMed

Wall, Christopher A; Croarkin, Paul E; Maroney-Smith, Mandie J; Haugen, Laura M; Baruth, Joshua M; Frye, Mark A; Sampson, Shirlene M; Port, John D

2016-09-01

Preliminary studies suggest that repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) may be an effective and tolerable intervention for adolescents with treatment-resistant depression. There is limited rationale to inform coil placement for rTMS dosing in this population. We sought to examine and compare three localization techniques for coil placement in the context of an open-label trial of high-frequency rTMS for adolescents with treatment-resistant depression. Ten adolescents with treatment-resistant depression were enrolled in an open-label trial of high-frequency rTMS. Participants were offered 30 rTMS sessions (10 Hz, 120% motor threshold, left 3000 pulses applied to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex) over 6-8 weeks. Coil placement for treatment was MRI guided. The scalp location for treatment was compared with the locations identified with standard 5 cm rule and Beam F3 methods. Seven adolescents completed 30 rTMS sessions. No safety or tolerability concerns were identified. Depression severity as assessed with the Children's Depression Rating Scale Revised improved from baseline to treatment 10, treatment 20, and treatment 30. Gains in depressive symptom improvement were maintained at 6 month follow-up visits. An MRI-guided approach for coil localization was feasible and efficient. Our results suggest that the 5 cm rule, Beam F3, and the MRI-guided localization approaches provided variable scalp targets for rTMS treatment. Open-label, high-frequency rTMS was feasible, tolerable, and effective for adolescents with treatment-resistant depression. Larger, blinded, sham-controlled trials are needed for definitive safety and efficacy data. Further efforts to understand optimal delivery, dosing, and biomarker development for rTMS treatments of adolescent depression are warranted.

A software tool for advanced MRgFUS prostate therapy planning and follow up

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Straaten, Dörte; Hoogenboom, Martijn; van Amerongen, Martinus J.; Weiler, Florian; Issawi, Jumana Al; Günther, Matthias; Fütterer, Jurgen; Jenne, Jürgen W.

2017-03-01

US guided HIFU/FUS ablation for the therapy of prostate cancer is a clinical established method, while MR guided HIFU/FUS applications for prostate recently started clinical evaluation. Even if MRI examination is an excellent diagnostic tool for prostate cancer, it is a time consuming procedure and not practicable within an MRgFUS therapy session. The aim of our ongoing work is to develop software to support therapy planning and post-therapy follow-up for MRgFUS on localized prostate cancer, based on multi-parametric MR protocols. The clinical workflow of diagnosis, therapy and follow-up of MR guided FUS on prostate cancer was deeply analyzed. Based on this, the image processing workflow was designed and all necessary components, e.g. GUI, viewer, registration tools etc. were defined and implemented. The software bases on MeVisLab with several implemented C++ modules for the image processing tasks. The developed software, called LTC (Local Therapy Control) will register and visualize automatically all images (T1w, T2w, DWI etc.) and ADC or perfusion maps gained from the diagnostic MRI session. This maximum of diagnostic information helps to segment all necessary ROIs, e.g. the tumor, for therapy planning. Final therapy planning will be performed based on these segmentation data in the following MRgFUS therapy session. In addition, the developed software should help to evaluate the therapy success, by synchronization and display of pre-therapeutic, therapy and follow-up image data including the therapy plan and thermal dose information. In this ongoing project, the first stand-alone prototype was completed and will be clinically evaluated.

PROPOSAL FOR A SIMPLE AND EFFICIENT MONTHLY QUALITY MANAGEMENT PROGRAM ASSESSING THE CONSISTENCY OF ROBOTIC IMAGE-GUIDED SMALL ANIMAL RADIATION SYSTEMS

PubMed Central

Brodin, N. Patrik; Guha, Chandan; Tomé, Wolfgang A.

2015-01-01

Modern pre-clinical radiation therapy (RT) research requires high precision and accurate dosimetry to facilitate the translation of research findings into clinical practice. Several systems are available that provide precise delivery and on-board imaging capabilities, highlighting the need for a quality management program (QMP) to ensure consistent and accurate radiation dose delivery. An ongoing, simple, and efficient QMP for image-guided robotic small animal irradiators used in pre-clinical RT research is described. Protocols were developed and implemented to assess the dose output constancy (based on the AAPM TG-61 protocol), cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) image quality and object representation accuracy (using a custom-designed imaging phantom), CBCT-guided target localization accuracy and consistency of the CBCT-based dose calculation. To facilitate an efficient read-out and limit the user dependence of the QMP data analysis, a semi-automatic image analysis and data representation program was developed using the technical computing software MATLAB. The results of the first six months experience using the suggested QMP for a Small Animal Radiation Research Platform (SARRP) are presented, with data collected on a bi-monthly basis. The dosimetric output constancy was established to be within ±1 %, the consistency of the image resolution was within ±0.2 mm, the accuracy of CBCT-guided target localization was within ±0.5 mm, and dose calculation consistency was within ±2 s (± 3 %) per treatment beam. Based on these results, this simple quality assurance program allows for the detection of inconsistencies in dosimetric or imaging parameters that are beyond the acceptable variability for a reliable and accurate pre-clinical RT system, on a monthly or bi-monthly basis. PMID:26425981

Proposal for a Simple and Efficient Monthly Quality Management Program Assessing the Consistency of Robotic Image-Guided Small Animal Radiation Systems.

PubMed

Brodin, N Patrik; Guha, Chandan; Tomé, Wolfgang A

2015-11-01

Modern pre-clinical radiation therapy (RT) research requires high precision and accurate dosimetry to facilitate the translation of research findings into clinical practice. Several systems are available that provide precise delivery and on-board imaging capabilities, highlighting the need for a quality management program (QMP) to ensure consistent and accurate radiation dose delivery. An ongoing, simple, and efficient QMP for image-guided robotic small animal irradiators used in pre-clinical RT research is described. Protocols were developed and implemented to assess the dose output constancy (based on the AAPM TG-61 protocol), cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) image quality and object representation accuracy (using a custom-designed imaging phantom), CBCT-guided target localization accuracy and consistency of the CBCT-based dose calculation. To facilitate an efficient read-out and limit the user dependence of the QMP data analysis, a semi-automatic image analysis and data representation program was developed using the technical computing software MATLAB. The results of the first 6-mo experience using the suggested QMP for a Small Animal Radiation Research Platform (SARRP) are presented, with data collected on a bi-monthly basis. The dosimetric output constancy was established to be within ±1 %, the consistency of the image resolution was within ±0.2 mm, the accuracy of CBCT-guided target localization was within ±0.5 mm, and dose calculation consistency was within ±2 s (±3%) per treatment beam. Based on these results, this simple quality assurance program allows for the detection of inconsistencies in dosimetric or imaging parameters that are beyond the acceptable variability for a reliable and accurate pre-clinical RT system, on a monthly or bi-monthly basis.

Increasing Planting Stock by Family Selection in California Ponderosa Pine

Treesearch

James L. Jenkison

1975-01-01

In the absence of test information to the contrary, the accepted guide for selecting seed for reforestation is "local source is best." This guide prevents plantation failures that result from using stock that is not adapted to the local environment, and it reflects the pronounced variation in growth and survival demonstrated in provenance trials (Silen 1970...

Accessing the Health Care Financing System: A Resource Guide for Local Education Agencies. Bulletin No. 91298.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wisconsin State Dept. of Public Instruction, Madison.

This guide is intended to assist Wisconsin school districts in accessing the health care financing system as a means of supporting specialized services. Topics covered include: determination of a local education agency's potential for third-party covered services; the need to become a certified provider dependent upon the funding source;…

A Guide to Federal Assistance Programs for Local School Systems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fairley, Richard L.; Krumbein, Gerald

This manual is written to provide an overview of the Federal programs which are available at the local level and to aid school administrators in locating particular Federal programs that will fulfill specific educational needs. The guide is designed for use as a tool in planning and programing a comprehensive educational program, rather than as a…

Guided SAR image despeckling with probabilistic non local weights

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gokul, Jithin; Nair, Madhu S.; Rajan, Jeny

2017-12-01

SAR images are generally corrupted by granular disturbances called speckle, which makes visual analysis and detail extraction a difficult task. Non Local despeckling techniques with probabilistic similarity has been a recent trend in SAR despeckling. To achieve effective speckle suppression without compromising detail preservation, we propose an improvement for the existing Generalized Guided Filter with Bayesian Non-Local Means (GGF-BNLM) method. The proposed method (Guided SAR Image Despeckling with Probabilistic Non Local Weights) replaces parametric constants based on heuristics in GGF-BNLM method with dynamically derived values based on the image statistics for weight computation. Proposed changes make GGF-BNLM method adaptive and as a result, significant improvement is achieved in terms of performance. Experimental analysis on SAR images shows excellent speckle reduction without compromising feature preservation when compared to GGF-BNLM method. Results are also compared with other state-of-the-art and classic SAR depseckling techniques to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Local navigation and fuzzy control realization for autonomous guided vehicle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

El-Konyaly, El-Sayed H.; Saraya, Sabry F.; Shehata, Raef S.

1996-10-01

This paper addresses the problem of local navigation for an autonomous guided vehicle (AGV) in a structured environment that contains static and dynamic obstacles. Information about the environment is obtained via a CCD camera. The problem is formulated as a dynamic feedback control problem in which speed and steering decisions are made on the fly while the AGV is moving. A decision element (DE) that uses local information is proposed. The DE guides the vehicle in the environment by producing appropriate navigation decisions. Dynamic models of a three-wheeled vehicle for driving and steering mechanisms are derived. The interaction between them is performed via the local feedback DE. A controller, based on fuzzy logic, is designed to drive the vehicle safely in an intelligent and human-like manner. The effectiveness of the navigation and control strategies in driving the AGV is illustrated and evaluated.

34 Activities To Promote Careers in Special Education and Related Services.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Clearinghouse for Professions in Special Education, Reston, VA.

This guide was developed to assist in the recruitment of new professionals to the field of special education and related services. The 34 suggested activities are based on the assumptions that planned, systematic recruitment at the local level is critical to attracting dedicated and talented individuals to the field; that career choices are often…

Design Principles for Creating Locally-Rooted National Science and Mathematics Curricula in Timor-Leste

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gabrielson, Curtis A.; Hsi, Sherry

2012-01-01

This paper articulates and illustrates design principles that guided the development of a set of hands-on teaching activities for the national science and mathematics curricula at junior-high and high-school level education in Timor-Leste, a small, low-income nation in Southeast Asia. A partnership between a university, an international science…

Economic Development at the Grass Roots: A Guide for Creating Partnerships between Main Street Programs and California Community Colleges.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perfumo-Kreiss, Paulette; Harrison, Laurie

The California Main Street Program (MSP) provides technical assistance to rural communities facing rapid growth and downtown decay, serving as a vehicle for local stimulation and revitalization of downtown area businesses. This five-part handbook presents strategies for creating partnerships between California's MSPs and the state's community…

Helping Residents Succeed on the Job: How To Design and Deliver an Effective Job Retention Program. Neighbor Networks.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Department of Housing and Urban Development, Washington, DC. Office of Multifamily Housing.

This guide describes how Neighborhood Networks centers can identify, provide, and use local partners and center staff to deliver effective follow-up retention services to residents who have just made the transition from unemployment to employment. (Neighborhood Networks, a community-based initiative, encourages the development of resource and…

Guidelines for School Property Accounting in Colorado, Part II--General Fixed Asset Accounts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stiverson, Clare L.

The second publication of a series of three issued by the Colorado Department of Education is designed as a guide for local school districts in the development of a property accounting system. It defines and classifies groups of accounts whereby financial information, taken from inventory records, may be transcribed into debit and credit entries…

Industrial Development: Citizen's Workbook for Assessing Economic and Public Finance Impacts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morse, George; And Others

A do-it-yourself workbook, this guide is designed to help small, rural communities estimate the impact of new industry on the local economy. Included in this workbook are: (1) an introductory section presenting impact analysis rationale, workbook directions, an exemplary analysis, and explanations re: computer analysis; (2) a list of the 45…

How Can We Ensure That All Children Have Excellent Teachers? A Choicework Discussion Guide

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Public Agenda, 2015

2015-01-01

The U.S. Department of Education has renewed its focus on ensuring that all students--especially those in under-resourced communities--have access to excellent educators. By June of 2015, all states must engage education stakeholders on locally-developed solutions to ensure every student has effective educators. This discussion starter is designed…

Career Education Classroom Activities: North Dakota, K-12; Elementary (First).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

North Dakota State Board for Vocational Education, Bismarck.

The guide's contents are designed as ideas that could be used to develop various career education concepts and objectives at the first grade level. The activities are to be integrated into existing curriculum, sequenced, and adapted to meet the needs of all people involved in education at the local school. The purpose of the guideline, a career…

A Sure Bet: Business & Education Together. A Handbook for Chamber of Commerce Education Committees.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abbott, Carol Iddins; Harper, H. James, Ed.

Project BET (Business and Education Together) was initiated by the California Chamber of Commerce in January 1984 to assist local chambers of commerce in developing long-term school-business partnerships. This handbook, based on work with six pilot chambers of commerce, offers a step-by-step process guide to school-business partnerships, along…

Training for Leisure. Flexible Training Packages for Operatives in Leisure-Related Industries. Part 2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hunt, Merle; Specht, Carolynne

This curriculum guide for training for leisure occupations in the United Kingdom includes eight modules that have been tested and evaluated. Each module includes objectives and teaching strategies. Programs are encouraged to adapt the materials to particular local needs. The modules included are as follows: (1) personal development; (2) center…

Community Collaborations and Youth Development: Preliminary Findings on the State of the Evidence. Research Brief Series

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center for Promise, 2013

2013-01-01

In 2004, the Aspen Institute Roundtable on Community Change emphasized the need for a comprehensive base of information on the effectiveness of community collaborations for youth--an accessible, evidence-rich resource that could guide local efforts to bring about meaningful change. Nearly 10 years later, this need remains largely unmet. In…

Seychelles Fisheries Connectivity and Transport Pathways

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-30

1 DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A. Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. Seychelles Fisheries Connectivity and Transport Pathways...Plateau. • Identification of physical oceanographic controls on mass and momentum transport on scales that are relevant to local ecology and fisheries and...Development of basic regional modeling capacity that Seychelles managers and fisheries can use to guide decisions and improve community outreach and

School-Based Clinics: A Guide for Advocates. Developing Policy Statements, Educating Decision Makers, Enlisting Local Support.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center for Population Options, Washington, DC.

School-based clinics (SBCs) are comprehensive primary health care facilities located within or on the grounds of middle, junior, or senior high schools. Varying in size and organizational structure, SBCs have emerged as an effective model for advancing adolescent health. They have gained attention because of their potential for treating problems…

HOTEL AND MOTEL HOUSEKEEPING AIDE, A SUGGESTED TRAINING PROGRAM.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Office of Education (DHEW), Washington, DC.

A LOCAL TRAINING PROGRAM TO PREPARE HOTEL AND MOTEL HOUSEKEEPING AIDES CAN BE DEVELOPED FROM RESOURCE MATERIAL IN THIS GUIDE. PROGRAM OBJECTIVES ARE TO PREPARE TRAINEES TO PERFORM THE JOBS INVOLVED IN KEEPING HOTEL OR MOTEL ROOMS CLEAN, TO FOLLOW CORRECT PROCEDURES IN USING EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES REQUIRED IN CARING FOR BEDROOMS AND BATHROOMS, AND…

Computer aided segmentation of kidneys using locally shape constrained deformable models on CT images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erdt, Marius; Sakas, Georgios

2010-03-01

This work presents a novel approach for model based segmentation of the kidney in images acquired by Computed Tomography (CT). The developed computer aided segmentation system is expected to support computer aided diagnosis and operation planning. We have developed a deformable model based approach based on local shape constraints that prevents the model from deforming into neighboring structures while allowing the global shape to adapt freely to the data. Those local constraints are derived from the anatomical structure of the kidney and the presence and appearance of neighboring organs. The adaptation process is guided by a rule-based deformation logic in order to improve the robustness of the segmentation in areas of diffuse organ boundaries. Our work flow consists of two steps: 1.) a user guided positioning and 2.) an automatic model adaptation using affine and free form deformation in order to robustly extract the kidney. In cases which show pronounced pathologies, the system also offers real time mesh editing tools for a quick refinement of the segmentation result. Evaluation results based on 30 clinical cases using CT data sets show an average dice correlation coefficient of 93% compared to the ground truth. The results are therefore in most cases comparable to manual delineation. Computation times of the automatic adaptation step are lower than 6 seconds which makes the proposed system suitable for an application in clinical practice.

STOPDVTs: Development and testing of a clinical assessment tool to guide nursing assessment of postoperative patients for Deep Vein Thrombosis.

PubMed

O'Brien, Alanna; Redley, Bernice; Wood, Beverley; Botti, Mari; Hutchinson, Anastasia F

2018-03-01

To develop and test a clinical tool to guide nurses' assessment of postoperative patients for Deep Vein Thrombosis. Preventing venous thromboembolism in hospitalised patients is an international patient safety priority. Despite high-level evidence for optimal venous thromboembolism prophylaxis, implementation is inconsistent and the incidence of Deep Vein Thrombosis remains high. A two-stage sequential multi-method design was used. In stage 1, the STOPDVTs tool was developed using a review of the literature and focus groups with local clinical experts. Stage 2 involved pilot testing the tool with 38 surgical nurses who conducted repeated assessments on a prospective sample of 50 postoperative orthopaedic patients. Stage 1: The focus group members who were members of the nursing leadership team agreed on eight local and systemic signs and symptoms that should be included in a nursing patient assessment tool for early Deep Vein Thrombosis. Local symptoms were pain in the limbs, calf swelling and tightness, changes in the affected limb's skin temperature. Systemic signs included in the tool were as follows: increased shortness of breath, increased respiratory and heart rates, and decreased oxygen saturation. Stage 2: The STOPDVTs tool had acceptable face and content validity, the agreement between the expert nurse and surgical nurses on assessments of individual signs and symptoms varied between 44%-94%. Surgical nurses were less likely than the expert nurse to identify signs indicative of Deep Vein Thrombosis. Despite finding the STOPDVTs clinical assessment tool was a useful guide for nursing assessment, surgical nurses often underestimated the potential importance of clinical signs. The findings reveal a gap in nursing knowledge and skill in assessing for Deep Vein Thrombosis in postoperative orthopaedic patients. This study identified a possible risk to patient safety related to under-recognition of the signs and symptoms of possible Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) in postoperative orthopaedic patients. The findings demonstrate the feasibility of developing and implementing a protocol for consistent screening by nurses for possible DVT in the postoperative period. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Characterization of impact damage in composite laminates using guided wavefield imaging and local wavenumber domain analysis.

PubMed

Rogge, Matthew D; Leckey, Cara A C

2013-09-01

Delaminations in composite laminates resulting from impact events may be accompanied by minimal indication of damage at the surface. As such, inspections are required to ensure defects are within allowable limits. Conventional ultrasonic scanning techniques have been shown to effectively characterize the size and depth of delaminations but require physical contact with the structure and considerable setup time. Alternatively, a non-contact scanning laser vibrometer may be used to measure guided wave propagation in the laminate structure generated by permanently bonded transducers. A local Fourier domain analysis method is presented for processing guided wavefield data to estimate spatially dependent wavenumber values, which can be used to determine delamination depth. The technique is applied to simulated wavefields and results are analyzed to determine limitations of the technique with regards to determining defect size and depth. Based on simulation results, guidelines for application of the technique are developed. Finally, experimental wavefield data is obtained in quasi-isotropic carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) laminates with impact damage. The recorded wavefields are analyzed and wavenumber is measured to an accuracy of up to 8.5% in the region of shallow delaminations. These results show the promise of local wavenumber domain analysis to characterize the depth of delamination damage in composite laminates. The technique can find application in automated vehicle health assurance systems with potential for high detection rates and greatly reduced operator effort and setup time. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Family, Food, and Society: A Teacher's Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Staaland, Elaine; Strom, Sharon

This Wisconsin guide uses hands-on experiences and food labs to help students examine their family and societal goals and how choices about food can help or hinder the realization of these goals. The guide challenges students to see the larger ramifications of their daily choices on the local and global community. The guide provides a prototype of…

Building Maintenance. Florida Vocational Program Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

University of South Florida, Tampa. Dept. of Adult and Vocational Education.

This program guide identifies primary concerns in the organization, operation, and evaluation of a building maintenance program. It is designed for local school district and community college administrators, instructors, program advisory committees, and regional coordinating councils. The guide begins with the Dictionary of Occupational Titles…

Image-guided transnasal cryoablation of a recurrent nasal adenocarcinoma in a dog.

PubMed

Murphy, S M; Lawrence, J A; Schmiedt, C W; Davis, K W; Lee, F T; Forrest, L J; Bjorling, D E

2011-06-01

An eight-year-old female spayed Airedale terrier with rapid recurrence of a nasal adenocarcinoma following image-guided intensity-modulated radiation therapy was treated with transnasal, image-guided cryotherapy. Ice ball size and location were monitored real-time with computed tomography-fluoroscopy to verify that the entire tumour was enveloped in ice. Serial computed tomography scans demonstrated reduction in and subsequent resolution of the primary tumour volume corresponding visually with the ice ball imaged during the ablation procedure. Re-imaging demonstrated focallysis of the cribriform plate following ablation that spontaneously resolved by 13 months. While mild chronic nasal discharge developed following cryoablation, no other clinical signs of local nasal neoplasia were present. Twenty-one months after nasal tumour cryoablation the dog was euthanased as a result of acute haemoabdomen. Image-guided cryotherapy may warrant further investigation for the management of focal residual or recurrent tumours in dogs, especially in regions where critical structures preclude surgical intervention. © 2011 British Small Animal Veterinary Association.

12 CFR Appendix A to Part 229 - Routing Number Guide to Next-Day Availability Checks and Local Checks

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Routing Number Guide to Next-Day Availability Checks and Local Checks A Appendix A to Part 229 Banks and Banking FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM (CONTINUED) BOARD OF GOVERNORS OF THE FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS AND COLLECTION OF CHECKS...

Investigating Streams and Rivers. An Interdisciplinary Curriculum Guide for Use with Mitchell and Stapp's "Field Manual for Water Quality Monitoring."

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cromwell, Mare; And Others

This guide contains 12 activities designed to encourage secondary school student inquiry, investigation, and action regarding local streams and rivers. The activities are sequential and organized into three topic areas. The first section consists of three activities that help orient students to their local watercourse. Students map a local…

Advantages of caudal block over intrarectal local anesthesia plus periprostatic nerve block for transrectal ultrasound guided prostate biopsy

PubMed Central

Wang, Na; Fu, Yaowen; Ma, Haichun; Wang, Jinguo; Gao, Yang

2016-01-01

Objective: To compare caudal block with intrarectal local anesthesia plus periprostatic nerve block for transrectal ultrasound guided prostate biopsy. Methods: One hundred and ninety patients scheduled for transrectal ultrasound guided prostate biopsy were randomized equally into Group-A who received caudal block (20 ml 1.2% lidocaine) and Group-B who received intrarectal local anesthesia (0.3% oxybuprocaine cream) plus periprostatic nerve block (10 ml 1% lidocaine plus 0.5% ropivacaine) before biopsy. During and after the procedure, the patients rated the level of pain/discomfort at various time points. Complications during the whole study period and the patient overall satisfaction were also evaluated. Results: More pain and discomfort was detected during periprostatic nerve block than during caudal block. Pain and discomfort was significantly lower during prostate biopsy and during the manipulation of the probe in the rectum in Group-A than in Group-B. No significant differences were detected in the pain intensity after biopsy and side effects between the two groups. Conclusions: Caudal block provides better anesthesia than periprostatic nerve block plus intrarectal local anesthesia for TRUS guided prostate biopsy without an increase of side effects. PMID:27648052

Long-term outcome of ultrasound-guided percutaneous ethanol ablation of selected "recurrent" neck nodal metastases in 25 patients with TNM stages III or IVA papillary thyroid carcinoma previously treated by surgery and 131I therapy.

PubMed

Hay, Ian D; Lee, Robert A; Davidge-Pitts, Caroline; Reading, Carl C; Charboneau, J William

2013-12-01

Ultrasound-guided percutaneous ethanol ablation (UPEA) of neck nodal metastases (NNM) has rarely been reported in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) patients with advanced localized disease. We ablated 25 PTC patients with stage III or IVA disease (mean age 58 years) who had "recurrent" NNM after surgery and 131I therapy. Diagnosis of 37 selected NNM was proven by ultrasound-guided biopsy. UPEA was usually performed in 2 outpatient sessions. After UPEA, 35 of 37 NNM (95%) decreased in size. None had significant Doppler flow. Seventeen (46%) disappeared on rescanning. Serum thyroglobulin fell in 19 of 22 (86%) without thyroglobulin autoantibodies. None of the UPEA-treated NNM, followed on average for 5.4 years, required further intervention. Six patients (24%) subsequently developed 18 "new" recurrences. Of the 18, 15 (83%) were managed successfully by UPEA rather than operation. None of the 25 patients developed permanent hoarseness or have died from PTC. At our institution, where patients undergoing nodal dissections are charged $35-45,000, each outpatient UPEA procedure saves health providers approximately $38,400. Our 25 ablated patients, by avoiding 40 further neck reexplorations, on average, saved $61,440 in charges. UPEA for NNM in advanced localized PTC has proved safe and effective. It is also considerably less expensive than the conventional operative alternative of nodal dissection. Copyright © 2013 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Inquiry Based Projects Using Student Ozone Measurements and the Status of Using Plants as Bio-Indicators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ladd, I. H.; Fishman, J.; Pippin, M.; Sachs, S.; Skelly, J.; Chappelka, A.; Neufeld, H.; Burkey, K.

2006-05-01

Students around the world work cooperatively with their teachers and the scientific research community measuring local surface ozone levels using a hand-held optical scanner and ozone sensitive chemical strips. Through the GLOBE (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment) Program, students measuring local ozone levels are connected with the chemistry of the air they breathe and how human activity impacts air quality. Educational tools have been developed and correlated with the National Science and Mathematics Standards to facilitate integrating the study of surface ozone with core curriculum. Ozone air pollution has been identified as the major pollutant causing foliar injury to plants when they are exposed to concentrations of surface ozone. The inclusion of native and agricultural plants with measuring surface ozone provides an Earth system approach to understanding surface ozone. An implementation guide for investigating ozone induced foliar injury has been developed and field tested. The guide, Using Sensitive Plants as Bio-Indicators of Ozone Pollution, provides: the background information and protocol for implementing an "Ozone Garden" with native and agricultural plants; and, a unique opportunity to involve students in a project that will develop and increase their awareness of surface ozone air pollution and its impact on plants.

Frequency guided methods for demodulation of a single fringe pattern.

PubMed

Wang, Haixia; Kemao, Qian

2009-08-17

Phase demodulation from a single fringe pattern is a challenging task but of interest. A frequency-guided regularized phase tracker and a frequency-guided sequential demodulation method with Levenberg-Marquardt optimization are proposed to demodulate a single fringe pattern. Demodulation path guided by the local frequency from the highest to the lowest is applied in both methods. Since critical points have low local frequency values, they are processed last so that the spurious sign problem caused by these points is avoided. These two methods can be considered as alternatives to the effective fringe follower regularized phase tracker. Demodulation results from one computer-simulated and two experimental fringe patterns using the proposed methods will be demonstrated. (c) 2009 Optical Society of America

Basic Automotive Mechanics. Florida Vocational Program Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

University of South Florida, Tampa. Dept. of Adult and Vocational Education.

This program guide identifies primary concerns in the organization, operation, and evaluation of a basic automotive mechanics program. It is designed for local school district and community college administrators, instructors, program advisory committees, and regional coordinating councils. The guide begins with the Dictionary of Occupational…

Time-localized frequency analysis of ultrasonic guided waves for nondestructive testing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shin, Hyeon Jae; Song, Sung-Jin

2000-05-01

A time-localized frequency (TLF) analysis is employed for the guided wave mode identification and improved guided wave applications. For the analysis of time-localized frequency contents of digitized ultrasonic signals, TLF analysis consists of splitting the time domain signal into overlapping segments, weighting each with the hanning window, and forming the columns of discrete Fourier transforms. The result is presented by a frequency versus time domain diagram showing frequency variation along the signal arrival time. For the demonstration of the utility of TLF analysis, an experimental group velocity dispersion pattern obtained by TLF analysis is compared with the dispersion diagram obtained by theory of elasticity. Sample piping is carbon steel piping that is used for the transportation of natural gas underground. Guided wave propagation characteristic on the piping is considered with TLF analysis and wave structure concepts. TLF analysis is used for the detection of simulated corrosion defects and the assessment of weld joint using ultrasonic guided waves. TLF analysis has revealed that the difficulty of mode identification in multi-mode propagation could be overcome. Group velocity dispersion pattern obtained by TLF analysis agrees well with theoretical results.

Accuracy of non-operative identification of the sentinel lymph node using combined gamma and ultrasound scanning.

PubMed

Whelehan, P; Vinnicombe, S J; Brown, D C; McLean, D; Evans, A

2014-08-01

To assess how accurately the sentinel lymph node (SLN) can be identified percutaneously, using gamma probe and ultrasound technology. Women with breast cancer, scheduled for wide local excision or mastectomy with SLN biopsy (SLNB), were included. Peri-areolar intradermal injection of technetium-99 nanocolloid was performed on the morning of surgery and 1-2 ml of blue dye was injected in the peri-areolar region once the patient was anaesthetized. Prior to surgery, a gamma probe was used over the skin to identify any hot spot that could represent a SLN. Ultrasound, guided by the hot spot, was then used to visualize potential SLNs and guide the insertion of a localizing wire. The accuracy in localizing the SLN by preoperative gamma-probe guided ultrasonography was assessed by comparison to SLNB. A SLN was correctly identified and marked using gamma-probe guided ultrasonography in 44 of 59 cases (75%; 95% CI: 63-86%). This study supports the case for investigating percutaneous gamma probe and ultrasound guided interventions in the axilla in women with breast cancer, as a potential alternative to surgical SLNB. Copyright © 2014 The Royal College of Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Intraoperative Ultrasound for Peripheral Nerve Applications.

PubMed

Willsey, Matthew; Wilson, Thomas J; Henning, Phillip Troy; Yang, Lynda J-S

2017-10-01

Offering real-time, high-resolution images via intraoperative ultrasound is advantageous for a variety of peripheral nerve applications. To highlight the advantages of ultrasound, its extraoperative uses are reviewed. The current intraoperative uses, including nerve localization, real-time evaluation of peripheral nerve tumors, and implantation of leads for peripheral nerve stimulation, are reviewed. Although intraoperative peripheral nerve localization has been performed previously using guide wires and surgical dyes, the authors' approach using ultrasound-guided instrument clamps helps guide surgical dissection to the target nerve, which could lead to more timely operations and shorter incisions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Localized Electron Heating by Strong Guide-Field Magnetic Reconnection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Xuehan; Sugawara, Takumichi; Inomoto, Michiaki; Yamasaki, Kotaro; Ono, Yasushi; UTST Team

2015-11-01

Localized electron heating of magnetic reconnection was studied under strong guide-field (typically Bt 15Bp) using two merging spherical tokamak plasmas in Univ. Tokyo Spherical Tokamak (UTST) experiment. Our new slide-type two-dimensional Thomson scattering system documented for the first time the electron heating localized around the X-point. The region of high electron temperature, which is perpendicular to the magnetic field, was found to have a round shape with radius of 2 [cm]. Also, it was localized around the X-point and does not agree with that of energy dissipation term Et .jt . When we include a guide-field effect term Bt / (Bp + αBt) for Et .jt where α =√{ (vin2 +vout2) /v∥2 } , the energy dissipation area becomes localized around the X-point, suggesting that the electrons are accelerated by the reconnection electric field parallel to the magnetic field and thermalized around the X-point. This work was supported by JSPS A3 Foresight Program ``Innovative Tokamak Plasma Startup and Current Drive in Spherical Torus,'' a Grant-in-Aid from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Fellows 15J03758.

Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation By The Ablation Of Localized Sources

PubMed Central

Narayan, Sanjiv M.; Krummen, David E.; Shivkumar, Kalyanam; Clopton, Paul; Rappel, Wouter-Jan; Miller, John M.

2012-01-01

Objectives We hypothesized that human atrial fibrillation (AF) may be sustained by localized sources (electrical rotors and focal impulses), whose elimination (Focal Impulse and Rotor Modulation, FIRM) may improve outcome from AF ablation. Background Catheter ablation for AF is a promising therapy, whose success is limited in part by uncertainty in the mechanisms that sustain AF. We developed a computational approach to map whether AF is sustained by several meandering waves (the prevailing hypothesis) or localized sources, then prospectively tested whether targeting patient-specific mechanisms revealed by mapping would improve AF ablation outcome. Methods We recruited 92 individuals during 107 consecutive ablation procedures for paroxysmal or persistent (72%) AF. Cases were prospectively treated, in a 2-arm 1:2 design, by ablation at sources (FIRM-Guided) followed by conventional ablation (n=36), or conventional ablation alone (n=71; FIRM-Blinded). Results Localized rotors or focal impulses were detected in 98 (97%) of 101 cases with sustained AF, each exhibiting 2.1±1.0 sources. The acute endpoint (AF termination or consistent slowing) was achieved in 86% of FIRM-guided versus 20% of FIRM-Blinded cases (p<0.001). FIRM ablation alone at the primary source terminated AF in 2.5 minutes (median; IQR 1.0–3.1). Total ablation time did not differ between groups (57.8±22.8 versus 52.1±17.8 minutes, p=0.16). During 273 days (median; IQR 132–681 days) after a single procedure, FIRM-Guided cases had higher freedom from AF (82.4% versus 44.9%; p<0.001) after a single procedure than FIRM-blinded cases with rigorous, often implanted, ECG monitoring. Adverse events did not differ between groups. CONCLUSIONS Localized electrical rotors and focal impulse sources are prevalent sustaining-mechanisms for human AF. FIRM ablation at patient-specific sources acutely terminated or slowed AF, and improved outcome. These results offer a novel mechanistic framework and treatment paradigm for AF. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01008722) PMID:22818076

Making the Business Connection: Strategic Planning for Public/Private Partnerships: A Guide for the Aging Network.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coberly, Sally

This is one in a series of five guidebooks on partnerships between aging agencies and businesses. The guidebook provides practical information to assist state and local aging agencies in developing strategic relationships with businesses in their communities. The focus is on how to craft an overall partnership strategy that provides the framework…

School Insurance: A Handbook for School Board Members, School Administrators, and Other Officials Involved with Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rogers, E. Lloyd, Ed.

This is the latest edition of a handbook intended to guide school board members and other school officials in developing an appropriate insurance program for their local school district. Although the booklet emphasizes the particular legal requirements and regulations facing school officials in New York, much of its content is equally relevant for…

Framework for a New Political Praxis: "Respeto, Dignidad y Conocimiento"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guajardo, Francisco; Guajardo, Miguel; Oliver, John; Keawe, Lia O'Neill M. A.

2012-01-01

This article uses story as a process to highlight the work in a South Texas community that focuses on the education of youth and the development of community. The work is guided by a new consciousness of place, community engagement, and identity formation. The work is local, but breaking the isolation of youth, families, and ideas has been part of…

High Performance Work and Learning Systems: Crafting a Worker-Centered Approach. Proceedings of a Conference (Washington, D.C., September 1991).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marschall, Daniel, Ed.

A consensus that unions must develop coherent and comprehensive policies on new work systems and continuous learning in order to guide local activities, was the central theme of this conference on the interrelated issues of the high performance work organization. These proceedings include the following presentations: "Labor's Stake in High…

So There's a Community College in Your Town. A Guide for Local Church Ministry with the Nearby Community College.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hallman, W. E., Ed.

Seven articles and a series of cartoons provide background information and practical suggestions for the development of a working relationship between community colleges and the church. William E. Hallman discusses the church's responsibility for ministry at the community colleges. Robert A. Mayo explores the ways in which a supportive…

Guidance Notes on Safer School Construction: Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

World Bank Publications, 2009

2009-01-01

This document provides a framework of guiding principles and general steps addressing the construction of safer and more disaster resilient education facilities. It is aimed to be adapted to the local context and used to develop a context-specific plan to address a critical gap to reaching the Education for All (EFA) and Millennium Development…

Creating Curriculum of English for Conservative Tourism for Junior Guides to Promote Tourist Attractions in Thailand

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wimontham, Onsiri

2018-01-01

This research was supported the research fund of 2017 by Office of the Higher Education Commission of Thailand. The objectives of this research are listed: (1) To form the model of teaching and learning English for local development by English curriculum (B. Ed.) students' participation in training on out-of-classroom learning management, which…

Restoring Complexity to Industrially Managed Timberlands: The Mill Creek Interim Management Recommendations and Early Restoration Thinning Treatments

Treesearch

Dan Porter; Valerie Gizinski; Ruskin Hartley; Sharon Hendrix Kramer

2007-01-01

The Mill Creek Property was a commercial timberland acquired by the State of California to protect and restore local and regional ecological values and provide opportunities for compatible recreation. Interim Management Recommendations (IMR) were developed to guide protection, restoration, and public access of the Property until the California Department of Parks and...

Preceptorships | Cancer Prevention Fellowship Program

Cancer.gov

The major activity for Cancer Prevention Fellows is mentored research. All fellows are expected to develop original scientific projects and to report their findings at scientific meetings and in leading journals. Preceptors who serve to guide and enrich each fellow's experience are selected from skilled investigators across all NCI divisions, participating FDA centers, or local academic institutions. Over 100 NCI staff members have served as preceptors.

Laying the Foundation for Competency Education: A Policy Guide for the Next Generation Educator Workforce

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pace, Lillian; Worthen, Maria

2014-01-01

This paper provides a vision and set of policy recommendations to help federal, state, and local leaders develop the workforce necessary to support teaching and learning in a competency-based K-12 education system. Part One, Pre-service and Credentialing for K-12 Competency-Based Learning Environments, provides policymakers with a framework and…

Career Education Classroom Activities: North Dakota, K-12: Elementary (Kindergarten).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

North Dakota State Board for Vocational Education, Bismarck.

The guide's concepts are designed as ideas that could be used to develop various career education concepts and objectives at the kindergarten level. The activities are to be integrated into the existing curriculum, sequenced, and adapted to meet the needs of all people involved in education at the local school. The purpose of the guideline, a K-6…

Image-guided interventional therapy for cancer with radiotherapeutic nanoparticles✩

PubMed Central

Phillips, William T.; Bao, Ande; Brenner, Andrew J.; Goins, Beth A.

2015-01-01

One of the major limitations of current cancer therapy is the inability to deliver tumoricidal agents throughout the entire tumor mass using traditional intravenous administration. Nanoparticles carrying beta-emitting therapeutic radionuclides that are delivered using advanced image-guidance have significant potential to improve solid tumor therapy. The use of image-guidance in combination with nanoparticle carriers can improve the delivery of localized radiation to tumors. Nanoparticles labeled with certain beta-emitting radionuclides are intrinsically theranostic agents that can provide information regarding distribution and regional dosimetry within the tumor and the body. Image-guided thermal therapy results in increased uptake of intravenous nanoparticles within tumors, improving therapy. In addition, nanoparticles are ideal carriers for direct intratumoral infusion of beta-emitting radionuclides by convection enhanced delivery, permitting the delivery of localized therapeutic radiation without the requirement of the radionuclide exiting from the nanoparticle. With this approach, very high doses of radiation can be delivered to solid tumors while sparing normal organs. Recent technological developments in image-guidance, convection enhanced delivery and newly developed nanoparticles carrying beta-emitting radionuclides will be reviewed. Examples will be shown describing how this new approach has promise for the treatment of brain, head and neck, and other types of solid tumors. PMID:25016083

Development of a fluorimeter using laser-induced single-shot fluorescence lifetime spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eisum, Niels H.; Lynggaard-Jensen, Anders

1990-08-01

The developed laboratory prototype fluorimeter is the first step to a new in-situ instrument, and is based on a pulsed nitrogen laser (pumping a color dye laser and the laserbeam passing through a frequency doubler) with a pulse width less than 1 nsec. With such a short excitation pulse it is possible to measure the exponential decay of the fluorescence from the aromatic compounds and thus determine the fluorescence lifetime-curves, which are typically in the region of 5-40 nsec. The emitted fluorescence is collected simultaneously in 35 channels in the wavelength region 250-600 nm. If the fluorescence falls within the transmission areas of the interference filters in each channel the light will be collected by a plastic light guide (doped PMMA) in the actual channel and transmitted to the channels photo multiplier tube (PMT). (The use of the plastic light guide improves the sensitivity). The signal from the PMT is passed on to a 200 MHz 8-bit flash AID-converter connected to a local memory. From this local memory the digital lifetime curves from each channel are transmitted to a computer for presentation of the 3-dimensional spectrum. This spectrum has been obtained with a single laser shot.

Monitoring corrosion of rebar embedded in mortar using guided ultrasonic waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ervin, Benjamin Lee

This thesis investigates the use of guided mechanical waves for monitoring uniform and localized corrosion in steel reinforcing bars embedded in concrete. The main forms of structural deterioration from uniform corrosion in reinforced concrete are the destruction of the bond between steel and concrete, the loss of steel cross-sectional area, and the loss of concrete cross-sectional area from cracking and spalling. Localized corrosion, or pitting, leads to severe loss of steel cross-sectional area, creating a high risk of bar tensile failure and unintended transfer of loads to the surrounding concrete. Reinforcing bars were used to guide the waves, rather than bulk concrete, allowing for longer inspection distances due to lower material absorption, scattering, and divergence. Guided mechanical waves in low frequency ranges (50-200 kHz) and higher frequency ranges (2-8 MHz) were monitored in reinforced mortar specimens undergoing accelerated uniform corrosion. The frequency ranges chosen contain wave modes with varying amounts of interaction, i.e. displacement profile, at the material interface. Lower frequency modes were shown to be sensitive to the accumulation of corrosion product and the level of bond between the surrounding mortar and rebar. This allows for the onset of corrosion and bond deterioration to be monitored. Higher frequency modes were shown to be sensitive to changes in the bar profile surface, allowing for the loss of cross-sectional area to be monitored. Guided mechanical waves in the higher frequency range were also used to monitor reinforced mortar specimens undergoing accelerated localized corrosion. The high frequency modes were sensitive to the localized attack. Also promising was the unique frequency spectrum response for both uniform and localized corrosion, allowing the two corrosion types to be differentiated from through-transmission evaluation. The isolated effects of the reinforcing ribs, simulated debonding, simulated pitting, water surrounding, and mortar surrounding were also investigated using guided mechanical waves. Results are presented and discussed within the framework of a corrosion process degradation model and service life. A thorough review and discussion of the corrosion process, modeling the propagation of corrosion, nondestructive methods for monitoring corrosion in reinforced concrete, and guided mechanical waves have also been presented.

Building Maintenance and Utilities Management. Florida Vocational Program Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

University of South Florida, Tampa. Dept. of Adult and Vocational Education.

This program guide identifies primary concerns in the organization, operation, and evaluation of a building maintenance and utilities management program. It is designed for local school district and community college administrators, instructors, program advisory committees, and regional coordinating councils. The guide begins with the Dictionary…

Comparison of outcomes for MR-guided versus CT-guided high-dose-rate interstitial brachytherapy in women with locally advanced carcinoma of the cervix.

PubMed

Kamran, Sophia C; Manuel, Matthias M; Cho, Linda P; Damato, Antonio L; Schmidt, Ehud J; Tempany, Clare; Cormack, Robert A; Viswanathan, Akila N

2017-05-01

The purpose was to compare local control (LC), overall survival (OS) and dose to the organs at risk (OAR) in women with locally advanced cervical cancer treated with MR-guided versus CT-guided interstitial brachytherapy (BT). 56 patients (29 MR, 27 CT) were treated with high-dose-rate (HDR) interstitial BT between 2005-2015. The MR patients had been prospectively enrolled on a Phase II clinical trial. Data were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier (K-M) and Cox proportional hazards statistical modeling in JMP® & R®. Median follow-up time was 19.7months (MR group) and 18.4months (CT group). There were no statistically significant differences in patient age at diagnosis, histology, percent with tumor size >4cm, grade, FIGO stage or lymph node involvement between the groups. Patients in the MR group had more lymphovascular involvement compared to patients in the CT group (p<0.01). When evaluating plans generated, there were no statistically significant differences in median cumulative dose to the high-risk clinical target volume or the OAR. 2-year K-M LC rates for MR-based and CT-based treatments were 96% and 87%, respectively (log-rank p=0.65). At 2years, OS was significantly better in the MR-guided cohort (84% vs. 56%, p=0.036). On multivariate analysis, squamous histology was associated with longer OS (HR 0.23, 95% CI 0.07-0.72) in a model with MR BT (HR 0.35, 95% CI 0.08-1.18). There was no difference in toxicities between CT and MR BT. In this population of locally advanced cervical-cancer patients, MR-guided HDR BT resulted in estimated 96% 2-year local control and excellent survival and toxicity rates. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparison of outcomes for MR-guided versus CT-guided high-dose-rate interstitial brachytherapy in women with locally advanced carcinoma of the cervix

PubMed Central

Kamran, Sophia C.; Manuel, Matthias M.; Cho, Linda P.; Damato, Antonio L.; Schmidt, Ehud J.; Tempany, Clare; Cormack, Robert A.; Viswanathan, Akila N.

2017-01-01

Objective The purpose was to compare local control (LC), overall survival (OS) and dose to the organs at risk (OAR) in women with locally advanced cervical cancer treated with MR-guided versus CT-guided interstitial brachytherapy (BT). Methods 56 patients (29 MR, 27 CT) were treated with high-dose-rate (HDR) interstitial BT between 2005–2015. The MR patients had been prospectively enrolled on a Phase II clinical trial. Data were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier (K-M) and Cox proportional hazards statistical modeling in JMP® & R®. Results Median follow-up time was 19.7 months (MR group) and 18.4 months (CT group). There were no statistically significant differences in patient age at diagnosis, histology, percent with tumor size >4 cm, grade, FIGO stage or lymph node involvement between the groups. Patients in the MR group had more lymphovascular involvement compared to patients in the CT group (p<0.01). When evaluating plans generated, there were no statistically significant differences in median cumulative dose to the high-risk clinical target volume or the OAR. 2-year K-M LC rates for MR-based and CT-based treatments were 96% and 87%, respectively (log-rank p=0.65). At 2 years, OS was significantly better in the MR-guided cohort (84% vs. 56%, p=0.036). On multivariate analysis, squamous histology was associated with longer OS (HR 0.23, 95% CI 0.07–0.72) in a model with MR BT (HR 0.35, 95% CI 0.08–1.18). Conclusion In this population of locally advanced cervical-cancer patients, MR-guided HDR BT resulted in estimated 96% 2-year local control and excellent early survival rates. Squamous cell histology was the most significant predictor for survival. PMID:28318644

Evaluating Social Programs at the State and Local Level. The JTPA Evaluation Design Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blalock, Ann Bonar, Ed.; And Others

This book on evaluating social programs is an outcome of the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) Evaluation Design Project, which produced a set of 10 guides for the evaluation of state and local JTPA programs. This book distills ideas from these guides and applies them to a larger context. Part 1 presents a general approach to program evaluation…

Simultaneous Multi-Scale Diffusion Estimation and Tractography Guided by Entropy Spectrum Pathways

PubMed Central

Galinsky, Vitaly L.; Frank, Lawrence R.

2015-01-01

We have developed a method for the simultaneous estimation of local diffusion and the global fiber tracts based upon the information entropy flow that computes the maximum entropy trajectories between locations and depends upon the global structure of the multi-dimensional and multi-modal diffusion field. Computation of the entropy spectrum pathways requires only solving a simple eigenvector problem for the probability distribution for which efficient numerical routines exist, and a straight forward integration of the probability conservation through ray tracing of the convective modes guided by a global structure of the entropy spectrum coupled with a small scale local diffusion. The intervoxel diffusion is sampled by multi b-shell multi q-angle DWI data expanded in spherical waves. This novel approach to fiber tracking incorporates global information about multiple fiber crossings in every individual voxel and ranks it in the most scientifically rigorous way. This method has potential significance for a wide range of applications, including studies of brain connectivity. PMID:25532167

Users guide for the hydroacoustic coverage assessment model (HydroCAM)

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

Farrell, T., LLNL

1997-12-01

A model for predicting the detection and localization performance of hydroacoustic monitoring networks has been developed. The model accounts for major factors affecting global-scale acoustic propagation in the ocean. including horizontal refraction, travel time variability due to spatial and temporal fluctuations in the ocean, and detailed characteristics of the source. Graphical user interfaces are provided to setup the models and visualize the results. The model produces maps of network detection coverage and localization area of uncertainty, as well as intermediate results such as predicted path amplitudes, travel time and travel time variance. This Users Guide for the model is organizedmore » into three sections. First a summary of functionality available in the model is presented, including example output products. The second section provides detailed descriptions of each of models contained in the system. The last section describes how to run the model, including a summary of each data input form in the user interface.« less

Three Dimensional Analysis of the Final Design of Pier Extensions and West Guide Wall to Mitigate Local Scour Risk at the BNSF Railroad Bridge Downstream of the Prado Dam Supplemental Report

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

Lottes, S. A.; Sinha, N.; Bojanowski, C.

This report is a supplement to a previous report [ref] covering optimization of wedge shaped pier extensions to streamline large bluff body piers as a local scour countermeasure for the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe (BNSF) Railroad Bridge over the Santa Ana River downstream of Prado Dam in Riverside County, CA. The optimized design was tested in a 1/30 scale physical model at U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) in Vicksburg, MS, and the optimized design was used as the base for the construction design. Constructability issues having to do with both materials and site conditions including accessmore » underneath the BNSF bridge yielded a construction design that required making the pier extensions wider and either moving the western curve of the west guide wall upstream or changing its geometry.« less

Topical MMP beacon enabled fluorescence-guided resection of oral carcinoma

PubMed Central

Burgess, Laura; Chen, Juan; Wolter, Nikolaus E.; Wilson, Brian; Zheng, Gang

2016-01-01

Each year almost 300,000 individuals worldwide are diagnosed with oral cancer, more than 90% of these being oral carcinoma [N. Engl. J. Med. 328, 184 19938417385]. Surgical resection is the standard of care, but accurate delineation of the tumor boundaries is challenging, resulting in either under-resection with risk of local recurrence or over-resection with increased functional loss and negative impact on quality of life. This study evaluates, in two pre-clinical in vivo tumor models, the potential of fluorescence-guided resection using molecular beacons activated by metalloproteinases, which are frequently upregulated in human oral cancer. In both models there was rapid (<15 min) beacon activation upon local application, allowing clear fluoresecence imaging in vivo and confirmed by ex vivo fluorescence microscopy and HPLC, with minimal activation in normal oral tissues. Although the tissue penetration was limited using topical application, these findings support further development of this approach towards translation to first-in-human trials. PMID:27231609

Remote telepresence surgery: the Canadian experience.

PubMed

Anvari, M

2007-04-01

On 28 February 2003, the world's first telerobotic surgical service was established between St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, a teaching hospital affiliated with McMaster University, and North Bay General Hospital, a community hospital 400 km away. The service was designed to provide telerobotic surgery and assistance by expert surgeons to local surgeons in North Bay, and to improve the range and quality of advanced laparoscopic surgeries offered locally. The two surgeons have collaboratively performed 22 remote telepresence surgeries including laparoscopic fundoplications, laparoscopic colon resections, and laparoscopic inguinal hernia repairs. This article describes the important lessons learned, including the telecommunication requirements, the impact from lack of haptic feedback, surgeons' adaptation to latency, and ethical and medicolegal issues. This is currently the largest clinical experience with assisted robotic telepresence surgery (ARTS) in the world, and the lessons learned will help guide the future design and development of telesurgical robotic platforms. It also will guide the establishment of telesurgical networks connecting various centers in the world, allowing for rapid and safe dissemination of new surgical techniques.

A magnetic resonance image-guided breast needle intervention robot system: overview and design considerations.

PubMed

Park, Samuel Byeongjun; Kim, Jung-Gun; Lim, Ki-Woong; Yoon, Chae-Hyun; Kim, Dong-Jun; Kang, Han-Sung; Jo, Yung-Ho

2017-08-01

We developed an image-guided intervention robot system that can be operated in a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging gantry. The system incorporates a bendable needle intervention robot for breast cancer patients that overcomes the space limitations of the MR gantry. Most breast coil designs for breast MR imaging have side openings to allow manual localization. However, for many intervention procedures, the patient must be removed from the gantry. A robotic manipulation system with integrated image guidance software was developed. Our robotic manipulator was designed to be slim, so as to fit between the patient's side and the MR gantry wall. Only non-magnetic materials were used, and an electromagnetic shield was employed for cables and circuits. The image guidance software was built using open source libraries. In situ feasibility tests were performed in a 3-T MR system. One target point in the breast phantom was chosen by the clinician for each experiment, and our robot moved the needle close to the target point. Without image-guided feedback control, the needle end could not hit the target point (distance = 5 mm) in the first experiment. Using our robotic system, the needle hits the target lesion of the breast phantom at a distance of 2.3 mm from the same target point using image-guided feedback. The second experiment was performed using other target points, and the distance between the final needle end point and the target point was 0.8 mm. We successfully developed an MR-guided needle intervention robot for breast cancer patients. Further research will allow the expansion of these interventions.

Statistical lamb wave localization based on extreme value theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harley, Joel B.

2018-04-01

Guided wave localization methods based on delay-and-sum imaging, matched field processing, and other techniques have been designed and researched to create images that locate and describe structural damage. The maximum value of these images typically represent an estimated damage location. Yet, it is often unclear if this maximum value, or any other value in the image, is a statistically significant indicator of damage. Furthermore, there are currently few, if any, approaches to assess the statistical significance of guided wave localization images. As a result, we present statistical delay-and-sum and statistical matched field processing localization methods to create statistically significant images of damage. Our framework uses constant rate of false alarm statistics and extreme value theory to detect damage with little prior information. We demonstrate our methods with in situ guided wave data from an aluminum plate to detect two 0.75 cm diameter holes. Our results show an expected improvement in statistical significance as the number of sensors increase. With seventeen sensors, both methods successfully detect damage with statistical significance.

Maintenance of signs and sign supports : a guide for local highway and street maintenance personnel.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-01-01

Highway signs are the means by which the road agency communicates the rules, warnings, guidance and other highway information that drivers need to navigate their roads and streets. This guide, which is an update to the same titled guide published in ...

Development of the Updated Environmental Protection Agency Manual of Protective Action Guides (PAGS) and Protective Actions for Nuclear Incidents

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

Carter, L.M.

2008-07-01

As a student intern with the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Headquarters, the author was trained in the National Response Plan (NRP) and assisted in the editing of the new (unpublished) EPA Protective Action Guides (PAGs) [1] which has been revised in light of the perceived post 9/11 potential for 'Dirty Bomb' and 'Improvised Nuclear Device' attacks on civilian areas. Technical aspects and the public policy aspects of developing the new guides are discussed. Early Phase initial responses discussed include: Notification of state and/or local authorities, immediate evacuation/sheltering prior to release information or measurements, monitoring of releases and exposuremore » rate measurements, estimation of dose consequences, implementation of protective actions in other areas. The new PAG clarifies the use of 1992 PAGs [2] for incidents other than nuclear power plant accidents, lowers projected thyroid dose for potassium iodine (KI), provides drinking water guidance, includes guidance for long-term site restoration, and updates dosimetry from ICRP 26 to ICRP 60. (authors)« less

Influence of the Spatial Dimensions of Ultrasonic Transducers on the Frequency Spectrum of Guided Waves.

PubMed

Samaitis, Vykintas; Mažeika, Liudas

2017-08-08

Ultrasonic guided wave (UGW)-based condition monitoring has shown great promise in detecting, localizing, and characterizing damage in complex systems. However, the application of guided waves for damage detection is challenging due to the existence of multiple modes and dispersion. This results in distorted wave packets with limited resolution and the interference of multiple reflected modes. To develop reliable inspection systems, either the transducers have to be optimized to generate a desired single mode of guided waves with known dispersive properties, or the frequency responses of all modes present in the structure must be known to predict wave interaction. Currently, there is a lack of methods to predict the response spectrum of guided wave modes, especially in cases when multiple modes are being excited simultaneously. Such methods are of vital importance for further understanding wave propagation within the structures as well as wave-damage interaction. In this study, a novel method to predict the response spectrum of guided wave modes was proposed based on Fourier analysis of the particle velocity distribution on the excitation area. The method proposed in this study estimates an excitability function based on the spatial dimensions of the transducer, type of vibration, and dispersive properties of the medium. As a result, the response amplitude as a function of frequency for each guided wave mode present in the structure can be separately obtained. The method was validated with numerical simulations on the aluminum and glass fiber composite samples. The key findings showed that it can be applied to estimate the response spectrum of a guided wave mode on any type of material (either isotropic structures, or multi layered anisotropic composites) and under any type of excitation if the phase velocity dispersion curve and the particle velocity distribution of the wave source was known initially. Thus, the proposed method may be a beneficial tool to explain and predict the response spectrum of guided waves throughout the development of any structural health monitoring system.

Influence of the Spatial Dimensions of Ultrasonic Transducers on the Frequency Spectrum of Guided Waves

PubMed Central

Samaitis, Vykintas; Mažeika, Liudas

2017-01-01

Ultrasonic guided wave (UGW)-based condition monitoring has shown great promise in detecting, localizing, and characterizing damage in complex systems. However, the application of guided waves for damage detection is challenging due to the existence of multiple modes and dispersion. This results in distorted wave packets with limited resolution and the interference of multiple reflected modes. To develop reliable inspection systems, either the transducers have to be optimized to generate a desired single mode of guided waves with known dispersive properties, or the frequency responses of all modes present in the structure must be known to predict wave interaction. Currently, there is a lack of methods to predict the response spectrum of guided wave modes, especially in cases when multiple modes are being excited simultaneously. Such methods are of vital importance for further understanding wave propagation within the structures as well as wave-damage interaction. In this study, a novel method to predict the response spectrum of guided wave modes was proposed based on Fourier analysis of the particle velocity distribution on the excitation area. The method proposed in this study estimates an excitability function based on the spatial dimensions of the transducer, type of vibration, and dispersive properties of the medium. As a result, the response amplitude as a function of frequency for each guided wave mode present in the structure can be separately obtained. The method was validated with numerical simulations on the aluminum and glass fiber composite samples. The key findings showed that it can be applied to estimate the response spectrum of a guided wave mode on any type of material (either isotropic structures, or multi layered anisotropic composites) and under any type of excitation if the phase velocity dispersion curve and the particle velocity distribution of the wave source was known initially. Thus, the proposed method may be a beneficial tool to explain and predict the response spectrum of guided waves throughout the development of any structural health monitoring system. PMID:28786924

Maintaining space in localized ridge augmentation using guided bone regeneration with tenting screw technology.

PubMed

Chasioti, Evdokia; Chiang, Tat Fai; Drew, Howard J

2013-01-01

Prosthetic guided implant surgery requires adequate ridge dimensions for proper implant placement. Various surgical procedures can be used to augment deficient alveolar ridges. Studies have examined new bone formation on deficient ridges, utilizing numerous surgical techniques and biomaterials. The goal is to develop time efficient techniques, which have low morbidity. A crucial factor for successful bone grafting procedures is space maintenance. The article discusses space maintenance tenting screws, used in conjunction with bone allografts and resorbable barrier membranes, to ensure uneventful guided bone regeneration (GBR) enabling optimal implant positioning. The technique utilized has been described in the literature to treat severely resorbed alveolar ridges and additionally can be considered in restoring the vertical and horizontal component of deficient extraction sites. Three cases are presented to illustrate the utilization and effectiveness of tenting screw technology in the treatment of atrophic extraction sockets and for deficient ridges.

Effect of abdominal liposuction on sonographically guided high-intensity focused ultrasound ablation.

PubMed

Zhao, Wen-Peng; Chen, Jin-Yun; Chen, Wen-Zhi

2014-09-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of abdominal liposuction on sonographically guided high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) ablation. A total of 10 women with uterine fibroids or adenomyosis who had received abdominal liposuction were analyzed after sonographically guided HIFU ablation. Of the 10 women, 6 had a diagnosis of uterine fibroids, and 4 had a diagnosis of uterine adenomyosis. All of them had a history of a horizontal-margin split-cesarean delivery. In addition, 26 women with a history of a single horizontal-margin split-cesarean delivery who had a diagnosis of uterine fibroids or adenomyosis but had not received liposuction were analyzed together as a control group. Of the 10 women, 1 woman with uterine fibroids developed local skin erythema after treatment; 1 women with uterine adenomyosis developed a skin burn after treatment; and the remaining women had obvious skin-burning pain during treatment. All women who had not received liposuction finished the treatment with no serious adverse events during or after treatment. The pain scores and incidence of skin-burning pain were significantly higher in the liposuction group than the control group (P= .021 and .038, respectively). Abdominal liposuction may increase the risk of skin burns during sonographically guided HIFU ablation. © 2014 by the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine.

Protective Services for Abused and Neglected Children and Their Families. A Guide for State and Local Department of Public Social Services on the Delivery of Protective Services.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Community Research Applications, Inc., New York, NY.

Provided is a guide to assist state and local agencies in improving the administration and management of services to abused and neglected children and their families. Protective services at the state level are covered in the first section, including such topics as organization; initiating and reacting to proposed state legislation; developing…

Navigating Without Road Maps: The Early Business of Automobile Route Guide Publishing in the United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bauer, John T.

2018-05-01

In the United States, automobile route guides were important precursors to the road maps that Americans are familiar with today. Listing turn-by-turn directions between cities, they helped drivers navigate unmarked, local roads. This paper examines the early business of route guide publishing through the Official Automobile Blue Book series of guides. It focuses specifically on the expansion, contraction, and eventual decline of the Blue Book publishing empire and also the work of professional "pathfinders" that formed the company's data-gathering infrastructure. Be- ginning in 1901 with only one volume, the series steadily grew until 1920, when thirteen volumes were required to record thousands of routes throughout the country. Bankruptcy and corporate restructuring in 1921 forced the publishers to condense the guide into a four-volume set in 1922. Competition from emerging sheet maps, along with the nationwide standardization of highway numbers, pushed a switch to an atlas format in 1926. Blue Books, however, could not remain competitive and disappeared after 1937. "Pathfinders" were employed by the publishers and equipped with reliable automobiles. Soon they developed a shorthand notation system for recording field notes and efficiently incorporating them into the development workflow. Although pathfinders did not call themselves cartographers, they were geographical data field collectors and considered their work to be an "art and a science," much the same as modern-day cartographers. The paper concludes with some comments about the place of route guides in the history of American commercial cartography and draws some parallels between "pathfinders" and the digital road mappers of today.

Contextualizing Next Generation Science Standards to Guide Climate Education in the U.S. Affiliated Pacific Islands (USAPI)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sussman, A.; Fletcher, C. H.; Sachs, J. P.

2012-12-01

The USAPI has a population of about 1,800,000 people spread across 4.9 million square miles of the Pacific Ocean. The Pacific Islands are characterized by a multitude of indigenous cultures and languages. Many USAPI students live considerably below the poverty line. The Pacific Island region is projected to experience some of the most profound negative impacts of climate change considerably sooner than other regions. Funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Pacific Islands Climate Education Partnership (PCEP) has developed a detailed strategic plan to collaboratively improve climate knowledge among the region's students and citizens in ways that exemplify modern science and indigenous environmental knowledge, address the urgency of climate change impacts, and honor indigenous cultures. Students and citizens within the region will have the knowledge and skills to advance understanding of climate change, and to adapt to its impacts. Core PCEP partners contribute expertise in climate science, the science of learning, the region's education infrastructure, and the region's cultures and indigenous knowledge and practices. PCEP's strategic education plan is guided by a general, multidisciplinary K-14 Climate Education Framework (CEF) that organizes fundamental science concepts and practices within appropriate grade-span progressions. This CEF is based largely upon the National Research Council's "A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas" and the emerging Next Generation Science Standards. While the CEF is based upon these national Next Generation documents, it is also informed and strongly influenced by the region's geographic, climatic, cultural and socioeconomic contexts, notably indigenous knowledge and practices. Guided by the CEF, the PCEP in its initial development/planning phase has prototyped regional approaches to professional development, contextualizing curricula, and supporting community/school partnerships. With new, multiyear NSF implementation funding, the PCEP is building upon these prototypes and the strategic education plan to transform climate education across the region. Examples include a program of climate education certification being developed among the region's community colleges; research-based professional development focused on improving teachers' pedagogical content knowledge that has demonstrated striking success with both teacher and student outcomes; regional curricula based on local ecosystems and in local languages as well as English; and local school/community partnerships that combine the climate education work with local community climate adaptation projects. PCEP's interactive web-based environment (http://pcep.dsp.wested.org) interlinks the region's locations, organizations and people with information about climate science and climate impacts. This system enables the region's diverse stakeholders to access and contribute to the same information pool. This web-based environment both supports the development of PCEP resources such as the CEF and their continuing evolution and dissemination.

Building a citywide, all-payer, hospital claims database to improve health care delivery in a low-income, urban community.

PubMed

Gross, Kennen; Brenner, Jeffrey C; Truchil, Aaron; Post, Ernest M; Riley, Amy Henderson

2013-01-01

Developing data-driven local solutions to address rising health care costs requires valid and reliable local data. Traditionally, local public health agencies have relied on birth, death, and specific disease registry data to guide health care planning, but these data sets provide neither health information across the lifespan nor information on local health care utilization patterns and costs. Insurance claims data collected by local hospitals for administrative purposes can be used to create valuable population health data sets. The Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers partnered with the 3 health systems providing emergency and inpatient care within Camden, New Jersey, to create a local population all-payer hospital claims data set. The combined claims data provide unique insights into the health status, health care utilization patterns, and hospital costs on the population level. The cross-systems data set allows for a better understanding of the impact of high utilizers on a community-level health care system. This article presents an introduction to the methods used to develop Camden's hospital claims data set, as well as results showing the population health insights obtained from this unique data set.

Imaging-guided thoracoscopic resection of a ground-glass opacity lesion in a hybrid operating room equipped with a robotic C-arm CT system.

PubMed

Hsieh, Chen-Ping; Hsieh, Ming-Ju; Fang, Hsin-Yueh; Chao, Yin-Kai

2017-05-01

The intraoperative identification of small pulmonary nodules through video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery remains challenging. Although preoperative CT-guided nodule localization is commonly used to detect tumors during video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS), this approach carries inherent risks. We report the case of a patient with stage I lung cancer presenting as an area of ground-glass opacity (GGO) in the right upper pulmonary lobe. He successfully underwent a single-stage, CT-guided localization and removal of the pulmonary nodule within a hybrid operating room (OR) equipped with a robotic C-arm.

Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle injection for local control of recurrent non-small cell lung cancer.

PubMed

Khan, Farrah; Anker, Christopher J; Garrison, Garth; Kinsey, C Matthew

2015-01-01

Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) is an established technique for the diagnosis of thoracic malignancies. Non-ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle injection has been used previously to deliver chemotherapeutic agents. To use endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle injection (EBUS-TBNI) to achieve local control of recurrent early-stage lung cancer. A 63-year-old man presented with recurrent early stage non-small cell lung carcinoma after chemotherapy and external beam radiation. We used EBUS-TBNI to deliver cisplatin into the tumor located outside the airway. This procedure was performed on three separate occasions without complication. EBUS-TBNI resulted in resolution of fluorodeoxyglucose avidity, measured by positron emission tomography-computed tomography, in the region at 4 weeks. However, at 5 months, there was evidence of distal recurrence. This is the first description of EBUS-TBNI to treat local recurrence of lung cancer and one of the first reports of the use of EBUS for intratumoral therapy. Additional research is warranted to determine the clinical usefulness and safety of this therapeutic approach.

Food: Too Good to Waste Implementation Guide and Toolkit

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The Food: Too Good to Waste (FTGTW) Implementation Guide and Toolkit is designed for community organizations, local governments, households and others interested in reducing wasteful household food management practices.

Using public health and community partnerships to reduce density of alcohol outlets.

PubMed

Jernigan, David H; Sparks, Michael; Yang, Evelyn; Schwartz, Randy

2013-04-11

Excessive alcohol use causes approximately 80,000 deaths in the United States each year. The Guide to Community Preventive Services recommends reducing the density of alcohol outlets - the number of physical locations in which alcoholic beverages are available for purchase either per area or per population - through the use of regulatory authority as an effective strategy for reducing excessive alcohol consumption and related harms. We briefly review the research on density of alcohol outlets and public health and describe the powers localities have to influence alcohol outlet density. We summarize Regulating Alcohol Outlet Density: An Action Guide, which describes steps that local communities can take to reduce outlet density and the key competencies and resources of state and local health departments. These include expertise in public health surveillance and evaluation methods, identification and tracking of outcome measures, geographic information systems (GIS) mapping, community planning and development of multisector efforts, and education of community leaders and policy makers. We illustrate the potential for partnerships between public health agencies and local communities by presenting a contemporary case study from Omaha, Nebraska. Public health agencies have a vital and necessary role to play in efforts to reduce alcohol outlet density. They are often unaware of the potential of this strategy and have strong potential partners in the thousands of community coalitions nationwide that are focused on reducing alcohol-related problems.

Using Public Health and Community Partnerships to Reduce Density of Alcohol Outlets

PubMed Central

Sparks, Michael; Yang, Evelyn; Schwartz, Randy

2013-01-01

Excessive alcohol use causes approximately 80,000 deaths in the United States each year. The Guide to Community Preventive Services recommends reducing the density of alcohol outlets — the number of physical locations in which alcoholic beverages are available for purchase either per area or per population — through the use of regulatory authority as an effective strategy for reducing excessive alcohol consumption and related harms. We briefly review the research on density of alcohol outlets and public health and describe the powers localities have to influence alcohol outlet density. We summarize Regulating Alcohol Outlet Density: An Action Guide, which describes steps that local communities can take to reduce outlet density and the key competencies and resources of state and local health departments. These include expertise in public health surveillance and evaluation methods, identification and tracking of outcome measures, geographic information systems (GIS) mapping, community planning and development of multisector efforts, and education of community leaders and policy makers. We illustrate the potential for partnerships between public health agencies and local communities by presenting a contemporary case study from Omaha, Nebraska. Public health agencies have a vital and necessary role to play in efforts to reduce alcohol outlet density. They are often unaware of the potential of this strategy and have strong potential partners in the thousands of community coalitions nationwide that are focused on reducing alcohol-related problems. PMID:23578401

MRI-guided Dose-escalated Salvage Radiotherapy for Bulky Bladder Neck Recurrence of Prostate Cancer

PubMed Central

Tyran, Marguerite; Steinberg, Michael L.; Holden, Stuart B; Cao, Minsong

2018-01-01

Nearly 30% of patients treated with radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer ultimately develop biochemical recurrences, and nearly a quarter of men with nonpalpable biochemical recurrences have gross local recurrences identified with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The only curative intervention for patients with recurrent disease after radical prostatectomy is salvage radiotherapy – this is particularly true for patients with gross local recurrences. Furthermore, even in patients with an incurable metastatic disease, a local recurrence can be the source of significant morbidity and should be addressed. Delivering a sufficient dose of radiation in the postoperative setting to control gross disease while minimizing toxicity poses a significant technical challenge. Because of the inherent uncertainty in the verification of gross disease positioning with standard onboard imaging technologies, large margins must be used. Larger margins, in turn, will lead to larger volumes of tissue receiving high doses of radiation, potentially increasing long-term toxicity. Herein, we present the case of a patient with a bulky gross recurrence (>40 cm3) at the bladder neck and synchronous metastatic disease who was referred for salvage radiotherapy after a multidisciplinary consensus recommendation to pursue local therapy for mitigating urinary morbidity from the bulky tumor. The case illustrates the utilization of MRI-guided radiotherapy to allow significant margin reduction, thereby facilitating the delivery of an escalated dose of radiotherapy to a bulky recurrence. PMID:29805929

Colour for Behavioural Success.

PubMed

Dresp-Langley, Birgitta; Reeves, Adam

2018-01-01

Colour information not only helps sustain the survival of animal species by guiding sexual selection and foraging behaviour but also is an important factor in the cultural and technological development of our own species. This is illustrated by examples from the visual arts and from state-of-the-art imaging technology, where the strategic use of colour has become a powerful tool for guiding the planning and execution of interventional procedures. The functional role of colour information in terms of its potential benefits to behavioural success across the species is addressed in the introduction here to clarify why colour perception may have evolved to generate behavioural success. It is argued that evolutionary and environmental pressures influence not only colour trait production in the different species but also their ability to process and exploit colour information for goal-specific purposes. We then leap straight to the human primate with insight from current research on the facilitating role of colour cues on performance training with precision technology for image-guided surgical planning and intervention. It is shown that local colour cues in two-dimensional images generated by a surgical fisheye camera help individuals become more precise rapidly across a limited number of trial sets in simulator training for specific manual gestures with a tool. This facilitating effect of a local colour cue on performance evolution in a video-controlled simulator (pick-and-place) task can be explained in terms of colour-based figure-ground segregation facilitating attention to local image parts when more than two layers of subjective surface depth are present, as in all natural and surgical images.

Colour for Behavioural Success

PubMed Central

Reeves, Adam

2018-01-01

Colour information not only helps sustain the survival of animal species by guiding sexual selection and foraging behaviour but also is an important factor in the cultural and technological development of our own species. This is illustrated by examples from the visual arts and from state-of-the-art imaging technology, where the strategic use of colour has become a powerful tool for guiding the planning and execution of interventional procedures. The functional role of colour information in terms of its potential benefits to behavioural success across the species is addressed in the introduction here to clarify why colour perception may have evolved to generate behavioural success. It is argued that evolutionary and environmental pressures influence not only colour trait production in the different species but also their ability to process and exploit colour information for goal-specific purposes. We then leap straight to the human primate with insight from current research on the facilitating role of colour cues on performance training with precision technology for image-guided surgical planning and intervention. It is shown that local colour cues in two-dimensional images generated by a surgical fisheye camera help individuals become more precise rapidly across a limited number of trial sets in simulator training for specific manual gestures with a tool. This facilitating effect of a local colour cue on performance evolution in a video-controlled simulator (pick-and-place) task can be explained in terms of colour-based figure-ground segregation facilitating attention to local image parts when more than two layers of subjective surface depth are present, as in all natural and surgical images. PMID:29770183

Image-guided radiation therapy for liver tumors: gastrointestinal histology matters.

PubMed

Katsoulakis, Evangelia; Riaz, Nadeem; Cannon, Donald M; Goodman, Karyn; Spratt, Daniel E; Lovelock, Michael; Yamada, Yoshiya

2014-12-01

To describe the safety and efficacy of single-fraction and hypofractionated image-guided radiotherapy techniques for the treatment of large liver tumors. Forty-six patients, with 50 tumors (10 primary liver tumors, 40 liver metastases) from March 2004 to March 2011 were reviewed. The maximal tumor diameter ranged from 1.2 to 11.3 cm (median, 4.2 cm). Eighty-seven percent of patients received prior systemic chemotherapy. Fifty-nine percent had prior invasive local therapy including surgery, ablation, or embolization. Twenty-five lesions were treated with hypofractionated therapy (24 to 30 Gy in 3 to 5 fractions), whereas 19 received a single fraction (18 or 24 Gy). Local control (LC) was calculated using competing risk analysis. Overall survival was calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method. Median follow-up for all patients was 29.8 months (range, 3 to 46 mo). The median survival was 15.4 months. The 1- and 2-year LC rates were 78% and 75%, respectively. Dose and tumor size had no significant effect on tumor progression. The local progression at 1 and 2 years was 29% and 32% for gastrointestinal (GI) histologies versus 0% for non-GI histologies (P=0.02). Tumor volumes larger than 112 cm correlated with decreased survival (P=0.05). Three patients developed late grade 3 GI stricture or ulceration. Image-guided radiotherapy for liver tumors achieves good rates of LC with minimal toxicity at 1 and 2 years even in patients with large or recurrent disease that has been heavily pretreated. GI histology demonstrated decreased LC rates. Further management strategies should be considered in these patients.

SEE Action Guide for States: Energy Efficiency as a Least-Cost Strategy to Reduce Greenhouse Gases and Air Pollution and Meet Energy Needs in the Power Sector

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

Schwartz, Lisa; Leventis, Greg; Schiller, Steven R.

This guide is designed to provide information to state decision makers and staff on options to advance energy efficiency through strategies designed or implemented at the state and local levels of government and in the private sector.1 The information in this guide is intended to be useful to a wide variety of partners and stakeholders involved in energy-related discussions and decision-making at state and local levels. These energy efficiency options, or “pathways” as they are identified in this guide, can assist states in using energy efficiency to meet air pollution reduction and other policy objectives such as energy affordability andmore » reliability. A pathway is a set of interdependent actions that results in measurable energy savings streams and associated avoided air emissions and other benefits over a period of time. These activities can include state, local, or private sector regulations, policies, programs and other activities. For each of five broad pathways that offer sizable cost-effective energy savings, the guide addresses likely questions policy makers and regulators face when screening for the best opportunities to advance energy efficiency in their state.« less

Technique of fiber optics used to localize epidural space in piglets.

PubMed

Ting, Chien-Kun; Chang, Yin

2010-05-24

Technique of loss-of-resistance in epidural block is commonly used for epidural anesthesia in humans with approximately 90% successful rate. However, it may be one of the most difficult procedures to learn for anesthesia residents in hospital. A two-wavelength (650 nm and 532 nm) fiber-optical method has been developed according to the characteristic reflectance spectra of ex-vivo porcine tissues, which are associated with the needle insertion to localize the epidural space (ES). In an in-vivo study in piglets showed that the reflected lights from ES and its surrounding tissue ligamentum flavum (LF) are highly distinguishable. This indicates that this technique has potential to localize the ES on the spot without the help of additional guiding assistance.

From "La Plume de Ma Tante" to "Parlez-Vous Francais?" The Making of French Language Policy in British Columbia, 1945-1982

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raptis, Helen; Fleming, Thomas

2004-01-01

During the first half of the twentieth century in British Columbia, French language was considered a school subject to be taught as any other using formal classical approaches. Generally, no specific provincial or local policies existed to guide how French was taught and learned. By 1981, however, British Columbia had developed explicit language…

Scope and Sequence for Vocational Home Economics Education in Oklahoma. Consumer and Homemaking Programs, Occupational Programs, Special Occupational Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oklahoma State Dept. of Vocational and Technical Education, Stillwater.

Intended for use by high school teachers of vocational home economics in Oklahoma to aid in local planning and developing of a nonrepetitious core curriculum to prepare students for home economics-related occupations and their roles as consumers and homemakers, this curriculum guide covers the entire course program for the high school years. Three…

Mission Assurance, Threat Alert, Disaster Resiliency and Response (MATADRR) Product Reference Guide

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-06-01

communication systems customized for military , government, healthcare, higher education and commercial organizations. The AtHoc solutions automate the end...how to develop an integrated operational picture across the local, state and military environment where they operate. Considerations such as the...services are used to support sound decision making in disaster response and civil- military humanitarian assistance operations, as well as in disaster

Tumor Control Outcomes After Hypofractionated and Single-Dose Stereotactic Image-Guided Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy for Extracranial Metastases From Renal Cell Carcinoma

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

Zelefsky, Michael J., E-mail: zelefskm@mskcc.org; Greco, Carlo; Motzer, Robert

2012-04-01

Purpose: To report tumor local progression-free outcomes after treatment with single-dose, image-guided, intensity-modulated radiotherapy and hypofractionated regimens for extracranial metastases from renal cell primary tumors. Patients and Methods: Between 2004 and 2010, 105 lesions from renal cell carcinoma were treated with either single-dose, image-guided, intensity-modulated radiotherapy to a prescription dose of 18-24 Gy (median, 24) or hypofractionation (three or five fractions) with a prescription dose of 20-30 Gy. The median follow-up was 12 months (range, 1-48). Results: The overall 3-year actuarial local progression-free survival for all lesions was 44%. The 3-year local progression-free survival for those who received a highmore » single-dose (24 Gy; n = 45), a low single-dose (<24 Gy; n = 14), or hypofractionation regimens (n = 46) was 88%, 21%, and 17%, respectively (high single dose vs. low single dose, p = .001; high single dose vs. hypofractionation, p < .001). Multivariate analysis revealed the following variables were significant predictors of improved local progression-free survival: 24 Gy dose compared with a lower dose (p = .009) and a single dose vs. hypofractionation (p = .008). Conclusion: High single-dose, image-guided, intensity-modulated radiotherapy is a noninvasive procedure resulting in high probability of local tumor control for metastatic renal cell cancer generally considered radioresistant according to the classic radiobiologic ranking.« less

Advertising Services. A Suggested Curriculum Guide. Marketing and Distributive Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Illinois State Univ., Normal. Dept. of Business Education.

This publication is a curriculum guide designed to assist local educators in planning and implementing instructional programs for Office of Education Code 04.01, Advertising Services, a subcluster within the marketing and distribution cluster. The curricular guide is divided into two major sections. The first section contains information for the…

Guide for Improving NRS Data Quality: Procedures for Data Collection and Training.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Condelli, Larry; Castillo, Laura; Seburn, Mary; Deveaux, Jon

This guide for improving the quality of National Reporting System for Adult Education (NRS) data through improved data collection and training is intended for local providers and state administrators. Chapter 1 explains the guide's purpose, contents, and use and defines the following components of data quality: objectivity; integrity;…

Oregon Agriculture III Curriculum Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oregon State Univ., Corvallis. Dept. of Agricultural Education.

This curriculum package is designed to be used as a guide for vocational agricultural teachers to use in preparing a third-year curriculum to meet local community or regional needs. The introductory section of the guide is a teacher orientation that covers such topics as the use of these curriculum materials with disadvantaged and handicapped…

The Citizens and Remote Sensing Observational Network (CARSON) Guide: Merging NASA Remote Sensing Data with Local Environmental Awareness

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Acker, James; Riebeek, Holli; Ledley, Tamara Shapiro; Herring, David; Lloyd, Steven

2008-01-01

"Citizen science" generally refers to observatoinal research and data collection conducted by non-professionals, commonly as volunteers. In the environmental science field, citizen scientists may be involved with local nad regional issues such as bird and wildlife populations, weather, urban sprawl, natural hazards, wetlands, lakes and rivers, estuaries, and a spectrum of public health concerns. Some citizen scientists may be primarily motivated by the intellectual challenge of scientific observations. Citizen scientists may now examine and utilize remote-sensing data related to their particular topics of interest with the easy-to-use NASA Web-based tools Giovanni and NEO, which allow exploration and investigation of a wide variety of Earth remote sensing data sets. The CARSON (Citizens and Remote Sensing Observational Network) Guide will be an online resource consisting of chapters each demonstrating how to utilize Giovanni and NEO to access and analyze specific remote-sensing data. Integrated in each chapter will be descriptions of methods that citizen scientists can employ to collect, monitor, analyze, and share data related to the chapter topic which pertain to environmental and ecological conditions in their local region. A workshop held in August 2008 initiated the development of prototype chapters on water quality, air quality, and precipitation. These will be the initial chapters in the first release of the CARSON Guide, which will be used in a pilot project at the Maryland Science Center in spring 2009. The goal of the CARSON Guide is to augment and enhance citizen scientist environmental research with NASA satellite data by creating a participatory network consisting of motivated individuals, environmental groups and organizations, and science-focused institutions such as museuma and nature centers. Members of the network could potentially interact with government programs, academic research projects, and not-for-profit organizations focused on environmental issues.

Image-guided percutaneous cryotherapy for the management of gynecologic cancer metastases.

PubMed

Solomon, Leigh A; Munkarah, Adnan R; Vorugu, Vinaya R; Deppe, Gunter; Adam, Barbara; Malone, John M; Littrup, Peter J

2008-11-01

To report the clinical response to image-guided percutaneous cryotherapy (IPC) for the palliative management of localized metastases in patients with gynecologic malignancies. Institutional review board approval and patient consent were obtained. Gynecologic oncology patients were identified from our institution's cryotherapy database from August 2003 to August 2007. Cryotherapy was performed with 2.4 mm diameter probes (Endocare, Irvine, CA) with ultrasound or computerized tomography (CT) guidance under conscious sedation and local anesthesia. Follow-up was conducted by imaging studies and clinical encounters, using Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST criteria). Twenty-eight ablation sessions were performed for 41 metastatic foci in 15 patients with gynecologic malignancies. Twelve patients had prior chemotherapy and 5 patients had prior radiation. Median follow-up was 317.5 days (range 95-1189). Median post-procedure pain score: 3/10 (range 0-5). Mean initial tumor size was 2.6 cm in maximal diameter. Median reduction in tumor diameter at 1 month was 21.4% (range 2-67.4%), at 3 months was 43.6% (range 16-80.4%), at 6 months was 54.7% (range (16.6-88.9%) and at 9 months was 58.2% (range 32-88.9%). Ten patients received concurrent chemotherapy, 8 had progression of disease at other sites and 2 had stable disease, while the cryotherapy site improved. One of 5 patients who had cryotherapy in the previously irradiated zone had recurrence. A liver capsule hematoma developed as an immediate complication in one patient and an enterocutaneous fistula developed in another. IPC is a well-tolerated, effective tool for local control of isolated metastatic foci as a single-modality treatment and for local control of symptomatic metastases in select patients undergoing systemic therapy for the management of gynecologic malignancies.

Developing a virtual community for health sciences library book selection: Doody's Core Titles.

PubMed

Shedlock, James; Walton, Linda J

2006-01-01

The purpose of this article is to describe Doody's Core Titles in the Health Sciences as a new selection guide and a virtual community based on an effective use of online systems and to describe its potential impact on library collection development. The setting is the availability of health sciences selection guides. Participants include Doody Enterprise staff, Doody's Library Board of Advisors, content specialists, and library selectors. Resources include the online system used to create Doody's Core Titles along with references to complementary databases. Doody's Core Titles is described and discussed in relation to the literature of selection guides, especially in comparison to the Brandon/Hill selected lists that were published from 1965 to 2003. Doody's Core Titles seeks to fill the vacuum created when the Brandon/Hill lists ceased publication. Doody's Core Titles is a unique selection guide based on its method of creating an online community of experts to identify and score a core list of titles in 119 health sciences specialties and disciplines. The result is a new selection guide, now available annually, that will aid health sciences librarians in identifying core titles for local collections. Doody's Core Titles organizes the evaluation of core titles that are identified and recommended by content specialists associated with Doody's Book Review Service and library selectors. A scoring mechanism is used to create the selection of core titles, similar to the star rating system employed in other Doody Enterprise products and services.

Simulators for training in ultrasound guided procedures.

PubMed

Farjad Sultan, Syed; Shorten, George; Iohom, Gabrielle

2013-06-01

The four major categories of skill sets associated with proficiency in ultrasound guided regional anaesthesia are 1) understanding device operations, 2) image optimization, 3) image interpretation and 4) visualization of needle insertion and injection of the local anesthetic solution. Of these, visualization of needle insertion and injection of local anaesthetic solution can be practiced using simulators and phantoms. This survey of existing simulators summarizes advantages and disadvantages of each. Current deficits pertain to the validation process.

[Guided bone regeneration: general survey].

PubMed

Cosyn, Jan; De Bruyn, Hugo

2009-01-01

The principle of 'guided bone regeneration' was first described in 1988 on the basis of animal-experimental data. Six weeks after transmandibular defects had been created and protected by non-resorbable teflonmembranes, complete bone regeneration was found. The technique was based on the selective repopulation of the wound: every infiltration of cells outside the neighbouring bone tissue was prevented by the application of the membrane. Additional animal experiments showed that guided bone regeneration was a viable treatment option for local bone defects surrounding dental implants. Clinical practice, however, showed that premature membrane exposure was a common complication, which was responsible for a tremendous reduction in regenerated bone volume. In addition, a second surgical intervention was always necessary to remove the membrane. As a result, resorbable alternatives were developed. Since these are less rigid, bone fillers are usually used simultaneously. These comprise autogenous bone chips and bone substitutes from allogenic or xenogenic origine. Also alloplastic materials could be used for this purpose. Based on their characteristics this article provides an overview of the biomaterials that could be considered for guided bone regeneration. Specific attention goes to their application in clinical practice.

Ultrasound-guided peripheral nerve blockade.

PubMed

Chin, Ki Jinn; Chan, Vincent

2008-10-01

The use of ultrasound for peripheral nerve blockade is becoming popular. Although the feasibility of ultrasound-guided nerve blockade is now clear, it is uncertain at this time whether it represents the new standard for regional anesthesia in terms of efficacy and safety. The ability to visualize nerve location, needle advancement, needle-nerve interaction, and local anesthetic spread makes ultrasound-guided nerve block an attractive option. Study results indicate that these advantages can improve the ease of block performance, block success rates, and complications. At the same time there is evidence that ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia is a unique skill in its own right, and that proficiency in it requires training and experience. Ultrasound is a valuable tool that is now available to the regional anesthesiologist, and it is fast becoming a standard part of practice. It promises to be of especial value to the less experienced practitioner. Ultrasound does not in itself, however, guarantee the efficacy and safety of peripheral nerve blockade. Proper training in its use is required and we can expect to see the development of formal standards and guidelines in this regard.

Development of a novel gamma probe for detecting radiation direction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pani, R.; Pellegrini, R.; Cinti, M. N.; Longo, M.; Donnarumma, R.; D'Alessio, A.; Borrazzo, C.; Pergola, A.; Ridolfi, S.; De Vincentis, G.

2016-01-01

Spatial localization of radioactive sources is currently a main issue interesting different fields, including nuclear industry, homeland security as well as medical imaging. It is currently achieved using different systems, but the development of technologies for detecting and characterizing radiation is becoming important especially in medical imaging. In this latter field, radiation detection probes have long been used to guide surgery, thanks to their ability to localize and quantify radiopharmaceutical uptake even deep in tissue. Radiolabelled colloid is injected into, or near to, the tumor and the surgeon uses a hand-held radiation detector, the gamma probe, to identify lymph nodes with radiopharmaceutical uptkake. The present work refers to a novel scintigraphic goniometric probe to identify gamma radiation and its direction. The probe incorporates several scintillation crystals joined together in a particular configuration to provide data related to the position of a gamma source. The main technical characteristics of the gamma locator prototype, i.e. sensitivity, spatial resolution and detection efficiency, are investigated. Moreover, the development of a specific procedure applied to the images permits to retrieve the source position with high precision with respect to the currently used gamma probes. The presented device shows a high sensitivity and efficiency to identify gamma radiation taking a short time (from 30 to 60 s). Even though it was designed for applications in radio-guided surgery, it could be used for other purposes, as for example homeland security.

A computational model to compare different investment scenarios for mini-stereotactic frame approach to deep brain stimulation surgery.

PubMed

Lanotte, M; Cavallo, M; Franzini, A; Grifi, M; Marchese, E; Pantaleoni, M; Piacentino, M; Servello, D

2010-09-01

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) alleviates symptoms of many neurological disorders by applying electrical impulses to the brain by means of implanted electrodes, generally put in place using a conventional stereotactic frame. A new image guided disposable mini-stereotactic system has been designed to help shorten and simplify DBS procedures when compared to standard stereotaxy. A small number of studies have been conducted which demonstrate localization accuracies of the system similar to those achievable by the conventional frame. However no data are available to date on the economic impact of this new frame. The aim of this paper was to develop a computational model to evaluate the investment required to introduce the image guided mini-stereotactic technology for stereotactic DBS neurosurgery. A standard DBS patient care pathway was developed and related costs were analyzed. A differential analysis was conducted to capture the impact of introducing the image guided system on the procedure workflow. The analysis was carried out in five Italian neurosurgical centers. A computational model was developed to estimate upfront investments and surgery costs leading to a definition of the best financial option to introduce the new frame. Investments may vary from Euro 1.900 (purchasing of Image Guided [IG] mini-stereotactic frame only) to Euro 158.000.000. Moreover the model demonstrates how the introduction of the IG mini-stereotactic frame doesn't substantially affect the DBS procedure costs.

Sustainability in Health care by Allocating Resources Effectively (SHARE) 2: identifying opportunities for disinvestment in a local healthcare setting.

PubMed

Harris, Claire; Allen, Kelly; King, Richard; Ramsey, Wayne; Kelly, Cate; Thiagarajan, Malar

2017-05-05

This is the second in a series of papers reporting a program of Sustainability in Health care by Allocating Resources Effectively (SHARE) in a local healthcare setting. Rising healthcare costs, continuing advances in health technologies and recognition of ineffective practices and systematic waste are driving disinvestment of health technologies and clinical practices that offer little or no benefit in order to maximise outcomes from existing resources. However there is little information to guide regional health services or individual facilities in how they might approach disinvestment locally. This paper outlines the investigation of potential settings and methods for decision-making about disinvestment in the context of an Australian health service. Methods include a literature review on the concepts and terminology relating to disinvestment, a survey of national and international researchers, and interviews and workshops with local informants. A conceptual framework was drafted and refined with stakeholder feedback. There is a lack of common terminology regarding definitions and concepts related to disinvestment and no guidance for an organisation-wide systematic approach to disinvestment in a local healthcare service. A summary of issues from the literature and respondents highlight the lack of theoretical knowledge and practical experience and provide a guide to the information required to develop future models or methods for disinvestment in the local context. A conceptual framework was developed. Three mechanisms that provide opportunities to introduce disinvestment decisions into health service systems and processes were identified. Presented in order of complexity, time to achieve outcomes and resources required they include 1) Explicit consideration of potential disinvestment in routine decision-making, 2) Proactive decision-making about disinvestment driven by available evidence from published research and local data, and 3) Specific exercises in priority setting and system redesign. This framework identifies potential opportunities to initiate disinvestment activities in a systematic integrated approach that can be applied across a whole organisation using transparent, evidence-based methods. Incorporating considerations for disinvestment into existing decision-making systems and processes might be achieved quickly with minimal cost; however establishment of new systems requires research into appropriate methods and provision of appropriate skills and resources to deliver them.

Applied statistical training to strengthen analysis and health research capacity in Rwanda.

PubMed

Thomson, Dana R; Semakula, Muhammed; Hirschhorn, Lisa R; Murray, Megan; Ndahindwa, Vedaste; Manzi, Anatole; Mukabutera, Assumpta; Karema, Corine; Condo, Jeanine; Hedt-Gauthier, Bethany

2016-09-29

To guide efficient investment of limited health resources in sub-Saharan Africa, local researchers need to be involved in, and guide, health system and policy research. While extensive survey and census data are available to health researchers and program officers in resource-limited countries, local involvement and leadership in research is limited due to inadequate experience, lack of dedicated research time and weak interagency connections, among other challenges. Many research-strengthening initiatives host prolonged fellowships out-of-country, yet their approaches have not been evaluated for effectiveness in involvement and development of local leadership in research. We developed, implemented and evaluated a multi-month, deliverable-driven, survey analysis training based in Rwanda to strengthen skills of five local research leaders, 15 statisticians, and a PhD candidate. Research leaders applied with a specific research question relevant to country challenges and committed to leading an analysis to publication. Statisticians with prerequisite statistical training and experience with a statistical software applied to participate in class-based trainings and complete an assigned analysis. Both statisticians and research leaders were provided ongoing in-country mentoring for analysis and manuscript writing. Participants reported a high level of skill, knowledge and collaborator development from class-based trainings and out-of-class mentorship that were sustained 1 year later. Five of six manuscripts were authored by multi-institution teams and submitted to international peer-reviewed scientific journals, and three-quarters of the participants mentored others in survey data analysis or conducted an additional survey analysis in the year following the training. Our model was effective in utilizing existing survey data and strengthening skills among full-time working professionals without disrupting ongoing work commitments and using few resources. Critical to our success were a transparent, robust application process and time limited training supplemented by ongoing, in-country mentoring toward manuscript deliverables that were led by Rwanda's health research leaders.

GASB 35 Implementation Guide: Questions and Answers for Public Colleges and Universities Using Business Type Activity (BTA) Reporting. A Supplement to GASB's Implementation Guide for Statement 34

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Association of College and University Business Officers (NJ1), 2001

2001-01-01

This guide was prepared for public institution business officers as a supplement to the "Guide to Implementation of GASB Statement 54 on Basic Financial Statements--and Management's Discussion and Analysis--for State and Local Governments, published in April 2000 by the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) on GASB Statements 34 and 35.…

Doctoring Undercover: updating the educational tradition of shadowing.

PubMed

Clark, Claire D

2017-01-01

Premedical students are educated in basic biological and health sciences. As a complement to traditional premedical coursework, medical school applicants are encouraged to shadow practitioners, with the hope that observation will introduce students to the culture and practice of healthcare. Yet the shadowing experience varies widely across practitioners and institutions; resources that guide students' critical reflection and structure the experience are scarce. A pilot experiential learning course, Doctoring Undercover: Shadowing and the Culture of Medicine, was developed to fill this gap. The course consisted of three parts: an introduction to medical culture through the disciplines of medical sociology, history, anthropology, and bioethics; a site placement in which students applied these fields' analytical techniques to the study of medical culture and practice; and the development of an online activity guide that other premedical students may adapt to their shadowing circumstances. Students reported that they were exposed to new disciplinary perspectives and interprofessional environments that they would not traditionally encounter. Students' contributions to the shadowing guide encouraged active learning and reflection on the dynamics of effective patient-provider relationships and shadowing experiences. Locally, the class may be scaled for a larger group of premedical students and incorporated into a formal pathway program for premedical students; the content will also be integrated into the clinical medicine course for first-year medical students. Online, the guide will be promoted for use by other institutions and by individuals planning extracurricular shadowing experiences; feedback will be solicited. Tools for evaluating the short- and long-term impact of the course and guide will be developed and validated. Observational and experimental studies of the course's impact should be conducted. ICM: Introduction to Clinical Medicine; SCE: Selective Clinical Experiences.

Art of Local Radiance: The Teacher's Guide to the Toledo Museum of Art Glass Pavilion

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Erler, Carolyn

2013-01-01

"Exploring the Glass City: The Teacher's Guide to the Glass Pavilion", published in 2008 to celebrate the opening of the Toledo Museum of Art's Glass Pavilion, exemplifies the museum's multidisciplinary approach to public art museum education. This research narrative about the teacher's guide unfolds in three levels. The first,…

Industrial Work Experience I. Curriculum Guide. General Related Study Units.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Virginia Polytechnic Inst. and State Univ., Blacksburg. Div. of Vocational-Technical Education.

The primary purpose of this guide is to present basic sample instructional materials for the Industrial Work Experience (IWE) Program. It is designed to aid those charged with local administration and coordination of programs in secondary level trade and industrial education, referred to as the IWE training program. The guide contains 10 units of…

Iowa DOT Funding Guide

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-08-01

This is a guide compiled by the staff of the Iowa Department of Transportation to help local governments, organizations and individuals with preliminary searches for funding assistance from the DOT. Programs that fit more than one grouping are listed...

Security Recommendations for mHealth Apps: Elaboration of a Developer's Guide.

PubMed

Morera, Enrique Pérez; de la Torre Díez, Isabel; Garcia-Zapirain, Begoña; López-Coronado, Miguel; Arambarri, Jon

2016-06-01

Being the third fastest-growing app category behind games and utilities, mHealth apps are changing the healthcare model, as medicine today involves the data they compile and analyse, information known as Big Data. However, the majority of apps are lacking in security when gathering and dealing with the information, which becomes a serious problem. This article presents a guide regarding security solution, intended to be of great use for developers of mHealth apps. In August 2015 current mobile health apps were sought out in virtual stores such as Android Google Play, Apple iTunes App Store etc., in order to classify them in terms of usefulness. After this search, the most widespread weaknesses in the field of security in the development of these mobile apps were examined, based on sources such as the "OWASP Mobile Security Project, the initiative recently launched by the Office of Civil Rights (OCR), and other articles of scientific interest. An informative, elemental guide has been created for the development of mHealth apps. It includes information about elements of security and its implementation on different levels for all types of mobile health apps based on the data that each app manipulates, the associated calculated risk as a result of the likelihood of occurrence and the threat level resulting from its vulnerabilities - high level (apps for monitoring, diagnosis, treatment and care) from 6 ≤ 9, medium level (calculator, localizer and alarm) from 3 ≤ 6 and low level (informative and educational apps) from 0 ≤ 3. The guide aims to guarantee and facilitate security measures in the development of mobile health applications by programmers unconnected to the ITC and professional health areas.

More than just consumers: Integrating local observations into drought monitoring to better support decision making

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferguson, D. B.; Masayesva, A.; Meadow, A. M.; Crimmins, M.

2016-12-01

Drought monitoring and drought planning are complex endeavors. Measures of precipitation or streamflow provide little context for understanding how social and environmental systems impacted by drought are responding. In arid and semi-arid regions of the world, this challenge is particularly acute since social-ecological systems are already well-adapted to dry conditions. Understanding what drought means in these regions is an important first step in developing a decision-relevant monitoring system. Traditional drought indices may be of some use, but local observations may ultimately be more relevant for informing difficult decisions in response to unusually dry conditions. This presentation will focus on insights gained from a collaborative project between the University of Arizona and the Hopi Tribe-a Native American community in the U.S. Southwest-to develop a drought information system that is responsive to local needs. The primary goal of the project was to develop a system that: is based on how drought is experienced by Hopi citizens and resource managers, can incorporate local observations of drought impacts as well as conventional indicators, and brings together local expertise with conventional science-based observations. This kind of drought monitoring system can harnesses as much available information as possible to inform resource managers, political leaders, and citizens about drought conditions, but such a system can also engage these local drought stakeholders in observing, thinking about, and helping guide planning for drought.

Combination of external beam irradiation and multiple-site perineal applicator (MUPIT) for treatment of locally advanced or recurrent prostatic, anorectal, and gynecologic malignancies

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

Martinez, A.; Edmundson, G.K.; Cox, R.S.

1985-02-01

The authors have devised a single after-loading applicator, the Martinez Universal Perineal Interstitital Template (MUPIT), which has been used in combination with external beam irradiation to treat 104 patients with either locally advanced or recurrent malignancies of the cervix, vagina, female uretha, prostate, or anorectal region. Twenty-six patients treated for prostate cancer are excluded because of their short follow-up. Local failure developed in 13 of the 78 remaining patients (16.6%) - major complications developed in 4 patients (5.1%). All local recurrences and complications occurred before 18 months. The device consists of two acrylic cyclinders, an acrylic template with an arraymore » of holes that serve as guides for trocars, and a cover plate. In use, the cylinders are placed in the vagina and/or rectum or both and then fastened to the template so that a fixed geometric relationship among the tumor volume, normal structures, and source placement is preserved throughout the course of the implantation. Appropriate computer programs have been developed to calculate the dose from these implants. They conclude that the local control rate (83.4%) with low morbidity (5.1%) achieved with the combination of external beam irradiation and MUPIT applicator in these patients with locally advanced malignancies represents an improvement over previous published results with other applicators.« less

The Boost study: design of a school- and community-based randomised trial to promote fruit and vegetable consumption among teenagers

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background The aim of the Boost study was to produce a persistent increase in fruit and vegetable consumption among 13-year-olds. This paper describes the development, implementation and evaluation of a school-and community-based, multi-component intervention guided by theory, evidence, and best practice. Methods/design We used the Intervention Mapping protocol to guide the development of the intervention. Programme activities combined environmental and educational strategies and focused on increasing access to fruit and vegetables in three settings: School: Daily provision of free fruit and vegetables; a pleasant eating environment; classroom curricular activities; individually computer tailored messages; one-day-workshop for teachers. Families: school meeting; guided child-parent activities; newsletters. Local community: guided visits in grocery stores and local area as part of classroom curriculum; information sheets to sports-and youth clubs. The Boost study employed a cluster-randomised controlled study design and applied simple two-stage cluster sampling: A random sample of 10 municipalities followed by a random sample of 4 schools within each municipality (N = 40 schools). Schools were randomised into a total of 20 intervention-and 20 control schools. We included all year 7 pupils except those from school classes with special needs. Timeline: Baseline survey: August 2010. Delivery of intervention: September 2010-May 2011. First follow-up survey: May/June 2011. Second follow-up survey: May/June 2012. Primary outcome measures: Daily mean intake of fruit and vegetables and habitual fruit and vegetable intake measured by validated 24-hour recall-and food frequency questionnaires. Secondary outcome measures: determinants of fruit and vegetable intake, positive side-effects and unintended adverse effects. Implementation was monitored by thorough process evaluation. Discussion The baseline data file included 2,156 adolescents (95%). There was baseline equivalence between intervention-and control groups for sociodemographics, primary outcomes, and availability at home, school and sports-and youth clubs. Significantly larger proportions of pupils in the control group had parents born in Denmark. The study will provide insights into effective strategies to increase fruit and vegetable intake among teenagers. The study will gain knowledge on implementation processes, intervention effects in population subgroups with low intake, and opportunities for including local communities in interventions. Trial registration Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN11666034. PMID:22413782

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

Larson, Natalie M.; Zok, Frank W.

One route for producing fiber-reinforced ceramic-matrix composites entails repeated impregnation and pyrolysis of a preceramic polymer in a fiber preform. The process relies crucially on the development of networks of contiguous cracks during pyrolysis, thereby allowing further impregnation to attain nearly-full densification. The present study employs in-situ x-ray computed tomography (XCT) to reveal in three dimensions the evolution of matrix structure during pyrolysis of a SiC-based preceramic polymer to 1200 °C. Observations are used to guide the development of a taxonomy of crack geometries and crack structures and to identify the temporal sequence of their formation. A quantitative analysis ismore » employed to characterize effects of local microstructural dimensions on the conditions required to form cracks of various types. Complementary measurements of gas evolution and mass loss of the preceramic polymer during pyrolysis as well as changes in mass density and Young's modulus provide context for the physical changes revealed by XCT. Furthermore, the findings provide a foundation for future development of physics-based models to guide composite fabrication processes.« less

LEPCs and Deliberate Releases: Addressing Terrorist Activities in the Local Emergency Plan

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This fact sheet discusses how local emergency planning committees (LEPCs) can incorporate counter-terrorism issues when they review and update their local plans. Builds on the National Response Team's Hazardous Materials Emergency Planning Guide.

Comparison of ultrasound-guided supraclavicular block according to the various volumes of local anesthetic

PubMed Central

Kim, Seok Kon; Kang, Bong Jin; Kwon, Min A; Song, Jae Gyok; Jeon, Soo Mi

2013-01-01

Background The ultrasound guidance in regional nerve blocks has recently been introduced and gaining popularity. Ultrasound-guided supraclavicular block has many advantages including the higher success rate, faster onset time, and fewer complications. The aim of this study was to examine the clinical data according to the varied volume of local anesthetics in the ultrasound-guided supraclavicular block. Methods One hundred twenty patients were randomized into four groups, according to the local anesthetic volume used: Group 35 (n = 30), Group 30 (n = 30), Group 25 (n = 30), and Group 20 (n = 30). Supraclavicular blocks were performed with 1% mepivacaine 35 ml, 30 ml, 25 ml, and 20 ml, respectively. The success rate, onset time, and complications were checked and evaluated. Results The success rate (66.7%) was lower in Group 20 than that of Group 35 (96.7%) (P < 0.05). The average onset times of Group 35, Group 30, Group 25, and Group 20 were 14.3 ± 6.9 min, 13.6 ± 4.5 min, 16.7 ± 4.6 min, and 16.5 ± 3.7 min, respectively. There were no significant differences. Horner's syndrome was higher in Group 35 (P < 0.05). Conclusions In conclusion, we achieved 90% success rate with 30 ml of 1% mepivacaine. Therefore, we suggest 30 ml of local anesthetic volume for ultrasound-guided supraclavicular block. PMID:23814648

Interventional MRI-guided catheter placement and real time drug delivery to the central nervous system.

PubMed

Han, Seunggu J; Bankiewicz, Krystof; Butowski, Nicholas A; Larson, Paul S; Aghi, Manish K

2016-06-01

Local delivery of therapeutic agents into the brain has many advantages; however, the inability to predict, visualize and confirm the infusion into the intended target has been a major hurdle in its clinical development. Here, we describe the current workflow and application of the interventional MRI (iMRI) system for catheter placement and real time visualization of infusion. We have applied real time convection-enhanced delivery (CED) of therapeutic agents with iMRI across a number of different clinical trials settings in neuro-oncology and movement disorders. Ongoing developments and accumulating experience with the technique and technology of drug formulations, CED platforms, and iMRI systems will continue to make local therapeutic delivery into the brain more accurate, efficient, effective and safer.

Systematic study of target localization for bioluminescence tomography guided radiation therapy

PubMed Central

Yu, Jingjing; Zhang, Bin; Iordachita, Iulian I.; Reyes, Juvenal; Lu, Zhihao; Brock, Malcolm V.; Patterson, Michael S.; Wong, John W.

2016-01-01

Purpose: To overcome the limitation of CT/cone-beam CT (CBCT) in guiding radiation for soft tissue targets, the authors developed a spectrally resolved bioluminescence tomography (BLT) system for the small animal radiation research platform. The authors systematically assessed the performance of the BLT system in terms of target localization and the ability to resolve two neighboring sources in simulations, tissue-mimicking phantom, and in vivo environments. Methods: Multispectral measurements acquired in a single projection were used for the BLT reconstruction. The incomplete variables truncated conjugate gradient algorithm with an iterative permissible region shrinking strategy was employed as the optimization scheme to reconstruct source distributions. Simulation studies were conducted for single spherical sources with sizes from 0.5 to 3 mm radius at depth of 3–12 mm. The same configuration was also applied for the double source simulation with source separations varying from 3 to 9 mm. Experiments were performed in a standalone BLT/CBCT system. Two self-illuminated sources with 3 and 4.7 mm separations placed inside a tissue-mimicking phantom were chosen as the test cases. Live mice implanted with single-source at 6 and 9 mm depth, two sources at 3 and 5 mm separation at depth of 5 mm, or three sources in the abdomen were also used to illustrate the localization capability of the BLT system for multiple targets in vivo. Results: For simulation study, approximate 1 mm accuracy can be achieved at localizing center of mass (CoM) for single-source and grouped CoM for double source cases. For the case of 1.5 mm radius source, a common tumor size used in preclinical study, their simulation shows that for all the source separations considered, except for the 3 mm separation at 9 and 12 mm depth, the two neighboring sources can be resolved at depths from 3 to 12 mm. Phantom experiments illustrated that 2D bioluminescence imaging failed to distinguish two sources, but BLT can provide 3D source localization with approximately 1 mm accuracy. The in vivo results are encouraging that 1 and 1.7 mm accuracy can be attained for the single-source case at 6 and 9 mm depth, respectively. For the 2 sources in vivo study, both sources can be distinguished at 3 and 5 mm separations, and approximately 1 mm localization accuracy can also be achieved. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that their multispectral BLT/CBCT system could be potentially applied to localize and resolve multiple sources at wide range of source sizes, depths, and separations. The average accuracy of localizing CoM for single-source and grouped CoM for double sources is approximately 1 mm except deep-seated target. The information provided in this study can be instructive to devise treatment margins for BLT-guided irradiation. These results also suggest that the 3D BLT system could guide radiation for the situation with multiple targets, such as metastatic tumor models. PMID:27147371

Developing a theory of change for a community-based response to illegal wildlife trade.

PubMed

Biggs, Duan; Cooney, Rosie; Roe, Dilys; Dublin, Holly T; Allan, James R; Challender, Dan W S; Skinner, Diane

2017-02-01

The escalating illegal wildlife trade (IWT) is one of the most high-profile conservation challenges today. The crisis has attracted over US$350 million in donor and government funding in recent years, primarily directed at increased enforcement. There is growing recognition among practitioners and policy makers of the need to engage rural communities that neighbor or live with wildlife as key partners in tackling IWT. However, a framework to guide such community engagement is lacking. We developed a theory of change (ToC) to guide policy makers, donors, and practitioners in partnering with communities to combat IWT. We identified 4 pathways for community-level actions: strengthen disincentives for illegal behavior, increase incentives for wildlife stewardship, decrease costs of living with wildlife, and support livelihoods that are not related to wildlife. To succeed the pathways, all require strengthening of enabling conditions, including capacity building, and of governance. Our ToC serves to guide actions to tackle IWT and to inform the evaluation of policies. Moreover, it can be used to foster dialogue among IWT stakeholders, from local communities to governments and international donors, to develop a more effective, holistic, and sustainable community-based response to the IWT crisis. © 2016 The Authors. Conservation Biology published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Society for Conservation Biology.

Local Telephone Costs and the Design of Rate Structures,

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-05-01

guide the setting of prices for the multi-product regulated firm. Economic effi- ciency can be increased by designing rate structures that incorporate the... basic principles developed from this theory. These principles call for provisionally pricing each of the firm’s outputs at its marginal cost, testing...rule--prices are increased above marginal costs in inverse proportion to the individual price elasticities of demand. This paper applies ratemaking

American Issues Forum, Volume I: American Society in the Making. Courses by Newspaper: Community Leader's Guide, Newspaper Articles, [And] Examination Questions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

California Univ., San Diego. Univ. Extension.

These materials are designed to be used in a one-semester curriculum program which is linked to topics outlined in the American Issues Forum calendar. It is intended for use at the local level. Volume I, American Society in the Making, examines some of the principal conditions affecting the development of American ideas and institutions. It…

Fostering Public Engagement in Local Land Use Planning and Zoning Recodification Projects: A Case Study from the University of Wisconsin--Extension, Lincoln County

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cadwallader, Thomas K.; Lersch, Arthur D.

2006-01-01

This study outlines the processes used by University of Wisconsin--Extension, Lincoln County (UWELC), educators over an eight-year period to facilitate the development of a county land use plan and to guide committees through a review of the new proposed county zoning ordinances based on that plan. As a partner in these projects, UWELC helped…

Travel Abroad: A Study of the Perceived Influence of High School Students' Experiences of Short-Term Travel or Study Abroad Prior to College

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Angwenyi, David Matara

2014-01-01

Students who participate in a short-term travel experience program of 4 weeks or less develop a sense of global citizenship. High school students who spend time traveling abroad might seek to address global issues, not only from a local perspective, but also from a global perspective. The Troika Study guided this study. Using qualitative…

Culture et Gestion d'Etangs a Poissons d'Eau Douce (Freshwater Fish Pond Culture and Management). Appropriate Technologies for Development. Manual Series--M37.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chakroff, Marilyn; Druben, Laurel, Ed.

This is the French translation of a "how-to" manual, designed as a working and teaching tool for extension agents as they establish and/or maintain local fish pond operations. The manual presents information to facilitate technology transfer and to provide a clear guide for warm water fish pond construction and management. Major topic…

Cultivo y Manejo de Estanques Pesqueros de Agua Fresca (Freshwater Fish Pond Culture and Management). Appropriate Technologies for Development. Manual M-1D.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chakroff, Marilyn; Druben, Laurel, Ed.

This is the Spanish translation of a "how-to" manual, designed as a working and teaching tool for extension agents as they establish and/or maintain local fish pond operations. The manual presents information to facilitate technology transfer and to provide a clear guide for warm water fish pond construction and management. Major topic…

Efficacy, safety and outcome of frameless image-guided robotic radiosurgery for brain metastases after whole brain radiotherapy.

PubMed

Lohkamp, Laura-Nanna; Vajkoczy, Peter; Budach, Volker; Kufeld, Markus

2018-05-01

Estimating efficacy, safety and outcome of frameless image-guided robotic radiosurgery for the treatment of recurrent brain metastases after whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT). We performed a retrospective single-center analysis including patients with recurrent brain metastases after WBRT, who have been treated with single session radiosurgery, using the CyberKnife® Radiosurgery System (CKRS) (Accuray Inc., CA) between 2011 and 2016. The primary end point was local tumor control, whereas secondary end points were distant tumor control, treatment-related toxicity and overall survival. 36 patients with 140 recurrent brain metastases underwent 46 single session CKRS treatments. Twenty one patients had multiple brain metastases (58%). The mean interval between WBRT and CKRS accounted for 2 years (range 0.2-7 years). The median number of treated metastases per treatment session was five (range 1-12) with a tumor volume of 1.26 ccm (mean) and a median tumor dose of 18 Gy prescribed to the 70% isodose line. Two patients experienced local tumor recurrence within the 1st year after treatment and 13 patients (36%) developed novel brain metastases. Nine of these patients underwent additional one to three CKRS treatments. Eight patients (22.2%) showed treatment-related radiation reactions on MRI, three with clinical symptoms. Median overall survival was 19 months after CKRS. The actuarial 1-year local control rate was 94.2%. CKRS has proven to be locally effective and safe due to high local tumor control rates and low toxicity. Thus CKRS offers a reliable salvage treatment option for recurrent brain metastases after WBRT.

A governor's guide to emergency management. Volume two : homeland security

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2002-09-19

Homeland security is a complex challenge that demands significant investment; collaboration among local, state, and federal governments; and integration with the private sector. The purpose of A Governor's Guide to Emergency Management Volume Two: Ho...

Draft user's guide for UDOT mechanistic-empirical pavement design.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-10-01

Validation of the new AASHTO Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guides (MEPDG) nationally calibrated pavement distress and smoothness prediction models when applied under Utah conditions, and local calibration of the new hot-mix asphalt (HMA) p...

Analysis Tools for CFD Multigrid Solvers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mineck, Raymond E.; Thomas, James L.; Diskin, Boris

2004-01-01

Analysis tools are needed to guide the development and evaluate the performance of multigrid solvers for the fluid flow equations. Classical analysis tools, such as local mode analysis, often fail to accurately predict performance. Two-grid analysis tools, herein referred to as Idealized Coarse Grid and Idealized Relaxation iterations, have been developed and evaluated within a pilot multigrid solver. These new tools are applicable to general systems of equations and/or discretizations and point to problem areas within an existing multigrid solver. Idealized Relaxation and Idealized Coarse Grid are applied in developing textbook-efficient multigrid solvers for incompressible stagnation flow problems.

Arthroscopic-assisted core decompression of the humeral head.

PubMed

Dines, Joshua S; Strauss, Eric J; Fealy, Stephen; Craig, Edward V

2007-01-01

Humeral head osteonecrosis is a progressive disease that requires prompt diagnosis and treatment. Core decompression is a viable treatment option for early-stage cases. Most surgeons perform core decompression by arthroscopically visualizing the necrotic area of bone and using a cannulated drill to take a core. Several attempts are frequently needed to reach the proper location. In the hip multiple passes are associated with complications. We describe the use of an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tibial drill guide to precisely localize the area of necrotic bone. Diagnostic arthroscopy is performed to assess the areas of osteonecrosis. Core decompression is performed by use of an ACL tibial guide, brought in through the anterior or posterior portal to precisely localize the necrotic area in preparation for drilling. Under image intensification, Steinmann pins are advanced into the area of osteonecrosis. Once positioned, several 4-mm cores are made. We treated 3 patients with this technique, and all had immediate pain relief. The use of the ACL guide allows precise localization of the area of humeral head involvement and avoids multiple drillings into unaffected areas. Initial indications are that arthroscopic-assisted core decompression with an ACL guide is an effective alternative to previously used methods.

Improving safety on rural local and tribal roads.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-08-01

Rural roadway safety is an important issue for communities throughout the country and presents a challenge for local and Tribal agencies. The FHWA created a Toolkit and two User Guides to help rural local and Tribal roadway safety practitioners addre...

On Beyond Lidocaine: Reconsidering Local Anesthetics in Tumescent Liposuction-A Critical Review.

PubMed

Hsia, Henry C

2016-02-01

The use of tumescent solution in liposuction is now considered standard of care; however, much debate still exists regarding its ideal components, especially surrounding the inclusion of local anesthetics. This article reviews the discussion regarding the use of local anesthetics in tumescent liposuction and how it may evolve in the future. The need for local anesthetic additives in tumescent liposuction has been questioned, and the use of longer-acting agents discouraged; however, increasing number of reports in recent years have described the increasingly widespread use of tumescent anesthesia where a wetting solution is infiltrated to achieve anesthesia in an operative field for procedures other than liposuction. More high-level evidence, such as randomized controlled clinical trials, will be required; however, it should be possible to develop a useful standardized algorithm that can guide surgeons to optimize patient safety as well as patient experience.

Localized ridge augmentation in the anterior maxilla using titanium mesh, an alloplast, and a nano-bone graft: a case report.

PubMed

Alagl, Adel S; Madi, Marwa

2018-05-01

Alveolar ridge deficiency is considered a major limitation for successful implant placement, as well as for the long-term success rate, especially in the anterior maxillary region. Various approaches have been developed to increase bone volume. Among those approaches, inlay and onlay grafts, alveolar ridge distraction, and guided bone regeneration have been suggested. The use of titanium mesh is a reliable method for ridge augmentation. We describe a patient who presented with a localized, combined, horizontal and vertical ridge defect in the anterior maxilla. The patient was treated using titanium mesh and alloplast material mixed with a nano-bone graft to treat the localized ridge deformity for future implant installation. The clinical and radiographic presentation, as well as relevant literature, are presented.

Distortion and Residual Stress Control in Integrally Stiffened Structure Produced by Direct Metal Deposition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lin, Shih-Yung; Hoffman, Eric K.; Domack, Marcia S.

2007-01-01

2-D thermo-mechanical model developed to characterize distortion and residual stresses in integral structure produced by DMD. Demonstrated as a tool to guide experimental development of DMD fabrication process for aero structures. Distortion and residual stresses are local to deposit. Most distortion develops during deposition of the first few layers; Little change in distortion or residual stresses after fifth deposit layer Most of distortion is localized just beneath the build. Thicker build plates and the use of build lands results in greatest decrease in levels of distortion. Pre-straining shown to reduce distortion. Difficult to implement, particularly for complex stiffener arrays. Clamp position has complex effect on distortion and stresses. Overall distortion reduced with decreasing clamp clearance. Larger clamp clearances induce bending. Use of pre-heat and active cooling show minor influence on panel distortion. Generate changes in thermal gradients in the build plate.

Cervical Gross Tumor Volume Dose Predicts Local Control Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging/Diffusion-Weighted Imaging—Guided High-Dose-Rate and Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography—Guided Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy

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

Dyk, Pawel; Jiang, Naomi; Sun, Baozhou

2014-11-15

Purpose: Magnetic resonance imaging/diffusion weighted-imaging (MRI/DWI)-guided high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy and {sup 18}F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) — positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT)-guided intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) for the definitive treatment of cervical cancer is a novel treatment technique. The purpose of this study was to report our analysis of dose-volume parameters predicting gross tumor volume (GTV) control. Methods and Materials: We analyzed the records of 134 patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stages IB1-IVB cervical cancer treated with combined MRI-guided HDR and IMRT from July 2009 to July 2011. IMRT was targeted to the metabolic tumor volume and lymph nodesmore » by use of FDG-PET/CT simulation. The GTV for each HDR fraction was delineated by use of T2-weighted or apparent diffusion coefficient maps from diffusion-weighted sequences. The D100, D90, and Dmean delivered to the GTV from HDR and IMRT were summed to EQD2. Results: One hundred twenty-five patients received all irradiation treatment as planned, and 9 did not complete treatment. All 134 patients are included in this analysis. Treatment failure in the cervix occurred in 24 patients (18.0%). Patients with cervix failures had a lower D100, D90, and Dmean than those who did not experience failure in the cervix. The respective doses to the GTV were 41, 58, and 136 Gy for failures compared with 67, 99, and 236 Gy for those who did not experience failure (P<.001). Probit analysis estimated the minimum D100, D90, and Dmean doses required for ≥90% local control to be 69, 98, and 260 Gy (P<.001). Conclusions: Total dose delivered to the GTV from combined MRI-guided HDR and PET/CT-guided IMRT is highly correlated with local tumor control. The findings can be directly applied in the clinic for dose adaptation to maximize local control.« less

Forum Guide to the Teacher-Student Data Link: A Technical Implementation Resource. NFES 2013-802

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Forum on Education Statistics, 2013

2013-01-01

This document is intended to serve as a practical guide for implementing a teacher-student data link (TSDL) that supports a range of uses at the local, regional, and state levels. The guide addresses the considerations for linking teacher and student data from multiple perspectives, including governance, policies, data components, business rules,…

Information Is Power! A Child Advocate's Guide to Fear-Free Fact Finding. Revised.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Benjamin, Diane; Thompson, Kerri

Noting that obtaining facts and figures on important policy issues related to children is the critical first step toward identifying what is working and what needs improvement, this Kids Count guide is designed to help local community members find and use data on the condition of children and families in Minnesota. The guide describes how to…

Aviation & Space Curriculum Guide K-3. Revised.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alabama State Dept. of Education, Montgomery.

This guide is designed for teachers of grades K-3 who have little or no experience in the area of aviation or space. The purpose of this guide is to provide an array of aviation and space activities which may be used by teachers to enrich locally-designed programs. Units in this book include: (1) History of Aerospace; (2) Kinds and Uses of…

77 FR 36250 - Recreation Resource Advisory Committees

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-18

..., Non-motorized Outfitter and Guide Recreation, Local Environmental, State Tourism, Local Government...: a. A State tourism official to represent the State; b. A person who represents affected Indian...

A synergetic combination of small and large neighborhood schemes in developing an effective procedure for solving the job shop scheduling problem.

PubMed

Amirghasemi, Mehrdad; Zamani, Reza

2014-01-01

This paper presents an effective procedure for solving the job shop problem. Synergistically combining small and large neighborhood schemes, the procedure consists of four components, namely (i) a construction method for generating semi-active schedules by a forward-backward mechanism, (ii) a local search for manipulating a small neighborhood structure guided by a tabu list, (iii) a feedback-based mechanism for perturbing the solutions generated, and (iv) a very large-neighborhood local search guided by a forward-backward shifting bottleneck method. The combination of shifting bottleneck mechanism and tabu list is used as a means of the manipulation of neighborhood structures, and the perturbation mechanism employed diversifies the search. A feedback mechanism, called repeat-check, detects consequent repeats and ignites a perturbation when the total number of consecutive repeats for two identical makespan values reaches a given threshold. The results of extensive computational experiments on the benchmark instances indicate that the combination of these four components is synergetic, in the sense that they collectively make the procedure fast and robust.

LAN (Local Area Network) Interoperability Study of Protocols Needed for Distributed Command and Control

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-03-01

model referred to by the study group . IMCKIiN cuINICATION 31215FOR SDATA TWSU•l Sa *BSTtEO POOTO• AA14FTICT’WI PEM1 ITS ...operating systems, compared the DOD and ISO networking protocol architecture models , the protocols for LAN’s developed by the IEEE and ANSI, reviewed and...be initiated, so as to provide the Air Force a roadmap to guide its * "technology develop •ents. 4,’ �/LAN 3-4 .°. SECTION 4.0

Fast MRI-guided vacuum-assisted breast biopsy: initial experience.

PubMed

Liberman, Laura; Morris, Elizabeth A; Dershaw, D David; Thornton, Cynthia M; Van Zee, Kimberly J; Tan, Lee K

2003-11-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate a new method for performing MRI-guided vacuum-assisted breast biopsy in a study of lesions that had subsequent surgical excision. SUBJECTS AND METHODS. Twenty women scheduled for MRI-guided needle localization and surgical biopsy were prospectively entered in the study. MRI-guided biopsy was performed with a vacuum-assisted probe, followed by placement of a localizing clip, and then needle localization for surgical excision. Vacuum-assisted biopsy and surgical histology were correlated. Vacuum-assisted biopsy was successfully performed in 19 (95%) of the 20 women. The median size of 27 MRI-detected lesions that had biopsy was 1.0 cm (range, 0.4-6.4 cm). Cancer was present in eight (30%) of 27 lesions and in six (32%) of 19 women; among these eight cancers, five were infiltrating and three were ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). Among these 27 lesions, histology was benign at vacuum-assisted biopsy and at surgery in 19 (70%), cancer at vacuum-assisted biopsy in six (22%), atypical ductal hyperplasia at vacuum-assisted biopsy and DCIS at surgery in one (4%), and benign at vacuum-assisted biopsy with surgery showing microscopic DCIS that was occult at MRI in one (4%). The median time to perform vacuum-assisted biopsy of a single lesion was 35 min (mean, 35 min; range, 24-48 min). Placement of a localizing clip, attempted in 26 lesions, was successful in 25 (96%) of 26, and the clip was retrieved on specimen radiography in 22 (96%) of 23. One complication occurred: a hematoma that resolved with compression. MRI-guided vacuum-assisted biopsy is a fast, safe, and accurate alternative to surgical biopsy for breast lesions detected on MRI.

A Practical Guide to the Study of Sport Related Injuries.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alles, Wesley F.; And Others

1985-01-01

A comprehensive injury surveillance system enables local administrators to effectively target their countermeasures, thereby reducing injury risk and increasing the benefits of athletic competition and leisure activity. This article offers a guide to such a system. (MT)

Intermodal Ground Access to Airports: A Planning Guide - A Good Start

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1997-01-01

This Guide is designed to provide policy guidance, rules of thumb, data, and analytical techniques related to airport access. It has been prepared to help airport operator, local governments, metropolitan planning organizations, consultants and other...

Topology-guided deformable registration with local importance preservation for biomedical images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Chaojie; Wang, Xiuying; Zeng, Shan; Zhou, Jianlong; Yin, Yong; Feng, Dagan; Fulham, Michael

2018-01-01

The demons registration (DR) model is well recognized for its deformation capability. However, it might lead to misregistration due to erroneous diffusion direction when there are no overlaps between corresponding regions. We propose a novel registration energy function, introducing topology energy, and incorporating a local energy function into the DR in a progressive registration scheme, to address these shortcomings. The topology energy that is derived from the topological information of the images serves as a direction inference to guide diffusion transformation to retain the merits of DR. The local energy constrains the deformation disparity of neighbouring pixels to maintain important local texture and density features. The energy function is minimized in a progressive scheme steered by a topology tree graph and we refer to it as topology-guided deformable registration (TDR). We validated our TDR on 20 pairs of synthetic images with Gaussian noise, 20 phantom PET images with artificial deformations and 12 pairs of clinical PET-CT studies. We compared it to three methods: (1) free-form deformation registration method, (2) energy-based DR and (3) multi-resolution DR. The experimental results show that our TDR outperformed the other three methods in regard to structural correspondence and preservation of the local important information including texture and density, while retaining global correspondence.

Endosonography guided management of pancreatic fluid collections

PubMed Central

Vilmann, Andreas S; Menachery, John; Tang, Shou-Jiang; Srinivasan, Indu; Vilmann, Peter

2015-01-01

The revised Atlanta classification of acute pancreatitis was adopted by international consensus, and is based on actual local and systemic determinants of disease severity. The local determinant is pancreatic necrosis (sterile or infected), and the systemic determinant is organ failure. Local complications of pancreatitis can include acute peri-pancreatic fluid collection, acute necrotic collection, pseudocyst formation, and walled-off necrosis. Interventional endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) has been increasing utilized in managing these local complications. After performing a PubMed search, the authors manually applied pre-defined inclusion criteria or a filter to identify publications relevant to EUS and pancreatic collections (PFCs). The authors then reviewed the utility, efficacy, and risks associated with using therapeutic EUS and involved EUS devices in treating PFCs. Due to the development and regulatory approval of improved and novel endoscopic devices specifically designed for transmural drainage of fluid and necrotic debris (access and patency devices), the authors predict continuing evolution in the management of PFCs. We believe that EUS will become an indispensable part of procedures used to diagnose PFCs and perform image-guided interventions. After draining a PFC, the amount of tissue necrosis is the most important predictor of a successful outcome. Hence, it seems logical to classify these collections based on their percentage of necrotic component or debris present when viewed by imaging methods or EUS. Finally, the authors propose an algorithm for managing fluid collections based on their size, location, associated symptoms, internal echogenic patterns, and content. PMID:26557008

Comparison of ultrasound guided transversus abdominis plane block versus local wound infiltration for post operative analgesia in patients undergoing gynaecological surgery under general anaesthesia.

PubMed

Ranjit, S; Shrestha, S K

2014-01-01

Transversus abdominis plane block has been recently developed as a part of multimodal post operative analgesic techniques. We compared the analgesic efficacy of this technique with local bupivacaine infiltration in patients undergoing gynaecological surgeries with pfannenstiel incision and lower midline incision under general anaesthesia. To evaluate the efficacy of ultrasound guided transversus abdominis plane block for postoperative analgesia. Patients were randomly allocated to three groups: control group (n=15), transversus abdominis plane block group (n=15), who received bilateral transversus abdominis plane blockwith 0.25% bupivacaine, and local infiltration group (n=15), who received local wound infiltration with 0.25% bupivacaine at the end of surgery. All patients received intramuscular diclofenac 12 hourly and intravenous tramadol SOS in the postoperative period. Visual analogue scores for pain were assessed at 1,2,4,8,12 and 24 hours postoperatively and these were compared between the three groups. Average tramadol consumption in 24 hours were also compared among the three groups. Data were subjected to univariate ANOVA test and chi-square test. Level of significance was set at 0.05. Visual analogue scores were significantly less in transversus abdominis plane block group and effect lasted up to 12 hours at rest postoperatively and 8 hours during cough and movement. Bilateral Transversus abdominis plane block was effective in reducing postoperative pain scores for 8 to 12 hours postoperatively. This block was also successful in reducing postoperative opioid requirement.

Developing a virtual community for health sciences library book selection: Doody's Core Titles

PubMed Central

Shedlock, James; Walton, Linda J.

2006-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to describe Doody's Core Titles in the Health Sciences as a new selection guide and a virtual community based on an effective use of online systems and to describe its potential impact on library collection development. Setting/Participants/Resources: The setting is the availability of health sciences selection guides. Participants include Doody Enterprise staff, Doody's Library Board of Advisors, content specialists, and library selectors. Resources include the online system used to create Doody's Core Titles along with references to complementary databases. Brief Description: Doody's Core Titles is described and discussed in relation to the literature of selection guides, especially in comparison to the Brandon/Hill selected lists that were published from 1965 to 2003. Doody's Core Titles seeks to fill the vacuum created when the Brandon/Hill lists ceased publication. Doody's Core Titles is a unique selection guide based on its method of creating an online community of experts to identify and score a core list of titles in 119 health sciences specialties and disciplines. Results/Outcome: The result is a new selection guide, now available annually, that will aid health sciences librarians in identifying core titles for local collections. Evaluation Method: Doody's Core Titles organizes the evaluation of core titles that are identified and recommended by content specialists associated with Doody's Book Review Service and library selectors. A scoring mechanism is used to create the selection of core titles, similar to the star rating system employed in other Doody Enterprise products and services. PMID:16404471

A current perspective on stereotactic body radiation therapy for pancreatic cancer

PubMed Central

Hong, Julian C; Czito, Brian G; Willett, Christopher G; Palta, Manisha

2016-01-01

Pancreatic cancer is a formidable malignancy with poor outcomes. The majority of patients are unable to undergo resection, which remains the only potentially curative treatment option. The management of locally advanced (unresectable) pancreatic cancer is controversial; however, treatment with either chemotherapy or chemoradiation is associated with high rates of local tumor progression and metastases development, resulting in low survival rates. An emerging local modality is stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), which uses image-guided, conformal, high-dose radiation. SBRT has demonstrated promising local control rates and resultant quality of life with acceptable rates of toxicity. Over the past decade, increasing clinical experience and data have supported SBRT as a local treatment modality. Nevertheless, additional research is required to further evaluate the role of SBRT and improve upon the persistently poor outcomes associated with pancreatic cancer. This review discusses the existing clinical experience and technical implementation of SBRT for pancreatic cancer and highlights the directions for ongoing and future studies. PMID:27826200

A current perspective on stereotactic body radiation therapy for pancreatic cancer.

PubMed

Hong, Julian C; Czito, Brian G; Willett, Christopher G; Palta, Manisha

2016-01-01

Pancreatic cancer is a formidable malignancy with poor outcomes. The majority of patients are unable to undergo resection, which remains the only potentially curative treatment option. The management of locally advanced (unresectable) pancreatic cancer is controversial; however, treatment with either chemotherapy or chemoradiation is associated with high rates of local tumor progression and metastases development, resulting in low survival rates. An emerging local modality is stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), which uses image-guided, conformal, high-dose radiation. SBRT has demonstrated promising local control rates and resultant quality of life with acceptable rates of toxicity. Over the past decade, increasing clinical experience and data have supported SBRT as a local treatment modality. Nevertheless, additional research is required to further evaluate the role of SBRT and improve upon the persistently poor outcomes associated with pancreatic cancer. This review discusses the existing clinical experience and technical implementation of SBRT for pancreatic cancer and highlights the directions for ongoing and future studies.

Guide for Regional Integrated Assessments: Handbook of Methods and Procedures, Version 5.1. Appendix 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rosenzweig, Cynthia E.; Jones, James W.; Hatfield, Jerry; Antle, John; Ruane, Alex; Boote, Ken; Thorburn, Peter; Valdivia, Roberto; Porter, Cheryl; Janssen, Sander;

Oxygen supply (HbO2) in beating hearts of 14 coronary patients obtained by tissue monitoring with optical sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frank, Klaus H.; Kloevekorn, P.; Zuendorf, J.; Kessler, Manfred D.

2002-06-01

Local intra capillary HbO2 was monitored in beating hearts of 14 patients undergoing coronary bypass surgery. The spectra were measured in the epicardium of the left ventricle, supplied by the left coronary artery (LAD). All selected patients suffered form stenosis or occlusion of two to three vessels. The patients suffered from severe angina and showed hypokinesia in the angiography. Micro-light guide fibers with a diameter of 75micrometers were used for monitoring before and after bypass surgery. These light guides were connected to the Erlanger Micro Light guide Spectro Photometer EMPHO for registration. Local measurements were performed in the epicardium of the left ventricle in 25 areas 2.25cm2 each. Integrated gradient fields were plotted for each of the 14 patients before and after bypass surgery. The mean values of HbO2 in the respective areas were calculated and evaluated against the local value distribution.

A General Interview Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ives, Edward D.

This guide is divided into 11 sections, each containing a number of questions and suggestions for conducting successful folklore and oral history interviews. Section 1, "Settlement and Dwellings," deals with the physical environment, local inhabitants, houses and outbuildings, and public buildings. Section 2, "Livelihood and…

Electronic Health Record Design and Implementation for Pharmacogenomics: a Local Perspective

PubMed Central

Peterson, Josh F.; Bowton, Erica; Field, Julie R.; Beller, Marc; Mitchell, Jennifer; Schildcrout, Jonathan; Gregg, William; Johnson, Kevin; Jirjis, Jim N; Roden, Dan M.; Pulley, Jill M.; Denny, Josh C.

2014-01-01

Purpose The design of electronic health records (EHR) to translate genomic medicine into clinical care is crucial to successful introduction of new genomic services, yet there are few published guides to implementation. Methods The design, implemented features, and evolution of a locally developed EHR that supports a large pharmacogenomics program at a tertiary care academic medical center was tracked over a 4-year development period. Results Developers and program staff created EHR mechanisms for ordering a pharmacogenomics panel in advance of clinical need (preemptive genotyping) and in response to a specific drug indication. Genetic data from panel-based genotyping were sequestered from the EHR until drug-gene interactions (DGIs) met evidentiary standards and deemed clinically actionable. A service to translate genotype to predicted drug response phenotype populated a summary of DGIs, triggered inpatient and outpatient clinical decision support, updated laboratory records, and created gene results within online personal health records. Conclusion The design of a locally developed EHR supporting pharmacogenomics has generalizable utility. The challenge of representing genomic data in a comprehensible and clinically actionable format is discussed along with reflection on the scalability of the model to larger sets of genomic data. PMID:24009000

Guide de mise en oeuvre de la gestion scolaire francophone. Revise (Guide for the Implementation of French-Language Education. Revised).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alberta Learning, Edmonton. Direction de l'education francaise.

This guide, aimed primarily at school administrators and school counselors, is a reference manual to be used in conjunction with the corresponding sections of the School Act, RSA 2000 and the Local Authorities Election Act RSA, and any other related legislation. The document provides historical background on the right to choose the language of…

Creating Career Cluster Programs: A Guide for Oregon High Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oregon State Dept. of Education, Salem. Career and Vocational Education Section.

The guide was intended to provide the information needed to implement or improve an 11th and 12th grade career education cluster program. The authors suggest that the guide will be most useful in schools where a long-range plan for career education has been prepared and adopted by the local board of education, and where it has been decided to…

Image-guided spatial localization of heterogeneous compartments for magnetic resonance

PubMed Central

An, Li; Shen, Jun

2015-01-01

Purpose: Image-guided localization SPectral Localization Achieved by Sensitivity Heterogeneity (SPLASH) allows rapid measurement of signals from irregularly shaped anatomical compartments without using phase encoding gradients. Here, the authors propose a novel method to address the issue of heterogeneous signal distribution within the localized compartments. Methods: Each compartment was subdivided into multiple subcompartments and their spectra were solved by Tikhonov regularization to enforce smoothness within each compartment. The spectrum of a given compartment was generated by combining the spectra of the components of that compartment. The proposed method was first tested using Monte Carlo simulations and then applied to reconstructing in vivo spectra from irregularly shaped ischemic stroke and normal tissue compartments. Results: Monte Carlo simulations demonstrate that the proposed regularized SPLASH method significantly reduces localization and metabolite quantification errors. In vivo results show that the intracompartment regularization results in ∼40% reduction of error in metabolite quantification. Conclusions: The proposed method significantly reduces localization errors and metabolite quantification errors caused by intracompartment heterogeneous signal distribution. PMID:26328977

Molecular Endoscopic Ultrasound for Diagnosis of Pancreatic Cancer

PubMed Central

Bournet, Barbara; Pointreau, Adeline; Delpu, Yannick; Selves, Janick; Torrisani, Jerome; Buscail, Louis; Cordelier, Pierre

2011-01-01

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration-biopsy is a safe and effective technique in diagnosing and staging of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. However its predictive negative value does not exceed 50% to 60%. Unfortunately, the majority of pancreatic cancer patients have a metastatic and/or a locally advanced disease (i.e., not eligible for curative resection) which explains the limited access to pancreatic tissue specimens. Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration-biopsy is the most widely used approach for cytological and histological material sampling in these situations used in up to two thirds of patients with pancreatic cancer. Based on this unique material, we and others developed strategies to improve the differential diagnosis between carcinoma and inflammatory pancreatic lesions by analysis of KRAS oncogene mutation, microRNA expression and methylation, as well as mRNA expression using both qRT-PCR and Low Density Array Taqman analysis. Indeed, differentiating pancreatic cancer from pseudotumoral chronic pancreatitis remains very difficult in current clinical practice, and endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration-biopsy analysis proved to be very helpful. In this review, we will compile the clinical and molecular advantages of using endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration-biopsy in managing pancreatic cancer. PMID:24212643

A guide to defining the competence required of a consultant in clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine.

PubMed

Beastall, Graham; Kenny, Desmond; Laitinen, Paivi; ten Kate, Joop

2005-01-01

A definition has been agreed for the most senior professional (consultant) in clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine. A model job description for a consultant has been determined, which is intended to act as a toolkit to assist employing authorities and professional bodies to define the role of individual consultant posts. A total of 86 competences for a consultant have been designated and expressed in the form of simple generic proficiency standards. These competences have been allocated to six broad areas: clinical [13]; scientific [15]; technical [12]; communication [12]; management and leadership [20]; professional autonomy and accountability [14]. The competences are intended to be illustrative rather than definitive and to enable the duties of any consultant post to be defined. Assessment of competence is likely to entail consideration of qualifications, registration status, continuing professional development and performance review. The project is intended as a guide to European societies of clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine. The guide should be capable of local interpretation to encourage a greater degree of commonality in the role of the consultant whilst protecting national identity. The guide should stimulate international understanding and collaboration and contribute to an overall improvement in the quality of practice.

[Experience of Fusion image guided system in endonasal endoscopic surgery].

PubMed

Wen, Jingying; Zhen, Hongtao; Shi, Lili; Cao, Pingping; Cui, Yonghua

2015-08-01

To review endonasal endoscopic surgeries aided by Fusion image guided system, and to explore the application value of Fusion image guided system in endonasal endoscopic surgeries. Retrospective research. Sixty cases of endonasal endoscopic surgeries aided by Fusion image guided system were analysed including chronic rhinosinusitis with polyp (n = 10), fungus sinusitis (n = 5), endoscopic optic nerve decompression (n = 16), inverted papilloma of the paranasal sinus (n = 9), ossifying fibroma of sphenoid bone (n = 1), malignance of the paranasal sinus (n = 9), cerebrospinal fluid leak (n = 5), hemangioma of orbital apex (n = 2) and orbital reconstruction (n = 3). Sixty cases of endonasal endoscopic surgeries completed successfully without any complications. Fusion image guided system can help to identify the ostium of paranasal sinus, lamina papyracea and skull base. Fused CT-CTA images, or fused MR-MRA images can help to localize the optic nerve or internal carotid arteiy . Fused CT-MR images can help to detect the range of the tumor. It spent (7.13 ± 1.358) minutes for image guided system to do preoperative preparation and the surgical navigation accuracy reached less than 1mm after proficient. There was no device localization problem because of block or head set loosed. Fusion image guided system make endonasal endoscopic surgery to be a true microinvasive and exact surgery. It spends less preoperative preparation time, has high surgical navigation accuracy, improves the surgical safety and reduces the surgical complications.

Guide for Organizing and Utilizing Local Vocational Education Advisory Councils.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alabama State Dept. of Education, Montgomery. Div. of Vocational Education.

This handbook is designed to provide local administrators with both information and guidelines for organizing, implementing, and operating local vocational education advisory councils. Following a short introduction, there is a section which briefly discusses the procedures for organizing an advisory council: formulate policy, designate school…

Guide to enable health charities to increase recruitment to clinical trials on dementia.

PubMed

Chambers, Larry W; Harris, Megan; Lusk, Elizabeth; Benczkowski, Debbie

2017-11-01

The Alzheimer Society embarked on a project to improve ways that the 60 provincial and local Societies in Canada can work with local researchers to support recruitment of volunteers to clinical trials and studies. A Guide to assist these offices was produced to design ethical recruitment of research volunteers within their client populations. Consultations with individuals from provincial and local Societies, as well as researchers and leaders from health-related organizations, were conducted to identify in what ways these organizations are involved in study volunteer recruitment, what is and is not working, and what would be helpful to support future efforts. The Guide prototype used scenarios to illustrate study volunteer recruitment practices as they have been or could be applied in Societies. An implementable version of the Guide was produced with input from multiple internal and external reviewers including subject-matter experts and target users from Societies. Society staff reported that benefits of using the Guide were that it served as a catalyst for conversation and reflection and identified the need for a policy. Also, it enabled Society readiness to respond to requests by persons with dementia and their caregivers wishing to participate in research. A majority (94%) of participating Society staff across Canada agreed that they would increase their capacity to support research recruitment. Charitable organizations that raise funds for research have a role in promoting the recruitment of persons with dementia and their caregivers into clinical trials and studies. The Guide was produced to facilitate organizational change to both create a positive culture regarding research as well as practical solutions that can help organizations achieve this goal.

Contraction rate, flow modification and bed layering impact on scour at the elliptical guide banks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gjunsburgs, B.; Jaudzems, G.; Bizane, M.; Bulankina, V.

2017-10-01

Flow contraction by the bridge crossing structures, intakes, embankments, piers, abutments and guide banks leads to general scour and the local scour in the vicinity of the structures. Local scour is depending on flow, river bed and structures parameters and correct understanding of the impact of each parameter can reduce failure possibility of the structures. The paper explores hydraulic contraction, the discharge redistribution between channel and floodplain during the flood, local flow modification and river bed layering on depth, width and volume of scour hole near the elliptical guide banks on low-land rivers. Experiments in a flume, our method for scour calculation and computer modelling results confirm a considerable impact of the contraction rate of the flow, the discharge redistribution between channel and floodplain, the local velocity, backwater and river bed layering on the depth, width, and volume of scour hole in steady and unsteady flow, under clear water condition. With increase of the contraction rate of the flow, the discharge redistribution between channel and floodplain, the local velocity, backwater values, the scour depth increases. At the same contraction rate, but at a different Fr number, the scour depth is different: with increase in the Fr number, the local velocity, backwater, scour depth, width, and volume is increasing. Acceptance of the geometrical contraction of the flow, approach velocity and top sand layer of the river bed for scour depth calculation as accepted now, may be the reason of the structures failure and human life losses.

The health educator as a team leader in primary health care.

PubMed

Brieger, W R; Ramakrishna, J

1986-01-01

Health teams naturally vary in size and composition according to their goals and objectives. Leadership of these teams should also be based on these goals. The goals of community-based primary health care, local involvement, cultural relevance, effective use of local resources, imply an important leadership role for health educators. The experience in the Ibarapa Local Government Area in Nigeria shows that health educators can be effective leaders in guiding a primary health care work group through various stages of program development. The use of a flexible, contractual model of team formation fits in well with the health educator's abilities to coordinate various program inputs and serve as mediator between professionals and the communities they serve. The ultimate mark of the health educator's leadership skills is the incorporation of community members into the health team.

Developing and utilizing an Euler computational method for predicting the airframe/propulsion effects for an aft-mounted turboprop transport. Volume 2: User guide

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chen, H. C.; Neback, H. E.; Kao, T. J.; Yu, N. Y.; Kusunose, K.

1991-01-01

This manual explains how to use an Euler based computational method for predicting the airframe/propulsion integration effects for an aft-mounted turboprop transport. The propeller power effects are simulated by the actuator disk concept. This method consists of global flow field analysis and the embedded flow solution for predicting the detailed flow characteristics in the local vicinity of an aft-mounted propfan engine. The computational procedure includes the use of several computer programs performing four main functions: grid generation, Euler solution, grid embedding, and streamline tracing. This user's guide provides information for these programs, including input data preparations with sample input decks, output descriptions, and sample Unix scripts for program execution in the UNICOS environment.

Image Guided Biodistribution and Pharmacokinetic Studies of Theranostics

PubMed Central

Ding, Hong; Wu, Fang

2012-01-01

Image guided technique is playing an increasingly important role in the investigation of the biodistribution and pharmacokinetics of drugs or drug delivery systems in various diseases, especially cancers. Besides anatomical imaging modalities such as computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), molecular imaging strategy including optical imaging, positron emission tomography (PET) and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) will facilitate the localization and quantization of radioisotope or optical probe labeled nanoparticle delivery systems in the category of theranostics. The quantitative measurement of the bio-distribution and pharmacokinetics of theranostics in the fields of new drug/probe development, diagnosis and treatment process monitoring as well as tracking the brain-blood-barrier (BBB) breaking through by high sensitive imaging method, and the applications of the representative imaging modalities are summarized in this review. PMID:23227121

Choosing Wellness: Comprehensive Health Education Planning and Implementation Handbook. A Handbook for Head Start Programs [and] Resource Guide: A Guide for Head Start Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Enright, Margaret; Davidson, Tasha

These materials consist of: (1) a planning and implementation handbook designed to help Head Start managers better understand, plan, and implement a more comprehensive aproach to health education and health promotion--one that addresses local needs and tailors programs to the needs of the children, parents, and staff; and (2) a resource guide that…

Imaging of prostate cancer: a platform for 3D co-registration of in-vivo MRI ex-vivo MRI and pathology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orczyk, Clément; Mikheev, Artem; Rosenkrantz, Andrew; Melamed, Jonathan; Taneja, Samir S.; Rusinek, Henry

2012-02-01

Objectives: Multi-parametric MRI is emerging as a promising method for prostate cancer diagnosis. prognosis and treatment planning. However, the localization of in-vivo detected lesions and pathologic sites of cancer remains a significant challenge. To overcome this limitation we have developed and tested a system for co-registration of in-vivo MRI, ex-vivo MRI and histology. Materials and Methods: Three men diagnosed with localized prostate cancer (ages 54-72, PSA levels 5.1-7.7 ng/ml) were prospectively enrolled in this study. All patients underwent 3T multi-parametric MRI that included T2W, DCEMRI, and DWI prior to robotic-assisted prostatectomy. Ex-vivo multi-parametric MRI was performed on fresh prostate specimen. Excised prostates were then sliced at regular intervals and photographed both before and after fixation. Slices were perpendicular to the main axis of the posterior capsule, i.e., along the direction of the rectal wall. Guided by the location of the urethra, 2D digital images were assembled into 3D models. Cancer foci, extra-capsular extensions and zonal margins were delineated by the pathologist and included in 3D histology data. A locally-developed software was applied to register in-vivo, ex-vivo and histology using an over-determined set of anatomical landmarks placed in anterior fibro-muscular stroma, central. transition and peripheral zones. The mean root square distance across corresponding control points was used to assess co-registration error. Results: Two specimens were pT3a and one pT2b (negative margin) at pathology. The software successfully fused invivo MRI. ex-vivo MRI fresh specimen and histology using appropriate (rigid and affine) transformation models with mean square error of 1.59 mm. Coregistration accuracy was confirmed by multi-modality viewing using operator-guided variable transparency. Conclusion: The method enables successful co-registration of pre-operative MRI, ex-vivo MRI and pathology and it provides initial evidence of feasibility of MRI-guided surgical planning.

COMPENDIUM OF METHODS FOR THE DETERMINATION ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Until recently, limited quidance has been available to federal, state and local agencies and to other organizations concerned with the determination of pollutant concentrations in ambient air. As a result, agencies, industry, and the general public have had to develop their own monitoring strategies. To address these needs, EPA’s Office of Research and Development has developed a collection of methods for measurement of inorganic pollutants of interest in ambient air. This compendium contains a set of 17 methods (in 5 categories) presented in a standardized format. A visual guide to the organization of the inorganic compendium is illustrated in figure 1, while Table 1 lists the 17 methods. Information

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

Ahn, Wonmi; Zhao, Xin; Hong, Yan

Here, optoplasmonic structures contain plasmonic components embedded in a defined photonic environment to create synergistic interactions between photonic and plasmonic components. Here, we show that chains of optical microspheres containing gold nanoparticles in their evanescent field combine the light guiding properties of a microsphere chain with the light localizing properties of a plasmonic nanoantenna. We implement these materials through template guided self-assembly and investigate their fundamental electromagnetic working principles through combination of electromagnetic simulations and experimental characterization. We demonstrate that optoplasmonic chains implemented by directed self-assembly achieve a significant reduction in guiding losses when compared with conventional plasmonic waveguides and,more » at the same time, retain the light localizing properties of plasmonic antennas at pre-defined locations. The results reinforce the potential of optoplasmonic structures for realizing low-loss optical interconnects with high bandwidth.« less

NCSC GUIDE FOR PLANNING SCHOOL PLANTS.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Council on Schoolhouse Construction.

SUPERINTENDENTS, SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS, SCHOOL PLANT CONSULTANTS IN STATE DEPARTMENTS OF EDUCATION, LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEMS, AND COLLEGIATE INSTITUTIONS, ARCHITECTS, LAY ADVISORY GROUPS, AND GRADUATE STUDENTS WILL FIND INFORMATION ON SCHOOL PLANT PLANNING IN THIS BASIC REFERENCE. A GUIDE FOR INTERPRETING AND APPLYING CRITERIA, STANDARDS, OR PRINCIPLES…

C style guide

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Doland, Jerry; Valett, Jon

1994-01-01

This document discusses recommended practices and style for programmers using the C language in the Flight Dynamics Division environment. Guidelines are based on generally recommended software engineering techniques, industry resources, and local convention. The Guide offers preferred solutions to common C programming issues and illustrates through examples of C Code.

Food Production and Services. Florida Vocational Program Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Florida State Univ., Tallahassee. Center for Instructional Development and Services.

This vocational program guide is intended to assist local administrators, regional coordinating councils, teachers, and others throughout Florida in offering vocational education training in food service and production in school districts, area vocational centers, and community colleges. The following topics are covered: program content and…

Guided-mode interactions in thin films with surface corrugation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seshadri, S. R.

1994-12-01

The guided modes in a thin-film planar dielectric waveguide sandwiched between a cover and a substrate (two different dielectrics) are considered. The interface between the cover and the film has a smooth corrugation in the longitudinal direction. For weak corrugations, the guided-mode interactions are investigated using the expansion in terms of ideal normal modes. A corresponding treament is given for the not-so-weak corrugations using the expansion in terms of local normal modes. The coupling coefficients are evaluated and reduced to simple forms. The theories are specialized for the treatment of contradirectional coupling between two guided modes taking place selectively in the neighborhood of the Bragg frequency. The coupled-mode equations governing the contradirectional interaction obtained from the local normal mode expansion procedure, in the limit of weak periodic corrugations, are identical to those deduced directly using the ideal normal mode expansion technique. The treatments for both the transverse electric and the transvers magnetic modes are included.

Systematic study of target localization for bioluminescence tomography guided radiation therapy

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

Yu, Jingjing; Zhang, Bin; Reyes, Juvenal

Purpose: To overcome the limitation of CT/cone-beam CT (CBCT) in guiding radiation for soft tissue targets, the authors developed a spectrally resolved bioluminescence tomography (BLT) system for the small animal radiation research platform. The authors systematically assessed the performance of the BLT system in terms of target localization and the ability to resolve two neighboring sources in simulations, tissue-mimicking phantom, and in vivo environments. Methods: Multispectral measurements acquired in a single projection were used for the BLT reconstruction. The incomplete variables truncated conjugate gradient algorithm with an iterative permissible region shrinking strategy was employed as the optimization scheme to reconstructmore » source distributions. Simulation studies were conducted for single spherical sources with sizes from 0.5 to 3 mm radius at depth of 3–12 mm. The same configuration was also applied for the double source simulation with source separations varying from 3 to 9 mm. Experiments were performed in a standalone BLT/CBCT system. Two self-illuminated sources with 3 and 4.7 mm separations placed inside a tissue-mimicking phantom were chosen as the test cases. Live mice implanted with single-source at 6 and 9 mm depth, two sources at 3 and 5 mm separation at depth of 5 mm, or three sources in the abdomen were also used to illustrate the localization capability of the BLT system for multiple targets in vivo. Results: For simulation study, approximate 1 mm accuracy can be achieved at localizing center of mass (CoM) for single-source and grouped CoM for double source cases. For the case of 1.5 mm radius source, a common tumor size used in preclinical study, their simulation shows that for all the source separations considered, except for the 3 mm separation at 9 and 12 mm depth, the two neighboring sources can be resolved at depths from 3 to 12 mm. Phantom experiments illustrated that 2D bioluminescence imaging failed to distinguish two sources, but BLT can provide 3D source localization with approximately 1 mm accuracy. The in vivo results are encouraging that 1 and 1.7 mm accuracy can be attained for the single-source case at 6 and 9 mm depth, respectively. For the 2 sources in vivo study, both sources can be distinguished at 3 and 5 mm separations, and approximately 1 mm localization accuracy can also be achieved. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that their multispectral BLT/CBCT system could be potentially applied to localize and resolve multiple sources at wide range of source sizes, depths, and separations. The average accuracy of localizing CoM for single-source and grouped CoM for double sources is approximately 1 mm except deep-seated target. The information provided in this study can be instructive to devise treatment margins for BLT-guided irradiation. These results also suggest that the 3D BLT system could guide radiation for the situation with multiple targets, such as metastatic tumor models.« less

School Nutrition Facility Planning Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pannell, Dorothy VanEgmond

This publication is designed to help superintendents, local facilities coordinators, and food-service directors in planning the remodeling of an outdated food-service facility or the building of a new one. The introduction describes the roles of the local facility coordinator, the local child-nutrition director, the architect, the food-service…

Observation of transverse Anderson localization in an optical fiber.

PubMed

Karbasi, Salman; Mirr, Craig R; Yarandi, Parisa Gandomkar; Frazier, Ryan J; Koch, Karl W; Mafi, Arash

2012-06-15

We utilize transverse Anderson localization as the waveguiding mechanism in optical fibers with random transverse refractive index profiles. Using experiments and numerical simulations, we show that the transverse localization results in an effective propagating beam diameter that is comparable to that of a typical index-guiding optical fiber.

Integrating multiple distribution models to guide conservation efforts of an endangered toad

USGS Publications Warehouse

Treglia, Michael L.; Fisher, Robert N.; Fitzgerald, Lee A.

2015-01-01

Species distribution models are used for numerous purposes such as predicting changes in species’ ranges and identifying biodiversity hotspots. Although implications of distribution models for conservation are often implicit, few studies use these tools explicitly to inform conservation efforts. Herein, we illustrate how multiple distribution models developed using distinct sets of environmental variables can be integrated to aid in identification sites for use in conservation. We focus on the endangered arroyo toad (Anaxyrus californicus), which relies on open, sandy streams and surrounding floodplains in southern California, USA, and northern Baja California, Mexico. Declines of the species are largely attributed to habitat degradation associated with vegetation encroachment, invasive predators, and altered hydrologic regimes. We had three main goals: 1) develop a model of potential habitat for arroyo toads, based on long-term environmental variables and all available locality data; 2) develop a model of the species’ current habitat by incorporating recent remotely-sensed variables and only using recent locality data; and 3) integrate results of both models to identify sites that may be employed in conservation efforts. We used a machine learning technique, Random Forests, to develop the models, focused on riparian zones in southern California. We identified 14.37% and 10.50% of our study area as potential and current habitat for the arroyo toad, respectively. Generally, inclusion of remotely-sensed variables reduced modeled suitability of sites, thus many areas modeled as potential habitat were not modeled as current habitat. We propose such sites could be made suitable for arroyo toads through active management, increasing current habitat by up to 67.02%. Our general approach can be employed to guide conservation efforts of virtually any species with sufficient data necessary to develop appropriate distribution models.

Effective Strategies for Global Health Research, Training and Clinical Care: A Narrative Review

PubMed Central

Walker, Rebekah J.; Campbell, Jennifer A.; Egede, Leonard E.

2015-01-01

The purpose of this narrative review was to synthesize the evidence on effective strategies for global health research, training and clinical care in order to identify common structures that have been used to guide program development. A Medline search from 2001 to 2011 produced 951 articles, which were reviewed and categorized. Thirty articles met criteria to be included in this review. Eleven articles discussed recommendations for research, 8 discussed training and 11 discussed clinical care. Global health program development should be completed within the framework of a larger institutional commitment or partnership. Support from leadership in the university or NGO, and an engaged local community are both integral to success and sustainability of efforts. It is also important for program development to engage local partners from the onset, jointly exploring issues and developing goals and objectives. Evaluation is a recommended way to determine if goals are being met, and should include considerations of sustainability, partnership building, and capacity. Global health research programs should consider details regarding the research process, context of research, partnerships, and community relationships. Training for global health should involve mentorship, pre-departure preparation of students, and elements developed to increase impact. Clinical care programs should focus on collaboration, sustainability, meeting local needs, and appropriate process considerations. PMID:25716404

Constructing a clinical decision-making framework for image-guided radiotherapy using a Bayesian Network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hargrave, C.; Moores, M.; Deegan, T.; Gibbs, A.; Poulsen, M.; Harden, F.; Mengersen, K.

2014-03-01

A decision-making framework for image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) is being developed using a Bayesian Network (BN) to graphically describe, and probabilistically quantify, the many interacting factors that are involved in this complex clinical process. Outputs of the BN will provide decision-support for radiation therapists to assist them to make correct inferences relating to the likelihood of treatment delivery accuracy for a given image-guided set-up correction. The framework is being developed as a dynamic object-oriented BN, allowing for complex modelling with specific subregions, as well as representation of the sequential decision-making and belief updating associated with IGRT. A prototype graphic structure for the BN was developed by analysing IGRT practices at a local radiotherapy department and incorporating results obtained from a literature review. Clinical stakeholders reviewed the BN to validate its structure. The BN consists of a sub-network for evaluating the accuracy of IGRT practices and technology. The directed acyclic graph (DAG) contains nodes and directional arcs representing the causal relationship between the many interacting factors such as tumour site and its associated critical organs, technology and technique, and inter-user variability. The BN was extended to support on-line and off-line decision-making with respect to treatment plan compliance. Following conceptualisation of the framework, the BN will be quantified. It is anticipated that the finalised decision-making framework will provide a foundation to develop better decision-support strategies and automated correction algorithms for IGRT.

Library Service to the People of New York State. A Long-Range Program October 1, 1982-September 30, 1987, for the Improvement of Library Services Utilizing Local, State, and Federal Resources.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New York State Library, Albany.

The comprehensive 5-year program for the enhancement of library services in New York State which is described (1) provides a benchmark for the continuing planning, development, and evaluation of state library services; (2) summarizes the objectives, policies, and programs undertaken for the improvement of those services; (3) serves as a guide to…

Library Service to the People of New York State. A Long-Range Program, October 1, 1986-September 30, 1991, for the Improvement of Library Services Utilizing Local, State, and Federal Resources.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New York State Library, Albany.

This annual report on the comprehensive 5-year program for the enhancement of libraries in New York State (1) provides a benchmark for the continuing planning, development, and evaluation of state library services; (2) summarizes the objectives, policies, and programs undertaken for the improvement of those services; (3) serves as a guide to…

Multiple Objective Evolution Strategies (MOES): A User’s Guide to Running the Software

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-11-01

L2-norm distance is computed in parameter space between each pair of solutions in the elite population and tested against the tolerance Dclone, which...the most efficient solutions to the test problems in the Input_Files directory. The developers recommend using mu,kappa,lambda. The mu,kappa,lambda...be used as a sanity test for complicated multimodal problems. Whenever the optimum cannot be reached by a local search, the evolutionary results

Youth, AIDS, and HIV. Resources for Educators and Policymakers, 1999-2000. A Directory of Selected National, State, and Local Resources, and an Annotated Resource Listing of Audiovisual, Print, and Software Materials for AIDS Education and HIV Prevention. Bulletin No. 99218.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wisconsin State Dept. of Public Instruction, Madison.

This resource document provides information about technical assistance and educational materials that can guide the development, implementation, and evaluation of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) education. The resources also offer information about programs whose goals are to prevent the spread of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and…

Dual nature of localization in guiding systems with randomly corrugated boundaries: Anderson-type versus entropic

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

Tarasov, Yu.V., E-mail: yutarasov@ire.kharkov.ua; Shostenko, L.D.

A unified theory for the conductance of an infinitely long multimode quantum wire whose finite segment has randomly rough lateral boundaries is developed. It enables one to rigorously take account of all feasible mechanisms of wave scattering, both related to boundary roughness and to contacts between the wire rough section and the perfect leads within the same technical frameworks. The rough part of the conducting wire is shown to act as a mode-specific randomly modulated effective potential barrier whose height is governed essentially by the asperity slope. The mean height of the barrier, which is proportional to the average slopemore » squared, specifies the number of conducting channels. Under relatively small asperity amplitude this number can take on arbitrary small, up to zero, values if the asperities are sufficiently sharp. The consecutive channel cut-off that arises when the asperity sharpness increases can be regarded as a kind of localization, which is not related to the disorder per se but rather is of entropic or (equivalently) geometric origin. The fluctuating part of the effective barrier results in two fundamentally different types of guided wave scattering, viz., inter- and intramode scattering. The intermode scattering is shown to be for the most part very strong except in the cases of (a) extremely smooth asperities, (b) excessively small length of the corrugated segment, and (c) the asperities sharp enough for only one conducting channel to remain in the wire. Under strong intermode scattering, a new set of conducting channels develops in the corrugated waveguide, which have the form of asymptotically decoupled extended modes subject to individual solely intramode random potentials. In view of this fact, two transport regimes only are realizable in randomly corrugated multimode waveguides, specifically, the ballistic and the localized regime, the latter characteristic of one-dimensional random systems. Two kinds of localization are thus shown to coexist in waveguide-like systems with randomly corrugated boundaries, specifically, the entropic localization and the one-dimensional Anderson (disorder-driven) localization. If the particular mode propagates across the rough segment ballistically, the Fabry–Pérot-type oscillations should be observed in the conductance, which are suppressed for the mode transferred in the Anderson-localized regime.« less

Health impact assessment: A comparison of 45 local, national, and international guidelines

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

Hebert, Katherine A., E-mail: jsx3@cdc.gov; Wendel, Arthur M., E-mail: dvq6@cdc.gov; Kennedy, Sarah K., E-mail: heaton.sarah@gmail.com

2012-04-15

This article provides a comparison of health impact assessment (HIA) guidelines from around the world and for multiple geographic scales. We identify commonalities and differences within HIA guides to discuss the plausibility of consensus guidelines and to inform guideline development. The practice of HIA has grown over the last two decades with a concurrent growth of HIA guides. This study expands on earlier review work and includes guides published since 2007 (Mindell, Boltong and Forde, 2008). From April 2010 to October 2011, 45 HIA guides were identified through an internet search and review of previous research. Common characteristics, key features,more » and the HIA process were analyzed. The 45 documents recommended similar but not identical processes for conducting HIAs. These analyses suggest that guidelines for HIAs are similar in many areas of the world and that new HIA practitioners can use these findings to inform their approach. Further discussion is needed to determine if the approaches established in these guidelines are followed and if one set of common guidelines could be written for use in numerous countries and regions. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer We analyze 45 health impact assessment (HIA) guidelines worldwide. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer We examine similarities and unique attributes of each guideline. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer We discuss the advantages and disadvantages of developing consensus guidelines. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Identifying additional guidelines aides in future HIA work and evaluation.« less

Real-time three-dimensional optical coherence tomography image-guided core-needle biopsy system.

PubMed

Kuo, Wei-Cheng; Kim, Jongsik; Shemonski, Nathan D; Chaney, Eric J; Spillman, Darold R; Boppart, Stephen A

2012-06-01

Advances in optical imaging modalities, such as optical coherence tomography (OCT), enable us to observe tissue microstructure at high resolution and in real time. Currently, core-needle biopsies are guided by external imaging modalities such as ultrasound imaging and x-ray computed tomography (CT) for breast and lung masses, respectively. These image-guided procedures are frequently limited by spatial resolution when using ultrasound imaging, or by temporal resolution (rapid real-time feedback capabilities) when using x-ray CT. One feasible approach is to perform OCT within small gauge needles to optically image tissue microstructure. However, to date, no system or core-needle device has been developed that incorporates both three-dimensional OCT imaging and tissue biopsy within the same needle for true OCT-guided core-needle biopsy. We have developed and demonstrate an integrated core-needle biopsy system that utilizes catheter-based 3-D OCT for real-time image-guidance for target tissue localization, imaging of tissue immediately prior to physical biopsy, and subsequent OCT imaging of the biopsied specimen for immediate assessment at the point-of-care. OCT images of biopsied ex vivo tumor specimens acquired during core-needle placement are correlated with corresponding histology, and computational visualization of arbitrary planes within the 3-D OCT volumes enables feedback on specimen tissue type and biopsy quality. These results demonstrate the potential for using real-time 3-D OCT for needle biopsy guidance by imaging within the needle and tissue during biopsy procedures.

Augmented reality-guided neurosurgery: accuracy and intraoperative application of an image projection technique.

PubMed

Besharati Tabrizi, Leila; Mahvash, Mehran

2015-07-01

An augmented reality system has been developed for image-guided neurosurgery to project images with regions of interest onto the patient's head, skull, or brain surface in real time. The aim of this study was to evaluate system accuracy and to perform the first intraoperative application. Images of segmented brain tumors in different localizations and sizes were created in 10 cases and were projected to a head phantom using a video projector. Registration was performed using 5 fiducial markers. After each registration, the distance of the 5 fiducial markers from the visualized tumor borders was measured on the virtual image and on the phantom. The difference was considered a projection error. Moreover, the image projection technique was intraoperatively applied in 5 patients and was compared with a standard navigation system. Augmented reality visualization of the tumors succeeded in all cases. The mean time for registration was 3.8 minutes (range 2-7 minutes). The mean projection error was 0.8 ± 0.25 mm. There were no significant differences in accuracy according to the localization and size of the tumor. Clinical feasibility and reliability of the augmented reality system could be proved intraoperatively in 5 patients (projection error 1.2 ± 0.54 mm). The augmented reality system is accurate and reliable for the intraoperative projection of images to the head, skull, and brain surface. The ergonomic advantage of this technique improves the planning of neurosurgical procedures and enables the surgeon to use direct visualization for image-guided neurosurgery.

Arterial waveguide model for shear wave elastography: implementation and in vitro validation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vaziri Astaneh, Ali; Urban, Matthew W.; Aquino, Wilkins; Greenleaf, James F.; Guddati, Murthy N.

2017-07-01

Arterial stiffness is found to be an early indicator of many cardiovascular diseases. Among various techniques, shear wave elastography has emerged as a promising tool for estimating local arterial stiffness through the observed dispersion of guided waves. In this paper, we develop efficient models for the computational simulation of guided wave dispersion in arterial walls. The models are capable of considering fluid-loaded tubes, immersed in fluid or embedded in a solid, which are encountered in in vitro/ex vivo, and in vivo experiments. The proposed methods are based on judiciously combining Fourier transformation and finite element discretization, leading to a significant reduction in computational cost while fully capturing complex 3D wave propagation. The developed methods are implemented in open-source code, and verified by comparing them with significantly more expensive, fully 3D finite element models. We also validate the models using the shear wave elastography of tissue-mimicking phantoms. The computational efficiency of the developed methods indicates the possibility of being able to estimate arterial stiffness in real time, which would be beneficial in clinical settings.

In-situ 3D visualization of composite microstructure during polymer-to-ceramic conversion

DOE PAGES

Larson, Natalie M.; Zok, Frank W.

2017-10-31

One route for producing fiber-reinforced ceramic-matrix composites entails repeated impregnation and pyrolysis of a preceramic polymer in a fiber preform. The process relies crucially on the development of networks of contiguous cracks during pyrolysis, thereby allowing further impregnation to attain nearly-full densification. The present study employs in-situ x-ray computed tomography (XCT) to reveal in three dimensions the evolution of matrix structure during pyrolysis of a SiC-based preceramic polymer to 1200 °C. Observations are used to guide the development of a taxonomy of crack geometries and crack structures and to identify the temporal sequence of their formation. A quantitative analysis ismore » employed to characterize effects of local microstructural dimensions on the conditions required to form cracks of various types. Complementary measurements of gas evolution and mass loss of the preceramic polymer during pyrolysis as well as changes in mass density and Young's modulus provide context for the physical changes revealed by XCT. Furthermore, the findings provide a foundation for future development of physics-based models to guide composite fabrication processes.« less

A knowledge translation project on community-centred approaches in public health.

PubMed

Stansfield, J; South, J

2018-03-01

This article examines the development and impact of a national knowledge translation project aimed at improving access to evidence and learning on community-centred approaches for health and wellbeing. Structural changes in the English health system meant that knowledge on community engagement was becoming lost and a fragmented evidence base was seen to impact negatively on policy and practice. A partnership started between Public Health England, NHS England and Leeds Beckett University in 2014 to address these issues. Following a literature review and stakeholder consultation, evidence was published in a national guide to community-centred approaches. This was followed by a programme of work to translate the evidence into national strategy and local practice.The article outlines the key features of the knowledge translation framework developed. Results include positive impacts on local practice and national policy, for example adoption within National Institute for Health and Care Evidence (NICE) guidance and Local Authority public health plans and utilization as a tool for local audit of practice and commissioning. The framework was successful in its non-linear approach to knowledge translation across a range of inter-connected activity, built on national leadership, knowledge brokerage, coalition building and a strong collaboration between research institute and government agency.

Project Overview: A Reef Manager’s Guide to Coral Bleaching

EPA Science Inventory

The purpose of this report is to provide the latest scientific knowledge and discuss available management options to assist local and regional managers in responding effectively to mass coral bleaching events.

Background

Business Education into the Eighties.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alexander, Wilma Jean; And Others

This publication is a comprehensive curriculum guide designed to assist local educators in planning for comprehensive business programs at the secondary and postsecondary levels. Information is of value for use by teacher educators when preparing students for teaching careers. The curriculum guide is divided into 18 sections. The first five…

Technology Education Curriculum Guide for Connecticut-AIASA/TSA.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Monty, Phil

This curriculum guide is designed to provide advisors with ways to manage technology student activities within their American Industrial Arts Student Association/Technology Student Association (AIASA/TSA) program. Section 1 focuses on how to organize a local AIASA/TSA chapter. It covers organizing procedures organizational meetings, chapter…

Evaluation of Prevention Programs: A Basic Guide for Practitioners.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moberg, D. Paul

This guide is intended for professionals, laypersons, funding agents and others involved in planning and delivering local prevention services. Chapter 1 defines prevention, and differentiates between prevention strategies and programs targeted toward individuals or to general populations. Program evaluation and evaluation research are defined and…

A serious game for learning ultrasound-guided needle placement skills.

PubMed

Chan, Wing-Yin; Qin, Jing; Chui, Yim-Pan; Heng, Pheng-Ann

2012-11-01

Ultrasound-guided needle placement is a key step in a lot of radiological intervention procedures such as biopsy, local anesthesia and fluid drainage. To help training future intervention radiologists, we develop a serious game to teach the skills involved. We introduce novel techniques for realistic simulation and integrate game elements for active and effective learning. This game is designed in the context of needle placement training based on the some essential characteristics of serious games. Training scenarios are interactively generated via a block-based construction scheme. A novel example-based texture synthesis technique is proposed to simulate corresponding ultrasound images. Game levels are defined based on the difficulties of the generated scenarios. Interactive recommendation of desirable insertion paths is provided during the training as an adaptation mechanism. We also develop a fast physics-based approach to reproduce the shadowing effect of needles in ultrasound images. Game elements such as time-attack tasks, hints and performance evaluation tools are also integrated in our system. Extensive experiments are performed to validate its feasibility for training.

Development of a flexible γ-ray detector using a liquid scintillation light guide (LSLG).

PubMed

Nomura, Kiyoshi; Yunoki, Akira; Hara, Masayuki; Morito, Yuko; Fujishima, Akira

2018-04-10

A flexible γ detector using a liquid scintillation light guide (LSLG) was developed. The analyzed pulse height (PHA) spectrum depended on the diameter, length and scintillator concentration of the LSLG, and the distance of a γ ray irradiation point from the head of photomultiplier tube (PMT). From the analysis of PHA spectrum, it was found that the count ratio of two divided channel regions linearly decreases as the distance from the PMT head increases. It was further found that the radiation dose rate can be estimated by setting the flexible LSLG tube to a circular shape since the count rate is proportional to the dose rate measured by a conventional NaI (Tl) scintillation detector. Therefore, a flexible and long LSLG detector using a single PMT is useful for determination of the dose rate and has a potential to detect local contaminations in a certain narrow space. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

ABCGheritage project - promoting geotourism in northern Finland, northern Norway and the Kola Peninsula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pihlaja, Jouni; Johansson, Peter; Lauri, Laura S.

2014-05-01

Nature tourism has been a growing business sector in the Barents area during the recent decades. With the purpose to develop nature tourism in a sustainable way, a cooperation project ABCGheritage - Arctic Biological, Cultural and Geological Heritage has been carried out. Project has received partial funding from the EU Kolarctic ENPI program. In the geoheritage part of the project the main activities were aimed to develop pro-environmental ways of geotourism in the area. The three main participants in the geoheritage part of the project are the Geological Survey of Finland, Northern Finland Office, the Geological Institute of the Kola Science Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Bioforsk Soil and Environment from northeastern Norway. The duration of the project is 2012-2014 and most of the work has already been completed even if most of the results are not published yet. Totally ten different tasks have been implemented in the geological part of the project. The largest task has been the preparation of a geological outdoor map and guide book of the Khibiny Tundra locating in the central part of the Kola Peninsula. In Finland already 11 such maps have been published, and the experiences gained during their production have been used in this project, too. Geological heritage trails to the Khibiny Tundra have also been created and they will be drawn on the map. The second concrete result is the Barents Tour for Geotourist -guide, which will be published as a guide book, web pages and an exhibition. The route comprises ca 35 best geological demonstration sites along the circle route from northern Finland to northeastern Norway, from there to Kola Peninsula and then back to Finland. Information of the route will be available for all interested travelers. In addition to the geological outdoor map of the Khibiny Tundra and "Barents Tour for Geotourists"-guide, the primary outputs of the project are the geological nature trails on the field, geological demonstration sites with uniform signposts and educational data packages on geological heritage. The main target groups are pupils and teachers at schools, especially on elementary stage. Tourists and locals visiting protected and recreational areas and other heritage sites will also benefit from the results. Personnel working in education and tourism will get new targets and background data for their clients. Final beneficiaries are local inhabitants, entrepreneurs and companies through positive impact to local economy and communities.

Concept mapping as a promising method to bring practice into science.

PubMed

van Bon-Martens, M J H; van de Goor, L A M; Holsappel, J C; Kuunders, T J M; Jacobs-van der Bruggen, M A M; te Brake, J H M; van Oers, J A M

2014-06-01

Concept mapping is a method for developing a conceptual framework of a complex topic for use as a guide to evaluation or planning. In concept mapping, thoughts and ideas are represented in the form of a picture or map, the content of which is determined by a group of stakeholders. This study aimed to explore the suitability of this method as a tool to integrate practical knowledge with scientific knowledge in order to improve theory development as a sound basis for practical decision-making. Following a short introduction to the method of concept mapping, five Dutch studies, serving different purposes and fields in public health, will be described. The aim of these studies was: to construct a theoretical framework for good regional public health reporting; to design an implementation strategy for a guideline for integral local health policy; to guide the evaluation of a local integral approach of overweight and obesity in youth; to guide the construction of a questionnaire to measure the quality of postdisaster psychosocial care; and to conceptualize an integral base for formulation of ambitions and targets for the new youth healthcare programme of a regional health service. The studies showed that concept mapping is a way to integrate practical and scientific knowledge with careful selection of participants that represent the different perspectives. Theory development can be improved through concept mapping; not by formulating new theories, but by highlighting the key issues and defining perceived relationships between topics. In four of the five studies, the resulting concept map was received as a sound basis for practical decision-making. Concept mapping is a valuable method for evidence-based public health policy, and a powerful instrument for facilitating dialogue, coherence and collaboration between researchers, practitioners, policy makers and the public. Development of public health theory was realized by a step-by-step approach, considering both scientific and practical knowledge. However, the external validity of the concept maps in place and time is of importance. Copyright © 2014 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mapping barriers and intervention activities to behaviour change theory for Mobilization of Vulnerable Elders in Ontario (MOVE ON), a multi-site implementation intervention in acute care hospitals.

PubMed

Moore, Julia E; Mascarenhas, Alekhya; Marquez, Christine; Almaawiy, Ummukulthum; Chan, Wai-Hin; D'Souza, Jennifer; Liu, Barbara; Straus, Sharon E

2014-10-30

As evidence-informed implementation interventions spread, they need to be tailored to address the unique needs of each setting, and this process should be well documented to facilitate replication. To facilitate the spread of the Mobilization of Vulnerable Elders in Ontario (MOVE ON) intervention, the aim of the current study is to develop a mapping guide that links identified barriers and intervention activities to behaviour change theory. Focus groups were conducted with front line health-care professionals to identify perceived barriers to implementation of an early mobilization intervention targeted to hospitalized older adults. Participating units then used or adapted intervention activities from an existing menu or developed new activities to facilitate early mobilization. A thematic analysis was performed on the focus group data, emphasizing concepts related to barriers to behaviour change. A behaviour change theory, the 'capability, opportunity, motivation-behaviour (COM-B) system', was used as a taxonomy to map the identified barriers to their root causes. We also mapped the behaviour constructs and intervention activities to overcome these. A total of 46 focus groups were conducted across 26 hospital inpatient units in Ontario, Canada, with 261 participants. The barriers were conceptualized at three levels: health-care provider (HCP), patient, and unit. Commonly mentioned barriers were time constraints and workload (HCP), patient clinical acuity and their perceived 'sick role' (patient), and lack of proper equipment and human resources (unit level). Thirty intervention activities to facilitate early mobilization of older adults were implemented across hospitals; examples of unit-developed intervention activities include the 'mobility clock' communication tool and the use of staff champions. A mapping guide was created with barriers and intervention activities matched though the lens of the COM-B system. We used a systematic approach to develop a guide, which maps barriers, intervention activities, and behaviour change constructs in order to tailor an implementation intervention to the local context. This approach allows implementers to identify potential strategies to overcome local-level barriers and to document adaptations.

Project Overview: A Reef Manager's Guide to Coral Bleaching ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The purpose of this report is to provide the latest scientific knowledge and discuss available management options to assist local and regional managers in responding effectively to mass coral bleaching events. Background A Reef Manager’s Guide to Coral Bleaching is the result of a collaborative effort by over 50 scientists and managers to: (1) share the best available scientific information on climate-related coral bleaching; and (2) compile a tool kit of currently available strategies for adaptive management of coral reefs in a changing climate. The result is a compendium of current information, tools, and practical suggestions to aid managers in their efforts to protect reefs in a way that maximizes reef resilience in the face of continuing climate change. The Guide is a joint publication of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, and The World Conservation Union, with author contributions from a variety of international partners from government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and academic institutions. EPA’s Office of Research and Development was a major contributor to the Guide through authorship and participation in the final review and editing process for the entire report. A Reef Manager’s Guide to Coral Bleaching is the result of a collaborative effort by over 50 scientists and managers to: (1) share the best available scientific information on climate-related coral blea

Intermediate-term results of image-guided brachytherapy and high-technology external beam radiotherapy in cervical cancer: Chiang Mai University experience.

PubMed

Tharavichitkul, Ekkasit; Chakrabandhu, Somvilai; Wanwilairat, Somsak; Tippanya, Damrongsak; Nobnop, Wannapha; Pukanhaphan, Nantaka; Galalae, Razvan M; Chitapanarux, Imjai

2013-07-01

To evaluate the outcomes of image-guided brachytherapy combined with 3D conformal or intensity modulated external beam radiotherapy (3D CRT/IMRT) in cervical cancer at Chiang Mai University. From 2008 to 2011, forty-seven patients with locally advanced cervical cancer were enrolled in this study. All patients received high-technology (3D CRT/IMRT) whole pelvic radiotherapy with a total dose of 45-46 Gy plus image-guided High-Dose-Rate intracavitary brachytherapy 6.5-7 Gy × 4 fractions to a High-Risk Clinical Target Volume (HR-CTV) according to GEC-ESTRO recommendations. The dose parameters of the HR-CTV for bladder, rectum and sigmoid colon were recorded, as well as toxicity profiles. In addition, the endpoints for local control, disease-free, metastasis-free survival and overall survival were calculated. At the median follow-up time of 26 months, the local control, disease-free survival, and overall survival rates were 97.9%, 85.1%, and 93.6%, respectively. The mean dose of HR-CTV, bladder, rectum and sigmoid were 93.1, 88.2, 69.6, and 72 Gy, respectively. In terms of late toxicity, the incidence of grade 3-4 bladder and rectum morbidity was 2.1% and 2.1%, respectively. A combination of image-guided brachytherapy and IMRT/3D CRT showed very promising results of local control, disease-free survival, metastasis-free survival and overall survival rates. It also caused a low incidence of grade 3-4 toxicity in treated study patients. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Local Methotrexate Injection as the First-line Treatment for Cesarean Scar Pregnancy: Review of the Literature.

PubMed

Cheung, Vincent Y T

2015-01-01

The objective of this study was to determine the outcome of using ultrasound-guided local methotrexate injection as the first-line treatment of cesarean scar pregnancy (CSP). A literature review was performed on all eligible reports using this modality as the first-line treatment of CSP. Relevant publications were obtained from the PubMed electronic database from inception to December 2014. Ninety-six cases from 95 women reported in 17 articles were reviewed. The success rate was 73.9% after a single local methotrexate injection. An accumulated success rate of 88.5% could be achieved after additional local or intramuscular methotrexate administration. Eleven cases (11.5%) failed methotrexate treatment and required surgical interventions. Except for women with serum human chorionic gonadotropin levels higher than 100 000 IU/L, ultrasound-guided local methotrexate injection could be considered as a first-line treatment modality for CSP. Copyright © 2015 AAGL. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evolving gene regulation networks into cellular networks guiding adaptive behavior: an outline how single cells could have evolved into a centralized neurosensory system

PubMed Central

Fritzsch, Bernd; Jahan, Israt; Pan, Ning; Elliott, Karen L.

2014-01-01

Understanding the evolution of the neurosensory system of man, able to reflect on its own origin, is one of the major goals of comparative neurobiology. Details of the origin of neurosensory cells, their aggregation into central nervous systems and associated sensory organs, their localized patterning into remarkably different cell types aggregated into variably sized parts of the central nervous system begin to emerge. Insights at the cellular and molecular level begin to shed some light on the evolution of neurosensory cells, partially covered in this review. Molecular evidence suggests that high mobility group (HMG) proteins of pre-metazoans evolved into the definitive Sox [SRY (sex determining region Y)-box] genes used for neurosensory precursor specification in metazoans. Likewise, pre-metazoan basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) genes evolved in metazoans into the group A bHLH genes dedicated to neurosensory differentiation in bilaterians. Available evidence suggests that the Sox and bHLH genes evolved a cross-regulatory network able to synchronize expansion of precursor populations and their subsequent differentiation into novel parts of the brain or sensory organs. Molecular evidence suggests metazoans evolved patterning gene networks early and not dedicated to neuronal development. Only later in evolution were these patterning gene networks tied into the increasing complexity of diffusible factors, many of which were already present in pre-metazoans, to drive local patterning events. It appears that the evolving molecular basis of neurosensory cell development may have led, in interaction with differentially expressed patterning genes, to local network modifications guiding unique specializations of neurosensory cells into sensory organs and various areas of the central nervous system. PMID:25416504

Evolving gene regulatory networks into cellular networks guiding adaptive behavior: an outline how single cells could have evolved into a centralized neurosensory system.

PubMed

Fritzsch, Bernd; Jahan, Israt; Pan, Ning; Elliott, Karen L

2015-01-01

Understanding the evolution of the neurosensory system of man, able to reflect on its own origin, is one of the major goals of comparative neurobiology. Details of the origin of neurosensory cells, their aggregation into central nervous systems and associated sensory organs and their localized patterning leading to remarkably different cell types aggregated into variably sized parts of the central nervous system have begun to emerge. Insights at the cellular and molecular level have begun to shed some light on the evolution of neurosensory cells, partially covered in this review. Molecular evidence suggests that high mobility group (HMG) proteins of pre-metazoans evolved into the definitive Sox [SRY (sex determining region Y)-box] genes used for neurosensory precursor specification in metazoans. Likewise, pre-metazoan basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) genes evolved in metazoans into the group A bHLH genes dedicated to neurosensory differentiation in bilaterians. Available evidence suggests that the Sox and bHLH genes evolved a cross-regulatory network able to synchronize expansion of precursor populations and their subsequent differentiation into novel parts of the brain or sensory organs. Molecular evidence suggests metazoans evolved patterning gene networks early, which were not dedicated to neuronal development. Only later in evolution were these patterning gene networks tied into the increasing complexity of diffusible factors, many of which were already present in pre-metazoans, to drive local patterning events. It appears that the evolving molecular basis of neurosensory cell development may have led, in interaction with differentially expressed patterning genes, to local network modifications guiding unique specializations of neurosensory cells into sensory organs and various areas of the central nervous system.

Facilitators for the development and implementation of health promoting policy and programs - a scoping review at the local community level.

PubMed

Weiss, Daniel; Lillefjell, Monica; Magnus, Eva

2016-02-11

Health promotion, with a focus on multidimensional upstream factors and an ecological, life-course approach, is establishing itself as the guiding philosophy for addressing public health. Action at the political and programmatic level on the Social Determinants of Health has proven effective for promoting and building public health at all levels but has been particularly evident at the national and international levels - due in large part to available documents and guidelines. Although research and experience establish that health promotion is most effective when settings-based, the development of health promoting policies and programs at the local level is still difficult. This study intended to investigate available knowledge on the development and implementation of health promoting policies and programs at the local level and identify factors most important for facilitating capacity building and outcome achievement. We used a scoping review in order to review the current literature on local policy development and program implementation. Keywords were chosen based on results of a previous literature review. A total of 53 articles were divided into two categories: policy and implementation. Critical analysis was conducted for each article and a summary assembled. Data was charted with specific focus on the aims of the study, data acquisition, key theories/concepts/frameworks used, outcome measures, results, and conclusions. The articles included in this study primarily focused on discussing factors that facilitate the development of health promoting policy and the implementation of health promotion programs. Most significant facilitators included: collaborative decision-making, agreement of objectives and goals, local planning and action, effective leadership, building and maintaining trust, availability of resources, a dynamic approach, a realistic time-frame, and trained and knowledgeable staff. Within each of these important facilitating factors, various elements supporting implementation were discussed and highlighted in this study. Our results indicate that clear and consistent facilitators exist for supporting health promoting policy development and program implementation at the local level. These results offer a starting point for local action on the Social Determinants of Health and have the potential to contribute to the development of a framework for improving action at the local level.

75 FR 23224 - Notice of Request for Nominations for the Colorado Recreation Resource Advisory Committee...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-03

... recreation, (4) Non-motorized outfitter guides, (5) Local environmental groups, (6) State tourism official...; and (c) Local environmental groups. (3) Three persons, as follows: (a) State tourism official to...

Treatment of Locally Advanced Vaginal Cancer With Radiochemotherapy and Magnetic Resonance Image-Guided Adaptive Brachytherapy: Dose-Volume Parameters and First Clinical Results

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

Dimopoulos, Johannes C.A.; Schmid, Maximilian P., E-mail: maximilian.schmid@akhwien.at; Fidarova, Elena

2012-04-01

Purpose: To investigate the clinical feasibility of magnetic resonance image-guided adaptive brachytherapy (IGABT) for patients with locally advanced vaginal cancer and to report treatment outcomes. Methods and Materials: Thirteen patients with vaginal cancer were treated with external beam radiotherapy (45-50.4 Gy) plus IGABT with or without chemotherapy. Distribution of International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stages among patients were as follows: 4 patients had Stage II cancer, 5 patients had Stage III cancer, and 4 patients had Stage IV cancer. The concept of IGABT as developed for cervix cancer was transferred and adapted for vaginal cancer, with corresponding treatment planningmore » and reporting. Doses were converted to the equivalent dose in 2 Gy, applying the linear quadratic model ({alpha}/{beta} = 10 Gy for tumor; {alpha}/{beta} = 3 for organs at risk). Endpoints studied were gross tumor volume (GTV), dose-volume parameters for high-risk clinical target volume (HRCTV), and organs at risk, local control (LC), adverse side effects, and survival. Results: The mean GTV ({+-} 1 standard deviation) at diagnosis was 45.3 ({+-}30) cm{sup 3}, and the mean GTV at brachytherapy was 10 ({+-}14) cm{sup 3}. The mean D90 for the HRCTV was 86 ({+-}13) Gy. The mean D2cc for bladder, urethra, rectum, and sigmoid colon were 80 ({+-}20) Gy, 76 ({+-}16) Gy, 70 ({+-}9) Gy, and 60 ({+-}9) Gy, respectively. After a median follow-up of 43 months (range, 19-87 months), one local recurrence and two distant metastases cases were observed. Actuarial LC and overall survival rates at 3 years were 92% and 85%. One patient with Stage IVA and 1 patient with Stage III disease experienced fistulas (one vesicovaginal, one rectovaginal), and 1 patient developed periurethral necrosis. Conclusions: The concept of IGABT, originally developed for treating cervix cancer, appears to be applicable to vaginal cancer treatment with only minor adaptations. Dose-volume parameters for HRCTV and organs at risk are in a comparable range. First clinical results indicate excellent LC. Further prospective multicenter studies are needed to establish this method and to confirm these results.« less

MR-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound ablation of breast cancer with a dedicated breast platform.

PubMed

Merckel, Laura G; Bartels, Lambertus W; Köhler, Max O; van den Bongard, H J G Desirée; Deckers, Roel; Mali, Willem P Th M; Binkert, Christoph A; Moonen, Chrit T; Gilhuijs, Kenneth G A; van den Bosch, Maurice A A J

2013-04-01

Optimizing the treatment of breast cancer remains a major topic of interest. In current clinical practice, breast-conserving therapy is the standard of care for patients with localized breast cancer. Technological developments have fueled interest in less invasive breast cancer treatment. Magnetic resonance-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound (MR-HIFU) is a completely noninvasive ablation technique. Focused beams of ultrasound are used for ablation of the target lesion without disrupting the skin and subcutaneous tissues in the beam path. MRI is an excellent imaging method for tumor targeting, treatment monitoring, and evaluation of treatment results. The combination of HIFU and MR imaging offers an opportunity for image-guided ablation of breast cancer. Previous studies of MR-HIFU in breast cancer patients reported a limited efficacy, which hampered the clinical translation of this technique. These prior studies were performed without an MR-HIFU system specifically developed for breast cancer treatment. In this article, a novel and dedicated MR-HIFU breast platform is presented. This system has been designed for safe and effective MR-HIFU ablation of breast cancer. Furthermore, both clinical and technical challenges are discussed, which have to be solved before MR-HIFU ablation of breast cancer can be implemented in routine clinical practice.

Defect detection performance of the UCSD non-contact air-coupled ultrasonic guided wave inspection of rails prototype

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mariani, Stefano; Nguyen, Thompson V.; Sternini, Simone; Lanza di Scalea, Francesco; Fateh, Mahmood; Wilson, Robert

2016-04-01

The University of California at San Diego (UCSD), under a Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Office of Research and Development (R&D) grant, is developing a system for high-speed and non-contact rail defect detection. A prototype using an ultrasonic air-coupled guided wave signal generation and air-coupled signal detection, paired with a real-time statistical analysis algorithm, has been realized. This system requires a specialized filtering approach based on electrical impedance matching due to the inherently poor signal-to-noise ratio of air-coupled ultrasonic measurements in rail steel. Various aspects of the prototype have been designed with the aid of numerical analyses. In particular, simulations of ultrasonic guided wave propagation in rails have been performed using a Local Interaction Simulation Approach (LISA) algorithm. The system's operating parameters were selected based on Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves, which provide a quantitative manner to evaluate different detection performances based on the trade-off between detection rate and false positive rate. The prototype based on this technology was tested in October 2014 at the Transportation Technology Center (TTC) in Pueblo, Colorado, and again in November 2015 after incorporating changes based on lessons learned. Results from the 2015 field test are discussed in this paper.

Cogeneration : A Regulatory Guide to Leasing, Permitting, and Licensing in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington.

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

Deshaye, Joyce; Bloomquist, R.Gordon

1992-12-01

This guidebook focuses on cogeneration development. It is one of a series of four guidebooks recently prepared to introduce the energy developer to the federal, state and local agencies that regulate energy facilities in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington (the Bonneville Power Administration Service Territory). It was prepared specifically to help cogeneration developers obtain the permits, licenses and approvals necessary to construct and operate a cogeneration facility. The regulations, agencies and policies described herein are subject to change. Changes are likely to occur whenever energy or a project becomes a political issue, a state legislature meets, a preexisting popular ormore » valuable land use is thought threatened, elected and appointed officials change, and new directions are imposed on states and local governments by the federal government. Accordingly, cogeneration developers should verify and continuously monitor the status of laws and rules that might affect their plans. Developers are cautioned that the regulations described herein may only be a starting point on the road to obtaining all the necessary permits.« less

Local Implementation and Land Use Decision Making.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garlasco, Chris; And Others

This material includes student guide sheets, reference material, and tape script for the audio-tutorial unit on Local Implementation. An audio tape is used with the materials. The material is designed for use with Connecticut schools, but can be adapted to other localities. The material in this unit emphasizes the role of planning and zoning in…

Making Sense of School Budgets: A Citizen's Guide to Local Public Education Spending.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weston, Susan Perkins; And Others

Citizens need to understand and control how their money is used in local public schools. District publications and records probably contain the answers to many of the questions concerning local education spending. This booklet was designed to unravel the mysteries surrounding budget proposals and increased spending. Accordingly, part 1 explains…

The Philosophy of Local Studies in the Interactive Age

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reid, Peter H.; Macafee, Caroline

2007-01-01

The authors examine strategic priorities for local studies libraries in the context of the interactive Web. They examine the implications for access, investigations and the needs of different users. The philosophy that has previously guided local studies is articulated as a number of maxims, taking into account also social inclusion and lifelong…

Discover a Watershed: The Watershed Manager Educators Guide

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Project WET Foundation, 2002

2002-01-01

This guide contains 19 science-based, multidisciplinary activities that teach what a watershed is, how it works and why we must all consider ourselves watershed managers. An extensive background section introduces readers to fundamental watershed concepts. Each activity adapts to local watersheds, contains e-links for further Internet research and…

Cable Economics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cable Television Information Center, Washington, DC.

A guide to the economic factors that influence cable television systems is presented. Designed for local officials who must have some familiarity with cable operations in order to make optimum decisions, the guide analyzes the financial framework of a cable system, not only from the operators viewpoint, but also from the perspective of the…

Illinois Programs of Study Guide: 2009

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Jason L.; Kirby, Catherine L., Bragg, Debra D.; Oertle, Kathleen M.; Jankowski, Natasha A.; Khan, Sadya S.

2009-01-01

This guide begins with background information useful to understanding Illinois' framework for implementation and evaluation of Programs of Study. It starts with a visual depiction of the relationships between activity at the federal, state and local levels that evolved to the creation of Illinois' Career Cluster Model. This Model, which is based…

Responsible Beverage Service Course. Instructor Curriculum [and] Student Workbook.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moraine Park Technical Coll., Fond du Lac, WI.

This curriculum guide and student workbook provide materials for training for alcoholic beverage servers through a voluntary system that may fulfill local municipal ordinances. The instructor's curriculum guide presents a list of course goals, a list of competencies of the responsible beverage service course, a course format and suggested time…

Supervisor's Guide for Transporting Children with Special Health Needs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maryland State Dept. of Health and Mental Hygiene, Baltimore.

This guide is intended to provide local school district supervisors of transportation in Maryland with a ready reference on the transportation of children with special health care needs. An introduction offers decision guidelines and legal definitions under Maryland regulations. Basic information on the following conditions are then summarized:…

A Planning Guide for Instructional Networks, Part I.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Daly, Kevin F.

1994-01-01

Discusses three phases in implementing a master plan for a school-based local area network (LAN): (1) network software selection; (2) hardware selection, network topology, and site preparation; and (3) implementation time table. Sample planning and specification worksheets and a list of planning guides are included. (Contains six references.) (KRN)

Masonry. Teacher's Guide. Building Maintenance Units of Instruction.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barnes, Bill

This teaching guide on masonry building maintenance, one in a series of six publications designed for building maintenance instructors in Texas, is designed to give students an understanding of masonry construction. Introductory material provides teachers with information on use of the units of instruction and personalization and localization of…

Oregon Agriculture IV Curriculum Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oregon State Univ., Corvallis. Dept. of Agricultural Education.

This curriculum package is designed to assist teachers in preparing fourth-year vocational agricultural curricula to meet local community or regional needs. Provided in the introductory section are instructions for using the guide, suggestions for designing curricula that are sex fair and that are suitable for use with disadvantaged and disabled…

Apprenticeship and CETA Technical Assistance Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Employment and Training Administration (DOL), Washington, DC.

Intended to encourage CETA (Comprehensive Employment and Training Act) prime sponsors and apprenticeship program sponsors to integrate their activities, this technical assistance guide demonstrates many ways the two can unite at the local level to train and place people for employment. A general description of CETA is provided explaining the shift…

WSSDA's Guide to Parliamentary Procedures. Revised

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Randolph, Mary

2004-01-01

This guide to parliamentary procedures is presented by the Washington State School Directors' Association (WSSDA) for use by local school boards within the State of Washington. Parliamentary law and parliamentary procedure is the key to order and to provide justice and fairness to all. Through both formal and informal parliamentary procedures,…

Planning for Nursing Needs and Resources.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foerst, Helen V.; Gareau, Florence E.

To aid state and local manpower planning for nursing needs and resources, this guide presents basic principles and procedures essential to identifying needs and examining resources effectively. A wide range of resource and annotated reference lists present survey and study reports, background material, tools for planning, and a guide to…

Regulation of alternative splicing by local histone modifications: potential roles for RNA-guided mechanisms

PubMed Central

Zhou, Hua-Lin; Luo, Guangbin; Wise, Jo Ann; Lou, Hua

2014-01-01

The molecular mechanisms through which alternative splicing and histone modifications regulate gene expression are now understood in considerable detail. Here, we discuss recent studies that connect these two previously separate avenues of investigation, beginning with the unexpected discoveries that nucleosomes are preferentially positioned over exons and DNA methylation and certain histone modifications also show exonic enrichment. These findings have profound implications linking chromatin structure, histone modification and splicing regulation. Complementary single gene studies provided insight into the mechanisms through which DNA methylation and histones modifications modulate alternative splicing patterns. Here, we review an emerging theme resulting from these studies: RNA-guided mechanisms integrating chromatin modification and splicing. Several groundbreaking papers reported that small noncoding RNAs affect alternative exon usage by targeting histone methyltransferase complexes to form localized facultative heterochromatin. More recent studies provided evidence that pre-messenger RNA itself can serve as a guide to enable precise alternative splicing regulation via local recruitment of histone-modifying enzymes, and emerging evidence points to a similar role for long noncoding RNAs. An exciting challenge for the future is to understand the impact of local modulation of transcription elongation rates on the dynamic interplay between histone modifications, alternative splicing and other processes occurring on chromatin. PMID:24081581

Localized Oscillatory Energy Conversion in Magnetopause Reconnection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burch, J. L.; Ergun, R. E.; Cassak, P. A.; Webster, J. M.; Torbert, R. B.; Giles, B. L.; Dorelli, J. C.; Rager, A. C.; Hwang, K.-J.; Phan, T. D.; Genestreti, K. J.; Allen, R. C.; Chen, L.-J.; Wang, S.; Gershman, D.; Le Contel, O.; Russell, C. T.; Strangeway, R. J.; Wilder, F. D.; Graham, D. B.; Hesse, M.; Drake, J. F.; Swisdak, M.; Price, L. M.; Shay, M. A.; Lindqvist, P.-A.; Pollock, C. J.; Denton, R. E.; Newman, D. L.

2018-02-01

Data from the NASA Magnetospheric Multiscale mission are used to investigate asymmetric magnetic reconnection at the dayside boundary between the Earth's magnetosphere and the solar wind. High-resolution measurements of plasmas and fields are used to identify highly localized ( 15 electron Debye lengths) standing wave structures with large electric field amplitudes (up to 100 mV/m). These wave structures are associated with spatially oscillatory energy conversion, which appears as alternatingly positive and negative values of J · E. For small guide magnetic fields the wave structures occur in the electron stagnation region at the magnetosphere edge of the electron diffusion region. For larger guide fields the structures also occur near the reconnection X-line. This difference is explained in terms of channels for the out-of-plane current (agyrotropic electrons at the stagnation point and guide field-aligned electrons at the X-line).

A Guiding Evolutionary Algorithm with Greedy Strategy for Global Optimization Problems

PubMed Central

Cao, Leilei; Xu, Lihong; Goodman, Erik D.

2016-01-01

A Guiding Evolutionary Algorithm (GEA) with greedy strategy for global optimization problems is proposed. Inspired by Particle Swarm Optimization, the Genetic Algorithm, and the Bat Algorithm, the GEA was designed to retain some advantages of each method while avoiding some disadvantages. In contrast to the usual Genetic Algorithm, each individual in GEA is crossed with the current global best one instead of a randomly selected individual. The current best individual served as a guide to attract offspring to its region of genotype space. Mutation was added to offspring according to a dynamic mutation probability. To increase the capability of exploitation, a local search mechanism was applied to new individuals according to a dynamic probability of local search. Experimental results show that GEA outperformed the other three typical global optimization algorithms with which it was compared. PMID:27293421

A New Era of Image Guidance with Magnetic Resonance-guided Radiation Therapy for Abdominal and Thoracic Malignancies

PubMed Central

Paliwal, Bhudatt; Hill, Patrick; Bayouth, John E; Geurts, Mark W; Baschnagel, Andrew M; Bradley, Kristin A; Harari, Paul M; Rosenberg, Stephen; Brower, Jeffrey V; Wojcieszynski, Andrzej P; Hullett, Craig; Bayliss, R A; Labby, Zacariah E; Bassetti, Michael F

2018-01-01

Magnetic resonance-guided radiation therapy (MRgRT) offers advantages for image guidance for radiotherapy treatments as compared to conventional computed tomography (CT)-based modalities. The superior soft tissue contrast of magnetic resonance (MR) enables an improved visualization of the gross tumor and adjacent normal tissues in the treatment of abdominal and thoracic malignancies. Online adaptive capabilities, coupled with advanced motion management of real-time tracking of the tumor, directly allow for high-precision inter-/intrafraction localization. The primary aim of this case series is to describe MR-based interventions for localizing targets not well-visualized with conventional image-guided technologies. The abdominal and thoracic sites of the lung, kidney, liver, and gastric targets are described to illustrate the technological advancement of MR-guidance in radiotherapy. PMID:29872602

A Guiding Evolutionary Algorithm with Greedy Strategy for Global Optimization Problems.

PubMed

Cao, Leilei; Xu, Lihong; Goodman, Erik D

2016-01-01

A Guiding Evolutionary Algorithm (GEA) with greedy strategy for global optimization problems is proposed. Inspired by Particle Swarm Optimization, the Genetic Algorithm, and the Bat Algorithm, the GEA was designed to retain some advantages of each method while avoiding some disadvantages. In contrast to the usual Genetic Algorithm, each individual in GEA is crossed with the current global best one instead of a randomly selected individual. The current best individual served as a guide to attract offspring to its region of genotype space. Mutation was added to offspring according to a dynamic mutation probability. To increase the capability of exploitation, a local search mechanism was applied to new individuals according to a dynamic probability of local search. Experimental results show that GEA outperformed the other three typical global optimization algorithms with which it was compared.

Substance abuse prevention in Cape Town's peri-urban settlements: local health trainers' perspectives

PubMed Central

Puljević, Cheneal; Learmonth, Despina

2014-01-01

South Africa currently experiences high levels of alcohol and other drug (AOD) abuse. As a result there is a need for the initiation of regional AOD abuse prevention programmes with a specific focus on youth prevention strategies. The Medical Knowledge Institute (MKI) is a non-profit organisation which develops and facilitates health information workshops to members of disadvantaged peri-urban communities in South Africa. This research investigated the views of eight local MKI health trainers on factors contributing to AOD abuse in their communities. Although the expected focus of the discussion was on prevention strategies and effective interventions, the trainers placed more emphasis on the individual and community factors influencing AOD abuse. The themes which emerged through the research included: status, government, (di)stress, gender, recreation, consequences and community. This research holds significance as it has the potential to assist further development of community-based AOD prevention workshops and to guide public health policy and service development for AOD abuse. PMID:25750776

Developing Local Board of Health Guidelines to Promote Healthy Food Access — King County, Washington, 2010–2012

PubMed Central

Johnson, Donna B.; Krieger, James; MacDougall, Erin; Payne, Elizabeth; Chan, Nadine L.

2015-01-01

Policies that change environments are important tools for preventing chronic diseases, including obesity. Boards of health often have authority to adopt such policies, but few do so. This study assesses 1) how one local board of health developed a policy approach for healthy food access through vending machine guidelines (rather than regulations) and 2) the impact of the approach. Using a case study design guided by “three streams” policy theory and RE-AIM, we analyzed data from a focus group, interviews, and policy documents. The guidelines effectively supported institutional policy development in several settings. Recognition of the problem of chronic disease and the policy solution of vending machine guidelines created an opening for the board to influence nutrition environments. Institutions identified a need for support in adopting vending machine policies. Communities could benefit from the study board’s approach to using nonregulatory evidence-based guidelines as a policy tool. PMID:25927606

Medically Treated Diverticular Abscess Associated With High Risk of Recurrence and Disease Complications.

PubMed

Devaraj, Bikash; Liu, Wendy; Tatum, James; Cologne, Kyle; Kaiser, Andreas M

2016-03-01

The best management for diverticulitis with abscess formation remains unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine the natural course and outcomes of patients with medically treated diverticular abscess. We conducted a retrospective review of all patients at our institution with diverticular abscess confirmed by CT from 2004 to 2014. This study was conducted in a tertiary referral hospital. A total of 1194 patients were treated for acute diverticulitis in 10 years; 210 patients with CT-documented diverticular abscess were analyzed (140 men (66.7%) and 70 women (33.3%); median age 45 years; range, 23-84 years). Overall recurrence and disease complication rates, as well as the need for subsequent operation after initial successful nonsurgical management, were measured, along with analysis of the whole cohort and the subgroup of patients with percutaneous drainage for diverticular abscess. During the initial presentation, 25 patients failed nonoperative management and required an urgent operation. A total of 185 patients were initially successfully managed without surgery and were discharged from the hospital. Of these, recurrent diverticulitis developed in 112 (60.5%) after an average time interval of 5.3 months (range, 0.8-20.0 months); 47 patients (42%) experienced more than 1 episode. The modified Hinchey stage at time of recurrence (compared with index stay) increased in 51 patients (45.6%). Seventy one (63%) of 112 recurrences showed local disease complications (recurrent abscess, fistula, stricture, or peritonitis). Fistula formation (colovesicular/colovaginal/colocutaneous) and recurrent abscess were the 2 most frequent complications. Twenty nine (26%) of 112 recurrences required an urgent operation; overall, 66 (59%) of 112 patients eventually underwent surgery at our institution. The original abscess size in patients who later developed recurrences was significantly larger than in patients who did not develop recurrence (5.3 vs 3.2 cm; p < 0.001). Paradoxically, larger abscesses also had a higher chance of successful CT-guided drainage (average size, 6.5 cm; range, 1.1-14 cm), yet CT-guided drainage did not change the overall outcome. Of 65 (31.0%) of 210 patients with CT-guided drainage, 45 (73.8%) of 61 after initial success experienced a recurrence. Furthermore, local disease complications at the time of recurrence were noted in 32 of 61 patients (52.5% of all CT-guided drainage, 71.1% of post-CT-guided drainage recurrences), and 13 (29.2%) of 45 patients with recurrence after successful CT-guided drainage subsequently required an urgent operation. The study was limited by its retrospective noncomparative design. Diverticular abscesses represent complicated diverticulitis and are associated with a high risk of recurrences and disease complications. Recurrences (contrary to other series) were often more severe than the index presentation. The successful CT-guided drainage of a diverticular abscess does not appear to lower the risks of future recurrence or complication rates and frequently is only a bridge to surgery. After initial successful nonoperative management, patients with diverticular abscess should be offered interval elective colectomy (see Video, Supplemental Digital Content 1, http://links.lww.com/DCR/A216).

Magnetic resonance imaging-radioguided occult lesion localization (ROLL) in breast cancer using Tc-99m macro-aggregated albumin and distilled water control.

PubMed

Philadelpho Arantes Pereira, Fernanda; Martins, Gabriela; Gregorio Calas, Maria Julia; Fonseca Torres de Oliveira, Maria Veronica; Gasparetto, Emerson Leandro; Barbosa da Fonseca, Lea Mirian

2013-09-18

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) guided wire localization presents several challenges apart from the technical difficulties. An alternative to this conventional localization method using a wire is the radio-guided occult lesion localization (ROLL), more related to safe surgical margins and reductions in excision volume. The purpose of this study was to establish a safe and reliable magnetic resonance imaging-radioguided occult lesion localization (MRI-ROLL) technique and to report our initial experience with the localization of nonpalpable breast lesions only observed on MRI. Sixteen women (mean age 53.2 years) with 17 occult breast lesions underwent radio-guided localization in a 1.5-T MR system using a grid-localizing system. All patients had a diagnostic MRI performed prior to the procedure. An intralesional injection of Technetium-99m macro-aggregated albumin followed by distilled water was performed. After the procedure, scintigraphy was obtained. Surgical resection was performed with the help of a gamma detector probe. The lesion histopathology and imaging concordance; the procedure's positive predictive value (PPV), duration time, complications, and accuracy; and the rate of exactly excised lesions evaluated with MRI six months after the surgery were assessed. One lesion in one patient had to be excluded because the radioactive substance came back after the injection, requiring a wire placement. Of the remaining cases, there were four malignant lesions, nine benign lesions, and three high-risk lesions. Surgical histopathology and imaging findings were considered concordant in all benign and high-risk cases. The PPV of MRI-ROLL was greater if the indication for the initial MR examination was active breast cancer. The median procedure duration time was 26 minutes, and all included procedures were defined as accurate. The exact and complete lesion removal was confirmed in all (100%) patients who underwent six-month postoperative MRI (50%). MRI-ROLL offers a precise, technically feasible, safe, and rapid means for performing preoperative MRI localizations in the breast.

Local Climate and Energy Program Model Design Guide: Enhancing Value and Creating Lasting Programs

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Created for local climate and clean energy program implementers, learn how programs create and deliver value to target audiences and partners, how to raise revenue, and how they can operate cost effectively.

Local bifurcations in differential equations with state-dependent delay.

PubMed

Sieber, Jan

2017-11-01

A common task when analysing dynamical systems is the determination of normal forms near local bifurcations of equilibria. As most of these normal forms have been classified and analysed, finding which particular class of normal form one encounters in a numerical bifurcation study guides follow-up computations. This paper builds on normal form algorithms for equilibria of delay differential equations with constant delay that were developed and implemented in DDE-Biftool recently. We show how one can extend these methods to delay-differential equations with state-dependent delay (sd-DDEs). Since higher degrees of regularity of local center manifolds are still open for sd-DDEs, we give an independent (still only partial) argument which phenomena from the truncated normal must persist in the full sd-DDE. In particular, we show that all invariant manifolds with a sufficient degree of normal hyperbolicity predicted by the normal form exist also in the full sd-DDE.

Insights and participatory actions driven by a socio-hydrogeological approach for groundwater management: the Grombalia Basin case study (Tunisia)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tringali, C.; Re, V.; Siciliano, G.; Chkir, N.; Tuci, C.; Zouari, K.

2017-08-01

Sustainable groundwater management strategies in water-scarce countries need to guide future decision-making processes pragmatically, by simultaneously considering local needs, environmental problems and economic development. The socio-hydrogeological approach named `Bir Al-Nas' has been tested in the Grombalia region (Cap Bon Peninsula, Tunisia), to evaluate the effectiveness of complementing hydrogeochemical and hydrogeological investigations with the social dimension of the issue at stake (which, in this case, is the identification of groundwater pollution sources). Within this approach, the social appraisal, performed through social network analysis and public engagement of water end-users, allowed hydrogeologists to get acquainted with the institutional dimension of local groundwater management, identifying issues, potential gaps (such as weak knowledge transfer among concerned stakeholders), and the key actors likely to support the implementation of the new science-based management practices resulting from the ongoing hydrogeological investigation. Results, hence, go beyond the specific relevance for the Grombaila basin, showing the effectiveness of the proposed approach and the importance of including social assessment in any given hydrogeological research aimed at supporting local development through groundwater protection measures.

Biosafety and Biosecurity: A Relative Risk-Based Framework for Safer, More Secure, and Sustainable Laboratory Capacity Building.

PubMed

Dickmann, Petra; Sheeley, Heather; Lightfoot, Nigel

2015-01-01

Laboratory capacity building is characterized by a paradox between endemicity and resources: countries with high endemicity of pathogenic agents often have low and intermittent resources (water, electricity) and capacities (laboratories, trained staff, adequate regulations). Meanwhile, countries with low endemicity of pathogenic agents often have high-containment facilities with costly infrastructure and maintenance governed by regulations. The common practice of exporting high biocontainment facilities and standards is not sustainable and concerns about biosafety and biosecurity require careful consideration. A group at Chatham House developed a draft conceptual framework for safer, more secure, and sustainable laboratory capacity building. The draft generic framework is guided by the phrase "LOCAL - PEOPLE - MAKE SENSE" that represents three major principles: capacity building according to local needs (local) with an emphasis on relationship and trust building (people) and continuous outcome and impact measurement (make sense). This draft generic framework can serve as a blueprint for international policy decision-making on improving biosafety and biosecurity in laboratory capacity building, but requires more testing and detailing development.