ADP Analysis project for the Human Resources Management Division

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tureman, Robert L., Jr.

1993-01-01

The ADP (Automated Data Processing) Analysis Project was conducted for the Human Resources Management Division (HRMD) of NASA's Langley Research Center. The three major areas of work in the project were computer support, automated inventory analysis, and an ADP study for the Division. The goal of the computer support work was to determine automation needs of Division personnel and help them solve computing problems. The goal of automated inventory analysis was to find a way to analyze installed software and usage on a Macintosh. Finally, the ADP functional systems study for the Division was designed to assess future HRMD needs concerning ADP organization and activities.

Damming Tropical Island Streams: Problems, Solutions, and Alternatives.

Treesearch

JAMES G. MARCH; JONATHAN P. BENSTEAD; CATHERINE M. PRINGLE; FREDERICK N. SCATENA

2003-01-01

The combination of human population growth, increased water usage, and limited groundwater resources often leads to extensive damming of rivers and streams on tropical islands. Ecological effects of dams on tropical islands can be dramatic, because the vast majority of native stream faunas (fishes, shrimps, and snails) migrate between freshwater and saltwater during...

University Students and Ethics of Computer Technology Usage: Human Resource Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Iyadat, Waleed; Iyadat, Yousef; Ashour, Rateb; Khasawneh, Samer

2012-01-01

The primary purpose of this study was to determine the level of students' awareness about computer technology ethics at the Hashemite University in Jordan. A total of 180 university students participated in the study by completing the questionnaire designed by the researchers, named the Computer Technology Ethics Questionnaire (CTEQ). Results…

Introductory Physics Students' Physics and Mathematics Epistemologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scanlon, Erin M.

The purpose of this three study dissertation is to investigate why students are enrolled in introductory physics courses experience difficulties in being successful; one possible source of their difficulties is related to their epistemology. In order to investigate students' epistemologies about mathematics and physics, students were observed solving physics problems in groups during a laboratory course (study 1) and while solving physics and mathematics problems individually during office-hour sessions (study 2). The Epistemological Resources theoretical framework was employed (Hammer & Elby, 2002). Using emergent and a priori epistemological resource operationalizations (Jones, 2015), 25 distinct epistemological resources were identified in study 1. Differences in physics epistemological resource usage between students of varying academic background (as measured by their number of previously completed mathematics and science classes were identified. By employing an external (Jones, 2015) and internal (Scanlon, 2016) a priori epistemological resource coding scheme, a total of 17 distinct epistemological resources were identified in study 2. The data were sampled to compare the mathematics and physics epistemological resource usage of participants with consistent and inconsistent sign usage in an energy conservation physics problem in order to provide a meaningful context for discussion. Participants of the same sign usage group employed epistemological resources similarly. Conversely, participants in different groups had significantly different physics epistemological resource usage patterns. Finally, student epistemological resource usage patterns from the first two studies were compared to course outcomes in order to determine implications for practice (study 3). Educators must be aware of and address the epistemological underpinnings of students' difficulties in introductory physics courses.

The use of online information resources by nurses.

PubMed

Wozar, Jody A; Worona, Paul C

2003-04-01

Based on the results of an informal needs assessment, the Usage of Online Information Resources by Nurses Project was designed to provide clinical nurses with accurate medical information at the point of care by introducing them to existing online library resources through instructional classes. Actual usage of the resources was then monitored for a set period of time. A two-hour hands-on class was developed for interested nurses. Participants were instructed in the content and use of several different online resources. A special Web page was designed for this project serving as an access point to the resources. Using a password system and WebTrends trade mark software, individual participant's usage of the resources was monitored for a thirty-day period following the class. At the end of the thirty days, usage results were tabulated, and participants were sent general evaluation forms. Eight participants accessed the project page thirty-nine times in a thirty-day period. The most accessed resource was Primary Care Online (PCO), accessed thirty-three times. PCO was followed by MD Consult (17), Ovid (8), NLM resources (5), and electronic journals (1). The individual with the highest usage accessed the project page thirteen times. Practicing clinical nurses will use online medical information resources if they are first introduced to them and taught how to access and use them. Health sciences librarians can play an important role in providing instruction to this often overlooked population.

Performing Resource Usage Analysis for a NOTIS System.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hinnebusch, Mark

1991-01-01

Outlines methods that the Florida Center for Library Automation (FCLA) has developed to estimate transaction costs and overall demand for NOTIS services. Transaction resource usage analysis is discussed, record structures are explained, institution collection size is considered, and usage and response time by hour of day is described. (six…

Opportunistic Resource Usage in CMS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kreuzer, Peter; Hufnagel, Dirk; Dykstra, D.; Gutsche, O.; Tadel, M.; Sfiligoi, I.; Letts, J.; Wuerthwein, F.; McCrea, A.; Bockelman, B.; Fajardo, E.; Linares, L.; Wagner, R.; Konstantinov, P.; Blumenfeld, B.; Bradley, D.; Cms Collaboration

2014-06-01

CMS is using a tiered setup of dedicated computing resources provided by sites distributed over the world and organized in WLCG. These sites pledge resources to CMS and are preparing them especially for CMS to run the experiment's applications. But there are more resources available opportunistically both on the GRID and in local university and research clusters which can be used for CMS applications. We will present CMS' strategy to use opportunistic resources and prepare them dynamically to run CMS applications. CMS is able to run its applications on resources that can be reached through the GRID, through EC2 compliant cloud interfaces. Even resources that can be used through ssh login nodes can be harnessed. All of these usage modes are integrated transparently into the GlideIn WMS submission infrastructure, which is the basis of CMS' opportunistic resource usage strategy. Technologies like Parrot to mount the software distribution via CVMFS and xrootd for access to data and simulation samples via the WAN are used and will be described. We will summarize the experience with opportunistic resource usage and give an outlook for the restart of LHC data taking in 2015.

Quantifying the environmental impact of an integrated human/industrial-natural system using life cycle assessment; a case study on a forest and wood processing chain.

PubMed

Schaubroeck, Thomas; Alvarenga, Rodrigo A F; Verheyen, Kris; Muys, Bart; Dewulf, Jo

2013-01-01

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a tool to assess the environmental sustainability of a product; it quantifies the environmental impact of a product's life cycle. In conventional LCAs, the boundaries of a product's life cycle are limited to the human/industrial system, the technosphere. Ecosystems, which provide resources to and take up emissions from the technosphere, are not included in those boundaries. However, similar to the technosphere, ecosystems also have an impact on their (surrounding) environment through their resource usage (e.g., nutrients) and emissions (e.g., CH4). We therefore propose a LCA framework to assess the impact of integrated Techno-Ecological Systems (TES), comprising relevant ecosystems and the technosphere. In our framework, ecosystems are accounted for in the same manner as technosphere compartments. Also, the remediating effect of uptake of pollutants, an ecosystem service, is considered. A case study was performed on a TES of sawn timber production encompassing wood growth in an intensively managed forest ecosystem and further industrial processing. Results show that the managed forest accounted for almost all resource usage and biodiversity loss through land occupation but also for a remediating effect on human health, mostly via capture of airborne fine particles. These findings illustrate the potential relevance of including ecosystems in the product's life cycle of a LCA, though further research is needed to better quantify the environmental impact of TES.

The impact of library services in primary care trusts in NHS North West England: a large-scale retrospective quantitative study of online resource usage in relation to types of service.

PubMed

Bell, Katherine; Glover, Steven William; Brodie, Colin; Roberts, Anne; Gleghorn, Colette

2009-06-01

Within NHS North West England there are 24 primary care trusts (PCTs), all with access to different types of library services. This study aims to evaluate the impact the type of library service has on online resource usage. We conducted a large-scale retrospective quantitative study across all PCT staff in NHS NW England using Athens sessions log data. We studied the Athens log usage of 30,381 staff, with 8,273 active Athens accounts and 100,599 sessions from 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2007. In 2007, PCTs with outreach librarians achieved 43% penetration of staff with active Athens accounts compared with PCTs with their own library service (28.23%); PCTs with service level agreements (SLAs) with acute hospital library services (22.5%) and with no library service (19.68%). This pattern was also observed when we looked at the average number of Athens user sessions per person, and usage of Dialog Datastar databases and Proquest full text journal collections. Our findings have shown a correlation of e-resource usage and type of library service. Outreach librarians have proved to be an efficient model for promoting and driving up resources usage. PCTs with no library service have shown the lowest level of resource usage.

Opportunistic Resource Usage in CMS

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

Kreuzer, Peter; Hufnagel, Dirk; Dykstra, D.

2014-01-01

CMS is using a tiered setup of dedicated computing resources provided by sites distributed over the world and organized in WLCG. These sites pledge resources to CMS and are preparing them especially for CMS to run the experiment's applications. But there are more resources available opportunistically both on the GRID and in local university and research clusters which can be used for CMS applications. We will present CMS' strategy to use opportunistic resources and prepare them dynamically to run CMS applications. CMS is able to run its applications on resources that can be reached through the GRID, through EC2 compliantmore » cloud interfaces. Even resources that can be used through ssh login nodes can be harnessed. All of these usage modes are integrated transparently into the GlideIn WMS submission infrastructure, which is the basis of CMS' opportunistic resource usage strategy. Technologies like Parrot to mount the software distribution via CVMFS and xrootd for access to data and simulation samples via the WAN are used and will be described. We will summarize the experience with opportunistic resource usage and give an outlook for the restart of LHC data taking in 2015.« less

Lunar Resources

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Edmunson, Jennifer

2010-01-01

This slide presentation reviews the lunar resources that we know are available for human use while exploration of the moon. Some of the lunar resources that are available for use are minerals, sunlight, solar wind, water and water ice, rocks and regolith. The locations for some of the lunar resouces and temperatures are reviewed. The Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) mission, and its findings are reviewed. There is also discussion about water retention in Permament Shadowed Regions of the Moon. There is also discussion about the Rock types on the lunar surface. There is also discussion of the lunar regolith, the type and the usages that we can have from it.

Target Water Consumption Calculation for Human Water Management based on Water Balance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sang, X.; Zhai, Z.; Ye, Y.; Zhai, J.

2016-12-01

Degradation of the regional ecological environment has become increasingly serious due to the rapid increase of water usage. Critical to water consumption management is a good approach to control the growth of water usage. Through the identification and analysis of water consumption for various sectors in the hydrosocial cycle, the method for calculating the regional target water consumption also is derived based on water balance theory. Analysis shows that during 1980 - 2004 in Tianjin City, there were 22 years in which the actual water consumption of Tianjin exceeded its target water consumption, with an average excess of 66 million m3 annually. Moreover, calculations show that the maximum human target water consumption water supply is 1.91 billion m3/a. If water consumption is controlled according to the target, the sustainable development of water resource, economic and social growth, and ecological environment in this region can be expected to be achieved.

Counting on COUNTER: The Current State of E-Resource Usage Data in Libraries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Welker, Josh

2012-01-01

Any librarian who has managed electronic resources has experienced the--for want of words--"joy" of gathering and analyzing usage statistics. Such statistics are important for evaluating the effectiveness of resources and for making important budgeting decisions. Unfortunately, the data are usually tedious to collect, inconsistently organized, of…

Integrating resource selection information with spatial capture--recapture

USGS Publications Warehouse

Royle, J. Andrew; Chandler, Richard B.; Sun, Catherine C.; Fuller, Angela K.

2013-01-01

4. Finally, we find that SCR models using standard symmetric and stationary encounter probability models may not fully explain variation in encounter probability due to space usage, and therefore produce biased estimates of density when animal space usage is related to resource selection. Consequently, it is important that space usage be taken into consideration, if possible, in studies focused on estimating density using capture–recapture methods.

File Usage Analysis and Resource Usage Prediction: a Measurement-Based Study. Ph.D. Thesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Devarakonda, Murthy V.-S.

1987-01-01

A probabilistic scheme was developed to predict process resource usage in UNIX. Given the identity of the program being run, the scheme predicts CPU time, file I/O, and memory requirements of a process at the beginning of its life. The scheme uses a state-transition model of the program's resource usage in its past executions for prediction. The states of the model are the resource regions obtained from an off-line cluster analysis of processes run on the system. The proposed method is shown to work on data collected from a VAX 11/780 running 4.3 BSD UNIX. The results show that the predicted values correlate well with the actual. The coefficient of correlation between the predicted and actual values of CPU time is 0.84. Errors in prediction are mostly small. Some 82% of errors in CPU time prediction are less than 0.5 standard deviations of process CPU time.

Web usage mining at an academic health sciences library: an exploratory study.

PubMed

Bracke, Paul J

2004-10-01

This paper explores the potential of multinomial logistic regression analysis to perform Web usage mining for an academic health sciences library Website. Usage of database-driven resource gateway pages was logged for a six-month period, including information about users' network addresses, referring uniform resource locators (URLs), and types of resource accessed. It was found that referring URL did vary significantly by two factors: whether a user was on-campus and what type of resource was accessed. Although the data available for analysis are limited by the nature of the Web and concerns for privacy, this method demonstrates the potential for gaining insight into Web usage that supplements Web log analysis. It can be used to improve the design of static and dynamic Websites today and could be used in the design of more advanced Web systems in the future.

A Novel Application of Agent-based Modeling: Projecting Water Access and Availability Using a Coupled Hydrologic Agent-based Model in the Nzoia Basin, Kenya

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Le, A.; Pricope, N. G.

2015-12-01

Projections indicate that increasing population density, food production, and urbanization in conjunction with changing climate conditions will place stress on water resource availability. As a result, a holistic understanding of current and future water resource distribution is necessary for creating strategies to identify the most sustainable means of accessing this resource. Currently, most water resource management strategies rely on the application of global climate predictions to physically based hydrologic models to understand potential changes in water availability. However, the need to focus on understanding community-level social behaviors that determine individual water usage is becoming increasingly evident, as predictions derived only from hydrologic models cannot accurately represent the coevolution of basin hydrology and human water and land usage. Models that are better equipped to represent the complexity and heterogeneity of human systems and satellite-derived products in place of or in conjunction with historic data significantly improve preexisting hydrologic model accuracy and application outcomes. We used a novel agent-based sociotechnical model that combines the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) and Agent Analyst and applied it in the Nzoia Basin, an area in western Kenya that is becoming rapidly urbanized and industrialized. Informed by a combination of satellite-derived products and over 150 household surveys, the combined sociotechnical model provided unique insight into how populations self-organize and make decisions based on water availability. In addition, the model depicted how population organization and current management alter water availability currently and in the future.

Open Educational Resources (OER) Usage and Barriers: A Study from Zhejiang University, China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hu, Ermei; Li, Yan; Li, Jessica; Huang, Wen-Hao

2015-01-01

Open educational resources (OER) as an innovation to share educational resources has been influential in past decade and expected to bring changes to higher education worldwide. There is, however, very limited literature on OER usage, especially from the perspective of college students in developing countries, who are often projected as the…

SLA Negotiation for VO Formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paurobally, Shamimabi

Resource management systems are changing from localized resources and services towards virtual organizations (VOs) sharing millions of heterogeneous resources across multiple organizations and domains. The virtual organizations and usage models include a variety of owners and consumers with different usage, access policies, cost models, varying loads, requirements and availability. The stakeholders have private utility functions that must be satisfied and possibly maximized.

Accounting and Accountability for Distributed and Grid Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thigpen, William; McGinnis, Laura F.; Hacker, Thomas J.

2001-01-01

While the advent of distributed and grid computing systems will open new opportunities for scientific exploration, the reality of such implementations could prove to be a system administrator's nightmare. A lot of effort is being spent on identifying and resolving the obvious problems of security, scheduling, authentication and authorization. Lurking in the background, though, are the largely unaddressed issues of accountability and usage accounting: (1) mapping resource usage to resource users; (2) defining usage economies or methods for resource exchange; (3) describing implementation standards that minimize and compartmentalize the tasks required for a site to participate in a grid.

A clinical economics workstation for risk-adjusted health care cost management.

PubMed Central

Eisenstein, E. L.; Hales, J. W.

1995-01-01

This paper describes a healthcare cost accounting system which is under development at Duke University Medical Center. Our approach differs from current practice in that this system will dynamically adjust its resource usage estimates to compensate for variations in patient risk levels. This adjustment is made possible by introducing a new cost accounting concept, Risk-Adjusted Quantity (RQ). RQ divides case-level resource usage variances into their risk-based component (resource consumption differences attributable to differences in patient risk levels) and their non-risk-based component (resource consumption differences which cannot be attributed to differences in patient risk levels). Because patient risk level is a factor in estimating resource usage, this system is able to simultaneously address the financial and quality dimensions of case cost management. In effect, cost-effectiveness analysis is incorporated into health care cost management. PMID:8563361

Toward hydro-social modeling: Merging human variables and the social sciences with climate-glacier runoff models (Santa River, Peru)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carey, Mark; Baraer, Michel; Mark, Bryan G.; French, Adam; Bury, Jeffrey; Young, Kenneth R.; McKenzie, Jeffrey M.

2014-10-01

Glacier shrinkage caused by climate change is likely to trigger diminished and less consistent stream flow in glacier-fed watersheds worldwide. To understand, model, and adapt to these climate-glacier-water changes, it is vital to integrate the analysis of both water availability (the domain of hydrologists) and water use (the focus for social scientists). Drawn from a case study of the Santa River watershed below Peru’s glaciated Cordillera Blanca mountain range, this paper provides a holistic hydro-social framework that identifies five major human variables critical to hydrological modeling because these forces have profoundly influenced water use over the last 60 years: (1) political agendas and economic development; (2) governance: laws and institutions; (3) technology and engineering; (4) land and resource use; and (5) societal responses. Notable shifts in Santa River water use-including major expansions in hydroelectricity generation, large-scale irrigation projects, and other land and resource-use practices-did not necessarily stem from changing glacier runoff or hydrologic shifts, but rather from these human variables. Ultimately, then, water usage is not predictable based on water availability alone. Glacier runoff conforms to certain expected trends predicted by models of progressively reduced glacier storage. However, societal forces establish the legal, economic, political, cultural, and social drivers that actually shape water usage patterns via human modification of watershed dynamics. This hydro-social framework has widespread implications for hydrological modeling in glaciated watersheds from the Andes and Alps to the Himalaya and Tien Shan, as well as for the development of climate change adaptation plans.

Collaborative Portfolio's Effect on Library Usage

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bryan, Valerie

2011-01-01

Library resources are expensive and it is the library media specialist's responsibility to ensure that use of the library's resources is maximized to support the School Strategic Plan (SSP). This library usage study examined data on the scheduling of high school classes for research-based assignments, related to content area curriculum standards,…

Shared Storage Usage Policy | High-Performance Computing | NREL

Science.gov Websites

Shared Storage Usage Policy Shared Storage Usage Policy To use NREL's high-performance computing (HPC) systems, you must abide by the Shared Storage Usage Policy. /projects NREL HPC allocations include storage space in the /projects filesystem. However, /projects is a shared resource and project

Conceptual and Adoption of Technology Acceptance Model in Digital Information Resources Usage by Undergraduates: Implication to Higher Institutions Education in Delta and Edo of Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Urhiewhu, Lucky Oghenetega; Emojorho, Daniel

2015-01-01

The article paper was on conceptual and theoretical framework of digital information resources usage by undergraduates: Implication to higher institutions education in Delta and Edo of Nigeria. It revealed the concept of digital information resources [DIRs] and model theory that related to the study. Finding shows that DIRs are use to low extent…

Live lectures or online videos: students' resource choices in a first-year university mathematics module

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Howard, Emma; Meehan, Maria; Parnell, Andrew

2018-05-01

In Maths for Business, a mathematics module for non-mathematics specialists, students are given the choice of completing the module content via short online videos, live lectures or a combination of both. In this study, we identify students' specific usage patterns with both of these resources and discuss their reasons for the preferences they exhibit. In 2015-2016, we collected quantitative data on each student's resource usage (attendance at live lectures and access of online videos) for the entire class of 522 students and employed model-based clustering which identified four distinct resource usage patterns with lectures and/or videos. We also collected qualitative data on students' perceptions of resource usage through a survey administered at the end of the semester, to which 161 students responded. The 161 survey responses were linked to each cluster and analysed using thematic analysis. Perceived benefits of videos include flexibility of scheduling and pace, and avoidance of large, long lectures. In contrast, the main perceived advantages of lectures are the ability to engage in group tasks, to ask questions, and to learn 'gradually'. Students in the two clusters with high lecture attendance achieved, on average, higher marks in the module.

EBSCO's Usage Consolidation Attempts to Streamline Gathering, Storage, and Reporting of Usage Statistics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Remy, Charlie

2012-01-01

This paper provides an overview of EBSCO's new Usage Consolidation product designed to streamline the harvesting, storage, and analysis of usage statistics from electronic resources. Strengths and weaknesses of the product are discussed as well as an early beta partner's experience. In the current atmosphere of flat or declining budgets, libraries…

Usage Data for Electronic Resources: A Comparison between Locally Collected and Vendor-Provided Statistics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duy, Joanna; Vaughan, Liwen

2003-01-01

Vendor-provided electronic resource usage statistics are not currently standardized across vendors. This study investigates the feasibility of using locally collected data to check the reliability of vendor-provided data. Vendor-provided data were compared with local data collected from North Carolina State University (NCSU) Libraries' Web…

Comprehensive efficiency analysis of supercomputer resource usage based on system monitoring data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mamaeva, A. A.; Shaykhislamov, D. I.; Voevodin, Vad V.; Zhumatiy, S. A.

2018-03-01

One of the main problems of modern supercomputers is the low efficiency of their usage, which leads to the significant idle time of computational resources, and, in turn, to the decrease in speed of scientific research. This paper presents three approaches to study the efficiency of supercomputer resource usage based on monitoring data analysis. The first approach performs an analysis of computing resource utilization statistics, which allows to identify different typical classes of programs, to explore the structure of the supercomputer job flow and to track overall trends in the supercomputer behavior. The second approach is aimed specifically at analyzing off-the-shelf software packages and libraries installed on the supercomputer, since efficiency of their usage is becoming an increasingly important factor for the efficient functioning of the entire supercomputer. Within the third approach, abnormal jobs – jobs with abnormally inefficient behavior that differs significantly from the standard behavior of the overall supercomputer job flow – are being detected. For each approach, the results obtained in practice in the Supercomputer Center of Moscow State University are demonstrated.

Finding alternatives when a major database is gone*

PubMed Central

Hu, Estelle

2016-01-01

Question What to do when a major database ceases publication? Setting An urban, academic health sciences library with four campuses serves a university health sciences system, a college of medicine, and five other health sciences colleges. Methods Usage statistics of each e-book title in the resource were carefully analyzed. Purchase decisions were made based on the assessment of usage. Results Sustainable resources were acquired from other vendors, with perpetual access for library users. Conclusion This systematic process of finding alternative resources is an example of librarians' persistence in acquiring perpetual electronic resources when a major resource is cancelled. PMID:27076804

The Great Lakes Information Network: the region's Internet information service.

PubMed

Ratza, C A

1996-01-01

Communication is the cornerstone of ecosystem protection and sustainable development efforts in the binational Great Lakes region of North America. Great Lakes environmental protection, remediation, and pollution prevention efforts bring together individuals from across the public sector, business and industry, citizens groups, and academia. The region is now working to enhance communications between these groups and the rest of the world, through the Internet-based Great Lakes Information Network (GLIN). Diverse regional data, information, and human resources located at key agencies and organizations are accessible via GLIN. These online resources span environmental quality, human health effects and other research, resource management, transportation, demographic, and economic data, as well as other resources in the Great Lakes region of the United States and Canada. Federal, state, provincial, and regional agencies and a range of citizen, business, and research organizations are cooperating with the lead agency, the Great Lakes Commission, in developing GLIN into the region's shared Internet resource. GLIN resources are accessible to users of ubiquitous Internet research tools including World Wide Web and Gopher. Statistical information on usage and the region's response to ongoing efforts to build the GLIN system and solicit contributions of data and information indicate that we can continue to build GLIN into a truly regional resource which enhances communication among researchers, policy makers, students, and the general public.

Dynfarm: A Dynamic Site Extension

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ciaschini, V.; De Girolamo, D.

2017-10-01

Requests for computing resources from LHC experiments are constantly mounting, and so are their peak usage. Since dimensioning a site to handle the peak usage times is impractical due to constraints on resources that many publicly-owned computing centres have, opportunistic usage of resources from external, even commercial, cloud providers is becoming more and more interesting, and is even the subject of upcoming initiative from the EU commission, named HelixNebula. While extra resources are always a good thing, to fully take advantage of them they must be integrated in the site’s own infrastructure and made available to users as if they were local resources. At the CNAF INFN Tier-1 we have developed a framework, called dynfarm, capable of taking external resources and, placing minimal and easily satisfied requirements upon them, fully integrate them into a pre-existing infrastructure and treat them as if they were local, fully-owned resources. In this article we for the first time will a give a full, complete description of the framework’s architecture along with all of its capabilities, to describe exactly what is possible with it and what are its requirements.

Self-Regulatory Strategies in Daily Life: Selection, Optimization, and Compensation and Everyday Memory Problems

PubMed Central

Stephanie, Robinson; Margie, Lachman; Elizabeth, Rickenbach

2015-01-01

The effective use of self-regulatory strategies, such as selection, optimization, and compensation (SOC) requires resources. However, it is theorized that SOC use is most advantageous for those experiencing losses and diminishing resources. The present study explored this seeming paradox within the context of limitations or constraints due to aging, low cognitive resources, and daily stress in relation to everyday memory problems. We examined whether SOC usage varied by age and level of constraints, and if the relationship between resources and memory problems was mitigated by SOC usage. A daily diary paradigm was used to explore day-to-day fluctuations in these relationships. Participants (n=145, ages 22 to 94) completed a baseline interview and a daily diary for seven consecutive days. Multilevel models examined between- and within-person relationships between daily SOC use, daily stressors, cognitive resources, and everyday memory problems. Middle-aged adults had the highest SOC usage, although older adults also showed high SOC use if they had high cognitive resources. More SOC strategies were used on high stress compared to low stress days. Moreover, the relationship between daily stress and memory problems was buffered by daily SOC use, such that on high-stress days, those who used more SOC strategies reported fewer memory problems than participants who used fewer SOC strategies. The paradox of resources and SOC use can be qualified by the type of resource-limitation. Deficits in global resources were not tied to SOC usage or benefits. Conversely, under daily constraints tied to stress, the use of SOC increased and led to fewer memory problems. PMID:26997686

Groundwater protection vs. extractable soil resource usage - approaching the problem with GPR-survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kupila, J.

2012-04-01

Finland is fully self-sufficient in clean groundwater and even has a capacity of exportation: there are more than 6000 groundwater areas, a total yield of those is 5.4 million m3/day and only 10% of this is in use. Even so, nowadays the protection of groundwater has come more and more important. One of the reasons is effects of extractable soil resource usage, because the most valuable and remarkable resources of groundwater as well as sand and gravel aggregates appear in the same areas. Also in densely populated areas there is lack of aggregate products. Using the best available techniques and methods which take into account sustainable development, the outcomes of this protection vs. usage -dilemma will be beneficent. Ground penetrating radar (GPR) -survey is an efficient tool for examination of areas of groundwater and soil resources. Briefly, GPR is a geophysical method that uses radar pulses to image the subsurface. It uses electromagnetic radiation in the microwave band (UHF/VHF frequencies) of the radio spectrum and detects the reflected signals from subsurface structures. Usually groundwater and soil aggregates appear in areas where the structure of soil layers improves the efficiency of GPR , so an exact image of subsurface layers can be outlined. Also the conditions of groundwater can be interpreted from GPR-data. Results from GPR-survey can be effective in making guidelines for extractable soil resource usage to avoid risks and to address secured sites for both groundwater and soil usage. Geological Survey of Finland has executed many co-operated projects related to these kind of problems, for example in Kainuu area, eastern Finland, 20 areas were studied with over 30 kilometers of GPR-profile. Detailed information from these researches support local authorities and actors in land use planning in future and furthermore assure safe balance in groundwater and soil resource usage.

USGIN ISO metadata profile

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richard, S. M.

2011-12-01

The USGIN project has drafted and is using a specification for use of ISO 19115/19/39 metadata, recommendations for simple metadata content, and a proposal for a URI scheme to identify resources using resolvable http URI's(see http://lab.usgin.org/usgin-profiles). The principal target use case is a catalog in which resources can be registered and described by data providers for discovery by users. We are currently using the ESRI Geoportal (Open Source), with configuration files for the USGIN profile. The metadata offered by the catalog must provide sufficient content to guide search engines to locate requested resources, to describe the resource content, provenance, and quality so users can determine if the resource will serve for intended usage, and finally to enable human users and sofware clients to obtain or access the resource. In order to achieve an operational federated catalog system, provisions in the ISO specification must be restricted and usage clarified to reduce the heterogeneity of 'standard' metadata and service implementations such that a single client can search against different catalogs, and the metadata returned by catalogs can be parsed reliably to locate required information. Usage of the complex ISO 19139 XML schema allows for a great deal of structured metadata content, but the heterogenity in approaches to content encoding has hampered development of sophisticated client software that can take advantage of the rich metadata; the lack of such clients in turn reduces motivation for metadata producers to produce content-rich metadata. If the only significant use of the detailed, structured metadata is to format into text for people to read, then the detailed information could be put in free text elements and be just as useful. In order for complex metadata encoding and content to be useful, there must be clear and unambiguous conventions on the encoding that are utilized by the community that wishes to take advantage of advanced metadata content. The use cases for the detailed content must be well understood, and the degree of metadata complexity should be determined by requirements for those use cases. The ISO standard provides sufficient flexibility that relatively simple metadata records can be created that will serve for text-indexed search/discovery, resource evaluation by a user reading text content from the metadata, and access to the resource via http, ftp, or well-known service protocols (e.g. Thredds; OGC WMS, WFS, WCS).

OER Usage by Instructional Designers and Training Managers in Corporations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Merkel, Eli; Cohen, Anat

2015-01-01

Since the development of Open Educational Resources (OERs), different models regarding the usage of these resources in education have appeared in the literature. Wiley's 4-Rs model is considered to be one of the leading models. Research based on Wiley's model shows that using materials without making changes is the most common use. Compared to the…

Enabling a Community of Practice: Results of the LSCHE Web Portal Survey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoff, Meagan A.; Hodges, Russ; Lin, Yuting; McConnell, Michael C.

2017-01-01

The study explored usage patterns of the Learning Support Centers in Higher Education (LSCHE) web portal, an open educational resource (OER) that serves learning support center professionals. Results of an online survey taken by LSCHE users (N = 41) tracked their self-reported usage and perceived value of resources on the web portal, which…

Overview of naturally occurring Earth materials and human health concerns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ernst, W. G.

2012-10-01

The biosphere and the Earth's critical zone have maintained a dynamic equilibrium for more than 3.5 billion years. Except for solar energy, almost all terrestrial substances necessary for life have been derived from near-surface portions of the land, hydrosphere, and atmosphere. If aggregate biological activities are less than the rate of nutrient supply and/or resource renewal, sustained population growth is possible. Where the replenishment rate of a life-sustaining Earth material is finite, usage may reach a condition of dynamic equilibrium in which biological consumption equals but on average cannot exceed the overall supply. Although large, most natural resources are present in finite abundances; for such commodities, excessive present-day human utilization reduces future availability, and thus the ultimate planetary carrying capacity for civilization. Intensive use of Earth materials has enhanced the quality of life, especially in the developed nations. Still, natural background levels, and Earth processes such as volcanic eruptions, as well as human activities involving agriculture, construction, and the extraction, refining, and transformation of mineral resources have led to harmful side effects involving environmental degradation and public health hazards. Among naturally and anthropogenically induced risks are bioaccessible airborne dusts and gases, soluble pollutants in agricultural, industrial, and residential waters, and toxic chemical species in foods and manufactured products. At appropriate levels of ingestion, many Earth materials are necessary for existence, but underdoses and overdoses have mild to serious consequences for human health and longevity. This overview briefly sketches several natural resource health hazards. Included are volcanic ash + aerosols + gases, mineral dusts, non-volcanic aerosols + nanoparticles, asbestos + fibrous zeolites, arsenic, fluorine, iodine, uranium + thorium + radium + radon + polonium, selenium, mercury, copper, lead, chromium, and cadmium. Also noted are health effects of natural disasters, and an obligatory future sustainable consumption of natural resources. Not treated are the overwhelming adverse effects of malnutrition, lack of potable water, inadequate sanitation, fossil fuel usage, mining, manufacturing, and agricultural pollution, or environmental pathogens, nor are the important impacts of complex mixtures of Earth materials considered. With rise of the worldwide information network, economic globalization, and the industrial thrust of Developing Nations, the achievement of natural resource sustainability has emerged as a strategic imperative. Accompanying increased rates of Earth materials consumption and attendant environmental change, substantially improved, universal public health will require a major global effort, integrating collaborations among geoscientists, medical researchers, and epidemiologists. Governments and NGOs must provide important support of such cooperative efforts, and both health and Earth scientists must cross disciplinary and national boundaries.

Extracting patterns of database and software usage from the bioinformatics literature

PubMed Central

Duck, Geraint; Nenadic, Goran; Brass, Andy; Robertson, David L.; Stevens, Robert

2014-01-01

Motivation: As a natural consequence of being a computer-based discipline, bioinformatics has a strong focus on database and software development, but the volume and variety of resources are growing at unprecedented rates. An audit of database and software usage patterns could help provide an overview of developments in bioinformatics and community common practice, and comparing the links between resources through time could demonstrate both the persistence of existing software and the emergence of new tools. Results: We study the connections between bioinformatics resources and construct networks of database and software usage patterns, based on resource co-occurrence, that correspond to snapshots of common practice in the bioinformatics community. We apply our approach to pairings of phylogenetics software reported in the literature and argue that these could provide a stepping stone into the identification of scientific best practice. Availability and implementation: The extracted resource data, the scripts used for network generation and the resulting networks are available at http://bionerds.sourceforge.net/networks/ Contact: robert.stevens@manchester.ac.uk PMID:25161253

Desktop Computing Integration Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tureman, Robert L., Jr.

1992-01-01

The Desktop Computing Integration Project for the Human Resources Management Division (HRMD) of LaRC was designed to help division personnel use personal computing resources to perform job tasks. The three goals of the project were to involve HRMD personnel in desktop computing, link mainframe data to desktop capabilities, and to estimate training needs for the division. The project resulted in increased usage of personal computers by Awards specialists, an increased awareness of LaRC resources to help perform tasks, and personal computer output that was used in presentation of information to center personnel. In addition, the necessary skills for HRMD personal computer users were identified. The Awards Office was chosen for the project because of the consistency of their data requests and the desire of employees in that area to use the personal computer.

Predictability of process resource usage - A measurement-based study on UNIX

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Devarakonda, Murthy V.; Iyer, Ravishankar K.

1989-01-01

A probabilistic scheme is developed to predict process resource usage in UNIX. Given the identity of the program being run, the scheme predicts CPU time, file I/O, and memory requirements of a process at the beginning of its life. The scheme uses a state-transition model of the program's resource usage in its past executions for prediction. The states of the model are the resource regions obtained from an off-line cluster analysis of processes run on the system. The proposed method is shown to work on data collected from a VAX 11/780 running 4.3 BSD UNIX. The results show that the predicted values correlate well with the actual. The correlation coefficient betweeen the predicted and actual values of CPU time is 0.84. Errors in prediction are mostly small. Some 82 percent of errors in CPU time prediction are less than 0.5 standard deviations of process CPU time.

Predictability of process resource usage: A measurement-based study of UNIX

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Devarakonda, Murthy V.; Iyer, Ravishankar K.

1987-01-01

A probabilistic scheme is developed to predict process resource usage in UNIX. Given the identity of the program being run, the scheme predicts CPU time, file I/O, and memory requirements of a process at the beginning of its life. The scheme uses a state-transition model of the program's resource usage in its past executions for prediction. The states of the model are the resource regions obtained from an off-line cluster analysis of processes run on the system. The proposed method is shown to work on data collected from a VAX 11/780 running 4.3 BSD UNIX. The results show that the predicted values correlate well with the actual. The correlation coefficient between the predicted and actual values of CPU time is 0.84. Errors in prediction are mostly small. Some 82% of errors in CPU time prediction are less than 0.5 standard deviations of process CPU time.

Online instructional anatomy videos: Student usage, self-efficacy, and performance in upper limb regional anatomy assessment.

PubMed

Langfield, Tracey; Colthorpe, Kay; Ainscough, Louise

2017-12-04

Allied health professionals concur that a sound knowledge of practical gross anatomy is vital for the clinician, however, human anatomy courses in allied health programs have been identified as high-risk for attrition and failure. While anatomists and clinicians agree that learning anatomy via human cadaveric instruction is the preferred method, students vary in their reaction to the cadaveric learning experience and have differing levels of anatomy self-efficacy. This study investigated whether student self-efficacy had an effect on student usage of supplemental instructional videos and whether the use of videos had an impact on student self-efficacy and/or learning. Anatomy self-efficacy differed based on gender and prior performance. Student usage of the videos varied widely and students with lower self-efficacy were more inclined to use the resources. The provision of the videos did not improve overall cohort performance as compared to a historical cohort, however, those students that accessed all video sets experienced a greater normalized learning gain compared to students that used none or one of the four sets of videos. Student reports and usage patterns indicate that the videos were primarily used for practical class preparation and revision. Potentially, the videos represent a passive mode of teaching whereas active learning has been demonstrated to result in greater learning gains. Adapting the videos into interactive tutorials which will provide opportunity for feedback and the development of students' self-evaluation may be more appropriate. Anat Sci Educ. © 2017 American Association of Anatomists. © 2017 American Association of Anatomists.

Resource Disambiguator for the Web: Extracting Biomedical Resources and Their Citations from the Scientific Literature.

PubMed

Ozyurt, Ibrahim Burak; Grethe, Jeffrey S; Martone, Maryann E; Bandrowski, Anita E

2016-01-01

The NIF Registry developed and maintained by the Neuroscience Information Framework is a cooperative project aimed at cataloging research resources, e.g., software tools, databases and tissue banks, funded largely by governments and available as tools to research scientists. Although originally conceived for neuroscience, the NIF Registry has over the years broadened in the scope to include research resources of general relevance to biomedical research. The current number of research resources listed by the Registry numbers over 13K. The broadening in scope to biomedical science led us to re-christen the NIF Registry platform as SciCrunch. The NIF/SciCrunch Registry has been cataloging the resource landscape since 2006; as such, it serves as a valuable dataset for tracking the breadth, fate and utilization of these resources. Our experience shows research resources like databases are dynamic objects, that can change location and scope over time. Although each record is entered manually and human-curated, the current size of the registry requires tools that can aid in curation efforts to keep content up to date, including when and where such resources are used. To address this challenge, we have developed an open source tool suite, collectively termed RDW: Resource Disambiguator for the (Web). RDW is designed to help in the upkeep and curation of the registry as well as in enhancing the content of the registry by automated extraction of resource candidates from the literature. The RDW toolkit includes a URL extractor from papers, resource candidate screen, resource URL change tracker, resource content change tracker. Curators access these tools via a web based user interface. Several strategies are used to optimize these tools, including supervised and unsupervised learning algorithms as well as statistical text analysis. The complete tool suite is used to enhance and maintain the resource registry as well as track the usage of individual resources through an innovative literature citation index honed for research resources. Here we present an overview of the Registry and show how the RDW tools are used in curation and usage tracking.

Resource Disambiguator for the Web: Extracting Biomedical Resources and Their Citations from the Scientific Literature

PubMed Central

Ozyurt, Ibrahim Burak; Grethe, Jeffrey S.; Martone, Maryann E.; Bandrowski, Anita E.

2016-01-01

The NIF Registry developed and maintained by the Neuroscience Information Framework is a cooperative project aimed at cataloging research resources, e.g., software tools, databases and tissue banks, funded largely by governments and available as tools to research scientists. Although originally conceived for neuroscience, the NIF Registry has over the years broadened in the scope to include research resources of general relevance to biomedical research. The current number of research resources listed by the Registry numbers over 13K. The broadening in scope to biomedical science led us to re-christen the NIF Registry platform as SciCrunch. The NIF/SciCrunch Registry has been cataloging the resource landscape since 2006; as such, it serves as a valuable dataset for tracking the breadth, fate and utilization of these resources. Our experience shows research resources like databases are dynamic objects, that can change location and scope over time. Although each record is entered manually and human-curated, the current size of the registry requires tools that can aid in curation efforts to keep content up to date, including when and where such resources are used. To address this challenge, we have developed an open source tool suite, collectively termed RDW: Resource Disambiguator for the (Web). RDW is designed to help in the upkeep and curation of the registry as well as in enhancing the content of the registry by automated extraction of resource candidates from the literature. The RDW toolkit includes a URL extractor from papers, resource candidate screen, resource URL change tracker, resource content change tracker. Curators access these tools via a web based user interface. Several strategies are used to optimize these tools, including supervised and unsupervised learning algorithms as well as statistical text analysis. The complete tool suite is used to enhance and maintain the resource registry as well as track the usage of individual resources through an innovative literature citation index honed for research resources. Here we present an overview of the Registry and show how the RDW tools are used in curation and usage tracking. PMID:26730820

Impact of Electronic Resources and Usage in Academic Libraries in Ghana: Evidence from Koforidua Polytechnic & All Nations University College, Ghana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akussah, Maxwell; Asante, Edward; Adu-Sarkodee, Rosemary

2015-01-01

The study investigates the relationship between impact of electronic resources and its usage in academic libraries in Ghana: evidence from Koforidua Polytechnic & All Nations University College, Ghana. The study was a quantitative approach using questionnaire to gather data and information. A valid response rate of 58.5% was assumed. SPSS…

CURRENT CONDITIONS AND RESIDENCE PREFERENCES OR CITIZENS' PERCEPTIONS ON NONCONVENTIONAL WATER RESOURCES

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsuzuki, Yoshiaki; Aramaki, Toshiya

Preferences or perceptions of ordinary citizens on three kinds of nonconventional water resources including rainwater, permissible groundwater exuding to underground railway stations and tunnels and reclaimed wastewater were investigated by use of the Internet survey method. The survey results were analysed with analytical hierar chal process (AHP) and willingness to pay (WTP). Weight vectors of natural environment and people's lives were found larger than other three first order evaluation conditions, society, economics and technology. The order of the weight vector values for the three water resources were rainwater, reclaimed wastewater and permissible groundwater. That for the five water usages were agricultural and horticulture water, water storage in preparation for disaster, toilet flushing water, environment water and sprinkler water for washing road and cooling atmosphere temperature. The difference between toilet flushing water and environment water was not significant by 5% significance. The analyzed data showed that differences between the weight vector values of the alternatives (water resources and their usages) became small by increasing the number of the evaluation conditions, which would be a topic to be resolved for AHP application to actual public projects. For water resources, WTP with public budgets was Japanese Yen (JY) 53,100-55,100 person-1 year-1, and WTP with private finances was JY 19,100-20,800 person-1 year-1. For water usages, public WTP was JY 20,400-47,200 person-1 year-1 and private WTP was JY 8,400-16,000 person-1 year-1. The orders of WTP values were similar to the orders of the weight vector values for both water resources and their usages obtained by the AHP analysis. Effective dissemination subjects and objects of the nonconventional water resources and their usages were extracted by the analysis for attributes including sex, age, living area, occupation and education.

Usage and Recall of the Food Stamp Office Resource Kit (FSORK) by Food Stamp Applicants in 4 California Counties

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ghirardelli, Alyssa; Linares, Amanda; Fong, Amy

2011-01-01

Objective: To evaluate recall and usage of the Food Stamp Office Resource Kit (FSORK), a set of nutrition education materials designed for use in food stamp offices. Design: Client intercept exit surveys, an environmental scan, and individual observations of clients in the food stamp office. Setting: Four food stamp offices in California.…

Oil and Water: Essays on the Economics of Natural Resource Usage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stolper, Samuel

As the developing world continues its pace of rapid growth and the threat of climate change intensifies, the economics of natural resource usage become increasingly important. From the perspective of both economic efficiency and distributional equity, effective policy design is correspondingly urgent. Market failures such as imperfect competition, externalities, and incomplete information plague resource markets everywhere; and both initial endowments and policy interventions often have regressive incidence. I shed light on some of these issues by studying the economics of natural resource usage in two separate empirical contexts. The first is the market for automotive fuel in Spain; I measure pass-through--the degree to which retail fuel stations "pass through" diesel taxes to final consumer prices--and use it assess the distributional impacts of energy policy. The second is the Ganga River Basin of India; I estimate the impacts of environmental regulation on river water quality and infant mortality. In both contexts, I utilize estimates of policy impacts to examine the underlying mechanisms by which affected consumers and suppliers of natural resources make decisions.

Operating Dedicated Data Centers - Is It Cost-Effective?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ernst, M.; Hogue, R.; Hollowell, C.; Strecker-Kellog, W.; Wong, A.; Zaytsev, A.

2014-06-01

The advent of cloud computing centres such as Amazon's EC2 and Google's Computing Engine has elicited comparisons with dedicated computing clusters. Discussions on appropriate usage of cloud resources (both academic and commercial) and costs have ensued. This presentation discusses a detailed analysis of the costs of operating and maintaining the RACF (RHIC and ATLAS Computing Facility) compute cluster at Brookhaven National Lab and compares them with the cost of cloud computing resources under various usage scenarios. An extrapolation of likely future cost effectiveness of dedicated computing resources is also presented.

Using Amazon's Elastic Compute Cloud to dynamically scale CMS computational resources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Evans, D.; Fisk, I.; Holzman, B.; Melo, A.; Metson, S.; Pordes, R.; Sheldon, P.; Tiradani, A.

2011-12-01

Large international scientific collaborations such as the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment at the Large Hadron Collider have traditionally addressed their data reduction and analysis needs by building and maintaining dedicated computational infrastructure. Emerging cloud computing services such as Amazon's Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) offer short-term CPU and storage resources with costs based on usage. These services allow experiments to purchase computing resources as needed, without significant prior planning and without long term investments in facilities and their management. We have demonstrated that services such as EC2 can successfully be integrated into the production-computing model of CMS, and find that they work very well as worker nodes. The cost-structure and transient nature of EC2 services makes them inappropriate for some CMS production services and functions. We also found that the resources are not truely "on-demand" as limits and caps on usage are imposed. Our trial workflows allow us to make a cost comparison between EC2 resources and dedicated CMS resources at a University, and conclude that it is most cost effective to purchase dedicated resources for the "base-line" needs of experiments such as CMS. However, if the ability to use cloud computing resources is built into an experiment's software framework before demand requires their use, cloud computing resources make sense for bursting during times when spikes in usage are required.

Energy efficiency trade-offs drive nucleotide usage in transcribed regions

PubMed Central

Chen, Wei-Hua; Lu, Guanting; Bork, Peer; Hu, Songnian; Lercher, Martin J.

2016-01-01

Efficient nutrient usage is a trait under universal selection. A substantial part of cellular resources is spent on making nucleotides. We thus expect preferential use of cheaper nucleotides especially in transcribed sequences, which are often amplified thousand-fold compared with genomic sequences. To test this hypothesis, we derive a mutation-selection-drift equilibrium model for nucleotide skews (strand-specific usage of ‘A' versus ‘T' and ‘G' versus ‘C'), which explains nucleotide skews across 1,550 prokaryotic genomes as a consequence of selection on efficient resource usage. Transcription-related selection generally favours the cheaper nucleotides ‘U' and ‘C' at synonymous sites. However, the information encoded in mRNA is further amplified through translation. Due to unexpected trade-offs in the codon table, cheaper nucleotides encode on average energetically more expensive amino acids. These trade-offs apply to both strand-specific nucleotide usage and GC content, causing a universal bias towards the more expensive nucleotides ‘A' and ‘G' at non-synonymous coding sites. PMID:27098217

Evaluating IAIMS at Yale: information access.

PubMed

Grajek, S E; Calarco, P; Frawley, S J; McKay, J; Miller, P L; Paton, J A; Roderer, N K; Sullivan, J E

1997-01-01

To evaluate use of information resources during the first year of IAIMS implementation at the Yale-New Haven Medical Center. The evaluation asked: (1) Which information resources are being used? (2) Who uses information resources? (3) Where are information resources used? (4) Are multiple sources of information being integrated? Measures included monthly usage data for resources delivered network-wide, in the Medical Library, and in the Hospital; online surveys of library workstation users; an annual survey of a random, stratified sample of Medical Center faculty, postdoctoral trainees, students, nurses, residents, and managerial and professional staff; and user comments. Eighty-three percent of the Medical Center community use networked information resources, and use of resources is increasing. Both status (faculty, student, nurse, etc.) and mission (teaching, research, patient care) affect use of individual resources. Eighty-eight percent of people use computers in more than one location, and increases in usage of traditional library resources such as MEDLINE are due to increased access from outside the Library. Both survey and usage data suggest that people are using multiple resources during the same information seeking session. Almost all of the Medical Center community is using networked information resources in more settings. It is necessary to support increased demand for information access from remote locations and to specific populations, such as nurses. People are integrating information from multiple sources, but true integration within information systems is just beginning. Other institutions are advised to incorporate pragmatic evaluation into their IAIMS activities and to share evaluation results with decision-makers.

What Is Different about E-Books? A MINES for Libraries® Analysis of Academic and Health Sciences Research Libraries' E-Book Usage

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Plum, Terry; Franklin, Brinley

2015-01-01

Building on the theoretical proposals of Kevin Guthrie and others concerning the transition from print books to e-books in academic and health sciences libraries, this paper presents data collected using the MINES for Libraries® e-resource survey methodology. Approximately 6,000 e-book uses were analyzed from a sample of e-resource usage at…

Scaling up ATLAS Event Service to production levels on opportunistic computing platforms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benjamin, D.; Caballero, J.; Ernst, M.; Guan, W.; Hover, J.; Lesny, D.; Maeno, T.; Nilsson, P.; Tsulaia, V.; van Gemmeren, P.; Vaniachine, A.; Wang, F.; Wenaus, T.; ATLAS Collaboration

2016-10-01

Continued growth in public cloud and HPC resources is on track to exceed the dedicated resources available for ATLAS on the WLCG. Examples of such platforms are Amazon AWS EC2 Spot Instances, Edison Cray XC30 supercomputer, backfill at Tier 2 and Tier 3 sites, opportunistic resources at the Open Science Grid (OSG), and ATLAS High Level Trigger farm between the data taking periods. Because of specific aspects of opportunistic resources such as preemptive job scheduling and data I/O, their efficient usage requires workflow innovations provided by the ATLAS Event Service. Thanks to the finer granularity of the Event Service data processing workflow, the opportunistic resources are used more efficiently. We report on our progress in scaling opportunistic resource usage to double-digit levels in ATLAS production.

[Post-marketing re-evaluation about usage and dosage of Chinese medicine based on human population pharmacokinetics].

PubMed

Jiang, Junjie; Xie, Yanming

2011-10-01

The usage and dosage of Chinese patent medicine are determined by rigorous evaluation which include four clinical trail stages: I, II, III. But the usage and dosage of Chinese patent medicine are lacked re-evaluation after marketing. And this lead to unchanging or fixed of the usage and dosage of Chinese patent medicine instead of different quantity based on different situations in individual patients. The situation of Chinese patent medicine used in clinical application is far away from the idea of the "Treatment based on syndrome differentiation" in traditional Chinese medicine and personalized therapy. Human population pharmacokinetics provides data support to the personalized therapy in clinical application, and achieved the postmarking reevaluating of the usage and dosage of Chinese patent medicine. This paper briefly introduced the present situation, significance and the application of human population pharmacokinetics about re-evaluation of the usage and dosage of Chinese patent medicine after marketing.

Health information systems in the Islamic Republic of Iran: a case study in Kerman Province.

PubMed

Zolala, F

2011-09-01

Health information systems provide information for decision-making at all levels, from planning and management to evaluation of health services. Registration of vital events is the most basic level of any health information system. This case study used in-depth interviews, observations and examination of documents to explore the system of births and deaths registration in Kerman province. The findings were evaluated under 3 headings: data input, data processing and data usage. A range of problems were identified concerning legal requirements, staffing, data checking and publication of data. Different approaches are suggested to strengthen the system, such as introducing regulations to oblige different data sources to provide data and allocating sufficient resources, including human resources, and an improved technology infrastructure.

The Primary Care Electronic Library (PCEL) five years on: open source evaluation of usage.

PubMed

Robinson, Judas; de Lusignan, Simon; Kostkova, Patty

2005-01-01

The Primary Care Electronic Library (PCEL) is a collection of indexed and abstracted internet resources. PCEL contains a directory of quality-assured internet material with associated search facilities. PCEL has been indexed, using metadata and established taxonomies. Site development requires an understanding of usage; this paper reports the use of open source tools to evaluate usage. This evaluation was conducted during a six-month period of development of PCEL. To use open source to evaluate changes in usage of an electronic library. We defined data we needed for analysis; this included: page requests, visits, unique visitors, page requests per visit, geographical location of users, NHS users, chronological information about users and resources used. During the evaluation period, page requests increased from 3500 to 10,000; visits from 1250 to 2300; and unique visitors from 750 to 1500. Up to 83% of users come from the UK, 15% were NHS users. The page requests of NHS users are slowly increasing but not as fast as requests by other users in the UK. PCEL is primarily used Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday is the busiest day with use lessening through the week. NHS users had a different list of top ten resources accessed than non-NHS users, with only four resources appearing in both. Open source tools provide useful data which can be used to evaluate online resources. Improving the functionality of PCEL has been associated with increased use.

At Issue: Exploring Library Usage by Online Learners with Student Success

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCarthy, Sandra Calemme

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study is to extend what is known about the influence of library usage on student success. Studies show that students who use library resources tend to perform better in college. This study focuses on the relationship between library usage and success rates among online students. The results of this study showed that online…

An overview of the energy situation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pitts, D. R.

1978-01-01

Beginning with a historical review of the domestic pattern of energy usage, the current dependence of the United States upon dwindling petroleum resources is examined. The possible limit of petroleum usage is discussed, and recent oil production trends are presented. Coupling these with projected analyses of OPEC oil productive capability in the early 1980's indicates a serious worldwide as well as American energy problem in the next decade. The need for conservation and rapid development of application of alternative energy resources is discussed including quantitative projections of significant conservation efforts as well as estimates of domestic alternative energy resource capabilities.

An Examination of the Relationship between Usage and Operating and Support Costs for Air Force Aircraft

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-09-01

usage and O&S costs hours will inform Air Force leadership on how to better allocate its budget resources. We provide an overview of issues related...the Relationship Between Usage and Operating and Support Costs for Air Force Aircraft 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT...An Examination of the Relationship Between Usage and Operating and Support Costs for Air Force Aircraft Eric J. Unger This document was submitted as

Relationship Among Dental Students' Class Lecture Attendance, Use of Online Resources, and Performance.

PubMed

Azab, Ehab; Saksena, Yun; Alghanem, Tofool; Midle, Jennifer Bassett; Molgaard, Kathleen; Albright, Susan; Karimbux, Nadeem

2016-04-01

This study aimed to evaluate the relationship among dental students' attendance at class lectures, use of online lecture materials, and performance in didactic courses. The study was conducted with second-year predoctoral students at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine during the fall semester of 2014. Three basic science and three preclinical dental courses were selected for evaluation. Online usage for each participant was collected, and a survey with questions about attendance and online behavior was conducted. The final grade for each participant in each selected course was obtained and matched with his or her online usage and attendance. Out of a total 190 students, 146 (77%) participated. The results showed no significant relationship between students' grades and their class attendance or online usage except for a weak negative relationship between class attendance and online usage for the Epidemiology course (p<0.001) and the overall preclinical dental courses (p=0.03). Although the results did not show strong relationships among class attendance, online usage, and course grades, most of the students reported that having the online resources in addition to the lectures was helpful.

Artificial limb representation in amputees

PubMed Central

van den Heiligenberg, Fiona M Z; Orlov, Tanya; Macdonald, Scott N; Duff, Eugene P; Henderson Slater, David; Beckmann, Christian F; Johansen-Berg, Heidi; Culham, Jody C; Makin, Tamar R

2018-01-01

Abstract The human brain contains multiple hand-selective areas, in both the sensorimotor and visual systems. Could our brain repurpose neural resources, originally developed for supporting hand function, to represent and control artificial limbs? We studied individuals with congenital or acquired hand-loss (hereafter one-handers) using functional MRI. We show that the more one-handers use an artificial limb (prosthesis) in their everyday life, the stronger visual hand-selective areas in the lateral occipitotemporal cortex respond to prosthesis images. This was found even when one-handers were presented with images of active prostheses that share the functionality of the hand but not necessarily its visual features (e.g. a ‘hook’ prosthesis). Further, we show that daily prosthesis usage determines large-scale inter-network communication across hand-selective areas. This was demonstrated by increased resting state functional connectivity between visual and sensorimotor hand-selective areas, proportional to the intensiveness of everyday prosthesis usage. Further analysis revealed a 3-fold coupling between prosthesis activity, visuomotor connectivity and usage, suggesting a possible role for the motor system in shaping use-dependent representation in visual hand-selective areas, and/or vice versa. Moreover, able-bodied control participants who routinely observe prosthesis usage (albeit less intensively than the prosthesis users) showed significantly weaker associations between degree of prosthesis observation and visual cortex activity or connectivity. Together, our findings suggest that altered daily motor behaviour facilitates prosthesis-related visual processing and shapes communication across hand-selective areas. This neurophysiological substrate for prosthesis embodiment may inspire rehabilitation approaches to improve usage of existing substitutionary devices and aid implementation of future assistive and augmentative technologies. PMID:29534154

Artificial limb representation in amputees.

PubMed

van den Heiligenberg, Fiona M Z; Orlov, Tanya; Macdonald, Scott N; Duff, Eugene P; Henderson Slater, David; Beckmann, Christian F; Johansen-Berg, Heidi; Culham, Jody C; Makin, Tamar R

2018-05-01

The human brain contains multiple hand-selective areas, in both the sensorimotor and visual systems. Could our brain repurpose neural resources, originally developed for supporting hand function, to represent and control artificial limbs? We studied individuals with congenital or acquired hand-loss (hereafter one-handers) using functional MRI. We show that the more one-handers use an artificial limb (prosthesis) in their everyday life, the stronger visual hand-selective areas in the lateral occipitotemporal cortex respond to prosthesis images. This was found even when one-handers were presented with images of active prostheses that share the functionality of the hand but not necessarily its visual features (e.g. a 'hook' prosthesis). Further, we show that daily prosthesis usage determines large-scale inter-network communication across hand-selective areas. This was demonstrated by increased resting state functional connectivity between visual and sensorimotor hand-selective areas, proportional to the intensiveness of everyday prosthesis usage. Further analysis revealed a 3-fold coupling between prosthesis activity, visuomotor connectivity and usage, suggesting a possible role for the motor system in shaping use-dependent representation in visual hand-selective areas, and/or vice versa. Moreover, able-bodied control participants who routinely observe prosthesis usage (albeit less intensively than the prosthesis users) showed significantly weaker associations between degree of prosthesis observation and visual cortex activity or connectivity. Together, our findings suggest that altered daily motor behaviour facilitates prosthesis-related visual processing and shapes communication across hand-selective areas. This neurophysiological substrate for prosthesis embodiment may inspire rehabilitation approaches to improve usage of existing substitutionary devices and aid implementation of future assistive and augmentative technologies.

Will the Needs-Based Planning of Health Human Resources Currently Undertaken in Several Countries Lead to Excess Supply and Inefficiency?

PubMed

Basu, Kisalaya; Pak, Maxwell

2016-01-01

Recently, the emphasis on health human resources (HHR) planning has shifted away from a utilization-based approach toward a needs-based one in which planning is based on the projected health needs of the population. However, needs-based models that are currently in use rely on a definition of 'needs' that include only the medical circumstances of individuals and not personal preferences or other socio-economic factors. We examine whether planning based on such a narrow definition will maximize social welfare. We show that, in a publicly funded healthcare system, if the planner seeks to meet the aggregate need without taking utilization into consideration, then oversupply of HHR is likely because 'needs' do not necessarily translate into 'usage.' Our result suggests that HHR planning should track the healthcare system as access gradually improves because, even if health care is fully accessible, individuals may not fully utilize it to the degree prescribed by their medical circumstances. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Economic models for management of resources in peer-to-peer and grid computing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buyya, Rajkumar; Stockinger, Heinz; Giddy, Jonathan; Abramson, David

2001-07-01

The accelerated development in Peer-to-Peer (P2P) and Grid computing has positioned them as promising next generation computing platforms. They enable the creation of Virtual Enterprises (VE) for sharing resources distributed across the world. However, resource management, application development and usage models in these environments is a complex undertaking. This is due to the geographic distribution of resources that are owned by different organizations or peers. The resource owners of each of these resources have different usage or access policies and cost models, and varying loads and availability. In order to address complex resource management issues, we have proposed a computational economy framework for resource allocation and for regulating supply and demand in Grid computing environments. The framework provides mechanisms for optimizing resource provider and consumer objective functions through trading and brokering services. In a real world market, there exist various economic models for setting the price for goods based on supply-and-demand and their value to the user. They include commodity market, posted price, tenders and auctions. In this paper, we discuss the use of these models for interaction between Grid components in deciding resource value and the necessary infrastructure to realize them. In addition to normal services offered by Grid computing systems, we need an infrastructure to support interaction protocols, allocation mechanisms, currency, secure banking, and enforcement services. Furthermore, we demonstrate the usage of some of these economic models in resource brokering through Nimrod/G deadline and cost-based scheduling for two different optimization strategies on the World Wide Grid (WWG) testbed that contains peer-to-peer resources located on five continents: Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, and South America.

Veterinary students' usage and perception of video teaching resources.

PubMed

Roshier, Amanda L; Foster, Neil; Jones, Michael A

2011-01-10

The purpose of our study was to use a student-centred approach to develop an online video learning resource (called 'Moo Tube') at the School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, UK and also to provide guidance for other academics in the School wishing to develop a similar resource in the future. A focus group in the format of the nominal group technique was used to garner the opinions of 12 undergraduate students (3 from year-1, 4 from year-2 and 5 from year-3). Students generated lists of items in response to key questions, these responses were thematically analysed to generate key themes which were compared between the different year groups. The number of visits to 'Moo Tube' before and after an objective structured practical examination (OSPE) was also analysed to provide data on video usage. Students highlighted a number of strengths of video resources which can be grouped into four overarching themes: (1) teaching enhancement, (2) accessibility, (3) technical quality and (4) video content. Of these themes, students rated teaching enhancement and accessibility most highly. Video usage was seen to significantly increase (P < 0.05) prior to an examination and significantly decrease (P < 0.05) following the examination. The students had a positive perception of video usage in higher education. Video usage increases prior to practical examinations. Image quality was a greater concern with year-3 students than with either year-1 or 2 students but all groups highlighted the following as important issues: i) good sound quality, ii) accessibility, including location of videos within electronic libraries, and iii) video content. Based on the findings from this study, guidelines are suggested for those developing undergraduate veterinary videos. We believe that many aspects of our list will have resonance in other areas of medicine education and higher education.

Impact of remote sensing upon the planning, management, and development of water resources

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Castruccio, P. A.; Loats, H. L.; Fowler, T. R.; Frech, S. L.

1975-01-01

Principal water resources users were surveyed to determine the impact of remote data streams on hydrologic computer models. Analysis of responses demonstrated that: most water resources effort suitable to remote sensing inputs is conducted through federal agencies or through federally stimulated research; and, most hydrologic models suitable to remote sensing data are federally developed. Computer usage by major water resources users was analyzed to determine the trends of usage and costs for the principal hydrologic users/models. The laws and empirical relationships governing the growth of the data processing loads were described and applied to project the future data loads. Data loads for ERTS CCT image processing were computed and projected through the 1985 era.

Quantitative analysis of population-scale family trees with millions of relatives.

PubMed

Kaplanis, Joanna; Gordon, Assaf; Shor, Tal; Weissbrod, Omer; Geiger, Dan; Wahl, Mary; Gershovits, Michael; Markus, Barak; Sheikh, Mona; Gymrek, Melissa; Bhatia, Gaurav; MacArthur, Daniel G; Price, Alkes L; Erlich, Yaniv

2018-04-13

Family trees have vast applications in fields as diverse as genetics, anthropology, and economics. However, the collection of extended family trees is tedious and usually relies on resources with limited geographical scope and complex data usage restrictions. We collected 86 million profiles from publicly available online data shared by genealogy enthusiasts. After extensive cleaning and validation, we obtained population-scale family trees, including a single pedigree of 13 million individuals. We leveraged the data to partition the genetic architecture of human longevity and to provide insights into the geographical dispersion of families. We also report a simple digital procedure to overlay other data sets with our resource. Copyright © 2018 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works.

Intertidal resource use over millennia enhances forest productivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trant, Andrew J.; Nijland, Wiebe; Hoffman, Kira M.; Mathews, Darcy L.; McLaren, Duncan; Nelson, Trisalyn A.; Starzomski, Brian M.

2016-08-01

Human occupation is usually associated with degraded landscapes but 13,000 years of repeated occupation by British Columbia's coastal First Nations has had the opposite effect, enhancing temperate rainforest productivity. This is particularly the case over the last 6,000 years when intensified intertidal shellfish usage resulted in the accumulation of substantial shell middens. We show that soils at habitation sites are higher in calcium and phosphorous. Both of these are limiting factors in coastal temperate rainforests. Western redcedar (Thuja plicata) trees growing on the middens were found to be taller, have higher wood calcium, greater radial growth and exhibit less top die-back. Coastal British Columbia is the first known example of long-term intertidal resource use enhancing forest productivity and we expect this pattern to occur at archaeological sites along coastlines globally.

Azolla as a component of the space diet during habitation on Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Katayama, Naomi; Yamashita, Masamichi; Kishida, Yoshiro; Liu, Chung-Chu; Watanabe, Iwao; Wada, Hidenori; Space Agriculture Task Force

We evaluate a candidate diet and specify its space agricultural requirements for habitation on Mars. Rice, soybean, sweet potato and a green-yellow vegetable have been selected as the basic vegetarian menu. The addition of silkworm pupa, loach, and Azolla to that basic menu was found to meet human nutritional requirements. Co-culture of rice, Azolla, and loach is proposed for developing bio-regenerative life support capability with high efficiency of the usage of habitation and agriculture area. Agriculture designed under the severe constraints of limited materials resources in space would make a positive contribution toward solving the food shortages and environmental problems facing humans on Earth, and may provide an effective sustainable solution for our civilization.

Understanding Urban Green Space as a Health Resource: A Qualitative Comparison of Visit Motivation and Derived Effects among Park Users in Sheffield, UK

PubMed Central

Irvine, Katherine N.; Warber, Sara L.; Devine-Wright, Patrick; Gaston, Kevin J.

2013-01-01

With increasing interest in the use of urban green space to promote human health, there is a need to understand the extent to which park users conceptualize these places as a resource for health and well-being. This study sought to examine park users’ own reasons for and benefits from green space usage and compare these with concepts and constructs in existing person-environment-health theories and models of health. Conducted in 13 public green spaces in Sheffield, UK, we undertook a qualitative content analysis of 312 park users’ responses to open-ended interview questions and identified a breadth, depth and salience of visit motivators and derived effects. Findings highlight a discrepancy between reasons for visiting and derived effects from the use of urban green space. Motivations emphasized walking, green space qualities, and children. Derived effects highlighted relaxation, positive emotions within the self and towards the place, and spiritual well-being. We generate a taxonomy of motivations and derived effects that could facilitate operationalization within empirical research and articulate a conceptual framework linking motivators to outcomes for investigating green space as a resource for human health and well-being. PMID:23340602

Understanding urban green space as a health resource: a qualitative comparison of visit motivation and derived effects among park users in Sheffield, UK.

PubMed

Irvine, Katherine N; Warber, Sara L; Devine-Wright, Patrick; Gaston, Kevin J

2013-01-22

With increasing interest in the use of urban green space to promote human health, there is a need to understand the extent to which park users conceptualize these places as a resource for health and well-being. This study sought to examine park users' own reasons for and benefits from green space usage and compare these with concepts and constructs in existing person-environment-health theories and models of health. Conducted in 13 public green spaces in Sheffield, UK, we undertook a qualitative content analysis of 312 park users' responses to open-ended interview questions and identified a breadth, depth and salience of visit motivators and derived effects. Findings highlight a discrepancy between reasons for visiting and derived effects from the use of urban green space. Motivations emphasized walking, green space qualities, and children. Derived effects highlighted relaxation, positive emotions within the self and towards the place, and spiritual well-being. We generate a taxonomy of motivations and derived effects that could facilitate operationalization within empirical research and articulate a conceptual framework linking motivators to outcomes for investigating green space as a resource for human health and well-being.

Tips from the Trenches

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garofalo, Denise A.

2012-01-01

Libraries are all about collecting data. When it comes to collection development and assessment of e-resources, collecting data on usage of resources aids in decision making regarding these resources and provides data-rich evidence to support the value for the user of these resources. However, the author asserts that libraries should take some…

Accounting utility for determining individual usage of production level software systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Garber, S. C.

1984-01-01

An accounting package was developed which determines the computer resources utilized by a user during the execution of a particular program and updates a file containing accumulated resource totals. The accounting package is divided into two separate programs. The first program determines the total amount of computer resources utilized by a user during the execution of a particular program. The second program uses these totals to update a file containing accumulated totals of computer resources utilized by a user for a particular program. This package is useful to those persons who have several other users continually accessing and running programs from their accounts. The package provides the ability to determine which users are accessing and running specified programs along with their total level of usage.

Which Factors Can Protect Against Range Stress in Everyday Usage of Battery Electric Vehicles? Toward Enhancing Sustainability of Electric Mobility Systems.

PubMed

Franke, Thomas; Rauh, Nadine; Günther, Madlen; Trantow, Maria; Krems, Josef F

2016-02-01

The objective of the present research was to advance understanding of factors that can protect against range anxiety, specifically range stress in everyday usage of battery electric vehicles (BEVs). Range anxiety is a major barrier to the broad adoption of sustainable electric mobility systems. To develop strategies aimed at overcoming range anxiety, a clear understanding of this phenomenon and influencing factors is needed. We examined range anxiety in the form of everyday range stress (ERS) in a field study setting. Seventy-two customers leased a BEV for 3 months. The field study was specifically designed to enable examination of factors that can contribute to lower ERS. In particular, study design and sample recruitment were targeted at generating vehicle usage profiles that would lead to relatively frequent experience of situations requiring active management of range resources and thereby potentially leading to experienced range stress. Less frequent encounter with critical range situations, higher practical experience, subjective range competence, tolerance of low range, and experienced trustworthiness of the range estimation system were related to lower ERS. Moreover, range stress was found to be related to range satisfaction and BEV acceptance. The results underline the importance of the human factors perspective to overcome range anxiety and enhance sustainability of electric mobility systems. Trustworthiness should be employed as a key benchmark variable in the design of range estimation systems, and assistance systems should target increasing drivers' adaptive capacity (i.e., resilience) to cope with critical range situations. © 2015, Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.

Regulatory Insight into the European Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Registry

PubMed Central

Kurtz, Andreas; Stacey, Glyn; Kidane, Luam; Seriola, Anna; Stachelscheid, Harald; Veiga, Anna

2014-01-01

Abstract The European pluripotent stem cell registry aims at listing qualified pluripotent stem cell (PSC) lines that are available globally together with relevant information for each cell line. Specific emphasis is being put on documenting ethical procurement of the cells and providing evidence of pluripotency. The report discusses the tasks and challenges for a global PSC registry as an instrument to develop collaboration, to access cells from diverse resources and banks, and to implement standards, and as a means to follow up usage of cells and support adherence to regulatory and scientific standards and transparency for stakeholders. PMID:25457963

Regulatory insight into the European human pluripotent stem cell registry.

PubMed

Kurtz, Andreas; Stacey, Glyn; Kidane, Luam; Seriola, Anna; Stachelscheid, Harald; Veiga, Anna

2014-12-01

The European pluripotent stem cell registry aims at listing qualified pluripotent stem cell (PSC) lines that are available globally together with relevant information for each cell line. Specific emphasis is being put on documenting ethical procurement of the cells and providing evidence of pluripotency. The report discusses the tasks and challenges for a global PSC registry as an instrument to develop collaboration, to access cells from diverse resources and banks, and to implement standards, and as a means to follow up usage of cells and support adherence to regulatory and scientific standards and transparency for stakeholders.

Gravity and InSAR remote sensing of groundwater usage in the Sahel and Horn of Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neely, W.; Borsa, A. A.; Burney, J. A.; Devlin, K.

2016-12-01

Changes in the Earth's climatic systems influence agro-ecological conditions on local, regional, and global scales. With the world's highest population growth rate, sub-Saharan Africa faces particularly acute concerns regarding food security and resource management. Historical sources of surface water for agricultural production may become less reliable and/or limited with increased climate variability, and African countries have already begun to depend on more stable sources of groundwater. Expected increases in groundwater usage pose questions about the sustainability of current agricultural practices, which require new sources of information to answer. Due to the logistics and costs to implement in situ networks to monitor regional water security, current remote sensing missions offer an affordable alternative. The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) has proven to be effective in quantifying changes in terrestrial water storage (TWS) at the regional scale using near-monthly gravity measurements from orbit. Using over a decade of measurements, we estimate TWS anomalies in Niger and Ethiopia. These anomalies offer a proxy for hydrological stressing, indicating potential targets for additional analysis. We use independent, but complementary, estimates of surface displacements from Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) to provide information on local groundwater withdrawal. Using data from ESA's Sentinel 1 mission and JAXA's Advanced Land Observing Satellite (ALOS) missions, we characterize the surface deformation over the past decade in regions of active groundwater pumping using the Small Baseline Subset (SBAS) technique. In particular, we investigate ties of ground motion to known agricultural/industrial land usage near Niamey, Niger and Eastern Oromia, Ethiopia to better understand how human activity affects available groundwater resources.

Disease Ontology 2015 update: an expanded and updated database of human diseases for linking biomedical knowledge through disease data

PubMed Central

Kibbe, Warren A.; Arze, Cesar; Felix, Victor; Mitraka, Elvira; Bolton, Evan; Fu, Gang; Mungall, Christopher J.; Binder, Janos X.; Malone, James; Vasant, Drashtti; Parkinson, Helen; Schriml, Lynn M.

2015-01-01

The current version of the Human Disease Ontology (DO) (http://www.disease-ontology.org) database expands the utility of the ontology for the examination and comparison of genetic variation, phenotype, protein, drug and epitope data through the lens of human disease. DO is a biomedical resource of standardized common and rare disease concepts with stable identifiers organized by disease etiology. The content of DO has had 192 revisions since 2012, including the addition of 760 terms. Thirty-two percent of all terms now include definitions. DO has expanded the number and diversity of research communities and community members by 50+ during the past two years. These community members actively submit term requests, coordinate biomedical resource disease representation and provide expert curation guidance. Since the DO 2012 NAR paper, there have been hundreds of term requests and a steady increase in the number of DO listserv members, twitter followers and DO website usage. DO is moving to a multi-editor model utilizing Protégé to curate DO in web ontology language. This will enable closer collaboration with the Human Phenotype Ontology, EBI's Ontology Working Group, Mouse Genome Informatics and the Monarch Initiative among others, and enhance DO's current asserted view and multiple inferred views through reasoning. PMID:25348409

Design of ERIC Usage Studies. Volume I.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

ERIC Clearinghouse on Information Resources, Syracuse, NY.

Tables showing the types of Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) products and their dispersion provide background information for the executive summaries of usage study design reports focusing on three levels: (1) system operations; (2) subscribers to the services provided; and (3) the ultimate "end-users" of the service. The…

Design of ERIC Usage Studies. Volume II.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

ERIC Clearinghouse on Information Resources, Syracuse, NY.

This document contains reports examining research designs for Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) usage studies at three levels: (1) system operations; (2) subscribers to the services provided; and (3) the ultimate "end-users" of the service. The first level report, which addresses ERIC as an information network, proposes two…

Reasoning abstractly about resources

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clement, B.; Barrett, A.

2001-01-01

r describes a way to schedule high level activities before distributing them across multiple rovers in order to coordinate the resultant use of shared resources regardless of how each rover decides how to perform its activities. We present an algorithm for summarizing the metric resource requirements of an abstract activity based n the resource usages of its potential refinements.

Resource, quality and safety management.

PubMed

Hovenga, Evelyn J S

2010-01-01

This chapter gives an educational overview of: * Resource management relative to sustainability and the use casemix systems * Types of resources and their information system needs to support their optimal management * Quality, performance measurement options and associated information needs * Casemix systems' characteristics, usage and need for enterprise systems.

Continuous whole-system monitoring toward rapid understanding of production HPC applications and systems

DOE PAGES

Agelastos, Anthony; Allan, Benjamin; Brandt, Jim; ...

2016-05-18

A detailed understanding of HPC applications’ resource needs and their complex interactions with each other and HPC platform resources are critical to achieving scalability and performance. Such understanding has been difficult to achieve because typical application profiling tools do not capture the behaviors of codes under the potentially wide spectrum of actual production conditions and because typical monitoring tools do not capture system resource usage information with high enough fidelity to gain sufficient insight into application performance and demands. In this paper we present both system and application profiling results based on data obtained through synchronized system wide monitoring onmore » a production HPC cluster at Sandia National Laboratories (SNL). We demonstrate analytic and visualization techniques that we are using to characterize application and system resource usage under production conditions for better understanding of application resource needs. Furthermore, our goals are to improve application performance (through understanding application-to-resource mapping and system throughput) and to ensure that future system capabilities match their intended workloads.« less

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

Agelastos, Anthony; Allan, Benjamin; Brandt, Jim

A detailed understanding of HPC applications’ resource needs and their complex interactions with each other and HPC platform resources are critical to achieving scalability and performance. Such understanding has been difficult to achieve because typical application profiling tools do not capture the behaviors of codes under the potentially wide spectrum of actual production conditions and because typical monitoring tools do not capture system resource usage information with high enough fidelity to gain sufficient insight into application performance and demands. In this paper we present both system and application profiling results based on data obtained through synchronized system wide monitoring onmore » a production HPC cluster at Sandia National Laboratories (SNL). We demonstrate analytic and visualization techniques that we are using to characterize application and system resource usage under production conditions for better understanding of application resource needs. Furthermore, our goals are to improve application performance (through understanding application-to-resource mapping and system throughput) and to ensure that future system capabilities match their intended workloads.« less

A cross-sectional evaluation of computer literacy among medical students at a tertiary care teaching hospital in Mumbai, Bombay.

PubMed

Panchabhai, T S; Dangayach, N S; Mehta, V S; Patankar, C V; Rege, N N

2011-01-01

Computer usage capabilities of medical students for introduction of computer-aided learning have not been adequately assessed. Cross-sectional study to evaluate computer literacy among medical students. Tertiary care teaching hospital in Mumbai, India. Participants were administered a 52-question questionnaire, designed to study their background, computer resources, computer usage, activities enhancing computer skills, and attitudes toward computer-aided learning (CAL). The data was classified on the basis of sex, native place, and year of medical school, and the computer resources were compared. The computer usage and attitudes toward computer-based learning were assessed on a five-point Likert scale, to calculate Computer usage score (CUS - maximum 55, minimum 11) and Attitude score (AS - maximum 60, minimum 12). The quartile distribution among the groups with respect to the CUS and AS was compared by chi-squared tests. The correlation between CUS and AS was then tested. Eight hundred and seventy-five students agreed to participate in the study and 832 completed the questionnaire. One hundred and twenty eight questionnaires were excluded and 704 were analyzed. Outstation students had significantly lesser computer resources as compared to local students (P<0.0001). The mean CUS for local students (27.0±9.2, Mean±SD) was significantly higher than outstation students (23.2±9.05). No such difference was observed for the AS. The means of CUS and AS did not differ between males and females. The CUS and AS had positive, but weak correlations for all subgroups. The weak correlation between AS and CUS for all students could be explained by the lack of computer resources or inadequate training to use computers for learning. Providing additional resources would benefit the subset of outstation students with lesser computer resources. This weak correlation between the attitudes and practices of all students needs to be investigated. We believe that this gap can be bridged with a structured computer learning program.

Intertidal resource use over millennia enhances forest productivity

PubMed Central

Trant, Andrew J.; Nijland, Wiebe; Hoffman, Kira M.; Mathews, Darcy L.; McLaren, Duncan; Nelson, Trisalyn A.; Starzomski, Brian M.

2016-01-01

Human occupation is usually associated with degraded landscapes but 13,000 years of repeated occupation by British Columbia's coastal First Nations has had the opposite effect, enhancing temperate rainforest productivity. This is particularly the case over the last 6,000 years when intensified intertidal shellfish usage resulted in the accumulation of substantial shell middens. We show that soils at habitation sites are higher in calcium and phosphorous. Both of these are limiting factors in coastal temperate rainforests. Western redcedar (Thuja plicata) trees growing on the middens were found to be taller, have higher wood calcium, greater radial growth and exhibit less top die-back. Coastal British Columbia is the first known example of long-term intertidal resource use enhancing forest productivity and we expect this pattern to occur at archaeological sites along coastlines globally. PMID:27572157

Public access management as an adaptive wildlife management tool

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ouren, Douglas S.; Watts, Raymond D.

2005-01-01

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

Veterinary students' usage and perception of video teaching resources

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background The purpose of our study was to use a student-centred approach to develop an online video learning resource (called 'Moo Tube') at the School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, UK and also to provide guidance for other academics in the School wishing to develop a similar resource in the future. Methods A focus group in the format of the nominal group technique was used to garner the opinions of 12 undergraduate students (3 from year-1, 4 from year-2 and 5 from year-3). Students generated lists of items in response to key questions, these responses were thematically analysed to generate key themes which were compared between the different year groups. The number of visits to 'Moo Tube' before and after an objective structured practical examination (OSPE) was also analysed to provide data on video usage. Results Students highlighted a number of strengths of video resources which can be grouped into four overarching themes: (1) teaching enhancement, (2) accessibility, (3) technical quality and (4) video content. Of these themes, students rated teaching enhancement and accessibility most highly. Video usage was seen to significantly increase (P < 0.05) prior to an examination and significantly decrease (P < 0.05) following the examination. Conclusions The students had a positive perception of video usage in higher education. Video usage increases prior to practical examinations. Image quality was a greater concern with year-3 students than with either year-1 or 2 students but all groups highlighted the following as important issues: i) good sound quality, ii) accessibility, including location of videos within electronic libraries, and iii) video content. Based on the findings from this study, guidelines are suggested for those developing undergraduate veterinary videos. We believe that many aspects of our list will have resonance in other areas of medicine education and higher education. PMID:21219639

Networked Resources, Assessment and Collection Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Samson, Sue; Derry, Sebastian; Eggleston, Holly

2004-01-01

This project provides a critical evaluation of networked resources as they relate to the library's collection development policy, identifies areas of the curriculum not well represented, establishes a reliable method of assessing usage across all resources, and develops a framework of quantitative data for collection development decision making.

Codon usage and expression level of human mitochondrial 13 protein coding genes across six continents.

PubMed

Chakraborty, Supriyo; Uddin, Arif; Mazumder, Tarikul Huda; Choudhury, Monisha Nath; Malakar, Arup Kumar; Paul, Prosenjit; Halder, Binata; Deka, Himangshu; Mazumder, Gulshana Akthar; Barbhuiya, Riazul Ahmed; Barbhuiya, Masuk Ahmed; Devi, Warepam Jesmi

2017-12-02

The study of codon usage coupled with phylogenetic analysis is an important tool to understand the genetic and evolutionary relationship of a gene. The 13 protein coding genes of human mitochondria are involved in electron transport chain for the generation of energy currency (ATP). However, no work has yet been reported on the codon usage of the mitochondrial protein coding genes across six continents. To understand the patterns of codon usage in mitochondrial genes across six different continents, we used bioinformatic analyses to analyze the protein coding genes. The codon usage bias was low as revealed from high ENC value. Correlation between codon usage and GC3 suggested that all the codons ending with G/C were positively correlated with GC3 but vice versa for A/T ending codons with the exception of ND4L and ND5 genes. Neutrality plot revealed that for the genes ATP6, COI, COIII, CYB, ND4 and ND4L, natural selection might have played a major role while mutation pressure might have played a dominant role in the codon usage bias of ATP8, COII, ND1, ND2, ND3, ND5 and ND6 genes. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that evolutionary relationships in each of 13 protein coding genes of human mitochondria were different across six continents and further suggested that geographical distance was an important factor for the origin and evolution of 13 protein coding genes of human mitochondria. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. and Mitochondria Research Society. All rights reserved.

Student Use of NABPLaw Online in a Pharmacy Laws Project

PubMed Central

Hammer, Dana P.; Hartnett, Cassandra J.; Williams, Donald H.

2006-01-01

Objectives To evaluate students’ frequency of use and degree of usefulness of NABPLaw Online, a pharmacy-specific, online, licensed resource produced by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP). Methods Students usage of various information resources, including NABPLaw Online were evaluated through (1) usage statistics gathered by NABP, (2) students’ response to a questionnaire, and (3) citation analysis performed on students’ project reports. Results Students used NABPLaw Online less frequently than other online tools, partly related to the relevance of the tool to their projects, and partly related to ease of use in comparison to other tools. Conclusions Although it was not extensively used, NABPLaw Online represents a unique resource for students researching multistate aspects of pharmacy practice law. PMID:17149444

Thinking about Theory in Educational Research: Fieldwork in Philosophy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lingard, Bob

2015-01-01

This article responds to and reflects upon the articles in this special issue. Specifically, it deals with the usage of theory in each of the articles, what we might see, as examples of re-descriptive usage in autonomous theorizing. The articles utilize different theories and varying intellectual resources--Foucault and Deleuze (Richard Niesche),…

A Framework to Integrate Public, Dynamic Metrics into an OER Platform

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cohen, Jaclyn Zetta; Omollo, Kathleen Ludewig; Malicke, Dave

2014-01-01

The usage metrics for open educational resources (OER) are often either hidden behind an authentication system or shared intermittently in static, aggregated format at the repository level. This paper discusses the first year of University of Michigan's project to share its OER usage data dynamically, publicly, to synthesize it across different…

Google Scholar Usage: An Academic Library's Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Ya; Howard, Pamela

2012-01-01

Google Scholar is a free service that provides a simple way to broadly search for scholarly works and to connect patrons with the resources libraries provide. The researchers in this study analyzed Google Scholar usage data from 2006 for three library tools at San Francisco State University: SFX link resolver, Web Access Management proxy server,…

Library Impact Data Project: Looking for the Link between Library Usage and Student Attainment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stone, Graham; Ramsden, Bryony

2013-01-01

The Library Impact Data Project was a six-month project funded by Jisc and managed by the University of Huddersfield to investigate this hypothesis: "There is a statistically significant correlation across a number of universities between library activity data and student attainment." E-resources usage, library borrowing statistics, and…

Consumer-Centered Extension Education Website Increases Usage

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Franics, Sarah L.; Martin, Peggy; Taylor, Kristin

2012-01-01

Concern about young families' ability to cope with rising food prices resulted in creating Spend Smart. Eat Smart (SSES), a website focused on budget-friendly nutrition information for limited resource audiences (LRA). SSES was redesigned using LRAs needs and preferences to increase use by LRAs. SSES usage increased after it was revised to…

Temporal Patterns and Dynamics of E-Learning Usage in Medical Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Panzarasa, Pietro; Kujawski, Bernard; Hammond, Edward J.; Roberts, C. Michael

2016-01-01

Despite the increasing popularity of e-learning systems across a variety of educational programmes, there is relatively little understanding of how students and trainees distribute their learning efforts over time. This study aimed to analyse the usage patterns of an e-learning resource designed to support specialty training. Data were collected…

How Are Teacher-Librarians Finding Resources for Coursework?: Distance Learners and the Role of University Library Services

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Jong, Cees-Jan; Branch, Jennifer L.

2005-01-01

Providing distance learners access to library services does not automatically translate into usage of those resources. The literature on information-seeking behaviour of distance learners has indicated that they prefer to use local resources, as well as Web-based resources. This study investigates perspectives on library services and available…

Determining the level of awareness of the physicians in using the variety of electronic information resources and the effecting factors.

PubMed

Papi, Ahmad; Ghazavi, Roghayeh; Moradi, Salimeh

2015-01-01

Understanding of the medical society's from the types of information resources for quick and easy access to information is an imperative task in medical researches and management of the treatment. The present study was aimed to determine the level of awareness of the physicians in using various electronic information resources and the factors affecting it. This study was a descriptive survey. The data collection tool was a researcher-made questionnaire. The study population included all the physicians and specialty physicians of the teaching hospitals affiliated to Isfahan University of Medical Sciences and numbered 350. The sample size based on Morgan's formula was set at 180. The content validity of the tool was confirmed by the library and information professionals and the reliability was 95%. Descriptive statistics were used including the SPSS software version 19. On reviewing the need of the physicians to obtain the information on several occasions, the need for information in conducting the researches was reported by the maximum number of physicians (91.9%) and the usage of information resources, especially the electronic resources, formed 65.4% as the highest rate with regard to meeting the information needs of the physicians. Among the electronic information databases, the maximum awareness was related to Medline with 86.5%. Among the various electronic information resources, the highest awareness (43.3%) was related to the E-journals. The highest usage (36%) was also from the same source. The studied physicians considered the most effective deterrent in the use of electronic information resources as being too busy and lack of time. Despite the importance of electronic information resources for the physician's community, there was no comprehensive knowledge of these resources. This can lead to less usage of these resources. Therefore, careful planning is necessary in the hospital libraries in order to introduce the facilities and full capabilities of the mentioned resources and methods of information retrieval.

Multi-level analysis in information systems research: the case of enterprise resource planning system usage in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Yuan; Bhattacherjee, Anol

2011-11-01

Information technology (IT) usage within organisations is a multi-level phenomenon that is influenced by individual-level and organisational-level variables. Yet, current theories, such as the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology, describe IT usage as solely an individual-level phenomenon. This article postulates a model of organisational IT usage that integrates salient organisational-level variables such as user training, top management support and technical support within an individual-level model to postulate a multi-level model of IT usage. The multi-level model was then empirically validated using multi-level data collected from 128 end users and 26 managers in 26 firms in China regarding their use of enterprise resource planning systems and analysed using the multi-level structural equation modelling (MSEM) technique. We demonstrate the utility of MSEM analysis of multi-level data relative to the more common structural equation modelling analysis of single-level data and show how single-level data can be aggregated to approximate multi-level analysis when multi-level data collection is not possible. We hope that this article will motivate future scholars to employ multi-level data and multi-level analysis for understanding organisational phenomena that are truly multi-level in nature.

Provider-Independent Use of the Cloud

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harmer, Terence; Wright, Peter; Cunningham, Christina; Perrott, Ron

Utility computing offers researchers and businesses the potential of significant cost-savings, making it possible for them to match the cost of their computing and storage to their demand for such resources. A utility compute provider enables the purchase of compute infrastructures on-demand; when a user requires computing resources a provider will provision a resource for them and charge them only for their period of use of that resource. There has been a significant growth in the number of cloud computing resource providers and each has a different resource usage model, application process and application programming interface (API)-developing generic multi-resource provider applications is thus difficult and time consuming. We have developed an abstraction layer that provides a single resource usage model, user authentication model and API for compute providers that enables cloud-provider neutral applications to be developed. In this paper we outline the issues in using external resource providers, give examples of using a number of the most popular cloud providers and provide examples of developing provider neutral applications. In addition, we discuss the development of the API to create a generic provisioning model based on a common architecture for cloud computing providers.

bioNerDS: exploring bioinformatics’ database and software use through literature mining

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Biology-focused databases and software define bioinformatics and their use is central to computational biology. In such a complex and dynamic field, it is of interest to understand what resources are available, which are used, how much they are used, and for what they are used. While scholarly literature surveys can provide some insights, large-scale computer-based approaches to identify mentions of bioinformatics databases and software from primary literature would automate systematic cataloguing, facilitate the monitoring of usage, and provide the foundations for the recovery of computational methods for analysing biological data, with the long-term aim of identifying best/common practice in different areas of biology. Results We have developed bioNerDS, a named entity recogniser for the recovery of bioinformatics databases and software from primary literature. We identify such entities with an F-measure ranging from 63% to 91% at the mention level and 63-78% at the document level, depending on corpus. Not attaining a higher F-measure is mostly due to high ambiguity in resource naming, which is compounded by the on-going introduction of new resources. To demonstrate the software, we applied bioNerDS to full-text articles from BMC Bioinformatics and Genome Biology. General mention patterns reflect the remit of these journals, highlighting BMC Bioinformatics’s emphasis on new tools and Genome Biology’s greater emphasis on data analysis. The data also illustrates some shifts in resource usage: for example, the past decade has seen R and the Gene Ontology join BLAST and GenBank as the main components in bioinformatics processing. Abstract Conclusions We demonstrate the feasibility of automatically identifying resource names on a large-scale from the scientific literature and show that the generated data can be used for exploration of bioinformatics database and software usage. For example, our results help to investigate the rate of change in resource usage and corroborate the suspicion that a vast majority of resources are created, but rarely (if ever) used thereafter. bioNerDS is available at http://bionerds.sourceforge.net/. PMID:23768135

Using geographic information systems to identify prospective marketing areas for a special library.

PubMed

McConnaughy, Rozalynd P; Wilson, Steven P

2006-05-04

The Center for Disability Resources (CDR) Library is the largest collection of its kind in the Southeastern United States, consisting of over 5,200 books, videos/DVDs, brochures, and audiotapes covering a variety of disability-related topics, from autism to transition resources. The purpose of the library is to support the information needs of families, faculty, students, staff, and other professionals in South Carolina working with individuals with disabilities. The CDR Library is funded on a yearly basis; therefore, maintaining high usage is crucial. A variety of promotional efforts have been used to attract new patrons to the library. Anyone in South Carolina can check out materials from the library, and most of the patrons use the library remotely by requesting materials, which are then mailed to them. The goal of this project was to identify areas of low geographic usage as a means of identifying locations for future library marketing efforts. Nearly four years worth of library statistics were compiled in a spreadsheet that provided information per county on the number of checkouts, the number of renewals, and the population. Five maps were created using ArcView GIS software to create visual representations of patron checkout and renewal behavior per county. Out of the 46 counties in South Carolina, eight counties never checked out materials from the library. As expected urban areas and counties near the library's physical location have high usage totals. The visual representation of the data made identification of low usage regions easier than using a standalone database with no visual-spatial component. The low usage counties will be the focus of future Center for Disability Resources Library marketing efforts. Due to the impressive visual-spatial representations created with Geographic Information Systems, which more efficiently communicate information than stand-alone database information can, librarians may benefit from the software's use as a supplemental tool for tracking library usage and planning promotional efforts.

Overcoming inertia: increasing public health departments' access to evidence-based information and promoting usage to inform practice.

PubMed

LaPelle, Nancy R; Dahlen, Karen; Gabella, Barbara A; Juhl, Ashley L; Martin, Elaine

2014-01-01

In 2010, the New England Region-National Network of Libraries of Medicine at University of Massachusetts Medical School received funding to improve information access for public health departments in 6 New England states and Colorado. Public health departments were provided with desktop digital access to licensed e-resources available through special pricing. In January through mid-April 2012, we evaluated the effectiveness of providing access to and training for using e-resources to public health department staff to motivate usage in practice. We found that additional strategies are needed to accomplish this.

Genome-wide analysis of codon usage bias in Ebolavirus.

PubMed

Cristina, Juan; Moreno, Pilar; Moratorio, Gonzalo; Musto, Héctor

2015-01-22

Ebola virus (EBOV) is a member of the family Filoviridae and its genome consists of a 19-kb, single-stranded, negative sense RNA. EBOV is subdivided into five distinct species with different pathogenicities, being Zaire ebolavirus (ZEBOV) the most lethal species. The interplay of codon usage among viruses and their hosts is expected to affect overall viral survival, fitness, evasion from host's immune system and evolution. In the present study, we performed comprehensive analyses of codon usage and composition of ZEBOV. Effective number of codons (ENC) indicates that the overall codon usage among ZEBOV strains is slightly biased. Different codon preferences in ZEBOV genes in relation to codon usage of human genes were found. Highly preferred codons are all A-ending triplets, which strongly suggests that mutational bias is a main force shaping codon usage in ZEBOV. Dinucleotide composition also plays a role in the overall pattern of ZEBOV codon usage. ZEBOV does not seem to use the most abundant tRNAs present in the human cells for most of their preferred codons. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Distinct polyadenylation landscapes of diverse human tissues revealed by a modified PA-seq strategy

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Polyadenylation is a key regulatory step in eukaryotic gene expression and one of the major contributors of transcriptome diversity. Aberrant polyadenylation often associates with expression defects and leads to human diseases. Results To better understand global polyadenylation regulation, we have developed a polyadenylation sequencing (PA-seq) approach. By profiling polyadenylation events in 13 human tissues, we found that alternative cleavage and polyadenylation (APA) is prevalent in both protein-coding and noncoding genes. In addition, APA usage, similar to gene expression profiling, exhibits tissue-specific signatures and is sufficient for determining tissue origin. A 3′ untranslated region shortening index (USI) was further developed for genes with tandem APA sites. Strikingly, the results showed that different tissues exhibit distinct patterns of shortening and/or lengthening of 3′ untranslated regions, suggesting the intimate involvement of APA in establishing tissue or cell identity. Conclusions This study provides a comprehensive resource to uncover regulated polyadenylation events in human tissues and to characterize the underlying regulatory mechanism. PMID:24025092

Development, Resources and World Security

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, 1976

1976-01-01

Summarizes the findings and conclusions of the 1976 Pugwash Conference. Issues discussed included limits on individual income or consumption, natural resource usage, arms influx into developing nations, nuclear arms control, transfer of peaceful nuclear technology, and rising military expenditures. (GS)

DSN Resource Scheduling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, Yeou-Fang; Baldwin, John

2007-01-01

TIGRAS is client-side software, which provides tracking-station equipment planning, allocation, and scheduling services to the DSMS (Deep Space Mission System). TIGRAS provides functions for schedulers to coordinate the DSN (Deep Space Network) antenna usage time and to resolve the resource usage conflicts among tracking passes, antenna calibrations, maintenance, and system testing activities. TIGRAS provides a fully integrated multi-pane graphical user interface for all scheduling operations. This is a great improvement over the legacy VAX VMS command line user interface. TIGRAS has the capability to handle all DSN resource scheduling aspects from long-range to real time. TIGRAS assists NASA mission operations for DSN tracking of station equipment resource request processes from long-range load forecasts (ten years or longer), to midrange, short-range, and real-time (less than one week) emergency tracking plan changes. TIGRAS can be operated by NASA mission operations worldwide to make schedule requests for the DSN station equipment.

Mining and Utilizing Dataset Relevancy from Oceanographic Dataset (MUDROD) Metadata, Usage Metrics, and User Feedback to Improve Data Discovery and Access

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Y.

2015-12-01

Oceanographic resource discovery is a critical step for developing ocean science applications. With the increasing number of resources available online, many Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) components (e.g. catalogues and portals) have been developed to help manage and discover oceanographic resources. However, efficient and accurate resource discovery is still a big challenge because of the lack of data relevancy information. In this article, we propose a search engine framework for mining and utilizing dataset relevancy from oceanographic dataset metadata, usage metrics, and user feedback. The objective is to improve discovery accuracy of oceanographic data and reduce time for scientist to discover, download and reformat data for their projects. Experiments and a search example show that the propose engine helps both scientists and general users search for more accurate results with enhanced performance and user experience through a user-friendly interface.

Wikidata as a semantic framework for the Gene Wiki initiative.

PubMed

Burgstaller-Muehlbacher, Sebastian; Waagmeester, Andra; Mitraka, Elvira; Turner, Julia; Putman, Tim; Leong, Justin; Naik, Chinmay; Pavlidis, Paul; Schriml, Lynn; Good, Benjamin M; Su, Andrew I

2016-01-01

Open biological data are distributed over many resources making them challenging to integrate, to update and to disseminate quickly. Wikidata is a growing, open community database which can serve this purpose and also provides tight integration with Wikipedia. In order to improve the state of biological data, facilitate data management and dissemination, we imported all human and mouse genes, and all human and mouse proteins into Wikidata. In total, 59,721 human genes and 73,355 mouse genes have been imported from NCBI and 27,306 human proteins and 16,728 mouse proteins have been imported from the Swissprot subset of UniProt. As Wikidata is open and can be edited by anybody, our corpus of imported data serves as the starting point for integration of further data by scientists, the Wikidata community and citizen scientists alike. The first use case for these data is to populate Wikipedia Gene Wiki infoboxes directly from Wikidata with the data integrated above. This enables immediate updates of the Gene Wiki infoboxes as soon as the data in Wikidata are modified. Although Gene Wiki pages are currently only on the English language version of Wikipedia, the multilingual nature of Wikidata allows for usage of the data we imported in all 280 different language Wikipedias. Apart from the Gene Wiki infobox use case, a SPARQL endpoint and exporting functionality to several standard formats (e.g. JSON, XML) enable use of the data by scientists. In summary, we created a fully open and extensible data resource for human and mouse molecular biology and biochemistry data. This resource enriches all the Wikipedias with structured information and serves as a new linking hub for the biological semantic web. Database URL: https://www.wikidata.org/. © The Author(s) 2016. Published by Oxford University Press.

Comparing the Consumption of CPU Hours with Scientific Output for the Extreme Science and Engineering Discovery Environment (XSEDE).

PubMed

Knepper, Richard; Börner, Katy

2016-01-01

This paper presents the results of a study that compares resource usage with publication output using data about the consumption of CPU cycles from the Extreme Science and Engineering Discovery Environment (XSEDE) and resulting scientific publications for 2,691 institutions/teams. Specifically, the datasets comprise a total of 5,374,032,696 central processing unit (CPU) hours run in XSEDE during July 1, 2011 to August 18, 2015 and 2,882 publications that cite the XSEDE resource. Three types of studies were conducted: a geospatial analysis of XSEDE providers and consumers, co-authorship network analysis of XSEDE publications, and bi-modal network analysis of how XSEDE resources are used by different research fields. Resulting visualizations show that a diverse set of consumers make use of XSEDE resources, that users of XSEDE publish together frequently, and that the users of XSEDE with the highest resource usage tend to be "traditional" high-performance computing (HPC) community members from astronomy, atmospheric science, physics, chemistry, and biology.

Quantitative Analysis of the Usage of the COSMOS Science Education Portal

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sotiriou, Sofoklis; Bogner, Franz X.; Neofotistos, George

2011-01-01

A quantitative method of mapping the web usage of an innovative educational portal is applied to analyze the behaviour of users of the COSMOS Science Education Portal. The COSMOS Portal contains user-generated resources (that are uploaded by its users). It has been designed to support a science teacher's search, retrieval and access to both,…

Gender and Linguistic Ideology: A Re-Examination of Directive Usage by Japanese Male Superiors in the Workplace

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saito, Junko

2009-01-01

This study examines Japanese male superiors' linguistic practices in an institutional setting in Japan, in particular focusing on directive usage. It quantitatively and qualitatively elucidates how seven male superiors in a workplace, which is located in the Tokyo area, employ diverse linguistic resources in directive discourse so as to persuade…

Knowledge, access and usage pattern of HINARI by researchers and clinicians in tertiary health institutions in south-west Nigeria.

PubMed

Ajuwon, G A; Olorunsaye, J O

2013-03-01

The digital divide is a global challenge. The Health Internetwork Access to Research Initiative (HINARI) is one of the most successful efforts aimed at bridging the digital divide in access to health information in developing countries. There is a dearth of empirical studies on usage pattern of this resource in Nigeria. The aim of this study was to assess knowledge and usage pattern of HINARI by clinicians and researchers in tertiary health institutions in Southwestern Nigeria. A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted among 1150 clinicians and researchers in the 12 tertiary health institutions that had access to HINARI. A standardized, self-completed, 31-item questionnaire was used for data collection. It elicited information on demographic profile, pattern of usage and constraints to use of HINARI. The majority (72.0%) were aware of HINARI however, only 35.1% have had a formal training on how to use it. Sixty-eight percent (68.0%) had ever used HINARI resources and 62.4% of these did so during the month preceding the study. The most frequently used HINARI resources were MEDLINE/PubMed (53.2%), full text journal articles (55.0%), and reference materials (28.5%). Previous users (50.0%) encountered problems in accessing HINARI; with lack of password being the main challenge for access. Knowledge and use of HINARI resources are high. However, clinicians and researchers are not deriving full benefits from HINARI because few had received training on how to use it. A learner-centered training and wide distribution of the HINARI User Name and Password within the institutions is recommended to address this problem.

Optimizing the resource usage in Cloud based environments: the Synergy approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zangrando, L.; Llorens, V.; Sgaravatto, M.; Verlato, M.

2017-10-01

Managing resource allocation in a cloud based data centre serving multiple virtual organizations is a challenging issue. In fact, while batch systems are able to allocate resources to different user groups according to specific shares imposed by the data centre administrator, without a static partitioning of such resources, this is not so straightforward in the most common cloud frameworks, e.g. OpenStack. In the current OpenStack implementation, it is only possible to grant fixed quotas to the different user groups and these resources cannot be exceeded by one group even if there are unused resources allocated to other groups. Moreover in the existing OpenStack implementation, when there aren’t resources available, new requests are simply rejected: it is then up to the client to later re-issue the request. The recently started EU-funded INDIGO-DataCloud project is addressing this issue through “Synergy”, a new advanced scheduling service targeted for OpenStack. Synergy adopts a fair-share model for resource provisioning which guarantees that resources are distributed among users following the fair-share policies defined by the administrator, taken also into account the past usage of such resources. We present the architecture of Synergy, the status of its implementation, some preliminary results and the foreseen evolution of the service.

Advantages and Limitations of Usage of Open Educational Resources in Small Countries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krelja Kurelovic, Elena

2016-01-01

Educational resources in the competitive world of higher education were often considered as key intellectual property, so access to those resources was restricted to privileged groups of students and professors, which is unacceptable in today's networked society. Today, an increasing number of institutions and individuals share such digital…

Essays on Pricing of Information Goods and Services

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lahiri, Atanu

2010-01-01

This dissertation consists of three essays that examine, in three specific contexts, issues related to pricing of information goods and services. As the ability to measure technology resource usage gets easier with increased connectivity, the question whether a technology resource should be priced by the amount of the resource used or by the…

Soil aggregation as mechanism for understanding the roles of soil biota in the sustainable usage of natural resources

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Global food insecurity and rapidly diminishing water, soil, and energy resources resulting from increases in population numbers and wealth are putting pressure on agroecosystems to efficiently produce the most nutrient dense food while maintaining or enhancing natural resources. To address these ne...

An Integrated TCGA Pan-Cancer Clinical Data Resource to Drive High-Quality Survival Outcome Analytics.

PubMed

Liu, Jianfang; Lichtenberg, Tara; Hoadley, Katherine A; Poisson, Laila M; Lazar, Alexander J; Cherniack, Andrew D; Kovatich, Albert J; Benz, Christopher C; Levine, Douglas A; Lee, Adrian V; Omberg, Larsson; Wolf, Denise M; Shriver, Craig D; Thorsson, Vesteinn; Hu, Hai

2018-04-05

For a decade, The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) program collected clinicopathologic annotation data along with multi-platform molecular profiles of more than 11,000 human tumors across 33 different cancer types. TCGA clinical data contain key features representing the democratized nature of the data collection process. To ensure proper use of this large clinical dataset associated with genomic features, we developed a standardized dataset named the TCGA Pan-Cancer Clinical Data Resource (TCGA-CDR), which includes four major clinical outcome endpoints. In addition to detailing major challenges and statistical limitations encountered during the effort of integrating the acquired clinical data, we present a summary that includes endpoint usage recommendations for each cancer type. These TCGA-CDR findings appear to be consistent with cancer genomics studies independent of the TCGA effort and provide opportunities for investigating cancer biology using clinical correlates at an unprecedented scale. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Monitoring Web Site Usage of e-Bug: A Hygiene and Antibiotic Awareness Resource for Children

PubMed Central

Rajapandian, Vijayamaharaj; Eley, Charlotte V; Hoekstra, Beverley A; Lecky, Donna M; McNulty, Cliodna AM

2015-01-01

Background e-Bug is an educational resource which teaches children and young people about microbes, hygiene, infection, and prudent antibiotic use. The e-Bug resources are available in over 22 different languages and they are used widely across the globe. The resources can be accessed from the e-Bug website. Objective The objective of this study was to analyze the usage of the e-Bug website in order to understand how users access the website, where and when they access the site, and to review variation in use across the different areas of the site. Methods The usage statistics for the e-Bug website were monitored by Google Analytics between September 2010 and August 2013. Results The statistics show the website had over 324,000 visits during the three years, from just under 250,000 visitors, with the number of visitors increasing year after year. Visitors accessed the website from 211 different countries, with more than 267,000 documents downloaded. The majority of visitors were from the United Kingdom and visited the English website, although countries such as France and Portugal were also frequent visitors. Conclusions These website statistics confirm that e-Bug is frequently used across Europe and highlight that e-Bug use has expanded across the world. The findings from this report will be used to inform future modifications or updates to the materials, as well as the development of new educational resources. PMID:26567127

Public health and policy.

PubMed

Nunnery, Jennifer; Angulo, Frederick J; Tollefson, Linda

2006-02-24

Antimicrobial agent usage data are essential for focusing efforts to reduce misuse and overuse of antimicrobial agents in food producing animals because these practices may select for resistance in bacteria of animals. Transfer of resistant bacteria from animals to humans can lead to human infection caused by resistant pathogens. Resistant infections can lead to treatment failures, resulting in prolonged or more severe illness. Multiple World Health Organization (WHO) reports have concluded that both antimicrobial resistance and antimicrobial usage should be monitored on the national level. The system for collecting antimicrobial usage data should be clear and transparent to facilitate trend analysis and comparison within and among countries. Therapeutic, prophylactic and growth promotion use should be recorded, along with route of administration and animal species and/or production class treated. The usage data should be compared to resistance data, and the comparison should be made available in a timely manner. In the United States, surveillance of antimicrobial resistance in foodborne bacteria is performed by the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) for enteric bacteria, however, the United States still lacks a mechanism for collecting antimicrobial usage data. Combined with antimicrobial resistance information from NARMS, antimicrobial usage data will help to direct education efforts and policy decisions, minimizing the risk that people will develop antimicrobial resistant infections as a result of eating food of animal origin. Ultimately mitigation strategies guided by usage data will be more effective in maintaining antimicrobial drugs for appropriate veterinary use and in protecting human health.

Problematic Internet Usage of ICT Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gunduz, Semseddin

2017-01-01

Information and communication technologies (ICT) have affected all area in a society. Human can learn quickly and accurately from the internet. The aim of this study was to investigate what the problematic internet usage of ICT teachers. Therefore, the present study investigated the problematic internet usage, who worked as an ICT teacher in…

Disease Ontology 2015 update: an expanded and updated database of human diseases for linking biomedical knowledge through disease data.

PubMed

Kibbe, Warren A; Arze, Cesar; Felix, Victor; Mitraka, Elvira; Bolton, Evan; Fu, Gang; Mungall, Christopher J; Binder, Janos X; Malone, James; Vasant, Drashtti; Parkinson, Helen; Schriml, Lynn M

2015-01-01

The current version of the Human Disease Ontology (DO) (http://www.disease-ontology.org) database expands the utility of the ontology for the examination and comparison of genetic variation, phenotype, protein, drug and epitope data through the lens of human disease. DO is a biomedical resource of standardized common and rare disease concepts with stable identifiers organized by disease etiology. The content of DO has had 192 revisions since 2012, including the addition of 760 terms. Thirty-two percent of all terms now include definitions. DO has expanded the number and diversity of research communities and community members by 50+ during the past two years. These community members actively submit term requests, coordinate biomedical resource disease representation and provide expert curation guidance. Since the DO 2012 NAR paper, there have been hundreds of term requests and a steady increase in the number of DO listserv members, twitter followers and DO website usage. DO is moving to a multi-editor model utilizing Protégé to curate DO in web ontology language. This will enable closer collaboration with the Human Phenotype Ontology, EBI's Ontology Working Group, Mouse Genome Informatics and the Monarch Initiative among others, and enhance DO's current asserted view and multiple inferred views through reasoning. © The Author(s) 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Disease Ontology 2015 update: An expanded and updated database of human diseases for linking biomedical knowledge through disease data

DOE PAGES

Kibbe, Warren A.; Arze, Cesar; Felix, Victor; ...

2014-10-27

The current version of the Human Disease Ontology (DO) (http://www.disease-ontology.org) database expands the utility of the ontology for the examination and comparison of genetic variation, phenotype, protein, drug and epitope data through the lens of human disease. DO is a biomedical resource of standardized common and rare disease concepts with stable identifiers organized by disease etiology. The content of DO has had 192 revisions since 2012, including the addition of 760 terms. Thirty-two percent of all terms now include definitions. DO has expanded the number and diversity of research communities and community members by 50+ during the past two years.more » These community members actively submit term requests, coordinate biomedical resource disease representation and provide expert curation guidance. Since the DO 2012 NAR paper, there have been hundreds of term requests and a steady increase in the number of DO listserv members, twitter followers and DO website usage. DO is moving to a multi-editor model utilizing Protégé to curate DO in web ontology language. In conclusion, this will enable closer collaboration with the Human Phenotype Ontology, EBI's Ontology Working Group, Mouse Genome Informatics and the Monarch Initiative among others, and enhance DO's current asserted view and multiple inferred views through reasoning.« less

Disease Ontology 2015 update: An expanded and updated database of human diseases for linking biomedical knowledge through disease data

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

Kibbe, Warren A.; Arze, Cesar; Felix, Victor

The current version of the Human Disease Ontology (DO) (http://www.disease-ontology.org) database expands the utility of the ontology for the examination and comparison of genetic variation, phenotype, protein, drug and epitope data through the lens of human disease. DO is a biomedical resource of standardized common and rare disease concepts with stable identifiers organized by disease etiology. The content of DO has had 192 revisions since 2012, including the addition of 760 terms. Thirty-two percent of all terms now include definitions. DO has expanded the number and diversity of research communities and community members by 50+ during the past two years.more » These community members actively submit term requests, coordinate biomedical resource disease representation and provide expert curation guidance. Since the DO 2012 NAR paper, there have been hundreds of term requests and a steady increase in the number of DO listserv members, twitter followers and DO website usage. DO is moving to a multi-editor model utilizing Protégé to curate DO in web ontology language. In conclusion, this will enable closer collaboration with the Human Phenotype Ontology, EBI's Ontology Working Group, Mouse Genome Informatics and the Monarch Initiative among others, and enhance DO's current asserted view and multiple inferred views through reasoning.« less

Environmental sustainability control by water resources carrying capacity concept: application significance in Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Djuwansyah, M. R.

2018-02-01

This paper reviews the use of Water Resources carrying capacity concept to control environmental sustainability with the particular note for the case in Indonesia. Carrying capacity is a capability measure of an environment or an area to support human and the other lives as well as their activities in a sustainable manner. Recurrently water-related hazards and environmental problems indicate that the environments are exploited over its carrying capacity. Environmental carrying capacity (ECC) assessment includes Land and Water Carrying Capacity analysis of an area, suggested to always refer to the dimension of the related watershed as an incorporated hydrologic unit on the basis of resources availability estimation. Many countries use this measure to forecast the future sustainability of regional development based on water availability. Direct water Resource Carrying Capacity (WRCC) assessment involves population number determination together with their activities could be supported by available water, whereas indirect WRCC assessment comprises the analysis of supply-demand balance status of water. Water resource limits primarily environmental carrying capacity rather than the land resource since land capability constraints are easier. WRCC is a crucial factor known to control land and water resource utilization, particularly in a growing densely populated area. Even though capability of water resources is relatively perpetual, the utilization pattern of these resources may change by socio-economic and cultural technology level of the users, because of which WRCC should be evaluated periodically to maintain usage sustainability of water resource and environment.

Multiple Evolutionary Selections Involved in Synonymous Codon Usages in the Streptococcus agalactiae Genome.

PubMed

Ma, Yan-Ping; Ke, Hao; Liang, Zhi-Ling; Liu, Zhen-Xing; Hao, Le; Ma, Jiang-Yao; Li, Yu-Gu

2016-02-24

Streptococcus agalactiae is an important human and animal pathogen. To better understand the genetic features and evolution of S. agalactiae, multiple factors influencing synonymous codon usage patterns in S. agalactiae were analyzed in this study. A- and U-ending rich codons were used in S. agalactiae function genes through the overall codon usage analysis, indicating that Adenine (A)/Thymine (T) compositional constraints might contribute an important role to the synonymous codon usage pattern. The GC3% against the effective number of codon (ENC) value suggested that translational selection was the important factor for codon bias in the microorganism. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that (i) mutational pressure was the most important factor in shaping codon usage of all open reading frames (ORFs) in the S. agalactiae genome; (ii) strand specific mutational bias was not capable of influencing the codon usage bias in the leading and lagging strands; and (iii) gene length was not the important factor in synonymous codon usage pattern in this organism. Additionally, the high correlation between tRNA adaptation index (tAI) value and codon adaptation index (CAI), frequency of optimal codons (Fop) value, reinforced the role of natural selection for efficient translation in S. agalactiae. Comparison of synonymous codon usage pattern between S. agalactiae and susceptible hosts (human and tilapia) showed that synonymous codon usage of S. agalactiae was independent of the synonymous codon usage of susceptible hosts. The study of codon usage in S. agalactiae may provide evidence about the molecular evolution of the bacterium and a greater understanding of evolutionary relationships between S. agalactiae and its hosts.

Multiple Evolutionary Selections Involved in Synonymous Codon Usages in the Streptococcus agalactiae Genome

PubMed Central

Ma, Yan-Ping; Ke, Hao; Liang, Zhi-Ling; Liu, Zhen-Xing; Hao, Le; Ma, Jiang-Yao; Li, Yu-Gu

2016-01-01

Streptococcus agalactiae is an important human and animal pathogen. To better understand the genetic features and evolution of S. agalactiae, multiple factors influencing synonymous codon usage patterns in S. agalactiae were analyzed in this study. A- and U-ending rich codons were used in S. agalactiae function genes through the overall codon usage analysis, indicating that Adenine (A)/Thymine (T) compositional constraints might contribute an important role to the synonymous codon usage pattern. The GC3% against the effective number of codon (ENC) value suggested that translational selection was the important factor for codon bias in the microorganism. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that (i) mutational pressure was the most important factor in shaping codon usage of all open reading frames (ORFs) in the S. agalactiae genome; (ii) strand specific mutational bias was not capable of influencing the codon usage bias in the leading and lagging strands; and (iii) gene length was not the important factor in synonymous codon usage pattern in this organism. Additionally, the high correlation between tRNA adaptation index (tAI) value and codon adaptation index (CAI), frequency of optimal codons (Fop) value, reinforced the role of natural selection for efficient translation in S. agalactiae. Comparison of synonymous codon usage pattern between S. agalactiae and susceptible hosts (human and tilapia) showed that synonymous codon usage of S. agalactiae was independent of the synonymous codon usage of susceptible hosts. The study of codon usage in S. agalactiae may provide evidence about the molecular evolution of the bacterium and a greater understanding of evolutionary relationships between S. agalactiae and its hosts. PMID:26927064

The development, assessment and validation of virtual reality for human anatomy instruction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marshall, Karen Benn

1996-01-01

This research project seeks to meet the objective of science training by developing, assessing, validating and utilizing VR as a human anatomy training medium. Current anatomy instruction is primarily in the form of lectures and usage of textbooks. In ideal situations, anatomic models, computer-based instruction, and cadaver dissection are utilized to augment traditional methods of instruction. At many institutions, lack of financial resources limits anatomy instruction to textbooks and lectures. However, human anatomy is three-dimensional, unlike the one-dimensional depiction found in textbooks and the two-dimensional depiction found on the computer. Virtual reality allows one to step through the computer screen into a 3-D artificial world. The primary objective of this project is to produce a virtual reality application of the abdominopelvic region of a human cadaver that can be taken back to the classroom. The hypothesis is that an immersive learning environment affords quicker anatomic recognition and orientation and a greater level of retention in human anatomy instruction. The goal is to augment not replace traditional modes of instruction.

Microbial Consortia Engineering for Cellular Factories: in vitro to in silico systems

PubMed Central

Bernstein, Hans C; Carlson, Ross P

2012-01-01

This mini-review discusses the current state of experimental and computational microbial consortia engineering with a focus on cellular factories. A discussion of promising ecological theories central to community resource usage is presented to facilitate interpretation of consortial designs. Recent case studies exemplifying different resource usage motifs and consortial assembly templates are presented. The review also highlights in silico approaches to design and to analyze consortia with an emphasis on stoichiometric modeling methods. The discipline of microbial consortia engineering possesses a widely accepted potential to generate highly novel and effective bio-catalysts for applications from biofuels to specialty chemicals to enhanced mineral recovery. PMID:24688677

Impact of remote sensing upon the planning, management and development of water resources. Summary of computers and computer growth trends for hydrologic modeling and the input of ERTS image data processing load

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Castruccio, P. A.; Loats, H. L., Jr.

1975-01-01

An analysis of current computer usage by major water resources users was made to determine the trends of usage and costs for the principal hydrologic users/models. The laws and empirical relationships governing the growth of the data processing loads were described and applied to project the future data loads. Data loads for ERTS CCT image processing were computed and projected through the 1985 era. The analysis showns significant impact due to the utilization and processing of ERTS CCT's data.

Urine separating sewage systems--environmental effects and resource usage.

PubMed

Jönsson, H

2002-01-01

Effects of urine separation on the environment and resource usage were estimated using the simulation package ORWARE. Measurements on the urine-separating system in the housing district Palsternackan in Stockholm and on the fertilising effect of the urine were used in the simulations. The tenants were at home 65% of the time and separated 65% of the urine. Under these conditions, urine separation decreased the waterborne emissions of nitrogen and phosphorus by 55% and 33% respectively. Compared to the conventional system, urine separation increased the flow from the wastewater system to agriculture of plant-available nitrogen by a factor of 28, phosphorus by a factor of 1.35 and potassium by a factor of 23. Urine is a well-balanced complete fertiliser with very low concentrations of heavy metals. Urine separation conserved energy as long as the urine was transported distances shorter than 221 km to the field with a truck and trailer. If all the urine had been separated and transported only 1 km, the energy saving would have been 36%. In this and in previous studies, urine separation proved to be an improvement over the conventional system as regards environmental effects and resource usage.

A Study of Personal Health Record User's Behavioral Model Based on the PMT and UTAUT Integrative Perspective.

PubMed

Hsieh, Hui-Lung; Kuo, Yu-Ming; Wang, Shiang-Ru; Chuang, Bi-Kun; Tsai, Chung-Hung

2016-12-23

The personal health record (PHR) is a system that enables borderless medical care services by combining technological innovation and human consideration. This study explored factors affecting the adoption of PHR from technical, medical, and social perspectives according to the Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) and Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model. A survey using a structured questionnaire was subsequently conducted, which produced the following results: (1) The PMT and UTAUT were effective at predicting PHR usage behaviors; (2) Perceived ease-of-use was the most decisive factor influencing the use of PHR, followed by self-efficacy and perceived usefulness; and (3) Behavioral intention for PHR was significantly and positively correlated with usage behavior. From the obtained results, this study recommends that health authorities and medical institutions promote self-efficacy in the use of PHR to improve the levels of behavioral intention and usage behavior among the people. Additionally, medical care institutions are recommended to promote health management and preventive healthcare concepts to help improve public acceptance of the PHR system as a means to self-manage their health. Finally, community centers, medical institutions, and health authorities are urged to work together to enhance public medical knowledge and pool resources for the PHR system, both of which are essential for improving the popularity of the PHR, public quality of life, and the effectiveness of health management.

e-Human Grid Ecology - understanding and approaching the inverse tragedy of the commons in the e-Grid society.

PubMed

Knoch, Tobias A; Baumgärtner, Volkmar; de Zeeuw, Luc V; Grosveld, Frank G; Egger, Kurt

2009-01-01

With ever-new technologies emerging also the amount of information to be stored and processed is growing exponentially and is believed to be always at the limit. In contrast, however, huge resources are available in the IT sector alike e.g. the renewable energy sector, which are often even not at all used. This under-usage bares any rational especially in the IT sector where e.g. virtualisation and grid approaches could be fast implemented due to the great technical and fast turnover opportunities. Here, we describe this obvious paradox for the first time as the Inverse Tragedy of the Commons, in contrast to the Classical Tragedy of the Commons where resources are overexploited. From this perspective the grid IT sector attempting to share resources for better efficiency, reveals two challenges leading to the heart of the paradox: i) From a macro perspective all grid infrastructures involve not only mere technical solutions but also dominantly all of the autopoietic social sub-systems ranging from religion to policy. ii) On the micro level the individual players and their psychology and risk behaviour are of major importance for acting within the macro autopoietic framework. Thus, the challenges of grid implementation are similar to those of e.g. climate protection. This is well described by the classic Human Ecology triangle and our extension to a rectangle: invironment-individual-society-environment. Extension of this classical interdisciplinary field of basic and applied research to an e-Human Grid Ecology rational, allows the Inverse Tragedy of the Commons of the grid sector to be understood and approached better and implies obvious guidelines in the day-to-day management for grid and other (networked) resources, which is of importance for many fields with similar paradoxes as in (e-)society.

Print and Electronic Resources: Usage Statistics at Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University Library

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kapoor, Kanta

2010-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to quantify the use of electronic journals in comparison with the print collections in the Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University Library. Design/methodology/approach: A detailed analysis was made of the use of lending services, the Xerox facility and usage of electronic journals such as Science Direct,…

Salt and its Role in Health and Disease Prevention from the Perspectives of Iranian Medicine and Modern Medicine.

PubMed

Mokhtari, Masoud; Vahid, Hamide

2016-05-01

Salt in Iranian medical sources is mentioned as Malh and has a special place in people's nutrition. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of correct use of salt on health and disease prevention in the context of Iranian medicine and its comparison with modern medicine. This article reviews Iranian medicine references on the usage of salt and its benefits. Additionally, modern medicine references were searched to identify the dos and don'ts of salt consumption. Then the results from both approaches were compared and analyzed. The main application salt in Iranian medical resources includes usage in latif supplier, solvent, dryer, laxative of phlegm and melancholy, slimy moisture body repellent, opening obstruction of liver and spleen, aid in digestion, beneficial for seeds and corruption of foods, appetizing, cold foods reformer and improving the flavor of foods. On the other hand, the major benefits of salt according to modern medicine resources are; aiding the balance of electrolytes and fluids, carry nutrients into cells, regulation of acid-base balance, support transfer of nerve impulses, regulate blood pressure, and secretion of gastric acid. According to the Iranian medicine, the amount and type of salt to maintain health and prevent diseases is determined based on factors such as temperament, age, health and disease, season, and location. While a unique approach is not prescribed for every individual, in modern medicine resources, a fixed set of guidelines is recommended for all healthy individuals. Consequently, the modern medicine pays less attention to physiological, structural, and genetic issues. Considering the importance of salt and its undeniable impact on human health, it is apparent that additional research is required to determine factors affecting the actual amount of salt per person.

Online dissection audio-visual resources for human anatomy: Undergraduate medical students' usage and learning outcomes.

PubMed

Choi-Lundberg, Derek L; Cuellar, William A; Williams, Anne-Marie M

2016-11-01

In an attempt to improve undergraduate medical student preparation for and learning from dissection sessions, dissection audio-visual resources (DAVR) were developed. Data from e-learning management systems indicated DAVR were accessed by 28% ± 10 (mean ± SD for nine DAVR across three years) of students prior to the corresponding dissection sessions, representing at most 58% ± 20 of assigned dissectors. Approximately 50% of students accessed all available DAVR by the end of semester, while 10% accessed none. Ninety percent of survey respondents (response rate 58%) generally agreed that DAVR improved their preparation for and learning from dissection when used. Of several learning resources, only DAVR usage had a significant positive correlation (P = 0.002) with feeling prepared for dissection. Results on cadaveric anatomy practical examination questions in year 2 (Y2) and year 3 (Y3) cohorts were 3.9% (P < 0.001, effect size d = -0.32) and 0.3% lower, respectively, with DAVR available compared to previous years. However, there were positive correlations between students' cadaveric anatomy question scores with the number and total time of DAVR viewed (Y2, r = 0.171, 0.090, P = 0.002, n.s., respectively; and Y3, r = 0.257, 0.253, both P < 0.001). Students accessing all DAVR scored 7.2% and 11.8% higher than those accessing none (Y2, P = 0.015, d = 0.48; and Y3, P = 0.005, d = 0.77, respectively). Further development and promotion of DAVR are needed to improve engagement and learning outcomes of more students. Anat Sci Educ 9: 545-554. © 2016 American Association of Anatomists. © 2016 American Association of Anatomists.

Applying the Quadratic Usage Framework to Research on K-12 STEM Digital Learning Resources

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Luetkemeyer, Jennifer R.

2016-01-01

Numerous policymakers have called for K-12 educators to increase their effectiveness by transforming science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning and teaching with digital resources and tools. In this study we outline the significance of studying pressing issues related to use of digital resources in the K-12 environment and…

E-Resource Statistics: What to Do when You Have No Money

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walker, Mary

2009-01-01

Libraries are moving toward electronic resource management systems (ERMSs) to track their usage statistics, but these can be expensive to purchase and maintain. For some libraries, an ERMS can be cost-prohibitive, but they still need to justify the renewal of databases and e-journals to their budget officers or determine which e-resources should…

Improved Cloud resource allocation: how INDIGO-DataCloud is overcoming the current limitations in Cloud schedulers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lopez Garcia, Alvaro; Zangrando, Lisa; Sgaravatto, Massimo; Llorens, Vincent; Vallero, Sara; Zaccolo, Valentina; Bagnasco, Stefano; Taneja, Sonia; Dal Pra, Stefano; Salomoni, Davide; Donvito, Giacinto

2017-10-01

Performing efficient resource provisioning is a fundamental aspect for any resource provider. Local Resource Management Systems (LRMS) have been used in data centers for decades in order to obtain the best usage of the resources, providing their fair usage and partitioning for the users. In contrast, current cloud schedulers are normally based on the immediate allocation of resources on a first-come, first-served basis, meaning that a request will fail if there are no resources (e.g. OpenStack) or it will be trivially queued ordered by entry time (e.g. OpenNebula). Moreover, these scheduling strategies are based on a static partitioning of the resources, meaning that existing quotas cannot be exceeded, even if there are idle resources allocated to other projects. This is a consequence of the fact that cloud instances are not associated with a maximum execution time and leads to a situation where the resources are under-utilized. These facts have been identified by the INDIGO-DataCloud project as being too simplistic for accommodating scientific workloads in an efficient way, leading to an underutilization of the resources, a non desirable situation in scientific data centers. In this work, we will present the work done in the scheduling area during the first year of the INDIGO project and the foreseen evolutions.

Women at Risk for Human Immunodeficiency Virus.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Quadagno, David; And Others

This article reports results from a survey among women at risk for contracting Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) as well as transmitting it in a vertical (to offspring) and horizontal (sexual partner or intravenous [IV] drug usage) mode. Little is known about the extent of HIV knowledge, sexual behaviors, and IV drug usage for women at risk for…

Distributed event-triggered consensus strategy for multi-agent systems under limited resources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noorbakhsh, S. Mohammad; Ghaisari, Jafar

2016-01-01

The paper proposes a distributed structure to address an event-triggered consensus problem for multi-agent systems which aims at concurrent reduction in inter-agent communication, control input actuation and energy consumption. Following the proposed approach, asymptotic convergence of all agents to consensus requires that each agent broadcasts its sampled-state to the neighbours and updates its control input only at its own triggering instants, unlike the existing related works. Obviously, it decreases the network bandwidth usage, sensor energy consumption, computation resources usage and actuator wears. As a result, it facilitates the implementation of the proposed consensus protocol in the real-world applications with limited resources. The stability of the closed-loop system under an event-based protocol is proved analytically. Some numerical results are presented which confirm the analytical discussion on the effectiveness of the proposed design.

Dynamic provisioning of local and remote compute resources with OpenStack

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giffels, M.; Hauth, T.; Polgart, F.; Quast, G.

2015-12-01

Modern high-energy physics experiments rely on the extensive usage of computing resources, both for the reconstruction of measured events as well as for Monte-Carlo simulation. The Institut fur Experimentelle Kernphysik (EKP) at KIT is participating in both the CMS and Belle experiments with computing and storage resources. In the upcoming years, these requirements are expected to increase due to growing amount of recorded data and the rise in complexity of the simulated events. It is therefore essential to increase the available computing capabilities by tapping into all resource pools. At the EKP institute, powerful desktop machines are available to users. Due to the multi-core nature of modern CPUs, vast amounts of CPU time are not utilized by common desktop usage patterns. Other important providers of compute capabilities are classical HPC data centers at universities or national research centers. Due to the shared nature of these installations, the standardized software stack required by HEP applications cannot be installed. A viable way to overcome this constraint and offer a standardized software environment in a transparent manner is the usage of virtualization technologies. The OpenStack project has become a widely adopted solution to virtualize hardware and offer additional services like storage and virtual machine management. This contribution will report on the incorporation of the institute's desktop machines into a private OpenStack Cloud. The additional compute resources provisioned via the virtual machines have been used for Monte-Carlo simulation and data analysis. Furthermore, a concept to integrate shared, remote HPC centers into regular HEP job workflows will be presented. In this approach, local and remote resources are merged to form a uniform, virtual compute cluster with a single point-of-entry for the user. Evaluations of the performance and stability of this setup and operational experiences will be discussed.

Comparing the Consumption of CPU Hours with Scientific Output for the Extreme Science and Engineering Discovery Environment (XSEDE)

PubMed Central

Börner, Katy

2016-01-01

This paper presents the results of a study that compares resource usage with publication output using data about the consumption of CPU cycles from the Extreme Science and Engineering Discovery Environment (XSEDE) and resulting scientific publications for 2,691 institutions/teams. Specifically, the datasets comprise a total of 5,374,032,696 central processing unit (CPU) hours run in XSEDE during July 1, 2011 to August 18, 2015 and 2,882 publications that cite the XSEDE resource. Three types of studies were conducted: a geospatial analysis of XSEDE providers and consumers, co-authorship network analysis of XSEDE publications, and bi-modal network analysis of how XSEDE resources are used by different research fields. Resulting visualizations show that a diverse set of consumers make use of XSEDE resources, that users of XSEDE publish together frequently, and that the users of XSEDE with the highest resource usage tend to be “traditional” high-performance computing (HPC) community members from astronomy, atmospheric science, physics, chemistry, and biology. PMID:27310174

Analysis of base and codon usage by rubella virus.

PubMed

Zhou, Yumei; Chen, Xianfeng; Ushijima, Hiroshi; Frey, Teryl K

2012-05-01

Rubella virus (RUBV), a small, plus-strand RNA virus that is an important human pathogen, has the unique feature that the GC content of its genome (70%) is the highest (by 20%) among RNA viruses. To determine the effect of this GC content on genomic evolution, base and codon usage were analyzed across viruses from eight diverse genotypes of RUBV. Despite differences in frequency of codon use, the favored codons in the RUBV genome matched those in the human genome for 18 of the 20 amino acids, indicating adaptation to the host. Although usage patterns were conserved in corresponding genes in the diverse genotypes, within-genome comparison revealed that both base and codon usages varied regionally, particularly in the hypervariable region (HVR) of the P150 replicase gene. While directional mutation pressure was predominant in determining base and codon usage within most of the genome (with the strongest tendency being towards C's at third codon positions), natural selection was predominant in the HVR region. The GC content of this region was the highest in the genome (>80%), and it was not clear if selection at the nucleotide level accompanied selection at the amino acid level. Dinucleotide frequency analysis of the RUBV genome revealed that TpA usage was lower than expected, similar to mammalian genes; however, CpG usage was not suppressed, and TpG usage was not enhanced, as is the case in mammalian genes.

A shortage of cadavers: The predicament of regional anatomy education in mainland China.

PubMed

Chen, Dan; Zhang, Qi; Deng, Jing; Cai, Yan; Huang, Jufang; Li, Fang; Xiong, Kun

2018-04-12

Both in mainland China and around the world, regional anatomy stands as one of the most important basic science courses in medical school curricula. As such, dissection of human cadavers and use of prosected specimens remains the most essential teaching method in anatomy education. However, medical educators have raised increasing concerns about an ongoing shortage of cadavers for medical use in mainland China, a problem which may seriously limit the future development of human anatomy education. Based on a survey on cadaver usage in anatomy education in mainland China, this study found that the cadaver resources of most given medical schools in mainland China are associated with their geographic location, academic ranking, and local support for body donation policies. Effective measures to alleviate this shortage of cadavers may include future efforts to promote national-level body donation legislation, broader acceptance of body donation among Chinese citizens, and an efficient and humane protocol for body donation. Anat Sci Educ. © 2018 American Association of Anatomists. © 2018 American Association of Anatomists.

A IHE-Like Approach Method for Quantitative Analysis of PACS Usage.

PubMed

Calabrese, Raffaele; Beltrame, Marco; Accardo, Agostino

2016-12-01

Today, many hospitals have a running enterprise picture archiving and communication system (PACS) and their administrators should have the tools to measure the system activity and, in particular, how much it is used. The information would be valuable for decision-makers to address asset management and the development of policies for its correct utilization and eventually start training initiatives to get the best in resource utilization and operators' satisfaction. On the economic side, a quantitative method to measure the usage of the workstations would be desirable to better redistribute existing resources and plan the purchase of new ones. The paper exploits in an unconventional way the potential of the IHE Audit Trail and Node Authentication (ATNA) profile: it uses the data generated in order to safeguard the security of patient data and to retrieve information about the workload of each PACS workstation. The method uses the traces recorded, according to the profile, for each access to image data and to calculate how much each station is used. The results, constituted by measures of the frequency of PACS station usage suitably classified and presented according to a convenient format for decision-makers, are encouraging. In the time of the spending review, the careful management of available resources is the top priority for a healthcare organization. Thanks to our work, a common medium such as the ATNA profile appears a very useful resource for purposes other than those for which it was born. This avoids additional investments in management tools and allows optimization of resources at no cost.

Evaluating Business Models for E-Books through Usage Data Analysis: A Case Study from the University of Westminster

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grigson, Anna

2009-01-01

The University of Westminster began collecting and analyzing vendor usage reports since starting their e-book collections in 2004. They have used the results both to monitor the use of the collections and to calculate basic cost-per-use metrics that have informed decisions on whether to renew particular resources. In 2008, they sought to extend…

Latent Class Models in action: bridging social capital & Internet usage.

PubMed

Neves, Barbara Barbosa; Fonseca, Jaime R S

2015-03-01

This paper explores how Latent Class Models (LCM) can be applied in social research, when the basic assumptions of regression models cannot be validated. We examine the usefulness of this method with data collected from a study on the relationship between bridging social capital and the Internet. Social capital is defined here as the resources that are potentially available in one's social ties. Bridging is a dimension of social capital, usually related to weak ties (acquaintances), and a source of instrumental resources such as information. The study surveyed a stratified random sample of 417 inhabitants of Lisbon, Portugal. We used LCM to create the variable bridging social capital, but also to estimate the relationship between bridging social capital and Internet usage when we encountered convergence problems with the logistic regression analysis. We conclude by showing a positive relationship between bridging and Internet usage, and by discussing the potential of LCM for social science research. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Human diets drive range expansion of megafauna-dispersed fruit species.

PubMed

van Zonneveld, Maarten; Larranaga, Nerea; Blonder, Benjamin; Coradin, Lidio; Hormaza, José I; Hunter, Danny

2018-03-27

Neotropical fruit species once dispersed by Pleistocene megafauna have regained relevance in diversifying human diets to address malnutrition. Little is known about the historic interactions between humans and these fruit species. We quantified the human role in modifying geographic and environmental ranges of Neotropical fruit species by comparing the distribution of megafauna-dispersed fruit species that have been part of both human and megafauna diets with fruit species that were exclusively part of megafauna diets. Three quarters of the fruit species that were once dispersed by megafauna later became part of human diets. Our results suggest that, because of extensive dispersal and management, humans have expanded the geographic and environmental ranges of species that would otherwise have suffered range contraction after extinction of megafauna. Our results suggest that humans have been the principal dispersal agent for a large proportion of Neotropical fruit species between Central and South America. Our analyses help to identify range segments that may hold key genetic diversity resulting from historic interactions between humans and these fruit species. These genetic resources are a fundamental source to improve and diversify contemporary food systems and to maintain critical ecosystem functions. Public, private, and societal initiatives that stimulate dietary diversity could expand the food usage of these megafauna-dispersed fruit species to enhance human nutrition in combination with biodiversity conservation.

Impact of low-frequency sound on historic structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sutherland, Louis C.; Horonjeff, Richard D.

2005-09-01

In common usage, the term soundscape usually refers to portions of the sound spectrum audible to human observers, and perhaps more broadly other members of the animal kingdom. There is, however, a soundscape regime at the low end of the frequency spectrum (e.g., 10-25 Hz), which is inaudible to humans, where nonindigenous sound energy may cause noise-induced vibrations in structures. Such low frequency components may be of sufficient magnitude to pose damage risk potential to historic structures and cultural resources. Examples include Anasazi cliff and cave dwellings, and pueblo structures of vega type roof construction. Both are susceptible to noise induced vibration from low-frequency sound pressures that excite resonant frequencies in these structures. The initial damage mechanism is usually fatigue cracking. Many mechanisms are subtle, temporally multiphased, and not initially evident to the naked eye. This paper reviews the types of sources posing the greatest potential threat, their low-frequency spectral characteristics, typical structural responses, and the damage risk mechanisms involved. Measured sound and vibration levels, case history studies, and conditions favorable to damage risk are presented. The paper concludes with recommendations for increasing the damage risk knowledge base to better protect these resources.

Evaluating NTU's OpenCourseWare Project with Google Analytics: User Characteristics, Course Preferences, and Usage Patterns

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sheu, Feng-Ru; Shih, Meilun

2017-01-01

As freely adoptable digital resources, OpenCourseWare (OCW) have become a prominent form of Open Educational Resources (OER). More than 275 institutions in the worldwide OCW consortium have committed to creating free access open course materials. Despite the resources and efforts to create OCW worldwide, little understanding of its use exists.…

Investigating Student Use and Value of E-Learning Resources to Develop Academic Writing within the Discipline of Environmental Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taffs, Kathryn H.; Holt, Julienne I.

2013-01-01

The use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in higher education to support student learning is expanding. However, student usage has been low and the value of e-learning resources has been under investigation. We reflect on best practices for pedagogical design of e-learning resources to support academic writing in environmental…

VOLTTRON™: An Agent Platform for Integrating Electric Vehicles and Smart Grid

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

Haack, Jereme N.; Akyol, Bora A.; Tenney, Nathan D.

2013-12-06

The VOLTTRON™ platform provides a secure environment for the deployment of intelligent applications in the smart grid. VOLTTRON design is based on the needs of control applications running on small form factor devices, namely security and resource guarantees. Services such as resource discovery, secure agent mobility, and interacting with smart and legacy devices are provided by the platform to ease the development of control applications and accelerate their deployment. VOLTTRON platform has been demonstrated in several different domains that influenced and enhanced its capabilities. This paper will discuss the features of VOLTTRON and highlight its usage to coordinate electric vehiclemore » charging with home energy usage« less

Resources and Long-Range Forecasts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Waldo E.

1973-01-01

The author argues that forecasts of quick depletion of resources in the environment as a result of overpopulation and increased usage may not be free from error. Ignorance still exists in understanding the recovery mechanisms of nature. Long-range forecasts are likely to be wrong in such situations. (PS)

Development of Computer-Based Resources for Textile Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hopkins, Teresa; Thomas, Andrew; Bailey, Mike

1998-01-01

Describes the production of computer-based resources for students of textiles and engineering in the United Kingdom. Highlights include funding by the Teaching and Learning Technology Programme (TLTP), courseware author/subject expert interaction, usage test and evaluation, authoring software, graphics, computer-aided design simulation, self-test…

Leveraging human oversight and intervention in large-scale parallel processing of open-source data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Casini, Enrico; Suri, Niranjan; Bradshaw, Jeffrey M.

2015-05-01

The popularity of cloud computing along with the increased availability of cheap storage have led to the necessity of elaboration and transformation of large volumes of open-source data, all in parallel. One way to handle such extensive volumes of information properly is to take advantage of distributed computing frameworks like Map-Reduce. Unfortunately, an entirely automated approach that excludes human intervention is often unpredictable and error prone. Highly accurate data processing and decision-making can be achieved by supporting an automatic process through human collaboration, in a variety of environments such as warfare, cyber security and threat monitoring. Although this mutual participation seems easily exploitable, human-machine collaboration in the field of data analysis presents several challenges. First, due to the asynchronous nature of human intervention, it is necessary to verify that once a correction is made, all the necessary reprocessing is done in chain. Second, it is often needed to minimize the amount of reprocessing in order to optimize the usage of resources due to limited availability. In order to improve on these strict requirements, this paper introduces improvements to an innovative approach for human-machine collaboration in the processing of large amounts of open-source data in parallel.

Investigation of Desiccants and CO2 Sorbents for Exploration Systems 2016-2017

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Knox, James C.; Watson, David W.; Giesy, Timothy J.; Cmarik, Gregory E.; Miller, Lee A.

2017-01-01

NASA has embarked on the mission to enable humans to explore deep space, including the goal of sending humans to Mars. This journey will require significant developments in a wide range of technical areas as resupply and early return are not possible. Additionally, mass, power, and volume must be minimized for all phases to maximize propulsion availability. Among the critical areas identified for development are life support systems, which will require increases in reliability as well as reduce resource usage. Two primary points for reliability are the mechanical stability of sorbent pellets and recovery of CO2 sorbent productivity after off-nominal events. In this paper, we discuss the present efforts towards screening and characterizing commercially-available sorbents for extended operation in desiccant and CO2 removal beds. With minimized dusting as the primary criteria, a commercial 13X zeolite was selected and tested for performance and risk.

Social capital and Internet use in an age-comparative perspective with a focus on later life.

PubMed

Barbosa Neves, Barbara; Fonseca, Jaime R S; Amaro, Fausto; Pasqualotti, Adriano

2018-01-01

Older adults (aged 65+) are still less likely to adopt the Internet when compared to other age groups, although their usage is increasing. To explore the societal effects of Internet usage, scholars have been using social capital as an analytical tool. Social capital pertains to the resources that are potentially available in one's social ties. As the Internet becomes a prominent source of information, communication, and participation in industrialized countries, it is critical to study how it affects social resources from an age-comparative perspective. Research has found a positive association between Internet use and social capital, though limited attention has been paid to older adults. Studies have also found a positive association between social capital and wellbeing, health, sociability, and social support amongst older adults. However, little is known about how Internet usage or lack thereof relates to their social capital. To address this gap, we used a mixed-methods approach to examine the relationship between Internet usage and social capital and whether and how it differs by age. For this, we surveyed a representative sample of 417 adults (18+) living in Lisbon, Portugal, of which 118 are older adults. Social capital was measured through bonding, bridging, and specific resources, and analyzed with Latent Class Modeling and logistic regressions. Internet usage was measured through frequency and type of use. Fourteen follow-up semi-structured interviews helped contextualize the survey data. Our findings show that social capital decreased with age but varied for each type of Internet user. Older adults were less likely to have a high level of social capital; yet within this age group, frequent Internet users had higher levels than other users and non-users. On the one hand, the Internet seems to help maintain, accrue, and even mobilize social capital. On the other hand, it also seems to reinforce social inequality and accumulated advantage (known as the Matthew effect).

Social capital and Internet use in an age-comparative perspective with a focus on later life

PubMed Central

Amaro, Fausto; Pasqualotti, Adriano

2018-01-01

Older adults (aged 65+) are still less likely to adopt the Internet when compared to other age groups, although their usage is increasing. To explore the societal effects of Internet usage, scholars have been using social capital as an analytical tool. Social capital pertains to the resources that are potentially available in one’s social ties. As the Internet becomes a prominent source of information, communication, and participation in industrialized countries, it is critical to study how it affects social resources from an age-comparative perspective. Research has found a positive association between Internet use and social capital, though limited attention has been paid to older adults. Studies have also found a positive association between social capital and wellbeing, health, sociability, and social support amongst older adults. However, little is known about how Internet usage or lack thereof relates to their social capital. To address this gap, we used a mixed-methods approach to examine the relationship between Internet usage and social capital and whether and how it differs by age. For this, we surveyed a representative sample of 417 adults (18+) living in Lisbon, Portugal, of which 118 are older adults. Social capital was measured through bonding, bridging, and specific resources, and analyzed with Latent Class Modeling and logistic regressions. Internet usage was measured through frequency and type of use. Fourteen follow-up semi-structured interviews helped contextualize the survey data. Our findings show that social capital decreased with age but varied for each type of Internet user. Older adults were less likely to have a high level of social capital; yet within this age group, frequent Internet users had higher levels than other users and non-users. On the one hand, the Internet seems to help maintain, accrue, and even mobilize social capital. On the other hand, it also seems to reinforce social inequality and accumulated advantage (known as the Matthew effect). PMID:29481556

Enhanced/Synthetic Vision Systems - Human factors research and implications for future systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Foyle, David C.; Ahumada, Albert J.; Larimer, James; Sweet, Barbara T.

1992-01-01

This paper reviews recent human factors research studies conducted in the Aerospace Human Factors Research Division at NASA Ames Research Center related to the development and usage of Enhanced or Synthetic Vision Systems. Research discussed includes studies of field of view (FOV), representational differences of infrared (IR) imagery, head-up display (HUD) symbology, HUD advanced concept designs, sensor fusion, and sensor/database fusion and evaluation. Implications for the design and usage of Enhanced or Synthetic Vision Systems are discussed.

Patterns of usage for a Web-based clinical information system.

PubMed

Chen, Elizabeth S; Cimino, James J

2004-01-01

Understanding how clinicians are using clinical information systems to assist with their everyday tasks is valuable to the system design and development process. Developers of such systems are interested in monitoring usage in order to make enhancements. System log files are rich resources for gaining knowledge about how the system is being used. We have analyzed the log files of our Web-based clinical information system (WebCIS) to obtain various usage statistics including which WebCIS features are frequently being used. We have also identified usage patterns, which convey how the user is traversing the system. We present our method and these results as well as describe how the results can be used to customize menus, shortcut lists, and patient reports in WebCIS and similar systems.

Protecting core networks with dual-homing: A study on enhanced network availability, resource efficiency, and energy-savings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abeywickrama, Sandu; Furdek, Marija; Monti, Paolo; Wosinska, Lena; Wong, Elaine

2016-12-01

Core network survivability affects the reliability performance of telecommunication networks and remains one of the most important network design considerations. This paper critically examines the benefits arising from utilizing dual-homing in the optical access networks to provide resource-efficient protection against link and node failures in the optical core segment. Four novel, heuristic-based RWA algorithms that provide dedicated path protection in networks with dual-homing are proposed and studied. These algorithms protect against different failure scenarios (i.e. single link or node failures) and are implemented with different optimization objectives (i.e., minimization of wavelength usage and path length). Results obtained through simulations and comparison with baseline architectures indicate that exploiting dual-homed architecture in the access segment can bring significant improvements in terms of core network resource usage, connection availability, and power consumption.

Physics Instructional Resource Usage by High-, Medium-, and Low-Skilled MOOC Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balint, Trevor A.; Teodorescu, Raluca; Colvin, Kimberly; Choi, Youn-Jeng; Pritchard, David

2017-04-01

In this paper we examine how different types of participants in a physics Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) tend to use the existing course resources. We use data from the 2013 offering of the Massive Open Online Course 8.MReVx designed by the RELATE (REsearch in Learning Assessing and Tutoring Effectively) Group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and offered on the edX platform. We propose six measures of student performance in a course, and, based on these measures, we divide the student population into clusters and analyze the resource usage of the students from each cluster. This course contains a wide variety of physics problems targeting various levels of thinking. Our analysis focuses on 1080 participants (out of 16,787 enrolled in the course) who attempted more than 50% of available problems, as this is an indicator of students who participated actively in the entire course.

IUTA: a tool for effectively detecting differential isoform usage from RNA-Seq data.

PubMed

Niu, Liang; Huang, Weichun; Umbach, David M; Li, Leping

2014-10-06

Most genes in mammals generate several transcript isoforms that differ in stability and translational efficiency through alternative splicing. Such alternative splicing can be tissue- and developmental stage-specific, and such specificity is sometimes associated with disease. Thus, detecting differential isoform usage for a gene between tissues or cell lines/types (differences in the fraction of total expression of a gene represented by the expression of each of its isoforms) is potentially important for cell and developmental biology. We present a new method IUTA that is designed to test each gene in the genome for differential isoform usage between two groups of samples. IUTA also estimates isoform usage for each gene in each sample as well as averaged across samples within each group. IUTA is the first method to formulate the testing problem as testing for equal means of two probability distributions under the Aitchison geometry, which is widely recognized as the most appropriate geometry for compositional data (vectors that contain the relative amount of each component comprising the whole). Evaluation using simulated data showed that IUTA was able to provide test results for many more genes than was Cuffdiff2 (version 2.2.0, released in Mar. 2014), and IUTA performed better than Cuffdiff2 for the limited number of genes that Cuffdiff2 did analyze. When applied to actual mouse RNA-Seq datasets from six tissues, IUTA identified 2,073 significant genes with clear patterns of differential isoform usage between a pair of tissues. IUTA is implemented as an R package and is available at http://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/resources/software/biostatistics/iuta/index.cfm. Both simulation and real-data results suggest that IUTA accurately detects differential isoform usage. We believe that our analysis of RNA-seq data from six mouse tissues represents the first comprehensive characterization of isoform usage in these tissues. IUTA will be a valuable resource for those who study the roles of alternative transcripts in cell development and disease.

Influencing Factors in OER Usage of Adult Learners in Korea

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Byoung Wook; Lee, Won Gyu; Lee, Byeong Rae; Shon, Jin Gon

2015-01-01

Open Educational Resources (OER) is terminology that refers to educational resources (content and software) distributed through the Internet, free of charge and freely accessible, expanding learning opportunities for adult learners. This terminology first appeared around 2002, although its roots can be traced to the open architecture of the…

Usage Data as Indicators of OER Utility

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mardis, Marcia A.; Ambavarapu, Chandrahasa R.

2017-01-01

A key component of online and blended learning content, open educational resources, (OER) are heralded in a global movement toward high-quality, affordable, accessible, and personalized education. However, stakeholders have expressed concern about scaling OER use due to a lack of means to ensure a fit between learner, resource, and task. Usage…

Awareness and Misconceptions of High School Students about Renewable Energy Resources and Applications: Turkey Case

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tortop, Hasan Said

2012-01-01

Turkey is the one of the countries in the world which has potential of renewable energy resource because of its geographical position. However, being usage of renewable energy resources and applications (RERAs) is low, it shows that awareness and consciousness of RERAs is very low too. Education must play a key role in growing out of an energy…

Human factors of flight-deck checklists: The normal checklist

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Degani, Asaf; Wiener, Earl L.

1991-01-01

Although the aircraft checklist has long been regarded as the foundation of pilot standardization and cockpit safety, it has escaped the scrutiny of the human factors profession. The improper use, or the non-use, of the normal checklist by flight crews is often cited as the probable cause or at least a contributing factor to aircraft accidents. An attempt is made to analyze the normal checklist, its functions, format, design, length, usage, and the limitations of the humans who must interact with it. The development of the checklist from the certification of a new model to its delivery and use by the customer are discussed. The influence of the government, particularly the FAA Principle Operations Inspector, the manufacturer's philosophy, the airline's culture, and the end user, the pilot, influence the ultimate design and usage of this device. The effects of airline mergers and acquisitions on checklist usage and design are noted. In addition, the interaction between production pressures and checklist usage and checklist management are addressed. Finally, a list of design guidelines for normal checklists is provided.

A Study of Personal Health Record User’s Behavioral Model Based on the PMT and UTAUT Integrative Perspective

PubMed Central

Hsieh, Hui-Lung; Kuo, Yu-Ming; Wang, Shiang-Ru; Chuang, Bi-Kun; Tsai, Chung-Hung

2016-01-01

The personal health record (PHR) is a system that enables borderless medical care services by combining technological innovation and human consideration. This study explored factors affecting the adoption of PHR from technical, medical, and social perspectives according to the Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) and Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model. A survey using a structured questionnaire was subsequently conducted, which produced the following results: (1) The PMT and UTAUT were effective at predicting PHR usage behaviors; (2) Perceived ease-of-use was the most decisive factor influencing the use of PHR, followed by self-efficacy and perceived usefulness; and (3) Behavioral intention for PHR was significantly and positively correlated with usage behavior. From the obtained results, this study recommends that health authorities and medical institutions promote self-efficacy in the use of PHR to improve the levels of behavioral intention and usage behavior among the people. Additionally, medical care institutions are recommended to promote health management and preventive healthcare concepts to help improve public acceptance of the PHR system as a means to self-manage their health. Finally, community centers, medical institutions, and health authorities are urged to work together to enhance public medical knowledge and pool resources for the PHR system, both of which are essential for improving the popularity of the PHR, public quality of life, and the effectiveness of health management. PMID:28025557

Radar coordination and resource management in a distributed sensor network using emergent control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weir, B. S.; Sokol, T. M.

2009-05-01

As the list of anti-air warfare and ballistic missile defense missions grows, there is an increasing need to coordinate and optimize usage of radar resources across the netted force. Early attempts at this optimization involved top-down control mechanisms whereby sensors accept resource tasking orders from networked tracking elements. These approaches rely heavily on uncertain knowledge of sensor constraints and capabilities. Furthermore, advanced sensor systems may support self-defense missions of the host platform and are therefore unable to relinquish control to an external function. To surmount these issues, the use of bottom-up emergent control techniques is proposed. The information necessary to make quality, network-wide resource allocations is readily available to sensor nodes with access to a netted track picture. By assessing resource priorities relative to the network (versus local) track picture, sensors can understand the contribution of their resources to the netted force. This allows the sensors to apply resources where most needed and remove waste. Furthermore, simple local rules for resource usage, when properly constructed, allow sensors to obtain a globally optimal resource allocation without direct coordination (emergence). These results are robust to partial implementation (i.e., not all nodes upgraded at once) and failures on individual nodes (whether from casualty or reallocation to other sensor missions), and they leave resource control decisions in the hands of the sensor systems instead of an external function. This paper presents independent research and development work on emergent control of sensor resources and the impact to resource allocation and tracking performance.

AIR FORCE CYBER MISSION ASSURANCE SOURCES OF MISSION UNCERTAINTY

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-04-06

Army’s Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Lt Col Herwick holds a bachelor of science degree in Computer Science from the...United States Air Force Academy and a master’s degree in Computer Resources and Information Management from Webster University. iii Abstract...vocabulary and while it is common to use conversationally, that usage is not always based on specific definitions. As a result, it finds common usage in

OverView of Space Applications for Environment (SAFE) initiative

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamamoto, Ko; Fukuda, Toru; Tajima, Yoshimitsu; Takeuchi, Wataru; Sobue, Shinichi; Nukui, Tomoyuki

2014-06-01

Climate change and human activities have a direc or indirect influence on the acceleration of environmental problems and natural hazards such as forest fires, draughts and floods in the Asia-Pacific countries. Satellite technology has become one of the key information sources in assessment, monitoring and mitigation of these disasters and related phenomenon. However, there are still gaps between science and application of satellite technology in real-world usage. Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum (APRSAF) recommended to initiate the Space Applications for Environment (SAFE) proposal providing opportunity to potential user agencies in the Asia Pacific region to develop prototype applications of satellite technology for number of key issues including forest resources management, coastal monitoring and management, agriculture and food security, water resource management and development user-friendly tools for application of satellite technology. This paper describes the overview of SAFE initiative and outcomes of two selected prototypes; agricultural drought monitoring in Indonesia and coastal management in Sri Lanka, as well as the current status of on-going prototypes.

Seaweeds: A resource for marine bionanotechnology.

PubMed

Vijayan, Sri Ramkumar; Santhiyagu, Prakash; Ramasamy, Ramasubburayan; Arivalagan, Pugazhendhi; Kumar, Gopalakrishnan; Ethiraj, Kannapiran; Ramaswamy, Babu Rajendran

2016-12-01

Marine bionanotechnology is one of the most promising areas of research in modern science and technology. Although there are multitude methods for the synthesis of nanoparticles (NPs), there is an increasing attention in developing high-yield, low-cost, non-toxic and eco-friendly procedures. The vital advantages of greener synthesis are cost-effective, reduced usage of toxic chemicals and abundant availability of resources. During the last ten years, there have been many biological entities used to elevate novel, greener and affordable methods for the metal NPs synthesis. Rate of synthesis and stability are higher for plant material mediated NPs. However, in comparison with terrestrial resources, marine resources have not been fully explored for synthesis of noble metal NPs. Our present review is designed to speculate the importance of usage of vast marine resources and its mediated NPs synthesis, in particular seaweed-mediated NPs synthesis to overcome the limitations involved in physical and chemical methods. Finally, recent advancements in greener synthesis of metal NPs, their size, distribution, morphology and applications such as antimicrobial, antifouling and anticancer potentials are briefly described along with portraying the prospective scope of research in this field without any negative impact on the environment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

References & Resources for Secretaries and Clerical Personnel, 1980. Manual 4200-1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Gelder, Naneene, Ed.

Developed as a resource guide for all secretaries and clerical personnel employed in the San Diego Community College District (SDCCD), this manual provides information on matters ranging from district procedures and office operations to English usage and professional growth. The manual's 21 chapters cover: (1) district history, philosophy, and…

Technology Resource Teachers: Is This a New Role for Instructional Technologists?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moallem, Mahnaz; And Others

Public schools have created the position of the Technology Resource Teacher (TRT) in an attempt to establish a technical and instructional support system at the school level to assure the proper usage of technology (particularly computers) by both teachers and students. This study explores the roles and responsibilities of the Technology Resource…

Content Integration: Creating a Scalable Common Platform for Information Resources

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berenstein, Max; Katz, Demian

2012-01-01

Academic, government, and corporate librarians organize and leverage internal resources and content through institutional repositories and library catalogs. Getting more value and usage from the content they license is a key goal. However, the ever-growing amount of content and shifting user demands for new materials or features has made the…

Relationships between Student Achievement and Use of Power Videos Digital Educational Videos

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sorrells, Rick D.

2009-01-01

In classrooms with limited instructional time and many resources, teachers must decide which resources positively affect student achievement. Power Videos (PV), produced by DCS, is one such product used at the 373 elementary campuses in the greater Dallas, Texas, area. This research examined the relationship between teachers' usage of the DCS…

Effectiveness of a night radiative cooling system in different geographical latitudes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsoy, A. P.; Granovskiy, A. S.; Baranenko, A. V.; Tsoy, D. A.

2017-08-01

Growth of world energy consumption and depletion of energy resources make humanity to constantly work on the creation of the energy efficient technologies and increase usage of the alternative and renewable sources of energy. One of such alternative sources of energy is the night radiative cooling (NRC). NRC is an alternative and renewable source of energy, derived from the effective radiation of the Earth into the Space. If the given surface is located so that it looks to the night sky, then under the particular condition more energy can be generated under the effect of radiative cooling, than received from the atmosphere. As a result the temperature of the surface can be kept lower than the temperature of the ambient air. This effect can be used for creation of the refrigeration systems with the low energy consumption and as a result lower negative influence on the environment. During the research it has been identified that the possibility of the NRC usage is mostly predetermined by the specifics of the climate of the each region. In particular climate conditions the refrigeration systems working on night radiative cooling will be more effective that in others.

Juridical and sociocultural problems on the definition of a law concerning property, usage and access to genetic resources in Colombia.

PubMed

Calle, R

1996-04-01

The property, usage, and access to genetic resources, is today one of the primary topics in international business, as a result of the strategic importance of the resources for the biotechnology industry. Internationally, the sovereignty that each country has over its natural patrimony is recognized. However, the new laws of international marketing have obligated countries in the process of development, such as Colombia, to adopt and copy a concept of intellectual property on living resources that does not have anything to do with the country's sociocultural identity, and sometimes even does not take into account its material enjoyment. The new juridical movement that treats genetic resources as private property produces a cultural conflict between indigenous populations, Afro-Americans and peasants, because for them the genetic resources are an element of community life. In these communities, knowledge is freely transmitted; it is an understanding that they have to conserve their agricultural customs and the relationship that they have with the environment. They do not recognize the term "property' according to patenting laws. These elements have to be considered, respected, and guaranteed in the laws that recognize the genetic resources in the country. On the other hand, not even countries that are pioneers in biotechnological development can adopt a concept about patents that is in agreement with the particularities that the living materials possess. This is obviously the reason for the numerous discussions on the legal interpretation, as well as complicated debates in court. Confronting that situation, there are countries rich in biodiversity, such as Colombia, but which do not have a proper concept and are not economically strong in the international context. These countries have to copy inadequate protection policies that do not take into account all their rights. This paper describes some of the technical, juridical, and sociocultural difficulties which Colombia has to confront, in order to set a guideline on patenting living organisms, and on the access and usage of the genetic resources.

Deep space network resource scheduling approach and application

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eggemeyer, William C.; Bowling, Alan

1987-01-01

Deep Space Network (DSN) resource scheduling is the process of distributing ground-based facilities to track multiple spacecraft. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory has carried out extensive research to find ways of automating this process in an effort to reduce time and manpower costs. This paper presents a resource-scheduling system entitled PLAN-IT with a description of its design philosophy. The PLAN-IT's current on-line usage and limitations in scheduling the resources of the DSN are discussed, along with potential enhancements for DSN application.

Boosting a Low-Cost Smart Home Environment with Usage and Access Control Rules.

PubMed

Barsocchi, Paolo; Calabrò, Antonello; Ferro, Erina; Gennaro, Claudio; Marchetti, Eda; Vairo, Claudio

2018-06-08

Smart Home has gained widespread attention due to its flexible integration into everyday life. Pervasive sensing technologies are used to recognize and track the activities that people perform during the day, and to allow communication and cooperation of physical objects. Usually, the available infrastructures and applications leveraging these smart environments have a critical impact on the overall cost of the Smart Home construction, require to be preferably installed during the home construction and are still not user-centric. In this paper, we propose a low cost, easy to install, user-friendly, dynamic and flexible infrastructure able to perform runtime resources management by decoupling the different levels of control rules. The basic idea relies on the usage of off-the-shelf sensors and technologies to guarantee the regular exchange of critical information, without the necessity from the user to develop accurate models for managing resources or regulating their access/usage. This allows us to simplify the continuous updating and improvement, to reduce the maintenance effort and to improve residents’ living and security. A first validation of the proposed infrastructure on a case study is also presented.

A Case Study on the Geocuration of Multidisciplinary Data Products and Services

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Downs, R. R.; Chen, R. S.

2015-12-01

Data curation at an interdisciplinary scientific data center that focuses on human interactions in the environment provides opportunities for the geocuration of data from diverse natural, social, health, and engineering disciplines to offer data products and services to users representing a variety of fields of inquiry, levels of expertise, and vocations. Addressing pressing issues such as disaster risk management, climate change, resource depletion, and environment-conflict interactions requires accessing and integrating different types of data from diverse sources, often collected with quite disparate methods, scales, levels of uncertainty and quality, and access and usage rights. Particular challenges for geocuration include identifying relevant data sets from diverse sources, assessing their suitability for integration, conversion to forms that enhance interoperability, obtaining suitable access and usage rights for data, documentation of methods in ways understandable to diverse users, and evaluation of the effectiveness of geocuration efforts. We describe here a number of efforts to develop geocurated data collections in such areas as environmental indicators, land use/land cover change, and human settlements and infrastructure. In addition to describing the incremental development of these collections, we examine how planning and anticipation of the needs of user communities are important to the collection development process. We assess the development and continuing enhancement of the cyberinfrastructure and capabilities needed to support efficient and effective geocuration throughout the data lifecycle. We conclude with selected observations and lessons learned from the development of these geocurated collections.

Selective forces and mutational biases drive stop codon usage in the human genome: a comparison with sense codon usage.

PubMed

Trotta, Edoardo

2016-05-17

The three stop codons UAA, UAG, and UGA signal the termination of mRNA translation. As a result of a mechanism that is not adequately understood, they are normally used with unequal frequencies. In this work, we showed that selective forces and mutational biases drive stop codon usage in the human genome. We found that, in respect to sense codons, stop codon usage was affected by stronger selective forces but was less influenced by neutral mutational biases. UGA is the most frequent termination codon in human genome. However, UAA was the preferred stop codon in genes with high breadth of expression, high level of expression, AT-rich coding sequences, housekeeping functions, and in gene ontology categories with the largest deviation from expected stop codon usage. Selective forces associated with the breadth and the level of expression favoured AT-rich sequences in the mRNA region including the stop site and its proximal 3'-UTR, but acted with scarce effects on sense codons, generating two regions, upstream and downstream of the stop codon, with strongly different base composition. By favouring low levels of GC-content, selection promoted labile local secondary structures at the stop site and its proximal 3'-UTR. The compositional and structural context favoured by selection was surprisingly emphasized in the class of ribosomal proteins and was consistent with sequence elements that increase the efficiency of translational termination. Stop codons were also heterogeneously distributed among chromosomes by a mechanism that was strongly correlated with the GC-content of coding sequences. In human genome, the nucleotide composition and the thermodynamic stability of stop codon site and its proximal 3'-UTR are correlated with the GC-content of coding sequences and with the breadth and the level of gene expression. In highly expressed genes stop codon usage is compositionally and structurally consistent with highly efficient translation termination signals.

Decentralisation of Health Services in Fiji: A Decision Space Analysis.

PubMed

Mohammed, Jalal; North, Nicola; Ashton, Toni

2015-11-15

Decentralisation aims to bring services closer to the community and has been advocated in the health sector to improve quality, access and equity, and to empower local agencies, increase innovation and efficiency and bring healthcare and decision-making as close as possible to where people live and work. Fiji has attempted two approaches to decentralisation. The current approach reflects a model of deconcentration of outpatient services from the tertiary level hospital to the peripheral health centres in the Suva subdivision. Using a modified decision space approach developed by Bossert, this study measures decision space created in five broad categories (finance, service organisation, human resources, access rules, and governance rules) within the decentralised services. Fiji's centrally managed historical-based allocation of financial resources and management of human resources resulted in no decision space for decentralised agents. Narrow decision space was created in the service organisation category where, with limited decision space created over access rules, Fiji has seen greater usage of its decentralised health centres. There remains limited decision space in governance. The current wave of decentralisation reveals that, whilst the workload has shifted from the tertiary hospital to the peripheral health centres, it has been accompanied by limited transfer of administrative authority, suggesting that Fiji's deconcentration reflects the transfer of workload only with decision-making in the five functional areas remaining largely centralised. As such, the benefits of decentralisation for users and providers are likely to be limited. © 2016 by Kerman University of Medical Sciences.

Effects of the per diem prospective payment system with DRG-like grouping system (DPC/PDPS) on resource usage and healthcare quality in Japan.

PubMed

Hamada, Hironori; Sekimoto, Miho; Imanaka, Yuichi

2012-10-01

In 2003, Japan introduced the prospective payment system (PPS) with diagnosis-related groups (DRG) rearranged grouping system called the diagnostic procedure combination/per-diem payment system (DPC/PDPS). Even after eight years, little is known about the effects of DPC/PDPS. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of DPC/PDPS on resource usage and healthcare quality. Using 2001-2009 (fiscal year) administrative data of acute myocardial infarction patients, four indices, including inpatient total accumulated medical charges, length of stay (LOS), mortality rate, and readmission rate, were compared between patients reimbursed by DPC/PDPS or by fee-for-service. DPC/PDPS significantly reduced total accumulated medical charges by $1061 (95% confidence interval [CI], -2007, -116) and LOS by 2.29 days (95% CI, -3.71, -0.88) after risk adjustment. However, mortality rate (Odds ratio [OR], 0.94; 95% CI, 0.73, 1.21) was unchanged. Furthermore, DPC/PDPS increased the readmission rate (OR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.03, 1.82). This study showed that DPC/PDPS was associated with reduced resource usage, but not improved healthcare quality, as with DRG/PPSs in other countries. To achieve successful healthcare reform, further discussion on additional motives will be required. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Strut your SmartWay Stuff

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This EPA presentation provides information on the SmartWay Transport Partnership Program, including SW brand market research results, program success, partner participation, logo usage, and available promotional and publicity resources.

Affiliates: Take the Affiliate Challenge

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This EPA presentation provides information on the SmartWay Transport Partnership Program, including SW brand market research results, program success, partner participation, logo usage, and available promotional and publicity resources.

Developing online accreditation education resources for health care services: An Australian Case Study.

PubMed

Pereira-Salgado, Amanda; Boyd, Leanne; Johnson, Matthew

2017-02-01

In 2013, 'National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards' accreditation became mandatory for most health care services in Australia. Developing and maintaining accreditation education is challenging for health care services, particularly those in regional and rural settings. With accreditation imminent, there was a need to support health care services through the process. A needs analysis identified limited availability of open access online resources for national accreditation education. A standardized set of online accreditation education resources was the agreed solution to assist regional and rural health care services meet compulsory requirements. Education resources were developed over 3 months with project planning, implementation and assessment based on a program logic model. Resource evaluation was undertaken after the first 3 months of resource availability to establish initial usage and stakeholder perceptions. From 1 January 2015 to 31 March 2015, resource usage was 20 272, comprising 12 989 downloads, 3594 course completions and 3689 page views. Focus groups were conducted at two rural and one metropolitan hospital (n = 16), with rural hospitals reporting more benefits. Main user-based recommendations for future resource development were automatic access to customizable versions, ensuring suitability to intended audience, consistency between resource content and assessment tasks and availability of short and long length versions to meet differing users' needs. Further accreditation education resource development should continue to be collaborative, consider longer development timeframes and user-based recommendations. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press in association with the International Society for Quality in Health Care. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

Recorded Behavior as a Valuable Resource for Diagnostics in Mobile Phone Addiction: Evidence from Psychoinformatics.

PubMed

Montag, Christian; Błaszkiewicz, Konrad; Lachmann, Bernd; Sariyska, Rayna; Andone, Ionut; Trendafilov, Boris; Markowetz, Alexander

2015-10-19

Psychologists and psychiatrists commonly rely on self-reports or interviews to diagnose or treat behavioral addictions. The present study introduces a novel source of data: recordings of the actual problem behavior under investigation. A total of N = 58 participants were asked to fill in a questionnaire measuring problematic mobile phone behavior featuring several questions on weekly phone usage. After filling in the questionnaire, all participants received an application to be installed on their smartphones, which recorded their phone usage for five weeks. The analyses revealed that weekly phone usage in hours was overestimated; in contrast, numbers of call and text message related variables were underestimated. Importantly, several associations between actual usage and being addicted to mobile phones could be derived exclusively from the recorded behavior, but not from self-report variables. The study demonstrates the potential benefit to include methods of psychoinformatics in the diagnosis and treatment of problematic mobile phone use.

Antibiotic use in livestock production

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Antibiotic usage is a useful and commonly implemented practice in livestock and production agriculture that has progressively gained attention in recent years from consumers of animal products due to concerns about human and environmental health. Sub-therapeutic usage of antibiotics has led to a con...

Optimisation of the usage of LHC and local computing resources in a multidisciplinary physics department hosting a WLCG Tier-2 centre

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barberis, Stefano; Carminati, Leonardo; Leveraro, Franco; Mazza, Simone Michele; Perini, Laura; Perlz, Francesco; Rebatto, David; Tura, Ruggero; Vaccarossa, Luca; Villaplana, Miguel

2015-12-01

We present the approach of the University of Milan Physics Department and the local unit of INFN to allow and encourage the sharing among different research areas of computing, storage and networking resources (the largest ones being those composing the Milan WLCG Tier-2 centre and tailored to the needs of the ATLAS experiment). Computing resources are organised as independent HTCondor pools, with a global master in charge of monitoring them and optimising their usage. The configuration has to provide satisfactory throughput for both serial and parallel (multicore, MPI) jobs. A combination of local, remote and cloud storage options are available. The experience of users from different research areas operating on this shared infrastructure is discussed. The promising direction of improving scientific computing throughput by federating access to distributed computing and storage also seems to fit very well with the objectives listed in the European Horizon 2020 framework for research and development.

SLS-PLAN-IT: A knowledge-based blackboard scheduling system for Spacelab life sciences missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kao, Cheng-Yan; Lee, Seok-Hua

1992-01-01

The primary scheduling tool in use during the Spacelab Life Science (SLS-1) planning phase was the operations research (OR) based, tabular form Experiment Scheduling System (ESS) developed by NASA Marshall. PLAN-IT is an artificial intelligence based interactive graphic timeline editor for ESS developed by JPL. The PLAN-IT software was enhanced for use in the scheduling of Spacelab experiments to support the SLS missions. The enhanced software SLS-PLAN-IT System was used to support the real-time reactive scheduling task during the SLS-1 mission. SLS-PLAN-IT is a frame-based blackboard scheduling shell which, from scheduling input, creates resource-requiring event duration objects and resource-usage duration objects. The blackboard structure is to keep track of the effects of event duration objects on the resource usage objects. Various scheduling heuristics are coded in procedural form and can be invoked any time at the user's request. The system architecture is described along with what has been learned with the SLS-PLAN-IT project.

Modeling Manpower and Equipment Productivity in Tall Building Construction Projects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mudumbai Krishnaswamy, Parthasarathy; Rajiah, Murugasan; Vasan, Ramya

2017-12-01

Tall building construction projects involve two critical resources of manpower and equipment. Their usage, however, widely varies due to several factors affecting their productivity. Currently, no systematic study for estimating and increasing their productivity is available. What is prevalent is the use of empirical data, experience of similar projects and assumptions. As tall building projects are here to stay and increase, to meet the emerging demands in ever shrinking urban spaces, it is imperative to explore ways and means of scientific productivity models for basic construction activities: concrete, reinforcement, formwork, block work and plastering for the input of specific resources in a mixed environment of manpower and equipment usage. Data pertaining to 72 tall building projects in India were collected and analyzed. Then, suitable productivity estimation models were developed using multiple linear regression analysis and validated using independent field data. It is hoped that the models developed in the study will be useful for quantity surveyors, cost engineers and project managers to estimate productivity of resources in tall building projects.

Sharing British Columbia's Water Resources. A Teaching Unit for Secondary Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gunn, Angus M.

Seventeen student worksheets form a secondary school unit which focuses on the challenge of shared usage of water resources. Pressure currently exists for a more balanced approach in which all legitimate interests in a water source are served. The worksheets include readings which focus on enough water for all, the water cycle (including a…

Movie Effects on EFL Learners at Iraqi School in Kuala Lumpur

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yaseen, Bilal Huri; Shakir, Hani

2015-01-01

Previously, one of the vital tasks of English learning is to find new methods and resources to make the EFL students more stimulating and productive. Recently, the usage of movies (in DVD format) in courses became popular or supplementary resources to learn English among EFL learners. Many researchers stated that authentic video is an advantage…

Students' Perspectives on YouTube Video Usage as an E-Resource in the University Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jackman, W. Marc; Roberts, Patricia

2014-01-01

This study examined the perspectives of 70 prospective teachers about the use of YouTube videos as e-resources to supplement psychology lectures at a university in Trinidad & Tobago. A questionnaire designed for the study was used to collect both quantitative and qualitative data. The quantitative analysis included frequency distribution,…

Using MaxCompiler for the high level synthesis of trigger algorithms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Summers, S.; Rose, A.; Sanders, P.

2017-02-01

Firmware for FPGA trigger applications at the CMS experiment is conventionally written using hardware description languages such as Verilog and VHDL. MaxCompiler is an alternative, Java based, tool for developing FPGA applications which uses a higher level of abstraction from the hardware than a hardware description language. An implementation of the jet and energy sum algorithms for the CMS Level-1 calorimeter trigger has been written using MaxCompiler to benchmark against the VHDL implementation in terms of accuracy, latency, resource usage, and code size. A Kalman Filter track fitting algorithm has been developed using MaxCompiler for a proposed CMS Level-1 track trigger for the High-Luminosity LHC upgrade. The design achieves a low resource usage, and has a latency of 187.5 ns per iteration.

Coal utilization in China: environmental impacts and human health.

PubMed

Chen, Jian; Liu, Guijian; Kang, Yu; Wu, Bin; Sun, Ruoyu; Zhou, Chuncai; Wu, Dun

2014-08-01

Coal is one of the major energy resources in China, accounting for approximately 70 % of primary energy consumption. Many environmental problems and human health risks arise during coal exploitation, utilization, and waste disposal, especially in the remote mountainous areas of western China (e.g., eastern Yunnan, western Guizhou and Hubei, and southern Shaanxi). In this paper, we report a thorough review of the environmental and human health impacts related to coal utilization in China. The abundance of the toxic trace elements such as F, As, Se, and Hg in Chinese coals is summarized. The environmental problems (i.e., water, soil, and air pollution) that are related to coal utilization are outlined. The provenance, distributions, typical symptoms, sources, and possible pathways of endemic fluorosis, arsenism, and selenosis due to improper coal usage (briquettes mixed with high-F clay, mineralized As-rich coal, and Se-rich stone coal) are discussed in detail. In 2010, 14.8, 1.9 million, and 16,000 Chinese people suffered from dental fluorosis, skeletal fluorosis, and arsenism, respectively. Finally, several suggestions are proposed for the prevention and treatment for endemic problems caused by coal utilization.

A new security model for collaborative environments

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

Agarwal, Deborah; Lorch, Markus; Thompson, Mary

Prevalent authentication and authorization models for distributed systems provide for the protection of computer systems and resources from unauthorized use. The rules and policies that drive the access decisions in such systems are typically configured up front and require trust establishment before the systems can be used. This approach does not work well for computer software that moderates human-to-human interaction. This work proposes a new model for trust establishment and management in computer systems supporting collaborative work. The model supports the dynamic addition of new users to a collaboration with very little initial trust placed into their identity and supportsmore » the incremental building of trust relationships through endorsements from established collaborators. It also recognizes the strength of a users authentication when making trust decisions. By mimicking the way humans build trust naturally the model can support a wide variety of usage scenarios. Its particular strength lies in the support for ad-hoc and dynamic collaborations and the ubiquitous access to a Computer Supported Collaboration Workspace (CSCW) system from locations with varying levels of trust and security.« less

Can the usage of human growth hormones affect facial appearance and the accuracy of face recognition systems?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rose, Jake; Martin, Michael; Bourlai, Thirimachos

2014-06-01

In law enforcement and security applications, the acquisition of face images is critical in producing key trace evidence for the successful identification of potential threats. The goal of the study is to demonstrate that steroid usage significantly affects human facial appearance and hence, the performance of commercial and academic face recognition (FR) algorithms. In this work, we evaluate the performance of state-of-the-art FR algorithms on two unique face image datasets of subjects before (gallery set) and after (probe set) steroid (or human growth hormone) usage. For the purpose of this study, datasets of 73 subjects were created from multiple sources found on the Internet, containing images of men and women before and after steroid usage. Next, we geometrically pre-processed all images of both face datasets. Then, we applied image restoration techniques on the same face datasets, and finally, we applied FR algorithms in order to match the pre-processed face images of our probe datasets against the face images of the gallery set. Experimental results demonstrate that only a specific set of FR algorithms obtain the most accurate results (in terms of the rank-1 identification rate). This is because there are several factors that influence the efficiency of face matchers including (i) the time lapse between the before and after image pre-processing and restoration face photos, (ii) the usage of different drugs (e.g. Dianabol, Winstrol, and Decabolan), (iii) the usage of different cameras to capture face images, and finally, (iv) the variability of standoff distance, illumination and other noise factors (e.g. motion noise). All of the previously mentioned complicated scenarios make clear that cross-scenario matching is a very challenging problem and, thus, further investigation is required.

SmartWay Global Green Freight Action Webinar

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This EPA presentation provides information on the SmartWay Transport Partnership Program, including SW brand market research results, program success, partner participation, logo usage, and available promotional and publicity resources.

2016 SmartWay Awardee Best Practices Webinar

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This EPA presentation provides information on the SmartWay Transport Partnership Program, including SW brand market research results, program success, partner participation, logo usage, and available promotional and publicity resources.

Alternative antimicrobial supplements that positively impact animal health and food safety.

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Antibiotic usage is a common practice in the livestock industry that has progressively gained attention from consumers of livestock products in regard to human and environmental health. Specifically, sub-therapeutic usage of antibiotics and the belief that prophylactic supplementation leads to anti...

Improving the Investment Potential of the Evenkiiskaya HPP When Working Jointly with HPPS of the Volga – Kama Cascade

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

Aleksandrovskii, A. Yu., E-mail: ayaleksand@mail.ru; Soldatkin, A. Yu.; Volkov, D. M.

The capability is studied of improving the investment potential of the Evenkiiskaya HPP by using the power it generates in the United Power System of the European part of Russia by transitioning to a compensated electrical regime of water reservoir resource usage. A quantitative assessment of Evenkiiskaya HPP usage is presented using daily load demand. Increasing the guaranteed HPP power is proposed as an alternative to new nuclear power stations.

Mobile usage and sleep patterns among medical students.

PubMed

Yogesh, Saxena; Abha, Shrivastava; Priyanka, Singh

2014-01-01

Exposure of humans to radio frequency electromagnetic field (EMF) both during receiving and transmitting the signals has amplified public and scientific debate about possible adverse effects on human health. The study was designed with the objective of assessing the extent of mobile phone use amongst medical students and finding correlation if any between the hours of usage of mobile to sleep pattern and quality. hundred medical students grouped as cases (n = 57) (> 2 hours/day of mobile usage) and control (n = 43) (≤ 2 hours/day of mobile usage) were examined for their sleep quality & pattern by Pittsburg sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Differences between groups were examined with the Mann Whitney "U" test for proportions (Quantitative values) and with Student't' test for continuous variables. The association of variables was analyzed by Spearman Rank's correlation. Probability was set at < 0.05 as significant. Sleep disturbance, latency and day dysfunction was more in cases especially females. A significant association of hours of usage and sleep indices were observed in both genders (males r = 0.25; p = 0.04, females r = 0.31; p = 0.009). Evening usage of mobile phone in cases showed a statistically significant negative association (-0.606; p = 0.042) with Sleep quality (higher PSQI means sleep deprivation). Students using mobile for > 2 hours/day may cause sleep deprivation and day sleepiness affecting cognitive and learning abilities of medical students.

Integrated resource scheduling in a distributed scheduling environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zoch, David; Hall, Gardiner

1988-01-01

The Space Station era presents a highly-complex multi-mission planning and scheduling environment exercised over a highly distributed system. In order to automate the scheduling process, customers require a mechanism for communicating their scheduling requirements to NASA. A request language that a remotely-located customer can use to specify his scheduling requirements to a NASA scheduler, thus automating the customer-scheduler interface, is described. This notation, Flexible Envelope-Request Notation (FERN), allows the user to completely specify his scheduling requirements such as resource usage, temporal constraints, and scheduling preferences and options. The FERN also contains mechanisms for representing schedule and resource availability information, which are used in the inter-scheduler inconsistency resolution process. Additionally, a scheduler is described that can accept these requests, process them, generate schedules, and return schedule and resource availability information to the requester. The Request-Oriented Scheduling Engine (ROSE) was designed to function either as an independent scheduler or as a scheduling element in a network of schedulers. When used in a network of schedulers, each ROSE communicates schedule and resource usage information to other schedulers via the FERN notation, enabling inconsistencies to be resolved between schedulers. Individual ROSE schedules are created by viewing the problem as a constraint satisfaction problem with a heuristically guided search strategy.

Integration of Openstack cloud resources in BES III computing cluster

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Haibo; Cheng, Yaodong; Huang, Qiulan; Cheng, Zhenjing; Shi, Jingyan

2017-10-01

Cloud computing provides a new technical means for data processing of high energy physics experiment. However, the resource of each queue is fixed and the usage of the resource is static in traditional job management system. In order to make it simple and transparent for physicist to use, we developed a virtual cluster system (vpmanager) to integrate IHEPCloud and different batch systems such as Torque and HTCondor. Vpmanager provides dynamic virtual machines scheduling according to the job queue. The BES III use case results show that resource efficiency is greatly improved.

Overcoming the Law of the Hidden in Cyberinfrastructures.

PubMed

Bucksch, Alexander; Das, Abhiram; Schneider, Hannah; Merchant, Nirav; Weitz, Joshua S

2017-02-01

Cyberinfrastructure projects (CIPs) are complex, integrated systems that require interaction and organization amongst user, developer, hardware, technical infrastructure, and funding resources. Nevertheless, CIP usability, functionality, and growth do not scale with the sum of these resources. Instead, growth and efficient usage of CIPs require access to 'hidden' resources. These include technical resources within CIPs as well as social and functional interactions among stakeholders. We identify approaches to overcome resource limitations following the conceptual basis of Liebig's Law of the Minimum. In so doing, we recommend practical steps towards efficient and scaleable resource use, taking the iPlant/CyVerse CIP as an example. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Usage evaluation of the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) among Brazilian physical therapists

PubMed Central

Elkins, Mark R.; Moseley, Anne M.; Pinto, Rafael Z.

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND: It is unclear whether the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) is widely and equally used by physical therapists in Brazil. As PEDro is considered a key resource to support evidence-based physical therapy, analyses of PEDro usage could reflect the extent of dissemination of evidence-based practice. OBJECTIVE: To describe the usage of PEDro among the five regions of the World Confederation for Physical Therapy (WCPT) and, in more detail, in the South American region and Brazil over a 5-year period. METHOD: PEDro home-page sessions and the number of searches performed were logged for a 5-year period (2010-2014). Absolute usage and relative usage were calculated for each region of the WCPT, each country in the South American region of WCPT, and each Regional Council (CREFITO) in Brazil. RESULTS: Europe had the highest absolute and relative usage among the five regions of the WCPT (971 searches per million-population per year), with the South American region ranked 4th in absolute terms and 3rd in relative terms (486). Within the South American region, Brazil accounted for nearly 60% of searches (755). Analysis at a national level revealed that usage per physical therapist in Brazil is very low across all CREFITOs. The highest usage occurred in CREFITO 6 with 1.3 searches per physical therapist per year. CONCLUSIONS: PEDro is not widely and equally used throughout Brazil. Strategies to promote PEDro and to make PEDro more accessible to physical therapists speaking Portuguese are needed. PMID:26443980

Usage evaluation of the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) among Brazilian physical therapists.

PubMed

Elkins, Mark R; Moseley, Anne M; Pinto, Rafael Z

2015-01-01

It is unclear whether the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) is widely and equally used by physical therapists in Brazil. As PEDro is considered a key resource to support evidence-based physical therapy, analyses of PEDro usage could reflect the extent of dissemination of evidence-based practice. To describe the usage of PEDro among the five regions of the World Confederation for Physical Therapy (WCPT) and, in more detail, in the South American region and Brazil over a 5-year period. PEDro home-page sessions and the number of searches performed were logged for a 5-year period (2010-2014). Absolute usage and relative usage were calculated for each region of the WCPT, each country in the South American region of WCPT, and each Regional Council (CREFITO) in Brazil. Europe had the highest absolute and relative usage among the five regions of the WCPT (971 searches per million-population per year), with the South American region ranked 4th in absolute terms and 3rd in relative terms (486). Within the South American region, Brazil accounted for nearly 60% of searches (755). Analysis at a national level revealed that usage per physical therapist in Brazil is very low across all CREFITOs. The highest usage occurred in CREFITO 6 with 1.3 searches per physical therapist per year. PEDro is not widely and equally used throughout Brazil. Strategies to promote PEDro and to make PEDro more accessible to physical therapists speaking Portuguese are needed.

Assessment of groundwater quality in the coastal area of Sindh province, Pakistan.

PubMed

Alamgir, Aamir; Khan, Moazzam Ali; Schilling, Janpeter; Shaukat, S Shahid; Shahab, Shoaib

2016-02-01

Groundwater is a highly important resource, especially for human consumption and agricultural production. This study offers an assessment of groundwater quality in the coastal areas of Sindh province in Pakistan. Fifty-six samples of groundwater were taken at depths ranging from 30 to 50 m. Bacteriological and physico-chemical analyses were performed using the Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater. These were supplemented with expert interviews and observations to identify the usage of water and potential sources of pollution. The quality of the groundwater was found to be unsuitable for human consumption, despite being used for this purpose. The concentrations of sulfate and phosphate were well within the tolerance limits. Most critical were the high levels of organic and fecal pollution followed by turbidity and salinity. Metal concentrations (As, Ca, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn) were also determined, and Ni and Pb strongly exceeded health standards. The study stresses the need for significant improvements of the irrigation, sanitation, and sewage infrastructure.

Technical support for Life Sciences communities on a production grid infrastructure.

PubMed

Michel, Franck; Montagnat, Johan; Glatard, Tristan

2012-01-01

Production operation of large distributed computing infrastructures (DCI) still requires a lot of human intervention to reach acceptable quality of service. This may be achievable for scientific communities with solid IT support, but it remains a show-stopper for others. Some application execution environments are used to hide runtime technical issues from end users. But they mostly aim at fault-tolerance rather than incident resolution, and their operation still requires substantial manpower. A longer-term support activity is thus needed to ensure sustained quality of service for Virtual Organisations (VO). This paper describes how the biomed VO has addressed this challenge by setting up a technical support team. Its organisation, tooling, daily tasks, and procedures are described. Results are shown in terms of resource usage by end users, amount of reported incidents, and developed software tools. Based on our experience, we suggest ways to measure the impact of the technical support, perspectives to decrease its human cost and make it more community-specific.

Effects of heavy metals on soil microbial community

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chu, Dian

2018-02-01

Soil is one of the most important environmental natural resources for human beings living, which is of great significance to the quality of ecological environment and human health. The study of the function of arable soil microbes exposed to heavy metal pollution for a long time has a very important significance for the usage of farmland soil. In this paper, the effects of heavy metals on soil microbial community were reviewed. The main contents were as follows: the effects of soil microbes on soil ecosystems; the effects of heavy metals on soil microbial activity, soil enzyme activities and the composition of soil microbial community. In addition, a brief description of main methods of heavy metal detection for soil pollution is given, and the means of researching soil microbial community composition are introduced as well. Finally, it is concluded that the study of soil microbial community can well reflect the degree of soil heavy metal pollution and the impact of heavy metal pollution on soil ecology.

Healthcare Resource Utilisation Associated with Herpes Zoster in a Prospective Cohort of Older Australian Adults.

PubMed

Karki, Surendra; Newall, Anthony T; MacIntyre, C Raina; Heywood, Anita E; McIntyre, Peter; Banks, Emily; Liu, Bette

2016-01-01

Herpes zoster (HZ) is a common condition that increases in incidence with older age but vaccines are available to prevent the disease. However, there are limited data estimating the health system burden attributable to herpes zoster by age. In this study, we quantified excess healthcare resource usage associated with HZ during the acute/sub-acute period of disease (21days before to 90 days after onset) in 5952 cases and an equal number of controls matched on age, sex, and prior healthcare resource usage. Estimates were adjusted for potential confounders in multivariable regression models. Using population-based estimates of HZ incidence, we calculated the age-specific excess number of health service usage events attributable to HZ in the population. Per HZ case, there was an average of 0.06 (95% CI 0.04-0.08) excess hospitalisations, 1.61 (95% CI 1.51-1.69) excess general practitioner visits, 1.96 (95% CI 1.86-2.15) excess prescriptions filled and 0.11 (95% CI 0.09-0.13) excess emergency department visits. The average number of healthcare resource use events, and the estimated excess per 100,000 population increased with increasing age but were similar for men and women, except for higher rates of hospitalisation in men. The excess annual HZ associated burden of hospitalisations was highest in adults ≥80 years (N = 2244, 95%CI 1719-2767); GP visits was highest in those 60-69 years (N = 50567, 95%CI 39958-61105), prescriptions and ED visits were highest in 70-79 years (N = 50524, 95%CI 40634-60471 and N = 2891, 95%CI 2319-3449 respectively). This study provides important data to establish the healthcare utilisation associated with HZ against which detailed cost-effectiveness analyses of HZ immunisation in older adults can be conducted.

Standard Chinese: A Modular Approach. Resource Modules: Pronunciation and Romanization, Numbers, Classroom Expressions, Time and Dates.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Defense Language Inst., Monterey, CA.

Texts in spoken Standard Chinese were developed to improve and update Chinese materials to reflect current usage in Beijing and Taipei. The focus is on communicating in Chinese in practical situations. The overall course is organized into 10 situational modules, student workbooks for each module, and resource modules. This text contains resource…

Freshwater resources in the insular Caribbean: an environmental perspective

Treesearch

T. Heartsill Scalley

2012-01-01

From islands with no permanent flowing streams to those with navigable inland waters, the insular Caribbean contains a great range of conditions regarding the access to freshwater resources. Because of the variation in topography and size, the ability of islands to retain freshwater also varies widely. The usage of freshwater in this region is being led by two major...

Physics Instructional Resource Usage by High-, Medium-, and Low-Skilled MOOC Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Balint, Trevor A.; Teodorescu, Raluca; Colvin, Kimberly; Choi, Youn-Jeng; Pritchard, David

2017-01-01

In this paper we examine how different types of participants in a physics Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) tend to use the existing course resources. We use data from the 2013 offering of the Massive Open Online Course 8.MReVx designed by the RELATE (REsearch in Learning Assessing and Tutoring Effectively) Group at the Massachusetts Institute of…

[Appliancation of logistics in resources management of medical asset].

PubMed

Miroshnichenko, Iu V; Goriachev, A B; Bunin, S A

2011-06-01

The usage of basic regulations of logistics in practical activity for providing joints and military units with medical asset is theoretically justified. The role of logistics in organizing, building and functioning of military (armed forces) medical supply system is found out. The methods of solving urgent problems of improvement the resources management of medical asset on the basis of logistics are presented.

Live Lectures or Online Videos: Students' Resource Choices in a First-Year University Mathematics Module

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Howard, Emma; Meehan, Maria; Parnell, Andrew

2018-01-01

In "Maths for Business", a mathematics module for non-mathematics specialists, students are given the choice of completing the module content via short online videos, live lectures or a combination of both. In this study, we identify students' specific usage patterns with both of these resources and discuss their reasons for the…

Personal Spaces in Public Repositories as a Facilitator for Open Educational Resource Usage

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cohen, Anat; Reisman, Sorel; Sperling, Barbra Bied

2015-01-01

Learning object repositories are a shared, open and public space; however, the possibility and ability of personal expression in an open, global, public space is crucial. The aim of this study is to explore personal spaces in a big learning object repository as a facilitator for adoption of Open Educational Resources (OER) into teaching practices…

Usage and Evaluation of Nonformal Environmental Education Services at a State Park: Are Anglers Catching More than Fish?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morgan, Mark; Soucy, Jeremy

2006-01-01

Although park naturalists should be inclusive in their attempts to reach a variety of audiences, visitors having a consumptive resource orientation may get overlooked. The activity involvement, place attachment and resource knowledge scores of trout anglers at Montauk State Park (Missouri, USA) were combined into a typology that consisted of four…

Resource Sharing in Montana: A Study of Interlibrary Loan and Alternatives for a Montana Union Catalog.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Matthews, Joseph R.

This study recommends a variety of actions to create and maintain a Montana union catalog (MONCAT) for more effective usage of in-state resources and library funds. Specifically, it advocates (1) merger of existing COM, machine readable bibliographic records, and OCLC tapes into a single microform catalog; (2) acceptance of only machine readable…

Availability and Usage of ICTs and E-Resources by Livestock Researchers in Tanzania: Challenges and Ways Forward

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Angello, Consolata; Wema, Evans

2010-01-01

A study was conducted to investigate the accessibility and use of e-resources in Tanzania. The methodology adopted for the study was survey in which questionnaires, interviews and observations were used in collection of the data. A total of 50 respondents participated in the study. The study revealed that livestock research institutes in Tanzania…

MEASURE: An integrated data-analysis and model identification facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Singh, Jaidip; Iyer, Ravi K.

1990-01-01

The first phase of the development of MEASURE, an integrated data analysis and model identification facility is described. The facility takes system activity data as input and produces as output representative behavioral models of the system in near real time. In addition a wide range of statistical characteristics of the measured system are also available. The usage of the system is illustrated on data collected via software instrumentation of a network of SUN workstations at the University of Illinois. Initially, statistical clustering is used to identify high density regions of resource-usage in a given environment. The identified regions form the states for building a state-transition model to evaluate system and program performance in real time. The model is then solved to obtain useful parameters such as the response-time distribution and the mean waiting time in each state. A graphical interface which displays the identified models and their characteristics (with real time updates) was also developed. The results provide an understanding of the resource-usage in the system under various workload conditions. This work is targeted for a testbed of UNIX workstations with the initial phase ported to SUN workstations on the NASA, Ames Research Center Advanced Automation Testbed.

Energy monitoring system based on human activity in the workplace

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mustafa, Nur Hanim; Husain, Mohd Nor; Aziz, Mohamad Zoinol Abidin Abdul; Othman, Mohd Azlishah; Malek, Fareq

2015-05-01

Human behaviors always related to day routine activities in a smart house directly give the significant factor to manage energy usage in human life. An Addition that, the factor will contribute to the best efficiency of the system. This paper will focus on the monitoring efficiency based on duration time in office hours around 8am until 5pm which depend on human behavior at working place. Besides that, the correlation coefficient method is used to show the relation between energy consumption and energy saving based on the total hours of time energy spent. In future, the percentages of energy monitoring system usage will be increase to manage energy saving based on human behaviors. This scenario will help to see the human activity in the workplace in order to get the energy saving and support world green environment.

21 CFR 211.122 - Materials examination and usage criteria.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 4 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Materials examination and usage criteria. 211.122 Section 211.122 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) DRUGS: GENERAL CURRENT GOOD MANUFACTURING PRACTICE FOR FINISHED PHARMACEUTICALS Packaging and...

21 CFR 211.122 - Materials examination and usage criteria.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 4 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Materials examination and usage criteria. 211.122 Section 211.122 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) DRUGS: GENERAL CURRENT GOOD MANUFACTURING PRACTICE FOR FINISHED PHARMACEUTICALS Packaging and...

21 CFR 211.122 - Materials examination and usage criteria.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 4 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Materials examination and usage criteria. 211.122 Section 211.122 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) DRUGS: GENERAL CURRENT GOOD MANUFACTURING PRACTICE FOR FINISHED PHARMACEUTICALS Packaging and...

45 CFR 153.720 - Establishment and usage of masked enrollee identification numbers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Establishment and usage of masked enrollee identification numbers. 153.720 Section 153.720 Public Welfare Department of Health and Human Services REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO HEALTH CARE ACCESS STANDARDS RELATED TO REINSURANCE, RISK CORRIDORS, AND RISK...

45 CFR 153.720 - Establishment and usage of masked enrollee identification numbers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 1 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Establishment and usage of masked enrollee identification numbers. 153.720 Section 153.720 Public Welfare DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO HEALTH CARE ACCESS STANDARDS RELATED TO REINSURANCE, RISK CORRIDORS, AND RISK...

Moving anesthesiology educational resources to the point of care: experience with a pediatric anesthesia mobile app.

PubMed

Monroe, Katherine S; Evans, Michael A; Mukkamala, Shivani G; Williamson, Julie L; Jabaley, Craig S; Mariano, Edward R; O'Reilly-Shah, Vikas N

2018-05-09

Educators in all disciplines recognize the need to update tools for the modern learner. Mobile applications (apps) may be useful, but real-time data is needed to demonstrate the patterns of utilization and engagement amongst learners. We examined the use of an anesthesia app by two groups of learners (residents and anesthesiologist assistant students [AAs]) during a pediatric anesthesiology rotation. The app calculates age and weight-based information for clinical decision support and contains didactic materials for self-directed learning. The app transmitted detailed usage information to our research team. Over a 12-month period, 39 participants consented; 30 completed primary study procedures (18 residents, 12 AAs). AAs used the app more frequently than residents (P = 0.025) but spent less time in the app (P < 0.001). The median duration of app usage was 2.3 minutes. During the course of the rotation, usage of the app decreased over time. 'Succinylcholine' was the most accessed drug, while 'orientation' was the most accessed teaching module. Ten (33%) believed that the use of apps was perceived to be distracting by operating room staff and surgeons. Real-time in-app analytics helped elucidate the actual usage of this educational resource and will guide future decisions regarding development and educational content. Further research is required to determine learners' preferred choice of device, user experience, and content in the full range of clinical and nonclinical purposes.

Nexus: A modular workflow management system for quantum simulation codes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krogel, Jaron T.

2016-01-01

The management of simulation workflows represents a significant task for the individual computational researcher. Automation of the required tasks involved in simulation work can decrease the overall time to solution and reduce sources of human error. A new simulation workflow management system, Nexus, is presented to address these issues. Nexus is capable of automated job management on workstations and resources at several major supercomputing centers. Its modular design allows many quantum simulation codes to be supported within the same framework. Current support includes quantum Monte Carlo calculations with QMCPACK, density functional theory calculations with Quantum Espresso or VASP, and quantum chemical calculations with GAMESS. Users can compose workflows through a transparent, text-based interface, resembling the input file of a typical simulation code. A usage example is provided to illustrate the process.

Virtual dermatohistopathology at http://www.pathowiki.org.

PubMed

Roßner, Mathias; Roßner, Florian; Zwönitzer, Ralf; Hofmann, Harald; Sterry, Wolfram; Kalinski, Thomas

2012-04-01

PATHOWIKI (http://www.pathowiki.org) is a new specialized information system in the form of a web-based wiki with content from all sub-disciplines of human pathology. Essential components are articles and specimens which are located thematically in dermatopathology. The project is presented on the basis of impressive examples and possibilities. The ability to link all kinds of content and integrate pattern analysis theories creates an effective tool for teaching and training in dermatopathology. Collaborative work ensures the effective usage of available resources and a continually growing amount of content, the quality of which depends on the number of users and should be as high as possible. Therefore, all interested colleagues are invited to support the project. © The Authors • Journal compilation © Blackwell Verlag GmbH, Berlin.

iTools: a framework for classification, categorization and integration of computational biology resources.

PubMed

Dinov, Ivo D; Rubin, Daniel; Lorensen, William; Dugan, Jonathan; Ma, Jeff; Murphy, Shawn; Kirschner, Beth; Bug, William; Sherman, Michael; Floratos, Aris; Kennedy, David; Jagadish, H V; Schmidt, Jeanette; Athey, Brian; Califano, Andrea; Musen, Mark; Altman, Russ; Kikinis, Ron; Kohane, Isaac; Delp, Scott; Parker, D Stott; Toga, Arthur W

2008-05-28

The advancement of the computational biology field hinges on progress in three fundamental directions--the development of new computational algorithms, the availability of informatics resource management infrastructures and the capability of tools to interoperate and synergize. There is an explosion in algorithms and tools for computational biology, which makes it difficult for biologists to find, compare and integrate such resources. We describe a new infrastructure, iTools, for managing the query, traversal and comparison of diverse computational biology resources. Specifically, iTools stores information about three types of resources--data, software tools and web-services. The iTools design, implementation and resource meta-data content reflect the broad research, computational, applied and scientific expertise available at the seven National Centers for Biomedical Computing. iTools provides a system for classification, categorization and integration of different computational biology resources across space-and-time scales, biomedical problems, computational infrastructures and mathematical foundations. A large number of resources are already iTools-accessible to the community and this infrastructure is rapidly growing. iTools includes human and machine interfaces to its resource meta-data repository. Investigators or computer programs may utilize these interfaces to search, compare, expand, revise and mine meta-data descriptions of existent computational biology resources. We propose two ways to browse and display the iTools dynamic collection of resources. The first one is based on an ontology of computational biology resources, and the second one is derived from hyperbolic projections of manifolds or complex structures onto planar discs. iTools is an open source project both in terms of the source code development as well as its meta-data content. iTools employs a decentralized, portable, scalable and lightweight framework for long-term resource management. We demonstrate several applications of iTools as a framework for integrated bioinformatics. iTools and the complete details about its specifications, usage and interfaces are available at the iTools web page http://iTools.ccb.ucla.edu.

Risk assessment for enterprise resource planning (ERP) system implementations: a fault tree analysis approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeng, Yajun; Skibniewski, Miroslaw J.

2013-08-01

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) system implementations are often characterised with large capital outlay, long implementation duration, and high risk of failure. In order to avoid ERP implementation failure and realise the benefits of the system, sound risk management is the key. This paper proposes a probabilistic risk assessment approach for ERP system implementation projects based on fault tree analysis, which models the relationship between ERP system components and specific risk factors. Unlike traditional risk management approaches that have been mostly focused on meeting project budget and schedule objectives, the proposed approach intends to address the risks that may cause ERP system usage failure. The approach can be used to identify the root causes of ERP system implementation usage failure and quantify the impact of critical component failures or critical risk events in the implementation process.

Take away body parts! An investigation into the use of 3D-printed anatomical models in undergraduate anatomy education.

PubMed

Smith, Claire F; Tollemache, Nicholas; Covill, Derek; Johnston, Malcolm

2018-01-01

Understanding the three-dimensional (3D) nature of the human form is imperative for effective medical practice and the emergence of 3D printing creates numerous opportunities to enhance aspects of medical and healthcare training. A recently deceased, un-embalmed donor was scanned through high-resolution computed tomography. The scan data underwent segmentation and post-processing and a range of 3D-printed anatomical models were produced. A four-stage mixed-methods study was conducted to evaluate the educational value of the models in a medical program. (1) A quantitative pre/post-test to assess change in learner knowledge following 3D-printed model usage in a small group tutorial; (2) student focus group (3) a qualitative student questionnaire regarding personal student model usage (4) teaching faculty evaluation. The use of 3D-printed models in small-group anatomy teaching session resulted in a significant increase in knowledge (P = 0.0001) when compared to didactic 2D-image based teaching methods. Student focus groups yielded six key themes regarding the use of 3D-printed anatomical models: model properties, teaching integration, resource integration, assessment, clinical imaging, and pathology and anatomical variation. Questionnaires detailed how students used the models in the home environment and integrated them with anatomical learning resources such as textbooks and anatomy lectures. In conclusion, 3D-printed anatomical models can be successfully produced from the CT data set of a recently deceased donor. These models can be used in anatomy education as a teaching tool in their own right, as well as a method for augmenting the curriculum and complementing established learning modalities, such as dissection-based teaching. Anat Sci Educ 11: 44-53. © 2017 American Association of Anatomists. © 2017 American Association of Anatomists.

iTools: A Framework for Classification, Categorization and Integration of Computational Biology Resources

PubMed Central

Dinov, Ivo D.; Rubin, Daniel; Lorensen, William; Dugan, Jonathan; Ma, Jeff; Murphy, Shawn; Kirschner, Beth; Bug, William; Sherman, Michael; Floratos, Aris; Kennedy, David; Jagadish, H. V.; Schmidt, Jeanette; Athey, Brian; Califano, Andrea; Musen, Mark; Altman, Russ; Kikinis, Ron; Kohane, Isaac; Delp, Scott; Parker, D. Stott; Toga, Arthur W.

2008-01-01

The advancement of the computational biology field hinges on progress in three fundamental directions – the development of new computational algorithms, the availability of informatics resource management infrastructures and the capability of tools to interoperate and synergize. There is an explosion in algorithms and tools for computational biology, which makes it difficult for biologists to find, compare and integrate such resources. We describe a new infrastructure, iTools, for managing the query, traversal and comparison of diverse computational biology resources. Specifically, iTools stores information about three types of resources–data, software tools and web-services. The iTools design, implementation and resource meta - data content reflect the broad research, computational, applied and scientific expertise available at the seven National Centers for Biomedical Computing. iTools provides a system for classification, categorization and integration of different computational biology resources across space-and-time scales, biomedical problems, computational infrastructures and mathematical foundations. A large number of resources are already iTools-accessible to the community and this infrastructure is rapidly growing. iTools includes human and machine interfaces to its resource meta-data repository. Investigators or computer programs may utilize these interfaces to search, compare, expand, revise and mine meta-data descriptions of existent computational biology resources. We propose two ways to browse and display the iTools dynamic collection of resources. The first one is based on an ontology of computational biology resources, and the second one is derived from hyperbolic projections of manifolds or complex structures onto planar discs. iTools is an open source project both in terms of the source code development as well as its meta-data content. iTools employs a decentralized, portable, scalable and lightweight framework for long-term resource management. We demonstrate several applications of iTools as a framework for integrated bioinformatics. iTools and the complete details about its specifications, usage and interfaces are available at the iTools web page http://iTools.ccb.ucla.edu. PMID:18509477

Resource modelling for control: how hydrogeological modelling can support a water quality monitoring infrastructure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scozzari, Andrea; Doveri, Marco

2015-04-01

The knowledge of the physical/chemical processes implied with the exploitation of water bodies for human consumption is an essential tool for the optimisation of the monitoring infrastructure. Due to their increasing importance in the context of human consumption (at least in the EU), this work focuses on groundwater resources. In the framework of drinkable water networks, the physical and data-driven modelling of transport phenomena in groundwater can help optimising the sensor network and validating the acquired data. This work proposes the combined usage of physical and data-driven modelling as a support to the design and maximisation of results from a network of distributed sensors. In particular, the validation of physico-chemical measurements and the detection of eventual anomalies by a set of continuous measurements take benefit from the knowledge of the domain from which water is abstracted, and its expected characteristics. Change-detection techniques based on non-specific sensors (presented by quite a large literature during the last two decades) have to deal with the classical issues of maximising correct detections and minimising false alarms, the latter of the two being the most typical problem to be faced, in the view of designing truly applicable monitoring systems. In this context, the definition of "anomaly" in terms of distance from an expected value or feature characterising the quality of water implies the definition of a suitable metric and the knowledge of the physical and chemical peculiarities of the natural domain from which water is exploited, with its implications in terms of characteristics of the water resource.

For Your Phone Only: Custom Protocols for Efficient Secure Function Evaluation on Mobile Devices (Preprint)

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-11-01

that mobile application developers should reconsider implementing garbled circuits due to their extreme resource usage, and instead rely upon our equivalently secure and significantly more efficient alternative.

The Merit Computer Network

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aupperle, Eric M.; Davis, Donna L.

1978-01-01

The successful Merit Computer Network is examined in terms of both technology and operational management. The network is fully operational and has a significant and rapidly increasing usage, with three major institutions currently sharing computer resources. (Author/CMV)

An approximate dynamic programming approach to resource management in multi-cloud scenarios

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pietrabissa, Antonio; Priscoli, Francesco Delli; Di Giorgio, Alessandro; Giuseppi, Alessandro; Panfili, Martina; Suraci, Vincenzo

2017-03-01

The programmability and the virtualisation of network resources are crucial to deploy scalable Information and Communications Technology (ICT) services. The increasing demand of cloud services, mainly devoted to the storage and computing, requires a new functional element, the Cloud Management Broker (CMB), aimed at managing multiple cloud resources to meet the customers' requirements and, simultaneously, to optimise their usage. This paper proposes a multi-cloud resource allocation algorithm that manages the resource requests with the aim of maximising the CMB revenue over time. The algorithm is based on Markov decision process modelling and relies on reinforcement learning techniques to find online an approximate solution.

New Control Paradigms for Resources Saving: An Approach for Mobile Robots Navigation.

PubMed

Socas, Rafael; Dormido, Raquel; Dormido, Sebastián

2018-01-18

In this work, an event-based control scheme is presented. The proposed system has been developed to solve control problems appearing in the field of Networked Control Systems (NCS). Several models and methodologies have been proposed to measure different resources consumptions. The use of bandwidth, computational load and energy resources have been investigated. This analysis shows how the parameters of the system impacts on the resources efficiency. Moreover, the proposed system has been compared with its equivalent discrete-time solution. In the experiments, an application of NCS for mobile robots navigation has been set up and its resource usage efficiency has been analysed.

New Control Paradigms for Resources Saving: An Approach for Mobile Robots Navigation

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

In this work, an event-based control scheme is presented. The proposed system has been developed to solve control problems appearing in the field of Networked Control Systems (NCS). Several models and methodologies have been proposed to measure different resources consumptions. The use of bandwidth, computational load and energy resources have been investigated. This analysis shows how the parameters of the system impacts on the resources efficiency. Moreover, the proposed system has been compared with its equivalent discrete-time solution. In the experiments, an application of NCS for mobile robots navigation has been set up and its resource usage efficiency has been analysed. PMID:29346321

Exploring the Learning Problems and Resource Usage of Undergraduate Industrial Design Students in Design Studio Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Wenzhi

2016-01-01

Design is a powerful weapon for modern companies so it is important to have excellent designers in the industry. The purpose of this study is to explore the learning problems and the resources that students use to overcome problems in undergraduate industrial design studio courses. A survey with open-type questions was conducted to collect data.…

Use of a Case-Based Hypermedia Resource in an Early Literacy Coaching Intervention with Pre-Kindergarten Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Powell, Douglas R.; Diamond, Karen E.; Koehler, Matthew J.

2010-01-01

Use of a case-based hypermedia resource (HR) was examined in a Web-based early literacy coaching intervention with pre-kindergarten teachers of at-risk children. Web usage logs, written records of coach feedback to teachers on their instruction, and a teacher questionnaire were the primary data sources. Visits to the HR content pages were unevenly…

U. S. research safety vehicle (RSV) phase I program. Volume III. RSV characteristics and performance specifications. Final report, Jan 1974--Apr 1975

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

Andon, J.; Dodson, E.; Khadilkar, A.

1975-06-01

Current passenger car usage patterns and factors influencing usage are analyzed and projections of usage patterns in the mid-1980's are made. Current available data on six categories of vehicle accidents are analyzed and projections made of national accident patterns in the mid-80's; the effect of potential reductions in these projections as a result of safety programs and other factors related to driving safety are estimated. Based on the usage and accident projections, the characteristics of an RSV (weighing under 3,000 lbs C.W.) for operation in the mid-1980 traffic environment are described. A recommended set of specifications for the RSV aremore » developed considering the potential safety payoff accruing to an increased level of safety performance, the need for energy conservation, availability of material resources, and changes in vehicle mix. (An executive summary of this report is presented in Volume I).« less

Recorded Behavior as a Valuable Resource for Diagnostics in Mobile Phone Addiction: Evidence from Psychoinformatics

PubMed Central

Montag, Christian; Błaszkiewicz, Konrad; Lachmann, Bernd; Sariyska, Rayna; Andone, Ionut; Trendafilov, Boris; Markowetz, Alexander

2015-01-01

Psychologists and psychiatrists commonly rely on self-reports or interviews to diagnose or treat behavioral addictions. The present study introduces a novel source of data: recordings of the actual problem behavior under investigation. A total of N = 58 participants were asked to fill in a questionnaire measuring problematic mobile phone behavior featuring several questions on weekly phone usage. After filling in the questionnaire, all participants received an application to be installed on their smartphones, which recorded their phone usage for five weeks. The analyses revealed that weekly phone usage in hours was overestimated; in contrast, numbers of call and text message related variables were underestimated. Importantly, several associations between actual usage and being addicted to mobile phones could be derived exclusively from the recorded behavior, but not from self-report variables. The study demonstrates the potential benefit to include methods of psychoinformatics in the diagnosis and treatment of problematic mobile phone use. PMID:26492275

Benchmarking of hospital information systems: Monitoring of discharge letters and scheduling can reveal heterogeneities and time trends

PubMed Central

Dugas, Martin; Eckholt, Markus; Bunzemeier, Holger

2008-01-01

Background Monitoring of hospital information system (HIS) usage can provide insights into best practices within a hospital and help to assess time trends. In terms of effort and cost of benchmarking, figures derived automatically from the routine HIS system are preferable to manual methods like surveys, in particular for repeated analysis. Methods Due to relevance for quality management and efficient resource utilization we focused on time-to-completion of discharge letters (assessed by CT-plots) and usage of patient scheduling. We analyzed these parameters monthly during one year at a major university hospital in Germany. Results We found several distinct patterns of discharge letter documentation indicating a large heterogeneity of HIS usage between different specialties (completeness 51 – 99%, delays 0 – 90 days). Overall usage of scheduling increased during the observation period by 62%, but again showed a considerable variation between departments. Conclusion Regular monitoring of HIS key figures can contribute to a continuous HIS improvement process. PMID:18423046

Graduate Students' Usage of and Attitudes towards E-Books: Experiences from Taiwan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wu, Ming-der; Chen, Shih-chuan

2011-01-01

Purpose: University libraries are increasing their e-book collections. The purpose of this study is to investigate graduate students' usage of and attitudes towards e-books at National Taiwan University. Design/methodology/approach: A total of 20 graduate students from the fields of humanities, social sciences, science and technology, and medicine…

An Ethnographic Analysis of Adolescent Sexual Minority Website Usage: Exploring Notions of Information Seeking and Sexual Identity Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sulfridge, Rocky M.

2012-01-01

This dissertation explores the website usage of adolescent sexual minorities, examining notions of information seeking and sexual identity development. Sexual information seeking is an important element within human information behavior and is uniquely problematic for young sexual minorities. Utilizing a contemporary gay teen website, this…

Safety belts : the uncollected dividends : a manual for use by state legislators and state officials on techniques to increase safety belt usage.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1977-09-01

Recognizing that increased safety belt usage is by far the most cost-effective I highway safety measure that can be undertaken by any State, this project describes how. States can initiate action to collect major dividends in cost and human welfare.

An imperialist competitive algorithm for virtual machine placement in cloud computing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jamali, Shahram; Malektaji, Sepideh; Analoui, Morteza

2017-05-01

Cloud computing, the recently emerged revolution in IT industry, is empowered by virtualisation technology. In this paradigm, the user's applications run over some virtual machines (VMs). The process of selecting proper physical machines to host these virtual machines is called virtual machine placement. It plays an important role on resource utilisation and power efficiency of cloud computing environment. In this paper, we propose an imperialist competitive-based algorithm for the virtual machine placement problem called ICA-VMPLC. The base optimisation algorithm is chosen to be ICA because of its ease in neighbourhood movement, good convergence rate and suitable terminology. The proposed algorithm investigates search space in a unique manner to efficiently obtain optimal placement solution that simultaneously minimises power consumption and total resource wastage. Its final solution performance is compared with several existing methods such as grouping genetic and ant colony-based algorithms as well as bin packing heuristic. The simulation results show that the proposed method is superior to other tested algorithms in terms of power consumption, resource wastage, CPU usage efficiency and memory usage efficiency.

Integer programming for improving radiotherapy treatment efficiency.

PubMed

Lv, Ming; Li, Yi; Kou, Bo; Zhou, Zhili

2017-01-01

Patients received by radiotherapy departments are diverse and may be diagnosed with different cancers. Therefore, they need different radiotherapy treatment plans and thus have different needs for medical resources. This research aims to explore the best method of scheduling the admission of patients receiving radiotherapy so as to reduce patient loss and maximize the usage efficiency of service resources. A mix integer programming (MIP) model integrated with special features of radiotherapy is constructed. The data used here is based on the historical data collected and we propose an exact method to solve the MIP model. Compared with the traditional First Come First Served (FCFS) method, the new method has boosted patient admission as well as the usage of linear accelerators (LINAC) and beds. The integer programming model can be used to describe the complex problem of scheduling radio-receiving patients, to identify the bottleneck resources that hinder patient admission, and to obtain the optimal LINAC-bed radio under the current data conditions. Different management strategies can be implemented by adjusting the settings of the MIP model. The computational results can serve as a reference for the policy-makers in decision making.

Lessons Learned from Dependency Usage in HERA: Implications for THERP-Related HRA Methods

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

April M. Whaley; Ronald L. Boring; Harold S. Blackman

Dependency occurs when the probability of success or failure on one action changes the probability of success or failure on a subsequent action. Dependency may serve as a modifier on the human error probabilities (HEPs) for successive actions in human reliability analysis (HRA) models. Discretion should be employed when determining whether or not a dependency calculation is warranted: dependency should not be assigned without strongly grounded reasons. Human reliability analysts may sometimes assign dependency in cases where it is unwarranted. This inappropriate assignment is attributed to a lack of clear guidance to encompass the range of scenarios human reliability analystsmore » are addressing. Inappropriate assignment of dependency produces inappropriately elevated HEP values. Lessons learned about dependency usage in the Human Event Repository and Analysis (HERA) system may provide clarification and guidance for analysts using first-generation HRA methods. This paper presents the HERA approach to dependency assessment and discusses considerations for dependency usage in HRA, including the cognitive basis for dependency, direction for determining when dependency should be assessed, considerations for determining the dependency level, temporal issues to consider when assessing dependency, (e.g., considering task sequence versus overall event sequence, and dependency over long periods of time), and diagnosis and action influences on dependency.« less

Databases and Web Tools for Cancer Genomics Study

PubMed Central

Yang, Yadong; Dong, Xunong; Xie, Bingbing; Ding, Nan; Chen, Juan; Li, Yongjun; Zhang, Qian; Qu, Hongzhu; Fang, Xiangdong

2015-01-01

Publicly-accessible resources have promoted the advance of scientific discovery. The era of genomics and big data has brought the need for collaboration and data sharing in order to make effective use of this new knowledge. Here, we describe the web resources for cancer genomics research and rate them on the basis of the diversity of cancer types, sample size, omics data comprehensiveness, and user experience. The resources reviewed include data repository and analysis tools; and we hope such introduction will promote the awareness and facilitate the usage of these resources in the cancer research community. PMID:25707591

A Comparison of Pig Farmers' and Veterinarians' Perceptions and Intentions to Reduce Antimicrobial Usage in Six European Countries.

PubMed

Visschers, V H M; Backhans, A; Collineau, L; Loesken, S; Nielsen, E O; Postma, M; Belloc, C; Dewulf, J; Emanuelson, U; Grosse Beilage, E; Siegrist, M; Sjölund, M; Stärk, K D C

2016-11-01

Antimicrobial (AM) resistance is an increasing problem in human and veterinary medicine. To manage this problem, the usage of AM should be reduced in pig farming, as well as in other areas. It is important to investigate the factors that influence both pig farmers' and veterinarians' intentions to reduce AM usage, which is a prerequisite for developing intervention measures. We conducted a mail survey among pig farmers (N = 1,294) and an online survey among veterinarians (N = 334) in Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Sweden and Switzerland. The farmers' survey assessed the perceived risks and benefits of and need for AM usage; the intention to reduce AM usage; farmers' efficacy (i.e. perception of their ability to reduce AM usage); support from their veterinarian; and the future reduction potential of AM usage. Additionally, self-reported reduction behaviours, the perceived farmers' barriers to reduce AM usage and relationships with farmers were assessed in the veterinarians' survey. The results showed that farmers and veterinarians had similar perceptions of the risks and benefits of AM usage. Veterinarians appeared to be more optimistic than pig farmers about reducing AM usage in pig farming. Farmers believed that their efficacy over AM reduction was relatively high. Farmers' intention to reduce AM usage and veterinarians' self-reported reduction behaviours were mainly associated with factors concerning the feasibility of reducing AM usage. To promote prudent AM usage, pig farmers should learn and experience how to reduce usage by applying alternative measures, whereas veterinarians should strengthen their advisory role and competencies to support and educate farmers. © 2016 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Energy monitoring based on human activity in the workplace

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mustafa, N. H.; Husain, M. N.; Abd Aziz, M. Z. A.; Othman, M. A.; Malek, F.

2014-04-01

Human behavior is the most important factor in order to manage energy usage. Nowadays, smart house technology offers a better quality of life by introducing automated appliance control and assistive services. However, human behaviors will contribute to the efficiency of the system. This paper will focus on monitoring efficiency based on duration time in office hours around 8am until 5pm which depend on human behavior atb the workplace. Then, the correlation coefficient method is used to show the relation between energy consumption and energy saving based on the total hours of time energy spent. In future, the percentages of energy monitoring system usage will be increase to manage energy in efficient ways based on human behaviours. This scenario will lead to the positive impact in order to achieve the energy saving in the building and support the green environment.

The Language Grid: supporting intercultural collaboration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ishida, T.

2018-03-01

A variety of language resources already exist online. Unfortunately, since many language resources have usage restrictions, it is virtually impossible for each user to negotiate with every language resource provider when combining several resources to achieve the intended purpose. To increase the accessibility and usability of language resources (dictionaries, parallel texts, part-of-speech taggers, machine translators, etc.), we proposed the Language Grid [1]; it wraps existing language resources as atomic services and enables users to create new services by combining the atomic services, and reduces the negotiation costs related to intellectual property rights [4]. Our slogan is “language services from language resources.” We believe that modularization with recombination is the key to creating a full range of customized language environments for various user communities.

Online time and resource management based on surgical workflow time series analysis.

PubMed

Maktabi, M; Neumuth, T

2017-02-01

Hospitals' effectiveness and efficiency can be enhanced by automating the resource and time management of the most cost-intensive unit in the hospital: the operating room (OR). The key elements required for the ideal organization of hospital staff and technical resources (such as instruments in the OR) are an exact online forecast of both the surgeon's resource usage and the remaining intervention time. This paper presents a novel online approach relying on time series analysis and the application of a linear time-variant system. We calculated the power spectral density and the spectrogram of surgical perspectives (e.g., used instrument) of interest to compare several surgical workflows. Considering only the use of the surgeon's right hand during an intervention, we were able to predict the remaining intervention time online with an error of 21 min 45 s ±9 min 59 s for lumbar discectomy. Furthermore, the performance of forecasting of technical resource usage in the next 20 min was calculated for a combination of spectral analysis and the application of a linear time-variant system (sensitivity: 74 %; specificity: 75 %) focusing on just the use of surgeon's instrument in question. The outstanding benefit of these methods is that the automated recording of surgical workflows has minimal impact during interventions since the whole set of surgical perspectives need not be recorded. The resulting predictions can help various stakeholders such as OR staff and hospital technicians. Moreover, reducing resource conflicts could well improve patient care.

Access to and Experiences with e-Health Technology Among Glaucoma Patients and Their Relationship with Medication Adherence.

PubMed

Newman-Casey, Paula Anne; Killeen, Olivia J; Renner, Morgan; Robin, Alan L; Lee, Paul; Heisler, Michele

2018-04-23

As online health information becomes common, it is important to assess patients' access to and experiences with online resources. We examined whether glaucoma patients' technology usage differs by medication adherence and whether adherence is associated with online education experiences. We included 164 adults with glaucoma taking ≥1 glaucoma medication. Participants completed a survey including demographic and health information, the Morisky Adherence Scale, and questions about online glaucoma resource usage. Differences in technology access, adherence, and age were compared with chi-squared, Fisher exact, and two-sample t-tests. Mean age was 66 years. Twenty-six percent reported poor adherence. Eighty percent had good technology access. Seventy-three percent of subjects with greater technology access wanted online glaucoma information and yet only 14% of patients had been directed to online resources by physicians. There was no relationship between technological connectivity and adherence (p = 0.51). Nonadherent patients were younger (mean age 58 years vs. 66 years for adherent patients, p = 0.002). Nonadherence was associated with negative feelings about online searches (68% vs. 42%, p = 0.06). Younger, poorly adherent patients navigate online glaucoma resources without physician input. These online searches are often unsatisfying. Technology should be leveraged to create high quality, online glaucoma resources that physicians can recommend to provide guidance for disease self-management.

Analyzing the impact of public transit usage on obesity.

PubMed

She, Zhaowei; King, Douglas M; Jacobson, Sheldon H

2017-06-01

The objective of this paper is to estimate the impact of county-level public transit usage on obesity prevalence in the United States and assess the potential for public transit usage as an intervention for obesity. This study adopts an instrumental regression approach to implicitly control for potential selection bias due to possible differences in commuting preferences among obese and non-obese populations. United States health data from the 2009 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System and transportation data from the 2009 National Household Travel Survey are aggregated and matched at the county level. County-level public transit accessibility and vehicle ownership rates are chosen as instrumental variables to implicitly control for unobservable commuting preferences. The results of this instrumental regression analysis suggest that a one percent increase in county population usage of public transit is associated with a 0.221 percent decrease in county population obesity prevalence at the α=0.01 statistical significance level, when commuting preferences, amount of non-travel physical activity, education level, health resource, and distribution of income are fixed. Hence, this study provides empirical support for the effectiveness of encouraging public transit usage as an intervention strategy for obesity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A detailed analysis of codon usage patterns and influencing factors in Zika virus.

PubMed

Singh, Niraj K; Tyagi, Anuj

2017-07-01

Recent outbreaks of Zika virus (ZIKV) in Africa, Latin America, Europe, and Southeast Asia have resulted in serious health concerns. To understand more about evolution and transmission of ZIKV, detailed codon usage analysis was performed for all available strains. A high effective number of codons (ENC) value indicated the presence of low codon usage bias in ZIKV. The effect of mutational pressure on codon usage bias was confirmed by significant correlations between nucleotide compositions at third codon positions and ENCs. Correlation analysis between Gravy values, Aroma values and nucleotide compositions at third codon positions also indicated some influence of natural selection. However, the low codon adaptation index (CAI) value of ZIKV with reference to human and mosquito indicated poor adaptation of ZIKV codon usage towards its hosts, signifying that natural selection has a weaker influence than mutational pressure. Additionally, relative dinucleotide frequencies, geographical distribution, and evolutionary processes also influenced the codon usage pattern to some extent.

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...

Unlocking SmartWay Data for Shippers: Optimize Supply Chain Decision Making and Enhance CSR Reporting

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This EPA presentation provides information on the SmartWay Transport Partnership Program, including SW brand market research results, program success, partner participation, logo usage, and available promotional and publicity resources.

The National Shipbuilding Research Program. Air Quality Best Management Practice (AQBMP) Resource Document for Shipyards

DTIC Science & Technology

1995-11-01

Varnish Dipping Operations Checklist and Usage... Varnish Insulation...usually lower temperature units used to accelerate drying of varnish for motors, adhesives, paints, and plastics. Both drying ovens and furnaces can

On localization attacks against cloud infrastructure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ge, Linqiang; Yu, Wei; Sistani, Mohammad Ali

2013-05-01

One of the key characteristics of cloud computing is the device and location independence that enables the user to access systems regardless of their location. Because cloud computing is heavily based on sharing resource, it is vulnerable to cyber attacks. In this paper, we investigate a localization attack that enables the adversary to leverage central processing unit (CPU) resources to localize the physical location of server used by victims. By increasing and reducing CPU usage through the malicious virtual machine (VM), the response time from the victim VM will increase and decrease correspondingly. In this way, by embedding the probing signal into the CPU usage and correlating the same pattern in the response time from the victim VM, the adversary can find the location of victim VM. To determine attack accuracy, we investigate features in both the time and frequency domains. We conduct both theoretical and experimental study to demonstrate the effectiveness of such an attack.

Optimized exploration resource evaluation using the MDT tool

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

Zainun, K.; Trice, M.L.

1995-10-01

This paper discusses exploration cost reduction and improved resource delineation benefits that were realized by use of the MDT (Modular Formation Dynamic Tester) tool to evaluate exploration prospects in the Malay Basin of the South China Sea. Frequently, open hole logs do not clearly define fluid content due to low salinity of the connate water and the effect of shale laminae or bioturbation in the silty, shaley sandstones. Therefore, extensive pressure measurements and fluid sampling are required to define fluid type and contacts. This paper briefly describes the features of the MDT tool which were utilized to reduce rig timemore » usage while providing more representative fluid samples and illustrates usage of these features with field examples. The tool has been used on several exploration wells and a comparison of MDT pressures and samples to results obtained with earlier vintage tools and production tests is also discussed.« less

Measurement-based reliability/performability models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hsueh, Mei-Chen

1987-01-01

Measurement-based models based on real error-data collected on a multiprocessor system are described. Model development from the raw error-data to the estimation of cumulative reward is also described. A workload/reliability model is developed based on low-level error and resource usage data collected on an IBM 3081 system during its normal operation in order to evaluate the resource usage/error/recovery process in a large mainframe system. Thus, both normal and erroneous behavior of the system are modeled. The results provide an understanding of the different types of errors and recovery processes. The measured data show that the holding times in key operational and error states are not simple exponentials and that a semi-Markov process is necessary to model the system behavior. A sensitivity analysis is performed to investigate the significance of using a semi-Markov process, as opposed to a Markov process, to model the measured system.

A survey on human behavior towards energy efficiency for office worker in malaysia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mustafa, N. H.; Husain, M. N.; Abd Aziz, M. Z. A.; Othman, M. A.; Malek, F.

2014-04-01

Green environment has become an important topic around the world. This campaign can be realized if everybody understands and shares similar objectives on managing energy in an efficient way. This paper will present and analyse the survey on energy usage by office workers in Malaysia. The survey will focus on the workers in government sector. In social science surveys, it is important to support the tested data for a project. For issues related to human behaviour we must compare with real situations to verify the tested data and the results in energy monitoring system. The energy monitoring system will improve energy usage efficiency for the basic human activities in different situations and environments.

Comparison of the expressed porcine Vβ and Jβ repertoire of thymocytes and peripheral T cells

PubMed Central

Butler, John E; Wertz, Nancy; Sun, Jishan; Sacco, Randy E

2005-01-01

Transcripts of more than 300 unique T-cell receptor-β (TCR-β) V-D-J rearrangements recovered from porcine thymocytes and peripheral T cells were compared. We identified 19 groups (families) of porcine Vβ genes in seven supergroups and provisionally named 17 groups based on their sequence similarity with recognized human Vβ gene families. TRBV4S, 5S, 7S and 12S accounted for > 80% of all Vβ usage, and usage of these groups by thymocytes and peripheral T cells was highly correlated. No TRBV group was uniquely expressed in significant numbers in thymocytes, although small numbers of TRBV groups 2S, 9S and 15S were only recovered from T cells. Usage of Jβ segments from the 5′ D-J-C duplicon in thymocytes and peripheral T cells directly correlated with their 5′ position in the locus, and Jβ1·1, 1·2 and 1·3 accounted for ≥ 35% of all Jβ usage in both cell types. This contrasts with the usage of Jβ2 segments in that Jβ2·4, 2·5 and 2·7 accounted for ≈ 30% of Jβ usage by T cells and thymocytes. Jβ2·7 was threefold more frequent among T cells than thymocytes. The Vβ/Jβ combination was not random. Jβ1·1 and 1·2 were used in 29% of rearrangements with high frequency among the major Vβ groups. Combinations of TRBV4 and V12 with Jβ2·7 were only found in T cells and accounted for half of all Jβ2·7 usage. These studies show that unlike porcine heavy chain VH genes, the occurrence and relative usage of porcine TCR-Vβ groups resembles that of humans. Thus, highly related gene systems can individually diverge within a species. PMID:15667563

Health professional learner attitudes and use of digital learning resources.

PubMed

Maloney, Stephen; Chamberlain, Michael; Morrison, Shane; Kotsanas, George; Keating, Jennifer L; Ilic, Dragan

2013-01-16

Web-based digital repositories allow educational resources to be accessed efficiently and conveniently from diverse geographic locations, hold a variety of resource formats, enable interactive learning, and facilitate targeted access for the user. Unlike some other learning management systems (LMS), resources can be retrieved through search engines and meta-tagged labels, and content can be streamed, which is particularly useful for multimedia resources. The aim of this study was to examine usage and user experiences of an online learning repository (Physeek) in a population of physiotherapy students. The secondary aim of this project was to examine how students prefer to access resources and which resources they find most helpful. The following data were examined using an audit of the repository server: (1) number of online resources accessed per day in 2010, (2) number of each type of resource accessed, (3) number of resources accessed during business hours (9 am to 5 pm) and outside business hours (years 1-4), (4) session length of each log-on (years 1-4), and (5) video quality (bit rate) of each video accessed. An online questionnaire and 3 focus groups assessed student feedback and self-reported experiences of Physeek. Students preferred the support provided by Physeek to other sources of educational material primarily because of its efficiency. Peak usage commonly occurred at times of increased academic need (ie, examination times). Students perceived online repositories as a potential tool to support lifelong learning and health care delivery. The results of this study indicate that today's health professional students welcome the benefits of online learning resources because of their convenience and usability. This represents a transition away from traditional learning styles and toward technological learning support and may indicate a growing link between social immersions in Internet-based connections and learning styles. The true potential for Web-based resources to support student learning is as yet unknown.

Health Professional Learner Attitudes and Use of Digital Learning Resources

PubMed Central

Chamberlain, Michael; Morrison, Shane; Kotsanas, George; Keating, Jennifer L; Ilic, Dragan

2013-01-01

Background Web-based digital repositories allow educational resources to be accessed efficiently and conveniently from diverse geographic locations, hold a variety of resource formats, enable interactive learning, and facilitate targeted access for the user. Unlike some other learning management systems (LMS), resources can be retrieved through search engines and meta-tagged labels, and content can be streamed, which is particularly useful for multimedia resources. Objective The aim of this study was to examine usage and user experiences of an online learning repository (Physeek) in a population of physiotherapy students. The secondary aim of this project was to examine how students prefer to access resources and which resources they find most helpful. Methods The following data were examined using an audit of the repository server: (1) number of online resources accessed per day in 2010, (2) number of each type of resource accessed, (3) number of resources accessed during business hours (9 am to 5 pm) and outside business hours (years 1-4), (4) session length of each log-on (years 1-4), and (5) video quality (bit rate) of each video accessed. An online questionnaire and 3 focus groups assessed student feedback and self-reported experiences of Physeek. Results Students preferred the support provided by Physeek to other sources of educational material primarily because of its efficiency. Peak usage commonly occurred at times of increased academic need (ie, examination times). Students perceived online repositories as a potential tool to support lifelong learning and health care delivery. Conclusions The results of this study indicate that today’s health professional students welcome the benefits of online learning resources because of their convenience and usability. This represents a transition away from traditional learning styles and toward technological learning support and may indicate a growing link between social immersions in Internet-based connections and learning styles. The true potential for Web-based resources to support student learning is as yet unknown. PMID:23324800

Association between antimicrobial resistance in Escherichia coli isolates from food animals and blood stream isolates from humans in Europe: an ecological study.

PubMed

Vieira, Antonio R; Collignon, Peter; Aarestrup, Frank M; McEwen, Scott A; Hendriksen, Rene S; Hald, Tine; Wegener, Henrik C

2011-12-01

In addition to medical antimicrobial usage, the use of antimicrobials in food animals contributes to the occurrence of resistance among some bacterial species isolated from infections in humans. Recently, several studies have indicated that a large proportion of Escherichia coli causing infections in humans, especially those resistant to antimicrobials, have an animal origin. We analyzed the correlation between the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance in E. coli isolates from blood stream infections in humans and in E. coli isolates from poultry, pigs, and cattle between 2005 and 2008 for 11 countries, using available surveillance data. We also assessed the correlation between human antimicrobial usage and the occurrence of resistance in E. coli isolates from blood stream infections. Strong and significant correlations between prevalences of resistance to ampicillin (r=0.94), aminoglycosides (r=0.72), third-generation cephalosporins (r=0.76), and fluoroquinolones (r=0.68) were observed for human and poultry E. coli isolates. Similar significant correlations were observed for ampicillin (r=0.91), aminoglycosides (r=0.73), and fluoroquinolone resistance (r=0.74) in pig and human isolates. In cattle isolates, only ampicillin resistance (r=0.72) was significantly correlated to human isolates. When usage of antimicrobials in humans was analyzed with antimicrobial resistance among human isolates, only correlations between fluoroquinolones (r=0.90) and third-generation cephalosporins (r=0.75) were significant. Resistance in E. coli isolates from food animals (especially poultry and pigs) was highly correlated with resistance in isolates from humans. This supports the hypothesis that a large proportion of resistant E. coli isolates causing blood stream infections in people may be derived from food sources.

The water intensity of the plugged-in automotive economy.

PubMed

King, Carey W; Webber, Michael E

2008-06-15

Converting light-duty vehicles from full gasoline power to electric power, by using either hybrid electric vehicles or fully electric power vehicles, is likely to increase demand for water resources. In the United States in 2005, drivers of 234 million cars, lighttrucks, and SUVs drove approximately 2.7 trillion miles and consumed over 380 million gallons of gasoline per day. We compare figures from literature and government surveys to calculate the water usage, consumption, and withdrawal, in the United States during petroleum refining and electricity generation. In displacing gasoline miles with electric miles, approximately 2-3 [corrected] times more water is consumed (0.24 [corrected] versus 0.07--0.14 gallons/mile) and over 12 [corrected] times more water is withdrawn (7.8 [corrected] versus 0.6 gallons/mile) primarily due to increased water cooling of thermoelectric power plants to accommodate increased electricity generation. Overall, we conclude that the impact on water resources from a widespread shift to grid-based transportation would be substantial enough to warrant consideration for relevant public policy decision-making. That is not to say that the negative impacts on water resources make such a shift undesirable, but rather this increase in water usage presents a significant potential impact on regional water resources and should be considered when planning for a plugged-in automotive economy.

UBIQUITOUS POLLUTANTS FROM CUMULATIVE ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The occurrence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPS) as environmental pollutants is a multifaceted issue whose scope continues to become better delineated since the escalation of concerted attention beginning in the 1980s. PPCPs typically occur as trace environmental pollutants (primarily in surface but also in ground waters) as a result of their widespread, continuous, combined usage in a broad range of human and veterinary therapeutic activities and practices. With respect to the risk-assessment paradigm, the growing body of published work has focused primarily on the origin and occurrence of these substances. Comparatively less is known about human and ecological exposure, and even less about the known or even potential hazards associated with exposure to these anthropogenic substances, many of which are highly bioactive. The continually growing, worldwide importance of freshwater resources underscores the need for ensuring that any aggregate or cumulative impacts on water supplies and resultant potential for human or ecological exposure be minimized. This has prompted the more recent investigations on waste treatment processes for one of the major sources of environmental disposition, namely sewage. Despite the paucity of health effects data for long-term, simultaneous exposure to multiple xenobiotics (particularly PPCPS) at low doses (a major toxicological issue that can be described by the

PERSONAL-PRACTICES POLLUTANTS: UBIETY, UBIQUITY ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The occurrence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPS) as environmental pollutants is a multifaceted issue whose scope continues to become better delineated with the escalation of attention that began in the 1980s. PPCPs typically occur as trace environmental pollutants (primarily in surface but also in ground waters) as a result of their widespread, continuous, combined usage in a broad range of human and veterinary therapeutic activities and practices. With respect to the risk-assessment paradigm, the growing body of published work has focused primarily on the origin and occurrence of these substances. Comparatively less is known about human and ecological exposure, and even less about the known or even potential hazards associated with exposure to these anthropogenic substances, many of which are highly bioactive.The continually growing, worldwide importance of freshwater resources underscores the need for ensuring that any aggregate impacts on water supplies and resultant potential for human or ecological cumulative exposure be minimized. This has prompted the more recent investigations on waste treatment processes for one of the major sources of environmental disposition, namely sewage. Despite the paucity of health effects data for long-term, simultaneous exposure to multiple xenobiotics (particularly PPCPS) at low doses (a major toxicological issue that can be described by the

PHARMACEUTICALS AND PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The occurrence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) as trace environmental pollutants is a multifaceted issue whose scope of concerns continues to expand. PPCPs comprise thousands of distinct chemicals from numerous therapeutic and consumer classes. They typically occur as trace environmental pollutants (primarily in surface but also in ground waters) as a result of their widespread, continuous, combined usage in a broad range of human and veterinary therapeutic activities and practices. With respect to the risk-assessment paradigm, the growing body of published work has focused primarily on the origin and occurrence of these substances. Comparatively less is known about human and ecological exposure, and even less about the documented or potential hazards associated with trace exposure to these anthropogenic substances, many of which are highly bioactive and perpetually present in many aquatic locales. The continually growing, worldwide importance of freshwater resources underscores the need for ensuring that any aggregate or cumulative impacts on water supplies and resultant potential for human or ecological exposure be minimized.Of the many facets involved in this complex issue, that of sources/origins and environmental occurrence is the better understood end of the larger spectrum. The potential for adverse ecological or human health effects (especially from long-term, combined exposure to multiple xenobiotics at low concentrations) is the

POLLUTION FROM PERSONAL ACTIONS AND ACTIVITIES ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The occurrence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) as trace environmental pollutants is a multifaceted issue whose scope of concerns continues to expand. PPCPs comprise thousands of distinct chemicals from numerous therapeutic and consumer classes. They typically occur as trace environmental pollutants (primarily in surface but also in ground waters) as a result of their widespread, continuous, combined usage in a broad range of human and veterinary therapeutic activities and practices. With respect to the risk-assessment paradigm, the growing body of published work has focused primarily on the origin and occurrence of these substances. Comparatively less is known about human and ecological exposure, and even less about the documented or potential hazards associated with trace exposure to these anthropogenic substances, many of which are highly bioactive and perpetually present in many aquatic locales. The continually growing, worldwide importance of freshwater resources underscores the need for ensuring that any aggregate or cumulative impacts on water supplies and resultant potential for human or ecological exposure be minimized.Of the many facets involved in this complex issue, that of sources/origins and environmental occurrence is the better understood end of the larger spectrum. The potential for adverse ecological or human health effects (especially from long-term, combined exposure to multiple xenobiotics at low concentrations) is the

PHARMACEUTICALS AND PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The occurrence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) as trace environmental pollutants is a multifaceted issue whose scope of concerns continues to expand. PPCPs comprise thousands of distinct chemicals from numerous therapeutic and consumer classes. They typically occur as trace environmental pollutants (primarily in surface but also in ground waters) as a result of their widespread, continuous, combined usage in a broad range of human and veterinary therapeutic activities and practices. With respect to the risk-assessment paradigm, the growing body of published work has focused primarily on the origin and occurrence of these substances. Comparatively less is known about human and ecological exposure, and even less about the documented or potential hazards associated with trace exposure to these anthropogenic substances, many of which are highly bioactive and perpetually present in many aquatic locales. The continually growing, worldwide importance of freshwater resources underscores the need for ensuring that any aggregate or cumulative impacts on water supplies and resultant potential for human or ecological exposure be minimized.Of the many facets involved in this complex issue, that of sources/origins and environmental occurrence is the better understood end of the larger spectrum. The potential for adverse ecological or human health effects (especially from long-term, combined exposure to multiple xenobiotics at low concentrations) is the l

[Sustainability of ecological water transfer and rehabilitation project based on participatory survey].

PubMed

Wang, Yu; Feng, Qi; Chen, Li-Juan; Yu, Teng-Fei

2014-01-01

In the arid inland area of Northwest China, the ecological water transfer and rehabilitation project (EWTRP) is an important measure to restore the deteriorated ecosystem. However, the sustainability of the project is affected by many socio-economic factors. This research was based on results of the questionnaire from Ejina County's farmer households, which included the farmer households' attitude, livelihood and the efficiency of the water resource usage. The results showed that although the EWTRP had made great achievements in vegetation restoration, but the sustainability of the project was affected by the following factors: the ecologically-motivated relocated/resettled herdsmen mainly relied on the compensation from the project, causing them a hard living, and increasing the risk of maintaining the current achievement; the project didn't have a positive impact on water-saving agriculture, the efficiency of water usage was relatively low and had not yet reached the final goal; the compensation of the project only considered the loss of agriculture, but neglected the externality and publicity of eco-water. We suggest that developing education, offering job opportunity and training programs, improving the efficiency of water usage and establishing reasonable water resources compensation mechanisms are needed to be considered as main domain of environmental recovery as well as ecological water transfer and rehabilitation.

Efficiency Begins at Home, but What About the Neighbors: Getting to Know Your SmartWay Carriers!

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This EPA presentation provides information on the SmartWay Transport Partnership Program, including SW brand market research results, program success, partner participation, logo usage, and available promotional and publicity resources.

Increased ICU resource needs for an academic emergency general surgery service*.

PubMed

Lissauer, Matthew E; Galvagno, Samuel M; Rock, Peter; Narayan, Mayur; Shah, Paulesh; Spencer, Heather; Hong, Caron; Diaz, Jose J

2014-04-01

ICU needs of nontrauma emergency general surgery patients are poorly described. This study was designed to compare ICU utilization of emergency general surgery patients admitted to an acute care emergency surgery service with other general surgery patients. Our hypothesis is that tertiary care emergency general surgery patients utilize more ICU resources than other general surgical patients. Retrospective database review. Academic, tertiary care, nontrauma surgical ICU. All patients admitted to the surgical ICU over age 18 between March 2004 and June 2012. None. Six thousand ninety-eight patients were evaluated: 1,053 acute care emergency surgery, 1,964 general surgery, 1,491 transplant surgery, 995 facial surgery/otolaryngology, and 595 neurosurgery. Acute care emergency surgery patients had statistically significantly longer ICU lengths of stay than other groups: acute care emergency surgery (13.5 ± 17.4 d) versus general surgery (8.7 ± 12.9), transplant (7.8 ± 11.6), oral-maxillofacial surgery (5.5 ± 4.2), and neurosurgery (4.47 ± 9.8) (all p< 0.01). Ventilator usage, defined by percentage of total ICU days patients required mechanical ventilation, was significantly higher for acute care emergency surgery patients: acute care emergency surgery 73.4% versus general surgery 64.9%, transplant 63.3%, oral-maxillofacial surgery 58.4%, and neurosurgery 53.1% (all p < 0.01). Continuous renal replacement therapy usage, defined as percent of patients requiring this service, was significantly higher in acute care emergency surgery patients: acute care emergency surgery 10.8% versus general surgery 4.3%, transplant 6.6%, oral-maxillofacial surgery 0%, and neurosurgery 0.5% (all p < 0.01). Acute care emergency surgery patients were more likely interhospital transfers for tertiary care services than general surgery or transplant (24.5% vs 15.5% and 8.3% respectively, p < 0.001 for each) and more likely required emergent surgery (13.7% vs 6.7% and 3.5%, all p < 0.001). Chronic comorbidities were similar between acute care emergency surgery and general surgery, whereas transplant had fewer. Emergency general surgery patients have increased ICU needs in terms of length of stay, ventilator usage, and continuous renal replacement therapy usage compared with other services, perhaps due to the higher percentage of transfers and emergent surgery required. These patients represent a distinct population. Understanding their resource needs will allow for better deployment of hospital resources.

Nexus: a modular workflow management system for quantum simulation codes

DOE PAGES

Krogel, Jaron T.

2015-08-24

The management of simulation workflows is a significant task for the individual computational researcher. Automation of the required tasks involved in simulation work can decrease the overall time to solution and reduce sources of human error. A new simulation workflow management system, Nexus, is presented to address these issues. Nexus is capable of automated job management on workstations and resources at several major supercomputing centers. Its modular design allows many quantum simulation codes to be supported within the same framework. Current support includes quantum Monte Carlo calculations with QMCPACK, density functional theory calculations with Quantum Espresso or VASP, and quantummore » chemical calculations with GAMESS. Users can compose workflows through a transparent, text-based interface, resembling the input file of a typical simulation code. A usage example is provided to illustrate the process.« less

Application of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) in Sugar Industries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Astuti, Arieyanti Dwi; Astuti, Rahayu Siwi Dwi; Hadiyanto, Hadiyanto

2018-02-01

Sugar is one of the main commodities that are needed for human life. The demand of sugar is very high with the trend increase from year to year. This condition makes the sugar industry become a leading industry that must be maintained sustainability. The sustainability of the sugar industry is influenced by the use of energy and natural resources and the resulting environmental impacts. Therefore, an effort is needed to analyze the environmental aspects and potential environmental impacts resulting from a product (sugar), by using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). LCA is a very important tool for the analysis of a process/system from its cradle to grave. This technique is very useful in the estimation of energy usage and environmental load of a product/system. This paper aims to describe the main elements of sugar industries using Life Cycle Assessment.

Using mixed methods to develop and evaluate an online weight management intervention.

PubMed

Bradbury, Katherine; Dennison, Laura; Little, Paul; Yardley, Lucy

2015-02-01

This article illustrates the use of mixed methods in the development and evaluation of the Positive Online Weight Reduction (POWeR) programme, an e-health intervention designed to support sustainable weight loss. The studies outlined also explore how human support might enhance intervention usage and weight loss. Mixed methods were used to develop and evaluate POWeR. In the development phase, we drew on both quantitative and qualitative findings to plan and gain feedback on the intervention. Next, a feasibility trial, with nested qualitative study, explored what level of human support might lead to the most sustainable weight loss. Finally, a large community-based trial of POWeR, with nested qualitative study, explored whether the addition of brief telephone coaching enhances usage. Findings suggest that POWeR is acceptable and potentially effective. Providing human support enhanced usage in our trials, but was not unproblematic. Interestingly, there were some indications that more basic (brief) human support may produce more sustainable weight loss outcomes than more regular support. Qualitative interviews suggested that more regular support might foster reliance, meaning patients cannot sustain their weight losses when support ends. Qualitative findings in the community trial also suggested explanations for why many people may not take up the opportunity for human support. Integrating findings from both our qualitative and quantitative studies provided far richer insights than would have been gained using only a single method of inquiry. Further research should investigate the optimum delivery of human support needed to maximize sustainable weight loss in online interventions. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? There is evidence that human support may increase the effectiveness of e-health interventions. It is unclear what level of human support might be optimal or how human support improves effectiveness. Triangulation of quantitative and qualitative methods can be used to inform the design and implementation of interventions What does this study add? This paper demonstrates the value of a mixed methods approach when developing and evaluating an intervention. Qualitative methods provided complementary insights into the optimal level of human support. Brief human support is valued by some and may enhance usage and outcomes of an e-health intervention for weight loss. © 2014 The British Psychological Society.

On the development of an interactive resource information management system for analysis and display of spatiotemporal data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schell, J. A.

1974-01-01

The recent availability of timely synoptic earth imagery from the Earth Resources Technology Satellites (ERTS) provides a wealth of information for the monitoring and management of vital natural resources. Formal language definitions and syntax interpretation algorithms were adapted to provide a flexible, computer information system for the maintenance of resource interpretation of imagery. These techniques are incorporated, together with image analysis functions, into an Interactive Resource Information Management and Analysis System, IRIMAS, which is implemented on a Texas Instruments 980A minicomputer system augmented with a dynamic color display for image presentation. A demonstration of system usage and recommendations for further system development are also included.

Characterisation of antimicrobial usage in cats and dogs attending UK primary care companion animal veterinary practices.

PubMed

Buckland, E L; O'Neill, D; Summers, J; Mateus, A; Church, D; Redmond, L; Brodbelt, D

2016-11-12

There is scant evidence describing antimicrobial (AM) usage in companion animal primary care veterinary practices in the UK. The use of AMs in dogs and cats was quantified using data extracted from 374 veterinary practices participating in VetCompass. The frequency and quantity of systemic antibiotic usage was described.Overall, 25 per cent of 963,463 dogs and 21 per cent of 594,812 cats seen at veterinary practices received at least one AM over a two-year period (2012-2014) and 42 per cent of these animals were given repeated AMs. The main agents used were aminopenicillin types and cephalosporins. Of the AM events, 60 per cent in dogs and 81 per cent in cats were AMs classified as critically important (CIAs) to human health by the World Health Organisation. CIAs of highest importance (fluoroquinolones, macrolides, third-generation cephalosporins) accounted for just over 6 per cent and 34 per cent of AMs in dogs and cats, respectively. The total quantity of AMs used within the study population was estimated to be 1473 kg for dogs and 58 kg for cats.This study has identified a high frequency of AM usage in companion animal practice and for certain agents classified as of critical importance in human medicine. The study highlights the usefulness of veterinary practice electronic health records for studying AM usage. British Veterinary Association.

Managing time-substitutable electricity usage using dynamic controls

DOEpatents

Ghosh, Soumyadip; Hosking, Jonathan R.; Natarajan, Ramesh; Subramaniam, Shivaram; Zhang, Xiaoxuan

2017-02-07

A predictive-control approach allows an electricity provider to monitor and proactively manage peak and off-peak residential intra-day electricity usage in an emerging smart energy grid using time-dependent dynamic pricing incentives. The daily load is modeled as time-shifted, but cost-differentiated and substitutable, copies of the continuously-consumed electricity resource, and a consumer-choice prediction model is constructed to forecast the corresponding intra-day shares of total daily load according to this model. This is embedded within an optimization framework for managing the daily electricity usage. A series of transformations are employed, including the reformulation-linearization technique (RLT) to obtain a Mixed-Integer Programming (MIP) model representation of the resulting nonlinear optimization problem. In addition, various regulatory and pricing constraints are incorporated in conjunction with the specified profit and capacity utilization objectives.

Managing time-substitutable electricity usage using dynamic controls

DOEpatents

Ghosh, Soumyadip; Hosking, Jonathan R.; Natarajan, Ramesh; Subramaniam, Shivaram; Zhang, Xiaoxuan

2017-02-21

A predictive-control approach allows an electricity provider to monitor and proactively manage peak and off-peak residential intra-day electricity usage in an emerging smart energy grid using time-dependent dynamic pricing incentives. The daily load is modeled as time-shifted, but cost-differentiated and substitutable, copies of the continuously-consumed electricity resource, and a consumer-choice prediction model is constructed to forecast the corresponding intra-day shares of total daily load according to this model. This is embedded within an optimization framework for managing the daily electricity usage. A series of transformations are employed, including the reformulation-linearization technique (RLT) to obtain a Mixed-Integer Programming (MIP) model representation of the resulting nonlinear optimization problem. In addition, various regulatory and pricing constraints are incorporated in conjunction with the specified profit and capacity utilization objectives.

Usage of noncontact human body measurements for development of Army Work Wear Trousers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dabolina, Inga; Lapkovska, Eva; Vilumsone, Ausma

2017-10-01

The paper is based on issues related to imperfections of clothing fit, garment construction solutions and control measurement systems of finished products, which were identified in the research process analysing army soldier work wear trousers. The aim is to obtain target group body measurements using noncontact anthropometrical data acquisition method (3D scanning) for selection and analysis of scanned data suitable for trouser design. Tasks include comparison of scanned data with manually taken body measurements and different corresponding human body measurement standard data for establishing potential advantages of noncontact method usage in solving different trouser design issues.

21 CFR 172.765 - Succistearin (stearoyl propylene glycol hydrogen succinate).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) FOOD FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION (CONTINUED) FOOD ADDITIVES PERMITTED FOR DIRECT ADDITION TO FOOD FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION Other Specific Usage Additives § 172.765 Succistearin (stearoyl propylene glycol hydrogen succinate). The food additive succistearin (stearoyl propylene glycol hydrogen...

A framework for porting the NeuroBayes machine learning algorithm to FPGAs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baehr, S.; Sander, O.; Heck, M.; Feindt, M.; Becker, J.

2016-01-01

The NeuroBayes machine learning algorithm is deployed for online data reduction at the pixel detector of Belle II. In order to test, characterize and easily adapt its implementation on FPGAs, a framework was developed. Within the framework an HDL model, written in python using MyHDL, is used for fast exploration of possible configurations. Under usage of input data from physics simulations figures of merit like throughput, accuracy and resource demand of the implementation are evaluated in a fast and flexible way. Functional validation is supported by usage of unit tests and HDL simulation for chosen configurations.

Analysis of the synonymous codon usage bias in recently emerged enterovirus D68 strains.

PubMed

Karniychuk, Uladzimir U

2016-09-02

Understanding the codon usage pattern of a pathogen and relationship between pathogen and host's codon usage patterns has fundamental and applied interests. Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) is an emerging pathogen with a potentially high public health significance. In the present study, the synonymous codon usage bias of 27 recently emerged, and historical EV-D68 strains was analyzed. In contrast to previously studied enteroviruses (enterovirus 71 and poliovirus), EV-D68 and human host have a high discrepancy between favored codons. Analysis of viral synonymous codon usage bias metrics, viral nucleotide/dinucleotide compositional parameters, and viral protein properties showed that mutational pressure is more involved in shaping the synonymous codon usage bias of EV-D68 than translation selection. Computation of codon adaptation indices allowed to estimate expression potential of the EV-D68 genome in several commonly used laboratory animals. This approach requires experimental validation and may provide an auxiliary tool for the rational selection of laboratory animals to model emerging viral diseases. Enterovirus D68 genome compositional and codon usage data can be useful for further pathogenesis, animal model, and vaccine design studies. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A machine learning approach for detecting cell phone usage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Beilei; Loce, Robert P.

2015-03-01

Cell phone usage while driving is common, but widely considered dangerous due to distraction to the driver. Because of the high number of accidents related to cell phone usage while driving, several states have enacted regulations that prohibit driver cell phone usage while driving. However, to enforce the regulation, current practice requires dispatching law enforcement officers at road side to visually examine incoming cars or having human operators manually examine image/video records to identify violators. Both of these practices are expensive, difficult, and ultimately ineffective. Therefore, there is a need for a semi-automatic or automatic solution to detect driver cell phone usage. In this paper, we propose a machine-learning-based method for detecting driver cell phone usage using a camera system directed at the vehicle's front windshield. The developed method consists of two stages: first, the frontal windshield region localization using the deformable part model (DPM), next, we utilize Fisher vectors (FV) representation to classify the driver's side of the windshield into cell phone usage violation and non-violation classes. The proposed method achieved about 95% accuracy with a data set of more than 100 images with drivers in a variety of challenging poses with or without cell phones.

Remote sensing applications to resource problems in South Dakota

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Myers, V. I. (Principal Investigator)

1981-01-01

The procedures used as well as the results obtained and conclusions derived are described for the following applications of remote sensing in South Dakota: (1) sage grouse management; (2) censusing Canada geese; (3) monitoring grasshopper infestation in rangeland; (4) detecting Dutch elm disease in an urban environment; (5) determining water usage from the Belle Fourche River; (6) resource management of the Lower James River; and (7) the National Model Implantation Program: Lake Herman watershed.

The Control and Treatment of Narcotics Use. Parole Decision Making.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glaser, Daniel; O'Leary, Vincent

After a brief discussion of the physiological effects of drugs on the human body, seven distinctive features of drug usage in the United States since the start of World War II are noted, and initiation into drug usage is described. The notion of a distinct personality type of addicts is not favored since terms used to characterize the type are not…

An ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants used by the people in Nhema communal area, Zimbabwe.

PubMed

Maroyi, Alfred

2011-06-22

This study documented the pharmaceutical importance of plant resources in Nhema communal area, particularly the significance of medicinal plants in primary healthcare. This is reflected in the great diversity of plants used for medical purposes as well as in their wide range of medicinal applications. Such rich ethnobotanical knowledge and repository of medicinal plants reinforces the need for an evaluation of their biological activity as a basis for developing future medicines. In order to document information on medicinal plants used for primary health care and to maximize the collection of indigenous knowledge in Nhema communal area, nine traditional healers were identified using the Participatory Rapid Appraisal (PRA) approach. Data was collected through open-ended interviews with traditional healers, between January and May 2008. A total of 61 plant species representing 45 genera and 28 families were found to be commonly used in the treatment of 34 different human health problems. More than a third of the plant species were used for diarrhoea, which is a prevalent disease in the study area. The root was the most commonly used plant part while decoction was the most common method of traditional drug preparation. Nhema communal area in the Midlands province, Zimbabwe is endowed with a strong culture of herbal medicine usage for primary healthcare. This is reflected in the number of medicinal plants used and the human ailments they treat. This preservation of indigenous knowledge is due to continued reliance on wild plant resources for primary healthcare by the local community. Deforestation and unsustainable rates of plant use are a serious threat on continued utilization of plant resources for primary healthcare. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

‘A good method of quitting smoking’ or ‘just an alternative to smoking’? Comparative evaluations of e-cigarette and traditional cigarette usage by dual users

PubMed Central

Vandrevala, Tushna; Coyle, Adrian; Walker, Victoria; Cabrera Torres, Joshelyn; Ordoña, Izobel; Rahman, Panna

2017-01-01

The development of e-cigarettes was initially hailed as a resource in facilitating a reduction in or cessation of cigarette smoking. Many users of e-cigarettes are ‘dual users’, smoking traditional cigarettes and e-cigarettes. The present qualitative study examines the factors that a group of 20 dual users considered to have been influential in their decisions to use e-cigarettes and their comparative evaluations of e-cigarettes and traditional cigarettes. Health concerns were not found to be sole motivators. Participants pointed to financial and contextual considerations, particularly peer influence on uptake and continued usage of e-cigarettes. E-cigarettes were evaluated as comparable to cigarettes in some ways but not in other important respects such as sensation and satisfaction. Different social evaluations of cigarette and e-cigarette usage were discerned which influenced how participants identified as smokers, ‘vapers’ or neither. Findings are discussed in relation to social representations, identity and implications for continued e-cigarette usage among dual users. PMID:28680694

'A good method of quitting smoking' or 'just an alternative to smoking'? Comparative evaluations of e-cigarette and traditional cigarette usage by dual users.

PubMed

Vandrevala, Tushna; Coyle, Adrian; Walker, Victoria; Cabrera Torres, Joshelyn; Ordoña, Izobel; Rahman, Panna

2017-01-01

The development of e-cigarettes was initially hailed as a resource in facilitating a reduction in or cessation of cigarette smoking. Many users of e-cigarettes are 'dual users', smoking traditional cigarettes and e-cigarettes. The present qualitative study examines the factors that a group of 20 dual users considered to have been influential in their decisions to use e-cigarettes and their comparative evaluations of e-cigarettes and traditional cigarettes. Health concerns were not found to be sole motivators. Participants pointed to financial and contextual considerations, particularly peer influence on uptake and continued usage of e-cigarettes. E-cigarettes were evaluated as comparable to cigarettes in some ways but not in other important respects such as sensation and satisfaction. Different social evaluations of cigarette and e-cigarette usage were discerned which influenced how participants identified as smokers, 'vapers' or neither. Findings are discussed in relation to social representations, identity and implications for continued e-cigarette usage among dual users.

ALEA: a toolbox for allele-specific epigenomics analysis.

PubMed

Younesy, Hamid; Möller, Torsten; Heravi-Moussavi, Alireza; Cheng, Jeffrey B; Costello, Joseph F; Lorincz, Matthew C; Karimi, Mohammad M; Jones, Steven J M

2014-04-15

The assessment of expression and epigenomic status using sequencing based methods provides an unprecedented opportunity to identify and correlate allelic differences with epigenomic status. We present ALEA, a computational toolbox for allele-specific epigenomics analysis, which incorporates allelic variation data within existing resources, allowing for the identification of significant associations between epigenetic modifications and specific allelic variants in human and mouse cells. ALEA provides a customizable pipeline of command line tools for allele-specific analysis of next-generation sequencing data (ChIP-seq, RNA-seq, etc.) that takes the raw sequencing data and produces separate allelic tracks ready to be viewed on genome browsers. The pipeline has been validated using human and hybrid mouse ChIP-seq and RNA-seq data. The package, test data and usage instructions are available online at http://www.bcgsc.ca/platform/bioinfo/software/alea CONTACT: : mkarimi1@interchange.ubc.ca or sjones@bcgsc.ca Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author 2013. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Monitoring the environment and human sentiment on the Great Barrier Reef: Assessing the potential of collective sensing.

PubMed

Becken, Susanne; Stantic, Bela; Chen, Jinyan; Alaei, Ali Reza; Connolly, Rod M

2017-12-01

With the growth of smartphone usage the number of social media posts has significantly increased and represents potentially valuable information for management, including of natural resources and the environment. Already, evidence of using 'human sensor' in crises management suggests that collective knowledge could be used to complement traditional monitoring. This research uses Twitter data posted from the Great Barrier Reef region, Australia, to assess whether the extent and type of data could be used to Great Barrier Reef organisations as part of their monitoring program. The analysis reveals that large amounts of tweets, covering the geographic area of interest, are available and that the pool of information providers is greatly enhanced by the large number of tourists to this region. A keyword and sentiment analysis demonstrates the usefulness of the Twitter data, but also highlights that the actual number of Reef-related tweets is comparatively small and lacks specificity. Suggestions for further steps towards the development of an integrative data platform that incorporates social media are provided. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Codon optimization of the adenoviral fiber negatively impacts structural protein expression and viral fitness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Villanueva, Eneko; Martí-Solano, Maria; Fillat, Cristina

2016-06-01

Codon usage adaptation of lytic viruses to their hosts is determinant for viral fitness. In this work, we analyzed the codon usage of adenoviral proteins by principal component analysis and assessed their codon adaptation to the host. We observed a general clustering of adenoviral proteins according to their function. However, there was a significant variation in the codon preference between the host-interacting fiber protein and the rest of structural late phase proteins, with a non-optimal codon usage of the fiber. To understand the impact of codon bias in the fiber, we optimized the Adenovirus-5 fiber to the codon usage of the hexon structural protein. The optimized fiber displayed increased expression in a non-viral context. However, infection with adenoviruses containing the optimized fiber resulted in decreased expression of the fiber and of wild-type structural proteins. Consequently, this led to a drastic reduction in viral release. The insertion of an exogenous optimized protein as a late gene in the adenovirus with the optimized fiber further interfered with viral fitness. These results highlight the importance of balancing codon usage in viral proteins to adequately exploit cellular resources for efficient infection and open new opportunities to regulate viral fitness for virotherapy and vaccine development.

A study on low-cost, high-accuracy, and real-time stereo vision algorithms for UAV power line inspection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Hongyu; Zhang, Baomin; Zhao, Xun; Li, Cong; Lu, Cunyue

2018-04-01

Conventional stereo vision algorithms suffer from high levels of hardware resource utilization due to algorithm complexity, or poor levels of accuracy caused by inadequacies in the matching algorithm. To address these issues, we have proposed a stereo range-finding technique that produces an excellent balance between cost, matching accuracy and real-time performance, for power line inspection using UAV. This was achieved through the introduction of a special image preprocessing algorithm and a weighted local stereo matching algorithm, as well as the design of a corresponding hardware architecture. Stereo vision systems based on this technique have a lower level of resource usage and also a higher level of matching accuracy following hardware acceleration. To validate the effectiveness of our technique, a stereo vision system based on our improved algorithms were implemented using the Spartan 6 FPGA. In comparative experiments, it was shown that the system using the improved algorithms outperformed the system based on the unimproved algorithms, in terms of resource utilization and matching accuracy. In particular, Block RAM usage was reduced by 19%, and the improved system was also able to output range-finding data in real time.

Renewable Energy Feasibility Study Final Report

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

Rooney, Tim

2013-10-30

The Gila River Indian Community (GRIC or the Community) contracted the ANTARES Group, Inc. (“ANTARES”) to assess the feasibility of solar photovoltaic (PV) installations. A solar energy project could provide a number of benefits to the Community in terms of potential future energy savings, increased employment, environmental benefits from renewable energy generation and usage, and increased energy self-sufficiency. The study addresses a number of facets of a solar project’s overall feasibility, including: Technical appropriateness; Solar resource characteristics and expected system performance; Levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) economic assessment. The Gila River Indian Community (GRIC or the Community) contracted the ANTARESmore » Group, Inc. (“ANTARES”) to prepare a biomass resource assessment study and evaluate the feasibility of a bioenergy project on Community land. A biomass project could provide a number of benefits to the Community in terms of increased employment, environmental benefits from renewable energy generation and usage, and increased energy self-sufficiency. The study addresses a number of facets of a biomass project’s overall feasibility, including: Resource analysis and costs; Identification of potential bioenergy projects; Technical and economic (levelized cost of energy) modeling for selected project configuration.« less

Antibacterial Drugs Prescribed for Dogs and Cats in Sweden and Norway 1990–1998

PubMed Central

Odensvik, K; Grave, K; Greko, C

2001-01-01

The usage of veterinary antibacterial drugs in dogs and cats in Sweden and Norway for the period 1990–1998 was investigated by use of drug wholesalers' statistics. Additionally, usage of human antibacterial drugs in these species in Sweden was investigated by use of prescription data for the period 1996–1998. On average, more than 50% of the prescribed veterinary antibacterials in Sweden were beta-lactam antibiotics. In Norway, about 75% of the preparations prescribed for dogs and cats contained sulfonamides and trimethoprim. Furthermore, the prescription data from Sweden showed a reduced usage of human antibacterials prescribed for dogs and cats since the beginning of the 1980s. Approximately 20% of the prescribed packages for dogs in the years 1996–1998 were human approved drugs. The corresponding figure for cats was 13%. The differences between the countries in the choice of antibacterial drugs can be explained by differences in the availability of approved preparations during the study period. The consumption of veterinary antibacterials in dogs and cats in Sweden during the period was in the range of 3% to 8% of the total use of veterinary antibacterials. The corresponding figures in Norway were in the range of 3% to 7%. It is of vital importance to study usage patterns of antibacterial drugs in dogs and cats in surveillance and control of bacterial resistance, but also in discussions of therapeutic appropriateness. Therefore, further research is needed in this area. PMID:11455899

Mississippi Embayment Regional Ground Water Study

EPA Science Inventory

Increased water usage in the southeastern United States in the tri-state area of Tennessee, Mississippi and Arkansas poses a dilemma to ensuring long-term sustainability of the quantity and quality of ground-water resources that underlie the region. Demand for ground water by ag...

Ethnobotanical survey of usage of fresh medicinal plants in Singapore.

PubMed

Siew, Yin-Yin; Zareisedehizadeh, Sogand; Seetoh, Wei-Guang; Neo, Soek-Ying; Tan, Chay-Hoon; Koh, Hwee-Ling

2014-09-29

The use of medicinal plants in human health has been documented since ancient times and they provide a useful source of new therapeutics. In Singapore, despite the accessibility to modern healthcare, there still exist pockets of the population who choose to use locally grown fresh medicinal plants for health promotion and even therapeutic purposes. However to date, there is no published report of first-hand account of their usage in Singapore. As land is scarce and rapidly used for re-development, such important knowledge may be lost if not properly documented in time. This work safeguards the local folk knowledge, and provides information on common and scarcely reported fresh medicinal plants. The objective of this study is to gather information regarding the usage of fresh medicinal plants in Singapore through face-to-face interviews. Information on demographic data and plant-use methods were collated via face-to-face interviews of 200 fresh medicinal plant users who have used fresh medicinal plants in the last five years. The survey protocol was approved by the National University of Singapore Institutional Review Board and informed consent was obtained from every participant. A total of 414 plants represented by 104 plant species from 44 families were reportedly used by the 200 participants. The five most commonly used plants were Clinacanthus nutans (34 users), Strobilanthes crispus (31 users), Pereskia bleo (25 users), Aloe vera (18 users) and Zingiber officinale (16 users). Leaves were the most commonly used plant part while preparing a decoction was the most common method of preparation. The majority of interviewees used plants for general health purposes and to treat diseases related to the respiratory system and cancer. Our survey has successfully documented the rich wealth of traditional usage and knowledge on 414 fresh medicinal plants grown in Singapore through face-to-face interviews with 200 users. This study will serve as a useful resource for identifying promising plants for future drug discovery efforts. Scientific evaluations of these medicinal plants are warranted and should be carried out. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Genetically modified plants and food hypersensitivity diseases: usage and implications of experimental models for risk assessment.

PubMed

Prescott, Vanessa E; Hogan, Simon P

2006-08-01

The recent advances in biotechnology in the plant industry have led to increasing crop production and yield that in turn has increased the usage of genetically modified (GM) food in the human food chain. The usage of GM foods for human consumption has raised a number of fundamental questions including the ability of GM foods to elicit potentially harmful immunological responses, including allergic hypersensitivity. To assess the safety of foods derived from GM plants including allergenic potential, the US FDA, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)/World Health Organization (WHO), and the EU have developed approaches for evaluation assessment. One assessment approach that has been a very active area of research and debate is the development and usage of animal models to assess the potential allergenicity of GM foods. A number of specific animal models employing rodents, pigs, and dogs have been developed for allergenicity assessment. However, validation of these models is needed and consideration of the criteria for an appropriate animal model for the assessment of allergenicity in GM plants is required. We have recently employed a BALB/c mouse model to assess the potential allergenicity of GM plants. We have been able to demonstrate that this model is able to detect differences in antigenicity and identify aspects of protein post-translational modifications that can alter antigenicity. Furthermore, this model has also enabled us to examine the usage of GM plants as a therapeutic approach for the treatment of allergic diseases. This review discusses the current approaches to assess the allergenic potential of GM food and particularly focusing on the usage of animal models to determine the potential allergenicity of GM foods and gives an overview of our recent findings and implications of these studies.

Locum tenens consultant doctors in a rural general hospital - an essential part of the medical workforce or an expensive stopgap?

PubMed

Sim, Andrew Jw

2011-01-01

Maintaining hospital consultant staffing levels often requires the employment of locum tenens to meet service needs. This is particularly so in hospitals where core clinical services are run by a small number of permanently appointed consultants. The problems associated with locum employment are underestimated and little attention has been directed towards addressing the issue in the rural general hospitals of Scotland. This study looked at the permanent and short- and long-term locum consultant usage over an 8 year period in one Scottish rural general hospital, the Western Isles Hospital in Stornoway. Data were extracted from the Human Resources Department of NHS Western Isles' list of locum consultants for most weeks from the beginning of January 2002 to the end of December 2009. The Western Isles Hospital in Stornoway has an establishment of 17 permanent consultants. During the 8 year study period 239 different consultants were employed, 20 held substantive permanent positions, 31 were long-term locums (employed >3 months) and 188 were short-term locums. The short-term locums worked for 535 different locum episodes. The pattern of usage varied according to service configuration. Study data revealed the alarming scope of the locum tenens issue, which will increase unless action is taken. For sustainable medical services to continue in the rural general hospitals of Scotland, staffing models must minimise the need to employ locum consultants.

Evolutionary characterization of Tembusu virus infection through identification of codon usage patterns.

PubMed

Zhou, Hao; Yan, Bing; Chen, Shun; Wang, Mingshu; Jia, Renyong; Cheng, Anchun

2015-10-01

Tembusu virus (TMUV) is a single-stranded, positive-sense RNA virus. As reported, TMUV infection has resulted in significant poultry losses, and the virus may also pose a threat to public health. To characterize TMUV evolutionarily and to understand the factors accounting for codon usage properties, we performed, for the first time, a comprehensive analysis of codon usage bias for the genomes of 60 TMUV strains. The most recently published TMUV strains were found to be widely distributed in coastal cities of southeastern China. Codon preference among TMUV genomes exhibits a low bias (effective number of codons (ENC)=53.287) and is maintained at a stable level. ENC-GC3 plots and the high correlation between composition constraints and principal component factor analysis of codon usage demonstrated that mutation pressure dominates over natural selection pressure in shaping the TMUV coding sequence composition. The high correlation between the major components of the codon usage pattern and hydrophobicity (Gravy) or aromaticity (Aromo) was obvious, indicating that properties of viral proteins also account for the observed variation in TMUV codon usage. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that CQW1 isolated from Chongqing may have evolved from GX2013H or GX2013G isolated from Guangxi, thus indicating that TMUV likely disseminated from southeastern China to the mainland. Moreover, the preferred codons encoding eight amino acids were consistent with the optimal codons for human cells, indicating that TMUV may pose a threat to public health due to possible cross-species transmission (birds to birds or birds to humans). The results of this study not only have theoretical value for uncovering the characteristics of synonymous codon usage patterns in TMUV genomes but also have significant meaning with regard to the molecular evolutionary tendencies of TMUV. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Swine as a model for influenza A virus infection

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Influenza A viruses (IAV) infect a variety of hosts, including humans, swine, and various avian species. The annual influenza disease burden in the human population remains significant even with current vaccine usage and much about the pathogenesis and transmission of influenza viruses in human rema...

Hospitalizations and associated costs in a population-based study of children with Down syndrome born in Florida.

PubMed

Dawson, April L; Cassell, Cynthia H; Oster, Matthew E; Olney, Richard S; Tanner, Jean Paul; Kirby, Russell S; Correia, Jane; Grosse, Scott D

2014-11-01

Our objective was to examine differences in hospital resource usage for children with Down syndrome by age and the presence of other birth defects, particularly severe and nonsevere congenital heart defects (CHDs). This was a retrospective, population-based, statewide study of children with Down syndrome born 1998 to 2007, identified by the Florida Birth Defects Registry (FBDR) and linked to hospital discharge records for 1 to 10 years after birth. To evaluate hospital resource usage, descriptive statistics on number of hospitalized days and hospital costs were calculated. Results were stratified by isolated Down syndrome (no other coded major birth defect); presence of severe and nonsevere CHDs; and presence of major FBDR-eligible birth defects without CHDs. For 2552 children with Down syndrome, there were 6856 inpatient admissions, of which 68.9% occurred during the first year of life (infancy). Of the 2552 children, 31.7% (n = 808) had isolated Down syndrome, 24.0% (n = 612) had severe CHDs, 36.3% (n = 927) had nonsevere CHDs, and 8.0% (n = 205) had a major FBDR-eligible birth defect in the absence of CHD. Infants in all three nonisolated DS groups had significantly higher hospital costs compared with those with isolated Down syndrome. From infancy through age 4, children with severe CHDs had the highest inpatient costs compared with children in the other sub-groups. Results support findings that for children with Down syndrome the presence of other anomalies influences hospital use and costs, and children with severe CHDs have greater hospital resource usage than children with other CHDs or major birth defects without CHDs. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Prescription of oral short-acting beta 2-agonist for asthma in non-resource poor settings: A national study in Malaysia.

PubMed

Chin, May Chien; Sivasampu, Sheamini; Khoo, Ee Ming

2017-01-01

Use of oral short-acting beta 2-agonist (SABA) persists in non-resource poor countries despite concerns for its lower efficacy and safety. Utilisation and reasons for such use is needed to support the effort to discourage the use of oral SABA in asthma. This study examined the frequency of oral short-acting Beta 2-agonist (SABA) usage in the management of asthma in primary care and determined correlates of its usage. Data used were from the 2014 National Medical Care Survey in Malaysia, a nationally representative survey of primary care encounters (weighted n = 325818). Using methods of analysis of data for complex surveys, we determined the frequency of asthma diagnosis in primary care and the rate of asthma medication prescription, which includes oral SABA. Multivariate logistic regression models were built to assess associations with the prescription of oral SABA. A weighted estimate of 9241 encounters presented to primary care with asthma in 2014. The mean age of the patients was 39.1 years. The rate of oral SABA, oral steroids, inhaled SABA and inhaled corticosteroids prescriptions were 33, 33, 50 and 23 per 100 asthma encounters, respectively. It was most commonly used in patients with the age ranged between 20 to less than 40 years. Logistic regression models showed that there was a higher odds of oral SABA usage in the presence of respiratory infection, prescription of oral corticosteroids and in the private sector. Oral SABA use in asthma is found to be common in a non- resource poor setting and its use could be attributed to a preference for oral medicines along undesirable clinical practices within a fragmented health system.

Prescription of oral short-acting beta 2-agonist for asthma in non-resource poor settings: A national study in Malaysia

PubMed Central

Sivasampu, Sheamini; Khoo, Ee Ming

2017-01-01

Objective Use of oral short-acting beta 2-agonist (SABA) persists in non-resource poor countries despite concerns for its lower efficacy and safety. Utilisation and reasons for such use is needed to support the effort to discourage the use of oral SABA in asthma. This study examined the frequency of oral short-acting Beta 2-agonist (SABA) usage in the management of asthma in primary care and determined correlates of its usage. Methods Data used were from the 2014 National Medical Care Survey in Malaysia, a nationally representative survey of primary care encounters (weighted n = 325818). Using methods of analysis of data for complex surveys, we determined the frequency of asthma diagnosis in primary care and the rate of asthma medication prescription, which includes oral SABA. Multivariate logistic regression models were built to assess associations with the prescription of oral SABA. Results A weighted estimate of 9241 encounters presented to primary care with asthma in 2014. The mean age of the patients was 39.1 years. The rate of oral SABA, oral steroids, inhaled SABA and inhaled corticosteroids prescriptions were 33, 33, 50 and 23 per 100 asthma encounters, respectively. It was most commonly used in patients with the age ranged between 20 to less than 40 years. Logistic regression models showed that there was a higher odds of oral SABA usage in the presence of respiratory infection, prescription of oral corticosteroids and in the private sector. Conclusion Oral SABA use in asthma is found to be common in a non- resource poor setting and its use could be attributed to a preference for oral medicines along undesirable clinical practices within a fragmented health system. PMID:28662193

Analysis of Synonymous Codon Usage Bias of Zika Virus and Its Adaption to the Hosts

PubMed Central

Wang, Hongju; Liu, Siqing; Zhang, Bo

2016-01-01

Zika virus (ZIKV) is a mosquito-borne virus (arbovirus) in the family Flaviviridae, and the symptoms caused by ZIKV infection in humans include rash, fever, arthralgia, myalgia, asthenia and conjunctivitis. Codon usage bias analysis can reveal much about the molecular evolution and host adaption of ZIKV. To gain insight into the evolutionary characteristics of ZIKV, we performed a comprehensive analysis on the codon usage pattern in 46 ZIKV strains by calculating the effective number of codons (ENc), codon adaptation index (CAI), relative synonymous codon usage (RSCU), and other indicators. The results indicate that the codon usage bias of ZIKV is relatively low. Several lines of evidence support the hypothesis that translational selection plays a role in shaping the codon usage pattern of ZIKV. The results from a correspondence analysis (CA) indicate that other factors, such as base composition, aromaticity, and hydrophobicity may also be involved in shaping the codon usage pattern of ZIKV. Additionally, the results from a comparative analysis of RSCU between ZIKV and its hosts suggest that ZIKV tends to evolve codon usage patterns that are comparable to those of its hosts. Moreover, selection pressure from Homo sapiens on the ZIKV RSCU patterns was found to be dominant compared with that from Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. Taken together, both natural translational selection and mutation pressure are important for shaping the codon usage pattern of ZIKV. Our findings contribute to understanding the evolution of ZIKV and its adaption to its hosts. PMID:27893824

Defence Technology Strategy for the Demands of the 21st Century

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-10-01

understanding of human capability in the CBM role. Ownership of the intellectual property behind algorithms may be sovereign10, but implementation will...synchronisation schemes. · coding schemes. · modulation techniques. · access schemes. · smart spectrum usage . · low probability of intercept. · implementation...modulation techniques; access schemes; smart spectrum usage ; low probability of intercept Spectrum and bandwidth management · cross layer technologies to

An integrated decision support system for TRAC: A proposal

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mukkamala, Ravi

1991-01-01

Optimal allocation and usage of resources is a key to effective management. Resources of concern to TRAC are: Manpower (PSY), Money (Travel, contracts), Computing, Data, Models, etc. Management activities of TRAC include: Planning, Programming, Tasking, Monitoring, Updating, and Coordinating. Existing systems are insufficient, not completely automated, manpower intensive, and has the potential for data inconsistency exists. A system is proposed which suggests a means to integrate all project management activities of TRAC through the development of a sophisticated software and by utilizing the existing computing systems and network resources. The systems integration proposal is examined in detail.

E-Nursing: electronic nursing resources on your desktop.

PubMed

Kendall, Sandra; Massaralla, Susan; Hynes-Gay, Patricia; Vincent, Leslie

2003-01-01

E-Nursing represents an innovative approach to nursing education that has the potential to support professional practice throughout the institution. This paper details the benefits, design and promotion of an electronic nursing resource collection. How to divide responsibility, cost and expertise in such a project is also discussed. Preliminary usage statistics validate E-Nursing as a point-of-care education tool for nurses at Mount Sinai Hospital. A planned approach to implementation has been an effective means of introducing E-Nursing in an institution that previously relied on traditional hard-copy resources housed in the hospital's library.

Pandemic influenza A virus codon usage revisited: biases, adaptation and implications for vaccine strain development

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Influenza A virus (IAV) is a member of the family Orthomyxoviridae and contains eight segments of a single-stranded RNA genome with negative polarity. The first influenza pandemic of this century was declared in April of 2009, with the emergence of a novel H1N1 IAV strain (H1N1pdm) in Mexico and USA. Understanding the extent and causes of biases in codon usage is essential to the understanding of viral evolution. A comprehensive study to investigate the effect of selection pressure imposed by the human host on the codon usage of an emerging, pandemic IAV strain and the trends in viral codon usage involved over the pandemic time period is much needed. Results We performed a comprehensive codon usage analysis of 310 IAV strains from the pandemic of 2009. Highly biased codon usage for Ala, Arg, Pro, Thr and Ser were found. Codon usage is strongly influenced by underlying biases in base composition. When correspondence analysis (COA) on relative synonymous codon usage (RSCU) is applied, the distribution of IAV ORFs in the plane defined by the first two major dimensional factors showed that different strains are located at different places, suggesting that IAV codon usage also reflects an evolutionary process. Conclusions A general association between codon usage bias, base composition and poor adaptation of the virus to the respective host tRNA pool, suggests that mutational pressure is the main force shaping H1N1 pdm IAV codon usage. A dynamic process is observed in the variation of codon usage of the strains enrolled in these studies. These results suggest a balance of mutational bias and natural selection, which allow the virus to explore and re-adapt its codon usage to different environments. Recoding of IAV taking into account codon bias, base composition and adaptation to host tRNA may provide important clues to develop new and appropriate vaccines. PMID:23134595

Clinical information systems: cornerstone for an efficient hospital management.

PubMed

Lovis, Christian

2011-01-01

The university hospitals of Geneva are the largest consortium of public hospitals in Switzerland. This organization is born in 1995, after a political decision to merge the seven public and teaching hospitals of the Canton of Geneva. From an information technologies perspective, it took several years to reach a true unified vision of the complete organization. The clinical information system is deployed in all sites covering in- and outpatient cares. It is seen as the cornerstone of information management and flow in the organization, for direct patient care and decision support, but also for the management to drive, improve and leverage the activities, for better efficiency, quality and safety of care, but also to drive processes. As the system has become more important for the organization, it has required progressive changes in its governance. The high importance of interoperability and use of formal representation has become a major challenge in order to be able to reuse clinical information for real-time care and management activities, and for secondary usage such as billing, resource management, strategic planning and clinical research. This paper proposes a short overview of the tools allowing to leverage the management for physicians, nurses, human resources and hospital governance.

Economic drivers of mineral supply

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wagner, Lorie A.; Sullivan, Daniel E.; Sznopek, John L.

2003-01-01

The debate over the adequacy of future supplies of mineral resources continues in light of the growing use of mineral-based materials in the United States. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the quantity of new materials utilized each year has dramatically increased from 161 million tons2 in 1900 to 3.2 billion tons in 2000. Of all the materials used during the 20th century in the United States, more than half were used in the last 25 years. With the Earth?s endowment of natural resources remaining constant, and increased demand for resources, economic theory states that as depletion approaches, prices rise. This study shows that many economic drivers (conditions that create an economic incentive for producers to act in a particular way) such as the impact of globalization, technological improvements, productivity increases, and efficient materials usage are at work simultaneously to impact minerals markets and supply. As a result of these economic drivers, the historical price trend of mineral prices3 in constant dollars has declined as demand has risen. When price is measured by the cost in human effort, the price trend also has been almost steadily downward. Although the United States economy continues its increasing mineral consumption trend, the supply of minerals has been able to keep pace. This study shows that in general supply has grown faster than demand, causing a declining trend in mineral prices.

Computer Operating System Maintenance.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-06-01

FACILITY The Computer Management Information Facility ( CMIF ) system was developed by Rapp Systems to fulfill the need at the CRF to record and report on...computer center resource usage and utilization. The foundation of the CMIF system is a System 2000 data base (CRFMGMT) which stores and permits access

Implementation and Student Assessment of Intranet-Based Learning Resources.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sosabowski, Michael H.; Herson, Katie; Lloyd, Andrew W.

1998-01-01

The University of Brighton (England) pharmacy and biomedical sciences school developed an institutional intranet providing course information, Internet links, lecture notes, links to computer-assisted instructional packages, and worksheets. Electronic monitoring of usage and subsequent questionnaire-based evaluation showed the intranet to be a…

WATER CONSERVATION: LOCAL SOLUTIONS TO A GLOBAL PROBLEM

EPA Science Inventory

Water conservation issues are discussed. Local solutions to a global problem include changing old habits relating to the usage and abuse of water resources. While the suggested behavioral changes may not solve the world's pending water crisis, they may ease the impact of the l...

Quadrupedal Robot Locomotion: A Biologically Inspired Approach and Its Hardware Implementation

PubMed Central

Espinal, A.; Rostro-Gonzalez, H.; Carpio, M.; Guerra-Hernandez, E. I.; Ornelas-Rodriguez, M.; Puga-Soberanes, H. J.; Sotelo-Figueroa, M. A.; Melin, P.

2016-01-01

A bioinspired locomotion system for a quadruped robot is presented. Locomotion is achieved by a spiking neural network (SNN) that acts as a Central Pattern Generator (CPG) producing different locomotion patterns represented by their raster plots. To generate these patterns, the SNN is configured with specific parameters (synaptic weights and topologies), which were estimated by a metaheuristic method based on Christiansen Grammar Evolution (CGE). The system has been implemented and validated on two robot platforms; firstly, we tested our system on a quadruped robot and, secondly, on a hexapod one. In this last one, we simulated the case where two legs of the hexapod were amputated and its locomotion mechanism has been changed. For the quadruped robot, the control is performed by the spiking neural network implemented on an Arduino board with 35% of resource usage. In the hexapod robot, we used Spartan 6 FPGA board with only 3% of resource usage. Numerical results show the effectiveness of the proposed system in both cases. PMID:27436997

Quadrupedal Robot Locomotion: A Biologically Inspired Approach and Its Hardware Implementation.

PubMed

Espinal, A; Rostro-Gonzalez, H; Carpio, M; Guerra-Hernandez, E I; Ornelas-Rodriguez, M; Puga-Soberanes, H J; Sotelo-Figueroa, M A; Melin, P

2016-01-01

A bioinspired locomotion system for a quadruped robot is presented. Locomotion is achieved by a spiking neural network (SNN) that acts as a Central Pattern Generator (CPG) producing different locomotion patterns represented by their raster plots. To generate these patterns, the SNN is configured with specific parameters (synaptic weights and topologies), which were estimated by a metaheuristic method based on Christiansen Grammar Evolution (CGE). The system has been implemented and validated on two robot platforms; firstly, we tested our system on a quadruped robot and, secondly, on a hexapod one. In this last one, we simulated the case where two legs of the hexapod were amputated and its locomotion mechanism has been changed. For the quadruped robot, the control is performed by the spiking neural network implemented on an Arduino board with 35% of resource usage. In the hexapod robot, we used Spartan 6 FPGA board with only 3% of resource usage. Numerical results show the effectiveness of the proposed system in both cases.

Usage of an Internet smoking cessation resource: the Australian QuitCoach.

PubMed

Balmford, James; Borland, Ron; Li, Lin; Ferretter, Ian

2009-01-01

The QuitCoach (http://www.quitcoach.org.au) is a tailored, Internet-delivered smoking cessation advice program. This paper compares QuitCoach users both with smokers in general, and with callers to a telephone-based smoking cessation service (the Victorian Quitline). It also explores patterns of QuitCoach usage by time of year and day of the week. Data are from responses to the QuitCoach online assessment collected between 2003 and 2007 (n = 28 247). Comparison data are from the Victorian Quitline service, from the first five waves of the International Tobacco Control Four Country Survey, the 2004-05 National Health Survey, and from anti-smoking Target Audience Rating Points for Australia. QuitCoach users were more likely to be female and younger than both smokers in general and Quitline users. They were intermediate in nicotine dependence. QuitCoach users are less likely to have just quit than Quitline callers. Half of QuitCoach users first use after setting a quit date. Usage is related to anti-smoking advertising and to day of week, being highest earlier in the week. The QuitCoach successfully targets the moderately addicted. Use is sensitive to anti-smoking campaigns. There is a need for greater promotion of the QuitCoach as a resource with the capacity to meet the needs of those already quit and those still uncertain as to whether to try.

Can e-learning help you to connect compassionately? Commentary on a palliative care e-learning resource for India.

PubMed

Datta, Soumitra Shankar; Agrawal, Sanjit

2017-01-01

e-learning resources need to be customised to the audience and learners to make them culturally relevant. The ' Palliative care e-learning resource for health care professionals in India' has been developed by the Karunashraya Hospice, Bengaluru in collaboration with the Cardiff Palliative Care Education Team, Wales to address the training needs of professionals in India. The resource, comprising over 20 modules, integrates psychological, social and medical care for patients requiring palliative care for cancer and other diseases. With increased internet usage, it would help in training a large number of professionals and volunteers in India who want to work in the field of palliative care.

Deficiencies in drinking water distribution systems in developing countries.

PubMed

Lee, Ellen J; Schwab, Kellogg J

2005-06-01

Rapidly growing populations and migration to urban areas in developing countries has resulted in a vital need for the establishment of centralized water systems to disseminate potable water to residents. Protected source water and modern, well-maintained drinking water treatment plants can provide water adequate for human consumption. However, ageing, stressed or poorly maintained distribution systems can cause the quality of piped drinking water to deteriorate below acceptable levels and pose serious health risks. This review will outline distribution system deficiencies in developing countries caused by: the failure to disinfect water or maintain a proper disinfection residual; low pipeline water pressure; intermittent service; excessive network leakages; corrosion of parts; inadequate sewage disposal; and inequitable pricing and usage of water. Through improved research, monitoring and surveillance, increased understanding of distribution system deficiencies may focus limited resources on key areas in an effort to improve public health and decrease global disease burden.

Pollutant impacts to Cape Hatteras National Seashore from urban runoff and septic leachate.

PubMed

Mallin, Michael A; McIver, Matthew R

2012-07-01

The sandy barrier islands of Cape Hatteras National Seashore, USA, attract large seasonal influxes of tourists, and are host to numerous motels, rentals and second homes. To investigate the impacts of nearby urbanization on public trust waters, sampling was conducted in nine brackish water bodies within this coastal national park. A large tidal urban ditch delivered runoff-driven fecal-contaminated water directly into public beach waters. At all sites except the control, ammonium, phosphorus and fecal bacteria concentrations were high, strongly seasonal and significantly correlated with community water usage, indicating that increased septic tank usage led to increased pollutant concentrations in area waterways. Nutrients from septic systems caused ecosystem-level problems from algal blooms, BOD, and hypoxia while fecal microbes created potential human health problems. Septic system usage is widespread in sensitive coastal areas with high water tables and sandy soils and alternatives to standard septic systems must be required to protect human health and the environment. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Technologies for Decreasing Mining Losses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valgma, Ingo; Väizene, Vivika; Kolats, Margit; Saarnak, Martin

2013-12-01

In case of stratified deposits like oil shale deposit in Estonia, mining losses depend on mining technologies. Current research focuses on extraction and separation possibilities of mineral resources. Selective mining, selective crushing and separation tests have been performed, showing possibilities of decreasing mining losses. Rock crushing and screening process simulations were used for optimizing rock fractions. In addition mine backfilling, fine separation, and optimized drilling and blasting have been analyzed. All tested methods show potential and depend on mineral usage. Usage in addition depends on the utilization technology. The questions like stability of the material flow and influences of the quality fluctuations to the final yield are raised.

Determination of HIV-1 co-receptor usage.

PubMed

Cavarelli, Mariangela; Scarlatti, Gabriella

2014-01-01

Human immunodeficiency virus type I (HIV-1) infects target cells through interaction with the CD4 molecule and chemokine receptors, mainly the β-chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5) and the α-chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4). Viral isolates can be phenotypically classified based on the co-receptor they utilize to infect target cells. In this chapter, methods to determine the co-receptor usage of HIV-1 variants are described.

B cell Variable genes have evolved their codon usage to focus the targeted patterns of somatic mutation on the complementarity determining regions

PubMed Central

Saini, Jasmine; Hershberg, Uri

2015-01-01

The exceptional ability of B cells to diversify through somatic mutation and improve affinity of the repertoire towards the antigens is the cornerstone of adaptive immunity. Somatic mutation is not evenly distributed and exhibits certain micro-sequence specificities. We show here that the combination of somatic mutation targeting and the codon usage in human B cell receptor (BCR) Variable (V) genes create expected patterns of mutation and post mutation changes that are focused on their complementarity determining regions (CDR). T cell V genes are also skewed in targeting mutations but to a lesser extent and are lacking the codon usage bias observed in BCRs. This suggests that the observed skew in T cell receptors is due to their amino acid usage, which is similar to that of BCRs. The mutation targeting and the codon bias allow B cell CDRs to diversify by specifically accumulating nonconservative changes. We counted the distribution of mutations to CDR in 4 different human datasets. In all four cases we found that the number of actual mutations in the CDR correlated significantly with the V gene mutation biases to the CDR predicted by our models. Finally, it appears that the mutation bias in V genes indeed relates to their long-term survival in actual human repertoires. We observed that resting repertoires of B cells overexpressed V genes that were especially biased towards focused mutation and change in the CDR. This bias in V gene usage was somewhat relaxed at the height of the immune response to a vaccine, presumably because of the need for a wider diversity in a primary response. However, older patients did not retain this flexibility and were biased towards using only highly skewed V genes at all stages of their response. PMID:25660968

B cell variable genes have evolved their codon usage to focus the targeted patterns of somatic mutation on the complementarity determining regions.

PubMed

Saini, Jasmine; Hershberg, Uri

2015-05-01

The exceptional ability of B cells to diversify through somatic mutation and improve affinity of the repertoire toward the antigens is the cornerstone of adaptive immunity. Somatic mutation is not evenly distributed and exhibits certain micro-sequence specificities. We show here that the combination of somatic mutation targeting and the codon usage in human B cell receptor (BCR) Variable (V) genes create expected patterns of mutation and post mutation changes that are focused on their complementarity determining regions (CDR). T cell V genes are also skewed in targeting mutations but to a lesser extent and are lacking the codon usage bias observed in BCRs. This suggests that the observed skew in T cell receptors is due to their amino acid usage, which is similar to that of BCRs. The mutation targeting and the codon bias allow B cell CDRs to diversify by specifically accumulating nonconservative changes. We counted the distribution of mutations to CDR in 4 different human datasets. In all four cases we found that the number of actual mutations in the CDR correlated significantly with the V gene mutation biases to the CDR predicted by our models. Finally, it appears that the mutation bias in V genes indeed relates to their long-term survival in actual human repertoires. We observed that resting repertoires of B cells overexpressed V genes that were especially biased toward focused mutation and change in the CDR. This bias in V gene usage was somewhat relaxed at the height of the immune response to a vaccine, presumably because of the need for a wider diversity in a primary response. However, older patients did not retain this flexibility and were biased toward using only highly skewed V genes at all stages of their response. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Digital Learning Characteristics and Principles of Information Resources Knowledge Structuring

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Belichenko, Margarita; Davidovitch, Nitza; Kravchenko, Yuri

2017-01-01

Analysis of principles knowledge representation in information systems led to the necessity of improving the structuring knowledge. It is caused by the development of software component and new possibilities of information technologies. The article combines methodological aspects of structuring knowledge and effective usage of information…

What models can teach us about watershed-nearshore relationships that observational studies cannot

EPA Science Inventory

The nearshore waters of the Laurentian Great Lakes are a valuable resource for drinking water, recreation, fishing, wildlife and industrial usage. However, environmental concerns such as eutrophication and the colonization of invasive species have resulted in the call for an over...

Dimensions of Drug Information

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sharp, Mark E.

2011-01-01

The high number, heterogeneity, and inadequate integration of drug information resources constitute barriers to many drug information usage scenarios. In the biomedical domain there is a rich legacy of knowledge representation in ontology-like structures that allows us to connect this problem both to the very mature field of library and…

Complex codon usage pattern and compositional features of retroviruses.

PubMed

RoyChoudhury, Sourav; Mukherjee, Debaprasad

2013-01-01

Retroviruses infect a wide range of organisms including humans. Among them, HIV-1, which causes AIDS, has now become a major threat for world health. Some of these viruses are also potential gene transfer vectors. In this study, the patterns of synonymous codon usage in retroviruses have been studied through multivariate statistical methods on ORFs sequences from the available 56 retroviruses. The principal determinant for evolution of the codon usage pattern in retroviruses seemed to be the compositional constraints, while selection for translation of the viral genes plays a secondary role. This was further supported by multivariate analysis on relative synonymous codon usage. Thus, it seems that mutational bias might have dominated role over translational selection in shaping the codon usage of retroviruses. Codon adaptation index was used to identify translationally optimal codons among genes from retroviruses. The comparative analysis of the preferred and optimal codons among different retroviral groups revealed that four codons GAA, AAA, AGA, and GGA were significantly more frequent in most of the retroviral genes inspite of some differences. Cluster analysis also revealed that phylogenetically related groups of retroviruses have probably evolved their codon usage in a concerted manner under the influence of their nucleotide composition.

Reducing usage of the computational resources by event driven approach to model predictive control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Misik, Stefan; Bradac, Zdenek; Cela, Arben

2017-08-01

This paper deals with a real-time and optimal control of dynamic systems while also considers the constraints which these systems might be subject to. Main objective of this work is to propose a simple modification of the existing Model Predictive Control approach to better suit needs of computational resource-constrained real-time systems. An example using model of a mechanical system is presented and the performance of the proposed method is evaluated in a simulated environment.

Competitive resource allocation to metabolic pathways contributes to overflow metabolisms and emergent properties in cross-feeding microbial consortia.

PubMed

Carlson, Ross P; Beck, Ashley E; Phalak, Poonam; Fields, Matthew W; Gedeon, Tomas; Hanley, Luke; Harcombe, William R; Henson, Michael A; Heys, Jeffrey J

2018-04-17

Resource scarcity is a common stress in nature and has a major impact on microbial physiology. This review highlights microbial acclimations to resource scarcity, focusing on resource investment strategies for chemoheterotrophs from the molecular level to the pathway level. Competitive resource allocation strategies often lead to a phenotype known as overflow metabolism; the resulting overflow byproducts can stabilize cooperative interactions in microbial communities and can lead to cross-feeding consortia. These consortia can exhibit emergent properties such as enhanced resource usage and biomass productivity. The literature distilled here draws parallels between in silico and laboratory studies and ties them together with ecological theories to better understand microbial stress responses and mutualistic consortia functioning. © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Portland Press Limited on behalf of the Biochemical Society.

The Resource Usage Aware Backfilling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guim, Francesc; Rodero, Ivan; Corbalan, Julita

Job scheduling policies for HPC centers have been extensively studied in the last few years, especially backfilling based policies. Almost all of these studies have been done using simulation tools. All the existent simulators use the runtime (either estimated or real) provided in the workload as a basis of their simulations. In our previous work we analyzed the impact on system performance of considering the resource sharing (memory bandwidth) of running jobs including a new resource model in the Alvio simulator. Based on this studies we proposed the LessConsume and LessConsume Threshold resource selection policies. Both are oriented to reduce the saturation of the shared resources thus increasing the performance of the system. The results showed how both resource allocation policies shown how the performance of the system can be improved by considering where the jobs are finally allocated.

Use of Order Sets in Inpatient Computerized Provider Order Entry Systems: A Comparative Analysis of Usage Patterns at Seven Sites

PubMed Central

Wright, Adam; Feblowitz, Joshua C.; Pang, Justine E.; Carpenter, James D.; Krall, Michael A.; Middleton, Blackford; Sittig, Dean F.

2012-01-01

Background Many computerized provider order entry (CPOE) systems include the ability to create electronic order sets: collections of clinically-related orders grouped by purpose. Order sets promise to make CPOE systems more efficient, improve care quality and increase adherence to evidence-based guidelines. However, the development and implementation of order sets can be expensive and time-consuming and limited literature exists about their utilization. Methods Based on analysis of order set usage logs from a diverse purposive sample of seven sites with commercially- and internally-developed inpatient CPOE systems, we developed an original order set classification system. Order sets were categorized across seven non-mutually exclusive axes: admission/discharge/transfer (ADT), perioperative, condition-specific, task-specific, service-specific, convenience, and personal. In addition, 731 unique subtypes were identified within five axes: four in ADT (S=4), three in perioperative, 144 in condition-specific, 513 in task-specific, and 67 in service-specific. Results Order sets (n=1,914) were used a total of 676,142 times at the participating sites during a one-year period. ADT and perioperative order sets accounted for 27.6% and 24.2% of usage respectively. Peripartum/labor, chest pain/Acute Coronary Syndrome/Myocardial Infarction and diabetes order sets accounted for 51.6% of condition-specific usage. Insulin, angiography/angioplasty and arthroplasty order sets accounted for 19.4% of task-specific usage. Emergency/trauma, Obstetrics/Gynecology/Labor Delivery and anesthesia accounted for 32.4% of service-specific usage. Overall, the top 20% of order sets accounted for 90.1% of all usage. Additional salient patterns are identified and described. Conclusion We observed recurrent patterns in order set usage across multiple sites as well as meaningful variations between sites. Vendors and institutional developers should identify high-value order set types through concrete data analysis in order to optimize the resources devoted to development and implementation. PMID:22819199

21 CFR 173.405 - Sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate. 173.405 Section 173.405 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES... HUMAN CONSUMPTION Specific Usage Additives § 173.405 Sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate. Sodium...

Metaphors for the Nature of Human-Computer Interaction in an Empowering Environment: Interaction Style Influences the Manner of Human Accomplishment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weller, Herman G.; Hartson, H. Rex

1992-01-01

Describes human-computer interface needs for empowering environments in computer usage in which the machine handles the routine mechanics of problem solving while the user concentrates on its higher order meanings. A closed-loop model of interaction is described, interface as illusion is discussed, and metaphors for human-computer interaction are…

Position, Location, Place and Area: AN Indoor Perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sithole, George; Zlatanova, Sisi

2016-06-01

Over the last decade, harnessing the commercial potential of smart mobile devices in indoor environments has spurred interest in indoor mapping and navigation. Users experience indoor environments differently. For this reason navigational models have to be designed to adapt to a user's personality, and to reflect as many cognitive maps as possible. This paper presents an extension of a previously proposed framework. In this extension the notion of placement is accounted for, thereby enabling one aspect of the `personalised indoor experience'. In the paper, firstly referential expressions are used as a tool to discuss the different ways of thinking of placement within indoor spaces. Next, placement is expressed in terms of the concept of Position, Location, Place and Area. Finally, the previously proposed framework is extended to include these concepts of placement. An example is provided of the use of the extended framework. Notable characteristics of the framework are: (1) Sub-spaces, resources and agents can simultaneously possess different types of placement, e.g., a person in a room can have an xyz position and a location defined by the room number. While these entities can simultaneously have different forms of placement, only one is dominant. (2) Sub-spaces, resources and agents are capable of possessing modifiers that alter their access and usage. (3) Sub-spaces inherit the modifiers of the resources or agents contained in them. (4) Unlike conventional navigational models which treat resources and obstacles as different types of entities, in the proposed framework there are only resources and whether a resource is an obstacle is determined by a modifier that determines whether a user can access the resource. The power of the framework is that it blends the geometry and topology of space, the influence of human activity within sub-spaces together with the different notions of placement in a way that is simple and yet very flexible.

Livelihood diversification in tropical coastal communities: a network-based approach to analyzing 'livelihood landscapes'.

PubMed

Cinner, Joshua E; Bodin, Orjan

2010-08-11

Diverse livelihood portfolios are frequently viewed as a critical component of household economies in developing countries. Within the context of natural resources governance in particular, the capacity of individual households to engage in multiple occupations has been shown to influence important issues such as whether fishers would exit a declining fishery, how people react to policy, the types of resource management systems that may be applicable, and other decisions about natural resource use. This paper uses network analysis to provide a novel methodological framework for detailed systemic analysis of household livelihood portfolios. Paying particular attention to the role of natural resource-based occupations such as fisheries, we use network analyses to map occupations and their interrelationships- what we refer to as 'livelihood landscapes'. This network approach allows for the visualization of complex information about dependence on natural resources that can be aggregated at different scales. We then examine how the role of natural resource-based occupations changes along spectra of socioeconomic development and population density in 27 communities in 5 western Indian Ocean countries. Network statistics, including in- and out-degree centrality, the density of the network, and the level of network centralization are compared along a multivariate index of community-level socioeconomic development and a gradient of human population density. The combination of network analyses suggests an increase in household-level specialization with development for most occupational sectors, including fishing and farming, but that at the community-level, economies remained diversified. The novel modeling approach introduced here provides for various types of livelihood portfolio analyses at different scales of social aggregation. Our livelihood landscapes approach provides insights into communities' dependencies and usages of natural resources, and shows how patterns of occupational interrelationships relate to socioeconomic development and population density. A key question for future analysis is how the reduction of household occupational diversity, but maintenance of community diversity we see with increasing socioeconomic development influences key aspects of societies' vulnerability to environmental change or disasters.

User perspectives on the usability of a regional health information exchange

PubMed Central

Ho, Yun-Xian; Cala, Cather Marie; Blakemore, Dana; Chen, Qingxia; Frisse, Mark E; Johnson, Kevin B

2011-01-01

Objective We assessed the usability of a health information exchange (HIE) in a densely populated metropolitan region. This grant-funded HIE had been deployed rapidly to address the imminent needs of the patient population and the need to draw wider participation from regional entities. Design We conducted a cross-sectional survey of individuals given access to the HIE at participating organizations and examined some of the usability and usage factors related to the technology acceptance model. Measurements We probed user perceptions using the Questionnaire for User Interaction Satisfaction, an author-generated Trust scale, and user characteristic questions (eg, age, weekly system usage time). Results Overall, users viewed the system favorably (ratings for all usability items were greater than neutral (one-sample Wilcoxon test, p<0.0014, Bonferroni-corrected for 35 tests). System usage was regressed on usability, trust, and demographic and user characteristic factors. Three usability factors were positively predictive of system usage: overall reactions (p<0 0.01), learning (p<0.05), and system functionality (p<0.01). Although trust is an important component in collaborative relationships, we did not find that user trust of other participating healthcare entities was significantly predictive of usage. An analysis of respondents' comments revealed ways to improve the HIE. Conclusion We used a rapid deployment model to develop an HIE and found that perceptions of system usability were positive. We also found that system usage was predicted well by some aspects of usability. Results from this study suggest that a rapid development approach may serve as a viable model for developing usable HIEs serving communities with limited resources. PMID:21622933

SEARCHBreast: a new resource to locate and share surplus archival material from breast cancer animal models to help address the 3Rs.

PubMed

Blyth, Karen; Carter, Phil; Morrissey, Bethny; Chelala, Claude; Jones, Louise; Holen, Ingunn; Speirs, Valerie

2016-04-01

Animal models have contributed to our understanding of breast cancer, with publication of results in high-impact journals almost invariably requiring extensive in vivo experimentation. As such, many laboratories hold large collections of surplus animal material, with only a fraction being used in publications relating to the original projects. Despite being developed at considerable cost, this material is an invisible and hence an underutilised resource, which often ends up being discarded. Within the breast cancer research community there is both a need and desire to make this valuable material available for researchers. Lack of a coordinated system for visualisation and localisation of this has prevented progress. To fulfil this unmet need, we have developed a novel initiative called Sharing Experimental Animal Resources: Coordinating Holdings-Breast (SEARCHBreast) which facilitates sharing of archival tissue between researchers on a collaborative basis and, de facto will reduce overall usage of animal models in breast cancer research. A secure searchable database has been developed where researchers can find, share, or upload materials related to animal models of breast cancer, including genetic and transplant models. SEARCHBreast is a virtual compendium where the physical material remains with the original laboratory. A bioanalysis pipeline is being developed for the analysis of transcriptomics data associated with mouse models, allowing comparative study with human and cell line data. Additionally, SEARCHBreast is committed to promoting the use of humanised breast tissue models as replacement alternatives to animals. Access to this unique resource is freely available to all academic researchers following registration at https://searchbreast.org.

Technical Standards and Medieval Manuscripts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hollas, Eric

Even though medieval manuscripts represent the most voluminous surviving artifact from the Middle Ages, the very nature of this resource presents challenges for usage. In an effort to preserve medieval manuscripts and to create broader and more economical access to their contents, many libraries have in recent decades sought to provide filmed…

Integrating Reservations and Queuing in Remote Laboratory Scheduling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lowe, D.

2013-01-01

Remote laboratories (RLs) have become increasingly seen as a useful tool in supporting flexible shared access to scarce laboratory resources. An important element in supporting shared access is coordinating the scheduling of the laboratory usage. Optimized scheduling can significantly decrease access waiting times and improve the utilization level…

Electronic Theses and Dissertations: Promoting "Hidden" Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Copeland, Susan

2008-01-01

Since the mid 1990s an increasing number of higher education institutions and organisations have been encouraging the production and submission of theses and dissertations in electronic format. Where access to electronic theses and dissertations is available via the Internet, usage figures indicate that this is a much consulted resource. However,…

Thumbs Up: High-Quality, Low-Cost Teaching Aids.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paine, Carolyn

1982-01-01

Exemplary teaching aids--games, workbooks, student and teacher resource books, reading materials, and records--are recommended by subject area and grade level. Materials include an ice cream cone game for mathematics, a "Life Skills Reading" book on telephone usage, a "Dictionary of Recent American History," and many other items. (PP)

A New Resource for College Distance Education Astronomy Laboratory Exercises

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vogt, Nicole P.; Cook, Stephen P.; Muise, Amy Smith

2013-01-01

This article introduces a set of distance education astronomy laboratory exercises for use by college students and instructors and discusses first usage results. This General Astronomy Education Source exercise set contains eight two-week projects designed to guide students through both core content and mathematical applications of general…

Technology and Academic Advising: Student Usage and Preferences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gaines, Trudi

2014-01-01

When both time and financial resources are limited, administrators selectively decide upon proper utilization of current technology and determine whether monies should be expended on new, flashy, and attractive technology realizing that it may not contribute to the advising experience. By obtaining feedback from the students whom the academic…

Networked Experiments and Scientific Resource Sharing in Cooperative Knowledge Spaces

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cikic, Sabine; Jeschke, Sabina; Ludwig, Nadine; Sinha, Uwe; Thomsen, Christian

2007-01-01

Cooperative knowledge spaces create new potentials for the experimental fields in natural sciences and engineering because they enhance the accessibility of experimental setups through virtual laboratories and remote technology, opening them for collaborative and distributed usage. A concept for extending existing virtual knowledge spaces for the…

Policies | High-Performance Computing | NREL

Science.gov Websites

Use Learn about policy governing user accountability, resource use, use by foreign nationals states. Data Security Learn about the data security policy, including data protection, data security retention policy, including project-centric and user-centric data. Shared Storage Usage Learn about a policy

Automatic Recommendations for E-Learning Personalization Based on Web Usage Mining Techniques and Information Retrieval

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khribi, Mohamed Koutheair; Jemni, Mohamed; Nasraoui, Olfa

2009-01-01

In this paper, we describe an automatic personalization approach aiming to provide online automatic recommendations for active learners without requiring their explicit feedback. Recommended learning resources are computed based on the current learner's recent navigation history, as well as exploiting similarities and dissimilarities among…

Getting the Goods on Social Capital.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wall, Ellen; Ferrazzi, Gabriele; Schryer, Frans

1998-01-01

Overview of the origins, development, rapid diffusion, and current usage of the concept of social capital in the literature. Focuses on three approaches to operationalizing the concept: those of James Coleman, Pierre Bourdieu, and Robert Putnam. Discusses social capital as a resource, as goal-oriented, and as a contributor to social control and…

Types for Correct Concurrent API Usage

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-12-01

unique, full Here g is the state guarantee and A is the current abstract state of the object referenced by r. The ⊗ symbol is called the “ tensor ...to discover resources on a heterogeneous network. Votebox is an open-source implementation of software for voting machines. The Blocking queuemethod

National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center

Science.gov Websites

Overview NERSC Mission Contact us Staff Org Chart NERSC History NERSC Stakeholders Usage and User HPC Requirements Reviews NERSC HPC Achievement Awards User Submitted Research Citations NERSC User data archive NERSC Resources Table For Users Live Status User Announcements My NERSC Getting Started

A Self-Adaptive Multi-Agent System Approach for Collaborative Mobile Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de la Iglesia, Didac Gil; Calderon, Juan Felipe; Weyns, Danny; Milrad, Marcelo; Nussbaum, Miguel

2015-01-01

Mobile technologies have emerged as facilitators in the learning process, extending traditional classroom activities. However, engineering mobile learning applications for outdoor usage poses severe challenges. The requirements of these applications are challenging, as many different aspects need to be catered, such as resource access and sharing,…

Considerations on the Optimal and Efficient Processing of Information-Bearing Signals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harms, Herbert Andrew

2013-01-01

Noise is a fundamental hurdle that impedes the processing of information-bearing signals, specifically the extraction of salient information. Processing that is both optimal and efficient is desired; optimality ensures the extracted information has the highest fidelity allowed by the noise, while efficiency ensures limited resource usage. Optimal…

Improving Early Warning Systems with Categorized Course Resource Usage

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Waddington, R. Joseph; Nam, SungJin; Lonn, Steven; Teasley, Stephanie D.

2016-01-01

Early Warning Systems (EWSs) aggregate multiple sources of data to provide timely information to stakeholders about students in need of academic support. There is an increasing need to incorporate relevant data about student behaviors into the algorithms underlying EWSs to improve predictors of students' success or failure. Many EWSs currently…

Time to Discover NFM

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schaffer, Greg

2007-01-01

Managing resource usage and data delivery with virtualization devices is a staple of many of today's data infrastructures. By breaking the traditional direct physical access and inserting an abstraction layer, what one sees is what he/she gets, but the mechanics of delivery may be quite different. The reason for the increase in virtualization…

Distributed Accounting on the Grid

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thigpen, William; Hacker, Thomas J.; McGinnis, Laura F.; Athey, Brian D.

2001-01-01

By the late 1990s, the Internet was adequately equipped to move vast amounts of data between HPC (High Performance Computing) systems, and efforts were initiated to link together the national infrastructure of high performance computational and data storage resources together into a general computational utility 'grid', analogous to the national electrical power grid infrastructure. The purpose of the Computational grid is to provide dependable, consistent, pervasive, and inexpensive access to computational resources for the computing community in the form of a computing utility. This paper presents a fully distributed view of Grid usage accounting and a methodology for allocating Grid computational resources for use on a Grid computing system.

Pharmacological treatment of cardiac glycoside poisoning.

PubMed

Roberts, Darren M; Gallapatthy, Gamini; Dunuwille, Asunga; Chan, Betty S

2016-03-01

Cardiac glycosides are an important cause of poisoning, reflecting their widespread clinical usage and presence in natural sources. Poisoning can manifest as varying degrees of toxicity. Predominant clinical features include gastrointestinal signs, bradycardia and heart block. Death occurs from ventricular fibrillation or tachycardia. A wide range of treatments have been used, the more common including activated charcoal, atropine, β-adrenoceptor agonists, temporary pacing, anti-digoxin Fab and magnesium, and more novel agents include fructose-1,6-diphosphate (clinical trial in progress) and anticalin. However, even in the case of those treatments that have been in use for decades, there is debate regarding their efficacy, the indications and dosage that optimizes outcomes. This contributes to variability in use across the world. Another factor influencing usage is access. Barriers to access include the requirement for transfer to a specialized centre (for example, to receive temporary pacing) or financial resources (for example, anti-digoxin Fab in resource poor countries). Recent data suggest that existing methods for calculating the dose of anti-digoxin Fab in digoxin poisoning overstate the dose required, and that its efficacy may be minimal in patients with chronic digoxin poisoning. Cheaper and effective medicines are required, in particular for the treatment of yellow oleander poisoning which is problematic in resource poor countries. © 2015 The British Pharmacological Society.

Formation of readiness for future physics teachers by using interactive learning tools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kulikova, N. U.; Danilchuk, E. V.; Zhidkova, A. V.

2017-01-01

In this article we give the reviewing of approaches to the preparedness of future physics teachers for the usage of interactive means of education as an important part of their professional activity. We discuss the key concepts such as interactivity, an interactive dialogue, and interactive means of education. The conception of interactive means of education as a tool of teachers' professional activity, which provides a way for the students to intensify their learning in class by using interactive tools and electronic educational resources, is validated. Furthermore, it is proved that interactive means of education allow the students to intensify their learning in the course of an interactive dialogue by means of organization different types of feedback in electronic educational resources (the program behavior depending on a user actions in the form of comments, prompts, elements of arrangement of objects, etc, the control and correction of students' actions by the program, providing with recommendations for further learning, carrying out constant access to reference information, etc), involving in different types of educational activity (modeling, investigation, etc), self-selection of time, speed, content of learning, complexity and priority of the usage of educational information on the screen, etc. By training students - future teachers of physics authors consider technological aspects, methodical features and examples of creation of these resources for physics lesson.

21 CFR 173.355 - Dichlorodifluoromethane.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION (CONTINUED) SECONDARY DIRECT FOOD ADDITIVES PERMITTED IN FOOD FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION Specific Usage Additives § 173.355 Dichlorodifluoromethane. The food additive dichlorodi... additive has a purity of not less than 99.97 percent. (b) It is used or intended for use, in accordance...

21 CFR 172.755 - Stearyl monoglyceridyl citrate.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... (CONTINUED) FOOD FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION (CONTINUED) FOOD ADDITIVES PERMITTED FOR DIRECT ADDITION TO FOOD FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION Other Specific Usage Additives § 172.755 Stearyl monoglyceridyl citrate. The food additive stearyl monoglyceridyl citrate may be safely used in food in accordance with the following...

21 CFR 172.755 - Stearyl monoglyceridyl citrate.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... (CONTINUED) FOOD FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION (CONTINUED) FOOD ADDITIVES PERMITTED FOR DIRECT ADDITION TO FOOD FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION Other Specific Usage Additives § 172.755 Stearyl monoglyceridyl citrate. The food additive stearyl monoglyceridyl citrate may be safely used in food in accordance with the following...

ENHANCED CONCENTRATION AND ANALYSIS METHOD FOR MEASURING WATER SOLUABLE ENDOGENOUS COMPOUNDS IN HUMAN BREATH

EPA Science Inventory

Exhaled human breath analysis has become a standard technique for assessing exposure to exogenous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as trihalomethanes from water chlorination; aromatics, hydrocarbons, and oxygenates from fuels usage; and various chlorinated solvents from i...

21 CFR 173.350 - Combustion product gas.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION (CONTINUED) SECONDARY DIRECT FOOD ADDITIVES PERMITTED IN FOOD FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION Specific Usage Additives § 173.350 Combustion product gas. The food additive combustion product... this section for the purpose of removing and displacing oxygen in accordance with the following...

21 CFR 173.350 - Combustion product gas.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION (CONTINUED) SECONDARY DIRECT FOOD ADDITIVES PERMITTED IN FOOD FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION Specific Usage Additives § 173.350 Combustion product gas. The food additive combustion product... this section for the purpose of removing and displacing oxygen in accordance with the following...

21 CFR 173.350 - Combustion product gas.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION (CONTINUED) SECONDARY DIRECT FOOD ADDITIVES PERMITTED IN FOOD FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION Specific Usage Additives § 173.350 Combustion product gas. The food additive combustion product... this section for the purpose of removing and displacing oxygen in accordance with the following...

21 CFR 173.350 - Combustion product gas.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION (CONTINUED) SECONDARY DIRECT FOOD ADDITIVES PERMITTED IN FOOD FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION Specific Usage Additives § 173.350 Combustion product gas. The food additive combustion product... this section for the purpose of removing and displacing oxygen in accordance with the following...

21 CFR 173.355 - Dichlorodifluoromethane.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION (CONTINUED) SECONDARY DIRECT FOOD ADDITIVES PERMITTED IN FOOD FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION Specific Usage Additives § 173.355 Dichlorodifluoromethane. The food additive dichlorodi... additive has a purity of not less than 99.97 percent. (b) It is used or intended for use, in accordance...

21 CFR 173.355 - Dichlorodifluoromethane.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION (CONTINUED) SECONDARY DIRECT FOOD ADDITIVES PERMITTED IN FOOD FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION Specific Usage Additives § 173.355 Dichlorodifluoromethane. The food additive dichlorodi... additive has a purity of not less than 99.97 percent. (b) It is used or intended for use, in accordance...

21 CFR 173.355 - Dichlorodifluoromethane.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION (CONTINUED) SECONDARY DIRECT FOOD ADDITIVES PERMITTED IN FOOD FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION Specific Usage Additives § 173.355 Dichlorodifluoromethane. The food additive dichlorodi... additive has a purity of not less than 99.97 percent. (b) It is used or intended for use, in accordance...

Human serum provided additional values in growth factors supplemented medium for human chondrocytes monolayer expansion and engineered cartilage construction.

PubMed

Chua, K H; Aminuddin, B S; Fuzina, N H; Ruszymah, B H I

2004-05-01

We have previously formulated an optimized human chondrocytes growth medium based on 2% fetal bovine serum supplementation. For clinical usage, the animal serum must be replaced by patient own serum. We investigated the effects of human serum concentration for human nasal septum chondrocytes monolayer culture and cartilage reconstruction. Human serum demonstrated a dose dependent manner in promoting chondrocytes growth and cartilage engineering.

Illicit drugs and pharmaceuticals in the environment--forensic applications of environmental data. Part 1: Estimation of the usage of drugs in local communities.

PubMed

Kasprzyk-Hordern, Barbara; Dinsdale, Richard M; Guwy, Alan J

2009-06-01

Pharmaceuticals and recently also illicit drugs have been recognised as emerging environmental contaminants due to their potential environmental impact: frequent occurrence, persistence and risk to aquatic life and humans. This manuscript is part one of the two-part study aiming to provide a better understanding and application of environmental data not only for environmental aims but also to meet forensic objectives. An attempt to use wastewater data is made in order to verify patterns of the usage of drugs (in particular illicit) in local communities. The average usage of cocaine in South Wales was estimated at 0.9 g day(-1) 1000 people(-1), which equals 1 tonne of this drug used or disposed of to sewage annually in Wales. The calculated usage of amphetamine denoted 2.5 g day(-1) 1000 people(-1) and is suspected to be an overestimate. Because no analysis of enantiomers of amphetamine was undertaken, no distinction between amphetamine's legal and illicit usage could be made.

Economic, social and resource management factors influencing groundwater trade: Evidence from Victoria, Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gill, Bruce; Webb, John; Stott, Kerry; Cheng, Xiang; Wilkinson, Roger; Cossens, Brendan

2017-07-01

In Victoria, Australia, most groundwater resources are now fully allocated and opportunities for new groundwater development can only occur through trading of license entitlements. Groundwater usage has rarely exceeded 50% of the available licensed volume, even in the 2008/9 drought year, and 50 to 70% of individual license holders use less than 5% of their allocation each year. However, little groundwater trading is occurring at present. Interviews were conducted with groundwater license holders and water brokers to investigate why the Victorian groundwater trade market is underdeveloped. Responses show there is a complex mix of social, economic, institutional and technical reasons. Barriers to trade are influenced by the circumstances of each groundwater user, administrative process and resource management rules. Water brokers deal with few trades at low margins and noted unrealistic selling prices and administrative difficulties. Irrigators who have successfully traded identify that there are few participants in trading, technical appraisals are expensive and administrative requirements and fees are burdensome, especially when compared to surface water trading. Opportunities to facilitate trade include groundwater management plan refinement and improved information provision. Simplifying transaction processes and costs, demonstrating good resource stewardship and preventing third party impacts from trade could address some concerns raised by market participants. There are, however, numerous individual circumstances that inhibit groundwater trading, so it is unlikely that policy and process changes alone could increase usage rates without greater demand for groundwater or more favourable farming economic circumstances.

The silver lining: towards the responsible and limited usage of silver.

PubMed

Naik, K; Kowshik, M

2017-11-01

Silver has attracted a lot of attention as a powerful, broad spectrum and natural antimicrobial agent since the ancient times because of its nontoxic nature to the human body at low concentrations. It has been used in treatment of various infections and ulcers, storage of water and prevention of bacterial growth on the surfaces and within materials. However, there are numerous medical and health benefits of colloidal or nanosilver apart from its microbicidal ability which as yet has not been fully embraced by the medical community. These include antiplatelet activity, antioxidant effect, anticancer activity, wound healing and bone regeneration, enhancement of immunity, and increase in antibiotic efficiency. Additionally silver also provides protection against alcohol toxicity, upper respiratory tract infections and stomach ailments. Although nanosilver has been proposed for various topical applications, its usage by ingestion and inhalation remains controversial due to the lack of detailed and precise toxicity information. These beneficial properties of silver can be utilized by using silver at very low concentrations which are not harmful to the human body and environment. The following review discusses the diverse medical applications of silver and further recommends human clinical studies for its in vivo usage. #x00A9; 2017 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Attractor neural networks with resource-efficient synaptic connectivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pehlevan, Cengiz; Sengupta, Anirvan

Memories are thought to be stored in the attractor states of recurrent neural networks. Here we explore how resource constraints interplay with memory storage function to shape synaptic connectivity of attractor networks. We propose that given a set of memories, in the form of population activity patterns, the neural circuit choses a synaptic connectivity configuration that minimizes a resource usage cost. We argue that the total synaptic weight (l1-norm) in the network measures the resource cost because synaptic weight is correlated with synaptic volume, which is a limited resource, and is proportional to neurotransmitter release and post-synaptic current, both of which cost energy. Using numerical simulations and replica theory, we characterize optimal connectivity profiles in resource-efficient attractor networks. Our theory explains several experimental observations on cortical connectivity profiles, 1) connectivity is sparse, because synapses are costly, 2) bidirectional connections are overrepresented and 3) are stronger, because attractor states need strong recurrence.

Improving ICT Governance by Reorganizing Operation of ICT and Software Applications: The First Step to Outsource

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johansson, Björn

During recent years great attention has been paid to outsourcing as well as to the reverse, insourcing (Dibbern et al., 2004). There has been a strong focus on how the management of software applications and information and communication technology (ICT), expressed as ICT management versus ICT governance, should be carried out (Grembergen, 2004). The maintenance and operation of software applications and ICT use a lot of the resources spent on ICT in organizations today (Bearingpoint, 2004), and managers are asked to increase the business benefits of these investments (Weill & Ross, 2004). That is, they are asked to improve the usage of ICT and to develop new business critical solutions supported by ICT. It also means that investments in ICT and software applications need to be shown to be worthwhile. Basically there are two considerations to take into account with ICT usage: cost reduction and improving business value. How the governance and management of ICT and software applications are organized is important. This means that the improvement of the control of maintenance and operation may be of interest to executives of organizations. It can be stated that usage is dependent on how it is organized. So, if an increase of ICT governance is the same as having well-organized ICT resources, could this be seen as the first step in organizations striving for external provision of ICT? This question is dealt with to some degree in this paper.

Addressing underutilization of consumer health information resource centers: a formative study*

PubMed Central

Kennedy, May G.; Kiken, Laura; Shipman, Jean P.

2008-01-01

Problem: Four consumer health information centers in Richmond, Virginia, provide one-on-one assistance in accessing health information. Because they may not be fully utilized at present, an exploratory marketing study of factors affecting usage of the centers was conducted. Method: Observers counted center passers-by and tracked their paths. Also, brief intercept interviews were conducted with people who had just used a center, people nearby who could have used one but did not, and people on the street. Finally, in-depth individual interviews were conducted with key informants. Results: There was a high degree of satisfaction with the centers among users. Nonusers universally endorsed the center concept. However, most passers-by did not even glance at the centers, and intercept interviewees suggested better signage and promoting the resource centers through various media channels. Key informants added suggestions about interpersonal strategies (e.g., physician referrals) for center usage promotion but cautioned that a large increase in traffic could not be accommodated without increasing staff size or shifting from a model of individualized service. Conclusions: Triangulating findings from multiple data collection methods can provide useful guidance for efforts to promote center utilization. At minimum, steps should be taken to make the largest centers more noticeable. Because center utilization is not only associated with consumer satisfaction with hospitals, but may also foster health literacy, both hospital-based and community-based usage promotion strategies may be warranted. All such promotional strategies should be audience-tested before they are adopted. PMID:18219380

Addressing underutilization of consumer health information resource centers: a formative study.

PubMed

Kennedy, May G; Kiken, Laura; Shipman, Jean P

2008-01-01

Four consumer health information centers in Richmond, Virginia, provide one-on-one assistance in accessing health information. Because they may not be fully utilized at present, an exploratory marketing study of factors affecting usage of the centers was conducted. Observers counted center passers-by and tracked their paths. Also, brief intercept interviews were conducted with people who had just used a center, people nearby who could have used one but did not, and people on the street. Finally, in-depth individual interviews were conducted with key informants. There was a high degree of satisfaction with the centers among users. Nonusers universally endorsed the center concept. However, most passers-by did not even glance at the centers, and intercept interviewees suggested better signage and promoting the resource centers through various media channels. Key informants added suggestions about interpersonal strategies (e.g., physician referrals) for center usage promotion but cautioned that a large increase in traffic could not be accommodated without increasing staff size or shifting from a model of individualized service. Triangulating findings from multiple data collection methods can provide useful guidance for efforts to promote center utilization. At minimum, steps should be taken to make the largest centers more noticeable. Because center utilization is not only associated with consumer satisfaction with hospitals, but may also foster health literacy, both hospital-based and community-based usage promotion strategies may be warranted. All such promotional strategies should be audience-tested before they are adopted.

21 CFR 172.715 - Calcium lignosulfonate.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) FOOD ADDITIVES PERMITTED FOR DIRECT ADDITION TO FOOD FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION Other Specific Usage Additives § 172... intended physical or technical effect when added as a dispersing agent and stabilizer in pesticides for...

21 CFR 172.720 - Calcium lactobionate.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... HUMAN CONSUMPTION (CONTINUED) FOOD ADDITIVES PERMITTED FOR DIRECT ADDITION TO FOOD FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION Other Specific Usage Additives § 172.720 Calcium lactobionate. The food additive calcium lactobionate... additive is the calcium salt of lactobionic acid (4-(β,D-galactosido)-D-gluconic acid) produced by the...

21 CFR 172.720 - Calcium lactobionate.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... HUMAN CONSUMPTION (CONTINUED) FOOD ADDITIVES PERMITTED FOR DIRECT ADDITION TO FOOD FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION Other Specific Usage Additives § 172.720 Calcium lactobionate. The food additive calcium lactobionate... additive is the calcium salt of lactobionic acid (4-(β,D-galactosido)-D-gluconic acid) produced by the...

Identifying new patient prospects: efficacy of usage segmentation. For some health care services, usage-based segmentation schemes can be wasteful and ineffective.

PubMed

Sarel, D; Marmorstein, H

1996-01-01

Even though there is intuitive appeal in identifying the user profile for a given service and then targeting similar nonusers, this approach can be very misleading when marketing health care services with low market penetration. If usage segmentation is employed without checking other indicators of latent demand and perceived barriers to use, significant misallocation of marketing resources is likely to occur. Confidentiality and embarrassment can be significant barriers to use by segments that are excellent patient prospects. In this study of mental and behavioral care, females and non-whites were found to be more concerned with confidentiality than were members of the user group. Lack of awareness can be a much bigger impediment to adoption than negative attitudes. Health care marketers need to design communications that not only increase awareness and familiarity for services with low market penetration, but also address other issues of concern to highly receptive segments.

TOXICITY TESTING IN THE 21ST CENTURY: A VISION AND A STRATEGY

PubMed Central

Krewski, Daniel; Acosta, Daniel; Andersen, Melvin; Anderson, Henry; Bailar, John C.; Boekelheide, Kim; Brent, Robert; Charnley, Gail; Cheung, Vivian G.; Green, Sidney; Kelsey, Karl T.; Kerkvliet, Nancy I.; Li, Abby A.; McCray, Lawrence; Meyer, Otto; Patterson, Reid D.; Pennie, William; Scala, Robert A.; Solomon, Gina M.; Stephens, Martin; Yager, James; Zeise, Lauren

2015-01-01

With the release of the landmark report Toxicity Testing in the 21st Century: A Vision and a Strategy, the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, in 2007, precipitated a major change in the way toxicity testing is conducted. It envisions increased efficiency in toxicity testing and decreased animal usage by transitioning from current expensive and lengthy in vivo testing with qualitative endpoints to in vitro toxicity pathway assays on human cells or cell lines using robotic high-throughput screening with mechanistic quantitative parameters. Risk assessment in the exposed human population would focus on avoiding significant perturbations in these toxicity pathways. Computational systems biology models would be implemented to determine the dose-response models of perturbations of pathway function. Extrapolation of in vitro results to in vivo human blood and tissue concentrations would be based on pharmacokinetic models for the given exposure condition. This practice would enhance human relevance of test results, and would cover several test agents, compared to traditional toxicological testing strategies. As all the tools that are necessary to implement the vision are currently available or in an advanced stage of development, the key prerequisites to achieving this paradigm shift are a commitment to change in the scientific community, which could be facilitated by a broad discussion of the vision, and obtaining necessary resources to enhance current knowledge of pathway perturbations and pathway assays in humans and to implement computational systems biology models. Implementation of these strategies would result in a new toxicity testing paradigm firmly based on human biology. PMID:20574894

ExPASy: SIB bioinformatics resource portal.

PubMed

Artimo, Panu; Jonnalagedda, Manohar; Arnold, Konstantin; Baratin, Delphine; Csardi, Gabor; de Castro, Edouard; Duvaud, Séverine; Flegel, Volker; Fortier, Arnaud; Gasteiger, Elisabeth; Grosdidier, Aurélien; Hernandez, Céline; Ioannidis, Vassilios; Kuznetsov, Dmitry; Liechti, Robin; Moretti, Sébastien; Mostaguir, Khaled; Redaschi, Nicole; Rossier, Grégoire; Xenarios, Ioannis; Stockinger, Heinz

2012-07-01

ExPASy (http://www.expasy.org) has worldwide reputation as one of the main bioinformatics resources for proteomics. It has now evolved, becoming an extensible and integrative portal accessing many scientific resources, databases and software tools in different areas of life sciences. Scientists can henceforth access seamlessly a wide range of resources in many different domains, such as proteomics, genomics, phylogeny/evolution, systems biology, population genetics, transcriptomics, etc. The individual resources (databases, web-based and downloadable software tools) are hosted in a 'decentralized' way by different groups of the SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics and partner institutions. Specifically, a single web portal provides a common entry point to a wide range of resources developed and operated by different SIB groups and external institutions. The portal features a search function across 'selected' resources. Additionally, the availability and usage of resources are monitored. The portal is aimed for both expert users and people who are not familiar with a specific domain in life sciences. The new web interface provides, in particular, visual guidance for newcomers to ExPASy.

Gauging User Interest in Non-Traditional Library Resources

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

Sandberg, Tami; Abbott, Jennifer

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is a government funded research laboratory based in Golden, Colorado. In addition to collecting traditional library resources such as journals, conference proceedings, and print and electronic books, the library also spends a significant portion of its collection development funds on resources not often found in many libraries: technical industry standards (e.g., ISO, IEC, ASTM, IEEE) and energy-related market reports. Assessing user needs for these resources is difficult for a number of reasons, particularly because standardized usage statistics are lacking or non-existent. Standards and market reports are generally costly and include fairly restrictive license agreements,more » which increase the importance of making informed collection development decisions. This presentation will discuss the NREL Library's current collection assessment and development practices as they relate to these unique resources.« less

[Influence of mental rotation of objects on psychophysiological functions of women].

PubMed

Chikina, L V; Fedorchuk, S V; Trushina, V A; Ianchuk, P I; Makarchuk, M Iu

2012-01-01

An integral part of activity of modern human beings is an involvement to work with the computer systems which, in turn, produces a nervous - emotional tension. Hence, a problem of control of the psychophysiological state of workmen with the purpose of health preservation and success of their activity and the problem of application of rehabilitational actions are actual. At present it is known that the efficiency of rehabilitational procedures rises following application of the complex of regenerative programs. Previously performed by us investigation showed that mental rotation is capable to compensate the consequences of a nervous - emotional tension. Therefore, in the present work we investigated how the complex of spatial tasks developed by us influences psychophysiological performances of tested women for which the psycho-emotional tension with the usage of computer technologies is more essential, and the procedure of mental rotation is more complex task for them, than for men. The complex of spatial tasks applied in the given work included: mental rotation of simple objects (letters and digits), mental rotation of complex objects (geometrical figures) and mental rotation of complex objects with the usage of a short-term memory. Execution of the complex of spatial tasks reduces the time of simple and complex sensomotor response, raises parameters of a short-term memory, brain work capacity and improves nervous processes. Collectively, mental rotation of objects can be recommended as a rehabilitational resource for compensation of consequences of any psycho-emotional strain, both for men, and for women.

Usage of Nest Materials by House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) Along an Urban to Rural Gradient in Coimbatore, India.

PubMed

Radhamany, Dhanya; Das, Karumampoyil Sakthidas Anoop; Azeez, Parappurath Abdul; Wen, Longying; Sreekala, Leelambika Krishnan

2016-08-01

The house sparrow (Passer domesticus) is a widely distributed bird species found throughout the world. Being a species which has close association with humans, they chiefly nest on man-made structures. Here we describe the materials used by the house sparrow for making nests along an urban to rural gradient. For the current study, we selected the Coimbatore to Anaikatty road (State Highway-164), a 27 km inter-state highway, which traverses along an urban core to rural outstretch of Coimbatore. Of the 30 nests observed, 15 nests were from the rural, 8 were from the suburban, and 7 were from the urban areas. The nests had two distinct layers, specifically the structural layer and the inner lining. In the current study, we identified 11 plant species, 2 types of animal matter, and 6 types of anthropogenic matter, including plastic pieces and fine rope. The amount of anthropogenic materials in the nest formation varied along the gradients. The usage of anthropogenic materials was high in urban areas (p<0.05) whereas it did not differ at the sub-urban regions (p>0.05). A gradual decrease in the usage of plant matter towards the urban area was noticed (p<0.05). This study explicitly documents the links between nest material usage along an urban to rural gradient, in a human associated bird.

Association between HIV-1 coreceptor usage and resistance to broadly neutralizing antibodies.

PubMed

Pfeifer, Nico; Walter, Hauke; Lengauer, Thomas

2014-10-01

Recently discovered broadly neutralizing antibodies have revitalized hopes of developing a universal vaccine against HIV-1. Mainly responsible for new infections are variants only using CCR5 for cell entry, whereas CXCR4-using variants can become dominant in later infection stages. We performed a statistical analysis on two different previously published data sets. The first data set was a panel of 199 diverse HIV-1 isolates for which IC50 neutralization titers were determined for the broadly neutralizing antibodies VRC01, VRC-PG04, PG9, and PG16. The second data set contained env sequences of viral variants extracted from HIV-1-infected humanized mice treated with the antibody PGT128 and from untreated control mice. For the panel of 199 diverse HIV-1 isolates, we found a statistically significant association between viral resistance to PG9 and PG16 and CXCR4 coreceptor usage (P = 0.0011 and P = 0.0010, respectively). Our analysis of viral variants from HIV-1-infected humanized mice under treatment with the broadly neutralizing antibody PGT128 indicated that certain antibodies might drive a viral population toward developing CXCR4 coreceptor usage capability (P = 0.0011 for the comparison between PGT128 and control measurement). These analyses highlight the importance of accounting for a possible coreceptor usage bias pertaining to the effectiveness of an HIV vaccine and to passive antibody transfer as therapeutic approach.

Exploring consumer exposure pathways and patterns of use for chemicals in the environment.

PubMed

Dionisio, Kathie L; Frame, Alicia M; Goldsmith, Michael-Rock; Wambaugh, John F; Liddell, Alan; Cathey, Tommy; Smith, Doris; Vail, James; Ernstoff, Alexi S; Fantke, Peter; Jolliet, Olivier; Judson, Richard S

2015-01-01

Humans are exposed to thousands of chemicals in the workplace, home, and via air, water, food, and soil. A major challenge in estimating chemical exposures is to understand which chemicals are present in these media and microenvironments. Here we describe the Chemical/Product Categories Database (CPCat), a new, publically available (http://actor.epa.gov/cpcat) database of information on chemicals mapped to "use categories" describing the usage or function of the chemical. CPCat was created by combining multiple and diverse sources of data on consumer- and industrial-process based chemical uses from regulatory agencies, manufacturers, and retailers in various countries. The database uses a controlled vocabulary of 833 terms and a novel nomenclature to capture and streamline descriptors of chemical use for 43,596 chemicals from the various sources. Examples of potential applications of CPCat are provided, including identifying chemicals to which children may be exposed and to support prioritization of chemicals for toxicity screening. CPCat is expected to be a valuable resource for regulators, risk assessors, and exposure scientists to identify potential sources of human exposures and exposure pathways, particularly for use in high-throughput chemical exposure assessment.

Determination of Coreceptor Usage of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 from Patient Plasma Samples by Using a Recombinant Phenotypic Assay

PubMed Central

Trouplin, Virginie; Salvatori, Francesca; Cappello, Fanny; Obry, Veronique; Brelot, Anne; Heveker, Nikolaus; Alizon, Marc; Scarlatti, Gabriella; Clavel, François; Mammano, Fabrizio

2001-01-01

We developed a recombinant virus technique to determine the coreceptor usage of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) from plasma samples, the source expected to represent the most actively replicating virus population in infected subjects. This method is not subject to selective bias associated with virus isolation in culture, a step required for conventional tropism determination procedures. The addition of a simple subcloning step allowed semiquantitative evaluation of virus populations with a different coreceptor (CCR5 or CXCR4) usage specificity present in each plasma sample. This procedure detected mixtures of CCR5- and CXCR4-exclusive virus populations as well as dualtropic viral variants, in variable proportions. Sequence analysis of dualtropic clones indicated that changes in the V3 loop are necessary for the use of CXCR4 as a coreceptor, but the overall context of the V1-V3 region is important to preserve the capacity to use CCR5. This convenient technique can greatly assist the study of virus evolution and compartmentalization in infected individuals. PMID:11119595

The poly(A)-binding protein nuclear 1 suppresses alternative cleavage and polyadenylation sites.

PubMed

Jenal, Mathias; Elkon, Ran; Loayza-Puch, Fabricio; van Haaften, Gijs; Kühn, Uwe; Menzies, Fiona M; Oude Vrielink, Joachim A F; Bos, Arnold J; Drost, Jarno; Rooijers, Koos; Rubinsztein, David C; Agami, Reuven

2012-04-27

Alternative cleavage and polyadenylation (APA) is emerging as an important layer of gene regulation. Factors controlling APA are largely unknown. We developed a reporter-based RNAi screen for APA and identified PABPN1 as a regulator of this process. Genome-wide analysis of APA in human cells showed that loss of PABPN1 resulted in extensive 3' untranslated region shortening. Messenger RNA transcription, stability analyses, and in vitro cleavage assays indicated enhanced usage of proximal cleavage sites (CSs) as the underlying mechanism. Using Cyclin D1 as a test case, we demonstrated that enhanced usage of proximal CSs compromises microRNA-mediated repression. Triplet-repeat expansion in PABPN1 (trePABPN1) causes autosomal-dominant oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OPMD). The expression of trePABPN1 in both a mouse model of OPMD and human cells elicited broad induction of proximal CS usage, linked to binding to endogenous PABPN1 and its sequestration in nuclear aggregates. Our results elucidate a novel function for PABPN1 as a suppressor of APA. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Energy Information Abstracts Annual 1988. Volume 13.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yuster, Leigh C., Ed.; And Others

This publication is a compilation of information and resource material concerning energy for the year 1988. The first section details the coverage and usage of this volume. Section 2 contains a review of events in 1988, a compilation of statistical information, an article concerning coal flyash utilization, and a listing of conferences and events…

Evaluating Junior Secondary Science Textbook Usage in Australian Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McDonald, Christine V.

2016-01-01

A large body of research has drawn attention to the importance of providing engaging learning experiences in junior secondary science classes, in an attempt to attract more students into post-compulsory science courses. The reality of time and resource constraints, and the high proportion of non-specialist science teachers teaching science, has…

Environment: General; Grammar & Usage; Money Management; Music History; Web Page Creation & Design.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Web Feet, 2001

2001-01-01

Describes Web site resources for elementary and secondary education in the topics of: environment, grammar, money management, music history, and Web page creation and design. Each entry includes an illustration of a sample page on the site and an indication of the grade levels for which it is appropriate. (AEF)

IT Resources - Betty Petersen Memorial Library

Science.gov Websites

Available NOAA-wide. Note: This link takes you to a nonfederal website. Guide for usage Apress.com Free eBooks Free eBooks available through Apress publishers. Topics include PHP, Perl, and programming VB .Net . Note: This link takes you to a nonfederal website. Online Programming Books Free programming books

Information Resources Usage in Project Management Digital Learning System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davidovitch, Nitza; Belichenko, Margarita; Kravchenko, Yurii

2017-01-01

The article combines a theoretical approach to structuring knowledge that is based on the integrated use of fuzzy semantic network theory predicates, Boolean functions, theory of complexity of network structures and some practical aspects to be considered in the distance learning at the university. The paper proposes a methodological approach that…

Optimization of Wastewater Lift Stations for Reduction of Energy Usage and Greenhouse Gas Emissions (WERF Report INFR3R11)

EPA Science Inventory

One of the major contributions of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions from water resource recovery facilities results from the energy used by the pumping regime of the lift stations. This project demonstrated an energy-efficient control method of lift station system operation that uti...

A Campus-Community Partnership to Disseminate Health Internet Technology Resources among African Americans

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Littlefield, Melissa B.; Edwards, Lorece; Akers, Timothy

2014-01-01

The Internet is increasingly used to disseminate health information about diseases and prevention and to help in obtaining health services. Although technology can empower African Americans to adopt healthy lifestyles, the gap in usage between African Americans and Whites undermines the potential power of health Internet technology (IT) to…

Students, Librarians, and Subject Guides: Improving a Poor Rate of Return

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reeb, Brenda; Gibbons, Susan

2004-01-01

Librarians use subject guides to introduce students to library materials. Surveys, usability tests, and usage statistics demonstrate that students do not relate well to subject guides. We suggest that library resources organized or delivered at a course level are more in line with how undergraduate students approach library research. (Contains 26…

An Exemplary Lesson on Education for Sustainable Development: A Case in Malaysia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mee, Lee Shok

2017-01-01

Malaysian mangrove resources are exploited for woods, fisheries, wildlife, agriculture, and in recent decades for aquaculture and ecotourism. Such exploitations are often unsustainable, particularly when there is permanent change in land usage. In the last four decades, it is estimated that the overall loss in mangrove areas is over 16 percent…

Seeking Comfort: How and Why Preservice Teachers Use Internet Resources for Lesson Planning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sawyer, Amanda G.; Myers, Joy

2018-01-01

This study examined 158 lesson plans at one institution across two teacher education programs, inclusive early childhood and elementary education, to determine the impact of Internet usage as inspiration on preservice teachers' lesson plans. Fisher's exact test determined statistically significant differences between the Internet use of preservice…

Web Usage Mining Analysis of Federated Search Tools for Egyptian Scholars

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mohamed, Khaled A.; Hassan, Ahmed

2008-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to examine the behaviour of the Egyptian scholars while accessing electronic resources through two federated search tools. The main purpose of this article is to provide guidance for federated search tool technicians and support teams about user issues, including the need for training. Design/methodology/approach: Log…

Circulating a Good Service Model at Its Core: Circulation!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hernandez, Edmee Sofia; Germain, Carol Anne, Ed.

2009-01-01

Circulation is the library's tireless foot soldier: it serves as the front gate to the library's services and resources. This service point is where most patrons enter and leave; and experience their first and last impressions--impressions that linger. In an age when academic libraries are facing meager budgets and declining usage statistics, this…

Web Usage Mining: Application to an Online Educational Digital Library Service

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Palmer, Bart C.

2012-01-01

This dissertation was situated in the crossroads of educational data mining (EDM), educational digital libraries (such as the National Science Digital Library; http://nsdl.org), and examination of teacher behaviors while creating online learning resources in an end-user authoring system, the Instructional Architect (IA; http://ia.usu.edu). The…

How to Analyze Company Using Social Network?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palus, Sebastian; Bródka, Piotr; Kazienko, Przemysław

Every single company or institution wants to utilize its resources in the most efficient way. In order to do so they have to be have good structure. The new way to analyze company structure by utilizing existing within company natural social network and example of its usage on Enron company are presented in this paper.

Crib Notes for Test Prep

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paulk, J. Sara

2009-01-01

Over the past year, libraries have made the national news owing to soaring public usage driven by tough economic times. Much of this increased traffic stems from patrons coming to their local branches to use resources that will help them improve their chances at employment. While some demand practical job-hunting and career materials to help them…

Internet Usage and Competitive Advantage: The Impact of the Internet on an Old Economy Industry in Spain.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

del Aguila Obra, Ana Rosa; Bruque Camara, Sebastian; Padilla Melendez, Antonio

2002-01-01

Considers whether Internet technologies have led to competitive advantage for companies operating in traditional industries. Highlights include a literature review; using the resource-based view (RBV) of firms as a theoretical framework for an empirical investigation; and a survey that investigated Internet technologies and competitive advantage…

Conjunctive management of surface and groundwater resources under projected future climate change scenarios

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

Mani, Amir; Tsai, Frank T. -C.; Kao, Shih-Chieh

Our study introduces a mixed integer linear fractional programming (MILFP) method to optimize conjunctive use of future surface water and groundwater resources under projected climate change scenarios. The conjunctive management model maximizes the ratio of groundwater usage to reservoir water usage. Future inflows to the reservoirs were estimated from the future runoffs projected through hydroclimate modeling considering the Variable Infiltration Capacity model, and 11 sets of downscaled Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5 global climate model projections. Bayesian model averaging was adopted to quantify uncertainty in future runoff projections and reservoir inflow projections due to uncertain future climate projections. Optimizedmore » conjunctive management solutions were investigated for a water supply network in northern Louisiana which includes the Sparta aquifer. Runoff projections under climate change scenarios indicate that runoff will likely decrease in winter and increase in other seasons. Ultimately, results from the developed conjunctive management model with MILFP indicate that the future reservoir water, even at 2.5% low inflow cumulative probability level, could counterbalance groundwater pumping reduction to satisfy demands while improving the Sparta aquifer through conditional groundwater head constraint.« less

Implementation of a high precision multi-measurement time-to-digital convertor on a Kintex-7 FPGA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuang, Jie; Wang, Yonggang; Cao, Qiang; Liu, Chong

2018-05-01

Time-to-digital convertors (TDCs) based on field programmable gate array (FPGA) are becoming more and more popular. Multi-measurement is an effective method to improve TDC precision beyond the cell delay limitation. However, the implementation of TDC with multi-measurement on FPGAs manufactured with 28 nm and more advanced process is facing new challenges. Benefiting from the ones-counter encoding scheme, which was developed in our previous work, we implement a ring oscillator multi-measurement TDC on a Xilinx Kintex-7 FPGA. Using the two TDC channels to measure time-intervals in the range (0 ns-30 ns), the average RMS precision can be improved to 5.76 ps, meanwhile the logic resource usage remains the same with the one-measurement TDC, and the TDC dead time is only 22 ns. The investigation demonstrates that the multi-measurement methods are still available for current main-stream FPGAs. Furthermore, the new implementation in this paper could make the trade-off among the time precision, resource usage and TDC dead time better than ever before.

Conjunctive management of surface and groundwater resources under projected future climate change scenarios

DOE PAGES

Mani, Amir; Tsai, Frank T. -C.; Kao, Shih-Chieh; ...

2016-06-16

Our study introduces a mixed integer linear fractional programming (MILFP) method to optimize conjunctive use of future surface water and groundwater resources under projected climate change scenarios. The conjunctive management model maximizes the ratio of groundwater usage to reservoir water usage. Future inflows to the reservoirs were estimated from the future runoffs projected through hydroclimate modeling considering the Variable Infiltration Capacity model, and 11 sets of downscaled Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5 global climate model projections. Bayesian model averaging was adopted to quantify uncertainty in future runoff projections and reservoir inflow projections due to uncertain future climate projections. Optimizedmore » conjunctive management solutions were investigated for a water supply network in northern Louisiana which includes the Sparta aquifer. Runoff projections under climate change scenarios indicate that runoff will likely decrease in winter and increase in other seasons. Ultimately, results from the developed conjunctive management model with MILFP indicate that the future reservoir water, even at 2.5% low inflow cumulative probability level, could counterbalance groundwater pumping reduction to satisfy demands while improving the Sparta aquifer through conditional groundwater head constraint.« less

Running ATLAS workloads within massively parallel distributed applications using Athena Multi-Process framework (AthenaMP)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Calafiura, Paolo; Leggett, Charles; Seuster, Rolf; Tsulaia, Vakhtang; Van Gemmeren, Peter

2015-12-01

AthenaMP is a multi-process version of the ATLAS reconstruction, simulation and data analysis framework Athena. By leveraging Linux fork and copy-on-write mechanisms, it allows for sharing of memory pages between event processors running on the same compute node with little to no change in the application code. Originally targeted to optimize the memory footprint of reconstruction jobs, AthenaMP has demonstrated that it can reduce the memory usage of certain configurations of ATLAS production jobs by a factor of 2. AthenaMP has also evolved to become the parallel event-processing core of the recently developed ATLAS infrastructure for fine-grained event processing (Event Service) which allows the running of AthenaMP inside massively parallel distributed applications on hundreds of compute nodes simultaneously. We present the architecture of AthenaMP, various strategies implemented by AthenaMP for scheduling workload to worker processes (for example: Shared Event Queue and Shared Distributor of Event Tokens) and the usage of AthenaMP in the diversity of ATLAS event processing workloads on various computing resources: Grid, opportunistic resources and HPC.

Electrical Resistivity Technique for Groundwater Exploration in Quaternary Deposit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aziman, M.; Hazreek, Z. A. M.; Azhar, A. T. S.; Fahmy, K. A.; Faizal, T. B. M.; Sabariah, M.; Ambak, K.; Ismail, M. A. M.

2018-04-01

The water security for University Tun Hussein Onn (UTHM) campus was initiated to find alternative sources of water supply. This research began with finding the soil profiles using the geophysical electrical resistivity method across UTHM campus. The resistivity results were calibrated with previous borehole data as well as via groundwater drilling. The drilling work was discovered the groundwater aquifer characterized by the fractured fresh igneous rock at a depth between 43 meter and 55 meter. Further drilling was continued until 100 meter in depth. However, due to not encounter a new rock fractured zone causes the groundwater quantity did not improve even was drilled up to 100 meter depth. In the perspective of water resources, it showed a good potential for water resources for local usages at 104 m3 per day. In addition, the groundwater quality showed the water treatment was required to fulfil the criterion of the national drinking water standards. This study concluded that the first layer of fractured bedrock at UTHM was able to produce significant amounts of groundwater for local consumption usage.

Genomic and metagenomic diversity of antibiotic resistance in dairy animals

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Antibiotic resistance in food animals has received increased scrutiny in recent years due to the increased prevalence of antibiotic resistant infections in the human clinical setting. The extent to which antibiotic usage in food animals is responsible for the burden of antibiotic resistance in human...

21 CFR 172.730 - Potassium bromate.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... HUMAN CONSUMPTION (CONTINUED) FOOD ADDITIVES PERMITTED FOR DIRECT ADDITION TO FOOD FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION Other Specific Usage Additives § 172.730 Potassium bromate. The food additive potassium bromate may be... intended for use in the malting of barley under conditions whereby the amount of the additive present in...

21 CFR 172.730 - Potassium bromate.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... HUMAN CONSUMPTION (CONTINUED) FOOD ADDITIVES PERMITTED FOR DIRECT ADDITION TO FOOD FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION Other Specific Usage Additives § 172.730 Potassium bromate. The food additive potassium bromate may be... intended for use in the malting of barley under conditions whereby the amount of the additive present in...

Defense Human Resources Activity > PERSEREC

Science.gov Websites

Skip to main content (Press Enter). Toggle navigation Defense Human Resources Activity Search Search Defense Human Resources Activity: Search Search Defense Human Resources Activity: Search Defense Human Resources Activity U.S. Department of Defense Defense Human Resources Activity Overview

Intervention complexity--a conceptual framework to inform priority-setting in health.

PubMed Central

Gericke, Christian A.; Kurowski, Christoph; Ranson, M. Kent; Mills, Anne

2005-01-01

Health interventions vary substantially in the degree of effort required to implement them. To some extent this is apparent in their financial cost, but the nature and availability of non-financial resources is often of similar importance. In particular, human resource requirements are frequently a major constraint. We propose a conceptual framework for the analysis of interventions according to their degree of technical complexity; this complements the notion of institutional capacity in considering the feasibility of implementing an intervention. Interventions are categorized into four dimensions: characteristics of the basic intervention; characteristics of delivery; requirements on government capacity; and usage characteristics. The analysis of intervention complexity should lead to a better understanding of supply- and demand-side constraints to scaling up, indicate priorities for further research and development, and can point to potential areas for improvement of specific aspects of each intervention to close the gap between the complexity of an intervention and the capacity to implement it. The framework is illustrated using the examples of scaling up condom social marketing programmes, and the DOTS strategy for tuberculosis control in highly resource-constrained countries. The framework could be used as a tool for policy-makers, planners and programme managers when considering the expansion of existing projects or the introduction of new interventions. Intervention complexity thus complements the considerations of burden of disease, cost-effectiveness, affordability and political feasibility in health policy decision-making. Reducing the technical complexity of interventions will be crucial to meeting the health-related Millennium Development Goals. PMID:15868020

Intervention complexity--a conceptual framework to inform priority-setting in health.

PubMed

Gericke, Christian A; Kurowski, Christoph; Ranson, M Kent; Mills, Anne

2005-04-01

Health interventions vary substantially in the degree of effort required to implement them. To some extent this is apparent in their financial cost, but the nature and availability of non-financial resources is often of similar importance. In particular, human resource requirements are frequently a major constraint. We propose a conceptual framework for the analysis of interventions according to their degree of technical complexity; this complements the notion of institutional capacity in considering the feasibility of implementing an intervention. Interventions are categorized into four dimensions: characteristics of the basic intervention; characteristics of delivery; requirements on government capacity; and usage characteristics. The analysis of intervention complexity should lead to a better understanding of supply- and demand-side constraints to scaling up, indicate priorities for further research and development, and can point to potential areas for improvement of specific aspects of each intervention to close the gap between the complexity of an intervention and the capacity to implement it. The framework is illustrated using the examples of scaling up condom social marketing programmes, and the DOTS strategy for tuberculosis control in highly resource-constrained countries. The framework could be used as a tool for policy-makers, planners and programme managers when considering the expansion of existing projects or the introduction of new interventions. Intervention complexity thus complements the considerations of burden of disease, cost-effectiveness, affordability and political feasibility in health policy decision-making. Reducing the technical complexity of interventions will be crucial to meeting the health-related Millennium Development Goals.

Elastic Extension of a CMS Computing Centre Resources on External Clouds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Codispoti, G.; Di Maria, R.; Aiftimiei, C.; Bonacorsi, D.; Calligola, P.; Ciaschini, V.; Costantini, A.; Dal Pra, S.; DeGirolamo, D.; Grandi, C.; Michelotto, D.; Panella, M.; Peco, G.; Sapunenko, V.; Sgaravatto, M.; Taneja, S.; Zizzi, G.

2016-10-01

After the successful LHC data taking in Run-I and in view of the future runs, the LHC experiments are facing new challenges in the design and operation of the computing facilities. The computing infrastructure for Run-II is dimensioned to cope at most with the average amount of data recorded. The usage peaks, as already observed in Run-I, may however originate large backlogs, thus delaying the completion of the data reconstruction and ultimately the data availability for physics analysis. In order to cope with the production peaks, CMS - along the lines followed by other LHC experiments - is exploring the opportunity to access Cloud resources provided by external partners or commercial providers. Specific use cases have already been explored and successfully exploited during Long Shutdown 1 (LS1) and the first part of Run 2. In this work we present the proof of concept of the elastic extension of a CMS site, specifically the Bologna Tier-3, on an external OpenStack infrastructure. We focus on the “Cloud Bursting” of a CMS Grid site using a newly designed LSF configuration that allows the dynamic registration of new worker nodes to LSF. In this approach, the dynamically added worker nodes instantiated on the OpenStack infrastructure are transparently accessed by the LHC Grid tools and at the same time they serve as an extension of the farm for the local usage. The amount of resources allocated thus can be elastically modeled to cope up with the needs of CMS experiment and local users. Moreover, a direct access/integration of OpenStack resources to the CMS workload management system is explored. In this paper we present this approach, we report on the performances of the on-demand allocated resources, and we discuss the lessons learned and the next steps.

Study of sandy soil grain-size distribution on its deformation properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Antropova, L. B.; Gruzin, A. V.; Gildebrandt, M. I.; Malaya, L. D.; Nikulina, V. B.

2018-04-01

As a rule, new oil and gas fields' development faces the challenges of providing construction objects with material and mineral resources, for example, medium sand soil for buildings and facilities footings of the technological infrastructure under construction. This problem solution seems to lie in a rational usage of the existing environmental resources, soils included. The study was made of a medium sand soil grain-size distribution impact on its deformation properties. Based on the performed investigations, a technique for controlling sandy soil deformation properties was developed.

Quantitative Analysis of the Usage of the COSMOS Science Education Portal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sotiriou, Sofoklis; Bogner, Franz X.; Neofotistos, George

2011-08-01

A quantitative method of mapping the web usage of an innovative educational portal is applied to analyze the behaviour of users of the COSMOS Science Education Portal. The COSMOS Portal contains user-generated resources (that are uploaded by its users). It has been designed to support a science teacher's search, retrieval and access to both, scientific and educational resources. It also aims to introduce in and familiarize teachers with an innovative methodology for designing, expressing and representing educational practices in a commonly understandable way through the use of user-friendly authoring tools that are available through the portal. As a new science education portal that includes user-generated content, the COSMOS Portal encounters the well-known "new product/service challenge": to convince the users to use its tools, which facilitate quite fast lesson planning and lesson preparation activities. To respond to this challenge, the COSMOS Portal operators implemented a validation process by analyzing the usage data of the portal in a 10 month time-period. The data analyzed comprised: (a) the temporal evolution of the number of contributors and the amount of content uploaded to the COSMOS Portal; (b) the number of portal visitors (categorized as all-visitors, new-visitors, and returning-visitors) and (c) visitor loyalty parameters (such as page-views; pages/visit; average time on site; depth of visit; length of visit). The data is augmented with data associated with the usage context (e.g. the time of day when most of the activities in the portal take place). The quantitative results indicate that the exponential growth of the contributors to the COSMOS Portal is followed by an exponential growth of the uploaded content. Furthermore, the web usage statistics demonstrate significant changes in users' behaviour during the period under study, with returning visitors using the COSMOS Portal more frequently, mainly for lesson planning and preparation (in the afternoon hours). The findings demonstrate that the new COSMOS users follow the "law of surfing" behaviour, a common pattern of surfing behaviour in portals. However, users return to the COSMOS Portal: returning users comprise more than 50% of all COSMOS visits, stay longer on site and visit more pages. Returning visitors are benchmarked against the "law of surfing" and outperform it substantially. These quantitative results benchmark the web usage of a portal and provide its operators with maps of value-added patterns of the portal's offering to its users in the science education community.

Maternal and neonatal service usage and determinants in fragile and conflict-affected situations: a systematic review of Asia and the Middle-East.

PubMed

Gopalan, Saji S; Das, Ashis; Howard, Natasha

2017-03-15

Fragile and conflict-affected situations (FCS) in Asia and the Middle-East contribute significantly to global maternal and neonatal deaths. This systematic review explored maternal and neonatal health (MNH) services usage and determinants in FCS in Asia and the Middle-East to inform policy on health service provision in these challenging settings. This systematic review was conducted using a standardised protocol. Pubmed, Embase, Web of Science, and selected development agency websites were searched for studies meeting inclusion criteria. Studies were assessed for methodological quality using an adapted evaluation tool. Qualitative and quantitative data were synthesized and pooled odds ratios generated for meta-analysis of service-usage determinants. Of 18 eligible peer-reviewed studies, eight were from Nepal, four from Afghanistan, and two each from Iraq, Yemen, and the Palestinian Territories. Fragile situations provide limited evidence on emergency obstetric care, postnatal care, and newborn services. Usage of MNH services was low in all FCS, irrespective of economic growth level. Demand-side determinants of service-usage were transportation, female education, autonomy, health awareness, and ability-to-pay. Supply-side determinants included service availability and quality, existence of community health-workers, costs, and informal payments in health facilities. Evidence is particularly sparse on MNH in acute crises, and remains limited in fragile situations generally. Findings emphasize that poor MNH status in FCS is a leading contributor to the burden of maternal and neonatal ill-health in Asia and the Middle-East. Essential services for skilled birth attendance and emergency obstetric, newborn, and postnatal care require improvement in FCS. FCS require additional resources and policy attention to address the barriers to appropriate MNH care. Authors discuss the 'targeted policy approach for vulnerable groups' as a means of addressing MNH service usage inequities.

Antimicrobials in animal production: usage and practices among livestock farmers in Oyo and Kaduna States of Nigeria.

PubMed

Ojo, Olufemi Ernest; Fabusoro, Eniola; Majasan, Ademola Adetokunbo; Dipeolu, Morenike Atinuke

2016-01-01

Antimicrobials have proven to be important for sustainable livestock production by their use as growth promoters and in the control of animal infections. However, injudicious use of antimicrobials could accelerate the emergence and spread of resistant bacterial strains with attendant socioeconomic and public health issues. This work assessed antimicrobial usage in animal production with emphasis on usage and practices by livestock producers in Oyo and Kaduna States of Nigeria. Data on antimicrobial usage were collected through interviews, questionnaire and focus group discussions. Four hundred and fifty-four farmers in 11 communities within 11 Local Government Areas of Oyo and Kaduna States of Nigeria were sampled in a multi-stage sampling procedure. The study showed that antimicrobial agents were widely distributed, readily accessible and commonly used in animal production. Fluoroquinolones and other critically important antimicrobials for human medicine were widely used in animals as prophylactics. Potentially harmful antimicrobials including furazolidones and chloramphenicol already banned for use in humans and animals were freely marketed and used in livestock production. Most of the respondents believed that veterinarians should be responsible for the administration of antimicrobials to animals, but in practice, they buy and administer antimicrobials without consulting veterinary professionals. It was observed that the ready availability of antimicrobial agents promoted the use of antimicrobials in livestock production and may encourage non-adherence to hygienic principles and management laxity in farm operations. The non-involvement of veterinary professionals and laboratory investigations in disease diagnosis prior to antimicrobial use could lead to improper usage that contribute to the development of antimicrobial resistance in bacterial strains. Responsible antimicrobial stewardship and strict regulations are vital to prolonging the benefits derivable from the use of antimicrobials.

NASA'S Water Resources Element Within the Applied Sciences Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Toll, David; Doorn, Bradley; Engman, Edwin

2010-01-01

The NASA Applied Sciences Program works within NASA Earth sciences to leverage investment of satellite and information systems to increase the benefits to society through the widest practical use of NASA research results. Such observations provide a huge volume of valuable data in both near-real-time and extended back nearly 50 years about the Earth's land surface conditions such as land cover type, vegetation type and health, precipitation, snow, soil moisture, and water levels and radiation. Observations of this type combined with models and analysis enable satellite-based assessment of numerous water resources management activities. The primary goal of the Earth Science Applied Science Program is to improve future and current operational systems by infusing them with scientific knowledge of the Earth system gained through space-based observation, model results, and development and deployment of enabling technologies, systems, and capabilities. Water resources is one of eight elements in the Applied Sciences Program and it addresses concerns and decision making related to water quantity and water quality. With increasing population pressure and water usage coupled with climate variability and change, water issues are being reported by numerous groups as the most critical environmental problems facing us in the 21st century. Competitive uses and the prevalence of river basins and aquifers that extend across boundaries engender political tensions between communities, stakeholders and countries. Mitigating these conflicts and meeting water demands requires using existing resources more efficiently. The potential crises and conflicts arise when water is competed among multiple uses. For example, urban areas, environmental and recreational uses, agriculture, and energy production compete for scarce resources, not only in the Western U.S. but throughout much of the U.S. but also in many parts of the world. In addition to water availability issues, water quality related problems are seriously affecting human health and our environment. The NASA Water Resources Program Element works to use NASA products to address these critical issues.

Context aware adaptive security service model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tunia, Marcin A.

2015-09-01

Present systems and devices are usually protected against different threats concerning digital data processing. The protection mechanisms consume resources, which are either highly limited or intensively utilized by many entities. The optimization of these resources usage is advantageous. The resources that are saved performing optimization may be utilized by other mechanisms or may be sufficient for longer time. It is usually assumed that protection has to provide specific quality and attack resistance. By interpreting context situation of business services - users and services themselves, it is possible to adapt security services parameters to countermeasure threats associated with current situation. This approach leads to optimization of used resources and maintains sufficient security level. This paper presents architecture of adaptive security service, which is context-aware and exploits quality of context data issue.

The Impacts of System and Human Factors on Online Learning Systems Use and Learner Satisfaction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alshare, Khaled A.; Freeze, Ronald D.; Lane, Peggy L.; Wen, H. Joseph

2011-01-01

Success in an online learning environment is tied to both human and system factors. This study illuminates the unique contributions of human factors (comfort with online learning, self-management of learning, and perceived Web self-efficacy) to online learning system success, which is measured in terms of usage and satisfaction. The research model…

Evaluation of CHO Benchmarks on the Arria 10 FPGA using Intel FPGA SDK for OpenCL

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

Jin, Zheming; Yoshii, Kazutomo; Finkel, Hal

The OpenCL standard is an open programming model for accelerating algorithms on heterogeneous computing system. OpenCL extends the C-based programming language for developing portable codes on different platforms such as CPU, Graphics processing units (GPUs), Digital Signal Processors (DSPs) and Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs). The Intel FPGA SDK for OpenCL is a suite of tools that allows developers to abstract away the complex FPGA-based development flow for a high-level software development flow. Users can focus on the design of hardware-accelerated kernel functions in OpenCL and then direct the tools to generate the low-level FPGA implementations. The approach makes themore » FPGA-based development more accessible to software users as the needs for hybrid computing using CPUs and FPGAs are increasing. It can also significantly reduce the hardware development time as users can evaluate different ideas with high-level language without deep FPGA domain knowledge. Benchmarking of OpenCL-based framework is an effective way for analyzing the performance of system by studying the execution of the benchmark applications. CHO is a suite of benchmark applications that provides support for OpenCL [1]. The authors presented CHO as an OpenCL port of the CHStone benchmark. Using Altera OpenCL (AOCL) compiler to synthesize the benchmark applications, they listed the resource usage and performance of each kernel that can be successfully synthesized by the compiler. In this report, we evaluate the resource usage and performance of the CHO benchmark applications using the Intel FPGA SDK for OpenCL and Nallatech 385A FPGA board that features an Arria 10 FPGA device. The focus of the report is to have a better understanding of the resource usage and performance of the kernel implementations using Arria-10 FPGA devices compared to Stratix-5 FPGA devices. In addition, we also gain knowledge about the limitations of the current compiler when it fails to synthesize a benchmark application.« less

Market Opportunities for Cellulose Products From Combined Renewable Resources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zihare, Lauma; Blumberga, Dagnija

2017-05-01

This study investigates available resources that has not been used or is used with low added value, such as woody crops, forest residues and invasive species possibilities in case of cellulosic products. Main aspect is this study is market outlook, to see if the products can have positive market sales if produced. Resource have been selected by availability and current usage and properties they contain. Products have been chosen the most basic, to see is there possibility to enter an existing cellulose product markets. GE/McKinsey matrix have been used for clear visual decision making. The results show that only two out of seven products has a potential in international market.

21 CFR 172.710 - Adjuvants for pesticide use dilutions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Adjuvants for pesticide use dilutions. 172.710 Section 172.710 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES... HUMAN CONSUMPTION Other Specific Usage Additives § 172.710 Adjuvants for pesticide use dilutions. The...

21 CFR 172.710 - Adjuvants for pesticide use dilutions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Adjuvants for pesticide use dilutions. 172.710 Section 172.710 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) FOOD ADDITIVES PERMITTED FOR DIRECT ADDITION TO FOOD FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION Other Specific Usage...

21 CFR 172.710 - Adjuvants for pesticide use dilutions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Adjuvants for pesticide use dilutions. 172.710 Section 172.710 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES... HUMAN CONSUMPTION Other Specific Usage Additives § 172.710 Adjuvants for pesticide use dilutions. The...

21 CFR 172.735 - Glycerol ester of rosin.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION (CONTINUED) FOOD ADDITIVES PERMITTED FOR DIRECT ADDITION TO FOOD FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION Other Specific Usage Additives § 172.735 Glycerol ester of rosin. Glycerol ester of wood rosin... citrus oils used in the preparation of beverages whereby the amount of the additive does not exceed 100...

21 CFR 172.725 - Gibberellic acid and its potassium salt.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... (CONTINUED) FOOD FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION (CONTINUED) FOOD ADDITIVES PERMITTED FOR DIRECT ADDITION TO FOOD FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION Other Specific Usage Additives § 172.725 Gibberellic acid and its potassium salt. The food additives gibberellic acid and its potassium salt may be used in the malting of barley in...

21 CFR 172.725 - Gibberellic acid and its potassium salt.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... (CONTINUED) FOOD FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION (CONTINUED) FOOD ADDITIVES PERMITTED FOR DIRECT ADDITION TO FOOD FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION Other Specific Usage Additives § 172.725 Gibberellic acid and its potassium salt. The food additives gibberellic acid and its potassium salt may be used in the malting of barley in...

21 CFR 172.735 - Glycerol ester of rosin.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION (CONTINUED) FOOD ADDITIVES PERMITTED FOR DIRECT ADDITION TO FOOD FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION Other Specific Usage Additives § 172.735 Glycerol ester of rosin. Glycerol ester of wood rosin... citrus oils used in the preparation of beverages whereby the amount of the additive does not exceed 100...

Attitudes and awareness of web-based self-care resources in the military: a preliminary survey study.

PubMed

Luxton, David D; Armstrong, Christina M; Fantelli, Emily E; Thomas, Elissa K

2011-09-01

Web-based self-care resources have a number of potential benefits for military service members (SMs) and their families such as convenience, anonymity, and immediate 24/7 access to useful information. There is limited data available, however, regarding SM and military healthcare provider use of online self-care resources. Our goal with this study was to conduct a preliminary survey assessment of self-care Web site awareness, general attitudes about use, and usage behaviors of Web-based self-care resources among SMs and military healthcare providers. Results show that the majority of SMs and providers use the Internet often, use Internet self-care resources, and are willing to use additional Web-based resources and capabilities. SMs and providers also indicated a preference for Web-based self-care resources as adjunct tools to face-to-face/in-person care. Data from this preliminary study are useful for informing additional research and best practices for integrating Web-based self-care for the military community.

Perceived driving safety and seatbelt usage.

PubMed

Svenson, O; Fischhoff, B; MacGregor, D

1985-04-01

Swedish and U.S. subjects judged their own driving skills and safety in relation to other drivers. As in earlier studies, most subjects showed an optimism bias: a tendency to judge oneself as safer and more skillful than the average driver, with a smaller risk of getting involved and injured in an accident. Different measures of the optimism effect were strongly correlated with one another, with driving experience and with the judged importance of human factors (as opposed to technical and chance factors) in causing accidents. Degree of optimism was positively, but weakly, correlated with reported seatbelt usage and worry about traffic accidents. Seatbelt usage was positively related to the extent to which belts are judged to be convenient and popular, and more modestly related to the belt's perceived contributions to safety. These results suggest that providing more information about the effectiveness of seatbelts may not be as efficient a way of increasing seatbelt usage as emphasizing other factors, such as comfort and social norms, which cannot be outweighed by optimism.

Automating CPM-GOMS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

John, Bonnie; Vera, Alonso; Matessa, Michael; Freed, Michael; Remington, Roger

2002-01-01

CPM-GOMS is a modeling method that combines the task decomposition of a GOMS analysis with a model of human resource usage at the level of cognitive, perceptual, and motor operations. CPM-GOMS models have made accurate predictions about skilled user behavior in routine tasks, but developing such models is tedious and error-prone. We describe a process for automatically generating CPM-GOMS models from a hierarchical task decomposition expressed in a cognitive modeling tool called Apex. Resource scheduling in Apex automates the difficult task of interleaving the cognitive, perceptual, and motor resources underlying common task operators (e.g. mouse move-and-click). Apex's UI automatically generates PERT charts, which allow modelers to visualize a model's complex parallel behavior. Because interleaving and visualization is now automated, it is feasible to construct arbitrarily long sequences of behavior. To demonstrate the process, we present a model of automated teller interactions in Apex and discuss implications for user modeling. available to model human users, the Goals, Operators, Methods, and Selection (GOMS) method [6, 21] has been the most widely used, providing accurate, often zero-parameter, predictions of the routine performance of skilled users in a wide range of procedural tasks [6, 13, 15, 27, 28]. GOMS is meant to model routine behavior. The user is assumed to have methods that apply sequences of operators and to achieve a goal. Selection rules are applied when there is more than one method to achieve a goal. Many routine tasks lend themselves well to such decomposition. Decomposition produces a representation of the task as a set of nested goal states that include an initial state and a final state. The iterative decomposition into goals and nested subgoals can terminate in primitives of any desired granularity, the choice of level of detail dependent on the predictions required. Although GOMS has proven useful in HCI, tools to support the construction of GOMS models have not yet come into general use.

Environmental benefits of chemical propulsion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hayes, Joyce A.; Goldberg, Benjamin E.; Anderson, David M.

1995-01-01

This paper identifies the necessity of chemical propulsion to satellite usage and some of the benefits accrued through monitoring global resources and patterns, including the Global Climate Change Model (GCM). The paper also summarized how the satellite observations are used to affect national and international policies. Chemical propulsion, like all environmentally conscious industries, does provide limited, controlled pollutant sources through its manufacture and usage. However, chemical propulsion is the sole source which enables mankind to launch spacecraft and monitor the Earth. The information provided by remote sensing directly affects national and international policies designed to protect the environment and enhance the overall quality of life on Earth. The resultant of chemical propulsion is the capability to reduce overall pollutant emissions to the benefit of mankind.

[Resources and application of She's nationality wild medicinal plants].

PubMed

Lei, Hou-Xing; Li, Jian-Liang; Zheng, Song-Ming; Fan, Li-Hua; Li, Shui-Fu; Cheng, Wen-Liang; Hua, Jin-Wei; Yu, Hua-Li; Dai, De-Xiong; Xie, Yuan-Wei

2014-08-01

To make a thorough investigation of the common She's nationality wild medicinal plants resources in our country, including the species, the distribution, the folk application and the endemic medicinal plant species, Field surveyed was conducted with 25 She people mainly lived area (county, district or city) throughout the country, the folk prescription and treatment cases provided by She's medical personnel, the drug usage and dosage, the commonly used traditional She's medicine and drug samples were collected. And the distribution, growing environment of these plants were investigated, their characteristics, photographs, GPS data and track were record , and the fresh wax leaf or plants specimens were collected. In total 1 600 varieties of folk medicine of She's nationality, 450 disease names and 1 016 prescriptions were collected. 520 kinds of these medicinal plants were commonly used, growing mainly distributed in the southeastern China, about 200 meters above sea level to 1 500 meters. There are 5 First-Grade State protection wild plants (medicinal), 15 second-Grade State protection wild plants (medicinal), and 11 She characteristic medicinal plants in our study, they belong to 144 families, 312 genera 494 species, 2 subspecies, 17 varieties, 3 forms and 1 cultivated varieties of She's nationality. Folk medicine usage is different from the traditional Chinese medicine and ethnic medicine. This survey finds out the common She's nationality wild medicinal plants resources in China, including the species, the distribution, the folk application and commonly used drugs, and found the rare and endangered medicinal plants and the She's nationality endemic medicinal plants, which provides a basis for further development and use the traditional She's medicine resources.

Increasing utilization of Internet-based resources following efforts to promote evidence-based medicine: a national study in Taiwan.

PubMed

Weng, Yi-Hao; Kuo, Ken N; Yang, Chun-Yuh; Lo, Heng-Lien; Shih, Ya-Hui; Chen, Chiehfeng; Chiu, Ya-Wen

2013-01-07

Since the beginning of 2007, the National Health Research Institutes has been promoting the dissemination of evidence-based medicine (EBM). The current study examined longitudinal trends of behaviors in how hospital-based physicians and nurses have searched for medical information during the spread of EBM. Cross-sectional postal questionnaire surveys were conducted in nationally representative regional hospitals of Taiwan thrice in 2007, 2009, and 2011. Demographic data were gathered concerning gender, age, working experience, teaching appointment, academic degree, and administrative position. Linear and logistic regression models were used to examine predictors and changes over time. Data from physicians and nurses were collected in 2007 (n = 1156), 2009 (n = 2975), and 2011 (n = 3999). There were significant increases in the use of four Internet-based resources - Web portals, online databases, electronic journals, and electronic books - across the three survey years among physicians and nurses (p < 0.001). Access to textbooks and printed journals, however, did not change over the 4-year study period. In addition, there were significant relationships between the usage of Internet-based resources and users' characteristics. Age and faculty position were important predictors in relation to the usage among physicians and nurses, while academic degree served as a critical factor among nurses only. Physicians and nurses used a variety of sources to look for medical information. There was a steady increase in use of Internet-based resources during the diffusion period of EBM. The findings highlight the importance of the Internet as a prominent source of medical information for main healthcare professionals.

Monitoring of computing resource use of active software releases at ATLAS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Limosani, Antonio; ATLAS Collaboration

2017-10-01

The LHC is the world’s most powerful particle accelerator, colliding protons at centre of mass energy of 13 TeV. As the energy and frequency of collisions has grown in the search for new physics, so too has demand for computing resources needed for event reconstruction. We will report on the evolution of resource usage in terms of CPU and RAM in key ATLAS offline reconstruction workflows at the TierO at CERN and on the WLCG. Monitoring of workflows is achieved using the ATLAS PerfMon package, which is the standard ATLAS performance monitoring system running inside Athena jobs. Systematic daily monitoring has recently been expanded to include all workflows beginning at Monte Carlo generation through to end-user physics analysis, beyond that of event reconstruction. Moreover, the move to a multiprocessor mode in production jobs has facilitated the use of tools, such as “MemoryMonitor”, to measure the memory shared across processors in jobs. Resource consumption is broken down into software domains and displayed in plots generated using Python visualization libraries and collected into pre-formatted auto-generated Web pages, which allow the ATLAS developer community to track the performance of their algorithms. This information is however preferentially filtered to domain leaders and developers through the use of JIRA and via reports given at ATLAS software meetings. Finally, we take a glimpse of the future by reporting on the expected CPU and RAM usage in benchmark workflows associated with the High Luminosity LHC and anticipate the ways performance monitoring will evolve to understand and benchmark future workflows.

Experimental Verification and Integration of a Next Generation Smart Power Management System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clemmer, Tavis B.

With the increase in energy demand by the residential community in this country and the diminishing fossil fuel resources being used for electric energy production there is a need for a system to efficiently manage power within a residence. The Smart Green Power Node (SGPN) is a next generation energy management system that automates on-site energy production, storage, consumption, and grid usage to yield the most savings for both the utility and the consumer. Such a system automatically manages on-site distributed generation sources such as a PhotoVoltaic (PV) input and battery storage to curtail grid energy usage when the price is high. The SGPN high level control features an advanced modular algorithm that incorporates weather data for projected PV generation, battery health monitoring algorithms, user preferences for load prioritization within the home in case of an outage, Time of Use (ToU) grid power pricing, and status of on-site resources to intelligently schedule and manage power flow between the grid, loads, and the on-site resources. The SGPN has a scalable, modular architecture such that it can be customized for user specific applications. This drove the topology for the SGPN which connects on-site resources at a low voltage DC microbus; a two stage bi-directional inverter/rectifier then couples the AC load and residential grid connect to on-site generation. The SGPN has been designed, built, and is undergoing testing. Hardware test results obtained are consistent with the design goals set and indicate that the SGPN is a viable system with recommended changes and future work.

Availability, usage, and threats to freshwater resources on low carbonate islands in Micronesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taboroši, Danko; Jenson, John W.; Sánchez Collazo, Maricruz; Zega, Mojca

2010-05-01

Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) is an insular nation in the western Pacific. It consists of 4 high volcanic islands and 37 low carbonate units, mostly coral atolls. The high islands are relatively large, and are developing socioeconomic centers of the country, whereas low islands are small and remote outposts of traditional subsistence lifestyle. The latter are inhabited by a fifth of the nation's population of 107,000 people. Total land area of a typical low island is a fraction of a km2, yet may be home to hundreds of people, creating some of the highest population densities in the Pacific. The resultant extreme pressures on natural resources are exacerbated by severe weather hazards, especially typhoons and unusually high tides which have recently flooded some islands in entirety, damaging homes and food sources. Freshwater resources are particularly sensitive. Crowded low islands have some of the world's most unfavorable relationships between population density and freshwater availability. As there are no communal or municipal facilities and government operated infrastructure, people have only two sources of water available for consumption: rainwater and groundwater. Rain is captured by individual households' thatch or corrugated iron roofs and transferred by gutters to concrete or fiberglass tanks. It is used for drinking, cooking, and dishwashing, and depending on availability, for laundry and showering. Such arrangement are highly unreliable, because they depend on sufficient rainfall and islanders' ability to capture and store it. Some communities have actually run out of water in the past, as a result of prolonged droughts or typhoons' damage to the catchment systems. In addition, tropical climate and pervasive organic matter and microorganisms make the tanks' maintenance difficult, because even most conscientious cleaning cannot ensure that stored water remains potable. Stomach problems and more serious health complications are common. Groundwater resources are meager and vulnerable. The miniscule size and elongated shape of atoll islets mean that they contain diminutive and dispersed groundwater bodies. Unlike groundwater lenses of typical islands, they are long sausage-shaped "groundwater cylinders", with inconsistent depth and width, and discontinuities depending on local geography. As land reaches barely a few meters above the sea, water penetrating from the surface to base level undergoes practically no filtration in the vadose zone. Furthermore, atoll islets' highly permeable compacted sediments and diagenetically immature reef limestone means that groundwater moves in all directions via high primary porosity and undergoes little filtering even within the phreatic zone. For those reasons, groundwater is easily contaminated by human and animal waste (from outdoor toilets and piggeries) and certain household waste (such as detergent and battery acid), as well as by human burials (for traditional reasons performed in immediate vicinity of households). Local people extract groundwater from shallow hand-dug wells and use it for laundry, showering, and watering animals. During major droughts or other emergencies, groundwater is used for other purposes as well, even for drinking when situation is dire. However, groundwater on some islands is losing its potential as emergency source due to excessive pollution and saltwater intrusion from storm waves and overwhelming tides. The extent of specific problems is different on various islands, but cannot be presently evaluated due to lack of data. This study is the first systematic effort to examine the current availability, usage, and condition of freshwater resources on each and every low island in the FSM. Results are being released in individual island reports as they become available, and are being provided to government planners, resource managers, engineers, educators, environmental scientists, and others dedicated to sustainable use of freshwater resources and alleviation of environmental hazards related to living on small and remote carbonate islands.

An extended environmental input-output lifecycle assessment model to study the urban food-energy-water nexus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sherwood, John; Clabeaux, Raeanne; Carbajales-Dale, Michael

2017-10-01

We developed a physically-based environmental account of US food production systems and integrated these data into the environmental-input-output life cycle assessment (EIO-LCA) model. The extended model was used to characterize the food, energy, and water (FEW) intensities of every US economic sector. The model was then applied to every Bureau of Economic Analysis metropolitan statistical area (MSA) to determine their FEW usages. The extended EIO-LCA model can determine the water resource use (kGal), energy resource use (TJ), and food resource use in units of mass (kg) or energy content (kcal) of any economic activity within the United States. We analyzed every economic sector to determine its FEW intensities per dollar of economic output. This data was applied to each of the 382 MSAs to determine their total and per dollar of GDP FEW usages by allocating MSA economic production to the corresponding FEW intensities of US economic sectors. Additionally, a longitudinal study was performed for the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA, metropolitan statistical area to examine trends from this singular MSA and compare it to the overall results. Results show a strong correlation between GDP and energy use, and between food and water use across MSAs. There is also a correlation between GDP and greenhouse gas emissions. The longitudinal study indicates that these correlations can shift alongside a shifting industrial composition. Comparing MSAs on a per GDP basis reveals that central and southern California tend to be more resource intensive than many other parts of the country, while much of Florida has abnormally low resource requirements. Results of this study enable a more complete understanding of food, energy, and water as key ingredients to a functioning economy. With the addition of the food data to the EIO-LCA framework, researchers will be able to better study the food-energy-water nexus and gain insight into how these three vital resources are interconnected. Applying this extended model to MSAs has demonstrated that all three resources are important to a MSA’s vitality, though the exact proportion of each resource may differ across urban areas.

The Importance of Human Resource Planning in Industrial Enterprises

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koltnerová, Kristína; Chlpeková, Andrea; Samáková, Jana

2012-12-01

Human resource planning in the business practice should represent generally used and key activity for human resource management because human resource planning helps to make optimum utilisation of the human resources in the enterprise and it helps to avoid wastage of human resources. Human resource planning allows to forecast the future manpower requirements and also to forecast the number and type of employees who will be required by the enterprise in a near future. In the long term period, success of any enterprise depends on whether the right people are in the right places at the right time, which is the nature of human resource planning. The aim of this contribution is to explain the importance of human resource planning and to outline results of questionnaire survey which it was realized in industrial enterprises.

Google Scholar Users and User Behaviors: An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herrera, Gail

2011-01-01

The University of Mississippi Library created a profile to provide linking from Google Scholar (GS) to library resources in 2005. Although Google Scholar does not provide usage statistics for institutions, use of Google Scholar is clearly evident in looking at library link resolver logs. The purpose of this project is to examine users of Google…

Energy Awareness and Scheduling in Mobile Devices and High End Computing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pawaskar, Sachin S.

2013-01-01

In the context of the big picture as energy demands rise due to growing economies and growing populations, there will be greater emphasis on sustainable supply, conservation, and efficient usage of this vital resource. Even at a smaller level, the need for minimizing energy consumption continues to be compelling in embedded, mobile, and server…

Standard Chinese: A Modular Approach. Student Workbook. Module 3: Money; Module 4: Directions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Defense Language Inst., Monterey, CA.

Texts in spoken Standard Chinese were developed to improve and update Chinese materials and to reflect current usage in Beijing and Taipei. The focus is on communicating in Chinese in practical situations. The overall course is organized into 10 situational modules, student workbooks, and resource modules. This workbook covers the money and…

Standard Chinese: A Modular Approach. Student Text. Module 3: Money; Module 4: Directions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Defense Language Inst., Monterey, CA.

Texts in spoken Standard Chinese were developed to improve and update Chinese materials to reflect current usage in Beijing and Taipei. The focus is on communicating in practical situations, and the texts summarize and supplement tapes. The overall course is organized into 10 situational modules, student workbooks, and resource modules. This text…

Standard Chinese: A Modular Approach. Student Text. Module 1: Orientation; Module 2: Biographic Information.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Defense Language Inst., Monterey, CA.

Texts in spoken Standard Chinese were developed to improve and update Chinese materials to reflect current usage in Beijing and Taipei. The focus is on communicating in Chinese in practical situations, and the texts summarize and supplement tapes. The overall course is organized into 10 situational modules, student workbooks, and resource modules.…

Standard Chinese: A Modular Approach. Student Workbook. Module 1: Orientation; Module 2: Biographic Information.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Defense Language Inst., Monterey, CA.

Texts in spoken Standard Chinese were developed to improve and update Chinese materials to reflect current usage in Beijing and Taipei. The focus is on communicating in Chinese in practical situations. The overall course is organized into 10 modules, student workbooks, and resource modules. This workbook covers the orientation and biographic…

Learning Management System Success: Increasing Learning Management System Usage in Higher Education in Sub-Saharan Africa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mtebe, Joel S.

2015-01-01

Learning Management Systems (LMS) have been widely adopted by higher education institutions globally for over a decade. Institutions in sub-Saharan Africa now spend a significant proportion of their limited resources on installing and maintaining these systems. This expenditure continues to increase, raising questions as to whether LMS in these…

Valuing Exercises for the Middle School. Resource Monograph No. 11.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Casteel, J. Doyle; And Others

One of the major goals of the middle school is to help students gain and refine skills in the area of values clarification. One way of securing such value clarification is to plan and assign value sheets--carefully planned and written activities designed to elicit value clarification patterns of language usage from students. Six different formats…

Business School Computer Usage, Fourth Annual UCLA Survey.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frand, Jason L.; And Others

The changing nature of the business school computing environment is monitored in a report whose purpose is to provide deans and other policy-makers with information to use in making allocation decisions and program plans. This survey focuses on resource allocations of 249 accredited U.S. business schools and 15 Canadian schools. A total of 128…

North Dakota Academic Library Statistics; July 1973 through June 1974.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

North Dakota Library Notes, 1975

1975-01-01

The bulk of this volume is comprised of the statistical report forms submitted to the state library by all of the academic libraries in the state of North Dakota. The data presented for each library includes: print resources (books, documents, serials, and microforms); audiovisual holdings; collection use in terms of in-library usage, circulation,…

Look to the Sky. An All-Purpose Interdisciplinary Guide to Astronomy. Grades 4-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeBruin, Jerry; Murad, Don

This guide features materials and activities about stars for integration into other academic disciplines. Part one describes how to begin to look to the sky, including usage of the camera, binoculars, and telescope. Part two, "Keep Up to Date," introduces information on resource materials, such as astronomy books, magazines, newsletters,…

Planetary Patterns. Grade 8 Science, Language Usage. Maryland School Performance Assessment Program (MSPAP): Resource Library. Public Release Task.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maryland State Dept. of Education. Baltimore. Div. of Planning, Results and Information Management.

One component of the Maryland School Performance Assessment Program (MSPAP) is the state's performance-based assessments, criterion-referenced tests that require students to apply what they know and can do to solve problems and display other higher-order thinking skills. This document helps parents, teachers, students, and other citizens…

Textiles & Clothing Curriculum Guide. Energy and the Family.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davidson, Jane S.; Morris, Carol

This curriculum guide on textiles and clothing, covering one of the five content areas of the Energy and Family Curriculum Guide, has been designed to provide learning experiences and identify resources that can be used to develop units of study related to energy usage and conservation. The guide is intended for use in comprehensive courses of…

Housing & Home Furnishings Curriculum Guide. Energy and the Family.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davidson, Jane S.; Morris, Carol

This curriculum guide on housing and home furnishings, covering one of the five content areas of the Energy and the Family Curriculum Guide, has been designed to provide learning experiences and identify resources that can be used to develop units of study related to energy usage and conservation. The guide is intended for use in comprehensive…

Factors Contributing to Perceived Stress among Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ford, Kentya C.; Olotu, Busuyi S.; Thach, Andrew V.; Roberts, Rochelle; Davis, Patrick

2014-01-01

Objective: The purpose of this study was to report on perceived stress levels, identify its contributing factors, and evaluate the association between perceived stress and usage of university resources to cope with stress among a cross-section of Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) students. Methods: Perceived stress was measured via a web-based survey of…

The Motivation Impact of Open Educational Resources Utilization on Physics Learning Using Quipper School App

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sulisworo, Dwi; Sulistyo, Eko Nur; Akhsan, Rifai Nur

2017-01-01

The distribution of the education quality in Indonesia is relatively uneven. This affects the quality of secondary school graduates. On the other hand, the national growth of Information Communication Technology usage in Indonesia is very high, including the use of mobile technology. This is an opportunity for the application of OER (Open…

Thermal analysis elements of liquefied gas storage tanks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yanvarev, I. A.; Krupnikov, A. V.

2017-08-01

Tasks of solving energy and resource efficient usage problems, both for oil producing companies and for companies extracting and transporting natural gas, are associated with liquefied petroleum gas technology development. Improving the operation efficiency of liquefied products storages provides for conducting structural, functional, and appropriate thermal analysis of tank parks in the general case as complex dynamic thermal systems.

How Does ERPsim Influence Students' Perceived Learning Outcomes in an Information Systems Course? An Empirical Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Liqiang; Keys, Anthony; Gaber, Donald

2015-01-01

It is a challenge for business students or even employees to understand business processes and enterprise software usage without involvement in real-world practices. Many business schools are using ERP software in their curriculum, aiming to expose students to real-world business practices. ERPsim is an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)…

Interactive Multimedia as Autonomous Learning Resource in the South Slope of Kelud Mountain in Blitar Regency

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wahyuningtyas, Neni; Ratnawati, Nurul

2016-01-01

This research article reports on the development and usage of multimedia products for Instructing Social Studies (IPS) in the South Slope, Kelud Mountain schools, Blitar Regency of Indonesia. The fast pace development of multimedia products and tools has seen the increasing of children's preference to watching cinema films, playing games, and…

Proceedings: views from the ridge—considerations for planning at the landscape scale.

Treesearch

Hermann Gucinski; Cynthia Miner; Becky Bittner

2004-01-01

When resource managers, researchers, and policymakers approach landscape management, they bring perspectives that reflect their disciplines, the decisions they make, and their objectives. In working at a landscape level, they need to begin developing some common scales of perspective across the variety of forest ownerships and usages. This proceedings is a compilation...

Psychometric Properties of the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire for Sultan Qaboos University Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alkharusi, Hussain; Neisler, Otherine; Al-Barwani, Thuwayba; Clayton, David; Al-Sulaimani, Humaira; Khan, Mohammad; Al-Yahmadi, Hamad; Al-Kalbani, Muna

2012-01-01

Research on university student learning has suggested that students' motivational orientations and learning strategies are critical to their academic achievement. In an attempt to assess the levels of motivation and the usage of learning resources and strategies of college students, Pintrich, Smith, Garcia and McKeachie (1993) developed an 81-item…

Educational Technology in the Kindergarten through Twelfth Grades: A Study of Usage, Value and Needs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Janowiak, Robert M.

A survey of 498 elementary and secondary teachers was coordinated by the National Engineering Consortium (NEC) in order to determine what educational technologies are used and valued by teachers and what they need to help make educational technology a more valuable resource. The questionnaire included two closed-end questions rating 36…

Internet Usage by Native Americans with Disabilities Living on American Indian Reservations in the Great Plains

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

De Mars, AnnMaria

2010-01-01

It has been assumed that, due to limited Internet access, electronic media is an ineffective means for information dissemination to Native Americans with disabilities. In this investigation, we surveyed a sample of 467 households of Native Americans with disabilities living on Great Plains reservations regarding access to electronic resources. Of…