Review article: practical current issues in perioperative patient safety.

PubMed

Eichhorn, John H

2013-02-01

This brief review provides an overview and, importantly, a context perspective of relevant current practical issues in perioperative patient safety. The dramatic improvement in anesthesia patient safety over the last 30 years was not initiated by electronic monitors but, rather, largely by a set of behaviours known as "safety monitoring" that were then made decidedly more effective by extending the human senses through electronic monitoring, for example, capnography and pulse oximetry. In the highly developed world, this current success is threatened by complacency and production pressure. In some areas of the developing/underdeveloped world, the challenge is implementing the components of anesthesia practice that will bring safety improvements to parallel the overall current success, for instance, applying the World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiologists (WFSA) "International Standards for A Safe Practice of Anaesthesia". Generally, expanding the current success in safety involves many practical issues. System issues involve research, effective reporting mechanisms and analysis/broadcasting of results, perioperative communication (including "speaking up to power"), and checklists. Monitoring issues involve enforcing existing published monitoring standards and also recognizing the risk of danger to the patient from hypoventilation during procedural sedation and from postoperative intravenous pain medications. Issues of clinical care include medication errors in the operating room, cerebral hypoperfusion (especially in the head-up position), dangers of airway management, postoperative residual weakness from muscle relaxants, operating room fires, and risks specific in obstetric anesthesia. Recognition of the issues outlined here and empowerment of all anesthesia professionals, from the most senior professors and administrators to the newest practitioners, should help maintain, solidify, and expand the improvements in anesthesia and perioperative patient

Communicative Language Testing: Current Issues and Future Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harding, Luke

2014-01-01

This article discusses a range of current issues and future research possibilities in Communicative Language Testing (CLT) using, as its departure point, the key questions which emerged during the CLT symposium at the 2010 Language Testing Forum. The article begins with a summary of the 2010 symposium discussion in which three main issues related…

Current Issues: Critical Issues Confronting the Nation and the World. 1997 Edition [and] Teacher's Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Close Up Foundation, Arlington, VA.

This student text and teacher's guide feature current events and policy issues that are in discussion today. The books offer background on 20 important domestic and foreign policy issues and present arguments from both sides of key issues. The books are divided into three sections. Section 1, "The Federal Government," contains: (1) "The Clinton…

Integration of analytical measurements and wireless communications--current issues and future strategies.

PubMed

Diamond, Dermot; Lau, King Tong; Brady, Sarah; Cleary, John

2008-05-15

Rapid developments in wireless communications are opening up opportunities for new ways to perform many types of analytical measurements that up to now have been restricted in scope due to the need to have access to centralised facilities. This paper will address both the potential for new applications and the challenges that currently inhibit more widespread integration of wireless communications with autonomous sensors and analytical devices. Key issues are identified and strategies for closer integration of analytical information and wireless communications systems discussed.

A review of current issues underlying colon cleansing before colonoscopy

PubMed Central

Hookey, Lawrence C; Vanner, Stephen

2007-01-01

The present review examines four current issues related to the efficacy, patient tolerance and safety of the following bowel cleansing agents: oral sodium phosphate (NaP), polyethylene glycol (PEG) and magnesium citrate (Pico-Salax, Ferring Pharmaceuticals Inc, Canada), an agent recently made available in Canada. MedLine and PubMed databases were systematically searched to identify studies related to the efficacy of altered PEG solutions combined with adjunct treatments; the efficacy, tolerability and safety of Pico-Salax; the association between nephrocalcinosis, and chronic renal failure and oral NaP use; and the role of diet. Although lower volume PEG solutions combined with adjuvant agents were generally associated with better patient tolerance, their efficacy was varied and interpretation of this end point is complicated by study design issues. There are very few reported studies of Pico-Salax, and as a result, there are insufficient data to draw conclusions about the efficacy of this agent. The available data suggest that Pico-Salax may be better tolerated by patients, than oral NaP and PEG solutions. There is a paucity of hemodynamic monitoring data pre- and postadministration, but the available data suggests that this small-volume osmotic agent could cause subclinical contraction of the intravascular space. Recent case reports suggest an association between nephrocalcinosis and oral NaP ingestion, but to date, these reports have been confined to a single centre. Preliminary studies suggest that this is not a widespread problem, but more studies are needed. There are only a few studies examining diet and patient tolerability, but they do suggest that diet may be liberalized with some cleansing regimens to enhance tolerability without decreasing efficacy. The present review highlights current controversies and advances in colon cleansing before colonoscopy, and also identifies areas for further study. PMID:17299615

Current Issues in the Diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, and Conduct Disorder

PubMed Central

Frick, Paul J.; Nigg, Joel T.

2015-01-01

This review evaluates the diagnostic criteria for three of the most common disorders for which children and adolescents are referred for mental health treatment: attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), and conduct disorder (CD). Although research supports the validity and clinical utility of these disorders, several issues are highlighted that could enhance the current diagnostic criteria. For ADHD, defining the core features of the disorder and its fit with other disorders, enhancing the validity of the criteria through the lifespan, considering alternative ways to form subtypes of the disorder, and modifying the age-of-onset criterion are discussed relative to the current diagnostic criteria. For ODD, eliminating the exclusionary criteria of CD, recognizing important symptom domains within the disorder, and using the cross-situational pervasiveness of the disorder as an index of severity are highlighted as important issues for improving classification. Finally, for CD, enhancing the current subtypes related to age of onset and integrating callous-unemotional traits into the diagnostic criteria are identified as key issues for improving classification. PMID:22035245

Summary of SMIRT20 Preconference Topical Workshop – Identifying Structural Issues in Advanced Reactors

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

William Richins; Stephen Novascone; Cheryl O'Brien

Summary of SMIRT20 Preconference Topical Workshop – Identifying Structural Issues in Advanced Reactors William Richins1, Stephen Novascone1, and Cheryl O’Brien1 1Idaho National Laboratory, US Dept. of Energy, Idaho Falls, Idaho, USA, e-mail: William.Richins@inl.gov The Idaho National Laboratory (INL, USA) and IASMiRT sponsored an international forum Nov 5-6, 2008 in Porvoo, Finland for nuclear industry, academic, and regulatory representatives to identify structural issues in current and future advanced reactor design, especially for extreme conditions and external threats. The purpose of this Topical Workshop was to articulate research, engineering, and regulatory Code development needs. The topics addressed by the Workshop were selectedmore » to address critical industry needs specific to advanced reactor structures that have long lead times and can be the subject of future SMiRT technical sessions. The topics were; 1) structural/materials needs for extreme conditions and external threats in contemporary (Gen. III) and future (Gen. IV and NGNP) advanced reactors and 2) calibrating simulation software and methods that address topic 1 The workshop discussions and research needs identified are presented. The Workshop successfully produced interactive discussion on the two topics resulting in a list of research and technology needs. It is recommended that IASMiRT communicate the results of the discussion to industry and researchers to encourage new ideas and projects. In addition, opportunities exist to retrieve research reports and information that currently exists, and encourage more international cooperation and collaboration. It is recommended that IASMiRT continue with an off-year workshop series on select topics.« less

Pseudomonas - current and emerging issues.

PubMed

Pearson, Susan

2016-01-01

Susan Pearson reports on some of the most interesting presentations at an International Biodeterioration and Biodegradation Society (IBBS) and Public Health England conference on 'Water microbiology - current and emerging issues in healthcare', held at the University of Winchester in early September. Two and a half years after the publication of the Addendum to HTM 04-01 - which gave advice on controlling and minimising the risk of morbidity and mortality due to P. aeruginosa in augmented care units - a major focus at the event was on how well the Addendum had been working for those 'at the frontline of infection control', and what improvements, if any, might be needed.

FHWA LTBP Workshop to Identify Bridge Substructure Performance Issues

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-06-01

This TechBrief provides an overview of the proceedings and findings of the "FHWA Workshop to Identify Bridge Substructure Performance Issues" held in Orlando, Florida, from March 4 to 6, 2010. The purpose of the workshop was to consider overall bridg...

Current Issues and Perspectives in Group Work. A Counseling Monograph.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roland, Catherine B., Ed.; Conneely, Rebecca J., Ed.

Group counseling presents counselors with an increasing complexity of issues. This collection of papers addresses a range of current issues and perspectives for group counselors. The first article examines self disclosure, particularly the effects of counselor self-disclosure on the therapeutic relationship in group counseling. Clinical…

Identifying veterinary students' capacity for moral behavior concerning animal ethics issues.

PubMed

Verrinder, Joy M; Phillips, Clive J C

2014-01-01

Veterinarians face unique animal ethics challenges as practitioners and policy advisors to government and industry. Changing societal attitudes, cultural diversity, and the often conflicting needs and interests of patients and clients contribute to moral distress. Yet little has been done to identify veterinarians' capacity to address these animal ethics issues. In this study, first-year and final-year veterinary students in an Australian university were surveyed to explore moral sensitivity, moral motivation, and moral character and their relationship with moral reasoning. The majority of students were concerned about animal ethics issues and had experienced moral distress in relation to the treatment of animals. Most believed that veterinarians should address the wider social issues of animal protection and that veterinary medicine should require a commitment to animals' interests over owners'/caregivers' interests. There was less agreement that the veterinary profession was sufficiently involved in addressing animal ethics issues. The principal motivators for studying veterinary medicine were, in declining importance, enjoyment in working with animals, helping sick and injured animals, and improving the way animals are treated. However, most students had taken little or no action to address animal ethics issues. These results suggest that both first- and fifth-year veterinary students are sensitive to animal ethics issues and are motivated to prioritize the interests of animals but have little experience in taking action to address these issues. Further research is needed to determine ways to identify and assess these moral behavior components in veterinary education to develop veterinarians' capacity to address animal ethics issues.

Current Issues: Critical Issues Confronting the Nation and the World [and] Current Issues Teacher's Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whittaker, Lynn Page

1991-01-01

This annual publication contains reading materials designed to help students understand the complexities of the domestic and foreign policy issues facing the United States. The first portion of the book features background reading on the structure of the Federal Government. Next, 10 domestic policy issues are covered: the economy, education, civil…

Summary of current issues regarding space flight habitability.

PubMed

Novak, J B

2000-09-01

One of the implicit, yet often under-emphasized qualities of human tended spaceflight is the habitability of the spacecraft and mission. This document summarizes some of the points that characterize the current status of this topic. In addition, the summary concludes with goals for future development for this issue.

Current Issues for Higher Education Information Resources Management.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

CAUSE/EFFECT, 1996

1996-01-01

Issues identified as important to the future of information resources management and use in higher education include information policy in a networked environment, distributed computing, integrating information resources and college planning, benchmarking information technology, integrated digital libraries, technology integration in teaching,…

Psychosocial issues in post-treatment cancer survivors: Desire for support and challenges in identifying individuals in need.

PubMed

Philip, Errol J; Merluzzi, Thomas V

2016-01-01

The ongoing and late effects of cancer treatment can interfere with quality of life and adoption of healthy behaviors, thus potentially impairing recovery and survival. Developing effective methods to identify individuals in need of support is crucial in providing comprehensive, ongoing care and ensuring optimal use of limited resources. The current study provides an examination of long-term survivors' reports of psychosocial issues, their desire for follow-up, and the role of widely used distress-screening measures for identifying survivors who desire help. 317 cancer survivors (M age = 62.98 years, female = 70%, Md years since treatment = 7.5 years, mixed diagnoses) completed measures of psychosocial adjustment and quality of life as well as a checklist of psychosocial issues on which they indicated whether they would like to speak with a health professional regarding each issue. Participants reported an average of 1.7 psychosocial issues. Only a minority desired to speak to a health professional; however, those desiring follow-up reported significant impairments in adjustment and quality of life. Though far from adequate as a stand-alone measure, area under the curve and regression analysis suggested a combination of the distress thermometer and number of psychosocial issues may be the best assessment of those desiring follow-up assistance. These results indicate that there is a need for a more sophisticated system of assisting survivors that takes into account issues, symptoms, and motivation for help. The present study is important in guiding the development of effective survivorship care and contributing to the growing literature describing the adjustment and care needs of survivors.

Exploring Current Issues through the Hot Topics Poster

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nisbett, Nancy

2012-01-01

This paper describes a research paper and poster assignment used in an undergraduate leisure and human behavior course. The intent of this learning activity is to increase student knowledge of current issues within the industry as well as to enhance students' professional communication skills. A description of the assignment is shared along with…

Current Issues in LPP Research and Their Impact on Society

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Darquennes, Jeroen

2013-01-01

After a very broad description of what language policy and planning is about this paper presents an overview of some of the current preoccupations of researchers focusing on language policy and planning as one of the blooming fields of applied linguistics. The current issues in language policy and planning research that are dealt with include…

A New Authorization for Use of Military Force Against the Islamic State: Issues and Current Proposals

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-02-21

A New Authorization for Use of Military Force Against the Islamic State: Issues and Current Proposals Matthew C. Weed Specialist in Foreign...Policy Legislation February 21, 2017 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov R43760 A New Authorization for Use of Military Force...Group,” identified by the President as part of Al Qaeda. In 2015, the President ordered new deployments to Iraq, and the Administration announced

Contemporary Civil Rights Challenges of "Brown vs. Board of Education": School Leaders Identify Current Issues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scott, Bradley

2004-01-01

School leaders from five states gathered recently to examine civil rights issues facing students today. The session was held by the Intercultural Development Research Association (IDRA) South Central Collaborative for Equity, which is the federally-funded equity assistance center for Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. The…

Issues in identifying germ tube positive yeasts by conventional methods.

PubMed

Yazdanpanah, Atta; Khaithir, Tzar Mohd Nizam

2014-01-01

Candida speciation is vital for epidemiology and management of candidiasis. Nonmolecular conventional methods often fail to identify closely related germ tube positive yeasts from clinical specimens. The present study was conducted to identify these yeasts and to highlight issues in conventional versus molecular methods of identification. A total of 98 germ tube positive yeasts from high vaginal swabs were studied over a 12-month period. Isolates were examined with various methods including growth at 42 °C and 45 °C on Sabouraud dextrose agar (SDA), color development on CHROMagar Candida medium, chlamydospore production on corn meal agar at 25 °C, carbohydrate assimilation using ID 32C system, and polymerase chain reaction using a single pair of primers targeting the hyphal wall protein 1 (Hwp1) gene. Of all the isolates studied, 97 were molecularly confirmed as C. albicans and one isolate was identified as C. dubliniensis. No C. africana was detected in this study. The molecular method used in our study was an accurate and useful tool for discriminating C. albicans, C. dubliniensis, and C. africana. The conventional methods, however, were less accurate and riddled with many issues that will be discussed in further details. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Urban science education: examining current issues through a historical lens

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McLaughlin, Cheryl A.

2014-12-01

This paper reviews and synthesizes urban science education studies published between 2000 and 2013 with a view to identifying current challenges faced by both teachers and students in urban classrooms. Additionally, this paper considers the historical events that have shaped the conditions, bureaucracies, and interactions of urban institutions. When the findings from these urban science education studies were consolidated with the historical overview provided, it was revealed that the basic design and regulatory policies of urban schools have not substantively changed since their establishment in the nineteenth century. Teachers in urban science classrooms continue to face issues of inequality, poverty, and social injustice as they struggle to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse student population. Furthermore, persistent concerns of conflicting Discourses, cultural dissonance, and oppression create formidable barriers to science learning. Despite the many modifications in structure and organization, urban students are still subjugated and marginalized in systems that emphasize control and order over high-quality science education.

Lubbock Gin Lab - Current Research and Leaf Grade Issues

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This presentation was given to a group of cotton gin managers and allied industry reps. Approximately 100 attendees were in the audience. A discussion of the current research conducted at the USDA ARS CPPRU Ginning Laboratory in Lubbock, TX was given along with a discussion of leaf grade issues and ...

Current issues and actions in radiation protection of patients.

PubMed

Holmberg, Ola; Malone, Jim; Rehani, Madan; McLean, Donald; Czarwinski, Renate

2010-10-01

Medical application of ionizing radiation is a massive and increasing activity globally. While the use of ionizing radiation in medicine brings tremendous benefits to the global population, the associated risks due to stochastic and deterministic effects make it necessary to protect patients from potential harm. Current issues in radiation protection of patients include not only the rapidly increasing collective dose to the global population from medical exposure, but also that a substantial percentage of diagnostic imaging examinations are unnecessary, and the cumulative dose to individuals from medical exposure is growing. In addition to this, continued reports on deterministic injuries from safety related events in the medical use of ionizing radiation are raising awareness on the necessity for accident prevention measures. The International Atomic Energy Agency is engaged in several activities to reverse the negative trends of these current issues, including improvement of the justification process, the tracking of radiation history of individual patients, shared learning of safety significant events, and the use of comprehensive quality audits in the clinical environment. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

CURRENT CONCEPTS AND TREATMENT OF PATELLOFEMORAL COMPRESSIVE ISSUES.

PubMed

Mullaney, Michael J; Fukunaga, Takumi

2016-12-01

Patellofemoral disorders, commonly encountered in sports and orthopedic rehabilitation settings, may result from dysfunction in patellofemoral joint compression. Osseous and soft tissue factors, as well as the mechanical interaction of the two, contribute to increased patellofemoral compression and pain. Treatment of patellofemoral compressive issues is based on identification of contributory impairments. Use of reliable tests and measures is essential in detecting impairments in hip flexor, quadriceps, iliotibial band, hamstrings, and gastrocnemius flexibility, as well as in joint mobility, myofascial restrictions, and proximal muscle weakness. Once relevant impairments are identified, a combination of manual techniques, instrument-assisted methods, and therapeutic exercises are used to address the impairments and promote functional improvements. The purpose of this clinical commentary is to describe the clinical presentation, contributory considerations, and interventions to address patellofemoral joint compressive issues.

CURRENT CONCEPTS AND TREATMENT OF PATELLOFEMORAL COMPRESSIVE ISSUES

PubMed Central

Fukunaga, Takumi

2016-01-01

Patellofemoral disorders, commonly encountered in sports and orthopedic rehabilitation settings, may result from dysfunction in patellofemoral joint compression. Osseous and soft tissue factors, as well as the mechanical interaction of the two, contribute to increased patellofemoral compression and pain. Treatment of patellofemoral compressive issues is based on identification of contributory impairments. Use of reliable tests and measures is essential in detecting impairments in hip flexor, quadriceps, iliotibial band, hamstrings, and gastrocnemius flexibility, as well as in joint mobility, myofascial restrictions, and proximal muscle weakness. Once relevant impairments are identified, a combination of manual techniques, instrument-assisted methods, and therapeutic exercises are used to address the impairments and promote functional improvements. The purpose of this clinical commentary is to describe the clinical presentation, contributory considerations, and interventions to address patellofemoral joint compressive issues. PMID:27904792

Identifying Critical Issues and Problems in Technology Education Using a Modified-Delphi Technique.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wicklein, Robert C.

1993-01-01

Critical issues for technology education (TE) identified by a 25-member Delphi panel were identification of the knowledge base, curriculum development approaches, interdisciplinary approaches, and teacher education reform. Problems identified included inadequate marketing/public relations, teacher shortage, lack of content consensus, and…

Current Issues in the Use of Tests in Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ebel, Robert L.

Six current issues in the use of tests are examined in this paper. Are the tests used in education valid? In general and to a reasonably satisfactory extent they are. Is the emphasis these tests place on cognitive achievements a serious limitation? Because of the basic and pervasive role of cognition in human affairs, and in the absence of any…

Top 10 IT Issues, 2007

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Camp, John S.; DeBlois, Peter B.

2007-01-01

The EDUCAUSE Current Issues Committee, whose members review and recommend the set of IT issues to be presented each year, conducted a Web-based survey in December 2006 to identify the five of thirty-one IT issues in each of four areas: (1) issues that are critical for strategic success; (2) issues that are expected to increase in significance; (3)…

It Top-10 Issues 2006

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dewey, Barbara I.; DeBlois, Peter B.

2006-01-01

The EDUCAUSE Current Issues Committee, whose members review and recommend the set of IT issues to be presented each year, conducted a Web-based survey in December 2005 to identify the five of thirty-one IT issues in each of four areas: (1) issues that are critical for strategic success; (2) issues that are expected to increase in significance; (3)…

Algeria: Current Issues

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-04-13

Policy , coordinated by John Rollins. President Bouteflika’s tenure has produced an energized foreign policy . Strains in ties with neighboring Morocco...Issues for U.S. Policy ............................................................................................................3 Background...Algeria, where oil and gas revenues provide resources for policies that some view as designed to buy off dissenters. The government also has taken

A Framework for Identifying Implementation Issues Affecting Extension Human Sciences Programming

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abell, Ellen; Cummings, Rebekah; Duke, Adrienne M.; Marshall, Jennifer Wells

2015-01-01

Extension programs based on identified needs, relevant theory, and solid research too often fail to realize their objectives. Program implementation is acknowledged to contribute to program effectiveness, yet systematic attention has not been paid to the array of implementation issues that can complicate achieving program goals. We developed the…

A scoping review identifying contemporary issues in rural nursing leadership.

PubMed

Bish, Melanie; Kenny, Amanda; Nay, Rhonda

2012-12-01

Rural nurse leaders on a global scale are being challenged to create structures and processes to enable excellence in nursing care. The purpose of this scoping review is to offer an indication of the available literature relating to contemporary issues in rural nursing leadership. A review of contemporary issues facing rural nurse leaders is timely to assist strategy development that will achieve the goal of excellence in nursing. An interpretative scoping literature review methodological framework has been used with an emphasis on thematic construction. Literature published between 2008 and 2012 was reviewed from five electronic databases using the key words rural, nursing, and leadership. Four themes have been identified: expectations of rural nursing leadership, a highly educated workforce, competing interests, and partnering within rural healthcare systems. The content may resonate with rural nurse leaders and encourage a greater awareness of their relevance to leadership practices. The findings provide a greater awareness and understanding of contemporary issues facing rural nurse leaders and may assist with the development of context-sensitive leadership strategies to facilitate excellence in nursing care. © 2012 Sigma Theta Tau International.

[Current status and issues in development of occupational physicians in Japan].

PubMed

Mori, Koji

2013-10-01

Training systems for occupational physicians (OPs) have existed since the Industrial Safety and Health Act was enacted in 1972. However, it is necessary to enhance them because of changes in the business environment of Japanese corporations and working patterns have brought about new needs of occupational health (OH) activities. In this paper, OPs were classified into three categories; doctors who spend a part of working time on OH activities, i.e. "non-specialist OPs", doctors who engage in OH activities full-time, i.e. "specialists OPs", and doctors who manage corporate-wide occupational health programs or lead programs at OH service institutes, i.e. "lead OPs", and the status and the issues were reviewed. The major concern identified for each of the three categories in training were found to be quality management for non-specialist OPs, short supply for specialists OPs, and development of competencies such as leadership and management skills for lead OPs, respectively. Current efforts and ideas to improve the training systems were discussed.

Usability Evaluation Survey for Identifying Design Issues in Civil Flight Deck

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ozve Aminian, Negin; Izzuddin Romli, Fairuz; Wiriadidjaja, Surjatin

2016-02-01

Ergonomics assessment for cockpit in civil aircraft is important as the pilots spend most of their time during flight on the seating posture imposed by its design. The improper seat design can cause discomfort and pain, which will disturb the pilot's concentration in flight. From a conducted survey, it is found that there are some issues regarding the current cockpit design. This study aims to highlight potential mismatches between the current cockpit design and the ergonomic design recommendations for anthropometric dimensions and seat design, which could be the roots of the problems faced by the pilots in the cockpit.

Identifying Human Factors Issues in Aircraft Maintenance Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Veinott, Elizabeth S.; Kanki, Barbara G.; Shafto, Michael G. (Technical Monitor)

1995-01-01

Maintenance operations incidents submitted to the Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) between 1986-1992 were systematically analyzed in order to identify issues relevant to human factors and crew coordination. This exploratory analysis involved 95 ASRS reports which represented a wide range of maintenance incidents. The reports were coded and analyzed according to the type of error (e.g, wrong part, procedural error, non-procedural error), contributing factors (e.g., individual, within-team, cross-team, procedure, tools), result of the error (e.g., aircraft damage or not) as well as the operational impact (e.g., aircraft flown to destination, air return, delay at gate). The main findings indicate that procedural errors were most common (48.4%) and that individual and team actions contributed to the errors in more than 50% of the cases. As for operational results, most errors were either corrected after landing at the destination (51.6%) or required the flight crew to stop enroute (29.5%). Interactions among these variables are also discussed. This analysis is a first step toward developing a taxonomy of crew coordination problems in maintenance. By understanding what variables are important and how they are interrelated, we may develop intervention strategies that are better tailored to the human factor issues involved.

Academic plastic surgery: a study of current issues and future challenges.

PubMed

Zetrenne, Eleonore; Kosins, Aaron M; Wirth, Garrett A; Bui, Albert; Evans, Gregory R D; Wells, James H

2008-06-01

The objectives of this study were (1) to evaluate the role of a full-time academic plastic surgeon, (2) to define the indicators predictive of a successful career in academic plastic surgery, and (3) to understand the current issues that will affect future trends in the practice of academic plastic surgery. A questionnaire was developed to evaluate the role of current full-time academic plastic surgeons and to understand the current issues and future challenges facing academic plastic surgery. Each plastic surgery program director in the United States was sent the survey for distribution among all full-time academic plastic surgeons. Over a 6-week period, responses from 143 full-time academic plastic surgeons (approximately 31%) were returned. Fifty-three percent of respondents had been academic plastic surgeons for longer than 10 years. Seventy-three percent of respondents defined academic plastic surgeons as clinicians who are teachers and researchers. However, 53% of respondents believed that academic plastic surgeons were not required to teach or practice within university hospitals/academic centers. The 3 factors reported most frequently as indicative of a successful career in academic plastic surgery were peer recognition, personal satisfaction, and program reputation. Dedication and motivation were the personal characteristics rated most likely to contribute to academic success. Forty-four percent of respondents were unable to identify future academic plastic surgeons from plastic surgery residency applicants, and 27% were not sure. Most (93%) of the respondents believed that academic surgery as practiced today will change. The overall job description of a full-time academic plastic surgeon remains unchanged (teacher and researcher). Whereas peer recognition, personal satisfaction, and program reputation were most frequently cited as indicative of a successful plastic surgery career, financial success was rated the least indicative. Similarly, whereas the

A Few Examples of Spacecraft Anomalies Attributed to Transient Voltages and Currents Issues

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Perez, Ray

2006-01-01

It is easy to address voltage and current transient related issues when the hardware in question or similar type of hardware is always available to you and when such issues are deterministic in nature. Unexpected or unforeseen transient related problems are not always a challenge but become a severe concern when a unique piece of the hardware, which developed the problem, is in space; as it is with all satellites. This paper addresses in a qualitative manner, a few examples of voltage and current events of transient origin which disabled space hardware.

Current Economic Issues in Employee Benefits. Background Paper No. 39.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woodbury, Stephen A.

A multitude of public policy issues currently surround the tax treatment of employee benefits, particularly since the tax-favored status of employer contributions to pensions and health insurance has been blamed for a shrinking tax base that has exacerbated the federal budget deficit, an inefficient and bloated health-care sector, overinsurance by…

eHealth Literacy and Health Behaviors Affecting Modern College Students: A Pilot Study of Issues Identified by the American College Health Association

PubMed Central

Collins, William Bart; Wilson, Kari; Linnemeier, Georgiann; Englebert, Andrew Mark

2017-01-01

Background The eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS) has been widely adopted by researchers to understand how eHealth literacy can be put into context. eHealth researchers need to know how to promote positive health behavior changes across college students, given the importance of the Internet to acquire and use health information. The American College Health Association identified a set of key health issues that affect college students today. By understanding how eHEALS might be related to college students’ maintenance of their health and their use of online health resources, researchers will be provided with a better understanding of eHealth literacy and its pragmatic implications for health campaigns and future interventions. Objective The goal of the study was to examine what eHEALS reveals about college student health behaviors identified by the American College Health Association. To understand college student current health maintenance and their intentions to maintain their health and use online resources, the theory of planned behavior was used as the theoretical framework for the study. Methods Data were collected via a survey of 422 college students that included the eHEALS measure and questions about health issues based on the recommendations of the American College Health Association. These questions asked about college student current health, subsequent use of online health resources, and their intention to maintain their health and make use of such resources in the future. Results eHEALS was positively and significantly associated with all 8 areas of health issues identified by the American College Health Association for college student current maintenance of health and use of online health resources and for future intention of health maintenance and use of online resources. Key issues that emerged with eHealth literacy were maintaining safe sex practices and seeking out related information, seeking out information on an exercise regime, information on

Current Issues in Canadian Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bergen, John J.

Based on interviews with 150 persons in departments of education and in national, provincial, and territorial education organizations in Canada's major capital cities, this paper discusses seven vital issues in Canadian education and briefly states seven others. The seven major issues needing resolution concern: (1) the appropriate balance between…

Current and Emerging Ethical Issues in Counseling: A Delphi Study of Expert Opinions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herlihy, Barbara; Dufrene, Roxane L.

2011-01-01

A Delphi study was conducted to ascertain the opinions of panel experts regarding the most important current and emerging ethical issues facing the counseling profession. Expert opinions on ethical issues in counselor preparation also were sought. Eighteen panelists responded to 3 rounds of data collection interspersed with feedback. Themes that…

Identifying the science and technology dimensions of emerging public policy issues through horizon scanning.

PubMed

Parker, Miles; Acland, Andrew; Armstrong, Harry J; Bellingham, Jim R; Bland, Jessica; Bodmer, Helen C; Burall, Simon; Castell, Sarah; Chilvers, Jason; Cleevely, David D; Cope, David; Costanzo, Lucia; Dolan, James A; Doubleday, Robert; Feng, Wai Yi; Godfray, H Charles J; Good, David A; Grant, Jonathan; Green, Nick; Groen, Arnoud J; Guilliams, Tim T; Gupta, Sunjai; Hall, Amanda C; Heathfield, Adam; Hotopp, Ulrike; Kass, Gary; Leeder, Tim; Lickorish, Fiona A; Lueshi, Leila M; Magee, Chris; Mata, Tiago; McBride, Tony; McCarthy, Natasha; Mercer, Alan; Neilson, Ross; Ouchikh, Jackie; Oughton, Edward J; Oxenham, David; Pallett, Helen; Palmer, James; Patmore, Jeff; Petts, Judith; Pinkerton, Jan; Ploszek, Richard; Pratt, Alan; Rocks, Sophie A; Stansfield, Neil; Surkovic, Elizabeth; Tyler, Christopher P; Watkinson, Andrew R; Wentworth, Jonny; Willis, Rebecca; Wollner, Patrick K A; Worts, Kim; Sutherland, William J

2014-01-01

Public policy requires public support, which in turn implies a need to enable the public not just to understand policy but also to be engaged in its development. Where complex science and technology issues are involved in policy making, this takes time, so it is important to identify emerging issues of this type and prepare engagement plans. In our horizon scanning exercise, we used a modified Delphi technique. A wide group of people with interests in the science and policy interface (drawn from policy makers, policy adviser, practitioners, the private sector and academics) elicited a long list of emergent policy issues in which science and technology would feature strongly and which would also necessitate public engagement as policies are developed. This was then refined to a short list of top priorities for policy makers. Thirty issues were identified within broad areas of business and technology; energy and environment; government, politics and education; health, healthcare, population and aging; information, communication, infrastructure and transport; and public safety and national security.

Identifying the Science and Technology Dimensions of Emerging Public Policy Issues through Horizon Scanning

PubMed Central

Parker, Miles; Acland, Andrew; Armstrong, Harry J.; Bellingham, Jim R.; Bland, Jessica; Bodmer, Helen C.; Burall, Simon; Castell, Sarah; Chilvers, Jason; Cleevely, David D.; Cope, David; Costanzo, Lucia; Dolan, James A.; Doubleday, Robert; Feng, Wai Yi; Godfray, H. Charles J.; Good, David A.; Grant, Jonathan; Green, Nick; Groen, Arnoud J.; Guilliams, Tim T.; Gupta, Sunjai; Hall, Amanda C.; Heathfield, Adam; Hotopp, Ulrike; Kass, Gary; Leeder, Tim; Lickorish, Fiona A.; Lueshi, Leila M.; Magee, Chris; Mata, Tiago; McBride, Tony; McCarthy, Natasha; Mercer, Alan; Neilson, Ross; Ouchikh, Jackie; Oughton, Edward J.; Oxenham, David; Pallett, Helen; Palmer, James; Patmore, Jeff; Petts, Judith; Pinkerton, Jan; Ploszek, Richard; Pratt, Alan; Rocks, Sophie A.; Stansfield, Neil; Surkovic, Elizabeth; Tyler, Christopher P.; Watkinson, Andrew R.; Wentworth, Jonny; Willis, Rebecca; Wollner, Patrick K. A.; Worts, Kim; Sutherland, William J.

2014-01-01

Public policy requires public support, which in turn implies a need to enable the public not just to understand policy but also to be engaged in its development. Where complex science and technology issues are involved in policy making, this takes time, so it is important to identify emerging issues of this type and prepare engagement plans. In our horizon scanning exercise, we used a modified Delphi technique [1]. A wide group of people with interests in the science and policy interface (drawn from policy makers, policy adviser, practitioners, the private sector and academics) elicited a long list of emergent policy issues in which science and technology would feature strongly and which would also necessitate public engagement as policies are developed. This was then refined to a short list of top priorities for policy makers. Thirty issues were identified within broad areas of business and technology; energy and environment; government, politics and education; health, healthcare, population and aging; information, communication, infrastructure and transport; and public safety and national security. PMID:24879444

Identifying ethical issues of the Department of the Army civilian and Army Nurse Corps certified registered nurse anesthetists.

PubMed

Jenkins, Constance L; Elliott, Aaron R; Harris, Janet R

2006-08-01

The purposes of this study were to identify the ethical issues Department of the Army civilian and Army Nurse Corps certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) encountered in their anesthesia practice and how disturbed they were by these issues. This descriptive study used a secondary data analysis of a cross-sectional survey of Army Nurse Corps officers and Department of the Army civilian registered nurses (N = 5,293). The CRNA subset (n = 97) was obtained from questionnaires that indicated a primary practice setting as anesthesia. The most frequently occurring ethical issue identified was conflict in the nurse-physician relationship, whereas the most disturbing issue was working with incompetent/impaired colleagues. Unresolved ethical conflicts can negatively influence the nurses' morale, leading to avoidance of the issue and contributing to burnout. Identifying the ethical issues and disturbance level experienced by CRNAs should contribute to the development of an ethics education program that addresses issues encountered in CRNA practice.

Feminism and nurse-midwifery. Historical overview and current issues.

PubMed

McCool, W F; McCool, S J

1989-01-01

Despite the fact that the profession of nurse-midwifery and feminism are both disciplines concerned with women and issues affecting women's lives, there has been little investigation or acknowledgement of relationships between their two paradigms. The work presented here is an attempt to discover both similarities and differences between nurse-midwifery and feminist thought. Using a historical approach, it is shown that despite the common goal of improving and maintaining women's status in the world, whether in general or more specifically with regard to health, feminist theorists and nurse-midwives, to a large degree, have worked separately from each other, rarely acknowledging in any formal way the importance of the other discipline. Current issues that have an effect on the practice of nurse-midwifery today--lay midwifery, the profession of nursing, and nurse-midwifery research--are presented in relation to contemporary feminist thought.

Regulation of stem cell-based therapies in Canada: current issues and concerns.

PubMed

von Tigerstrom, Barbara; Nguyen, Thu Minh; Knoppers, Bartha Maria

2012-09-01

Stem cell therapies offer enormous potential for the treatment of a wide range of diseases and conditions. Despite the excitement over such advances, regulators are faced with the challenge of determining criteria to ensure stem cells and their products are safe and effective for human use. However, stem cell-based products and therapies present unique regulatory challenges because standard drug development models do not wholly apply given the complexity and diversity of these products and therapies. As a result, regulatory requirements are often unclear and ambiguous creating unnecessary barriers for research. In order to better understand the barriers that might affect Canadian stem cell researchers, we sought feedback from stakeholders regarding areas of uncertainty or concern about existing regulatory oversight of cell therapies. A selection of Canadian researchers and clinicians working in the area of stem cell research were interviewed to assess certain key questions: 1) whether current regulatory requirements are easily accessible and well understood; 2) whether regulatory requirements create important challenges or barriers; and 3) whether there is a need for further guidance on the issue. The results of this survey are summarized and compared to issues and concerns experienced in other countries, as reported in the literature, to identify challenges which may be on the horizon and to provide possible solutions for regulatory reform.

Technology and Interactive Multimedia. Identifying Emerging Issues and Trends in Technology for Special Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ashton, Ray

As part of a 3-year study to identify emerging issues and trends in technology for special education, this paper addresses the role of interactive multimedia, especially the digital, optical compact disc technologies, in providing instructional services to special education students. An overview identifies technological and economic trends,…

Women's Roles in the Economy: Teaching the Issues.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bergmann, Barbara R.

1987-01-01

Examines current controversial issues concerning the roles of women in the U.S. economy. Discusses women and the labor market, the economics of family life, and public policy issues directly affecting women. Reviews current literature and identifies specific topics for classroom study. (Author/DH)

Identity Management Systems in Healthcare: The Issue of Patient Identifiers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soenens, Els

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

eHealth Literacy and Health Behaviors Affecting Modern College Students: A Pilot Study of Issues Identified by the American College Health Association.

PubMed

Britt, Rebecca Katherine; Collins, William Bart; Wilson, Kari; Linnemeier, Georgiann; Englebert, Andrew Mark

2017-12-19

The eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS) has been widely adopted by researchers to understand how eHealth literacy can be put into context. eHealth researchers need to know how to promote positive health behavior changes across college students, given the importance of the Internet to acquire and use health information. The American College Health Association identified a set of key health issues that affect college students today. By understanding how eHEALS might be related to college students' maintenance of their health and their use of online health resources, researchers will be provided with a better understanding of eHealth literacy and its pragmatic implications for health campaigns and future interventions. The goal of the study was to examine what eHEALS reveals about college student health behaviors identified by the American College Health Association. To understand college student current health maintenance and their intentions to maintain their health and use online resources, the theory of planned behavior was used as the theoretical framework for the study. Data were collected via a survey of 422 college students that included the eHEALS measure and questions about health issues based on the recommendations of the American College Health Association. These questions asked about college student current health, subsequent use of online health resources, and their intention to maintain their health and make use of such resources in the future. eHEALS was positively and significantly associated with all 8 areas of health issues identified by the American College Health Association for college student current maintenance of health and use of online health resources and for future intention of health maintenance and use of online resources. Key issues that emerged with eHealth literacy were maintaining safe sex practices and seeking out related information, seeking out information on an exercise regime, information on vaccinations, and maintaining a balanced

Current Issues in Maternal and Paternal Deprivation. Unit for Child Studies Selected Papers Number 6.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Phillips, Shelley

An overview of some major current issues in maternal and paternal deprivation is presented. Parts I and II focus on (1) single parents and issues in paternal deprivation and (2) sex stereotyping and issues in maternal deprivation, respectively. More particularly, Part I discusses the effects of divorce and death on children and the problem of…

Wolves in the Wild: Using Current Issues to Make Science Relevant

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Post, Jennie; Sadler, Troy D.

2010-01-01

As teachers, one of our most important responsibilities is to help students develop dynamic and useful views of science. Using current issues to create learning experiences can help generate student interest in science and help students appreciate its significance in both personal and societal contexts. This article presents a lesson based on news…

Integrated primary health care in Greece, a missing issue in the current health policy agenda: a systematic review

PubMed Central

Lionis, Christos; Symvoulakis, Emmanouil K; Markaki, Adelais; Vardavas, Constantine; Papadakaki, Maria; Daniilidou, Natasa; Souliotis, Kyriakos; Kyriopoulos, Ioannis

2009-01-01

Background Over the past years, Greece has undergone several endeavors aimed at modernizing and improving national health care services with a focus on PHC. However, the extent to which integrated primary health care has been achieved is still questioned. Purpose This paper explores the extent to which integrated primary health care (PHC) is an issue in the current agenda of policy makers in Greece, reporting constraints and opportunities and highlighting the need for a policy perspective in developing integrated PHC in this Southern European country. Methods A systematic review in PubMed/Medline and SCOPUS, along with a hand search in selected Greek biomedical journals was undertaken to identify key papers, reports, editorials or opinion letters relevant to integrated health care. Results Our systematic review identified 198 papers and 161 out of them were derived from electronic search. Fifty-three papers in total served the scope of this review and are shortly reported. A key finding is that the long-standing dominance of medical perspectives in Greek health policy has been paving the way towards vertical integration, pushing aside any discussions about horizontal or comprehensive integration of care. Conclusion Establishment of integrated PHC in Greece is still at its infancy, requiring major restructuring of the current national health system, as well as organizational culture changes. Moving towards a new policy-based model would bring this missing issue on the discussion table, facilitating further development. PMID:19777112

Workshop on Countering Space Adaptation with Exercise: Current Issues

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harris, Bernard A. (Editor); Siconolfi, Steven F. (Editor)

1994-01-01

The proceedings represent an update to the problems associated with living and working in space and the possible impact exercise would have on helping reduce risk. The meeting provided a forum for discussions and debates on contemporary issues in exercise science and medicine as they relate to manned space flight with outside investigators. This meeting also afforded an opportunity to introduce the current status of the Exercise Countermeasures Project (ECP) science investigations and inflight hardware and software development. In addition, techniques for physiological monitoring and the development of various microgravity countermeasures were discussed.

Special Education for Children with Attention Deficit Disorder: Current Issues. CRS Report for Congress.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aleman, Steven R.

This paper examines issues concerning the eligibility of children with attention deficit disorder (ADD) for special education and related services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). A policy memorandum was issued by the Department of Education in September 1991, identifying those circumstances under which such children…

Current Practices and Priority Issues Regarding Nutritional Assessment and Patient Satisfaction with Hospital Menus.

PubMed

Greig, Susan; Hekmat, Sharareh; Garcia, Alicia C

2018-06-01

Patient satisfaction with hospital food enhances consumption and adequate intake of nutrients required for recovery from illness/injury and maintenance of health; accordingly, the nutrient content of the menu must balance patient preferences. This study of Ontario hospital foodservice departments collected data on current practices of analyzing the nutritional adequacy and assessing patient satisfaction with menus, and it explored perceptions of priority issues. Foodservice managers/directors from 57 of 140 (41%) hospitals responded to cross-sectional in-depth telephone interviews. Deductive analysis of responses to open-ended questions supplemented quantitative data from closed-ended questions. The hospitals without long-term care facilities (LTCFs) assessed regular (58%), therapeutic (53%), and texture-modified (47%) menus for nutritional adequacy. This differed from hospitals governing LTCFs where there was a higher frequency of assessment of regular (75%), therapeutic (75%), and textured-modified (66%) menus. Most departments (86%-94%) obtained patient satisfaction feedback at the departmental/corporate levels. Many identified budget and labour issues as priorities rather than assessing menus for nutritional adequacy and patient satisfaction. Hospital menus were not consistently assessed for nutritional adequacy and patient satisfaction; common assessment methodologies and standards were absent. Compliance standards seem to increase the frequency of menu assessment as demonstrated by hospitals governing LTCFs.

Leadership Manual--Current Issues. Instructor's Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, Washington, DC.

This document highlights some of the major issues of concern to the labor movement, particularly those that have pending legislation. This instructor's guide offers suggestions on how unions might educate their members on these issues during scheduled union meetings, seminars, or workshops, or in conjunction with specialized campaigns such as a…

Current ethical and legal issues in health-related direct-to-consumer genetic testing.

PubMed

Niemiec, Emilia; Kalokairinou, Louiza; Howard, Heidi Carmen

2017-09-01

A variety of health-related genetic testing is currently advertized directly to consumers. This article provides a timely overview of direct-to-consumer genetic testing (DTC GT) and salient ethical issues, as well as an analysis of the impact of the recently adopted regulation on in vitro diagnostic medical devices on DTC GT. DTC GT companies currently employ new testing approaches, report on a wide spectrum of conditions and target new groups of consumers. Such activities raise ethical issues including the questionable analytic and clinical validity of tests, the adequacy of informed consent, potentially misleading advertizing, testing in children, research uses and commercialization of genomic data. The recently adopted regulation on in vitro diagnostic medical devices may limit the offers of predisposition DTC GT in the EU market.

Current OCT Approaches Do Not Reliably Identify TCFAs

PubMed Central

Brezinski, Mark E.; Harjai, Kishore J

2017-01-01

It is now clearly established that Thin-Capped Fibroatheromas (TCFAs) lead to most Acute Coronary Syndromes (ACSs). The ability to selectively intervene on TCFAs predisposed to rupture and ACSs would dramatically alter the practice of cardiology. While the ability of OCT to identify thin walled plaques at micron scale resolutions has represented a major advance, it is a misconception that it can reliably identify TCFAs. One major reason is that the ‘diffuse border’ criteria currently used to determine ‘lipid plaque’ is almost undoubtedly from high scattering in the intima and not because of core composition (necrotic core). A second reason is that, rather than looking at lipid collections, studies need to be focused on identifying necrotic cores with OCT. Necrotic cores are characteristic of TCFAs and not lipid collections. Numerous other OCT approaches are available which can potentially accurately assess TCFAs, but these have not been aggressively pursed which we believe likely stems in part from the misconceptions over the efficacy of ‘diffuse borders’. PMID:29250457

Female sex trafficking: conceptual issues, current debates, and future directions.

PubMed

Meshkovska, Biljana; Siegel, Melissa; Stutterheim, Sarah E; Bos, Arjan E R

2015-01-01

Female sex trafficking is a pressing concern. In this article, we provide a comprehensive overview of relevant issues regarding the concept of female sex trafficking and research in the field of human trafficking, drawing on a variety of disciplines, including economics, gender and sexuality studies, psychology, sociology, law, and social work. We discuss the debates surrounding the definition of human trafficking, compare and contrast it with human smuggling, and outline connections between female sex trafficking and the issue of sex work and prostitution. We further discuss the history and current estimations of female sex trafficking. We then outline the main actors in female sex trafficking, including trafficked persons, traffickers, clients, and service providers, and we overview the trafficking process from recruitment to identification, recovery, and (re)integration. Finally, we conclude with recommendations for future research that tie together the concepts of vulnerability, exploitation, and long-term recovery and (re)integration.

The Daily Readiness Huddle: a process to rapidly identify issues and foster improvement through problem-solving accountability.

PubMed

Donnelly, Lane F; Cherian, Shirley S; Chua, Kimberly B; Thankachan, Sam; Millecker, Laura A; Koroll, Alex G; Bisset, George S

2017-01-01

Because of the increasing complexities of providing imaging for pediatric health care services, a more reliable process to manage the daily delivery of care is necessary. Objective We describe our Daily Readiness Huddle and the effects of the process on problem identification and improvement. Our Daily Readiness Huddle has four elements: metrics review, clinical volume review, daily readiness assessment, and problem accountability. It is attended by radiologists, directors, managers, front-line staff with concerns, representatives from support services (information technology [IT] and biomedical engineering [biomed]), and representatives who join the meeting in a virtual format from off-site locations. Data are visually displayed on erasable whiteboards. The daily readiness assessment uses queues to determine whether anyone has concerns or outlier data in regard to S-MESA (Safety, Methods, Equipment, Supplies or Associates). Through this assessment, problems are identified and categorized as quick hits (will be resolved in 24-48 h, not requiring project management) and complex issues. Complex issues are assigned an owner, quality coach and report-back date. Additionally, projects are defined as improvements that are often strategic, are anticipated to take more than 60 days, and do not necessarily arise out of identified issues during the Daily Readiness Huddle. We tracked and calculated the mean, median and range of days to resolution and completion for complex issues and for projects during the first full year of implementing this process. During the first 12 months, 91 complex issues were identified and resolved, 11 projects were in progress and 33 completed, with 23 other projects active or in planning. Time to resolution of complex issues (in days) was mean 37.5, median 34.0, and range 1-105. For projects, time to completion (in days) was mean 86.0, median 84.0, and range 5-280. The Daily Readiness Huddle process has given us a framework to rapidly identify

The treatment of Parkinson's disease with deep brain stimulation: current issues

PubMed Central

Moldovan, Alexia-Sabine; Groiss, Stefan Jun; Elben, Saskia; Südmeyer, Martin; Schnitzler, Alfons; Wojtecki, Lars

2015-01-01

Deep brain stimulation has become a well-established symptomatic treatment for Parkinson's disease during the last 25 years. Besides improving motor symptoms and long-term motor complications, positive effects on patients’ mobility, activities of daily living, emotional well-being and health-related quality of life have been recognized. Apart from that, numerous clinical trials analyzed effects on non-motor symptoms and side effects of deep brain stimulation. Several technical issues and stimulation paradigms have been and are still being developed to optimize the therapeutic effects, minimize the side effects and facilitate handling. This review summarizes current therapeutic issues, i.e., patient and target selection, surgical procedure and programming paradigms. In addition it focuses on neuropsychological effects and side effects of deep brain stimulation. PMID:26330809

The treatment of Parkinson's disease with deep brain stimulation: current issues.

PubMed

Moldovan, Alexia-Sabine; Groiss, Stefan Jun; Elben, Saskia; Südmeyer, Martin; Schnitzler, Alfons; Wojtecki, Lars

2015-07-01

Deep brain stimulation has become a well-established symptomatic treatment for Parkinson's disease during the last 25 years. Besides improving motor symptoms and long-term motor complications, positive effects on patients' mobility, activities of daily living, emotional well-being and health-related quality of life have been recognized. Apart from that, numerous clinical trials analyzed effects on non-motor symptoms and side effects of deep brain stimulation. Several technical issues and stimulation paradigms have been and are still being developed to optimize the therapeutic effects, minimize the side effects and facilitate handling. This review summarizes current therapeutic issues, i.e., patient and target selection, surgical procedure and programming paradigms. In addition it focuses on neuropsychological effects and side effects of deep brain stimulation.

Identifying Return-Current Losses in Flare Hard X-ray Spectra

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holman, Gordon D.

2011-01-01

I will report on theoretical studies and a data analysis program aimed at identifying and physically interpreting breaks in hard X-ray spectra resulting from return-current energy losses, as well as heating of the flare plasma resulting from these losses.

Ethical Issues in Volunteer Management and Accountability.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Netting, F. Ellen

1987-01-01

Examines the ethical issues surrounding President Reagan's directive to "Go back to the voluntary sector." Discusses trends which currently affect ethical issues of managing volunteer agencies/programs. Recommends proactive steps to be taken in developing the potential of voluntary organizations, identifying organizations' bases of support,…

North America Wound, Ostomy, and Continence and Enterostomal Therapy Nurses Current Ostomy Care Practice Related to Peristomal Skin Issues.

PubMed

Colwell, Janice C; McNichol, Laurie; Boarini, Joy

The purpose of this study was to describe the practice of 796 ostomy nurses in North America in 2014 related to peristomal skin issues. Descriptive study. Participants were 796 wound, ostomy, and continence (WOC) and enterostomal therapy (ET) nurses currently practicing in the United States or Canada and caring for patients with ostomies. The collection of data occurred in conjunction with an educational program on peristomal skin complications and practice issues and solicited the participant's perception on the incidence and frequency of peristomal skin issues as well as on practice patterns. Participants attended an educational program. They were also asked to anonymously respond to multiple-choice questions on ostomy care management via an audience response system followed by discussion of each item and their responses. This descriptive study reports on the answers to the questions as well as the pertinent discussion points. Participants estimated that approximately 77.70% of their patients developed peristomal skin issues. The most commonly encountered problem was irritant contact dermatitis (peristomal moisture-associated skin damage). Contributing factors were inappropriate use of a pouching system owing to lack of follow-up after hospital discharge. Reported interventions for the prevention and management of peristomal skin issues included preoperative stoma site marking, use of a convex pouching system, and barrier rings. However, subsequent discussion revealed that the frequency of use of these products varied considerably. Participants identified shortened hospital stays, absence of preoperative stoma marking, and limited outpatient follow-up as contributing to development of peristomal skin problems. WOC and ET nurses estimate that more than three-quarters of persons living with an ostomy develop peristomal skin problems. Multiple interventions for managing these problems were identified, but some variability in management approaches emerged.

North America Wound, Ostomy, and Continence and Enterostomal Therapy Nurses Current Ostomy Care Practice Related to Peristomal Skin Issues

PubMed Central

McNichol, Laurie; Boarini, Joy

2017-01-01

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to describe the practice of 796 ostomy nurses in North America in 2014 related to peristomal skin issues. DESIGN: Descriptive study. SUBJECTS AND SETTING: Participants were 796 wound, ostomy, and continence (WOC) and enterostomal therapy (ET) nurses currently practicing in the United States or Canada and caring for patients with ostomies. The collection of data occurred in conjunction with an educational program on peristomal skin complications and practice issues and solicited the participant's perception on the incidence and frequency of peristomal skin issues as well as on practice patterns. METHODS: Participants attended an educational program. They were also asked to anonymously respond to multiple-choice questions on ostomy care management via an audience response system followed by discussion of each item and their responses. This descriptive study reports on the answers to the questions as well as the pertinent discussion points. RESULTS: Participants estimated that approximately 77.70% of their patients developed peristomal skin issues. The most commonly encountered problem was irritant contact dermatitis (peristomal moisture-associated skin damage). Contributing factors were inappropriate use of a pouching system owing to lack of follow-up after hospital discharge. Reported interventions for the prevention and management of peristomal skin issues included preoperative stoma site marking, use of a convex pouching system, and barrier rings. However, subsequent discussion revealed that the frequency of use of these products varied considerably. Participants identified shortened hospital stays, absence of preoperative stoma marking, and limited outpatient follow-up as contributing to development of peristomal skin problems. CONCLUSION: WOC and ET nurses estimate that more than three-quarters of persons living with an ostomy develop peristomal skin problems. Multiple interventions for managing these problems were

Assessment of BSBA Students' Conversancy in Current Business Issues: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hogan, Eileen A.; Maskulka, Therese A.; Kaminski, Kathleen A.

2014-01-01

In 2008, the faculty of the College of Business at Kutztown University developed a set of five learning goals for its BSBA program. In fall, 2011, the college's Assurance of Learning Committee began to pursue the assessment of the last of these goals: "BSBA graduates will be conversant in current business issues, including ethics, social…

Current issues and challenges in the management of bariatric patients.

PubMed

Bell, Sue Ellen

2005-01-01

Morbid obesity is an increasingly common healthcare problem, and providers and patients currently face numerous challenges in dealing with this problem effectively. Issues addressed in this article include the effect of stigma, the need for more evidence regarding effective management options, and the declining insurance coverage for bariatric surgery. The role of bariatric surgery in effective management of morbid obesity is discussed, along with the effect on and possible reasons for declining coverage. A comparison between benefits and coverage for bariatric surgery and angioplasty/stent placement is included.

Voltage-gated currents in identified rat olfactory receptor neurons.

PubMed

Trombley, P Q; Westbrook, G L

1991-02-01

Whole-cell recording techniques were used to characterize voltage-gated membrane currents in neonatal rat olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) in cell culture. Mature ORNs were identified in culture by their characteristic bipolar morphology, by retrograde labeling techniques, and by olfactory marker protein (OMP) immunoreactivity. ORNs did not have spontaneous activity, but fired action potentials to depolarizing current pulses. Action potentials were blocked by tetrodotoxin (TTX), which contrasts with the TTX-resistant action potentials in salamander olfactory receptor cells (e.g., Firestein and Werblin, 1987). Prolonged, suprathreshold current pulses evoked only a single action potential; however, repetitive firing up to 35 Hz could be elicited by a series of brief depolarizing pulses. Under voltage clamp, the TTX-sensitive sodium current had activation and inactivation properties similar to other excitable cells. In TTX and 20 mM barium, sustained inward current were evoked by voltage steps positive to -30 mV. This current was blocked by Cd (100 microM) and by nifedipine (IC50 = 368 nM) consistent with L-type calcium channels in other neurons. No T-type calcium current was observed. Voltage steps positive to -20 mV also evoked an outward current that did not inactivate during 100-msec depolarizations. Tail current analysis of this current was consistent with a selective potassium conductance. The outward current was blocked by external tetraethylammonium but was unaffected by Cd or 4-aminopyridine (4-AP) or by removal of external calcium. A transient outward current was not observed. The 3 voltage-dependent conductances in cultured rat ORNs appear to be sufficient for 2 essential functions: action potential generation and transmitter release. As a single odorant-activated channel can trigger an action potential (e.g., Lynch and Barry, 1989), the repetitive firing seen with brief depolarizing pulses suggests that ORNs do not integrate sensory input, but rather act

Ethical issues identified by obstetrics and gynecology learners through a novel ethics curriculum.

PubMed

Mejia, Rachel B; Shinkunas, Laura A; Ryan, Ginny L

2015-12-01

Obstetrics and gynecology (ob/gyn) is fraught with bioethical issues, the professional significance of which may vary based on clinical experience. Our objective was to utilize our novel ethics curriculum to identify ethics and professionalism issues highlighted by ob/gyn learners and to compare responses between learner levels to further inform curricular development. We introduced an integrated and dynamic ob/gyn ethics and professionalism curriculum and mixed methods analysis of 181 resulting written reflections (case observation and assessments) from third-year medical students and from first- to fourth-year ob/gyn residents. Content was compared by learner level using basic thematic analysis and summary statistics. Within the 7 major ethics and professionalism domains, learners wrote most frequently about miscellaneous ob/gyn issues such as periviability and abortion (22% of students, 20% of residents) and problematic treatment decisions (20% of students, 19% of residents) rather than professional duty, communication, justice, student-/resident-specific issues, or quality of care. The most commonly discussed ob/gyn area by both learner groups was obstetrics rather than gynecology, gynecologic oncology, or reproductive endocrinology and infertility, although residents were more likely to discuss obstetrics-related concerns than students (65% vs 48%; P = .04) and students wrote about gynecologic oncology-related concerns more frequently than residents (25% vs 6%; P = .002). In their reflections, sources of ethical value (eg, the 4 classic ethics principles, professional guidelines, and consequentialism) were cited more frequently and in greater number by students than by residents (82% of students cited at least 1 source of ethical value vs 65% of residents; P = .01). Residents disagreed more frequently with the ethical propriety of clinical management than did students (67% vs 43%; P = .005). Our study introduces an innovative and dynamic approach to an ob

Current issues in allogeneic islet transplantation.

PubMed

Chang, Charles A; Lawrence, Michael C; Naziruddin, Bashoo

2017-10-01

Transplantation of allogenic pancreatic islets is a minimally invasive treatment option to control severe hypoglycemia and dependence on exogenous insulin among type 1 diabetes (T1D) patients. This overview summarizes the current issues and progress in islet transplantation outcomes and research. Several clinical trials from North America and other countries have documented the safety and efficacy of clinical islet transplantation for T1D patients with impaired hypoglycemia awareness. A recently completed phase 3 clinical trial allows centres in the United States to apply for a Food and Drug Administration Biologics License for the procedure. Introduction of anti-inflammatory drugs along with T-cell depleting induction therapy has significantly improved long-term function of transplanted islets. Research into islet biomarkers, immunosuppression, extrahepatic transplant sites and potential alternative beta cell sources is driving further progress. Allogeneic islet transplantation has vastly improved over the past two decades. Success in restoration of glycemic control and hypoglycemic awareness after islet transplantation has been further highlighted by clinical trials. However, lack of effective strategies to maintain long-term islet function and insufficient sources of donor tissue still impose limitations to the widespread use of islet transplantation. In the United States, wide adoption of this technology still awaits regulatory approval and, importantly, a financial mechanism to support the use of this technology.

Geospatial Information and Geographic Information Systems (GIS): Current Issues and Future Challenges

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-06-08

CRS Report for Congress Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Geospatial Information and Geographic Information Systems (GIS...Geographic Information Systems (GIS): Current Issues and Future Challenges 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6...PAGE unclassified Standard Form 298 (Rev. 8-98) Prescribed by ANSI Std Z39-18 Geospatial Information and Geographic Information Systems (GIS

Identifying Crucial Issues in Climate Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ikeda, Motoyoshi; Greve, Ralf; Hara, Toshika; Watanabe, Yutaka W.; Ohmura, Atsumu; Ito, Akihiko; Kawamiya, Michio

2009-01-01

Drastic Change in the Earth System During Global Warming; Sapporo, Japan, 24 June 2008; The Nobel Peace Prize awarded to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and former U.S. vice president Al Gore indicates that global warming is recognized as a real phenomenon critical to human beings. However, humanity's knowledge concerning global warming is based on an uncertainty larger than 50% in the warming rate during the past century. Therefore, scientific clarification is needed to understand important mechanisms that potentially produce positive feedbacks in the Earth system-such mechanisms must be better understood before scientists can develop more reliable predictions. To plan for the future, a symposium was organized at Japan's Hokkaido University in association with the G8 Summit, where the most recent updates on the five urgent issues in climate science were discussed. These issues, considered to be crucial as severe impacts on human society continue to rise, included (1) causes and magnitude of sea level rise; (2) decay of glaciers and the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets; (3) disappearance of the summer Arctic sea ice; (4) carbon uptake or emission by the terrestrial ecosystem; and (5) marine ecosystem change resulting in carbon emissions.

A Study of Current Trends and Issues Related to Technical/Engineering Design Graphics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clark, Aaron C.; Scales Alice

2000-01-01

Presents results from a survey of engineering design graphics educators who responded to questions related to current trends and issues in the profession of graphics education. Concludes that there is a clear trend in institutions towards the teaching of constraint-based modeling and computer-aided manufacturing. (Author/YDS)

Current Issues in Flexibility Fitness.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Knudson, Duane V.; Magnusson, Peter; McHugh, Malachy

2000-01-01

Physical activity is extremely important in maintaining good health. Activity is not possible without a certain amount of flexibility. This report discusses issues related to flexibility fitness. Flexibility is a property of the musculoskeletal system that determines the range of motion achievable without injury to the joints. Static flexibility…

Understandings of Current Environmental Issues: Turkish Case Study in Six Teacher Education Colleges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cakir, Mustafa; Irez, Serhat; Dogan, Ozgur Kivilcan

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study is to profile future science teachers' understandings of current environmental issues in the context of an education reform in Turkey. Knowledge base and understandings of elementary and secondary prospective science teachers about biodiversity, carbon cycle, global warming and ozone layer depletion were targeted in the…

Current Issues and Distributive Justice.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosal, Lorenca Consuelo

1992-01-01

Provides a lesson plan on the issue of distributive justice, or fairness in the ways things are distributed among individuals and groups. Includes a student reading concerning a proposed guaranteed standard of living. Proposes an activity that calls for student discussion of a constitutional amendment that would offer such a guarantee. (SG)

Current Issues with Environmental Barrier Coatings for Ceramics and Ceramic Composites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Kang N.

2004-01-01

The environmental barrier coating (EBC) for SiC/SiC ceramic matrix composites and Si3N4 ceramics is an emerging field as the application of silicon-based ceramics in the gas turbine engine hot section is on the horizon, both for aero and industrial gas turbines. EBC is an enabling technology for silicon-based ceramics because these materials without an EBC cannot be used in combustion environments due to rapid surface recession. Significant progress in EBC development has been made during the last decade through various government-sponsored programs. Current EBCs are based on silicon, mullite (3Al2O3-2SiO2) and BSAS (barium strontium aluminum silicate with celsian structure). Volatility of BSAS, BSAS-silica chemical reaction, and low melting point of silicon limit temperature capability of current EBCs to about 1350 C for long-term applications. There is a need for higher temperature EBCs as the temperature capability of silicon-based ceramics continue to increase. Therefore, research is underway to develop EBCs with improved temperature capability compared to current EBCs. The current status and issues with the advanced EBC development efforts will be discussed.

45 CFR 1100.4 - Current index.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Current index. 1100.4 Section 1100.4 Public... INFORMATION § 1100.4 Current index. Each agency shall maintain and make available for public inspection and copying a current index providing identifying information for the public as to any matter which is issued...

Current research issues related to post-wildfire runoff and erosion processes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moody, John A.; Shakesby, Richard A.; Robichaud, Peter R.; Cannon, Susan H.; Martin, Deborah A.

2013-01-01

Research into post-wildfire effects began in the United States more than 70 years ago and only later extended to other parts of the world. Post-wildfire responses are typically transient, episodic, variable in space and time, dependent on thresholds, and involve multiple processes measured by different methods. These characteristics tend to hinder research progress, but the large empirical knowledge base amassed in different regions of the world suggests that it should now be possible to synthesize the data and make a substantial improvement in the understanding of post-wildfire runoff and erosion response. Thus, it is important to identify and prioritize the research issues related to post-wildfire runoff and erosion. Priority research issues are the need to: (1) organize and synthesize similarities and differences in post-wildfire responses between different fire-prone regions of the world in order to determine common patterns and generalities that can explain cause and effect relations; (2) identify and quantify functional relations between metrics of fire effects and soil hydraulic properties that will better represent the dynamic and transient conditions after a wildfire; (3) determine the interaction between burned landscapes and temporally and spatially variable meso-scale precipitation, which is often the primary driver of post-wildfire runoff and erosion responses; (4) determine functional relations between precipitation, basin morphology, runoff connectivity, contributing area, surface roughness, depression storage, and soil characteristics required to predict the timing, magnitudes, and duration of floods and debris flows from ungaged burned basins; and (5) develop standard measurement methods that will ensure the collection of uniform and comparable runoff and erosion data. Resolution of these issues will help to improve conceptual and computer models of post-wildfire runoff and erosion processes.

Urban Science Education: Examining Current Issues through a Historical Lens

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McLaughlin, Cheryl A.

2014-01-01

This paper reviews and synthesizes urban science education studies published between 2000 and 2013 with a view to identifying current challenges faced by both teachers and students in urban classrooms. Additionally, this paper considers the historical events that have shaped the conditions, bureaucracies, and interactions of urban institutions.…

Ethical Issues in the Research of Group Work

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodrich, Kristopher M.; Luke, Melissa

2017-01-01

This article provides a primer for researchers exploring ethical issues in the research of group work. The article begins with an exploration of relevant ethical issues through the research process and current standards guiding its practice. Next, the authors identify resources that group work researchers can consult prior to constructing their…

China-U.S. Relations: Current Issues and Implications for U.S. Policy

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-07-10

Trade Representative (USTR) filed a case against China in the WTO in December 2008 charging that the PRC’s “Famous Chinese” brand program amounted to...Association of America, Inc. has charged that China may be blocking the import of American films , creating more opportunities for pirated versions...Relations: Current Issues and Implications for U.S. Policy Congressional Research Service 10 consumers. In 2007, the USTR filed several cases in

Japanese as a Second Language Assessment in Japan: Current Issues and Future Directions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hatasa, Yukiko; Watanabe, Tomoko

2017-01-01

This article reviews assessment practices of Japanese as a second language as taught in Japan since the 1980s. It begins with an explanation of the social and political conditions that have impacted assessment practices in Japan and then addresses current assessment practices and issues. This analysis first examines large-scale tests developed in…

A horizon scan of global conservation issues for 2012.

PubMed

Sutherland, William J; Aveling, Ros; Bennun, Leon; Chapman, Eleanor; Clout, Mick; Côté, Isabelle M; Depledge, Michael H; Dicks, Lynn V; Dobson, Andrew P; Fellman, Liz; Fleishman, Erica; Gibbons, David W; Keim, Brandon; Lickorish, Fiona; Lindenmayer, David B; Monk, Kathryn A; Norris, Kenneth; Peck, Lloyd S; Prior, Stephanie V; Scharlemann, Jörn P W; Spalding, Mark; Watkinson, Andrew R

2012-01-01

Our aim in conducting annual horizon scans is to identify issues that, although currently receiving little attention, may be of increasing importance to the conservation of biological diversity in the future. The 15 issues presented here were identified by a diverse team of 22 experts in horizon scanning, and conservation science and its application. Methods for identifying and refining issues were the same as in two previous annual scans and are widely transferable to other disciplines. The issues highlight potential changes in climate, technology and human behaviour. Examples include warming of the deep sea, increased cultivation of perennial grains, burning of Arctic tundra, and the development of nuclear batteries and hydrokinetic in-stream turbines. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Current funding and financing issues in the Australian hospice and palliative care sector.

PubMed

Gordon, Robert; Eagar, Kathy; Currow, David; Green, Janette

2009-07-01

This article overviews current funding and financing issues in the Australian hospice and palliative care sector. Within Australia, the major responsibilities for managing the health care system are shared between two levels of government. Funding arrangements vary according to the type of care. The delivery of palliative care services is a State/Territory responsibility. Recently, almost all States/Territories have developed overarching frameworks to guide the development of palliative care policies, including funding and service delivery structures. Palliative care services in Australia comprise a mix of specialist providers, generalist providers, and support services in the public, nongovernment, and private sectors. The National Palliative Care Strategy is a joint strategy of the Commonwealth and States that commenced in 2002 and includes a number of major issues. Following a national study in 1996, the Australian National Subacute and Nonacute Patient (AN-SNAP) system was endorsed as the national casemix classification for subacute and nonacute care. Funding for palliative care services varies depending on the type of service and the setting in which it is provided. There is no national model for funding inpatient or community services, which is a State/Territory responsibility. A summary of funding arrangements is provided in this article. Palliative care continues to evolve at a rapid rate in Australia. Increasingly flexible evidence-based models of care delivery are emerging. This article argues that it will be critical for equally flexible funding and financing models to be developed. Furthermore, it is critical that palliative care patients can be identified, classified, and costed. Casemix classifications such as AN-SNAP represent an important starting point but further work is required.

Current Issues: Critical Issues Confronting the Nation and the World. 1989 Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sass, Charles R., Ed.

This book investigates a variety of contemporary issues, both domestic U.S. concerns and those of an international focus that involve the United States. The introduction develops the context of the book by discussing the Reagan legacy, the 101st Congress, the Supreme Court, and the making of the U.S. federal budget. The domestic policy issues of…

Interpersonal Relationships, Motivation, Engagement, and Achievement: Yields for Theory, Current Issues, and Educational Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, Andrew J.; Dowson, Martin

2009-01-01

In this review, we scope the role of interpersonal relationships in students' academic motivation, engagement, and achievement. We argue that achievement motivation theory, current issues, and educational practice can be conceptualized in relational terms. Influential theorizing, including attribution theory, expectancy-value theory, goal theory,…

Using in-depth investigations to identify transportation safety issues for wheelchair-seated occupants of motor vehicles.

PubMed

Schneider, Lawrence W; Klinich, Kathleen D; Moore, Jamie L; MacWilliams, Joel B

2010-04-01

In-depth investigations of motor-vehicle crashes involve detailed inspection, measurement, and photodocumentation of vehicle exterior and interior damage, evidence of belt-restraint use, and evidence of occupant contacts with the vehicle interior. Results of in-depth investigations thereby provide the most objective way to identify current and emerging injury problems and issues in occupant safety and crash protection, and provide important feedback on the real-world performance of the latest restraint-system and vehicle crashworthiness technologies. To provide an objective understanding of real-world transportation safety issues for wheelchair-seated travelers, the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) has been conducting and assembling data from in-depth investigations of motor-vehicle crashes and non-crash adverse moving-vehicle incidents, such as emergency vehicle braking, turning, and swerving, in which there was at least one vehicle occupant sitting in a wheelchair. The results of 39 investigations involving 42 wheelchair-seated occupants have been assembled and entered into a wheelchair-occupant crash/injury database. In addition, a biomechanical analysis of each case has been performed to identify key safety issues for wheelchair-seated travelers. The wheelchairs of 34 of the 42 occupants who were seated in wheelchairs while traveling in motor vehicles were effectively secured by either a four-point, strap-type tiedown system or a docking securement device, and all but one of these properly secured wheelchairs remained in place during the crash or non-collision event. However, 30 of the 42 occupants were improperly restrained, either because of non-use or incomplete use of available belt restraints, or because the belt restraints were improperly positioned on the occupant's body. Twenty-six of the 42 occupants sustained significant injuries and 10 of these occupants died as a direct result of injuries sustained, or from

VLSI Technology: Impact and Promise. Identifying Emerging Issues and Trends in Technology for Special Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bayoumi, Magdy

As part of a 3-year study to identify emerging issues and trends in technology for special education, this paper addresses the implications of very large scale integrated (VLSI) technology. The first section reviews the development of educational technology, particularly microelectronics technology, from the 1950s to the present. The implications…

Controversies in the Hydrosphere: an iBook exploring current global water issues for middle school classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dufoe, A.; Guertin, L. A.

2012-12-01

This project looks to help teachers utilize iPad technology in their classrooms as an instructional tool for Earth system science and connections to the Big Ideas in Earth Science. The project is part of Penn State University's National Science Foundation (NSF) Targeted Math Science Partnership grant, with one goal of the grant to help current middle school teachers across Pennsylvania engage students with significant and complex questions of Earth science. The free Apple software iBooks Author was used to create an electronic book for the iPad, focusing on a variety of controversial issues impacting the hydrosphere. The iBook includes image slideshows, embedded videos, interactive images and quizzes, and critical thinking questions along Bloom's Taxonomic Scale of Learning Objectives. Outlined in the introductory iBook chapters are the Big Ideas of Earth System Science and an overview of Earth's spheres. Since the book targets the hydrosphere, each subsequent chapter focuses on specific water issues, including glacial melts, aquifer depletion, coastal oil pollution, marine debris, and fresh-water chemical contamination. Each chapter is presented in a case study format that highlights the history of the issue, the development and current status of the issue, and some solutions that have been generated. The next section includes critical thinking questions in an open-ended discussion format that focus on the Big Ideas, proposing solutions for rectifying the situation, and/or assignments specifically targeting an idea presented in the case study chapter. Short, comprehensive multiple-choice quizzes are also in each chapter. Throughout the iBook, students are free to watch videos, explore the content and form their own opinions. As a result, this iBook fulfills the grant objective by engaging teachers and students with an innovative technological presentation that incorporates Earth system science with current case studies regarding global water issues.

CURRENT STATE OF PREDICTING THE RESPIRATORY ALLERGY POTENTIAL OF CHEMICALS: WHAT ARE THE ISSUES?

EPA Science Inventory

Current State of Predicting the Respiratory Allergy Potential of Chemicals: What Are the Issues? M I. Gilmour1 and S. E. Loveless2, 1USEPA, Research Triangle Park, NC and 2DuPont Haskell Laboratory, Newark, DE.

Many chemicals are clearly capable of eliciting immune respon...

A study to identify research issues in the area of electromagnetic measurements and signal handling of remotely sensed data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1982-01-01

Research issues in the area of electromagnetic measurements and signal handling of remotely sensed data are identified. The following seven issues are discussed; platform/sensor system position and velocity, platform/sensor attitudes and attitude rates, optics and antennas, detectors and associated electronics, sensor calibration, signal handling, and system design.

Issues in Distance Education: A Primer for Higher Education Decision Makers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beaudoin, Michael

2016-01-01

This chapter presents an overview of current issues related to distance learning in higher education. It identifies central questions, issues, challenges, and opportunities that must be addressed by decision makers, as well as key attributes of effective leaders.

Current Domestic Problems, Social Studies: 6416.18.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, John A.

Secondary students learn to deal objectively with domestic issues and problems in this quinmester elective course. Emphasis is upon providing students with an opportunity for indepth study in critical thinking on current controversial issues, using activity units as a principal teaching technique. The objectives are for students to identify and…

Current status of environmental, health, and safety issues of nickel metal-hydride batteries for electric vehicles

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

Corbus, D; Hammel, C J; Mark, J

1993-08-01

This report identifies important environment, health, and safety issues associated with nickel metal-hydride (Ni-MH) batteries and assesses the need for further testing and analysis. Among the issues discussed are cell and battery safety, workplace health and safety, shipping requirements, and in-vehicle safety. The manufacture and recycling of Ni-MH batteries are also examined. This report also overviews the ``FH&S`` issues associated with other nickel-based electric vehicle batteries; it examines venting characteristics, toxicity of battery materials, and the status of spent batteries as a hazardous waste.

Alcohol on Campus: Three Current Issues.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fulton, Donald R.; Spooner, Sue E.

1987-01-01

Offers views on three issues important to campus alcohol policy: (1) teaching responsible drinking; (2) operating campus pubs; and (3) raising the legal drinking age. Asserts that carefully considered decisions are needed to help establish normative behavior. (Author/NB)

Current issues and perspectives in food safety and risk assessment.

PubMed

Eisenbrand, G

2015-12-01

In this review, current issues and opportunities in food safety assessment are discussed. Food safety is considered an essential element inherent in global food security. Hazard characterization is pivotal within the continuum of risk assessment, but it may be conceived only within a very limited frame as a true alternative to risk assessment. Elucidation of the mode of action underlying a given hazard is vital to create a plausible basis for human toxicology evaluation. Risk assessment, to convey meaningful risk communication, must be based on appropriate and reliable consideration of both exposure and mode of action. New perspectives, provided by monitoring human exogenous and endogenous exposure biomarkers, are considered of great promise to support classical risk extrapolation from animal toxicology. © The Author(s) 2015.

Aboriginal Self-Government in Canada: Current Trends and Issues. Purich's Aboriginal Issues Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hylton, John H., Ed.

This book contains 13 chapters analyzing important practical issues that must be addressed as Aboriginal self-government becomes fully operational in Canada. These issues are related to social problems and policies, criminal justice, community services, education, employment and job training, finance, the land base of government, women's rights…

Current safety issues with quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccines.

PubMed

Myers, Tanya R; McNeil, Michael M

2018-05-04

Invasive meningococcal disease, although rare, can present as sudden, life-threatening disease with high risk of mortality or severe long-term sequelae. The main prevention strategy for invasive meningococcal disease in the United States is the routine vaccination of adolescents and other persons at increased risk of meningococcal disease with quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccines. Two such vaccines are currently licensed and available in the United States, Menactra® (Sanofi Pasteur) and Menveo® (GlaxoSmithKline), and usage in the adolescent population has steadily increased since their introduction. Although early reports raised concerns about a possible association of Menactra with Guillain-Barré syndrome, a comprehensive safety review determined that if such risk existed it was no more than 0.66 cases per 1 million vaccinations. More recently, a study found an elevated risk of Bell's palsy when Menveo was administered concomitantly with other vaccines but no association was found when the vaccine was administered alone. In this commentary, we describe the current state of knowledge with respect to the safety of quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccines, and we identify potential areas for safety research for these vaccines.

Current Issues in the Design and Information Content of Instrument Approach Charts

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1995-03-01

This report documents an analysis and interview effort conducted to identify common operational errors made using : current Instrument Approach Plates (IAP), Standard Terminal Arrival Route (STAR) charts. Standard Instrument Departure : (SID) charts,...

FHWA LTBP Workshop to Identify Bridge Substructure Performance Issues : March 4–6, 2010, in Orlando, FL

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-01-01

The Long-Term Bridge Performance (LTBP) program was created to identify, collect, and analyze research-quality data on the most critical aspects of bridge performance. To complete a thorough investigation of bridge performance issues, the Federal Hig...

Vocational technical and adult education: Status, trends and issues related to electronic delivery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rothenberg, D.

1973-01-01

Data are analyzed, and trends and issues are discussed to provide information useful to the systems designer who wishes to identify and assess the opportunities for large scale electronic delivery in vocational/technical and adult education. Issues connected with vocational/technical education are investigated, with emphasis on those issues in the current spotlight which are relevant to the possibilities of electronic delivery. The current role of media is examined in vocational/technical instruction.

Cancer screening in the United States, 2017: A review of current American Cancer Society guidelines and current issues in cancer screening.

PubMed

Smith, Robert A; Andrews, Kimberly S; Brooks, Durado; Fedewa, Stacey A; Manassaram-Baptiste, Deana; Saslow, Debbie; Brawley, Otis W; Wender, Richard C

2017-03-01

Answer questions and earn CME/CNE Each year, the American Cancer Society publishes a summary of its guidelines for early cancer detection, data and trends in cancer screening rates, and select issues related to cancer screening. In this issue of the journal, the authors summarize current American Cancer Society cancer screening guidelines, describe an update of their guideline for using human papillomavirus vaccination for cancer prevention, describe updates in US Preventive Services Task Force recommendations for breast and colorectal cancer screening, discuss interim findings from the UK Collaborative Trial on Ovarian Cancer Screening, and provide the latest data on utilization of cancer screening from the National Health Interview Survey. CA Cancer J Clin 2017;67:100-121. © 2017 American Cancer Society. © 2017 American Cancer Society.

Leading change: 1--identifying the issue.

PubMed

Kerridge, Joanna

To enable sustainable change, nurses need to take the lead in managing it. Recent national initiatives have emphasised the importance of frontline staff in service improvement. The ability to influence and manage change has been identified as an essential skill for delivering new models of care. This article is the first in a three-part series designed to help nurses at all levels develop the knowledge and skills they will need to initiate and manage change. This article focuses on identifying what needs to be changed and why.

Health system decentralisation in Nepal: identifying the issues.

PubMed

Collins, Charles; Omar, Mayeh; Adhikari, Damodar; Dhakal, Ramji; Emmel, Nick; Dhakal, Megha Raj; Chand, Padam; Thapa, Druba; Singh, Arjun B

2007-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to describe and discuss policy analysis in Nepal and review the wide range of choices feasible in decentralisation decision making. In this paper an iterative qualitative method was developed and used in the research, which consisted of focus group interviews, key informant interviews, document analysis, including descriptive statistics, and analysis of the policy context. Participants in the research reflected the urban/rural mix of districts and the geography of Nepal. Analysis combined transcribed interviews with findings from document searches and analysis of the policy context. Coding was pre-determined during the training workshop and further codes were generated during and after the fieldwork. The paper finds that Nepal is in the process of decentralising public services from the central level to the local level, particularly to local bodies: District Development Committees (DDCs), Village Development Committees (VDCs) and Municipalities. Key contextual factors referred to are the overall structure of decentralisation, the social context of poverty and the political instability leading to a fluid political situation characterised by political tension, armed conflict, controversies and agreements while carrying out the research. The key issues identified and discussed in the paper are the policy process leading to decentralisation, the organisational structure and tension in the proposed system, the systems of resource generation, allocation, planning and management and lastly the forms of accountability, participation, public-private relations and collaborative strategies. The paper discusses the challenges faced in conducting such a policy analysis, the broad ranging and unremitting nature of the decentralisation process, and the contextual setting of the process of change.

"Business Ethics Everywhere": An Experiential Exercise to Develop Students' Ability to Identify and Respond to Ethical Issues in Business

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baker, Susan D.; Comer, Debra R.

2012-01-01

This article introduces an experiential exercise that enhances students' ability to identify ethical issues and to respond to them in ways that consider the relationship between organizational factors and ethical action. Students identify a required number of ethical incidents in their workplaces during a specified period. Students submit a…

Current status of coastal zone issues and management in China: a review.

PubMed

Cao, Wenzhi; Wong, Ming H

2007-10-01

This paper identifies and examines social-economic and environmental issues recently emerged in China's coastal zone. Evaluation of management scheme and progress in perspectives of coordinated legislation, institutional arrangement, public participation, capacity building, and scientific research (mainly coastal planning and functional zoning) in China's coastal zone are made. The Chinese government has made a significant effort in developing legislation for the coastal zone. Jurisdictional and zoning boundaries, and allocating use rights for coastal and marine resources have been established. State Oceanic Administration is the leading agency responsible for China's ocean policymaking and overall management of ocean and coastal affairs. A demonstrated project for integrated coastal management in Xiamen has been implemented, and is characterized as "decentralization" approach in decision-making process. In view of the above, comprehensive coastal management in China is a big challenge, facing with many difficulties. Finally, recommendations are raised for tackling these issues for China's coastal zone management.

Identifying the mathematics middle year students use as they address a community issue

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marshman, Margaret

2017-03-01

Middle year students often do not see the mathematics in the real world whereas the Australian Curriculum: Mathematics aims for students to be "confident and creative users and communicators of mathematics" (Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA] 2012). Using authentic and real mathematics tasks can address this situation. This paper is an account of how, working within a Knowledge Producing Schools' framework, a group of middle year students addressed a real community issue, the problem of the lack of a teenage safe space using mathematics and technology. Data were collected for this case study via journal observations and reflections, semi-structured interviews, samples of the students' work and videos of students working. The data were analysed by identifying the mathematics the students used determining the function and location of the space and focused on problem negotiation, formulation and solving through the statistical investigation cycle. The paper will identify the mathematics and statistics these students used as they addressed a real problem in their local community.

Incredible Years Parent and Teacher Programmes: Emerging Themes and Issues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wetherall, Michelle

2014-01-01

This paper examines the Incredible Years Parent and Teacher Programmes that have originated from the work of Webster-Stratton. It provides a brief background on the programmes and a critical analysis of the issues as identified in current literature. The issues can be grouped into four main categories, the first being government decision-making…

Current issues in Scandinavian acute psychiatric wards.

PubMed

Ruud, Torleif; Lindefors, Nils; Lindhardt, Anne

2006-01-01

The aim of the paper is to provide an overview of some of the most important issues faced by acute inpatient facilities in three Scandinavian countries, including reflections and critical remarks for discussion in this field. Information was drawn from scientific articles and official reports published in recent years, as well as the authors' own knowledge of acute facilities in their home countries. Acute inpatient facilities, including General Hospital Psychiatric Units (GHPUs), in all Scandinavian countries have several issues and problems in common, which include the organisation and capacity of acute services, the assessment of dangerousness and suicidality, the use of coercion and efforts to reduce coercion, the need to define and improve the quality of acute services, and the necessity to improve collaboration and continuity between acute services and other services. Although the emphasis some of these issues receive can vary across the three countries, Scandinavian mental health professionals (and policy makers) have begun to systematically share their experiences in developing a growing spirit of collaboration. Despite the role of welfare state and the deployment of substantial resources in Scandinavian countries, mental health practitioners are struggling to implement best practices in acute wards, to develop differentiated forms of acute services, and to reach the right balance and coordination between acute services and other services.

Current issues in atmospheric change

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1987-01-01

In response to questions about the effects of long-term, global-scale changes in the atmosphere raised in congressional hearings, a group of leading experts held a two-day workshop to survey the state of current knowledge about atmospheric changes and their implications. The review focuses on the sources, concentrations, and changes of those gases most directly linked to human activities, i.e., carbon dioxide, ozone, and the chlorofluorocarbons; the direct physical effects of rising concentrations of trace gases. The review discusses the uncertainties associated with the knowledge of current trends and possible future changes, including ozone trends and the Antarctic ozone hole, and the impacts of rising concentrations of trace gases.

An examination of the disparity between self-identified versus legally identified rape victimization: A pilot study.

PubMed

Marsil, Dorothy F; McNamara, Corinne

2016-07-01

Researchers compared rape victimization based on self-identification to the current federal legal definition in a pilot study of college students. The sample was comprised of 1,648 (69.8% female; 30.2% male) college students who completed the Sexual Experiences Survey-Short Form Victimization (SES-SFV) online. Based on the current legal definition of rape, 9.4% (11.1% female; 5.2% male) of students had been raped since being enrolled, but only 2.9% of students self-identified as being raped. Moreover, 15.1% of students reported ever being raped, with females acknowledging higher rates (19.7%) than males (4.3%). Rape continues to be a major issue for colleges and universities. A serious concern is the disparity between the number of those who met the behavioral criteria for rape victimization based on the current legal definition, but who did not self-identify as a victim. Universities must address this disparity by using multiple measures to assess the prevalence of sexual violence on campus.

MRI: unique costing and pricing issues.

PubMed

Schwartz, H W; Jarl, D F

1985-01-01

Acquisition of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) involves a plethora of costs not traditionally encountered in radiology procedure cost accounting models. Experiences with MRI gained at the University of Minnesota Hospitals and Clinics during 1984 uncovered a wide variety of unique costing issues which were eventually identified at the time when the MRI hospital charge was being established. Our experience at UMHC can provide those radiology departments now acquiring MRI with an earlier awareness of these special costing issues, hopefully resulting in better and more timely data collection. Current reimbursement and pricing issues are also having a dramatic impact on MRI costs at each institution and must be assessed in terms of third-party payor intentions.

Ethical issues in pragmatic randomized controlled trials: a review of the recent literature identifies gaps in ethical argumentation.

PubMed

Goldstein, Cory E; Weijer, Charles; Brehaut, Jamie C; Fergusson, Dean A; Grimshaw, Jeremy M; Horn, Austin R; Taljaard, Monica

2018-02-27

Pragmatic randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are designed to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions in real-world clinical conditions. However, these studies raise ethical issues for researchers and regulators. Our objective is to identify a list of key ethical issues in pragmatic RCTs and highlight gaps in the ethics literature. We conducted a scoping review of articles addressing ethical aspects of pragmatic RCTs. After applying the search strategy and eligibility criteria, 36 articles were included and reviewed using content analysis. Our review identified four major themes: 1) the research-practice distinction; 2) the need for consent; 3) elements that must be disclosed in the consent process; and 4) appropriate oversight by research ethics committees. 1) Most authors reject the need for a research-practice distinction in pragmatic RCTs. They argue that the distinction rests on the presumptions that research participation offers patients less benefit and greater risk than clinical practice, but neither is true in the case of pragmatic RCTs. 2) Most authors further conclude that pragmatic RCTs may proceed without informed consent or with simplified consent procedures when risks are low and consent is infeasible. 3) Authors who endorse the need for consent assert that information need only be disclosed when research participation poses incremental risks compared to clinical practice. Authors disagree as to whether randomization must be disclosed. 4) Finally, all authors view regulatory oversight as burdensome and a practical impediment to the conduct of pragmatic RCTs, and argue that oversight procedures ought to be streamlined when risks to participants are low. The current ethical discussion is framed by the assumption that the function of research oversight is to protect participants from risk. As pragmatic RCTs commonly involve usual care interventions, the risks may be minimal. This leads many to reject the research-practice distinction and question

Current Therapeutic Cannabis Controversies and Clinical Trial Design Issues

PubMed Central

Russo, Ethan B.

2016-01-01

This overview covers a wide range of cannabis topics, initially examining issues in dispensaries and self-administration, plus regulatory requirements for production of cannabis-based medicines, particularly the Food and Drug Administration “Botanical Guidance.” The remainder pertains to various cannabis controversies that certainly require closer examination if the scientific, consumer, and governmental stakeholders are ever to reach consensus on safety issues, specifically: whether botanical cannabis displays herbal synergy of its components, pharmacokinetics of cannabis and dose titration, whether cannabis medicines produce cyclo-oxygenase inhibition, cannabis-drug interactions, and cytochrome P450 issues, whether cannabis randomized clinical trials are properly blinded, combatting the placebo effect in those trials via new approaches, the drug abuse liability (DAL) of cannabis-based medicines and their regulatory scheduling, their effects on cognitive function and psychiatric sequelae, immunological effects, cannabis and driving safety, youth usage, issues related to cannabis smoking and vaporization, cannabis concentrates and vape-pens, and laboratory analysis for contamination with bacteria and heavy metals. Finally, the issue of pesticide usage on cannabis crops is addressed. New and disturbing data on pesticide residues in legal cannabis products in Washington State are presented with the observation of an 84.6% contamination rate including potentially neurotoxic and carcinogenic agents. With ongoing developments in legalization of cannabis in medical and recreational settings, numerous scientific, safety, and public health issues remain. PMID:27683558

Environmental Awareness: Relating Current Issues to Biology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeFina, Anthony

1995-01-01

Presents examples of incorporating environmental issues into lesson plans to raise the level of students' environmental awareness. Topics include: ecology, taxonomy, biochemistry, energy reactions, cell structure and function, genetics and development, and human biology. (JRH)

Current Issues in Undergraduate Psychiatry Education: The Findings of a Qualitative Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dogra, Nisha; Edwards, Ruth; Karim, Khalid; Cavendish, Susan

2008-01-01

Background: Recruitment into psychiatry is correlated with the quality of undergraduate medical school teaching programmes and with a commitment of major resources to teaching students. There is an extensive literature related to attitudes towards psychiatry but less on the learning and teaching of psychiatry. Aims: To identify the current issues…

Ongoing ethical issues concerning authorship in biomedical journals: an integrative review

PubMed Central

Kornhaber, Rachel Anne; McLean, Loyola M; Baber, Rodney J

2015-01-01

Health professionals publishing within the field of health sciences continue to experience issues concerning appropriate authorship, which have clinical, ethical, and academic implications. This integrative review sought to explore the key issues concerning authorship from a bioethical standpoint, aiming to explore the key features of the authorship debate. Studies were identified through an electronic search, using the PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), and Scopus databases of peer-reviewed research, published between 2009 and 2014, limited to English language research, with search terms developed to reflect the current issues of authorship. From among the 279 papers identified, 20 research papers met the inclusion criteria. Findings were compiled and then arranged to identify themes and relationships. The review incorporated a wide range of authorship issues encompassing equal-credited authors, honorary (guest/gift) and ghost authorship, perception/experiences of authorship, and guidelines/policies. This review suggests that the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors’ (ICMJE) recommended guidelines for authorship are not reflected in current authorship practices within the domain of health sciences in both low-and high-impact-factor journals. This devaluing of the true importance of authorship has the potential to affect the validity of authorship, diminish the real contributions of the true authors, and negatively affect patient care. PMID:26257520

Ongoing ethical issues concerning authorship in biomedical journals: an integrative review.

PubMed

Kornhaber, Rachel Anne; McLean, Loyola M; Baber, Rodney J

2015-01-01

Health professionals publishing within the field of health sciences continue to experience issues concerning appropriate authorship, which have clinical, ethical, and academic implications. This integrative review sought to explore the key issues concerning authorship from a bioethical standpoint, aiming to explore the key features of the authorship debate. Studies were identified through an electronic search, using the PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), and Scopus databases of peer-reviewed research, published between 2009 and 2014, limited to English language research, with search terms developed to reflect the current issues of authorship. From among the 279 papers identified, 20 research papers met the inclusion criteria. Findings were compiled and then arranged to identify themes and relationships. The review incorporated a wide range of authorship issues encompassing equal-credited authors, honorary (guest/gift) and ghost authorship, perception/experiences of authorship, and guidelines/policies. This review suggests that the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors' (ICMJE) recommended guidelines for authorship are not reflected in current authorship practices within the domain of health sciences in both low-and high-impact-factor journals. This devaluing of the true importance of authorship has the potential to affect the validity of authorship, diminish the real contributions of the true authors, and negatively affect patient care.

Animal-cell culture media: History, characteristics, and current issues.

PubMed

Yao, Tatsuma; Asayama, Yuta

2017-04-01

Cell culture technology has spread prolifically within a century, a variety of culture media has been designed. This review goes through the history, characteristics and current issues of animal-cell culture media. A literature search was performed on PubMed and Google Scholar between 1880 and May 2016 using appropriate keywords. At the dawn of cell culture technology, the major components of media were naturally derived products such as serum. The field then gradually shifted to the use of chemical-based synthetic media because naturally derived ingredients have their disadvantages such as large batch-to-batch variation. Today, industrially important cells can be cultured in synthetic media. Nevertheless, the combinations and concentrations of the components in these media remain to be optimized. In addition, serum-containing media are still in general use in the field of basic research. In the fields of assisted reproductive technologies and regenerative medicine, some of the medium components are naturally derived in nearly all instances. Further improvements of culture media are desirable, which will certainly contribute to a reduction in the experimental variation, enhance productivity among biopharmaceuticals, improve treatment outcomes of assisted reproductive technologies, and facilitate implementation and popularization of regenerative medicine.

Baccalaureate Degrees at Ontario Colleges: Issues and Implications

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Panacci, Adam G.

2014-01-01

This paper identifies and examines major issues and implications of the proposal to substantially increase the number of applied baccalaureate degrees offered by Ontario's Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology, including increasing four-year applied degree offerings and introducing three-year applied degrees. Currently, provincial legislation…

Military aircrew eyewear survey: operational issues.

PubMed

Capó-Aponte, José E; Hilber, David J; Urosevich, Thomas G; Lattimore, Morris R; Weaver, Jeffrey L

2013-08-01

Army aircrew are required to operate under stressful conditions within a degraded visual environment. To gain an understanding of current eyewear mission needs, we surveyed aircrew regarding operational issues associated with the current U.S. Army-issue aircrew eyewear. An anonymous online survey was completed by 976 U.S. Army aircrew personnel recruited through an invitational e-mail. Of the respondents, 34% reported wearing corrective lenses. Nearly 50% of them reported dissatisfaction with the HGU-4/P Aviator spectacles. The leading problems reported were discomfort (15%), "hot spots" around the ears (13%), and break of the earcup seal (11%). Nearly 41% of the respondents wore multifocal lenses and, of those, 16% reported that the HGU-4/P's restricted field of view (FOV) adversely affected duty performance. Of those who wore Modified HGU-4/P Apache spectacles, 79% had an unacceptable FOV with the helmet display unit. A similar number of aircrew modified the Apache eyewear to increase the FOV. In addition, wind and dust created eye discomfort or affected the vision of 46% of all respondents when performing flight duties. Over 82% expressed the need for an improved aircrew spectacles and 73% desired aviation-compatible protective eyewear. The current Army HGU-4/P Aviator and the Modified HGU-4/P Apache spectacles have significant operational deficiencies and compatibility issues. Such deficiencies have led to poor wear compliance and unauthorized modification of the Army-issue Aviator eyewear, posing readiness and safety issues. The results of this survey formally identify the need for military combat eye protection that is compatible with flight systems.

Radiation safety standards and their application: international policies and current issues.

PubMed

González, Abel J

2004-09-01

This paper briefly describes the current policies of the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation and the International Commission on Radiological Protection and how these policies are converted into international radiation safety standards by the International Atomic Energy Agency, which is the only global organization-within the United Nations family of international agencies-with a statutory mandate not only to establish such standards but also to provide for their application. It also summarizes the current status of the established corpus of such international standards, and of it foreseeable evolution, as well as of legally binding undertakings by countries around the world that are linked to these standards. Moreover, this paper also reviews some major current global issues related to the application of international standards, including the following: strengthening of national infrastructures for radiation safety, including technical cooperation programs for assisting developing countries; occupational radiation safety challenges, including the protection of pregnant workers and their unborn children, dealing with working environments with high natural radiation levels, and occupational attributability of health effects (probability of occupational causation); restricting discharges of radioactive substances into the environment: reviewing current international policies vis-a-vis the growing concern on the radiation protection of the "environment;" radiological protection of patients undergoing radiodiagnostic and radiotherapeutic procedures: the current International Action Plan; safety and security of radiation sources: post-11 September developments; preparedness and response to radiation emergencies: enhancing the international network; safe transport of radioactive materials: new apprehensions; safety of radioactive waste management: concerns and connections with radiation protection; and radioactive residues remaining

Starting Over: Current Issues in Online Catalog User Interface Design.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crawford, Walt

1992-01-01

Discussion of online catalogs focuses on issues in interface design. Issues addressed include understanding the user base; common user access (CUA) with personal computers; common command language (CCL); hyperlinks; screen design issues; differences from card catalogs; indexes; graphic user interfaces (GUIs); color; online help; and remote users.…

Current Issues in the Teaching of English: Report on a Questionnaire Study; English Curricula in Australia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Australian Council for Educational Research, Hawthorn.

The first two papers in this volume discusses the results of questionnaires intended for primary and secondary teachers to elicit information on current issues in the teaching of English in Australia. It was learned that secondary teachers reached consensus only on the very broadest levels. They all agreed that literature, communication, and…

To twist or poke? A method for identifying usability issues with the rotary controller and touch screen for control of in-vehicle information systems.

PubMed

Harvey, Catherine; Stanton, Neville A; Pickering, Carl A; McDonald, Mike; Zheng, Pengjun

2011-07-01

In-vehicle information systems (IVIS) can be controlled by the user via direct or indirect input devices. In order to develop the next generation of usable IVIS, designers need to be able to evaluate and understand the usability issues associated with these two input types. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a set of empirical usability evaluation methods for identifying important usability issues and distinguishing between the IVIS input devices. A number of usability issues were identified and their causal factors have been explored. These were related to the input type, the structure of the menu/tasks and hardware issues. In particular, the translation between inputs and on-screen actions and a lack of visual feedback for menu navigation resulted in lower levels of usability for the indirect device. This information will be useful in informing the design of new IVIS, with improved usability. STATEMENT OF RELEVANCE: This paper examines the use of empirical methods for distinguishing between direct and indirect IVIS input devices and identifying usability issues. Results have shown that the characteristics of indirect input devices produce more serious usability issues, compared with direct devices and can have a negative effect on the driver-vehicle interaction.

Clarification of Current Air Program Issues

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

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

The obesity epidemic in children and adults: current evidence and research issues.

PubMed

Flegal, K M

1999-11-01

The term "epidemic" of obesity implies that obesity is a characteristic of populations, not only of individuals. The purpose of this paper is to review evidence on obesity in populations and to identify future research issues. To examine recent increases in the population prevalence of overweight or obesity, a literature search was undertaken. Trends in overweight or obesity among adults showed considerable variability internationally. Some countries, including Canada, Finland (men), New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Western Samoa showed large increases in prevalence (>5 percentage points), whereas several other countries showed smaller or no increases. Overweight is also increasing among children and adolescents, at least in some countries. It is not clear what the expected prevalence of overweight or obesity might be in the current environment, and these findings may be most usefully viewed as shifts in the distribution of a population characteristic. The reasons for these shifts are not clear. The health implications of these shifts are also not clear, in part because trends in cardiovascular risk factors do not always parallel trends in obesity. Of the classic epidemiologic triad of host, agent, and environment, the environment has often received the least attention. The economic, social, and cultural factors that influence the distribution of body mass index in a population are not well understood. Future research needs include continued monitoring of trends in obesity and in related health conditions and observational studies to examine the causes of these trends. Public health research should aim at defining realistic goals and strategies to improve health in an environment conducive to high levels of overweight and obesity.

Ukraine: Current Issues and U.S. Policy

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-02-26

The United States also pledged to continue to cooperate with Ukraine on nuclear safety issues, including the cleanup of the Chernobyl nuclear...Congressional Research Service 13 A significant portion of U.S. aid to Ukraine in the ESF account is dedicated to improving the safety of the Chernobyl nuclear

Cellular signaling identifiability analysis: a case study.

PubMed

Roper, Ryan T; Pia Saccomani, Maria; Vicini, Paolo

2010-05-21

Two primary purposes for mathematical modeling in cell biology are (1) simulation for making predictions of experimental outcomes and (2) parameter estimation for drawing inferences from experimental data about unobserved aspects of biological systems. While the former purpose has become common in the biological sciences, the latter is less common, particularly when studying cellular and subcellular phenomena such as signaling-the focus of the current study. Data are difficult to obtain at this level. Therefore, even models of only modest complexity can contain parameters for which the available data are insufficient for estimation. In the present study, we use a set of published cellular signaling models to address issues related to global parameter identifiability. That is, we address the following question: assuming known time courses for some model variables, which parameters is it theoretically impossible to estimate, even with continuous, noise-free data? Following an introduction to this problem and its relevance, we perform a full identifiability analysis on a set of cellular signaling models using DAISY (Differential Algebra for the Identifiability of SYstems). We use our analysis to bring to light important issues related to parameter identifiability in ordinary differential equation (ODE) models. We contend that this is, as of yet, an under-appreciated issue in biological modeling and, more particularly, cell biology. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Current Issues. 1983/84 Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

James, Bruce

Written for students participating in the Close Up government studies program, a week-long field experience in Washington, D.C., the readings in this booklet may be incorporated into social studies units on government, political science, or current events. Following an introduction to members of the Reagan Administration and the Supreme Court and…

A Horizon Scan of Global Conservation Issues for 2016.

PubMed

Sutherland, William J; Broad, Steven; Caine, Jacqueline; Clout, Mick; Dicks, Lynn V; Doran, Helen; Entwistle, Abigail C; Fleishman, Erica; Gibbons, David W; Keim, Brandon; LeAnstey, Becky; Lickorish, Fiona A; Markillie, Paul; Monk, Kathryn A; Mortimer, Diana; Ockendon, Nancy; Pearce-Higgins, James W; Peck, Lloyd S; Pretty, Jules; Rockström, Johan; Spalding, Mark D; Tonneijck, Femke H; Wintle, Bonnie C; Wright, Katherine E

2016-01-01

This paper presents the results of our seventh annual horizon scan, in which we aimed to identify issues that could have substantial effects on global biological diversity in the future, but are not currently widely well known or understood within the conservation community. Fifteen issues were identified by a team that included researchers, practitioners, professional horizon scanners, and journalists. The topics include use of managed bees as transporters of biological control agents, artificial superintelligence, electric pulse trawling, testosterone in the aquatic environment, building artificial oceanic islands, and the incorporation of ecological civilization principles into government policies in China. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Effectiveness of the palliative care ‘Availability, Current issues and Anticipation’ (ACA) communication training programme for general practitioners on patient outcomes: A controlled trial

PubMed Central

Blankenstein, Annette H; Schweitzer, Bart PM; Knol, Dirk L; van der Horst, Henriëtte E; Aaronson, Neil K; Deliens, Luc

2014-01-01

Background: Although communicating effectively with patients receiving palliative care can be difficult, it may contribute to maintaining or enhancing patients’ quality of life. Little is known about the effect of training general practitioners in palliative care–specific communication. We hypothesized that palliative care patients of general practitioners exposed to the ‘Availability, Current issues and Anticipation’ communication training programme would report better outcomes than patients of control general practitioners. Aim: To evaluate the effectiveness of the Availability, Current issues and Anticipation training programme for general practitioners on patient-reported outcomes. Design: In a controlled trial, general practitioners followed the Availability, Current issues and Anticipation programme or were part of the control group. Patients receiving palliative care of participating general practitioners completed the Palliative Care Outcome Scale, the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 15 Palliative, the Rest & Peace Scale, the Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire–III and the Availability, Current issues and Anticipation Scale, at baseline and 12 months follow-up. We analysed differences between groups using linear mixed models. Trial registration: ISRCTN56722368. Setting/participants: General practitioners who attended a 2-year Palliative Care Training Course in the Netherlands. Results: Questionnaire data were available for 145 patients (89 in intervention and 56 in control group). We found no significant differences over time between the intervention and control groups in any of the five outcome measures. Ceiling effects were observed for the Rest & Peace Scale, Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire–III and Availability, Current issues and Anticipation Scale. Conclusion: General practitioner participation in the Availability, Current issues and Anticipation training programme did not have

[Domestic violence: a current issue to take into account in diagnostic imaging].

PubMed

Santos Corraliza, E; Larrañaga Hernando, G; Neve Lete, I; Sánchez García, A

2014-01-01

Domestic violence is currently an issue of great political and social importance. The real incidence of domestic violence is difficult to determine due to the environment where it takes place and the reluctance of victims to report abuse. On the other hand, all types of violence represent an important public health problem. We report the case of a young woman who presented with thromboembolic phenomena at different sites due to domestic violence. We emphasize that it is necessary for radiologists and other healthcare professionals to consider the possibility of domestic violence when establishing the diagnosis. This can be important for determining the incidence of abuse, diminishing its sequela, and help increase its reporting. Copyright © 2011 SERAM. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Accompanying Partners of International Students: Reflections on Three Issues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cui, Dan; Arthur, Nancy; Domene, José F.

2017-01-01

This paper reviews and critiques the existing literature on accompanying partners of international students (APIS), who are often an ignored population in programs and services for the internationalization of Canadian higher education. Particularly, we identify three issues. First, we argue that current research on this group overwhelmingly…

Ethical issues in identifying and recruiting participants for familial genetic research.

PubMed

Beskow, Laura M; Botkin, Jeffrey R; Daly, Mary; Juengst, Eric T; Lehmann, Lisa Soleymani; Merz, Jon F; Pentz, Rebecca; Press, Nancy A; Ross, Lainie Friedman; Sugarman, Jeremy; Susswein, Lisa R; Terry, Sharon F; Austin, Melissa A; Burke, Wylie

2004-11-01

Family-based research is essential to understanding the genetic and environmental etiology of human disease. The success of family-based research often depends on investigators' ability to identify, recruit, and achieve a high participation rate among eligible family members. However, recruitment of family members raises ethical concerns due to the tension between protecting participants' privacy and promoting research quality, and guidelines for these activities are not well established. The Cancer Genetics Network Bioethics Committee assembled a multidisciplinary group to explore the scientific and ethical issues that arise in the process of family-based recruitment. The group used a literature review as well as expert opinion to develop recommendations about appropriate approaches to identifying, contacting, and recruiting family members. We conclude that there is no single correct approach, but recommend a balanced approach that takes into account the nature of the particular study as well as its recruitment goals. Recruitment of family members should be viewed as part of the research protocol and should require appropriate informed consent of the already-enrolled participant. Investigators should inform prospective participants why they are being contacted, how information about them was obtained, and what will happen to that information if they decide not to participate. The recruitment process should also be sensitive to the fact that some individuals from families at increased genetic risk will have no prior knowledge of their risk status. These recommendations are put forward to promote further discussion about the advantages and disadvantages of various approaches to family-based recruitment. They suggest a framework for considering alternative recruitment strategies and their implications, as well as highlight areas in need of further empirical research. (c) 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Investigation of Current Methods to Identify Helicopter Gear Health

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dempsey, Paula J.; Lewicki, David G.; Le, Dy D.

2007-01-01

This paper provides an overview of current vibration methods used to identify the health of helicopter transmission gears. The gears are critical to the transmission system that provides propulsion, lift and maneuvering of the helicopter. This paper reviews techniques used to process vibration data to calculate conditions indicators (CI's), guidelines used by the government aviation authorities in developing and certifying the Health and Usage Monitoring System (HUMS), condition and health indicators used in commercial HUMS, and different methods used to set thresholds to detect damage. Initial assessment of a method to set thresholds for vibration based condition indicators applied to flight and test rig data by evaluating differences in distributions between comparable transmissions are also discussed. Gear condition indicator FM4 values are compared on an OH58 helicopter during 14 maneuvers and an OH58 transmission test stand during crack propagation tests. Preliminary results show the distributions between healthy helicopter and rig data are comparable and distributions between healthy and damaged gears show significant differences.

Investigation of Current Methods to Identify Helicopter Gear Health

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dempsey, Paula J.; Lewicki, David G.; Le, Dy D.

2007-01-01

This paper provides an overview of current vibration methods used to identify the health of helicopter transmission gears. The gears are critical to the transmission system that provides propulsion, lift and maneuvering of the helicopter. This paper reviews techniques used to process vibration data to calculate conditions indicators (CI s), guidelines used by the government aviation authorities in developing and certifying the Health and Usage Monitoring System (HUMS), condition and health indicators used in commercial HUMS, and different methods used to set thresholds to detect damage. Initial assessment of a method to set thresholds for vibration based condition indicators applied to flight and test rig data by evaluating differences in distributions between comparable transmissions are also discussed. Gear condition indicator FM4 values are compared on an OH58 helicopter during 14 maneuvers and an OH58 transmission test stand during crack propagation tests. Preliminary results show the distributions between healthy helicopter and rig data are comparable and distributions between healthy and damaged gears show significant differences.

Perspectives on the Current Status of and Emerging Policy Issues for Private, Historically Black Colleges. AGB White Paper No. 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kirschner, Alan H.

1991-01-01

This paper puts in historical perspective and reviews current policy issues unique to private, historically black college. Their historical traditions and mission of service, the paper notes black private colleges currently enroll about 17 percent of blacks in higher education and award more than one-third of baccalaureate degrees earned by…

Analysis of Adverse Events in Identifying GPS Human Factors Issues

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adams, Catherine A.; Hwoschinsky, Peter V.; Adams, Richard J.

2004-01-01

The purpose of this study was to analyze GPS related adverse events such as accidents and incidents (A/I), Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) reports and Pilots Deviations (PDs) to create a framework for developing a human factors risk awareness program. Although the occurrence of directly related GPS accidents is small the frequency of PDs and ASRS reports indicated there is a growing problem with situational awareness in terminal airspace related to different types of GPs operational issues. This paper addresses the findings of the preliminary research and a brief discussion of some of the literature on related GPS and automation issues.

Women's occupational health: a critical review and discussion of current issues.

PubMed

Messing, K

1997-01-01

Action to improve women's occupational health has been slowed by a notion that women's jobs are safe and that any health problems identified among women workers can be attributed to unfitness for the job or unnecessary complaining. With increasing numbers of women in the labor force, the effects of work on women's health have recently started to interest health care providers, health and safety representatives and researchers. We begin our summary of their discoveries with a discussion of women's place in the workplace and its implications for occupational health, followed by a brief review of some gender-insensitive data-gathering techniques. We have then chosen to concentrate on the following four areas: methods and data collection; directing attention to women's occupational health problems; musculoskeletal disease; mental and emotional stress. We conclude by pointing out some neglected occupational groups and health issues.

Summary report on the FHWA LTBP Workshop to identify bridge substructure performance issues : March 4-6, 2010, in Orlando, FL.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-01-01

The Long-Term Bridge Performance (LTBP) program was created to identify, collect, and analyze researchquality : data on the most critical aspects of bridge performance. To complete a thorough investigation of bridge : performance issues, the Federal ...

The IRS Work Plan: IRS Official Identifies Hot Issues.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Owens, Marcus

1993-01-01

A federal tax official specializing in tax-exempt organizations discusses the relatively new use of coordinated examination audits. Significant issues being raised as the use of such audits expands are examined, including employment tax, contractors, withholding on students, unrelated business income, bond financing, the audit process, corporate…

Bipolar disorder and complementary medicine: current evidence, safety issues, and clinical considerations.

PubMed

Sarris, Jerome; Lake, James; Hoenders, Rogier

2011-10-01

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a debilitating syndrome that is often undiagnosed and undertreated. Population surveys show that persons with BD often self-medicate with complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) or integrative therapies in spite of limited research evidence supporting their use. To date, no review has focused specifically on nonconventional treatments of BD. The study objectives were to present a review of nonconventional (complementary and integrative) interventions examined in clinical trials on BD, and to offer provisional guidelines for the judicious integrative use of CAM in the management of BD. PubMed, CINAHL,(®) Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases were searched for human clinical trials in English during mid-2010 using Bipolar Disorder and CAM therapy and CAM medicine search terms. Effect sizes (Cohen's d) were also calculated where data were available. Several positive high-quality studies on nutrients in combination with conventional mood stabilizers and antipsychotic medications in BD depression were identified, while branched-chain amino acids and magnesium were effective (small studies) in attenuating mania in BD. In the treatment of bipolar depression, evidence was mixed regarding omega-3, while isolated studies provide provisional support for a multinutrient formula, n-acetylcysteine, and l-tryptophan. In one study, acupuncture was found to have favorable but nonsignificant effects on mania and depression outcomes. Current evidence supports the integrative treatment of BD using combinations of mood stabilizers and select nutrients. Other CAM or integrative modalities used to treat BD have not been adequately explored to date; however, some early findings are promising. Select CAM and integrative interventions add to established conventional treatment of BD and may be considered when formulating a treatment plan. It is hoped that the safety issues and clinical considerations addressed in this article may encourage the practice

Global climate change: A strategic issue facing Illinois

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

Womeldorff, P.J.

1995-12-31

This paper discusses global climate change, summarizes activities related to climate change, and identifies possible outcomes of the current debate on the subject. Aspects of climate change related to economic issues are very briefly summarized; it is suggested that the end result will be a change in lifestyle in developed countries. International activities, with an emphasis on the Framework Convention on Climate Change, and U.S. activities are outlined. It is recommended that the minimum action required is to work to understand the issue and prepare for possible action.

Current Status of Research in Teaching and Learning Evolution: I. Philosophical/Epistemological Issues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Mike U.

2010-06-01

Scholarship that addresses teaching and learning about evolution has rapidly increased in recent years. This review of that scholarship first addresses the philosophical/epistemological issues that impinge on teaching and learning about evolution, including the proper philosophical goals of evolution instruction; the correlational and possibly causal relationships among knowing, understanding, accepting, and believing; and the factors that affect student understanding, acceptance, and/or belief. Second, I summarize the specific epistemological issues involved, including empiricism, naturalism, philosophical vs methodological materialism, science vs religion as non-overlapping magisteria, and science as a way of knowing. Third, the paper critically reviews the strengths and weaknesses of the research tools available to measure the nature of science, epistemological beliefs, and especially the acceptance of evolution. Based on these findings, further research in these areas, especially study of the factors that cause lack of explanatory coherence as well as replications of studies that promise to explain current confusing findings about the interrelationships among student understanding, acceptance, and belief in evolution, are called for. In addition, this review calls for more longitudinal studies to delineate causal connections as well as improved measurement tools.

Current bioethical issues in parasitology.

PubMed

Boury, D; Dei-Cas, E

2008-09-01

Parasitic diseases constitute the most common infections among the poorest billion people, entailing high mortality rates and leading to long-term infirmities and poverty. Although the setting-up of public health programs implies many ethical consequences, the range of specific questions in parasitology that can be attributed to bioethics remains, to a large extent, unexplored. From the present analysis, it emerged three main issues which characterize ethical stakes in parasitology: accounting the complexity of the field of intervention, putting the principle of justice into practice and managing the changing context of research. From the research angle, medical parasitology-mycology, as other biological disciplines, is undergoing tensions derived from biological reductionism. Thanks to its links with the history and philosophy of the sciences, bioethics can help to clarify them and to explain the growing hold that technologies have over scientific thinking. On the whole, researchers as well as clinicians are called on to assume a specific responsibility, proportional to their competence and their place in the making of scientific, health, economic and social decisions.

Major New Issues Currently Affecting Government Acquisition.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-06-01

Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and the Competition in Contracting Act (CICA) of 1984, Thybony, Inc., 1985. 5. Brechtel, Donald L., Brost , Edward J. and...of Government Contracts, The George Washington Univer- sity, 1986. 3. White, Kevin L., Issues in Navy Management of Major Weapon Systems Warranties...L. Thesis, The National Law Center of George Washington University, Washington, D.C.. February 1982. 2. Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), 1984

Inclusion of ethical issues in dementia guidelines: a thematic text analysis.

PubMed

Knüppel, Hannes; Mertz, Marcel; Schmidhuber, Martina; Neitzke, Gerald; Strech, Daniel

2013-08-01

Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) aim to improve professionalism in health care. However, current CPG development manuals fail to address how to include ethical issues in a systematic and transparent manner. The objective of this study was to assess the representation of ethical issues in general CPGs on dementia care. To identify national CPGs on dementia care, five databases of guidelines were searched and national psychiatric associations were contacted in August 2011 and in June 2013. A framework for the assessment of the identified CPGs' ethical content was developed on the basis of a prior systematic review of ethical issues in dementia care. Thematic text analysis and a 4-point rating score were employed to assess how ethical issues were addressed in the identified CPGs. Twelve national CPGs were included. Thirty-one ethical issues in dementia care were identified by the prior systematic review. The proportion of these 31 ethical issues that were explicitly addressed by each CPG ranged from 22% to 77%, with a median of 49.5%. National guidelines differed substantially with respect to (a) which ethical issues were represented, (b) whether ethical recommendations were included, (c) whether justifications or citations were provided to support recommendations, and (d) to what extent the ethical issues were explained. Ethical issues were inconsistently addressed in national dementia guidelines, with some guidelines including most and some including few ethical issues. Guidelines should address ethical issues and how to deal with them to help the medical profession understand how to approach care of patients with dementia, and for patients, their relatives, and the general public, all of whom might seek information and advice in national guidelines. There is a need for further research to specify how detailed ethical issues and their respective recommendations can and should be addressed in dementia guidelines. Please see later in the article for the Editors

Current issues and problems in welding science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

David, S. A.; Debroy, T.

1992-07-01

Recent advances in welding science are examined with consideration given to the progress made in understanding physical processes of welding and in understanding weldment microstructure and properties and the correlation between microstructure and properties of the welds. Particular attention is given to the methods used for intelligent control and automation of welding. Also discussed are issues and problems that were brought to the surface by technological advances and interdisciplinary research on welding.

Internet use, misuse, and addiction in adolescents: current issues and challenges.

PubMed

Greydanus, Donald E; Greydanus, Megan M

2012-01-01

The Internet has revolutionized education and social communication in the 21st century. This article reviews the growing literature identifying a number of adolescents and young adults with a pathologically excessive Internet use leading to many potential consequences. Current research dilemmas in this area include that Internet addiction is a broad topic with no standard definition and no standard measurement tools. Management of youth with identified problematic Internet use or misuse centers on behavioral therapy and treatment of comorbidities. Pharmacologic approaches are limited at this time but are undergoing research, such as use of opioid antagonists and antidepressants in adults with pathological gambling. Efforts should be expanded on not only the education of all adolescents regarding the benefits but also the potential negative consequences of Internet use. It is vital that we do this for Generation Z, whereas Generation ALPHA will soon benefit or suffer from our efforts in this regard today.

Identifying priority medicines policy issues for New Zealand: a general inductive study

PubMed Central

Babar, Zaheer-Ud-Din; Francis, Susan

2014-01-01

Objectives To identify priority medicines policy issues for New Zealand. Setting Stakeholders from a broad range of healthcare and policy institutions including primary, secondary and tertiary care. Participants Exploratory, semistructured interviews were conducted with 20 stakeholders throughout New Zealand. Primary and secondary outcome measures The interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed and coded into INVIVO 10, then compared and grouped for similarity of theme. Perceptions, experiences and opinions regarding New Zealand's medicines policy issues were recorded. Results A large proportion of stakeholders appeared to be unaware of New Zealand's (NZ) medicines policy. In general, the policy was considered to offer consistency to guide decision-making. In the context of Pharmaceutical Management Agency's (PHARMAC's) fixed budget for procuring and subsidising medicines, there was reasonable satisfaction with the range of medicines available—rare disorder medicines being the clear exception. Concerns raised were by whom and how decisions are made and whether desired health outcomes are being measured. Other concerns included inconsistencies in evidence and across health technologies. Despite attempts to improve the situation, lower socioeconomic groups (including rural residents) Māori and Pacific ethnicities and people with rare disorders face challenges with regards to accessing medicines. Other barriers include, convenience to and affordability of prescribers and the increase of prescription fees from NZ$3 to NZ$5. Concerns related to the PHARMAC of New Zealand included: a constraining budget; non-transparency of in-house analysis; lack of consistency in recommendations between the Pharmacology and Therapeutics Advisory Committee. Constraints and inefficiencies also exist in the submission process to access high-cost medicines. Conclusions The results suggest reasonable satisfaction with the availability of subsidised medicines. However, some of the

Current Welfare Problems Facing Horses in Great Britain as Identified by Equine Stakeholders.

PubMed

Horseman, Susan V; Buller, Henry; Mullan, Siobhan; Whay, Helen R

2016-01-01

Despite growing concerns about the welfare of horses in Great Britain (GB) there has been little surveillance of the welfare status of the horse population. Consequently we have limited knowledge of the range of welfare problems experienced by horses in GB and the situations in which poor welfare occurs. Thirty-one in-depth interviews were conducted with a cross -section of equine stakeholders, in order to explore their perceptions of the welfare problems faced by horses in GB. Welfare problems relating to health, management and riding and training were identified, including horses being under or over weight, stabling 24 hours a day and the inappropriate use of training aids. The interviewees also discussed broader contexts in which they perceived that welfare was compromised. The most commonly discussed context was where horses are kept in unsuitable environments, for example environments with poor grazing. The racing industry and travellers horses were identified as areas of the industry where horse welfare was particularly vulnerable to compromise. Lack of knowledge and financial constraints were perceived to be the root cause of poor welfare by many interviewees. The findings give insight into the range of welfare problems that may be faced by horses in GB, the contexts in which these may occur and their possible causes. Many of the problems identified by the interviewees have undergone limited scientific investigation pointing to areas where further research is likely to be necessary for welfare improvement. The large number of issues identified suggests that some form of prioritisation may be necessary to target research and resources effectively.

Current Welfare Problems Facing Horses in Great Britain as Identified by Equine Stakeholders

PubMed Central

Horseman, Susan V.; Buller, Henry

2016-01-01

Despite growing concerns about the welfare of horses in Great Britain (GB) there has been little surveillance of the welfare status of the horse population. Consequently we have limited knowledge of the range of welfare problems experienced by horses in GB and the situations in which poor welfare occurs. Thirty-one in-depth interviews were conducted with a cross -section of equine stakeholders, in order to explore their perceptions of the welfare problems faced by horses in GB. Welfare problems relating to health, management and riding and training were identified, including horses being under or over weight, stabling 24 hours a day and the inappropriate use of training aids. The interviewees also discussed broader contexts in which they perceived that welfare was compromised. The most commonly discussed context was where horses are kept in unsuitable environments, for example environments with poor grazing. The racing industry and travellers horses were identified as areas of the industry where horse welfare was particularly vulnerable to compromise. Lack of knowledge and financial constraints were perceived to be the root cause of poor welfare by many interviewees. The findings give insight into the range of welfare problems that may be faced by horses in GB, the contexts in which these may occur and their possible causes. Many of the problems identified by the interviewees have undergone limited scientific investigation pointing to areas where further research is likely to be necessary for welfare improvement. The large number of issues identified suggests that some form of prioritisation may be necessary to target research and resources effectively. PMID:27501387

Identifying priority policy issues and health system research questions associated with recovery outcomes for burns survivors in India: a qualitative inquiry

PubMed Central

Chamania, Shobha; Potokar, Tom; Ivers, Rebecca

2018-01-01

Objectives This study aimed to identify priority policy issues and health system research questions associated with recovery outcomes for burns survivors in India. Design Qualitative inquiry; data were collected through semistructured in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. Setting Nine sites in urban and rural settings across India, through primary, secondary and tertiary health facilities. Participants Healthcare providers, key informants, burns survivors and/or their carers. Results Participants acknowledged the challenges of burns care and recovery, and identified the need for prolonged rehabilitation. Challenges identified included poor communication between healthcare providers and survivors, limited rehabilitation services, difficulties with transportation to health facility and high cost associated with burns care. Burns survivors and healthcare providers identified the stigma attached with burns as the biggest challenge within the healthcare system, as well as in the community. Systems barriers (eg, limited infrastructure and human resources), lack of economic and social support, and poor understanding of recovery and rehabilitation were identified as major barriers to recovery. Conclusions Though further research is needed for addressing gaps in data, strengthening of health systems can enable providers to address issues such as developing/providing, protocols, capacity building, effective coordination between key organisations and referral networks. PMID:29523568

The Trouble with Triplets in Biodiversity Informatics: A Data-Driven Case against Current Identifier Practices

PubMed Central

Guralnick, Robert; Conlin, Tom; Deck, John; Stucky, Brian J.; Cellinese, Nico

2014-01-01

The biodiversity informatics community has discussed aspirations and approaches for assigning globally unique identifiers (GUIDs) to biocollections for nearly a decade. During that time, and despite misgivings, the de facto standard identifier has become the “Darwin Core Triplet”, which is a concatenation of values for institution code, collection code, and catalog number associated with biocollections material. Our aim is not to rehash the challenging discussions regarding which GUID system in theory best supports the biodiversity informatics use case of discovering and linking digital data across the Internet, but how well we can link those data together at this moment, utilizing the current identifier schemes that have already been deployed. We gathered Darwin Core Triplets from a subset of VertNet records, along with vertebrate records from GenBank and the Barcode of Life Data System, in order to determine how Darwin Core Triplets are deployed “in the wild”. We asked if those triplets follow the recommended structure and whether they provide an easy and unambiguous means to track from specimen records to genetic sequence records. We show that Darwin Core Triplets are often riddled with semantic and syntactic errors when deployed and curated in practice, despite specifications about how to construct them. Our results strongly suggest that Darwin Core Triplets that have not been carefully curated are not currently serving a useful role for relinking data. We briefly consider needed next steps to overcome current limitations. PMID:25470125

Current issues in the economics of vaccination against dengue.

PubMed

Tozan, Yesim

2016-01-01

Dengue is a major public health concern in tropical and subtropical areas of the world. The prospects for dengue prevention have recently improved with the results of efficacy trials of a tetravalent dengue vaccine. Although partially effective, once licensed, its introduction can be a public health priority in heavily affected countries because of the perceived public health importance of dengue. This review explores the most immediate economic considerations of introducing a new dengue vaccine and evaluates the published economic analyses of dengue vaccination. Findings indicate that the current economic evidence base is of limited utility to support country-level decisions on dengue vaccine introduction. There are a handful of published cost-effectiveness studies and no country-specific costing studies to project the full resource requirements of dengue vaccine introduction. Country-level analytical expertise in economic analyses, another gap identified, needs to be strengthened to facilitate evidence-based decision-making on dengue vaccine introduction in endemic countries.

Keeping It Current: Using Technology to Teach about Social Issues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sardone, Nancy B.; Devlin-Scherer, Roberta

2010-01-01

In thinking about teaching nonfiction, the authors acknowledge that many contemporary and important nonfiction texts that students should be encouraged to read take up social issues that are not easy to talk about or even to think about. They discovered that combining well-chosen nonfiction on social issues with specialized digital games and other…

Systems and Techniques for Identifying and Avoiding Ice

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hansman, R. John

1995-01-01

In-flight icing is one of the most difficult aviation weather hazards facing general aviation. Because most aircraft in the general aviation category are not certified for flight into known icing conditions, techniques for identifying and avoiding in-flight ice are important to maintain safety while increasing the utility and dispatch capability which is part of the AGATE vision. This report summarizes a brief study effort which: (1) Reviewed current ice identification, forecasting, and avoidance techniques; (2) Assessed feasibility of improved forecasting and ice avoidance procedures; and (3) Identified key issues for the development of improved capability with regard to in-flight icing.

Applying for Initial AACSB Accreditation: An Exploratory Study to Identify Costs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heriot, Kirk C.; Franklin, Geralyn; Austin, Walt W.

2009-01-01

The authors identified the type and magnitude of costs colleges and schools incur when seeking Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International accreditation. This issue is important to the 156 schools and colleges currently seeking initial accreditation by AACSB and to the thousands of schools worldwide that could seek…

International challenges and public policy issues.

PubMed

Morris, N

1999-01-01

The paper presents an overview of current public policy issues relating to biological standardisation and control, drawing on the extensive background material assembled for two recent international reviews, and previously published work. It identifies a number of factors which are destabilising the current system and promoting a climate for change. These include the squeeze on public sector resources, the growth in volume and complexity of biologicals, developing world needs, concerns about harmonisation and new social and ethical issues. It is argued that this situation presents important opportunities for reviewing the existing boundaries between regulatory scientists, industry, and the public, for international agreement on priorities and for harmonisation and mutual recognition. While considerable progress has already been made on these issues at national, regional and global level, there is a need for fuller international participation and the additional impetus that would come from a higher-profile commitment by governments. Such commitment will also be important for the vital questions of sustaining the scientific base and securing the resource for an effective, truly worldwide programme of standardisation and control. An international approach will also be essential in steering biologicals control through the difficult social and ethical questions of the future. WHO, in collaboration with national authorities, has a key role to play in these developments.

Virtual Reality and Its Potential Use in Special Education. Identifying Emerging Issues and Trends in Technology for Special Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woodward, John

As part of a 3-year study to identify emerging issues and trends in technology for special education, this paper addresses the possible contributions of virtual reality technology to educational services for students with disabilities. An example of the use of virtual reality in medical imaging introduces the paper and leads to a brief review of…

EMERGING ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINANTS AND CURRENT ISSUES

EPA Science Inventory

Much has been achieved in the way of environmental protection over the last 30 years. However, as we learn more, new concerns arise. This presentation will discuss emerging environmental contaminants that the U.S. EPA and other agencies are currently concerned about. Emerging c...

Physical punishment, culture, and rights: current issues for professionals.

PubMed

Durrant, Joan E

2008-02-01

Once considered a legitimate parenting tool, physical punishment is increasingly being redefined as a developmental risk factor by health professionals. Three forces that have contributed to this significant social change are the evolution of pediatric psychology, increasing understanding of the dynamics of parental violence, and growing recognition of children as rights bearers. However, despite the consistency of research findings demonstrating the risks of physical punishment, some practitioners still struggle with the question of whether physical punishment is an appropriate practice among some cultural or ethnic groups. This issue is explored through an analysis of studies examining cultural differences and similarities in physical punishment's effects, as well as legal decisions made throughout the world. Despite practitioners' awareness of the prevalence and impact of parental violence, some still struggle with deciding where to "draw the line" in advising parents about spanking. This issue is addressed through an examination of the role that physical punishment plays in child maltreatment. Finally, the human rights perspective on physical punishment is offered as a new lens through which practitioners may view physical punishment to clarify the fuzzy issues of cultural relativity and the punishment-abuse dichotomy.

Vocational and Technical Education in Lebanon: Strategic Issues and Challenges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karam, Gebran

2006-01-01

The current status of the Lebanese vocational and technical education (VTE) system is assessed and the strategic issues and challenges facing it are identified. In addition to the economic and social challenges that are common to many developing countries, the Lebanese system suffers from idiosyncratic problems, which may require innovative and…

A horizon scanning assessment of current and potential future threats to migratory shorebirds

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sutherland, William J.; Alves, José A.; Amano, Tatsuya; Chang, Charlotte H.; Davidson, Nicholas C.; Finlayson, C. Max; Gill, Jennifer A.; Gill, Robert E.; González, Patricia M.; Gunnarsson, Tómas Grétar; Kleijn, David; Spray, Chris J.; Székely, Tamás; Thompson, Des B.A.

2012-01-01

We review the conservation issues facing migratory shorebird populations that breed in temperate regions and use wetlands in the non-breeding season. Shorebirds are excellent model organisms for understanding ecological, behavioural and evolutionary processes and are often used as indicators of wetland health. A global team of experienced shorebird researchers identified 45 issues facing these shorebird populations, and divided them into three categories (natural, current anthropogenic and future issues). The natural issues included megatsunamis, volcanoes and regional climate changes, while current anthropogenic threats encompassed agricultural intensification, conversion of tidal flats and coastal wetlands by human infrastructure developments and eutrophication of coastal systems. Possible future threats to shorebirds include microplastics, new means of recreation and infectious diseases. We suggest that this review process be broadened to other taxa to aid the identification and ranking of current and future conservation actions.

Current issues around the pharmacotherapy of ADHD in children and adults.

PubMed

Meijer, Willemijn M; Faber, Adrianne; van den Ban, Els; Tobi, Hilde

2009-10-01

New drugs and new formulations enter the growing market for ADHD medication. The growing awareness of possible persistence of ADHD impairment beyond childhood and adolescence resulting in increased pharmacotherapy of ADHD in adults, is also a good reason for making an inventory of the what is generally known about pharmacotherapy in ADHD. To discuss current issues in the possible pharmacotherapy treatment of ADHD in children, adolescents and adults with respect to the position of pharmacotherapy in ADHD treatment guidelines, the pharmacoepidemiological trends, and current concerns about the drugs used. A search of the literature with an emphasis on the position of pharmacotherapy in ADHD treatment guidelines, the pharmacoepidemiological trends, and current concerns about the drugs used in pharmacotherapy. According to the guidelines, the treatment of ADHD in children consists of psychosocial interventions in combination with pharmacotherapy when needed. Stimulants are the first-choice drugs in the pharmacological treatment of ADHD in children despite a number of well known and frequently reported side effects like sleep disorders and loss of appetite. With regard to the treatment of adults, stimulant treatment was recommended as the first-choice pharmacotherapy in the single guideline available. Both in children and adults, there appears to be an additional though limited role for the nonadrenergic drug atomoxetine. The increase of ADHD medication use, in children, adolescents and in adults, can not only be interpreted as a sign of overdiagnosis of ADHD. Despite the frequent use of stimulants, there is still a lack of clarity on the effects of long-term use on growth and nutritional status of children. Cardiovascular effects of both stimulants and atomoxetine are rare but can be severe. The literature suggests that atomoxetine may be associated with suicidal ideation in children. Although pharmacotherapy is increasing common in the treatment of ADHD in both

Priority issues for pressure injury research: An Australian consensus study.

PubMed

Haesler, Emily; Carville, Keryln; Haesler, Paul

2018-06-08

Pressure injuries are a significant health concern in all clinical settings. The current body of research on pressure injuries reported in the literature presents primarily low level evidence. The purpose of the current study was to identify and prioritize pressure injury research issues. The approach entailed evidence scoping and implementing a formal consensus process using a modified nominal group technique based on the Research and Development/University of California at Los Angeles appropriateness method. Sixteen Australian pressure injury experts participated in five consensus voting rounds in May to June 2015. From 60 initial research issues, the experts reached agreement that 26 issues are a priority for future pressure injury research. The highest priorities were strategies to assess skin and tissues, appropriate outcome measures for indicators of pressure injury healing and recurrence, heel pressure off-loading and shear reduction strategies, economic cost of pressure injuries and their management and effectiveness of skin moisturizers and barrier products. Developing a prioritized research agenda, informed by clinical and academic pressure injury experts, can assist in reducing the burden of pressure injuries by identifying topics of the highest need for further research. A web-based nominal group voting process was successful in engaging expert decision-making and has wide-reaching international appeal in facilitating cost-effective consensus methodologies. The priority list generated from this research is currently used in Australia to inform government investment in pressure injury research. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A Study of Current Trends and Issues for Graphics Education: Results from a Five-Year Follow-Up Survey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clark, Aaron C.; Scales, Alice Y.

2006-01-01

During the 1998-1999 academic year, a survey was conducted to look at current trends and issues in the profession of graphics education (Clark & Scales, 1999). The survey solicited information from the membership of the Engineering Design Graphics Division of the American Society for Engineering Education related to their view of future areas of…

Sedation in gastrointestinal endoscopy: current issues.

PubMed

Triantafillidis, John K; Merikas, Emmanuel; Nikolakis, Dimitrios; Papalois, Apostolos E

2013-01-28

Diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopy can successfully be performed by applying moderate (conscious) sedation. Moderate sedation, using midazolam and an opioid, is the standard method of sedation, although propofol is increasingly being used in many countries because the satisfaction of endoscopists with propofol sedation is greater compared with their satisfaction with conventional sedation. Moreover, the use of propofol is currently preferred for the endoscopic sedation of patients with advanced liver disease due to its short biologic half-life and, consequently, its low risk of inducing hepatic encephalopathy. In the future, propofol could become the preferred sedation agent, especially for routine colonoscopy. Midazolam is the benzodiazepine of choice because of its shorter duration of action and better pharmacokinetic profile compared with diazepam. Among opioids, pethidine and fentanyl are the most popular. A number of other substances have been tested in several clinical trials with promising results. Among them, newer opioids, such as remifentanil, enable a faster recovery. The controversy regarding the administration of sedation by an endoscopist or an experienced nurse, as well as the optimal staffing of endoscopy units, continues to be a matter of discussion. Safe sedation in special clinical circumstances, such as in the cases of obese, pregnant, and elderly individuals, as well as patients with chronic lung, renal or liver disease, requires modification of the dose of the drugs used for sedation. In the great majority of patients, sedation under the supervision of a properly trained endoscopist remains the standard practice worldwide. In this review, an overview of the current knowledge concerning sedation during digestive endoscopy will be provided based on the data in the current literature.

Sedation in gastrointestinal endoscopy: Current issues

PubMed Central

Triantafillidis, John K; Merikas, Emmanuel; Nikolakis, Dimitrios; Papalois, Apostolos E

2013-01-01

Diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopy can successfully be performed by applying moderate (conscious) sedation. Moderate sedation, using midazolam and an opioid, is the standard method of sedation, although propofol is increasingly being used in many countries because the satisfaction of endoscopists with propofol sedation is greater compared with their satisfaction with conventional sedation. Moreover, the use of propofol is currently preferred for the endoscopic sedation of patients with advanced liver disease due to its short biologic half-life and, consequently, its low risk of inducing hepatic encephalopathy. In the future, propofol could become the preferred sedation agent, especially for routine colonoscopy. Midazolam is the benzodiazepine of choice because of its shorter duration of action and better pharmacokinetic profile compared with diazepam. Among opioids, pethidine and fentanyl are the most popular. A number of other substances have been tested in several clinical trials with promising results. Among them, newer opioids, such as remifentanil, enable a faster recovery. The controversy regarding the administration of sedation by an endoscopist or an experienced nurse, as well as the optimal staffing of endoscopy units, continues to be a matter of discussion. Safe sedation in special clinical circumstances, such as in the cases of obese, pregnant, and elderly individuals, as well as patients with chronic lung, renal or liver disease, requires modification of the dose of the drugs used for sedation. In the great majority of patients, sedation under the supervision of a properly trained endoscopist remains the standard practice worldwide. In this review, an overview of the current knowledge concerning sedation during digestive endoscopy will be provided based on the data in the current literature. PMID:23382625

Beyond Academics: Challenging Issues Facing Community College Non-Academic Support Services

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mitchell, Judith Lynn

2012-01-01

This research focused on identifying and exploring the significant current and emerging community college non-academic support service issues. These auxiliary services, not unlike academic or student affairs, support the community college mission and vision as well as students' academic success. Since December 2007, Americans have been…

Sexual assault prevention programs: current issues, future directions, and the potential efficacy of interventions with women.

PubMed

Yeater, E A; O'Donohue, W

1999-11-01

Current problems facing the primary prevention of sexual assault are reviewed. Effective sexual assault prevention programs for both males and females have been slow to develop due to the fact that the etiologies of sexual assault have not been identified. Although dissemination of prevention programs has become increasingly popular in recent years, few programs have evaluated the extent to which the constructs identified in the interventions are effective at decreasing rates of sexual assault. This article discusses previous studies in sexual assault prevention programs, methodological and conceptual problems that currently exist in the field, pragmatic difficulties regarding program implementation and evaluation, and recommendations for future research with an emphasis on interventions with female participants.

Hydrology of and Current Monitoring Issues for the Chicago Area Waterway System, Northeastern Illinois

USGS Publications Warehouse

Duncker, James J.; Johnson, Kevin K.

2015-10-28

The Chicago Area Waterway System (CAWS) consists of a combination of natural and manmade channels that form an interconnected navigable waterway of approximately 90-plus miles in the metropolitan Chicago area of northeastern Illinois. The CAWS serves the area as the primary drainage feature, a waterway transportation corridor, and recreational waterbody. The CAWS was constructed by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRDGC). Completion of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal (initial portion of the CAWS) in 1900 breached a low drainage divide and resulted in a diversion of water from the Lake Michigan Basin. A U.S. Supreme Court decree (Consent Decree 388 U.S. 426 [1967] Modified 449 U.S. 48 [1980]) limits the annual diversion from Lake Michigan. While the State of Illinois is responsible for the diversion, the MWRDGC regulates and maintains water level and water quality within the CAWS by using several waterway control structures. The operation and control of water levels in the CAWS results in a very complex hydraulic setting characterized by highly unsteady flows. The complexity leads to unique gaging requirements and monitoring issues. This report provides a general discussion of the complex hydraulic setting within the CAWS and quantifies this information with examples of data collected at a range of flow conditions from U.S. Geological Survey streamflow gaging stations and other locations within the CAWS. Monitoring to address longstanding issues of waterway operation, as well as current (2014) emerging issues such as wastewater disinfection and the threat from aquatic invasive species, is included in the discussion.

Inclusion of Ethical Issues in Dementia Guidelines: A Thematic Text Analysis

PubMed Central

Knüppel, Hannes; Schmidhuber, Martina; Neitzke, Gerald

2013-01-01

Background Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) aim to improve professionalism in health care. However, current CPG development manuals fail to address how to include ethical issues in a systematic and transparent manner. The objective of this study was to assess the representation of ethical issues in general CPGs on dementia care. Methods and Findings To identify national CPGs on dementia care, five databases of guidelines were searched and national psychiatric associations were contacted in August 2011 and in June 2013. A framework for the assessment of the identified CPGs' ethical content was developed on the basis of a prior systematic review of ethical issues in dementia care. Thematic text analysis and a 4-point rating score were employed to assess how ethical issues were addressed in the identified CPGs. Twelve national CPGs were included. Thirty-one ethical issues in dementia care were identified by the prior systematic review. The proportion of these 31 ethical issues that were explicitly addressed by each CPG ranged from 22% to 77%, with a median of 49.5%. National guidelines differed substantially with respect to (a) which ethical issues were represented, (b) whether ethical recommendations were included, (c) whether justifications or citations were provided to support recommendations, and (d) to what extent the ethical issues were explained. Conclusions Ethical issues were inconsistently addressed in national dementia guidelines, with some guidelines including most and some including few ethical issues. Guidelines should address ethical issues and how to deal with them to help the medical profession understand how to approach care of patients with dementia, and for patients, their relatives, and the general public, all of whom might seek information and advice in national guidelines. There is a need for further research to specify how detailed ethical issues and their respective recommendations can and should be addressed in dementia guidelines. Please

IDENTIFYING RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION ISSUES FOR THE NATIONAL CHILDREN'S STUDY

EPA Science Inventory

Recruitment and Retention Issues for the National Children's Study
Danelle T Lobdell1, Suzanne Gilboa2, Pauline Mendola1 (1US EPA, NHEERL; 2UNC Chapel Hill)

A better understanding of the most effective recruitment techniques and retention strategies for longitudinal, co...

Understanding Pregnancy and Birth Issues

MedlinePlus

... Navigation Bar Home Current Issue Past Issues Understanding Pregnancy and Birth Issues Past Issues / Winter 2008 Table ... turn Javascript on. What is a High-Risk Pregnancy? All pregnancies involve a certain degree of risk ...

Current issues and areas for improvement in the Korean Dental Hygienist National Licensing Examination: an expert Delphi survey among dental hygienists

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Purpose This study aimed to investigate current issues and areas for improvement in the Korean Dental Hygienist National Licensing Examination (KDHNLE) through an expert Delphi survey. Methods A Delphi survey was conducted from May through August 2016 in Korea. This Delphi survey included 20 persons representing the field of dental hygiene (7 groups from various dental hygiene-related organizations). The Delphi survey was administered through e-mail as 3 rounds of questionnaire surveys regarding the issues facing the KDHNLE and potential solutions to those challenges. The primary Delphi survey was an open questionnaire. In each round, subjects’ responses were categorized according to the detailed themes of their responses. The minimum value of the content validity ratio of the survey results was determined by the number of panels participating in the Delphi survey. Results Issues facing the KDHNLE were identified from the results of the Delphi survey. The following 4 items had an average importance score of 4.0 or higher and were considered as important by over 85% of the panels: the failure of the practical test to reflect actual clinical settings, the focus of the practical test on dental scaling, the gap between the items evaluated on the national examination and actual practical work, and insufficiency in strengthening the expertise of licensed dental hygienists. The following items were suggested for improvement: more rigorous rater training, adjustment of the difficulty of the licensing examination, the introduction of a specialized dental hygienist system, and more rigorous refresher training for licensed dental hygienists. Conclusion Based on the above results, the KDHNLE should be improved according to the core competencies of dental hygienists, including on-site clinical practice experience. PMID:28900069

Current issues and areas for improvement in the Korean Dental Hygienist National Licensing Examination: an expert Delphi survey among dental hygienists.

PubMed

Hwang, Yoon-Sook; Kang, Hyun-Sook; Kim, Soo-Hwa; Moon, Hee-Jung; Lee, Sun-Mi; Jung, Jae-Yeon; Hwang, Su-Jeong; Ha, Jung-Eun

2017-01-01

This study aimed to investigate current issues and areas for improvement in the Korean Dental Hygienist National Licensing Examination (KDHNLE) through an expert Delphi survey. A Delphi survey was conducted from May through August 2016 in Korea. This Delphi survey included 20 persons representing the field of dental hygiene (7 groups from various dental hygiene-related organizations). The Delphi survey was administered through e-mail as 3 rounds of questionnaire surveys regarding the issues facing the KDHNLE and potential solutions to those challenges. The primary Delphi survey was an open questionnaire. In each round, subjects' responses were categorized according to the detailed themes of their responses. The minimum value of the content validity ratio of the survey results was determined by the number of panels participating in the Delphi survey. Issues facing the KDHNLE were identified from the results of the Delphi survey. The following 4 items had an average importance score of 4.0 or higher and were considered as important by over 85% of the panels: the failure of the practical test to reflect actual clinical settings, the focus of the practical test on dental scaling, the gap between the items evaluated on the national examination and actual practical work, and insufficiency in strengthening the expertise of licensed dental hygienists. The following items were suggested for improvement: more rigorous rater training, adjustment of the difficulty of the licensing examination, the introduction of a specialized dental hygienist system, and more rigorous refresher training for licensed dental hygienists. Based on the above results, the KDHNLE should be improved according to the core competencies of dental hygienists, including on-site clinical practice experience.

Current and Future Critical Issues in Rocket Propulsion Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Navaz, Homayun K.; Dix, Jeff C.

1998-01-01

The objective of this research was to tackle several problems that are currently of great importance to NASA. In a liquid rocket engine several complex processes take place that are not thoroughly understood. Droplet evaporation, turbulence, finite rate chemistry, instability, and injection/atomization phenomena are some of the critical issues being encountered in a liquid rocket engine environment. Pulse Detonation Engines (PDE) performance, combustion chamber instability analysis, 60K motor flowfield pattern from hydrocarbon fuel combustion, and 3D flowfield analysis for the Combined Cycle engine were of special interest to NASA. During the summer of 1997, we made an attempt to generate computational results for all of the above problems and shed some light on understanding some of the complex physical phenomena. For this purpose, the Liquid Thrust Chamber Performance (LTCP) code, mainly designed for liquid rocket engine applications, was utilized. The following test cases were considered: (1) Characterization of a detonation wave in a Pulse Detonation Tube; (2) 60K Motor wall temperature studies; (3) Propagation of a pressure pulse in a combustion chamber (under single and two-phase flow conditions); (4) Transonic region flowfield analysis affected by viscous effects; (5) Exploring the viscous differences between a smooth and a corrugated wall; and (6) 3D thrust chamber flowfield analysis of the Combined Cycle engine. It was shown that the LTCP-2D and LTCP-3D codes are capable of solving complex and stiff conservation equations for gaseous and droplet phases in a very robust and efficient manner. These codes can be run on a workstation and personal computers (PC's).

Pharmaceutical care issues identified by pharmacists in patients with diabetes, hypertension or hyperlipidaemia in primary care settings.

PubMed

Chua, Siew Siang; Kok, Li Ching; Yusof, Faridah Aryani Md; Tang, Guang Hui; Lee, Shaun Wen Huey; Efendie, Benny; Paraidathathu, Thomas

2012-11-12

The roles of pharmacists have evolved from product oriented, dispensing of medications to more patient-focused services such as the provision of pharmaceutical care. Such pharmacy service is also becoming more widely practised in Malaysia but is not well documented. Therefore, this study is warranted to fill this information gap by identifying the types of pharmaceutical care issues (PCIs) encountered by primary care patients with diabetes mellitus, hypertension or hyperlipidaemia in Malaysia. This study was part of a large controlled trial that evaluated the outcomes of multiprofessional collaboration which involved medical general practitioners, pharmacists, dietitians and nurses in managing diabetes mellitus, hypertension and hyperlipidaemia in primary care settings. A total of 477 patients were recruited by 44 general practitioners in the Klang Valley. These patients were counselled by the various healthcare professionals and followed-up for 6 months. Of the 477 participants, 53.7% had at least one PCI, with a total of 706 PCIs. These included drug-use problems (33.3%), insufficient awareness and knowledge about disease condition and medication (20.4%), adverse drug reactions (15.6%), therapeutic failure (13.9%), drug-choice problems (9.5%) and dosing problems (3.4%). Non-adherence to medications topped the list of drug-use problems, followed by incorrect administration of medications. More than half of the PCIs (52%) were classified as probably clinically insignificant, 38.9% with minimal clinical significance, 8.9% as definitely clinically significant and could cause patient harm while one issue (0.2%) was classified as life threatening. The main causes of PCIs were deterioration of disease state which led to failure of therapy, and also presentation of new symptoms or indications. Of the 338 PCIs where changes were recommended by the pharmacist, 87.3% were carried out as recommended. This study demonstrates the importance of pharmacists working in

Low body mass index can identify majority of osteoporotic inflammatory bowel disease patients missed by current guidelines.

PubMed

Atreja, Ashish; Aggarwal, Ashish; Licata, Angelo A; Lashner, Bret A

2012-01-01

Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are at high risk of developing osteoporosis. Our objective was to determine the usefulness of IBD guidelines in identifying patients at risk for developing osteoporosis. We utilized institutional repository to identify patients seen in IBD center and extracted data on demographics, disease history, conventional, and nonconventional risk factors for osteoporosis and Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) findings. 59% of patients (1004/1703) in our IBD cohort had at least one risk factor for osteoporosis screening. DXA was documented in 263 patients with indication of screening (provider adherence, 26.2%), and of these, 196 patients had DXA completed ("at-risk" group). Ninety-five patients not meeting guidelines-based risk factors also had DXA completed ("not at-risk" group). 139 (70.9%) patients in "at-risk" group had low BMD, while 51 (53.7%) of "not-at-risk" patients had low BMD. Majority of the patients with osteoporosis (83.3%) missed by the current guidelines had low BMI. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that low BMI was the strongest risk factor for osteoporosis (OR 3.07; 95% CI, 1.47-6.42; P = 0.003). Provider adherence to current guidelines is suboptimal. Low BMI can identify majority of the patients with osteoporosis that are missed by current guidelines.

Commentary: criminal background checks for entering medical students: history, current issues, and future considerations.

PubMed

Kleshinski, James; Case, Steven T; Davis, Dwight; Heinrich, George F; Witzburg, Robert A

2011-07-01

In this commentary, the authors aim to contextualize the history and rationale for what has become the Association of American Medical Colleges-facilitated criminal background check process for entering medical students. As the process was being considered, many issues with a standardized process were identified. There were concerns that demographic or socioeconomic factors might unfairly burden certain applicants or discourage them from applying to medical school. On the other hand, a unified, national program would minimize cost and enhance quality assurance. The authors discuss these issues. Lessons learned in the first three years of the program are also addressed, including some unexpected and favorable consequences such as the identification of accepted applicants with at-risk behaviors (e.g., substance abuse), who would have otherwise gone undetected. Several challenges remain, including the fact that the criminal background check process creates an enhanced role for prehealth advisors and encourages undergraduate institutions to establish standards and processes relating to professionalism. While this is, no doubt, an evolving program which needs continued oversight and ongoing reevaluation, the authors support the continued advancement of the criminal background check process for entering medical students.

Childhood Psychological Disorders: Current Controversies. Making Sense of Psychology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bursztyn, Alberto M., Ed.

2011-01-01

This accessible, informative book will help teachers, parents, and practitioners make sense of current issues and controversies surrounding childhood disabilities. Almost 12 percent of children in American schools have been identified as disabled in ways that interfere with their capacity to learn. Yet parents of children with disabilities often…

Greek Primary School Teachers' Understanding of Current Environmental Issues: An Exploration of Their Environmental Knowledge and Images of Nature

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Michail, Sirmo; Stamou, Anastasia G.; Stamou, George P.

2007-01-01

In this article, the Greek primary school teachers' understanding of three current environmental issues (acid rain, the ozone layer depletion, and the greenhouse effect) as well as the emerging images of nature were examined. The study revealed that teachers held several environmental knowledge gaps and misconceptions about the three phenomena.…

Effectiveness of the ACA (Availability, Current issues and Anticipation) training programme on GP-patient communication in palliative care; a controlled trial

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Communicating effectively with palliative care patients has been acknowledged to be somewhat difficult, but little is known about the effect that training general practitioners (GPs) in specific elements of communication in palliative care might have. We hypothesized that GPs exposed to a new training programme in GP-patient communication in palliative care focusing on availability of the GP for the patient, current issues the GP should discuss with the patient and anticipation by the GP of various scenarios (ACA), would discuss more issues and become more skilled in their communication with palliative care patients. Methods In this controlled trial among GPs who attended a two-year Palliative Care Peer Group Training Course in the Netherlands only intervention GPs received the ACA training programme. To evaluate the effect of the programme a content analysis (Roter Interaction Analysis System) was performed of one videotaped 15-minute consultation of each GP with a simulated palliative care patient conducted at baseline, and one at 12 months follow-up. Both how the GP communicated with the patient (‘availability’) and the number of current and anticipated issues the GP discussed with the patient were measured quantitatively. We used linear mixed models and logistic regression models to evaluate between-group differences over time. Results Sixty-two GPs were assigned to the intervention and 64 to the control group. We found no effect of the ACA training programme on how the GPs communicated with the patient or on the number of issues discussed by GPs with the patient. The total number of issues discussed by the GPs was eight out of 13 before and after the training in both groups. Conclusion The ACA training programme did not influence how the GPs communicated with the simulated palliative care patient or the number of issues discussed by the GPs in this trial. Further research should evaluate whether this training programme is effective for GPs who

Transfusion medicine and solid organ transplant - Update and review of some current issues.

PubMed

Sarkar, R S; Philip, J; Yadav, Pramod

2013-04-01

Transfusion medicine holds a place of prime importance in organ transplant surgeries. There is a huge demand of organs worldwide with long waiting periods before the organ is available for transplant. Currently the dependency on ABO and HLA matching has decreased considerably with the use of modern immunosuppressant drugs and transplant techniques. The greatest advance in clinical implementation of ABO-incompatible transplants came about through desensitization and isoagglutinin elimination techniques with immunoadsorption and anti-CD20 antibodies becoming the norm, and spleenectomy fading out. The implications and practices of transfusion medicine in organ transplant are also undergoing drastic changes. The practice of infusion of one unit of donor's blood preoperatively for immunomodulation is no longer practiced. Use of leuco-reduced products has shown decreasing trends of alloimmunization and graft rejection in cases of multiple surgeries related to organ transplants. Worldwide donor and recipient registry programmes are being setup and existing ones are being upgraded. Such a registry system has been opened in India for kidney transplant cases very recently. Due to such registry programmes the dependency on siblings and directed donations have decreased considerably. This review deals with some of the current issues contributing to the successful outcome of mismatched transplants and the changing concepts of transfusion medicine related to it.

News & Issues, 1999.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oshinsky, Carole J., Ed.

1999-01-01

This publication is comprised of the two 1999 issues of "News and Issues," a newsletter devoted to identifying and promoting strategies to reduce the young child poverty rate, and to improve the life chances of children still living in poverty. The Winter/Spring issue includes the following articles: (1) "Innovative Strategies Help…

GOALS AND CURRENT RESEARCH OF EPA'S STREAM RESTORATION RESEARCH PROGRAM

EPA Science Inventory

The US EPA is involved in ongoing research on stream and riparian restoration. This presentation is designed to discuss current EPA research efforts, identify key issues in the science and practice of stream restoration, and to help frame a future National Research Council study...

Identifying geoscience knowledge likely to affect foreign policy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kelmelis, J. A.

2006-12-01

The earth sciences play an important role in foreign policy and have done so throughout history. Whether it is access to resources, knowledge of weather or other earth system conditions, planning for or responding to disasters, protecting the environment, facilitating transportation and communication, or any of a number of other important topics, the geosciences continue to inform our decision making. The importance of science, technology, and health (STH) is being increasingly recognized in the foreign policy community. The National Research Council (NRC) recommended that the Department of State (State) expand its scientific base to address the importance of STH issues. In part, this consists of increasing the number of scientists within State. Another important aspect is not only identifying the STH issues that are of current concern, but also the issues that will be of importance in the future. A number of studies funded by the U.S. Government have identified some important STH areas of concern at a high level. These provide a basis for more in-depth investigations. However, there are additional phenomena, beyond those identified in the studies, which have foreign policy implications. The scientific findings may be well known to scientists but their foreign policy importance is not always obvious. The scientific and foreign policy communities could improve their dialog to better develop strategies for foreign policy and future scientific research. One way to help facilitate that is to ease identification of scientific issues with potential significance to foreign policy and to clarify uncertainties around those issues. A qualitative method relating the likelihood that the scientific finding has foreign policy importance to the potential level of foreign policy importance has been used to clarify the significance of a variety of scientific findings including Arctic warming, methane hydrates, atmospheric dust, disease, and natural hazards. From a foreign policy

A review on the current issues and barriers of Industrialised Building System (IBS) adoption in Malaysia’s construction industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amin, M. A. Mohd; Abas, N. H.; Shahidan, S.; Rahmat, M. H.; Suhaini, N. A.; Nagapan, S.; Rahim, R. Abdul

2017-11-01

Malaysia considers the construction industry as one of the main contributors to its Gross Domestic Product (GDP). However, there are some unresolved issues arising from the ongoing and widespread adoption of the conventional method of construction such as the resultant fragmentation of the industry itself; delays in production and delivery time of unnecessary wastages and lack of sustainability practice. Malaysian Government has been continuously encouraging the industry to use, partly or if not wholly, the Industrialized Building System (IBS), which is considered to be an important part of sustainable construction initiative. IBS was introduced to Malaysia as the solution to issues related to dependencies of foreign workers, raising demand for affordable accommodations and improving image, quality and productivity of construction industry. However, the IBS adoption in Malaysia remains low. This paper presents the review of the current issues and barriers of IBS adoption in Malaysian construction industry.

Facial transplants: current situation and ethical issues.

PubMed

Petrini, C

2015-01-01

The first transplantation of a face from a cadaver was performed in 2005, since when about thirty have been performed globally. The technique is now beginning to appear in Italy. Face transplants are performed exclusively on persons who have suffered devastating lesions to the face. The ethical problems involved are very considerable, particularly where personal identity is concerned. The case records reveal surprisingly positive outcomes regarding both clinical follow-up and functional recovery, as well as psychological aspects and social integration. Thus, while early documents addressing the ethical issues involved in facial transplants were somewhat cautious or even unfavourable on the subject of this technique, a positive approach is now more prevalent.

The Full Spectrum of Clinical Ethical Issues in Kidney Failure. Findings of a Systematic Qualitative Review.

PubMed

Kahrass, Hannes; Strech, Daniel; Mertz, Marcel

2016-01-01

When treating patients with kidney failure, unavoidable ethical issues often arise. Current clinical practice guidelines some of them, but lack comprehensive information about the full range of relevant ethical issues in kidney failure. A systematic literature review of such ethical issues supports medical professionalism in nephrology, and offers a solid evidential base for efforts that aim to improve ethical conduct in health care. To identify the full spectrum of clinical ethical issues that can arise for patients with kidney failure in a systematic and transparent manner. A systematic review in Medline (publications in English or German between 2000 and 2014) and Google Books (with no restrictions) was conducted. Ethical issues were identified by qualitative text analysis and normative analysis. The literature review retrieved 106 references that together mentioned 27 ethical issues in clinical care of kidney failure. This set of ethical issues was structured into a matrix consisting of seven major categories and further first and second-order categories. The systematically-derived matrix helps raise awareness and understanding of the complexity of ethical issues in kidney failure. It can be used to identify ethical issues that should be addressed in specific training programs for clinicians, clinical practice guidelines, or other types of policies dealing with kidney failure.

The Full Spectrum of Clinical Ethical Issues in Kidney Failure. Findings of a Systematic Qualitative Review

PubMed Central

Kahrass, Hannes; Strech, Daniel; Mertz, Marcel

2016-01-01

Background When treating patients with kidney failure, unavoidable ethical issues often arise. Current clinical practice guidelines some of them, but lack comprehensive information about the full range of relevant ethical issues in kidney failure. A systematic literature review of such ethical issues supports medical professionalism in nephrology, and offers a solid evidential base for efforts that aim to improve ethical conduct in health care. Aim To identify the full spectrum of clinical ethical issues that can arise for patients with kidney failure in a systematic and transparent manner. Method A systematic review in Medline (publications in English or German between 2000 and 2014) and Google Books (with no restrictions) was conducted. Ethical issues were identified by qualitative text analysis and normative analysis. Results The literature review retrieved 106 references that together mentioned 27 ethical issues in clinical care of kidney failure. This set of ethical issues was structured into a matrix consisting of seven major categories and further first and second-order categories. Conclusions The systematically-derived matrix helps raise awareness and understanding of the complexity of ethical issues in kidney failure. It can be used to identify ethical issues that should be addressed in specific training programs for clinicians, clinical practice guidelines, or other types of policies dealing with kidney failure. PMID:26938863

Identification of Communication and Coordination Issues in the US Air Traffic Control System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davison, Hayley J.; Hansman, R. John

2001-01-01

Today's air traffic control system is approaching the point of saturation, as evidenced by increasing delays across the National Airspace System (NAS). There exists an opportunity to enhance NAS efficiency and reduce delays by improving strategic communication throughout the ATC system. Although several measures have been taken to improve communication (e.g., Collaborative Decision Making tools), communication issues between ATC facilities remain. It is hypothesized that by identifying the key issues plaguing inter-facility strategic communication, steps can be taken to enhance these communications, and therefore ATC system efficiency. In this report, a series of site visits were performed at Boston and New York ATC facilities as well as at the Air Traffic Control System Command Center. The results from these site visits were used to determine the current communication and coordination structure of Traffic Management Coordinators, who hold a pivotal role in inter-facility communications. Several themes emerged from the study, including: ambiguity of organizational structure in the current ATC system, awkward coordination between ATC facilities, information flow issues, organizational culture issues, and negotiation behaviors used to cope with organizational culture issues.

An initial survey of national airspace system auditory alarm issues in terminal air traffic control.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2003-04-01

A researcher from the Research Development & Human Factors Laboratory of the William J. Hughes Technical Center conducted an exploratory study to examine current National Airspace System (NAS) auditory alarm issues. The purpose was to identify proble...

Infectious Diseases: Current Issues in School and Community Health.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bower, Wilma; And Others

1986-01-01

Some children in American schools have known and unknown communicable diseases, including herpes, cytomegalovirus, AIDS, mononucleosis, pinworms, and hepatitis. This article examines major public health issues, school responsibility, preventative measures (like basic hygiene), and the need for more effective community education programs. A disease…

MTBE: THE CURRENT STATUS OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

EPA Science Inventory

This presentation will provide an update on recent evaluations of the environmental and health issues surrounding the use of MTBE in gasoline in the United States and elsewhere. Several public health bodies around the world have recently evaluated aspects of the health risks of ...

Measurement Issues in Health Disparities Research

PubMed Central

Ramírez, Mildred; Ford, Marvella E; Stewart, Anita L; A Teresi, Jeanne

2005-01-01

Background Racial and ethnic disparities in health and health care have been documented; the elimination of such disparities is currently part of a national agenda. In order to meet this national objective, it is necessary that measures identify accurately the true prevalence of the construct of interest across diverse groups. Measurement error might lead to biased results, e.g., estimates of prevalence, magnitude of risks, and differences in mean scores. Addressing measurement issues in the assessment of health status may contribute to a better understanding of health issues in cross-cultural research. Objective To provide a brief overview of issues regarding measurement in diverse populations. Findings Approaches used to assess the magnitude and nature of bias in measures when applied to diverse groups include qualitative analyses, classic psychometric studies, as well as more modern psychometric methods. These approaches should be applied sequentially, and/or iteratively during the development of measures. Conclusions Investigators performing comparative studies face the challenge of addressing measurement equivalence, crucial for obtaining accurate results in cross-cultural comparisons. PMID:16179000

The U.S. Navy Littoral Combat Ship: Current Issues and How to Employ It in the Future

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-03-07

Ship: NIA Curr-ent Issues and How to Deploy It in the Future 5b. GRANT NUMBER N/A 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER N/A 6. AUTHORCSl 5d. PROJECT NUMBER...Lieutenant Commander Gregory M Zimmerman, United States Navy N/A 5e. TASK NUMBER N/A 5f. WORK UNIT NUMBER NIA 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S...Launch Module, MH-60R helicopter, UAV (Fire Scout), Mission Package Application Software Module, and the optional Maritime Security Module. 27 LCS can

Ada (trademark) projects at NASA. Runtime environment issues and recommendations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roy, Daniel M.; Wilke, Randall W.

1988-01-01

Ada practitioners should use this document to discuss and establish common short term requirements for Ada runtime environments. The major current Ada runtime environment issues are identified through the analysis of some of the Ada efforts at NASA and other research centers. The runtime environment characteristics of major compilers are compared while alternate runtime implementations are reviewed. Modifications and extensions to the Ada Language Reference Manual to address some of these runtime issues are proposed. Three classes of projects focusing on the most critical runtime features of Ada are recommended, including a range of immediately feasible full scale Ada development projects. Also, a list of runtime features and procurement issues is proposed for consideration by the vendors, contractors and the government.

Current situation and issue of Industrial Accident Compensation insurance.

PubMed

Kim, Inah; Rhie, Jeongbae; Yoon, Jo-Duk; Kim, Jinsoo; Won, Jonguk

2012-05-01

Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance (IACI) has a history of about 50 yr, and is the oldest social insurance system in Korea. After more than 20 times of revision improvements in benefits, its contents and claim systems have been upgraded. It became the protector of injured workers and their families, and at the same time became the system which could cope with both financial burden of employers and their responsibilities. However, there are some issues to be reformed to upgrade the IACI: 1) the problems in the approval system of occupational diseases, 2) quality improvement of workers' compensation medical care, 3) vocational rehabilitation and return to work, 4) workers' compensation premiums and out-of-pocket money of injured workers, 5) issues in application of IACI. Growth of IACI cannot be achieved by an effort of an individual. Efforts by workers, owners, and government, in addition to physicians and welfare professionals toward the same goal are required for the next level improvement of IACI.

Methodology issues in implementation science.

PubMed

Newhouse, Robin; Bobay, Kathleen; Dykes, Patricia C; Stevens, Kathleen R; Titler, Marita

2013-04-01

Putting evidence into practice at the point of care delivery requires an understanding of implementation strategies that work, in what context and how. To identify methodological issues in implementation science using 4 studies as cases and make recommendations for further methods development. Four cases are presented and methodological issues identified. For each issue raised, evidence on the state of the science is described. Issues in implementation science identified include diverse conceptual frameworks, potential weaknesses in pragmatic study designs, and the paucity of standard concepts and measurement. Recommendations to advance methods in implementation include developing a core set of implementation concepts and metrics, generating standards for implementation methods including pragmatic trials, mixed methods designs, complex interventions and measurement, and endorsing reporting standards for implementation studies.

Road safety in a globalised and more sustainable world: current issues and future challenges.

PubMed

Daniels, Stijn; Risser, Ralf

2014-01-01

Although many countries have had considerable success in reducing traffic injuries over recent decades, there are still some fundamental problems in this area. At the same time, there is increasing focus on road safety research and policy development in the context of globalisation, sustainability, liveability and health. This special section presents a selection of papers that were presented at the annual ICTCT workshop held on the 8th and 9th of November 2012 in Hasselt, Belgium, and accepted for publication in Accident Analysis and Prevention following the journal's reviewing procedure. The aim of the ICTCT workshop was to analyse road safety facts, data and visions for the future in the wider context of current issues and future challenges in road safety. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Diet and Obesity Issues in the Underserved.

PubMed

Mejia de Grubb, Maria C; Levine, Robert S; Zoorob, Roger J

2017-03-01

The goal of this article is to inform new directions for addressing inequalities associated with obesity by reviewing current issues about diet and obesity among socioeconomically vulnerable and underserved populations. It highlights recent interventions in selected high-risk populations, as well as gaps in the knowledge base. It identifies future directions in policy and programmatic interventions to expand the role of primary care providers, with an emphasis on those aimed at preventing obesity and promoting healthy weight. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cardiovascular health in migrants: current status and issues for prevention. A collaborative multidisciplinary task force report.

PubMed

Modesti, Pietro A; Bianchi, Stefano; Borghi, Claudio; Cameli, Matteo; Capasso, Giovambattista; Ceriello, Antonio; Ciccone, Marco Matteo; Germanò, Giuseppe; Maiello, Maria; Muiesan, Maria Lorenza; Novo, Salvatore; Padeletti, Luigi; Palmiero, Pasquale; Pillon, Sergio; Rotella, Carlo Maria; Saba, Pier Sergio; Scicchitano, Pietro; Trimarco, Bruno; Volpe, Massimo; Pedrinelli, Roberto; Di Biase, Matteo

2014-09-01

To review information on cardiovascular health and migration, to stress the attention of researchers that much needs to be done in the collection of sound data in Italy and to allow policy makers identifying this issue as an important public health concern. In Italy, the rate of immigrants in the total number of residents increased from 2.5% in 1990 to 7.4% in 2010, and currently exceeds 10% in regions such as Lombardia, Emilia Romagna and Toscana. A consensus statement was developed by approaching relevant Italian national scientific societies involved in cardiovascular prevention. Task force members were identified by the president and/or the boards of each relevant scientific society or working group, as appropriate. To obtain a widespread consensus, drafts were merged and distributed to the scientific societies for local evaluation and revision by as many experts as possible. The ensuing final draft was finally approved by scientific societies. In several western European countries, the prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, obesity and metabolic syndrome was found to be higher among immigrants than in the native population. Although migrants are often initially healthier than non-migrant populations in their host countries, genetic factors, and changing environments with lifestyle changes, social exclusion and insufficient medical control may expose them to health challenges. Cultural reasons may also hamper both the dissemination of prevention strategies and migrant communication with healthcare providers. However, great diversity exists across and within different groups of migrants, making generalizations very difficult and many countries do not collect registry or survey data for migrant's health. In the present economic context, the European Union is placing great attention to improve data collection for migrant health and to support the implementation of specific prevention policies aimed at limiting the future burden of

Key issues concerning environmental enrichment for laboratory-held fish species.

PubMed

Williams, T D; Readman, G D; Owen, S F

2009-04-01

An improved knowledge and understanding of the fundamental biological requirements is needed for many of the species of fish held in captivity and, without this knowledge it is difficult to determine the optimal conditions for laboratory culture. The aim of this paper is to review the key issues concerning environmental enrichment for laboratory-held fish species and identify where improvements are required. It provides background information on environmental enrichment, describes enrichment techniques currently used in aquatic ecotoxicology studies, identifies potential restrictions in their use and discusses why more detailed and species-specific guidance is needed.

Research Library Issues: A Report from ARL, CNI, and SPARC. Special Issue on Copyright. RLI 285

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baughman, M. Sue, Ed.

2015-01-01

"Research Library Issues" ("RLI") focuses on current and emerging topics that are strategically important to research libraries. The articles explore issues, share information, pose critical questions, and provide examples. This issue includes the following articles: (1) Special Issue on Copyright (Prudence S. Adler); (2) Fair…

Issues Identified in 21 Recently Published Major Weapon System Reports

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-06-12

reports. This re- ^*-< port consolidates the summaries and high - er lights the issues in those reports. c @_2£/ 8 Uj 4fC2^ "ttDuirt1 This...Ground Weapon Systems program 77 The High Speed Antiradiation Missile may not be the answer to the services’ lethal defense suppression...generally applies to exceedingly high -cost programs that tend to disrupt the procurement expectations for other programs and result in compromises

ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMISTRY: EMERGING CONTAMINANTS AND CURRENT ISSUES

EPA Science Inventory

Much has been achieved in the way of environmental protection over the last 30 years. However, as we learn more, new concerns arise. This presentation will discuss chemical and microbial contaminants that the U.S. EPA and other agencies are currently concerned about. In this gr...

Current issues in dietary acrylamide: formation, mitigation and risk assessment.

PubMed

Pedreschi, Franco; Mariotti, María Salomé; Granby, Kit

2014-01-15

Acrylamide (AA) is known as a neurotoxin in humans and it is classified as a probable human carcinogen by the International Agency of Research on Cancer. AA is produced as by-product of the Maillard reaction in starchy foods processed at high temperatures (>120 °C). This review includes the investigation of AA precursors, mechanisms of AA formation and AA mitigation technologies in potato, cereal and coffee products. Additionally, most relevant issues of AA risk assessment are discussed. New technologies tested from laboratory to industrial scale face, as a major challenge, the reduction of AA content of browned food, while still maintaining its attractive organoleptic properties. Reducing sugars such as glucose and fructose are the major contributors to AA in potato-based products. On the other hand, the limiting substrate of AA formation in cereals and coffee is the free amino acid asparagine. For some products the addition of glycine or asparaginase reduces AA formation during baking. Since, for potatoes, the limiting substrate is reducing sugars, increases in sugar content in potatoes during storage then introduce some difficulties and potentially quite large variations in the AA content of the final product. Sugars in potatoes may be reduced by blanching. Levels of AA in different foods show large variations and no general upper limit is easily applicable, since some formation will always occur. Current policy is that practical measures should be taken voluntarily to reduce AA formation in vulnerable foods since AA is considered a health risk at the concentrations found in foods. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry.

Examining the Role of Mental Health and Clinical Issues within Talent Development

PubMed Central

Hill, Andy; MacNamara, Áine; Collins, Dave; Rodgers, Sheelagh

2016-01-01

Although significant research supports the association between physical activity and mental wellbeing, current literature acknowledges that athletes are no less susceptible to mental illness than the general population. Despite welcomed initiatives aimed at improving mental health within elite sport, these programs often fail to target young athletes; an important concern given that the genesis of many mental illnesses are recognized to occur during this critical period. Given the importance of early intervention and effective treatment, and the potentially devastating consequences of clinical issues going undiagnosed, the implications for talent identification and development (TID) become obvious. With this in mind, this study sought to examine the range of mental health issues that may impact upon developing athletes and potential consequences for the development process, specific risk and protective factors associated with talent development, along with an examination of current practices concerning the identification of mental health issues in such environments. Qualitative interviews were conducted with purposively sampled clinicians (n = 8) experienced in working with adolescents and/or young athletes. Inductive content analysis was undertaken, identifying four main themes: key behavioral indicators; associated risk factors; associated protective factors; and issues around identification and diagnosis. Key behavioral indicators included behavioral change, along with behaviors associated with eating disorders, anxiety and depression. Risk factors centered on family background, the performance environment, and issues surrounding adolescence. Protective factors were primarily social in nature. Finally, a lack of awareness and understanding of clinical issues, multiple causes of symptoms, non-disclosure and the need for triangulation of assessment were identified. The need for improved identification and intervention strategies was apparent, with coaches

Examining the Role of Mental Health and Clinical Issues within Talent Development.

PubMed

Hill, Andy; MacNamara, Áine; Collins, Dave; Rodgers, Sheelagh

2015-01-01

Although significant research supports the association between physical activity and mental wellbeing, current literature acknowledges that athletes are no less susceptible to mental illness than the general population. Despite welcomed initiatives aimed at improving mental health within elite sport, these programs often fail to target young athletes; an important concern given that the genesis of many mental illnesses are recognized to occur during this critical period. Given the importance of early intervention and effective treatment, and the potentially devastating consequences of clinical issues going undiagnosed, the implications for talent identification and development (TID) become obvious. With this in mind, this study sought to examine the range of mental health issues that may impact upon developing athletes and potential consequences for the development process, specific risk and protective factors associated with talent development, along with an examination of current practices concerning the identification of mental health issues in such environments. Qualitative interviews were conducted with purposively sampled clinicians (n = 8) experienced in working with adolescents and/or young athletes. Inductive content analysis was undertaken, identifying four main themes: key behavioral indicators; associated risk factors; associated protective factors; and issues around identification and diagnosis. Key behavioral indicators included behavioral change, along with behaviors associated with eating disorders, anxiety and depression. Risk factors centered on family background, the performance environment, and issues surrounding adolescence. Protective factors were primarily social in nature. Finally, a lack of awareness and understanding of clinical issues, multiple causes of symptoms, non-disclosure and the need for triangulation of assessment were identified. The need for improved identification and intervention strategies was apparent, with coaches

Identifying Balance Measures Most Likely to Identify Recent Falls.

PubMed

Criter, Robin E; Honaker, Julie A

2016-01-01

Falls sustained by older adults are an increasing health care issue. Early identification of those at risk for falling can lead to successful prevention of falls. Balance complaints are common among individuals who fall or are at risk for falling. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical utility of a multifaceted balance protocol used for fall risk screening, with the hypothesis that this protocol would successfully identify individuals who had a recent fall (within the previous 12 months). This is a retrospective review of 30 individuals who self-referred for a free fall risk screening. Measures included case history, Activities-Specific Balance Confidence Scale, modified Clinical Test of Sensory Interaction on Balance, Timed Up and Go test, and Dynamic Visual Acuity. Statistical analyses were focused on the ability of the test protocol to identify a fall within the past 12 months and included descriptive statistics, clinical utility indices, logistic regression, receiver operating characteristic curve, area under the curve analysis, effect size (Cohen d), and Spearman correlation coefficients. All individuals who self-referred for this free screening had current imbalance complaints, and were typically women (70%), had a mean age of 77.2 years, and had a fear of falling (70%). Almost half (46.7%) reported at least 1 lifetime fall and 40.0% within the past 12 months. Regression analysis suggested that the Timed Up and Go test was the most important indicator of a recent fall. A cutoff score of 12 or more seconds was optimal (sensitivity: 83.3%; specificity: 61.1%). Older adults with current complaints of imbalance have a higher rate of falls, fall-related injury, and fear of falling than the general community-dwelling public. The Timed Up and Go test is useful for determining recent fall history in individuals with imbalance.

Bullying Behavior: Current Issues, Research, and Interventions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Geffner, Robert A., Ed.; Loring, Marti, Ed.; Young, Corinna, Ed.

Although there has been great concern about the incidence of bullying in American schools, there has only recently been research conducted in American schools on this problem. This volume considers the difficulties involved in various definitions of bullying, theoretical perspectives on bullying, current clinical research findings on the dynamics…

A Synthesis of Language Learning Strategies: Current Issues, Problems and Claims Made in Learner Strategy Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barjesteh, Hamed; Mukundan, Jayakaran; Vaseghi, Reza

2014-01-01

The current paper presented theoretical assumptions behind language learning strategies (LLS) and an overview of methods used to identify learners' strategies, first, and then summarized what have been reported from large number of descriptive studies of strategies by language learners. Moreover, the paper tried to present the variety of…

Pharmacy executive leadership issues and associated skills, knowledge, and abilities.

PubMed

Meadows, Andrew B; Maine, Lucinda L; Keyes, Elizabeth K; Pearson, Kathy; Finstuen, Kenn

2005-01-01

To identify challenges that current and future pharmacy executives are facing or will face in the future and to define what skills, knowledge, and abilities (SKAs) are required to successfully negotiate these challenges. Delphi method for executive decision making. Civilian pharmacy profession. 110 pharmacists who graduated from the GlaxoSmithKline Executive Management Program for Pharmacy Leaders. Two iterations of the Delphi method for executive decision making separated by an expert panel content analysis. Round 1--participants were asked to identify five major issues they believed to be of greatest importance to pharmacy leaders in the next 5-10 years and name specific SKAs that might be needed by future leaders to successfully deal with those issues. An expert panel reviewed the issues, classified issues into specific domains, and titled each domain. Round 2-participants rated the SKAs on a 7-point scale according to their individual assessment of importance in each domain. For Delphi rounds 1 and 2, response rates were 21.8% and 18.2%, respectively. More than 100 total issue statements were identified. The expert panel sorted the issues into five domains: management and development of the pharmacy workforce, pharmacy finance, total quality management of work-flow systems, influences on the practice of pharmacy, and professional pharmacy leadership. Five of the top 15 SKAs-and all four highest ranked items--came from the professional pharmacy leadership domain, including ability to see the big picture, ability to demonstrate the value of pharmacy services, ability to lead and manage in an ethical manner, and skills for influencing an organization's senior leadership. Through successful integration of communication skills, critical thinking, and problem solving techniques, future public-sector pharmacy executives will be better equipped to effectively position their organizations and the profession for the challenges that lie ahead.

Current issues relating to psychosocial job strain and cardiovascular disease research.

PubMed

Theorell, T; Karasek, R A

1996-01-01

The authors comment on recent reviews of cardiovascular job strain research by P. L. Schnall and P. A. Landsbergis (1994), and by T. S. Kristensen (1995), which conclude that job strain as defined by the demand-control model (the combination of contributions of low job decision latitudes and high psychological job demands) is confirmed as a risk factor for cardiovascular mortality in a large majority of studies. Lack of social support at work appears to further increase risk. Several still-unresolved research questions are examined in light of recent studies: (a) methodological issues related to use of occupational aggregate estimations and occupational career aggregate assessments, use of standard scales for job analysis and recall bias issues in self-reporting; (b) confounding factors and differential strengths of association by subgroups in job strain-cardiovascular disease analyses with respect to social class, gender, and working hours; and (c) review of results of monitoring job strain-blood pressure associations and associated methodological issues.

ADA members weigh in on critical issues.

PubMed

Burgess, Karen; Ruesch, Jon D; Mikkelsen, Matthew C; Wagner, Karen Schaid

2003-01-01

Science, new technology, patient care, dental reimbursement and government regulations all affect today's dental practitioners. To find out more about how such challenges may affect current private practitioners, the American Dental Association conducted the 2000 Membership Needs and Opinions Survey. A questionnaire was sent to 6,310 ADA members in January 2000 with follow-up mailings in February, March and April 2000. Data collection was completed in July 2000. The survey included questions on critical professional issues, and on perceptions of the ADA and ADA priorities. A total of 3,558 completed surveys were received for an adjusted response rate of 59.5 percent. Members rated the identified issues' level of importance to them. The top three issues included "maintaining my ability to recommend the treatment option I feel is most appropriate for my patients," "receiving fair reimbursement for the dental services I provide," and "protecting myself, my staff and my patients from communicable diseases." New dentists found other items to be more significant to them compared with members overall. Although ADA members as a whole had similar views on critical issues facing dentistry and ADA priorities, there were significant differences regarding some issues. New dentists were far more concerned about securing funds for their practice and paying off debt than were all ADA members. Minority dentists expressed greater levels of concern about certain issues than did all ADA members. When planning and implementing ADA activities, the Association should continue to take into account members' relative rankings of professional issues and note issues of special interest to selected membership subgroups.

USSR Space Life Sciences Digest, issue 14

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hooke, Lydia Razran; Teeter, Ronald; Radtke, Mike; Rowe, Joseph

1988-01-01

This is the fourteenth issue of NASA's USSR Space Life Sciences Digest. It contains abstracts of 32 papers recently published in Russian language periodicals and bound collections and of three new Soviet monographs. Selected abstracts are illustrated with figures and tables from the original. Also included is a review of a recent Soviet conference on Space Biology and Aerospace Medicine. Current Soviet life sciences titles available in English are cited. The materials included in this issue have been identified as relevant to the following areas of aerospace medicine and space biology: adaptation, biological rhythms, body fluids, botany, cardiovascular and respiratory systems, developmental biology, endocrinology, enzymology, equipment and instrumentation, gastrointestinal systems, habitability and environment effects, human performance, immunology, life support systems, mathematical modeling, metabolism, musculoskeletal system, neurophysiology, nutrition, operational medicine, perception, personnel selection, psychology, radiobiology, and space biology and medicine.

Current Issues: Critical Issues Confronting the Nation and the World. 1987 Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carwile, John; Zack, David R.

This annual publication seeks to inform interested readers about important concerns of currently confronting the United States. An introduction provides: a brief discussion of individuals in the Reagan Administration; a list of the leadership positions and committees in the 100th Congress--the reader must fill in the person for each position; a…

Top-Ten IT Issues: 2009

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Agee, Anne Scrivener; Yang, Catherine

2009-01-01

This article presents the top-ten IT-related issues in terms of strategic importance to the institution, as revealed by the tenth annual EDUCAUSE Current Issues Survey. These IT-related issues include: (1) Funding IT; (2) Administrative/ERP Information Systems; (3) Security; (4) Infrastructure/Cyberinfrastructure; (5) Teaching and Learning with…

Knowledge representation issues for explaining plans

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prince, Mary Ellen; Johannes, James D.

1988-01-01

Explanations are recognized as an important facet of intelligent behavior. Unfortunately, expert systems are currently limited in their ability to provide useful, intelligent justifications of their results. We are currently investigating the issues involved in providing explanation facilities for expert planning systems. This investigation addresses three issues: knowledge content, knowledge representation, and explanation structure.

Current Issues in the Evaluation and Treatment of Sexual Disturbance.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beutler, Larry E.

1986-01-01

Discusses causes of sexual disturbance, assessment of sexual dysfunction, treatment of sexual dysfunction, psychological issues associated with chronic physical illness and sexual behavior, theory and treatment in child molestation, and the psychosocial outcomes of sex reassignment surgery. (BL)

Dryland ecohydrology and climate change: critical issues and technical advances

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, L.; D'Odorico, P.; Evans, J. P.; Eldridge, D.; McCabe, M. F.; Caylor, K. K.; King, E. G.

2012-04-01

Drylands cover about 40% of the terrestrial land surface and account for approximately 40% of global net primary productivity. Water is fundamental to the biophysical processes that sustain ecosystem function and food production, particularly in drylands, where a tight coupling exists between water resource availability and ecosystem productivity, surface energy balance, and biogeochemical cycles. Currently, drylands support at least 2 billion people and comprise both natural and managed ecosystems. In this synthesis, we identify some current critical issues in the understanding of dryland systems and discuss how arid and semiarid environments are responding to the changes in climate and land use. Specifically, we focus on dryland agriculture and food security, dryland population growth, desertification, shrub encroachment and dryland development issues as factors of change requiring increased understanding and management. We also review recent technical advances in the quantitative assessment of human versus climate change related drivers of desertification, evapotranspiration partitioning using field deployable stable water isotope systems and the remote sensing of key ecohydrological processes. These technological advances provide new tools that assist in addressing major critical issues in dryland ecohydrology under climate change

The Federal Budget: Current and Upcoming Issues

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-12-31

90 Milton Friedman , Capitalism and Freedom (Chicago: Univ. of Chicago Press, 1962), pp. 75-84. . The Federal Budget: Current...government made significant financial interventions aimed at alleviating economic recession. The final costs of federal responses to this turmoil will...benefits paid net of Social Security payroll taxes collected and the U.S. Postal Service’s net balance) the (on-budget) FY2008 federal deficit was

Education--An Annotated Bibliography of Current Issues. April-June, 1989.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wardell, David

This annotated bibliography lists articles about educational issues that were published in Japanese periodicals from April through June 1989. Most are taken from the "Japan Times,""Daily Yomiuri,""Mainichi Daily News," and "Asahi Evening News"; however, articles also originate from "USAToday," the…

Education--An Annotated Bibliography of Current Issues, January-March 1990.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wardell, David

This annotated bibliography lists articles about educational issues that were published in Japanese periodicals from January through March 1990. The vast majority of articles are taken from the "Japan Times,""Daily Yomiuri,""Mainichi Daily," and "Asahi Evening." However, articles are also taken from…

Weighting issues in recreation research and in identifying support for resource conservation management alternatives

Treesearch

Amy L. Sheaffer; Jay Beaman; Joseph T. O' Leary; Rebecca L. Williams; Doran M. Mason

2001-01-01

Sampling for research in recreation settings in an ongoing challenge. Often certain groups of users are more likely to be sampled. It is important in measuring public support for resource conservation and in understanding use of natural resources for recreation to evaluate issues of bias in survey methodologies. Important methodological issues emerged from a statewide...

From past to current tectonics: Thematic issue dedicated to Jean-François Stéphan (1949-2013)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manighetti, Isabelle

2016-01-01

This thematic issue of Comptes rendus Geoscience has been assembled to honor the memory of our late colleague and friend Jean-François Stéphan. Jean-François was a great scientist, specialized in tectonics, and a great colleague who devoted his time for his community. His work and actions deeply imprinted both the French and the International Earth Science communities. This volume brings together contributions of colleagues of Jean-François, who were also close friends or colleagues who knew and deeply appreciated him. Naturally, tectonics is the common theme of these contributions. Some of the papers presented here focus on tectonic questions and/or regions Jean-François worked on during his career; other papers present studies Jean-François motivated or encouraged in one way or another; other papers are simply tectonic studies he would have liked. Taken together, the nine papers of this thematic issue take the reader on a beautiful trip, from past to current tectonics.

Kosovo and U.S. Policy: Background and Current Issues

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-10-24

is Bajram Rexhepi of the PDK. The government consisted of members of the LDK, PDK and AAK. One cabinet post was reserved for a Kosovo Serb...2006, Kosovo Prime Minister Bajram Kosumi stepped down after criticism of his performance, even within his own party. He was replaced by Agim Ceku...Fatmir Sejdiu and Prime Minister Agim Ceku met with their Serbian counterparts Boris Tadic and Vojislav Kostunica to discuss the status issue, in the

A survey to identify the clinical coding and classification systems currently in use across Europe.

PubMed

de Lusignan, S; Minmagh, C; Kennedy, J; Zeimet, M; Bommezijn, H; Bryant, J

2001-01-01

This is a survey to identify what clinical coding systems are currently in use across the European Union, and the states seeking membership to it. We sought to identify what systems are currently used and to what extent they were subject to local adaptation. Clinical coding should facilitate identifying key medical events in a computerised medical record, and aggregating information across groups of records. The emerging new driver is as the enabler of the life-long computerised medical record. A prerequisite for this level of functionality is the transfer of information between different computer systems. This transfer can be facilitated either by working on the interoperability problems between disparate systems or by harmonising the underlying data. This paper examines the extent to which the latter has occurred across Europe. Literature and Internet search. Requests for information via electronic mail to pan-European mailing lists of health informatics professionals. Coding systems are now a de facto part of health information systems across Europe. There are relatively few coding systems in existence across Europe. ICD9 and ICD 10, ICPC and Read were the most established. However the local adaptation of these classification systems either on a by country or by computer software manufacturer basis; significantly reduces the ability for the meaning coded with patients computer records to be easily transferred from one medical record system to another. There is no longer any debate as to whether a coding or classification system should be used. Convergence of different classifications systems should be encouraged. Countries and computer manufacturers within the EU should be encouraged to stop making local modifications to coding and classification systems, as this practice risks significantly slowing progress towards easy transfer of records between computer systems.

Top-Ten IT Issues, 2011

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ingerman, Bret L.; Yang, Catherine

2011-01-01

The results of the twelfth annual EDUCAUSE Current Issues Survey reflect the everyday balancing act that IT leaders need to perform. Many of the issues show the need for continued and thoughtful long-range planning, yet new issues have also risen quickly to the top, requiring nimbleness in both thought and act. Administered by the EDUCAUSE Current…

Chronic hyperkalemia in non-dialysis CKD: controversial issues in nephrology practice.

PubMed

De Nicola, Luca; Di Lullo, Luca; Paoletti, Ernesto; Cupisti, Adamasco; Bianchi, Stefano

2018-06-07

Chronic hyperkalemia is a major complication of chronic kidney disease (CKD) that occurs frequently, heralds poor prognosis, and necessitates careful management by the nephrologist. Current strategies aimed at prevention and treatment of hyperkalemia are still suboptimal, as evidenced by the relatively high prevalence of hyperkalemia in patients under stable nephrology care, and even in the ideal setting of randomized trials where best treatment and monitoring are mandatory. The aim of this review was to identify and discuss a range of unresolved issues related to the management of chronic hyperkalemia in non-dialysis CKD. The following topics of clinical interest were addressed: diagnosis, relationship with main comorbidities of CKD, therapy with inhibitors of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, efficacy of current dietary and pharmacological treatment, and the potential role of the new generation of potassium binders. Opinion-based answers are provided for each of these controversial issues.

Education--An Annotated Bibliography of Current Issues, April-June, 1990.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wardell, David

This annotated bibliography lists articles about education issues that were published in periodicals from April through June 1990. The vast majority of the articles are taken from the "Japan Times,""Daily Yomiuri,""Mainichi Daily," and "Asahi Evening." However, articles were also included from "USA…

Revisiting Antipsychotic-induced Akathisia: Current Issues and Prospective Challenges

PubMed Central

Salem, Haitham; Nagpal, Caesa; Pigott, Teresa; Teixeira, Antonio Lucio

2017-01-01

Background: Akathisia continues to be a significant challenge in current neurological and psychiatric practice. Prompt and accurate detection is often difficult and there is a lack of consensus concerning the neurobiological basis of akathisia. No definitive treatment has been established for akathisia despite numerous preclinical and clinical studies. Method: We reviewed antipsychotic-induced akathisia including its clinical presentation, proposed underlying pathophysiology, current and under investigation therapeutic strategies. Conclusion: Despite the initial promise that second generation antipsychotics would be devoid of akathisia effects, this has not been confirmed. Currently, there are limited therapeutic options for the clinical practice and the evidence supporting the most widely used treatments (beta blockers, anticholinergic drugs) is still absent or inconsistent. PMID:27928948

Current Strategies for Managing Providers Infected with Bloodborne Pathogens

PubMed Central

Turkel, Sarah; Henderson, David K.

2016-01-01

Background In 1991 CDC issued guidelines to reduce risks for provider-to-patient transmission of bloodborne pathogens. These guidelines, unchanged since 1991, recommend management strategies for hepatitis B ‘e’ antigen-positive providers and for providers infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV); they do not address hepatitis-C-virus (HCV)-infected providers. Objective We summarize current state practices and surveyed state health departments to determine: 1) if state policies have been modified since 1991; 2), if state laws require prospective notification of patients and/or expert review panels to manage infected providers; 3) the frequency with which infected-providers issues come to the attention of state health departments; and 4) how state health departments intervene. Methods We reviewed all 50 states’ laws and guidelines to determine current practices and conducted a structured telephone survey of all state health departments. Results Whereas only 19 states require infected providers to notify patients of the providers’ bloodborne pathogen infection, these 19 states require notification under highly varied circumstances. Only ten of 50 state health department officials identified these issues as requiring significant departmental effort. No state law or guideline incorporates information about providers’ viral burdens as part of the risk assessment. Only 3/50 States have modified policies or laws since initial passage; and only 1/50 discusses the management of HCV-infected providers.. Conclusions These results identify a need for incorporating contemporary scientific information into guidelines and also suggest that infected-provider issues are not occurring commonly, are not being detected, or that they are being managed at levels below the state health department. PMID:21515972

Determining the Impact of Steady-State PV Fault Current Injections on Distribution Protection

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

Seuss, John; Reno, Matthew J.; Broderick, Robert Joseph

This report investigates the fault current contribution from a single large PV system and the impact it has on existing distribution overcurrent protection devices. Assumptions are made about the modeling of the PV system under fault to perform exhaustive steady - state fault analyses throughout distribution feeder models. Each PV interconnection location is tested to determine how the size of the PV system affects the fault current measured by each protection device. This data is then searched for logical conditions that indicate whether a protection device has operated in a manner that will cause more customer outages due to themore » addition of the PV system. This is referred to as a protection issue , and there are four unique types of issues that have been identified in the study. The PV system size at which any issues occur are recorded to determine the feeder's PV hosting capacity limitations due to interference with protection settings. The analysis is carried out on six feeder models. The report concludes with a discussion of the prevalence and cause of each protection issue caused by PV system fault current.« less

Current Issues in Unsteady Turbomachinery Flows (Images)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Povinelli, Louis

2004-01-01

Among the numerous causes for unsteadiness in turbo machinery flows are turbulence and flow environment, wakes from stationary and rotating vanes, boundary layer separation, boundary layer/shear layer instabilities, presence of shock waves and deliberate unsteadiness for flow control purposes. These unsteady phenomena may lead to flow-structure interactions such as flutter and forced vibration as well as system instabilities such as stall and surge. A major issue of unsteadiness relates to the fact that a fundamental understanding of unsteady flow physics is lacking and requires continued attention. Accurate simulations and sufficient high fidelity experimental data are not available. The Glenn Research Center plan for Engine Component Flow Physics Modeling is part of the NASA 21st Century Aircraft Program. The main components of the plan include Low Pressure Turbine National Combustor Code. The goals, technical output and benefits/impacts of each element are described in the presentation. The specific areas selected for discussion in this presentation are blade wake interactions, flow control, and combustor exit turbulence and modeling.

Antimicrobial stewardship in Victorian hospitals: a statewide survey to identify current gaps.

PubMed

James, Rodney S; McIntosh, Kylie A; Luu, Susan B; Cotta, Menino O; Marshall, Caroline; Thursky, Karin A; Buising, Kirsty L

2013-11-18

To determine antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) activities currently being undertaken at Victorian hospitals, identifying gaps when assessed against the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care criteria for effective AMS. A survey open to all Victorian health services, conducted between January and March 2012. Availability of the endorsed prescribing guidelines, antimicrobial prescribing policies, formularies, approval systems for restricted antimicrobials, procedures for postprescription review, auditing and selective reporting of sensitivities. Response rates were 96.4% for public health services and 67.7% for private hospitals. Guidelines were available at all public and 88.1% of private hospitals, and 90.6% of public metropolitan, 45.7% of public regional and 21.4% of private hospitals had antimicrobial prescribing policies. Antimicrobial approval systems were used in 93.8% of public metropolitan, 17.3% of public regional and 4.8% of private hospitals. Prescribing audits were conducted by 62.5% of public metropolitan, 35.8% public regional and 52.4% of private hospitals. Nearly all hospitals had selective laboratory reporting of antimicrobial sensitivities. Few hospitals had dedicated funding for AMS personnel. We identified wide differences between hospital AMS activities. Additional support for AMS is particularly required in the public regional and private hospital sectors, principally in the key areas of policy development, antimicrobial approval systems, prescription review and auditing. Further research is required to develop recommendations for implementation of AMS within the regional and private hospital settings.

Genetic Issues in Mental Retardation, 1996-1997.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Genetic Issues in Mental Retardation, 1996

1996-01-01

This document consists of the first six issues of a newsletter, which discusses current knowledge about and concerns related to genetics and mental retardation. The second issue addresses the problem of genetic discrimination. The third issue considers genetic testing, screening, and counseling. The fourth issue addresses genetic privacy issues.…

Kosovo and U.S. Policy: Background and Current Issues

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-05-02

President and Bajram Rexhepi of the PDK became Prime Minister. The government consisted of members of the LDK, PDK and AAK. One cabinet post was reserved...party. He was replaced by Agim Ceku, who was formerly head of the KLA and head of the Kosovo Protection Corps. The new government pledged to implement...Sejdiu and Prime Minister Agim Ceku met with their Serbian counterparts Boris Tadic and Vojislav Kostunica to discuss the status issue, in the first

Current issues on a standard for surrogate pregnancy procedures

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

While Korea does not have any legal statement on surrogacy, treatments are carried out in practice. As a result, every Institutional Review Board (IRB) of each fertility clinic faces an ethical predicament in reviewing each case. There is a need to arrange the institutions' own standards of surrogate pregnancy procedures before the establishment of national or professional regulation. This article examines the legal, social, and medical issues of surrogacy to help IRBs to judge their cases. PMID:23346523

Current issues on a standard for surrogate pregnancy procedures.

PubMed

Ha, Jung-Ok

2012-12-01

While Korea does not have any legal statement on surrogacy, treatments are carried out in practice. As a result, every Institutional Review Board (IRB) of each fertility clinic faces an ethical predicament in reviewing each case. There is a need to arrange the institutions' own standards of surrogate pregnancy procedures before the establishment of national or professional regulation. This article examines the legal, social, and medical issues of surrogacy to help IRBs to judge their cases.

HRD Issues in Asia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

1998

This document contains four papers from a symposium on human resource development (HRD) issues in Asia. "The Japanese Human Resource Development System" (Kiyoe Harada) provides a comprehensive model of the Japanese HRD system based on the current state of the art, including management practices and issues and trends in Japanese HRD.…

A critical review and analysis of ethical issues associated with the artificial pancreas.

PubMed

Quintal, A; Messier, V; Rabasa-Lhoret, R; Racine, E

2018-04-25

The artificial pancreas combines a hormone infusion pump with a continuous glucose monitoring device, supported by a dosing algorithm currently installed on the pump. It allows for dynamic infusions of insulin (and possibly other hormones such as glucagon) tailored to patient needs. For patients with type 1 diabetes the artificial pancreas has been shown to prevent more effectively hypoglycaemic events and hyperglycaemia than insulin pump therapy and has the potential to simplify care. However, the potential ethical issues associated with the upcoming integration of the artificial pancreas into clinical practice have not yet been discussed. Our objective was to identify and articulate ethical issues associated with artificial pancreas use for patients, healthcare professionals, industry and policymakers. We performed a literature review to identify clinical, psychosocial and technical issues raised by the artificial pancreas and subsequently analysed them through a common bioethics framework. We identified five sensitive domains of ethical issues. Patient confidentiality and safety can be jeopardized by the artificial pancreas' vulnerability to security breaches or unauthorized data sharing. Public and private coverage of the artificial pancreas could be cost-effective and warranted. Patient selection criteria need to ensure equitable access and sensitivity to patient-reported outcomes. Patient coaching and support by healthcare professionals or industry representatives could help foster realistic expectations in patients. Finally, the artificial pancreas increases the visibility of diabetes and could generate issues related to personal identity and patient agency. The timely consideration of these issues will optimize the technological development and clinical uptake of the artificial pancreas. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

Newspaper Issue.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bourke, Thomas A.; And Others

1986-01-01

This special issue includes "The Microfilming of Newspapers: An Overview" (Thomas Bourke); "United States Newspaper Program: Progress and Propsects" (Larry Sullivan); "The Preservation of Canadian Newspapers" (Mary Jane Starr); "Current Filming of the New York Times at UMI" (Kenneth Tillman); and "The…

Instructional Design Issues for Current and Future Interactive Video Media.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hadley, James A.; Bentley, Joanne; Christiansen, Todd P.

2003-01-01

Addresses some of the issues that instructional designers will face in the near future and ways to deal with new instructional affordances and constraint, including: Menu and Audio, Video, Subpicture Interleaved, Streamlining Digital Media (MAVSI-SDM); three-dimensional flowcharting; designing multi-faceted storyboards and scripts; managing video,…

Education in Marine Science and Technology--Historical and Current Issues.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abel, Robert B.

This review of marine science and technology education and related issues was presented to the American Association for the Advancement of Science, December 27, 1967. Areas reviewed include manpower supply and demand, oceanography education history, oceanography and the social sciences, training of technicians, the ocean engineer, education for…

Some ethical issues in technology transfer and applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shine, Kenneth I.

1995-10-01

Health care systems all around the world are struggling to provide care in an era of limited resources. In an article entitled, 'Straight Talk About Rationing,' Arthur Kaplan reviews the work of the Swedish Commission designed to prioritize health care for that country. The commission identified three core principles that they felt should underlie decisions about priorities for health care. Those principles were (1) all human beings are equally valuable; (2) society must pay special attention to the needs of the weakest and most vulnerable; and (3) all other things being equal, cost efficiency in gaining the greatest return for the amount of money spent must prevail. These are three extremely useful principles which can be helpful to us as we consider many of the issues confronted in this country about the allocation of resources for health. I would like to consider three major issues. The first issue is the current evolving nature of health care and the ethical dilemmas that exist in the present system. In balancing increased access to care with decreasing cost, particularly in managed care, all of us are concerned about ethical issues. I would like to emphasize that the current system -- the system that we have lived with and is changing -- has inherent in it a series of ethical dilemmas. Secondly, I would like to consider issues related to productivity and its measurement in relation to technology. This relates to the third item in the Swedish Commission, which is the principle that we ought to spend money in the most cost-efficient way. Finally, I would like to discuss the dilemma of decision making about health and how that impacts upon the ethics of health care in the application of technology.

Using Community-Based Participatory Research to Identify Environmental Justice Issues in an Inner-City Community and Inform Urban Planning.

PubMed

Mansyur, Carol Leler; Jeng, Hueiwang Anna; Holloman, Erica; DeBrew, Linwood

2016-01-01

The Southeast CARE Coalition has been using community-based participatory research to examine environmental degradation in the Southeast Community, Newport News, Virginia. A survey was developed to collect assessment data. Up to 66% of respondents were concerned about environmental problems in their community. Those with health conditions were significantly more likely to identify specific environmental problems. The top 5 environmental concerns included coal dust, air quality, crime, water quality, and trash. The community-based participatory research process is building community capacity and participation, providing community input into strategic planning, and empowering community members to take control of environmental justice issues in their community.

The National Research Council in 1977: Current Issues and Studies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Academy of Sciences - National Research Council, Washington, DC.

This second annual report of the National Research Council (NRC) offers views of its officers on national issues from the vantage of the NRC, and descriptions of study projects in progress. Reports are made by the NRC's divisions of: behavioral and social sciences, life sciences, engineering, mathematical and physical sciences, international…

Ambulatory surgery centers--current legal issues 2004 (Part 2).

PubMed

Becker, Scott; Szabad, Melissa; Foltushansky, Sofia

2004-05-01

This article covers several of the emerging issues related to ASCs, the anti-kickback statute and safe harbors, other regulations and relevant court decisions. The ASC Safe Harbors raise several concerns either because they are vague, silent, or provide little guidance as to their requirements. Perhaps the most challenging question under the ASC safe harbor relates to the handling of physicians who do not comply with the various safe harbor tests. As discussed, an ASC should address early on whether physicians who fail to meet or comply with the safe harbor will be redeemed from the venture. In redeeming such physicians, it is important to consider whether the company's operating agreement or shareholder agreement provides for redemption upon such event and whether the redemption will lead to litigation or compliance risks. Along the same lines, since it is illegal to provide any form of value in exchange for referrals under the anti-kickback statute, share sales at below fair market value may be viewed as an illegal kickback in exchange for referrals. Thus, in terms of adding physician owners, a number of guidelines should be followed. An ASC should also carefully consider situations in which it waives or discounts co-payments or deductibles. The safest course for a provider remains to collect the entire co-payment and deductible amounts from patients. Moreover, in the case of Medicare and Medicaid patients, an ASC should never waive or discount co-payments and deductibles unless the patient demonstrates financial hardship. Either way, such a waiver or discount should only be in accord with an applicable charity care or discount policy. A new issue involving the anti-kickback statue, state and federal self referral laws, and Medicare regulations, has gained attention as ASCs are increasingly finding themselves approached by third party vendors to enter into an arrangement, where the vendor owns the equipment and bills a third-party payor for the technical

Language Policy in Canada: Current Issues. A Selection of the Proceedings of the Papers Dealing with Language Policy Issues in Canada at the Conference "Language Policy and Social Problems" (Curacao, Venezuela, December, 1983). Publication B-150.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cobarrubias, Juan, Ed.

The papers related to Canadian language policy at an international conference are presented: "Language Policy in Canada: Current Issues" (Juan Cobarrubias); "Multiculturalism and Language Policy in Canada" (Jim Cummins, Harold Troper); "Defining Language Policy in a Nationalistic Milieu and in a Complex Industrialized…

Current Status and Challenges in Identifying Disease Resistance Genes in Brassica napus

PubMed Central

Neik, Ting Xiang; Barbetti, Martin J.; Batley, Jacqueline

2017-01-01

Brassica napus is an economically important crop across different continents including temperate and subtropical regions in Europe, Canada, South Asia, China and Australia. Its widespread cultivation also brings setbacks as it plays host to fungal, oomycete and chytrid pathogens that can lead to serious yield loss. For sustainable crop production, identification of resistance (R) genes in B. napus has become of critical importance. In this review, we discuss four key pathogens affecting Brassica crops: Clubroot (Plasmodiophora brassicae), Blackleg (Leptosphaeria maculans and L. biglobosa), Sclerotinia Stem Rot (Sclerotinia sclerotiorum), and Downy Mildew (Hyaloperonospora parasitica). We first review current studies covering prevalence of these pathogens on Brassica crops and highlight the R genes and QTL that have been identified from Brassica species against these pathogens. Insights into the relationships between the pathogen and its Brassica host, the unique host resistance mechanisms and how these affect resistance outcomes is also presented. We discuss challenges in identification and deployment of R genes in B. napus in relation to highly specific genetic interactions between host subpopulations and pathogen pathotypes and emphasize the need for common or shared techniques and research materials or tighter collaboration between researchers to reconcile the inconsistencies in the research outcomes. Using current genomics tools, we provide examples of how characterization and cloning of R genes in B. napus can be carried out more effectively. Lastly, we put forward strategies to breed resistant cultivars through introgressions supported by genomic approaches and suggest prospects that can be implemented in the future for a better, pathogen-resistant B. napus. PMID:29163558

Beyond STS: A research-based framework for socioscientific issues education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeidler, Dana L.; Sadler, Troy D.; Simmons, Michael L.; Howes, Elaine V.

2005-05-01

An important distinction can be made between the science, technology, and society (STS) movement of past years and the domain of socioscientific issues (SSI). STS education as typically practiced does not seem embedded in a coherent developmental or sociological framework that explicitly considers the psychological and epistemological growth of the child, nor the development of character or virtue. In contrast, the SSI movement focuses on empowering students to consider how science-based issues reflect, in part, moral principles and elements of virtue that encompass their own lives, as well as the physical and social world around them. The focus of this paper is to describe a research-based framework of current research and practice that identifies factors associated with reasoning about socioscientific issues and provide a working model that illustrates theoretical and conceptual links among key psychological, sociological, and developmental factors central to SSI and science education.

Six Crucial Issues in Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tronsgard, David T., Ed.

This book contains six essays organized under (1) Three Issues of Governance and (2) Three Issues of Curricula. In the first section, Richard A. Rossmiller identifies some of the trends that have led to widespread interest in full State funding, indicates some of the associated problems and issues, describes some ways of achieving full State…

Smart-Glasses: Exposing and Elucidating the Ethical Issues.

PubMed

Hofmann, Bjørn; Haustein, Dušan; Landeweerd, Laurens

2017-06-01

The objective of this study is to provide an overview over the ethical issues relevant to the assessment, implementation, and use of smart-glasses. The purpose of the overview is to facilitate deliberation, decision making, and the formation of knowledge and norms for this emerging technology. An axiological question-based method for human cognitive enhancement including an extensive literature search on smart-glasses is used to identify relevant ethical issues. The search is supplemented with relevant ethical issues identified in the literature on human cognitive enhancement (in general) and in the study of the technical aspects of smart-glasses. Identified papers were subject to traditional content analysis: 739 references were identified of which 247 were regarded as relevant for full text examinations, and 155 were included in the study. A wide variety of ethical issues with smart-glasses have been identified, such as issues related to privacy, safety, justice, change in human agency, accountability, responsibility, social interaction, power and ideology. Smart-glasses are envisioned to change individual human identity and behavior as well as social interaction. Taking these issues into account appears to be relevant when developing, deliberating, deciding on, implementing, and using smart-glasses.

Psychosocial Issues in Geriatric Rehabilitation.

PubMed

Rodriguez, Ricardo M

2017-11-01

Geriatric patients present multiple age-related challenges and needs that must be taken into account during the rehabilitation process to achieve expected goals. This article examines the importance of identifying and managing psychosocial issues commonly observed in older adults and presents strategies to optimize their rehabilitation process. Depression, anxiety, fear of falling, adjustment issues, neurocognitive disorders, and caregiver support are discussed as a selection of factors that are relevant for geriatric patients undergoing rehabilitation. An argument is made for the importance of comprehensive geriatric assessment in older adults to identify salient issues that may impact rehabilitation and quality of life. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

USSR Space Life Sciences Digest, issue 13

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hooke, Lydia Razran (Editor); Teeter, Ronald (Editor); Teeter, Ronald (Editor); Teeter, Ronald (Editor); Teeter, Ronald (Editor)

1987-01-01

This is the thirteenth issue of NASA's USSR Space Life Sciences Digest. It contains abstracts of 39 papers recently published in Russian-language periodicals and bound collections, two papers delivered at an international life sciences symposium, and three new Soviet monographs. Selected abstracts are illustrated with figures and tables from the original. Also included is a review of a recent Soviet-French symposium on Space Cytology. Current Soviet Life Sciences titles available in English are cited. The materials included in this issue have been identified as relevant to 31 areas of aerospace medicine and space biology. These areas are: adaptation, biological rhythms, body fluids, botany, cardiovascular and respiratory systems, cosmonaut training, cytology, developmental biology, endocrinology, enzymology, equipment and instrumentation, gastrointestinal systems, genetics, habitability and environment effects, hematology, human performance, immunology, life support systems, mathematical modeling, metabolism, microbiology, musculoskeletal system, neurophysiology, nutrition, operational medicine, perception, personnel selection, psychology, radiobiology, space biology, and space medicine.

USSR Space Life Sciences Digest, issue 11

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hooke, Lydia Razran (Editor); Radtke, Mike (Editor); Radtke, Mike (Editor); Radtke, Mike (Editor); Radtke, Mike (Editor); Radtke, Mike (Editor)

1987-01-01

This is the eleventh issue of NASA's USSR Space Life Sciences Digest. It contains abstracts of 54 papers recently published in Russian language periodicals and bound collections and of four new Soviet monographs. Selected abstracts are illustrated. Additional features include the translation of a paper presented in Russian to the United Nations, a review of a book on space ecology, and report of a conference on evaluating human functional capacities and predicting health. Current Soviet Life Sciences titles available in English are cited. The materials included in this issue have been identified as relevant to 30 areas of aerospace medicine and space biology. These areas are: adaptation, aviation physiology, biological rhythms, biospherics, body fluids, botany, cardiovascular and respiratory systems, cosmonaut training, developmental biology, endocrinology, enzymology, equipment and instrumentation, gastrointestinal systems, group dynamics, genetics, hematology, human performance, immunology, life support systems, mathematical modeling, metabolism, microbiology, musculoskeletal system, neurophysiology, nutrition, operational medicine, perception, personnel selection, psychology, and radiobiology.

[Security Management in Clinical Laboratory Departments and Facilities: Current Status and Issues].

PubMed

Ishida, Haku; Nakamura, Junji; Yoshida, Hiroshi; Koike, Masaru; Inoue, Yuji

2014-11-01

We conducted a questionnaire survey regarding the current activities for protecting patients' privacy and the security of information systems (IS) related to the clinical laboratory departments of university hospitals, certified training facilities for clinical laboratories, and general hospitals in Yamaguchi Prefecture. The response rate was 47% from 215 medical institutions, including three commercial clinical laboratory centers. The results showed that there were some differences in management activities among facilities with respect to continuing education, the documentation or regulation of operational management for paper records, electronic information, remaining samples, genetic testing, and laboratory information for secondary use. They were suggested to be caused by differences in functions between university and general hospitals, differences in the scale of hospitals, or whether or not hospitals have received accreditation or ISO 15189. Regarding the IS, although the majority of facilities had sufficiently employed the access control to IS, there was some room for improvement in the management of special cases such as VIPs and patients with HIV infection. Furthermore, there were issues regarding the login method for computers shared by multiple staff, the showing of the names of personnel in charge of reports, and the risks associated with direct connections to systems and the Internet and the use of portable media such as USB memory sticks. These results indicated that further efforts are necessary for each facility to continue self-assessment and make improvements.

Issues engulfed Saudi Arabia construction workers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-Emad, N. H.; Rahman, I. A.

2018-04-01

This paper presents an exploratory study conducted in Makkah city to uncover issues faced by construction workers from the construction leaders’ perspective. Eleven construction leaders/experts were interviewed to unleash their experiences on handling the foreign workers working in Makkah construction projects. Most of the experts are senior management staffs with more than 10 years’ working experience in Saudi Arabia construction industry. The interviews were carried out in semi structured mode where all the information was captured manually and also electronically. The identified issues were sorted based on its commonality into 10 clusters. Hence in each cluster, the numbers of issue considered by the experts are reflecting the importance of that particular cluster. The result of the clusters according to the number of issues mentioned by the experts are safety issues, restricted government regulation, demotivated issues, lack of quality workers, poor living quality, communication barriers, adaption issues, poor attitudes, lack of logistical arrangements and lack of education. With these identified issues it will assist the construction players in the construction industry of Saudi Arabia in dealing with their workers.

Theme: Staying Current--Horticulture.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shry, Carroll L., Jr.; And Others

1986-01-01

This theme issue on staying current in horticulture includes articles on sex equity in horticulture, Future Farmers of America, career opportunities in horticulture, staying current with your school district's needs, staying current in horticulture instruction, staying current with landscape trade associations, emphasizing the basics in vocational…

Safety and Regulatory Issues of the Thorium Fuel Cycle

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

Ade, Brian; Worrall, Andrew; Powers, Jeffrey

2014-02-01

Thorium has been widely considered an alternative to uranium fuel because of its relatively large natural abundance and its ability to breed fissile fuel (233U) from natural thorium (232Th). Possible scenarios for using thorium in the nuclear fuel cycle include use in different nuclear reactor types (light water, high temperature gas cooled, fast spectrum sodium, molten salt, etc.), advanced accelerator-driven systems, or even fission-fusion hybrid systems. The most likely near-term application of thorium in the United States is in currently operating light water reactors (LWRs). This use is primarily based on concepts that mix thorium with uranium (UO2 + ThO2),more » add fertile thorium (ThO2) fuel pins to LWR fuel assemblies, or use mixed plutonium and thorium (PuO2 + ThO2) fuel assemblies. The addition of thorium to currently operating LWRs would result in a number of different phenomenological impacts on the nuclear fuel. Thorium and its irradiation products have nuclear characteristics that are different from those of uranium. In addition, ThO2, alone or mixed with UO2 fuel, leads to different chemical and physical properties of the fuel. These aspects are key to reactor safety-related issues. The primary objectives of this report are to summarize historical, current, and proposed uses of thorium in nuclear reactors; provide some important properties of thorium fuel; perform qualitative and quantitative evaluations of both in-reactor and out-of-reactor safety issues and requirements specific to a thorium-based fuel cycle for current LWR reactor designs; and identify key knowledge gaps and technical issues that need to be addressed for the licensing of thorium LWR fuel in the United States.« less

Monitoring ethical, legal, and social issues in developing population genetic databases.

PubMed

Austin, Melissa A; Harding, Sarah E; McElroy, Courtney E

2003-01-01

To characterize ethical, legal, and social issues unique to population genetic database research and to determine the relevance of international recommendations and guidelines for addressing these issues in the development of "genebank" projects globally. Building on our previous description of eight international genebanks, we conducted a comprehensive electronic search and literature review of relevant publications and consulted national and international documents applicable to genebank research. We identified and characterized five categories of ethical, legal, and social issues unique to genebank development: sponsorship and benefit-sharing, neutrality and regulatory power of ethics committees, public engagement, consent, and data protection. We illustrate these issues with examples from specific genebanks. Not all of the issues are addressed in current international guidelines, many of which are nonspecific and unenforceable. The trend of genebank development promises to provide new discoveries to the field of medical science and to greatly improve public health. However, there is a growing need for more explicit, enforceable, and coordinated international guidelines relevant to the development and implementation of genebanks. By comparing ethical, legal and social issues as they arise in genebanks, researchers can better evaluate how to best use these projects to improve public health while protecting participating populations.

Identifying intervals of temporally invariant field-aligned currents from Swarm: Assessing the validity of single-spacecraft methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Forsyth, C.; Rae, I. J.; Mann, I. R.; Pakhotin, I. P.

2017-03-01

Field-aligned currents (FACs) are a fundamental component of coupled solar wind-magnetosphere-ionosphere. By assuming that FACs can be approximated by stationary infinite current sheets that do not change on the spacecraft crossing time, single-spacecraft magnetic field measurements can be used to estimate the currents flowing in space. By combining data from multiple spacecraft on similar orbits, these stationarity assumptions can be tested. In this technical report, we present a new technique that combines cross correlation and linear fitting of multiple spacecraft measurements to determine the reliability of the FAC estimates. We show that this technique can identify those intervals in which the currents estimated from single-spacecraft techniques are both well correlated and have similar amplitudes, thus meeting the spatial and temporal stationarity requirements. Using data from European Space Agency's Swarm mission from 2014 to 2015, we show that larger-scale currents (>450 km) are well correlated and have a one-to-one fit up to 50% of the time, whereas small-scale (<50 km) currents show similar amplitudes only 1% of the time despite there being a good correlation 18% of the time. It is thus imperative to examine both the correlation and amplitude of the calculated FACs in order to assess both the validity of the underlying assumptions and hence ultimately the reliability of such single-spacecraft FAC estimates.

Grid related issues for static and dynamic geometry problems using systems of overset structured grids

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meakin, Robert L.

1995-01-01

Grid related issues of the Chimera overset grid method are discussed in the context of a method of solution and analysis of unsteady three-dimensional viscous flows. The state of maturity of the various pieces of support software required to use the approach is considered. Current limitations of the approach are identified.

The future of arid grasslands: identifying issues, seeking solutions

Treesearch

Barbara Tallman; Deborah M. Finch; Carl Edminster; Robert Hamre

1998-01-01

This conference was designed to provide a non-confrontational setting for a variety of people from differing viewpoints to discuss the threats facing arid grasslands of the Southwest. Participants included ranchers and other private economists, scientists, and students. The sessions were organized around the major themes of understanding grasslands, identifying...

Initiatives on early detection and intervention to proactively identify health and social problems in older people: experiences from the Netherlands.

PubMed

Lette, Manon; Baan, Caroline A; van den Berg, Matthijs; de Bruin, Simone R

2015-10-30

Over the last years, several initiatives on early detection and intervention have been put in place to proactively identify health and social problems in (frail) older people. An overview of the initiatives currently available in the Netherlands is lacking, and it is unknown whether they meet the preferences and needs of older people. Therefore, the objectives of this study were threefold: 1. To identify initiatives on early detection and intervention for older people in the Netherlands and compare their characteristics; 2. To explore the experiences of professionals with these initiatives; and 3. To explore to what extent existing initiatives meet the preferences and needs of older people. We performed a qualitative descriptive study in which we conducted semi-structured interviews with seventeen experts in preventive elderly care and three group interviews with volunteer elderly advisors. Data were analysed using the framework analysis method. We identified eight categories of initiatives based on the setting (e.g. general practitioner practice, hospital, municipality) in which they were offered. Initiatives differed in their aims and target groups. The utilization of peers to identify problems and risks, as was done by some initiatives, was seen as a strength. Difficulties were experienced with identifying the target group that would benefit from proactive delivery of care and support most, and with addressing prevalent issues among older people (e.g. psychosocial issues, self-reliance issues). Although there is a broad array of initiatives available, there is a discrepancy between supply and demand. Current initiatives insufficiently address needs of (frail) older people. More insight is needed in "what should be done by whom, for which target group and at what moment", in order to improve current practice in preventive elderly care.

Health-related quality of life of cranial WHO grade I meningioma patients: are current questionnaires relevant?

PubMed

Zamanipoor Najafabadi, Amir H; Peeters, Marthe C M; Lobatto, Daniel J; Broekman, Marieke L D; Smith, Timothy R; Biermasz, Nienke R; Peerdeman, Saskia M; Peul, Wilco C; Taphoorn, Martin J B; van Furth, Wouter R; Dirven, Linda

2017-11-01

The clinical relevance of Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) in meningioma patients has been increasingly acknowledged in recent years. Various questionnaires have been used. However, almost none of these questionnaires has been particularly developed for and/or validated in this patient group. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the relevance and comprehensiveness of existing HRQoL questionnaires used in meningioma research and to assess the agreement between patients and health care professionals (HCPs) on the most relevant and important HRQoL issues. A systematic literature search, following the PRISMA statement, was conducted to identify all HRQoL questionnaires used in meningioma research. Semi-structured interviews were organized with patients and HCPs to (1) assess the relevance of all issues covered by the questionnaires (score 0-3: not relevant-highly relevant), (2) assess the ten most important issues, and (3) identify new relevant HRQoL issues. Fourteen different questionnaires were found in the literature, comprising 140 unique issues. Interviews were conducted with 20 patients (median age 57, 71% female) and 10 HCPs (4 neurosurgeons, 2 neurologists, 2 radiotherapists, 1 rehabilitation specialist, 1 neuropsychologist; median experience 13 years). Meningioma patients rated 17-80% of the issues in each of the questionnaires as relevant, HCPs 90-100%. Patients and HCPs agreed on the relevance of only 49 issues (35%, Cohen's kappa: 0.027). Both patients and HCPs considered lack of energy the most important issue. Patients and HCPs suggested five additional relevant issues not covered by current HRQoL questionnaires. Existing HRQoL questionnaires currently used in meningioma patients do not fully cover all relevant issues to these patients. Agreement between patients and HCPs on the relevance of issues was poor. Both findings support the need to develop and validate a meningioma-specific HRQoL questionnaire.

Current and prospective safety issues at the HFBR

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

Tichler, P.R.

The Brookhaven High Flux Beam Reactor (HFBR) was designed primarily to produce external neutron beams for experimental research. It is cooled, moderated and reflected by heavy water and uses MTR-ETR type fuel elements containing enriched uranium. The reactor power when operation began in 19965 was 40 MW, was raised to 60 MW in 1982 after a number of plant modifications, and operated at that level until 1989. Since that time safety questions have been raised which resulted in extended shutdowns and a reduction in operating power to 30 MW. This paper will discuss the principle safety issues, plans for theirmore » resolution and return to 60 MW operation. In addition, radiation embrittlement of the reactor vessel and thermal shield and its affect on the life of the facility will be briefly discussed.« less

Current and prospective safety issues at the HFBR

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

Tichler, P.R.

The Brookhaven high-flux beam reactor (HFBR) was designed primarily to produce external neutron beams for experimental research. It is cooled, moderated, and reflected by heavy water and uses materials test reactor and engineering test reactor type of fuel elements containing enriched uranium. The reactor power when operation began in 1965 was 40 MW, was raised to 60 MW in 1982 after a number of plant modifications, and operated at that level until 1989. Since that time, safety questions have been raised that resulted in extended shutdowns and a reduction in operating power to 30 MW. This paper discusses the principalmore » safety issues and plans for their resolution and return to 60-MW operation. In addition, radiation embrittlement of the reactor vessel and thermal shield and its effect on the life of the facility are briefly discussed.« less

ENVIRONMENTAL MASS SPECTROMETRY: EMERGING CONTAMINANTS AND CURRENT ISSUES

EPA Science Inventory

Much has been achieved in the way of environmental protection over the last 30 years. However, as we learn more, new concerns arise. This presentation will discuss chemical and microbial contaminants that the U.S. EPA and other agencies are currently concerned about. In this gr...

Characterizing Sleep Issues Using Twitter.

PubMed

McIver, David J; Hawkins, Jared B; Chunara, Rumi; Chatterjee, Arnaub K; Bhandari, Aman; Fitzgerald, Timothy P; Jain, Sachin H; Brownstein, John S

2015-06-08

Sleep issues such as insomnia affect over 50 million Americans and can lead to serious health problems, including depression and obesity, and can increase risk of injury. Social media platforms such as Twitter offer exciting potential for their use in studying and identifying both diseases and social phenomenon. Our aim was to determine whether social media can be used as a method to conduct research focusing on sleep issues. Twitter posts were collected and curated to determine whether a user exhibited signs of sleep issues based on the presence of several keywords in tweets such as insomnia, "can't sleep", Ambien, and others. Users whose tweets contain any of the keywords were designated as having self-identified sleep issues (sleep group). Users who did not have self-identified sleep issues (non-sleep group) were selected from tweets that did not contain pre-defined words or phrases used as a proxy for sleep issues. User data such as number of tweets, friends, followers, and location were collected, as well as the time and date of tweets. Additionally, the sentiment of each tweet and average sentiment of each user were determined to investigate differences between non-sleep and sleep groups. It was found that sleep group users were significantly less active on Twitter (P=.04), had fewer friends (P<.001), and fewer followers (P<.001) compared to others, after adjusting for the length of time each user's account has been active. Sleep group users were more active during typical sleeping hours than others, which may suggest they were having difficulty sleeping. Sleep group users also had significantly lower sentiment in their tweets (P<.001), indicating a possible relationship between sleep and pyschosocial issues. We have demonstrated a novel method for studying sleep issues that allows for fast, cost-effective, and customizable data to be gathered.

Measurement issues in the sonographic assessment of tennis elbow.

PubMed

Poltawski, Leon; Jayaram, Vijay; Watson, Tim

2010-05-01

Sonography is increasingly being used for assessment in tennis elbow research and clinical practice, but there are a lack of data regarding its validity, reliability, and responsiveness to change for this application. Studies using the modality were reviewed to establish current levels of evidence for these measurement properties. There is reasonable evidence regarding its validity for identifying tennis elbow tendinopathy, but a lack of data addressing its reliability and responsiveness. Practical issues affecting image quality are discussed, and recommendations for further investigation are suggested, to enhance the credible use of sonography with this debilitating condition.

Research Issues in Information Access.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Molholt, Pat

1989-01-01

Discusses traditional library approaches to access to information and the possible impact of information technologies, library automation, and artificial intelligence. Access issues raised by these technologies are identified and a research agenda to explore these issues is outlined. (31 references) (CLB)

Accelerometer-based measures in physical activity surveillance: current practices and issues.

PubMed

Pedišić, Željko; Bauman, Adrian

2015-02-01

Self-reports of physical activity (PA) have been the mainstay of measurement in most non-communicable disease (NCD) surveillance systems. To these, other measures are added to summate to a comprehensive PA surveillance system. Recently, some national NCD surveillance systems have started using accelerometers as a measure of PA. The purpose of this paper was specifically to appraise the suitability and role of accelerometers for population-level PA surveillance. A thorough literature search was conducted to examine aspects of the generalisability, reliability, validity, comprehensiveness and between-study comparability of accelerometer estimates, and to gauge the simplicity, cost-effectiveness, adaptability and sustainability of their use in NCD surveillance. Accelerometer data collected in PA surveillance systems may not provide estimates that are generalisable to the target population. Accelerometer-based estimates have adequate reliability for PA surveillance, but there are still several issues associated with their validity. Accelerometer-based prevalence estimates are largely dependent on the investigators' choice of intensity cut-off points. Maintaining standardised accelerometer data collections in long-term PA surveillance systems is difficult, which may cause discontinuity in time-trend data. The use of accelerometers does not necessarily produce useful between-study and international comparisons due to lack of standardisation of data collection and processing methods. To conclude, it appears that accelerometers still have limitations regarding generalisability, validity, comprehensiveness, simplicity, affordability, adaptability, between-study comparability and sustainability. Therefore, given the current evidence, it seems that the widespread adoption of accelerometers specifically for large-scale PA surveillance systems may be premature. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence

Double coding and mapping using Abbreviated Injury Scale 1998 and 2005: identifying issues for trauma data.

PubMed

Palmer, Cameron S; Niggemeyer, Louise E; Charman, Debra

2010-09-01

The 2005 version of the Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS05) potentially represents a significant change in injury spectrum classification, due to a substantial increase in the codeset size and alterations to the agreed severity of many injuries compared to the previous version (AIS98). Whilst many trauma registries around the world are moving to adopt AIS05 or its 2008 update (AIS08), its effect on patient classification in existing registries, and the optimum method of comparing existing data collections with new AIS05 collections are unknown. The present study aimed to assess the potential impact of adopting the AIS05 codeset in an established trauma system, and to identify issues associated with this change. A current subset of consecutive major trauma patients admitted to two large hospitals in the Australian state of Victoria were double-coded in AIS98 and AIS05. Assigned codesets were also mapped to the other AIS version using code lists supplied in the AIS05 manual, giving up to four AIS codes per injury sustained. Resulting codesets were assessed for agreement in codes used, injury severity and calculated severity scores. 602 injuries sustained by 109 patients were compared. Adopting AIS05 would lead to a decrease in the number of designated major trauma patients in Victoria, estimated at 22% (95% confidence interval, 15-31%). Differences in AIS level between versions were significantly more likely to occur amongst head and chest injuries. Data mapped to a different codeset performed better in paired comparisons than raw AIS98 and AIS05 codesets, with data mapping of AIS05 codes back to AIS98 giving significantly higher levels of agreement in AIS level, ISS and NISS than other potential comparisons, and resulting in significantly fewer conversion problems than attempting to map AIS98 codes to AIS05. This study provides new insights into AIS codeset change impact. Adoption of AIS05 or AIS08 in established registries will decrease major trauma patient numbers

Trustee Quarterly, 1990 (Four Issues).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trustee Quarterly, 1990

1990-01-01

This document consists of the four issues of the "Trustee Quarterly" for 1990. This series covers topics of current concern to community college trustees. The winter 1990 issue contains articles examining the pros and cons of board standing committees, the role of boards in planning and institutional effectiveness, innovative fund raising in…

Identifying palliative care issues in inpatients dying following stroke.

PubMed

Ntlholang, O; Walsh, S; Bradley, D; Harbison, J

2016-08-01

Stroke leads to high mortality and morbidity but often there is a conflict between need for palliative care and avoidance of 'therapeutic nihilism'. We aimed to elicit the palliative care needs of stroke patients at the end of their lives in our unit with a low overall mortality rate (1 month: 8.8 %, inpatient: 12.9 %). We identified consecutive stroke patients who died over 2 years. Their clinical records were used for data collection. Of 54 deaths, 33 (61.1 %) were females, mean (SD) age at death was 79.3 ± 12.9 years. 41 (75.9 %) died after first stroke, 9 (16.7 %) were inpatient strokes, 7 (13.0 %) thrombolysed and 7 (13.0 %) had strokes as treatment complication. There were clear statements recorded in 26 (48.1 %) that patients were dying and death was thought to be due primarily to extent of brain injury in 24 (44.4 %). Palliative needs identified included dyspnoea 21 (38.9 %), pain 17 (31.5 %), respiratory secretions 17 (31.5 %), agitation 14 (25.9 %) and psychological distress 1 (1.9 %). Symptoms were due to premorbid diseases in 6 (11.1 %). Palliative care expertise were sought in 13 (24.1 %) and continuous subcutaneous infusion was used in 18 (33.3 %) to control symptoms. 4 (7.4 %) subjects underwent cardiac arrest calls and 9 (16.7 %) deaths occurred in ICU/HDU. The median Stroke-Death interval was 20 days (range 0-389). Do Not Attempt Resuscitation (DNAR) orders were in place in 86.8 % of patients. The median DNAR-Death interval was 7 days (range 0-311) with 7-day DNAR-Death rate of 53.2 % and 30-day of 78.7 % of the total deaths. Dyspnoea, pain and respiratory secretions were identified as the main palliative care needs.

Optimal screening of children with acute malnutrition requires a change in current WHO guidelines as MUAC and WHZ identify different patient groups.

PubMed

Laillou, Arnaud; Prak, Sophonneary; de Groot, Richard; Whitney, Sophie; Conkle, Joel; Horton, Lindsey; Un, Sam Oeurn; Dijkhuizen, Marjoleine A; Wieringa, Frank T

2014-01-01

Timely treatment of acute malnutrition in children <5 years of age could prevent >500,000 deaths annually. Screening at community level is essential to identify children with malnutrition. Current WHO guidelines for community screening for malnutrition recommend a Mid Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) of <115 mm to identify severe acute malnutrition (SAM). However, it is currently unclear how MUAC relates to the other indicator used to define acute malnutrition: weight-for-height Z-score (WHZ). Secondary data from >11,000 Cambodian children, obtained by different surveys between 2010 and 2012, was used to calculate sensitivity and ROC curves for MUAC and WHZ. The secondary analysis showed that using the current WHO cut-off of 115 mm for screening for severe acute malnutrition over 90% of children with a weight-for-height z-score (WHZ) <-3 would have been missed. Reversely, WHZ<-3 missed 80% of the children with a MUAC<115 mm. The current WHO cut-off for screening for SAM should be changed upwards from the current 115 mm. In the Cambodian data-set, a cut-off of 133 mm would allow inclusion of >65% of children with a WHZ<-3. Importantly, MUAC and WHZ identified different sub-groups of children with acute malnutrition, therefore these 2 indicators should be regarded as independent from each other. We suggest a 2-step model with MUAC used a screening at community level, followed by MUAC and WHZ measured at a primary health care unit, with both indicators used independently to diagnose severe acute malnutrition. Current guidelines should be changed to reflect this, with treatment initiated when either MUAC <115 mm or WHZ<-3.

Software reuse issues affecting AdaNET

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcbride, John G.

1989-01-01

The AdaNet program is reviewing its long-term goals and strategies. A significant concern is whether current AdaNet plans adequately address the major strategic issues of software reuse technology. The major reuse issues of providing AdaNet services that should be addressed as part of future AdaNet development are identified and reviewed. Before significant development proceeds, a plan should be developed to resolve the aforementioned issues. This plan should also specify a detailed approach to develop AdaNet. A three phased strategy is recommended. The first phase would consist of requirements analysis and produce an AdaNet system requirements specification. It would consider the requirements of AdaNet in terms of mission needs, commercial realities, and administrative policies affecting development, and the experience of AdaNet and other projects promoting the transfer software engineering technology. Specifically, requirements analysis would be performed to better understand the requirements for AdaNet functions. The second phase would provide a detailed design of the system. The AdaNet should be designed with emphasis on the use of existing technology readily available to the AdaNet program. A number of reuse products are available upon which AdaNet could be based. This would significantly reduce the risk and cost of providing an AdaNet system. Once a design was developed, implementation would proceed in the third phase.

NIH Researchers Identify OCD Risk Gene

MedlinePlus

... News From NIH NIH Researchers Identify OCD Risk Gene Past Issues / Summer 2006 Table of Contents For ... and Alcoholism (NIAAA) have identified a previously unknown gene variant that doubles an individual's risk for obsessive- ...

Cognition in epilepsy: current clinical issues of interest.

PubMed

Witt, Juri-Alexander; Helmstaedter, Christoph

2017-04-01

This review provides an update and summary of recent neuropsychological findings in epilepsy focusing on three major clinical topics among the many developments in the field. We will critically outline the current state with regard to cognition in new-onset epilepsies, social cognition in epilepsy, and the long-term outcome of epilepsy surgery and the cognitive outcomes of superselective surgical procedures. Current studies indicate that neuropsychological impairments are prevalent already at the onset of epilepsy and even before, social cognition (i.e., emotion recognition and theory of mind) is impaired in different epilepsy populations, the long-term outcome of epilepsy surgery is mostly characterized by a stable or even improved cognitive status, and superselective epilepsy surgeries are associated with a promising neuropsychological outcome. The high prevalence of cognitive deficits around epilepsy onset challenges the assumption that epilepsy is the major cause of cognitive problems and calls for early neuropsychological diagnostics. Social cognition seems to be a relevant domain that is not yet routinely considered in epilepsy. The cognitive long-term outcome of epilepsy surgery is mostly positive. Stereotactic thermocoagulation and gamma knife surgery appear to be cognitively safe procedures.

The Effect of Using Socio-Scientific Issues Approach in Teaching Environmental Issues on Improving the Students' Ability of Making Appropriate Decisions towards These Issues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zo'bi, Abdallah Salim

2014-01-01

This study aimed to identify nature of students' decisions patterns towards environmental issues and the possibility to improve these decisions during teaching process using Socio-Scientific Issues Approach. And to achieve this, the researcher prepared and developed tools of the study represented by a test of open questions focused on…

Cost-Utility Analysis: Current Methodological Issues and Future Perspectives

PubMed Central

Nuijten, Mark J. C.; Dubois, Dominique J.

2011-01-01

The use of cost–effectiveness as final criterion in the reimbursement process for listing of new pharmaceuticals can be questioned from a scientific and policy point of view. There is a lack of consensus on main methodological issues and consequently we may question the appropriateness of the use of cost–effectiveness data in health care decision-making. Another concern is the appropriateness of the selection and use of an incremental cost–effectiveness threshold (Cost/QALY). In this review, we focus mainly on only some key methodological concerns relating to discounting, the utility concept, cost assessment, and modeling methodologies. Finally we will consider the relevance of some other important decision criteria, like social values and equity. PMID:21713127

METHANOL: THE CURRENT STATUS OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH ISSUES

EPA Science Inventory

Methanol has been a topic of interest both as an environmental pollutant and as a fuel. The Clean Air Act (CAA) includes methanol in a list of 189 toxic air pollutants that the U.S. Congress identified for special consideration in the 1990 CAA Amendments. In addition, growing i...

Optimal Screening of Children with Acute Malnutrition Requires a Change in Current WHO Guidelines as MUAC and WHZ Identify Different Patient Groups

PubMed Central

Laillou, Arnaud; Prak, Sophonneary; de Groot, Richard; Whitney, Sophie; Conkle, Joel; Horton, Lindsey; Un, Sam Oeurn; Dijkhuizen, Marjoleine A.; Wieringa, Frank T.

2014-01-01

Background Timely treatment of acute malnutrition in children <5 years of age could prevent >500,000 deaths annually. Screening at community level is essential to identify children with malnutrition. Current WHO guidelines for community screening for malnutrition recommend a Mid Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) of <115 mm to identify severe acute malnutrition (SAM). However, it is currently unclear how MUAC relates to the other indicator used to define acute malnutrition: weight-for-height Z-score (WHZ). Methods Secondary data from >11,000 Cambodian children, obtained by different surveys between 2010 and 2012, was used to calculate sensitivity and ROC curves for MUAC and WHZ. Findings The secondary analysis showed that using the current WHO cut-off of 115 mm for screening for severe acute malnutrition over 90% of children with a weight-for-height z-score (WHZ) <−3 would have been missed. Reversely, WHZ<−3 missed 80% of the children with a MUAC<115 mm. Conclusions The current WHO cut-off for screening for SAM should be changed upwards from the current 115 mm. In the Cambodian data-set, a cut-off of 133 mm would allow inclusion of >65% of children with a WHZ<−3. Importantly, MUAC and WHZ identified different sub-groups of children with acute malnutrition, therefore these 2 indicators should be regarded as independent from each other. We suggest a 2-step model with MUAC used a screening at community level, followed by MUAC and WHZ measured at a primary health care unit, with both indicators used independently to diagnose severe acute malnutrition. Current guidelines should be changed to reflect this, with treatment initiated when either MUAC <115 mm or WHZ<−3. PMID:24983995

Employment. Feature Issue.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wallace, Teri, Ed.; And Others

1993-01-01

This theme issue addresses current trends and new developments in ensuring that individuals with disabilities have meaningful employment opportunities, especially in the context of recent federal legislation. Stressed throughout is the importance of collaboration among professionals, individuals with disabilities, and family members in achieving…

Keeping Pace with Current Issues in Reporting Suicide and Mental Illness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Skehan, Jaelea; Burns, Lynette Sheridan; Hazell, Trevor

2007-01-01

The Response Ability Project, funded under the Mindframe National Media Initiative in Australia, seeks to influence tertiary curricula so that graduates in journalism will be aware of and able to respond appropriately to issues relating to suicide and mental illness. Whilst the initial multi-media resources developed to support journalism…

Diagnosed, identified, current and complete depression among patients attending primary care in southern Catalonia: different aspects of the same concept.

PubMed

Montesó-Curto, Pilar; Ferré-Grau, Carme; Lleixà-Fortuño, Mar; Albacar-Riobóo, Nuria; Lejeune, Marylene

2014-02-01

The aims of this study were to explore the prevalence and the conceptualizations of depression detected by the healthcare system, identified by the patient or classified/identified in the validated Goldberg's questionnaire in a community. We conducted a cross-sectional evaluation of 317 patients. The different types of depression diagnosed, identified, current or total were stratified by age and gender groups. The difference in the conceptualization of depression from the medical or ordinary people point of view indicate that depression care requires the understanding of the lifestyle, beliefs, attitudes, family and social networks of the people the physicians and nurses care for. © 2014.

Issues Identified During September 2016 IBM OpenMP 4.5 Hackathon

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

Richards, David F.

In September, 2016 IBM hosted an OpenMP 4.5 Hackathon at the TJ Watson Research Center. Teams from LLNL, ORNL, SNL, LANL, and LBNL attended the event. As with the 2015 hackathon, IBM produced an extremely useful and successful event with unmatched support from compiler team, applications staff, and facilities. Approximately 24 IBM staff supported 4-day hackathon and spent significant time 4-6 weeks out to prepare environment and become familiar with apps. This hackathon was also the first event to feature LLVM & XL C/C++ and Fortran compilers. This report records many of the issues encountered by the LLNL teams duringmore » the hackathon.« less

Bilingual Education and Public Policy in Hawaii: Historical and Current Issues.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Agbayani, Amefil

Hawaii's history of immigration, language policy, and education are directly related to the issue of bilingual education in its schools today. Beginning with missionary contact, English became the dominant language of the islands, in terms of official policy if not in terms of numerical superiority of English speakers. Until World War II, there…

Theme Issue on Mass Communication.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anapol, Malthon M., Ed.

1978-01-01

Focusing on issues in mass communication, the six articles in this journal issue cover many facets and approaches to the topics. The first article offers a review of recent developments in the field and some comments about its future. The second article reviews feminism in comedies from the 1930s and in a current film, and the third analyzes the…

Priority Planetary Science Missions Identified

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Showstack, Randy

2011-03-01

The U.S. National Research Council's (NRC) planetary science decadal survey report, released on 7 March, lays out a grand vision for priority planetary science missions for 2013-2022 within a tightly constrained fiscal environment. The cost-conscious report, issued by NRC's Committee on the Planetary Science Decadal Survey, identifies high-priority flagship missions, recommends a number of potential midsized missions, and indicates support for some smaller missions. The report states that the highest-priority flagship mission for the decade is the Mars Astrobiology Explorer-Cacher (MAX-C)—the first of three components of a NASA/European Space Agency Mars sample return campaign—provided that the mission scope can be reduced so that MAX-C costs no more than $2.5 billion. The currently estimated mission cost of $3.5 billion “would take up a disproportionate near-term share of the overall budget for NASA's Planetary Science Division,” the report notes.

Trustee Quarterly, Issues 1-3, 1996.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hutchins, Sally, Ed.

1996-01-01

The three issues of "Trustee Quarterly" contained in this document focus on topics of current concern to community college trustees. Issue 1 for 1996 focuses on the policy governance model of community college board leadership, offering the following feature articles: "John Carver...and His Contribution to Community College…

Current issues with blood transfusions in sickle cell disease.

PubMed

Vichinsky, E P

2001-01-01

With increased recognition of the profound morbidity of sickle cell disease and with growing evidence of the efficacy of transfusion therapy in prevention and treatment of sickle cell complications, most patients now receive intermittent transfusion therapy. The purpose of this report is to review blood component therapy and Its risks for sickle cell patients. Packed red cells are the preferred blood component. Leukocyte-reduced units should be standard because of their beneficial effects in reducing alloimmunization, transfusion reactions, platelet refractoriness, and infection transmission. The use of washed, frozen, or Irradiated units is limited to specific problems. Sickle trait-positive units function normally, but because of difficulties with calculating hemoglobin S percentages and leukocyte filters, they are not routinely used. Transfusion-acquired infections have shown a marked decrease but still present a major risk. Viral hepatitis transmission is currently low, but at least 10% of adult sickle cell patients are hepatitis C positive, and they often have liver damage. Although bacterial infections are rare, they account for 16% of transfusion-related fatalities. Patients who are iron overloaded are particularly vulnerable to Yersina enterocolitica. Red cell alloimmunization is a serious problem that could potentially affect 50% of transfused patients. However, preventive phenotypic matching for common antigens can minimize alloimmunization; limited matching for at least E, C, and K has become the standard of care. Recently, more patients are being identified who have developed red cell autoantibodies, which can mask alloantibodies and occasionally are hemolytic. Careful laboratory evaluation of all cases is essential. Transfusions also may trigger sickle cell events, including pain crises, stroke, and acute pulmonary deterioration. In part, these are induced by blood viscosity and increased blood pressure. Diuretic therapy and close monitoring of

Counseling Issues for Adult Women in Career Transition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ronzio, Cynthia R.

2012-01-01

This article addresses current psychosocial issues facing women in career transition and the implications of those issues for career counselors. Specifically, psychosocial developmental trajectories, the roles of family and relationships, the importance of underlying physical and mental health issues, and sociocultural and contextual stressors are…

Minimizing Disparities and Developing Support by Identifying Differences in Confidence and Knowledge Related to Water Issues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Melissa; Lamm, Alexa J.

2016-01-01

Extension educators face challenges as they strive to keep up with critical issues in their communities, such as those surrounding water. A growing population and a diminishing water supply necessitate that Florida residents become more knowledgeable about water issues. We conducted research to determine how confident both the general public and…

Current Issues in the Neurology and Genetics of Learning-Related Traits and Disorders: Introduction to the Special Issue.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gilger, Jeffrey W.

2001-01-01

This introductory article briefly describes each of the following eight articles in this special issue on the neurology and genetics of learning related disorders. It notes the greater appreciation of learning disability as a set of complex disorders with broad and intricate neurological bases and of the large individual differences in how these…

Current methodological issues in the economic assessment of personalized medicine.

PubMed

Annemans, Lieven; Redekop, Ken; Payne, Katherine

2013-01-01

There is a need for methodological scrutiny in the economic assessment of personalized medicine. In this article, we present a list of 10 specific issues that we argue pose specific methodological challenges that require careful consideration when designing and conducting robust model-based economic evaluations in the context of personalized medicine. Key issues are related to the correct framing of the research question, interpretation of test results, data collection of medical management options after obtaining test results, and expressing the value of tests. The need to formulate the research question clearly and be explicit and specific about the technology being evaluated is essential because various test kits can have the same purpose and yet differ in predictive value, costs, and relevance to practice and patient populations. The correct reporting of sensitivity/specificity, and especially the false negatives and false positives (which are population dependent), of the investigated tests is also considered as a key element. This requires additional structural complexity to establish the relationship between the test result and the consecutive treatment changes and outcomes. This process involves translating the test characteristics into clinical utility, and therefore outlining the clinical and economic consequences of true and false positives and true and false negatives. Information on treatment patterns and on their costs and outcomes, however, is often lacking, especially for false-positive and false-negative test results. The analysis can even become very complex if different tests are combined or sequentially used. This potential complexity can be handled by explicitly showing how these tests are going to be used in practice and then working with the combined sensitivities and specificities of the tests. Each of these issues leads to a higher degree of uncertainty in economic models designed to assess the added value of personalized medicine compared

Child Care, Family, and Work Issues: Current Statistics and Their Implications.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Equity Issues, 1997

1997-01-01

This issue contains three fact sheets covering the impact of child care on work, the impact of family on work, and the impact of work on family. They are meant to be given to community and business leaders, employers, school board members, legislators, local community agency staff, and other individuals who desire a productive workforce. Each of…

Education Issues. GAO Transition Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Comptroller General of the U.S., Washington, DC.

This summary report is one of a series addressing major policy, management, or program issues facing Congress and the administration. The issues identified in this report indicate the need to: reduce the cost and preserve the integrity of higher education student loan and grant programs; enhance the federal role in monitoring lenders, agencies,…

Current Situation, Determinants, and Solutions to Drug Shortages in Shaanxi Province, China: A Qualitative Study.

PubMed

Yang, Caijun; Wu, Lina; Cai, Wenfang; Zhu, Wenwen; Shen, Qian; Li, Zongjie; Fang, Yu

2016-01-01

Drug shortages were a complex global problem. The aim of this study was to analyze, characterize, and assess the drug shortages, and identify possible solutions in Shaanxi Province, western China. A qualitative methodological approach was conducted during May-June 2015 and December 2015-January 2016. Semi-structured interviews were performed to gather information from representatives of hospital pharmacists, wholesalers, pharmaceutical producers, and local health authorities. Thirty participants took part in the study. Eight traditional Chinese medicines and 87 types of biologicals and chemicals were reported to be in short supply. Most were essential medicines. Five main determinants of drug shortages were detected: too low prices, too low market demands, Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) issues, materials issues, and approval issues for imported drugs. Five different solutions were proposed by the participants: 1) let the market decide the drug price; 2) establish an information platform; 3) establish a reserve system; 4) enhance the communication among the three parties in the supply chain; and 5) improve hospital inventory management. Western China was currently experiencing a serious drug shortage. Numerous reasons for the shortage were identified. Most drug shortages in China were currently because of "too low prices." To solve this problem, all of the stakeholders, especially the government, needed to participate in managing the drug shortages.

Plasma issues associated with the use of electrodynamic tethers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hastings, D. E.

1986-01-01

The use of an electrodynamic tether to generate power or thrust on the space station raises important plasma issues associted with the current flow. In addition to the issue of current closure through the space station, high power tethers (equal to or greater than tens of kilowatts) require the use of plasma contactors to enhance the current flow. They will generate large amounts of electrostatic turbulence in the vicinity of the space station. This is because the contactors work best when a large amount of current driven turbulence is excited. Current work is reviewed and future directions suggested.

Current crowding issues on nanoscale planar organic transistors for spintronics applications.

PubMed

Verduci, Tindara; Chaumy, Guillaume; Dayen, Jean-Francois; Leclerc, Nicolas; Devaux, Eloïse; Stoeckel, Marc-Antoine; Orgiu, Emanuele; Samorì, Paolo; Doudin, Bernard

2018-06-12

The predominance of interface resistance makes current crowding ubiquitous in short channel organic electronics devices but its impact on spin transport has never been considered. We investigate electrochemically-doped nanoscale PBTTT short channel devices and observe the smallest reported values of crowding lengths, found for sub-100 nm electrodes separation. These observed values are nevertheless exceeding the spin diffusion lengths reported in the literature. We discuss here how current crowding can be taken into account in the framework of the Fert-Jaffrès model of spin current propagation in heterostructures, and predict that the anticipated resulting values of magnetoresistance can be significantly reduced. Current crowding therefore impacts spin transport applications and interpretation of the results on spin valve devices. © 2018 IOP Publishing Ltd.

Water Analysis: Emerging Contaminants and Current Issues (2009 Review)

EPA Science Inventory

This biennial review covers developments in Water Analysis for Emerging Environmental Contaminants over the period of 2007-2008. A few significant references that appeared between January and February 2009 are also included. Analytical Chemistry’s current policy is to limit rev...

Regulatory aspects of oncology drug safety evaluation: past practice, current issues, and the challenge of new drugs.

PubMed

Rosenfeldt, Hans; Kropp, Timothy; Benson, Kimberly; Ricci, M Stacey; McGuinn, W David; Verbois, S Leigh

2010-03-01

The drug development of new anti-cancer agents is streamlined in response to the urgency of bringing effective drugs to market for patients with limited life expectancy. FDA's regulation of oncology drugs has evolved from the practices set forth in Arnold Lehman's seminal work published in the 1950s through the current drafting of a new International Conference on Harmonization of Technical Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH) safety guidance for anti-cancer drug nonclinical evaluations. The ICH combines the efforts of the regulatory authorities of Europe, Japan, and the United States and the pharmaceutical industry from these three regions to streamline the scientific and technical aspects of drug development. The recent development of new oncology drug classes with novel mechanisms of action has improved survival rates for some cancers but also brings new challenges for safety evaluation. Here we present the legacy of Lehman and colleagues in the context of past and present oncology drug development practices and focus on some of the current issues at the center of an evolving harmonization process that will generate a new safety guidance for oncology drugs, ICH S9. The purpose of this new guidance will be to facilitate oncology drug development on a global scale by standardizing regional safety requirements.

Ethical issues experienced by healthcare workers in nursing homes: Literature review.

PubMed

Preshaw, Deborah Hl; Brazil, Kevin; McLaughlin, Dorry; Frolic, Andrea

2016-08-01

Ethical issues are increasingly being reported by care-providers; however, little is known about the nature of these issues within the nursing home. Ethical issues are unavoidable in healthcare and can result in opportunities for improving work and care conditions; however, they are also associated with detrimental outcomes including staff burnout and moral distress. The purpose of this review was to identify prior research which focuses on ethical issues in the nursing home and to explore staffs' experiences of ethical issues. Using a systematic approach based on Aveyard (2014), a literature review was conducted which focused on ethical and moral issues, nurses and nursing assistants, and the nursing home. The most salient themes identified in the review included clashing ethical principles, issues related to communication, lack of resources and quality of care provision. The review also identified solutions for overcoming the ethical issues that were identified and revealed the definitional challenges that permeate this area of work. The review highlighted a need for improved ethics education for care-providers. © The Author(s) 2015.

Validating Difference and Counting the Cost of Exclusion in the Lives of People Who Identify as on the Autistic Spectrum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Young, Lauren L.

2012-01-01

This current issues piece will explore how autobiographies written by people with autism can help identify sensory processing differences that might be viewed as possible attributes in an enabling society, but for which ableist perceptions are often negative. In concrete terms, these constructions may be preventing people from entering employment…

ENVIRONMENTAL MASS SPECTROMETRY: EMERGING CONTAMINANTS AND CURRENT ISSUES, 2006

EPA Science Inventory

This biennial review covers developments in Environmental Mass Spectrometry over the period of 2004-2005. A few significant references that appeared between January and February 2006 are also included. Analytical Chemistry's current policy is to limit reviews to include 100-200 s...

WATER ANALYSIS: EMERGING CONTAMINANTS AND CURRENT ISSUES, 2005 REVIEW

EPA Science Inventory

This biennial review covers developments in Water Analysis over the period of 2003-2004. A few significant references that appeared between January and February 2005 are also included. Analytical Chemistry's current policy is to limit reviews to include 100-200 significant refe...

WATER ANALYSIS: EMERGING CONTAMINANTS AND CURRENT ISSUES: 2007 REVIEW

EPA Science Inventory

This biennial review covers developments in Water Analysis over the period of 2005-2006. A few significant references that appeared between January and March 2007 are also included. Analytical Chemistry's current policy is to limit reviews to include 200-250 significant referen...

Current issues with standards in the measurement and documentation of human skeletal anatomy.

PubMed

Magee, Justin; McClelland, Brian; Winder, John

2012-09-01

Digital modeling of human anatomy has become increasingly important and relies on well-documented quantitative anatomy literature. This type of documentation is common for the spine and pelvis; however, significant issues exist due to the lack of standardization in measurement and technique. Existing literature on quantitative anatomy for the spine and pelvis of white adults (aged 18-65 years, separated into decadal categories) was reviewed from the disciplines of anatomy, manipulative therapy, anthropometrics, occupational ergonomics, biomechanics and forensic science. The data were unified into a single normative model of the sub-axial spine. Two-dimensional orthographic drawings were produced from the 590 individual measurements identified, which informed the development of a 3D digital model. A similar review of full range of motion data was conducted as a meta-analysis and the results were applied to the existing model, providing an inter-connected, articulated digital spine. During these data analysis processes several inconsistencies were observed accompanied by an evidential lack of standardization with measurement and recording of data. These have been categorized as: anatomical terminology; scaling of measurements; measurement methodology, dimension and anatomical reference positions; global coordinate systems. There is inconsistency in anatomical terminology where independent researchers use the same terms to describe different aspects of anatomy or different terms for the same anatomy. Published standards exist for measurement methods of the human body regarding spatial interaction, anthropometric databases, automotive applications, clothing industries and for computer manikins, but none exists for skeletal anatomy. Presentation of measurements often lacks formal structure in clinical publications, seldom providing geometric reference points, therefore making digital reconstruction difficult. Published quantitative data does not follow existing

Current issues with standards in the measurement and documentation of human skeletal anatomy

PubMed Central

Magee, Justin; McClelland, Brian; Winder, John

2012-01-01

Digital modeling of human anatomy has become increasingly important and relies on well-documented quantitative anatomy literature. This type of documentation is common for the spine and pelvis; however, significant issues exist due to the lack of standardization in measurement and technique. Existing literature on quantitative anatomy for the spine and pelvis of white adults (aged 18–65 years, separated into decadal categories) was reviewed from the disciplines of anatomy, manipulative therapy, anthropometrics, occupational ergonomics, biomechanics and forensic science. The data were unified into a single normative model of the sub-axial spine. Two-dimensional orthographic drawings were produced from the 590 individual measurements identified, which informed the development of a 3D digital model. A similar review of full range of motion data was conducted as a meta-analysis and the results were applied to the existing model, providing an inter-connected, articulated digital spine. During these data analysis processes several inconsistencies were observed accompanied by an evidential lack of standardization with measurement and recording of data. These have been categorized as: anatomical terminology; scaling of measurements; measurement methodology, dimension and anatomical reference positions; global coordinate systems. There is inconsistency in anatomical terminology where independent researchers use the same terms to describe different aspects of anatomy or different terms for the same anatomy. Published standards exist for measurement methods of the human body regarding spatial interaction, anthropometric databases, automotive applications, clothing industries and for computer manikins, but none exists for skeletal anatomy. Presentation of measurements often lacks formal structure in clinical publications, seldom providing geometric reference points, therefore making digital reconstruction difficult. Published quantitative data does not follow existing

Macroeconomic Issues Confronting the Next President.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Solow, Robert M.

1988-01-01

Identifies economic issues that confronted the United States in the late 1980's and discusses how the president might deal with them. Highlights the following issues: recession, rising price levels, the budget deficit, international trade imbalance, and revival of U.S. long-term growth. (GEA)

Current Issues in Research on Intelligence. ERIC/AE Digest.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yekovich, Frank R.

Intelligence has been defined and studied under a number of different rubrics. Three individuals serve as a representative sample of the educational and psychological researchers associated with cognitive psychology who have made significant contributions to current understandings of intelligence. Robert Sternberg's theory contains subcategories…

Utility interconnection issues for wind power generation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Herrera, J. I.; Lawler, J. S.; Reddoch, T. W.; Sullivan, R. L.

1986-01-01

This document organizes the total range of utility related issues, reviews wind turbine control and dynamic characteristics, identifies the interaction of wind turbines to electric utility systems, and identifies areas for future research. The material is organized at three levels: the wind turbine, its controls and characteristics; connection strategies as dispersed or WPSs; and the composite issue of planning and operating the electric power system with wind generated electricity.

Radiation Testing and Evaluation Issues for Modern Integrated Circuits

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

LaBel, Kenneth A.; Cohn, Lew M.

2005-01-01

Abstract. Changes in modern integrated circuit (IC) technologies have modified the way we approach and conduct radiation tolerance and testing of electronics. These changes include scaling of geometries, new materials, new packaging technologies, and overall speed and device complexity challenges. In this short course section, we will identify and discuss these issues as they impact radiation testing, modeling, and effects mitigation of modern integrated circuits. The focus will be on CMOS-based technologies, however, other high performance technologies will be discussed where appropriate. The effects of concern will be: Single-Event Effects (SEE) and steady state total ionizing dose (TID) IC response. However, due to the growing use of opto-electronics in space systems issues concerning displacement damage testing will also be considered. This short course section is not intended to provide detailed "how-to-test" information, but simply provide a snapshot of current challenges and some of the approaches being considered.

Space station Simulation Computer System (SCS) study for NASA/MSFC. Volume 6: Study issues report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1989-01-01

The Simulation Computer System (SCS) is the computer hardware, software, and workstations that will support the Payload Training Complex (PTC) at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The PTC will train the space station payload specialists and mission specialists to operate the wide variety of experiments that will be on-board the Freedom Space Station. This simulation Computer System (SCS) study issues report summarizes the analysis and study done as task 1-identify and analyze the CSC study issues- of the SCS study contract.This work was performed over the first three months of the SCS study which began in August of 1988. First issues were identified from all sources. These included the NASA SOW, the TRW proposal, and working groups which focused the experience of NASA and the contractor team performing the study-TRW, Essex, and Grumman. The final list is organized into training related issues, and SCS associated development issues. To begin the analysis of the issues, a list of all the functions for which the SCS could be used was created, i.e., when the computer is turned on, what will it be doing. Analysis was continued by creating an operational functions matrix of SCS users vs. SCS functions to insure all the functions considered were valid, and to aid in identification of users as the analysis progressed. The functions will form the basis for the requirements, which are currently being developed under task 3 of the SCS study.

Professional aircrews' attitudes toward infectious diseases and aviation medical issues.

PubMed

Schwartz, Michael D; Macias-Moriarity, Lilia Z; Schelling, Joerg

2012-12-01

Air carrier and professional corporate aircrews provide a unique and highly distinct population in which to examine potential transport and transmission of infectious diseases (ID). This study sought to assess frequency of flying while acutely ill, identify clinical triggers in self-grounding, determine employer support for self-grounding, examine rates of influenza vaccination, and identify unmet needs for current information on ID issues related to extensive travel required of professional aircrews. Anonymous questionnaires were completed by select European mainline, U.S. regional airline, and professional corporate aircrews on ID topics such as flying while ill, flying with ill crewmembers, receipt of influenza vaccination, disinfection, and other aviation medical issues. Data were analyzed and reported as composite and stratified by airline vs. corporate aviation respondents. Aircrews often flew while ill (or with ill crewmembers); 52% flew until fever reached 38 degrees C (100.4 degrees F) and an additional 37% flew up to 38.89 degrees C (102 degrees F). Rate of annual influenza vaccination was quite low for all groups, but especially so for airline crews (21-27%), even given potential occupational exposure risk. Crews also had strongly differing perceptions of employer views on self-grounding, depending upon employment setting. There were sizable disparities between aircrew flying for U.S. regional, European mainline, and large corporate aviation departments with respect to self-grounding when ill and routinely receiving a seasonal influenza vaccination. All study groups reported a pressing need for enhanced anonymous access to current ID and medical information.

Development and use of microbial-based cleaning products (MBCPs): Current issues and knowledge gaps.

PubMed

Arvanitakis, George; Temmerman, Robin; Spök, Armin

2018-06-01

Cleaning products containing microbes as active ingredients are becoming increasingly prevalent as an alternative to chemical-based cleaning products. These microbial-based cleaning products (MBCPs) are being used in domestic and commercial settings (i.e., households and businesses) and institutional settings (e.g., hospitals, schools, etc.), in a variety of cleaning activities (hard surface cleaning, odour control, degreasing, septic tank treatments, etc.). They are typically described as "environmentally friendly" and "non-toxic". Publicly available information sources (scientific literature, patent databases, commercial websites) were searched for information on microbial species contained in MBCPs, their mode of action, cleaning applications in which they are used, and their potential impacts on human health and the environment. Although information was found providing a broad indication of microbial genera/species used, information on specific species/strains and quantities produced and sold is generally lacking. This makes it difficult to conduct a meaningful examination of any risks to human health and the environment from the production and use of MBCPs and to determine how effective current policies and regulatory frameworks are in addressing these issues. These and other challenges were addressed at an international workshop in Ottawa, Canada in June 2013 by a number of stakeholders, including industry, government, academic and non-governmental organizations. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Current issues of RNAi therapeutics delivery and development.

PubMed

Haussecker, D

2014-12-10

12 years following the discovery of the RNAi mechanism in Man, a number of RNAi therapeutics development candidates have emerged with profiles suggesting that they could become drugs of significant medical importance for diseases like TTR amyloidosis, HBV, solid cancers, and hemophilia. Despite this robust progress, the perception of RNAi therapeutics has been on a roller-coaster ride driven not only by science, but also regulatory trends, the stock markets, and Big Pharma business development decisions [1]. This presentation provides an update on the current state of RNAi therapeutics development with a particular focus on what RNAi delivery can achieve today and key challenges to be overcome to expand therapeutic opportunities. The delivery of RNAi triggers to disease-relevant cell types clearly represents the rate-limiting factor in broadly expanding the applicability of RNAi therapeutics. Today, with at least 3 delivery options (lipid nanoparticles/LNPs, GalNAc-siRNA conjugates, Dynamic PolyConjugates/DPCs) for which profound gene knockdowns have been demonstrated in non-human primates and in the clinic, RNAi therapeutics should in principle be able to address most diseases related to gene expression in the liver. Given the central importance of the liver in systemic physiology, this already represents a significant therapeutic and commercial opportunity rivaling that of e.g. monoclonal antibodies. Beyond the liver, there is a reason to believe that current RNAi therapeutics technologies can address a number of solid tumors (e.g. LNPs), diseases of the eye (e.g. self-delivering RNAi triggers) as well as diseases involving the respiratory epithelium (e.g. aerosolized LNPs), certain phagocytic cells (LNPs), hematopoietic stem cells and their progeny (lentiviral DNA-directed RNAi), vascular endothelial cells (cationic lipoplexes), and certain cell types in the kidney (self-delivering RNAi triggers, DPCs; Table 1). Despite this success, there has been a sense that

77 FR 66850 - Public Workshop on Burkholderia: Exploring Current Issues and Identifying Regulatory Science Gaps

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-11-07

...; the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases; the Biomedical Advanced Research and... research needed to advance animal model development and to advance candidate medical countermeasures (MCMs... antibiotics. For example, a 20-year prospective study of melioidosis in northern Australia found an overall...

Issues Facing Urban Agriscience Teachers: A Delphi Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Warner, Wendy J.; Washburn, Shannon G.

2009-01-01

This national study used the Delphi technique to identify the issues facing urban agriscience teachers. The first round of the study used a questionnaire with one open-ended question to generate responses from the expert panel. In the second round, respondents were asked to rate their level of agreement with 72 issues identified in round one using…

Medico-legal issues in radiological consultation.

PubMed

Mozumdar, Biswita C; Jones, Gary

2003-01-01

Providers increasingly use radiological services for diagnosis and treatment. Both the referring physician and the radiological consultant can contribute to efficient and effective consultation, and direct interaction may facilitate the process further. Furthermore, inadequate communication can influence poor patient outcome. We examine the roles and responsibilities of referring physicians and consultant radiologists, and present a malpractice case, Townsend v. Turk 218 Cal. App. 3d 278 (1990), to identify medico-legal issues in radiological consultation. Important issues are implied by the Townsend case. First, it is the clinician's responsibility to include clinical information that is appropriate and adequate. Further, the radiologist is a valuable resource in the selection of the optimal procedure, provided that he or she is aware of the patient's history. The second issue discussed by the court represents a possibly more pervasive problem. The interaction between a consulting radiologist--indeed any specialist--and a treating physician is subject to difficulties caused by different conceptions of professional boundaries. The position taken by the court in the Townsend case is consistent with the traditional view that a consulting radiologist has an attenuated duty to the patient. It also would seem to receive at least some support from the language contained in the current revision of the ACR Standard for Communication: Diagnostic Radiology, effective Jan. 1, 2002: ...The referring physician or healthcare provider also shares in the responsibility of obtaining results of imaging studies they have ordered. Despite the result of the Townsend case and the current formulation of the ACR Standards, however, radiologists face risks of litigation. Indeed, the emerging trend in radiological consultation is the direct communication of results to the patient. It is clear that improved communication between radiologists and referring physicians is both desirable and

Early Childhood Professionalism in Serbia: Current Issues and Developments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bankovic, Ivana

2014-01-01

This article explores early childhood professionalism in the Republic of Serbia. The concept of professionalism in this context is examined in light of current international debates about professionalism. More specifically, how the use of specific nomenclature, the existence of multi-professional teams of practitioners and state-regulated but…

Proceedings of the Hydrokinetic and Wave Energy Technologies Technical and Environmental Issues Workshop

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

None

2006-03-01

Renewable energy technologies offer the promise of non-polluting alternatives to fossil and nuclear-fueled power plants to meet growing demand for electrical energy. Two emerging categories of renewable energy technologies, hydrokinetic and wave energy conversion devices, offer ways to tap the energy of moving water without impoundment (dams) or diversion required by many conventional hydroelectric facilities. These technologies include devices designed for deployment in natural streams, tidal estuaries, ocean currents, and constructed waterways, as well as devices designed to capture the energy of ocean waves. On October 26-28, 2005, 54 representatives from government, non-governmental organizations, and private business met to (1)more » identify the varieties of hydrokinetic energy and wave technology devices, their stages of development, and the projected cost to bring each to market; (2) identify where these technologies can best operate; (3) identify the potential environmental issues associated with these technologies and possible mitigation measures; (4) develop a list of research needs and/or practical solutions to address unresolved environmental issues. These workshop proceedings include detailed summaries of the 24 presentations made and the discussions that followed.« less

Current Events and the International Relations Curriculum: Instructional Strategies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chernotsky, Harry I.

One of the most significant challenges confronting college instructors who teach international politics survey courses is the coverage of current events issues and how to stimulate student interest about the issues. This paper describes two techniques, a current events sweepstakes and a Great Decisions roundtable, designed to infuse current events…

Fads, Fancies and Fantasies: An Educator's Perspective on Current Educational Facility Issues.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ryland, James

2003-01-01

Explores educational facilities issues from the personal perspective of being both an educator and an owner. Topics discussed include aligning curriculum and instruction with facilities design, green school rating systems, the relationship between facilities and achievement, longitudinal facilities research, post-occupancy evaluation, and…

Looking Back to the Future: Current Issues Facing Nursing Education From the Reflections of a Member of the Silent Generation.

PubMed

Keating, Sarah B

2016-07-01

As a member of the Silent Generation, the author, through her lived experiences, reflects upon the successes and challenges facing nursing education in the mid-20th to 21st centuries. The author looks "back to the future" and reviews current issues that surround four key nursing education milestones. From the early entry-level baccalaureate programs in the 1950s to the current growth of the Doctor of Nursing Practice as entry into advanced practice, milestones in nursing education are linked to the cultural changes and healthcare system demands that took place at the time and their influence on nursing education and the profession. Looking to the future, the author speaks of the implications from the forecasted changes in the healthcare system that will demand interdisciplinary education and practice and the continued need for nursing research to increase the body of scientific knowledge in practice, education, and technology. Keating. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Identifying Educationally Influential Specialists: Issues Arising from the Use of "Classic" Criteria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, Frances C.; Ryan, David P.; Dodge, Jason E.; Last, Linda D.; Law, Calvin H. L.; Smith, Andrew J.

2004-01-01

Introduction: Educationally influential physicians (EIPs) are identified by their colleagues as people who (1) encourage learning and enjoy sharing their knowledge, (2) are clinical experts and always seem up to date, and (3) treat others as equals. We aimed to identify surgical and pathologist EIPs for colorectal cancer (CRC) in Ontario as part…

Medical photography: current technology, evolving issues and legal perspectives.

PubMed

Harting, M T; DeWees, J M; Vela, K M; Khirallah, R T

2015-04-01

Medical photographic image capture and data management has undergone a rapid and compelling change in complexity over the last 20 years. This is because of multiple factors, including significant advances in ease of photograph capture, alongside an evolution of mechanisms of data portability/dissemination, combined with governmental focus on health information privacy. Literature to guide medical, legal, governmental and business professionals when dealing with issues related to medical photography is virtually nonexistent. Herein, we will address the breadth of uses of medical photography, device properties/specific devices utilised for image capture, methods of data transfer and dissemination and patient perceptions and attitudes regarding photography in a medical setting. In addition, we will address the legal implications, including legal precedent, copyright and privacy law, informed consent, protected health information and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), as they pertain to medical photography. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Website design: technical, social and medical issues for self-reporting by elderly patients.

PubMed

Taylor, Mark J; Stables, Rod; Matata, Bashir; Lisboa, Paulo J G; Laws, Andy; Almond, Peter

2014-06-01

There is growing interest in the use of the Internet for interacting with patients, both in terms of healthcare information provision and information gathering. In this article, we examine the issues in designing healthcare websites for elderly users. In particular, this article uses a year-long case study of the development of a web-based system for self-reporting of symptoms and quality of life with a view to examine the issues relating to website design for elderly users. The issues identified included the technical, social and medical aspects of website design for elderly users. The web-based system developed was based on the European Quality of Life 5-Dimensions health-status questionnaire, a commonly used tool for patient self-reporting of quality of life, and the more specific coronary revascularisation outcome questionnaire. Currently, self-reporting is generally administered in the form of paper-based questionnaires to be completed in the outpatient clinic or at home. There are a variety of issues relating to elderly users, which imply that websites for elderly patients may involve different design considerations to other types of websites.

Contextual Learning Issues.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

1999

This document contains four symposium papers on contextual learning issues. "Learning to Learn Strategies of Successful Real Estate Professionals: Implications for Learning in the Workplace" (Margot B. Weinstein) describes a multicase study in which a model called the Individual Learning System was used to identify the strategies and…

Mental Retardation: Topics of Today--Issues of Tomorrow.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meyen, Edward L., Ed.

1984-01-01

The monograph examines issues affecting the future of handicapped people generally, and mentally retarded people specifically. E. Meyen introduces the volume and describes how the issues were identified. H. Turnbull and P. Barber, in "Perspectives on Public Policy," discuss such issues as defederalization, redefinition of handicaps, and…

Operational Issues: What Science in Available?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rosekind, Mark R.; Neri, David F.

1997-01-01

Flight/duty/rest considerations involve two highly complex factors: the diverse demands of aviation operations and human physiology (especially sleep and circadian rhythms). Several core operational issues related to fatigue have been identified, such as minimum rest requirements, duty length, flight time considerations, crossing multiple time zones, and night flying. Operations also can involve on-call reserve status and callout, delays due to unforeseen circumstances (e.g., weather, mechanical), and on-demand flights. Over 40 years of scientific research is now available to apply to these complex issues of flight/duty/rest requirements. This research involves controlled 'laboratory studies, simulations, and data collected during regular flight operations. When flight/duty/rest requirements are determined they are typically based on a variety of considerations, such as operational demand, safety, economic, etc. Rarely has the available, state-of-the-art science been a consideration along with these other factors when determining flight/duty/rest requirements. While the complexity of the operational demand and human physiology precludes an absolute solution, there is an opportunity to take full advantage of the current scientific data. Incorporating these data in a rational operational manner into flight/duty/rest requirements can improve flight crew performance, alertness, and ultimately, aviation safety.

Current practice and barriers to the management of sexual issues in rheumatology: results of a survey of health professionals.

PubMed

Helland, Y; Garratt, A; Kjeken, I; Kvien, T K; Dagfinrud, H

2013-01-01

To explore multidisciplinary health professionals' (HPs) management of disease-related sexual issues in patients with rheumatic diseases, including their perceptions and assessments, and identify factors that prevent HPs from addressing sexuality as a topic with patients. A self-constructed questionnaire was sent to 647 nurses, physicians, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, social workers, and psychologists working within rheumatology care. A multivariate logistic regression model of significant determinants for initiating sexual topics with patients was built. The mean age of the responders (n = 274, 42% response rate, 87% female) was 46 years. While 96% considered sexuality a relevant topic in rheumatology care, 71% seldom/never raised the topic. The patient was the main initiator (53%), and 88% of HPs gave the patient responsibility to initiate. The HPs with relevant education in sexuality were significantly more comfortable talking about sexuality (p < 0.001) and raised sexual issues significantly more often (p < 0.001). In the multivariate analyses, higher age [odds ratio (OR) 3.69], having relevant education (OR 3.16), and being comfortable to some extent (OR 3.62) or to a large extent (OR 5.58) remained significant predictors to initiating sexual topics. Although HPs regarded sexuality as a relevant topic in rheumatic health care, they seldom raised the topic in consultations. Those with further education in sexuality addressed sexual issues more frequently and felt more comfortable. Correspondingly, the majority of respondents requested more education. Such training should be part of the basic HPs' education, as well as part of postgraduate courses.

The Importance of Exposure in Addressing Current and Emerging Air Quality Issues

EPA Science Inventory

The air quality issues that we face today and will face in the future are becoming increasingly more complex and require an improved understanding of human exposure to be effectively addressed. The objectives of this paper are (1) to discuss how concepts of human exposure and ex...

Measuring outcomes in adult spinal deformity surgery: a systematic review to identify current strengths, weaknesses and gaps in patient-reported outcome measures.

PubMed

Faraj, Sayf S A; van Hooff, Miranda L; Holewijn, Roderick M; Polly, David W; Haanstra, Tsjitske M; de Kleuver, Marinus

2017-08-01

Adult spinal deformity (ASD) causes severe disability, reduces overall quality of life, and results in a substantial societal burden of disease. As healthcare is becoming more value based, and to facilitate global benchmarking, it is critical to identify and standardize patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). This study aims to identify the current strengths, weaknesses, and gaps in PROMs used for ASD. Studies were included following a systematic search in multiple bibliographic databases between 2000 and 2015. PROMs were extracted and linked to the outcome domains of WHO's International Classification of Functioning and Health (ICF) framework. Subsequently, the clinimetric quality of identified PROMs was evaluated. The literature search identified 144 papers that met the inclusion criteria, and nine frequently used PROMs were identified. These covered 29 ICF outcome domains, which could be grouped into three of the four main ICF chapters: body function (n = 7), activity and participation (n = 19), environmental factors (n = 3), and body structure (n = 0). A low quantity (n = 3) of papers was identified that studied the clinimetric quality of PROMs. The Scoliosis Research Society (SRS)-22 has the highest level of clinimetric quality for ASD. Outcome domains related to mobility and pain were well represented. We identified a gap in current outcome measures regarding neurological and pulmonary function. In addition, no outcome domains were measured in the ICF chapter body structure. These results will serve as a foundation for the process of seeking international consensus on a standard set of outcome domains, accompanied PROMs and contributing factors to be used in future clinical trials and spine registries.

Approaches for Advancing Girls' Education in Ghana: A Symposium To Examine Current Practices and Identify Future Directions (1st, Ajumako, Central Region, Ghana, June 25-26, 2001).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Academy for Educational Development, Washington, DC.

The Girls' Education Unit (GEU) of the Basic Education Division of Ghana Education Service (GES) organized this Approaches for Advancing Girls' Education (AAGE) symposium to address the issues of girls' education, to construct a comprehensive picture of what interventions related to girls' education are currently being implemented, and identify…

Critical soft landing technology issues for future US space missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Macha, J. M.; Johnson, D. W.; Mcbride, D. D.

1992-01-01

A programmatic need for research and development to support parachute-based landing systems has not existed since the end of the Apollo missions in the mid-1970s. Now, a number of planned space programs require advanced landing capabilities for which the experience and technology base does not currently exist. New requirements for landing on land with controllable, gliding decelerators and for more effective impact attenuation devices justify a renewal of the landing technology development effort that existed during the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs. A study was performed to evaluate the current and projected national capability in landing systems and to identify critical deficiencies in the technology base required to support the Assured Crew Return Vehicle and the Two-Way Manned Transportation System. A technology development program covering eight landing system performance issues is recommended.

Women's and Community Issues Magazine. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lutheran Social Mission Society, Philadelphia, PA. Lutheran Settlement House.

General Educational Development (GED), pre-GED, and adult basic education students and teachers in Lutheran Settlement House Women's Program GED classes participated in the production of two magazines focusing on women's and community issues. The process included the following: surveying GED classes to determine which current issues were of…

Critical Endowment Policy Issues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lapovsky, Lucie

2007-01-01

Governing boards and administrations wrestle with complex endowment policy decisions that will determine current institutional quality and future institutional viability. This chapter presents data from the 2006 NACUBO Endowment Study (published in 2007), divided into the following issues of endowment management: historical returns; endowment…

Current Situation, Determinants, and Solutions to Drug Shortages in Shaanxi Province, China: A Qualitative Study

PubMed Central

Yang, Caijun; Wu, Lina; Cai, Wenfang; Zhu, Wenwen; Shen, Qian; Li, Zongjie; Fang, Yu

2016-01-01

Objective Drug shortages were a complex global problem. The aim of this study was to analyze, characterize, and assess the drug shortages, and identify possible solutions in Shaanxi Province, western China. Methods A qualitative methodological approach was conducted during May–June 2015 and December 2015–January 2016. Semi-structured interviews were performed to gather information from representatives of hospital pharmacists, wholesalers, pharmaceutical producers, and local health authorities. Results Thirty participants took part in the study. Eight traditional Chinese medicines and 87 types of biologicals and chemicals were reported to be in short supply. Most were essential medicines. Five main determinants of drug shortages were detected: too low prices, too low market demands, Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) issues, materials issues, and approval issues for imported drugs. Five different solutions were proposed by the participants: 1) let the market decide the drug price; 2) establish an information platform; 3) establish a reserve system; 4) enhance the communication among the three parties in the supply chain; and 5) improve hospital inventory management. Conclusions Western China was currently experiencing a serious drug shortage. Numerous reasons for the shortage were identified. Most drug shortages in China were currently because of “too low prices.” To solve this problem, all of the stakeholders, especially the government, needed to participate in managing the drug shortages. PMID:27780218

Standing out from the crowd: How to identify plasma cells.

PubMed

Tellier, Julie; Nutt, Stephen L

2017-08-01

Being the sole source of antibody, plasmablasts and plasma cells are essential for protective immunity. Due to their relative rarity, heterogeneity and the loss of many canonical B-cell markers, antibody-secreting cells (ASCs) have often been problematic to identify and further characterize. In the mouse, the combination of the expression of CD138 and BLIMP-1, has led to many insights into ASC biology, although this approach requires the use of a GFP reporter strain. In the current issue of the European Journal of Immunology, two independent studies by Wilmore et al. and Pracht et al. provide alternative approaches to identify all murine ASCs using antibodies against the cell surface proteins, Sca-1 and TACI, respectively. Here we will discuss the advantages of these new approaches to identify ASCs in the context of our emerging knowledge of the cell surface phenotype and gene expression program of various ASC subsets in the murine and human systems. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Individual Educational Programs: Issues and Options for Change. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McLaughlin, Margaret J.; And Others

Major issues concerning the Individualized Education Program (IEP) are reviewed and modifications are proposed. The history of the IEP and current legal requirements for developing IEPs are considered. Current issues with the IEP include the cost of development, the lack of parent involvement in IEP development, and the use of the IEP for…

Data linkage capabilities in Australia: practical issues identified by a Population Health Research Network 'Proof of Concept project'.

PubMed

Mitchell, Rebecca J; Cameron, Cate M; McClure, Rod J; Williamson, Ann M

2015-08-01

To describe the practical issues that need to be overcome to conduct national data linkage projects in Australia and propose recommendations to improve efficiency. Review of the processes, documentation and applications required to conduct national data linkage in Australia. The establishment of state and national data linkage centres in Australia has placed Australia at the forefront of research linking health-related administrative data collections. However, improvements are needed to reduce the clerical burden on researchers, simplify the process of obtaining ethics approval, improve data accessibility, and thus improve the efficiency of data linkage research. While a sound state and national data linkage infrastructure is in place, the current complexity, duplication and lack of cohesion undermines any attempts to conduct research involving national record linkage in a timely manner. Data linkage applications and Human Research Ethics Committee approval processes need to be streamlined and duplication removed, in order to reduce the administrative and financial burden on researchers if national data linkage research is to be viable. © 2015 Public Health Association of Australia.

Ethical issues in the translation of social neuroscience: a policy analysis of current guidelines for public dialogue in human research.

PubMed

Zimmerman, Emma; Racine, Eric

2012-01-01

Social neuroscience and its potential implications create an interesting case study for examining human research ethics policies on the topic of public communication of research. We reviewed mainstream national and international human research ethics guidelines and policies on issues of public communication of research. Our analysis relied on five thematic nets to capture the interactions between research and the public: public understanding, knowledge translation, public participation, social outcomes, and dual use. Coverage of these topics is sparse and inconsistent in mainstream policies and guidelines. We identify three options to address these gaps and analyze their strengths and weaknesses.

Emerging ICT implementation issues in aged care.

PubMed

Kapadia, Vasvi; Ariani, Arni; Li, Junhua; Ray, Pradeep K

2015-11-01

Demand for aged care services continues to soar as a result of an aging population. This increasing demand requires more residential aged care facilities and healthcare workforce. One recommended solution is to keep older people in their homes longer and support their independent life through the use of information and communication technologies (ICT). However, the aged care sector is still in the early stages of adopting ICT. The aim of this study was to identify the key issues that affect the adoption of ICT in the aged care sector. A systematic literature review was undertaken and involved four steps. The first two steps aimed to identify and select relevant articles. Data was then extracted from the selected articles and identified issues were analyzed and grouped into three major categories. ICT adoption issues were categorized into different perspectives, representing older people, health professionals and management. Our findings showed that all three groups were mostly concerned with issues around behavior, cost and lack of technical skills. Findings reported in this study will help decision makers at aged care settings to systematically understand issues related to ICT adoption and thus proactively introduce interventions to improve use of ICT in this sector. On the basis of our findings, we suggest future research focus on the examination of aged care workflow and assessment of return on ICT investment. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Peer Educators Responding to Students with Mental Health Issues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Daddona, Mark F.

2011-01-01

As more college students face severe mental health issues, peer educators need effective communication skills and knowledge of campus counseling services to properly make referrals while continuing the peer relationship. This chapter presents an overview of current mental health issues in college students. These issues must be understood and…

Assessment of the health impact of occupational risk in Africa: current situation and methodological issues.

PubMed

Loewenson, R

1999-09-01

This paper presents information from the current monitoring systems in Africa, mainly Southern Africa, for occupational illness and injury and discusses the quality of the reported data in estimating the health impact of occupational risk. The paper presents and discusses the current profile of reported injury and fatalities for those countries for which data are available, in particular for the countries of the Southern African Development Community. These data indicate that the reported annual injury rates for wage workers in the Southern African Development Community region range widely from 0.35 to 49.42 injuries per 1,000 workers, and reported occupational fatality in the region ranges from 0.85 to 21.6 fatalities per 100,000 workers. Despite wide variability in reported rates (probably caused by variability in coverage and accuracy of reporting systems), transport, agriculture, mining and, to a lesser extent, construction consistently make up about three-quarters of all fatalities, with vehicle- or transport-related causes accounting for high proportions of fatal accidents. The paper identifies and discusses major sources and direction of bias and error in the reported data and suggests approaches for a better assessment of the health impact of occupational illness, injury, and mortality in African countries.

Time to get serious about assessing - and managing - psychosocial issues associated with chronic wounds.

PubMed

Alexander, Susan J

2013-03-01

This article comprises a review of the literature published during the period January 2011 to June 2012 on the topic of the psychosocial impact of wounds and strategies to manage them. There is a growing discussion of the reciprocal link between psychological influences and wound healing. Although the mechanisms underlying these influences are not well understood, evidence from the reviewed literature adds to the existing body of evidence demonstrating that negative psychological states can impair immune function and wound healing. Despite this recognition, there are still few studies that provide strategies to address the identified psychosocial issues associated with wounds, particularly those of chronic duration. A wide range of psychosocial factors likely to be associated with a wound have been identified. The importance of understanding the nature and extent of their impact is illustrated by the patients' experiences of living with a chronic wound which they rate as serious as cancer or myocardial infarction. Although there is currently limited evidence on which to base management strategies, it is recommended that interventions should commence with a comprehensive individualized assessment which can then inform the development of an appropriate management plan that includes the identified psychosocial issues.

Applying usability methods to identify health literacy issues: an example using a Personal Health Record.

PubMed

Monkman, Helen; Kushniruk, Andre

2013-01-01

The prevalence of consumer health information systems is increasing. However, usability and health literacy impact both the value and adoption of these systems. Health literacy and usability are closely related in that systems may not be used accurately if users cannot understand the information therein. Thus, it is imperative to focus on mitigating the demands on health literacy in consumer health information systems. This study modified two usability evaluation methods (heuristic evaluation and usability testing) to incorporate the identification of potential health literacy issues in a Personal Health Record (PHR). Heuristic evaluation is an analysis of a system performed by a usability specialist who evaluates how well the system abides by usability principles. In contrast, a usability test involves a post hoc analysis of a representative user interacting with the system. These two methods revealed several health literacy issues and suggestions to ameliorate them were made. Thus, it was demonstrated that usability methods could be successfully augmented for the purpose of investigating health literacy issues. To improve users' health knowledge, the adoption of consumer health information systems, and the accuracy of the information contained therein, it is encouraged that usability methods be applied with an added focus on health literacy.

Current Campus Issues. Proceedings June 1969 Institutes on College and University Administration.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

University Consultants, Inc., Cambridge, MA.

The Institutes were held in Washington, D.C. and Ann Arbor, Mich. in June 1969, and were directed toward helping administrators develop greater senstivity and understanding of the critical issues facing them. This monograph contains a description of the 3-day "campus confrontation crisis" game played by the conference participants, and presents…

The American Trial Jury: Current Issues and Controversies. Looking at the Law.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ryan, John Paul

1999-01-01

Discusses the controversial issues involved in the jury systems, such as jury selection, jury service, civic participation, and the role of the mass media. Stresses the importance of maintaining the public courtroom as a means for encouraging fair trials and not allowing closed courtrooms. Provides an accompanying article, "The Citizen's Jury," by…

Ethical issues in exercise psychology.

PubMed

Pauline, Jeffrey S; Pauline, Gina A; Johnson, Scott R; Gamble, Kelly M

2006-01-01

Exercise psychology encompasses the disciplines of psychiatry, clinical and counseling psychology, health promotion, and the movement sciences. This emerging field involves diverse mental health issues, theories, and general information related to physical activity and exercise. Numerous research investigations across the past 20 years have shown both physical and psychological benefits from physical activity and exercise. Exercise psychology offers many opportunities for growth while positively influencing the mental and physical health of individuals, communities, and society. However, the exercise psychology literature has not addressed ethical issues or dilemmas faced by mental health professionals providing exercise psychology services. This initial discussion of ethical issues in exercise psychology is an important step in continuing to move the field forward. Specifically, this article will address the emergence of exercise psychology and current health behaviors and offer an overview of ethics and ethical issues, education/training and professional competency, cultural and ethnic diversity, multiple-role relationships and conflicts of interest, dependency issues, confidentiality and recording keeping, and advertisement and self-promotion.

Indian space transportation programme: Near term outlook and issues for commercialisation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nagendra, Narayan Prasad

2015-05-01

The Indian space transportation programme has grown from strength to strength with the launching of sounding rockets in the 60's to the development of heavy lift vehicles for telecommunication satellites in the present decade. With the growing market confidence in Indian Space Research Organisation's ability to reliably deliver payloads to low Earth orbit with its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, there is an inherent opportunity for India to cater to the commercial market. The present work assesses the current launch capacity of India in retrospect of international launches and provides India's outlook for the space transportation in the current decade. Launch capacity correlation with the requirements within the Indian space programme as well as the current space transportation infrastructure have been considered to identify bottlenecks in catering to the current national requirements alongside securing a greater market share in the international launch market. The state of commercialisation of launch vehicle development has been presented to provide an overview of policy and organisational issues for commercialisation of space transportation in India.

Ethical, legal and clinical aspects of live surgery in urology – contemporary issues and a glimpse of the future

PubMed Central

Ferician, Ovidiu Catalin; Latcu, Silviu Constantin; Pricop, Catalin; Bardan, Razvan Tiberiu

2017-01-01

Beside dry and wet lab training, simulators, video tapes, fellowships and clinical visits, live surgery has gained popularity during the last years, being an attraction point at large scientific meetings and at postgraduate courses as well. This type of surgical training raises both ethical and legal issues. Thus, there are professional societies that have banned such meetings, mainly due to safety reasons for the patient. The current article aims to identify and to discuss ethical and legal issues related to the topic, advantages, disadvantages and weak points of this emerging challenge for modern medicine, trying to analyze the issues from all relevant points of view: those of the patient, the surgeon and the session attendant. PMID:28446925

WOC practice in cyberspace: legal and ethical issues.

PubMed

Hoyman, K

2001-07-01

WOC nurses have the opportunity to extend their practice geographically by using electronic media, also called telehealth or "practicing in cyberspace." Currently, laws and regulations affecting this aspect of practice are in rapid flux. In addition, practicing electronically makes the ethical issues of choice, privacy, and confidentiality more acute. This article describes the current status of relevant legislation, discusses relevant ethical issues, and provides guidelines for WOC nurses who are considering the use of e-mail and video conferencing within their practice.

Multicultural Issues and Concerns in Library Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Freiband, Susan J.

1992-01-01

Identifies multilingual and multicultural issues relevant to library and information science curricula today and outlines the skills, knowledge, and attitudes needed by graduates to address these issues. Aspects of the curriculum, specific programs, and activities on which to focus are discussed. (13 references) (EA)

Lessons from Adult Education: Identifying and Exploring Emerging Ethical Issues in Technologically Enhanced Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mabry, Christie Knittel; O'Driscoll, Tony

2003-01-01

Technologically Enhanced Performance (TEP) is the application of technology to improve the performance of knowledge workers. TEP is both an intellectual and ideological complement to the field of Adult Education. As such, much can be learned about ethical issues associated with implementing TEP from the established research and literature base in…

Emerging Issues for Bokori Island Development in Konawe Southeast Sulawesi

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maulidy Navastara, Ardy

2017-07-01

This article discusses about emerging issues for small island development especially Bokori Island in Konawe Southeast Sulawesi. Indonesia have been known as a big archipelago has more than ten thousand small islands scattered about 5.8 million km2 of oceanic area Sabang in the West end to Merauke at the end East. It is also known as the largest “megabiodiversity” marine nation. However, the weak national policy that handles the development and management of small islands is suspected because it is not accurate in identifying strategic issues that occur in the development and management of small islands. Therefore, this article aims to identify and classify strategic issues related to the development of small islands in Konawe Southeast Sulawesi. A normative and empirical approach is made to discuss this article. It resulted that typology of issues such as internal and external issues, urgent issues and its supporting issues. Then local governments should pay attention to the urgent issues and its supporting issues - it is policy, investment, institutional and technological issues and the endogenous issues such as entrepreneurship and leadership.

Assessment and E-Learning: Current Issues and Future Trends

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cowie, Neil; Sakui, Keiko

2015-01-01

This paper describes different ways in which digital technology can be used for language learning. It then identifies some key trends connecting assessment and technology in language learning and higher education: the use of automated systems to enhance traditional assessment practices; the use of Web 2.0 tools to facilitate new assessment…

Resistance to AHAS inhibitor herbicides: current understanding.

PubMed

Yu, Qin; Powles, Stephen B

2014-09-01

Acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS) inhibitor herbicides currently comprise the largest site-of-action group (with 54 active ingredients across five chemical groups) and have been widely used in world agriculture since they were first introduced in 1982. Resistance evolution in weeds to AHAS inhibitors has been rapid and identified in populations of many weed species. Often, evolved resistance is associated with point mutations in the target AHAS gene; however non-target-site enhanced herbicide metabolism occurs as well. Many AHAS gene resistance mutations can occur and be rapidly enriched owing to a high initial resistance gene frequency, simple and dominant genetic inheritance and lack of major fitness cost of the resistance alleles. Major advances in the elucidation of the crystal structure of the AHAS (Arabidopsis thaliana) catalytic subunit in complex with various AHAS inhibitor herbicides have greatly improved current understanding of the detailed molecular interactions between AHAS, cofactors and herbicides. Compared with target-site resistance, non-target-site resistance to AHAS inhibitor herbicides is less studied and hence less understood. In a few well-studied cases, non-target-site resistance is due to enhanced rates of herbicide metabolism (metabolic resistance), mimicking that occurring in tolerant crop species and often involving cytochrome P450 monooxygenases. However, the specific herbicide-metabolising, resistance-endowing genes are yet to be identified in resistant weed species. The current state of mechanistic understanding of AHAS inhibitor herbicide resistance is reviewed, and outstanding research issues are outlined. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry.

Lunar base mission technology issues and orbital demonstration requirements on space station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Llewellyn, Charles P.; Weidman, Deene J.

1992-01-01

The International Space Station has been the object of considerable design, redesign, and alteration since it was originally proposed in early 1984. In the intervening years the station has slowly evolved to a specific design that was thoroughly reviewed by a large agency-wide Critical Evaluation Task Force (CETF). As space station designs continue to evolve, studies must be conducted to determine the suitability of the current design for some of the primary purposes for which the station will be used. This paper concentrates on the technology requirements and issues, the on-orbit demonstration and verification program, and the space station focused support required prior to the establishment of a permanently manned lunar base as identified in the National Commission on Space report. Technology issues associated with the on-orbit assembly and processing of the lunar vehicle flight elements are also discussed.

The neurosurgical workforce in North America: a critical review of gender issues.

PubMed

Woodrow, Sarah I; Gilmer-Hill, Holly; Rutka, James T

2006-10-01

The role of women in Western society has changed dramatically in the past several decades. Despite this, many gender disparities still exist for professionals in the health care sector. In neurosurgery, a disproportionately small percentage of the workforce in the United States and Canada is female. These figures are lower than most reported in other medical specialties. This review critically examines factors that may be influencing women's ability to advance in demanding subspecialties such as neurosurgery. The literature on women in medicine, and surgery in particular, were reviewed to identify different issues facing women currently in practice in neurosurgery. In addition, the concerns of prospective trainees were examined. There remain many challenges for women entering neurosurgery, including unique lifestyle concerns, limited mentorship, out-dated career programs, and deep-seeded societal beliefs. Discrimination and harassment are also contributing factors. If neurosurgery is to continue to progress as a subspecialty, the issue of gender inequality needs to be scrutinized more closely. Innovative programs must be developed to meet the needs of current female faculty members and to ensure attracting the brightest individuals of both genders into a career in neurosurgery.

Current status of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever in the World Health Organization Eastern Mediterranean Region: issues, challenges, and future directions.

PubMed

Al-Abri, Seif S; Abaidani, Idris Al; Fazlalipour, Mehdi; Mostafavi, Ehsan; Leblebicioglu, Hakan; Pshenichnaya, Natalia; Memish, Ziad A; Hewson, Roger; Petersen, Eskild; Mala, Peter; Nhu Nguyen, Tran Minh; Rahman Malik, Mamunur; Formenty, Pierre; Jeffries, Rosanna

2017-05-01

Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is the most widespread, tick-borne viral disease affecting humans. The disease is endemic in many regions, such as Africa, Asia, Eastern and Southern Europe, and Central Asia. Recently, the incidence of CCHF has increased rapidly in the countries of the World Health Organization Eastern Mediterranean Region (WHO EMR), with sporadic human cases and outbreaks of CCHF being reported from a number of countries in the region. Despite the rapidly growing incidence of the disease, there are currently no accurate data on the burden of the disease in the region due to the different surveillance systems used for CCHF in these countries. In an effort to increase our understanding of the epidemiology and risk factors for the transmission of the CCHF virus (CCHFV; a Nairovirus of the family Bunyaviridae) in the WHO EMR, and to identify the current knowledge gaps that are hindering effective control interventions, a sub-regional meeting was organized in Muscat, Oman, from December 7 to 9, 2015. This article summarizes the current knowledge of the disease in the region, identifies the knowledge gaps that present challenges for the prevention and control of CCHFV, and details a strategic framework for research and development activities that would be necessary to curb the ongoing and new threats posed by CCHFV. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Nigeria: Current Issues

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-04-12

Hausa-Fulani, the southwestern Yoruba , and the southeastern Ibo have traditionally been the most politically active and dominant. Almost half of the...Adamawa State in the January elections, was chosen by the PDP as the running mate of Obasanjo, a Yoruba from southwestern Nigeria. The APP and AD...nominated Chief Olu Falae, a Yoruba , as their joint candidate for president. A former Nigerian security chief and a northerner, Chief Umaru Shinakfi, was

Algeria: Current Issues

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-02-16

the victims and recognized the Berber language, Tamazight , as a national, but not as an official language, as Berber activists want. Prime Minister...national referendum be held on granting official status to Tamazight . Berber activists, perhaps aware that they represent a minority and would lose

Algeria: Current Issues

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-04-16

reflecting lack of popular faith in the political system. Parties in the governing coalition placed at the top: the FLN won 23% of the vote and 136 seats...killed 126 people. The government agreed to compensate the victims and recognize Tamazight , the Berber language, as a national but not an official

2008 Meeting in Germany: Emerging Environmental Contaminants and Current Issues

EPA Science Inventory

This presentation will discuss emerging environmental contaminants that are currently of concern to the U.S. EPA and to other agencies. Emerging contaminants include drinking water disinfection by-products (DBPs), perfluorinated chemicals, pharmaceuticals, flame retardants, benzo...

Automated conflict resolution issues

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wike, Jeffrey S.

1991-01-01

A discussion is presented of how conflicts for Space Network resources should be resolved in the ATDRSS era. The following topics are presented: a description of how resource conflicts are currently resolved; a description of issues associated with automated conflict resolution; present conflict resolution strategies; and topics for further discussion.

Methodological and Ethical Issues in Pediatric Medication Safety Research.

PubMed

Carpenter, Delesha; Gonzalez, Daniel; Retsch-Bogart, George; Sleath, Betsy; Wilfond, Benjamin

2017-09-01

In May 2016, the Eshelman School of Pharmacy at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill convened the PharmSci conference to address the topic of "methodological and ethical issues in pediatric medication safety research." A multidisciplinary group of experts representing a diverse array of perspectives, including those of the US Food and Drug Administration, children's hospitals, and academia, identified important considerations for pediatric medication safety research and opportunities to advance the field. This executive summary describes current challenges that clinicians and researchers encounter related to pediatric medication safety research and identifies innovative and ethically sound methodologies to address these challenges to improve children's health. This article addresses 5 areas: (1) pediatric drug development and drug trials; (2) conducting comparative effectiveness research in pediatric populations; (3) child and parent engagement on study teams; (4) improving communication with children and parents; and (5) assessing child-reported outcomes and adverse drug events. Copyright © 2017 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Current Status and Issues Regarding Transitional Health Care for Adults and Young Adults with Special Health Care Needs in Japan.

PubMed

Ariyasu, Hiroyuki; Akamizu, Takashi

2018-05-15

With the progress of medical care in recent years, the prognosis of intractable diseases of childhood onset has markedly improved. Young adults with special health care needs require continuous medical support throughout their lifetimes. To provide them with optimal health care services, a smooth transition from the pediatric medical system to the adult one is essential. However, in Japan many adult health providers are not sufficiently prepared to care for these patients, due both to limited opportunities to gain up-to-date medical knowledge on transitional health care and a lack of familiarity with the medical treatment of childhood-onset chronic diseases. In this review, we discuss current issues in transitional health care in Japan from an internist's viewpoint.

Environmental Mass Spectrometry: Emerging Contaminants and Current Issues (2010 Review)

EPA Science Inventory

This biennial review covers developments in environmental mass spectrometry for emerging environmental contaminants over the period of 2008-2009. A few significant references that appeared between January and February 2010 are also included. Analytical Chemistry’s current polic...

An international comparison of women's health issues in the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Canada, Hong Kong, and Singapore: the CIDA-SEAGEP Study.

PubMed

Choi, Bernard C K

2004-11-19

This was an international study of women's health issues, based on an Official Study Tour in Southeast Asia (the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Singapore) and Canada. The objectives of the study were to identify and compare current gaps in surveillance, research, and programs and policies, and to predict trends of women's health issues in developing countries based on the experience of developed countries. Key informant interviews (senior government officials, university researchers, and local experts), self-administered questionnaires, courtesy calls, and literature searches were used to collect data. The participating countries identified women's health as an important issue, especially for reproductive health (developing countries) and senior's health (developed countries). Cancer, lack of physical activity, high blood pressure, diabetes, poverty, social support, caring role for family, and informing, educating, and empowering people about women's health issues were the main concerns. Based on this study, 17 recommendations were made on surveillance, research, and programs and policies. A number of forthcoming changes in women''s health patterns in developing countries were also predicted.

Pharmacy executives: leadership issues and associated skills, knowledge, and abilities in the U.S. Department of Defense.

PubMed

Meadows, Andrew B; Finstuen, Kenn; Hudak, Ronald P

2003-01-01

To identify the issues or problems that current and aspiring U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) pharmacy executives will face in the future and to define the skills, knowledge, and abilities (SKAs) required to successfully address these issues. Delphi method for executive decision making. DoD. Ninety-three pharmacists serving in the military grades of lieutenant colonel/commander and colonel/captain, as well as pharmacists selected for promotion to those grades. iterations of the Delphi method for executive decision making separated by an expert panel content analysis. Round 1--participants identified five major issues believed to be of greatest importance to pharmacy executives and reported specific SKAs that might be needed to successfully manage those issues. An expert panel sorted these issues into meaningful domains, then provided an appropriate title for each domain. Round 2--on a 7-point scale, respondents rated the SKA items according to their assessment of how much a future DoD pharmacy executive would need each SKA. Response rates were 44.1% and 46.2% for Delphi rounds 1 and 2, respectively. The first round generated 62 unique issues facing pharmacy executives. The expert panel reviewed and sorted the issues into eight domains and selected an appropriate title for each domain. The domains identified by the panel were human resources, pharmacy operations/business practices, information management and technology, financial resources, formulary management, drug therapy management, pharmacy benefit management, and leadership. During round 2, 73.3% of the top 15 rated SKAs came from the drug therapy management, leadership, and formulary management domains. The three highest-rated SKAs were "ability to see the big picture," "ability to build strong relations with medical staffs," and "skills in both writing and verbal communication." The issues facing future DoD pharmacy executives will require them to expand their clinical abilities as well as their ability to

[Current trends in gamete donation - psychosocial and ethical issues].

PubMed

Rumpíková, T; Oborná, I; Konečná, H

2017-01-01

To overview contemporary knowledge of legal and psychosocial rules in gamete donation. Previously, anonymous donation was preferred and recommended by experts but currently, with respect to the right to know the genetic origin of individuals, the relation to donor anonymity was reconsidered in many countries. There is a growing tendency to introduce the open identity system in gamete donation. Such system may guarantee that the child born after gamete donation may have receive the identification data of the donor of gametes. A review. Clinic of Reproductive Medicine and Gynecology Zlin. An overview of recent literature evaluating the influence of donor anonymity vs. open identity on psychosocial development of children born after gamete donation as well as on the quality of the relationship between parents and children in such families. New medical technologies usually overtake the developmental speed of ethics and psychology, and their impact on human society. Current trend to open identity is strong but there is no clear evidence that the open identity is of real importance for the healthy psychosocial development of a child born after gamete donation. Furthermore, there is no evidence that anonymity and secrecy of the gamete donation is harmful. In case of the consideration of the change in legal regulation in anonymity/open identity in gamete donation we would suggest the thorough consideration of all consequences.

NAFTA II : California border zone land transportation issues

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2001-09-01

This report constitutes Phase II of a study of the impacts of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) of 1992 on border areas and determines transportation infrastructure access. Reviews status of NAFTA impact issues; identifies new issues; d...

ENVIRONMENTAL MASS SPECTROMETRY: EMERGING CONTAMINANTS AND CURRENT ISSUES, 2004 REVIEW

EPA Science Inventory

This review covers developments in environmental mass spectrometry over the period of 2002-2003. A few significant references that appeared between January and March 2004 are also included. This review is in keeping with a current approach of Analytical Chemistry to include onl...

China-U.S. Relations: Current Issues and Implications for U.S. Policy

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-11-20

would ease restrictions on foreign investments in the culture industry, to include film , publishing, entertainment, online games, and multi-media...President Obama did raise human rights issues in his discussions, in particular the case of American geologist Xue Feng who had been detained several...decision represents a departure from the previous administration of President George W. Bush, which denied import relief in six previous cases of petitions

Reliability Issues in Stirling Radioisotope Power Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schreiber, Jeffrey; Shah, Ashwin

2005-01-01

Stirling power conversion is a potential candidate for use in a Radioisotope Power System (RPS) for space science missions because it offers a multifold increase in the conversion efficiency of heat to electric power and reduced requirement of radioactive material. Reliability of an RPS that utilizes Stirling power conversion technology is important in order to ascertain long term successful performance. Owing to long life time requirement (14 years), it is difficult to perform long-term tests that encompass all the uncertainties involved in the design variables of components and subsystems comprising the RPS. The requirement for uninterrupted performance reliability and related issues are discussed, and some of the critical areas of concern are identified. An overview of the current on-going efforts to understand component life, design variables at the component and system levels, and related sources and nature of uncertainties are also discussed. Current status of the 110 watt Stirling Radioisotope Generator (SRG110) reliability efforts is described. Additionally, an approach showing the use of past experience on other successfully used power systems to develop a reliability plan for the SRG110 design is outlined.

Reliability Issues in Stirling Radioisotope Power Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shah, Ashwin R.; Schreiber, Jeffrey G.

2004-01-01

Stirling power conversion is a potential candidate for use in a Radioisotope Power System (RPS) for space science missions because it offers a multifold increase in the conversion efficiency of heat to electric power and reduced requirement of radioactive material. Reliability of an RPS that utilizes Stirling power conversion technology is important in order to ascertain long term successful performance. Owing to long life time requirement (14 years), it is difficult to perform long-term tests that encompass all the uncertainties involved in the design variables of components and subsystems comprising the RPS. The requirement for uninterrupted performance reliability and related issues are discussed, and some of the critical areas of concern are identified. An overview of the current on-going efforts to understand component life, design variables at the component and system levels, and related sources and nature of uncertainties are also discussed. Current status of the 110 watt Stirling Radioisotope Generator (SRG110) reliability efforts is described. Additionally, an approach showing the use of past experience on other successfully used power systems to develop a reliability plan for the SRG110 design is outlined.

Preservice Science Teachers' Informal Reasoning about Socioscientific Issues: The Influence of Issue Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Topcu, Mustafa Sami; Sadler, Troy D.; Yilmaz-Tuzun, Ozgul

2010-01-01

The purpose of the current study is to explicitly test the extent to which issue contexts affect the informal reasoning processes engaged in by individuals. In order to address the research question framing this study, we engaged 39 Turkish preservice science teachers (PSTs) in interviews designed to elicit argumentation related to multiple…

Are Australians concerned about nanoparticles? A comparative analysis with established and emerging environmental health issues.

PubMed

Capon, Adam; Rolfe, Margaret; Gillespie, James; Smith, Wayne

2015-02-01

Introducing new technologies into society raises considerable public concern. We determine the public concern about nanoparticles, and compare this concern to other environmental health issues such as wind farms and coal seam gas production. A repeat cross sectional survey examining views on environmental health issues, risk, chemicals and trust was undertaken in more than 1,300 Australian residents in 2000 and 2013. Logistic regression and principal component analysis was used to investigate predictors of nanoparticle concern and identify a component structure for environmental health issues that could explain a trend of future nanoparticle concern. Australians have a relatively low level of concern about the risks of nanoparticles to health when compared to their concerns about other environmental health issues. Items associated with concern included gender, a general wish to avoid chemicals and possibly trust in politicians. Concern over nanoparticles clustered with similar views on technological risks. Current public concern over the risks of nanoparticles is low. However, a reframing of the issue towards 'chemicals' is likely to have a negative effect on risk perceptions. This paper raises questions about appropriate channels for the effective communication of risk. © 2015 Public Health Association of Australia.

Contemporary Career Development Issues.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morrison, Robert F., Ed.; Adams, Jerome, Ed.

This book provides practical guidance and examples for human resource development (HRD) specialists to use in the evaluation of their current career development programs and the design of new ones. "Issues in the Management of Careers" (Jerome Adams) provides a summary of each chapter and points out specific questions the chapter can answer.…

Workplace assessments and functional capacity evaluations: current beliefs of therapists in Australia.

PubMed

Innes, Ev; Straker, Leon

2003-01-01

The purpose of this study was to understand the current beliefs of therapists in Australia, and the strategies they use to address the issues of credibility, reliability, consistency, trustworthiness, validity, generalisability and quality in conducting work-related assessments. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 26 occupational therapists and physiotherapists from around Australia. Participants expressed the belief that the therapist was the assessment instrument and was central to the credibility of an assessment. Conflict was reported when participants modified standardised assessments in an attempt to focus on context relevant activities and tasks. Participants were aware of the issues of reliability and validity but believed it was not practical to establish these aspects formally in most work-related assessments. The strategies used to achieve credibility, reliability, consistency, trustworthiness, validity, generalisability and quality were similar to those recommended for use in qualitative research. The strategies identified in this study can provide the basis for therapists to examine how they conduct work-related assessments and consider whether they currently use these strategies or have the opportunity to implement others.

Human Systems Integration and Automation Issues in Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McCauley, Michael E.; Matsangas, Panagiotis

2004-01-01

The goal of this report is to identify Human System Integration (HSI) and automation issues that contribute to improved effectiveness and efficiency in the operation of U.S. military Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (SUAVs). HSI issues relevant to SUAV operations are reviewed and observations from field trials are summarized. Short-term improvements are suggested research issues are identified and an overview is provided of automation technologies applicable to future SUAV design.

31 CFR 352.7 - Issues on exchange.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... redemption value exceeded, but was not an even multiple of $500, the owner had the option either: (1) To add... United States Savings Notes (Freedom Shares) at their current redemption values for Series HH bonds...) Computation of issue price. The total current redemption value of the eligible securities submitted for...

New Media in Student Recruiting: Bright Promise, Current Realities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stoner, Michael

1996-01-01

Explores current options for using the World Wide Web and interactive media for undergraduate recruiting. Discusses some technological issues concerning market penetration of technologies, and explores the issue of return on investment. Currently available data do not support spending a lot of money on Web pages, although CD-ROM or floppy disks…

EMERGING ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINANTS AND CURRENT ISSUES, MEETING IN SEATTLE, WA

EPA Science Inventory

Much has been achieved in the way of environmental protection over the last 30 years. However, as we learn more, new concerns arise. This presentation will discuss chemical and microbial contaminants that the U.S. EPA and other agencies are currently concerned about. In this gr...

Current Challenges Facing the Future of Secondary Education and Transition Services for Youth with Disabilities in the United States. Discussion Paper

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Center on Secondary Education and Transition (NCSET), University of Minnesota, 2004

2004-01-01

This paper is intended to promote discussion among professionals, policymakers, employers, parents, and individuals with disabilities concerning current and future challenges facing secondary education and transition services nationally. The issues identified and discussed should not, however, be viewed as inclusive of the full range of possible…

Employment Issues in Higher Education: A Legal Compendium.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sagan, Jean S., Ed.; Rebel, Thomas P., Ed.

This volume contains 32 articles and sample documents treating legal issues in higher education employment focusing on major issues arising in a non-unionized setting. The first of six sections contains seven articles on the employment relationship in general that touch on current legal trends in employee selection procedures, employment…

Hot Buttons. Unraveling 10 Controversial Issues in Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walling, Donovan R., Ed.

This book is a collection of essays that deal with 10 current controversial issues. The issues are also the topics of 10 recent fastbacks from the Phi Delta Kappa fastback series published between 1993 and 1996. Following the introduction, the articles include the following: (1) "Accountability" (Jack Frymier); (2) "Assessment…

Current Status of Research in Teaching and Learning Evolution: I. Philosophical/Epistemological Issues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Mike U.

2010-01-01

Scholarship that addresses teaching and learning about evolution has rapidly increased in recent years. This review of that scholarship first addresses the philosophical/epistemological issues that impinge on teaching and learning about evolution, including the proper philosophical goals of evolution instruction; the correlational and possibly…

Key Issues in Empirically Identifying Chronically Low-Performing and Turnaround Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hansen, Michael

2012-01-01

One of the US Department of Education's key priorities is turning around the nation's persistently low-achieving schools, yet exactly how to identify low-performing schools is a task left to state policy makers, and a myriad of definitions have been utilized. In addition, exactly how to recognize when a school begins to turn around is not well…

Predicting Adolescent Drug Abuse: A Review of Issues, Methods and Correlates. Research Issues 11.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lettieri, Dan J., Ed.

Presented are 18 papers on predicting adolescent drug abuse. The papers have the following titles: "Current Issues in the Epidemiology of Drug Abuse as Related to Psychosocial Studies of Adolescent Drug Use"; "The Quest for Interpersonal Predictors of Marihuana Abuse in Adolescents"; "Assessing the Interpersonal Determinants of Adolescent Drug…

Assistive Technology: Issues and Trends.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scherer, Marcia J.

This paper discusses current issues regarding assistive technology devices and services, especially in relation to the roles and responsibilities of the rehabilitation psychologist. Following an introductory section which defines an assistive technology device and an assistive technology service, the following sections discuss: (1) past…

Opportunity to discuss ethical issues during clinical learning experience.

PubMed

Palese, Alvisa; Gonella, Silvia; Destrebecq, Anne; Mansutti, Irene; Terzoni, Stefano; Morsanutto, Michela; Altini, Pietro; Bevilacqua, Anita; Brugnolli, Anna; Canzan, Federica; Ponte, Adriana Dal; De Biasio, Laura; Fascì, Adriana; Grosso, Silvia; Mantovan, Franco; Marognolli, Oliva; Nicotera, Raffaela; Randon, Giulia; Tollini, Morena; Saiani, Luisa; Grassetti, Luca; Dimonte, Valerio

2018-01-01

Undergraduate nursing students have been documented to experience ethical distress during their clinical training and felt poorly supported in discussing the ethical issues they encountered. Research aims: This study was aimed at exploring nursing students' perceived opportunity to discuss ethical issues that emerged during their clinical learning experience and associated factors. An Italian national cross-sectional study design was performed in 2015-2016. Participants were invited to answer a questionnaire composed of four sections regarding: (1) socio-demographic data, (2) previous clinical learning experiences, (3) current clinical learning experience quality and outcomes, and (4) the opportunity to discuss ethical issues with nurses in the last clinical learning experience (from 0 - 'never' to 3 - 'very much'). Participants and research context: Participants were 9607 undergraduate nursing students who were attending 95 different three-year Italian baccalaureate nursing programmes, located at 27 universities in 15 Italian regions. Ethical considerations: This study was conducted in accordance with the Human Subject Research Ethics Committee guidelines after the research protocol was approved by an ethics committee. Overall, 4707 (49%) perceived to have discussed ethical issues 'much' or 'very much'; among the remaining, 3683 (38.3%) and 1217 (12.7%) students reported the perception of having discussed, respectively, 'enough' or 'never' ethical issues emerged in the clinical practice. At the multivariate logistic regression analysis explaining 38.1% of the overall variance, the factors promoting ethical discussion were mainly set at the clinical learning environment levels (i.e. increased learning opportunities, self-directed learning, safety and nursing care quality, quality of the tutorial strategies, competences learned and supervision by a clinical nurse). In contrast, being male was associated with a perception of less opportunity to discuss ethical issues

Experimental Issues in Coherent Quantum-State Manipulation of Trapped Atomic Ions

PubMed Central

Wineland, D. J.; Monroe, C.; Itano, W. M.; Leibfried, D.; King, B. E.; Meekhof, D. M.

1998-01-01

Methods for, and limitations to, the generation of entangled states of trapped atomic ions are examined. As much as possible, state manipulations are described in terms of quantum logic operations since the conditional dynamics implicit in quantum logic is central to the creation of entanglement. Keeping with current interest, some experimental issues in the proposal for trappedion quantum computation by J. I. Cirac and P. Zoller (University of Innsbruck) are discussed. Several possible decoherence mechanisms are examined and what may be the more important of these are identified. Some potential applications for entangled states of trapped-ions which lie outside the immediate realm of quantum computation are also discussed. PMID:28009379

EPA Plan for Reducing Personally Identifiable Information, January 2013

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The EPA Privacy Policy, issued in 2007, establishes the framework and accountability for reducing Agency personally identifiable information (PII). Learn about the Agency's plan to reduce the collection of Personally Identifiable Information (PII).

Chinese Children's Reading Acquisition: Theoretical and Pedagogical Issues.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Wenling, Ed.; Gaffney, Janet S., Ed.; Packard, Jerome L., Ed.

This book provides comprehensive resources for the critical discussion of major issues in learning to read Chinese from a child acquisition perspective. It is divided into 4 parts and 11 chapters. Part 1, "Theoretical Perspectives on Learning to Read" includes "Current Issues in Learning To Read Chinese" (Ovid J.L. Tzeng),…

National Issues in Education: The Past Is Prologue.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jennings, John F., Ed.

Presenting diverse perspectives on current major education issues at the national level, this book addresses issues that have played out and will play out in the legislative process in the U.S. Congress. After the "Preface" (Jack Kosoy and Michael D. Usdan) and "Introduction" (John F. Jennings), the book is divided into four…

Exploring the Benefits of Respite Services to Family Caregivers: Methodological Issues and Current Findings

PubMed Central

Zarit, Steven H.; Liu, Yin; Bangerter, Lauren R.; Rovine, Michael J.

2017-01-01

Objectives There is growing emphasis on empirical validation of the efficacy of community-based services for older people and their families, but research on services such as respite care faces methodological challenges that have limited the growth of outcome studies. We identify problems associated with the usual research approaches for studying respite care, with the goal of stimulating use of novel and more appropriate research designs that can lead to improved studies of community-based services. Method Using the concept of research validity, we evaluate the methodological approaches in the current literature on respite services, including adult day services, in-home respite and overnight respite. Results Although randomized control trials (RCTs) are possible in community settings, validity is compromised by practical limitations of randomization and other problems. Quasi-experimental and interrupted time series designs offer comparable validity to RCTs and can be implemented effectively in community settings. Conclusion An emphasis on RCTs by funders and researchers is not supported by scientific evidence. Alternative designs can lead to development of a valid body of research on community services such as respite. PMID:26729467

Exploring the benefits of respite services to family caregivers: methodological issues and current findings.

PubMed

Zarit, Steven H; Bangerter, Lauren R; Liu, Yin; Rovine, Michael J

2017-03-01

There is growing emphasis on empirical validation of the efficacy of community-based services for older people and their families, but research on services such as respite care faces methodological challenges that have limited the growth of outcome studies. We identify problems associated with the usual research approaches for studying respite care, with the goal of stimulating use of novel and more appropriate research designs that can lead to improved studies of community-based services. Using the concept of research validity, we evaluate the methodological approaches in the current literature on respite services, including adult day services, in-home respite and overnight respite. Although randomized control trials (RCTs) are possible in community settings, validity is compromised by practical limitations of randomization and other problems. Quasi-experimental and interrupted time series designs offer comparable validity to RCTs and can be implemented effectively in community settings. An emphasis on RCTs by funders and researchers is not supported by scientific evidence. Alternative designs can lead to development of a valid body of research on community services such as respite.

Ethical issues and best practice in clinically based genomic research: Exeter Stakeholders Meeting Report.

PubMed

Carrieri, D; Bewshea, C; Walker, G; Ahmad, T; Bowen, W; Hall, A; Kelly, S

2016-09-27

Current guidelines on consenting individuals to participate in genomic research are diverse. This creates problems for participants and also for researchers, particularly for clinicians who provide both clinical care and research to their patients. A group of 14 stakeholders met on 7 October 2015 in Exeter to discuss the ethical issues and the best practice arising in clinically based genomic research, with particular emphasis on the issue of returning results to study participants/patients in light of research findings affecting research and clinical practices. The group was deliberately multidisciplinary to ensure that a diversity of views was represented. This report outlines the main ethical issues, areas of best practice and principles underlying ethical clinically based genomic research discussed during the meeting. The main point emerging from the discussion is that ethical principles, rather than being formulaic, should guide researchers/clinicians to identify who the main stakeholders are to consult with for a specific project and to incorporate their voices/views strategically throughout the lifecycle of each project. We believe that the mix of principles and practical guidelines outlined in this report can contribute to current debates on how to conduct ethical clinically based genomic research. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

ARL: A Bimonthly Newsletter of Research Library Issues and Actions, 1996.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barrett, G. Jaia, Ed.

1996-01-01

This document contains 6 issues (one year) of a newsletter devoted to information and reports on issues and actions of interest to research libraries. Each issue contains articles on current issues, federal relations, ARL activities, and a calendar of events, as well as columns by the Coalition for Networked Information and the Office of…

Identifying and acting on potentially inappropriate care? Inadequacy of current hospital coding for this task.

PubMed

Cooper, P David; Smart, David R

2017-06-01

Recent Australian attempts to facilitate disinvestment in healthcare, by identifying instances of 'inappropriate' care from large Government datasets, are subject to significant methodological flaws. Amongst other criticisms has been the fact that the Government datasets utilized for this purpose correlate poorly with datasets collected by relevant professional bodies. Government data derive from official hospital coding, collected retrospectively by clerical personnel, whilst professional body data derive from unit-specific databases, collected contemporaneously with care by clinical personnel. Assessment of accuracy of official hospital coding data for hyperbaric services in a tertiary referral hospital. All official hyperbaric-relevant coding data submitted to the relevant Australian Government agencies by the Royal Hobart Hospital, Tasmania, Australia for financial year 2010-2011 were reviewed and compared against actual hyperbaric unit activity as determined by reference to original source documents. Hospital coding data contained one or more errors in diagnoses and/or procedures in 70% of patients treated with hyperbaric oxygen that year. Multiple discrete error types were identified, including (but not limited to): missing patients; missing treatments; 'additional' treatments; 'additional' patients; incorrect procedure codes and incorrect diagnostic codes. Incidental observations of errors in surgical, anaesthetic and intensive care coding within this cohort suggest that the problems are not restricted to the specialty of hyperbaric medicine alone. Publications from other centres indicate that these problems are not unique to this institution or State. Current Government datasets are irretrievably compromised and not fit for purpose. Attempting to inform the healthcare policy debate by reference to these datasets is inappropriate. Urgent clinical engagement with hospital coding departments is warranted.

Current Issues in Mental Retardation and Human Development: Selected Papers from the 1970 Staff Development Conferences of the President's Committee on Mental Retardation (Washington, D.C., 1971).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stedman, Donald J., Ed.

Six papers discuss some of the current issues in the field of mental retardation and human development. Epidemiology of mental retardation from a sociological and clinical point of view is analyzed by Jane R. Mercer, based on studies of mental retardation in the community in Pomona, California. The role of genetics and intra-uterine diagnosis of…

Opinions on Current Reading.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, 1997

1997-01-01

Presents eight reviews of current books, covering issues of particular interest to black educators and historians. Topics considered include slavery, college admissions and affirmative action, the marginalization of black scientists, black politics, bigotry, and higher education. (SLD)

Current frontiers and future directions of telecoupling research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, J.

2016-12-01

The world has been increasingly interconnected over long distances though processes such as international trade, migration, telecommunication, and disease spread. However, previous studies often focused on socioeconomic or environmental issues of distant processes. While these studies have generated useful information for individual disciplines, integrating socioeconomic and environmental information is essential for holistic understanding of complex global challenges and unbiased decision making to address the challenges. To advance integrated research, the framework of telecoupling (socioeconomic and environmental interactions over distances) has been developed to explicitly address both socioeconomic and environmental issues simultaneously. Although the framework is relatively new, it has already been applied to tackle a variety of globally important issues, such as food security, water resources, energy sustainability, land use, international trade (e.g., food, forest products, energy, wildlife, industrial products), species invasion, investment, ecosystem services, conservation, information dissemination, and tourism. These applications have identified many important research gaps (e.g. spillover systems) and hidden linkages (e.g. feedbacks) among distant areas of the world with profound implications for sustainable development, ecosystem health, and human well-being. While working with telecoupling presents more challenges than focusing only on disciplinary issues, support from funding agencies has helped accelerate research on telecoupling and more efforts are being aimed at framework quantification and operationalization. The presenter will provide an overview of the current frontiers, discuss future research directions, and highlight emerging opportunities and challenges in telecoupling research and governance.

Dyslexia: A Wider View. The Contribution of an Ecological Paradigm to Current Issues.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Poole, Jennifer

2003-01-01

Dyslexia issues such as its existence, definition, and medical versus educational construction have been framed by the scientific paradigm. Reframing using an ecological perspective allows assessment focused on whole-school approaches and sociocultural factors. It also enables the use of predictive research and a view of dyslexia as more than a…

Current Drive

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

Faulconer, D.W

2004-03-15

Certain devices aimed at magnetic confinement of thermonuclear plasma rely on the steady flow of an electric current in the plasma. In view of the dominant place it occupies in both the world magnetic-confinement fusion effort and the author's own activity, the tokamak toroidal configuration is selected as prototype for discussing the question of how such a current can be maintained. Tokamaks require a stationary toroidal plasma current, this being traditionally provided by a pulsed magnetic induction which drives the plasma ring as the secondary of a transformer. Since this mechanism is essentially transient, and steady-state fusion reactor operation hasmore » manifold advantages, significant effort is now devoted to developing alternate steady-state means of generating toroidal current. These methods are classed under the global heading of 'noninductive current drive' or simply 'current drive', generally, though not exclusively, employing the injection of waves and/or toroidally directed particle beams. In what follows we highlight the physical mechanisms underlying surprisingly various approaches to driving current in a tokamak, downplaying a number of practical and technical issues. When a significant data base exists for a given method, its experimental current drive efficiency and future prospects are detailed.« less

SUPERFUND GROUNDWATER ISSUE - FACILITATED TRANSPORT

EPA Science Inventory

The Regional Superfund Ground Water Forum is a group of ground-water scientists representing EPA's Regional Superfund Offices, organized to exchange up to date information related to ground-water remediation at Superfund sites. Facilitated transport is an issue identified by the ...

Exploring work-related issues on corporate sustainability.

PubMed

Brunoro, C M; Bolis, I; Sznelwar, L I

2015-01-01

In a research project about work-related issues and corporate sustainability conducted in Brazil, the goal was to better understand how work-related issues were addressed in the corporate context. Particularly, there are some specific initiatives that serve as guides to organizational decisions, which make their performance indicators for the context of corporate sustainability. 1) To explore the presence of work-related issues and their origins in corporate sustainability approach, analyzing a) corporate disclosures; b) sustainability guidelines that are identified as relevant in corporate disclosures; c) documents that are related to sustainable development and also identified as key-documents for these guidelines and initiatives. 2) To present the activity-centered ergonomics and psychodynamics of work contributions to work-related issues in a corporate sustainability approach. An exploratory study based on multiple sources of evidence that were performed from 2012 to 2013, including interviews with companies that engaged in corporate sustainability and document analysis using the content analysis approach. Work-related issues have been presented since the earliest sustainable development documents. It is feasible to construct an empirical framework for work-related issues and corporate sustainability approaches. 1) Although some authors argue that corporate sustainability has its roots based only on the environmental dimension, there is strong empirical evidence showing that social dimension aspects such as work-related issues have been present since the beginning. 2) Some indicators should be redesigned to more precisely translate the reality of some workplaces, particularly those indicators related to organizational design and mental health.

Finding and identifying the viral needle in the metagenomic haystack: trends and challenges

PubMed Central

Soueidan, Hayssam; Schmitt, Louise-Amélie; Candresse, Thierry; Nikolski, Macha

2015-01-01

Collectively, viruses have the greatest genetic diversity on Earth, occupy extremely varied niches and are likely able to infect all living organisms. Viral infections are an important issue for human health and cause considerable economic losses when agriculturally important crops or husbandry animals are infected. The advent of metagenomics has provided a precious tool to study viruses by sampling them in natural environments and identifying the genomic composition of a sample. However, reaching a clear recognition and taxonomic assignment of the identified viruses has been hampered by the computational difficulty of these problems. In this perspective paper we examine the trends in current research for the identification of viral sequences in a metagenomic sample, pinpoint the intrinsic computational difficulties for the identification of novel viral sequences within metagenomic samples, and suggest possible avenues to overcome them. PMID:25610431

NCI Think Tank Concerning the Identifiability of Biospecimens and “-Omic” Data

PubMed Central

Weil, Carol J.; Mechanic, Leah E.; Green, Tiffany; Kinsinger, Christopher; Lockhart, Nicole C.; Nelson, Stefanie A.; Rodriguez, Laura L.; Buccini, Laura D.

2014-01-01

On June 11 and 12, 2012, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) hosted a think tank concerning the identifiability of biospecimens and “omic” Data in order to explore challenges surrounding this complex and multifaceted topic. The think tank brought together forty-six leaders from several fields, including cancer genomics, bioinformatics, human subject protection, patient advocacy, and commercial genetics. The first day involved presentations regarding the state of the science of re-identification; current and proposed regulatory frameworks for assessing identifiability; developments in law, industry and biotechnology; and the expectations of patients and research participants. The second day was spent by think tank participants in small break-out groups designed to address specific sub-topics under the umbrella issue of identifiability, including considerations for the development of best practices for data sharing and consent, and targeted opportunities for further empirical research. We describe the outcomes of this two day meeting, including two complimentary themes that emerged from moderated discussions following the presentations on Day 1, and ideas presented for further empirical research to discern the preferences and concerns of research participants about data sharing and individual identifiability. PMID:23579437

Classroom Currents: Interrupting the Single Story: LGBT Issues in the Language Arts Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hermann-Wilmarth, Jill; Ryan, Caitlin L.

2013-01-01

Two literacy leaders acknowledge the challenges of teaching LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) issues in the classroom. While children come from a variety of family structures, it is necessary to acknowledge that a gay individual was once a child sitting in a classroom. An argument against marginalization and an advocacy for inclusion of…

Current issues of personnel and laboratory practices in genetic testing

PubMed Central

Mark, Hon Fong Louie; Kelly, Thaddeus; Watson, Michael S; Hoeltge, Gerald; Miller, Wayne A; Beauregard, Laurent

1995-01-01

As genetic testing is an area with implications extending far beyond that of the primary patient, it is appropriately an area that is under increased scrutiny. To ensure that high quality is maintained in the delivery of genetic services, several agencies have developed standards and guidelines. The present article summarises important recommendations made by the American College of Medical Genetics (ACMG), the College of American Pathologists (CAP), the US Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA), and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as they relate to genetic testing. Some of the standards are based on voluntary compliance, whereas others have the force of regulation. They all address issues of personnel credentials, laboratory operations, and the most critical quality assurance and control measures for diagnostic laboratories from the perspective of various agencies. In most instances, the standards promulgated by these agencies are offered as minimum criteria. The exact impact of these regulations on the practice of medical genetics has yet to be established. Images PMID:8558555

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to improve naming ability in post-stroke aphasia: A critical review.

PubMed

ALHarbi, Mohammed F; Armijo-Olivo, Susan; Kim, Esther S

2017-08-14

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive neuromodulation tool that can be used to influence cortical brain activity to induce measurable behavioral changes. Although there is growing evidence that tDCS combined with behavioural language therapy could boost language recovery in patients with post-stroke aphasia, there is great variability in patient characteristics, treatment protocols, and outcome measures in these studies that poses challenges for analyzing the evidence. The purpose of this study is to critically analyze the methodological rigor of the evidence regarding the use of tDCS for post-stroke anomia. This critical review was conducted by searching four databases (MEDLINE, EMBase, PsycINFO, and CINAHL). Nineteen studies fully met the inclusion criteria. Three critical appraisal tools and Robey and Schultz's (1998) five- phase model for conducting clinical outcome research were adopted to evaluate and analyze the current level of evidence. Methodological issues of the studies were also identified. The current level of evidence for using tDCS for anomia is at the pre-efficacy level with emerging evidence at the efficacy level. Lack of proper evaluation of carry-over effects in cross-over studies, lack of or unclear randomization, allocation concealment, and incomplete data handling were the main methodological issues that could threaten the validity of the tDCS for anomia studies. Several methodological issues have been identified in pre-efficacy studies that pose challenges in determining whether tDCS is a beneficial adjunct to behavioral aphasia therapy. Future studies need to improve the quality of the methods used to investigate the effect of tDCS for anomia. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A model to identify high crash road segments with the dynamic segmentation method.

PubMed

Boroujerdian, Amin Mirza; Saffarzadeh, Mahmoud; Yousefi, Hassan; Ghassemian, Hassan

2014-12-01

Currently, high social and economic costs in addition to physical and mental consequences put road safety among most important issues. This paper aims at presenting a novel approach, capable of identifying the location as well as the length of high crash road segments. It focuses on the location of accidents occurred along the road and their effective regions. In other words, due to applicability and budget limitations in improving safety of road segments, it is not possible to recognize all high crash road segments. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to identify high crash road segments and their real length to be able to prioritize the safety improvement in roads. In this paper, after evaluating deficiencies of the current road segmentation models, different kinds of errors caused by these methods are addressed. One of the main deficiencies of these models is that they can not identify the length of high crash road segments. In this paper, identifying the length of high crash road segments (corresponding to the arrangement of accidents along the road) is achieved by converting accident data to the road response signal of through traffic with a dynamic model based on the wavelet theory. The significant advantage of the presented method is multi-scale segmentation. In other words, this model identifies high crash road segments with different lengths and also it can recognize small segments within long segments. Applying the presented model into a real case for identifying 10-20 percent of high crash road segment showed an improvement of 25-38 percent in relative to the existing methods. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Stakeholders' perspective on issues and challenges associated with care and treatment of aging-related cognitive impairment disorders in Singapore.

PubMed

Setia, Monika; Islam, Amina M; Thompson, James P; Matchar, David B

2011-11-01

An expanding elderly population poses challenges for the provision of care and treatment for age-related physical and mental disorders. Cognitive impairment (CI)/dementia is one such mental disorder that is on the rise in Singapore and has concomitant implications for social and health systems. The objective of this study is to understand the perspectives of prominent stakeholders about current and future issues and challenges associated with CI/dementia among the elderly in Singapore. Using indepth interviews, this qualitative study obtained the views of multiple stakeholders on issues and challenges associated with CI/dementia in Singapore. The 30 individuals interviewed as part of the study included clinicians, policy-makers, researchers, community workers, administrators, and caregivers. Using a framework approach, interview texts were indexed into domains and issues by utilizing NVivo 9.0 software. The stakeholders expressed concerns related to multiple domains of the CI/dementia care system: attitude and awareness, economics, education, family caregiving, inputs to care system, living arrangements, prevention, screening and diagnosis, and treatment and management of care. Within each domain, multiple issues and challenges were identified by respondents. The study identifies a complex set of inter-related issues and challenges that are associated with the care and treatment of people with CI/dementia. The results suggest that CI and dementia profoundly affect patients, families, and communities and that the issues related to the two disorders are truly system-wide. These findings lay the foundation for utilization of a systems approach to studying CI/dementia and provide an analytic framework for future research on complex health care issues.

Ethical issues with colorectal cancer screening-a systematic review.

PubMed

Hofmann, Bjørn

2017-06-01

Colorectal cancer (CRC) screening is widely recommended and implemented. However, sometimes CRC screening is not implemented despite good evidence, and some types of CRC screening are implemented despite lack of evidence. The objective of this article is to expose and elucidate relevant ethical issues in the literature on CRC screening that are important for open and transparent deliberation on CRC screening. An axiological question-based method is used for exposing and elucidating ethical issues relevant in HTA. A literature search in MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, PubMed Bioethics subset, ISI Web of Knowledge, Bioethics Literature Database (BELIT), Ethics in Medicine (ETHMED), SIBIL Base dati di bioetica, LEWI Bibliographic Database on Ethics in the Sciences and Humanities, and EUROETHICS identified 870 references of which 114 were found relevant according to title and abstract. The content of the included papers were subject to ethical analysis to highlight the ethical issues, concerns, and arguments. A wide range of important ethical issues were identified. The main benefits are reduced relative CRC mortality rate, and potentially incidence rate, but there is no evidence of reduced absolute mortality rate. Potential harms are bleeding, perforation, false test results, overdetection, overdiagnosis, overtreatment (including unnecessary removal of polyps), and (rarely) death. Other important issues are related to autonomy and informed choice equity, justice, medicalization, and expanding disease. A series of important ethical issues have been identified and need to be addressed in open and transparent deliberation on CRC screening. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Ethics, policy, and educational issues in genetic testing.

PubMed

Williams, Janet K; Skirton, Heather; Masny, Agnes

2006-01-01

Analyze ethics, public policy, and education issues that arise in the United States (US) and the United Kingdom (UK) when genomic information acquired as a result of genetic testing is introduced into healthcare services. Priorities in the Ethical, Legal, and Social Issues Research Program include privacy, integration of genetic services into clinical health care, and educational preparation of the nursing workforce. These constructs are used to examine health policies in the US and UK, and professional interactions of individuals and families with healthcare providers. Individual, family, and societal goals may conflict with current healthcare practices and policies when genetic testing is done. Current health policies do not fully address these concerns. Unresolved issues include protection of privacy of individuals while considering genetic information needs of family members, determination of appropriate monitoring of genetic tests, addressing genetic healthcare discrepancies, and assuring appropriate nursing workforce preparation. Introduction of genetic testing into health care requires that providers are knowledgeable regarding ethical, policy, and practice issues in order to minimize risk for harm, protect the rights of individuals and families, and consider societal context in the management of genetic test results. Understanding of these issues is a component of genetic nursing competency that must be addressed at all levels of nursing education.

Counseling Research: Ethics and Issues.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robinson, Sharon E.; Gross, Douglas R.

1986-01-01

Identifies three global areas for reserach study: (a) clinical studies, (b) counselor training investigation, and (c) evaluation. Issues such as competency, informed consent, confidentiality and privacy, cooptation and manipulation, no treatment controls, validity and generalizability of results, and authorship are discussed. (Author/BL)

NAEP Testing for Twelfth Graders: Motivational Issues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brophy, Jere; Ames, Carole

2005-01-01

This paper draws on theory and research on motivation in education to identify principles that might guide decision making concerning National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) assessments for twelfth graders. It draws on three areas of motivation theory, identifies motivational issues that make twelfth-grade NAEP assessments problematic,…

Black churches and HIV/AIDS: factors influencing congregations’ responsiveness to social issues.

PubMed

Fulton, Brad R

2011-01-01

The ambivalent response of many black churches to current social issues has caused some scholars to question the centrality of black churches within African-American communities. Using a nationally representative sample of black congregations, this study engages the debate about the institutional centrality of black churches by focusing on their response to HIV/AIDS. Although many congregational studies treat black churches as a monolithic whole, this analysis identifies heterogeneity among black churches that shapes their responsiveness to social issues. Contrary to prior claims, a congregation's liberal-conservative ideological orientation does not significantly affect its likelihood of having an HIV/AIDS program. Beyond assessing churches’ internal characteristics, this study uses institutional theory to analyze churches as open systems that can be influenced by their surrounding environment. It demonstrates that externally engaged congregations are significantly more likely to have a program. These results indicate that black churches maintain institutional centrality by engaging their external environment.

Raptor electrocution on power lines: Current issues and outlook

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lehman, Robert N.

2001-01-01

Electrocution on power lines is one of many human-caused mortality factors that affect raptors. Cost-effective and relatively simple raptor-safe standards for power line modification and construction have been available for over 25 years. During the 1970s and early 1980s, electric industry efforts to reduce raptor electrocutions were very coordinated and proactive, but predictions about resolving the problem were overly optimistic. Today, raptors continue to be electrocuted, possibly in large numbers. The electrocution problem has not been resolved, partly because of the sheer number of potentially lethal power poles in use and partly because electrocution risks may be more pervasive and sometimes less conspicuous than once believed. Also, responses to the problem by individual utilities have not been uniform, and deregulation of the electric industry during the 1990s may have deflected attention from electrocution issues. To control raptor electrocutions in the future, the industry must increase information sharing and technology transfer, increase efforts to retrofit lethal power poles, and above all ensure that every new and replacement line constructed incorporates raptor-safe standards at all phases of development. Finally, responsibility for the electrocution problem must be shared. Federal, state, and local governments, academic institutions, the conservation community, and the consumer all can play critical roles in an effort that will, by necessity, extend well into the new century.

Ethical issues in animal cloning.

PubMed

Fiester, Autumn

2005-01-01

The issue of human reproductive cloning has recently received a great deal attention in public discourse. Bioethicists, policy makers, and the media have been quick to identify the key ethical issues involved in human reproductive cloning and to argue, almost unanimously, for an international ban on such attempts. Meanwhile, scientists have proceeded with extensive research agendas in the cloning of animals. Despite this research, there has been little public discussion of the ethical issues raised by animal cloning projects. Polling data show that the public is decidedly against the cloning of animals. To understand the public's reaction and fill the void of reasoned debate about the issue, we need to review the possible objections to animal cloning and assess the merits of the anti-animal cloning stance. Some objections to animal cloning (e.g., the impact of cloning on the population of unwanted animals) can be easily addressed, while others (e.g., the health of cloned animals) require more serious attention by the public and policy makers.

RECOGNIZING AND IDENTIFYING PEOPLE: A neuropsychological review

PubMed Central

Barton, Jason J S; Corrow, Sherryse L

2016-01-01

Recognizing people is a classic example of a cognitive function that involves multiple processing stages and parallel routes of information. Neuropsychological data have provided important evidence for models of this process, particularly from case reports; however, the quality and extent of the data varies widely between studies. In this review we first discuss the requirements and logical basis of the types of neuropsychological evidence to support conclusions about the modules in this process. We then survey the adequacy of the current body of reports to address two key issues. First is the question of which cognitive operation generates a sense of familiarity: the current debate revolves around whether familiarity arises in modality-specific recognition units or later amodal processes. Key evidence on this point comes from the search for dissociations between familiarity for faces, voices and names. The second question is whether lesions can differentially affect the abilities to link diverse sources of person information (e.g. face, voice, name, biographic data). Dissociations of these linkages may favour a distributed-only model of the organization of semantic knowledge, whereas a ‘person-hub’ model would predict uniform impairments of all linkages. While we conclude that there is reasonable evidence for dissociations in name, voice and face familiarity in regards to the first question, the evidence for or against dissociated linkages between information stores in regards to the second is tenuous at best. We identify deficiencies in the current literature that should motivate and inform the design of future studies. PMID:26773237

A simple technique to identify key recruitment issues in randomised controlled trials: Q-QAT - Quanti-Qualitative Appointment Timing.

PubMed

Paramasivan, Sangeetha; Strong, Sean; Wilson, Caroline; Campbell, Bruce; Blazeby, Jane M; Donovan, Jenny L

2015-03-11

Recruitment to pragmatic randomised controlled trials (RCTs) is acknowledged to be difficult, and few interventions have proved to be effective. Previous qualitative research has consistently revealed that recruiters provide imbalanced information about RCT treatments. However, qualitative research can be time-consuming to apply. Within a programme of research to optimise recruitment and informed consent in challenging RCTs, we developed a simple technique, Q-QAT (Quanti-Qualitative Appointment Timing), to systematically investigate and quantify the imbalance to help identify and address recruitment difficulties. The Q-QAT technique comprised: 1) quantification of time spent discussing the RCT and its treatments using transcripts of audio-recorded recruitment appointments, 2) targeted qualitative research to understand the obstacles to recruitment and 3) feedback to recruiters on opportunities for improvement. This was applied to two RCTs with different clinical contexts and recruitment processes. Comparisons were made across clinical centres, recruiters and specialties. In both RCTs, the Q-QAT technique first identified considerable variations in the time spent by recruiters discussing the RCT and its treatments. The patterns emerging from this initial quantification of recruitment appointments then enabled targeted qualitative research to understand the issues and make suggestions to improve recruitment. In RCT1, presentation of the treatments was balanced, but little time was devoted to describing the RCT. Qualitative research revealed patients would have considered participation, but lacked awareness of the RCT. In RCT2, the balance of treatment presentation varied by specialists and centres. Qualitative research revealed difficulties with equipoise and confidence among recruiters presenting the RCT. The quantitative and qualitative findings were well-received by recruiters and opportunities to improve information provision were discussed. A blind coding

A review of design issues specific to hypersonic flight vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sziroczak, D.; Smith, H.

2016-07-01

This paper provides an overview of the current technical issues and challenges associated with the design of hypersonic vehicles. Two distinct classes of vehicles are reviewed; Hypersonic Transports and Space Launchers, their common features and differences are examined. After a brief historical overview, the paper takes a multi-disciplinary approach to these vehicles, discusses various design aspects, and technical challenges. Operational issues are explored, including mission profiles, current and predicted markets, in addition to environmental effects and human factors. Technological issues are also reviewed, focusing on the three major challenge areas associated with these vehicles: aerothermodynamics, propulsion, and structures. In addition, matters of reliability and maintainability are also presented. The paper also reviews the certification and flight testing of these vehicles from a global perspective. Finally the current stakeholders in the field of hypersonic flight are presented, summarizing the active programs and promising concepts.

Ethically-based clinical decision-making in physical therapy: process and issues.

PubMed

Finch, Elspeth; Geddes, E Lynne; Larin, Hélène

2005-01-01

The identification and consideration of relevant ethical issues in clinical decision-making, and the education of health care professionals (HCPs) in these skills are key factors in providing quality health care. This qualitative study explores the way in which physical therapists (PTs) integrate ethical issues into clinical practice decisions and identifies ethical themes used by PTs. A purposive sample of eight PTs was asked to describe a recent ethically-based clinical decision. Transcribed interviews were coded and themes identified related to the following categories: 1) the integration of ethical issues in the clinical decision-making process, 2) patient welfare, 3) professional ethos of the PT, and 4) health care economics and business practices. Participants readily described clinical situations involving ethical issues but rarely identified specific conflicting ethical issues in their description. Ethical dilemmas were more frequently resolved when there were fewer emotional sequelae associated with the dilemma, and the PT had a clear understanding of professional ethos, valued patient autonomy, and explored a variety of alternative actions before implementing one. HCP students need to develop a clear professional ethos and an increased understanding of the economic factors that will present ethical issues in practice.

Wheelchair transportation safety on school buses: stakeholder recommendations for priority issues and actions.

PubMed

Buning, Mary Ellen; Karg, Patricia E

2011-01-01

This paper presents results from and provides discussion of a state-of-the-science workshop in which highly informed stakeholders in wheelchair transportation safety for students on school buses were participants. The Nominal Group Technique was used to create a process in which the main issues preventing safe transportation of wheelchair-seated students and key strategies to overcome these issues were identified and ranked. These results, along with a synthesis of group discussion and recommendations for action, are presented along with consideration of current policies, regulations, and political realities. Critical safety shortcomings exist in this highly specialized enterprise that varies from state to state. Recommended strategies include implementing wheelchair requirements in federal transportation safety standards, creation of a clearinghouse for wheelchair transportation best practices and education, creation of national standards for training, practices, and monitoring, and increased "buy-in" to voluntary wheelchair standards by wheelchair manufacturers.

Current legal and institutional issues in the commercialization of phosphoric acid fuel cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nimmons, J. T.; Sheehy, K. D.; Singer, J. R.; Gardner, T. C.

1982-01-01

Legal and institutional factors affecting the development and commercial diffusion of phosphoric acid fuel cells are assessed. Issues for future research and action are suggested. Perceived barriers and potential opportunities for fuel cells in central and dispersed utility operations and on-site applications are reviewed, as well as the general concept of commercialization as applied to emerging energy technologies.

Discriminatory Discipline: Trends and Issues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whitford, Denise K.; Katsiyannis, Antonis; Counts, Jennifer

2016-01-01

Discriminatory discipline has been widely documented for decades, yet little progress has been made to narrow the gap. Due to the long-standing history of discriminatory discipline, current nationwide data, and recent federal initiatives, there is a need for a comprehensive examination of this critical issue. Therefore, we discuss populations…

Great Decisions 1990: Foreign Policy Issues Facing the Nation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoepli, Nancy L., Ed.

The 1990 Great Decisions program, part of an annual series on foreign policy issues, is intended to create better better public understanding through information and analyses of important international issues. Current information is presented so that participants may be stimulated toward discussion, form opinions and contribute to the policy…

A transatlantic perspective on 20 emerging issues in biological engineering

PubMed Central

Rhodes, Catherine; Molloy, Jennifer C; Millett, Piers; Adam, Laura; Breitling, Rainer; Carlson, Rob; Casagrande, Rocco; Dando, Malcolm; Doubleday, Robert; Drexler, Eric; Edwards, Brett; Ellis, Tom; Evans, Nicholas G; Hammond, Richard; Haseloff, Jim; Kahl, Linda; Kuiken, Todd; Lichman, Benjamin R; Matthewman, Colette A; Napier, Johnathan A; ÓhÉigeartaigh, Seán S; Patron, Nicola J; Perello, Edward; Shapira, Philip; Tait, Joyce; Takano, Eriko; Sutherland, William J

2017-01-01

Advances in biological engineering are likely to have substantial impacts on global society. To explore these potential impacts we ran a horizon scanning exercise to capture a range of perspectives on the opportunities and risks presented by biological engineering. We first identified 70 potential issues, and then used an iterative process to prioritise 20 issues that we considered to be emerging, to have potential global impact, and to be relatively unknown outside the field of biological engineering. The issues identified may be of interest to researchers, businesses and policy makers in sectors such as health, energy, agriculture and the environment. PMID:29132504

A transatlantic perspective on 20 emerging issues in biological engineering.

PubMed

Wintle, Bonnie C; Boehm, Christian R; Rhodes, Catherine; Molloy, Jennifer C; Millett, Piers; Adam, Laura; Breitling, Rainer; Carlson, Rob; Casagrande, Rocco; Dando, Malcolm; Doubleday, Robert; Drexler, Eric; Edwards, Brett; Ellis, Tom; Evans, Nicholas G; Hammond, Richard; Haseloff, Jim; Kahl, Linda; Kuiken, Todd; Lichman, Benjamin R; Matthewman, Colette A; Napier, Johnathan A; ÓhÉigeartaigh, Seán S; Patron, Nicola J; Perello, Edward; Shapira, Philip; Tait, Joyce; Takano, Eriko; Sutherland, William J

2017-11-14

Advances in biological engineering are likely to have substantial impacts on global society. To explore these potential impacts we ran a horizon scanning exercise to capture a range of perspectives on the opportunities and risks presented by biological engineering. We first identified 70 potential issues, and then used an iterative process to prioritise 20 issues that we considered to be emerging, to have potential global impact, and to be relatively unknown outside the field of biological engineering. The issues identified may be of interest to researchers, businesses and policy makers in sectors such as health, energy, agriculture and the environment.

Current educational issues in the clinical neurosciences.

PubMed

Desbiens, R; Elleker, M G; Goldsand, G; Hugenholtz, H; Puddester, D; Toyota, B; Findlay, J M

2001-11-01

Canadian training in the clinical neurosciences, neurology and neurosurgery, faces significant challenges. New balances are being set by residents, their associations and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada between clinical service, education and personal time. The nature of hospital-provided medical service has changed significantly over the past decade, impacting importantly on resident training. Finally, future manpower needs are of concern, especially in the field of neurosurgery, where it appears that soon more specialists will be trained than can be absorbed into the Canadian health care system. A special symposium on current challenges in clinical neuroscience training was held at the Canadian Congress of Neurological Sciences in June 2000. Representatives from the Canadian Association of Interns and Residents, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and English and French neurology and neurosurgery training programs made presentations, which are summarized in this report. Residency training has become less service-oriented, and this trend will continue. In order to manage the increasingly sophisticated hospital services of neurology and neurosurgery, resident-alternatives in the form of physician "moonlighters" or more permanent hospital-based clinicians or "hospitalists" will be necessary in order to operate major neuroclinical units. Health authorities and hospitals will need to recognize and assume this responsibility. As clinical experience diminishes during residency training, inevitably so will the concept of the fully competent "generalist" at the end of specialty training. Additional subspecialty training is being increasingly sought by graduates, particularly in neurosurgery. Training in neurology and neurosurgery, as in all medical specialties, has changed significantly in recent years and continues to change. Programs and hospitals need to adapt to these changes in order to ensure the production of fully

Electronic Learning Communities: Issues and Practices.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reisman, Sorel, Ed.; Flores, John G., Ed.; Edge, Denzil, Ed.

This book provides information for researchers and practitioners on the current issues and best practices associated with electronic learning communities. Fourteen contributed chapters include: "Interactive Online Educational Experiences: E-volution of Graded Projects" (James Benjamin); "Hybrid Courses as Learning Communities"…

Rural Education Issues: Rural Administrators Speak Out

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Julia; Nierengarten, Gerry

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to identify the issues that most affect Minnesota's rural public school administrators as they attempt to fulfill the mandates required from state legislation and communities. A second purpose was to identify exemplary practices valued by individual Minnesota rural schools and districts. Electronic surveys were sent…

The Johns Hopkins Hospital: identifying and addressing risks and safety issues.

PubMed

Paine, Lori A; Baker, David R; Rosenstein, Beryl; Pronovost, Peter J

2004-10-01

At The Johns Hopkins Hospital (JHH), a culture of safety refers to the presence of characteristics such as the belief that harm is untenable and the use of a systems approach to analyzing safety issues. The leadership of JHH provides strategic planning guidance for safety and improvement initiatives, involves the patient safety committee in capital investment allocation decisions and in designing and planning new hospital facilities, and ensures that safety and quality head the agenda of board-of-trustees meetings. Although JHH takes a systems approach, structures such as monitoring staff behavior trends are used to hold people accountable for job performance. JHH encountered three major hurdles in implementing and sustaining a culture of safety. First, JHH's decentralized organizational structure contributes to a silo effect that limits the spread of ideas, practices, and culture. JHH intends to create an internal collaborative of departmental safety initiatives to foster opportunities for units to share ideas and results. Second, in response to the challenge of encouraging teams to think and act in an interdisciplinary fashion, communication and teamwork training are being used to enhance the effectiveness of interdisciplinary teams. Further development of valid and meaningful safety-related measurement and data collection methodologies is JHH's largest remaining challenge.

Dental School Administrators' Attitudes Towards Providing Support Services for LGBT-Identified Students.

PubMed

Behar-Horenstein, Linda S; Morris, Dustin R

2015-08-01

A lack of curriculum time devoted to teaching dental students about the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered (LGBT) health care patient needs and biases against LGBT students and faculty have been reported. Understanding dental school administrators' attitudes about LGBT students' needs might provide further insight into these long-standing issues. The aims of this study were to develop a survey to assess dental administrators' attitudes regarding the support services they believe LGBT-identified students need, to identify dental schools' current diversity inclusion policies, and to determine what types of support dental schools currently provide to LGBT students. A survey developed with the aid of a focus group, cognitive interviewing, and pilot testing was sent to 136 assistant and associate deans and deans of the 65 U.S. and Canadian dental schools. A total of 54 responses from 43 (66%) schools were received from 13 deans, 29 associate deans, and 11 assistant deans (one participant did not report a position), for a 40% response rate. The findings suggest there is a considerable lack of knowledge or acknowledgment of LGBT dental students' needs. Future studies are needed to show the importance of creating awareness about meeting the needs of all dental student groups, perhaps through awareness campaigns initiated by LGBT students.

ARL: A Bimonthly Newsletter of Research Library Issues and Actions, 2001.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barrett, G. Jaia, Ed.

2001-01-01

This document consists of six issues of the ARL (Association of Research Libraries) Newsletter, covering the year 2001. Each issue of the newsletter includes some or all of the following sections: "Current Issues," reports from the Office of Scholarly Communication, Office for Management Services, and Coalition for Networked Information,…

Safety Issues with Hydrogen as a Vehicle Fuel

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

Cadwallader, Lee Charles; Herring, James Stephen

1999-10-01

This report is an initial effort to identify and evaluate safety issues associated with the use of hydrogen as a vehicle fuel in automobiles. Several forms of hydrogen have been considered: gas, liquid, slush, and hydrides. The safety issues have been discussed, beginning with properties of hydrogen and the phenomenology of hydrogen combustion. Safety-related operating experiences with hydrogen vehicles have been summarized to identify concerns that must be addressed in future design activities and to support probabilistic risk assessment. Also, applicable codes, standards, and regulations pertaining to hydrogen usage and refueling have been identified and are briefly discussed. This reportmore » serves as a safety foundation for any future hydrogen safety work, such as a safety analysis or a probabilistic risk assessment.« less

Safety Issues with Hydrogen as a Vehicle Fuel

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

L. C. Cadwallader; J. S. Herring

1999-09-01

This report is an initial effort to identify and evaluate safety issues associated with the use of hydrogen as a vehicle fuel in automobiles. Several forms of hydrogen have been considered: gas, liquid, slush, and hydrides. The safety issues have been discussed, beginning with properties of hydrogen and the phenomenology of hydrogen combustion. Safety-related operating experiences with hydrogen vehicles have been summarized to identify concerns that must be addressed in future design activities and to support probabilistic risk assessment. Also, applicable codes, standards, and regulations pertaining to hydrogen usage and refueling have been identified and are briefly discussed. This reportmore » serves as a safety foundation for any future hydrogen safety work, such as a safety analysis or a probabilistic risk assessment.« less

Big issues, small systems: managing with information in medical research.

PubMed

Jones, J; Preston, H

2000-08-01

This subject of this article is the design of a database system for handling files related to the work of the Molecular Genetics Department of the International Blood Group Reference Laboratory. It examines specialist information needs identified within this organization and it indicates how the design of the Rhesus Information Tracking System was able to meet current needs. Rapid Applications Development prototyping forms the basis of the investigation, linked to interview, questionnaire, and observation techniques in order to establish requirements for interoperability. In particular, the place of this specialist database within the much broader information strategy of the National Blood Service will be examined. This unique situation is analogous to management activities in broader environments and a number of generic issues are highlighted by the research.

Methods to identify and address the ethical issues associated with managed care.

PubMed

Lundy, Courtnee

2006-01-01

There are many benefits of managed care, such as its focus on disease prevention and health promotion, its integration of healthcare services to minimize inefficiencies, and its ability to restrict healthcare costs; however, there are also some ethical concerns that arise from managing care. In the context of managed care, ethics is a method for examining conflicts of values and obligations where there are competing interests, each of which presents a reasonably justified position. The principles of procedural, commutative, and general justice are particularly applicable to the ethical issues associated with managed care. Through a review of relevant literature, this paper will examine different methods and principles of justice to consider in establishing an ethical managed care organization and it will offer some examples of plans that have established policies to meet their ethical goals. By setting common goals, plans and enrollees can minimize ethical conflicts and collaborate to ensure that plans consistently use just procedures to ensure that quality care is available.

Research Library Issues: A Report from ARL, CNI, and SPARC. RLI 283

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baughman, M. Sue, Ed.

2013-01-01

"Research Library Issues" ("RLI") focuses on current and emerging topics that are strategically important to research libraries. The articles explore issues, share information, pose critical questions, and provide examples. This issue includes the following articles: (1) Special at the Core: Aligning, Integrating, and…

Ethical issues experienced by intensive care unit nurses in everyday practice.

PubMed

Fernandes, Maria I D; Moreira, Isabel M P B

2013-02-01

This research aims to identify the ethical issues perceived by intensive care nurses in their everyday practice. It also aims to understand why these situations were considered an ethical issue and what interventions/strategies have been or are expected to be developed so as to minimize them. Data were collected using a semi-structured interview with 15 nurses working at polyvalent intensive care units in 4 Portuguese hospitals, who were selected by the homogenization of multiple samples. The qualitative content analysis identified end-of-life decisions, privacy, interaction, team work, and health-care access as emerging ethical issues. Personal, team, and institutional aspects emerge as reasons behind the experience of these issues. Personal and team resources are used in and for solving these issues. Moral development and training are the most significant strategies.

Can the vector space model be used to identify biological entity activities?

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Biological systems are commonly described as networks of entity interactions. Some interactions are already known and integrate the current knowledge in life sciences. Others remain unknown for long periods of time and are frequently discovered by chance. In this work we present a model to predict these unknown interactions from a textual collection using the vector space model (VSM), a well known and established information retrieval model. We have extended the VSM ability to retrieve information using a transitive closure approach. Our objective is to use the VSM to identify the known interactions from the literature and construct a network. Based on interactions established in the network our model applies the transitive closure in order to predict and rank new interactions. Results We have tested and validated our model using a collection of patent claims issued from 1976 to 2005. From 266,528 possible interactions in our network, the model identified 1,027 known interactions and predicted 3,195 new interactions. Iterating the model according to patent issue dates, interactions found in a given past year were often confirmed by patent claims not in the collection and issued in more recent years. Most confirmation patent claims were found at the top 100 new interactions obtained from each subnetwork. We have also found papers on the Web which confirm new inferred interactions. For instance, the best new interaction inferred by our model relates the interaction between the adrenaline neurotransmitter and the androgen receptor gene. We have found a paper that reports the partial dependence of the antiapoptotic effect of adrenaline on androgen receptor. Conclusions The VSM extended with a transitive closure approach provides a good way to identify biological interactions from textual collections. Specifically for the context of literature-based discovery, the extended VSM contributes to identify and rank relevant new interactions even if these

Psychological Issues in Online Adaptive Task Allocation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morris, N. M.; Rouse, W. B.; Ward, S. L.; Frey, P. R.

1984-01-01

Adaptive aiding is an idea that offers potential for improvement over many current approaches to aiding in human-computer systems. The expected return of tailoring the system to fit the user could be in the form of improved system performance and/or increased user satisfaction. Issues such as the manner in which information is shared between human and computer, the appropriate division of labor between them, and the level of autonomy of the aid are explored. A simulated visual search task was developed. Subjects are required to identify targets in a moving display while performing a compensatory sub-critical tracking task. By manipulating characteristics of the situation such as imposed task-related workload and effort required to communicate with the computer, it is possible to create conditions in which interaction with the computer would be more or less desirable. The results of preliminary research using this experimental scenario are presented, and future directions for this research effort are discussed.

Combination of Multiple Spectral Libraries Improves the Current Search Methods Used to Identify Missing Proteins in the Chromosome-Centric Human Proteome Project.

PubMed

Cho, Jin-Young; Lee, Hyoung-Joo; Jeong, Seul-Ki; Kim, Kwang-Youl; Kwon, Kyung-Hoon; Yoo, Jong Shin; Omenn, Gilbert S; Baker, Mark S; Hancock, William S; Paik, Young-Ki

2015-12-04

Approximately 2.9 billion long base-pair human reference genome sequences are known to encode some 20 000 representative proteins. However, 3000 proteins, that is, ~15% of all proteins, have no or very weak proteomic evidence and are still missing. Missing proteins may be present in rare samples in very low abundance or be only temporarily expressed, causing problems in their detection and protein profiling. In particular, some technical limitations cause missing proteins to remain unassigned. For example, current mass spectrometry techniques have high limits and error rates for the detection of complex biological samples. An insufficient proteome coverage in a reference sequence database and spectral library also raises major issues. Thus, the development of a better strategy that results in greater sensitivity and accuracy in the search for missing proteins is necessary. To this end, we used a new strategy, which combines a reference spectral library search and a simulated spectral library search, to identify missing proteins. We built the human iRefSPL, which contains the original human reference spectral library and additional peptide sequence-spectrum match entries from other species. We also constructed the human simSPL, which contains the simulated spectra of 173 907 human tryptic peptides determined by MassAnalyzer (version 2.3.1). To prove the enhanced analytical performance of the combination of the human iRefSPL and simSPL methods for the identification of missing proteins, we attempted to reanalyze the placental tissue data set (PXD000754). The data from each experiment were analyzed using PeptideProphet, and the results were combined using iProphet. For the quality control, we applied the class-specific false-discovery rate filtering method. All of the results were filtered at a false-discovery rate of <1% at the peptide and protein levels. The quality-controlled results were then cross-checked with the neXtProt DB (2014-09-19 release). The two

Crucial Issues in Secondary Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Til, William

1976-01-01

Nine crucial issues in secondary education are identified: (1) self-actualization skills, (2) humane values, (3) social survival skills, (4) transfer of social heritage, (5) utilization of total environment, (6) program content, (7) organizational renewal, (8) optimum resource usage, (9) societal participation in educational improvement. (MB)

Regional Seminars to Address Current Nuclear Export Control Issues

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

Killinger, Mark H.

2002-07-01

The control of nuclear-related exports, a critical component of the nonproliferation regime, is facing several opportunities and challenges. As countries sign and ratify the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) safeguards Additional Protocol (AP), they will begin to report far more export information, including exports of a list of items similar to the Nuclear Supplier Group's Trigger List that existed when the AP was developed in the mid-1990s. This positive development contrasts with challenges such as globalization, transshipments, and tracking of end-uses. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is proposing that the US Department of Energy (DOE) develop regional seminars that address thesemore » types of issues related to export/import controls. The DOE seminars would be designed to supplement regional seminars sponsored by the IAEA and member states on topics related to the Additional Protocol (referred to as "IAEA seminars"). The topic of nuclear export/import controls is not thoroughly addressed in the IAEA seminars. The proposed DOE seminars would therefore have two objectives: familiarizing countries with the export/import provisions of the Additional Protocol, and addressing challenges such as those noted above. The seminars would be directed particularly at countries that have not ratified the AP, and at regions where export-related problems are particularly prevalent. The intent is to encourage governments to implement more effective nuclear export control systems that meet the challenges of the 21st century.« less

Issues for laboratory outreach programs.

PubMed

1994-01-01

As we saw in the last "As We See It," many hospitals have begun outreach programs. We explored why outreach programs are established, the steps needed to develop a program, and the way to establish the proper business culture in a hospital laboratory for running a successful program. In this issue we identify the new skills laboratory managers need to be outreach managers, show how some programs maintain a competitive advantage, and explain some of the effects health-care reform will have on outreach services, as we ask: What are the requirements and issues involved in operating a successful laboratory outreach program?

Ethical and regulatory issues of pragmatic cluster randomized trials in contemporary health systems