Kunitz Proteinase Inhibitors Limit Water Stress Responses in White Clover (Trifolium repens L.) Plants.

PubMed

Islam, Afsana; Leung, Susanna; Nikmatullah, Aluh; Dijkwel, Paul P; McManus, Michael T

2017-01-01

The response of plants to water deficiency or drought is a complex process, the perception of which is triggered at the molecular level before any visible morphological responses are detected. It was found that different groups of plant proteinase inhibitors (PIs) are induced and play an active role during abiotic stress conditions such as drought. Our previous work with the white clover ( Trifolium repens L.) Kunitz Proteinase Inhibitor ( Tr-KPI ) gene family showed that Tr-KPIs are differentially regulated to ontogenetic and biotic stress associated cues and that, at least some members of this gene family may be required to maintain cellular homeostasis. Altered cellular homeostasis may also affect abiotic stress responses and therefore, we aimed to understand if distinct Tr-PKI members function during drought stress. First, the expression level of three Tr-KPI genes, Tr-KPI1 , Tr-KPI2 , and Tr-KPI5 , was measured in two cultivars and one white clover ecotype with differing capacity to tolerate drought. The expression of Tr-KPI1 and Tr-KPI5 increased in response to water deficiency and this was exaggerated when the plants were treated with a previous period of water deficiency. In contrast, proline accumulation and increased expression of Tr-NCED1 , a gene encoding a protein involved in ABA biosynthesis, was delayed in plants that experienced a previous drought period. RNAi knock-down of Tr-KPI1 and Tr-KPI5 resulted in increased proline accumulation in leaf tissue of plants grown under both well-watered and water-deficit conditions. In addition, increased expression of genes involved in ethylene biosynthesis was found. The data suggests that Tr-KPIs , particularly Tr-KPI5 , have an explicit function during water limitation. The results also imply that the Tr-KPI family has different in planta proteinase targets and that the functions of this protein family are not solely restricted to one of storage proteins or in response to biotic stress.

Kunitz Proteinase Inhibitors Limit Water Stress Responses in White Clover (Trifolium repens L.) Plants

PubMed Central

Islam, Afsana; Leung, Susanna; Nikmatullah, Aluh; Dijkwel, Paul P.; McManus, Michael T.

2017-01-01

The response of plants to water deficiency or drought is a complex process, the perception of which is triggered at the molecular level before any visible morphological responses are detected. It was found that different groups of plant proteinase inhibitors (PIs) are induced and play an active role during abiotic stress conditions such as drought. Our previous work with the white clover (Trifolium repens L.) Kunitz Proteinase Inhibitor (Tr-KPI) gene family showed that Tr-KPIs are differentially regulated to ontogenetic and biotic stress associated cues and that, at least some members of this gene family may be required to maintain cellular homeostasis. Altered cellular homeostasis may also affect abiotic stress responses and therefore, we aimed to understand if distinct Tr-PKI members function during drought stress. First, the expression level of three Tr-KPI genes, Tr-KPI1, Tr-KPI2, and Tr-KPI5, was measured in two cultivars and one white clover ecotype with differing capacity to tolerate drought. The expression of Tr-KPI1 and Tr-KPI5 increased in response to water deficiency and this was exaggerated when the plants were treated with a previous period of water deficiency. In contrast, proline accumulation and increased expression of Tr-NCED1, a gene encoding a protein involved in ABA biosynthesis, was delayed in plants that experienced a previous drought period. RNAi knock-down of Tr-KPI1 and Tr-KPI5 resulted in increased proline accumulation in leaf tissue of plants grown under both well-watered and water-deficit conditions. In addition, increased expression of genes involved in ethylene biosynthesis was found. The data suggests that Tr-KPIs, particularly Tr-KPI5, have an explicit function during water limitation. The results also imply that the Tr-KPI family has different in planta proteinase targets and that the functions of this protein family are not solely restricted to one of storage proteins or in response to biotic stress. PMID:29046678

Functional characterization and novel rickettsiostatic effects of a Kunitz-type serine protease inhibitor from the tick Dermacentor variabilis.

PubMed

Ceraul, Shane M; Dreher-Lesnick, Sheila M; Mulenga, Albert; Rahman, M Sayeedur; Azad, Abdu F

2008-11-01

Here we report the novel bacteriostatic function of a five-domain Kunitz-type serine protease inhibitor (KPI) from the tick Dermacentor variabilis. As ticks feed, they release anticoagulants, anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive molecules that mediate the formation of the feeding lesion on the mammalian host. A number of KPIs have been isolated and characterized from tick salivary gland extracts. Interestingly, we observe little D. variabilis KPI gene expression in the salivary gland and abundant expression in the midgut. However, our demonstration of D. variabilis KPI's anticoagulant properties indicates that D. variabilis KPI may be important for blood meal digestion in the midgut. In addition to facilitating long-term attachment and blood meal acquisition, gene expression studies of Drosophila, legumes, and ticks suggest that KPIs play some role in the response to microbial infection. Similarly, in this study, we show that challenge of D. variabilis with the spotted fever group rickettsia, Rickettsia montanensis, results in sustained D. variabilis KPI gene expression in the midgut. Furthermore, our in vitro studies show that D. variabilis KPI limits rickettsial colonization of L929 cells (mouse fibroblasts), implicating D. variabilis KPI as a bacteriostatic protein, a property that may be related to D. variabilis KPI's trypsin inhibitory capability. This work suggests that anticoagulants play some role in the midgut during feeding and that D. variabilis KPI may be involved as part of the tick's defense response to rickettsiae.

Functional Characterization and Novel Rickettsiostatic Effects of a Kunitz-Type Serine Protease Inhibitor from the Tick Dermacentor variabilis▿

PubMed Central

Ceraul, Shane M.; Dreher-Lesnick, Sheila M.; Mulenga, Albert; Rahman, M. Sayeedur; Azad, Abdu F.

2008-01-01

Here we report the novel bacteriostatic function of a five-domain Kunitz-type serine protease inhibitor (KPI) from the tick Dermacentor variabilis. As ticks feed, they release anticoagulants, anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive molecules that mediate the formation of the feeding lesion on the mammalian host. A number of KPIs have been isolated and characterized from tick salivary gland extracts. Interestingly, we observe little D. variabilis KPI gene expression in the salivary gland and abundant expression in the midgut. However, our demonstration of D. variabilis KPI's anticoagulant properties indicates that D. variabilis KPI may be important for blood meal digestion in the midgut. In addition to facilitating long-term attachment and blood meal acquisition, gene expression studies of Drosophila, legumes, and ticks suggest that KPIs play some role in the response to microbial infection. Similarly, in this study, we show that challenge of D. variabilis with the spotted fever group rickettsia, Rickettsia montanensis, results in sustained D. variabilis KPI gene expression in the midgut. Furthermore, our in vitro studies show that D. variabilis KPI limits rickettsial colonization of L929 cells (mouse fibroblasts), implicating D. variabilis KPI as a bacteriostatic protein, a property that may be related to D. variabilis KPI's trypsin inhibitory capability. This work suggests that anticoagulants play some role in the midgut during feeding and that D. variabilis KPI may be involved as part of the tick's defense response to rickettsiae. PMID:18779339

The kunitz protease inhibitor form of the amyloid precursor protein (KPI/APP) inhibits the proneuropeptide processing enzyme prohormone thiol protease (PTP). Colocalization of KPI/APP and PTP in secretory vesicles.

PubMed

Hook, V Y; Sei, C; Yasothornsrikul, S; Toneff, T; Kang, Y H; Efthimiopoulos, S; Robakis, N K; Van Nostrand, W

1999-01-29

Proteolytic processing of proenkephalin and proneuropeptides is required for the production of active neurotransmitters and peptide hormones. Variations in the extent of proenkephalin processing in vivo suggest involvement of endogenous protease inhibitors. This study demonstrates that "protease nexin 2 (PN2)," the secreted form of the kunitz protease inhibitor (KPI) of the amyloid precursor protein (APP), potently inhibited the proenkephalin processing enzyme known as prohormone thiol protease (PTP), with a Ki,app of 400 nM. Moreover, PTP and PN2 formed SDS-stable complexes that are typical of kunitz protease inhibitor interactions with target proteases. In vivo, KPI/APP (120 kDa), as well as a truncated form of KPI/APP that resembles PN2 in apparent molecular mass (110 kDa), were colocalized with PTP and (Met)enkephalin in secretory vesicles of adrenal medulla (chromaffin granules). KPI/APP (110-120 kDa) was also detected in pituitary secretory vesicles that contain PTP. In chromaffin cells, calcium-dependent secretion of KPI/APP with PTP and (Met)enkephalin demonstrated the colocalization of these components in functional secretory vesicles. These results suggest a role for KPI/APP inhibition of PTP in regulated secretory vesicles. In addition, these results are the first to identify an endogenous protease target of KPI/APP, which is developmentally regulated in aging and Alzheimer's disease.

A novel transmembrane Ser/Thr kinase complexes with protein phosphatase-1 and inhibitor-2.

PubMed

Wang, Hong; Brautigan, David L

2002-12-20

Protein kinases and protein phosphatases exert coordinated control over many essential cellular processes. Here, we describe the cloning and characterization of a novel human transmembrane protein KPI-2 (Kinase/Phosphatase/Inhibitor-2) that was identified by yeast two-hybrid using protein phosphatase inhibitor-2 (Inh2) as bait. KPI-2 mRNA was predominantly expressed in skeletal muscle. KPI-2 is a 1503-residue protein with two predicted transmembrane helices at the N terminus, a kinase domain, followed by a C-terminal domain. The transmembrane helices were sufficient for targeting proteins to the membrane. KPI-2 kinase domain has about 60% identity with its closest relative, a tyrosine kinase. However, it only exhibited serine/threonine kinase activity in autophosphorylation reactions or with added substrates. KPI-2 kinase domain phosphorylated protein phosphatase-1 (PP1C) at Thr(320), which attenuated PP1C activity. KPI-2 C-terminal domain directly associated with PP1C, and this required a VTF motif. Inh2 associated with KPI-2 C-terminal domain with and without PP1C. Thus, KPI-2 is a kinase with sites to associate with PP1C and Inh2 to form a regulatory complex that is localized to membranes.

Accuracy of national key performance indicator reporting from two Aboriginal medical services: potential to underestimate the performance of primary health care.

PubMed

2017-05-09

Objective The aim of the present study was to assess the accuracy of extracting national key performance indicator (nKPI) data for the Online Community Health Reporting Environment for Health Services (OCHREStreams) program using the Pen Computer Systems (Leichhardt, NSW, Australia) Clinical Audit Tool (CAT) from Communicare (Telstra Health Communicare Systems, Perth, WA, Australia), a commonly used patient information management system (PIMS) in Aboriginal primary care. Methods Two Aboriginal Community-Controlled Health Services (ACCHSs) were recruited to the present study. A sample of regular clients aged ≥55 years from each ACCHS was selected and a subset of 13 nKPIs was examined. A manual case note audit of the nKPI subset within Communicare was undertaken by a clinician at each participating ACCHS and acted as a 'gold standard' comparator for three query methods: (1) internal Communicare nKPI reports; (2) PenCS CAT nKPI manual filtering (a third-party data-extraction tool); and (3) nKPI data submitted to the Improvement Foundation qiConnect portal. Results No errors were found in nKPI data extraction from Communicare using the CAT and subsequent submission to the qiConnect portal. However, the Communicare internal nKPI report included deceased clients and past patients, and we can be very confident that deceased clients and past patients are also included in the qiConnect portal data. This resulted in inflation of client denominators and an underestimation of health service performance, particularly for nKPIs recording activity in the past 6 months. Several minor errors were also detected in Communicare internal nKPI reports. Conclusions CAT accurately extracts a subset of nKPI data from Communicare. However, given the widespread use of Communicare in ACCHSs, the inclusion of deceased clients and past patients in the OCHREStreams nKPI data program is likely to have resulted in systematic under-reporting of health service performance nationally. What is known about the topic? There has been limited validation of health data exported via data-extraction tools in Australia. More specifically, there are no current published data describing the accuracy of the CAT in mapping health data extracted from Communicare or the accuracy of internal nKPI reports generated by Communicare. Further, no systematic review has been undertaken to assess the accuracy of the nKPI data submission pathway from PIMSs at the health service level to the OCHREStreams qiConnect portal using the CAT. What does this paper add? The CAT accurately extracts a subset of nKPI data from Communicare and accurately submits this to the qiConnect portal. Minor errors exist in some Communicare internal nKPI reports. The inclusion of deceased clients and past patients in the nKPI reporting system for ACCHSs is likely to have resulted in systematic under-reporting of health service performance nationally through this program. What are the implications for practitioners? The inclusion of deceased clients and past patients in the OCHREStreams nKPI program limits the usefulness of these data for local quality improvement activities and national monitoring of health service performance for participating ACCHSs. The use of the CAT by ACCHSs independently from the OCHREStreams program can enable deceased clients and past patients to be excluded from reports that can provide more accurate nKPI data from Communicare for local quality improvement and planning purposes.

Two Kazal-type protease inhibitors from Macrobrachium nipponense and Eriocheir sinensis: comparative analysis of structure and activities.

PubMed

Qian, Ye-Qing; Li, Ye; Yang, Fan; Yu, Yan-Qin; Yang, Jin-Shu; Yang, Wei-Jun

2012-03-01

Kazal-type inhibitors (KPIs) play important roles in many biological and physiological processes, such as blood clotting, the immune response and reproduction. In the present study, two male reproductive tract KPIs, termed Man-KPI and Ers-KPI, were identified in Macrobrachium nipponense and Eriocheir sinensis, respectively. The inhibitory activities of recombinant Man-KPI and Ers-KPI against chymotrypsin, elastase, trypsin and thrombin were determined. The results showed that both of them strongly inhibit chymotrypsin and elastase. Kinetic studies were performed to elucidate their inhibition mechanism. Furthermore, individual domains were also expressed to learn further which domain contributes to the inhibitory activities of intact KPIs. Only Man-KPI_domain3 is active in the inhibition of chymotrypsin and elastase. Meanwhile, Ers-KPI_domain2 and 3 are responsible for inhibition of chymotrypsin, and Ers-KPI_domains2, 3 and 4 are responsible for the inhibition of elastase. Meanwhile, the inhibitory activities of these two KPIs toward Macrobrachium rosenbergii, M. nipponense and E. sinensis sperm were compared with that of the Kazal-type peptidase inhibitor (MRPINK) characterized from the M. rosenbergii reproductive tract in a previous study. The results demonstrated that KPIs can completely inhibit the gelatinolytic activities of sperm proteases from their own species, while different levels of cross-inhibition were observed between KPI and proteases from different species. These results may provide new perspective to further clarify the mechanism of KPI-proteases interaction in the male reproductive system. Crown Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

APP with Kunitz type protease inhibitor domain (KPI) correlates with neuritic plaque density but not with cortical synaptophysin immunoreactivity in Alzheimer's disease and non-demented aged subjects: a multifactorial analysis.

PubMed

Zhan, S S; Sandbrink, R; Beyreuther, K; Schmitt, H P

1995-01-01

The formation of beta A4 amyloid protein in neuritic plaques in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and advanced age is a complex process that involves a number of both cellular and molecular mechanisms, the interrelations of which are not yet completely understood. We have examined quantitatively, in AD and aged controls an extended spectrum of amyloid plaque-related cellular and molecular factors and the cortical synaptophysin immunoreactivity (synaptic density) in order to check for interrelations between them by multifactorial analysis. In 3 cases of senile dementia of the Alzheimer type (SDAT) aged 72, 80 and 82 years, and 9 controls aged 43-88 (mean age 65) years, the cortical synaptophysin immunoreactivity was assessed, together with the numbers of neurons, astrocytes and microglial cells, senile plaques, of tangle-bearing neurons, and the amount of beta A4 amyloid precursor protein (APP) with and without the Kunitz type serine protease inhibitor (KPI) domain. The main results were: APP including the KPI domain (KPI-APP) correlated with the number of neuritic plaques, regardless of whether they occurred in SDAT or non-demented controls. There was no significant difference in the amount of KPI-APP between SDAT and controls. Conversely, APP695 (without KPI) was significantly reduced in SDAT. KPI-APP did not correlate with the synaptophysin immunoreactivity (RGVA), while APP695 showed a significant correlation with the latter in all evaluations. It also correlated with the neuron counts, which was not true for KPI-APP. These results support previous findings indicating that KPI-APP is an important local factor for amyloid deposition in the neuritic plaques, both in AD and in non-demented aged people. On the contrary, KPI-APP does not seem to be significantly involved in the mechanisms of synaptic change outside of the plaques.

Advancing Forward-Looking Metrics: A Linear Program Optimization and Robust Variable Selection for Change in Stock Levels as a Result of Recurring MICAP Parts

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-06-01

Kobu, 2007) Gunasekaran and Kobu also presented six observations as they relate to these key performance indicators ( KPI ), as follows: 1...Internal business process (50% of the KPI ) and customers (50% of the KPI ) play a significant role in SC environments. This implies that internal business...process PMs have significant impact on the operational performance. 2. The most widely used PM is financial performance (38% of the KPI ). This

In vivo neuronal synthesis and axonal transport of Kunitz protease inhibitor (KPI)-containing forms of the amyloid precursor protein.

PubMed

Moya, K L; Confaloni, A M; Allinquant, B

1994-11-01

We have shown previously that the amyloid precursor protein (APP) is synthesized in retinal ganglion cells and is rapidly transported down the axons, and that different molecular weight forms of the precursor have different developmental time courses. Some APP isoforms contain a Kunitz protease inhibitor (KPI) domain, and APP that lacks the KPI domain is considered the predominant isoform in neurons. We now show that, among the various rapidly transported APPs, a 140-kDa isoform contains the KPI domain. This APP isoform is highly expressed in rapidly growing retinal axons, and it is also prominent in adult axon endings. This 140-kDa KPI-containing APP is highly sulfated compared with other axonally transported isoforms. These results show that APP with the KPI domain is a prominent isoform synthesized in neurons in vivo, and they suggest that the regulation of protease activity may be an important factor during the establishment of neuronal connections.

Functional and conformational properties of phaseolin (Phaseolus vulgris L.) and kidney bean protein isolate: a comparative study.

PubMed

Yin, Shou-Wei; Tang, Chuan-He; Wen, Qi-Biao; Yang, Xiao-Quan

2010-03-15

Kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgris L.) seed is an underutilised plant protein source with good potential to be applied in the food industry. Phaseolin (also named G1 globulin) represents about 50 g kg(-1) of total storage protein in the seed. The aim of the present study was to characterise physicochemical, functional and conformational properties of phaseolin, and to compare these properties with those of kidney bean protein isolate (KPI). Compared with kidney bean protein isolate (KPI), the acid-extracted phaseolin-rich protein product (PRP) had much lower protein recovery of 320 g kg(-1) (dry weight basis) but higher phaseolin purity (over 950 g kg(-1)). PRP contained much lower sulfhydryl (SH) and disulfide bond contents than KPI. Differential scanning calorimetry analyses showed that the phaseolin in PRP was less denatured than in KPI. Thermal analyses in the presence or absence of dithiothreitol, in combination with SH and SS content analyses showed the contributions of SS to the thermal stability of KPI. The analyses of near-UV circular dichroism and intrinsic fluorescence spectra indicated more compacted tertiary conformation of the proteins in PRP than in KPI. PRP exhibited much better protein solubility, emulsifying activity index, and gel-forming ability than KPI. The relatively poor functional properties of KPI may be associated with protein denaturation/unfolding, with subsequent protein aggregation. The results presented here suggest the potential for acid-extracted PRP to be applied in food formulations, in view of its functional properties.

Corrigendum to ;Rational solutions to the KPI equation and multi rogue waves; [Ann. Physics V 367 (2016) 1-5

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaillard, P.

2017-12-01

The author regrets the error of bracket in the expression (2) of the KPI equation in the page 2 at the beginning of the second section. The correct expression of the KPI equation is the following one:

Relative increase in Alzheimer's disease of soluble forms of cerebral Abeta amyloid protein precursor containing the Kunitz protease inhibitory domain.

PubMed

Moir, R D; Lynch, T; Bush, A I; Whyte, S; Henry, A; Portbury, S; Multhaup, G; Small, D H; Tanzi, R E; Beyreuther, K; Masters, C L

1998-02-27

Although a number of studies have examined amyloid precursor protein (APP) mRNA levels in Alzheimer's disease (AD), no clear consensus has emerged as to whether the levels of transcripts for isoforms containing a Kunitz protease inhibitory (KPI)-encoded region are increased or decreased in AD. Here we compare AD and control brain for the relative amounts of APP protein containing KPI to APP protein lacking this domain. APP protein was purified from the soluble subcellular fraction and Triton X-100 membrane pellet extract of one hemisphere of AD (n = 10), normal (n = 7), and neurological control (n = 5) brains. The amount of KPI-containing APP in the purified protein samples was determined using two independent assay methods. The first assay exploited the inhibitory action of KPI-containing APP on trypsin. The second assay employed reflectance analysis of Western blots. The proportion of KPI-containing forms of APP in the soluble subcellular fraction of AD brains is significantly elevated (p < 0.01) compared with controls. Species containing a KPI domain comprise 32-41 and 76-77% of purified soluble APP from control and AD brains, respectively. For purified membrane-associated APP, 72-77 and 65-82% of control and AD samples, respectively, contain a KPI domain. Since KPI-containing species of APP may be more amyloidogenic (Ho, L., Fukuchi, K., and Yonkin, S. G. (1996) J. Biol. Chem. 271, 30929-30934), our findings support an imbalance of isoforms as one possible mechanism for amyloid deposition in sporadic AD.

The test of the layout of polarimeter "UFP" on the telescope AZT-2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Levchenko, T. A.; Nevodovskyi, P. V.; Vidmachenko, A. P.; Morozhenko, O. V.; Saryboha, H. V.; Zbrutsky, O. V.; Ivakhiv, O. V.

2016-05-01

Main Astronomical Observatory of NAS of Ukraine in cooperation with the National Technical University of Ukraine "KPI" and National University "Lviv Polytechnic" for a long time working on the design of an optical polarimeter to study of the stratospheric layer of the Earth using of orbital satellite. During this time, was accumulated a large experience of such work, and was established a layout of compact ultraviolet polarimeter (UFP) on board of satellite

[Polymorphism of KPI-A genes from plants of the subgenus Potatoe (sect. Petota, Estolonifera and Lycopersicum) and subgenus Solanum].

PubMed

Krinitsyna, A A; Mel'nikova, N V; Belenikin, M S; Poltronieri, P; Santino, A; Kudriavtseva, A V; Savilova, A M; Speranskaia, A S

2013-01-01

Kunitz-type proteinase inhibitor proteins of group A (KPI-A) are involved in the protection of potato plants from pathogens and pests. Although sequences of large number of the KPI-A genes from different species of cultivated potato (Solanum tuberosum subsp. tuberosum) and a few genes from tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) are known to date, information about the allelic diversity of these genes in other species of the genus Solanum is lacking. In our work, the consensus sequences of the KPI-A genes were established in two species of subgenus Potatoe sect. Petota (Solanum tuberosum subsp. andigenum--5 genes and Solanum stoloniferum--2 genes) and in the subgenus Solanum (Solanum nigrum--5 genes) by amplification, cloning, sequencing and subsequent analysis. The determined sequences of KPI-A genes were 97-100% identical to known sequences of the cultivated potato of sect. Petota (cultivated potato Solanum tuberosum subsp. tuberosum) and sect. Etuberosum (S. palustre). The interspecific variability of these genes did not exceed the intraspecific variability for all studied species except Solanum lycopersicum. The distribution of highly variable and conserved sequences in the mature protein-encoding regions was uniform for all investigated KPI-A genes. However, our attempts to amplify the homologous genes using the same primers and the genomes of Solanum dulcamarum, Solanum lycopersicum and Mandragora officinarum resulted in no product formation. Phylogenetic analysis of KPI-A diversity showed that the sequences of the S. lycopersicum form independent cluster, whereas KPI-A of S. nigrum and species of sect. Etuberosum and sect. Petota are closely related and do not form species-specific subclasters. Although Solanum nigrum is resistant to all known races of economically one of the most important diseases of solanaceous plants oomycete Phytophthora infestans aminoacid sequences encoding by KPI-A genes from its genome have nearly or absolutely no differences to the same from genomes of cultivated potatoes involved by P. infestans.

Constraints on the phase gamma and new physics from B --> kpi decays

PubMed

He; Hsueh; Shi

2000-01-03

Recent results from CLEO on B-->Kpi indicate that the phase gamma may be substantially different from that obtained from other fit to the KM matrix elements in the standard model. We show that gamma extracted using B-->Kpi,pipi is sensitive to new physics occurring at loop level. It provides a powerful method to probe new physics in electroweak penguin interactions. Using effects due to anomalous gauge couplings as an example, we show that within the allowed ranges for these couplings information about gamma obtained from B-->Kpi,pipi can be very different from the standard model prediction.

Grade Assignment by Ki-67 Proliferative Index, Mitotic Count, and Phosphohistone H3 Count in Surgically Resected Gastrointestinal and Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors.

PubMed

Murphy, Claire E; McCormick, Kinsey A; Shankaran, Veena; Reddi, Deepti M; Swanson, Paul E; Upton, Melissa P; Papanicolau-Sengos, Antonios; Khor, Sara; Westerhoff, Maria

The aim of this study was to evaluate the concordance in grade assignment for gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors using mitotic count (MC), Ki-67 proliferative index (KPI), and phosphohistone H3 count (PHH3C). Resected gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors were graded based on MC, KPI, and PHH3C. Concordance was determined using a weighted κ statistic. Median survival across each grade category was determined using Kaplan-Meier methods. Of the 110 patients, the majority had gastrointestinal primaries and grade 1 or 2 tumors. Rates of discordance in grade assignment were 29% of cases for KPI versus MC (κW = 0.26), 32% for PHH3C versus MC (κW = 0.34), and 32% for PHH3C versus KPI (κW = 0.37). There was fair agreement between grading by KPI and MC. Relative to grade by KPI and MC, PHH3C tended to upgrade tumors. The proportion alive at 3 and 5 years was not significantly different for patients with grade 1 versus grade 2 tumors. The concordance between KPI and MC was fair. Phosphohistone H3 count tended to upgrade tumors using the cutoffs established by MC. Grade 1 and grade 2 tumors were associated with similar survival regardless of grading method. The overall relevance of the current cutoff values used in grading neuroendocrine tumors may need to be revisited.

A novel uPAg-KPI fusion protein inhibits the growth and invasion of human ovarian cancer cells in vitro.

PubMed

Zhao, Li-Ping; Xu, Tian-Min; Kan, Mu-Jie; Xiao, Ye-Chen; Cui, Man-Hua

2016-05-01

Urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) acts by breaking down the basement membrane and is involved in cell proliferation, migration and invasion. These actions are mediated by binding to the uPA receptor (uPAR) via its growth factor domain (GFD). The present study evaluated the effects of uPAg-KPI, a fusion protein of uPA-GFD and a kunitz protease inhibitor (KPI) domain that is present in the amyloid β-protein precursor. Using SKOV-3 cells, an ovarian cancer cell line, we examined cell viability, migration, invasion and also protein expression. Furthermore, we examined wound healing, and migration and invasion using a Transwell assay. Our data showed that uPAg-KPI treatment reduced the viability of ovarian cancer SKOV-3 cells in both a concentration and time-dependent manner by arresting tumor cells at G1/G0 phase of the cell cycle. The IC50 of uPAg-KPI was 0.5 µg/µl after 48 h treatment. At this concentration, uPAg-KPI also inhibited tumor cell colony formation, wound closure, as well as cell migration and invasion capacity. At the protein level, western blot analysis demonstrated that uPAg-KPI exerted no significant effect on the expression of total extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/ERK2 and AKT, whereas it suppressed levels of phosphorylated ERK1/ERK2 and AKT. Thus, we suggest that this novel uPAg-KPI fusion protein reduced cell viability, colony formation, wound healing and the invasive ability of human ovarian cancer SKOV-3 cells in vitro by regulating ERK and AKT signaling. Further studies using other cell lines will confirm these findings.

A novel uPAg-KPI fusion protein inhibits the growth and invasion of human ovarian cancer cells in vitro

PubMed Central

ZHAO, LI-PING; XU, TIAN-MIN; KAN, MU-JIE; XIAO, YE-CHEN; CUI, MAN-HUA

2016-01-01

Urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) acts by breaking down the basement membrane and is involved in cell proliferation, migration and invasion. These actions are mediated by binding to the uPA receptor (uPAR) via its growth factor domain (GFD). The present study evaluated the effects of uPAg-KPI, a fusion protein of uPA-GFD and a kunitz protease inhibitor (KPI) domain that is present in the amyloid β-protein precursor. Using SKOV-3 cells, an ovarian cancer cell line, we examined cell viability, migration, invasion and also protein expression. Furthermore, we examined wound healing, and migration and invasion using a Transwell assay. Our data showed that uPAg-KPI treatment reduced the viability of ovarian cancer SKOV-3 cells in both a concentration and time-dependent manner by arresting tumor cells at G1/G0 phase of the cell cycle. The IC50 of uPAg-KPI was 0.5 µg/µl after 48 h treatment. At this concentration, uPAg-KPI also inhibited tumor cell colony formation, wound closure, as well as cell migration and invasion capacity. At the protein level, western blot analysis demonstrated that uPAg-KPI exerted no significant effect on the expression of total extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/ERK2 and AKT, whereas it suppressed levels of phosphorylated ERK1/ERK2 and AKT. Thus, we suggest that this novel uPAg-KPI fusion protein reduced cell viability, colony formation, wound healing and the invasive ability of human ovarian cancer SKOV-3 cells in vitro by regulating ERK and AKT signaling. Further studies using other cell lines will confirm these findings. PMID:27035617

Finding time for KPI initiatives.

PubMed

Wolfskill, Sandra J

2007-12-01

To develop a KPI reporting program for your revenue cycle, strategies for success include: carefully forming a small team to develop and report KPIs; targeting a maximum of two new, significant financial KPIs and two process KPIs per segment of the revenue cycle every six to 12 months; ensuring that the KPIs reported answer critical questions about revenue cycle performance; regularly sharing KPI results with staff.

Service-Oriented Architecture Approach to MAGTF Logistics Support Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-09-01

Support System-Marine Corps IT Information Technology KPI Key Performance Indicators LCE Logistics Command Element ITV In-transit Visibility LCM...building blocks, options, KPI (key performance indicators), design decisions and the corresponding; the physical attributes which is the second attribute... KPI ) that they impact. h. Layer 8 (Information Architecture) The business intelligence layer and information architecture safeguards the inclusion

Expression and activity analysis of a new fusion protein targeting ovarian cancer cells.

PubMed

Su, Manman; Chang, Weiqin; Wang, Dingding; Cui, Manhua; Lin, Yang; Wu, Shuying; Xu, Tianmin

2015-09-01

The aim of the present study was to develop a new therapeutic drug to improve the prognosis of ovarian cancer patients. Human urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA)17-34-kunitz-type protease inhibitor (KPI) eukaryotic expression vector was constructed and recombinant human uPA17-34-KPI (rhuPA17-34-KPI) in P. pastoris was expressed. In the present study, the DNA sequences that encode uPA 17-34 amino acids were created according to the native amino acids sequence and inserted into the KPI-pPICZαC vector, which was constructed. Then, uPA17‑34-KPI-pPICZαC was transformed into P. pastoris X-33, and rhuPA17-34-KPI was expressed by induction of methanol. The bioactivities of a recombinant fusion protein were detected with trypsin inhibition analysis, and the inhibitory effects on the growth of ovarian cancer cells were identified using the TUNEL assay, in vitro wound‑healing assay and Matrigel model analysis. The results of the DNA sequence analysis of the recombinant vector uPA17-34-KPI‑pPICZα demonstrated that the DNA‑encoding human uPA 17-34 amino acids, 285-288 amino acids of amyloid precursor protein (APP) and 1-57 amino acids of KPI were correctly inserted into the pPICZαC vector. Following induction by methonal, the fusion protein with a molecular weight of 8.8 kDa was observed using SDS-PAGE and western blot analysis. RhuPA17-34-KPI was expressed in P. pastoris with a yield of 50 mg/l in a 50-ml tube. The recombinant fusion protein was able to inhibit the activity of trypsin, inhibit growth and induce apoptosis of SKOV3 cells, and inhibit the invasion and metastasis of ovarian cancer cells. By considering uPA17-34 amino acid specific binding uPAR as the targeted part of fusion protein and utilizing the serine protease inhibitor activity of KPI, it was found that the recombinant fusion protein uPA17-34-KPI inhibited the invasion and metastasis of ovarian tumors, and may therefore be regarded as effective in targeted treatment.

Secure and Resilient Functional Modeling for Navy Cyber-Physical Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-05-24

Functional Modeling Compiler (SCCT) FM Compiler and Key Performance Indicators (KPI) May 2018 Pending. Model Management Backbone (SCCT) MMB Demonstration...implement the agent- based distributed runtime. - KPIs for single/multicore controllers and temporal/spatial domains. - Integration of the model management ...Distributed Runtime (UCI) Not started. Model Management Backbone (SCCT) Not started. Siemens Corporation Corporate Technology Unrestricted

Amyloid precursor protein mRNA levels in Alzheimer's disease brain.

PubMed

Preece, Paul; Virley, David J; Costandi, Moheb; Coombes, Robert; Moss, Stephen J; Mudge, Anne W; Jazin, Elena; Cairns, Nigel J

2004-03-17

Insoluble beta-amyloid deposits in Alzheimer's disease (AD) brain are proteolytically derived from the membrane bound amyloid precursor protein (APP). The APP gene is differentially spliced to produce isoforms that can be classified into those containing a Kunitz-type serine protease inhibitor domain (K(+), APP(751), APP(770), APRP(365) and APRP(563)), and those without (K(-), APP(695) and APP(714)). Given the hypothesis that Abeta is a result of aberrant catabolism of APP, differential expression of mRNA isoforms containing protease inhibitors might play an active role in the pathology of AD. We took 513 cerebral cortex samples from 90 AD and 81 control brains and quantified the mRNA isoforms of APP with TaqMan real-time RT-PCR. After adjustment for age at death, brain pH and gender we found a change in the ratio of KPI(+) to KPI(-) mRNA isoforms of APP. Three separate probes, designed to recognise only KPI(+) mRNA species, gave increases of between 28% and 50% in AD brains relative to controls (p=0.002). There was no change in the mRNA levels of KPI-(APP 695) (p=0.898). Therefore, whilst KPI-mRNA levels remained stable the KPI(+) species increased specifically in the AD brains.

Key performance indicators in British military trauma.

PubMed

Stannard, Adam; Tai, Nigel R; Bowley, Douglas M; Midwinter, Mark; Hodgetts, Tim J

2008-08-01

Key performance indicators (KPI) are tools for assessing process and outcome in systems of health care provision and are an essential component in performance improvement. Although KPI have been used in British military trauma for 10 years, they remain poorly defined and are derived from civilian metrics that do not adjust for the realities of field trauma care. Our aim was to modify current trauma KPI to ensure they more faithfully reflect both the military setting and contemporary evidence in order to both aid accurate calibration of the performance of the British Defence Medical Services and act as a driver for performance improvement. A workshop was convened that was attended by senior, experienced doctors and nurses from all disciplines of trauma care in the British military. "Speciality-specific" KPI were developed by interest groups using evidence-based data where available and collective experience where this was lacking. In a final discussion these were streamlined into 60 KPI covering each phase of trauma management. The introduction of these KPI sets a number of important benchmarks by which British military trauma can be measured. As part of a performance improvement programme, these will allow closer monitoring of our performance and assist efforts to develop, train, and resource British military trauma providers.

The Kunitz-protease inhibitor domain in amyloid precursor protein reduces cellular mitochondrial enzymes expression and function.

PubMed

Chua, Li-Min; Lim, Mei-Li; Wong, Boon-Seng

2013-08-09

Mitochondrial dysfunction is a prominent feature of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and this can be contributed by aberrant metabolic enzyme function. But, the mechanism causing this enzymatic impairment is unclear. Amyloid precursor protein (APP) is known to be alternatively spliced to produce three major isoforms in the brain (APP695, APP751, APP770). Both APP770 and APP751 contain the Kunitz Protease Inhibitory (KPI) domain, but the former also contain an extra OX-2 domain. APP695 on the other hand, lacks both domains. In AD, up-regulation of the KPI-containing APP isoforms has been reported. But the functional contribution of this elevation is unclear. In the present study, we have expressed and compared the effect of the non-KPI containing APP695 and the KPI-containing APP751 on mitochondrial function. We found that the KPI-containing APP751 significantly decreased the expression of three major mitochondrial metabolic enzymes; citrate synthase, succinate dehydrogenase and cytochrome c oxidase (COX IV). This reduction lowers the NAD(+)/NADH ratio, COX IV activity and mitochondrial membrane potential. Overall, this study demonstrated that up-regulation of the KPI-containing APP isoforms is likely to contribute to the impairment of metabolic enzymes and mitochondrial function in AD. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Expression of APP pathway mRNAs and proteins in Alzheimer's disease.

PubMed

Matsui, Toshifumi; Ingelsson, Martin; Fukumoto, Hiroaki; Ramasamy, Karunya; Kowa, Hisatomo; Frosch, Matthew P; Irizarry, Michael C; Hyman, Bradley T

2007-08-03

In both trisomy 21 and rare cases of triplication of amyloid precursor protein (APP) Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathological changes are believed to be secondary to increased expression of APP. We hypothesized that sporadic AD may also be associated with changes in transcription of APP or its metabolic partners. To address this issue, temporal neocortex of 27 AD and 21 non-demented control brains was examined to assess mRNA levels of APP isoforms (total APP, APP containing the Kunitz protease inhibitor domain [APP-KPI] and APP770) and APP metabolic enzymatic partners (the APP cleaving enzymes beta-secretase [BACE] and presenilin-1 [PS-1], and putative clearance molecules, low-density lipoprotein receptor protein [LRP] and apolipoprotein E [apoE]). Furthermore, we evaluated how changes in APP at the mRNA level affect the amount of Tris buffer extractable APP protein and Abeta40 and 42 peptides in AD and control brains. As assessed by quantitative PCR, APP-KPI (p=0.007), APP770 (p=0.004), PS-1 (p=0.004), LRP (p=0.003), apoE (p=0.0002) and GFAP (p<0.0001) mRNA levels all increased in AD, and there was a shift from APP695 (a neuronal isoform) towards KPI containing isoforms that are present in glia as well. APP-KPI mRNA levels correlated with soluble APPalpha-KPI protein (sAPPalpha-KPI) levels measured by ELISA (tau=0.33, p=0.015 by Kendall's rank correlation); in turn, soluble APPalpha-KPI protein levels positively correlated with Tris-extractable, soluble Abeta40 (p=0.046) and 42 levels (p=0.007). The ratio of soluble APPalpha-KPI protein levels to total APP protein increased in AD, and also correlated with GFAP protein levels in AD. These results suggest that altered transcription of APP in AD is proportionately associated with Abeta peptide, may occur in the context of gliosis, and may contribute to Abeta deposition in sporadic AD.

Amyloid precursor protein gene isoforms in Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders.

PubMed

Panegyres, P K; Zafiris-Toufexis, K; Kakulas, B A

2000-02-15

Differential expression of the amyloid precursor protein gene (APP) may be important in the development of amyloidosis in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and experimentally in the brain's response to injury. Controversial data suggests that APP isoforms containing the Kunitz protease inhibitor isoform (APP KPI+) are over expressed in the brains of patients with AD when compared to the non-Kunitz protease inhibitor containing isoforms (APP KPI-). We have investigated this hypothesis using a quantitative analysis of gene expression on brain tissue collected at post-mortem. In situ hybridization has been used with synthetic oligonucleotide probes labelled with 35S to detect the two principal splice variants of APP: APP 695 (KPI-) and APP 751 (KPI+). A prospective brain bank of frozen brain specimens has been established and includes pathologically proven AD (n=15) and other neurodegenerative disorders as controls (n=18). The controls consist of frontal lobe atrophy (n=4), Huntington's disease (n=5), Parkinson's disease (n=4), motor neuron disease (n=2), multi-infarct dementia (n=1), multisystem atrophy (n=1), and subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (n=1). We have observed no significant differences in the expression of APP 695 KPI- mRNA in frontal lobe: 17.49+/-3.26 optical density (OD) units of mRNA expression in AD vs. 16.13+/-1.76 OD units mRNA in controls (P=0.80, linear regression); or temporal lobe: 14.73+/-2.96 in AD vs. 16.49+/-2.15 in controls (P=0.55). No significant differences have been found in APP 751 KPI+ in frontal lobe: 12.86+/-2.98 in AD vs. 13.70+/-2.88 in controls (P=0.97); and temporal lobe: 13.31+/-4.93 in AD vs. 11.07+/-1.99 in controls (P=0. 65). Analysis of the ratios of APP 751 KPI+ OD units of mRNA to APP 695 KPI- mRNA revealed a trend to an increased ratio which did not reach statistical significance: frontal lobe APP 751 KPI+/APP 695 KPI- 1.92+/-1.04 in AD vs. 0.86+/-0.17 in controls (P=0.54); temporal lobe 2.54+/-1.59 in AD vs. 0.96+/-0.11 controls (P=0.34). Our data has not revealed differential expression of APP mRNA isoforms in AD and supports the hypothesis that post-translational events in APP metabolism are important in amyloidogenesis and the pathogenesis of AD.

LRP-mediated clearance of Abeta is inhibited by KPI-containing isoforms of APP.

PubMed

Moir, Robert D; Tanzi, Rudolph E

2005-04-01

The pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) involves the abnormal accumulation and deposition of beta-amyloid in cerebral blood vessels and in the brain parenchyma. Critical in modulating beta-amyloid deposition in brain is the flux of Abeta across the blood brain barrier. The low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein (LRP), is a large endocytic receptor that mediates the efflux of Abeta out of brain and into the periphery. The first step in the LRP-mediated clearance of Abeta involves the formation of a complex between Abeta and the LRP ligands apolipoprotein E (apoE) or alpha(2)-macroglobulin (alpha(2)M). The Abeta/chaperone complexes then bind to LRP via binding sites on apoE or alpha(2)M. The efflux of Abeta/chaperone complexes out of the neuropil and into the periphery may be attenuated by LRP-ligands that compete with apoE or alpha(2)M for LRP binding. LRP is also the cell surface receptor for Kunitz Protease Inhibitor (KPI) containing isoforms of Abeta's parent protein, the amyloid protein precursor (APP). Protein and mRNA levels of KPI-containing APP isoforms (APP-KPI) are elevated in AD brain and are associated with increased Abeta production. In this study we show that soluble non-amyloidogenic APP-KPI can also inhibit the uptake of Abeta/alpha(2)M in a cell culture model of LRP mediated Abeta clearance. Clearance of Abeta/apoE complexes was not inhibited by APP-KPI. Our findings are consistent with studies showing that apoE and alpha(2)M have discrete binding sites on LRP. Most significantly, our data suggests that the elevated levels of APP-KPI in AD brain may attenuate the clearance of Abeta, the proteins own amyloidogenic catabolic product.

Conformational study of red kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) protein isolate (KPI) by tryptophan fluorescence and differential scanning calorimetry.

PubMed

Yin, Shou-Wei; Tang, Chuan-He; Yang, Xiao-Quan; Wen, Qi-Biao

2011-01-12

Fluorescence and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were used to study changes in the conformation of red kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) protein isolate (KPI) under various environmental conditions. The possible relationship between fluorescence data and DSC characteristics was also discussed. Tryptophan fluorescence and fluorescence quenching analyses indicated that the tryptophan residues in KPI, exhibiting multiple fluorophores with different accessibilities to acrylamide, are largely buried in the hydrophobic core of the protein matrix, with positively charged side chains close to at least some of the tryptophan residues. GdnHCl was more effective than urea and SDS in denaturing KPI. SDS and urea caused variable red shifts, 2-5 nm, in the emission λ(max), suggesting the conformational compactness of KPI. The result was further supported by DSC characteristics that a discernible endothermic peak was still detected up to 8 M urea or 30 mM SDS, also evidenced by the absence of any shift in emission maximum (λ(max)) at different pH conditions. Marked decreases in T(d) and enthalpy (ΔH) were observed at extreme alkaline and/or acidic pH, whereas the presence of NaCl resulted in higher T(d) and ΔH, along with greater cooperativity of the transition. Decreases in T(d) and ΔH were observed in the presence of protein perturbants, for example, SDS and urea, indicating partial denaturation and decrease in thermal stability. Dithiothreitol and N-ethylmaleimide have a slight effect on the thermal properties of KPI. Interestingly, a close linear relationship between the T(d) (or ΔH) and the λ(max) was observed for KPI in the presence of 0-6 M urea.

Concerning the use of multifunctional photometer - polarimeter for studying the invasion of cosmic bodies into the Earth's atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geraimchuk, M. D.; Vidmachenko, A. P.; Nevodovskyi, P. V.; Steklov, O. F.

2018-05-01

Main astronomical observatory of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine together with the National Technical University of Ukraine "KPI" for many years working on the development of photometers-polarimeters for the study of cosmic bodies and Earth's atmosphere. We proposed an option of the development of a multipurpose panoramic photometer-polarimeter, which takes into account the shortcomings of the previous versions of the instrument and also allows for the registration of tracks of bolides, and study of their tails, and weak meteor phenomena.

A KPI-based process monitoring and fault detection framework for large-scale processes.

PubMed

Zhang, Kai; Shardt, Yuri A W; Chen, Zhiwen; Yang, Xu; Ding, Steven X; Peng, Kaixiang

2017-05-01

Large-scale processes, consisting of multiple interconnected subprocesses, are commonly encountered in industrial systems, whose performance needs to be determined. A common approach to this problem is to use a key performance indicator (KPI)-based approach. However, the different KPI-based approaches are not developed with a coherent and consistent framework. Thus, this paper proposes a framework for KPI-based process monitoring and fault detection (PM-FD) for large-scale industrial processes, which considers the static and dynamic relationships between process and KPI variables. For the static case, a least squares-based approach is developed that provides an explicit link with least-squares regression, which gives better performance than partial least squares. For the dynamic case, using the kernel representation of each subprocess, an instrument variable is used to reduce the dynamic case to the static case. This framework is applied to the TE benchmark process and the hot strip mill rolling process. The results show that the proposed method can detect faults better than previous methods. Copyright © 2017 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Multiple branches of travelling waves for the Gross–Pitaevskii equation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiron, David; Scheid, Claire

2018-06-01

Explicit solitary waves are known to exist for the Kadomtsev–Petviashvili-I (KP-I) equation in dimension 2. We first address numerically the question of their Morse index. The results confirm that the lump solitary wave has Morse index one and that the other explicit solutions correspond to excited states. We then turn to the 2D Gross–Pitaevskii (GP) equation, which in some long wave regime converges to the KP-I equation. Numerical simulations have already shown that a branch of travelling waves of GP converges to a ground state of KP-I, expected to be the lump. In this work, we perform numerical simulations showing that other explicit solitary waves solutions to the KP-I equation give rise to new branches of travelling waves of GP corresponding to excited states.

Do clinical safety charts improve paramedic key performance indicator results? (A clinical improvement programme evaluation).

PubMed

Ebbs, Phillip; Middleton, Paul M; Bonner, Ann; Loudfoot, Allan; Elliott, Peter

2012-07-01

Is the Clinical Safety Chart clinical improvement programme (CIP) effective at improving paramedic key performance indicator (KPI) results within the Ambulance Service of New South Wales? The CIP intervention area was compared with the non-intervention area in order to determine whether there was a statistically significant improvement in KPI results. The CIP was associated with a statistically significant improvement in paramedic KPI results within the intervention area. The strategies used within this CIP are recommended for further consideration.

De Novo Synthesis of Phosphorylated Triblock Copolymers with Pathogen Virulence-Suppressing Properties That Prevent Infection-Related Mortality

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

Mao, Jun; Zaborin, Alexander; Poroyko, Valeriy

Phosphate is a key and universal "cue" in response to which bacteria either enhance their virulence when local phosphate is scarce or downregulate it when phosphate is adundant. Phosphate becomes depleted in the mammalian gut following physiologic stress and serves as a major trigger for colonizing bacteria to express virulence. This process cannot be reversed with oral supplementation of inorganic phosphate because it is nearly completely absorbed in the proximal small intestine. In the present study, we describe the de novo synthesis of phosphorylated polyethylene glycol compounds with three defined ABA (hydrophilic/-phobic/-philic) structures, ABA-PEG10k-Pi10, ABA-PEG16k-Pi14, and ABA-PEG20k-Pi20, and linear polymermore » PEG20k-Pi20 absent of the hydrophobic block. The 10k, 16k, and 20k demonstrate the molecular weights of the poly(ethylene glycol) block, and Pi10, Pi14, and Pi20 represent the repeating units of phosphate. Polymers were tested for their efficacy against Pseudomonas aeruginosa virulence in vitro and in vivo by assessing the expression of the phosphate sensing protein PstS, the production of key virulence factor pyocyanin, and Caenorhabditis elegans killing assays. Results indicate that all phosphorylated polymers suppressed phosphate sensing, virulence expression, and lethality in P. aeruginosa. Among all of the phosphorylated polymers, ABA-PEG20kPi20 displayed the greatest degree of protection against P. aeruginosa. To define the role of the hydrophobic core in ABA-PEG20k-Pi20 in the above response, we synthesized PEG20k-Pi20 in which the hydrophobic core is absent. Results indicate that the hypdrophobic core of ABA-PEG20k-Pi20 is a key structure in its protective effect against P. aeruginosa, in part due to its ability to coat the surface of bacteria. Taken together, the synthesis of novel polymers with defined structures and levels of phosphorylation may elucidate their antivirulence action against clinically important and lethal pathogens such as P. aeruginosa« less

Structural features of the KPI domain control APP dimerization, trafficking, and processing.

PubMed

Ben Khalifa, Naouel; Tyteca, Donatienne; Marinangeli, Claudia; Depuydt, Mathieu; Collet, Jean-François; Courtoy, Pierre J; Renauld, Jean-Christophe; Constantinescu, Stefan; Octave, Jean-Noël; Kienlen-Campard, Pascal

2012-02-01

The two major isoforms of human APP, APP695 and APP751, differ by the presence of a Kunitz-type protease inhibitor (KPI) domain in the extracellular region. APP processing and function is thought to be regulated by homodimerization. We used bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) to study dimerization of different APP isoforms and mutants. APP751 was found to form significantly more homodimers than APP695. Mutation of dimerization motifs in the TM domain did not affect fluorescence complementation, but native folding of KPI is critical for APP751 homodimerization. APP751 and APP695 dimers were mostly localized at steady state in the Golgi region, suggesting that most of the APP751 and 695 dimers are in the secretory pathway. Mutation of the KPI led to the retention of the APP homodimers in the endoplasmic reticulum. We finally showed that APP751 is more efficiently processed through the nonamyloidogenic pathway than APP695. These findings provide new insight on the particular role of KPI domain in APP dimerization. The correlation observed between dimerization, subcellular localization, and processing suggests that dimerization acts as an efficient regulator of APP trafficking in the secretory compartments that has major consequences on its processing.

The Proposal of Key Performance Indicators in Facility Management and Determination the Weights of Significance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rimbalová, Jarmila; Vilčeková, Silvia

2013-11-01

The practice of facilities management is rapidly evolving with the increasing interest in the discourse of sustainable development. The industry and its market are forecasted to develop to include non-core functions, activities traditionally not associated with this profession, but which are increasingly being addressed by facilities managers. The scale of growth in the built environment and the consequential growth of the facility management sector is anticipated to be enormous. Key Performance Indicators (KPI) are measure that provides essential information about performance of facility services delivery. In selecting KPI, it is critical to limit them to those factors that are essential to the organization reaching its goals. It is also important to keep the number of KPI small just to keep everyone's attention focused on achieving the same KPIs. This paper deals with the determination of weights of KPI of FM in terms of the design and use of sustainable buildings.

The intact Kunitz domain protects the amyloid precursor protein from being processed by matriptase-2.

PubMed

Beckmann, Anna-Madeleine; Glebov, Konstantin; Walter, Jochen; Merkel, Olaf; Mangold, Martin; Schmidt, Frederike; Becker-Pauly, Christoph; Gütschow, Michael; Stirnberg, Marit

2016-08-01

Proteolytic processing of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) leads to amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides. So far, the mechanism of APP processing is insufficiently characterized at the molecular level. Whereas the knowledge of Aβ generation by several proteases has been expanded, the contribution of the Kunitz-type protease inhibitor domain (KPI) present in two major APP isoforms to the complex proteolytic processing of APP is poorly understood. In this study, we have identified KPI-containing APP as a very potent, slow-binding inhibitor for the membrane-bound proteolytic regulator of iron homeostasis matriptase-2 by forming stable complexes with its target protease in HEK cells. Inhibition and complex formation depend on the intact KPI domain. By inhibiting matriptase-2, KPI-containing APP is protected from matriptase-2-mediated proteolysis within the Aβ region, thus preventing the generation of N-terminally truncated Aβ.

Tetrahydroxystilbene glucoside modulates amyloid precursor protein processing via activation of AKT-GSK3β pathway in cells and in APP/PS1 transgenic mice.

PubMed

Yin, Xiaomin; Chen, Chen; Xu, Ting; Li, Lin; Zhang, Lan

2018-01-01

Alternative splicing of amyloid precursor protein (APP) exon 7 generates the isoforms containing a Kunitz protease inhibitor (KPI) domain. APP-KPI levels in the brain are correlated with amyloid beta (Aβ) production. Here, we determined the effect of Tetrahydroxystilbene glucoside (TSG) on the AKT-GSK3β pathway. We found GSK3β increased APP-KPI inclusion level and interacted with the splicing factor ASF. TSG was intragastrically administered to 5-month-old APP/PS1 transgenic mice for 12 months. We found that the activated the AKT-GSK3β signaling pathway suppressed APP-KPI inclusion. Moreover, TSG treatment attenuated amyloid deposition in APP/PS1 mice. This study demonstrates the neuroprotective effect of TSG on APP expression, suggesting that TSG may be beneficial for AD prevention and treatment. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Health policies on dialysis modality selection: a nationwide population cohort study

PubMed Central

Lin, Yi-Chun; Lin, Yen-Chung; Kao, Chih-Chin; Chen, Hsi-Hsien; Hsu, Chih-Cheng; Wu, Mai-Szu

2017-01-01

Objectives In Taiwan, peritoneal dialysis (PD) and haemodialysis are fully accessible to patients with end-stage renal disease. However, the usage of PD is considered low in Taiwan. Since 2005, 4 major policies have been implemented by Taiwan's Ministry of Health and Welfare, namely a multidisciplinary predialysis care programme and usage increasing the PD incidence as a key performance indicator (KPI) for hospital accreditation, both of which were implemented in 2006; reimbursement of the glucose-free dialysate, icodextrin that was implemented in 2007; and insurance reimbursement for renting automated PD machines that was implemented in 2008. The aim of this study was to analyse the associations between the PD promotional policies and the actual PD selection rates. Setting We analysed data within the Taiwan Renal Registry Data System from 2006 to 2013, focusing on the PD incidence in relation to the timings of the 4 PD promotional policies; then we stratified the results according to age, sex and the presence of diabetes mellitus. Participants From 2006 to 2013, 115 565 patients were enrolled in this study. The mean (SD) age of patients on PD was 54.6 (15.7) years. Results During the time frame in which the 4 PD promotional policies were implemented, the PD incidence increased from 12.8% in 2006 to 15.1% in 2009. The PD incidence started to decline in 2010 (13.8%) when the hospital accreditation policy was repealed. The 3 remaining policies were weakly associated with the PD incidence. The observational analysis determined that the patients' ages, sexes and diabetes mellitus incidence rates were relatively stable from 2006 to 2013. Conclusions Of the 4 health policies intended to promote PD usage, using increasing the PD incidence as a KPI for hospital accreditation had the strongest association with the PD incidence. PMID:28077410

Fredholm and Wronskian representations of solutions to the KPI equation and multi-rogue waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaillard, Pierre

2016-06-01

We construct solutions to the Kadomtsev-Petviashvili equation (KPI) in terms of Fredholm determinants. We deduce solutions written as a quotient of Wronskians of order 2N. These solutions, called solutions of order N, depend on 2N - 1 parameters. When one of these parameters tends to zero, we obtain N order rational solutions expressed as a quotient of two polynomials of degree 2N(N + 1) in x, y, and t depending on 2N - 2 parameters. So we get with this method an infinite hierarchy of solutions to the KPI equation.

Measurement of the absolute branching fraction of D0-->K-pi+.

PubMed

Aubert, B; Bona, M; Boutigny, D; Karyotakis, Y; Lees, J P; Poireau, V; Prudent, X; Tisserand, V; Zghiche, A; Garra Tico, J; Grauges, E; Lopez, L; Palano, A; Eigen, G; Ofte, I; Stugu, B; Sun, L; Abrams, G S; Battaglia, M; Brown, D N; Button-Shafer, J; Cahn, R N; Groysman, Y; Jacobsen, R G; Kadyk, J A; Kerth, L T; Kolomensky, Yu G; Kukartsev, G; Lopes Pegna, D; Lynch, G; Mir, L M; Orimoto, T J; Pripstein, M; Roe, N A; Ronan, M T; Tackmann, K; Wenzel, W A; Del Amo Sanchez, P; Hawkes, C M; Watson, A T; Held, T; Koch, H; Lewandowski, B; Pelizaeus, M; Schroeder, T; Steinke, M; Cottingham, W N; Walker, D; Asgeirsson, D J; Cuhadar-Donszelmann, T; Fulsom, B G; Hearty, C; Knecht, N S; Mattison, T S; McKenna, J A; Khan, A; Saleem, M; Teodorescu, L; Blinov, V E; Bukin, A D; Druzhinin, V P; Golubev, V B; Onuchin, A P; Serednyakov, S I; Skovpen, Yu I; Solodov, E P; Todyshev, K Yu; Bondioli, M; Curry, S; Eschrich, I; Kirkby, D; Lankford, A J; Lund, P; Mandelkern, M; Martin, E C; Stoker, D P; Abachi, S; Buchanan, C; Foulkes, S D; Gary, J W; Liu, F; Long, O; Shen, B C; Zhang, L; Paar, H P; Rahatlou, S; Sharma, V; Berryhill, J W; Campagnari, C; Cunha, A; Dahmes, B; Hong, T M; Kovalskyi, D; Richman, J D; Beck, T W; Eisner, A M; Flacco, C J; Heusch, C A; Kroseberg, J; Lockman, W S; Schalk, T; Schumm, B A; Seiden, A; Williams, D C; Wilson, M G; Winstrom, L O; Chen, E; Cheng, C H; Dvoretskii, A; Fang, F; Hitlin, D G; Narsky, I; Piatenko, T; Porter, F C; Mancinelli, G; Meadows, B T; Mishra, K; Sokoloff, M D; Blanc, F; Bloom, P C; Chen, S; Ford, W T; Hirschauer, J F; Kreisel, A; Nagel, M; Nauenberg, U; Olivas, A; Smith, J G; Ulmer, K A; Wagner, S R; Zhang, J; Gabareen, A M; Soffer, A; Toki, W H; Wilson, R J; Winklmeier, F; Zeng, Q; Altenburg, D D; Feltresi, E; Hauke, A; Jasper, H; Merkel, J; Petzold, A; Spaan, B; Wacker, K; Brandt, T; Klose, V; Lacker, H M; Mader, W F; Nogowski, R; Schubert, J; Schubert, K R; Schwierz, R; Sundermann, J E; Volk, A; Bernard, D; Bonneaud, G R; Latour, E; Lombardo, V; 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Chen, X; Dasu, S; Flood, K T; Hollar, J J; Kutter, P E; Pan, Y; Pierini, M; Prepost, R; Wu, S L; Yu, Z; Neal, H

2008-02-08

We measure the absolute branching fraction for D(0)-->K(-)pi(+) using partial reconstruction of B(0)-->D(*+)Xl(-)nu(l) decays, in which only the charged lepton and the pion from the decay D(*+)-->D(0)pi(+) are used. Based on a data sample of 230 x 10(6) BB pairs collected at the Upsilon(4S) resonance with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II asymmetric-energy B factory at SLAC, we obtain B(D(0)-->K(-)pi(+)) = (4.007+/-0.037+/-0.072)%, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic.

Lost region in amyloid precursor protein (APP) through TALEN-mediated genome editing alters mitochondrial morphology.

PubMed

Wang, Yajie; Wu, Fengyi; Pan, Haining; Zheng, Wenzhong; Feng, Chi; Wang, Yunfu; Deng, Zixin; Wang, Lianrong; Luo, Jie; Chen, Shi

2016-02-29

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by amyloid-β (Aβ) deposition in the brain. Aβ plaques are produced through sequential β/γ cleavage of amyloid precursor protein (APP), of which there are three main APP isoforms: APP695, APP751 and APP770. KPI-APPs (APP751 and APP770) are known to be elevated in AD, but the reason remains unclear. Transcription activator-like (TAL) effector nucleases (TALENs) induce mutations with high efficiency at specific genomic loci, and it is thus possible to knock out specific regions using TALENs. In this study, we designed and expressed TALENs specific for the C-terminus of APP in HeLa cells, in which KPI-APPs are predominantly expressed. The KPI-APP mutants lack a 12-aa region that encompasses a 5-aa trans-membrane (TM) region and 7-aa juxta-membrane (JM) region. The mutated KPI-APPs exhibited decreased mitochondrial localization. In addition, mitochondrial morphology was altered, resulting in an increase in spherical mitochondria in the mutant cells through the disruption of the balance between fission and fusion. Mitochondrial dysfunction, including decreased ATP levels, disrupted mitochondrial membrane potential, increased ROS generation and impaired mitochondrial dehydrogenase activity, was also found. These results suggest that specific regions of KPI-APPs are important for mitochondrial localization and function.

Peptide microarray analysis of substrate specificity of the transmembrane Ser/Thr kinase KPI-2 reveals reactivity with cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator and phosphorylase.

PubMed

Wang, Hong; Brautigan, David L

2006-11-01

Human lemur (Lmr) kinases are predicted to be Tyr kinases based on sequences and are related to neurotrophin receptor Trk kinases. This study used homogeneous recombinant KPI-2 (Lmr2, LMTK2, Cprk, brain-enriched protein kinase) kinase domain and a library of 1,154 peptides on a microarray to analyze substrate specificity. We found that KPI-2 is strictly a Ser/Thr kinase that reacts with Ser either preceded by or followed by Pro residues but unlike other Pro-directed kinases does not strictly require an adjacent Pro residue. The most reactive peptide in the library corresponds to Ser-737 of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator, and the recombinant R domain of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator was a preferred substrate. Furthermore the KPI-2 kinase phosphorylated peptides corresponding to the single site in phosphorylase and purified phosphorylase b, making this only the second known phosphorylase b kinase. Phosphorylase was used as a specific substrate to show that KPI-2 is inhibited in living cells by addition of nerve growth factor or serum. The results demonstrate the utility of the peptide library to probe specificity and discover kinase substrates and offer a specific assay that reveals hormonal regulation of the activity of this unusual transmembrane kinase.

Partitioning of monomethylmercury between freshwater algae and water.

PubMed

Miles, C J; Moye, H A; Phlips, E J; Sargent, B

2001-11-01

Phytoplankton-water monomethylmercury (MeHg) partition constants (KpI) have been determined in the laboratory for two green algae Selenastrum capricornutum and Cosmarium botrytis, the blue-green algae Schizothrix calcicola, and the diatom Thallasiosira spp., algal species that are commonly found in natural surface waters. Two methods were used to determine KpI, the Freundlich isotherm method and the flow-through/dialysis bag method. Both methods yielded KpI values of about 10(6.6) for S. capricornutum and were not significantly different. The KpI for the four algae studied were similar except for Schizothrix, which was significantly lower than S. capricornutum. The KpI for MeHg and S. capricornutum (exponential growth) was not significantly different in systems with predominantly MeHgOH or MeHgCl species. This is consistent with other studies that show metal speciation controls uptake kinetics, but the reactivity with intracellular components controls steady-state concentrations. Partitioning constants determined with exponential and stationary phase S. capricornutum cells at the same conditions were not significantly different, while the partitioning constant for exponential phase, phosphorus-limited cells was significantly lower, suggesting that P-limitation alters the ecophysiology of S. capricornutum sufficiently to impact partitioning, which may then ultimately affect mercury levels in higher trophic species.

A Low-Molecular-Weight Gelator Composed of Pyrene and Fluorene Moieties for Effective Charge Transfer in Supramolecular Ambidextrous Gel.

PubMed

Reddy, Samala Murali Mohan; Dorishetty, Pramod; Augustine, George; Deshpande, Abhijit P; Ayyadurai, Niraikulam; Shanmugam, Ganesh

2017-11-28

Charge-transfer (CT) gel materials obtained from low-molecular-weight (LMW) compounds through a supramolecular self-assembly approach have received fascinating attention by many researchers because of their interesting material property and potential applications. However, most of the CT gel materials constructed were of organogels while the construction of CT gels in the form of a hydrogel is a challenge because of the solubility issue in water, which considerably limits the use of CT hydrogels. Herein, for the first time, we report a new LMW gelator [N α -(fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl)-N ε -(δ-butyric-1-pyrenyl)-l-lysine, (FmKPy)], composed of two functional moieties such as fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl and pyrene, which not only parade both hydro and organo (ambidextrous) supramolecular gel formation but also exhibit CT ambidextrous gels when mixed with an electron acceptor such as 2,4,7-trinitro-9-fluorenone (TNF). This finding is significant as the established CT organogelator in the literature did not form an organogel in the absence of an electron acceptor or lose their gelation property upon the addition of the acceptor. CT between pyrene and TNF was confirmed by the color change as well as the appearance of the CT band in the visible region of the absorption spectrum. CT between FmKPy and TNF was supported by the solvent dilution method using tetrahydrofuran as the gel breaker and pyrene fluorescence quenching in the case compound containing pyrene and TNF. The morphology of FmKPy ambidextrous gels indicates the fibrous nature while the self-assembled structure is primarily stabilized by π-π stacking among fluorenyl and pyrenyl moieties and hydrogen bonding between amide groups. The FmKPy-TNF CT ambidextrous gel retains the fibrous nature; however, the size of the fibers changed. In FmKPy-TNF CT gels, TNF is intercalated between pyrene moieties in the self-assembled structure as confirmed by fluorescence quenching and powder X-ray diffraction. The FmKPy ambidextrous gel exhibits significant properties such as low minimum gelation concentration (MGC), thixotropic nature, pH stimuli response, and high thermal stability. Upon the addition of TNF, the FmKPy-TNF CT ambidextrous gel maintains all these properties except MGC which increased for FmKPy-TNF. Because pyrene-based LMW organogels have been developed widely for many applications while their hydrogels were limited, the current finding of the pyrene-based ambidextrous fluorescent gel with the CT property provides a wide opportunity to use FmKPy as a soft material maker and also for potential applications in fields like surface coating, three-dimensional printing, and so forth.

Kazal-type proteinase inhibitor from disk abalone (Haliotis discus discus): molecular characterization and transcriptional response upon immune stimulation.

PubMed

Wickramaarachchi, W D Niroshana; De Zoysa, Mahanama; Whang, Ilson; Wan, Qiang; Lee, Jehee

2013-09-01

Proteinases and proteinase inhibitors are involved in several biological and physiological processes in all multicellular organisms. Proteinase inhibitors play a key role in regulating the activity of the respective proteinases. Among serine proteinase inhibitors, kazal-type proteinase inhibitors (KPIs) are widely found in mammals, avians, and a variety of invertebrates. In this study, we describe the identification of a kazal-type serine proteinase inhibitor (Ab-KPI) from the disk abalone, Haliotis discus discus, which is presumably involved in innate immunity. The full-length cDNA of Ab-KPI includes 600 bp nucleotides with an open reading frame (ORF) encoding a polypeptide of 143 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequence of Ab-KPI contains a putative 17-amino acid signal peptide and two tandem kazal domains with high similarity to other kazal-type SPIs. Each kazal domain consists of reactive site (P1) residue containing a leucine (L), and a threonine (T) located in the second amino acid position after the second conserved cysteine of each domain. Temporal expression of Ab-KPI was assessed by real time quantitative PCR in hemocytes and mantle tissue following bacterial and viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) challenge, and tissue injury. At 6 h post-bacterial and -VHSV challenge, Ab-KPI expression in hemocytes was increased 14-fold and 4-fold, respectively, compared to control samples. The highest up-regulations upon tissue injury were shown at 9 h and 12 h in hemocytes and mantle, respectively. The transcriptional modulation of Ab-KPI following bacterial and viral challenges and tissue injury indicates that it might be involved in immune defense as well as wound healing process in abalone. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Privacy-Preserving Platform for User-Centric Quantitative Benchmarking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herrmann, Dominik; Scheuer, Florian; Feustel, Philipp; Nowey, Thomas; Federrath, Hannes

We propose a centralised platform for quantitative benchmarking of key performance indicators (KPI) among mutually distrustful organisations. Our platform offers users the opportunity to request an ad-hoc benchmarking for a specific KPI within a peer group of their choice. Architecture and protocol are designed to provide anonymity to its users and to hide the sensitive KPI values from other clients and the central server. To this end, we integrate user-centric peer group formation, exchangeable secure multi-party computation protocols, short-lived ephemeral key pairs as pseudonyms, and attribute certificates. We show by empirical evaluation of a prototype that the performance is acceptable for reasonably sized peer groups.

Evidence for D0-D(0) mixing using the CDF II detector.

PubMed

Aaltonen, T; Adelman, J; Akimoto, T; Albrow, M G; González, B Alvarez; Amerio, S; Amidei, D; Anastassov, A; Annovi, A; Antos, J; Aoki, M; Apollinari, G; Apresyan, A; Arisawa, T; Artikov, A; Ashmanskas, W; Attal, A; Aurisano, A; Azfar, F; Azzi-Bacchetta, P; Azzurri, P; Bacchetta, N; Badgett, W; Barbaro-Galtieri, A; Barnes, V E; Barnett, B A; Baroiant, S; Bartsch, V; Bauer, G; Beauchemin, P-H; Bedeschi, F; Bednar, P; Behari, S; Bellettini, G; Bellinger, J; Belloni, A; Benjamin, D; Beretvas, A; Beringer, J; Berry, T; Bhatti, A; Binkley, M; Bisello, D; Bizjak, I; Blair, R E; Blocker, C; Blumenfeld, B; Bocci, A; Bodek, A; Boisvert, V; Bolla, G; Bolshov, A; Bortoletto, D; Boudreau, J; Boveia, A; Brau, B; Bridgeman, A; Brigliadori, L; Bromberg, C; Brubaker, E; Budagov, J; Budd, H S; Budd, S; Burkett, K; Busetto, G; Bussey, P; Buzatu, A; Byrum, K L; Cabrera, S; Campanelli, M; Campbell, M; Canelli, F; Canepa, A; Carlsmith, D; Carosi, R; Carrillo, S; Carron, S; Casal, B; Casarsa, M; Castro, A; Catastini, P; 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Garcia, J E; Garfinkel, A F; Gerberich, H; Gerdes, D; Giagu, S; Giakoumopolou, V; Giannetti, P; Gibson, K; Gimmell, J L; Ginsburg, C M; Giokaris, N; Giordani, M; Giromini, P; Giunta, M; Glagolev, V; Glenzinski, D; Gold, M; Goldschmidt, N; Golossanov, A; Gomez, G; Gomez-Ceballos, G; Goncharov, M; González, O; Gorelov, I; Goshaw, A T; Goulianos, K; Gresele, A; Grinstein, S; Grosso-Pilcher, C; Grundler, U; Guimaraes da Costa, J; Gunay-Unalan, Z; Haber, C; Hahn, K; Hahn, S R; Halkiadakis, E; Hamilton, A; Han, B-Y; Han, J Y; Handler, R; Happacher, F; Hara, K; Hare, D; Hare, M; Harper, S; Harr, R F; Harris, R M; Hartz, M; Hatakeyama, K; Hauser, J; Hays, C; Heck, M; Heijboer, A; Heinemann, B; Heinrich, J; Henderson, C; Herndon, M; Heuser, J; Hewamanage, S; Hidas, D; Hill, C S; Hirschbuehl, D; Hocker, A; Hou, S; Houlden, M; Hsu, S-C; Huffman, B T; Hughes, R E; Husemann, U; Huston, J; Incandela, J; Introzzi, G; Iori, M; Ivanov, A; Iyutin, B; James, E; Jayatilaka, B; Jeans, D; Jeon, E J; Jindariani, S; Johnson, W; Jones, M; Joo, K K; Jun, S Y; Jung, J E; Junk, T R; Kamon, T; Kar, D; Karchin, P E; Kato, Y; Kephart, R; Kerzel, U; Khotilovich, V; Kilminster, B; Kim, D H; Kim, H S; Kim, J E; Kim, M J; Kim, S B; Kim, S H; Kim, Y K; Kimura, N; Kirsch, L; Klimenko, S; Klute, M; Knuteson, B; Ko, B R; Koay, S A; Kondo, K; Kong, D J; Konigsberg, J; Korytov, A; Kotwal, A V; Kraus, J; Kreps, M; Kroll, J; Krumnack, N; Kruse, M; Krutelyov, V; Kubo, T; Kuhlmann, S E; Kuhr, T; Kulkarni, N P; Kusakabe, Y; Kwang, S; Laasanen, A T; Lai, S; Lami, S; Lammel, S; Lancaster, M; Lander, R L; Lannon, K; Lath, A; Latino, G; Lazzizzera, I; Lecompte, T; Lee, J; Lee, J; Lee, Y J; Lee, S W; Lefèvre, R; Leonardo, N; Leone, S; Levy, S; Lewis, J D; Lin, C; Lin, C S; Linacre, J; Lindgren, M; Lipeles, E; Lister, A; Litvintsev, D O; Liu, T; Lockyer, N S; Loginov, A; Loreti, M; Lovas, L; Lu, R-S; Lucchesi, D; Lueck, J; Luci, C; Lujan, P; Lukens, P; Lungu, G; Lyons, L; Lys, J; Lysak, R; Lytken, E; Mack, P; Macqueen, D; Madrak, R; Maeshima, K; Makhoul, K; Maki, T; Maksimovic, P; Malde, S; Malik, S; Manca, G; Manousakis, A; Margaroli, F; Marino, C; Marino, C P; Martin, A; Martin, M; Martin, V; Martínez, M; Martínez-Ballarín, R; Maruyama, T; Mastrandrea, P; Masubuchi, T; Mattson, M E; Mazzanti, P; McFarland, K S; McIntyre, P; McNulty, R; Mehta, A; Mehtala, P; Menzemer, S; Menzione, A; Merkel, P; Mesropian, C; Messina, A; Miao, T; Miladinovic, N; Miles, J; Miller, R; Mills, C; Milnik, M; Mitra, A; Mitselmakher, G; Miyake, H; Moed, S; Moggi, N; Moon, C S; Moore, R; Morello, M; Movilla Fernandez, P; Mülmenstädt, J; Mukherjee, A; Muller, Th; Mumford, R; Murat, P; Mussini, M; Nachtman, J; Nagai, Y; Nagano, A; Naganoma, J; Nakamura, K; Nakano, I; Napier, A; Necula, V; Neu, C; Neubauer, M S; Nielsen, J; Nodulman, L; Norman, M; Norniella, O; Nurse, E; Oh, S H; Oh, Y D; Oksuzian, I; Okusawa, T; Oldeman, R; Orava, R; Osterberg, K; Pagan Griso, S; Pagliarone, C; Palencia, E; Papadimitriou, V; Papaikonomou, A; Paramonov, A A; Parks, B; Pashapour, S; Patrick, J; Pauletta, G; Paulini, M; Paus, C; Pellett, D E; Penzo, A; Phillips, T J; Piacentino, G; Piedra, J; Pinera, L; Pitts, K; Plager, C; Pondrom, L; Portell, X; Poukhov, O; Pounder, N; Prakoshyn, F; Pronko, A; Proudfoot, J; Ptohos, F; Punzi, G; Pursley, J; Rademacker, J; Rahaman, A; Ramakrishnan, V; Ranjan, N; Redondo, I; Reisert, B; Rekovic, V; Renton, P; Rescigno, M; Richter, S; Rimondi, F; Ristori, L; Robson, A; Rodrigo, T; Rogers, E; Rolli, S; Roser, R; Rossi, M; Rossin, R; Roy, P; Ruiz, A; Russ, J; Rusu, V; Saarikko, H; Safonov, A; Sakumoto, W K; Salamanna, G; Saltó, O; Santi, L; Sarkar, S; Sartori, L; Sato, K; Savoy-Navarro, A; Scheidle, T; Schlabach, P; Schmidt, E E; Schmidt, M A; Schmidt, M P; Schmitt, M; Schwarz, T; Scodellaro, L; Scott, A L; Scribano, A; Scuri, F; Sedov, A; Seidel, S; Seiya, Y; Semenov, A; Sexton-Kennedy, L; Sfyria, A; Shalhout, S Z; Shapiro, M D; Shears, T; Shepard, P F; Sherman, D; Shimojima, M; Shochet, M; Shon, Y; Shreyber, I; Sidoti, A; Sinervo, P; Sisakyan, A; Slaughter, A J; Slaunwhite, J; Sliwa, K; Smith, J R; Snider, F D; Snihur, R; Soderberg, M; Soha, A; Somalwar, S; Sorin, V; Spalding, J; Spinella, F; Spreitzer, T; Squillacioti, P; Stanitzki, M; Denis, R St; Stelzer, B; Stelzer-Chilton, O; Stentz, D; Strologas, J; Stuart, D; Suh, J S; Sukhanov, A; Sun, H; Suslov, I; Suzuki, T; Taffard, A; Takashima, R; Takeuchi, Y; Tanaka, R; Tecchio, M; Teng, P K; Terashi, K; Thom, J; Thompson, A S; Thompson, G A; Thomson, E; Tipton, P; Tiwari, V; Tkaczyk, S; Toback, D; Tokar, S; Tollefson, K; Tomura, T; Tonelli, D; Torre, S; Torretta, D; Tourneur, S; Trischuk, W; Tu, Y; Turini, N; Ukegawa, F; Uozumi, S; Vallecorsa, S; van Remortel, N; Varganov, A; Vataga, E; Vázquez, F; Velev, G; Vellidis, C; Veszpremi, V; Vidal, M; Vidal, R; Vila, I; Vilar, R; Vine, T; Vogel, M; Volobouev, I; Volpi, G; Würthwein, F; Wagner, P; Wagner, R G; Wagner, R L; Wagner-Kuhr, J; Wagner, W; Wakisaka, T; Wallny, R; Wang, S M; Warburton, A; Waters, D; Weinberger, M; Wester, W C; Whitehouse, B; Whiteson, D; Wicklund, A B; Wicklund, E; Williams, G; Williams, H H; Wilson, P; Winer, B L; Wittich, P; Wolbers, S; Wolfe, C; Wright, T; Wu, X; Wynne, S M; Yagil, A; Yamamoto, K; Yamaoka, J; Yamashita, T; Yang, C; Yang, U K; Yang, Y C; Yao, W M; Yeh, G P; Yoh, J; Yorita, K; Yoshida, T; Yu, G B; Yu, I; Yu, S S; Yun, J C; Zanello, L; Zanetti, A; Zaw, I; Zhang, X; Zheng, Y; Zucchelli, S

2008-03-28

We measure the time dependence of the ratio of decay rates for the rare decay D{0}-->K{+}pi{-} to the Cabibbo-favored decay D{0}-->K{-}pi;{+}. A signal of 12.7x10;{3} D{0}-->K{+}pi{-} decays was obtained using the Collider Detector at Fermilab II detector at the Fermilab Tevatron with an integrated luminosity of 1.5 fb;{-1}. We measure the D0-D[over ]{0} mixing parameters (R_{D},y{'},x{'2}), and find that the data are inconsistent with the no-mixing hypothesis with a probability equivalent to 3.8 Gaussian standard deviations.

Peanut Seed Cultivars with Contrasting Resistance to Aspergillus parasiticus Colonization Display Differential Temporal Response of Protease Inhibitors.

PubMed

Müller, Virginia; Bonacci, Gustavo; Batthyany, Carlos; Amé, María V; Carrari, Fernando; Gieco, Jorge; Asis, Ramón

2017-04-01

Significant efforts are being made to minimize aflatoxin contamination in peanut seeds and one possible strategy is to understand and exploit the mechanisms of plant defense against fungal infection. In this study we have identified and characterized, at biochemical and molecular levels, plant protease inhibitors (PPIs) produced in peanut seeds of the resistant PI 337394 and the susceptible Forman cultivar during Aspergillus parasiticus colonization. With chromatographic methods and 2D-electrophoresis-mass spectrometry we have isolated and identified four variants of Bowman-Birk trypsin inhibitor (BBTI) and a novel Kunitz-type protease inhibitor (KPI) produced in response to A. parasiticus colonization. KPI was detected only in the resistant cultivar, while BBTI was produced in the resistant cultivar in a higher concentration than susceptible cultivar and with different isoforms. The kinetic expression of KPI and BBTI genes along with trypsin inhibitory activity was analyzed in both cultivars during infection. In the susceptible cultivar an early PPI activity response was associated with BBTI occurrence. Meanwhile, in the resistant cultivar a later response with a larger increase in PPI activity was associated with BBTI and KPI occurrence. The biological significance of PPI in seed defense against fungal infection was analyzed and linked to inhibitory properties on enzymes released by the fungus during infection, and to the antifungal effect of KPI.

Human Kunitz-type protease inhibitor engineered for enhanced matrix retention extends longevity of fibrin biomaterials.

PubMed

Briquez, Priscilla S; Lorentz, Kristen M; Larsson, Hans M; Frey, Peter; Hubbell, Jeffrey A

2017-08-01

Aprotinin is a broad-spectrum serine protease inhibitor used in the clinic as an anti-fibrinolytic agent in fibrin-based tissue sealants. However, upon re-exposure, some patients suffer from hypersensitivity immune reactions likely related to the bovine origin of aprotinin. Here, we aimed to develop a human-derived substitute to aprotinin. Based on sequence homology analyses, we identified the Kunitz-type protease inhibitor (KPI) domain of human amyloid-β A4 precursor protein as being a potential candidate. While KPI has a lower intrinsic anti-fibrinolytic activity than aprotinin, we reasoned that its efficacy is additionally limited by its fast release from fibrin material, just as aprotinin's is. Thus, we engineered KPI variants for controlled retention in fibrin biomaterials, using either covalent binding through incorporation of a substrate for the coagulation transglutaminase Factor XIIIa or through engineering of extracellular matrix protein super-affinity domains for sequestration into fibrin. We showed that both engineered KPI variants significantly slowed plasmin-mediated fibrinolysis in vitro, outperforming aprotinin. In vivo, our best engineered KPI variant (incorporating the transglutaminase substrate) extended fibrin matrix longevity by 50%, at a dose at which aprotinin did not show efficacy, thus qualifying it as a competitive substitute of aprotinin in fibrin sealants. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Business Intelligence in Hospital Management.

PubMed

Escher, Achim; Hainc, Nicolin; Boll, Daniel

2016-01-01

Business intelligence (BI) is a worthwhile investment, and will play a significant role in hospital management in the near future. Implementation of BI is challenging and requires resources, skills, and a strategy, but enables management to have easy access to relevant analysis of data and visualization of important key performance indicators (KPI). Modern BI applications will help to overcome shortages of common "hand-made" analysis, save time and money, and will enable even managers to do "self-service" analysis and reporting.

Whitham modulation theory for the Kadomtsev- Petviashvili equation.

PubMed

Ablowitz, Mark J; Biondini, Gino; Wang, Qiao

2017-08-01

The genus-1 Kadomtsev-Petviashvili (KP)-Whitham system is derived for both variants of the KP equation; namely the KPI and KPII equations. The basic properties of the KP-Whitham system, including symmetries, exact reductions and its possible complete integrability, together with the appropriate generalization of the one-dimensional Riemann problem for the Korteweg-de Vries equation are discussed. Finally, the KP-Whitham system is used to study the linear stability properties of the genus-1 solutions of the KPI and KPII equations; it is shown that all genus-1 solutions of KPI are linearly unstable, while all genus-1 solutions of KPII are linearly stable within the context of Whitham theory.

Whitham modulation theory for the Kadomtsev- Petviashvili equation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ablowitz, Mark J.; Biondini, Gino; Wang, Qiao

2017-08-01

The genus-1 Kadomtsev-Petviashvili (KP)-Whitham system is derived for both variants of the KP equation; namely the KPI and KPII equations. The basic properties of the KP-Whitham system, including symmetries, exact reductions and its possible complete integrability, together with the appropriate generalization of the one-dimensional Riemann problem for the Korteweg-de Vries equation are discussed. Finally, the KP-Whitham system is used to study the linear stability properties of the genus-1 solutions of the KPI and KPII equations; it is shown that all genus-1 solutions of KPI are linearly unstable, while all genus-1 solutions of KPII are linearly stable within the context of Whitham theory.

KPI Student Executive Summary Report, Winter 2002.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sheridan Coll. (Ontario).

In the mid-1990s, the Ontario Government decided to enhance the accountability of the Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology by measuring and rewarding their performance in meeting specific goals and outcomes. The KPI (Key Performance Indicators) Satisfaction Survey is a tool developed by the Ministry of Training Colleges and Universities in…

Determination of the strong phase in D0-->K+pi- using quantum-correlated measurements.

PubMed

Rosner, J L; Alexander, J P; Cassel, D G; Duboscq, J E; Ehrlich, R; Fields, L; Gibbons, L; Gray, R; Gray, S W; Hartill, D L; Heltsley, B K; Hertz, D; Jones, C D; Kandaswamy, J; Kreinick, D L; Kuznetsov, V E; Mahlke-Krüger, H; Mohapatra, D; Onyisi, P U E; Patterson, J R; Peterson, D; Riley, D; Ryd, A; Sadoff, A J; Shi, X; Stroiney, S; Sun, W M; Wilksen, T; Athar, S B; Patel, R; Yelton, J; Rubin, P; Eisenstein, B I; Karliner, I; Mehrabyan, S; Lowrey, N; Selen, M; White, E J; Wiss, J; Mitchell, R E; Shepherd, M R; Besson, D; Pedlar, T K; Cronin-Hennessy, D; Gao, K Y; Hietala, J; Kubota, Y; Klein, T; Lang, B W; Poling, R; Scott, A W; Zweber, P; Dobbs, S; Metreveli, Z; Seth, K K; Tomaradze, A; Libby, J; Powell, A; Wilkinson, G; Ecklund, K M; Love, W; Savinov, V; Lopez, A; Mendez, H; Ramirez, J; Ge, J Y; Miller, D H; Sanghi, B; Shipsey, I P J; Xin, B; Adams, G S; Anderson, M; Cummings, J P; Danko, I; Hu, D; Moziak, B; Napolitano, J; He, Q; Insler, J; Muramatsu, H; Park, C S; Thorndike, E H; Yang, F; Artuso, M; Blusk, S; Khalil, S; Li, J; Mountain, R; Nisar, S; Randrianarivony, K; Sultana, N; Skwarnicki, T; Stone, S; Wang, J C; Zhang, L M; Bonvicini, G; Cinabro, D; Dubrovin, M; Lincoln, A; Rademacker, J; Asner, D M; Edwards, K W; Naik, P; Briere, R A; Ferguson, T; Tatishvili, G; Vogel, H; Watkins, M E

2008-06-06

We exploit the quantum coherence between pair-produced D0 and D[over]0 in psi(3770) decays to study charm mixing, which is characterized by the parameters x and y, and to make a first determination of the relative strong phase delta between D0-->K+pi- and D[over]0-->K+pi-. Using 281 pb(-1) of e+e- collision data collected with the CLEO-c detector at Ecm=3.77 GeV, as well as branching fraction input and time-integrated measurements of RM identical with (x2 + y2)/2 and RWS identical with Gamma(D0-->K+pi-)/Gamma(D[over]0-->K+pi-) from other experiments, we find cosdelta=1.03(-0.17)(+0.31)+/-0.06, where the uncertainties are statistical and systematic, respectively. By further including other mixing parameter measurements, we obtain an alternate measurement of cosdelta=1.10+/-0.35+/-0.07, as well as x sindelta=(4.4(-1.8)(+2.7)+/-2.9)x10(-3) and delta=(22(-12-11)(+11+9)) degrees .

Survival of patients with head and neck cancer. Impact of physical status and comorbidities.

PubMed

Sadat, F; Wienke, A; Dunst, J; Kuhnt, T

2012-01-01

Prognostic factors (e.g., gender, tumor stage, and hypoxia) have an impact on survival in patients with head and neck cancer. Thus, the impact of physical status and comorbidities on treatment decision and survival were evaluated. A total of 169 primary, inoperable patients with squamous cell cancer of the head and neck were retrospectively investigated. Patients were treated with hyperfractionated accelerated radio(chemo)therapy (HARcT) or hypofractionated radio(chemo)therapy (HypoRcT). Depending on the individual patient's situation (Karnofsky Performance Index, KPI), treatment for patients with a KPI of 80-100% was generally radiochemotherapy and for patients with a KPI ≤ 70% treatment was radiotherapy alone. In addition, all comorbidities were evaluated. Uni- and multivariate proportional hazards model were used, and overall survival (OS) was estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method. Treatment consisted of HARcT for 76 patients (45%), HART for 28 patients (17%), HypoRcT for 14 patients(8%), and HypoRT for 51 patients (30%). Of the patients, 107 patients (63%) presented with a KPI of 80-100%. OS (20%) was significantly better for patients with a KPI of 80-100%, while the OS for patients with a KPI ≤ 70% was 8% (p < 0.001). Good KPI, total irradiation dose (> 70 Gy), and chemotherapy were significant prognostic factors for better OS. Our retrospective analysis shows that performance status with dependency on comorbidities was an independent risk factor for OS.

Evaluation of keratoconus progression.

PubMed

Shajari, Mehdi; Steinwender, Gernot; Herrmann, Kim; Kubiak, Kate Barbara; Pavlovic, Ivana; Plawetzki, Elena; Schmack, Ingo; Kohnen, Thomas

2018-06-01

To define variables for the evaluation of keratoconus progression and to determine cut-off values. In this retrospective cohort study (2010-2016), 265 eyes of 165 patients diagnosed with keratoconus underwent two Scheimpflug measurements (Pentacam) that took place 1 year apart ±3 months. Variables used for keratoconus detection were evaluated for progression and a correlation analysis was performed. By logistic regression analysis, a keratoconus progression index (KPI) was defined. Receiver-operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis was performed and Youden Index calculated to determine cut-off values. Variables used for keratoconus detection showed a weak correlation with each other (eg, correlation r=0.245 between RPImin and Kmax, p<0.001). Therefore, we used parameters that took several variables into consideration (eg, D-index, index of surface variance, index for height asymmetry, KPI). KPI was defined by logistic regression and consisted of a Pachymin coefficient of -0.78 (p=0.001), a maximum elevation of back surface coefficient of 0.27 and coefficient of corneal curvature at the zone 3 mm away from the thinnest point on the posterior corneal surface of -12.44 (both p<0.001). The two variables with the highest Youden Index in the ROC analysis were D-index and KPI: D-index had a cut-off of 0.4175 (70.6% sensitivity) and Youden Index of 0.606. Cut-off for KPI was -0.78196 (84.7% sensitivity) and a Youden Index of 0.747; both 90% specificity. Keratoconus progression should be defined by evaluating parameters that consider several corneal changes; we suggest D-index and KPI to detect progression. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Instability following total knee arthroplasty.

PubMed

Rodriguez-Merchan, E Carlos

2011-10-01

Background Knee prosthesis instability (KPI) is a frequent cause of failure of total knee arthroplasty. Moreover, the degree of constraint required to achieve immediate and long-term stability in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is frequently debated. Questions This review aims to define the problem, analyze risk factors, and review strategies for prevention and treatment of KPI. Methods A PubMed (MEDLINE) search of the years 2000 to 2010 was performed using two key words: TKA and instability. One hundred and sixty-five initial articles were identified. The most important (17) articles as judged by the author were selected for this review. The main criteria for selection were that the articles addressed and provided solutions to the diagnosis and treatment of KPI. Results Patient-related risk factors predisposing to post-operative instability include deformity requiring a large surgical correction and aggressive ligament release, general or regional neuromuscular pathology, and hip or foot deformities. KPI can be prevented in most cases with appropriate selection of implants and good surgical technique. When ligament instability is anticipated post-operatively, the need for implants with a greater degree of constraint should be anticipated. In patients without significant varus or valgus malalignment and without significant flexion contracture, the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) can be retained. However, the PCL should be sacrificed when deformity exists particularly in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, previous patellectomy, previous high tibial osteotomy or distal femoral osteotomy, and posttraumatic osteoarthritis with disruption of the PCL. In most cases, KPI requires revision surgery. Successful outcomes can only be obtained if the cause of KPI is identified and addressed. Conclusions Instability following TKA is a common cause of the need for revision. Typically, knees with deformity, rheumatoid arthritis, previous patellectomy or high tibial osteotomy, and posttraumatic arthritis carry higher risks of post-operative instability and are indications for more constrained TKA designs. Instability following TKA usually requires revision surgery which must address the cause of the instability for success.

Introduction of Renal Key Performance Indicators Associated with Increased Uptake of Peritoneal Dialysis in a Publicly Funded Health Service.

PubMed

Toussaint, Nigel D; McMahon, Lawrence P; Dowling, Gregory; Holt, Stephen G; Smith, Gillian; Safe, Maria; Knight, Richard; Fair, Kathleen; Linehan, Leanne; Walker, Rowan G; Power, David A

2017-01-01

♦ BACKGROUND: Increased demand for treatment of end-stage kidney disease has largely been accommodated by a costly increase in satellite hemodialysis (SHD) in most jurisdictions. In the Australian State of Victoria, a marked regional variation in the uptake of home-based dialysis suggests that use of home therapies could be increased as an alternative to SHD. An earlier strategy based solely on increased remuneration had failed to increase uptake of home therapies. Therefore, the public dialysis funder adopted the incidence and prevalence of home-based dialysis therapies as a key performance indicator (KPI) for its health services to encourage greater uptake of home therapies. ♦ METHODS: A KPI data collection and bench-marking program was established in 2012 by the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services, with data provided monthly by all renal units in Victoria using a purpose-designed website portal. A KPI Working Group was responsible for analyzing data each quarter and ensuring indicators remained accurate and relevant and each KPI had clear definitions and targets. We present a prospective, observational study of all dialysis patients in Victoria over a 4-year period following the introduction of the renal KPI program, with descriptive analyses to evaluate the proportion of patients using home therapies as well as home dialysis modality survival. ♦ RESULTS: Following the introduction of the KPI program, the net growth of dialysis patient numbers in Victoria remained stable over 4 years, at 75 - 80 per year (approximately 4%). However, unlike the previous decade, about 40% of this growth was through an increase in home dialysis, which was almost exclusively peritoneal dialysis (PD). The increase was identified particularly in the young (20 - 49) and the elderly (> 80). Disappointingly, however, 67% of these incident patients ceased PD within 2 years of commencement, 46% of whom transferred to SHD. ♦ CONCLUSIONS: Introduction of a KPI program was associated with an increased uptake of PD but not home HD. This change in clinical practice restricted growth of SHD and reduced pressure on satellite services. The effect was offset by a modest PD technique survival. Many patients in whom PD was unsuccessful were subsequently transferred to SHD rather than home HD. Copyright © 2017 International Society for Peritoneal Dialysis.

KPI Employer Executive Summary Report, Summer 2000-Winter 2001.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sheridan Coll. (Ontario).

In the mid 1990s, the Ontario Government decided to enhance the accountability of the Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology by measuring and rewarding their performance in meeting specific goals and outcomes. The KPI Satisfaction Survey is a tool developed by the Ministry of Training Colleges and Universities in conjunction with the colleges to…

KPI Student Satisfaction Survey, 2001. Executive Summary Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sheridan Coll. (Ontario).

The KPI (Key Performance Indicators) Student Satisfaction Survey is a paper-based survey distributed to all students in Ontario's Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology. The results of the Sheridan College survey for 2001 are presented in this report. The student population at Sheridan for the winter 2001 survey was 9,134. A total of 6,566…

Activation of extrasynaptic, but not synaptic, NMDA receptors modifies amyloid precursor protein expression pattern and increases amyloid-ß production.

PubMed

Bordji, Karim; Becerril-Ortega, Javier; Nicole, Olivier; Buisson, Alain

2010-11-24

Calcium is a key mediator controlling essential neuronal functions depending on electrical activity. Altered neuronal calcium homeostasis affects metabolism of amyloid precursor protein (APP), leading to increased production of β-amyloid (Aβ), and contributing to the initiation of Alzheimer's disease (AD). A linkage between excessive glutamate receptor activation and neuronal Aβ release was established, and recent reports suggest that synaptic and extrasynaptic NMDA receptor (NMDAR) activation may have distinct consequences in plasticity, gene regulation, and neuronal death. Here, we report for the first time that prolonged activation of extrasynaptic NMDAR, but not synaptic NMDAR, dramatically increased the neuronal production of Aβ. This effect was preceded by a shift from APP695 to Kunitz protease inhibitory domain (KPI) containing APPs (KPI-APPs), isoforms exhibiting an important amyloidogenic potential. Conversely, after synaptic NMDAR activation, we failed to detect any KPI-APP expression and neuronal Aβ production was not modified. Calcium imaging data showed that intracellular calcium concentration after extrasynaptic NMDAR stimulation was lower than after synaptic activation. This suggests distinct signaling pathways for each pool of receptors. We found that modification of neuronal APP expression pattern triggered by extrasynaptic NMDAR activation was regulated at an alternative splicing level involving calcium-/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase IV, but overall APP expression remained identical. Finally, memantine dose-dependently inhibited extrasynaptic NMDAR-induced KPI-APPs expression as well as neuronal Aβ release. Altogether, these data suggest that a chronic activation of extrasynaptic NMDAR promotes amyloidogenic KPI-APP expression leading to neuronal Aβ release, representing a causal risk factor for developing AD.

Xyloglucans from flaxseed kernel cell wall: Structural and conformational characterisation.

PubMed

Ding, Huihuang H; Cui, Steve W; Goff, H Douglas; Chen, Jie; Guo, Qingbin; Wang, Qi

2016-10-20

The structure of ethanol precipitated fraction from 1M KOH extracted flaxseed kernel polysaccharides (KPI-EPF) was studied for better understanding the molecular structures of flaxseed kernel cell wall polysaccharides. Based on methylation/GC-MS, NMR spectroscopy, and MALDI-TOF-MS analysis, the dominate sugar residues of KPI-EPF fraction comprised of (1,4,6)-linked-β-d-glucopyranose (24.1mol%), terminal α-d-xylopyranose (16.2mol%), (1,2)-α-d-linked-xylopyranose (10.7mol%), (1,4)-β-d-linked-glucopyranose (10.7mol%), and terminal β-d-galactopyranose (8.5mol%). KPI-EPF was proposed as xyloglucans: The substitution rate of the backbone is 69.3%; R1 could be T-α-d-Xylp-(1→, or none; R2 could be T-α-d-Xylp-(1→, T-β-d-Galp-(1→2)-α-d-Xylp-(1→, or T-α-l-Araf-(1→2)-α-d-Xylp-(1→; R3 could be T-α-d-Xylp-(1→, T-β-d-Galp-(1→2)-α-d-Xylp-(1→, T-α-l-Fucp-(1→2)-β-d-Galp-(1→2)-α-d-Xylp-(1→, or none. The Mw of KPI-EPF was calculated to be 1506kDa by static light scattering (SLS). The structure-sensitive parameter (ρ) of KPI-EPF was calculated as 1.44, which confirmed the highly branched structure of extracted xyloglucans. This new findings on flaxseed kernel xyloglucans will be helpful for understanding its fermentation properties and potential applications. Crown Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Performance Analysis of MYSEA

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-09-01

Services FSD Federated Services Daemon I&A Identification and Authentication IKE Internet Key Exchange KPI Key Performance Indicator LAN Local Area...spection takes place in different processes in the server architecture. Key Performance Indica- tor ( KPI )s associated with the system need to be...application and risk analysis of security controls. Thus, measurement of the KPIs is needed before an informed tradeoff between the performance penalties

Effects of acylation on the functional properties and in vitro trypsin digestibility of red kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) protein isolate.

PubMed

Yin, Shou-Wei; Tang, Chuan-He; Wen, Qi-Biao; Yang, Xiao-Quan

2009-01-01

The effects of succinylation and acetylation on some functional properties and the in vitro trypsin digestibility of kidney bean protein isolate (KPI) were investigated. The extent of succinylation or acetylation progressively increased from 0% to 96% to 97%, as the anhydride-to-protein ratio increased from 0 to 1 g/g. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) and zeta potential analyses indicated that acylation, especially succinylation, considerably increased the net charge and hydrodynamic radius of the proteins in KPI, especially vicilin. Acylation treatment at various anhydride-to-protein ratios (0.05 to 1 g/g) remarkably improved the protein solubility (PS) and emulsifying activity index (EAI) at neutral pH, but the improvement by succinylation was much better than that by acetylation. Succinylation resulted in a marked decrease in mechanical moduli of heat-induced gels of KPI, while the mechanical moduli were, on the contrary, increased by acetylation. Additionally, in vitro trypsin digestibility was improved by the acylation in an anhydride-type and level-dependent manner. The results suggest that the functional properties of KPI could be modulated by the chemical acylation treatment, using succinic or acetic anhydride at appropriate anhydride-to-protein ratios.

Child behavior check list and Korean personality inventory for children with functional visual loss.

PubMed

Kyung, Sung Eun; Lee, Sang Mi; Lim, Myung Ho

2014-08-01

To investigate the clinical psychiatric characteristics of children with the main complaint of functional visual loss, their behavior and personality were evaluated by the means of the Korean child behavior check list (K-CBCL), and the Korean personality inventory for children (KPI-C). The evaluation was carried out by the K-CBCL and the KPI-C, the domestically standardized tools, with 20 child subjects suspected of functional visual loss, among the patients who visited our hospital, between August, 2005 and December, 2012. The control group included 160 children in general schools of the same region. The 20 patients whose main complaint was functional visual loss were diagnosed as having a functional visual disorder. The child patient group showed a higher score for the K-CBCL and KPI-C sub-scales of somatic complaints, social problems, aggressive behavior, internalizing problems, externalizing problems, total behavioral problems, somatization and hyperactivity, than that of the control group. The results of the K-CBCL and KPI-C tests among children with functional visual loss, were significantly different from those of the normal control group. This result suggested that psychological factors may influence children with a main complaint of functional visual loss.

Development of clinical pharmacy key performance indicators for hospital pharmacists using a modified Delphi approach.

PubMed

Fernandes, Olavo; Gorman, Sean K; Slavik, Richard S; Semchuk, William M; Shalansky, Steve; Bussières, Jean-François; Doucette, Douglas; Bannerman, Heather; Lo, Jennifer; Shukla, Simone; Chan, Winnie W Y; Benninger, Natalie; MacKinnon, Neil J; Bell, Chaim M; Slobodan, Jeremy; Lyder, Catherine; Zed, Peter J; Toombs, Kent

2015-06-01

Key performance indicators (KPIs) are quantifiable measures of quality. There are no published, systematically derived clinical pharmacy KPIs (cpKPIs). A group of hospital pharmacists aimed to develop national cpKPIs to advance clinical pharmacy practice and improve patient care. A cpKPI working group established a cpKPI definition, 8 evidence-derived cpKPI critical activity areas, 26 candidate cpKPIs, and 11 cpKPI ideal attributes in addition to 1 overall consensus criterion. Twenty-six clinical pharmacists and hospital pharmacy leaders participated in an internet-based 3-round modified Delphi survey. Panelists rated 26 candidate cpKPIs using 11 cpKPI ideal attributes and 1 overall consensus criterion on a 9-point Likert scale. A meeting was facilitated between rounds 2 and 3 to debate the merits and wording of candidate cpKPIs. Consensus was reached if 75% or more of panelists assigned a score of 7 to 9 on the consensus criterion during the third Delphi round. All panelists completed the 3 Delphi rounds, and 25/26 (96%) attended the meeting. Eight candidate cpKPIs met the consensus definition: (1) performing admission medication reconciliation (including best-possible medication history), (2) participating in interprofessional patient care rounds, (3) completing pharmaceutical care plans, (4) resolving drug therapy problems, (5) providing in-person disease and medication education to patients, (6) providing discharge patient medication education, (7) performing discharge medication reconciliation, and (8) providing bundled, proactive direct patient care activities. A Delphi panel of hospital pharmacists was successful in determining 8 consensus cpKPIs. Measurement and assessment of these cpKPIs will serve to advance clinical pharmacy practice and improve patient care. © The Author(s) 2015.

Solutions of the KPI equation with smooth initial data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boiti, M.; Pempinelli, F.; Pogrebkov, A.

1994-06-01

The solution $u(t,x,y)$ of the Kadomtsev--Petviashvili I (KPI) equation with given initial data $u(0,x,y)$ belonging to the Schwartz space is considered. No additional special constraints, usually considered in literature, as $\\int\\!dx\\,u(0,x,y)=0$ are required to be satisfied by the initial data. The problem is completely solved in the framework of the spectral transform theory and it is shown that $u(t,x,y)$ satisfies a special evolution version of the KPI equation and that, in general, $\\partial_t u(t,x,y)$ has different left and right limits at the initial time $t=0$. The conditions of the type $\\int\\!dx\\,u(t,x,y)=0$, $\\int\\!dx\\,xu_y(t,x,y)=0$ and so on (first, second, etc. `constraints') are dynamically generated by the evolution equation for $t\

Possibility of large final state interaction phases in light of B --> kpi and pipi data

PubMed

Hou; Yang

2000-05-22

The newly observed &Bmacr;( 0)-->&Kmacr;( 0)pi(0) mode is quite sizable while pi(-)pi(+) is rather small. Data also hint at pi(-)pi(0) greater, similarpi(-)pi(+). Though consistent with zero, central values of CP violating asymmetries in K-pi(+,0) and &Kmacr;( 0)pi(-) show an interesting pattern. Taking cue from these, we suggest that, besides gamma identical witharg(V(*)(ub)) being large, the rescattering phase delta in Kpi and pipi modes may be greater than 90 degrees. If this is true, not only the above trends can be accounted for, but one would also find pi(0)pi(0) approximately pi(-)pi(+,0), and the CP asymmetry in &Bmacr;( 0) vs B0-->pi(-)pi(+) could be as large as -60%. These results can be tested in a couple of years.

Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Website Analysis

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-09-01

IRR inter-rater reliability KPI key performance indicator N17 U.S Navy 21st Century Sailor Office NASASV National Association of Services Against...determine if progress is being made to achieve the desired goal; this is typically done by establishing key performance indicators 22 ( KPI ). After...defining the KPIs , organizations must prioritize the potential solutions and devise a plan for making small incremental changes to accurately assess the

Functional properties and in vitro trypsin digestibility of red kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) protein isolate: Effect of high-pressure treatment.

PubMed

Yin, Shou-Wei; Tang, Chuan-He; Wen, Qi-Biao; Yang, Xiao-Quan; Li, Lin

2008-10-15

The effects of high-pressure (HP) treatment at 200-600MPa, prior to freeze-drying, on some functional properties and in vitro trypsin digestibility of vicilin-rich red kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) protein isolate (KPI) were investigated. Surface hydrophobicity and free sulfhydryl (SH) and disulfide bond (SS) contents were also evaluated. HP treatment resulted in gradual unfolding of protein structure, as evidenced by gradual increases in fluorescence strength and SS formation from SH groups, and decrease in denaturation enthalpy change. The protein solubility of KPI was significantly improved at pressures of 400MPa or higher, possibly due to formation of soluble aggregate from insoluble precipitate. HP treatment at 200 and 400MPa significantly increased emulsifying activity index (EAI) and emulsion stability index (ESI); however, EAI was significantly decreased at 600MPa (relative to untreated KPI). The thermal stability of the vicilin component was not affected by HP treatment. Additionally, in vitro trypsin digestibility of KPI was decreased only at a pressure above 200MPa and for long incubation time (e.g., 120min). The data suggest that some physiochemical and functional properties of vicilin-rich kidney proteins can be improved by means of high-pressure treatment. Copyright © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Analyzing patient's waiting time in emergency & trauma department in public hospital - A case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roslan, Shazwa; Tahir, Herniza Md; Nordin, Noraimi Azlin Mohd; Zaharudin, Zati Aqmar

2014-09-01

Emergency and Trauma Department (ETD) is an important element for a hospital. It provides medical service, which operates 24 hours a day in most hospitals. However overcrowding is not exclusion for ETD. Overflowing occurs due to affordable services provided by public hospitals, since it is funded by the government. It is reported that a patient attending ETD must be treated within 90 minutes, in accordance to achieve the Key Performance Indicator (KPI). However, due to overcrowd situations, most patients have to wait longer than the KPI standard. In this paper, patient's average waiting time is analyzed. Using Chi-Square Test of Goodness, patient's inter arrival per hour is also investigated. As conclusion, Monday until Wednesday was identified as the days that exceed the KPI standard while Chi-Square Test of Goodness showed that the patient's inter arrival is independent and random.

AbetaPP/APLP2 family of Kunitz serine proteinase inhibitors regulate cerebral thrombosis.

PubMed

Xu, Feng; Previti, Mary Lou; Nieman, Marvin T; Davis, Judianne; Schmaier, Alvin H; Van Nostrand, William E

2009-04-29

The amyloid beta-protein precursor (AbetaPP) is best recognized as the precursor to the Abeta peptide that accumulates in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease, but less is known about its physiological functions. Isoforms of AbetaPP that contain a Kunitz-type serine proteinase inhibitor (KPI) domain are expressed in brain and, outside the CNS, in circulating blood platelets. Recently, we showed that KPI-containing forms of AbetaPP regulates cerebral thrombosis in vivo (Xu et al., 2005, 2007). Amyloid precursor like protein-2 (APLP2), a closely related homolog to AbetaPP, also possesses a highly conserved KPI domain. Virtually nothing is known of its function. Here, we show that APLP2 also regulates cerebral thrombosis risk. Recombinant purified KPI domains of AbetaPP and APLP2 both inhibit the plasma clotting in vitro. In a carotid artery thrombosis model, both AbetaPP(-/-) and APLP2(-/-) mice exhibit similar significantly shorter times to vessel occlusion compared with wild-type mice indicating a prothrombotic phenotype. Similarly, in an experimental model of intracerebral hemorrhage, both AbetaPP(-/-) and APLP2(-/-) mice produce significantly smaller hematomas with reduced brain hemoglobin content compared with wild-type mice. Together, these results indicate that AbetaPP and APLP2 share overlapping anticoagulant functions with regard to regulating thrombosis after cerebral vascular injury.

Inverse scattering transform for the KPI equation on the background of a one-line soliton*Inverse scattering transform for the KPI equation on the background of a one-line soliton

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fokas, A. S.; Pogrebkov, A. K.

2003-03-01

We study the initial value problem of the Kadomtsev-Petviashvili I (KPI) equation with initial data u(x1,x2,0) = u1(x1)+u2(x1,x2), where u1(x1) is the one-soliton solution of the Korteweg-de Vries equation evaluated at zero time and u2(x1,x2) decays sufficiently rapidly on the (x1,x2)-plane. This involves the analysis of the nonstationary Schrödinger equation (with time replaced by x2) with potential u(x1,x2,0). We introduce an appropriate sectionally analytic eigenfunction in the complex k-plane where k is the spectral parameter. This eigenfunction has the novelty that in addition to the usual jump across the real k-axis, it also has a jump across a segment of the imaginary k-axis. We show that this eigenfunction can be reconstructed through a linear integral equation uniquely defined in terms of appropriate scattering data. In turn, these scattering data are uniquely constructed in terms of u1(x1) and u2(x1,x2). This result implies that the solution of the KPI equation can be obtained through the above linear integral equation where the scattering data have a simple t-dependence.

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

Meadows, B.T.; /Cincinnati U.

A new approach to the analysis of three body decays is presented. Model-independent results are obtained for the S-wave K{pi} amplitude as a function of K{pi} invariant mass. These are compared with results from K{sup -}{pi}{sup +} elastic scattering, and the prediction of the Watson theorem, that the phase behavior be the same below K{eta}' threshold, is tested. Contributions from I = 1/2 and I = 3/2 are not resolved in this study. If I = 1/2 dominates, however, the Watson theorem does not describe these data well.

Achieving continuous improvement in laboratory organization through performance measurements: a seven-year experience.

PubMed

Salinas, Maria; López-Garrigós, Maite; Gutiérrez, Mercedes; Lugo, Javier; Sirvent, Jose Vicente; Uris, Joaquin

2010-01-01

Laboratory performance can be measured using a set of model key performance indicators (KPIs). The design and implementation of KPIs are important issues. KPI results from 7 years are reported and their implementation, monitoring, objectives, interventions, result reporting and delivery are analyzed. The KPIs of the entire laboratory process were obtained using Laboratory Information System (LIS) registers. These were collected automatically using a data warehouse application, spreadsheets and external quality program reports. Customer satisfaction was assessed using surveys. Nine model laboratory KPIs were proposed and measured. The results of some examples of KPIs used in our laboratory are reported. Their corrective measurements or the implementation of objectives led to improvement in the associated KPIs results. Measurement of laboratory performance using KPIs and a data warehouse application that continuously collects registers and calculates KPIs confirmed the reliability of indicators, indicator acceptability and usability for users, and continuous process improvement.

Multi-component Wronskian solution to the Kadomtsev-Petviashvili equation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Tao; Sun, Fu-Wei; Zhang, Yi; Li, Juan

2014-01-01

It is known that the Kadomtsev-Petviashvili (KP) equation can be decomposed into the first two members of the coupled Ablowitz-Kaup-Newell-Segur (AKNS) hierarchy by the binary non-linearization of Lax pairs. In this paper, we construct the N-th iterated Darboux transformation (DT) for the second- and third-order m-coupled AKNS systems. By using together the N-th iterated DT and Cramer's rule, we find that the KPII equation has the unreduced multi-component Wronskian solution and the KPI equation admits a reduced multi-component Wronskian solution. In particular, based on the unreduced and reduced two-component Wronskians, we obtain two families of fully-resonant line-soliton solutions which contain arbitrary numbers of asymptotic solitons as y → ∓∞ to the KPII equation, and the ordinary N-soliton solution to the KPI equation. In addition, we find that the KPI line solitons propagating in parallel can exhibit the bound state at the moment of collision.

Methods to uncover an antibody epitope in the KPI domain of Alzheimer's amyloid precursor protein for immunohistochemistry in human brain.

PubMed

Campbell, E; Pearson, R C; Parkinson, D

1999-11-15

A novel polyclonal antibody (Ab993), specific for a KPI domain epitope of APP, was characterised for use in immunoprecipitation, Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. Conditioned medium from NTera2/D1 cells was used for immunoprecipitation and Western blots. Paraffin-embedded human brain sections were used for immunohistochemistry. The antibody recognised KPI-containing APP on Western blots after standard solubilisation but immunoprecipitation of soluble APP required reduction with 2-mercaptoethanol followed by alkylation of reduced sulphydryl bonds with sodium iodoacetate. Immunohistochemical staining of human brain sections was significantly enhanced by this pre-treatment. Microwaving of sections also increased immunolabelling, by a mechanism that was additive to reduction and alkylation. Incubation in 80% formic acid did not confer any enhancement of immunoreactivity. Ab993, applied with the methods reported here, is expected to be valuable in investigations of the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease to determine the source of the beta-amyloid peptide.

Amyloid precursor protein expression is enhanced in human platelets from subjects with Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal lobar degeneration: a real-time PCR study.

PubMed

Vignini, Arianna; Morganti, Stefano; Salvolini, Eleonora; Sartini, Davide; Luzzi, Simona; Fiorini, Rosamaria; Provinciali, Leandro; Di Primio, Roberto; Mazzanti, Laura; Emanuelli, Monica

2013-12-01

Frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) represent the most frequent causes of early-onset and late-onset degenerative dementia, respectively. A correct diagnosis entails the choice of appropriate therapies. In this view the present study aimed to identify biomarkers that could improve the differential diagnosis. We recently found an overexpression of platelet amyloid precursor protein (APP) in AD; furthermore, recent studies have suggested the presence of changes in APP processing in FTLD. In this context, we analyzed the mRNA expression level of Total APP (TOT) and APP containing a Kunitz-type serine protease inhibitor domain (KPI) in platelets obtained from AD patients, subjects with FTLD, and healthy subjects. In addition, we evaluated the correlation between platelet APP mRNA expression levels and cognitive impairment.Differential gene expression measurements revealed a significant up-regulation of APP TOT and APP KPI in both AD and FTLD patients compared to the controls (being AD/Controls: 1.67 for APP TOT and 1.47 for APP KPI; FTLD/Controls: 1.62 for APP TOT and 1.51 for APP KPI; p < 0.05), although it is interesting to note that in FTLD patients this expression did not correlate with the severity of cognitive impairment.This could be related to a reduced beta-amyloid (Aβ) formation, caused by an alteration of secretase enzymatic activity, even though a post-transcriptional regulation of APP mRNAs in FTLD cannot be excluded.

AβPP/APLP2 Family of Kunitz Serine Proteinase Inhibitors Regulate Cerebral Thrombosis

PubMed Central

Xu, Feng; Previti, Mary Lou; Nieman, Marvin T.; Davis, Judianne; Schmaier, Alvin H.; Van Nostrand, William E.

2009-01-01

The amyloid β-protein precursor (AβPP) is best recognized as the precursor to the Aβ peptide that accumulates in the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s disease, but less is known about its physiological functions. Isoforms of AβPP that contain a Kunitz-type serine proteinase inhibitor (KPI) domain are expressed in brain and, outside the CNS, in circulating blood platelets. Recently, we showed that KPI-containing forms of AβPP regulates cerebral thrombosis in vivo (Xu et al., 2005 Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 102:18135–18140; Xu et al. 2007 Stroke 38:2598–2601). Amyloid precursor like protein-2 (APLP2), a closely related homolog to AβPP, also possesses a highly conserved KPI domain. Virtually nothing is known of its function. Here we show that APLP2 also regulates cerebral thrombosis risk. Recombinant purified KPI domains of AβPP and APLP2 both inhibit the plasma clotting in vitro. In a carotid artery thrombosis model both AβPP−/− and APLP2−/− mice exhibit similar significantly shorter times to vessel occlusion compared with wild-type mice indicating a pro-thrombotic phenotype. Similarly, in an experimental model of intracerebral hemorrhage both AβPP−/− and APLP2−/− mice produce significantly smaller hematomas with reduced brain hemoglobin content compared with wild-type mice. Together, these results indicate that AβPP and APLP2 share overlapping anticoagulant functions with regard to regulating thrombosis after cerebral vascular injury. PMID:19403832

Properties of solutions of the Kadomtsev-Petviashvili I equation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boiti, M.; Pempinelli, F.; Pogrebkov, A.

1994-09-01

The Kadomtsev-Petviashvili I (KPI) equation is considered as a useful laboratory for experimenting with new theoretical tools able to handle the specific features of integrable models in 2+1 dimensions. The linearized version of the KPI equation is first considered by solving the initial value problem for different classes of initial data. Properties of the solutions in different cases are analyzed in details. The obtained results are used as a guideline for studying the properties of the solution u(t,x,y) of the Kadomtsev-Petviashvili I (KPI) equation with given initial data u(0,x,y) belonging to the Schwartz space. The spectral theory associated to KPI is studied in the space of the Fourier transform of the solutions. The variables p={p1,p2} of the Fourier space are shown to be the most convenient spectral variables to use for spectral data. Spectral data are shown to decay rapidly at large p but to be discontinuous at p=0. Direct and inverse problems are solved with special attention to the behavior of all the quantities involved in the neighborhood of t=0 and p=0. It is shown in particular that the solution u(t,x,y) has a time derivative discontinuous at t=0 and that at any t≠0 it does not belong to the Schwartz space no matter how small in norm and rapidly decaying at large distances the initial data are chosen.

Amyloid precursor protein expression is enhanced in human platelets from subjects with Alzheimer's disease and Frontotemporal lobar degeneration: A Real-time PCR study.

PubMed

Vignini, Arianna; Morganti, Stefano; Salvolini, Eleonora; Sartini, Davide; Luzzi, Simona; Fiorini, Rosamaria; Provinciali, Leandro; Di Primio, Roberto; Mazzanti, Laura; Emanuelli, Monica

2013-10-26

Frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) represent the most frequent causes of early-onset and late-onset degenerative dementia, respectively. A correct diagnosis entails the choice of appropriate therapies. In this view the present study aimed to identify biomarkers that could improve the differential diagnosis. We recently found an overexpression of platelet amyloid precursor protein (APP) in AD; furthermore, recent studies have suggested the presence of changes in APP processing in FTLD. In this context, we analyzed the mRNA expression level of Total APP (TOT) and APP containing a Kunitz-type serine protease inhibitor domain (KPI) in platelets obtained from AD patients, subjects with FTLD, and healthy subjects. In addition, we evaluated the correlation between platelet APP mRNA expression levels and cognitive impairment. Differential gene expression measurements revealed a significant up-regulation of APP TOT and APP KPI in both AD and FTLD patients compared to the controls (being AD/Controls: 1.67 for APP TOT and 1.47 for APP KPI; FTLD/Controls: 1.62 for APP TOT and 1.51 for APP KPI; p<0.05) , although it is interesting to note that in FTLD patients this expression did not correlate with the severity of cognitive impairment. This could be related to a reduced beta-amyloid (Aβ) formation, caused by an alteration of secretase enzymatic activity, even though a post-transcriptional regulation of APP mRNAs in FTLD cannot be excluded. © 2013.

The Benefits of Streamlined Hip Fracture Management in a Regional Hospital.

PubMed

Mow, T C; Lukeis, Jen; Sutherland, A G

2017-06-01

Hip fracture is an increasingly common injury in the growing elderly population. The morbidity and mortality associated with this injury can be reduced by minimizing delays to surgical treatment. We describe the impact of a regional hospital service redesign project that utilized the principles of smart simplicity, a management strategy that lays emphasis on collaboration to achieve desired goals. Prior to the redesign, patients with hip fractures were taking an average of 72 hours for surgical treatment. A hip fracture working group was created to examine closely the process of hip fracture care, and a single key performance indicator (KPI) of "surgery within 48 hours" was adopted. This allowed identification of processes that could be clarified and streamlined, with the agreement of relevant stakeholders, in the creation of a new hip fracture pathway. In the first 3 months of the pathway's implementation, 16 of 18 patients had surgery within 48 hours of presentation. In a 6-month follow-up audit after 2 years of implementation, 36 of 39 patients were treated within 48 hours. This was significantly different to the time to surgery seen in the 12 months prior to the redesign ( P < .001, Student t test). The mean time to surgery was reduced from 72 hours to 36 hours, a saving in an annual acute bed stay cost of A$152 000. Decreased time to the operating room, the cost savings inherent to this, can be achieved with the introduction of the best standard of care. A redesign that mandates collaboration in achieving a single KPI has allowed a significant culture shift in the treatment of hip fractures in our institution in the months following its institution. Collaborative, multidisciplinary collaboration has facilitated a higher standard of care and demonstrated significant cost benefit.

A Comparison of Mobile and Fixed Device Access on User Engagement Associated With Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Online Nutrition Education

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Background Online health education has expanded its reach due to cost-effective implementation and demonstrated effectiveness. However, a limitation exists with the evaluation of online health education implementations and how the impact of the system is attenuated by the extent to which a user engages with it. Moreover, the current online health education research does not consider how this engagement has been affected by the transition from fixed to mobile user access over the last decade. Objective This paper focuses on comparing the impact mobile versus fixed devices have on user engagement key performance indicators (KPI) associated with the wichealth website (.org), an Internet-based parent-child feeding intervention offered to clients associated with the US Department of Agriculture’s Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Methods Data were collected from 612,201 nutrition education lessons completed by 305,735 unique WIC participants in 21 states over a 1-year period. Data consisted of system-collected measures, profile items, and items from an exit survey administered at the conclusion of each lesson. User engagement was defined based on 3 KPIs associated with usage of the wichealth website: number of link views, link view time, and progression in stage of readiness to change. Independent samples t tests were used to compare KPIs between fixed only and mobile only device users and paired samples t tests were used to compare KPIs within users who completed at least one lesson each on both a fixed and mobile device. A logistic regression was performed to estimate the odds of KPI performance thresholds in the independent samples study group given access device type while controlling for confounding of user characteristics associated with these KPIs. Results Analysis of 8 user characteristics (lessons completed, race, ethnicity, language, state of residence, pregnancy status, beginning stage of change, and preferred nutrition education method) were significantly (P<.001) related to various KPI differences between mobile and fixed device access. Non-mobile users were significantly (P<.001) more likely to engage based on all 3 KPIs, even after logistic regression control for the potential confounding related to the strongly associated user characteristics identified. Conclusions The findings of this study support the idea that online health education developers need to seriously consider access device when creating programs. Online health education developers need to take extra effort to truly understand access patterns of populations being served, and whether or not access device will influence user engagement performance indicators. PMID:27847351

From nonlinear Schrödinger hierarchy to some (2+1)-dimensional nonlinear pseudodifferential equations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Xiao; Du, Dianlou

2010-08-01

The Poisson structure on CN×RN is introduced to give the Hamiltonian system associated with a spectral problem which yields the nonlinear Schrödinger (NLS) hierarchy. The Hamiltonian system is proven to be Liouville integrable. Some (2+1)-dimensional equations including NLS equation, Kadomtesev-Petviashvili I (KPI) equation, coupled KPI equation, and modified Kadomtesev-Petviashvili (mKP) equation, are decomposed into Hamilton flows via the NLS hierarchy. The algebraic curve, Abel-Jacobi coordinates, and Riemann-Jacobi inversion are used to obtain the algebrogeometric solutions of these equations.

On the Discrete Spectrum of the Nonstationary Schrödinger Equation and Multipole Lumps of the Kadomtsev-Petviashvili I Equation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Villarroel, Javier; Ablowitz, Mark J.

The discrete spectrum of the nonstationary Schrödinger equation and localized solutions of the Kadomtsev-Petviashvili-I (KPI) equation are studied via the inverse scattering transform. It is shown that there exist infinitely many real and rationally decaying potentials which correspond to a discrete spectrum whose related eigenfunctions have multiple poles in the spectral parameter. An index or winding number is asssociated with each of these solutions. The resulting localized solutions of KPI behave as collection of individual humps with nonuniform dynamics.

Using Discrete Event Simulation to predict KPI's at a Projected Emergency Room.

PubMed

Concha, Pablo; Neriz, Liliana; Parada, Danilo; Ramis, Francisco

2015-01-01

Discrete Event Simulation (DES) is a powerful factor in the design of clinical facilities. DES enables facilities to be built or adapted to achieve the expected Key Performance Indicators (KPI's) such as average waiting times according to acuity, average stay times and others. Our computational model was built and validated using expert judgment and supporting statistical data. One scenario studied resulted in a 50% decrease in the average cycle time of patients compared to the original model, mainly by modifying the patient's attention model.

Fast plasma shutdown by killer pellet injection in JT-60U with reduced heat flux on the divertor plate and avoiding runaway electron generation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoshino, R.; Kondoh, T.; Neyatani, Y.; Itami, K.; Kawano, Y.; Isei, N.

1997-02-01

A killer pellet is an impurity pellet that is injected into a tokamak plasma in order to terminate a discharge without causing serious damage to the tokamak machine. In JT-60U neon ice pellets have been injected into OH and NB heated plasmas and fast plasma shutdowns have been demonstrated without large vertical displacement. The heat pulse on the divertor plate has been greatly reduced by killer pellet injection (KPI), but a low-power heat flux tail with a long time duration is observed. The total energy on the divertor plate increases with longer heat flux tail, so it has been reduced by shortening the tail. Runaway electron (RE) generation has been observed just after KPI and/or in the later phase of the plasma current quench. However, RE generation has been avoided when large magnetic perturbations are excited. These experimental results clearly show that KPI is a credible fast shutdown method avoiding large vertical displacement, reducing heat flux on the divertor plate, and avoiding (or minimizing) RE generation.

Lump Solitons in Surface Tension Dominated Flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Milewski, Paul; Berger, Kurt

1999-11-01

The Kadomtsev-Petviashvilli I equation (KPI) which models small-amplitude, weakly three-dimensional surface-tension dominated long waves is integrable and allows for algebraically decaying lump solitary waves. It is not known (theoretically or numerically) whether the full free-surface Euler equations support such solutions. We consider an intermediate model, the generalised Benney-Luke equation (gBL) which is isotropic (not weakly three-dimensional) and contains KPI as a limit. We show numerically that: 1. gBL supports lump solitary waves; 2. These waves collide elastically and are stable; 3. They are generated by resonant flow over an obstacle.

Rational solutions to the KPI equation and multi rogue waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaillard, Pierre

2016-04-01

We construct here rational solutions to the Kadomtsev-Petviashvili equation (KPI) as a quotient of two polynomials in x, y and t depending on several real parameters. This method provides an infinite hierarchy of rational solutions written in terms of polynomials of degrees 2 N(N + 1) in x, y and t depending on 2 N - 2 real parameters for each positive integer N. We give explicit expressions of the solutions in the simplest cases N = 1 and N = 2 and we study the patterns of their modulus in the (x , y) plane for different values of time t and parameters.

The Importance of Strength and Power on Key Performance Indicators in Elite Youth Soccer.

PubMed

Wing, Christopher E; Turner, Anthony N; Bishop, Chris J

2018-01-24

The purpose of this investigation was to examine the importance of strength and power in relation to key performance indicators (KPI's) within competitive soccer match play. This was achieved through using an experimental approach where fifteen subjects were recruited from a professional soccer club's scholarship squad during the 2013/14 season. Following anthropometric measures, power and strength were assessed across a range of tests which included the squat jump (SJ), countermovement jump (CMJ), 20 metre (m) sprint and arrowhead change of direction test. A predicted 1-repetition maximum (RM) was also obtained for strength by performing a 3RM test for both the back squat and bench press and a total score of athleticism (TSA) was provided by summing z-scores for all fitness tests together, providing one complete score for athleticism. Performance analysis data was collected during 16 matches for the following KPIs: passing, shooting, dribbling, tackling and heading. Alongside this, data concerning player ball involvements (touches) was recorded. Results showed that there was a significant correlation (p < 0.05) between CMJ (r = 0.80), SJ (r = 0.79) and TSA (r = 0.64) in relation to heading success. Similarly, a significant correlation (p < 0.05) between predicted 1RM squat strength and tackle success (r = 0.61). These data supports the notion that strength and power training are important to soccer performance, particularly when players are required to win duels of a physical nature. There were no other relationships found between the fitness data and the KPI's recorded during match play which may indicate that other aspects of player's development such as technical skill, cognitive function and sensory awareness are more important for soccer-specific performance.

Increased body mass index is associated with improved overall survival in extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type.

PubMed

Li, Ya-Jun; Yi, Ping-Yong; Li, Ji-Wei; Liu, Xian-Ling; Liu, Xi-Yu; Zhou, Fang; OuYang, Zhou; Sun, Zhong-Yi; Huang, Li-Jun; He, Jun-Qiao; Yao, Yuan; Fan, Zhou; Tang, Tian; Jiang, Wen-Qi

2017-01-17

The role of body mass index (BMI) in lymphoma survival outcomes is controversial. The prognostic significance of BMI in extranodal natural killer (NK)/T-cell lymphoma (ENKTL) is unclear. We evaluated the prognostic role of BMI in patients with ENKTL. We retrospectively analyzed 742 patients with newly diagnosed ENKTL. The prognostic value of BMI was compared between patients with low BMIs (< 20.0 kg/m2) and patients with high BMIs (≥ 20.0 kg/m2). The prognostic value of the International Prognostic Index (IPI) and the Korean Prognostic Index (KPI) was also evaluated and compared with that of the BMI classification. Patients with low BMIs tended to exhibit higher Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG PS) scores (≥ 2) (P = 0.001), more frequent B symptoms (P < 0.001), lower albumin levels (P < 0.001), higher KPI scores (P = 0.03), and lower rates of complete remission (P < 0.001) than patients with high BMIs, as well as inferior progression-free survival (PFS, P = 0.003), and inferior overall survival (OS, P = 0.001). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that age > 60 years, mass > 5 cm, stage III/IV, elevated LDH levels, albumin levels < 35 g/L and low BMIs were independent adverse predictors of OS. The BMI classification was found to be superior to the IPI with respect to predicting patient outcomes among low-risk patients and the KPI with respect to distinguishing between intermediate-low- and high-intermediate-risk patients. Higher BMI at the time of diagnosis is associated with improved overall survival in ENKTL. Using the BMI classification may improve the IPI and KPI prognostic models.

Increased body mass index is associated with improved overall survival in extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type

PubMed Central

Li, Ya-Jun; Yi, Ping-Yong; Li, Ji-Wei; Liu, Xian-Ling; Liu, Xi-Yu; Zhou, Fang; OuYang, Zhou; Sun, Zhong-Yi; Huang, Li-Jun; He, Jun-Qiao; Yao, Yuan; Fan, Zhou; Tang, Tian; Jiang, Wen-Qi

2017-01-01

Objectives: The role of body mass index (BMI) in lymphoma survival outcomes is controversial. The prognostic significance of BMI in extranodal natural killer (NK)/T-cell lymphoma (ENKTL) is unclear. We evaluated the prognostic role of BMI in patients with ENKTL. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 742 patients with newly diagnosed ENKTL. The prognostic value of BMI was compared between patients with low BMIs (< 20.0 kg/m2) and patients with high BMIs (≥ 20.0 kg/m2). The prognostic value of the International Prognostic Index (IPI) and the Korean Prognostic Index (KPI) was also evaluated and compared with that of the BMI classification. Results: Patients with low BMIs tended to exhibit higher Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG PS) scores (≥ 2) (P = 0.001), more frequent B symptoms (P < 0.001), lower albumin levels (P < 0.001), higher KPI scores (P = 0.03), and lower rates of complete remission (P < 0.001) than patients with high BMIs, as well as inferior progression-free survival (PFS, P = 0.003), and inferior overall survival (OS, P = 0.001). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that age > 60 years, mass > 5 cm, stage III/IV, elevated LDH levels, albumin levels < 35 g/L and low BMIs were independent adverse predictors of OS. The BMI classification was found to be superior to the IPI with respect to predicting patient outcomes among low-risk patients and the KPI with respect to distinguishing between intermediate-low- and high-intermediate-risk patients. Conclusions: Higher BMI at the time of diagnosis is associated with improved overall survival in ENKTL. Using the BMI classification may improve the IPI and KPI prognostic models. PMID:28002803

Effect of surgical decompression of spinal metastases in acute treatment - Predictors of neurological outcome.

PubMed

Hohenberger, Christoph; Schmidt, Corinna; Höhne, Julius; Brawanski, Alexander; Zeman, Florian; Schebesch, Karl-Michael

2018-06-01

Space-occupying spinal metastases (SM), commonly diagnosed because of acute neurological deterioration, consequently lead to immediate decompression with tumor removal or debulking. In this study, we analyzed a series of patients with surgically treated spinal metastases and explicitly sought to determine individual predictors of functional outcome. 94 patients (26 women, 68 men; mean age 64.0 years) with spinal metastases, who had been surgically treated at our department, were included retrospectively. We reviewed the pre- and postoperative charts, surgical reports, radiographic data for demographics, duration of symptoms, histopathology, stage of systemic disease, co-morbidities, radiographic extension, surgical strategy, neurological performance (Frankel Grade Classification), and the Karnofsky Performance Index (KPI). Emergency surgery within <24 h after discharge had been conducted in 33% of patients. Prostate carcinoma (29.5%) and breast carcinoma (11.6%) were the most common histopathologies. Median KPI was 60% at admission that had significantly improved at discharge (KPI 70%; p = 0.01). The rate of complications without revision was 4.3%, the revision rate 4.2%. From admission to discharge, pain had been significantly reduced (p = 0.019) and motor deficits significantly improved (p = 0.003). KPI had been significantly improved during in-hospital treatment (median 60 vs 70, p = 0.010). In the multivariable analysis, predictors of poor outcome (KPI < 70) were male sex, multiple metastases, and pre-existing bowel and bladder dysfunction. Median follow up was 2 months. In our series, surgery for spinal metastases (laminectomy, tumor removal, and mass reduction) significantly reduced pain as well as sensory and motor deficits. We identified male sex, multiple metastases, and pre-existing bowel and bladder dysfunction as predictors of negative outcome. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Proactive Supply Chain Performance Management with Predictive Analytics

PubMed Central

Stefanovic, Nenad

2014-01-01

Today's business climate requires supply chains to be proactive rather than reactive, which demands a new approach that incorporates data mining predictive analytics. This paper introduces a predictive supply chain performance management model which combines process modelling, performance measurement, data mining models, and web portal technologies into a unique model. It presents the supply chain modelling approach based on the specialized metamodel which allows modelling of any supply chain configuration and at different level of details. The paper also presents the supply chain semantic business intelligence (BI) model which encapsulates data sources and business rules and includes the data warehouse model with specific supply chain dimensions, measures, and KPIs (key performance indicators). Next, the paper describes two generic approaches for designing the KPI predictive data mining models based on the BI semantic model. KPI predictive models were trained and tested with a real-world data set. Finally, a specialized analytical web portal which offers collaborative performance monitoring and decision making is presented. The results show that these models give very accurate KPI projections and provide valuable insights into newly emerging trends, opportunities, and problems. This should lead to more intelligent, predictive, and responsive supply chains capable of adapting to future business environment. PMID:25386605

Proactive supply chain performance management with predictive analytics.

PubMed

Stefanovic, Nenad

2014-01-01

Today's business climate requires supply chains to be proactive rather than reactive, which demands a new approach that incorporates data mining predictive analytics. This paper introduces a predictive supply chain performance management model which combines process modelling, performance measurement, data mining models, and web portal technologies into a unique model. It presents the supply chain modelling approach based on the specialized metamodel which allows modelling of any supply chain configuration and at different level of details. The paper also presents the supply chain semantic business intelligence (BI) model which encapsulates data sources and business rules and includes the data warehouse model with specific supply chain dimensions, measures, and KPIs (key performance indicators). Next, the paper describes two generic approaches for designing the KPI predictive data mining models based on the BI semantic model. KPI predictive models were trained and tested with a real-world data set. Finally, a specialized analytical web portal which offers collaborative performance monitoring and decision making is presented. The results show that these models give very accurate KPI projections and provide valuable insights into newly emerging trends, opportunities, and problems. This should lead to more intelligent, predictive, and responsive supply chains capable of adapting to future business environment.

Key Performance Indicators for the Assessment of Pediatric Pharmacotherapeutic Guidance

PubMed Central

Barrett, Jeffrey S.; Patel, Dimple; Jayaraman, Bhuvana; Narayan, Mahesh; Zuppa, Athena

2008-01-01

Given the paucity of actual guidance provided for managing pediatric drug therapy, prescribing caregivers must be able to draw on the limited published information in pediatrics and/or guidance provided in adults with some account for expected pediatric response. Guidance for managing drug therapy in children is clearly desirable. Our objectives were to construct key performance indicators (KPIs) for pediatric pharmacotherapy guidance to identify drugs where pharmacotherapy guidance would be most beneficial. A pilot survey to assess variation in caregiver appreciation for pediatric dosing guidance has also been constructed to provide a complementary subjective assessment. Three KPI categories, drug utilization (based on hospital admission and billing data collected from 2001 through 2006), medical need, and guidance outcome value along with a KPI composite score have been proposed. Low scores are favored with respect to prioritization for pharmacotherapy guidance. The pilot survey consisted of 15 questions to assess 1) physician knowledge regarding dosing guidance, 2) attitudes toward dose modification and patient individualization, 3) the accessibility, ease of use and appropriateness of existing data stores, and 4) frequency of dosing modification, consultation of dosing compendiums and estimate of success rate in dosing guidance. Pilot results suggest that dosing guidance is generally viewed as important and that the existing resources are insufficient to guide recommendations for all drugs. While the majority of respondents check more than one resource less than 25% of the time, at least 25% of the respondents check more than one resource 25–50% of the time. The majority viewed the relevance of dosing guidance very important to the management of drug therapy. The questionnaire is being extended to the primary care centers, the Kids First Network and specialty care centers. Results will guide the development of decision support systems (DSS) that provide patient-specific pharmacotherapy guidance as part of our pediatric knowledgebase initiative. For the top 25 most utilized agents at our institution over the last 6 years, KPI score ranged from 35 (dexamethasone) to 77 (cefazolin and ampicillin) with an average score of 55. Prototype DSS for tacrolimus and methotrexate are strongly supported by the KPI scoring which ranks their selection in the top 5% of drugs on formulary. KPI metrics provide an objective means of ranking agents for which pediatric pharmacotherapeutic guidance is clearly needed. PMID:23055875

Key performance indicators for the assessment of pediatric pharmacotherapeutic guidance.

PubMed

Barrett, Jeffrey S; Patel, Dimple; Jayaraman, Bhuvana; Narayan, Mahesh; Zuppa, Athena

2008-07-01

Given the paucity of actual guidance provided for managing pediatric drug therapy, prescribing caregivers must be able to draw on the limited published information in pediatrics and/or guidance provided in adults with some account for expected pediatric response. Guidance for managing drug therapy in children is clearly desirable. Our objectives were to construct key performance indicators (KPIs) for pediatric pharmacotherapy guidance to identify drugs where pharmacotherapy guidance would be most beneficial. A pilot survey to assess variation in caregiver appreciation for pediatric dosing guidance has also been constructed to provide a complementary subjective assessment. Three KPI categories, drug utilization (based on hospital admission and billing data collected from 2001 through 2006), medical need, and guidance outcome value along with a KPI composite score have been proposed. Low scores are favored with respect to prioritization for pharmacotherapy guidance. The pilot survey consisted of 15 questions to assess 1) physician knowledge regarding dosing guidance, 2) attitudes toward dose modification and patient individualization, 3) the accessibility, ease of use and appropriateness of existing data stores, and 4) frequency of dosing modification, consultation of dosing compendiums and estimate of success rate in dosing guidance. Pilot results suggest that dosing guidance is generally viewed as important and that the existing resources are insufficient to guide recommendations for all drugs. While the majority of respondents check more than one resource less than 25% of the time, at least 25% of the respondents check more than one resource 25-50% of the time. The majority viewed the relevance of dosing guidance very important to the management of drug therapy. The questionnaire is being extended to the primary care centers, the Kids First Network and specialty care centers. Results will guide the development of decision support systems (DSS) that provide patient-specific pharmacotherapy guidance as part of our pediatric knowledgebase initiative. For the top 25 most utilized agents at our institution over the last 6 years, KPI score ranged from 35 (dexamethasone) to 77 (cefazolin and ampicillin) with an average score of 55. Prototype DSS for tacrolimus and methotrexate are strongly supported by the KPI scoring which ranks their selection in the top 5% of drugs on formulary. KPI metrics provide an objective means of ranking agents for which pediatric pharmacotherapeutic guidance is clearly needed.

Overall Key Performance Indicator to Optimizing Operation of High-Pressure Homogenizers for a Reliable Quantification of Intracellular Components in Pichia pastoris.

PubMed

Garcia-Ortega, Xavier; Reyes, Cecilia; Montesinos, José Luis; Valero, Francisco

2015-01-01

The most commonly used cell disruption procedures may present lack of reproducibility, which introduces significant errors in the quantification of intracellular components. In this work, an approach consisting in the definition of an overall key performance indicator (KPI) was implemented for a lab scale high-pressure homogenizer (HPH) in order to determine the disruption settings that allow the reliable quantification of a wide sort of intracellular components. This innovative KPI was based on the combination of three independent reporting indicators: decrease of absorbance, release of total protein, and release of alkaline phosphatase activity. The yeast Pichia pastoris growing on methanol was selected as model microorganism due to it presents an important widening of the cell wall needing more severe methods and operating conditions than Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. From the outcome of the reporting indicators, the cell disruption efficiency achieved using HPH was about fourfold higher than other lab standard cell disruption methodologies, such bead milling cell permeabilization. This approach was also applied to a pilot plant scale HPH validating the methodology in a scale-up of the disruption process. This innovative non-complex approach developed to evaluate the efficacy of a disruption procedure or equipment can be easily applied to optimize the most common disruption processes, in order to reach not only reliable quantification but also recovery of intracellular components from cell factories of interest.

Overall Key Performance Indicator to Optimizing Operation of High-Pressure Homogenizers for a Reliable Quantification of Intracellular Components in Pichia pastoris

PubMed Central

Garcia-Ortega, Xavier; Reyes, Cecilia; Montesinos, José Luis; Valero, Francisco

2015-01-01

The most commonly used cell disruption procedures may present lack of reproducibility, which introduces significant errors in the quantification of intracellular components. In this work, an approach consisting in the definition of an overall key performance indicator (KPI) was implemented for a lab scale high-pressure homogenizer (HPH) in order to determine the disruption settings that allow the reliable quantification of a wide sort of intracellular components. This innovative KPI was based on the combination of three independent reporting indicators: decrease of absorbance, release of total protein, and release of alkaline phosphatase activity. The yeast Pichia pastoris growing on methanol was selected as model microorganism due to it presents an important widening of the cell wall needing more severe methods and operating conditions than Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. From the outcome of the reporting indicators, the cell disruption efficiency achieved using HPH was about fourfold higher than other lab standard cell disruption methodologies, such bead milling cell permeabilization. This approach was also applied to a pilot plant scale HPH validating the methodology in a scale-up of the disruption process. This innovative non-complex approach developed to evaluate the efficacy of a disruption procedure or equipment can be easily applied to optimize the most common disruption processes, in order to reach not only reliable quantification but also recovery of intracellular components from cell factories of interest. PMID:26284241

Impacting key performance indicators in an academic MR imaging department through process improvement.

PubMed

Recht, Michael; Macari, Michael; Lawson, Kirk; Mulholland, Tom; Chen, David; Kim, Danny; Babb, James

2013-03-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate all aspects of workflow in a large academic MRI department to determine whether process improvement (PI) efforts could improve key performance indicators (KPIs). KPI metrics in the investigators' MR imaging department include daily inpatient backlogs, on-time performance for outpatient examinations, examination volumes, appointment backlogs for pediatric anesthesia cases, and scan duration relative to time allotted for an examination. Over a 3-week period in April 2011, key members of the MR imaging department (including technologists, nurses, schedulers, physicians, and administrators) tracked all aspects of patient flow through the department, from scheduling to examination interpretation. Data were analyzed by the group to determine where PI could improve KPIs. Changes to MRI workflow were subsequently implemented, and KPIs were compared before (January 1, 2011, to April 30, 2011) and after (August 1, 2011, to December 31, 2011) using Mann-Whitney and Fisher's exact tests. The data analysis done during this PI led to multiple changes in the daily workflow of the MR department. In addition, a new sense of teamwork and empowerment was established within the MR staff. All of the measured KPIs showed statistically significant changes after the reengineering project. Intradepartmental PI efforts can significantly affect KPI metrics within an MR imaging department, making the process more patient centered. In addition, the process allowed significant growth without the need for additional equipment or personnel. Copyright © 2013 American College of Radiology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Comparison of Mobile and Fixed Device Access on User Engagement Associated With Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Online Nutrition Education.

PubMed

Brusk, John J; Bensley, Robert J

2016-11-15

Online health education has expanded its reach due to cost-effective implementation and demonstrated effectiveness. However, a limitation exists with the evaluation of online health education implementations and how the impact of the system is attenuated by the extent to which a user engages with it. Moreover, the current online health education research does not consider how this engagement has been affected by the transition from fixed to mobile user access over the last decade. This paper focuses on comparing the impact mobile versus fixed devices have on user engagement key performance indicators (KPI) associated with the wichealth website (.org), an Internet-based parent-child feeding intervention offered to clients associated with the US Department of Agriculture's Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Data were collected from 612,201 nutrition education lessons completed by 305,735 unique WIC participants in 21 states over a 1-year period. Data consisted of system-collected measures, profile items, and items from an exit survey administered at the conclusion of each lesson. User engagement was defined based on 3 KPIs associated with usage of the wichealth website: number of link views, link view time, and progression in stage of readiness to change. Independent samples t tests were used to compare KPIs between fixed only and mobile only device users and paired samples t tests were used to compare KPIs within users who completed at least one lesson each on both a fixed and mobile device. A logistic regression was performed to estimate the odds of KPI performance thresholds in the independent samples study group given access device type while controlling for confounding of user characteristics associated with these KPIs. Analysis of 8 user characteristics (lessons completed, race, ethnicity, language, state of residence, pregnancy status, beginning stage of change, and preferred nutrition education method) were significantly (P<.001) related to various KPI differences between mobile and fixed device access. Non-mobile users were significantly (P<.001) more likely to engage based on all 3 KPIs, even after logistic regression control for the potential confounding related to the strongly associated user characteristics identified. The findings of this study support the idea that online health education developers need to seriously consider access device when creating programs. Online health education developers need to take extra effort to truly understand access patterns of populations being served, and whether or not access device will influence user engagement performance indicators. ©John J Brusk, Robert J Bensley. Originally published in JMIR Research Protocols (http://www.researchprotocols.org), 15.11.2016.

Novel de novo synthesized phosphate carrier compound ABA-PEG20k-Pi20 suppresses collagenase production in Enterococcus faecalis and prevents colonic anastomotic leak in an experimental model.

PubMed

Wiegerinck, M; Hyoju, S K; Mao, J; Zaborin, A; Adriaansens, C; Salzman, E; Hyman, N H; Zaborina, O; van Goor, H; Alverdy, J C

2018-04-16

Previous work has demonstrated that anastomotic leak can be caused by collagenolytic bacteria such as Enterococcus faecalis via an effect on wound collagen. In humans, E. faecalis is the organism cultured most commonly from a leaking anastomosis, and is not routinely eliminated by standard oral or intravenous antibiotics. Novel strategies are needed to contain the virulence of this pathogen when present on anastomotic tissues. Polyphosphorylated polymer ABA-PEG20k-Pi20 was tested in mice for its ability to prevent anastomotic leak caused by collagenolytic E. faecalis. The study design included a distal colonic resection and anastomosis followed by introduction of E. faecalis to anastomotic tissues via enema. Mice were assigned randomly to receive either ABA-PEG20-Pi20 or its unphosphorylated precursor ABA-PEG20k in their drinking water. The development of anastomotic leak was determined after the animals had been killed. Overnight incubation of two different E. faecalis collagenolytic strains with 2 mmol/l of ABA-PEG20k-Pi20 led to near complete inhibition of collagenase production (from 21 000 to 1000 and from 68 000 to 5000 units; P < 0·001; 6 samples per group) without suppressing bacterial growth. In mice drinking 1 per cent ABA-PEG20k-Pi20, the phosphate concentration in the distal colonic mucosa increased twofold and leak rates decreased from eight of 15 to three of 15 animals (P < 0·001). In mice drinking ABA-PEG20k-Pi20, the percentage of collagenolytic colonies among E. faecalis populations present at anastomotic tissue sites was decreased by 6-4800-fold (P = 0·008; 5 animals). These data indicate that oral intake of ABA-PEG20k-Pi20 may be an effective agent to contain the virulence of E. faecalis and may prevent anastomotic leak caused by this organism. Clinical relevance Progress in understanding the pathogenesis of anastomotic leak continues to point to intestinal bacteria as key causative agents. The presence of pathogens such as Enterococcus faecalis that predominate on anastomotic tissues despite antibiotic use, coupled with their ability to produce collagenase, appears to alter the process of healing that leads to leakage. Further antibiotic administration may seem logical, but carries the unwanted risk of eliminating the normal microbiome, which functions competitively to exclude and suppress the virulence of pathogens such as E. faecalis. Therefore, non-antibiotic strategies that can suppress the production of collagenase by E. faecalis without affecting its growth, or potentially normal beneficial microbiota, may have unique advantages. The findings of this study demonstrate that drinking a phosphate-based polymer can achieve the goal of preventing anastomotic leak by suppressing collagenase production in E. faecalis without affecting its growth. © 2018 BJS Society Ltd Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Determinants of ambulance response time: A study in Sabah, Malaysia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chin, Su Na; Cheah, Phee Kheng; Arifin, Muhamad Yaakub; Wong, Boh Leng; Omar, Zaturrawiah; Yassin, Fouziah Md; Gabda, Darmesah

2017-04-01

Ambulance response time (ART) is one of the standard key performance indicators (KPI) in measuring the emergency medical services (EMS) delivery performances. When the mean time of ART of EMS system reaches the KPI target, it shows that the EMS system performs well. This paper considers the determinants of ART, using data sampled from 967 ambulance runs in a government hospital in Sabah. Multiple regression analysis with backward elimination was proposed for the identification of significant factors. Amongst the underlying factors, travel distance, age of patients, type of treatment and peak hours were identified to be significantly affecting ART. Identifying factors that influence ART helps the development of strategic improvement planning for reducing the ART.

Dark lump excitations in superfluid Fermi gases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Yan-Xia; Duan, Wen-Shan

2012-11-01

We study the linear and nonlinear properties of two-dimensional matter-wave pulses in disk-shaped superfluid Fermi gases. A Kadomtsev—Petviashvili I (KPI) solitary wave has been realized for superfluid Fermi gases in the limited cases of Bardeen—Cooper—Schrieffer (BCS) regime, Bose—Einstein condensate (BEC) regime, and unitarity regime. One-lump solution as well as one-line soliton solutions for the KPI equation are obtained, and two-line soliton solutions with the same amplitude are also studied in the limited cases. The dependence of the lump propagating velocity and the sound speed of two-dimensional superfluid Fermi gases on the interaction parameter are investigated for the limited cases of BEC and unitarity.

Identifying influential factors of business process performance using dependency analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wetzstein, Branimir; Leitner, Philipp; Rosenberg, Florian; Dustdar, Schahram; Leymann, Frank

2011-02-01

We present a comprehensive framework for identifying influential factors of business process performance. In particular, our approach combines monitoring of process events and Quality of Service (QoS) measurements with dependency analysis to effectively identify influential factors. The framework uses data mining techniques to construct tree structures to represent dependencies of a key performance indicator (KPI) on process and QoS metrics. These dependency trees allow business analysts to determine how process KPIs depend on lower-level process metrics and QoS characteristics of the IT infrastructure. The structure of the dependencies enables a drill-down analysis of single factors of influence to gain a deeper knowledge why certain KPI targets are not met.

Design logistics performance measurement model of automotive component industry for srengthening competitiveness of dealing AEC 2015

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amran, T. G.; Janitra Yose, Mindy

2018-03-01

As the free trade Asean Economic Community (AEC) causes the tougher competition, it is important that Indonesia’s automotive industry have high competitiveness as well. A model of logistics performance measurement was designed as an evaluation tool for automotive component companies to improve their logistics performance in order to compete in AEC. The design of logistics performance measurement model was based on the Logistics Scorecard perspectives, divided into two stages: identifying the logistics business strategy to get the KPI and arranging the model. 23 KPI was obtained. The measurement result can be taken into consideration of determining policies to improve the performance logistics competitiveness.

New prognostic model for extranodal natural killer/T cell lymphoma, nasal type.

PubMed

Cai, Qingqing; Luo, Xiaolin; Zhang, Guanrong; Huang, Huiqiang; Huang, Hui; Lin, Tongyu; Jiang, Wenqi; Xia, Zhongjun; Young, Ken H

2014-09-01

Extranodal natural killer/T cell lymphoma, nasal type (ENKTL) is an aggressive disease with a poor prognosis, requiring risk stratification in affected patients. We designed a new prognostic model specifically for ENKTL to identify high-risk patients who need more aggressive therapy. We retrospectively reviewed 158 patients who were newly diagnosed with ENKTL. The estimated 5-year overall survival rate was 39.4 %. Independent prognostic factors included total protein (TP) <60 g/L, fasting blood glucose (FBG) >100 mg/dL, and Korean Prognostic Index (KPI) score ≥2. We constructed a new prognostic model by combining these prognostic factors: group 1 (64 cases (41.0 %)), no adverse factors; group 2 (58 cases (37.2 %)), one adverse factor; and group 3 (34 cases (21.8 %)), two or three adverse factors. The 5-year overall survival (OS) rates of these groups were 66.7, 23.0, and 5.9 %, respectively (p < 0.001). Our new prognostic model had a better prognostic value than did the KPI model alone (p < 0.001). Our proposed prognostic model for ENKTL, including the newly identified prognostic indicators, TP and FBG, demonstrated a balanced distribution of patients into different risk groups with better prognostic discrimination compared with the KPI model alone.

Contribution of Kunitz protease inhibitor and transmembrane domains to amyloid precursor protein homodimerization.

PubMed

Ben Khalifa, N; Tyteca, D; Courtoy, P J; Renauld, J C; Constantinescu, S N; Octave, J N; Kienlen-Campard, P

2012-01-01

The two major isoforms of the human amyloid precursor protein (APP) are APP695 and APP751. They differ by the insertion of a Kunitz-type protease inhibitor (KPI) sequence in the extracellular domain of APP751. APP-KPI isoforms are increased in Alzheimer's disease brains, and they could be associated with disease progression. Recent studies have shown that APP processing to Aβ is regulated by homodimerization, which involves both extracellular and juxtamembrane/transmembrane (JM/TM) regions. Our aim is to understand the mechanisms controlling APP dimerization and the contribution of the ectodomain and JM/TM regions to this process. We used bimolecular fluorescence complementation approaches coupled to fluorescence-activated cell sorting analysis to measure the dimerization level of different APP isoforms and APP C-terminal fragments (C99) mutated in their JM/TM region. APP751 was found to form significantly more homodimers than APP695. Mutation of dimerization motifs in the TM domain of APP or C99 did not significantly affect fluorescence complementation. These findings indicate that the KPI domain plays a major role in APP dimerization. They set the basis for further investigation of the relation between dimerization, metabolism and function of APP. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Phylogenetic groups among Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates from Brazil: relationship with antimicrobial resistance and origin.

PubMed

de Melo, Maíra Espíndola Silva; Cabral, Adriane Borges; Maciel, Maria Amélia Vieira; da Silveira, Vera Magalhães; de Souza Lopes, Ana Catarina

2011-05-01

The objectives of this study were to determine the distribution of phylogenetic groups among Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates from Recife, Brazil and to assess the relationship between the groups and the isolation sites and resistance profile. Ninety four isolates of K. pneumoniae from hospital or community infections and from normal microbiota were analyzed by gyrA PCR-RFLP, antibiotic susceptibility, and adonitol fermentation. The results revealed the distinction of three phylogenetic groups, as it has also been reported in Europe, showing that these clusters are highly conserved within K. pneumoniae. Group KpI was dominantly represented by hospital and community isolates while groups KpII and KpIII displayed mainly normal microbiota isolates. The resistance to third generation cephalosporins, aztreonam, imipenem, amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, and streptomycin was only observed in KpI. The percentage of resistance was higher in KpI, followed by KpII and KpIII. The differences in the distribution of K. pneumoniae phylogenetic groups observed in this study suggest distinctive clinical and epidemiological characteristics among the three groups, which is important to understand the epidemiology of infections caused by this organism. This is the first study in Brazil on K. pneumoniae isolates from normal microbiota and community infections regarding the distribution of phylogenetic groups based on the gyrA gene.

Hemocyte-lineage marker proteins in a crustacean, the freshwater crayfish, Pacifastacus leniusculus.

PubMed

Wu, Chenglin; Söderhäll, Irene; Kim, Young-A; Liu, Haipeng; Söderhäll, Kenneth

2008-10-01

To identify proteins associated with development of different hemocyte types in the freshwater crayfish Pacifastacus leniusculus, 2-DE followed by MS analysis was carried out with hematopoietic tissue (Hpt) cells, semigranular cells (SGC) and granular cells (GC). Within the hemocyte lineages one two-domain Kazal proteinase inhibitor (KPI) was found to be specific for SGC, while a superoxide dismutase (SOD) was specific for GC at protein as well as at mRNA level. The proliferation cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) was detected at the mRNA level in Hpt cells only. We also provide evidence that SGC and GC most likely differentiate to maturation as separate lineages. We found that after laminarin or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection into crayfish, the transcript levels of PCNA and SOD increased in the Hpt cells, whereas the KPI transcript never was present in Hpt regardless of any challenge. RNA interference of PCNA in the Hpt cells led to that most of the cells did not spread or attach to the tissue culture dish. These results suggest that PCNA, KPI and SOD can be used as markers for Hpt cells, SGC and GC, respectively, and in conjunction with these results, a model is proposed how the Hpt responds to a microbial challenge by proliferation and release of Hpt cells.

Operations management tools to be applied for textile

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maralcan, A.; Ilhan, I.

2017-10-01

In this paper, basic concepts of process analysis such as flow time, inventory, bottleneck, labour cost and utilization are illustrated first. The effect of bottleneck on the results of a business are especially emphasized. In the next section, tools on productivity measurement; KPI (Key Performance Indicators) Tree, OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) and Takt Time are introduced and exemplified. KPI tree is a diagram on which we can visualize all the variables of an operation which are driving financial results through cost and profit. OEE is a tool to measure a potential extra capacity of an equipment or an employee. Takt time is a tool to determine the process flow rate according to the customer demand. KPI tree is studied through the whole process while OEE is exemplified for a stenter frame machine which is the most important machine (and usually the bottleneck) and the most expensive investment in a finishing plant. Takt time is exemplified for the quality control department. Finally quality tools, six sigma, control charts and jidoka are introduced. Six sigma is a tool to measure process capability and by the way probability of a defect. Control chart is a powerful tool to monitor the process. The idea of jidoka (detect, stop and alert) is about alerting the people that there is a problem in the process.

Metal-oxide assisted surface treatment of polyimide gate insulators for high-performance organic thin-film transistors.

PubMed

Kim, Sohee; Ha, Taewook; Yoo, Sungmi; Ka, Jae-Won; Kim, Jinsoo; Won, Jong Chan; Choi, Dong Hoon; Jang, Kwang-Suk; Kim, Yun Ho

2017-06-14

We developed a facile method for treating polyimide-based organic gate insulator (OGI) surfaces with self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) by introducing metal-oxide interlayers, called the metal-oxide assisted SAM treatment (MAST). To create sites for surface modification with SAM materials on polyimide-based OGI (KPI) surfaces, the metal-oxide interlayer, here amorphous alumina (α-Al 2 O 3 ), was deposited on the KPI gate insulator using spin-coating via a rapid sol-gel reaction, providing an excellent template for the formation of a high-quality SAM with phosphonic acid anchor groups. The SAM of octadecylphosphonic acid (ODPA) was successfully treated by spin-coating onto the α-Al 2 O 3 -deposited KPI film. After the surface treatment by ODPA/α-Al 2 O 3 , the surface energy of the KPI thin film was remarkably decreased and the molecular compatibility of the film with an organic semiconductor (OSC), 2-decyl-7-phenyl-[1]benzothieno[3,2-b][1]benzothiophene (Ph-BTBT-C 10 ), was increased. Ph-BTBT-C 10 molecules were uniformly deposited on the treated gate insulator surface and grown with high crystallinity, as confirmed by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The mobility of Ph-BTBT-C 10 thin-film transistors (TFTs) was approximately doubled, from 0.56 ± 0.05 cm 2 V -1 s -1 to 1.26 ± 0.06 cm 2 V -1 s -1 , after the surface treatment. The surface treatment of α-Al 2 O 3 and ODPA significantly decreased the threshold voltage from -21.2 V to -8.3 V by reducing the trap sites in the OGI and improving the interfacial properties with the OSC. We suggest that the MAST method for OGIs can be applied to various OGI materials lacking reactive sites using SAMs. It may provide a new platform for the surface treatment of OGIs, similar to that of conventional SiO 2 gate insulators.

A Global Protein Kinase and Phosphatase Interaction Network in Yeast

PubMed Central

Breitkreutz, Ashton; Choi, Hyungwon; Sharom, Jeffrey R.; Boucher, Lorrie; Neduva, Victor; Larsen, Brett; Lin, Zhen-Yuan; Breitkreutz, Bobby-Joe; Stark, Chris; Liu, Guomin; Ahn, Jessica; Dewar-Darch, Danielle; Reguly, Teresa; Tang, Xiaojing; Almeida, Ricardo; Qin, Zhaohui Steve; Pawson, Tony; Gingras, Anne-Claude; Nesvizhskii, Alexey I.; Tyers, Mike

2011-01-01

The interactions of protein kinases and phosphatases with their regulatory subunits and substrates underpin cellular regulation. We identified a kinase and phosphatase interaction (KPI) network of 1844 interactions in budding yeast by mass spectrometric analysis of protein complexes. The KPI network contained many dense local regions of interactions that suggested new functions. Notably, the cell cycle phosphatase Cdc14 associated with multiple kinases that revealed roles for Cdc14 in mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling, the DNA damage response, and metabolism, whereas interactions of the target of rapamycin complex 1 (TORC1) uncovered new effector kinases in nitrogen and carbon metabolism. An extensive backbone of kinase-kinase interactions cross-connects the proteome and may serve to coordinate diverse cellular responses. PMID:20489023

EPA Monthly Key Performance Indicator Dashboards 2017

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Each month, the Web Analytics Program posts updated Key Performance Indicator (KPI) dashboards that correspond to three Web performance goals: content consumption, content discovery, and audience engagement.

Prognostic significance of peripheral monocyte count in patients with extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma.

PubMed

Huang, Jia-Jia; Li, Ya-Jun; Xia, Yi; Wang, Yu; Wei, Wen-Xiao; Zhu, Ying-Jie; Lin, Tong-Yu; Huang, Hui-Qiang; Jiang, Wen-Qi; Li, Zhi-Ming

2013-05-03

Extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (ENKL) has heterogeneous clinical manifestations and prognosis. This study aims to evaluate the prognostic impact of absolute monocyte count (AMC) in ENKL, and provide some immunologically relevant information for better risk stratification in patients with ENKL. Retrospective data from 163 patients newly diagnosed with ENKL were analyzed. The absolute monocyte count (AMC) at diagnosis was analyzed as continuous and dichotomized variables. Independent prognostic factors of survival were determined by Cox regression analysis. The AMC at diagnosis were related to overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with ENKL. Multivariate analysis identified AMC as independent prognostic factors of survival, independent of International Prognostic Index (IPI) and Korean prognostic index (KPI). The prognostic index incorporating AMC and absolute lymphocyte count (ALC), another surrogate factor of immune status, could be used to stratify all 163 patients with ENKL into different prognostic groups. For patients who received chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy (102 cases), the three AMC/ALC index categories identified patients with significantly different survivals. When superimposed on IPI or KPI categories, the AMC/ALC index was better able to identify high-risk patients in the low-risk IPI or KPI category. The baseline peripheral monocyte count is shown to be an effective prognostic indicator of survival in ENKL patients. The prognostic index related to tumor microenvironment might be helpful to identify high-risk patients with ENKL.

Cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (CHOP) in the treatment of stage IE/IIE extranodal natural killer/T cell lymphoma, nasal type: 13-year follow-up in 135 patients.

PubMed

Wang, Liang; Xia, Zhong-jun; Huang, Hui-qiang; Lu, Yue; Zhang, Yu-jing

2012-11-01

We conducted a retrospective study of 135 patients of stage IE/IIE extranodal natural killer/T cell lymphoma, nasal type (ENKTL) treated with CHOP as induction chemotherapy to find some valuable prognostic factors and analyze the usefulness of International Prognostic Index (IPI) and Korean Prognostic Index (KPI) in predicting prognosis. Most of the patients were in the low-risk group (IPI score 0-1). Complete remission (CR) after induction chemotherapy was achieved in 31.8 % of the patients, which increased to 69.6 % after radiotherapy. The 2-, 5-, and 10-year overall survival (OS) rates were 60, 48, and 43 %, respectively. Patients with better performance status (ECOG 0-1), normal serum LDH level, without local invasiveness, low KPI scores, and IPI score of 0 had significantly better overall survival (P < 0.05) in univariate analysis. Using multivariate analysis, we identified serum LDH level, ECOG PS score and local invasiveness to be independent prognostic factors. In conclusion, ENKTL is an aggressive lymphoma that shows heterogeneity. The IPI and KPI score systems should be improved further to classify patients into different groups, and should be validated in larger prospective trials. Due to the multi-drug resistance mechanism of ENKTL, CHOP is no longer the state of art and novel drugs should be incorporated into future treatments.

Fusion proteins comprising annexin V and Kunitz protease inhibitors are highly potent thrombogenic site-directed anticoagulants

PubMed Central

Chen, Hsiu-Hui; Vicente, Cristina P.; He, Li; Tollefsen, Douglas M.; Wun, Tze-Chein

2005-01-01

The anionic phospholipid, phosphatidyl-l-serine (PS), is sequestered in the inner layer of the plasma membrane in normal cells. Upon injury, activation, and apoptosis, PS becomes exposed on the surfaces of cells and sheds microparticles, which are procoagulant. Coagulation is initiated by formation of a tissue factor/factor VIIa complex on PS-exposed membranes and propagated through the assembly of intrinsic tenase (factor VIIIa/factor IXa), prothrombinase (factor Va/factor Xa), and factor XIa complexes on PS-exposed activated platelets. We constructed a novel series of recombinant anticoagulant fusion proteins by linking annexin V (ANV), a PS-binding protein, to the Kunitz-type protease inhibitor (KPI) domain of tick anticoagulant protein, an aprotinin mutant (6L15), amyloid β-protein precursor, or tissue factor pathway inhibitor. The resulting ANV-KPI fusion proteins were 6- to 86-fold more active than recombinant tissue factor pathway inhibitor and tick anticoagulant protein in an in vitro tissue factor–initiated clotting assay. The in vivo antithrombotic activities of the most active constructs were 3- to 10-fold higher than that of ANV in a mouse arterial thrombosis model. ANV-KPI fusion proteins represent a new class of anticoagulants that specifically target the anionic membrane-associated coagulation enzyme complexes present at sites of thrombogenesis and are potentially useful as antithrombotic agents. PMID:15677561

Amplitude analysis of the B+/--->phiK*(892)+/- decay.

PubMed

Aubert, B; Bona, M; Boutigny, D; Karyotakis, Y; Lees, J P; Poireau, V; Prudent, X; Tisserand, V; Zghiche, A; Garra Tico, J; Grauges, E; Lopez, L; Palano, A; Eigen, G; Stugu, B; Sun, L; Abrams, G S; Battaglia, M; Brown, D N; Button-Shafer, J; Cahn, R N; Groysman, Y; Jacobsen, R G; Kadyk, J A; Kerth, L T; Kolomensky, Yu G; Kukartsev, G; Lopes Pegna, D; Lynch, G; Mir, L M; Orimoto, T J; Ronan, M T; Tackmann, K; Wenzel, W A; del Amo Sanchez, P; Hawkes, C M; Watson, A T; Held, T; Koch, H; Lewandowski, B; Pelizaeus, M; Schroeder, T; Steinke, M; Walker, D; Asgeirsson, D J; Cuhadar-Donszelmann, T; Fulsom, B G; Hearty, C; Mattison, T S; McKenna, J A; Khan, A; Saleem, M; Teodorescu, L; Blinov, V E; Bukin, A D; Druzhinin, V P; Golubev, V B; Onuchin, A P; Serednyakov, S I; Skovpen, Yu I; Solodov, E P; Todyshev, K Yu; Bondioli, M; Curry, S; Eschrich, I; Kirkby, D; Lankford, A J; Lund, P; Mandelkern, M; Martin, E C; Stoker, D P; Abachi, S; Buchanan, C; Foulkes, S D; Gary, J W; Liu, F; Long, O; Shen, B C; Zhang, L; Paar, H P; Rahatlou, S; Sharma, V; Berryhill, J W; Campagnari, C; Cunha, A; Dahmes, B; Hong, T M; Kovalskyi, D; Richman, J D; Beck, T W; Eisner, A M; Flacco, C J; Heusch, C A; Kroseberg, J; Lockman, W S; Schalk, T; Schumm, B A; Seiden, A; Williams, D C; Wilson, M G; Winstrom, L O; Chen, E; Cheng, C H; Fang, F; Hitlin, D G; Narsky, I; Piatenko, T; Porter, F C; Andreassen, R; Mancinelli, G; Meadows, B T; Mishra, K; Sokoloff, M D; Blanc, F; Bloom, P C; Chen, S; Ford, W T; Hirschauer, J F; Kreisel, A; Nagel, M; Nauenberg, U; Olivas, A; Smith, J G; Ulmer, K A; Wagner, S R; Zhang, J; Gabareen, A M; Soffer, A; Toki, W H; Wilson, R J; Winklmeier, F; Zeng, Q; Altenburg, D D; Feltresi, E; Hauke, A; Jasper, H; Merkel, J; Petzold, A; Spaan, B; Wacker, K; Brandt, T; Klose, V; Kobel, M J; Lacker, H M; Mader, W F; Nogowski, R; Schubert, J; Schubert, K R; Schwierz, R; Sundermann, J E; Volk, A; Bernard, D; Bonneaud, G R; Latour, E; Lombardo, V; Thiebaux, Ch; Verderi, M; Clark, P J; Gradl, W; Muheim, F; Playfer, S; Robertson, A I; Xie, Y; Andreotti, M; Bettoni, D; Bozzi, C; Calabrese, R; Cecchi, A; Cibinetto, G; Franchini, P; Luppi, E; Negrini, M; Petrella, A; Piemontese, L; Prencipe, E; Santoro, V; Anulli, F; Baldini-Ferroli, R; Calcaterra, A; de Sangro, R; Finocchiaro, G; Pacetti, S; Patteri, P; Peruzzi, I M; Piccolo, M; Rama, M; Zallo, A; Buzzo, A; Contri, R; Lo Vetere, M; Macri, M M; Monge, M R; Passaggio, S; Patrignani, C; Robutti, E; Santroni, A; Tosi, S; Chaisanguanthum, K S; Morii, M; Wu, J; Dubitzky, R S; Marks, J; Schenk, S; Uwer, U; Bard, D J; Dauncey, P D; Flack, R L; Nash, J A; Nikolich, M B; Panduro Vazquez, W; Tibbetts, M; Behera, P K; Chai, X; Charles, M J; Mallik, U; Meyer, N T; Ziegler, V; Cochran, J; Crawley, H B; Dong, L; Eyges, V; Meyer, W T; Prell, S; Rosenberg, E I; Rubin, A E; Gao, Y Y; Gritsan, A V; Guo, Z J; Lae, C K; Denig, A G; Fritsch, M; Schott, G; Arnaud, N; Béquilleux, J; Davier, M; Grosdidier, G; Höcker, A; Lepeltier, V; Le Diberder, F; Lutz, A M; Pruvot, S; Rodier, S; Roudeau, P; Schune, M H; Serrano, J; Sordini, V; Stocchi, A; Wang, W F; Wormser, G; Lange, D J; Wright, D M; Bingham, I; Chavez, C A; Forster, I J; Fry, J R; Gabathuler, E; Gamet, R; Hutchcroft, D E; Payne, D J; Schofield, K C; Touramanis, C; Bevan, A J; George, K A; Di Lodovico, F; Menges, W; Sacco, R; Cowan, G; Flaecher, H U; Hopkins, D A; Paramesvaran, S; Salvatore, F; Wren, A C; Brown, D N; Davis, C L; Allison, J; Barlow, N R; Barlow, R J; Chia, Y M; Edgar, C L; Lafferty, G D; West, T J; Yi, J I; Anderson, J; Chen, C; Jawahery, A; Roberts, D A; Simi, G; Tuggle, J M; Blaylock, G; Dallapiccola, C; Hertzbach, S S; Li, X; Moore, T B; Salvati, E; Saremi, S; Cowan, R; Dujmic, D; Fisher, P H; Koeneke, K; Sciolla, G; Sekula, S J; Spitznagel, M; Taylor, F; Yamamoto, R K; Zhao, M; Zheng, Y; Mclachlin, S E; Patel, P M; Robertson, S H; Lazzaro, A; Palombo, F; Bauer, J M; Cremaldi, L; Eschenburg, V; Godang, R; Kroeger, R; Sanders, D A; Summers, D J; Zhao, H W; Brunet, S; Côté, D; Simard, M; Taras, P; Viaud, F B; Nicholson, H; De Nardo, G; Fabozzi, F; Lista, L; Monorchio, D; Sciacca, C; Baak, M A; Raven, G; Snoek, H L; Jessop, C P; LoSecco, J M; Benelli, G; Corwin, L A; Honscheid, K; Kagan, H; Kass, R; Morris, J P; Rahimi, A M; Regensburger, J J; Wong, Q K; Blount, N L; Brau, J; Frey, R; Igonkina, O; Kolb, J A; Lu, M; Rahmat, R; Sinev, N B; Strom, D; Strube, J; Torrence, E; Gagliardi, N; Gaz, A; Margoni, M; Morandin, M; Pompili, A; Posocco, M; Rotondo, M; Simonetto, F; Stroili, R; Voci, C; Ben-Haim, E; Briand, H; Calderini, G; Chauveau, J; David, P; Del Buono, L; de la Vaissière, Ch; Hamon, O; Leruste, Ph; Malclès, J; Ocariz, J; Perez, A; Gladney, L; Biasini, M; Covarelli, R; Manoni, E; Angelini, C; Batignani, G; Bettarini, S; Carpinelli, M; Cenci, R; Cervelli, A; Forti, F; Giorgi, M A; Lusiani, A; Marchiori, G; Mazur, M A; Morganti, M; Neri, N; Paoloni, E; Rizzo, G; Walsh, J J; Haire, M; Biesiada, J; Elmer, P; Lau, Y P; Lu, C; Olsen, J; Smith, A J S; Telnov, A V; Baracchini, E; Bellini, F; Cavoto, G; D'Orazio, A; del Re, D; Di Marco, E; Faccini, R; Ferrarotto, F; Ferroni, F; Gaspero, M; Jackson, P D; Li Gioi, L; Mazzoni, M A; Morganti, S; Piredda, G; Polci, F; Renga, F; Voena, C; Ebert, M; Hartmann, T; Schröder, H; Waldi, R; Adye, T; Castelli, G; Franek, B; Olaiya, E O; Ricciardi, S; Roethel, W; Wilson, F F; Aleksan, R; Emery, S; Escalier, M; Gaidot, A; Ganzhur, S F; Hamel de Monchenault, G; Kozanecki, W; Vasseur, G; Yèche, Ch; Zito, M; Chen, X R; Liu, H; Park, W; Purohit, M V; Wilson, J R; Allen, M T; Aston, D; Bartoldus, R; Bechtle, P; Berger, N; Claus, R; Coleman, J P; Convery, M R; Dingfelder, J C; Dorfan, J; Dubois-Felsmann, G P; Dunwoodie, W; Field, R C; Glanzman, T; Gowdy, S J; Graham, M T; Grenier, P; Hast, C; Hryn'ova, T; Innes, W R; Kaminski, J; Kelsey, M H; Kim, H; Kim, P; Kocian, M L; Leith, D W G S; Li, S; Luitz, S; Luth, V; Lynch, H L; MacFarlane, D B; Marsiske, H; Messner, R; Muller, D R; O'Grady, C P; Ofte, I; Perazzo, A; Perl, M; Pulliam, T; Ratcliff, B N; Roodman, A; Salnikov, A A; Schindler, R H; Schwiening, J; Snyder, A; Stelzer, J; Su, D; Sullivan, M K; Suzuki, K; Swain, S K; Thompson, J M; Va'vra, J; van Bakel, N; Wagner, A P; Weaver, M; Wisniewski, W J; Wittgen, M; Wright, D H; Yarritu, A K; Yi, K; Young, C C; Burchat, P R; Edwards, A J; Majewski, S A; Petersen, B A; Wilden, L; Ahmed, S; Alam, M S; Bula, R; Ernst, J A; Jain, V; Pan, B; Saeed, M A; Wappler, F R; Zain, S B; Bugg, W; Krishnamurthy, M; Spanier, S M; Eckmann, R; Ritchie, J L; Ruland, A M; Schilling, C J; Schwitters, R F; Izen, J M; Lou, X C; Ye, S; Bianchi, F; Gallo, F; Gamba, D; Pelliccioni, M; Bomben, M; Bosisio, L; Cartaro, C; Cossutti, F; Della Ricca, G; Lanceri, L; Vitale, L; Azzolini, V; Lopez-March, N; Martinez-Vidal, F; Milanes, D A; Oyanguren, A; Albert, J; Banerjee, Sw; Bhuyan, B; Hamano, K; Kowalewski, R; Nugent, I M; Roney, J M; Sobie, R J; Back, J J; Harrison, P F; Ilic, J; Latham, T E; Mohanty, G B; Pappagallo, M; Band, H R; Chen, X; Dasu, S; Flood, K T; Hollar, J J; Kutter, P E; Pan, Y; Pierini, M; Prepost, R; Wu, S L; Neal, H

2007-11-16

We perform an amplitude analysis of B+/--->phi(1020)K*(892)+/- decay with a sample of about 384 x 10(6) BB[over ] pairs recorded with the BABAR detector. Overall, twelve parameters are measured, including the fractions of longitudinal fL and parity-odd transverse f perpendicular amplitudes, branching fraction, strong phases, and six parameters sensitive to CP violation. We use the dependence on the Kpi invariant mass of the interference between the JP=1(-) and 0+ Kpi components to resolve the discrete ambiguity in the determination of the strong and weak phases. Our measurements of fL=0.49+/-0.05+/-0.03, f perpendicular=0.21+/-0.05+/-0.02, and the strong phases point to the presence of a substantial helicity-plus amplitude from a presently unknown source.

Eigenfunctions and Eigenvalues for a Scalar Riemann-Hilbert Problem Associated to Inverse Scattering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pelinovsky, Dmitry E.; Sulem, Catherine

A complete set of eigenfunctions is introduced within the Riemann-Hilbert formalism for spectral problems associated to some solvable nonlinear evolution equations. In particular, we consider the time-independent and time-dependent Schrödinger problems which are related to the KdV and KPI equations possessing solitons and lumps, respectively. Non-standard scalar products, orthogonality and completeness relations are derived for these problems. The complete set of eigenfunctions is used for perturbation theory and bifurcation analysis of eigenvalues supported by the potentials under perturbations. We classify two different types of bifurcations of new eigenvalues and analyze their characteristic features. One type corresponds to thresholdless generation of solitons in the KdV equation, while the other predicts a threshold for generation of lumps in the KPI equation.

Observation of new charmless decays of bottom hadrons.

PubMed

Aaltonen, T; Adelman, J; Akimoto, T; Alvarez González, B; Amerio, S; Amidei, D; Anastassov, A; Annovi, A; Antos, J; Apollinari, G; Apresyan, A; Arisawa, T; Artikov, A; Ashmanskas, W; Attal, A; Aurisano, A; Azfar, F; Azzurri, P; Badgett, W; Barbaro-Galtieri, A; Barnes, V E; Barnett, B A; Bartsch, V; Bauer, G; Beauchemin, P-H; Bedeschi, F; Beecher, D; Behari, S; Bellettini, G; Bellinger, J; Benjamin, D; Beretvas, A; Beringer, J; Bhatti, A; Binkley, M; Bisello, D; Bizjak, I; Blair, R E; Blocker, C; Blumenfeld, B; Bocci, A; Bodek, A; Boisvert, V; Bolla, G; Bortoletto, D; Boudreau, J; Boveia, A; Brau, B; Bridgeman, A; Brigliadori, L; Bromberg, C; Brubaker, E; Budagov, J; Budd, H S; Budd, S; Burke, S; Burkett, K; Busetto, G; Bussey, P; Buzatu, A; Byrum, K L; Cabrera, S; Calancha, C; Campanelli, M; Campbell, M; Canelli, F; Canepa, A; Carls, B; Carlsmith, D; Carosi, R; Carrillo, S; Carron, S; Casal, B; Casarsa, M; Castro, A; Catastini, P; Cauz, D; Cavaliere, V; Cavalli-Sforza, M; Cerri, A; Cerrito, L; Chang, S H; Chen, Y C; Chertok, M; Chiarelli, G; Chlachidze, G; Chlebana, F; Cho, K; Chokheli, D; Chou, J P; Choudalakis, G; Chuang, S H; Chung, K; Chung, W H; Chung, Y S; Chwalek, T; Ciobanu, C I; Ciocci, M A; Clark, A; Clark, D; Compostella, G; Convery, M E; Conway, J; Cordelli, M; Cortiana, G; Cox, C A; Cox, D J; Crescioli, F; Cuenca Almenar, C; Cuevas, J; Culbertson, R; Cully, J C; Dagenhart, D; Datta, M; Davies, T; de Barbaro, P; De Cecco, S; Deisher, A; De Lorenzo, G; Dell'Orso, M; Deluca, C; Demortier, L; Deng, J; Deninno, M; Derwent, P F; di Giovanni, G P; Dionisi, C; Di Ruzza, B; Dittmann, J R; D'Onofrio, M; Donati, S; Dong, P; Donini, J; Dorigo, T; Dube, S; Efron, J; Elagin, A; Erbacher, R; Errede, D; Errede, S; Eusebi, R; Fang, H C; Farrington, S; Fedorko, W T; Feild, R G; Feindt, M; Fernandez, J P; Ferrazza, C; Field, R; Flanagan, G; Forrest, R; Frank, M J; Franklin, M; Freeman, J C; Furic, I; Gallinaro, M; Galyardt, J; Garberson, F; Garcia, J E; Garfinkel, A F; Genser, K; Gerberich, H; Gerdes, D; Gessler, A; Giagu, S; Giakoumopoulou, V; Giannetti, P; Gibson, K; Gimmell, J L; Ginsburg, C M; Giokaris, N; Giordani, M; Giromini, P; Giunta, M; Giurgiu, G; Glagolev, V; Glenzinski, D; Gold, M; Goldschmidt, N; Golossanov, A; Gomez, G; Gomez-Ceballos, G; Goncharov, M; González, O; Gorelov, I; Goshaw, A T; Goulianos, K; Gresele, A; Grinstein, S; Grosso-Pilcher, C; Grundler, U; Guimaraes da Costa, J; Gunay-Unalan, Z; Haber, C; Hahn, K; Hahn, S R; Halkiadakis, E; Han, B-Y; Han, J Y; Happacher, F; Hara, K; Hare, D; Hare, M; Harper, S; Harr, R F; Harris, R M; Hartz, M; Hatakeyama, K; Hays, C; Heck, M; Heijboer, A; Heinrich, J; Henderson, C; Herndon, M; Heuser, J; Hewamanage, S; Hidas, D; Hill, C S; Hirschbuehl, D; Hocker, A; Hou, S; Houlden, M; Hsu, S-C; Huffman, B T; Hughes, R E; Husemann, U; Hussein, M; Huston, J; Incandela, J; Introzzi, G; Iori, M; Ivanov, A; James, E; Jang, D; Jayatilaka, B; Jeon, E J; Jha, M K; Jindariani, S; Johnson, W; Jones, M; Joo, K K; Jun, S Y; Jung, J E; Junk, T R; Kamon, T; Kar, D; Karchin, P E; Kato, Y; Kephart, R; Keung, J; Khotilovich, V; Kilminster, B; Kim, D H; Kim, H S; Kim, H W; Kim, J E; Kim, M J; Kim, S B; Kim, S H; Kim, Y K; Kimura, N; Kirsch, L; Klimenko, S; Knuteson, B; Ko, B R; Kondo, K; Kong, D J; Konigsberg, J; Korytov, A; Kotwal, A V; Kreps, M; Kroll, J; Krop, D; Krumnack, N; Kruse, M; Krutelyov, V; Kubo, T; Kuhr, T; Kulkarni, N P; Kurata, M; Kwang, S; Laasanen, A T; Lami, S; Lammel, S; Lancaster, M; Lander, R L; Lannon, K; Lath, A; Latino, G; Lazzizzera, I; LeCompte, T; Lee, E; Lee, H S; Lee, S W; Leone, S; Lewis, J D; Lin, C-S; Linacre, J; Lindgren, M; Lipeles, E; Lister, A; Litvintsev, D O; Liu, C; Liu, T; Lockyer, N S; Loginov, A; Loreti, M; Lovas, L; Lucchesi, D; Luci, C; Lueck, J; Lujan, P; Lukens, P; Lungu, G; Lyons, L; Lys, J; Lysak, R; Macqueen, D; Madrak, R; Maeshima, K; Makhoul, K; Maki, T; Maksimovic, P; Malde, S; Malik, S; Manca, G; Manousakis-Katsikakis, A; Margaroli, F; Marino, C; Marino, C P; Martin, A; Martin, V; Martínez, M; Martínez-Ballarín, R; Maruyama, T; Mastrandrea, P; Masubuchi, T; Mathis, M; Mattson, M E; Mazzanti, P; McFarland, K S; McIntyre, P; McNulty, R; Mehta, A; Mehtala, P; Menzione, A; Merkel, P; Mesropian, C; Miao, T; Miladinovic, N; Miller, R; Mills, C; Milnik, M; Mitra, A; Mitselmakher, G; Miyake, H; Moggi, N; Moon, C S; Moore, R; Morello, M J; Morlock, J; Movilla Fernandez, P; Mülmenstädt, J; Mukherjee, A; Muller, Th; Mumford, R; Murat, P; Mussini, M; Nachtman, J; Nagai, Y; Nagano, A; Naganoma, J; Nakamura, K; Nakano, I; Napier, A; Necula, V; Nett, J; Neu, C; Neubauer, M S; Neubauer, S; Nielsen, J; Nodulman, L; Norman, M; Norniella, O; Nurse, E; Oakes, L; Oh, S H; Oh, Y D; Oksuzian, I; Okusawa, T; Orava, R; Osterberg, K; Griso, S Pagan; Palencia, E; Papadimitriou, V; Papaikonomou, A; Paramonov, A A; Parks, B; Pashapour, S; Patrick, J; Pauletta, G; Paulini, M; Paus, C; Peiffer, T; Pellett, D E; Penzo, A; Phillips, T J; Piacentino, G; Pianori, E; Pinera, L; Pitts, K; Plager, C; Pondrom, L; Poukhov, O; Pounder, N; Prakoshyn, F; Pronko, A; Proudfoot, J; Ptohos, F; Pueschel, E; Punzi, G; Pursley, J; Rademacker, J; Rahaman, A; Ramakrishnan, V; Ranjan, N; Redondo, I; Renton, P; Renz, M; Rescigno, M; Richter, S; Rimondi, F; Ristori, L; Robson, A; Rodrigo, T; Rodriguez, T; Rogers, E; Rolli, S; Roser, R; Rossi, M; Rossin, R; Roy, P; Ruiz, A; Russ, J; Rusu, V; Saarikko, H; Safonov, A; Sakumoto, W K; Saltó, O; Santi, L; Sarkar, S; Sartori, L; Sato, K; Savoy-Navarro, A; Schlabach, P; Schmidt, A; Schmidt, E E; Schmidt, M A; Schmidt, M P; Schmitt, M; Schwarz, T; Scodellaro, L; Scribano, A; Scuri, F; Sedov, A; Seidel, S; Seiya, Y; Semenov, A; Sexton-Kennedy, L; Sforza, F; Sfyrla, A; Shalhout, S Z; Shears, T; Shepard, P F; Shimojima, M; Shiraishi, S; Shochet, M; Shon, Y; Shreyber, I; Sidoti, A; Sinervo, P; Sisakyan, A; Slaughter, A J; Slaunwhite, J; Sliwa, K; Smith, J R; Snider, F D; Snihur, R; Soha, A; Somalwar, S; Sorin, V; Spalding, J; Spreitzer, T; Squillacioti, P; Stanitzki, M; St Denis, R; Stelzer, B; Stelzer-Chilton, O; Stentz, D; Strologas, J; Strycker, G L; Stuart, D; Suh, J S; Sukhanov, A; Suslov, I; Suzuki, T; Taffard, A; Takashima, R; Takeuchi, Y; Tanaka, R; Tecchio, M; Teng, P K; Terashi, K; Tesarek, R; Thom, J; Thompson, A S; Thompson, G A; Thomson, E; Tipton, P; Ttito-Guzmán, P; Tkaczyk, S; Toback, D; Tokar, S; Tollefson, K; Tomura, T; Tonelli, D; Torre, S; Torretta, D; Totaro, P; Tourneur, S; Trovato, M; Tsai, S-Y; Tu, Y; Turini, N; Ukegawa, F; Vallecorsa, S; van Remortel, N; Varganov, A; Vataga, E; Vázquez, F; Velev, G; Vellidis, C; Vidal, M; Vidal, R; Vila, I; Vilar, R; Vine, T; Vogel, M; Volobouev, I; Volpi, G; Wagner, P; Wagner, R G; Wagner, R L; Wagner, W; Wagner-Kuhr, J; Wakisaka, T; Wallny, R; Wang, S M; Warburton, A; Waters, D; Weinberger, M; Weinelt, J; Wester, W C; Whitehouse, B; Whiteson, D; Wicklund, A B; Wicklund, E; Wilbur, S; Williams, G; Williams, H H; Wilson, P; Winer, B L; Wittich, P; Wolbers, S; Wolfe, C; Wright, T; Wu, X; Würthwein, F; Xie, S; Yagil, A; Yamamoto, K; Yamaoka, J; Yang, U K; Yang, Y C; Yao, W M; Yeh, G P; Yoh, J; Yorita, K; Yoshida, T; Yu, G B; Yu, I; Yu, S S; Yun, J C; Zanello, L; Zanetti, A; Zhang, X; Zheng, Y; Zucchelli, S

2009-07-17

We search for new charmless decays of neutral b hadrons to pairs of charged hadrons, using 1 fb(-1) of data collected by the CDF II detector at the Fermilab Tevatron. We report the first observation of the Bs0-->K-pi+ decay and measure B(Bs0-->K-pi+)=(5.0+/-0.7(stat)+/-0.8(syst))x10(-6). We also report the first observation of charmless b-baryon decays, and measure B(Lambdab0-->ppi-)=(3.5+/-0.6(stat)+/-0.9(syst))x10(-6) and B(Lambdab0-->pK-)=(5.6+/-0.8(stat)+/-1.5(syst))x10(-6). No evidence is found for other modes, and we set the limit B(Bs0-->pi+pi;-)<1.2x10(-6) at 90% C.L.

An Alternative Nested Reading Frame May Participate in the Stress-Dependent Expression of a Plant Gene

PubMed Central

Sheshukova, Ekaterina V.; Komarova, Tatiana V.; Ershova, Natalia M.; Shindyapina, Anastasia V.; Dorokhov, Yuri L.

2017-01-01

Although plants as sessile organisms are affected by a variety of stressors in the field, the stress factors for the above-ground and underground parts of the plant and their gene expression profiles are not the same. Here, we investigated NbKPILP, a gene encoding a new member of the ubiquitous, pathogenesis-related Kunitz peptidase inhibitor (KPI)-like protein family, that we discovered in the genome of Nicotiana benthamiana and other representatives of the Solanaceae family. The NbKPILP gene encodes a protein that has all the structural elements characteristic of KPI but in contrast to the proven A. thaliana KPI (AtKPI), it does not inhibit serine peptidases. Unlike roots, NbKPILP mRNA and its corresponding protein were not detected in intact leaves, but abiotic and biotic stressors drastically affected NbKPILP mRNA accumulation. In search of the causes of suppressed NbKPILP mRNA accumulation in leaves, we found that the NbKPILP gene is “matryoshka,” containing an alternative nested reading frame (ANRF) encoding a 53-amino acid (aa) polypeptide (53aa-ANRF) which has an amphipathic helix (AH). We confirmed ANRF expression experimentally. A vector containing a GFP-encoding sequence was inserted into the NbKPILP gene in frame with 53aa-ANRF, resulting in a 53aa-GFP fused protein that localized in the membrane fraction of cells. Using the 5′-RACE approach, we have shown that the expression of ANRF was not explained by the existence of a cryptic promoter within the NbKPILP gene but was controlled by the maternal NbKPILP mRNA. We found that insertion of mutations destroying the 53aa-ANRF AH resulted in more than a two-fold increase of the NbKPILP mRNA level. The NbKPILP gene represents the first example of ANRF functioning as a repressor of a maternal gene in an intact plant. We proposed a model where the stress influencing the translation initiation promotes the accumulation of NbKPILP and its mRNA in leaves. PMID:29312392

An Alternative Nested Reading Frame May Participate in the Stress-Dependent Expression of a Plant Gene.

PubMed

Sheshukova, Ekaterina V; Komarova, Tatiana V; Ershova, Natalia M; Shindyapina, Anastasia V; Dorokhov, Yuri L

2017-01-01

Although plants as sessile organisms are affected by a variety of stressors in the field, the stress factors for the above-ground and underground parts of the plant and their gene expression profiles are not the same. Here, we investigated NbKPILP , a gene encoding a new member of the ubiquitous, pathogenesis-related Kunitz peptidase inhibitor (KPI)-like protein family, that we discovered in the genome of Nicotiana benthamiana and other representatives of the Solanaceae family. The NbKPILP gene encodes a protein that has all the structural elements characteristic of KPI but in contrast to the proven A. thaliana KPI (AtKPI), it does not inhibit serine peptidases. Unlike roots, NbKPILP mRNA and its corresponding protein were not detected in intact leaves, but abiotic and biotic stressors drastically affected NbKPILP mRNA accumulation. In search of the causes of suppressed NbKPILP mRNA accumulation in leaves, we found that the NbKPILP gene is "matryoshka," containing an alternative nested reading frame (ANRF) encoding a 53-amino acid (aa) polypeptide (53aa-ANRF) which has an amphipathic helix (AH). We confirmed ANRF expression experimentally. A vector containing a GFP-encoding sequence was inserted into the NbKPILP gene in frame with 53aa-ANRF, resulting in a 53aa-GFP fused protein that localized in the membrane fraction of cells. Using the 5'-RACE approach, we have shown that the expression of ANRF was not explained by the existence of a cryptic promoter within the NbKPILP gene but was controlled by the maternal NbKPILP mRNA. We found that insertion of mutations destroying the 53aa-ANRF AH resulted in more than a two-fold increase of the NbKPILP mRNA level. The NbKPILP gene represents the first example of ANRF functioning as a repressor of a maternal gene in an intact plant. We proposed a model where the stress influencing the translation initiation promotes the accumulation of NbKPILP and its mRNA in leaves.

Search for D0-D(-)0 mixing and a measurement of the doubly Cabibbo-suppressed decay rate in D0-->Kpi decays.

PubMed

Aubert, B; Barate, R; Boutigny, D; Gaillard, J-M; Hicheur, A; Karyotakis, Y; Lees, J P; Robbe, P; Tisserand, V; Zghiche, A; Palano, A; Pompili, A; Chen, J C; Qi, N D; Rong, G; Wang, P; Zhu, Y S; Eigen, G; Ofte, I; Stugu, B; Abrams, G S; Borgland, A W; Breon, A B; Brown, D N; Button-Shafer, J; Cahn, R N; Charles, E; Day, C T; Gill, M S; Gritsan, A V; Groysman, Y; Jacobsen, R G; Kadel, R W; Kadyk, J; Kerth, L T; Kolomensky, Yu G; Kral, J F; Kukartsev, G; LeClerc, C; Levi, M E; Lynch, G; Mir, L M; Oddone, P J; Orimoto, T J; Pripstein, M; Roe, N A; Romosan, A; Ronan, M T; Shelkov, V G; Telnov, A V; Wenzel, W A; Harrison, T J; Hawkes, C M; Knowles, D J; Penny, R C; Watson, A T; Watson, N K; Deppermann, T; Goetzen, K; Koch, H; Lewandowski, B; Pelizaeus, M; Peters, K; Schmuecker, H; Steinke, M; Barlow, N R; Bhimji, W; Boyd, J T; Chevalier, N; Cottingham, W N; Mackay, C; Wilson, F F; Hearty, C; Mattison, T S; McKenna, J A; Thiessen, D; Kyberd, P; McKemey, A K; Blinov, V E; Bukin, A D; Golubev, V B; Ivanchenko, V N; Kravchenko, E A; Onuchin, A P; Serednyakov, S I; Skovpen, Yu I; Solodov, E P; Yushkov, A N; Best, D; Chao, M; Kirkby, D; Lankford, A J; Mandelkern, M; McMahon, S; Mommsen, R K; Roethel, W; Stoker, D P; Buchanan, C; Hadavand, H K; Hill, E J; MacFarlane, D B; Paar, H P; Rahatlou, Sh; Schwanke, U; Sharma, V; Berryhill, J W; Campagnari, C; Dahmes, B; Kuznetsova, N; Levy, S L; Long, O; Lu, A; Mazur, M A; Richman, J D; Verkerke, W; Beringer, J; Eisner, A M; Grothe, M; Heusch, C A; Lockman, W S; Schalk, T; Schmitz, R E; Schumm, B A; Seiden, A; Turri, M; Walkowiak, W; Williams, D C; Wilson, M G; Albert, J; Chen, E; Dorsten, M P; Dubois-Felsmann, G P; Dvoretskii, A; Hitlin, D G; Narsky, I; Porter, F C; Ryd, A; Samuel, A; Yang, S; Jayatilleke, S; Mancinelli, G; Meadows, B T; Sokoloff, M D; Barillari, T; Blanc, F; Bloom, P; Clark, P J; Ford, W T; Nauenberg, U; Olivas, A; Rankin, P; Roy, J; Smith, J G; van Hoek, W C; Zhang, L; Harton, J L; Hu, T; Soffer, A; Toki, W H; Wilson, R J; Zhang, J; Altenburg, D; Brandt, T; Brose, J; Colberg, T; Dickopp, M; Dubitzky, R S; Hauke, A; Lacker, H M; Maly, E; Müller-Pfefferkorn, R; Nogowski, R; Otto, S; Schubert, K R; Schwierz, R; Spaan, B; Wilden, L; Bernard, D; Bonneaud, G R; Brochard, F; Cohen-Tanugi, J; Thiebaux, Ch; Vasileiadis, G; Verderi, M; Khan, A; Lavin, D; Muheim, F; Playfer, S; Swain, J E; Tinslay, J; Bozzi, C; Piemontese, L; Sarti, A; Treadwell, E; Anulli, F; Baldini-Ferroli, R; Calcaterra, A; de Sangro, R; Falciai, D; Finocchiaro, G; Patteri, P; Peruzzi, I M; Piccolo, M; Zallo, A; Buzzo, A; Contri, R; Crosetti, G; Lo Vetere, M; Macri, M; Monge, M R; Passaggio, S; Pastore, F C; Patrignani, C; Robutti, E; Santroni, A; Tosi, S; Bailey, S; Morii, M; Grenier, G J; Lee, S-J; Mallik, U; Cochran, J; Crawley, H B; Lamsa, J; Meyer, W T; Prell, S; Rosenberg, E I; Yi, J; Davier, M; Grosdidier, G; Höcker, A; Laplace, S; Le Diberder, F; Lepeltier, V; Lutz, A M; Petersen, T C; Plaszczynski, S; Schune, M H; Tantot, L; Wormser, G; Bionta, R M; Brigljević, V; Cheng, C H; Lange, D J; Wright, D M; Bevan, A J; Fry, J R; Gabathuler, E; Gamet, R; Kay, M; Payne, D J; Sloane, R J; Touramanis, C; Aspinwall, M L; Bowerman, D A; Dauncey, P D; Egede, U; Eschrich, I; Morton, G W; Nash, J A; Sanders, P; Taylor, G P; Back, J J; Bellodi, G; Harrison, P F; Shorthouse, H W; Strother, P; Vidal, P B; Cowan, G; Flaecher, H U; George, S; Green, M G; Kurup, A; Marker, C E; McMahon, T R; Ricciardi, S; Salvatore, F; Vaitsas, G; Winter, M A; Brown, D; Davis, C L; Allison, J; Barlow, R J; Forti, A C; Hart, P A; Jackson, F; Lafferty, G D; Lyon, A J; Weatherall, J H; Williams, J C; Farbin, A; Jawahery, A; Kovalskyi, D; Lae, C K; Lillard, V; Roberts, D A; Blaylock, G; Dallapiccola, C; Flood, K T; Hertzbach, S S; Kofler, R; Koptchev, V B; Moore, T B; Staengle, H; Willocq, S; Cowan, R; Sciolla, G; Taylor, F; Yamamoto, R K; Mangeol, D J J; Milek, M; Patel, P M; Lazzaro, A; Palombo, F; Bauer, J M; Cremaldi, L; Eschenburg, V; Godang, R; Kroeger, R; Reidy, J; Sanders, D A; Summers, D J; Zhao, H W; Hast, C; Taras, P; Nicholson, H; Cartaro, C; Cavallo, N; De Nardo, G; Fabozzi, F; Gatto, C; Lista, L; Paolucci, P; Piccolo, D; Sciacca, C; Baak, M A; Raven, G; LoSecco, J M; Gabriel, T A; Brau, B; Pulliam, T; Brau, J; Frey, R; Iwasaki, M; Potter, C T; Sinev, N B; Strom, D; Torrence, E; Colecchia, F; Dorigo, A; Galeazzi, F; Margoni, M; Morandin, M; Posocco, M; Rotondo, M; Simonetto, F; Stroili, R; Tiozzo, G; Voci, C; Benayoun, M; Briand, H; Chauveau, J; David, P; de la Vaissière, Ch; Del Buono, L; Hamon, O; Leruste, Ph; Ocariz, J; Pivk, M; Roos, L; Stark, J; T'Jampens, S; Manfredi, P F; Re, V; Gladney, L; Guo, Q H; Panetta, J; Angelini, C; Batignani, G; Bettarini, S; Bondioli, M; Bucci, F; Calderini, G; Carpinelli, M; Forti, F; Giorgi, M A; Lusiani, A; Marchiori, G; Martinez-Vidal, F; Morganti, M; Neri, N; Paoloni, E; Rama, M; Rizzo, G; Sandrelli, F; Walsh, J; Haire, M; Judd, D; Paick, K; Wagoner, D E; Danielson, N; Elmer, P; Lu, C; Miftakov, V; Olsen, J; Smith, A J S; Varnes, E W; Bellini, F; Cavoto, G; del Re, D; Faccini, R; Ferrarotto, F; Ferroni, F; Gaspero, M; Leonardi, E; Mazzoni, M A; Morganti, S; Pierini, M; Piredda, G; Safai Tehrani, F; Serra, M; Voena, C; Christ, S; Wagner, G; Waldi, R; Adye, T; De Groot, N; Franek, B; Geddes, N I; Gopal, G P; Olaiya, E O; Xella, S M; Aleksan, R; Emery, S; Gaidot, A; Ganzhur, S F; Giraud, P-F; Hamel de Monchenault, G; Kozanecki, W; Langer, M; London, G W; Mayer, B; Schott, G; Vasseur, G; Yeche, Ch; Zito, M; Purohit, M V; Weidemann, A W; Yumiceva, F X; Aston, D; Bartoldus, R; Berger, N; Boyarski, A M; Buchmueller, O L; Convery, M R; Coupal, D P; Dong, D; Dorfan, J; Dujmic, D; Dunwoodie, W; Field, R C; Glanzman, T; Gowdy, S J; Grauges-Pous, E; Hadig, T; Halyo, V; Hryn'ova, T; Innes, W R; Jessop, C P; Kelsey, M H; Kim, P; Kocian, M L; Langenegger, U; Leith, D W G S; Luitz, S; Luth, V; Lynch, H L; Marsiske, H; Menke, S; Messner, R; Muller, D R; O'Grady, C P; Ozcan, V E; Perazzo, A; Perl, M; Petrak, S; Ratcliff, B N; Robertson, S H; Roodman, A; Salnikov, A A; Schindler, R H; Schwiening, J; Simi, G; Snyder, A; Soha, A; Stelzer, J; Su, D; Sullivan, M K; Tanaka, H A; Va'vra, J; Wagner, S R; Weaver, M; Weinstein, A J R; Wisniewski, W J; Wright, D H; Young, C C; Burchat, P R; Meyer, T I; Roat, C; Ahmed, S; Ernst, J A; Bugg, W; Krishnamurthy, M; Spanier, S M; Eckmann, R; Kim, H; Ritchie, J L; Schwitters, R F; Izen, J M; Kitayama, I; Lou, X C; Ye, S; Bianchi, F; Bona, M; Gallo, F; Gamba, D; Borean, C; Bosisio, L; Della Ricca, G; Dittongo, S; Grancagnolo, S; Lanceri, L; Poropat, P; Vitale, L; Vuagnin, G; Panvini, R S; Banerjee, Sw; Brown, C M; Fortin, D; Jackson, P D; Kowalewski, R; Roney, J M; Band, H R; Dasu, S; Datta, M; Eichenbaum, A M; Hu, H; Johnson, J R; Liu, R; Lodovico, F Di; Mohapatra, A K; Pan, Y; Prepost, R; Sekula, S J; von Wimmersperg-Toeller, J H; Wu, J; Wu, S L; Yu, Z; Neal, H

2003-10-24

We present results of a search for D0-D(-)0 mixing and a measurement of R(D), the ratio of doubly Cabibbo-suppressed decays to Cabibbo-favored decays, using D0-->K+pi- decays from 57.1 fb(-1) of data collected near sqrt[s]=10.6 GeV with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II collider. At the 95% confidence level, allowing for CP violation, we find the mixing parameters x('2)<0.0022 and -0.056

The Alpha consensus meeting on cryopreservation key performance indicators and benchmarks: proceedings of an expert meeting.

PubMed

2012-08-01

This proceedings report presents the outcomes from an international workshop designed to establish consensus on: definitions for key performance indicators (KPIs) for oocyte and embryo cryopreservation, using either slow freezing or vitrification; minimum performance level values for each KPI, representing basic competency; and aspirational benchmark values for each KPI, representing best practice goals. This report includes general presentations about current practice and factors for consideration in the development of KPIs. A total of 14 KPIs were recommended and benchmarks for each are presented. No recommendations were made regarding specific cryopreservation techniques or devices, or whether vitrification is 'better' than slow freezing, or vice versa, for any particular stage or application, as this was considered to be outside the scope of this workshop. Copyright © 2012 Reproductive Healthcare Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Platelet amyloid precursor protein isoform expression in Alzheimer's disease: evidence for peripheral marker.

PubMed

Vignini, A; Sartini, D; Morganti, S; Nanetti, L; Luzzi, S; Provinciali, L; Mazzanti, L; Emanuelli, M

2011-01-01

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disorder characterized by a progressive cognitive and memory decline. Among peripheral markers of AD, great interest has been focused on the amyloid precursor protein (APP). In this regard, platelets represent an important peripheral source of APP since it has been demonstrated that the three major isoforms, that are constituted of 770, 751 and 695 aa residues, are inserted in the membrane of resting platelets. APP 751 and APP 770 contain a Kunitz-type serine protease inhibitor domain (APP KPI) and APP 695 lacks this domain. To address this issue, we first examined the platelet APP isoform mRNAs prospectively as biomarker for the diagnosis of AD by means of real-time quantitative PCR, and then evaluated the correlation between APP mRNA expression levels and cognitive impairment of enrolled subjects. Differential gene expression measurements in the AD patient group (n=18) revealed a significant up-regulation of APP TOT (1.52-fold), APP KPI (1.32-fold), APP 770 (1.33-fold) and APP 751 (1.26-fold) compared to controls (n=22). Moreover, a statistically significant positive correlation was found between APP mRNA levels (TOT, KPI, 770 and 751) and cognitive impairment. Since AD definitive diagnosis still relies on pathological evaluation at autopsy, the present results are consistent with the hypothesis that platelet APP could be considered a potential reliable peripheral marker for studying AD and could contribute to define a signature for the presence of AD pathology.

Light-Induced Surface Reactions at the Bismuth Vanadate/Potassium Phosphate Interface.

PubMed

Favaro, Marco; Abdi, Fatwa F; Lamers, Marlene; Crumlin, Ethan J; Liu, Zhi; van de Krol, Roel; Starr, David E

2018-01-18

Bismuth vanadate has recently drawn significant research attention as a light-absorbing photoanode due to its performance for photoelectrochemical water splitting. In this study, we use in situ ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy with "tender" X-rays (4.0 keV) to investigate a polycrystalline bismuth vanadate (BiVO 4 ) electrode in contact with an aqueous potassium phosphate (KPi) solution at open circuit potential under both dark and light conditions. This is facilitated by the creation of a 25 to 30 nm thick electrolyte layer using the "dip-and-pull" method. We observe that under illumination bismuth phosphate forms on the BiVO 4 surface leading to an increase of the surface negative charge. The bismuth phosphate layer may act to passivate surface states observed in photoelectrochemical measurements. The repulsive interaction between the negatively charged surface under illumination and the phosphate ions in solution causes a shift in the distribution of ions in the thin aqueous electrolyte film, which is observed as an increase in their photoelectron signals. Interestingly, we find that such changes at the BiVO 4 /KPi electrolyte interface are reversible upon returning to dark conditions. By measuring the oxygen 1s photoelectron peak intensities from the phosphate ions and liquid water as a function of time under dark and light conditions, we determine the time scales for the forward and reverse reactions. Our results provide direct evidence for light-induced chemical modification of the BiVO 4 /KPi electrolyte interface.

Prognostic significance of peripheral monocyte count in patients with extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (ENKL) has heterogeneous clinical manifestations and prognosis. This study aims to evaluate the prognostic impact of absolute monocyte count (AMC) in ENKL, and provide some immunologically relevant information for better risk stratification in patients with ENKL. Methods Retrospective data from 163 patients newly diagnosed with ENKL were analyzed. The absolute monocyte count (AMC) at diagnosis was analyzed as continuous and dichotomized variables. Independent prognostic factors of survival were determined by Cox regression analysis. Results The AMC at diagnosis were related to overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with ENKL. Multivariate analysis identified AMC as independent prognostic factors of survival, independent of International Prognostic Index (IPI) and Korean prognostic index (KPI). The prognostic index incorporating AMC and absolute lymphocyte count (ALC), another surrogate factor of immune status, could be used to stratify all 163 patients with ENKL into different prognostic groups. For patients who received chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy (102 cases), the three AMC/ALC index categories identified patients with significantly different survivals. When superimposed on IPI or KPI categories, the AMC/ALC index was better able to identify high-risk patients in the low-risk IPI or KPI category. Conclusion The baseline peripheral monocyte count is shown to be an effective prognostic indicator of survival in ENKL patients. The prognostic index related to tumor microenvironment might be helpful to identify high-risk patients with ENKL. PMID:23638998

A cascadable circular concentrator with parallel compressed structure for increasing the energy density

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ku, Nai-Lun; Chen, Yi-Yung; Hsieh, Wei-Che; Whang, Allen Jong-Woei

2012-02-01

Due to the energy crisis, the principle of green energy gains popularity. This leads the increasing interest in renewable energy such as solar energy. Thus, how to collect the sunlight for indoor illumination becomes our ultimate target. With the environmental awareness increasing, we use the nature light as the light source. Then we start to devote the development of solar collecting system. The Natural Light Guiding System includes three parts, collecting, transmitting and lighting part. The idea of our solar collecting system design is a concept for combining the buildings with a combination of collecting modules. Therefore, we can use it anyplace where the sunlight can directly impinges on buildings with collecting elements. In the meantime, while collecting the sunlight with high efficiency, we can transmit the sunlight into indoor through shorter distance zone by light pipe where we needs the light. We proposed a novel design including disk-type collective lens module. With the design, we can let the incident light and exit light be parallel and compressed. By the parallel and compressed design, we make every output light become compressed in the proposed optical structure. In this way, we can increase the ratio about light compression, get the better efficiency and let the energy distribution more uniform for indoor illumination. By the definition of "KPI" as an performance index about light density as following: lm/(mm)2, the simulation results show that the proposed Concentrator is 40,000,000 KPI much better than the 800,000 KPI measured from the traditional ones.

PI3K-mediated PDGFRα signaling regulates survival and proliferation in skeletal development through p53-dependent intracellular pathways

PubMed Central

Fantauzzo, Katherine A.; Soriano, Philippe

2014-01-01

Previous studies have identified phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) as the main downstream effector of PDGFRα signaling during murine skeletal development. Autophosphorylation mutant knock-in embryos in which PDGFRα is unable to bind PI3K (PdgfraPI3K/PI3K) exhibit skeletal defects affecting the palatal shelves, shoulder girdle, vertebrae, and sternum. To identify proteins phosphorylated by Akt downstream from PI3K-mediated PDGFRα signaling, we immunoprecipitated Akt phosphorylation substrates from PDGF-AA-treated primary mouse embryonic palatal mesenchyme (MEPM) lysates and analyzed the peptides by nanoliquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (nano-LC-MS/MS). Our analysis generated a list of 56 proteins, including 10 that regulate cell survival and proliferation. We demonstrate that MEPM cell survival is impaired in the presence of a PI3K inhibitor and that PdgfraPI3K/PI3K-derived MEPMs do not proliferate in response to PDGF-AA treatment. Several of the identified Akt phosphorylation targets, including Ybox1, mediate cell survival through regulation of p53. We show that Ybox1 binds both the Trp53 promoter and the p53 protein and that expression of Trp53 is significantly decreased upon PDGF-AA treatment in MEPMs. Finally, we demonstrate that introduction of a Trp53-null allele attenuates the vertebral defects found in PdgfraPI3K/PI3K neonates. Our findings identify p53 as a novel effector downstream from PI3K-engaged PDGFRα signaling that regulates survival and proliferation during skeletal development in vivo. PMID:24788519

Rate Constants of PSII Photoinhibition and its Repair, and PSII Fluorescence Parameters in Field Plants in Relation to their Growth Light Environments.

PubMed

Miyata, Kazunori; Ikeda, Hiroshi; Nakaji, Masayoshi; Kanel, Dhana Raj; Terashima, Ichiro

2015-09-01

The extent of photoinhibition of PSII is determined by a balance between the rate of photodamage to PSII and that of repair of the damaged PSII. It has already been indicated that the rate constants of photodamage (kpi) and repair (krec) of the leaves differ depending on their growth light environment. However, there are no studies using plants in the field. We examined these rate constants and fluorescence parameters of several field-grown plants to determine inter-relationships between these values and the growth environment. The kpi values were strongly related to the excess energy, EY, of the puddle model and non-regulated energy dissipation, Y(NO), of the lake model, both multiplied by the photosynthetically active photon flux density (PPFD) level during the photoinhibitory treatment. In contrast, the krec values corrected against in situ air temperature were very strongly related to the daily PPFD level. The plants from the fields showed higher NPQ than the chamber-grown plants, probably because these field plants acclimated to stronger lightflecks than the averaged growth PPFD. Comparing chamber-grown plants and the field plants, we showed that kpi is determined by the incident light level and the photosynthetic capacities such as in situ rate of PSII electron transport and non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) [e.g. Y(NO)×PPFD] and that krec is mostly determined by the growth light and temperature levels. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Japanese Society of Plant Physiologists. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Key Performance Indicators for Primary Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Strand, Steve

Focusing mostly on their application for primary schools, this document describes the educational key performance indicators (KPI) employed by the Wendsworth, England, Local Educational Authority (LEA). Indicators are divided into 3 areas, educational context, resource development, and outcomes. Contextual indicators include pupil mobility, home…

The Effect of Altitude and Travel on Rugby Union Performance: Analysis of the 2012 Super Rugby Competition.

PubMed

George, Tina M; Olsen, Peter D; Kimber, Nick E; Shearman, Jeremy P; Hamilton, Jamie G; Hamlin, Michael J

2015-12-01

The aim of this study was to investigate whether playing rugby at altitude or after travel (domestic and international) disadvantaged teams. In a retrospective longitudinal study, all matches (N = 125) played in the 2012 Super Rugby Competition were analyzed for key performance indicators (KPI) from coded game data provided by OPTA sports data company. Matches were played in a home-away format in New Zealand, South Africa, and Australia. Teams based at sea level but playing at altitude (1,271-1,753 m) were more likely to miss tackles (mean ± 90% confidence interval, 1.4 ± 1.7) and score fewer points in the first half compared with games at sea level. In the second half of games, sea level teams at altitude were very likely to make fewer gain lines (-4.0 ± 2.7) compared with the second half of games at sea level. The decreased ability to break the defensive line, which may be the result of altitude-induced fatigue, could reduce the likelihood of scoring points and winning a game. Travel also had an effect on KPI, where international travel resulted in more missed tackles (1.7 ± 1.3) and less frequent gain lines (-3.0 ± 1.9) in the first half relative to matches at home; overall, away teams (domestic and international) scored 4 less points in the second half compared with home teams. In conclusion, playing away from home in another country, particularly at altitude, can have a detrimental effect on KPI, which may affect the overall performance and the chances of winning matches.

Predictive value of pretreatment positron emission tomography/computed tomography in patients with newly diagnosed extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma.

PubMed

Bai, Bing; Huang, Hui-Qiang; Cai, Qi-Chun; Fan, Wei; Wang, Xiao-Xiao; Zhang, Xu; Lin, Ze-Xiao; Gao, Yan; Xia, Yun-Fei; Guo, Ying; Cai, Qing-Qing; Jiang, Wen-Qi; Lin, Tong-Yu

2013-03-01

The role of (18)Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (ENKL) is not well established. This study aimed to investigate the prognostic role of the pretreatment maximum standardized uptake value (SUV(max)) on PET/CT in patients with newly diagnosed ENKL. Among 364 consecutive patients with newly diagnosed ENKL, 81 patients were included and reviewed. The impact of SUV(max) on survival and the relationship between SUV(max) and other clinicopathological parameters were analyzed. The median SUV(max) was 14.6 (range 2.0-45.4). The optimal cutoff value of SUV(max) to predict overall survival (OS) was 15. Patients with high SUV(max) (SUVmax >15) were associated with bulky disease (P < 0.001), local invasion (P = 0.030), high score of Korean Prognostic Index (KPI, P = 0.046), resistance to primary treatment (P = 0.014), poor OS (P < 0.001), and unfavorable progression-free survival (P < 0.001). With a median follow-up of 25.0 months, the median OS was 63.0 months (range 2.0-99.0 months). Multivariate analyses revealed the following independent prognostic factors for OS: age >60 years (P = 0.001), stage III-IV (P = 0.023), SUV(max) >15 (P = 0.020), and bulky disease (>5 cm) (P = 0.002). By using the SUV(max), patients in most subgroups stratified by the KPI or the International Prognostic Index (IPI) were further discriminated in OS with significant statistical difference. Our results suggest the pretreatment SUV(max) is predictive of prognosis in patients with newly diagnosed ENKL. The SUV(max) may provide additional prognostic information for IPI and KPI.

The Role of Factor XIa (FXIa) Catalytic Domain Exosite Residues in Substrate Catalysis and Inhibition by the Kunitz Protease Inhibitor Domain of Protease Nexin 2*

PubMed Central

Su, Ya-Chi; Miller, Tara N.; Navaneetham, Duraiswamy; Schoonmaker, Robert T.; Sinha, Dipali; Walsh, Peter N.

2011-01-01

To select residues in coagulation factor XIa (FXIa) potentially important for substrate and inhibitor interactions, we examined the crystal structure of the complex between the catalytic domain of FXIa and the Kunitz protease inhibitor (KPI) domain of a physiologically relevant FXIa inhibitor, protease nexin 2 (PN2). Six FXIa catalytic domain residues (Glu98, Tyr143, Ile151, Arg3704, Lys192, and Tyr5901) were subjected to mutational analysis to investigate the molecular interactions between FXIa and the small synthetic substrate (S-2366), the macromolecular substrate (factor IX (FIX)) and inhibitor PN2KPI. Analysis of all six Ala mutants demonstrated normal Km values for S-2366 hydrolysis, indicating normal substrate binding compared with plasma FXIa; however, all except E98A and K192A had impaired values of kcat for S-2366 hydrolysis. All six Ala mutants displayed deficient kcat values for FIX hydrolysis, and all were inhibited by PN2KPI with normal values of Ki except for K192A, and Y5901A, which displayed increased values of Ki. The integrity of the S1 binding site residue, Asp189, utilizing p-aminobenzamidine, was intact for all FXIa mutants. Thus, whereas all six residues are essential for catalysis of the macromolecular substrate (FIX), only four (Tyr143, Ile151, Arg3704, and Tyr5901) are important for S-2366 hydrolysis; Glu98 and Lys192 are essential for FIX but not S-2366 hydrolysis; and Lys192 and Tyr5901 are required for both inhibitor and macromolecular substrate interactions. PMID:21778227

Identification of a female spawn-associated Kazal-type inhibitor from the tropical abalone Haliotis asinina.

PubMed

Wang, Tianfang; Nuurai, Parinyaporn; McDougall, Carmel; York, Patrick S; Bose, Utpal; Degnan, Bernard M; Cummins, Scott F

2016-07-01

Abalone (Haliotis) undergoes a period of reproductive maturation, followed by the synchronous release of gametes, called broadcast spawning. Field and laboratory studies have shown that the tropical species Haliotis asinina undergoes a two-week spawning cycle, thus providing an excellent opportunity to investigate the presence of endogenous spawning-associated peptides. In female H. asinina, we have isolated a peptide (5145 Da) whose relative abundance in hemolymph increases substantially just prior to spawning and is still detected using reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography chromatograms up to 1-day post-spawn. We have isolated this peptide from female hemolymph as well as samples prepared from the gravid female gonad, and demonstrated through comparative sequence analysis that it contains features characteristic of Kazal-type proteinase inhibitors (KPIs). Has-KPI is expressed specifically within the gonad of adult females. A recombinant Has-KPI was generated using a yeast expression system. The recombinant Has-KPI does not induce premature spawning of female H. asinina when administered intramuscularly. However it displays homomeric aggregations and interaction with at least one mollusc-type neuropeptide (LRDFVamide), suggesting a role for it in regulating neuropeptide endocrine communication. This research provides new understanding of a peptide that can regulate reproductive processes in female abalone, which has the potential to lead to the development of greater control over abalone spawning. The findings also highlight the need to further explore abalone reproduction to clearly define a role for novel spawning-associated peptide in sexual maturation and spawning. Copyright © 2016 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Constant False Alarm Rate (CFAR) Autotrend Evaluation Report

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-12-01

represent a level of uncertainty in the performance analysis. The performance analysis produced the following Key Performance Indicators ( KPIs ) as...Identity KPI Key Performance Indicator MooN M-out-of-N MSPU Modernized Signal Processor Unit NFF No Fault Found PAT Parameter Allocation Table PD

Dalitz plot analysis of the decay D(+)-->K(-)pi(+)pi(+) and indication of a low-mass scalar Kpi resonance.

PubMed

Aitala, E M; Amato, S; Anjos, J C; Appel, J A; Ashery, D; Banerjee, S; Bediaga, I; Blaylock, G; Bracker, S B; Burchat, P R; Burnstein, R A; Carter, T; Carvalho, H S; Copty, N K; Cremaldi, L M; Darling, C; Denisenko, K; Devmal, S; Fernandez, A; Fox, G F; Gagnon, P; Göbel, C; Gounder, K; Halling, A M; Herrera, G; Hurvits, G; James, C; Kasper, P A; Kwan, S; Langs, D C; Leslie, J; Lundberg, B; Magnin, J; Massafferri, A; MayTal-Beck, S; Meadows, B; de Mello Neto, J R T; Mihalcea, D; Milburn, R H; de Miranda, J M; Napier, A; Nguyen, A; d'Oliveira, A B; O'Shaughnessy, K; Peng, K C; Perera, L P; Purohit, M V; Quinn, B; Radeztsky, S; Rafatian, A; Reay, N W; Reidy, J J; dos Reis, A C; Rubin, H A; Sanders, D A; Santha, A K S; Santoro, A F S; Schwartz, A J; Sheaff, M; Sidwell, R A; Slaughter, A J; Sokoloff, M D; Solano Salinas, C J; Stanton, N R; Stefanski, R J; Stenson, K; Summers, D J; Takach, S; Thorne, K; Tripathi, A K; Watanabe, S; Weiss-Babai, R; Wiener, J; Witchey, N; Wolin, E; Yang, S M; Yi, D; Yoshida, S; Zaliznyak, R; Zhang, C

2002-09-16

We study the Dalitz plot of the decay D(+)-->K(-)pi(+)pi(+) with a sample of 15090 events from Fermilab experiment E791. Modeling the decay amplitude as the coherent sum of known Kpi resonances and a uniform nonresonant term, we do not obtain an acceptable fit. If we allow the mass and width of the K(*)(0)(1430) to float, we obtain values consistent with those from PDG but the chi(2) per degree of freedom of the fit is still unsatisfactory. A good fit is found when we allow for the presence of an additional scalar resonance, with mass 797+/-19+/-43 MeV/c(2) and width 410+/-43+/-87 MeV/c(2). The mass and width of the K(*)(0)(1430) become 1459+/-7+/-5 MeV/c(2) and 175+/-12+/-12 MeV/c(2), respectively. Our results provide new information on the scalar sector in hadron spectroscopy.

The Automation System Censor Speech for the Indonesian Rude Swear Words Based on Support Vector Machine and Pitch Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Endah, S. N.; Nugraheni, D. M. K.; Adhy, S.; Sutikno

2017-04-01

According to Law No. 32 of 2002 and the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission Regulation No. 02/P/KPI/12/2009 & No. 03/P/KPI/12/2009, stated that broadcast programs should not scold with harsh words, not harass, insult or demean minorities and marginalized groups. However, there are no suitable tools to censor those words automatically. Therefore, researches to develop a system of intelligent software to censor the words automatically are needed. To conduct censor, the system must be able to recognize the words in question. This research proposes the classification of speech divide into two classes using Support Vector Machine (SVM), first class is set of rude words and the second class is set of properly words. The speech pitch values as an input in SVM, it used for the development of the system for the Indonesian rude swear word. The results of the experiment show that SVM is good for this system.

The hidden KPI registration accuracy.

PubMed

Shorrosh, Paul

2011-09-01

Determining the registration accuracy rate is fundamental to improving revenue cycle key performance indicators. A registration quality assurance (QA) process allows errors to be corrected before bills are sent and helps registrars learn from their mistakes. Tools are available to help patient access staff who perform registration QA manually.

Examining the Relationships between KPI Technology Factor and ICT/Enterprise Alignment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Carolyn

2013-01-01

"Fortune" Global 500 Corporations understand that achieving alignment between information and communication technology and enterprise is a major issue. There is much evidence that supports the notion that strategic alignment of information and communication technology (ICT) and enterprise are drivers of economic growth. Addressing…

An Investigation into Specifying Service Level Agreements for Provisioning Cloud Computing Services

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-12-01

IT .................................................................................................... Information Technology KPI ...the service delivery be measured? 3. Key Performance Indicators ( KPIs ): Describe the KPIs and the responsible party for producing the KPIs . 4...level objectives (SLOs) that are evaluated according to measurable Key Performance Indicators ( KPIs ). Automatic SLA protection enables further

Application of the canonical operator to the description of self-focusing soliton-like solutions of the Kadomtsev-Petviashvili equation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maslov, V. P.; Shafarevich, A. I.

2011-12-01

A description for the asymptotic soliton-like solution of the Kadomtsev-Petviashvili I equation (KPI equation) in terms of the canonical operator is suggested. This solution can smoothly be continued to the vicinity of the focal point.

Darboux transformation and explicit solutions for some (2+1)-dimensional equations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yan; Shen, Lijuan; Du, Dianlou

2007-06-01

Three systems of (2+1)-dimensional soliton equations and their decompositions into the (1+1)-dimensional soliton equations are proposed. These equations include KPI, CKP, MKPI. With the help of Darboux transformation of (1+1)-dimensional equations, we get the explicit solutions of the (2+1)-dimensional equations.

U.S. EPA, Pesticide Product Label, SEVIN 5% DUST, 11/19/1981

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

2011-04-21

... "e;;t~~i~:i'·:,~r:.;~. eT~;:': i:, .O~~~:~J It;;;'"lh~''I~;.rP:~,~: t;~~ ';JI.~~ n>nl~ .nd "',"'nlll frU'1 m"lh KPI>I .. d( 1',",41 r.11 and .""rv II) to 14 ...

KPI Graduate Executive Summary Report, Summer 2000-Winter 2001.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sheridan Coll. (Ontario).

Summarizes findings from the Key Performance Indicator Satisfaction Survey administered by Sheridan College in the summer 2000, fall 2000, and winter 2001 terms. This survey was administered in compliance with the Ontario government's efforts to increase the accountability of the Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology through the measurement of…

45 CFR 162.920 - Availability of implementation specifications.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... implementation specifications and the Technical Reports Type 3 described in subparts I through S of this part... implementation specifications, which include the Technical Reports Type 3 described in this section, for... part 51. The implementation specifications and Technical Reports Type 3 described in this section are...

a Radical Collaborative Approach: Developing a Model for Learning Theory, Human-Based Computation and Participant Motivation in a Rock-Art Heritage Application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haubt, R.

2016-06-01

This paper explores a Radical Collaborative Approach in the global and centralized Rock-Art Database project to find new ways to look at rock-art by making information more accessible and more visible through public contributions. It looks at rock-art through the Key Performance Indicator (KPI), identified with the latest Australian State of the Environment Reports to help develop a better understanding of rock-art within a broader Cultural and Indigenous Heritage context. Using a practice-led approach the project develops a conceptual collaborative model that is deployed within the RADB Management System. Exploring learning theory, human-based computation and participant motivation the paper develops a procedure for deploying collaborative functions within the interface design of the RADB Management System. The paper presents the results of the collaborative model implementation and discusses considerations for the next iteration of the RADB Universe within an Agile Development Approach.

Key Performance Indicators in Radiology: You Can't Manage What You Can't Measure.

PubMed

Harvey, H Benjamin; Hassanzadeh, Elmira; Aran, Shima; Rosenthal, Daniel I; Thrall, James H; Abujudeh, Hani H

2016-01-01

Quality assurance (QA) is a fundamental component of every successful radiology operation. A radiology QA program must be able to efficiently and effectively monitor and respond to quality problems. However, as radiology QA has expanded into the depths of radiology operations, the task of defining and measuring quality has become more difficult. Key performance indicators (KPIs) are highly valuable data points and measurement tools that can be used to monitor and evaluate the quality of services provided by a radiology operation. As such, KPIs empower a radiology QA program to bridge normative understandings of health care quality with on-the-ground quality management. This review introduces the importance of KPIs in health care QA, a framework for structuring KPIs, a method to identify and tailor KPIs, and strategies to analyze and communicate KPI data that would drive process improvement. Adopting a KPI-driven QA program is both good for patient care and allows a radiology operation to demonstrate measurable value to other health care stakeholders. Copyright © 2015 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

D meson hadronic decays at CLEO-c

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Fan

The CLEO-c experiment is the best arena in which to study most D meson decay phenomena. Precise measurements of hadronic deecays of D mesons allow us to better constrain parameters of the Standard Model. We study the inclusive decays of D+s mesons, using data collected near the D*+sD-s peak production energy Ecm = 4170 MeV by the CLEO-c detector. We report the inclusive yields of D+s decays to K+X, K-X, K0SX , pi+X, pi-X, pi 0X, etaX, eta'X , φX, oX and f0(980)X, and also decays into pairs of kaons, D+s → KK¯X. Using these measurements, we obtain an overview of D+s decays. The measurements of inclusive decays of D+s mesons indicate that the inclusive o yield, Ds → oX, is substantial. Using the same D*+sD-s data sample, we search for D+s exclusive hadronic decays involving o. We report the first observation of D+s → pi+pi0o decay and first upper limits on D+s → pi+etao, D+s → K+pi0o, D+s → K+o, and D+s → K+etao decays. Our measurement of D+s → pi+o decay is consistent with other experiments. Using the data collected on psi(3770) resonance and near the D*+sD-s peak production energy by the CLEO-c detector, we study the decays of charmed mesons D0, D +, and Ds to pairs of light pseudoscalar mesons P. We report branching fractions of Cabibbo-favored, singly-Cabibbo-suppressed, and doubly-Cabibbo-suppressed decays. We normalize against the Cabibbo-favored D modes, D 0 → K-pi+, D+ → K-pi +pi+, and D+s → K+ K0S. These measurements of D → PP decays allow the testing of flavor symmetry and the extraction of key amplitudes.

The effects of different pre-game motivational interventions on athlete free hormonal state and subsequent performance in professional rugby union matches.

PubMed

Cook, Christian J; Crewther, Blair T

2012-07-16

We examined the effect of different pre-match motivational interventions on athlete free testosterone (T) and cortisol (C) concentrations and subsequent match performance in professional rugby union. Male participants (n=12) playing at a senior or academy level in rugby union were recruited and each completed three interventions (15 min each) before a competitive game; 1) watching a video clip of successful skill execution by the player with positive coach feedback [VPCF1]; 2) watching a video clip of successful skill execution by an opposing player with cautionary coach feedback [VCCF], 3) the player left alone to self-motivate [SM1]. The first and last interventions were retested [VPCF2 and SM2]. Salivary free T and C measures were taken pre-intervention and pre-game. Within each game, players were rated by coaching staff on a key performance indicator (KPI) from identified skills and an overall performance indicator (OPI), where 1 = best performance to 5 = worst performance. The VPCF1 and VPCF2 interventions both promoted significant T responses (11.8% to 12.5%) before each game and more so than SM1, SM2 and VCCF. The VCCF approach produced the largest C response (17.6%) and this differed from all other treatments. The VPCF interventions were also associated with better game KPI (1.5 to 1.8) and OPI ratings (1.7 to 1.8) than SM1, SM2 and/or VCCF. Across all treatments, greater individual T responses and lower C responses were associated with better KPI and OPI outcomes. In conclusion, the pre-game presentation of motivational strategies to athletes involving specific video footage and coach feedback produced different outcomes on two indicators of match performance, which were also associated with changes in free hormonal state. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Serum C-reactive protein (CRP) as a simple and independent prognostic factor in extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type.

PubMed

Li, Ya-Jun; Li, Zhi-Ming; Xia, Yi; Huang, Jia-Jia; Huang, Hui-Qiang; Xia, Zhong-Jun; Lin, Tong-Yu; Li, Su; Cai, Xiu-Yu; Wu-Xiao, Zhi-Jun; Jiang, Wen-Qi

2013-01-01

C-reactive protein (CRP) is a biomarker of the inflammatory response, and it shows significant prognostic value for several types of solid tumors. The prognostic significance of CRP for lymphoma has not been fully examined. We evaluated the prognostic role of baseline serum CRP levels in patients with extranodal natural killer (NK)/T-cell lymphoma (ENKTL). We retrospectively analyzed 185 patients with newly diagnosed ENKTL. The prognostic value of the serum CRP level was evaluated for the low-CRP group (CRP≤10 mg/L) versus the high-CRP group (CRP>10 mg/L). The prognostic value of the International Prognostic Index (IPI) and the Korean Prognostic Index (KPI) were evaluated and compared with the newly developed prognostic model. Patients in the high-CRP group tended to display increased adverse clinical characteristics, lower rates of complete remission (P<0.001), inferior progression-free survival (PFS, P = 0.001), and inferior overall survival (OS, P<0.001). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that elevated serum CRP levels, age >60 years, hypoalbuminemia, and elevated lactate dehydrogenase levels were independent adverse predictors of OS. Based on these four independent predictors, we constructed a new prognostic model that identified 4 groups with varying OS: group 1, no adverse factors; group 2, 1 factor; group 3, 2 factors; and group 4, 3 or 4 factors (P<0.001). The novel prognostic model was found to be superior to both the IPI in discriminating patients with different outcomes in the IPI low-risk group and the KPI in distinguishing between the low- and intermediate-low-risk groups, the intermediate-low- and high-intermediate-risk groups, and the high-intermediate- and high-risk groups. Our results suggest that pretreatment serum CRP levels represent an independent predictor of clinical outcome for patients with ENKTL. The prognostic value of the new prognostic model is superior to both IPI and KPI.

Serum C-Reactive Protein (CRP) as a Simple and Independent Prognostic Factor in Extranodal Natural Killer/T-Cell Lymphoma, Nasal Type

PubMed Central

Xia, Yi; Huang, Jia-Jia; Huang, Hui-Qiang; Xia, Zhong-Jun; Lin, Tong-Yu; Li, Su; Cai, Xiu-Yu; Wu-Xiao, Zhi-Jun; Jiang, Wen-Qi

2013-01-01

Background C-reactive protein (CRP) is a biomarker of the inflammatory response, and it shows significant prognostic value for several types of solid tumors. The prognostic significance of CRP for lymphoma has not been fully examined. We evaluated the prognostic role of baseline serum CRP levels in patients with extranodal natural killer (NK)/T-cell lymphoma (ENKTL). Methods We retrospectively analyzed 185 patients with newly diagnosed ENKTL. The prognostic value of the serum CRP level was evaluated for the low-CRP group (CRP≤10 mg/L) versus the high-CRP group (CRP>10 mg/L). The prognostic value of the International Prognostic Index (IPI) and the Korean Prognostic Index (KPI) were evaluated and compared with the newly developed prognostic model. Results Patients in the high-CRP group tended to display increased adverse clinical characteristics, lower rates of complete remission (P<0.001), inferior progression-free survival (PFS, P = 0.001), and inferior overall survival (OS, P<0.001). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that elevated serum CRP levels, age >60 years, hypoalbuminemia, and elevated lactate dehydrogenase levels were independent adverse predictors of OS. Based on these four independent predictors, we constructed a new prognostic model that identified 4 groups with varying OS: group 1, no adverse factors; group 2, 1 factor; group 3, 2 factors; and group 4, 3 or 4 factors (P<0.001). The novel prognostic model was found to be superior to both the IPI in discriminating patients with different outcomes in the IPI low-risk group and the KPI in distinguishing between the low- and intermediate-low-risk groups, the intermediate-low- and high-intermediate-risk groups, and the high-intermediate- and high-risk groups. Conclusions Our results suggest that pretreatment serum CRP levels represent an independent predictor of clinical outcome for patients with ENKTL. The prognostic value of the new prognostic model is superior to both IPI and KPI. PMID:23724031

NASA Engineering Excellence: A Case Study on Strengthening an Engineering Organization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shivers, C. Herbert; Wessel, Vernon W.

2006-01-01

NASA implemented a system of technical authority following the Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAE) report calling for independent technical authority to be exercised on the Space Shuttle Program activities via a virtual organization of personnel exercising specific technical authority responsibilities. After the current NASA Administrator reported for duty, and following the first of two planned "Shuttle Return to Flight" missions, the NASA Chief Engineer and the Administrator redirected the Independent Technical Authority to a program of Technical Excellence and Technical Authority exercised within the existing engineering organizations. This paper discusses the original implementation of technical authority and the transition to the new implementation of technical excellence, including specific measures aimed at improving safety of future Shuttle and space exploration flights.

A new multi-symplectic scheme for the generalized Kadomtsev-Petviashvili equation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Haochen; Sun, Jianqiang

2012-09-01

We propose a new scheme for the generalized Kadomtsev-Petviashvili (KP) equation. The multi-symplectic conservation property of the new scheme is proved. Back error analysis shows that the new multi-symplectic scheme has second order accuracy in space and time. Numerical application on studying the KPI equation and the KPII equation are presented in detail.

Quantifying Faculty Productivity in Japan: Development and Application of the Achievement-Motivated Key Performance Indicator. Research & Occasional Paper Series: CSHE.8.16

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aida, Misako; Watanabe, Satoshi P.

2016-01-01

Universities throughout the world are trending toward more performance based methods to capture their strengths, weaknesses and productivity. Hiroshima University has developed an integrated objective measure for quantifying multifaceted faculty activities, namely the "Achievement-Motivated Key Performance Indicator" (A-KPI), in order to…

45 CFR 162.920 - Availability of implementation specifications and operating rules.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... Technical Report Type 3. The implementation specifications for the ASC X12N and the ASC X12 Standards for Electronic Data Interchange Technical Report Type 3 (and accompanying Errata or Type 1 Errata) may be... charged for all implementation specifications, including Technical Reports Type 3. Charging for such...

Performance management of Clostridium difficile infection in hospitals - The carrot or stick approach?

PubMed

Fitzpatrick, Fidelma; Riordan, Mary O

2016-02-01

Public and political pressure for healthcare quality indicator monitoring, specifically healthcare-associated infection (HAI) has intensified the debate regarding the merits of public reporting and target setting as policy approaches. This paper reviews the evidence for these approaches with a focus on HAI, including Clostridium difficile infection (CDI). Healthcare key performance indicators (KPIs) and associated targets have been used widely with little evaluation. While targets are associated with some HAI reductions including CDI, as their control is multi-factorial, it is likely that reductions are due to numerous, concurrent control measures. Targets may help tackle organizational-wide issues that require high level management engagement and have contributed to the increased access and influence of infection control teams. HAI public reporting has also gained traction and is mandatory in many countries despite little scientific evaluation. CDI is one of the KPIs used but there is little consensus as to the best KPI for public reporting. Countries without public reporting have also seen improvements. Using indicator-based strategies rather than evidence-based ones risk improving the KPI but not necessarily quality of care. 'Bottom-up' approaches focussing on quality improvement and innovation generated by front line staff are seen as a lever for sustainable change. Positive deviance, where the resourcefulness and problem solving abilities of staff is harnessed, enables 'bottom-up' changes with process and outcome improvements. As implementation of best practice in healthcare is dependent on behavioural and cultural change, it is most likely that a combination of 'top-down' and 'bottom-up' approaches are required for sustainable improvement. This combined approach was used to improve staff influenza vaccination rates. Regulation may initially direct the spot-light onto infection control needs but true sustainable HAI reduction will only be fostered with concurrent cultural and behavioural shifts in practice and ownership of the HAI burden across clinical, policy and management domains. It will be interesting if this approach will be increasingly used by policy makers, however, irrespective it is clear that there is a need for rigorous evaluation of our HAI policy approaches from this point forward. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effective School-Community Relations as a Key Performance Indicator for the Secondary School Administrator in Aba South District, Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abraham, Nath. M.; Ememe, Ogbonna N.

2012-01-01

This study investigates Effective School-Community Relations as a key Performance Indicator (KPI) of Secondary Schools Administrator in Aba South District, Nigeria. Descriptive survey method was adopted. All the 248 teachers made up the population and sample in a purposive sampling technique representing 100% of the entire population as sample. A…

Tiny Ultraviolet Polarimeter for Earth Stratosphere from Space Investigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nevodovskyi, P. V.; Morozhenko, O. V.; Vidmachenko, A. P.; Ivakhiv, O.; Geraimchuk, M.; Zbrutskyi, O.

2015-09-01

One of the reasons for climate change (i.e., stratospheric ozone concentrations) is connected with the variations in optical thickness of aerosols in the upper sphere of the atmosphere (at altitudes over 30 km). Therefore, aerosol and gas components of the atmosphere are crucial in the study of the ultraviolet (UV) radiation passing upon the Earth. Moreover, a scrupulous study of aerosol components of the Earth atmosphere at an altitude of 30 km (i.e., stratospheric aerosol), such as the size of particles, the real part of refractive index, optical thickness and its horizontal structure, concentration of ozone or the upper border of the stratospheric ozone layer is an important task in the research of the Earth climate change. At present, the Main Astronomical Observatory of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) of Ukraine, the National Technical University of Ukraine "KPI"and the Lviv Polytechnic National University are engaged in the development of methodologies for the study of stratospheric aerosol by means of ultraviolet polarimeter using a microsatellite. So fare, there has been created a sample of a tiny ultraviolet polarimeter (UVP) which is considered to be a basic model for carrying out space experiments regarding the impact of the changes in stratospheric aerosols on both global and local climate.

Investigations on physics of planetary atmospheres and small bodies of the Solar system, extrasolar planets and disk structures around the stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vidmachenko, A. P.; Delets, O. S.; Dlugach, J. M.; Zakhozhay, O. V.; Kostogryz, N. M.; Krushevska, V. M.; Kuznyetsova, Y. G.; Morozhenko, O. V.; Nevodovskyi, P. V.; Ovsak, O. S.; Rozenbush, O. E.; Romanyuk, Ya. O.; Shavlovskiy, V. I.; Yanovitskij, E. G.

2015-12-01

The history and main becoming stages of Planetary system physics Department of the Main astronomical observatory of National academy of Sciences of Ukraine are considered. Fundamental subjects of department researches and science achievements of employees are presented. Fields of theoretical and experimental researches are Solar system planets and their satellites; vertical structures of planet atmospheres; radiative transfer in planet atmospheres; exoplanet systems of Milky Way; stars having disc structures; astronomical engineering. Employees of the department carry out spectral, photometrical and polarimetrical observations of Solar system planets, exoplanet systems and stars with disc structures. 1. From the history of department 2. The main directions of department research 3. Scientific instrumentation 4. Telescopes and observation stations 5. Theoretical studies 6. The results of observations of planets and small Solar system bodies and their interpretation 7. The study of exoplanets around the stars of our galaxy 8. Spectral energy distribution of fragmenting protostellar disks 9. Cooperation with the National Technical University of Ukraine (KPI) and National University of Ukraine "Lviv Polytechnic" to study the impact of stratospheric aerosol changes on weather and climate of the Earth 10. International relations. Scientific and organizational work. Scientific conferences, congresses, symposia 11. The main achievements of the department 12. Current researches 13. Anniversaries and awards

Performance Analysis of Hospital Information System of the National Health Insurance Corporation Ilsan Hospital

PubMed Central

Han, Jung Mi; Boo, Eun Hee; Kim, Jung A; Yoon, Soo Jin; Kim, Seong Woo

2012-01-01

Objectives This study evaluated the qualitative and quantitative performances of the newly developed information system which was implemented on November 4, 2011 at the National Health Insurance Corporation Ilsan Hospital. Methods Registration waiting time and changes in the satisfaction scores for the key performance indicators (KPI) before and after the introduction of the system were compared; and the economic effects of the system were analyzed by using the information economics approach. Results After the introduction of the system, the waiting time for registration was reduced by 20%, and the waiting time at the internal medicine department was reduced by 15%. The benefit-to-cost ratio was increased to 1.34 when all intangible benefits were included in the economic analysis. Conclusions The economic impact and target satisfaction rates increased due to the introduction of the new system. The results were proven by the quantitative and qualitative analyses carried out in this study. This study was conducted only seven months after the introduction of the system. As such, a follow-up study should be carried out in the future when the system stabilizes. PMID:23115744

Factors Impacting Student Service Utilization at Ontario Colleges: Key Performance Indicators as a Measure of Success: A Niagara College View

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Veres, David

2015-01-01

Student success in Ontario College is significantly influenced by the utilization of student services. At Niagara College there has been a significant investment in student services as a strategy to support student success. Utilizing existing KPI data, this quantitative research project is aimed at measuring factors that influence both the use of…

Verknüpfung von DQ-Indikatoren mit KPIs und Auswirkungen auf das Return on Investment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Block, Frank

Häufig ist nicht klar, welche Beziehungen zwischen Datenqualitätsindikatoren (DQI, Definition folgt weiter unten) und Key Performance Indicators (KPI, s. Abschnitt 1.3 für weitere Details) eines Unternehmens oder einer Organisation bestehen. Dies ist insbesondere deshalb von Bedeutung, da die Kenntnis dieser Beziehungen maßgeblich die Ausprägung eines Datenqualitätsprojekts beeinflusst.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Solving the Kadomtsev - Petviashvili equation with initial data not vanishing at large distances

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boiti, M.; Pempinelli, F.; Pogrebkov, A.

1997-06-01

We consider, in the framework of the inverse scattering method, the solution of the Kadomtsev - Petviashvili equation in its version called KPI. The spectral theory is extended to the case in which the initial data 0266-5611/13/3/001/img1 are not vanishing along a finite number of directions at large distances on the plane.

Line Crack Subject to Shear.

DTIC Science & Technology

1977-07-01

91). f ex(ý- ,2 in ýx+x’)? dx’ = (T/)112 cp- 2 A)sinti x I~ ~ JCPIX ois r(x+x’)I (I/p Cos(- Fx (3.16) 12 = fexp(_py,2--yy, )dy’ . 1 /P1/2k~pY 24... Astro .& Engr. Sc. Providence, Rhode Island 02912 Purdue University Lafayette, Indiana 47907 Prof. R.S. Rivlin Center fe. the Application of Mathematics

Time-Frequency Variability of Kuroshio Meanders in Tokara Strait

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakamura, H.; Yamashiro, T.; Nishina, A.; Ichikawa, H.

2006-12-01

The Kuroshio path in the northern Okinawa Trough, Japan, located between the continental slope and Tokara Strait, exhibits meandering motions with largest displacements in the East China Sea; these motions have dominant periods in the broad range of 30-90 days. Understanding the dynamic nature of such meanders is crucial to predicting small and large meanders of the Kuroshio path off the south coast of Japan. Previous numerical simulations suggest that the Kuroshio path meanders in the northern Okinawa Trough become nonstationary in variance because of changes in background states of the Kuroshio in the northern Okinawa Trough, but a detailed analysis based on observed data has yet to be performed. The purpose of the present study is to provide a detailed description of the time-frequency variability of Kuroshio path meanders observed in Tokara Strait. Three Kuroshio indicators were subjected to wavelet analysis for the period 1984-2004: the Kuroshio Position Index (KPI) in Tokara Strait, Kuroshio Volume Transport (KVT) in Tokara Strait, and the basal current velocity of the Kuroshio on the continental slope in the northern Okinawa Trough. The 30-90 day variance of the KPI shows a season-fixed nature, with larger amplitudes in the period December-July. The amplitude of the variance in this phenomenon is also modulated by interannual variations, with small variance recorded during 1989-1992, large variance during 1993-1998, and a return to small variance from 1999-2003. This interannual variation is positively correlated with that of the KVT. The largest variance of the KPI during February-April precedes the largest volume transport in April-May by about 1 month, suggesting that eddy vorticity flux strengthens the mean current field. Previous numerical simulations reproduce the recirculation gyre as a cyclonic eddy in the area between the continental slope and Tokara Strait; this gyre is analogous to the northern recirculation gyre associated with the eastward jet. On the basis of data from a moored current-meter situated on the continental slope, the genesis of the 30-90 day meanders within Tokara Strait is ascribed to nonlinear energy transfer from 8-25 day meanders on the continental slope.

Corporate dashboard for payphone service

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siraj, Fadzilah; Shadan, Hezlin

2015-12-01

Making assured that managements are kept abreast of what is happening in the company is not an easy task. The quantity of data generated by the business process is astonishing large and non-centralized. The challenge facing business organizations is how to extract, load, transform data, and then deliver useful information to key decision makers. The major challenge for the payphone industries is in making a good decision, particularly to increase quality of service, customer satisfaction while achieving high revenue. With current practice, the process is very time consuming and therefore, a systematic and informative corporate dashboard needs to be provided especially for managerial level in supporting their decision making process. This paper proposed a dashboard application design that provides a single-screen display of relevant information such as the phone performance and coin collection reports, as well as generated revenue to enable faster and more effective decision making. The development of the dashboard is divided into requirement, design and implementation phases. The implementation using real data has demonstrated the potential use of the dashboard. The evaluation results indicate that the dashboard can be used as a tool that can support payphone operation works and decision process by providing the analytical analysis of the KPI report and the performance status. In addition, the results can be used as a guideline for the dashboard developer to understand the process and focuses on the key elements and the principle in designing the effective dashboard.

Quality Assurance of Teachers in the Implementation of the Curriculum of Technical and Vocational Education in Colleges of Education (Technical) in North Cental Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Attaochu, Egbita Ugbalu

2013-01-01

This study was carried out to ascertain the quality assurance of teachers (lecturers) in the implementation of the curriculum of Technical and Vocational Education (TVE) in Colleges of Education (Technical) in North Central Nigeria. Two research questions were formulated and answered in this study. Survey research and evaluation designs were…

The design and implementation of the Technical Facilities Controller (TFC) for the Goldstone deep space communications complex

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Killian, D. A.; Menninger, F. J.; Gorman, T.; Glenn, P.

1988-01-01

The Technical Facilities Controller is a microprocessor-based energy management system that is to be implemented in the Deep Space Network facilities. This system is used in conjunction with facilities equipment at each of the complexes in the operation and maintenance of air-conditioning equipment, power generation equipment, power distribution equipment, and other primary facilities equipment. The implementation of the Technical Facilities Controller was completed at the Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex and is now operational. The installation completed at the Goldstone Complex is described and the utilization of the Technical Facilities Controller is evaluated. The findings will be used in the decision to implement a similar system at the overseas complexes at Canberra, Australia, and Madrid, Spain.

How Do We Teach Usability? An Investigation of Usability Instruction in Technical Communication

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chong, Felicia

2013-01-01

This dissertation investigates the curricular implementation of usability instruction in technical communication. Though there are a plethora of publications and studies on usability in technical communication, little discussion focuses on usability instruction in the classroom or its implementation in the curriculum. Thus, this exploratory…

Inverse scattering transform for the time dependent Schrödinger equation with applications to the KPI equation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Xin

1990-03-01

For the direct-inverse scattering transform of the time dependent Schrödinger equation, rigorous results are obtained based on an opertor-triangular-factorization approach. By viewing the equation as a first order operator equation, similar results as for the first order n x n matrix system are obtained. The nonlocal Riemann-Hilbert problem for inverse scattering is shown to have solution.

Lump solutions of the BKP equation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gilson, C. R.; Nimmo, J. J. C.

1990-07-01

Rational solutions of the BKP equation which decay to zero in all directions in the plane are obtained. These solutions are analogous to the lump solutions of the KPI equation. Properties of the single lump solution are described and the form of the N-lump solution is given. It is shown that single lump solutions are only non-singular for spectral parameters lying in certain regions of the complex plane.

Fasting blood glucose is a novel prognostic indicator for extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type

PubMed Central

Cai, Q; Luo, X; Liang, Y; Rao, H; Fang, X; Jiang, W; Lin, T; Lin, T; Huang, H

2013-01-01

Background: Extranodal natural killer (NK)/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type (ENKTL) is an aggressive disease with poor prognosis, requiring risk stratification. However, the prognosis of ENKTL is not fully defined and needs supplementation. We hypothesised that fasting blood glucose (FBG) may be a new prognostic factor for ENKTL. Methods: We retrospectively analysed 130 patients newly diagnosed with ENKTL. Results: Both univariate analysis and multivariate analysis revealed that FBG >100 mg dl−1 was associated with a poor outcome. Patients with FBG >100 mg dl−1 at diagnosis had more adverse clinical features, achieved lower complete remission rates (P=0.003) and had worse overall survival (P<0.001) and progression-free survival (P<0.001) compared with low-FBG patients. Measurement of FBG was helpful in differentiating between low-risk patients using the International Prognostic Index (IPI) and Prognosis Index for peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PIT) scoring and patients in a different category using the Korean Prognostic Index (KPI) scores with different survival outcomes (P<0.05). Conclusion: Our data suggest that measuring FBG levels at diagnosis is a novel, independent predictor of prognosis in ENKTL and helps to distinguish low-risk patients with poor survival, and this holds true in patients considered low-risk by IPI, PIT and KPI. PMID:23299534

Homogenous UV/periodate process in treatment of p-nitrophenol aqueous solutions under mild operating conditions.

PubMed

Saien, Javad; Fallah Vahed Bazkiaei, Marzieh

2018-07-01

Aqueous solutions of p-nitrophenol (PNP) were treated with UV-activated potassium periodate (UV/KPI) in an efficient photo-reactor. Either periodate or UV alone had little effect; however, their combination led to a significant degradation and mineralization. The response surface methodology was employed for design of experiments and optimization. The optimum conditions for treatment of 30 mg/L of the substrate were determined as [KPI] = 386.3 mg/L, pH = 6.2 and T = 34.6°C, under which 79.5% degradation was achieved after 60 min. Use of 25 and 40 kHz ultrasound waves caused the degradation to enhance to 88.3% and 92.3%, respectively. The intermediates were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy analysis, leading to propose the reaction pathway. The presence of water conventional bicarbonate, chloride, sulfate and nitrate anions caused unfavorable effects in efficiency. Meanwhile, the kinetic study showed that PNP degradation follows a pseudo-first-order reaction and the activation energy was determined. The irradiation energy consumption required for one order of magnitude degradation was estimated as 11.18 kWh/m 3 . Accordingly, comparison with the previously reported processes showed the superiority of PNP treatment with the employed process.

Instrument and Survey Analysis Technical Report: Program Implementation Survey. Technical Report #1112

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alonzo, Julie; Tindal, Gerald

2011-01-01

This technical document provides guidance to educators on the creation and interpretation of survey instruments, particularly as they relate to an analysis of program implementation. Illustrative examples are drawn from a survey of educators related to the use of the easyCBM learning system. This document includes specific sections on…

Implementing DSpace at NASA Langley Research Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lowe, Greta

2007-01-01

This presentation looks at the implementation of the DSpace institutional repository system at the NASA Langley Technical Library. NASA Langley Technical Library implemented DSpace software as a replacement for the Langley Technical Report Server (LTRS). DSpace was also used to develop the Langley Technical Library Digital Repository (LTLDR). LTLDR contains archival copies of core technical reports in the aeronautics area dating back to the NACA era and other specialized collections relevant to the NASA Langley community. Extensive metadata crosswalks were created to facilitate moving data from various systems and formats to DSpace. The Dublin Core metadata screens were also customized. The OpenURL standard and Ex Libris Metalib are being used in this environment to assist our customers with either discovering full-text content or with initiating a request for the item.

Technical Packages in Injury and Violence Prevention to Move Evidence into Practice: Systematic Reviews and Beyond

PubMed Central

Haegerich, Tamara M.; David-Ferdon, Corinne; Noonan, Rita K.; Manns, Brian J.; Billie, Holly C.

2016-01-01

Injury and violence prevention strategies have greater potential for impact when they are based on scientific evidence. Systematic reviews of the scientific evidence can contribute key information about which policies and programs might have the greatest impact when implemented. However, systematic reviews have limitations, such as lack of implementation guidance and contextual information, that can limit the application of knowledge. “Technical packages,” developed by knowledge brokers such as the federal government, nonprofit agencies, and academic institutions, have the potential to be an efficient mechanism for making information from systematic reviews actionable. Technical packages provide information about specific evidence-based prevention strategies, along with the estimated costs and impacts, and include accompanying implementation and evaluation guidance to facilitate adoption, implementation, and performance measurement. We describe how systematic reviews can inform the development of technical packages for practitioners, provide examples of technical packages in injury and violence prevention, and explain how enhancing review methods and reporting could facilitate the use and applicability of scientific evidence. PMID:27604301

Students' Strengths and Weaknesses in Evaluating Technical Arguments as Revealed through Implementing Calibrated Peer Review™ in a Bioengineering Laboratory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Volz, Tracy; Saterbak, Ann

2009-01-01

In engineering fields, students are expected to construct technical arguments that demonstrate a discipline's expected use of logic, evidence, and conventions. Many undergraduate bioengineering students struggle to enact the appropriate argument structures when they produce technical posters. To address this problem we implemented Calibrated Peer…

A KPI framework for process-based benchmarking of hospital information systems.

PubMed

Jahn, Franziska; Winter, Alfred

2011-01-01

Benchmarking is a major topic for monitoring, directing and elucidating the performance of hospital information systems (HIS). Current approaches neglect the outcome of the processes that are supported by the HIS and their contribution to the hospital's strategic goals. We suggest to benchmark HIS based on clinical documentation processes and their outcome. A framework consisting of a general process model and outcome criteria for clinical documentation processes is introduced.

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

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Auckland Inst. of Tech. (New Zealand).

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

78 FR 47059 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Designation of Critical Habitat for Physaria...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-02

...) providing technical or financial assistance to landowners to help in the design and implementation of...) providing technical or financial assistance to landowners to help in the design and implementation of... or financial assistance to landowners to help in the design and implementation of management actions...

Exploring Strengths of Career Technical Education Deans: Implementing Change within Community Colleges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, Maria

2013-01-01

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how career technical education (CTE) deans implement crucial changes in their programs to keep up with industry standards required by external agencies, the Perkins grant, and the advancements of technology. Deans must make top-down, lateral, as well as vertical change to implement improvements…

From Information Management to Information Visualization

PubMed Central

Karami, Mahtab

2016-01-01

Summary Objective The development and implementation of a dashboard of medical imaging department (MID) performance indicators. Method Several articles discussing performance measures of imaging departments were searched for this study. All the related measures were extracted. Then, a panel of imaging experts were asked to rate these measures with an open ended question to seek further potential indicators. A second round was performed to confirm the performance rating. The indicators and their ratings were then reviewed by an executive panel. Based on the final panel’s rating, a list of indicators to be used was developed. A team of information technology consultants were asked to determine a set of user interface requirements for the building of the dashboard. In the first round, based on the panel’s rating, a list of main features or requirements to be used was determined. Next, Qlikview was utilized to implement the dashboard to visualize a set of selected KPI metrics. Finally, an evaluation of the dashboard was performed. Results 92 MID indicators were identified. On top of this, 53 main user interface requirements to build of the prototype of dashboard were determined. Then, the project team successfully implemented a prototype of radiology management dashboards into study site. The visual display that was designed was rated highly by users. Conclusion To develop a dashboard, management of information is essential. It is recommended that a quality map be designed for the MID. It can be used to specify the sequence of activities, their related indicators and required data for calculating these indicators. To achieve both an effective dashboard and a comprehensive view of operations, it is necessary to design a data warehouse for gathering data from a variety of systems. Utilizing interoperability standards for exchanging data among different systems can be also effective in this regard. PMID:27437043

Use of Key Performance Indicators to Improve Milestone Assessment in Semi-Annual Clinical Competency Committee Meetings.

PubMed

Chen, Fei; Arora, Harendra; Martinelli, Susan M

2017-01-01

The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education's Next Accreditation System requires residency programs to semiannually submit composite milestone data on each resident's performance. This report describes and evaluates a new assessment review procedure piloted in our departmental Clinical Competency Committee (CCC) semi-annual meeting in June 2016. A modified Delphi technique was utilized to develop key performance indicators (KPI) linking milestone descriptors to clinical practice. In addition, the CCC identified six specific milestone sub-competencies that would be prescored with objective data prior to the meeting. Each resident was independently placed on the milestones by 3 different CCC faculty members. Milestone placement data of the same cohort of 42 residents (Clinical Anesthesia Years 1-3) were collected to calculate inter-rater reliability of the assessment procedures before and after the implemented changes. A survey was administrated to collect CCC feedback on the new procedure. The procedure assisted in reducing meeting time from 8 to 3.5 hours. Survey of the CCC members revealed positive perception of the procedure. Higher inter-rater reliability of the milestone placement was obtained using the implemented KPIs (Intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] single measure range: before=.53-.94, after=.74-.98). We found the new assessment procedure beneficial to the efficiency and transparency of the assessment process. Further improvement of the procedure involves refinement of KPIs and additional faculty development on KPIs to allow non-CCC faculty to provide more accurate resident evaluations.

Use of Key Performance Indicators to Improve Milestone Assessment in Semi-Annual Clinical Competency Committee Meetings

PubMed Central

Arora, Harendra; Martinelli, Susan M.

2017-01-01

Background: The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education's Next Accreditation System requires residency programs to semiannually submit composite milestone data on each resident's performance. This report describes and evaluates a new assessment review procedure piloted in our departmental Clinical Competency Committee (CCC) semi-annual meeting in June 2016. Methods: A modified Delphi technique was utilized to develop key performance indicators (KPI) linking milestone descriptors to clinical practice. In addition, the CCC identified six specific milestone sub-competencies that would be prescored with objective data prior to the meeting. Each resident was independently placed on the milestones by 3 different CCC faculty members. Milestone placement data of the same cohort of 42 residents (Clinical Anesthesia Years 1–3) were collected to calculate inter-rater reliability of the assessment procedures before and after the implemented changes. A survey was administrated to collect CCC feedback on the new procedure. Results: The procedure assisted in reducing meeting time from 8 to 3.5 hours. Survey of the CCC members revealed positive perception of the procedure. Higher inter-rater reliability of the milestone placement was obtained using the implemented KPIs (Intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] single measure range: before=.53–.94, after=.74–.98). Conclusion: We found the new assessment procedure beneficial to the efficiency and transparency of the assessment process. Further improvement of the procedure involves refinement of KPIs and additional faculty development on KPIs to allow non-CCC faculty to provide more accurate resident evaluations. PMID:29766033

Formation of production structural units within a construction company using the systemic integrated method when implementing high-rise development projects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lapidus, Azary; Abramov, Ivan

2018-03-01

Development of efficient algorithms for designing future operations is a vital element in construction business. This paper studies various aspects of a methodology required to determine the integration index for construction crews performing various process-related jobs. The main objective of the study outlined in this paper is to define the notion of integration in respect to a construction crew that performs complete cycles of construction and assembly works in order to find the optimal organizational solutions, using the integrated crew algorithm built specifically for that purpose. As seen in the sequence of algorithm elements, it was designed to focus on the key factors affecting the level of integration of a construction crew depending on the value of each of those elements. The multifactor modelling approach is used to assess the KPI of integrated construction crews involved in large-sale high-rise construction projects. The purpose of this study is to develop a theoretical recommendation and a scientific methodological provision of organizational and technological nature to ensure qualitative formation of integrated construction crews to increase their productivity during integrated implementation of multi-task construction phases. The key difference of the proposed solution from the already existing ones is that it requires identification of the degree of impact of each factor, including the change in the qualification level, on the integration index of each separate element in the organizational and technological system in construction (integrated construction crew).

Technical Packages in Injury and Violence Prevention to Move Evidence Into Practice: Systematic Reviews and Beyond.

PubMed

Haegerich, Tamara M; David-Ferdon, Corinne; Noonan, Rita K; Manns, Brian J; Billie, Holly C

2016-09-07

Injury and violence prevention strategies have greater potential for impact when they are based on scientific evidence. Systematic reviews of the scientific evidence can contribute key information about which policies and programs might have the greatest impact when implemented. However, systematic reviews have limitations, such as lack of implementation guidance and contextual information, that can limit the application of knowledge. "Technical packages," developed by knowledge brokers such as the federal government, nonprofit agencies, and academic institutions, have the potential to be an efficient mechanism for making information from systematic reviews actionable. Technical packages provide information about specific evidence-based prevention strategies, along with the estimated costs and impacts, and include accompanying implementation and evaluation guidance to facilitate adoption, implementation, and performance measurement. We describe how systematic reviews can inform the development of technical packages for practitioners, provide examples of technical packages in injury and violence prevention, and explain how enhancing review methods and reporting could facilitate the use and applicability of scientific evidence. © The Author(s) 2016.

Extended resolvent and inverse scattering with an application to KPI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boiti, M.; Pempinelli, F.; Pogrebkov, A. K.; Prinari, B.

2003-08-01

We present in detail an extended resolvent approach for investigating linear problems associated to 2+1 dimensional integrable equations. Our presentation is based as an example on the nonstationary Schrödinger equation with potential being a perturbation of the one-soliton potential by means of a decaying two-dimensional function. Modification of the inverse scattering theory as well as properties of the Jost solutions and spectral data as follows from the resolvent approach are given.

Aerial Port Location Study

DTIC Science & Technology

1997-09-01

the Uniform Material Movements and Issue Priority System (UMMIPS) is becoming an increasing difficult and expensive challenge . (3) According to...NEWZEALA 25,742 406 71 CUA CUBI POINT BATAAN PHILIPPIN 23,500 10 72 AJR ARVIDSJAUR SWEDEN 22,900 34 73 KPI KAPIT MALAYSIA 21,155 10 74 MGA MANAGUA...600 3 109 BDS BRINDISI ITALY 485 13 110 KUL KUALA LUMPUR INTL MALAYSIA 391 1 111 YES ISTANBUL TURKEY 352 3 112 DOH DOHA QATAR 208 3 113 ZAG

Extractive cultivation of recombinant Escherichia coli using aqueous two-phase systems for production and separation of intracellular heat shock proteins.

PubMed

Umakoshi, H; Yano, K; Kuboi, R; Komasawa, I

1996-01-01

The extractive cultivation of recombinant Escherichia coli cells to produce, release, and separate heat shock proteins (HSPs; GroEL and GroES) using poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)/dextran (Dex) aqueous two-phase systems was developed. The growth rate of E. coli OW10/pND5 cells in the PEG/Dex two-phase media was almost the same value as that in the control media. The addition of 0.1 M potassium phosphate salts (KPi) increased the productivity of HSPs with keeping the growth rate of E. coli cells relatively high. The partition coefficients of HSPs were improved to greater values when phosphate salts were added at a concentration of more than 0.1 M. As a result, PEG/Dex systems supplemented with 0.1 M KPi were found to be the optimized two-phase systems for the extractive cultivation of E. coli cells. In the systems, the HSPs were selectively partitioned to the top phase while cells occupied the bottom phase and the interface between the two phases. This integrated process was extended to a semicontinuous operating mode, where the top phase containing the HSPs was recovered following intermittent heating and ultrasonic irradiation. The bottom phase containing cells and cell debris was recycled together with new top phase solution to repeat production and recovery of HSPs.

Islamic value to the modification of BSC model (a case study in evaluating company performance)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harwati; Permana, Y.

2017-12-01

Halal is the key word for the Muslim community in consuming goods or services. Providing halal products is the main focus for companies with the largest consumers from the Muslim community. Halal is not only from the ingredients but also from the process in its production. The purpose of this study is to design a model of performance measurement for a company in order to provide halal products. Balance Score Card (BSC) is used as a framework. BSC as a performance measurement system has advantages not only focus on financial aspect but also non finance. Islamic values are incorporated into four perspective of BSC. They are: Selection of sharia financial institutions in financial perspective, payment method by consumer in consumer perspective, number of product with halal certificate and menu clarify in internal business process perspective, then accuracy of payroll time in learning and growth perspective. The modified BSC model obtains 17 Key Performance Indicators (KPI). The model is applied in a culinary industry (restaurant). Structured questionnaires and scheduled interviews are used to collect the important data. The result show that these industry fail to meet 8 from total 17 KPI so performance achievement is only 70.81%, and only reach 22.58% in Islamic value aspect. This is recorded by the company as an input to improve their performance in order to compete in halal food business.

Trends in Diagnosis and Clinical Features of Melanoma in situ in U.S. Men and Women: a prospective, observational study

PubMed Central

Wei, Erin X.; Qureshi, Abrar A.; Han, Jiali; Li, Tricia Y.; Cho, Eunyoung; Lin, Jennifer Y.; Li, Wen-Qing

2016-01-01

Background The incidence of melanoma in situ is rising, but little is known about its characteristics. Objective To determine trends in diagnosis and clinical features of melanoma in situ. Methods Incident cases of melanoma were collected prospectively from the Nurses’ Health Study from 1976–2010 and Health Professionals Follow-up Study from 1986–2010. Results MIS incidence increased from 2 to 42 per 100,000-person-year (100KPY) among women, and from 11 to 73 per 100KPY among men, exceeding the rate of increase of invasive melanomas. Melanoma mortality initially increased during the follow-up period then plateaued. Men were more likely than women to develop in situ melanomas on upper half of the body (p<0.001). Invasive melanomas were diagnosed at a younger age than melanoma in situ (p<0.001), and were more likely to be found on the lower extremities than in situ melanomas (p<0.001). Limitations This is a strictly descriptive study without examination into mechanisms. Conclusion We found epidemiologic and clinical differences in in situ and invasive melanomas, which support further examination into the variations in etiologic pathways. The lack of improvement in mortality despite increase in detection of in situ relative to invasive lesions further highlight the need to improve invasive melanoma-specific clinical screening features. PMID:27436155

Owning the program technical baseline for future space systems acquisition: program technical baseline tracking tool

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nguyen, Tien M.; Guillen, Andy T.; Hant, James J.; Kizer, Justin R.; Min, Inki A.; Siedlak, Dennis J. L.; Yoh, James

2017-05-01

The U.S. Air Force (USAF) has recognized the needs for owning the program and technical knowledge within the Air Force concerning the systems being acquired to ensure success. This paper extends the previous work done by the authors [1-2] on the "Resilient Program Technical Baseline Framework for Future Space Systems" and "Portfolio Decision Support Tool (PDST)" to the development and implementation of the Program and Technical Baseline (PTB) Tracking Tool (PTBTL) for the DOD acquisition life cycle. The paper describes the "simplified" PTB tracking model with a focus on the preaward phases and discusses how to implement this model in PDST.

Understanding Policy Intentions Is Critical for Successful Policy Implementation within the Technical and Vocational Education and Training College's Sector

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sebele, Ntlantla

2015-01-01

Public policy implementation is frequently regarded as problematic globally and reasons for these vary. In particular, the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sector has been criticized for lack of delivery and most of the criticism is directed towards the non-implementation of government policy. In South Africa managers of TVET…

Edwin I. Hatch nuclear plant implementation of improved technical specifications

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

Mahler, S.R.; Pendry, D.

1994-12-31

Edwin I. Hatch nuclear plant consists of two General Electric boiling water reactor/4 units, with a common control room and a common refueling floor. In March 1993, Hatch began conversion of both units` technical specifications utilizing NUREG 1433. The technical specifications amendment request was submitted February 25, 1994. Issuance is scheduled for October 21, 1994, with implementation on March 15, 1994. The current unit-1 technical specifications are in the {open_quotes}custom{close_quotes} format, and the unit-2 technical specifications are in the old standard format. Hatch previously relocated the fire protection and radiological technical specifications requirements. The Hatch conversion will provide consistency betweenmore » the two units, to the extent practicable.« less

76 FR 69132 - Trademark Technical and Conforming Amendments

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-08

... Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks (``Madrid Rules'') to implement the... Cases and the Madrid Rules to implement the Trademark Technical and Conforming Amendment Act of 2010... Madrid Protocol (``Madrid Protocol registrants'') to file Affidavits or Declarations of Use or Excusable...

National Skill Standards Implementation Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Vocational Technical Education Foundation, Washington, DC.

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

Examining the Highs and Lows of the Collaborative Relationship Between Technical Assistance Providers and Prevention Implementers.

PubMed

Chilenski, Sarah M; Welsh, Janet; Olson, Jonathan; Hoffman, Lesa; Perkins, Daniel F; Feinberg, Mark E

2018-02-01

The PROSPER model uses a three-tiered community partnership, university researcher, and Cooperative Extension-based technical assistance system to support the delivery of evidence-based interventions in communities. This study examines the trajectory and predictors of the collaborative relationship between technical assistance providers and community teams across the three phases of organization, implementation, and sustainability. Members of 14 PROmoting School-university-community Partnerships to Enhance Resilience (PROSPER) community teams and directors of local agencies rated communities' levels of readiness and adolescent substance use norms. Technical assistance providers rated their collaborative relationship with their teams at 14 occasions across 4.5 years. Results from mixed models show that levels of collaboration were stable until the sustainability phase, when they increased significantly. Team differences in change were significant during the implementation phase. Community readiness predicted levels of the collaborative relationship over time: high community readiness was associated with a high level of collaboration during organization, but a decline in collaboration during implementation. These results provide a more nuanced understanding of the relationship between technical assistance provision and community prevention teams and lead to recommendations to improve dissemination models to achieve a greater public health impact.

ASEAN GMP and pharmaceutical industries in Indonesia.

PubMed

Soesilo, S; Sitorus, U

1995-01-01

Indonesia was appointed by the ASEAN Technical Cooperation in Pharmaceutical as a focal point and to coordinate the development of practical guidelines for the implementation of GMP. The ASEAN GMP Guidelines were endorsed by the ASEAN Technical Cooperation in Pharmaceutical in 1988, which among others required separation of Beta-Lactam dedicated facilities and three degrees of cleanliness for production areas. As it was realised that drug manufacturers in developing countries need more detailed guidelines to be able to implement the GMP, an Operational Manual for GMP was also prepared for providing examples of SOPs lay-outs, documentation etc. It was agreed by the technical cooperation group to leave the implementation of GMP to each member country. However, the ASEAN Manual for Inspection of GMP was drafted and endorsed by the group and training of ASEAN Drug Inspectors was organized to support the implementation. The ASEAN GMP is being implemented in Indonesia through a five-year, stepwise implementation plan, starting in 1989.

Rapid Development: A Content Analysis Comparison of Literature and Purposive Sampling of AFRL Rapid Reaction Projects

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-12-01

systems engineering technical and technical management processes. Technical Planning, Stakeholders Requirements Development, and Architecture Design were...Stakeholder Requirements Definition, Architecture Design and Technical Planning. A purposive sampling of AFRL rapid development program managers and engineers...emphasize one process over another however Architecture Design , Implementation scored higher among Technical Processes. Decision Analysis, Technical

Implementation of a Project-Based Telecommunications Engineering Design Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aliakbarian, Hadi; Soh, Ping Jack; Farsi, Saeed; Xu, Hantao; Van Lil, Emmanuel H. E. M. J. C.; Nauwelaers, Bart K. J. C.; Vandenbosch, Guy A. E.; Schreurs, Dominique M. M.-P.

2014-01-01

This paper describes and discusses the implementation of a project-based graduate design course in telecommunications engineering. This course, which requires a combination of technical and soft skills for its completion, enables guided independent learning (GIL) and application of technical knowledge acquired from classroom learning. Its main…

77 FR 51739 - Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; Tennessee; Regional Haze State Implementation...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-27

... original Eastman BART determination and technical analysis provided in the State's April 4, 2008, SIP... EPA cannot read your comment due to technical difficulties and cannot contact you for clarification... the requirements for a BART alternative determination? III. What is EPA's analysis of Tennessee's May...

78 FR 2284 - Methodology for Selecting Job Corps Centers for Closure; Comments Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-10

... (GED), and career technical training credentials, including industry-recognized credentials, state... align existing career technical training programs to technical standards established by industries or... technical training. Both PIPs and CAPs are used for continued monitoring and implemented for USDA and...

Aligning business strategy of incubator center and tenants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prasetyawan, Yudha; Agustiani, Elly; Jumayla, Sari

2017-06-01

Incubator center is developed to help a particular group of small business players to achieve the expected business growth. In this center, business players often called as tenants will get assistances in pertaining with space, professional network, marketing, investment or funding, and training to improve their business capability. There are three types of incubator center, namely universities that help their alumni or business people in their surrounded area, company that supports small business as the corporate social responsibility, and independent organizations that have specialties in the business development. Some might success in increasing the capacity of the tenants, while other can have difficulties to increase the simplest business capability, e.g., to define the production cost to measure the profit. This study was intended to propose a model to align the business strategy between incubator center and its tenants. The sales and profit growth are the main priorities for the tenants together with their business capability and sustainability. The proposed alignment model provides measurement tools that link the motivation of tenants for joining the incubation process with the mission of incubator center. The linkage covered the key performance indicators (KPI), steps to achieve the target and evaluation tools to improve the current handicaps. An experiment on 4 (four) diverse business fields of the tenants of an incubator center was performed to test the model. As a result, the increase of KPI of incubator center will simultaneously yield a higher value of the tenants' sales.

Matrix elements of the electromagnetic operator between kaon and pion states

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

Baum, I.; Lubicz, V.; INFN, Sezione di Roma Tre, Via della Vasca Navale 84, I-00146 Roma

2011-10-01

We compute the matrix elements of the electromagnetic operator sF{sub {mu}{nu}}{sigma}{sup {mu}{nu}}d between kaon and pion states, using lattice QCD with maximally twisted-mass fermions and two flavors of dynamical quarks (N{sub f}=2). The operator is renormalized nonperturbatively in the RI'/MOM scheme and our simulations cover pion masses as light as 270 MeV and three values of the lattice spacing from {approx_equal}0.07 up to {approx_equal}0.1 fm. At the physical point our result for the corresponding tensor form factor at zero-momentum transfer is f{sub T}{sup K{pi}}(0)=0.417(14{sub stat})(5{sub syst}), where the systematic error does not include the effect of quenching the strange andmore » charm quarks. Our result differs significantly from the old quenched result f{sub T}{sup K{pi}}(0)=0.78(6) obtained by the SPQ{sub cd}R Collaboration with pion masses above 500 MeV. We investigate the source of this difference and conclude that it is mainly related to the chiral extrapolation. We also study the tensor charge of the pion and obtain the value f{sub T}{sup {pi}{pi}}(0)=0.195(8{sub stat})(6{sub syst}) in good agreement with, but more accurate than the result f{sub T}{sup {pi}{pi}}(0)=0.216(34) obtained by the QCDSF Collaboration using higher pion masses.« less

Technical basis for implementation of remote reading capabilities for radiological control instruments at tank farms

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

PIERSON, R.M.

1999-10-27

This document provides the technical basis for use of remote reading capabilities with radiological control instruments at River Protection Project facilities. The purpose of this document is to evaluate applications of remote reading capabilities with Radiological Control instrumentation to allow continuous monitoring of radiation dose rates at River Protection Project (RPP) facilities. In addition this document provides a technical basis and implementing guidelines for remote monitoring of dose rates and their potential contribution to maintaining radiation exposures ALARA.

Relational Study of Technical Education in Scotland and Nigeria for Sustainable Skill Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Umunadi, E. Kennedy

2014-01-01

This paper was designed to look at technical education curriculum and mode of implementation in Scotland in order to adopt the advantageous attributes of the Scottish technical education in Nigeria. The paper x-rayed the staff perceptions of technical education and its roles in Scotland; history of technical education before the advent of British…

A systems approach to implementation of eLearning in medical education: five MEPI schools' journeys.

PubMed

Vovides, Yianna; Chale, Selamawit Bedada; Gadhula, Rumbidzayi; Kebaetse, Masego B; Nigussie, Netsanet Animut; Suleman, Fatima; Tibyampansha, Dativa; Ibrahim, Glory Ramadhan; Ntabaye, Moshi; Frehywot, Seble; Nkomazana, Oathokwa

2014-08-01

How should eLearning be implemented in resource-constrained settings? The introduction of eLearning at four African medical schools and one school of pharmacy, all part of the Medical Education Partnership Initiative (MEPI) eLearning Technical Working Group, highlighted the need for five factors essential for successful and sustainable implementation: institutional support; faculty engagement; student engagement; technical expertise; and infrastructure and support systems. All five MEPI schools reported strengthening technical expertise, infrastructure, and support systems; four schools indicated that they were also successful in developing student engagement; and three reported making good progress in building institutional support. Faculty engagement was the one core component that all five schools needed to enhance.

A technical writing programme implemented in a first-year engineering course at KU Leuven

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heylen, Christel; Vander Sloten, Jos

2013-12-01

Technical communication and technical writing are important skills for the daily work-life of every engineer. In the first-year engineering programme at KU Leuven, a technical writing programme is implemented within the project-based course 'Problem Solving and Engineering Design'. This paper describes a case study for implementing a writing programme based on active learning methods and situated learning in large classes. The programme consists of subsequent cycles of instructions, learning by doing and reflection on received feedback. In addition, a peer-review assignment, together with an interactive lecture using clicking devices, is incorporated within the assignments of the second semester. A checklist of desired writing abilities makes it easier to grade the large number of papers. Furthermore, this ensures that all staff involved in the evaluation process uses the same criteria to grade and for providing feedback.

Discharge planning in a cardiology out-patient clinic: a clinical audit.

PubMed

Ingram, Shirley; Khan, Barkat

2014-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to audit the active discharge (DC) planning process in a general cardiology clinic, by pre-assessing patients' medical notes and highlighting those suitable for potential DC to the clinic physician. The cardiology clinical nurse specialist (CNS) identified patients' for nine- to 12-month return visits one week prior to attendance. The previous consultation letter was accessed and information was documented by the CNS in the medical record. The key performance indicator (KPI) used was patient DCs for each clinic visit. The process was audited at three separate times to reflect recommended action carried out. The CNS pre-assessment and presence at the clinics significantly increased total DCs during the first period compared to usual care, 11 vs 34 per cent (p < 0.0001). During the third audit period, DCs fell (9 per cent) with a reduction in CNS pre-assessed DCs (10 per cent). Recommendations were implemented. The process was continued by clinic administration staff, colour coding all nine- to 12-month returns, resulted in a 19 per cent DC rate in 2012. CNS pre-assessment and highlighting DC suitability increased the number of patient DCs. As the CNS presence at the clinic reduced so did the rate of DC. Specific personnel need to be responsible for monitoring and reminding staff of the process; this does not always have to be medical or nursing. Implementing positive discharging procedures is aimed at improving quality, increasing efficiency and accessibility of services for patients. This audit describes a process to promote DC planning from cardiology outpatients.

An Input Evaluation of Three Technical Assistance Needs Assessment Strategies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Suarez, Tanya M.; Cox, James O.

The Technical Assistance Development System--TADS (a project to provide technical assistance to personnel implementing programs for preschool handicapped children and their families) conducted an evaluation of three technical assistance needs assessment strategies during 1979-80. The three strategies were: (1) on-site--conducted by a trained needs…

Electronic Inventory Systems and Barcode Technology: Impact on Pharmacy Technical Accuracy and Error Liability

PubMed Central

Oldland, Alan R.; May, Sondra K.; Barber, Gerard R.; Stolpman, Nancy M.

2015-01-01

Purpose: To measure the effects associated with sequential implementation of electronic medication storage and inventory systems and product verification devices on pharmacy technical accuracy and rates of potential medication dispensing errors in an academic medical center. Methods: During four 28-day periods of observation, pharmacists recorded all technical errors identified at the final visual check of pharmaceuticals prior to dispensing. Technical filling errors involving deviations from order-specific selection of product, dosage form, strength, or quantity were documented when dispensing medications using (a) a conventional unit dose (UD) drug distribution system, (b) an electronic storage and inventory system utilizing automated dispensing cabinets (ADCs) within the pharmacy, (c) ADCs combined with barcode (BC) verification, and (d) ADCs and BC verification utilized with changes in product labeling and individualized personnel training in systems application. Results: Using a conventional UD system, the overall incidence of technical error was 0.157% (24/15,271). Following implementation of ADCs, the comparative overall incidence of technical error was 0.135% (10/7,379; P = .841). Following implementation of BC scanning, the comparative overall incidence of technical error was 0.137% (27/19,708; P = .729). Subsequent changes in product labeling and intensified staff training in the use of BC systems was associated with a decrease in the rate of technical error to 0.050% (13/26,200; P = .002). Conclusions: Pharmacy ADCs and BC systems provide complementary effects that improve technical accuracy and reduce the incidence of potential medication dispensing errors if this technology is used with comprehensive personnel training. PMID:25684799

Electronic inventory systems and barcode technology: impact on pharmacy technical accuracy and error liability.

PubMed

Oldland, Alan R; Golightly, Larry K; May, Sondra K; Barber, Gerard R; Stolpman, Nancy M

2015-01-01

To measure the effects associated with sequential implementation of electronic medication storage and inventory systems and product verification devices on pharmacy technical accuracy and rates of potential medication dispensing errors in an academic medical center. During four 28-day periods of observation, pharmacists recorded all technical errors identified at the final visual check of pharmaceuticals prior to dispensing. Technical filling errors involving deviations from order-specific selection of product, dosage form, strength, or quantity were documented when dispensing medications using (a) a conventional unit dose (UD) drug distribution system, (b) an electronic storage and inventory system utilizing automated dispensing cabinets (ADCs) within the pharmacy, (c) ADCs combined with barcode (BC) verification, and (d) ADCs and BC verification utilized with changes in product labeling and individualized personnel training in systems application. Using a conventional UD system, the overall incidence of technical error was 0.157% (24/15,271). Following implementation of ADCs, the comparative overall incidence of technical error was 0.135% (10/7,379; P = .841). Following implementation of BC scanning, the comparative overall incidence of technical error was 0.137% (27/19,708; P = .729). Subsequent changes in product labeling and intensified staff training in the use of BC systems was associated with a decrease in the rate of technical error to 0.050% (13/26,200; P = .002). Pharmacy ADCs and BC systems provide complementary effects that improve technical accuracy and reduce the incidence of potential medication dispensing errors if this technology is used with comprehensive personnel training.

Verknüpfung von DQ-Indikatoren mit KPIs und Auswirkungen auf das Return on Investment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Block, Frank

Häufig ist nicht klar, welche Beziehungen zwischen Datenqualitätsindikatoren (DQI, Definition folgt weiter unten) und Key Performance Indicators (KPI, s. Abschnitt 1.3 für weitere Details) eines Unternehmens oder einer Organisation bestehen. Dies ist insbesondere deshalb von Bedeutung, da die Kenntnis dieser Beziehungen maßgeblich die Ausprägung eines Datenqualitätsprojekts beeinflusst. Sie ist als Entscheidungsgrundlage unabdingbar und gibt Antworten auf folgende Fragen: Was kostet unserem Unternehmen/unserer Organisation1 schlechte Datenqualität? Können wir uns das leisten?

Focus on Mentee-Mentor Relationships: The 10th Grade Implementation of iMentor's College Ready Program. Technical Appendices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Merrill, Lisa; Kang, David; Siman, Nina; Soltani, Jasmine

2016-01-01

This document presents the technical appendices that accompany the full report entitled:"Focus on Mentee-Mentor Relationships: The 10th Grade Implementation of iMentor's College Ready Program." The appendices include: (1) Mentor Survey Construct Items; (2) Qualative Data Collection and Analysis Methods; and (3) Methods for Estimating the…

Technical Feasibility of a Mobile Context-Aware (Social) Learning Schedule Framework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yau, Jane Y. K.; Joy, Mike

2013-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to show the technical feasibility of implementing their mobile context-aware learning schedule (mCALS) framework as a software application on a mobile device using current technologies, prior to its actual implementation. This process draws a set of compatible mobile and context-aware technologies at present and can be…

Introduction of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) in Technical University Education in Ghana: Challenges and the Way Forward

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Acquah, Prince C.; Asamoah, Jack N.; Konadu, Daniel D.

2017-01-01

Geographic Information System (GIS) continue to play very important role in improving spatial thinking skills of graduates from higher educational institutions. However, teaching and learning of GIS at the technical university level in Ghana remains very limited due to some implementation challenges. This paper reviews the implementation of GIS in…

The Data Warehouse: Keeping It Simple. MIT Shares Valuable Lessons Learned from a Successful Data Warehouse Implementation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thorne, Scott

2000-01-01

Explains why the data warehouse is important to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology community, describing its basic functions and technical design points; sharing some non-technical aspects of the school's data warehouse implementation that have proved to be important; examining the importance of proper training in a successful warehouse…

76 FR 43175 - Approval of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Indiana and Ohio; Disapproval of Interstate...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-20

... impact. EPA stated that the state's conclusion should be supported by an adequate technical analysis. EPA... by an adequate technical analysis. IDEM did not provide a technical analysis in its submittal, but... technical analysis and justification necessary to make that demonstration. Indiana did not provide any...

A Review of Legal Decisions Relevant to Technical Standards Used in Pharmacy School Admissions

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

The implementation of an effective and legally sound technical standards procedure for pharmacy schools requires a proactive approach by admissions officers. Applicants with disabilities are accorded significant rights that must not be infringed during the admissions process in order to ensure compliance with applicable law. This article provides a review of applicable state cases, federal cases, and OCR decisions and guidance to help pharmacy schools identify procedures and implement technical standards into their admissions processes as required by ACPE Standards 2016. PMID:28381897

System Issues Related to Implementing on the Internet

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mackey, William; Bagg, Thomas C., III

1999-01-01

Implementing capabilities on the World Wide Web should never be taken lightly. A good systems engineer is able to examine such implementations from all points of view, including political, legal, security, access, technical deployment, and quality. The evacuation discussed in this paper was conducted to ensure that the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was proceeding in a correct direction by implementing RECALL a Lessons Learned System on the Web and, subsequently, did so successfully. The systems approach extended well beyond technical implementation to several issue that are not often addressed by an implementation team. The resulting evaluation increased the team's sensitivity to such issues and, in fact, the authors believe that the evaluation provided as much benefit as the system itself.

Availability Control for Means of Transport in Decisive Semi-Markov Models of Exploitation Process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Migawa, Klaudiusz

2012-12-01

The issues presented in this research paper refer to problems connected with the control process for exploitation implemented in the complex systems of exploitation for technical objects. The article presents the description of the method concerning the control availability for technical objects (means of transport) on the basis of the mathematical model of the exploitation process with the implementation of the decisive processes by semi-Markov. The presented method means focused on the preparing the decisive for the exploitation process for technical objects (semi-Markov model) and after that specifying the best control strategy (optimal strategy) from among possible decisive variants in accordance with the approved criterion (criteria) of the activity evaluation of the system of exploitation for technical objects. In the presented method specifying the optimal strategy for control availability in the technical objects means a choice of a sequence of control decisions made in individual states of modelled exploitation process for which the function being a criterion of evaluation reaches the extreme value. In order to choose the optimal control strategy the implementation of the genetic algorithm was chosen. The opinions were presented on the example of the exploitation process of the means of transport implemented in the real system of the bus municipal transport. The model of the exploitation process for the means of transports was prepared on the basis of the results implemented in the real transport system. The mathematical model of the exploitation process was built taking into consideration the fact that the model of the process constitutes the homogenous semi-Markov process.

Site Guidelines for a "Making Middle Grades Work" Technical Review Visit

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Southern Regional Education Board, 2004

2004-01-01

The purpose of the Technical Review Visit (TRV) is to follow up on the actions taken to implement the recommendations indicated for each challenge in the most recent Technical Assistance Visit (TAV) report. This document provides the following: (1) Site Guidelines for the Making Middle Grades Work (MMGW) Technical Review Visit; (2) Site Checklist;…

Develop a Comprehensive Technical Training and Data Collection Program for Structural Welders and Fitters: Technical Proposal

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-05-30

implementation Final Report 4 TECHNICAL PLAN AND RESULTS Task 1: Initiate the Project Management System Two senior NGSS production management...1 Technical Plan and Results...Third the system is hosted on a handheld unit which provides the foremen with an efficient daily planning tool. The Pilot System which entails

A Procedural Skills OSCE: Assessing Technical and Non-Technical Skills of Internal Medicine Residents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pugh, Debra; Hamstra, Stanley J.; Wood, Timothy J.; Humphrey-Murto, Susan; Touchie, Claire; Yudkowsky, Rachel; Bordage, Georges

2015-01-01

Internists are required to perform a number of procedures that require mastery of technical and non-technical skills, however, formal assessment of these skills is often lacking. The purpose of this study was to develop, implement, and gather validity evidence for a procedural skills objective structured clinical examination (PS-OSCE) for internal…

Analysis and Implementation of Robust Grasping Behaviors

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-05-01

34 Technical Report 992, MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Cambridge, MA, May, 1987. 2. Brooks, R. A. "Achieving Artifci &l Intelligence Through...DTIu FILE COPY Technical Report 1237 ’Analysis and Implementation of NRobust Grasping Behaviors Camille Z. Chammas MIT Artificial Intelligence ...describes research conducted at the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Support for the laboratory’s

Implications of Incessant Strike Actions on the Implementation of Technical Education Programme in Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adavbiele, J. A.

2015-01-01

This paper was designed to x-ray the implications of incessant strike actions on the implementation of Technical education programme in Nigeria. The paper took an exploratory view on the concept of strike actions in Nigeria with particular references on notable strike actions that have occurred in Nigeria. The types of strike were explained and…

PIAAC Technical Standards and Guidelines

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

OECD Publishing, 2014

2014-01-01

The Programme for International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) will establish technical standards and guidelines to ensure that the survey design and implementation processes of PIAAC yield high-quality and internationally comparable data. This document provides a revised version of the technical standards and guidelines originally…

Driving clinical study efficiency by using a productivity breakdown model: comparative evaluation of a global clinical study and a similar Japanese study.

PubMed

Takahashi, K; Sengoku, S; Kimura, H

2011-02-01

A fundamental management imperative of pharmaceutical companies is to contain surging costs of developing and launching drugs globally. Clinical studies are a research and development (R&D) cost driver. The objective of this study was to develop a productivity breakdown model, or a key performance indicator (KPI) tree, for an entire clinical study and to use it to compare a global clinical study with a similar Japanese study. We, thereby, hope to identify means of improving study productivity. We developed the new clinical study productivity breakdown model, covering operational aspects and cost factors. Elements for improving clinical study productivity were assessed from a management viewpoint by comparing empirical tracking data from a global clinical study with a Japanese study with similar protocols. The following unique and material differences, beyond simple international difference in cost of living, that could affect the efficiency of future clinical trials were identified: (i) more frequent site visits in the Japanese study, (ii) head counts at the Japanese study sites more than double those of the global study and (iii) a shorter enrollment time window of about a third that of the global study at the Japanese study sites. We identified major differences in the performance of the two studies. These findings demonstrate the potential of the KPI tree for improving clinical study productivity. Trade-offs, such as those between reduction in head count at study sites and expansion of the enrollment time window, must be considered carefully. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

3D geostatistical modelling for identifying sinkhole disaster potential zones around the Verkhnekamskoye potash deposit (Russia)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Royer, J. J.; Litaudon, J.; Filippov, L. O.; Lyubimova, T.; Maximovich, N.

2017-07-01

This work results from a cooperative scientific program between the Perm State University (Russia) and the University of Lorraine (France). Its objectives are to integrate modern 3D geomodeling in order to improve sustainable mining extraction, especially for predicting and avoiding the formation of sinkholes disaster potential zones. Systematic exploration drill holes performed in the Verkhnekamskoye potash deposit (Perm region, Russia) have been used to build a comprehensive 3D model for better understanding the spatial repartition of the ore quality (geometallurgy). A precise modelling of the mineralized layers allows an estimation of the in-situ ore reserves after interpolating by kriging the potassium (K) and magnesium (Mg) contents at the node of a regular centred grid (over a million cells). Total resources in potassium vary according to the cut-off between 4.7Gt @ 16.1 % K2O; 0.32 % MgCl2 for a cut-off grade at 13.1% K2O and 2.06 Gt @ 18.2 % K2O; 0.32 % MgCl2 at a cut-off of 16.5% K2O. Most of reserves are located in the KPI, KPII and KPIII layers, the KPI being the richest, and KPIII the largest in terms of tonnage. A systematic study of the curvature calculated along the roof of the mineralized layers points out the location of potential main faults which play a major role in the formation of sinkhole during exploitation. A risk map is then derived from this attribute.

Red blood cell distribution width as a predictor of survival in nasal-type, extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma

PubMed Central

He, Qiao; Cai, Shaolei; Li, Shi; Zeng, Jian; Zhang, Qing; Gao, Yu; Yu, Sisi

2017-01-01

We retrospectively enrolled 191 nasal-type, extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (ENKTL) patients newly diagnosed from 2008 to 2016 at the Sichuan Cancer Hospital, in order to evaluate the relationship between disease outcomes, demographic and clinical factors, and red blood cell distribution width (RDW). C-index, fisher's exact test, univariate analysis, and cox regression analysis were applied. The median age of patients was 44 years and 134 (70%) were men. The cutoff of RDW was 46.2 fL determined by Cutoff Finder. Patients with RDW≤46.2 fL had significantly better progression-free survival (PFS) (3-year PFS, 80.4% vs. 63.1%; P=0.01) and overall survival (OS) (3-year OS, 83.2% vs. 65.5%; P=0.004) than those with RDW>46.2 fL. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that elevated RDW is an independent adverse predictor of OS (P=0.021, HR=2.04). RDW is an independent predictor of survival outcomes in ENKTL, which we found to be superior to both the prognostic index of natural killer lymphoma (PINK) and the Korean Prognostic Index (KPI) in discriminating patients with different outcomes in low-risk and high-risk groups (all P < 0.05). The new models combining RDW with the International Prognostic Index (IPI), KPI, and PINK showed more powerful prognostic value than corresponding original models. RDW represents an easily available and inexpensive marker for risk stratification in patients with ENKTL treated with radiotherapy-based treatment. Further prospective studies are warranted to confirm the prognostic value of RDW in ENKTL. PMID:29190934

Red blood cell distribution width as a predictor of survival in nasal-type, extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma.

PubMed

Luo, Huaichao; Quan, Xiaoying; Song, Xiao-Yu; Zhang, Li; Yin, Yilin; He, Qiao; Cai, Shaolei; Li, Shi; Zeng, Jian; Zhang, Qing; Gao, Yu; Yu, Sisi

2017-11-03

We retrospectively enrolled 191 nasal-type, extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (ENKTL) patients newly diagnosed from 2008 to 2016 at the Sichuan Cancer Hospital, in order to evaluate the relationship between disease outcomes, demographic and clinical factors, and red blood cell distribution width (RDW). C-index, fisher's exact test, univariate analysis, and cox regression analysis were applied. The median age of patients was 44 years and 134 (70%) were men. The cutoff of RDW was 46.2 fL determined by Cutoff Finder. Patients with RDW≤46.2 fL had significantly better progression-free survival (PFS) (3-year PFS, 80.4% vs. 63.1%; P =0.01) and overall survival (OS) (3-year OS, 83.2% vs. 65.5%; P =0.004) than those with RDW>46.2 fL. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that elevated RDW is an independent adverse predictor of OS ( P =0.021, HR=2.04). RDW is an independent predictor of survival outcomes in ENKTL, which we found to be superior to both the prognostic index of natural killer lymphoma (PINK) and the Korean Prognostic Index (KPI) in discriminating patients with different outcomes in low-risk and high-risk groups (all P < 0.05). The new models combining RDW with the International Prognostic Index (IPI), KPI, and PINK showed more powerful prognostic value than corresponding original models. RDW represents an easily available and inexpensive marker for risk stratification in patients with ENKTL treated with radiotherapy-based treatment. Further prospective studies are warranted to confirm the prognostic value of RDW in ENKTL.

Estimating the right allocation of resources on weekends and public holidays in Green Zone using hybrid methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yusoff, Nazhatul Sahima Mohd; Liong, Choong-Yeun; Ismail, Wan Rosmanira; Noh, Abu Yazid Md; Noor, Nur Amalina Mohd

2018-04-01

Long patient waiting time and congestion is a major problem faced by Green Zone in Emergency Department at Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (EDHUSM) especially during weekends and public holidays. Even though the Green Zone is servicing only the non-critical patients, patient waiting time, causing the department fails to achieve its Key Performance Indicator (KPI). The long waiting time is due to the insufficient resources provided during the weekends and public holidays versus the large number of patients. Currently, only two doctors supported by two nurses are scheduled for every shift during weekends and public holidays. The numbers of patients are higher during weekends and public holidays as compared to weekdays, but the scheduled number of doctors and nurses are the same as weekdays. Therefore, this study presents a hybrid method to estimate the right number of doctors and nurses for improving the services of the Green Zone during weekends and public holidays. Fifty scenarios based on current and proposed schedules of doctors and nurses are simulated and analysed using the hybrid method of Discrete Event Simulation (DES) and Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). Banker, Charnes and Cooper (BCC) input-oriented model and Super-Efficiency models of DEA were used to analyse the efficiency of the scenarios. The results show that the best schedule is a combination of four doctors supported by four nurses in every shift during weekends and public holidays for the Green Zone. The findings show that such schedule will not only help the department to achieve its KPI but also enable a more optimal utilization of the resources.

Genomic analysis of diversity, population structure, virulence, and antimicrobial resistance in Klebsiella pneumoniae, an urgent threat to public health

PubMed Central

Holt, Kathryn E.; Wertheim, Heiman; Zadoks, Ruth N.; Baker, Stephen; Whitehouse, Chris A.; Dance, David; Jenney, Adam; Connor, Thomas R.; Hsu, Li Yang; Severin, Juliëtte; Brisse, Sylvain; Cao, Hanwei; Wilksch, Jonathan; Gorrie, Claire; Schultz, Mark B.; Edwards, David J.; Nguyen, Kinh Van; Nguyen, Trung Vu; Dao, Trinh Tuyet; Mensink, Martijn; Minh, Vien Le; Nhu, Nguyen Thi Khanh; Schultsz, Constance; Kuntaman, Kuntaman; Newton, Paul N.; Moore, Catrin E.; Strugnell, Richard A.; Thomson, Nicholas R.

2015-01-01

Klebsiella pneumoniae is now recognized as an urgent threat to human health because of the emergence of multidrug-resistant strains associated with hospital outbreaks and hypervirulent strains associated with severe community-acquired infections. K. pneumoniae is ubiquitous in the environment and can colonize and infect both plants and animals. However, little is known about the population structure of K. pneumoniae, so it is difficult to recognize or understand the emergence of clinically important clones within this highly genetically diverse species. Here we present a detailed genomic framework for K. pneumoniae based on whole-genome sequencing of more than 300 human and animal isolates spanning four continents. Our data provide genome-wide support for the splitting of K. pneumoniae into three distinct species, KpI (K. pneumoniae), KpII (K. quasipneumoniae), and KpIII (K. variicola). Further, for K. pneumoniae (KpI), the entity most frequently associated with human infection, we show the existence of >150 deeply branching lineages including numerous multidrug-resistant or hypervirulent clones. We show K. pneumoniae has a large accessory genome approaching 30,000 protein-coding genes, including a number of virulence functions that are significantly associated with invasive community-acquired disease in humans. In our dataset, antimicrobial resistance genes were common among human carriage isolates and hospital-acquired infections, which generally lacked the genes associated with invasive disease. The convergence of virulence and resistance genes potentially could lead to the emergence of untreatable invasive K. pneumoniae infections; our data provide the whole-genome framework against which to track the emergence of such threats. PMID:26100894

Applications of the balanced scorecard for strategic management and performance measurement in the health sector.

PubMed

Behrouzi, Farshad; Shaharoun, Awaluddin Mohamed; Ma'aram, Azanizawati

2014-05-01

In order to attain a useful balanced scorecard (BSC), appropriate performance perspectives and indicators are crucial to reflect all strategies of the organisation. The objectives of this survey were to give an insight regarding the situation of the BSC in the health sector over the past decade, and to afford a generic approach of the BSC development for health settings with specific focus on performance perspectives, performance indicators and BSC generation. After an extensive search based on publication date and research content, 29 articles published since 2002 were identified, categorised and analysed. Four critical attributes of each article were analysed, including BSC generation, performance perspectives, performance indicators and auxiliary tools. The results showed that 'internal business process' was the most notable BSC perspective as it was included in all reviewed articles. After investigating the literature, it was concluded that its comprehensiveness is the reason for the importance and high usage of this perspective. The findings showed that 12 cases out of 29 reviewed articles (41%) exceeded the maximum number of key performance indicators (KPI) suggested in a previous study. It was found that all 12 cases were large organisations with numerous departments (e.g. national health organisations). Such organisations require numerous KPI to cover all of their strategic objectives. It was recommended to utilise the cascaded BSC within such organisations to avoid complexity and difficulty in gathering, analysing and interpreting performance data. Meanwhile it requires more medical staff to contribute in BSC development, which will result in greater reliability of the BSC.

An economic cost analysis of emergency department key performance indicators in Ireland.

PubMed

Gannon, Brenda; Jones, Cheryl; McCabe, Aileen; O'Sullivan, Ronan; Wakai, Abel

2017-06-01

High quality data is fundamental to using key performance indicators (KPIs) for performance monitoring. However, the resources required to collect high quality data are often significant and should usually be targeted at high priority areas. As part of a study of 11 emergency department (ED) KPIs in Ireland, the primary objective of this study was to estimate the relative cost of collecting the additional minimum data set (MDS) elements for those 11 KPIs. An economic cost analysis focused on 12 EDs in the Republic of Ireland. The resource use data were obtained using two separate focus group interviews. The number of available MDS elements was obtained from a sample of 100 patient records per KPI per participating ED. Unit costs for all resource use were taken at the midpoint of the relevant staff salary scales. An ED would need to spend an estimated additional &OV0556;3561 per month on average to capture all the MDS elements relevant to the 11 KPIs investigated. The additional cost ranges from 14.8 to 39.2%; this range is 13.9-32.3% for small EDs, whereas the range for medium EDs is 11.7-40%. Regional EDs have a higher additional estimated cost to capture all the relevant MDS elements (&OV0556;3907), compared with urban EDs (&OV0556;3353). The additional cost of data collection, contingent on that already collected, required to capture all the relevant MDS elements for the KPIs examined, ranges from 14.8 to 39.2% per KPI, with variation identified between regional and urban hospitals.

Quality pharmacy services and key performance indicators in Polish NICUs: a Delphi approach.

PubMed

Krzyżaniak, Natalia; Pawłowska, Iga; Bajorek, Beata

2018-03-31

Background Currently, there is no literature describing what a quality level of practice entails in Polish neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), nor are there any means of currently measuring the quality of pharmaceutical care provided to NICU patients. Objective To identify a set of essential pharmacist roles and pharmacy-relevant key performance indicators (KPI's) suitable for Polish neonatal intensive units (NICUs). Setting Polish hospital pharmacies and NICUs. Method Using a modified Delphi technique, potential KPI's structured along Donabedian's domains as well as pharmacy services were presented to an expert panel of stakeholders. Two online, consecutive Delphi rounds, were completed by panellists between August and September 2017. Main outcome measure To identify the minimum level of pharmacy services that should be consistently provided to NICU patients. Results A total of 16 panellists contributed to the expert panel. Overall, consensus of 75% was reached for 23 indicators and for 28 roles. When considering pharmacy services for the NICU, the experts were found to highly value traditional pharmacy roles, such as dispensing and extemporaneous compounding, however, they were still eager for roles in the other domains, such as educational and clinical services, to be listed as essential for NICU practice. Panellists were found to positively value the list of indicators presented, and excluded only 9 out of the total list. Conclusion There is a need for future research to establish a minimum standard of practice for Polish pharmacists to encourage the progression and standardisation of hospital pharmacy services to meet the level of practice seen in NICUs worldwide.

40 CFR 52.1110 - Small business stationary source technical and environmental compliance assistance program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... technical and environmental compliance assistance program. 52.1110 Section 52.1110 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) APPROVAL AND PROMULGATION OF IMPLEMENTATION PLANS (CONTINUED) Maryland § 52.1110 Small business stationary source technical and environmental...

The power of a collaborative relationship between technical assistance providers and community prevention teams: A correlational and longitudinal study

PubMed Central

Chilenski, Sarah M.; Perkins, Daniel F.; Olson, Jonathan; Hoffman, Lesa; Feinberg, Mark E.; Greenberg, Mark; Welsh, Janet; Crowley, D. Max; Spoth, Richard

2015-01-01

Background Historically, effectiveness of community collaborative prevention efforts has been mixed. Consequently, research has been undertaken to better understand the factors that support their effectiveness; theory and some related empirical research suggests that the provision of technical assistance is one important supporting factor. The current study examines one aspect of technical assistance that may be important in supporting coalition effectiveness, the collaborative relationship between the technical assistance provider and site lead implementer. Methods Four and one-half years of data were collected from technical assistance providers and prevention team members from the 14 community prevention teams involved in the PROSPER project. Results Spearman correlation analyses with longitudinal data show that the levels of the collaborative relationship during one phase of collaborative team functioning associated with characteristics of internal team functioning in future phases. Conclusions Results suggest that community collaborative prevention work should consider the collaborative nature of the technical assistance provider – prevention community team relationship when designing and conducting technical assistance activities, and it may be important to continually assess these dynamics to support high quality implementation. PMID:26476860

Technical advances in flow cytometry-based diagnosis and monitoring of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria

PubMed Central

Correia, Rodolfo Patussi; Bento, Laiz Cameirão; Bortolucci, Ana Carolina Apelle; Alexandre, Anderson Marega; Vaz, Andressa da Costa; Schimidell, Daniela; Pedro, Eduardo de Carvalho; Perin, Fabricio Simões; Nozawa, Sonia Tsukasa; Mendes, Cláudio Ernesto Albers; Barroso, Rodrigo de Souza; Bacal, Nydia Strachman

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Objective: To discuss the implementation of technical advances in laboratory diagnosis and monitoring of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria for validation of high-sensitivity flow cytometry protocols. Methods: A retrospective study based on analysis of laboratory data from 745 patient samples submitted to flow cytometry for diagnosis and/or monitoring of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria. Results: Implementation of technical advances reduced test costs and improved flow cytometry resolution for paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria clone detection. Conclusion: High-sensitivity flow cytometry allowed more sensitive determination of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria clone type and size, particularly in samples with small clones. PMID:27759825

New technology implementation: Technical, economic and political factors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dean, J. W., Jr.; Susman, G. I.; Porter, P. S.

1985-01-01

An analysis is presented of the process of implementing advanced manufacturing technology, based on studies of numerous organizations. This process is seen as consisting of a series of decisions with technical, economic, and political objectives. Frequency decisions involve specifications, equipment, resources/organization, and location. Problems in implementation are viewed as resulting from tradeoffs among the objectives, the tendency of decision makers to emphasize some objectives at the expense of others, and the propensity of problems to spread from one area to another. Three sets of recommendations, based on this analysis, are presented.

Johnson Space Center Health and Medical Technical Authority

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fogarty, Jennifer A.

2010-01-01

1.HMTA responsibilities: a) Assure program/project compliance with Agency health and medical requirements at identified key decision points. b) Certify that programs/projects comply with Agency health and medical requirements prior to spaceflight missions. c) Assure technical excellence. 2. Designation of applicable NASA Centers for HMTA implementation and Chief Medical Officer (CMO) appointment. 3. Center CMO responsible for HMTA implementation for programs and projects at the center. JSC HMTA captured in "JSC HMTA Implementation Plan". 4. Establishes specifics of dissenting opinion process consistent with NASA procedural requirements.

Outcomes of an Independent Review and Guidelines for the Implementation of a Program Review Model. Volume II. Technical Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carvell Education Managment Planning, Inc., Los Angeles, CA.

The second part of a report on a comprehensive review of the credit instructional programs offered by Pasadena City College (PCC), this volume contains a technical description of the data collection and assembly procedures used in the program review and provides guidelines for the implementation of the program review model. The first section…

RASSP Benchmark 4 Technical Description.

DTIC Science & Technology

1998-01-09

be carried out. Based on results of the study, an implementation of all, or part, of the system described in this benchmark technical description...validate interface and timing constraints. The ISA level of modeling defines the limit of detail expected in the VHDL virtual prototype. It does not...develop a set of candidate architectures and perform an architecture trade-off study. Candidate proces- sor implementations must then be examined for

The Perkins Act of 2006: Connecting Career and Technical Education with the College and Career Readiness Agenda. January 2008 Policy Brief

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meeder, Hans

2008-01-01

There currently are 32 states in the American Diploma Project (ADP) Network, each dedicated to developing and implementing a college and career readiness agenda. At the same time, all fifty states are implementing requirements of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act of 2006. The Perkins Act and the American Diploma…

The National Geospatial Technical Operations Center

USGS Publications Warehouse

Craun, Kari J.; Constance, Eric W.; Donnelly, Jay; Newell, Mark R.

2009-01-01

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) National Geospatial Technical Operations Center (NGTOC) provides geospatial technical expertise in support of the National Geospatial Program in its development of The National Map, National Atlas of the United States, and implementation of key components of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI).

The VOICES/VOCES success story: effective strategies for training, technical assistance and community-based organization implementation.

PubMed

Hamdallah, Myriam; Vargo, Sue; Herrera, Jennifer

2006-08-01

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Diffusion of Effective Behavioral Interventions (DEBI) project successfully disseminated VOICES/VOCES, a brief video-based HIV risk reduction intervention targeting African American and Latino heterosexual men and women at risk for HIV infection. Elements of the dissemination strategy included a comprehensive and user-friendly intervention kit, comprising (a) an implementationmanual and othermaterials necessary for conducting the intervention (b) a Training of Facilitators (TOF) curriculum used to teach agency staff how to implement the EBI in their setting, (c) a network of expert trainers who attend a training institute to become adept at using the TOF curriculum to train facilitators, (d) a comprehensive training coordination center to plan and deliver TOF trainings, (e) proactive technical assistance to trainers, and (f) post-TOF technical assistance for local implementers. This article reports on those strategies and a local CBO's successful participation in DEBI, resulting implementation of VOICES/VOCES, with unique approaches to adaptation and tailoring.

Quad Charts in the Classroom to Reinforce Technical Communication Fundamentals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ford, Julie Dyke; Wei, Tie

2015-01-01

Quad charts are a genre frequently used in scientific and technical environments, yet little prior work has evaluated their potential for reinforcing technical communication fundamentals. This article provides background information about quad charts and notes the benefits of implementing quad charts in the classroom. In particular, introducing…

Developing Technical Skill Assessments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hyslop, Alisha

2009-01-01

One of the biggest challenges facing the career and technical education (CTE) community as it works to implement the 2006 Perkins Act is responding to more rigorous requirements for reporting on CTE students' technical skill attainment. The U.S. Department of Education suggested in non-regulatory guidance that states and locals use the number of…

25 CFR 1200.40 - How will the Department provide technical assistance for tribes?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... tribes? 1200.40 Section 1200.40 Indians OFFICE OF THE SPECIAL TRUSTEE FOR AMERICAN INDIANS, DEPARTMENT OF... the Department provide technical assistance for tribes? (a) We will provide direct or contract technical assistance, in accordance with appropriations availability to tribes for developing, implementing...

77 FR 41132 - Air Quality Implementation Plans; Alabama; Attainment Plan for the Alabama Portion of the...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-12

... modeling demonstration should include supporting technical analyses and descriptions of all relevant....5 and NO X . The attainment demonstration includes: Technical analyses that locate, identify, and... modeling analysis is a complex technical evaluation that began with selection of the modeling system. The...

76 FR 43136 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plan; Kentucky; Disapproval of Interstate...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-20

... supported by an adequate technical analysis. Second, EPA recommended the various types of information that... technical analysis, including, but not limited to, information concerning emissions in the state...: ``* * * without an adequate technical analysis EPA does not believe that states can sufficiently address the...

76 FR 14584 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Montana; Attainment Plan for Libby...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-17

... the timeframe provided in the statute. It must also include supporting technical analyses and... emissions inventory (EI), a woodstove air pollution control calculation, and a technical analysis showing... year (2010); and (2) an attainment demonstration consisting of: (a) Technical analyses that locate...

76 FR 2853 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Delaware; Infrastructure State...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-18

... technical analysis submitted for parallel-processing by DNREC on December 9, 2010, to address significant... technical analysis submitted by DNREC for parallel-processing on December 9, 2010, to satisfy the... consists of a technical analysis that provides detailed support for Delaware's position that it has...

A Sharper Focus on Technical Workers: How to Educate and Train for the Global Economy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lamos, Erin; Simon, Martin; Waits, Mary Jo

2010-01-01

This report presents a case study of the Automotive Manufacturing Technical Education Collaborative (AMTEC), which brings together auto manufacturers and community colleges across 12 states to identify and implement wide-ranging improvements in technical education for automotive manufacturing workers. A "Big Collaboration"--AMTEC…

Vocational-Technical Education: A Plan for Monroe County, Florida.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mills, Hugh L., Sr., Ed.; Pilcher, Palmer, C., Ed.

Suggested vocational-technical education programs for the Monroe County Florida school system are presented along with recommendations to implement the principle of coordinated career education in the public schools. Expansion of vocational-technical programs is emphasized to expose all students from kindergarten through Grade 12 to career…

Technical experiences of implementing a wireless tracking and facial biometric verification system for a clinical environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Brent; Lee, Jasper; Documet, Jorge; Guo, Bing; King, Nelson; Huang, H. K.

2006-03-01

By implementing a tracking and verification system, clinical facilities can effectively monitor workflow and heighten information security in today's growing demand towards digital imaging informatics. This paper presents the technical design and implementation experiences encountered during the development of a Location Tracking and Verification System (LTVS) for a clinical environment. LTVS integrates facial biometrics with wireless tracking so that administrators can manage and monitor patient and staff through a web-based application. Implementation challenges fall into three main areas: 1) Development and Integration, 2) Calibration and Optimization of Wi-Fi Tracking System, and 3) Clinical Implementation. An initial prototype LTVS has been implemented within USC's Healthcare Consultation Center II Outpatient Facility, which currently has a fully digital imaging department environment with integrated HIS/RIS/PACS/VR (Voice Recognition).

Spectral transform and orthogonality relations for the Kadomtsev-Petviashvili I equation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boiti, M.; Leon, J. J.-P.; Pempinelli, F.

1989-10-01

We define a new spectral transform r(k, l) of the potential u in the time dependent Schrödinger equation (associated to the KPI equation). Orthogonality relations for the sectionally holomorphic eigenfunctions of the Schrödinger equation are used to express the spectral transform f( k, l) previously introduced by Manakov and Fokas and Ablowitz in terms of r( k, l). The main advantage of the new spectral transform r( k, l) is that its definition does not require to introduce an additional nonanalytic eigenfunction N. Characterization equations for r( k, l) are also obtained.

Decay properties of Bk 97 243 and Bk 97 244

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

Ahmad, I.; Kondev, F. G.; Greene, J. P.

2018-01-01

Electron capture decays of Bk-243 and Bk-244 have been studied by measuring the gamma-ray spectra of mass-separated sources and level structures of Cm-243 and Cm-244 have been deduced. In Cm-243, the electron capture population to the ground state, 1/2(+)[631], and 1/2(+)[620] Nilsson states have been observed. The octupole K-pi = 2(-) band was identified in Cm-244 at 933.6 keV. In addition, spins and parities were deduced for several other states and two-quasiparticle configurations have been tentatively assigned to them

Implementing Selective Waste Collection: The Articulation between Pedagogical Theory and Practice in the Pollution and Ecology Class in the Environmental Control Technical Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rocas, Giselle; Gonzalez, Wania R. Coutinho; Araujo, Flavia Monteiro de Barros

2009-01-01

This study focuses on the implementation of selective waste collection in a school located on the outskirts of the city of Rio de Janeiro. The participants consisted mainly of 64 students taking an Environmental Control technical course during 2007 and 2008. By addressing selective waste collection, the pedagogical proposal aimed at: a) enabling…

37 CFR 5.18 - Arms, ammunition, and implements of war.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... implements of war. 5.18 Section 5.18 Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK... implements of war. (a) The exportation of technical data relating to arms, ammunition, and implements of war... parts 120 through 130); the articles designated as arms, ammunitions, and implements of war are...

Summary Report: Risk Assessment Forum Technical Workshop on Population-level Ecological Risk Assessment

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

2008 technical workshop regarding development of additional guidelines or best practices for planning, implementing and interpreting ecological risk assessments that involve population-level assessment endpoints.

The power of a collaborative relationship between technical assistance providers and community prevention teams: A correlational and longitudinal study.

PubMed

Chilenski, Sarah M; Perkins, Daniel F; Olson, Jonathan; Hoffman, Lesa; Feinberg, Mark E; Greenberg, Mark; Welsh, Janet; Crowley, D Max; Spoth, Richard

2016-02-01

Historically, effectiveness of community collaborative prevention efforts has been mixed. Consequently, research has been undertaken to better understand the factors that support their effectiveness; theory and some related empirical research suggests that the provision of technical assistance is one important supporting factor. The current study examines one aspect of technical assistance that may be important in supporting coalition effectiveness, the collaborative relationship between the technical assistance provider and site lead implementer. Four and one-half years of data were collected from technical assistance providers and prevention team members from the 14 community prevention teams involved in the PROSPER project. Spearman correlation analyses with longitudinal data show that the levels of the collaborative relationship during one phase of collaborative team functioning associated with characteristics of internal team functioning in future phases. Results suggest that community collaborative prevention work should consider the collaborative nature of the technical assistance provider - prevention community team relationship when designing and conducting technical assistance activities, and it may be important to continually assess these dynamics to support high quality implementation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Technical interventions to increase adenoma detection rate in colonoscopy.

PubMed

Rondonotti, Emanuele; Andrealli, Alida; Amato, Arnaldo; Paggi, Silvia; Conti, Clara Benedetta; Spinzi, Giancarlo; Radaelli, Franco

2016-12-01

Adenoma detection rate (ADR) is the most robust colonoscopy quality metric and clinical studies have adopted it as the ideal method to assess the impact of technical interventions. Areas covered: We reviewed papers focusing on the impact of colonoscopy technical issues on ADR, including withdrawal time and technique, second evaluation of the right colon, patient positional changes, gastrointestinal assistant participation during colonoscopy, water-aided technique, optimization of bowel preparation and antispasmodic administration. Expert commentary: Overall, technical interventions are inexpensive, available worldwide and easy to implement. Some of them, such as the adoption of split dose regimen and slow scope withdrawal to allow a careful inspection, have been demonstrated to significantly improve ADR. Emerging data support the use of water-exchange colonoscopy. According to published studies, other technical interventions seem to provide only marginal benefit to ADR. Unfortunately, the available evidence has methodological limitations, such as small sample sizes, the inclusion of expert endoscopists only and the evaluation of single technical interventions. Additionally, larger studies are needed to clarify whether these interventions might have a higher benefit on low adenoma detectors and whether the implementation of a bundle of them, instead of a single technical maneuver, might have a greater impact on ADR.

An intervention to help community-based organizations implement an evidence-based HIV prevention intervention: the Mpowerment Project technology exchange system.

PubMed

Kegeles, Susan M; Rebchook, Gregory; Pollack, Lance; Huebner, David; Tebbetts, Scott; Hamiga, John; Sweeney, David; Zovod, Benjamin

2012-03-01

Considerable resources have been spent developing and rigorously testing HIV prevention intervention models, but such models do not impact the AIDS pandemic unless they are implemented effectively by community-based organizations (CBOs) and health departments. The Mpowerment Project (MP) is being implemented by CBOs around the U.S. It is a multilevel, evidence-based HIV prevention program for young gay/bisexual men that targets individual, interpersonal, social, and structural issues by using empowerment and community mobilization methods. This paper discusses the development of an intervention to help CBOs implement the MP called the Mpowerment Project Technology Exchange System (MPTES); CBOs' uptake, utilization and perceptions of the MPTES components; and issues that arose during technical assistance. The seven-component MPTES was provided to 49 CBOs implementing the MP that were followed longitudinally for up to two years. Except for the widely used program manual, other program materials were used early in implementing the MP and then their use declined. In contrast, once technical assistance was proactively provided, its usage remained constant over time, as did requests for technical assistance. CBOs expressed substantial positive feedback about the MPTES, but felt that it needs more focus on diversity issues, describing real world implementation approaches, and providing guidance on how to adapt the MP to diverse populations.

The National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center Model for Long-Term Systems Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kahn, Lynne; Hurth, Joicey; Kasprzak, Christina M.; Diefendorf, Martha J.; Goode, Susan E.; Ringwalt, Sharon S.

2009-01-01

The National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center was charged by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs from October 2001 through September 2006 to develop, implement, and evaluate an approach to technical assistance (TA) that would result in sustainable systems change in state early intervention and…

The Computer Science Technical Report (CS-TR) Project: A Pioneering Digital Library Project Viewed from a Library Perspective.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, Greg; And Others

1996-01-01

Describes the Computer Science Technical Report Project, one of the earliest investigations into the system engineering of digital libraries which pioneered multiinstitutional collaborative research into technical, social, and legal issues related to the development and implementation of a large, heterogeneous, distributed digital library. (LRW)

State Practices in the Assessment of Outcomes for Students with Disabilities. Technical Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shriner, James G.; And Others

This technical report describes the methodology, results, and conclusions of a 1991 survey, which was conducted to determine state efforts to develop systems to assess educational outcomes, states' needs for solutions to technical/implementation problems, existing databases, and efforts of states to design a comprehensive system of indicators in…

78 FR 45869 - Approval and Promulgation of State Implementation Plans; State of Montana; Interstate Transport...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-30

... of Montana's submission because the submission did not include any technical analysis to support its..., EPA disagrees with that concern. Our technical analysis confirmed that emissions from Montana in total... irrelevant factors and lacks any technical analysis to support the State's conclusion with respect to...

76 FR 14835 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plan; Missouri; Proposed Disapproval of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-18

... the state's conclusion should be supported by an adequate technical analysis. EPA recommended the...)(2)(D)(i)(I) must be supported by an adequate technical analysis.\\5\\ EPA recommended the various..., the state did not further evaluate or demonstrate with a technical analysis that these measures...

76 FR 43167 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plan; North Carolina; Disapproval of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-20

... stated that the state's conclusion should be supported by an adequate technical analysis. Second, EPA... revision must be supported by an adequate technical analysis, including, but not limited to, information... disapproval where the Agency states: ``* * * without an adequate technical analysis EPA does not believe that...

76 FR 14831 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plan; Kansas; Proposed Disapproval of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-18

... State's conclusion should be supported by an adequate technical analysis. EPA recommended the various...) must be supported by an adequate technical analysis.\\5\\ EPA recommended the various types of... evaluate or demonstrate with a technical analysis that these measures address the requirements of 110(a)(2...

76 FR 43159 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plan; Georgia; Disapproval of Interstate...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-20

... stated that the state's conclusion should be supported by an adequate technical analysis. Second, EPA...'' provisions, the state's SIP revision must be supported by an adequate technical analysis, including, but not..., proposed disapproval where the Agency states: ``* * * without an adequate technical analysis EPA does not...

76 FR 53638 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Delaware; Infrastructure State...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-29

...), DNREC supplemented its September 16, 2009 submittal with a technical analysis submitted to EPA for... supplemental technical analysis, for which it has requested parallel-processing, through the public notice and... submitted the technical analysis to EPA as a formal supplement to its September 16, 2009 submittal. The...

76 FR 43128 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plan; Alabama; Disapproval of Interstate...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-20

..., if so, address the impact. The state's conclusion must be supported by an adequate technical analysis...'' provisions, the state's SIP revision must be supported by an adequate technical analysis, including, but not... disapproval where the Agency states: ``* * *without an adequate technical analysis EPA does not believe that...

77 FR 56555 - Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; State of Missouri; Maximum Allowable Emission...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-13

... emissions impact of the clean fuels exclusion, MDNR relied on a technical analysis of emissions from units..., correspondence, referenced above, also included a technical analysis demonstrating that the averaging approach... EPA cannot read your comment due to technical difficulties and cannot contact you for clarification...

76 FR 4592 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plan; North Carolina; Disapproval of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-26

... adequate technical analysis. Second, EPA recommended the various types of information that could be... submission, it did not further evaluate or demonstrate with a technical analysis that this measure and their.... Unfortunately, without an adequate technical analysis EPA does not believe that states can sufficiently address...

78 FR 29314 - Approval and Promulgation of State Implementation Plans; State of Utah; Interstate Transport of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-20

...) SIP submissions an adequate technical analysis to support their conclusions regarding interstate... acceptable modeling technical analyses are available, but EPA does not believe that modeling is required if... regional scale technical analysis, and Utah will point to that analysis in order to conclude that there are...

78 FR 47253 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Maine; Oxides of Nitrogen...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-05

...-hour ozone standard in any area in the OTR. The State's submittals include detailed technical analyses... areas in the OTR. The State's technical analyses rely on several different techniques used to analyze... Maine's requests? Based on the ME DEP's technical analyses discussed above, EPA believes that the State...

77 FR 38509 - Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; South Carolina; Regional Haze State...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-28

... Carolina's 2018 projections are based on the State's technical analysis of the anticipated emissions rates... haze technical analyses was developed by the Visibility Improvement State and Tribal Association of the... appropriate documentation in its SIP of the technical analysis it used to assess the need for and...

Programs of Study: Year 2 Joint Technical Report. Research Snapshot

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Research Center for Career and Technical Education, 2010

2010-01-01

In January 2010, the National Research Center for Career and Technical Education (NRCCTE) issued a progress report on three studies being conducted by the Center that examine the implementation and outcomes of Programs of Study (POS), which were required in the 2006 reauthorization of the federal legislation for career and technical education…

75 FR 16817 - Meeting for Software Developers on the Technical Specifications for Common Formats for Patient...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-02

... Software Developers on the Technical Specifications for Common Formats for Patient Safety Data Collection... software developers can provide input on these technical specifications for the Common Formats Version 1.1... specifications, which provide direction to software developers that plan to implement the Common Formats...

77 FR 34354 - Notice Inviting Informal Public Comment on Training and Technical Assistance and Disability...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-11

... and Technical Assistance and Disability Inclusion Programming AGENCY: Corporation for National and... implementation of a unified training and technical assistance (TTA) strategy and disability inclusion programming... to CNCS as we plan and prepare for this work. We will accept comments in writing, as described below...

The Technical Baccalaureate: Providing Excellence in Vocational Education?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Acquah, Daniel K.; Malpass, Debra

2017-01-01

Proposals for a technical baccalaureate have received cross-party support in England. The technical baccalaureate is intended to deliver the necessary training to enable young people to fill the UK's skills gap in intermediate-level occupations in STEM and other sectors. This paper explores how to design and implement a high-quality technical…

7 CFR 1465.2 - Administration.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... leadership for AMA; (2) Establish policies, procedures, priorities, and guidance for implementation; (3... and contracts with selected participants; (6) Provide technical leadership for implementation, quality...

7 CFR 1465.2 - Administration.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... leadership for AMA; (2) Establish policies, procedures, priorities, and guidance for implementation; (3... and contracts with selected participants; (6) Provide technical leadership for implementation, quality...

7 CFR 1465.2 - Administration.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... leadership for AMA; (2) Establish policies, procedures, priorities, and guidance for implementation; (3... and contracts with selected participants; (6) Provide technical leadership for implementation, quality...

7 CFR 1465.2 - Administration.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... leadership for AMA; (2) Establish policies, procedures, priorities, and guidance for implementation; (3... and contracts with selected participants; (6) Provide technical leadership for implementation, quality...

7 CFR 1465.2 - Administration.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... leadership for AMA; (2) Establish policies, procedures, priorities, and guidance for implementation; (3... and contracts with selected participants; (6) Provide technical leadership for implementation, quality...

Implementation and Integration of Regional Health Care Data Networks in the Hellenic National Health Service

PubMed Central

Vidalis, Ioannis; Papanikolaou, Christos; Vagelatos, Aristides

2002-01-01

Background Modern health care is provided with close cooperation among many different institutions and professionals, using their specialized expertise in a common effort to deliver best-quality and, at the same time, cost-effective services. Within this context of the growing need for information exchange, the demand for realization of data networks interconnecting various health care institutions at a regional level, as well as a national level, has become a practical necessity. Objectives To present the technical solution that is under consideration for implementing and interconnecting regional health care data networks in the Hellenic National Health System. Methods The most critical requirements for deploying such a regional health care data network were identified as: fast implementation, security, quality of service, availability, performance, and technical support. Results The solution proposed is the use of proper virtual private network technologies for implementing functionally-interconnected regional health care data networks. Conclusions The regional health care data network is considered to be a critical infrastructure for further development and penetration of information and communication technologies in the Hellenic National Health System. Therefore, a technical approach was planned, in order to have a fast cost-effective implementation, conforming to certain specifications. PMID:12554551

Implementation and integration of regional health care data networks in the Hellenic National Health Service.

PubMed

Lampsas, Petros; Vidalis, Ioannis; Papanikolaou, Christos; Vagelatos, Aristides

2002-12-01

Modern health care is provided with close cooperation among many different institutions and professionals, using their specialized expertise in a common effort to deliver best-quality and, at the same time, cost-effective services. Within this context of the growing need for information exchange, the demand for realization of data networks interconnecting various health care institutions at a regional level, as well as a national level, has become a practical necessity. To present the technical solution that is under consideration for implementing and interconnecting regional health care data networks in the Hellenic National Health System. The most critical requirements for deploying such a regional health care data network were identified as: fast implementation, security, quality of service, availability, performance, and technical support. The solution proposed is the use of proper virtual private network technologies for implementing functionally-interconnected regional health care data networks. The regional health care data network is considered to be a critical infrastructure for further development and penetration of information and communication technologies in the Hellenic National Health System. Therefore, a technical approach was planned, in order to have a fast cost-effective implementation, conforming to certain specifications.

Research to Advance the Development of River Information Services (RIS) Technologies

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-12-01

RIS implementation in Europe. Both the legal as well as the technical framework are been presented and analyzed. Special attention has been given to...and legal environments on both continents and take into account the organ- izational situation in the U.S. and the existing capabilities. Research...rective” Europe has set the legal and technical framework which guarantees harmonized implementation of RIS in all member states as well as a minimum

Determining the Effectiveness and Evaluating the Implementation Process of a Quality/Performance Circles System Model to Assist in Institutional Decision Making and Problem Solving at Lakeshore Technical Institute.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ladwig, Dennis J.

During the 1982-83 school year, a quality/performance circles system model was implemented at Lakeshore Technical Institute (LTI) to promote greater participation by staff in decision making and problem solving. All management staff at the college (N=45) were invited to participate in the process, and 39 volunteered. Non-management staff (N=240)…

Development, Implementation, and Evaluation of Leadership/Management Training within Army Battalions. Volume 2. Technical Appendices

DTIC Science & Technology

1975-06-01

8217- r AD-A012 774 DEVELOPMENT, IMPLEMENTATION, AND EVALUATION OF LEADERSHIP / MANAGEMENT TRAINING WITHIN ARMY BATTALIONS. VOLUME 2. TECHNICAL...and Identify by block numbera) This report describes the development and eva.L.uuLion of an experiential-based, leadership / management trai iing...organizational intervention and change similar to that presented in Figure H-1. According to this approach, training in more effective leadership / management skills

Navy Technical Information Presentation System (NTIPS) Test and Implementation Strategy

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-12-01

IC AROEROCK I NAOI S ~ i P RF R M N C AVI AT OIO N A N DDEPARTMENT STIPRUCTRMNES COMPUATIONAN DEPARTMENT -MATHEMATICS AND 17 LOGISTICS DEPARTMENT leI...and Subtitle) S . TYPE OF REPORT & PERIOD COVERED NAVY TECHNICAL INFORMATION PRESENTATION Final SYSTEM (NTIPS) TEST AND IMPLEMENTATION 6. PERFORMING...CLASSIFICATION OP THIS PAGE (1nor. Data Enteed) ock 20 continued) system operation, training, maintenance, and logistics support. This system was

Solar For Schools: A Case Study in Identifying and Implementing Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Projects in Three California School Districts

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

Kandt, A.

2011-01-01

The Department of Energy's (DOE) Solar America Showcase program seeks to accelerate demand for solar technologies among key end use market sectors. As part of this activity, DOE provides technical assistance through its national laboratories to large-scale, high-visibility solar installation projects. The Solar Schools Assessment and Implementation Project (SSAIP) in the San Francisco Bay Area was selected for a 2009 DOE Solar America Showcase award. SSAIP was formed through the efforts of the nonprofit Sequoia Foundation and includes three school districts: Berkeley, West Contra Costa, and Oakland Unified School Districts. This paper summarizes the technical assistance efforts that resulted frommore » this technical assistance support. It serves as a case study and reference document detailing the steps and processes that could be used to successfully identify, fund, and implement solar photovoltaics (PV) projects in school districts across the country.« less

MedlinePlus Connect: Technical Information

MedlinePlus

... Service Technical Information Page MedlinePlus Connect Implementation Options Web Application How does it work? Responds to requests ... examples of MedlinePlus Connect Web Application response pages. Web Service How does it work? Responds to requests ...

Gas Turbine Engine Production Implementation Study : Volume 2. Technical Discussion.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1973-07-01

This report presents a summarization and assessment of available information pertaining to the potential for implementing mass production of gas turbine engine-powered automobiles. The main topic covered is the schedule requirement for that implement...

A method for building evaluation competency among community-based organizations.

PubMed

Kelly, Cheryl M; LaRose, Jessi; Scharff, Darcell P

2014-05-01

Community-based organizations often lack the capacity (e.g., time, staff, skills) to effectively evaluate programs, policies, and environmental changes. Providing evaluation technical assistance and training can be an effective and feasible way to build individual evaluation competency. The purpose of this article is to present a practical approach and related tools that can be used by evaluators and others (e.g., academic partners, funders) providing assistance to build evaluation skills in community organizations. The approach described was developed in collaboration with local universities and a regional health foundation to provide intensive technical support to 19 community-based organizations awarded funding to implement obesity prevention projects. Technical assistance processes and tools were designed to be tailored to organizations' capacity and needs and can be used as templates by others who provide technical assistance. Evaluators, funders, and academic partners can use lessons learned from this experience to help shape and implement evaluation technical assistance approaches with community-based organizations.

Age and admission times as predictive factors for failure of admissions to discharge-stream short-stay units.

PubMed

Shetty, Amith L; Shankar Raju, Savitha Banagar; Hermiz, Arsalan; Vaghasiya, Milan; Vukasovic, Matthew

2015-02-01

Discharge-stream emergency short-stay units (ESSU) improve ED and hospital efficiency. Age of patients and time of hospital presentations have been shown to correlate with increasing complexity of care. We aim to determine whether an age and time cut-off could be derived to subsequently improve short-stay unit success rates. We conducted a retrospective audit on 6703 (5522 inclusions) patients admitted to our discharge-stream short-stay unit. Patients were classified as appropriate or inappropriate admissions, and deemed successful if discharged out of the unit within 24 h; and failures if they needed inpatient admission into the hospital. We calculated short-stay unit length of stay for patients in each of these groups. A 15% failure rate was deemed as acceptable key performance indicator (KPI) for our unit. There were 197 out of 4621 (4.3%, 95% CI 3.7-4.9%) patients up to the age of 70 who failed admission to ESSU compared with 67 out of 901 (7.4%, 95% CI 5.9-9.3%, P < 0.01) of patients over the age of 70, reflecting an increased failure rate in geriatric population. When grouped according to times of admission to the ESSU (in-office 06.00-22.00 hours vs out-of-office 22.00-06.00 hours) no significant difference rates in discharge failure (4.7% vs 5.2%, P = 0.46) were noted. Patients >70 years of age have higher rates of failure after admission to discharge-stream ESSU. Although in appropriately selected discharge-stream patients, no age group or time-band of presentation was associated with increased failure rate beyond the stipulated KPI. © 2014 Australasian College for Emergency Medicine and Australasian Society for Emergency Medicine.

Prognostic role of ABO blood type in patients with extranodal natural killer/T cell lymphoma, nasal type: a triple-center study.

PubMed

Li, Ya-Jun; Yi, Ping-Yong; Li, Ji-Wei; Liu, Xian-Ling; Tang, Tian; Zhang, Pei-Ying; Jiang, Wen-Qi

2017-07-31

The prognostic significance of ABO blood type for lymphoma is largely unknown. We evaluated the prognostic role of ABO blood type in patients with extranodal natural killer (NK)/T-cell lymphoma (ENKTL). We retrospectively analyzed clinical data of 697 patients with newly diagnosed ENKTL from three cancer centers. The prognostic value of ABO blood type was evaluated using Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox proportional hazard models. The prognostic values of the International Prognostic Index (IPI) and the Korean Prognostic Index (KPI) were also evaluated. Compared with patients with blood type O, those with blood type non-O tended to display elevated baseline serum C-reactive protein levels (P = 0.038), lower rate of complete remission (P = 0.005), shorter progression-free survival (PFS, P < 0.001), and shorter overall survival (OS, P = 0.001). Patients with blood type O/AB had longer PFS (P < 0.001) and OS (P = 0.001) compared with those with blood type A/B. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that age >60 years (P < 0.001), mass ≥5 cm (P = 0.001), stage III/IV (P < 0.001), elevated serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels (P = 0.001), and blood type non-O were independent adverse predictors of OS (P = 0.001). ABO blood type was found to be superior to both the IPI in discriminating patients with different outcomes in the IPI low-risk group and the KPI in distinguishing between the intermediate-to-low- and high-to-intermediate-risk groups. ABO blood type was an independent predictor of clinical outcome for patients with ENKTL.

The challenge of sustainability in healthcare systems: Frequency and cost of inappropriate patterns of breast cancer care (the E.Pic.A study).

PubMed

Massa, Ilaria; Balzi, William; Burattini, Costanza; Gentili, Nicola; Bucchi, Lauro; Nanni, Oriana; Gallegati, Davide; Pierini, Andrea; Amadori, Dino; Falcini, Fabio; Altini, Mattia

2017-08-01

In a context of decreasing economic health resources and a rise in health needs, it is urgent to face this sustainability crisis through the analysis of healthcare expenditures. Wastages, deriving from inappropriate interventions, erode resources which could be reallocated to high-value activities. To identify these areas of wastages, we developed a method for combining and analyzing data from multiple sources. Here we report the preliminary results of a retrospective cohort study evaluating the performance of breast cancer (BC) care at IRST, an Italian cancer institute. Four data sources gathered in a real-world setting (a clinical database, two administrative databases and a cancer registry) were linked. Essential Key Performance Indexes (KPIs) in the pattern of BC diagnosis (KPI 1 and 2) and treatment (KPI 3 and 4) based on current guidelines were developed by a board of professionals. The costs of inappropriate examinations were associated with the diagnostic KPIs. We found that 2798 patients treated at IRST from January 2010 to June 2016 received a total of 2516 inappropriate examinations accounting for € 573,510.80. Linkage from multiple routine healthcare data sources is feasible: it allows the measurement of important KPIs specifically designed for BC care, and the identification of areas of low-value use of the resources. If systematically applied, this method could help provide a complete picture of inappropriateness and waste, redirect these resources to higher-value interventions for patients, and fill the gap between proper use of the resources and the best clinical results. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Identification and Characterization of the Lysine-Rich Matrix Protein Family in Pinctada fucata: Indicative of Roles in Shell Formation.

PubMed

Liang, Jian; Xie, Jun; Gao, Jing; Xu, Chao-Qun; Yan, Yi; Jia, Gan-Chu; Xiang, Liang; Xie, Li-Ping; Zhang, Rong-Qing

2016-12-01

Mantle can secret matrix proteins playing key roles in regulating the process of shell formation. The genes encoding lysine-rich matrix proteins (KRMPs) are one of the most highly expressed matrix genes in pearl oysters. However, the expression pattern of KRMPs is limited and the functions of them still remain unknown. In this study, we isolated and identified six new members of lysine-rich matrix proteins, rich in lysine, glycine and tyrosine, and all of them are basic matrix proteins. Combined with four members of the KRMPs previously reported, all these proteins can be divided into three subclasses according to the results of phylogenetic analyses: KRMP1-3 belong to subclass KPI, KRMP4-5 belong to KPII, and KRMP6-10 belong to KPIII. Three subcategories of lysine-rich matrix proteins are highly expressed in the D-phase, the larvae and adult mantle. Lysine-rich matrix proteins are involved in the shell repairing process and associated with the formation of the shell and pearl. What's more, they can cause abnormal shell growth after RNA interference. In detail, KPI subgroup was critical for the beginning formation of the prismatic layer; both KPII and KPIII subgroups participated in the formation of prismatic layer and nacreous layer. Compared with different temperatures and salinity stimulation treatments, the influence of changes in pH on KRMPs gene expression was the greatest. Recombinant KRMP7 significantly inhibited CaCO 3 precipitation, changed the morphology of calcite, and inhibited the growth of aragonite in vitro. Our results are beneficial to understand the functions of the KRMP genes during shell formation.

British Military surgical key performance indicators: time for an update?

PubMed

Marsden, Max Er; Sharrock, A E; Hansen, C L; Newton, N J; Bowley, D M; Midwinter, M

2016-10-01

Key performance indicators (KPIs) are metrics that compare actual care against an ideal structure, process or outcome standard. KPIs designed to assess performance in deployed military surgical facilities have previously been published. This study aimed to review the overall performance of surgical trauma care for casualties treated at Role 3 Camp Bastion, Medical Treatment Facility, Afghanistan, in light of the existing Defence Medical Services (DMS) KPIs. The secondary aims were to assess the utility of the surgical KPIs and make recommendations for future surgical trauma care review. Data on 22 surgical parameters were prospectively collected for 150 injured patients who had primary surgery at Camp Bastion between 1 May 2013 and 20 August 2013. Additional information for these patients was obtained using the Joint Theatre Trauma Register. The authors assessed data recording, applicability and compliance with the KPIs. Median data recording was 100% (IQR 98%-100%), median applicability was 56% (IQR 10%-99%) and median compliance was 78% (IQR 58%-93%). One KPI was not applicable to any patient in our population. Eleven KPIs achieved >80% compliance, five KPIs had 80%-60% compliance and five KPIs had <60% compliance. Recommendations are made for minor modifications to the current KPIs. 78% compliance with the DMS KPIs provides a snapshot of the performance of the surgical aspect of military trauma care in 2013. The KPIs highlight areas for improvement in service delivery. Individual KPI development should be driven by evidence and reflect advances in practice and knowledge. A method of stakeholder consultation, and sequential refinement following evidence review, may be the right process to develop the future set of DMS KPIs. 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/

Implementing Evidence-Based Teen Pregnancy-Prevention Interventions in a Community-Wide Initiative: Building Capacity and Reaching Youth.

PubMed

House, L Duane; Tevendale, Heather D; Martinez-Garcia, Genevieve

2017-03-01

To describe efforts to implement evidence-based interventions (EBIs) within multicomponent, community-wide initiatives to reduce teen pregnancy. During 2011-2014, we collected information about the capacity (i.e., knowledge, confidence, training, and experience) of state and community-based organizations to support implementation of the following: EBIs, number and characteristics of youth served by EBIs, type of EBIs implemented, EBI settings, hours of training, and technical assistance provided. State and community-based organizations reported these data annually; however, training and technical assistance was reported monthly. We used aggregated data from these annual and monthly reports to describe the implementation of EBIs in the community-wide initiative project. From baseline in 2011-2014, state and community-based organizations increased their capacities to support program partners in delivering EBIs. They provided 5,015 hours of technical assistance and training on topics, including ensuring adequate capacity, process and outcome evaluation, program planning, and continuous quality improvement. Program partners increased the number of youth reached by an EBI in targeted communities by 349%, from 4,304 in the first year of implementation in 2012 to 19,344 in 2014. Most youth in 2014 received sexuality education programs (59%), whereas smaller percentages received abstinence-based, youth development, and clinic-based programs. Most youth were reached through schools (72%) and community-based organizations (16%), and smaller numbers were reached in other settings (e.g., faith-based organizations, health centers). Building and monitoring the capacity of program partners to deliver EBIs through technical assistance and training is important. In addition, partnering with schools leads to reaching more youth. Copyright © 2016 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Adapting HIV prevention evidence-based interventions in practice settings: an interview study

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

Background Evidence-based interventions that are being delivered in real-world settings are adapted to enhance the external validity of these interventions. The purpose of this study was to examine multiple intervention adaptations made during pre-implementation, implementation, maintenance, and evolution phases of human immunodeficiency virus HIV prevention technology transfer. We examined two important categories of adaptations -- modifications to key characteristics, such as activities or delivery methods of interventions and reinvention of the interventions including addition and deletion of core elements. Methods Study participants were thirty-four community-based organization staff who were implementing evidence-based interventions in Los Angeles, California. Participants were interviewed twice and interviews were professionally transcribed. Transcriptions were coded by two coders with good inter-rater reliability (kappa coefficient = 0.73). Sixty-two open-ended codes for adaptation activities, which were linked to 229 transcript segments, were categorized as modifications of key characteristics or reinvention. Results Participants described activities considered modifications to key characteristics and reinvention of evidence-based interventions during pre-implementation, implementation, and maintenance phases. None of the participants reported accessing technical assistance or guidance when reinventing their interventions. Staff executed many of the recommended steps for sound adaptation of these interventions for new populations and settings. Conclusion Staff reported modifying and reinventing interventions when translating HIV prevention programs into practice. Targeted technical assistance for formative evaluation should be focused on the pre-implementation phase during which frequent modifications occur. Continuous or repeated measurements of fidelity are recommended. Increased technical assistance and guidance are needed to ensure that reinventions are evaluated and consistent with the aims of the original interventions. Providing strategic technical assistance and written guidance can facilitate effective HIV prevention technology transfer of evidence-based interventions. PMID:19930653

Leveraging Independent Management and Chief Engineer Hierarchy: Vertically and Horizontally-Derived Technical Authority Value

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barley, Bryan; Newhouse, Marilyn

2012-01-01

In the development of complex spacecraft missions, project management authority is usually extended hierarchically from NASA's highest agency levels down to the implementing institution's project team level, through both the center and the program. In parallel with management authority, NASA utilizes a complementary, but independent, hierarchy of technical authority (TA) that extends from the agency level to the project, again, through both the center and the program. The chief engineers (CEs) who serve in this technical authority capacity oversee and report on the technical status and ensure sound engineering practices, controls, and management of the projects and programs. At the lowest level, implementing institutions assign project CEs to technically engage projects, lead development teams, and ensure sound technical principles, processes, and issue resolution. At the middle level, programs and centers independently use CEs to ensure the technical success of their projects and programs. At the agency level, NASA's mission directorate CEs maintain technical cognizance over every program and project in their directorate and advise directorate management on the technical, cost, schedule, and programmatic health of each. As part of this vertically-extended CE team, a program level CE manages a continually varying balance between penetration depth and breadth across his or her assigned missions. Teamwork issues and information integration become critical for management at all levels to ensure value-added use of both the synergy available between CEs at the various agency levels, and the independence of the technical authority at each organization.

The Development and Implementation of a School-to-Work Apprenticeship Model at a Technical Career Center.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kraft, James A.

A business and education partnership model addressed a shortage of local, qualified, entry-level, technically skilled workers through a school-to-work apprenticeship program at the North Montco Technical Career Center in Lansdale, Pennsylvania. The research-based solution plan of the Pennsylvania Youth Apprenticeship Program (PYAP) included three…

78 FR 15664 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; New Mexico; Interstate Transport...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-12

... technical analysis supporting New Mexico's conclusion as recommended by EPA's guidance memorandum that... modeling technical analyses are available, but EPA does not believe that modeling is necessarily required...)(2)(D)(i)(I) for the 2006 PM 2.5 NAAQS in several ways. It takes into account the technical analysis...

76 FR 4579 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plan; New Jersey and New York...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-26

... supported by an adequate technical analysis. EPA recommended the various types of information that could be...) must be supported by an adequate technical analysis. In the 2009 Guidance, EPA recommended the various...) because the State did not evaluate or demonstrate with a technical analysis that the emissions reduction...

76 FR 4584 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Georgia; Disapproval of Interstate...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-26

... conclusion must be supported by an adequate technical analysis. Second, EPA recommended the various types of... requirement of section 110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I) must be supported by an adequate technical analysis. Additionally... evaluate or demonstrate with a technical analysis that this measure and their intention to rely to the...

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

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coggio, Grace Leinbach

2010-01-01

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

49 CFR Appendix C to Part 553 - Statement of Policy: Implementation of the United Nations/Economic Commission for Europe (UN/ECE...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 1. Notice Requesting Written Comment on Proposed Global Technical Regulations a. Proposals by the U.... Notice Requesting Written Comment on Recommended Global Technical Regulations If a working party of... comments and develop a U.S. position on the recommended technical regulation. 3. Notice Requesting Written...

Clarkesville Green Infrastructure Implementation Strategy

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The report outlines the 2012 technical assistance for Clarkesville, GA to develop a Green Infrastructure Implementation Strategy, which provides the basic building blocks for a green infrastructure plan:

Quantifying Similarity and Distance Measures for Vector-Based Datasets: Histograms, Signals, and Probability Distribution Functions

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-02-01

note, a number of different measures implemented in both MATLAB and Python as functions are used to quantify similarity/distance between 2 vector-based...this technical note are widely used and may have an important role when computing the distance and similarity of large datasets and when considering high...throughput processes. In this technical note, a number of different measures implemented in both MAT- LAB and Python as functions are used to

The NASA Scientific and Technical Information (STI) Program's Implementation of Open Archives Initiation (OAI) for Data Interoperability and Data Exchange

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rocker, JoAnne; Roncaglia, George J.; Heimerl, Lynn N.; Nelson, Michael L.

2002-01-01

Interoperability and data-exchange are critical for the survival of government information management programs. E-government initiatives are transforming the way the government interacts with the public. More information is to be made available through web-enabled technologies. Programs such as the NASA's Scientific and Technical Information (STI) Program Office are tasked to find more effective ways to disseminate information to the public. The NASA STI Program is an agency-wide program charged with gathering, organizing, storing, and disseminating NASA-produced information for research and public use. The program is investigating the use of a new protocol called the Open Archives Initiative (OAI) as a means to improve data interoperability and data collection. OAI promotes the use of the OAI harvesting protocol as a simple way for data sharing among repositories. In two separate initiatives, the STI Program is implementing OAI In collaboration with the Air Force, Department of Energy, and Old Dominion University, the NASA STI Program has funded research on implementing the OAI to exchange data between the three organizations. The second initiative is the deployment of OAI for the NASA technical report server (TRS) environment. The NASA TRS environment is comprised of distributed technical report servers with a centralized search interface. This paper focuses on the implementation of OAI to promote interoperability among diverse data repositories.

Implementation Characteristics of Organizational Innovations: Limits and Opportunities for Management Strategies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leonard-Barton, Dorothy

1988-01-01

Examines the effects of a technology's implementation characteristics (its transferability, organizational complexity, and divisibility) on tactics managers use to implement an innovation, such as: involving users, managing sponsorship, and managing organizational change in concert with technical change. (SR)

Design mentoring tool : [technical summary].

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-01-01

In 2004 a design engineer on-line mentoring tool was developed and implemented The purpose of the tool was to assist senior engineers mentoring new engineers to the INDOT design process and improve their technical competency. This approach saves seni...

Technical Guide for Addressing Petroleum Vapor Intrusion at Leaking Underground Storage Tank Sites

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Review technical information for personnel EPA and implementing agencies for investigating and assessing petroleum vapor intrusion (PVI) at sites where petroleum hydrocarbons (PHCs) have been released from underground storage tanks (USTs).

A WET TALE: TOXICITY OF COMPLEX EFFLUENTS

EPA Science Inventory

This course covers standards, regulations, policy, guidance and technical aspects of implementing the whole effluent toxicity program. The curriculum incorporates rationale and information on WET test requirements from USEPA documents, such as the Technical Support Document for W...

Resource allocation and budgetary mechanisms for decentralized health systems: experiences from Balochistan, Pakistan.

PubMed

Green, A; Ali, B; Naeem, A; Ross, D

2000-01-01

This paper identifies key political and technical issues involved in the development of an appropriate resource allocation and budgetary system for the public health sector, using experience gained in the Province of Balochistan, Pakistan. The resource allocation and budgetary system is a critical, yet often neglected, component of any decentralization policy. Current systems are often based on historical incrementalism that is neither efficient nor equitable. This article describes technical work carried out in Balochistan to develop a system of resource allocation and budgeting that is needs-based, in line with policies of decentralization, and implementable within existing technical constraints. However, the development of technical systems, while necessary, is not a sufficient condition for the implementation of a resource allocation and decentralized budgeting system. This is illustrated by analysing the constraints that have been encountered in the development of such a system in Balochistan.

Resource allocation and budgetary mechanisms for decentralized health systems: experiences from Balochistan, Pakistan.

PubMed Central

Green, A.; Ali, B.; Naeem, A.; Ross, D.

2000-01-01

This paper identifies key political and technical issues involved in the development of an appropriate resource allocation and budgetary system for the public health sector, using experience gained in the Province of Balochistan, Pakistan. The resource allocation and budgetary system is a critical, yet often neglected, component of any decentralization policy. Current systems are often based on historical incrementalism that is neither efficient nor equitable. This article describes technical work carried out in Balochistan to develop a system of resource allocation and budgeting that is needs-based, in line with policies of decentralization, and implementable within existing technical constraints. However, the development of technical systems, while necessary, is not a sufficient condition for the implementation of a resource allocation and decentralized budgeting system. This is illustrated by analysing the constraints that have been encountered in the development of such a system in Balochistan. PMID:10994286

Innovative methods of popularizing technical education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shkitsa, L. Y.; Panchuk, V. G.; Kornuta, V. A.

2017-05-01

There have been analyzed reasons of the loss of technical education’s popularity. Also, the analysis of known educational and production methods, oriented at the innovative model of development of society, was performed. It is stated that the acquisition of 21st century’s skills as a result of competition of technical education are natural for the DIY ideology, which was realized in the institutions like Fab Lab. The new educational strategy, based on project-based learning, is proposed to be implemented as a special laboratory with equipment, which would be a center of innovative development for students at the Technical University. Moreover, the list of projects planned for implementation, that includes not only projects, specific to a particular university, but also projects, demanded by society as a whole, is specified. It is worth to implement trendy projects in the laboratory, such as toy-like, ecological projects; projects of the energy dependence decrease or the energy efficiency increase, modern digital or innovative projects etc. The student should gain knowledge, skills and, possibly, equipment that are available for immediate usage on the labor market or for the realization of his own projects or the community’s projects in everyday life after the realization of the particular project at the laboratory

Development of a technical assistance framework for building organizational capacity of health programs in resource-limited settings.

PubMed

Reyes, E Michael; Sharma, Anjali; Thomas, Kate K; Kuehn, Chuck; Morales, José Rafael

2014-09-17

Little information exists on the technical assistance needs of local indigenous organizations charged with managing HIV care and treatment programs funded by the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). This paper describes the methods used to adapt the Primary Care Assessment Tool (PCAT) framework, which has successfully strengthened HIV primary care services in the US, into one that could strengthen the capacity of local partners to deliver priority health programs in resource-constrained settings by identifying their specific technical assistance needs. Qualitative methods and inductive reasoning approaches were used to conceptualize and adapt the new Clinical Assessment for Systems Strengthening (ClASS) framework. Stakeholder interviews, comparisons of existing assessment tools, and a pilot test helped determine the overall ClASS framework for use in low-resource settings. The framework was further refined one year post-ClASS implementation. Stakeholder interviews, assessment of existing tools, a pilot process and the one-year post- implementation assessment informed the adaptation of the ClASS framework for assessing and strengthening technical and managerial capacities of health programs at three levels: international partner, local indigenous partner, and local partner treatment facility. The PCAT focus on organizational strengths and systems strengthening was retained and implemented in the ClASS framework and approach. A modular format was chosen to allow the use of administrative, fiscal and clinical modules in any combination and to insert new modules as needed by programs. The pilot led to refined pre-visit planning, informed review team composition, increased visit duration, and restructured modules. A web-based toolkit was developed to capture three years of experiential learning; this kit can also be used for independent implementation of the ClASS framework. A systematic adaptation process has produced a qualitative framework that can inform implementation strategies in support of country led HIV care and treatment programs. The framework, as a well-received iterative process focused on technical assistance, may have broader utility in other global programs.

Resolvent approach for two-dimensional scattering problems. Application to the nonstationary Schrödinger problem and the KPI equation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boiti, M.; Pempinelli, F.; Pogrebkov, A. K.; Polivanov, M. C.

1992-11-01

The resolvent operator of the linear problem is determined as the full Green function continued in the complex domain in two variables. An analog of the known Hilbert identity is derived. We demonstrate the role of this identity in the study of two-dimensional scattering. Considering the nonstationary Schrödinger equation as an example, we show that all types of solutions of the linear problems, as well as spectral data known in the literature, are given as specific values of this unique function — the resolvent function. A new form of the inverse problem is formulated.

The kink-soliton and antikink-soliton in quasi-one-dimensional nonlinear monoatomic lattice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Quan; Tian, Qiang

2005-04-01

The quasi-one-dimensional nonlinear monoatomic lattice is analyzed. The kink-soliton and antikink-soliton are presented. When the interaction of the lattice is strong in the x-direction and weak in the y-direction, the two-dimensional (2D) lattice changes to a quasi-one-dimensional lattice. Taking nearest-neighbor interaction into account, the vibration equation can be transformed into the KPI, KPII and MKP equation. Considering the cubic nonlinear potential of the vibration in the lattice, the kink-soliton solution is presented. Considering the quartic nonlinear potential and the cubic interaction potential, the kink-soliton and antikink-soliton solutions are presented.

Numerical study of the Kadomtsev-Petviashvili equation and dispersive shock waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grava, T.; Klein, C.; Pitton, G.

2018-02-01

A detailed numerical study of the long time behaviour of dispersive shock waves in solutions to the Kadomtsev-Petviashvili (KP) I equation is presented. It is shown that modulated lump solutions emerge from the dispersive shock waves. For the description of dispersive shock waves, Whitham modulation equations for KP are obtained. It is shown that the modulation equations near the soliton line are hyperbolic for the KPII equation while they are elliptic for the KPI equation leading to a focusing effect and the formation of lumps. Such a behaviour is similar to the appearance of breathers for the focusing nonlinear Schrödinger equation in the semiclassical limit.

Facilitating 3D Virtual World Learning Environments Creation by Non-Technical End Users through Template-Based Virtual World Instantiation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Chang; Zhong, Ying; Ozercan, Sertac; Zhu, Qing

2013-01-01

This paper presents a template-based solution to overcome technical barriers non-technical computer end users face when developing functional learning environments in three-dimensional virtual worlds (3DVW). "iVirtualWorld," a prototype of a platform-independent 3DVW creation tool that implements the proposed solution, facilitates 3DVW…

Technical-Oriented Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Body of Knowledge for Information Systems Programs: Content and Implementation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boyle, Todd A.

2007-01-01

In this article, the author proposes a body of knowledge that the educators can use to incorporate the technical aspects of enterprise resource planning (ERP) into an information systems (IS) program, encapsulated as the ERP technical knowledge framework. To illustrate the application of this framework, the author discusses a course sequence that…

Career and Technical Education: States Have Broad Flexibility in Implementing Perkins IV. Report to Congressional Requesters. GAO-09-683

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scott, George A.

2009-01-01

The Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (Perkins IV) supports career and technical education (CTE) in high schools and postsecondary institutions, such as community colleges. Perkins IV established student performance measures at the secondary and postsecondary levels for state agencies, such as state educational agencies,…

Designing Writing Assignments for Vocational-Technical Courses. A Guide for Teachers in the Two-Year College and Technical Institute.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Killingsworth, Jimmie, Ed.; And Others

The 27 articles in this 6-part guide provide information on developing and implementing writing instruction as part of content-area courses in two-year vocational-technical colleges. Part One, General Concerns, includes "Making Writing Work for You in the Interactive Classroom" (Killingsworth, Rude); "Evaluating and Responding to Student Writing"…

The Effective Use of Scientific and Technical Information in Industrial and Non-Profit Settings: A Study of Managerial Interventions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shapero, Albert; And Others

A study conducted in a non profit research and development organization and the technical development department of a profit corporation was designed to develop and implement interventions that would modify the information-communication behaviors of the technical professionals in these organizations, and to measure and analyze the effects of the…

A Qualitative Inquiry of Career Exploration in Highly Implemented Career and Technical Education Programs of Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stipanovic, Natalie; Stringfield, Sam

2013-01-01

This qualitative study explores career counseling and guidance services as provided to students engaged in career and technical education programs at three sites in the United States. The sites, consisting of high schools and community colleges, were part of the National Research Center for Career and Technical Education's 5-year studies of…

A Case Study of Technical Assistance to Demonstration Programs for Young Handicapped Children. Part III.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Behr, Shirley K.; And Others

The report describes the third and final year of a 3-year case study of the technical assistance process as implemented by the Technical Assistance Development System (TADS) for the staffs of two demonstration programs for preschool handicapped children and their families. Following a review of TADS and the two demonstration programs, the…

Site systems engineering fiscal year 1999 multi-year work plan (MYWP) update for WBS 1.8.2.2

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

GRYGIEL, M.L.

1998-10-08

Manage the Site Systems Engineering process to provide a traceable integrated requirements-driven, and technically defensible baseline. Through the Site Integration Group(SIG), Systems Engineering ensures integration of technical activities across all site projects. Systems Engineering's primary interfaces are with the RL Project Managers, the Project Direction Office and with the Project Major Subcontractors, as well as with the Site Planning organization. Systems Implementation: (1) Develops, maintains, and controls the site integrated technical baseline, ensures the Systems Engineering interfaces between projects are documented, and maintain the Site Environmental Management Specification. (2) Develops and uses dynamic simulation models for verification of the baselinemore » and analysis of alternatives. (3) Performs and documents fictional and requirements analyses. (4) Works with projects, technology management, and the SIG to identify and resolve technical issues. (5) Supports technical baseline information for the planning and budgeting of the Accelerated Cleanup Plan, Multi-Year Work Plans, Project Baseline Summaries as well as performance measure reporting. (6) Works with projects to ensure the quality of data in the technical baseline. (7) Develops, maintains and implements the site configuration management system.« less

SU-E-CAMPUS-J-04: Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT): Review of Technical Standards and Credentialing in Radiotherapy Clinical Trials

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

Giaddui, T; Chen, W; Yu, J

2014-06-15

Purpose: To review IGRT credentialing experience and unexpected technical issues encountered in connection with advanced radiotherapy technologies as implemented in RTOG clinical trials. To update IGRT credentialing procedures with the aim of improving the quality of the process, and to increase the proportion of IGRT credentialing compliance. To develop a living disease site-specific IGRT encyclopedia. Methods: Numerous technical issues were encountered during the IGRT credentialing process. The criteria used for credentialing review were based on: image quality; anatomy included in fused data sets and shift results. Credentialing requirements have been updated according to the AAPM task group reports for IGRTmore » to ensure that all required technical items are included in the quality review process. Implementation instructions have been updated and expanded for recent protocols. Results: Technical issues observed during the credentialing review process include, but are not limited to: poor quality images; inadequate image acquisition region; poor data quality; shifts larger than acceptable; no soft tissue surrogate. The updated IGRT credentialing process will address these issues and will also include the technical items required from AAPM: TG 104; TG 142 and TG 179 reports. An instruction manual has been developed describing a remote credentialing method for reviewers. Submission requirements are updated, including images/documents as well as facility questionnaire. The review report now includes summary of the review process and the parameters that reviewers check. We have reached consensus on the minimum IGRT technical requirement for a number of disease sites. RTOG 1311(NRG-BR002A Phase 1 Study of Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT) for the Treatment of Multiple Metastases) is an example, here; the protocol specified the minimum requirement for each anatomical sites (with/without fiducials). Conclusion: Technical issues are identified and reported. IGRT guidelines are updated, with the corresponding credentialing requirements. An IGRT encyclopedia describing site-specific implementation issues is currently in development.« less

Experience of international collaboration in preparation of masters in “Mechatronics” with call for funds from Tempus and Erasmus programs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhmud, V. A.; Frantsuzova, G. A.; Dimitrov, L. V.; Nosek, J.

2018-05-01

This paper reveals the main problems of creating and implementing double diploma programs between universities of Russia and Europe. Novosibirsk State Technical University implements such programs with Technical Universities of Sofia (Bulgaria) and Liberec (Czech Republic). The paper presents the latest results of this activity and discusses the possibilities of its development in the field of joint postgraduate training, as well as joint scientific research with the involvement of students and postgraduate.

Teen Pregnancy Prevention: Implementation of a Multicomponent, Community-Wide Approach.

PubMed

Mueller, Trisha; Tevendale, Heather D; Fuller, Taleria R; House, L Duane; Romero, Lisa M; Brittain, Anna; Varanasi, Bala

2017-03-01

This article provides an overview and description of implementation activities of the multicomponent, community-wide initiatives of the Teenage Pregnancy Prevention Program initiated in 2010 by the Office of Adolescent Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The community-wide initiatives applied the Interactive Systems Framework for dissemination and implementation through training and technical assistance on the key elements of the initiative: implementation of evidence-based teen pregnancy prevention (TPP) interventions; enhancing quality of and access to youth-friendly reproductive health services; educating stakeholders about TPP; working with youth in communities most at risk of teen pregnancy; and mobilizing the community to garner support. Of nearly 12,000 hours of training and technical assistance provided, the majority was for selecting, implementing, and evaluating an evidence-based TPP program. Real-world implementation of a community-wide approach to TPP takes time and effort. This report describes implementation within each of the components and shares lessons learned during planning and implementation phases of the initiative. Copyright © 2016 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

13 CFR 306.1 - Purpose and scope.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

...) Formulate and implement economic development programs to increase local, regional and national capacity; (4... 306.1 Business Credit and Assistance ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE TRAINING, RESEARCH AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE INVESTMENTS Local and National Technical Assistance § 306.1...

13 CFR 306.1 - Purpose and scope.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

...) Formulate and implement economic development programs to increase local, regional and national capacity; (4... 306.1 Business Credit and Assistance ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE TRAINING, RESEARCH AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE INVESTMENTS Local and National Technical Assistance § 306.1...

13 CFR 306.1 - Purpose and scope.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

...) Formulate and implement economic development programs to increase local, regional and national capacity; (4... 306.1 Business Credit and Assistance ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE TRAINING, RESEARCH AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE INVESTMENTS Local and National Technical Assistance § 306.1...

77 FR 16447 - Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; Designation of Areas for Air Quality Planning...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-21

...: These technical amendments are effective on March 21, 2012. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Doris Lo, EPA Region IX, (415) 972- 3959, lo[email protected] . SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Technical Amendment for...

7 CFR 610.32 - Technical assistance furnished.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CONSERVATION OPERATIONS TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE Conservation of Private Grazing Land... managers to plan and implement resource conservation on grazing land. The objective of planning on grazing...

7 CFR 610.32 - Technical assistance furnished.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CONSERVATION OPERATIONS TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE Conservation of Private Grazing Land... managers to plan and implement resource conservation on grazing land. The objective of planning on grazing...

7 CFR 610.32 - Technical assistance furnished.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CONSERVATION OPERATIONS TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE Conservation of Private Grazing Land... managers to plan and implement resource conservation on grazing land. The objective of planning on grazing...

7 CFR 610.32 - Technical assistance furnished.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CONSERVATION OPERATIONS TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE Conservation of Private Grazing Land... managers to plan and implement resource conservation on grazing land. The objective of planning on grazing...

7 CFR 610.32 - Technical assistance furnished.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CONSERVATION OPERATIONS TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE Conservation of Private Grazing Land... managers to plan and implement resource conservation on grazing land. The objective of planning on grazing...

Implementation Plan for Qualification of Sodium-Cooled Fast Reactor Technology Information

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

Moe, Wayne; Honma, George

This document identifies and discusses implementation elements that can be used to facilitate consistent and systematic evaluation processes relating to quality attributes of technical information (with focus on SFR technology) that will be used to support licensing of advanced reactor designs. Information may include, but is not limited to, design documents for SFRs, research-and-development (R&D) data and associated documents, test plans and associated protocols, operations and test data, international research data, technical reports, and information associated with past U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) reviews of SFR designs. The approach for determining acceptability of test data, analysis, and/or other technical informationmore » is based on guidance provided in INL/EXT-15-35805, “Guidance on Evaluating Historic Technology Information for Use in Advanced Reactor Licensing.” The implementation plan can be adopted into a working procedure at each of the national laboratories performing data qualification, or by applicants seeking future license application for advanced reactor technology.« less

Technical and Economic Assessment of the Implementation of Measures for Reducing Energy Losses in Distribution Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aguila, Alexander; Wilson, Jorge

2017-07-01

This paper develops a methodology to assess a group of measures of electrical improvements in distribution systems, starting from the complementation of technical and economic criteria. In order to solve the problem of energy losses in distribution systems, technical and economic analysis was performed based on a mathematical model to establish a direct relationship between the energy saved by way of minimized losses and the costs of implementing the proposed measures. This paper aims at analysing the feasibility of reducing energy losses in distribution systems, by changing existing network conductors by larger crosssection conductors and distribution voltage change at higher levels. The impact of this methodology provides a highly efficient mathematical tool for analysing the feasibility of implementing improvement projects based on their costs which is a very useful tool for the distribution companies that will serve as a starting point to the analysis for this type of projects in distribution systems.

The Great Instauration: Restoring Professional and Technical Writing to the Humanities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Di Renzo, Anthony

2002-01-01

Gathers some of Sir Francis Bacon's educational ideas from his various writings and applies them to the five stages of undergraduate professional and technical writing program development: planning, implementation, mission, design and development, staffing, and administration. (SG)

Implementing the Aquidneck Island West Side Master Plan

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This report describes a technical assistance project with Aquidneck Island to develop approaches for mixed-use zoning standards, design guidelines, and review processes to implement the West Side Master Plan.

Assuring Crew Health Protection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Robinson, Judith L.

2007-01-01

Amongst the recommendation of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB) were the establishment of an independent technical authorities, one of which is the Health and Medical Technical Authority. This viewgraph presentation reviews the work of this Technical Authority in maintaining standards that are aimed at implementing health and medical policy, responding to medical events and emergencies consistent with acceptable levels defined by standards and providing expertise for program milestones.

Third International Mathematics and Science Study 1999 Video Study Technical Report: Volume 2--Science. Technical Report. NCES 2011-049

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garnier, Helen E.; Lemmens, Meike; Druker, Stephen L.; Roth, Kathleen J.

2011-01-01

This second volume of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 1999 Video Study Technical Report focuses on every aspect of the planning, implementation, processing, analysis, and reporting of the science components of the TIMSS 1999 Video Study. The report is intended to serve as a record of the actions and documentation of…

Technical approach to groundwater restoration. Final report

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

Not Available

1993-11-01

The Technical Approach to Groundwater Restoration (TAGR) provides general technical guidance to implement the groundwater restoration phase of the Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) Project. The TAGR includes a brief overview of the surface remediation and groundwater restoration phases of the UMTRA Project and describes the regulatory requirements, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process, and regulatory compliance. A section on program strategy discusses program optimization, the role of risk assessment, the observational approach, strategies for meeting groundwater cleanup standards, and remedial action decision-making. A section on data requirements for groundwater restoration evaluates the data quality objectives (DQO) andmore » minimum data required to implement the options and comply with the standards. A section on sits implementation explores the development of a conceptual site model, approaches to site characterization, development of remedial action alternatives, selection of the groundwater restoration method, and remedial design and implementation in the context of site-specific documentation in the site observational work plan (SOWP) and the remedial action plan (RAP). Finally, the TAGR elaborates on groundwater monitoring necessary to evaluate compliance with the groundwater cleanup standards and protection of human health and the environment, and outlines licensing procedures.« less

Cultural Preservation Program for Alaska

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barbaran, Francisco Ramon

2011-01-01

In this technical report, an innovative cultural preservation program for implementation in Athabascan villages is presented. The parameters for success in implementing such a project is discussed based on a workshop with Athabascan elders.

The 1978 National Fire-Danger Rating System: technical documentation

Treesearch

Larry S. Bradshaw; John E. Deeming; Robert E. Burgan; Jack D. Cohen

1984-01-01

The National Fire-Danger Rating System (NFDRS), implemented in 1972, has been revised and reissued as the 1978 NFDRS. This report describes the full developmental history of the NFDRS, including purpose, technical foundation, and structure. Includes an extensive bibliography and appendixes.

78 FR 40966 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; New Mexico; Interstate Transport...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-09

...'s technical analysis addressing the requirements of CAA section 110(a)(2)(D)(i) for the 2006 PM 2.5 NAAQS, with EPA's additional analysis and technical information, we approve the portion of the June 12...

76 FR 6376 - Approval of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Indiana and Ohio; Disapproval of Interstate...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-04

... impact. EPA stated that the State's conclusion should be supported by an adequate technical analysis. EPA... technical analysis, no such analysis was provided by IDEM justifying that these measures are sufficient to... a State's [[Page 6379

Assessing Technical Training Needs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schwaller, Anthony E.; Slipy, Dave

1985-01-01

Describes the results of a joint project of St. Cloud State University (Minnesota) and DeZURIK Corporation (a manufacturer and distributor of industrial valves) which developed and implemented a technical training needs questionnaire for use with the company's employees. Student involvement in the process is noted. (MBR)

Technical assistance from state health departments for communities engaged in policy, systems, and environmental change: the ACHIEVE Program.

PubMed

Hefelfinger, Jenny; Patty, Alice; Ussery, Ann; Young, Walter

2013-10-24

This study assessed the value of technical assistance provided by state health department expert advisors and by the staff of the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD) to community groups that participated in the Action Communities for Health, Innovation, and Environmental Change (ACHIEVE) Program, a CDC-funded health promotion program. We analyzed quantitative and qualitative data reported by community project coordinators to assess the nature and value of technical assistance provided by expert advisors and NACDD staff and the usefulness of ACHIEVE resources in the development and implementation of community action plans. A grounded theory approach was used to analyze and categorize phrases in text data provided by community coordinators. Open coding placed conceptual labels on text phrases. Frequency distributions of the quantitative data are described and discussed. The most valuable technical assistance and program support resources were those determined to be in the interpersonal domain (ie, interactions with state expert advisors, NACDD staff, and peer-to-peer support). The most valuable technical assistance events were action institutes, coaches' meetings, webinars, and technical assistance conference calls. This analysis suggests that ACHIEVE communities valued the management and training assistance provided by expert advisors and NACDD staff. State health department expert advisors provided technical guidance and support, including such skills or knowledge-based services as best-practice strategies, review and discussion of community assessment data, sustainability planning, and identification of possible funding opportunities. NACDD staff led development and implementation of technical assistance events.

Sustaining “Meaningful Use” of Health Information Technology in Low-Resource Practices

PubMed Central

Green, Lee A.; Potworowski, Georges; Day, Anya; May-Gentile, Rachelle; Vibbert, Danielle; Maki, Bruce; Kiesel, Leslie

2015-01-01

PURPOSE The implementation of electronic health records (EHRs) has been extensively studied, but their maintenance once implemented has not. The Regional Extension Center (REC) program provides implementation assistance to priority practices—those with limited financial, technical, and organizational resources—but the assistance is time limited. Our objective was to identify potential barriers to maintenance of meaningful use of EHRs in priority primary care practices using a qualitative observational study for federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) and priority practices in Michigan. METHODS We conducted cognitive task analysis (CTA) interviews and direct observations of health information technology implementation in FQHCs. In addition, we conducted semistructured interviews with implementation specialists serving priority practices to detect emergent themes relevant to maintenance. RESULTS Maintaining EHR technology will require ongoing expert technical support indefinitely beyond implementation to address upgrades and security needs. Maintaining meaningful use for quality improvement will require ongoing support for leadership and change management. Priority practices not associated with larger systems lack access to the necessary technical expertise, financial resources, and leverage with vendors to continue alone. Rural priority practices are particularly challenged, because expertise is often not available locally. CONCLUSIONS Priority practices, especially in rural areas, are at high risk for falling on the wrong side of a “digital divide” as payers and regulators enact increasing expectations for EHR use and information management. For those without affiliation to maintain the necessary expert staff, ongoing support will be needed for those practices to remain viable. PMID:25583887

Sustaining "meaningful use" of health information technology in low-resource practices.

PubMed

Green, Lee A; Potworowski, Georges; Day, Anya; May-Gentile, Rachelle; Vibbert, Danielle; Maki, Bruce; Kiesel, Leslie

2015-01-01

The implementation of electronic health records (EHRs) has been extensively studied, but their maintenance once implemented has not. The Regional Extension Center (REC) program provides implementation assistance to priority practices-those with limited financial, technical, and organizational resources-but the assistance is time limited. Our objective was to identify potential barriers to maintenance of meaningful use of EHRs in priority primary care practices using a qualitative observational study for federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) and priority practices in Michigan. We conducted cognitive task analysis (CTA) interviews and direct observations of health information technology implementation in FQHCs. In addition, we conducted semistructured interviews with implementation specialists serving priority practices to detect emergent themes relevant to maintenance. Maintaining EHR technology will require ongoing expert technical support indefinitely beyond implementation to address upgrades and security needs. Maintaining meaningful use for quality improvement will require ongoing support for leadership and change management. Priority practices not associated with larger systems lack access to the necessary technical expertise, financial resources, and leverage with vendors to continue alone. Rural priority practices are particularly challenged, because expertise is often not available locally. Priority practices, especially in rural areas, are at high risk for falling on the wrong side of a "digital divide" as payers and regulators enact increasing expectations for EHR use and information management. For those without affiliation to maintain the necessary expert staff, ongoing support will be needed for those practices to remain viable. © 2015 Annals of Family Medicine, Inc.

The devil is in the detail: tobacco industry political influence in the Dutch implementation of the 2001 EU Tobacco Products Directive.

PubMed

Lie, Jessamina Lih Yan; Willemsen, Marc C; de Vries, Nanne K; Fooks, Gary

2016-09-01

The Dutch implementation of the black border provision in the 2001 European Union Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) is studied to examine the implications of tobacco industry involvement in the implementation phase of the policy process. A qualitative analysis was conducted of Dutch government documents obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests, triangulated with in-depth interviews with key informants and secondary data sources (publicly available government documents, scientific literature, and news articles). Tobacco manufacturers' associations were given the opportunity to set implementation specifications via a fast-track deal with the government. The offer of early implementation of the labelling section of the TPD was used as political leverage by the industry, and underpinned by threats of litigation and arguments highlighting the risks of additional public costs and the benefits to the government of expediency and speed. Ultimately, the government agreed to the industry's interpretation, against the advice of the European Commission. The findings highlight the policy risks associated with corporate actors' ability to use interactions over technical product specifications to influence the implementation of health policy and illustrate the difficulties in limiting industry interference in accordance with Article 5.3 of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). The implementation phase is particularly vulnerable to industry influence, where negotiation with industry actors may be unavoidable and the practical implications of relatively technical considerations are not always apparent to policymakers. During the implementation of the new TPD 2014/40/EU, government officials are advised to take a proactive role in stipulating technical specifications. 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/

Non-technical skills of surgical trainees and experienced surgeons.

PubMed

Gostlow, H; Marlow, N; Thomas, M J W; Hewett, P J; Kiermeier, A; Babidge, W; Altree, M; Pena, G; Maddern, G

2017-05-01

In addition to technical expertise, surgical competence requires effective non-technical skills to ensure patient safety and maintenance of standards. Recently the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons implemented a new Surgical Education and Training (SET) curriculum that incorporated non-technical skills considered essential for a competent surgeon. This study sought to compare the non-technical skills of experienced surgeons who completed their training before the introduction of SET with the non-technical skills of more recent trainees. Surgical trainees and experienced surgeons undertook a simulated scenario designed to challenge their non-technical skills. Scenarios were video recorded and participants were assessed using the Non-Technical Skills for Surgeons (NOTSS) scoring system. Participants were divided into subgroups according to years of experience and their NOTSS scores were compared. For most NOTSS elements, mean scores increased initially, peaking around the time of Fellowship, before decreasing roughly linearly over time. There was a significant downward trend in score with increasing years since being awarded Fellowship for six of the 12 NOTSS elements: considering options (score -0·015 units per year), implementing and reviewing decisions (-0·020 per year), establishing a shared understanding (-0·014 per year), setting and maintaining standards (-0·024 per year), supporting others (-0·031 per year) and coping with pressure (-0·015 per year). The drop in NOTSS score was unexpected and highlights that even experienced surgeons are not immune to deficiencies in non-technical skills. Consideration should be given to continuing professional development programmes focusing on non-technical skills, regardless of the level of professional experience. © 2017 BJS Society Ltd Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Pharmacist Staffing, Technology Use, and Implementation of Medication Safety Practices in Rural Hospitals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Casey, Michelle M.; Moscovice, Ira S.; Davidson, Gestur

2006-01-01

Context: Medication safety is clearly an important quality issue for rural hospitals. However, rural hospitals face special challenges implementing medication safety practices in terms of their staffing and financial and technical resources. Purpose: This study assessed the capacity of small rural hospitals to implement medication safety…

78 FR 5860 - Eighth Meeting: RTCA Next Gen Advisory Committee (NAC)

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-28

...] Preliminary report to identify and mitigate barriers to implementing PBN. Issues associated with Implementing RNAV/RNP [cir] An open discussion by the Committee of Non-technical barriers of PBN procedures... NextGen. Cat Ex 2 Task Group [cir] Preliminary report on the recommendation for implementing new...

37 CFR 5.18 - Arms, ammunition, and implements of war.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 37 Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Arms, ammunition, and... APPLICATIONS IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES Licenses for Foreign Exporting and Filing § 5.18 Arms, ammunition, and implements of war. (a) The exportation of technical data relating to arms, ammunition, and implements of war...

37 CFR 5.18 - Arms, ammunition, and implements of war.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 37 Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Arms, ammunition, and... APPLICATIONS IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES Licenses for Foreign Exporting and Filing § 5.18 Arms, ammunition, and implements of war. (a) The exportation of technical data relating to arms, ammunition, and implements of war...

37 CFR 5.18 - Arms, ammunition, and implements of war.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 37 Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Arms, ammunition, and... APPLICATIONS IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES Licenses for Foreign Exporting and Filing § 5.18 Arms, ammunition, and implements of war. (a) The exportation of technical data relating to arms, ammunition, and implements of war...

37 CFR 5.18 - Arms, ammunition, and implements of war.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 37 Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Arms, ammunition, and... APPLICATIONS IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES Licenses for Foreign Exporting and Filing § 5.18 Arms, ammunition, and implements of war. (a) The exportation of technical data relating to arms, ammunition, and implements of war...

The Implementation of Program Evaluation Recommendations in Wisconsin Technical Colleges.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ruhland, Sheila K.

Implementation of program evaluation recommendations should persuade people that the rewards of an evaluation outweigh the reasons for resistance. A study was undertaken with the following purposes: identify facilitators and barriers to the implementation of program evaluation; determine the proportion of recommendations made in each of the nine…

Case Studies - Creating a Digital Marketspace Presence: Lessons in Extranet Implementation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Angeles, Rebecca

2001-01-01

This study seeks a practical understanding of the business, organizational, and technical components of and implementation guidelines needed to effectively deploy extranets. It aims to establish a basic conceptual framework for understanding extranet implementation guidelines. Provides a specific case using VF Playwear, Inc.'s HealthTexbtob.com, a…

Implementation of technology for rapid field detection of sulfate and organic content in soils : technical report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-06-01

The protocol using the Veris 3150 for determination of sulfate-rich soils has been implemented to two fullscale : projects in Dallas and Paris Districts. The determination of organic-rich soil was not implemented in this project : due to the unavaila...

Mode Selection Techniques in Variable Mass Flexible Body Modeling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Quiocho, Leslie J.; Ghosh, Tushar K.; Frenkel, David; Huynh, An

2010-01-01

In developing a flexible body spacecraft simulation for the Launch Abort System of the Orion vehicle, when a rapid mass depletion takes place, the dynamics problem with time varying eigenmodes had to be addressed. Three different techniques were implemented, with different trade-offs made between performance and fidelity. A number of technical issues had to be solved in the process. This paper covers the background of the variable mass flexibility problem, the three approaches to simulating it, and the technical issues that were solved in formulating and implementing them.

Practical lessons in remote connectivity.

PubMed Central

Kouroubali, A.; Starren, J.; Barrows, R. C.; Clayton, P. D.

1997-01-01

Community Health Information Networks (CHINs) require the ability to provide computer network connections to many remote sites. During the implementation of the Washington Heights and Inwood Community Health Management Information System (WHICHIS) at the Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center (CPMC), a number of remote connectivity issues have been encountered. Both technical and non-technical issues were significant during the installation. We developed a work-flow model for this process which may be helpful to any health care institution attempting to provide seamless remote connectivity. This model is presented and implementation lessons are discussed. PMID:9357643

Technical implementation of an Internet address database with online maintenance module.

PubMed

Mischke, K L; Bollmann, F; Ehmer, U

2002-01-01

The article describes the technical implementation and management of the Internet address database of the center for ZMK (University of Münster, Dental School) Münster, which is integrated in the "ZMK-Web" website. The editorially maintained system guarantees its topicality primarily due to the electronically organized division of work with the aid of an online maintenance module programmed in JavaScript/PHP, as well as a database-related feedback function for the visitor to the website through configuration-independent direct mail windows programmed in JavaScript/PHP.

Managing change: an overview.

PubMed

Lorenzi, N M; Riley, R T

2000-01-01

As increasingly powerful informatics systems are designed, developed, and implemented, they inevitably affect larger, more heterogeneous groups of people and more organizational areas. In turn, the major challenges to system success are often more behavioral than technical. Successfully introducing such systems into complex health care organizations requires an effective blend of good technical and good organizational skills. People who have low psychological ownership in a system and who vigorously resist its implementation can bring a "technically best" system to its knees. However, effective leadership can sharply reduce the behavioral resistance to change-including to new technologies-to achieve a more rapid and productive introduction of informatics technology. This paper looks at four major areas-why information system failures occur, the core theories supporting change management, the practical applications of change management, and the change management efforts in informatics.

The Interactive Electronic Technical Manual: Requirements, Current Status, and Implementation. Strategy Considerations.

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-07-01

authoring systems. Concurrently, great strides in computer-aided design and computer-aided maintenance have contributed to this capability. 12 Junod ...J.; William A. Nugent; and L. John Junod . Plan for the Navy/Air Force Test of the Interactive Electronic Technical Manual (IETM) at Cecil Field...AFHRL Logistics and Human Factors Division, WPAFB. Aug 1990. 12. Junod , John L. PY90 Interactive Electronic Technical Manual (IETM) Portable Delivery

Implementing PlanCheyenne: Strategies and Opportunities for Smarter Growth in Cheyenne

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This report is from a technical assistance project with Cheyenne, WY, to identify policy options that would implement PlanCheyenne and illustrate development that would help to achieve the community's goals.

45 CFR 164.312 - Technical safeguards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... or use electronic protected health information. (c)(1) Standard: Integrity. Implement policies and...) Implementation specification: Mechanism to authenticate electronic protected health information (Addressable... Public Welfare DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES ADMINISTRATIVE DATA STANDARDS AND RELATED...

45 CFR 164.312 - Technical safeguards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... or use electronic protected health information. (c)(1) Standard: Integrity. Implement policies and...) Implementation specification: Mechanism to authenticate electronic protected health information (Addressable... Public Welfare DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES ADMINISTRATIVE DATA STANDARDS AND RELATED...

User acceptability--a critical success factor for picture archiving and communication system implementation.

PubMed

Crivianu-Gaita, D; Babyn, P; Gilday, D; O'Brien, B; Charkot, E

2000-05-01

The Department of Diagnostic Imaging at the Hospital for Sick Children (HSC), Toronto, implemented a picture archiving and communication system (PACS) during the last year. This report describes our experience from the point of view of user acceptability. Based on objective data, the following key success factors were identified: user involvement in PACS planning, training, technical support, and rollout of pilot projects. Although technical factors are critical and must be addressed, the main conclusion of our study is that other nontechnical factors need to be recognized and resolved. Recognition of the importance of these factors to user acceptance and clear communication and consultation will help reduce negative user attitudes and increase the chance of a successful PACS implementation.

Light Meets Water in Nonlocal Media: Surface Tension Analogue in Optics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horikis, Theodoros P.; Frantzeskakis, Dimitrios J.

2017-06-01

Shallow water wave phenomena find their analogue in optics through a nonlocal nonlinear Schrödinger (NLS) model in 2 +1 dimensions. We identify an analogue of surface tension in optics, namely, a single parameter depending on the degree of nonlocality, which changes the sign of dispersion, much like surface tension does in the shallow water wave problem. Using multiscale expansions, we reduce the NLS model to a Kadomtsev-Petviashvili (KP) equation, which is of the KPII (KPI) type, for strong (weak) nonlocality. We demonstrate the emergence of robust optical antidark solitons forming Y -, X -, and H -shaped wave patterns, which are approximated by colliding KPII line solitons, similar to those observed in shallow waters.

Light Meets Water in Nonlocal Media: Surface Tension Analogue in Optics.

PubMed

Horikis, Theodoros P; Frantzeskakis, Dimitrios J

2017-06-16

Shallow water wave phenomena find their analogue in optics through a nonlocal nonlinear Schrödinger (NLS) model in 2+1 dimensions. We identify an analogue of surface tension in optics, namely, a single parameter depending on the degree of nonlocality, which changes the sign of dispersion, much like surface tension does in the shallow water wave problem. Using multiscale expansions, we reduce the NLS model to a Kadomtsev-Petviashvili (KP) equation, which is of the KPII (KPI) type, for strong (weak) nonlocality. We demonstrate the emergence of robust optical antidark solitons forming Y-, X-, and H-shaped wave patterns, which are approximated by colliding KPII line solitons, similar to those observed in shallow waters.

Penguin Decays of B Mesons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lingel, Karen; Skwarnicki, Tomasz; Smith, James G.

Penguin, or loop, decays of B mesons induce effective flavor-changing neutral currents, which are forbidden at tree level in the standard model. These decays give special insight into the CKM matrix and are sensitive to non-standard-model effects. In this review, we give a historical and theoretical introduction to penguins and a description of the various types of penguin processes: electromagnetic, electroweak, and gluonic. We review the experimental searches for penguin decays, including the measurements of the electromagnetic penguins b -> sgamma and B -> K*gamma and gluonic penguins B -> Kpi, B+ -> omegaK+ and B -> eta'K, and their implications for the standard model and new physics. We conclude by exploring the future prospects for penguin physics.

Efficient solar-assisted O2 reduction by a cofacial iron porphyrin dimer integrated to a p-CuBi2O4 photocathode prepared by a simple novel method.

PubMed

Zahran, Zaki N; Mohamed, Eman A; Naruta, Yoshinori; Haleem, Ashraf

2017-10-04

A cofacial iron porphyrin hetero-dimer, Fe2TPFPP-TMP showed high electro-catalytic activity, selectivity, and stability for the O2 reduction to H2O both in homogeneous non-aqueous and heterogeneous neutral aqueous solutions. Moreover, when it is integrated to FTO/p-CuBi2O4 (FTO = fluorine doped tin oxide) photocathode prepared by a simple novel method, a remarkable efficient solar-assisted O2 reduction is achieved in neutral potassium phosphate (KPi) or basic NaOH solutions saturated with O2. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Observation of orbitally excited B(s) mesons.

PubMed

Aaltonen, T; Abulencia, A; Adelman, J; Akimoto, T; Albrow, M G; Alvarez González, B; Amerio, S; Amidei, D; Anastassov, A; Annovi, A; Antos, J; Apollinari, G; Apresyan, A; Arisawa, T; Artikov, A; Ashmanskas, W; Attal, A; Aurisano, A; Azfar, F; Azzi-Bacchetta, P; Azzurri, P; Bacchetta, N; Badgett, W; Barbaro-Galtieri, A; Barnes, V E; Barnett, B A; Baroiant, S; Bartsch, V; Bauer, G; Beauchemin, P-H; Bedeschi, F; Bednar, P; Behari, S; Bellettini, G; Bellinger, J; Belloni, A; Benjamin, D; Beretvas, A; Beringer, J; Berry, T; Bhatti, A; Binkley, M; Bisello, D; Bizjak, I; Blair, R E; Blocker, C; Blumenfeld, B; Bocci, A; Bodek, A; Boisvert, V; Bolla, G; Bolshov, A; Bortoletto, D; Boudreau, J; Boveia, A; Brau, B; Brigliadori, L; Bromberg, C; Brubaker, E; Budagov, J; Budd, H S; Budd, S; Burkett, K; Busetto, G; Bussey, P; Buzatu, A; Byrum, K L; Cabrera, S; Campanelli, M; Campbell, M; Canelli, F; Canepa, A; Carlsmith, D; Carosi, R; Carrillo, S; Carron, S; Casal, B; Casarsa, M; Castro, A; Catastini, P; Cauz, D; Cavalli-Sforza, M; Cerri, A; Cerrito, L; Chang, S H; Chen, Y C; Chertok, M; Chiarelli, G; Chlachidze, G; Chlebana, F; Cho, K; Chokheli, D; Chou, J P; Choudalakis, G; Chuang, S H; Chung, K; Chung, W H; Chung, Y S; Ciobanu, C I; Ciocci, M A; Clark, A; Clark, D; Compostella, G; Convery, M E; Conway, J; Cooper, B; Copic, K; Cordelli, M; Cortiana, G; Crescioli, F; Cuenca Almenar, C; Cuevas, J; Culbertson, R; Cully, J C; Dagenhart, D; Datta, M; Davies, T; de Barbaro, P; De Cecco, S; Deisher, A; De Lentdecker, G; De Lorenzo, G; Dell'orso, M; Demortier, L; Deng, J; Deninno, M; De Pedis, D; Derwent, P F; Di Giovanni, G P; Dionisi, C; Di Ruzza, B; Dittmann, J R; D'Onofrio, M; Donati, S; Dong, P; Donini, J; Dorigo, T; Dube, S; Efron, J; Erbacher, R; Errede, D; Errede, S; Eusebi, R; Fang, H C; Farrington, S; Fedorko, W T; Feild, R G; Feindt, M; Fernandez, J P; Ferrazza, C; Field, R; Flanagan, G; Forrest, R; Forrester, S; Franklin, M; Freeman, J C; Furic, I; Gallinaro, M; Galyardt, J; Garberson, F; Garcia, J E; Garfinkel, A F; Gerberich, H; Gerdes, D; Giagu, S; Giannetti, P; Gibson, K; Gimmell, J L; Ginsburg, C M; Giokaris, N; Giordani, M; Giromini, P; Giunta, M; Glagolev, V; Glenzinski, D; Gold, M; Goldschmidt, N; Golossanov, A; Gomez, G; Gomez-Ceballos, G; Goncharov, M; González, O; Gorelov, I; Goshaw, A T; Goulianos, K; Gresele, A; Grinstein, S; Grosso-Pilcher, C; Grundler, U; Guimaraes da Costa, J; Gunay-Unalan, Z; Haber, C; Hahn, K; Hahn, S R; Halkiadakis, E; Hamilton, A; Han, B-Y; Han, J Y; Handler, R; Happacher, F; Hara, K; Hare, D; Hare, M; Harper, S; Harr, R F; Harris, R M; Hartz, M; Hatakeyama, K; Hauser, J; Hays, C; Heck, M; Heijboer, A; Heinemann, B; Heinrich, J; Henderson, C; Herndon, M; Heuser, J; Hewamanage, S; Hidas, D; Hill, C S; Hirschbuehl, D; Hocker, A; Hou, S; Houlden, M; Hsu, S-C; Huffman, B T; Hughes, R E; Husemann, U; Huston, J; Incandela, J; Introzzi, G; Iori, M; Ivanov, A; Iyutin, B; James, E; Jayatilaka, B; Jeans, D; Jeon, E J; Jindariani, S; Johnson, W; Jones, M; Joo, K K; Jun, S Y; Jung, J E; Junk, T R; Kamon, T; Kar, D; Karchin, P E; Kato, Y; Kephart, R; Kerzel, U; Khotilovich, V; Kilminster, B; Kim, D H; Kim, H S; Kim, J E; Kim, M J; Kim, S B; Kim, S H; Kim, Y K; Kimura, N; Kirsch, L; Klimenko, S; Klute, M; Knuteson, B; Ko, B R; Koay, S A; Kondo, K; Kong, D J; Konigsberg, J; Korytov, A; Kotwal, A V; Kraus, J; Kreps, M; Kroll, J; Krumnack, N; Kruse, M; Krutelyov, V; Kubo, T; Kuhlmann, S E; Kuhr, T; Kulkarni, N P; Kusakabe, Y; Kwang, S; Laasanen, A T; Lai, S; Lami, S; Lammel, S; Lancaster, M; Lander, R L; Lannon, K; Lath, A; Latino, G; Lazzizzera, I; Lecompte, T; Lee, J; Lee, J; Lee, Y J; Lee, S W; Lefèvre, R; Leonardo, N; Leone, S; Levy, S; Lewis, J D; Lin, C; Lin, C S; Lindgren, M; Lipeles, E; Lister, A; Litvintsev, D O; Liu, T; Lockyer, N S; Loginov, A; Loreti, M; Lovas, L; Lu, R-S; Lucchesi, D; Lueck, J; Luci, C; Lujan, P; Lukens, P; Lungu, G; Lyons, L; Lys, J; Lysak, R; Lytken, E; Mack, P; Macqueen, D; Madrak, R; Maeshima, K; Makhoul, K; Maki, T; Maksimovic, P; Malde, S; Malik, S; Manca, G; Manousakis, A; Margaroli, F; Marino, C; Marino, C P; Martin, A; Martin, M; Martin, V; Martínez, M; Martínez-Ballarín, R; Maruyama, T; Mastrandrea, P; Masubuchi, T; Mattson, M E; Mazzanti, P; McFarland, K S; McIntyre, P; McNulty, R; Mehta, A; Mehtala, P; Menzemer, S; Menzione, A; Merkel, P; Mesropian, C; Messina, A; Miao, T; Miladinovic, N; Miles, J; Miller, R; Mills, C; Milnik, M; Mitra, A; Mitselmakher, G; Miyake, H; Moed, S; Moggi, N; Moon, C S; Moore, R; Morello, M; Movilla Fernandez, P; Mülmenstädt, J; Mukherjee, A; Muller, Th; Mumford, R; Murat, P; Mussini, M; Nachtman, J; Nagai, Y; Nagano, A; Naganoma, J; Nakamura, K; Nakano, I; Napier, A; Necula, V; Neu, C; Neubauer, M S; Nielsen, J; Nodulman, L; Norman, M; Norniella, O; Nurse, E; Oh, S H; Oh, Y D; Oksuzian, I; Okusawa, T; Oldeman, R; Orava, R; Osterberg, K; Pagan Griso, S; Pagliarone, C; Palencia, E; Papadimitriou, V; Papaikonomou, A; Paramonov, A A; Parks, B; Pashapour, S; Patrick, J; Pauletta, G; Paulini, M; Paus, C; Pellett, D E; Penzo, A; Phillips, T J; Piacentino, G; Piedra, J; Pinera, L; Pitts, K; Plager, C; Pondrom, L; Portell, X; Poukhov, O; Pounder, N; Prakoshyn, F; Pronko, A; Proudfoot, J; Ptohos, F; Punzi, G; Pursley, J; Rademacker, J; Rahaman, A; Ramakrishnan, V; Ranjan, N; Redondo, I; Reisert, B; Rekovic, V; Renton, P; Rescigno, M; Richter, S; Rimondi, F; Ristori, L; Robson, A; Rodrigo, T; Rogers, E; Rolli, S; Roser, R; Rossi, M; Rossin, R; Roy, P; Ruiz, A; Russ, J; Rusu, V; Saarikko, H; Safonov, A; Sakumoto, W K; Salamanna, G; Saltó, O; Santi, L; Sarkar, S; Sartori, L; Sato, K; Savard, P; Savoy-Navarro, A; Scheidle, T; Schlabach, P; Schmidt, E E; Schmidt, M A; Schmidt, M P; Schmitt, M; Schwarz, T; Scodellaro, L; Scott, A L; Scribano, A; Scuri, F; Sedov, A; Seidel, S; Seiya, Y; Semenov, A; Sexton-Kennedy, L; Sfyrla, A; Shalhout, S Z; Shapiro, M D; Shears, T; Shepard, P F; Sherman, D; Shimojima, M; Shochet, M; Shon, Y; Shreyber, I; Sidoti, A; Sinervo, P; Sisakyan, A; Slaughter, A J; Slaunwhite, J; Sliwa, K; Smith, J R; Snider, F D; Snihur, R; Soderberg, M; Soha, A; Somalwar, S; Sorin, V; Spalding, J; Spinella, F; Spreitzer, T; Squillacioti, P; Stanitzki, M; St Denis, R; Stelzer, B; Stelzer-Chilton, O; Stentz, D; Strologas, J; Stuart, D; Suh, J S; Sukhanov, A; Sun, H; Suslov, I; Suzuki, T; Taffard, A; Takashima, R; Takeuchi, Y; Tanaka, R; Tecchio, M; Teng, P K; Terashi, K; Thom, J; Thompson, A S; Thompson, G A; Thomson, E; Tipton, P; Tiwari, V; Tkaczyk, S; Toback, D; Tokar, S; Tollefson, K; Tomura, T; Tonelli, D; Torre, S; Torretta, D; Tourneur, S; Trischuk, W; Tu, Y; Turini, N; Ukegawa, F; Uozumi, S; Vallecorsa, S; van Remortel, N; Varganov, A; Vataga, E; Vázquez, F; Velev, G; Vellidis, C; Veszpremi, V; Vidal, M; Vidal, R; Vila, I; Vilar, R; Vine, T; Vogel, M; Volobouev, I; Volpi, G; Würthwein, F; Wagner, P; Wagner, R G; Wagner, R L; Wagner, J; Wagner, W; Wakisaka, T; Wallny, R; Wang, S M; Warburton, A; Waters, D; Weinberger, M; Wester, W C; Whitehouse, B; Whiteson, D; Wicklund, A B; Wicklund, E; Williams, G; Williams, H H; Wilson, P; Winer, B L; Wittich, P; Wolbers, S; Wolfe, C; Wright, T; Wu, X; Wynne, S M; Yagil, A; Yamamoto, K; Yamaoka, J; Yamashita, T; Yang, C; Yang, U K; Yang, Y C; Yao, W M; Yeh, G P; Yoh, J; Yorita, K; Yoshida, T; Yu, G B; Yu, I; Yu, S S; Yun, J C; Zanello, L; Zanetti, A; Zaw, I; Zhang, X; Zheng, Y; Zucchelli, S

2008-02-29

We report the observation of two narrow resonances consistent with states of orbitally excited (L=1) B_(s) mesons using 1 fb;(-1) of pp[over ] collisions at sqrt[s]=1.96 TeV collected with the Collider Detector at Fermilab II detector at the Fermilab Tevatron. We use two-body decays into K- and B+ mesons reconstructed as B(+)-->J/psiK(+), J/psi-->mu(+)mu(-) or B(+)-->D[over ](0)pi(+), D[over ](0)-->K(+)pi(-). We deduce the masses of the two states to be m(B_(s1))=5829.4+/-0.7 MeV/c(2) and m(B_(s2);(*))=5839.6+/-0.7 MeV/c;(2).

Strategies for Internationalisation at Technical Universities in the Nordic Countries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kristensen, Katrine Hahn; Karlsen, Jan Erik

2018-01-01

This article investigates strategies for internationalisation at technical universities in the Nordic countries. The study explores the institutional rationales for internationalisation, the stories told in the strategy documents, the importance of leaders, faculty, administration and students for implementation of the strategy, and barriers and…

48 CFR 245.7002 - Duties and responsibilities of plant clearance officers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... clearance cases and disposal documents; (e) Initiate screening and provide technical support to screeners in...) Technical and quantitative allocability of property; (g) Ensure the timely shipment or release by the... are minimized and, when necessary, work with the contractor and property administrator to implement...

Joint Common Architecture Demonstration (JCA Demo) Final Report

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-07-28

approach for implementing open systems [16], formerly known as the Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA). OSA is a business and technical strategy to... TECHNICAL REPORT RDMR-AD-16-01 JOINT COMMON ARCHITECTURE DEMONSTRATION (JCA DEMO) FINAL REPORT Scott A. Wigginton... Modular Avionics .......................................................................... 5 E. Model-Based Engineering

PISA 2012 Technical Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

OECD Publishing, 2014

2014-01-01

The "PISA 2012 Technical Report" describes the methodology underlying the PISA 2012 survey, which tested 15-year-olds' competencies in mathematics, reading and science and, in some countries, problem solving and financial literacy. It examines the design and implementation of the project at a level of detail that allows researchers to…

Fact Sheet: A Technical Guide to Ground-Water Model Selection at Sites Contaminated with Radioactive Substances

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This fact sheet summarizes the findings of a report drafted by a joint Interagency Environmental Pathway Modeling Working Group. It is to be used by technical staff responsible for implementing flow and transport models to support cleanup decisions.

Materials and Processes Technology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ritz, John M.; And Others

This instructional resource guide is intended to assist the industrial arts (IA) teacher in implementing a comprehensive materials and Processes Technology program at the technical level in Virginia high schools. The course is designed to help students make informed educational and occupational choices and prepare them for advanced technical or…

ERCMExpress. Volume 1, Issue 1

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

US Department of Education, 2005

2005-01-01

This is the inaugural issue of the Emergency Response and Crisis Management (ERCM) Technical Assistance Center's "ERCMExpress," and it focuses on the new technical assistance center. The center will support 243 grantees funded under the Emergency Response and Crisis Management program in managing and implementing their projects, and in sustaining…

Wisconsin's Nursing Alignment Idea is Catching On

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jorgensen, Haley

2005-01-01

Faculty and administrators from each of Wisconsin's 16 technical colleges recently implemented a collaborative curriculum development project focused on alleviating the state's nursing shortage. Beginning last fall, learners could enroll in a statewide, "one-plus-one" nursing program at any one of Wisconsin's 16 technical colleges.…

Technical Report on Tele-Communications.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

San Mateo County PACE Center, Redwood City, CA.

To provide background material for those interested in tele-communication in education and for those planning to implement such programs in their schools, a research study was conducted to gather information from a variety of sources including educational and technical experts, conference participation, visits to schools conducting projects, and…

Vocational Outreach Involving Community Exchange (VOICE). Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huckabee, Johnni

A Jonesboro, Arkansas project was designed and implemented to increase the awareness of vocational education, increase community support and involvement in vocational education, and establish improved communication in the vocational-technical education field. Interaction between the vocational-technical school and the local school community was a…

Tank waste remediation system immobilized high-level waste storage project configuration management implementation plan

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

Burgard, K.G.

This Configuration Management Implementation Plan was developed to assist in the management of systems, structures, and components, to facilitate the effective control and statusing of changes to systems, structures, and components; and to ensure technical consistency between design, performance, and operational requirements. Its purpose is to describe the approach Project W-464 will take in implementing a configuration management control, to determine the rigor of control, and to identify the mechanisms for imposing that control.This Configuration Management Implementation Plan was developed to assist in the management of systems, structures, and components, to facilitate the effective control and statusing of changes tomore » systems, structures, and components; and to ensure technical consistency between design, performance, and operational requirements. Its purpose is to describe the approach Project W-464 will take in implementing a configuration management control, to determine the rigor of control, and to identify the mechanisms for imposing that control.« less

System-wide lean implementation in health care: A multiple case study.

PubMed

Centauri, Federica; Mazzocato, Pamela; Villa, Stefano; Marsilio, Marta

2018-05-01

Background Lean practices have been widely used by health care organizations to meet efficiency, performance and quality improvement needs. The lean health care literature shows that the effective implementation of lean requires a holistic system-wide approach. However, there is still limited evidence on what drives effective system-wide lean implementation in health care. The existing literature suggests that a deeper understanding of how lean interventions interact with the organizational context is necessary to identify the critical variables to successfully sustain system-wide lean strategies. Purpose and methodology: A multiple case study of three Italian hospitals is conducted with the aim to explore the organizational conditions that are relevant for an effective system-wide lean implementation. A conceptual framework, built on socio-technical system schemas, is used to guide data collection and analysis. The analysis points out the importance to support lean implementation with an integrated and coordinated strategy involving the social, technical, and external components of the overall hospital system.

The French Space Operation Act: Scope and Main Features. Introduction to the Technical Regulation Considerations about the Implementation in the Launcher Field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cahuzac, Francois

2010-09-01

This publication provides a presentation of the new French Space Operation Act(hereafter FSOA). The main objectives of FSOA are to institute a clarified legal regime for launch operations. The technical regulation associated to the act is set forth, in particular for the safety of persons and property, the protection of public health and the environment. First, we give an overview of the institutional and legal framework implemented in accordance with the act. The general purpose of this French Space Operation Act(hereafter FSOA) is to set up a coherent national regime of authorization and control of Space operations under the French jurisdiction or for which the French Government bears international liability either under UN Treaties principles(namely the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, the 1972 Liability Convention and the 1976 Registration Convention) or in accordance with its European commitments with the ESA organization and its Members States. For a given space operation, the operator must show that systems and procedures that he intends to implement are compliant with the technical regulation. The regime of authorization leads to a request of authorization for each launch operation. Thus, licences concerning operator management organization or a given space system can be obtained. These licences help to simplify the authorization file required for a given space operation. The technical regulation is presented in another article, and will be issued in 2010 by the French Minister in charge of space activities. A brief description of the organization associated to the implementation of the authorization regime in the launcher field is presented.

Evaluation of pavement surface friction treatments : [technical summary].

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-01-01

The implementation of a pavement preservation program involves a learning curve with not only a determination to succeed, but also the courage to fail. Successful implementation of pavement preservation program requires knowledge of the performance o...

Programs of Study as a State Policy Mandate: A Longitudinal Study of the South Carolina Personal Pathways to Success Initiative. Technical Appendix A: Implementation of the Education and Economic Development Act

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hammond, Cathy; Drew, Sam F.; Withington, Cairen; Griffith, Cathy; Swiger, Caroline M.; Mobley, Catherine; Sharp, Julia L.; Stringfield, Samuel C.; Stipanovic, Natalie; Daugherty, Lindsay

2013-01-01

This Technical Appendix is part of the report from the National Research Center for Career and Technical Education's (NRCCTE's) five-year longitudinal study of South Carolina's Personal Pathway to Success initiative, which was authorized by the state's Education and Economic Development Act (EEDA) in 2005. NRCCTE-affiliated researchers at the…

Spacelab user implementation assessment study. (Software requirements analysis). Volume 2: Technical report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1976-01-01

The engineering analyses and evaluation studies conducted for the Software Requirements Analysis are discussed. Included are the development of the study data base, synthesis of implementation approaches for software required by both mandatory onboard computer services and command/control functions, and identification and implementation of software for ground processing activities.

Assessment of Egyptian Agricultural Technical School Instructors' Ability to Implement Experiential Learning Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barrick, R. Kirby; Samy, Mohamed M.; Roberts, T. Grady; Thoron, Andrew C.; Easterly, R. G., III

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to assess the perceptions of ATS instructors in Egypt related to implementing experiential learning in the form of internships. In July 2007, 90 ATS instructors attended workshops focused on conducting internship experiences. Self-perceived competency of ATS instructors to implement internships was assessed…

The Role of National Industry-Based Skill Standards in the Development, Implementation, and Assessment of Community College Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aragon, Steven R.; Woo, Hui-Jeong; Marvel, Matthew R.

2005-01-01

Using a descriptive survey design, a nationally representative sample of community college career and technical deans were asked to complete a questionnaire that assessed awareness and implementation of industry-based skill standards. For those institutions implementing industry-based skill standards, the questionnaire sought additional…

The Self-Schedule System for Instructional-Learning Management in Adaptive School Learning Environments.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Margaret C., Ed.

The studies in this monograph are designed to examine the implementation processes of an innovative instructional program and the relationship between the implementation process and the achievement of certain program goals in school settings. The monograph is a contribution to the technical aspects of designing and implementing innovative…

Integrating Spatial Components into FIA Models of Forest Resources: Some Technical Aspects

Treesearch

Pat Terletzky; Tracey Frescino

2005-01-01

We examined two software packages to determine their feasibility of implementing spatially explicit, forest resource models that integrate Forest Inventory and Analysis data (FIA). ARCINFO and Interactive Data Language (IDL) were examined for their input requirements, speed of processing, storage requirements, and flexibility of implementing. Implementations of two...

[Implementation of the technical requirements of the UNE-EN-ISO 15189 quality standard in a mycobacterial laboratory].

PubMed

Guna Serrano, M del Remedio; Ocete Mochón, M Dolores; Lahiguera, M José; Bresó, M Carmen; Gimeno Cardona, Concepción

2013-02-01

The UNE-EN-ISO 15189:2007 standard defines the requirements for quality and competence that must be met by medical laboratories. These laboratories should use this international standard to develop their own quality management systems and to evaluate their own competencies; in turn, this standard will be used by accreditation bodies to confirm or recognize the laboratories' competence. In clinical microbiology laboratories, application of the standard implies the implementation of the technical and specific management requirements that must be met to achieve optimal quality when carrying out microbiological tests. In Spain, accreditation is granted by the Spanish Accreditation Body (Entidad Nacional de Acreditación). This review aims to discuss the practical application of the standard's technical requirements in mycobacterial laboratory. Firstly, we define the scope of accreditation. Secondly, we specify how the items of the standard on personnel management, control of equipment, environmental facilities, method validation, internal controls and customer satisfaction surveys were developed and implemented in our laboratory. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.

Technical Assistance From State Health Departments for Communities Engaged in Policy, Systems, and Environmental Change: The ACHIEVE Program

PubMed Central

Hefelfinger, Jenny; Patty, Alice; Ussery, Ann

2013-01-01

Introduction This study assessed the value of technical assistance provided by state health department expert advisors and by the staff of the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD) to community groups that participated in the Action Communities for Health, Innovation, and Environmental Change (ACHIEVE) Program, a CDC-funded health promotion program. Methods We analyzed quantitative and qualitative data reported by community project coordinators to assess the nature and value of technical assistance provided by expert advisors and NACDD staff and the usefulness of ACHIEVE resources in the development and implementation of community action plans. A grounded theory approach was used to analyze and categorize phrases in text data provided by community coordinators. Open coding placed conceptual labels on text phrases. Frequency distributions of the quantitative data are described and discussed. Results The most valuable technical assistance and program support resources were those determined to be in the interpersonal domain (ie, interactions with state expert advisors, NACDD staff, and peer-to-peer support). The most valuable technical assistance events were action institutes, coaches’ meetings, webinars, and technical assistance conference calls. Conclusion This analysis suggests that ACHIEVE communities valued the management and training assistance provided by expert advisors and NACDD staff. State health department expert advisors provided technical guidance and support, including such skills or knowledge-based services as best-practice strategies, review and discussion of community assessment data, sustainability planning, and identification of possible funding opportunities. NACDD staff led development and implementation of technical assistance events. PMID:24157078

Implementing and Evaluating a National Certification Technical Skills Examination: The Colorectal Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skill.

PubMed

de Montbrun, Sandra; Roberts, Patricia L; Satterthwaite, Lisa; MacRae, Helen

2016-07-01

To implement the Colorectal Objective Structured Assessment of Technical skill (COSATS) into American Board of Colon and Rectal Surgery (ABCRS) certification and build evidence of validity for the interpretation of the scores of this high stakes assessment tool. Currently, technical skill assessment is not a formal component of board certification. With the technical demands of surgical specialties, documenting competence in technical skill at the time of certification with a valid tool is ideal. In September 2014, the COSATS was a mandatory component of ABCRS certification. Seventy candidates took the examination, with their performance evaluated by expert colorectal surgeons using a task-specific checklist, global rating scale, and overall performance scale. Passing scores were set and compared using 2 standard setting methodologies, using a compensatory and conjunctive model. Inter-rater reliability and the reliability of the pass/fail decision were calculated using Cronbach alpha and Subkoviak methodology, respectively. Overall COSATS scores and pass/fail status were compared with results on the ABCRS oral examination. The pass rate ranged from 85.7% to 90%. Inter-rater reliability (0.85) and reliability of the pass/fail decision (0.87 and 0.84) were high. A low positive correlation (r= 0.25) was seen between the COSATS and oral examination. All individuals who failed the COSATS passed the ABCRS oral examination. COSATS is the first technical skill examination used in national surgical board certification. This study suggests that the current certification process may be failing to identify individuals who have demonstrated technical deficiencies on this standardized assessment tool.

Practical implementation of the concept of converted electric vehicle with advanced traction and dynamic performance and environmental safety indicators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sidorov, K. M.; Yutt, V. E.; Grishchenko, A. G.; Golubchik, T. V.

2018-02-01

The objective of the work presented in this paper is to describe the implementation of the technical solutions have been developed, with regard to structure, composition, and characteristics, for an experimental prototype of an electric vehicle which has been converted from a conventional vehicle. The methodology of the study results is based on the practical implementation of the developed concept of the conversion of conventional vehicles into electric vehicles. The main components of electric propulsion system of the experimental prototype of electric vehicle are developed and manufactured on the basis of computational researches, taking into account the criteria and principles of conversion within the framework of presented work. The article describes a schematic and a design of power conversion and commutation electrical equipment, traction battery, electromechanical transmission. These results can serve as guidance material in the design and implementation of electric propulsion system (EPS) components of electric vehicles, facilitate the development of optimal technical solutions in the development and manufacture of vehicles, including those aimed at autonomy of operation and the use of perspective driver assistance systems. As part of this work, was suggested a rational structure for an electric vehicle experimental prototype, including technical performance characteristics of the components of EPS.

Seismic microzonation in Latin America and the Caribbean: social, cultural, economic and political aspects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murria, J.

2009-04-01

The lack of success, not to say failure, of seismic microzonation projects in the Latin America and Caribbean nations-and for that matter elsewhere in the world-should not be attributed to the lack of technical and scientific expertise of our engineers and scientists as there exists in our continent sufficient knowledge and information about the techniques and procedures that have been successfully used elsewhere in the world in the implementation of seismic microzonation projects. The main constrains to the implementation of seismic microzonation projects in Latin America and the Caribbean are of an economic, social, political, and cultural aspects rather than the purely scientific and engineering aspects. Another very important factor contributing to this lack of success has been the apparent failure of the scientific and technical community to convince decision makers (both official and private) that the sound implementation of seismic microzonation projects are a valid instrument to mitigate the negative effects that earthquakes have on the population, on the physical infrastructure and on the environment. An attempt will be made in this paper to analyze these "non technical" aspects and try to arrive at some conclusions as well as to some possible lines of action for the successful implementation of seismic microzonation projects in the seismic risk prone Latin American and Caribbean nations.

40 CFR 52.1690 - Small business technical and environmental compliance assistance program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... (CONTINUED) New York § 52.1690 Small business technical and environmental compliance assistance program. On January 11, 1993, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation submitted a plan for the... Assistance Program for incorporation in the New York state implementation plan. This plan meets the...

40 CFR 52.2732 - Small business technical and environmental compliance assistance program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... (CONTINUED) Puerto Rico § 52.2732 Small business technical and environmental compliance assistance program. On November 16, 1992, the Puerto Rico Environmental Quality Board submitted a plan for the... Assistance Program for incorporation in the Puerto Rico state implementation plan. This plan meets the...

40 CFR 52.2732 - Small business technical and environmental compliance assistance program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... (CONTINUED) Puerto Rico § 52.2732 Small business technical and environmental compliance assistance program. On November 16, 1992, the Puerto Rico Environmental Quality Board submitted a plan for the... Assistance Program for incorporation in the Puerto Rico state implementation plan. This plan meets the...

40 CFR 52.2732 - Small business technical and environmental compliance assistance program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... (CONTINUED) Puerto Rico § 52.2732 Small business technical and environmental compliance assistance program. On November 16, 1992, the Puerto Rico Environmental Quality Board submitted a plan for the... Assistance Program for incorporation in the Puerto Rico state implementation plan. This plan meets the...

78 FR 27883 - Approval and Promulgation of State Implementation Plans; State of Montana; Interstate Transport...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-13

... PM 2.5 NAAQS in other states. Modeling can be relied on when acceptable modeling technical analyses... on relevant data and factors. MDEQ's submission contains no technical analysis of potential... analysis relies on factors irrelevant to the 2006 PM 2.5 [[Page 27886

Physically Healthy and Ready to Learn. Technical Assistance Paper No. 1

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

US Department of Health and Human Services, Head Start Bureau, 2006

2006-01-01

This Technical Assistance Paper offers guidance to programs regarding the implementation of the "Head Start Program Performance Standards" on child health and developmental services, child health and safety, and child nutrition. The paper examines how physical health influences children's development and how child health and development…

Evaluating Instructor Technology Integration in Community and Technical Colleges: A Performance Evaluation Matrix

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Del Favero, Marietta; Hinson, Janice M.

2007-01-01

The press for implementing technology based instructional delivery systems in community and technical colleges is well documented. Yet faculty face numerous challenges in integrating technology into instruction (AL-Bataineh & Brooks, 2003; Groves & Zemel, 2000; Khoury, 1997). Stimulating faculty ownership in technology, diffusion of technology use…

PISA 2009 Technical Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

OECD Publishing (NJ1), 2012

2012-01-01

The "PISA 2009 Technical Report" describes the methodology underlying the PISA 2009 survey. It examines additional features related to the implementation of the project at a level of detail that allows researchers to understand and replicate its analyses. The reader will find a wealth of information on the test and sample design,…

78 FR 34264 - Technical Corrections to the HIPAA Privacy, Security, and Enforcement Rules

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-07

...-AA03 Technical Corrections to the HIPAA Privacy, Security, and Enforcement Rules AGENCY: Office for... corrections address certain inadvertent errors and omissions in the HIPAA Privacy, Security, and Enforcement... (HHS or ``the Department'') published a final rule to implement changes to the HIPAA Privacy, Security...

1976-1977 Johnson-O'Malley Technical Assistance Handbook.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leonard, Terry

Designed to provide a practical approach to the rules and regulations governing implementation of the American Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (PL 93-638) in conjunction with the Johnson-O'Malley Act (JOM), this technical assistance handbook is written in comic book style. Using straightforward language, this manual…

A Multisite Evaluation of Reading Is Fundamental: Technical Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parker, Ronald K.; And Others

Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) is a national program that seeks to motivate children to read. Implemented by local sponsors and aimed at disadvantaged groups, it offers participating children a wide selection of attractive paperbound books about interesting people, places, and events. The multisite evaluation discussed in this technical report…

Virtual Mechatronic/Robotic Laboratory--A Step Further in Distance Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Potkonjak, Veljko; Vukobratovi, Miomir; Jovanovi, Kosta; Medenica, Miroslav

2010-01-01

The implementation of the distance learning and e-learning in technical disciplines (like Mechanical and Electrical Engineering) is still far behind the grown practice in narrative disciplines (like Economy, management, etc.). This comes out from the fact that education in technical disciplines inevitably involves laboratory exercises and this…

Chicago Manufacturing Tech Prep. Fiscal Year 1991 Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chicago City Colleges, IL.

During its first year of development in 1991, the Chicago Manufacturing Technical Preparation (Tech Prep) Program established a plan for implementing an industry-driven, articulated 4-year manufacturing technology course of study that integrates applied academic courses with technical courses and meets industry hiring standards. The project…

75 FR 6185 - Information Collection Requirement; Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement; Rights in...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-02-08

...; Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement; Rights in Technical Data and Computer Software (OMB... 227.72, Rights in Computer Software and Computer Software Documentation, and related provisions and... rights in technical data and computer software. DoD needs this information to implement 10 U.S.C. 2320...

Planning and Implementing Technical Services Workstations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaplan, Michael, Ed.

The job of the library cataloger has grown increasingly complex. Catalogers must draw from a vast pool of dynamic information as they handle traditional and new forms of media. Technical Services Workstations (TSWs) provide catalogers the network data, application programs, and standard hardware required to catalog all types of media quickly and…

Women in Technical Education. Annual Report 1990-91.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Texas State Technical Coll., Waco.

First-year activities of Women in Technical Education, a project to develop a model for women in that field, were evaluated. A formative evaluation showed that intense development and implementation activity enabled achievement of first-year goals and objectives during the 1990-91 year. Procedures to accomplish objectives were effective.…

Evaluation of Title I ESEA Projects, 1976-77: Technical Reports. Report #77140.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Philadelphia School District, PA. Office of Research and Evaluation.

This volume compiles technical reports of Title I Elementary and Secondary Education Act project evaluations conducted during the 1976-77 academic year in the school district of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The reports include rationale, expected outcomes, mode of operation, previous evaluative findings, current implementation, and attainment of…

Internship. A Cooperative Effort. Vocational Education and Arkansas Industry.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parks, Beverly; Summers, Gerry

Intended to assist staff members at vocational-technical schools in developing an internship program, this guide includes explanations of the Internship Project at Petit Jean Vocational Technical School (Arkansas) and sample forms. Prefaced materials include a time line for implementation of internship, and diagrams of an integrated…

Technical Assistance to Early Interventionists in Rural Areas: An Empirical Evaluation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cooper, Carolyn S.; McEvoy, Mary A.

This study assessed the effectiveness of a model for providing long distance technical assistance on teacher implementation of an intervention designed to increase child-child social interaction. Subjects were 10 preschool special education teachers and 40 preschool-aged children (some developing normally and some with mild to moderate…

77 FR 24587 - Addition of Certain Persons to the Entity List; and Implementation of Entity List Annual Review...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-25

...; --Mahtab Technical Engineering Company; --Composite Propellant Missile Industry; and --Sanaye Sokhte... entity; 0 (i) By removing the ``Country'' column for South Korea, including the South Korean entity... Technical Engineering Company;. --Composite Propellant Missile Industry; and. --Sanaye Sokhte Morakab (SSM...

40 CFR 52.460 - Small business stationary source technical and environmental compliance assistance program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Small business stationary source... PLANS Delaware § 52.460 Small business stationary source technical and environmental compliance... Environmental Control submitted a plan for the establishment and implementation of a Small Business Stationary...

TADS Final Evaluation Report, 1980-81. Appendix S.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Suarez, Tanya M.; And Others

The document contains the final report of the Technical Assistance Development System (TADS), a program which provided technical assistance (TA) services to 53 Handicapped Children's Early Education Program (HCEEP) demonstration projects and 13 State Implementation Grants (SIGs). The evaluation report is divided into five sections. Section 1…

75 FR 76921 - Tobacco Transition Payment Program; Tobacco Transition Assessments

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-10

... rule; technical amendment. SUMMARY: The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) is modifying the regulations... domestic volume of each class. This means that CCC will continue to determine tobacco class allocations... technical amendment does not change how the TTPP is implemented by CCC, but rather clarifies the wording of...

ACE: A distributed system to manage large data archives

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Daily, Mike I.; Allen, Frank W.

1993-01-01

Competitive pressures in the oil and gas industry are requiring a much tighter integration of technical data into E and P business processes. The development of new systems to accommodate this business need must comprehend the significant numbers of large, complex data objects which the industry generates. The life cycle of the data objects is a four phase progression from data acquisition, to data processing, through data interpretation, and ending finally with data archival. In order to implement a cost effect system which provides an efficient conversion from data to information and allows effective use of this information, an organization must consider the technical data management requirements in all four phases. A set of technical issues which may differ in each phase must be addressed to insure an overall successful development strategy. The technical issues include standardized data formats and media for data acquisition, data management during processing, plus networks, applications software, and GUI's for interpretation of the processed data. Mass storage hardware and software is required to provide cost effective storage and retrieval during the latter three stages as well as long term archival. Mobil Oil Corporation's Exploration and Producing Technical Center (MEPTEC) has addressed the technical and cost issues of designing, building, and implementing an Advanced Computing Environment (ACE) to support the petroleum E and P function, which is critical to the corporation's continued success. Mobile views ACE as a cost effective solution which can give Mobile a competitive edge as well as a viable technical solution.

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

Kandt, A.

The Department of Energy's (DOE) Solar America Showcase program seeks to accelerate demand for solar technologies among key end use market sectors. As part of this activity the DOE provides Technical Assistance through its national laboratories to large-scale, high-visibility solar installation projects. The Solar Schools Assessment and Implementation Project (SSAIP) in the San Francisco Bay area was selected for a 2009 DOE Solar American Showcase award. SSAIP was formed through the efforts of the nonprofit Sequoia Foundation and includes three school districts: Berkeley, West Contra Costa, and Oakland Unified School Districts. This paper summarizes the technical assistance efforts that resultedmore » from this technical assistance support. It serves as a case study and reference document detailing the steps and processes that could be used to successfully identify, fund, and implement solar PV projects in school districts across the country.« less

Access management implementation in Kentucky technical support document and status report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2008-05-01

This report describes the efforts of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet's Access Management implementation Task Force. The task force was established in May 2004 and was charged with the responsibility of reviewing and refining the recommendations i...

Determinants of quality management systems implementation in hospitals.

PubMed

Wardhani, Viera; Utarini, Adi; van Dijk, Jitse Pieter; Post, Doeke; Groothoff, Johan Willem

2009-03-01

To identify the problems and facilitating factors in the implementation of quality management system (QMS) in hospitals through a systematic review. A search strategy was performed on the Medline database for articles written in English published between 1992 and early 2006. Using the thesaurus terms 'Total Quality Management' and 'Quality Assurance Health Care', combined with the term 'hospital' and 'implement*', we identified 533 publications. The screening process was based on empirical articles describing organization-wide QMS implementation. Fourteen empirical articles fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were reviewed in this paper. An organization culture emphasizing standards and values associated with affiliation, teamwork and innovation, assumption of change and risk taking, play as the key success factor in QMS implementation. This culture needs to be supported by sufficient technical competence to apply a scientific problem-solving approach. A clear distribution of QMS function within the organizational structure is more important than establishing a formal quality structure. In addition to management leadership, physician involvement also plays an important role in implementing QMS. Six supporting and limiting factors determining QMS implementation are identified in this review. These are the organization culture, design, leadership for quality, physician involvement, quality structure and technical competence.

Activities of the Oil Implementation Task Force; Contracts for field projects and supporting research on enhanced oil recovery, July--September 1990

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

Tiedemann, H.A.

1991-05-01

The report contains a general introduction and background to DOE's revised National Energy Strategy Advanced Oil Recovery Program and activities of the Oil Implementation Task Force; a detailed synopsis of the symposium, including technical presentations, comments and suggestions; a section of technical information on deltaic reservoirs; and appendices containing a comprehensive listing of references keyed to general deltaic and geological aspects of reservoirs and those relevant to six selected deltaic plays. Enhanced recovery processes include chemical floodings, gas displacement, thermal recovery, geoscience, and microbial recovery.

Development and technical implementation of the separation nozzle process for enrichment of uranium-235

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

Becker, E.W.; Bier, W.; Bley, P.

In the separation nozzle process, enrichment is achieved by extremely high centrifugal forces in a curved flow of UF/sub 6/ diluted by a light gas. The first commercial application is in Brasil, where a so-called First Cascade consisting of 24 separation nozzle stages is under construction. In two steps, this installation will be expanded into a 300,000 SWU/a demonstration plant. The development of components for commercial plants is well under way. The paper describes developments and technical implementation of the separation nozzle process. Remarkable progress has been made in the process economy.

General requirements to implement the personal dose equivalent Hp(10) in Brazil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gomes Lopes, Amanda; Da Silva, Francisco Cesar Augusto

2018-03-01

To update the dosimetry quantity with the international community, Brazil is changing the Individual Dose (Hx) to the Personal Dose Equivalent Hp(10). A bibliographical survey on the technical and administrative requirements of nine countries that use Hp(10) was carried out to obtain the most relevant ones. All of them follow IEC and ISO guidelines for technical requirements, but administrative requirements change from country to country. Based on countries experiences, this paper presents a list of important general requirements to implement Hp(10) and to prepare the Brazilian requirements according to the international scientific community.

Implementation of quality improvement techniques for management and technical processes in the ACRV project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Raiman, Laura B.

1992-01-01

Total Quality Management (TQM) is a cooperative form of doing business that relies on the talents of everyone in an organization to continually improve quality and productivity, using teams and an assortment of statistical and measurement tools. The objective of the activities described in this paper was to implement effective improvement tools and techniques in order to build work processes which support good management and technical decisions and actions which are crucial to the success of the ACRV project. The objectives were met by applications in both the technical and management areas. The management applications involved initiating focused continuous improvement projects with widespread team membership. The technical applications involved applying proven statistical tools and techniques to the technical issues associated with the ACRV Project. Specific activities related to the objective included working with a support contractor team to improve support processes, examining processes involved in international activities, a series of tutorials presented to the New Initiatives Office and support contractors, a briefing to NIO managers, and work with the NIO Q+ Team. On the technical side, work included analyzing data from the large-scale W.A.T.E.R. test, landing mode trade analyses, and targeting probability calculations. The results of these efforts will help to develop a disciplined, ongoing process for producing fundamental decisions and actions that shape and guide the ACRV organization .

Implementation of quality improvement techniques for management and technical processes in the ACRV project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raiman, Laura B.

1992-12-01

Total Quality Management (TQM) is a cooperative form of doing business that relies on the talents of everyone in an organization to continually improve quality and productivity, using teams and an assortment of statistical and measurement tools. The objective of the activities described in this paper was to implement effective improvement tools and techniques in order to build work processes which support good management and technical decisions and actions which are crucial to the success of the ACRV project. The objectives were met by applications in both the technical and management areas. The management applications involved initiating focused continuous improvement projects with widespread team membership. The technical applications involved applying proven statistical tools and techniques to the technical issues associated with the ACRV Project. Specific activities related to the objective included working with a support contractor team to improve support processes, examining processes involved in international activities, a series of tutorials presented to the New Initiatives Office and support contractors, a briefing to NIO managers, and work with the NIO Q+ Team. On the technical side, work included analyzing data from the large-scale W.A.T.E.R. test, landing mode trade analyses, and targeting probability calculations. The results of these efforts will help to develop a disciplined, ongoing process for producing fundamental decisions and actions that shape and guide the ACRV organization .

Distributed Energy Planning for Climate Resilience

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

Stout, Sherry R; Hotchkiss, Elizabeth L; Day, Megan H

At various levels of government across the United States and globally climate resilient solutions are being adopted and implemented. Solutions vary based on predicted hazards, community context, priorities, complexity, and available resources. Lessons are being learned through the implementation process, which can be replicated regardless of level or type of government entity carrying out the resiliency planning. Through a number of analyses and technical support across the world, NREL has learned key lessons related to resilience planning associated with power generation and water distribution. Distributed energy generation is a large factor in building resilience with clean energy technologies and solutions.more » The technical and policy solutions associated with distributed energy implementation for resilience fall into a few major categories, including spatial diversification, microgrids, water-energy nexus, policy, and redundancy.« less

Systems approach used in the Gas Centrifuge Enrichment Plant

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

Rooks, W.A. Jr.

A requirement exists for effective and efficient transfer of technical knowledge from the design engineering team to the production work force. Performance-Based Training (PBT) is a systematic approach to the design, development, and implementation of technical training. This approach has been successfully used by the US Armed Forces, industry, and other organizations. The advantages of the PBT approach are: cost-effectiveness (lowest life-cycle training cost), learning effectiveness, reduced implementation time, and ease of administration. The PBT process comprises five distinctive and rigorous phases: Analysis of Job Performance, Design of Instructional Strategy, Development of Training Materials and Instructional Media, Validation of Materialsmore » and Media, and Implementation of the Instructional Program. Examples from the Gas Centrifuge Enrichment Plant (GCEP) are used to illustrate the application of PBT.« less

Technical considerations for implementation of x-ray CT polymer gel dosimetry.

PubMed

Hilts, M; Jirasek, A; Duzenli, C

2005-04-21

Gel dosimetry is the most promising 3D dosimetry technique in current radiation therapy practice. X-ray CT has been shown to be a feasible method of reading out polymer gel dosimeters and, with the high accessibility of CT scanners to cancer hospitals, presents an exciting possibility for clinical implementation of gel dosimetry. In this study we report on technical considerations for implementation of x-ray CT polymer gel dosimetry. Specifically phantom design, CT imaging methods, imaging time requirements and gel dose response are investigated. Where possible, recommendations are made for optimizing parameters to enhance system performance. The dose resolution achievable with an optimized system is calculated given voxel size and imaging time constraints. Results are compared with MRI and optical CT polymer gel dosimetry results available in the literature.

A New Method of High-Precision Positioning for an Indoor Pseudolite without Using the Known Point Initialization.

PubMed

Zhao, Yinzhi; Zhang, Peng; Guo, Jiming; Li, Xin; Wang, Jinling; Yang, Fei; Wang, Xinzhe

2018-06-20

Due to the great influence of multipath effect, noise, clock and error on pseudorange, the carrier phase double difference equation is widely used in high-precision indoor pseudolite positioning. The initial position is determined mostly by the known point initialization (KPI) method, and then the ambiguities can be fixed with the LAMBDA method. In this paper, a new method without using the KPI to achieve high-precision indoor pseudolite positioning is proposed. The initial coordinates can be quickly obtained to meet the accuracy requirement of the indoor LAMBDA method. The detailed processes of the method follows: Aiming at the low-cost single-frequency pseudolite system, the static differential pseudolite system (DPL) method is used to obtain the low-accuracy positioning coordinates of the rover station quickly. Then, the ambiguity function method (AFM) is used to search for the coordinates in the corresponding epoch. The real coordinates obtained by AFM can meet the initial accuracy requirement of the LAMBDA method, so that the double difference carrier phase ambiguities can be correctly fixed. Following the above steps, high-precision indoor pseudolite positioning can be realized. Several experiments, including static and dynamic tests, are conducted to verify the feasibility of the new method. According to the results of the experiments, the initial coordinates with the accuracy of decimeter level through the DPL can be obtained. For the AFM part, both a one-meter search scope and two-centimeter or four-centimeter search steps are used to ensure the precision at the centimeter level and high search efficiency. After dealing with the problem of multiple peaks caused by the ambiguity cosine function, the coordinate information of the maximum ambiguity function value (AFV) is taken as the initial value of the LAMBDA, and the ambiguities can be fixed quickly. The new method provides accuracies at the centimeter level for dynamic experiments and at the millimeter level for static ones.

On-the-fly Locata/inertial navigation system integration for precise maritime application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Wei; Li, Yong; Rizos, Chris

2013-10-01

The application of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) technology has meant that marine navigators have greater access to a more consistent and accurate positioning capability than ever before. However, GNSS may not be able to meet all emerging navigation performance requirements for maritime applications with respect to service robustness, accuracy, integrity and availability. In particular, applications in port areas (for example automated docking) and in constricted waterways, have very stringent performance requirements. Even when an integrated inertial navigation system (INS)/GNSS device is used there may still be performance gaps. GNSS signals are easily blocked or interfered with, and sometimes the satellite geometry may not be good enough for high accuracy and high reliability applications. Furthermore, the INS accuracy degrades rapidly during GNSS outages. This paper investigates the use of a portable ground-based positioning system, known as ‘Locata’, which was integrated with an INS, to provide accurate navigation in a marine environment without reliance on GNSS signals. An ‘on-the-fly’ Locata resolution algorithm that takes advantage of geometry change via an extended Kalman filter is proposed in this paper. Single-differenced Locata carrier phase measurements are utilized to achieve accurate and reliable solutions. A ‘loosely coupled’ decentralized Locata/INS integration architecture based on the Kalman filter is used for data processing. In order to evaluate the system performance, a field trial was conducted on Sydney Harbour. A Locata network consisting of eight Locata transmitters was set up near the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The experiment demonstrated that the Locata on-the-fly (OTF) algorithm is effective and can improve the system accuracy in comparison with the conventional ‘known point initialization’ (KPI) method. After the OTF and KPI comparison, the OTF Locata/INS integration is then assessed further and its performance improvement on both stand-alone OTF Locata and INS is shown. The Locata/INS integration can achieve centimetre-level accuracy for position solutions, and centimetre-per-second accuracy for velocity determination.

Transthyretin Protects against A-Beta Peptide Toxicity by Proteolytic Cleavage of the Peptide: A Mechanism Sensitive to the Kunitz Protease Inhibitor

PubMed Central

Costa, Rita; Ferreira-da-Silva, Frederico; Saraiva, Maria J.; Cardoso, Isabel

2008-01-01

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the deposition of amyloid β-peptide (A-Beta) in the brain. Transthyretin (TTR) is a tetrameric protein of about 55 kDa mainly produced in the liver and choroid plexus of the brain. The known physiological functions of TTR are the transport of thyroid hormone T4 and retinol, through binding to the retinol binding protein. TTR has also been established as a cryptic protease able to cleave ApoA-I in vitro. It has been described that TTR is involved in preventing A-Beta fibrilization, both by inhibiting and disrupting A-Beta fibrils, with consequent abrogation of toxicity. We further characterized the nature of the TTR/A-Beta interaction and found that TTR, both recombinant or isolated from human sera, was able to proteolytically process A-Beta, cleaving the peptide after aminoacid residues 1, 2, 3, 10, 13, 14,16, 19 and 27, as determined by mass spectrometry, and reversed phase chromatography followed by N-terminal sequencing. A-Beta peptides (1–14) and (15–42) showed lower amyloidogenic potential than the full length counterpart, as assessed by thioflavin binding assay and ultrastructural analysis by transmission electron microscopy. A-Beta cleavage by TTR was inhibited in the presence of an αAPP peptide containing the Kunitz Protease Inhibitor (KPI) domain but not in the presence of the secreted αAPP derived from the APP isoform 695 without the KPI domain. TTR was also able to degrade aggregated forms of A-Beta peptide. Our results confirmed TTR as a protective molecule in AD, and prompted A-Beta proteolysis by TTR as a protective mechanism in this disease. TTR may prove to be a useful therapeutic agent for preventing or retarding the cerebral amyloid plaque formation implicated in AD pathology. PMID:18682830

Quality control of CT systems by automated monitoring of key performance indicators: a two-year study.

PubMed

Nowik, Patrik; Bujila, Robert; Poludniowski, Gavin; Fransson, Annette

2015-07-08

The purpose of this study was to develop a method of performing routine periodical quality controls (QC) of CT systems by automatically analyzing key performance indicators (KPIs), obtainable from images of manufacturers' quality assurance (QA) phantoms. A KPI pertains to a measurable or determinable QC parameter that is influenced by other underlying fundamental QC parameters. The established KPIs are based on relationships between existing QC parameters used in the annual testing program of CT scanners at the Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm, Sweden. The KPIs include positioning, image noise, uniformity, homogeneity, the CT number of water, and the CT number of air. An application (MonitorCT) was developed to automatically evaluate phantom images in terms of the established KPIs. The developed methodology has been used for two years in clinical routine, where CT technologists perform daily scans of the manufacturer's QA phantom and automatically send the images to MonitorCT for KPI evaluation. In the cases where results were out of tolerance, actions could be initiated in less than 10 min. 900 QC scans from two CT scanners have been collected and analyzed over the two-year period that MonitorCT has been active. Two types of errors have been registered in this period: a ring artifact was discovered with the image noise test, and a calibration error was detected multiple times with the CT number test. In both cases, results were outside the tolerances defined for MonitorCT, as well as by the vendor. Automated monitoring of KPIs is a powerful tool that can be used to supplement established QC methodologies. Medical physicists and other professionals concerned with the performance of a CT system will, using such methods, have access to comprehensive data on the current and historical (trend) status of the system such that swift actions can be taken in order to ensure the quality of the CT examinations, patient safety, and minimal disruption of service.

Implementation of a Technological Innovation: Factors Influencing the Adoption of a New Student Information System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnston, Katrina M.

2013-01-01

School information systems (SIS) have the potential to cause a change in a school's technical, structural, psycho-social, and managerial systems. Implementation of a technological innovation such as an SIS is not a one-step occurrence; it is a process that occurs over time. Implementing any technological innovation involves active learning…

Supporting the Implementation of Evidence-Based Practices for Adults with Co-Occurring Mental and Substance Use Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Biegel, David E.; Kola, Lenore A.; Ronis, Robert R.

2007-01-01

Significant barriers exist to the implementation of evidence-based practices into routine mental health and substance abuse settings. This paper discusses the role and function of technical assistance centers to help support the implementation process using, as a guide, the experience of the Ohio Substance Abuse and Mental Illness Coordinating…

Understanding and Implementing Programs of Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hyslop, Alisha

2012-01-01

Since Programs of Study (POS) were introduced in 2006, implementation has been uneven around the country. POS were one of the landmark features of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins Act), and have been one of the biggest areas of focus during its implementation. In 2009, the U.S. Department of Education's Office of…

Implementing Courseware as the Primary Mode of Task-Based ESP Instruction: A Case Study of EFL Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tsai, Shu-Chiao

2015-01-01

The study reports on implementing self-developed English for specific purposes (ESP) courseware for technology industries in an elective course, "English reading for technology," offered to junior students of English as a foreign language in a technical university in southern Taiwan. Courseware implementation was combined with a…

Data Decision-Making and Program-Wide Implementation of the Pyramid Model. Roadmap to Effective Intervention Practices #7

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fox, Lise; Veguilla, Myrna; Perez Binder, Denise

2014-01-01

The Technical Assistance Center on Social Emotional Intervention for Young Children (TACSEI) Roadmap on "Data Decision-Making and Program-Wide Implementation of the Pyramid Model" provides programs with guidance on how to collect and use data to ensure the implementation of the Pyramid Model with fidelity and decision-making that…

TECHNICAL DESIGN NOTE: Picosecond resolution programmable delay line

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suchenek, Mariusz

2009-11-01

The note presents implementation of a programmable delay line for digital signals. The tested circuit has a subnanosecond delay range programmable with a resolution of picoseconds. Implementation of the circuit was based on low-cost components, easily available on the market.

DESCRIPTION OF RISK REDUCTION ENGINEERING LABORATORY TEST AND EVALUATION FACILITIES

EPA Science Inventory

An onsite team of multidisciplined engineers and scientists conduct research and provide technical services in the areas of testing, design, and field implementation for both solid and hazardous waste management. Engineering services focus on the design and implementation of...

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

PubMed

Or, Calvin; Dohan, Michael; Tan, Joseph

2014-09-01

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

Lessons in Reading Reform: Finding What Works. Technical Appendix

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Betts, Julian R.; Zau, Andrew C.; Koedel, Cory

2010-01-01

This technical appendix provides more detail on the reading reforms implemented under the Blueprint for Student Success project in the San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) between 2000 and 2005. It provides details on the dataset, the econometric methods the authors employed, and the results, which are also detailed and discussed in the main…

A Comparison of Teaching and Learning Techniques by Teachers and Students at Northern Maine Technical College.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McKinnon, Norma M.

In 1992, an evaluative study was conducted to describe systematically the characteristics of Northern Maine Technical College's (NMTC's) faculty and students with respect to specified teaching and learning variables. The study sought to determine and outline appropriate instructional improvement strategies for possible implementation at NMTC,…

Mature Programs of Study: Examining Policy Implementation at the Local Level. Final Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alfeld, Corinne; Bhattacharya, Sharika

2013-01-01

The 2006 Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act required that all career technical education (CTE) programs offer secondary to postsecondary programs of study (POS), which integrate rigorous academics, offer dual enrollment options, and lead to an industry-recognized degree or credential. Focused on improving students' transition to…

Examining Co-Teaching through a Socio-Technical Systems Lens

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

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

2012-01-01

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

The Metropolitan Advanced Technical Magnet High School: 1990-1991. Formative Evaluation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seever, Mark L.

This report evaluates the implementation of the "Long-Range Magnet School Plan" at Metropolitan Advanced Technical Magnet High School in Kansas City, Missouri for academic year 1990-91. Introductory sections describe the program, and the evaluation design and methodology. Results on enrollment indicated that only ninth and tenth grades…

Final recovery plan of the southwestern willow flycatcher (Empidonax traillii extimus)

Treesearch

Deborah M. Finch; Stephen I. Rothstein; Jon C. Boren; William L. Graf; Jerry L. Holechek; Barbara E. Kus; Robert M. Marshall; Molly M. Pohl; Susan J. Sferra; Mark K. Sogge; Julie C. Stromberg; Bradley A. Valentine; Mary J. Whitfield; Sartor O. Williams

2002-01-01

The Southwestern Willow Flycatcher Recovery Team is composed of a Technical Subgroup (pg. ii), six Implementation Subgroups (Appendix A), and a Tribal Working Group. The Technical Subgroup consists of 14 academic scientists, researchers, and resource managers with a wide range of expertise in avian biology and ecology, southwestern willow flycatcher ecology, cowbird...

76 FR 44534 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Tennessee; Regional Haze State...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-26

... EPA cannot read your comment due to technical difficulties and cannot contact you for clarification... on the Tennessee Regional Haze SIP. As noted in the CSAPR, EPA has not conducted any technical analysis to determine whether compliance with the CSAPR would satisfy Regional Haze Best Available Retrofit...

Information Competencies and Their Implementation in the Educational Process of Polish Universities Exploratory Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tonakiewicz-Kolosowska, Anna; Socik, Iwona; Gajewska, Monika

2016-01-01

The authors present the development and perspectives of improving the quality of Information Literacy programmes in Polish technical universities, considering the Bologna Process and the general conditions of the Polish higher education system. The survey conducted in selected technical and medical universities provided an overview of changes…

Stages of Concern Profiles for Active Learning Strategies of Agricultural Technical School Teachers in Egypt

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Myers, Brian E.; Barrick, R. Kirby; Samy, Mohamed M.

2012-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to assess Egyptian Agricultural Technical School (ATS) teachers' implementation of active learning strategies in their classrooms. Methods: The Stages of Concern Questionnaire was administered to 230 participants in active learning workshops. After eliminating headmasters, supervisors and people no longer…

The (Un)Attractiveness of Vocational and Technical Education: Theoretical Background

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lovšin, Miha

2014-01-01

This paper considers the problem of the lack of attractiveness of vocational and technical education via a review of legislation on counselling practices, implementing documents, and the social factors by means of which the education system can influence the individual's decision. It is apparent that legislation regulating the organisation and…

Final Technical Report on the Institute for Advanced Study in Student Personnel Work.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Callis, Robert

This document reports the planning, implementation, and evaluation of a 9-month institute held at the University of Missouri-Columbia to prepare participants (approximately 20) for leadership positions in student personnel work at junior colleges and technical institutes. The following aspects of the instructional program are discussed and…

Strategies for Handling Missing Data with Maximum Likelihood Estimation in Career and Technical Education Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, In Heok

2012-01-01

Researchers in career and technical education often ignore more effective ways of reporting and treating missing data and instead implement traditional, but ineffective, missing data methods (Gemici, Rojewski, & Lee, 2012). The recent methodological, and even the non-methodological, literature has increasingly emphasized the importance of…

Lessons Learned from Highly Implemented Programs of Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stipanovic, Natalie; Shumer, Rob; Stringfield, Sam

2012-01-01

American businesses and industries have long identified shortages in key career and technical areas--some of these areas require two- or four-year college degrees, whereas others simply require industry certifications. Career and technical education (CTE) has the potential to play a central role in filling these gaps. The current Carl D. Perkins…

The Correlates of Tracking Policy: Opportunity Hoarding, Status Competition, or a Technical-Functional Explanation?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelly, Sean; Price, Heather

2011-01-01

In this analysis, the authors explore the relationship between the social context of high schools and school-to-school variation in tracking policies. The authors consider three explanations for the implementation of highly elaborated tracking systems: opportunity hoarding, status competition, and a technical-functional explanation. Building on…

75 FR 82382 - Electronic Tariff Filings; Notice of Technical Conference

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-30

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. RM01-5-000] Electronic... electronic filing of tariff and tariff related materials pursuant to Order No. 714.\\1\\ The technical... implementation of eTariff. \\1\\ Electronic Tariff Filings, Order No. 714, 73 FR 57,515 (Oct. 3, 2008), 124 FERC...

Continuous Quality Improvement in a University Setting: The Case of the Department of Vocational and Technical Education at the University of Minnesota.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Copa, George H.

1993-01-01

Discusses the application of continuous quality improvement principles in the Department of Vocational and Technical Education at the University of Minnesota. Reviews the processes that the department incorporated to implement this program and lists future steps and categories of action. (Author)

Application of Semantic Approaches and Interactive Virtual Technology to Improve Teaching Effectiveness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jou, Min; Liu, Chi-Chia

2012-01-01

This article describes an implementation of interactive virtual environments that have been designed for supporting the education of technical skills in material processing technology. The developed web-based systems provide the capability to train students in the technical skills of material processing technology without the need to work on…

A consumer guide: tools to manage vegetation and fuels.

Treesearch

David L. Peterson; Louisa Evers; Rebecca A. Gravenmier; Ellen Eberhardt

2007-01-01

Current efforts to improve the scientific basis for fire management on public lands will benefit from more efficient transfer of technical information and tools that support planning, implementation, and effectiveness of vegetation and hazardous fuel treatments. The technical scope, complexity, and relevant spatial scale of analytical and decision support tools differ...